September 2020 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Defenders of Wildlife is Seeking a Student and/or Contractor for Cook Inlet Beluga Systematic Review
by Katharine Nalven 30 Sep '20

30 Sep '20

Defenders of Wildlife is seeking someone to help with a beluga systematic review. You'll notice that we are very flexible with this project. We would love to work with a current student or recent graduate, and are open to discussing how one might turn this project into a MS thesis or a dissertation chapter. We are also open to discussions about specific funding needs of the successful student/applicant. The successful candidate will be required to work closely with Defenders staff based in Alaska and D.C. throughout the project, however the project work will be conducted remotely. [cid:image001.jpg@01D6973F.52B1DBD0]<https://defenders.org/> Katharine (Katy) Bear Nalven Alaska Marine Representative, Field Conservation DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE<https://defenders.org/> 441 W 5th Ave #302, Anchorage, AK 99501 TEL: 907.276.9453 Facebook<https://facebook.com/DefendersofWildlife> | Twitter<https://twitter.com/Defenders> | Instagram<https://instagram.com/defendersofwildlife/> | Medium<https://medium.com/wild-without-end>

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2021 Marine Mammal Rescue & Rehabilitation Internship Opportunity
by Heather Henderson 30 Sep '20

30 Sep '20

2021 Marine Mammal Internship Announcement California Wildlife Center is excited to announce the following internship opportunity for 2021! California Wildlife Center responds to reports of stranded marine mammals 365 days a year along the Malibu Coastline, in Los Angeles County. Our wildlife hospital is in Calabasas, CA. The rehabilitation facility is active during the region’s busiest period for stranded pinnipeds, January through July. We are seeking individuals during the Spring Session. Session dates: March 1st through the end of May Time Commitment: 30-35 hours per week / unpaid Summary/Program Description The California Wildlife Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured, orphaned, and sick native wildlife. CWC fulfills this mission through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, and treatment of avian and terrestrial wildlife in our rehabilitation hospital. This internship will provide an exciting and challenging educational experience in the field of marine mammal rehabilitation. Intern Responsibilities Under supervision of Marine Mammal staff, experiences will include: * Assessing stranded marine mammals on the beach * Assist or lead responder teams in the capture and handling of stranded marine mammals requiring rescue * Provide appropriate transport conditions for stranded marine mammals to the rehabilitation facility * Maintain detailed records of daily activity reports of stranding, human interaction, and patient health status * Perform daily husbandry tasks for pinniped patients admitted to the rehabilitation facility * Work closely with Marine Mammal department staff to provide patient-specific rehabilitative care * Adhere to all safety guidelines set forth by California Wildlife Center and the Marine Mammal Department * Participate in releases of healthy marine mammal patients back to their Pacific Ocean home * Maintain good rapport with representatives of various public agencies, as well as members of the public * Assist with marine mammal necropsy and sample collection NOTE: Due to current Covis-19 safety protocols, changes to the internship program may result, in order to maintain a safe and healthy hospital environment. Please visit our website for more information and to apply: http://cawildlife.org/volunteer/internshipsexternshipspreceptorships/ Heather A. Henderson Marine Mammal Program Manager California Wildlife Center P.O. Box 2022 Malibu CA 90265 310-458-WILD (9453) x108 www.cawildlife.org<http://www.cawildlife.org/> [medium CA_Wildlife_Center_Logo_Since_1998_CMYK500px]

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New publication: gull harassment of humpback whales off Western Australia
by Kate Rose-Ann Sprogis 30 Sep '20

