October 2021 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Underwater noise pollution in the Yangtze River, the world's busiest inland river in terms of shipping and its impact to porpoises and fish.
by wangzhitao1230 07 Oct '21

07 Oct '21

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New publication: Specialization of a mobile, apex predator affects trophic coupling among adjacent habitats.. (Carl Cloyed)
by Carl Cloyed 06 Oct '21

06 Oct '21

We are pleased to announce a new population that examines individual habitat specialization of estuarine common bottlenose dolphins across the northern and eastern Gulf of Mexico. Cloyed, C.S., Wilson, R.M., Balmer, B.C., Hohn, A.A., Schwacke, L.H., Zolman , E.S., Tumlin, M.C., Wells, R.S., Barleycorn, A.A., Allen, J.B., Carmichael, R.H. (2021). Specialization of a mobile, apex predator affects trophic coupling among adjacent habitats. *Scientific Reports, *11: 19611. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-99017-1 Mobile, apex predators are commonly assumed to stabilize food webs through trophic coupling across spatially distinct habitats. The assumption that trophic coupling is common remains largely untested, despite evidence that individual behaviors might limit trophic coupling. We used stable isotope data from common bottlenose dolphins across the Gulf of Mexico to determine if these apex predators coupled estuarine and adjacent, nearshore marine habitats. δ13C values differed among the sites, likely driven by environmental factors that varied at each site, such as freshwater input and seagrass cover. Within most sites, δ13C values differed such that dolphins sampled in the upper reaches of embayments had values indicative of estuarine habitats while those sampled outside or in lower reaches of embayments had values indicative of marine habitats. δ15N values were more similar among and within sites than δ13C values. Data from multiple tissues within individuals corroborated that most dolphins consistently used a narrow range of habitats but fed at similar trophic levels in estuarine and marine habitats. Because these dolphins exhibited individual habitat specialization, they likely do not contribute to trophic coupling between estuarine and adjacent marine habitats at a regional scale, suggesting that not all mobile, apex predators trophically couple adjacent habitats. Cheers, Carl -- Carl S. Cloyed, Ph.D. Research Senior Marine Scientist I Dauphin Island Sea Lab 101 Bienville Blvd Dauphin Island, AL 36528

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IMMS Research Program Internship (Winter and Spring Terms)
by Kimberly Bagley 06 Oct '21

06 Oct '21

The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport, MS is accepting applications for our winter session (1/7/2022-3/29/2022) and spring session (3/4/2022-5/24/2022). Please visit our website for details on how to apply or send questions to researchintern(a)imms.org https://imms.org/internship/ Seeking Bottlenose Dolphin Photo-ID Program Interns Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) Gulfport, Mississippi The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies’ Dolphin Ecology Research Program is currently looking for interns to help advance research efforts and the conservation of bottlenose dolphins in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. IMMS’ Research Internship Program is designed to provide exceptional research and learning experiences to early career scientists in the fields of marine biology and ecology, marine mammal population ecology and behavior, veterinary sciences and conservation. In this position, interns will primarily assist the institute’s Bottlenose Dolphin Photo-ID Program in collecting and processing photographs of bottlenose dolphins in the Mississippi Sound. Other research efforts may include conducting literature reviews, collecting and managing fisheries, habitat and environmental data, and investigating ecological factors and relationships. Interns will also gain diverse experience working in other program areas including marine mammal and sea turtle stranding response, sea turtle surveys, veterinary research, aquaria maintenance and animal care (bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, rays, starfish, birds, reptiles, etc.), and marine education and conservation. As part of a research team, primary duties include: Conduct boat-based bottlenose dolphin photo-ID surveys in estuarine and nearshore marine Gulf Coast waters. Dolphin surveys generally take at least 8 hours and often occur in challenging weather and coastal conditions. Process and manage collected photographs in image analysis programs such as Darwin Enter and manage collected bottlenose dolphin and environmental data in FinBase/Microsoft Access Assist in diverse research efforts related to bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles and marine ecology Manage spatial data in ArcGIS Internship Requirements IMMS is looking for detail-oriented, hard-working early career scientists that are actively pursuing a college degree or are a recent graduate in marine science, marine biology, marine and estuarine ecology, oceanography or a related field. Previous research experience is a plus. Internship positions are 40 hours per week (Mon-Fri) and a minimum of 12 weeks in length. As needs arrive, responding to strandings, for instance, interns may need to shift their schedules and work on weekends. Additional Information Research internships are unpaid positions. Interns are responsible for their own housing and transportation. Once accepted, IMMS staff will assist interns in finding rooms available to rent, usually with other staff members. We are currently looking for interns for the winter session (1/7/2022-3/29/2022) and spring session (3/4/2022-5/24/2022). Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the positions are filled. For application and full details on how to apply please visit our website at K.C. Bagley Research Assistant & Stranding Technician [cid:984345a5-e22e-4050-9ca1-b562e5b18c79]

