October 2021 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

MMO, PSO & PAM training in November
by Recruitment 25 Oct '21

25 Oct '21

There is still time to register for Ocean Science Consulting Limited's (OSC) Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC)-approved Marine Mammal Observer (MMO), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Protected Species Observer (PSO), and Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) training courses in November. JNCC-certified MMOs comply with UK regulations and PSOs comply with USA regulations to minimise the risk of injury and disturbance to marine mammals from various offshore operations. OSC's MMO course include lectures and discussion as well as practical elements including binocular and range estimation training at Dunbar Harbour, as well as practical role-play sessions. The PAM course includes hands-on learning of how to operate real PAM systems. These courses will be held in person at OSC's headquarters in Dunbar, Scotland. OSC's next JNCC-approved MMO training course is planned for 16 November 2021 in Dunbar, Scotland, UK, for £220 per person (requires 5+ course attendees). This cost includes provision of a copy of the 'Marine Mammal Observer and Passive Acoustic Monitoring Handbook' for each participant. A Protected Species Observer (PSO) course is planned for the morning of 17 November 2021 in Dunbar, for £100 per person (requires 5+ course attendees and MMO course is prerequisite). PAM training is planned for 17-19 November 2021 in Dunbar, for £450 per person. This course will involve practical components on use of PAM systems that will either be held between OSC's warehouse facilities and vessel Orca (weather dependent and requires 8+ course attendees). Courses are intended to be held in person (face-to-face), and all participants will be required to provide proof of negative lateral flow test within the previous 48 hours, and ideally COVID-19 vaccination status prior to attending. All courses are capped at a maximum of 10 participants. Prices are exclusive of VAT, which is charged at the current rate. Course participants will also receive a discount for purchases of Marine Binoculars or Tripod Mounts from Opticron. Further details can be found here: https://www.osc.co.uk/training/ And you can register for courses here: https://www.osc.co.uk/jncc-registration/ Best wishes, OSC training team MMO or PAM requirement? We wrote the book. Now available on Amazon: www.marinemammalobserverhandbook.com<http://www.marinemammalobserverhandbook.com/>

1 0

Job Openings - Dugong MOU Secretariat, Abu Dhabi
by CmsOffice.ae 25 Oct '21

25 Oct '21

Dear Colleagues, I hope this email finds you well. We are pleased to announce the following job openings in CMS Office - Abu Dhabi: * Head of the Dugong MOU Secretariat<https://careers.un.org/lbw/jobdetail.aspx?id=165033&Lang=en-US> (Programme Management Officer, P4) based in Abu Dhabi. The deadline for receiving applications is 12 November 2021. * Project Manager for the Seagrass Ecosystem Services Project<https://careers.un.org/lbw/jobdetail.aspx?id=162832&Lang=en-US> (Programme Management Officer, P3), based in Abu Dhabi. The deadline for receiving applications is 19 November 2021. Applications should be received through the UN Careers platform Inspira using the above links. Kindly forward to any other colleagues or networks that may be interested in these positions. Best regards, Convention on Migratory Species Office - Abu Dhabi United Nations Environment Programme * c/o Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi PO Box 45553 * Abu Dhabi * United Arab Emirates cmsoffice.ae(a)cms.int<mailto:cmsoffice.ae@cms.int> * www.cms.int<http://www.cms.int/> [cid:image002.png@01D7C998.DD0AE650]

