January 2021 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

FinShape Web App
by Eduardo Morteo 22 Jan '21

22 Jan '21

Dear All, On behalf of the Development Team, I’m proud to present to you the FinShape web App: http://finshape.morteo.mx <http://finshape.morteo.mx/> This is the evolution of the FinShape v0.1 Desktop App, that appeared on the research paper by "Morteo et al. (2017), entitled “Phenotypic variation in dorsal fin morphology of coastal bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) off Mexico": https://peerj.com/articles/3415/ <https://peerj.com/articles/3415/> Based on the Weller (1998) method, it uses semi-automatic standardized and very precise (pixel) measurements on photographs to compute 2D ratios and fin’s surface area, which may be potentially useful to distinguish stocks and populations. Please give it a try and let us know what you think. The User Guide should be sufficient to operate the App; but if not, you may find details on the image selection criteria, and the full measuring process in the MSc thesis by Morteo (2004) (pages 20-24): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/200836165_Dorsal_fin_morphological… <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/200836165_Dorsal_fin_morphological…> If you find any issues, we’ll be more than glad to help you in any way we can to make the best use for this App. We hope you enjoy it! E. References: Morteo, E. 2004. Dorsal fin morphological differentiation in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) along Mexican coasts: an adaptive approach. MSc thesis, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada. 131 pp. doi: 10.13140/2.1.1554.3360 Morteo E., Rocha-Olivares A., Morteo R., Weller D.W. 2017. Phenotypic variation in dorsal fin morphology of coastal bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) off Mexico. PeerJ5:e3415. ISSN 2167-8359, doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3415 Weller,D.W. 1998. Global and regional variation in the biology and behavior of bottlenose dolphins. Ph D thesis. University of Texas A&M. TX., USA.142 pp. Eduardo Morteo, Dr. Head Researcher Level C Marine Mammal Laboratory (LabMMar, IIB-ICIMAP) Institute of Biological Research Universidad Veracruzana Calle Dr. Castelazo Ayala S/N, Col. Industrial Ánimas, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, CP 91190. Ph/Tel: +52 (228) 841 89 00 E-mail: emorteo(a)uv.mx http://www.uv.mx/personal/emorteo/ http://uv-mx.academia.edu/EMorteo https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eduardo_Morteo/?ev=hdr_xprf http://scholar.google.com.mx/citations?user=fDUl-IIAAAAJ

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Re: [MARMAM] Seeking MMOs for deployment on expedition tour vessels in the Antarctic Peninsula
by Angus Henderson 22 Jan '21

22 Jan '21

RE: Seeking MMOs for deployment on expedition tour vessels in the Antarctic Peninsula. To all those that applied to these previously advertised positions, thank you for your application, we were overwhelmed with interest in these positions. These positions are now filled, however, there are still some applicants to be contacted as we work through the process. This message to notify interested parties that applications have now closed. The exception remains those applicants from Argentina or Chile. If you are a resident of Argentina or Chile, please put through your application. Cheers, Angus

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Re: [MARMAM] Fifth International Orca Symposium will take place in Tarifa
by MARMAM 22 Jan '21

22 Jan '21

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New paper on gray whale body condition in relation to the current unusual mortality event
by Fredrik Christiansen 21 Jan '21

21 Jan '21

Dear Colleagues, In relation to the unusual mortality event currently experienced by the eastern North Pacific gray whale population, my co-authors and I wish to announce our recent article published in MEPS: Christiansen, F., Rodríguez-González, F., Martínez-Aguilar, S., Urbán, J., Swartz, S., Warick, H., Vivier, F. & Bejder, L. (2021). Poor body condition associated with an unusual mortality event in gray whales. Marine Ecology Progress Series 658: 237-252. Abstract: The eastern North Pacific gray whale Eschrichtius robustus experienced an unusual mortality event (UME) in 2019−2020, with 384 whales found dead along the Pacific coasts of Mexico, USA and Canada. A similar UME in 1999−2000 was speculated to have been caused by starvation, but body condition data were not available to test this hypothesis. Between 2017 and 2019, we used unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and photogrammetry methods to measure the body condition of gray whales in San Ignacio Lagoon, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Body condition was calculated from the residual of the relationship between body volume and length. The body condition of gray whales was significantly lower in 2018 (−11.1%, SE = 1.74, n = 531) and 2019 (−9.7%, SE = 1.76, n = 628) compared to 2017 (n = 59) for all reproductive classes (calves, juveniles, adults and lactating females). Overall, lactating females were in good body condition. The reduction in body condition of whales in 2018−2019 is unlikely to have affected their survival, but could have reduced their reproductive rate by prolonging the post-weaning recovery time. This could explain the low number of mother−calf pairs observed in the San Ignacio Lagoon in 2018 and 2019. For juveniles and adults that arrived in the lagoons with less energy reserves, their reduced body condition may have been close to their survival threshold. This could explain the high proportion of juveniles and adults among the stranded dead whales in 2019−2020. Although the underlying cause of the reduction in gray whale body condition is unknown, starvation likely contributed to the 2019−2020 UME. Please follow this link to access the full article: https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v658/p237-252<https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v658/p237-252/>/ Best regards, Fredrik Christiansen Assistant Professor/Postdoctoral Research Fellow Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies Aarhus University, Denmark +4531332367 f.christiansen(a)aias.au.dk http://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=vkA5Y3EAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fredrik_Christiansen3/?ev=hdr_xprf