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GS-12 with FPL of a GS-13 Biometrician with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Marine Mammal Program in Anchorage, Alaska
by Franks, Sierra E 06 Oct '21

06 Oct '21

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Alaska Region is currently advertising for a Statistician/Biometrician in the Marine Mammals Management Program. We are specifically advertising for a biometrician within the Regulatory program. The application period will close on October 15, 2021. Duties will include, but are not limited to, the following: * Use a range of statistical methods including advanced biometric principles, statistical theories, wildlife habitat and population estimation and dynamics, including hierarchical Bayesian modelling and analysis using programming languages to provide analytical leadership and guidance. * Coordinate with internal and external partners to develop assessment frameworks that recommendations for strategies to conserve and protect habitat and populations. * Develop new statistical approaches for analyzing complex data sets and performing advanced and innovative statistical analyses of data. * Deliver presentations on study results and analyses to peers, scientific audiences, and the public or other non-technical audiences We encourage all qualified candidates to apply. For further information please see the announcements at: R7-21-11249586-CL-DE<https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/616220700> R7-21-11249587-CL-MP<https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/616220900> If for some reason, the link doesn't work, you can find the announcement by going to http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov<http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/> and searching for the job announcement numbers. Sierra E. Franks (she/her) Regulatory Program Branch Manager DOI Diversity Change Agent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Marine Mammals Management Alaska Regional Office 1011 East Tudor Road, MS-341 Anchorage, Alaska 99503 Work Cell #: 907-268-0577 sierra_franks(a)fws.gov fws.gov/alaska/pages/marine-mammals-management<https://www.fws.gov/alaska/pages/marine-mammals-management> doi.gov/pmb/eeo/diversity-change-agents<https://www.doi.gov/pmb/eeo/diversity-change-agents> “You don't have to be one of, to stand with”

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New publication: Seascape Genetics of the Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (Stenella frontalis) Based on Mitochondrial DNA
by Karina Amaral 06 Oct '21

06 Oct '21

Dear MARMAM readers, My co-authors and I are happy to share our new publication in the Journal of Heredity: Karina Bohrer do Amaral, Dalia C Barragán-Barrera, Roosevelt A Mesa-Gutiérrez, Nohelia Farías-Curtidor, Susana Josefina Caballero Gaitán, Paula Méndez-Fernandez, Marcos C Oliveira Santos, Caroline Rinaldi, Renato Rinaldi, Salvatore Siciliano, Vidal Martín, Manuel Carrillo, Ana Carolina O de Meirelles, Valentina Franco-Trecu, Nelson J R Fagundes, Ignacio Benites Moreno, L Lacey Knowles, Ana Rita Amaral, Seascape Genetics of the Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (*Stenella frontalis*) Based on Mitochondrial DNA, *Journal of Heredity*, 2021; esab050, https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esab050 Abstract The Atlantic spotted dolphin (*Stenella frontalis*) is endemic to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Throughout its distribution, both geographic distance and environmental variation may contribute to population structure of the species. In this study, we follow a seascape genetics approach to investigate population differentiation of Atlantic spotted dolphins based on a large worldwide dataset and the relationship with marine environmental variables. The results revealed that the Atlantic spotted dolphin exhibits population genetic structure across its distribution based on mitochondrial DNA control region (mtDNA-CR) data. Analyses based on the contemporary landscape suggested, at both the individual and population level, that the population genetic structure is consistent with the isolation-by-distance model. However, because geography and environmental matrices were correlated, and because in some, but not all analyses, we found a significant effect for the environment, we cannot rule out the addition contribution of environmental factors in structuring genetic variation. Future analyses based on nuclear data are needed to evaluate whether local processes, such as social structure and some level of philopatry within populations, may be contributing to the associations among genetic structure, geographic, and environmental distance. If you get interested in our research, please send an email to karinabohrerdoamaral(a)gmail.com to request a PDF. Best regards, -- *Karina Bohrer do Amaral*

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New publication - Environmental influences on space use of a benthic foraging pinniped
by CASSIE NETTINA SPEAKMAN 06 Oct '21