1 0

new publication for list
by Olaf Meynecke 23 Oct '21

23 Oct '21

Dear Colleagues, we are excited to share the following paper as part of our Whales & Climate Program: Oceanographic anomalies coinciding with humpback whale super-group occurrences in the Southern Benguela Abstract Seasonal feeding behaviour of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) has been observed in the coastal waters of the Southern Benguela where the species has been observed forming super-groups during the austral spring in recent years since 2011. Super-groups are unprecedented densely-packed aggregations of between 20 and 200 individuals in low-latitude waters and their occurrences indicate possible changes in feeding behaviour of the species. We accessed published data on super-groups occurrence in the study area in 2011, 2014 and 2015, and investigated oceanographic drivers that support prey availability in this region. We found that enhanced primary production is a necessary but not sufficient condition for super-groups to occur. Positive chlorophyll anomalies occurring one month prior to the super-group occurrences were identified, but only a concurrent significantly reduced water volume export from the region throughout October were conducive to the aggregations in the specific years. Hydrodynamic model results attributed the anomalous decreased volume export to the strength and orientation of the Goodhope Jet and associated eddy activity. The combination of random enhanced primary production typical of the region and emerging anomalous conditions of reduced water export in October since 2011 resulted in favourable food availability leading to the unique humpback whale aggregations. The novelty of this grouping behaviour is indicative of the lack of such oceanographic conditions in the past. Given the recency of the events, it is difficult to attribute this reduction in ocean transport to climatic regime shifts, and the origin should be likely investigated in the distant water mass interaction with the greater Agulhas system rather than in local intensifications of the upwelling conditions. A positive trend in the humpback whale population abundance points to the need to monitor the exposure of the species to the changing climate conditions. Scientific Reports<https://www.nature.com/srep> volume 11, Article number: 20896 (2021) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-00253-2 Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Dr Olaf Meynecke - - - - - - Research & Project Management Whales <https://www.whalesandclimate.org> & Climate Program [cid:c9c5d80e-202d-4b3a-bb93-efaf226486fa]<https://www.whalesandclimate.org/>

1 0

New paper: Head-mounted accelerometry accurately detects prey capture in California sea lions
by Mason Cole 23 Oct '21

23 Oct '21

Dear Colleagues, My coauthors and I are excited to share our new paper in Animal Biotelemetry describing an analytical method to accurately detect feeding using head-mounted accelerometry in California sea lions. The article is open access and can be found here: https://rdcu.be/czXAW Cole, M.R., Zeligs, J.A., Skrovan, S., and McDonald, B.I. Head-mounted accelerometry accurately detects prey capture in California sea lions. Anim Biotelemetry 9, 44 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40317-021-00267-7 Abstract: Detecting when and where animals feed is key to understanding their ecophysiology, but our ability to collect these data in marine mammals remains limited. Here, we test a tag-based accelerometry method to detect prey capture in California sea lions. From synchronized underwater video and acceleration data of two trained sea lions, we isolated a combined acceleration and Jerk pattern that reliably indicated prey capture in training datasets. We observed a stereotyped feeding motion in underwater video that included (1) mouth opening while approaching prey; (2) head deceleration to allow initial suction or prey engulfment, and (3) jaw closure. This motion (1–3) was repeated if a prey item was not initially engulfed. This stereotyped feeding motion informed a signal pattern phrase that accurately detected feeding in a training dataset. This phrase required (1) an initial heave-axis Jerk signal surpassing a threshold based on sampling rate; (2) an estimated dynamic surge-axis deceleration signal surpassing −0.7 g beginning within 0.2 s of the initial Jerk signal; and (3) an estimated dynamic surge-axis acceleration signal surpassing 1.0 g within 0.5 s of the beginning of the prior deceleration signal. We built an automated detector in MATLAB to identify and quantify these patterns. Blind tests of this detector on non-training datasets found high true-positive detection rates (91%– 100%) with acceleration sampled at 50–333 Hz and low false-positive detection rates (0%–4.8%) at all sampling rates (16–333 Hz). At 32 Hz and below, true-positive detection rates decreased due to attenuation of signal detail. A detector optimized for an adult female was also accurate at 32–100 Hz when tested on an adult male’s data, suggesting the potential future use of a generalized detector in wild subjects. When tested on the same data, a published triaxial Jerk method produced high true-positive detection rates (91–100%) and low-to-moderate false-positive detection rates (15–43%) at≥32 Hz. Using our detector, larger prey elicited longer prey capture duration in both animals at almost all sampling rates 32 Hz or faster. We conclude that this method can accurately detect feeding and estimate relative prey length in California sea lions. Please feel free to contact me at masonrcole(a)gmail.com if you have any questions. Cheers, Mason Cole -- Mason Cole, MSc Vertebrate Ecology Lab Moss Landing Marine Laboratories mcole(a)mlml.calstate.edu