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New paper on song culture? in humpback whales
by Mercado, Eduardo 21 Jan '21

21 Jan '21

Greetings, For those readers interested in the inner workings of whale minds, I offer the following: Song Morphing by Humpback Whales: Cultural or Epiphenomenal? by Eduardo Mercado III Published online 15 January 2021 Frontiers in Psychology 11:574403 (2021); https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.574403/full Abstract: Singing humpback whales (Megaptera noavaengliae) collectively and progressively change the sounds and patterns they produce within their songs throughout their lives. The dynamic modifications that humpback whales make to their songs are often cited as an impressive example of cultural transmission through vocal learning in a non-human. Some elements of song change challenge this interpretation, however, including: (1) singers often incrementally and progressively morph phrases within and across songs as time passes, with trajectories of change being comparable across multiple time scales; (2) acoustically isolated subpopulations singing similar songs morph the acoustic properties of songs in similar ways; and (3) complex sound patterns, including phrases, themes, and whole songs, recur across years and populations. These properties of song dynamics suggest that singing humpback whales may be modulating song features in response to local conditions and genetic predispositions rather than socially learning novel sound patterns by copying other singers. Experimental and observational tests of key predictions of these alternative hypotheses are critical to identifying how and why singing humpback whales constantly change their songs. Cheers, Eddie

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FW: New publication: Reproductive Parameters for Female Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas)
by Ferguson, Steve 21 Jan '21

21 Jan '21

Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I would like to share our recently published paper on beluga whale reproduction: Ferguson, Steven H., Cornelia Willing, Trish C. Kelley, David A. Boguski, David J. Yurkowski and Cortney A. Watt. 2020. Reproductive Parameters for Female Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas). Arctic 73(4): 405 – 420 https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic71435 ABSTRACT: Monitoring marine mammal populations and their habitats is crucial for assessing population status and defining realistic management and conservation goals. Environmental and anthropogenic changes in the Arctic have prompted the pursuit for improved understanding of female beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) spatial and temporal reproductive patterns. There are relatively few estimates for female reproductive parameters of beluga whale populations across the Arctic, and those few that are available are outdated. Here we summarize female reproductive data from samples collected through Inuit subsistence hunts of three eastern Canadian Arctic beluga populations: High Arctic/Baffin Bay (HA), Western Hudson Bay (HB), and Cumberland Sound (CS) from 1989 to 2014. We grouped the CS and HA populations into a Baffin Bay region (BB) population based on similar body growth patterns and genetic similarity. Asymptotic body length of BB beluga whales (370.9 cm) was greater than HB whales (354.4 cm) as established from Gompertz growth curves fitted for whales ranging in age from 1 – 89 y. We did not detect a significant difference in average number of pseudocervices (8.6) between regions. Differences in average age of sexual maturity (ASM) and length at sexual maturity (LSM) were identified, with evidence of BB females maturing earlier than females from HB (probability method BB = 9.9 y versus HB = 11.0 and logistic method ASM50% HB = 9.99 and BB unresolved). BB females were also longer than HB females at maturing age (logistic LSM50%: BB = 314.5 cm vs HB = 290.3). Total corpora counts were strongly correlated with age, although the number of corpora (= 10 mm) suggests reproductive senescence between 40 and 50 y. Improved understanding of female reproductive patterns and knowledge of changes in the spatial and temporal timing of reproductive processes are fundamental for effective conservation and sustainable management of beluga whale populations. Please let me know if you'd like a PDF copy. Thanks, Steven Ferguson, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, University of Manitoba: steve.ferguson(a)dfo-mpo.gc.ca<mailto:steve.ferguson@dfo-mpo.gc.ca>

