July 2021 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New publication: Call repertoire and inferred ecotype presence of killer whales recorded in the southeastern Chukchi Sea.
by Brijonnay Madrigal 09 Jul '21

09 Jul '21

Dear MARMAM, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of our article in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America: Madrigal, B.C., Crance, J.L., Berchok, C.L., and Stimpert, A.K. (2021). Call repertoire and inferred ecotype presence of killer whales (Orcinus orca) recorded in the southeastern Chukchi Sea. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 150(1), 145-158 https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0005405 Abstract: Killer whales occur in the Arctic, but few data exist regarding the ecotypes present. Calling behavior differs among ecotypes, which can be distinguished based on pulsed call type, call rate, and bandwidth. In this study, a passive acoustic recorder was deployed 75 km off Point Hope, Alaska, in the southeastern Chukchi Sea to identify which ecotypes were present. A total of 1323 killer whale pulsed calls were detected on 38 of 276 days during the summers (June-August) of 2013 to 2015. The majority of calls (n = 804, 61%) were recorded in 2013 with the most calls recorded in July (76% of total calls). Calls were manually grouped into six categories: multi-part, downsweep, upsweep, modulated, single modulation, and flat. Most detections were flat (n = 485, 37%) or multi-part calls (n = 479, 36%), which contained both high- and low-frequency components. Call comparisons with those reported in the published literature showed similarities with other transient populations in fundamental frequency contour point distribution and median frequency. This study provides the first comprehensive catalogue of transient killer whale calls in this region, as well as reports on previously undescribed calls. This publication is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0005405 Please contact me directly if you would like a PDF copy: brijonnay.madrigal(a)gmail.com Best regards, Brijonnay Madrigal -- *Brijonnay Madrigal, *M.Sc. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar Ph.D. Student, Marine Biology Graduate Program Marine Mammal Research Program University of Hawai‘i Mānoa bcm2(a)hawaii.edu

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New Publication: Sea otter skeletal muscle metabolism
by tray wright 09 Jul '21

09 Jul '21

Dear MARMAM, My coauthors and I are happy to announce the recent publication of our manuscript regarding *sea otter skeletal muscle metabolism* in *Science*: * <https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6551/223/suppl/DC1>* *Skeletal muscle thermogenesis enables aquatic life in the smallest marine mammal <https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6551/223/suppl/DC1>* By: Traver Wright, Randall W. Davis, Heidi C. Pearson, Michael Murray, Melinda Sheffield-Moore *SCIENCE *09 July 2021: 223-225 *Abstract* Basal metabolic rate generally scales with body mass in mammals, and variation from predicted levels indicates adaptive metabolic remodeling. As a thermogenic adaptation for living in cool water, sea otters have a basal metabolic rate approximately three times that of the predicted rate; however, the tissue-level source of this hypermetabolism is unknown. Because skeletal muscle is a major determinant of whole-body metabolism, we characterized respiratory capacity and thermogenic leak in sea otter muscle. Compared with that of previously sampled mammals, thermogenic muscle leak capacity was elevated and could account for sea otter hypermetabolism. Muscle respiratory capacity was modestly elevated and reached adult levels in neonates. Premature metabolic development and high leak rate indicate that sea otter muscle metabolism is regulated by thermogenic demand and is the source of basal hypermetabolism. Available at: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6551/223 DOI: 10.1126/science.abf4557 Sincerely, Tray Traver Wright, Ph.D. Research Assistant Professor Department of Health and Kinesiology Texas A&M University 675 John Kimbrough Blvd College Station, TX 77843-4253 (409) 692-4120

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New publication: Climate change vulnerability of cetaceans in Macaronesia: Insights from a trait-based assessment
by Andreia Gonçalves Sousa 09 Jul '21

