May 2021 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New paper: Static species distribution models in the marine realm: The case of baleen whales in the Southern Ocean
by Ahmed El-Gabbas 31 May '21

31 May '21

Dear Marmam, We are pleased to share with you our new open-access paper published in Diversity and distributions. Title: Static species distribution models in the marine realm: The case of baleen whales in the Southern Ocean Authors: Ahmed El-Gabbas, Ilse Van Opzeeland, Elke Burkhardt, Olaf Boebel https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ddi.13300 [open-access] Abstract: Aim: Information on the spatio-temporal distribution of marine species is essential for developing proactive management strategies. However, sufficient information is seldom available at large spatial scales, particularly in polar areas. The Southern Ocean (SO) represents a critical habitat for various species, particularly migratory baleen whales. Still, the SO’s remoteness and sea ice coverage disallow obtaining sufficient information on baleen whale distribution and niche preference. Here, we used presence-only species distribution models to predict the circumantarctic habitat suitability of baleen whales and identify important predictors affecting their distribution. Location: The Southern Ocean (SO). Methods: We used Maxent to model habitat suitability for Antarctic minke, Antarctic blue, fin and humpback whales. Our models employ extensive circumantarctic data and carefully prepared predictors describing the SO’s environment and two spatial sampling bias correction options. Species-specific spatial-block cross-validation was used to optimize model complexity and for spatially independent model evaluation. Results: Model performance was high on cross-validation, with generally little predicted uncertainty. The most important predictors were derived from sea ice, particularly seasonal mean and variability of sea ice concentration and distance to the sea ice edge. Main conclusions: Our models support the usefulness of presence-only models as a cost-effective tool in the marine realm, particularly for studying the migratory whales’ distribution. However, we found discrepancies between our results and (within) results of similar studies, mainly due to using different species data quality and quantity, different study area extent and methodological reasons. We further highlight the limitations of implementing static distribution models in the highly dynamic marine realm. Dynamic models, which relate species information to environmental conditions contemporaneous to species occurrences, can predict near-real-time habitat suitability, necessary for dynamic management. Nevertheless, obtaining sufficient species and environmental predictors at high spatio-temporal resolution, necessary for dynamic models, can be challenging from polar regions. Regards Ahmed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dr. Ahmed El-Gabbas, Ocean Acoustics Lab, Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar und Meeresforschung [cid:d4458565-b46e-4d8c-8c9c-da329e8a2f78] My Website: https://elgabbas.netlify.app/

1 0

Sealcentre Pieterburen Vet internships 2021/2022
by Anna Salazar Casals 31 May '21

31 May '21

Dear all, We are pleased to announce: VETERINARY DEPARTMENT INTERNSHIP – SEALCENTRE PIETERBUREN The Sealcentre Pieterburen, the Netherlands, has an exciting opportunity for two Veterinary Interns to work in our Veterinary and Seal Care Departments. Both positions last one year, one is scheduled to start in October 2021, and the other in April 2022. Previous marine mammal or wildlife experience is a plus. The Sealcentre’s Veterinary Department includes two full time veterinarians and two veterinary interns. We are looking for a highly motivated and dynamic candidate who will join our team and will work closely in a team setting with staff and volunteers to assist with all aspects of veterinary care and husbandry of sick and injured seals. Other responsibilities include but are not limited to: daily care of animals, transport of live/dead marine animals, maintenance of daily nutritional and medical records, sampling for various research projects, and data entry. Additional duties and projects may be assigned by staff. The interns must be veterinarians or veterinary students. They are required to find their own transportation to Pieterburen and we provide housing (gas, electricity, water, and internet included) and meals. An allowance to cover health insurance costs is provided. These positions are unpaid. The interns should expect to be scheduled to cover a variety of shifts including weekdays, nights, weekends, and holidays. The ideal candidate should be mature and motivated, and possess a strong work ethic and excellent observational and communication skills (a fluent English level is required). Due to Visa requirements we are currently only able to accept applicants with a European passport. The deadline for applications is June 30th 2021. Interested applicants should submit a copy of the CV, an intention letter, and two recommendation letters. Note that the application materials should be in English. Applications and questions should be submitted to vet(a)zeehondencentrum.nl indicating in the subject VETERINARY INTERN 2021/2022. For more information about the Sealcentre Pieterburen visit www.zeehondencentrum.nl