30 Sep '20

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce the following paper published in Marine and Freshwater Research. Title: Silver gull harassment of humpback whales in Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia. Authors: Philippa Harkness and Kate R. Sprogis. Summary: We share observations of silver gulls (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) harassing humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia, between August and October in 2018 and 2019. Sixteen events were recorded of gulls pecking at the skin of 16 mothers and 2 calves resting on the surface. Data were collected opportunistically from a research vessel covering 5474.2 km (565 h). Events were documented through photographs and unmanned aerial vehicle video recordings and persisted for an average minimum time of 20.73 min (range 2.50–46.85 min). At least one event of a gull consistently gouging in a pre-existing lesion was recorded on a mother. Changes in behavioural activity from the whales, which varied from slipping under the surface to travelling and performing instantaneous behavioural events, were observed in 94% (15/16) of events. These are the first known records of birds attacking humpback whales. The results are comparable to early events of kelp gull (Larus dominicanus) harassment of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) off Península Valdés, Argentina, where events have escalated over the past 50 years to consistent attacks on the whales’ skin and blubber. Future research is required to monitor the trajectory of these interactions to inform management. Video supplementary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_xRBKYb6qA Reference: Harkness P and Sprogis KR (2020) Gull harassment on humpback whales in Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research. doi: 10.1071/MF20129 The Online Early version can be downloaded online: https://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/MF20129, or if it cannot be accessed please email or request on Research Gate. Best wishes, Kate Sprogis Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow Marine Bioacoustics Lab,<https://marinebioacoustics.wordpress.com/people/kate-sprogis/> Dept. of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark kate.sprogis(a)bio.au.dk<mailto:kate.sprogis@bio.au.dk> | Kate Sprogis Photography<https://katesprogisphotography.wordpress.com/> Twitter, Instagram: @KateSprogis [cid:image001.jpg@01D6976B.EC9A2C30] Recent papers: - Sprogis KR, Bejder L, Hanf D, Christiansen F. 2020. Behavioural responses of migrating humpback whales to swim-with-whale activities in the Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 522:151254. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2019.151254 - Sprogis KR, Videsen S, Madsen PT. 2020. Vessel noise levels drive behavioural responses of humpback whales with implications for whale-watching. eLife 9:e56760. doi: 10.7554/eLife.56760<https://elifesciences.org/articles/56760>

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ORCA Marine Mammal Surveyor course
by ORCA Office 30 Sep '20

30 Sep '20

Hello, We wanted to share details about our Marine Mammal Surveyor courses happening in the coming months! We have a mix of in person and online dates to suit everyone. All you need is a passion for whales and dolphins and a reasonable level of fitness to become an ORCA Marine Mammal Surveyor, the course will teach you everything you need to know to become a citizen scientist. These one day courses will take place all over the UK and online, and will give you all of the skills you need to identify and record whales, dolphins and porpoises during offshore surveys. You will learn about the species encountered in European waters, how to interpret their behaviour, as well as understanding ORCA’s distance sampling survey protocol and preparing you for travelling at sea. The course dates are listed below: ONLINE - Saturday 24th October 9:30AM - 4:30PM Newcastle - SOLD OUT - Saturday 14th November 9:30AM - 4:30PM (Life Science Centre, Times Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4EP) ONLINE - Saturday 21st November 9.30AM – 4.30PM ONLINE - Sunday 6th December 2020 - 9:30AM - 4:30PM ONLINE - Friday 22nd January 2021 9.30AM – 4.30PM Portsmouth - Sunday 24th January 2021 9:30AM - 4:30PM (Portsmouth Marriot Hotel, Southampton Road, North Harbour, Portsmouth, PO6 4SH) The Marine Mammal Surveyor course costs £89 for the full day. To book your place please visit: www.orcaweb.org.uk/train<http://www.orcaweb.org.uk/train> If you have any questions, please email info(a)orcaweb.org.uk Thanks Best wishes, The ORCA Team ORCA | Looking out for whales and dolphins |Portsmouth | PO2 8RU Tel: 02392 832 565 | info(a)orcaweb.org.uk<mailto:info@orcaweb.org.uk> | www.orcaweb.org.uk<http://www.orcaweb.org.uk/> [SOEC 2019 banner 2_FINAL]<https://orcaweb.org.uk/our-work/the-state-of-european-cetaceans>

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Live distance sampling training workshop, online from Univ St Andrews, 09-20 November 2020. Registration Open.
by Eric Rexstad 30 Sep '20