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DOLPHIN RESEARCH INTERNSHIP IN PORTUGAL
by AIMM Internships 21 Jan '21

21 Jan '21

*DOLPHIN RESEARCH INTERNSHIP IN PORTUGAL* *BACKGROUND:* The Marine Environment Research Association - AIMM, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization focused on the research and conservation of marine species, running an ongoing study of cetaceans in southern Portugal (Algarve). This project aims to obtain baseline information on species occurrence, behavior, and social structure of the local cetacean populations in order to obtain scientific data to support conservation measures and inform marine management policies. The main species observed are Short-beaked common dolphins (*Delphinus* * delphis*), Bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops truncatus*), and Harbour porpoises (*Phocoena phocoena*), although other species such as Minke whales (*Balaenoptera acutorostrata*) and Fin whales (*Balaenoptera physalus*) can also be sighted. AIMM Interns are young, hard-working individuals who are willing to contribute to the association and support on-going activities, while experiencing fieldwork at sea, learning data collection and processing methodologies, and being a part of AIMM's team of researchers and marine biologists for a period of time. All team members and participants share accommodation, house tasks, knowledge and experience in an friendly and multicultural atmosphere. Interns have the additional option to enrich their time with AIMM by beginning or improving their SCUBA skills with a PADI-certified instructor, hiking, kayaking, surf classes and others. *WHERE:* Albufeira, Algarve, Portugal *WHEN:* The field season lasts from 1st of May to 30th November 2021. The minimum internship attendance is 14 days, preferably starting on a Monday. *FIELDWORK: *The field trips are conducted in AIMM's research vessel, Ketos, or in opportunistic platforms (commercial dolphin-watching boats). Fieldwork is dependent on weather conditions and seat availability in the dolphin-watching boats. Field days can be intense, especially in the peak of summer, but are fulfilling and good fun. The interns will be *trained to*: - Conduct on-board surveys of marine species occurrence; - Record effort tracks on a handheld GPS; - Collect data such as behavior, group size and species; - Collect photos for photo-identification, acoustic recording and underwater videos; - Secchi disk methodology; - Help to collect drone footage and data from the marine mammals. *DATA ANALYSIS:* This will be conducted on a daily basis and will entail entering data into established databases and spreadsheets, photo-identification processing, and preliminary data interpretation. *INTERNSHIP FEES:* AIMM is a non-profit organization that relies on donations from our volunteers, partners, and conservation-minded people like you so that we may continue our important research and education programs in the Algarve. This internship requires a monetary contribution which is used to off-set the cost of accommodation and running a non-profit organization. For more information on internship fees for the 2021 season, please contact: interns(a)aimm-portugal.org *INCLUDED IN THE FEE IS:* - Accommodation in the research house; - Transportation to/from the marina; - Meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner); - Fieldwork in the research vessel or commercial dolphin-watching vessels. *NOT INCLUDED IN THE FEE IS:* - Transportation to/from Albufeira; - Meals in restaurants and snacks; - Free time activities; - Personal insurance (all participants should have health and/or travel insurance); - Personal expenses. *INTERNS ARE EXPECTED TO:* - Be above the age of 16; - Have a mature attitude towards marine mammal research and the environment; - Be autonomous and flexible; - Be able to live and work in an international team, specially outdoors at sea; - Speak English; - Participate for minimum 14 days. *PREFERENCE WILL BE GIVEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE:* - Relevant marine mammal field experience - Working experience on research vessels - Experience working from dolphin/whale watching platforms - Experience in photo-identification - Professional cameras that can be used for photo-ID - Availability to stay for longer periods of time *INTERNSHIP APPLICATION:* Applicants should fill up the online application at: https://www.aimmportugal.org/application-form Applicants should send an e-mail to: interns(a)aimm-portugal.org, with the subject: DOLPHIN RESEARCH INTERNSHIP. You will receive and e-mail with the availability and all the other details. Applications will be accepted during all season. However, early application is recommended due to limited vacancies. The follow links are shorts videos about the internship in Albufeira, where you get a different perspective and feedback from old participants about it: https://youtu.be/hTJJQPHBdI0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zTIEQEsftA *CONTACTS: * interns(a)aimm-portugal.org | www.aimmportugal.org | *AIMM Portugal* - Ass. Investigacao do Meio Marinho | Marine Environment Research Association *Website*: www.aimmportugal.org [image: AIMM Portugal | facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/AIMM.org/> [image: AIMM Portugal | twitter] <https://twitter.com/AIMMPortugal> [image: AIMM Portugal | instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/aimmportugal_org/> [image: AIMM Portugal | youtube] <http://www.youtube.com/c/AimmportugalOrg>