1 0

recent publication: an observed decline in mark rate
by Lindsay Wickman 30 May '21

30 May '21

On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to announce our recent publication in Marine Mammal Science: Wickman, L., Rayment, W., Slooten, E., & Dawson, S. M. (2021). An observed decline in the mark rate of Hector's dolphins at Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. *Marine Mammal Science*, 1– 8. *https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12826 <https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12826>* SUMMARY Capture-recapture analyses on marine mammals typically assume mark rate (the proportion of individuals with unique, recognisable natural marks) is constant over time. This assumption may not be true if changes in management have decreased the frequency of interactions with fishing gear (a known source of marks). We hypothesized that mark rate in the Banks Peninsula population of Hector’s dolphins has declined since the establishment of area-based protection from gillnetting. After filtering by image quality, our analysis used 2,363 images of 160 groups of dolphins obtained from 1992 – 1996, and 1,133 images of 163 groups obtained in 2016. These images were categorised by mark quality, with individuals having very obvious marks (Cat 1 & 2) retained to estimate mark rate. Mark rate was estimated for each time period using a hierarchical Bayesian model. The Bayesian model estimated the mean mark rate of the population as 0.107 (95% HDI: 0.080 - 0.137) for the period of 1992–1996, and 0.069 (95% HDI: 0.049-0.090) in 2016, indicating a 98% probability that the mark rate in 2016 was lower than the 1992 –1996 period. The lower mark rate in 2016, along with previous evidence of improved survival rate after area-based protection, may suggest encounters between dolphins and fishing gear have declined. The note may be obtained at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.12826, or you may email me at lindsaymwickman(a)gmail.com for a .pdf copy. If you’d like to know more about the methods used to estimate mark rate in this paper, I’d like to refer you to our recent, previous publication: Wickman, L., Rayment, W., Slooten, E., Dawson, S.M. (2021). Recommendations for estimating mark rate of cetaceans in photo-ID research: A critique of field sampling protocols and variance estimation. *Marine Mammal Science,* 37: 328–343. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12723 Cheers, Lindsay Wickman

1 0

New Publication: Welfare Science in Marine Mammal Conservation
by Isabella Clegg 30 May '21

30 May '21

Dear Colleagues, My co-authors Karen Stockin, Rebecca Boys and I are very pleased to be able to share our new paper in the journal *Animals* on the application of welfare science to marine mammal conservation. We found that publications on marine mammal welfare are infrequent but on the rise, and that there is a need for a common language between welfare science and marine mammal research to improve the translation and reception of this cross-disciplinary field. The paper is open access at https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/6/1596/html, and you can find the abstract and citation below. Please don't hesitate to email if you have any questions or trouble accessing it. Best wishes, Isabella Dr. Isabella Clegg Founder, Animal Welfare Expertise www.animalwelfareexpertise.com Twitter: @izziclegg; IG: @thedolphindoctor AUS: +61 423 973 914 UK: +44 7971 101 244 TEDx talk: https://youtu.be/sb_eEPDzgAg BBC report: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44273624 Clegg, I.L.K.; Boys, R.M.; Stockin, K.A. Increasing the Awareness of Animal Welfare Science in Marine Mammal Conservation: Addressing Language, Translation and Reception Issues. *Animals* 2021, *11*, 1596. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061596 *Abstract* Integrating welfare principles into conservation strategy is an emerging synthesis that encourages consideration of individual animals’ quality of life in research, policies and law. However, these principles have gained limited traction in marine compared to terrestrial animal conservation. This manuscript investigates several factors that may be contributing to this disparity. In order to gauge current understanding of animal welfare science principles by marine mammal researchers and other stakeholders, a “Welfare in the Wild” workshop was convened at the 32nd European Cetacean Society conference (La Spezia, Italy, April 2018). The workshop was attended by 30 participants who completed pre- and post-workshop surveys on animal welfare principles. The survey results highlight a range of different views about exactly what animal welfare science is and how it can be applied to marine mammals. Specifically, participants’ definitions appeared to vary depending on the type of employment or research they engaged in, indicating a need for an interdisciplinary common language. Secondly, we analysed the peer-reviewed literature in order to ascertain where marine mammal publications exploring welfare were being published. >From 1950 to July 2020, a total of 299 articles featured both marine mammal taxa (one or more) and the word welfare in the title, abstract or keywords. This represents just 0.96% of the total peer-reviewed published papers on marine mammal taxa (n = 31,221) during the same period. When examining articles published within “Welfare and Ethics” (n = 6133) and “Aquatic-focused” (n = 139,352) journals, just 1.2% (n = 71) and 0.04% (n = 57) of articles, respectively, featured the word welfare when examining marine mammals. With the aim of exploring how explicitly including welfare evaluations in marine mammal research and management can benefit conservation outcomes, we framed our workshop and quantitative literature review findings to provide practical solutions to the language, translation and reception issues of this burgeoning cross-disciplinary collaboration. *Keywords: *animal welfare science <https://www.mdpi.com/search?q=animal%20welfare%20science>; conservation biology <https://www.mdpi.com/search?q=conservation%20biology>; marine mammals <https://www.mdpi.com/search?q=marine%20mammals>; wild animal welfare <https://www.mdpi.com/search?q=wild%20animal%20welfare>