30 Sep '20

*Interactive introductory distance sampling training* Distance sampling is a recognised technique for conducting population assessment of marine mammal populations. Understanding the principles underlying survey design, field protocols for data collect and analytical methods are fundamental to understanding of marine mammal populations. We are happy to announce an offering of this workshop for remote participants. We are offering the training workshop in 10 two-hour blocks in November. You will be invited to interact in short lectures on distance sampling principles. Exercises analysing data sets in R will reinforce those principles and the lecturer will be available to assist during the practical session via screen sharing. The block will conclude with a summary of the exercise and question/answer session for both lecture and exercise. You can participate in polls during the workshop to assess your comprehension of topics discussed. The workshop will be delivered using Zoom web conferencing software along with R-Studio "in the cloud". You will need (free) accounts for both pieces of software. I encourage you to experiment with Zoom (at https://zoom.us) and https://rstudio.cloud before the course begins. There will be an internet connection testing session prior to the first meeting on 09 November. Companion online training workshops We are planning an additional advanced distance sampling workshops in January and March 2021. These workshops will require knowledge of basic distance sampling principles derived from this introductory training workshop. Important details /Workshop dates and time:/ *09-20 November 2020*, 1500-1700 Greenwich Mean Time. For the time of day in your zone, follow this link <https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?p1=3853&iso=20201109T…>. /Registration deadline:/ *23 October 2020* /Enrolment limit:/ 15 /Cost:/ 215 British pounds /What is included:/ Lectures, exercises, code, data all available online What they are saying I would like to say I really liked RStudio Cloud and it is working just fine and I am really enjoying using it as a student. I'm looking forward to using it as an instructor too. I really liked the first half of the course. I love distance sampling and I am enjoying every second of the course! The only thing I can say about this particular workshop is it deserves more time. -- Kaan Özgencil, PhD student, Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara Further details are available at: http://workshops.distancesampling.org/intro-nov-2020.html At this page you will find a link to the St Andrews online shop where payment is made. After payment is made, I will contact you with additional details regarding workshop electronic materials, etc. Feel free to contact me with questions. Information regarding all distance sampling workshops can be found at https://workshops.distancesampling.org -- Eric Rexstad Centre for Ecological and Environmental Modelling University of St Andrews St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland SC013532

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In Memoriam, Thomas F. Norris, 1965-2020
by Thomas Jefferson 29 Sep '20