06 Oct '21

On-behalf of my co-authors I am pleased to share our new publication in Royal Society Open Science on the environmental influences on space use of the benthic foraging Australian fur seal. Speakman, CN, Hoskins, AJ, Hindell, MA, Costa, DP, Hartog, JR, Hobday, AJ, & Arnould, JPY (2021) Influence of environmental variation on spatial distribution and habitat-use in a benthic foraging marine predator. Royal Society Open Science. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211052 Abstract: The highly dynamic nature of the marine environment can have substantial influence on the foraging behaviour and spatial distribution of marine predators, particularly in pelagic marine systems. However, knowledge of the susceptibility of benthic marine predators to environmental variability is limited. This study investigated the influence of local-scale environmental conditions and large-scale climate indices on the spatial distribution and habitat use in the benthic foraging Australian fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus). Female AUFS provisioning pups were instrumented with GPS or ARGOS platform terminal transmitter (PTT) tags during the austral winters of 2001-2019 at Kanowna Island, south-eastern Australia. Individuals were most susceptible to changes in the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), that measures the strength of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), with larger foraging ranges, greater distances travelled and more dispersed movement associated with 1-yr lagged La Niña-like conditions. Additionally, the total distance travelled was negatively correlated with the current year sea-surface temperature and 1-yr lagged Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), and positively correlated with 1-yr lagged chlorophyll-a concentration. These results suggest that environmental variation may influence the spatial distribution and availability of prey, even within benthic marine systems. Access to the Open Access article: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.211052 If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me: cspeakman(a)deakin.edu.au Cassie Speakman PhD candidate & casual academic School of Life & Environmental Sciences Deakin University, Burwood VIC

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US Marine Mammal/Protected Species Observer Positions with Smultea Sciences - HIRING NOW!
by Mari Smultea 05 Oct '21

05 Oct '21

Smultea Sciences (www.smulteasciences.com) has immediate and fall-winter 2021 job openings for Protected Species Observers (PSOs) and PAM Operators (Passive Acoustic Monitoring) to observe for marine mammals and sea turtles from vessels in US waters. Job description and requirement details can be found at https://www.smulteasciences.com/pso-pam-hiring. *You MUST have a US Passport to apply.* *TO APPLY:* (You must be a US citizen with a US Passport) 1. Read the job description and qualification requirements in the link above. 2. Complete our hiring questionnaire <https://www.smulteasciences.com/pso-hiring-questionnaire> from that link. 3. I*f you answered YES to all the questions*, please submit your CV and a letter letting us know who you are and what you're about to PSOjobs(a)smulteasciences.com

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A decade of whale watching in an important tourist destination in the Pacific coast of Colombia: Challenges for proper management
by Isabel Cristina Avila 05 Oct '21

05 Oct '21

Avila, I.C., Ortega, L.F., Pretel, C. & G. Mayor. 2021. A decade of whale watching in an important tourist destination in the Pacific coast of Colombia: Challenges for proper management. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals 16(1) DOI: https://doi.org/10.5597/lajam00267 <https://doi.org/10.5597/lajam00267?fbclid=IwAR0I8zgbsR9sfPiaxHEojkNy126ldCM…> Abstract: Uramba Bahía Málaga Natural National Park is one of the most important places visited by tourists to see humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Colombia. Humpback whales arrive from Southern Chile and the Antarctic Peninsula every year between May and December to reproduce, give birth and rear calves. To evaluate the current state of whale watching in Málaga we analyzed tourist visitation data from 2011 to 2019 during the peak whale-watching season (July–October), and during one week in October 2020. We found that whale-watching activity has increased considerably. In 2019, 21,186 tourists realized whale watching in Málaga. Whale watchers per month increased by 108% and monthly whale-watching boat trips increased by 140%, in the last decade. Currently there are in average 19 boat trips per day (±18.0), and most boats are small (≤15 m). Tourists came mainly from Colombia (90%). August was the most important month for whale watching. Although environmental education activities are undertaken, currently responsible whalewatching guidelines are overlooked. At present, whale-watching activity produces important economic benefits for local people and neighboring sites, with a monthly expenditure of at least $362,409 USD, but to ensure the sustainable continuity of this activity, negative impacts on whales need to be minimized. We classified management challenges into social, economic and biological aspects. From a social perspective, operators should form a whale-watching community association; this would improve cooperation amongst operators, promote good practices in whale-watching and reduce pressure on whales. Economic recommendations include 1) whale-watching trips handled mainly by local people; 2) ticket prices unification; and 3) investment in tourist facilities. Biological recommendations focus on the welfare of whales and include: 1) follow the current whalewatching recommendations strictly; 2) reduce transit speeds to below 10 knots in the area during whale season; 3) use propeller guards; 4) promote land-based whale watching; 5) implement acoustic whale tourism; 6) reinforce environmental education programs; and 7) support long-term monitoring and scientific research. Based on these three aspects, we urge environmental and ethnic authorities, conferring with relevant stakeholders, to determine the whale-watching carrying capacity of the area and to promote a responsible tourism. Authorities need to strengthen the monitoring, oversight and control of this growing tourist activity in order to ensure its long-term persistence. -- Isabel Cristina Avila Jiménez Biologist PhD in Environmental Sciences Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Germany Marine biologist MSc Universidad del Valle, Colombia E-mails: isabel_c_avila(a)yahoo.com / isabelc.avila(a)gmail.com <https://www.biom.uni-freiburg.de/mitarbeiter/avila> http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1389-8908 https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabel-c-avila-j-68983b34/ <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Isabel_Avila2> https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Isabel_Avila2