1 0

Publication 28th of May 2021 on the space use of coastal female polar bears in Svalbard
by clement brun 29 May '21

29 May '21

Hi all, On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to share our new publication in Polar Research: Brun, C., Blanchet, M.-A., Ims, R.A., & Aars, J. (2021) Stability of space use in Svalbard coastal female polar bears: intra-individual variability and influence of kinship. Polar Research. https://doi.org/10.33265/polar.v40.5355 ABSTRACT Philopatry influences animal distribution and can lead to a kinship-based spatial structure, where proximity and relatedness are tightly linked. In the Barents Sea region, polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the coastal ecotype remain year-round within the Svalbard archipelago. This coastal strategy is thought to be stable across years; however, little is known about the intra-individual variability in site fidelity or the influence of kinship on space use. Using high-resolution GPS telemetry, we looked at multi-year philopatry among 17 coastal female polar bears over eight years (2011–19) and investigated whether it is linked to the females’ degree of kinship. Individuals showed a stable space use in both consecutive and non-consecutive years. Yearly individual home ranges (HRs) overlapped, on average, by 44% (range: 9–96%), and their centroids were, on average, 15 km (range: 2–63 km) apart. The space use of related females revealed a year-round strong female kin structure. Annual HRs of related females overlapped, on average, by 24% (range: 0–66%), and their centroids were, on average, 18 km (range: 2–52 km) apart. In contrast, non-related females had much larger distances between centroids (average: 160 km, range: 59–283 km). Additionally, females showed a great site fidelity in all seasons: individual seasonal HR centroids were, on average, less than 30 km (range: 1.8–172 km) apart. Bears in this region seem to exhibit a stronger site fidelity than those reported from other parts of the species range. These findings also highlight the importance of maternal learning in space use. The article is in open access, you can use the following link: https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/5355 Cheers, Clément Brun

1 0

Initiation of a 5-Year Review of the Sperm Whale
by Laura Ingulsrud - NOAA Affiliate 28 May '21

28 May '21

Good afternoon, NOAA Fisheries announces <https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/initiation-5-year-review-sperm-whale> the initiation of a 5-year review for the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). NOAA Fisheries is required by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to conduct 5-year reviews to ensure that the listing classifications of species are accurate. The 5-year review must be based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review. We request submission of any such information on the sperm whale, particularly information on the status, threats, and recovery of the species that has become available since its last status review in 2015. The Notice of Initiation <https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/05/27/2021-11190/endangered-…> was published on Thursday, May 27, 2021. Please submit any information by July 26, 2021 at the following link: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/NOAA-NMFS-2021-0041-0001 Thank you, Laura Ingulsrud -- *Laura Ingulsrud* *(she/her/hers)* 2021 Knauss Marine Policy Fellow Marine Mammal Conservation Fellow Office of Protected Resources* | *NOAA Fisheries laura.ingulsrud(a)noaa.gov