1 0

new book on a marine mammal
by Burney Leboeuf 22 Oct '21

22 Oct '21

Dear Colleagues, The good thing about the pandemic is that it compelled me to stay at home, sit in front of the computer, and write a book on the animal I’ve studied for over five decades. Elephant seals bend the rules both on land and at sea and they teach us a lot about what is possible. You can preorder a copy, at a discount, from Cambridge University Press (see attached). For more information on the contents of the book, check out www.cambridge.org/9781316511541 Bernard Le Boeuf Professor Emeritus of Biology University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064 leboeuf(a)ucsc.edu 831 426 6203

1 0

Introductory distance sampling workshop: widening participation applications now being accepted
by Eric Rexstad 22 Oct '21

22 Oct '21

The winter offering of the introductory distance sampling workshop (a popular method for marine mammal population assessment) offered by CREEM will occur 10-21 January 2022. Registration for the workshop will open at the beginning of November. Meanwhile, applications are now being accepted for the free place at this workshop. The intention is to widen participation in the workshop to practitioners under-represented in the discipline. Details of the eligibility and application process available at http://workshops.distancesampling.org/widening-participation Enquiries and applications should be sent to me. Closing date for the widening participation applications for the introductory distance sampling workshop is 05 November 2021. Eric Rexstad Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling University of St Andrews Registered Charity in Scotland SC013532

1 0

Podcast: 'If Oceans Could Speak' and Polar Pint of Science Event
by clarke.pennyj＠gmail.com 22 Oct '21

22 Oct '21

Dear MARMAM Subscribers, Sharing news of a podcast episode talking 'whales from space' and an event talking 'walrus from space'. Just a reminder that the third episode of the new podcast 'If Oceans Could Speak', featuring marine mammal biologists, Dr Hannah Cubaynes from the British Antarctic Survey and WWF and Dr Kim Goetz from NOAA in the United States is out now. Listen or view our transcripts as we talk all about using images from planes, drones, and satellites to spy on the whales and walrus below. Next weeks episode, 27th October, we are taking you on a musical journey, with award-winning composer Lera Auerbach, on her acclaimed National Geographic, 4th symphony 'ARCTICA' - "music has the power to connect to you on the emotional level". To listen or view episode transcripts, just visit the podcast webpage (If Oceans Could Speak (buzzsprout.com) <https://if-oceans-could-speak.buzzsprout.com/> ), or tune in on your usual listening platform e.g. <https://open.spotify.com/show/0kzToAtyPIydllXQHh0LSj> spotify. Dr Hannah Cubaynes will also be joining Pint of Science, the UK Polar Network and the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust for Polar Pint of Science, on Tuesday 26th October, in a FREE online webinar talking about the British Antarctic Survey and WWF project 'Walrus from Space. For free tickets visit: A roadmap for the future/ empowering the globe to save the poles | Pint of Science <https://pintofscience.co.uk/event/a-roadmap-for-the-future-empowering-the-g lobe-to-save-the-poles> Best wishes Penny Clarke If Oceans Could Speak Production Team