09 Jul '21

Hello MARMAM community, On behalf of my coauthors, I am excited to share our latest publication: Sousa, A., Alves, F., Arranz, P., Dinis, A., Fernandez, M., González García, L., Morales, M., Lettrich, M., Encarnação Coelho, R., Costa, H., Capela Lourenço, T., Azevedo, N.M.J., Frazão Santos, C., 2021. Climate change vulnerability of cetaceans in Macaronesia: Insights from a trait-based assessment. Science of The Total Environment 795, 148652. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148652 ABSTRACT: Over the last decades global warming has caused an increase in ocean temperature, acidification and oxygen loss which has led to changes in nutrient cycling and primary production affecting marine species at multiple trophic levels. While knowledge about the impacts of climate change in cetacean's species is still scarce, practitioners and policymakers need information about the species at risk to guide the implementation of conservation measures. To assess cetacean's vulnerability to climate change in the biogeographic region of Macaronesia, we adapted the Marine Mammal Climate Vulnerability Assessment (MMCVA) method and applied it to 21 species management units using an expert elicitation approach. Results showed that over half (62%) of the units assessed presented Very High (5 units) or High (8 units) vulnerability scores. Very High vulnerability scores were found in archipelago associated units of short-finned pilot whales (*Globicephala macrorhynchus*) and common bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops truncatus*), namely in the Canary Islands and Madeira, as well as Risso's dolphins (*Grampus griseus*) in the Canary Islands. Overall, certainty scores ranged from Very High to Moderate for 67% of units. Over 50% of units showed a high potential for distribution, abundance and phenology changes as a response to climate change. With this study we target current and future information needs of conservation managers in the region, and guide research and monitoring efforts, while contributing to the improvement and validation of trait-based vulnerability approaches under a changing climate. The publication is available at: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1dNRuB8ccqy6y, and you can download it for free until August 28. Best, Andreia Sousa ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Whale watching and climate change project (WHALES CLIMATE <https://sites.google.com/view/whales-climate/home>)* *Climate Change Impacts Adaptation and Modelling* *(CCIAM <http://ce3c.ciencias.ulisboa.pt/team/CCIAM>)* *Centre for Ecology Evolution and Environmental Changes* *(CE3C <http://ce3c.fc.ul.pt/>)Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências* *(FC.ID <http://www.fciencias-id.pt/>)* Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Portugal Phone: +351 217 500 000, line 21403 Skype ID: andreiagsousa

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New paper: Modelling fine-scale cetaceans’ distributions in oceanic islands: Madeira Archipelago as a case study
by marc fernandez 09 Jul '21

09 Jul '21

Dear colleagues, We are extremely pleased to share with you our new open-access paper focusing on the fine-scale distribution of cetaceans in the Madeira archipelago using Whale Watching data: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.688248/full Fernandez M, Alves F, Ferreira R, Fischer JC, Thake P, Nunes N, Caldeira R & Dinis A. (2021). Modelling fine-scale cetaceans’ distributions in oceanic islands: Madeira Archipelago as a case study. Front. Mar. Sci. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.688248. Abstract: Species distributional estimates are an essential tool to improve and implement effective conservation and management measures. Nevertheless, obtaining accurate distributional estimates remains a challenge in many cases, especially when looking at the marine environment, mainly due to the species mobility and habitat dynamism. Ecosystems surrounding oceanic islands are highly dynamic and constitute a key actor on pelagic habitats, congregating biodiversity in their vicinity. The main objective of this study was to obtain accurate fine-scale spatio-temporal distributional estimates of cetaceans in oceanic islands, such as the Madeira archipelago, using a long-term opportunistically collected dataset. Ecological Niche Models (ENM) were built using cetacean occurrence data collected on-board commercial whale watching activities and environmental data from 2003 to 2018 for 10 species with a diverse range of habitat associations. Models were built using two different datasets of environmental variables with different temporal and spatial resolutions for comparison purposes. State-of-the-art techniques were used to iterate, build and evaluate the MAXENT models constructed. Models built using the long-term opportunistic dataset successfully described distribution patterns throughout the study area for the species considered. Final models were used to produce spatial grids of species average and standard deviation suitability monthly estimates. Results provide the first fine-scale (both in the temporal and spatial dimension) cetacean distributional estimates for the Madeira archipelago and reveal seasonal/annual distributional patterns, thus providing novel insights on species ecology and quantitative data to implement better dynamic management actions. Best wishes, Marc Fernandez Postdoctoral fellow MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre / ARDITI Caminho da Penteada, Madeira Tecnopolo, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal

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FinBase workshop announcement
by Jason Allen 08 Jul '21