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New publication on the daily energetic costs of disturbance for blue whales
by Enrico Pirotta 21 Jan '21

21 Jan '21

Dear MARMAM colleagues, We are pleased to announce that the following paper is now available online: Enrico Pirotta, Cormac G. Booth, David E. Cade, John Calambokidis, Daniel P. Costa, James A. Fahlbusch, Ari S. Friedlaender, Jeremy A. Goldbogen, John Harwood, Elliott L. Hazen, Leslie New and Brandon L. Southall. 2021. Context-dependent variability in the predicted daily energetic costs of disturbance for blue whales. Conservation Physiology 9(1): coaa137. Abstract: Assessing the long-term consequences of sub-lethal anthropogenic disturbance on wildlife populations requires integrating data on fine-scale individual behavior and physiology into spatially and temporally broader, population-level inference. A typical behavioral response to disturbance is the cessation of foraging, which can be translated into a common metric of energetic cost. However, this necessitates detailed empirical information on baseline movements, activity budgets, feeding rates, and energy intake, as well as the probability of an individual responding to the disturbance-inducing stressor within different exposure contexts. Here, we integrated data from blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) experimentally exposed to military active sonar signals with fine-scale measurements of baseline behavior over multiple days or weeks obtained from accelerometry loggers, telemetry tracking and prey sampling. Specifically, we developed daily simulations of movement, feeding behavior and exposure to localized sonar events of increasing duration and intensity, and predicted the effects of this disturbance source on the daily energy intake of an individual. Activity budgets and movements were highly variable in space and time and among individuals, resulting in large variability in predicted energetic intake and costs. In half of our simulations, an individual’s energy intake was unaffected by the simulated source. However, some individuals lost their entire daily energy intake under brief or weak exposure scenarios. Given this large variation, population-level models will have to assess the consequences of the entire distribution of energetic costs, rather than only consider single summary statistics. The shape of the exposure-response functions also strongly influenced predictions, reinforcing the need for contextually explicit experiments and improved mechanistic understanding of the processes driving behavioral and physiological responses to disturbance. This study presents a robust approach for integrating different types of empirical information to assess the effects of disturbance at spatio-temporal and ecological scales that are relevant to management and conservation. Keywords: data integration, behavioral response studies, energy budget, population consequences of disturbance, navy sonar, marine mammals. A PDF copy of the paper can be downloaded for free from: https://academic.oup.com/conphys/article/9/1/coaa137/6102278 Please do not hesitate to contact me for any question regarding our work. Best Regards, Enrico Pirotta

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Two papers on Adriatic bottlenose dolphins
by Giovanni Bearzi 20 Jan '21