1 0

New publication posting (Teman et al)
by Sarah Jessica Teman 21 Oct '21

21 Oct '21

Hello, I hope this finds you well. I wanted to share with the ListServ our new publication. Here is a suggested message: "Dear MARMAM Subscribers, We are pleased to announce a new publication about an outbreak of Cryptococcus gattii in odontocetes in the Salish Sea. Teman, S. J., Gaydos, J. K., Norman, S. A., Huggins, J. L., Lambourn, D. M., Calambokidis, J., Ford, J. K. B., Hanson, M. B., Haulena, M., Zabek, E., Cottrell, P., Hoang, L., Morshed, M., Garner, M. M., & Raverty, S. 2021. Epizootiology of a Cryptococcus gattii outbreak in porpoises and dolphins from the Salish Sea. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 146:129-143. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03630 Abstract: Cryptococcus gattii is a fungal pathogen that primarily affects the respiratory and nervous systems of humans and other animals. C. gattii emerged in temperate North America in 1999 as a multispecies outbreak of cryptococcosis in British Columbia (Canada) and Washington State and Oregon (USA), affecting humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Here we describe the C. gattii epizootic in odontocetes. Cases of C. gattii were identified in 42 odontocetes in Washington and British Columbia between 1997 and 2016. Species affected included harbor porpoises Phocoena phocoena (n = 26), Dall’s porpoises Phocoenoides dalli (n = 14), and Pacific white-sided dolphins Lagenorhynchus obliquidens (n = 2). The probable index case was identified in an adult male Dall’s porpoise in 1997, 2 yr prior to the initial terrestrial outbreak. The spatiotemporal extent of the C. gattii epizootic was defined, and cases in odontocetes were found to be clustered around terrestrial C. gattii hotspots. Case-control analyses with stranded, uninfected odontocetes revealed that risk factors for infection were species (Dall’s porpoises), age class (adult animals), and season (winter). This study suggests that mycoses are an emerging source of mortality for odontocetes, and that outbreaks may be associated with anthropogenic environmental disturbance. The paper is open access and freely available here: https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/dao/v146/p129-143/ Best regards, Sarah Teman SeaDoc Society https://www.seadocsociety.org/" Thank you! Sarah

1 0

New Publication: First characterization of vocalizations and passive acoustic monitoring of the vulnerable African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis)
by Athena Rycyk 21 Oct '21

21 Oct '21

Dear Colleagues, On behalf of myself and my co-authors, we are excited to share the following paper: *First characterization of vocalizations and passive acoustic monitoring of the vulnerable African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis)* Athena M. Rycyk, Clinton Factheu, Eric A. Ramos, Beth A. Brady, Mumi Kikuchi, Hannah F. Nations, Karianne Kapfer, Cecilia M. Hampton, Emily R. Garcia, and Aristide Takoukam Kamla *Abstract* Even among the understudied sirenians, African manatees (*Trichechus senegalensis*) are a poorly understood, elusive, and vulnerable species that is difficult to detect. We used passive acoustic monitoring in the first effort to acoustically detect African manatees and provide the first characterization of their vocalizations. Within two 3-day periods at Lake Ossa, Cameroon, at least 3367 individual African manatee vocalizations were detected such that most vocalizations were detected in the middle of the night and at dusk. Call characteristics such as fundamental frequency, duration, harmonics, subharmonics, and emphasized band were characterized for 289 high-quality tonal vocalizations with a minimum signal-to-noise ratio of 4.5 dB. African manatee vocalizations have a fundamental frequency of 4.65 ± 0.700 kHz (mean ± SD), duration of 0.181 ± 0.069 s, 97% contained harmonics, 21% contained subharmonics, and 27% had an emphasized band other than the fundamental frequency. Altogether, the structure of African manatee vocalizations is similar to other manatee species. We suggest utilizing passive acoustic monitoring to fill in the gaps in understanding the distribution and biology of African manatees. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 150, 3028 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0006734 Please feel free to contact me with any questions! Best regards, Athena Rycyk arycyk(a)ncf.edu -- *Athena Rycyk, Ph.D. *(she/her) New College of Florida Assistant Professor of Biology & Marine Science 5800 Bay Shore Rd. Sarasota, FL 34243-2109