08 Jul '21

We are pleased to announce a full day, in-person workshop at the SMM 2021 conference in West Palm Beach, FL on Saturday, December 11, 2021 called “FinBase photographic-identification database user community development: Advanced data management and analysis topics”. The goal of the workshop is to foster a more engaged FinBase user community that can share knowledge and resources. Many of the FinBase data management concepts and techniques used to address research questions employed by individual research labs can be easily adapted and applied by other FinBase users. The workshop will bring together FinBase users to share their experiences with the system and discuss how they use the program to meet their data management, reporting and analysis needs, showcase any customizations, and relay any system issues and shortcomings. Please email Jason Allen (allenjb(a)mote.org) if you are interested or would like more information. Cheers, Jason Allen and Jeff Adams Workshop Coordinators https://www.smmconference.org/workshops/ https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/finbase-ph… Jason Allen Lab Manager Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program c/o Mote Marine Laboratory 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway Sarasota, FL 34236

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Reminder: International Save the Vaquita Day 2021
by Thomas Jefferson 08 Jul '21

08 Jul '21

Dear MARMAMers, This is a reminder that International Save the Vaquita Day will be on Saturday, 24 July. Due to continuing pandemic concerns, it will be a virtual event, with an all-day live-stream of video content. See https://vivavaquita.org/international-save-the-vaquita-day/ for more details. As part of this year’s event, we will be presenting a series of short video clips of marine mammal researchers and conservationists explaining why they think the vaquita needs to be saved from extinction. We invite MARMAM readers to send in 30-60 second video clips, ideally filmed in the field or place of work. Details about how the videos should be sent in can be found here: https://vaquita.mx/assets/How_to_submit_video_for_ISTVD.pdf Please keep your clips under 60 seconds, and end with the following statement: “President Obrador, do not allow Mexico’s only porpoise to go extinct. Salvemos a la vaquita! Gracias!” In order to have enough time for editing, please send videos by 12 July 2021. And please join us on Saturday, 24 July. We appreciate your help in working to save the vaquita! Best wishes, Tom Jefferson Director, VIVA Vaquita

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New Paper: Trophic niche overlap between harbour seals and grey seals
by Yann Planque 08 Jul '21

08 Jul '21

Dear MARMAM colleagues, We are pleased to share our new article published in /Ecology and Evolution/: Planque Y, Spitz J, Authier M, Guillou G, Vincent C, Caurant F. Trophic niche overlap between sympatric harbour seals (/Phoca vitulina/) and grey seals (/Halichoerus grypus/) at the southern limit of their European range (Eastern English Channel). Ecol Evol. 2021;00:1– 22. (/Abstract below/) The article is freely available online from https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7739 <https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7739> (Open Access). For people interested by the analyses used in this study, all materials (data and R scripts) are publicly accessible from these links: *→*scat contents data (https://doi.org/10.17882/76780 <https://doi.org/10.17882/76780>) used for diet analysis (diet clusters and overlap) (https://github.com/YannPlanque/Diet_Cluster_and_Overlap <https://github.com/YannPlanque/Diet_Cluster_and_Overlap>) *→*stable isotopes data (https://doi.org/10.17882/76528 <https://doi.org/10.17882/76528>) used to identify isotopic niches witha novel hierarchical Bayesian model considering both intra- and interindividual variability (https://github.com/YannPlanque/Isotopic_Niche_Overlap <https://github.com/YannPlanque/Isotopic_Niche_Overlap>) *→*dive data from telemetry tracking (https://doi.org/10.17882/80016 <https://doi.org/10.17882/80016>) used to identify foraging areas (https://github.com/YannPlanque/Foraging_Areas_with_Dive_Data <https://github.com/YannPlanque/Foraging_Areas_with_Dive_Data>) All the best, Yann Planque and co-authors *_Abstract_*: Sympatric harbour (/Phoca vitulina/) and grey seals (/Halichoerus grypus/) are increasingly considered potential competitors, especially since recent local declines in harbour seal numbers while grey seal numbers remained stable or increased at their European core distributions. A better understanding of the interactions between these species is critical for conservation efforts. This study aimed to identify the trophic niche overlap between harbour and grey seals at the southern limit of their European range, in the Baie de Somme (BDS, Eastern English Channel, France), where numbers of resident harbour seals and visiting grey seals are increasing exponentially. Dietary overlap was identified from scat contents using hierarchical clustering. Isotopic niche overlap was quantified using δ^13 C and δ^15 N isotopic values from whiskers of 18 individuals, by estimating isotopic standard ellipses with a novel hierarchical model developed in a Bayesian framework to consider both intraindividual variability and interindividual variability. Foraging areas of these individuals were identified from telemetry data. The three independent approaches provided converging results, revealing a high trophic niche overlap due to consumption of benthic flatfish. Two diet clusters were dominated by either small or large benthic flatfish; these comprised 85.5% [CI95%: 80.3%–90.2%] of harbour seal scats and 46.8% [35.1%–58.4%] of grey seal scats. The narrower isotopic niche of harbour seals was nested within that of grey seals (58.2% [22.7%–100%] overlap). Grey seals with isotopic values similar to harbour seals foraged in coastal waters close to the BDS alike harbour seals did, suggesting the niche overlap may be due to individual grey seal strategies. Our findings therefore provide the basis for potential competition between both species (foraging on benthic flatfish close to the BDS). We suggest that a continued increase in seal numbers and/or a decrease in flatfish supply in this area could cause/amplify competitive interactions and have deleterious effects on harbour seal colonies. -- Yann Planque Doctorant / PhD student *La Rochelle Université* Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC, UMR 7372 CNRS/ULR) Centre Commun d'Analyses 5 allée de l'Océan, 17 000 La Rochelle, France Tel: +33 (0)5 46 50 76 42 www.cebc.cnrs.fr <http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr> www.univ-larochelle.fr <http://www.univ-larochelle.fr>