29 Sep '20

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Norris, 1965-2020 Our friend and colleague, Thomas F. Norris, passed awaypeacefully in San Diego, California, on 9 September 2020, after a seven-monthbattle with pancreatic cancer. At thetime of his death, at the young age of 55, he was held by his wife, soulmate,and love of his life, Danielle. He wassurrounded by family and a few close friends. Tom was a leader in the field of marine mammal bioacoustics,having founded his own company, Bio-Waves, in 2006, which at times employedseveral full-time biologists. He waswell known in marine mammal science and worked with many colleagues over theyears on projects throughout the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. His passion for marine science and hisrespect for others led him to give many young scientists opportunities to stepinto the field and his advice has been referred to by many as critical to theirfuture. He published dozens of papers,mostly on acoustic behavior of cetaceans, with humpback whales and minke whalesbeing his favorite subjects. Tomdeveloped or co-developed a number of important passive acoustic monitoring(PAM) devices. He was also SeniorScientist at Cetos Research Organization. Tom’s passion for travel was established soon after hisbirth, on June 8, 1965, in the UK. Hemoved to California as a young child ready to embrace the ocean he grew to loveso much. He returned to Europe in high school,attending the American School of the Hague, where he established a passion forHolland, travel and the friends he stayed so close to until his passing. After moving back to the US, he startedcollege in Florida before moving back to the west coast, his first love, tocomplete his B.Sc. degree in 1987 (UC, Santa Barbara, where he graduated withDean’s Honors) and his M.Sc. in 1995 (Moss Landing Marine Laboratories; MLML). His master’s thesis was on acoustic behaviorof humpback whales of the Hawaiian Islands. During his time at MLML, Tom met like-minded people who becamelife-long friends and colleagues. Among his friends, he is remembered as akind, big-hearted, passionate, and intelligent surfer dude who could be goofyand serious at the same time. He wasknown for always having time for his friends, even in the midst of his cancerbattle, he continued running his business and supporting friends in need. Duringhis battle with cancer, his friends gathered through Zoom every Sunday eveningto chat with him and Danielle to provide moral support. Tom cared about hisfriends so much that he made sure to ask how everyone was doing, even when he himselfwas not feeling well. Surfing was a favorite pastime for Tom, and he oftenimpressed his colleagues with his ability to split his time between catchingwaves and working, seeming to strike a seamless and healthy balance between thetwo. Always very fit and outdoorsy, Tomalso enjoyed mountain biking and other outdoor activities. This worked well with his great respect fornature and all forms of life. Heexpressed a desire to “do good for others” and went out ofhis way in recent months to help other cancer survivors who were going throughtough times, even when his own battle was painful and disheartening. Tom was well respected and had many goodfriends in the marine mammal and surfing communities. He was a devoted son, taking time regularlyto support his parents, and always looking to bring back a small gift for hismom on every trip abroad. He issurvived by his loving wife, Danielle, his parentsPatrick and Marliese, his brother Peter, and his in-laws Ted and Wendy (his father/mother-in-law)and Julie and Mike (his sister and brother-in-law). He will also be missed as a doting uncle toRiley, Cooper and Mason. We have alllost a treasured colleague and dear, dear friend. Tom’s infectious smile, laughter, good will,charm, and generous spirit will be missed by more than we can count. We thank Danielle Brumfitt Norris forproviding details of Tom’s early life and personal history. Inhonor of Tom's memory and contribution to the scientific field, Moss LandingMarine Labs will be establishing a scholarship in his name for upcoming marinescientists. To contribute to this scholarship, please contact Emily Laneat emily.j.lane(a)sjsu.edu to make a donation. List of Publications, Thomas F. Norris Branch, T. A., K. M. Stafford, D. M. Palacios, C. Allison,J. L. Bannister, C. L. K. Burton, E. Cabrera, C. A. Carlson, B. G. Verbazzni,P. C. Gill, R. Hucke-Gaete, K. C. S. Jennner, M. N. M. Jenner, K. Matsuoka, Y.A. Mikhalev, T. Miyashita, M. G. Morrice, S. Nishiwaki, V. J. Sturrock, D.Tormosov, R. C. Anderson, A. N. Baker, P. B. Best, P. Borsa, R. L. BrownwellJr, S. Childerhouse, F. K. P., T. Gerrodette, A. D. Ilangakoon, M. Joergensen,B. Kahn, D. K. Ljungblad, B. Maughan, R. D. Mccauley, S. Mckay, T. F. Norris,O. W. a. D. R. Group, S. Rankin, F. Samaran, D. Thiele, K. Van Waerebeek and R.M. Warneke. 