20 Jan '21

Dear colleagues, recently, we published two contributions on the abundance, spatial distribution and interactions with trawling of bottlenose dolphins in the north-western Adriatic Sea. Titles and abstracts are copied below. Pdf copies are available upon request to silvia.bonizzoni(a)gmail.com or giovanni.bearzi(a)gmail.com. Bonizzoni S, Furey NB, Bearzi G (2020) Bottlenose dolphins in the north-western Adriatic Sea: spatial distribution and effects of trawling. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3433 Abstract 1. Many species and populations of odontocetes have modified their behaviour to take advantage of feeding opportunities provided by fishing activities, with depredation of fishing gear being the most common type of adaptation. 2. The northern Adriatic Sea has been identified as an important marine mammal area because of a regular occurrence of common bottlenose dolphins. Boat surveys were conducted within a 3,000 km2 sector of the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Veneto, Italy, between April and October 2018–2019. Based on 76 days at sea, 10,711 km of navigation, and 81 h 26 min of dolphin tracking, this study contributes novel quantitative information on dolphin spatial distribution, and on their occurrence in the wake of beam trawlers, otter trawlers, and midwater pair trawlers. 3. A combined generalized additive model and generalized estimation equation framework indicated that trawling—along with other physiographic, biological and anthropogenic variables—influenced dolphin distribution. In days of trawling, the chance of encountering dolphins increased by ~4.5 times (95% confidence interval 1.8–11.0) near active beam trawlers, by ~16.0 times (7.1–36.0) near otter trawlers, and by ~28.9 times (12.0–69.6) near midwater pair trawlers. 4. Spatial modelling was used to create maps of predicted distribution, suggesting differences in habitat use between trawling and no-trawling days. Spatial modelling for all days identified a dolphin distribution hotspot of 832 km2, situated off the Po river delta. 5. Evidence contributed by this study can be used to inform management action within one of the world's areas most heavily impacted by fishing and other human encroachment. Such management action would help enforce the European Union's Habitats Directive and Marine Strategy Framework Directive, while also informing EU's Maritime Spatial Planning. Bearzi G, Bonizzoni S, Riley MA, Santostasi NL (2020) Bottlenose dolphins in the north-western Adriatic Sea: abundance and management implications. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3450 Abstract 1. The Adriatic Sea is one of the Mediterranean areas most heavily impacted by fishing and other human stressors. The northern part of the basin has been certified as an Important Marine Mammal Area because of the regular occurrence of common bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus. 2. Boat surveys, totalling 76 days at sea and 10,711 km of navigation, were conducted between April 2018 and October 2019 to assess cetacean abundance within a 3,000-km2 area off Veneto, Italy. Bottlenose dolphins – the only marine mammal species observed – were encountered on 52 days and were tracked for 81 h and 26 min, resulting in 15,066 dorsal fin photographs of high quality and resolution. 3. Various capture–recapture models were applied on individual photo-identification datasets. Model-based estimates indicate that approximately 600 individuals occurred within the study area during the sampling period in both years. Abundance varied monthly: minimum estimates were obtained in May 2018 (291 individuals; 95% CI 134–630) and May 2019 (121; 95% CI 20–721), whereas maximum estimates were obtained in September 2018 (385; 95% CI 310–477) and October 2019 (494; 95% CI 378–645). 4. Evidence provided by this study can be used to complement and validate coarse ‘snapshot’ information from recent aerial surveys of the entire Adriatic Sea, and to enforce management action mandated by the European Community (EC) Habitats Directive and Marine Strategy. Cheers, Giovanni - - - - - - - Giovanni Bearzi <http://www.dolphinbiology.org/people/giovanni_bearzi.htm>

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Call for Submissions: Areas of Interest to inform the regional identification of Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) in the “Black Sea, Turkish Straits System, and Caspian Sea” Regions
by simo.pani＠inwind.it 20 Jan '21

20 Jan '21

**Deadline for Proposals – February 7th 2021** The IUCN Joint SSC/WCPA Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force (MMPATF) would like to remind those interested of the final opportunity to submit Areas of Interest to inform the future identification of IMMAs in the “Black Sea, Turkish Straits System, and Caspian Sea” Regions. The aim of the IMMA classification is to identify discrete habitat areas that are judged to be important for one or more marine mammal species and that have the potential to be delineated and managed for conservation. This will be achieved by the use of the IMMA selection criteria which have been developed in partnership with the marine mammal science and conservation community. These criteria will be used as part of a process of regionally convened expert workshops, where information on marine mammals and potential Areas of Interest for IMMAs will be critically assessed. The MMPATF would now like to remind those interested to submit their Areas of Interest, and other relevant information on marine mammals, which could be of assistance to identify IMMAs in the “Black Sea, Turkish Straits System, and Caspian Sea” Regions at the next virtual IMMA Regional Workshop of experts, 22-26 February 2021. Please follow the link below to submit your IMMA Area of Interest for consideration by the MMPATF (information and additional instructions are provided on each page of the standard submission form). https://forms.gle/VRgALmJskvzxRALz9 For further information about the IMMA initiative, the IMMA selection criteria, or the other activities of the MMPATF, please visit the Task Force websitehttp://www.marinemammalhabitat.org If you require any further assistance or information about the use of the submission form, or would prefer an alternative means of submitting your IMMA areas of interest, please contact me AND Caterina Lanfredi (simone.panigada(a)imma-network.org, caterina.lanfredi(a)imma-network.org) Looking forward to hearing from you, best regards and thanks you for your support and cooperation, Simone Panigada IUCN Joint SSC-WCPA Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force (MMPATF)

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