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New publication: Oceanographic drivers of Cuvier's and Sowerby's beaked whales in Irish waters
by Cynthia BARILE 05 Oct '21

05 Oct '21

Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are pleased to share with you our recent publication on the occurrence of Cuvier's and Sowerby's beaked whales in the northeast Atlantic (Irish waters) in relation with oceanographic drivers, using acoustic data collected using static bottom-mounted recorders. Barile, C., Berrow, S., O'Brien, J. Oceanographic drivers of Cuvier's (*Ziphius cavirostris*) and Sowerby's (*Mesoplodon bidens*) beaked whales acoustic occurrence along the Irish shelf edge. *Journal of Marine Science and Engineering*, 2021, 9(10), 1081. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9101081 [Abstract]: Cuvier’s and Sowerby’s beaked whales occur year-round in western Irish waters, yet remain some of the most poorly understood cetaceans in the area. Considering the importance of the area for anthropogenic activities and the sensitivity of beaked whales to noise, understanding their ecology is essential to minimise potential overlaps. To this end, fixed bottom-mounted autonomous acoustic recorders were deployed at 10 stations over four recording periods spanning from May 2015 to November 2016. Acoustic data were collected over 1934 cumulative days, for a total of 7942 h of recordings. To model the probability of presence of Cuvier’s and Sowerby’s beaked whales in the area as a function of oceanographic predictors, we used Generalised Additive Models, fitted with Generalised Estimating Equations to deal with temporal autocorrelation. To reflect prey availability, oceanographic variables acting as proxies of primary productivity and prey aggregation processes such as upwelling events and thermal fronts were selected. Our results demonstrated that oceanographic variables significantly contributed to the occurrence of Cuvier’s and Sowerby’s beaked whales (p-values between <0.001 and <0.05). The species showed similar preferences, with the exception of sdSST. The inclusion of a parameter accounting for the recorders location confirmed the existence of a latitudinal partitioning for those species in the area. This study provides a point of comparison for future research and represents an important step towards a better understanding of those elusive species. This publication is open access and can be downloaded here: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/9/10/1081 Kind regards, *Cynthia Barile **(she/her)* *PhD candidate | MMO & PAM operator* Marine and Freshwater Research Centre Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology | Galway, Ireland [image: Twitter icon] <https://twitter.com/cynthia_barile> @cynthia_barile | Science communicator Join the Pod Webinars <https://jointhepodseminars.wixsite.com/jointhepod/season-1-marine-mammals>

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New paper on UK harbour porpoise densities
by Kimberly Nielsen 05 Oct '21

05 Oct '21

My co-authors and I are pleased to share the publication of our new paper on harbour porpoise distribution and abundance along ferry routes in the UK. Nielsen KA, Robbins JR, Embling CB (2021) Spatio-temporal patterns in harbour porpoise density: citizen science and conservation in UK seas. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 675:165-180. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13828 ABSTRACT: Fisheries-induced mortality poses a threat to the conservation of small cetaceans, particularly those found in productive coastal waters. Harbour porpoises *Phocoena phocoena* are ubiquitous in UK seas, but despite their prevalence, knowledge gaps remain on fine-scale space use. A deeper understanding of how distributions vary in space and time is required for appropriate management. Citizen science programs which collect standardized data aboard platforms of opportunity can help uncover patterns and identify higher density areas in the time between surveys of absolute abundance. Here, we analyze citizen science data collected from ferries to investigate spatio-temporal patterns in porpoise densities along routes in UK waters. Region-specific detection functions and generalized additive models were used to estimate abundance and elucidate relationships between distributions and environmental variables. The highest densities during the study period (2006-2017) were found southwest of Cornwall, followed by the North Sea and the English Channel. Average density in the North Sea increased substantially during this time, suggesting new high-use areas along these routes. Density surface models showed strong relationships with coastal waters, sea surface temperature, chlorophyll, and water column dynamics. Contrasting preferences for stratified waters in the North Sea and well-mixed areas in the channel suggest distinct foraging behaviours. Higher density areas were identified in the southwestern and northeastern UK, indicating priority areas for conservation efforts, especially in Cornish waters where porpoises are highly vulnerable to bycatch. Findings highlight how citizen science, together with robust density estimation, can contribute to the conservation management of a common, although threatened, species. Please contact me for more information. Best, Kimberly Nielsen knielsen(a)sandiego.edu

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