2007. Past and present distribution, densities and movements ofblue whales Balaenoptera musculus inthe Southern Hemisphere and northern Indian Ocean. Mammal Review 37:116-175. Cerchio, S., G. C. M., T. F. Norris and L. M. Herman. 1998.Movements of humpback whales between Kauai and Hawaii on population structureand abundance estimation in the Hawaiian Islands. Marine Ecology ProgressSeries 175:13-22. Cerchio, S., J. K. Jacobsen and T. F. Norris. 2001. Temporaland geographical variation in songs of humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae: synchronous change in Hawaiian and Mexicanbreeding assemblages. Animal Behaviour 62:313-329. Mobley, J. R., M. Smultea, T. Norris and D. Weller. 1996.Fin whale sighting north of Kaua'i, Hawai'i. Pacific Science 50:230-233. Norris, T. F. 1994. Effects of boat noise on the acousticbehavior of humpback whales. Journal of The Acoustical Society of America 96(5 Pt.2):3251.Abstract Only. Norris, T. F. 1995. Effects of boat noise on the singingbehavior of humpback whales (Megapteranovaeangliae). M.Sc. thesis, Moss Landing Marine Labs. Norris, T., J. Barlow and M. Mcdonald. 1997. Detections ofsinging humpback whales (Megapteranovaeangliae) across the northeast Pacific during the SWAPS97 sperm whalecruise. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 102:3121. Norris, T., M. Mcdonald and J. Barlow. 1999. Acousticdetections of singing humpback whales (Megapteranovaeangliae) in the eastern North Pacific during their northboundmigration. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 106:506-514. Norris, T., J. Jacobsen and S. Cerchio. 2000. A comparativeanalysis of humpback whale songs recorded in pelagic waters of the easternNorth Pacific: Preliminary findings and implications for discerning migratoryroutes and assessing breeding stock identity. NOAA Technical MemorandumNMFS-SWFSC 295:29 pp. Norris, T., B. Hanson, D. Noren and L. Jones. 2004. Acousticsurveys of killer whales during winter along the Pacific Northwest coast.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 116:2589. Norris, T., T. M. Yack, S. Martin, J. N. Oswald, A. J.Cummins and L. Thomas. 2010. The acoustic ecology and behavior of minke whales(Balaenoptera acutorostrata) neartropical and subtropical North Pacific Islands. Journal of The AcousticalSociety of America 128(4 Pt 2):2412. Abstract Only. Norris, T., J. N. Oswald and R. Sousa-Lima. 2010. A reviewand inventory of cabled and radio-linked hydrophones for passive acousticmonitoring of marine mammals. Journal of The Acoustical Society of America128(4 Pt 2):2438. Abstract Only. Norris, T., S. W. Martin, T. M. Yack, L. Thomas and J.Oswald. 2011. The acoustic ecology of minke whales in the tropical NorthPacific. Journal of The Acoustical Society of America 130(4 Pt 2):2321.Abstract Only. Norris, T., S. Martin, L. Thomas, T. Yack, J. N. Oswald, E.M. Nosal and V. M. Janik. 2012. Acoustic ecology and behavior of minke whalesin the Hawaiian and Marianas Islands: Localization, abundance estimation, andcharacterization of minke whale boings. Pages 149-153 in A. N. Popper and A.Hawkings eds. The Effects of Noise On Aquatic Life. Springer Science. Norris, T. 2012. Analysis of passive acoustic recordingsmade during a three month survey of cetaceans off the Northern Mariana Islandsin the western North Pacific. Journal of The Acoustical Society of America131(4 Pt 2):3456. Abstract Only. Norris, T. F., J. Oswald, T. M. Yack, E. Ferguson, A. Kumar,N. J. and B. Bell. 2013. Monitoring of marine mammal occurrence and acousticbehaviors in relation to mid-frequency active sonar using autonomous recordersdeployed off the undersea warfare training range, Florida. Journal of TheAcoustical Society of America 134(5 Pt 2):4045-4046. Abstract Only. Norris, T. F., K. J. Dunleavy, T. M. Yack and E. L.Ferguson. 2017. Estimation of minke whale abundance from an acoustic linetransect survey of the Mariana Islands. Marine Mammal Science 33:575-592. Oswald, J. N., J. Barlow and T. F. Norris. 2003. Acousticidentification of nine delphinid species in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.Marine Mammal Science 19:20-37. Rankin, S., T. F. Norris, M. A. Smultea, C. Oedekoven, A. M.Zoidis, E. Silva and J. Rivers. 2007. A visual sighting and acoustic detectionsof minke whales, Balaenopteraacutorostrata (Cetacea: Balaenopteridae), in nearshore Hawaiian waters.Pacific Science 61:395-398. Sousa-Lima, R. S., T. F. Norris, J. N. Oswald and D. P.Fernandes. 2013. A review and inventory of fixed autonomous recorders forpassive acoustic monitoring of marine mammals. Aquatic Mammals 39:23-53. Thode, A., T. Norris and J. Barlow. 2000. Frequencybeamforming of dolphin whistles using a sparse three-element towed array.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 107:3581-3584. Thomas A. Jefferson and Tomo Eguchi