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SMM Editor’s Select Series for July 15h: Reintroductions have saved the sea otter throughout North America: why should we care?
by Student Members-at-Large Society for Marine Mammalogy 07 Jul '21

07 Jul '21

Greetings MARMAM! Join us on *15 July 2021 at 5 PM Pacific Time (Midnight UTC)* for the next SMM Seminar Editor's Select Series: Reintroductions have saved the sea otter throughout North America: why should we care? Free to attend. Registration required. Presented online on Zoom. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MXNCxxs9SfeJ4wWg2msLOQ Space on Zoom is limited to the first 100 attendees. The talk will also be streamed live on the SMM Facebook page <https://www.facebook.com/marinemammalogy>. *The SMM Seminar Editor's Select Series highlights the latest and most exciting marine mammal science published in the Marine Mammal Science Journal. This is your chance to engage with marine mammal scientists, learn and ask questions from anywhere in the world. All are welcome. * *About this talk:* Sea otters were once abundant throughout the nearshore of the North Pacific. The maritime fur trade left few remnant populations with low genetic diversity. Subsequent reintroductions of otters resulted in several new populations in North America. We sampled sea otters genetically from Bering Island to California to evaluate genetic diversity, population structure and geneflow. Genetic diversity was the highest in reintroduced populations, population structure was greatest between California and all other groups, and geneflow was evident between all populations except for those at the ends of the range. The reintroductions are arguably the greatest success in sea otter conservation. *About the presenter: * Shawn Larson, PhD, She/Her pronouns, Curator of Conservation Research, Seattle Aquarium. Shawn has been working at the Seattle Aquarium since 1995. Her main duties are leading the rehabilitation program, the water quality/research lab and the conservation research program which includes 10 long term ecological monitoring projects on sea otters, Salish Sea whales, sharks, temperate water rocky reefs, Hawaiian coral reefs, and microplastics. She has been studying marine mammal physiology, genetics, population biology and ecology for 27 years and has published several scientific papers and chapters on marine mammals and was lead editor on a 2015 book published by Elsevier titled Sea Otter Conservation. Best regards, Eric Angel Ramos, Ph.D. Candidate *Ayça Eleman, Ph.D. *Candidate *Theresa-Anne Tatom-Naecker, Ph.D. Student* *Student Members-at-Large* Society for Marine Mammalogy Check us out on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/groups/marinemammalogy/ <http://www.facebook.com/events/1060310684008883/>

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New publication - Food talk: 40-Hz fin whale calls are associated with prey biomass
by Miriam Romagosa 07 Jul '21