1 0

New publication: Avoidance strategies of female-calf humpback whales
by Katherine Laura Indeck 27 May '21

27 May '21

Hi all, My co-authors and I are pleased to share our new publication in Behavioral Ecology: Indeck, K.L., Noad, M.J. & Dunlop, R.A. (2021) The conspecific avoidance strategies of adult female-calf humpback whales. Behavioral Ecology. DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab031<https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arab031> ABSTRACT During migration, humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) adult females and their calves use acoustic calling to help maintain contact. The signals produced by these pairs, however, may unintentionally attract nearby breeding males, which can result in interactions that have negative physical and physiological effects on the calf. Therefore, maternal females must choose the vocal and/or behavioral strategy that most effectively balances intra-pair communication with male avoidance. Here, we analyzed differences in adult female-calf vocal activity and movement behavior according to the presence of, and distance to, singing whales and other groups likely to contain males. The results of this study found that these pairs make only minimal changes to their vocal behavior in response to nearby males, suggesting that they have instead evolved calls that are naturally difficult to detect (i.e., produced at significantly lower rates and acoustic levels than other whale groups, resulting in a restricted active space). In addition, they maintain spatial separation from nearby groups by moving to shallower, inshore waters, increasing their proportion of time spent near the surface, and favoring a direct migratory course. This combination of cryptic strategies balances avoidance of unwanted conspecific interaction with the necessity of continued contact between maternal female humpback whales and their calves. You can access the abstract using this link: https://academic.oup.com/beheco/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/beheco…<http://track.smtpsendmail.com/9032119/c?p=fCmxEUOlDeBEJep4LvMOXiT0r9beGgQe6…> If you are not a subscriber to the journal, I am happy to share a PDF copy with those who request it. Cheers, Kate Dr Katherine Indeck Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratories Moreton Bay Research Station The University of Queensland North Stradbroke Island, QLD 4183, Australia M +61 0413 933 922 E k.indeck(a)uq.edu.au<mailto:k.indeck@uq.edu.au> W ceal.lab.uq.edu.au<http://www.uq.edu.au/>

1 0

Now Accepting Application for 2021 Marine Mammal Online Course
by Caroline Casey 27 May '21

27 May '21

Greetings! The California Ocean Alliance is a non-profit dedicated to conducting research which leads directly to sound policy decisions that safeguard the oceans and allow marine mammals to thrive into the next century. This summer we are excited to share a new educational opportunity for students of all ages interested in learning more about marine mammal research approaches, exploring new analytical tools, and engaging with diverse members of our field. The Marine Mammal Online Experience is a one week course that presents participants with a combination of lectures, data analysis labs, virtual tours, and other interactive activities. Curriculum highlights include: o Interactive lessons from researchers at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History on the evolution of marine mammals o Virtual tours of seal breeding colonies in California and the newly-renovated marine mammal research facilities at UC Santa Cruz o Analyzing video data obtained from multi-sensor tags placed on whales o Learning about the use of drone technology to study the health killer whales o Reviewing fluke ID matching and species identification in whales and dolphins o Introduction to the underwater acoustic world of marine mammals o Lessons in effective science communication techniques and presentation design o Panel discussions with diverse leaders in the field about how to pursue a career in marine mammal science and conservation Course Details: o Daily Schedule: 9:00am-12:00pm PST Monday-Friday o 2021 Summer Sessions: July 5-9 or 19-23 o Cost: $300/student (scholarships available for qualified individuals) To apply, please visit https://caoceanalliance.org <https://caoceanalliance.org/> to purchase registration for 1 of the 2 weeks being offered this summer. Applicants are accepted on a first come first serve basis. Once registered, we will follow up with an informational e-mail on details of the course, how to access content, and a detailed schedule for the week! If you are interested in a scholarship, please write to kristin(a)caoceanalliance.org <mailto:kristin@caoceanalliance.org> and tell us: 1) Who you are 2) Why you would like to take the course 3) Why you are requesting financial support to cover the costs of tuition Please do not hesitate to contact us at ccasey(a)caoceanalliance.org <mailto:ccasey@caoceanalliance.org> if you have any questions Caroline Casey, PhD (she/her/hers) Postdoctorate Researcher Southall Environmental Associates, Inc. Director of Education California Ocean Alliance Research Associate University of California Santa Cruz