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Job opportunity: marine mammal density modeler
by Jason Roberts 29 Sep '20

29 Sep '20

Dear all, The Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab (MGEL) at Duke University seeks a Postdoctoral Associate for immediate hire to model spatiotemporal distributions of marine species, particularly marine mammals. Directed by Dr. Patrick Halpin, MGEL is a leader in applying geospatial technologies to problems in marine ecology, resource management and ocean conservation. We are seeking a highly motivated individual who is interested in modeling marine species distributions for immediate use in U.S. management actions. This is a two-year position, with extension beyond that contingent upon evaluation and funding. The position is located at Duke University in Durham, NC, with the option to re-locate to the Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort, NC. Salary commensurate with degree/experience. Job title: Postdoctoral Associate or Research Scientist Posting duration: Through October 31, 2020 or until filled Begin date: November 1, 2020 or as soon as filled Occupational Summary: The successful candidate will join a small team that models spatiotemporal distributions of marine species and applies the results to management problems throughout the world. The researcher will be expected to travel to scientific conferences and meetings to present and discuss results of the research, to keep abreast of developments in the field, and to author and submit publications to peer-reviewed scientific journals. Responsibilities: The researcher will leverage knowledge and skills from a number of fields, including marine mammal ecology and biology, statistical modeling, oceanography, and scientific programming to model the density of marine mammals in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and/or Arctic. This will be done using distance sampling and density surface modeling methods with visual line transect surveys and environmental covariates. The primary focus will be on analyzing data collected by external collaborators, with specific tasks including: data cleaning and processing, integration of diverse datasets, fitting detections functions, creating models, and predicting density surfaces from those models. Additional responsibilities and projects may be added to the researcher's portfolio as time and mutual interests allow. These may include, for example, development of models for other study areas or taxa, development and/or application of innovative modeling approaches (e.g. modeling multiple species jointly; extrapolating models to ocean basin scale), and development of models that incorporate multiple types of data (e.g. visual surveys, passive acoustic monitoring, telemetry). The ideal candidate will be able to carefully reason about what inference can be gained through the joining and modeling of diverse datasets. This will include investigating how well models may be transferred to unsurveyed areas, seasons, or conditions and designing models to maximize transferability. The researcher will collaborate with team members and external partners to accomplish the diverse tasks required to complete the analysis. This will require alternating periods of steady collaboration with intense independent analysis. This position is best suited to those who enjoy statistics, coding, manipulating and visualizing data, and other quantitative analysis tasks. Required Qualifications Academic credentials: PhD in ecology, biology, statistics, computer science or engineering, or oceanography with a strong quantitative analysis background, particularly in species distribution modeling. Specific coursework and research experience with marine mammals strongly preferred. Undergraduate coursework or equivalent experience in physical and biological oceanography is required; graduate-level coursework or research experience preferred. Skills: We are seeking candidates with both a mix of polished skills and a strong aptitude to learn new skills. Communication - Fluent in English (reading, writing, and speaking) - Proficient in giving scientific presentations, with demonstrated experience - Strong scientific writing skills, in English; record of peer-reviewed publications preferred - Fluency in one or more European languages a plus Teamwork - Comfortable and competent working in a team on joint projects, both face-to-face and remotely - Also able to work independently for long periods of time, with only occasional oversight - Comfortable working on multiple projects simultaneously Analysis and modeling - Strong background and competency in mathematics (undergraduate calculus, at minimum). - Strong proficiency in statistical modeling, including regression and classification modeling. Experience with GLMs and GAMs strongly preferred. - Demonstrated experience with species distribution modeling and/or abundance estimation, including habitat suitability modeling, distance sampling, occupancy modeling, capture-recapture methods, etc. Specific experience with distance sampling and density surface modeling strongly preferred. - Strong programming skills, including proficiency in R (or equivalent with ability to quickly become proficient in R). Proficiency with Python, MATLAB, SQL a plus. - Demonstrated competence with GIS, geospatial analysis, and mapping. ArcMap proficiency and ability to automate production of maps and other geospatial operations preferred. - Comfortable and competent working with multiple tabular data formats, including CSV and other text formats, and relational databases (MS Access, SQL, etc.). - Proficient in summarizing/aggregating, transforming, and joining tabular data in R and/or SQL. Qualified applicants may send CV and cover letter to: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/16954 Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. With best regards, Jason Roberts, on behalf of the Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab

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New Publication: Image Rendering Techniques in Postmortem Computed Tomography: Evaluation of Biological Health and Profile in Stranded Cetaceans
by Dr. KOT Brian Chin Wing 28 Sep '20

28 Sep '20

Dear MARMAM Readers, On behalf of the Aquatic Animal Virtopsy Lab (https://www.facebook.com/aquanimallab) in City University of Hong Kong, my colleagues and I are pleased to share our new paper "Image Rendering Techniques in Postmortem Computed Tomography: Evaluation of Biological Health and Profile in Stranded Cetaceans", recently published in Journal of Visualized Experiments. The captioned paper is available here: https://bit.ly/2G8vAL9 Cite this paper: Kot, B. C. W., Chan, D. K. P., Chung, T. Y. T., Tsui, H. C. L. Image Rendering Techniques in Postmortem Computed Tomography: Evaluation of Biological Health and Profile in Stranded Cetaceans. J. Vis. Exp. (163), e61701, doi:10.3791/61701 (2020). Highlight: >From time to time, we presented different reconstructed CT images in our publication and facebook posts for illustrations. They are in fact generated by various unique image rendering techniques. These images are not only meant to draw the audiences' attention, but also provide solid ground for aquatic animal virtopsy and clinical radiology reporting. Recently, one of our papers regarding this important topic is published on the Journal of Visualized Experiments. The related video is also published along as an audio and visual navigation. We sincerely hope this key paper could help clinicians, veterinarians and stranding response personnel worldwide to fully utilize virtopsy for the biological health and profile evaluation of aquatic animals. I am happy to provide a PDF of the article upon request. Please email me at briankot(a)cityu.edu.hk<mailto:briankot@cityu.edu.hk> if you are interested, or if you have any questions about our paper. I would like to extend my gratitude to readers of our work, as well as editors and reviewers for their contributions to this finished version. Warm regards, Brian Kot Ph.D. in Diagnostic Imaging, B.Sc. (Hons) in Radiography, Cert. (RPC), Cert. (Virtopsy) Visiting Assistant Professor Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences City University of Hong Kong cum Research Fellow State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution City University of Hong Kong E: briankot(a)cityu.edu.hk<mailto:briankot@cityu.edu.hk>, briankot(a)yahoo.co.uk<mailto:briankot@yahoo.co.uk> W: https://www.cityu.edu.hk/jcc/staff/dr-brian-kot-chin-wing Aquatic Animal Virtopsy Lab Follow us at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aquanimallab Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aquanimallab Disclaimer: This email (including any attachments) is for the use of the intended recipient only and may contain confidential information and/or copyright material. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately and delete this email and all copies from your system. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, reproduction, copying, distribution, or other form of unauthorized dissemination of the contents is expressly prohibited.