07 Jul '21

Dear Marmam subscribers, We are pleased to announce the publication of the following article in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Romagosa, M., Pérez‐Jorge, S., Cascão, I., Mouriño, H., Lehodey, P., Pereira, A., Marques, T.A., Matias, L., and Silva, M.A. (2021). Food talk: 40-Hz fin whale calls are associated with prey biomass. Proc. R. Soc. B. 288: 20211156. http://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.1156 Abstract: Animals use varied acoustic signals that play critical roles in their lives. Understanding the function of these signals may inform about key life-history processes relevant for conservation. In the case of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), that produce different call types associated with different behaviours, several hypotheses have emerged regarding call function, but the topic still remains in its infancy. Here, we investigate the potential function of two fin whale vocalizations, the song-forming 20-Hz call and the 40-Hz call, by examining their production in relation to season, year and prey biomass. Our results showed that the production of 20-Hz calls was strongly influenced by season, with a clear peak during the breeding months, and secondarily by year, likely due to changes in whale abundance. These results support the reproductive function of the 20-Hz song used as an acoustic display. Conversely, season and year had no effect on variation in 40-Hz calling rates, but prey biomass did. This is the first study linking 40-Hz call activity to prey biomass, supporting the previously suggested food-associated function of this call. Understanding the functions of animal signals can help identifying functional habitats and predict the negative effects of human activities with important implications for conservation. The publication is available online at: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2021.1156 Kind regards, -- Miriam Romagosa PhD student Okeanos – Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar University of the Azores Rua Prof Frederico Machado, 4 9901-862 Horta Portugal Phone: (+351) 292200400 Email: m.romagosa4(a)gmail.com http://whales.scienceontheweb.net/

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New paper: nitrogen isotopes in amino acids to study cetaceans of the South Atlantic
by Genyffer Troina 06 Jul '21

06 Jul '21

Dear MARMAMS, On behalf of my co-authors I am excited to announce our new article published in Environmental Research: Genyffer C. Troina, Philip Riekenberg, Marcel T.J. van der Meer, Silvina Botta, Frank Dehairs, e Eduardo R. Secchi (2021) Combining isotopic analysis of bulk-skin and individual amino acids to investigate the trophic position and foraging areas of multiple cetacean species in the western South Atlantic. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.111610 Abstract: We investigated the trophic structure and habitat use of ten cetacean species occurring in the oceanic waters of the western South Atlantic using naturally-occurring stable isotopes. We analyzed δ15N in individual amino acids (AA) to estimate cetacean trophic position (TP) and to evaluate the spatial differences in baseline δ15N (source AAs). We adjusted cetacean bulk-skin δ13C and δ15N for the effect of trophic level using their estimated TPs, obtaining δ13CAdjusted and δ15NAdjusted, respectively. These values were applied to estimate the overlap in the niche areas of cetacean baseline sources. Our analyses showed spatial segregation between *Steno bredanensis *and the remaining odontocetes, and the high δ15N in this species reflects its occurrence in neritic waters of the southern region. The highest TPs were observed in *Physeter macrocephalus*, *Stenella attenuata* and *Globicephala melas*, while the lowest TPs were reported for *S. longirostris*, *S. clymene* and *Orcinus orca*. Overall, source AA-δ15N showed similar patterns as those of baseline-δ15N (zooplankton) and were higher in species sampled in the southernmost region of the study area (e.g., *Delphinus delphis)*. Isotopic niche areas estimated using δ13C Adjusted and δ15NAdjusted suggested high overlap in foraging area between *S. frontalis *and* Tursiops truncatus*, with the latter occupying a higher TP. Our analyses of δ15N in AAs provide a unique insight into the trophic ecology, forage areas and spatial segregation in resource use among these cetacean populations. Additionally, our work provides AA-δ15N baseline for future studies on the trophic ecology and habitat use of marine organisms in the western South Atlantic. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions: genyffertroina(a)gmail.com Best, Genyffer -- Genyffer Troina, Ph.D. Collaborating Researcher Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação da Megafauna Marinha (ECOMEGA) Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, BRAZIL genyffertroina(a)gmail.com CV: http://lattes.cnpq.br/3997346742040354

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