1 0

New Publication on Northern Fur Seal Maternal Foraging Trip Durations (Merrill, Greg)
by Greg Merrill Jr. 27 May '21

27 May '21

Hello MARMAM, On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to announce our new publication: Merrill GB, Testa JW, Burns JM (2021) Maternal foraging trip duration as a population-level index of foraging and reproductive success for the northern fur seal. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 666:217-229. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13694 ABSTRACT: The duration of maternal foraging trips has been regarded as an indicator of foraging conditions in many marine mammals, including northern fur seals Callorhinus ursinus (NFS). However, previous work has focused on individual variation, was conducted during limited portions of the lactation period, and/or reached conclusions based on relatively small sample sizes. Here, we build upon the substantial foundations of this previous work to establish maternal foraging trip duration (MFTD) as an index of foraging success at the rookery level. We found that a 1 d increase in rookery-averaged MFTD corresponded to a 6.52% reduction in the average mass of female pups. Furthermore, rookery-averaged MFTD increased by 0.34 d per 1°C increase in average ocean bottom temperature. The magnitude of variation observed in both MFTD and pup mass is likely too small to help explain the general decline in population size seen over recent decades. However, the correlation between rookery-averaged MFTD and pup mass highlights the potential power of the MFTD index to detect bottom-up effects on pup growth, a likely indicator of survival. Furthermore, when compared with concurrently conducted studies on prey distribution, availability, and quality, the relationship between MFTD and bottom temperature suggests a northward shift in distribution of NFS preferred prey, walleye pollock Gadus chalcogrammus, that is associated with an increase in trip duration across the study period. Thus, rookery-averaged MFTD is a promising metric for tracking broad environmental changes, such as northerly shifts in the Eastern Bering Sea cold pool. Best, Greg Greg Merrill, M.S. Duke University Nowacek Laboratory NSF Graduate Research Fellow University Program in Ecology

1 0

New publication: Whistles of the pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) in Santos Basin, western South Atlantic Ocean
by Clara Resende Pires 27 May '21

27 May '21

Dear everyone, On behalf of my co-authors, I'm pleased to announce our new publication: Pires, C. R., Rossi-Santos, M. R., Paro, A. D., and Wedekin, L. L. (2021). Whistles of the pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) in Santos Basin, western South Atlantic Ocean. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 149 (5). DOI: 10.1121/10.0004950 Abstract: The vocal repertoire of the pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) is poorly documented, with no published information about acoustic signals from South Atlantic Ocean populations. We conducted passive acoustic monitoring and recording of S. attenuata population in the Santos Basin, Brazil, using a towed hydrophone array during line-transects surveys. Our monitoring yielded whistle samples derived from eight groups of S. attenuata, from which we selected 155 whistles for further analysis. Approximately 48% of the whistles presented ultrasonic frequency values, with maximum frequencies up to 31.1 kHz. Across the sample, the number of steps ranged from 0 to 20 and inflection points ranged from 0 to 8. On average, end frequencies were higher than start frequencies, and whistles generally presented wide frequency ranges, with an average of 11.3 kHz. The most predominant whistle contour category was “ascending-descending.” Our study provides new information regarding the acoustic repertoire of this poorly documented species and will aid efforts for using acoustics to identify and monitor cetaceans in this region. Link: https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0004950 [https://asa.scitation.org/action/showOpenGraphArticleImage?doi=10.1121/10.0…]<https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0004950> Whistles of the pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) in Santos Basin, western South Atlantic Ocean<https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0004950> The vocal repertoire of the pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) is poorly documented, with no published information about acoustic signals from South Atlantic Ocean populations. We con... doi.org You can also email me (clara.r.p(a)hotmail.com) for a PDF copy. Kind regards, Clara Resende Pires Acoustic Ecology and Animal Behavior Laboratory (LEAC) Federal University of the Recôncavo da Bahia - Brazil

1 0