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Incorrect link - New paper: Estimating walrus weaning age based on tooth strontium and barium concentrations
by Casey Clark 28 Sep '20

28 Sep '20

Hello again MARMAM Members, Apologies for double-posting, but the link included in my previous message was broken and redirected to the wrong page. The paper "Estimating walrus weaning age based on tooth strontium and barium concentrations” is open access, and can be found here: https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/2041-210X.13482 <https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/2041-210X.13482>. Best regards, Casey Clark CICOES Postdoc University of Washington

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New paper: Estimating walrus weaning age based on tooth strontium and barium concentrations
by Casey Clark 28 Sep '20

28 Sep '20

Hello MARMAM Members, On behalf of my colleagues and myself, I am pleased to share our new paper “Evaluating tooth strontium and barium as indicators of weaning age in Pacific walruses”, recently published in Methods in Ecology and Evolution. The paper is open access, and is available here: https://bit.ly/3ib68l8 <https://bit.ly/2V9gyta> Clark, C.T., L. Horstmann, and N. Misarti. 2020. Evaluating tooth strontium and barium as indicators of weaning age in Pacific walruses. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. doi:10.1111/2041-210X.13482 Abstract: 1. Lactation length and weaning age provide important information about maternal investment, which can reflect the health and nutritional status of the mother, as well as broader reproductive strategies in mammals. Calcium-normalized strontium (Sr) and barium (Ba) concentrations in the growth layers of mammalian teeth differ for nursing animals and those consuming non-milk foods, thus can be used to estimate age-at-weaning. To date, this approach has been used only for terrestrial animals, and almost exclusively for primates. 2. The goal of this study was to determine whether Sr and Ba concentrations in the cementum of Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) teeth can be used to estimate weaning age. Teeth from 107 walruses were analysed using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and calcium-normalized 88Sr and 137Ba concentrations were quantified. 3. For most walruses, both Sr and Ba concentrations exhibited rapid changes in early life. Ba concentrations matched closely with expected patterns in the published literature, rapidly declining from high to low concentrations (typically from ~10 ppm to ~5 ppm). In contrast, Sr exhibited a pattern opposite to that presented in studies of terrestrial mammals, appearing nearly identical to Ba (typically declining from ~400 ppm to ~200 ppm). To explain these findings, we present conceptual models of the factors generating weaning signals in Sr and Ba for terrestrial mammals, as well as a new, hypothetical model for walruses. Both a visual and mathematical approach to weaning age estimation indicated a median weaning age of walruses at the end of the second year of life (in the second dark layer of the tooth cementum), with many walruses estimated to have weaned in their third year of life, and a smaller group weaning in their fourth or fifth year. This is later than expected, given a published estimate of walrus weaning at 18–24 months. 4. These results do not conclusively support the use of tooth Sr and Ba for estimating weaning age in walruses, and further research is warranted to better understand the drivers of the observed patterns of Ba and Sr accumulation in walrus teeth. I am happy to provide a PDF of the article upon request. Please email me at ctclark(a)uw.edu <mailto:ctclark@uw.edu> if you are interested, or if you have any questions about the paper. Best regards, Casey Clark CICOES Postdoc University of Washington ctclark(a)uw.edu <mailto:ctclark@uw.edu>

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