1 0

JOB POSTING: IFAW Marine Campaign Manager
by Livermore, Sharon 21 Oct '21

21 Oct '21

Good morning, Please find below a job posting for the MARMAM mailing list: JOB POSTING: Marine Campaign Manager - International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Washington, DC 20036, USA Posted: 6 October 2021 Job details Description The Marine Campaign Manager will work as part of the US Campaigns and Policy team to further our North American regional program work, as well as the global IFAW Marine Conservation Program. In addition to working daily alongside the US Office team, this person will work closely with the HQ Development and Communications teams and international Program teams to deliver IFAW worldwide programmatic and institutional goals in program, branding, fundraising and communications, as well as regional programmatic objectives and priorities. This person will be responsible for leading multi-faceted campaigns that include technical and field components, education and outreach, and public policy. Role and Responsibilities * Work with the US Country Director and Marine Conservation Director to develop and implement IFAW US marine program campaigns and projects that reduce primary threats to marine mammals, including from entanglement, shipping, and anthropogenic ocean noise, as well as threats to marine life and the marine environment overall; * Manage all aspects of campaign development and implementation, including planning, monitoring, impact evaluation, and providing day-to-day guidance on activities and expectations of the implementing team; * Oversee the mapping of external stakeholders and manage relationships relating to advocacy and campaign work; * Lead on the development and writing of grant proposals and other written products targeted to potential funding sources; * Manage campaign budgets, including fulfilling all internal and external reporting and recordkeeping requirements; * Represent IFAW to the US public, federal and local decision-makers, media representatives, outside organizations, and other key opinion leaders; * Identify media and outreach opportunities, in collaboration with Communications, for both conservation progress and IFAW branding; * Provide reports and updates about campaign progress, opportunities, partnerships and anticipated victories, to IFAW internal stakeholders, including the Executive Management Team, Board Members, Development and Communications colleagues; * Provide technical expertise on all relevant campaign issues and, in coordination with the Sr. Legislative Manager, develop and advocate for policies that advance campaign goals; * Develop a network of key government and NGO partners to support campaign objectives in the US and as appropriate, globally. Qualifications and Education Requirements * Bachelor's degree (B.A./B.S.) or equivalent in Marine Biology, Conservation Biology, Natural Resources, Public Policy, Law, or related discipline preferred. Advanced degree ideal. * Experience: 5+ years of experience with campaign development, implementation and evaluation, preferably involving conservation and/or animal welfare issues * An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above * Excellent written and verbal communications skills, including ability to communicate effectively with policymakers, media, and the public * Experience working with diverse audiences and stakeholders to advance conservation programs and priorities * Experience with budget management and reporting * Strong, demonstrated leadership skills * Highly organized, motivated, self-starting, and detail oriented with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously * Ability to build and sustain partnerships, including with non-traditional allies * Significant experience in campaign and/or project management and evaluation * Ability to motivate and rally a team towards shared objectives and goals * Strong understanding of how to work through the legislative and regulatory processes to advance campaign objectives * Willingness to travel as necessary, primarily domestically Desired Qualifications * Technical expertise in issues including, but not limited to, marine mammals, endangered species, NOAA, fisheries, shipping, seafood industry, and international development * Experience serving as on the record spokesperson and familiarity with media relations * Understanding of fundraising and grants, and willingness and ability to raise funds At IFAW, we aim to create and foster a workforce that reflects and contributes to the diverse, global community in which we work to improve the lives of both animals and people. We are dedicated to fostering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion so we actively encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds. To apply please visit: https://recruiting.ultipro.com/INT1059IFFA/JobBoard/17b588a3-808b-4bc9-aea8… Many thanks, Sharon Livermore Director Marine Conservation www.ifaw.org<https://www.ifaw.org/> The content of this email is intended only for the use of the above-named addressee and may contain information that is confidential, proprietary, and/or legally privileged. Please notify the sender if you received this email in error.

1 0