August 2021 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New paper: Narwhal detection by infrared flukeprints from aerial survey imagery
by Katie Florko 09 Aug '21

09 Aug '21

Dear MARMAM, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of our paper in Ecosphere: Florko, K.R.N., Carlyle, C.G., Young, B.G., Yurkowski, D.J., Michel, C., Ferguson, S.H. 2021. Narwhal (*Monodon monoceros*) detection by infrared flukeprints from aerial survey imagery. *Ecosphere, *12:e03698. https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.3698 Abstract: Visual and observer aerial surveys are important for monitoring wildlife populations but are subject to visibility biases where animals may go undetected. The use of infrared technology in aerial surveys has the potential to reduce visibility biases, both when recording data and in the retrospective processing of the footage, and thus complements visible wavelength photography. We used infrared video during marine mammal surveys in the high-Arctic and indirectly detected narwhal (*Monodon monoceros*) via their thermal flukeprints (i.e., thermo-stratified water mixing from fluke strokes). This novel indicator persisted for a longer duration than when the animal was at the water's surface, which likely improved the probability of an animal being observed by increasing the duration of its detectability. Using infrared to complement aerial photographic surveys may assist in monitoring whales, especially in remote areas. Our results highlight how infrared technology may be used to develop automatic detection and remote-monitoring methodology. Keywords: aerial survey; Arctic; cetacean; flukeprint; infrared; *Monodon monoceros*; population density estimate; strip transect; thermal imaging. Best regards, Katie Florko -- Katie R.N. Florko, PhD Candidate Statistical Ecology Research Group Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries University of British Columbia Twitter: @kflorko Email: katieflorko(a)gmail.com

1 0

New paper: advancing social equity in and through marine conservation
by Asha de Vos 09 Aug '21

09 Aug '21

I am very pleased to share my latest publication on advancing social equity in and through marine conservation on behalf of my co-authors. While this paper is not specific to marine mammal research, it is certainly something that should be considered when planning and implementing marine mammal research across the world. In summary, we have to move away from simply thinking about WHAT, HOW MUCH and WHERE to protect, but also how best to protect and who should be included in the process. Bennett N.J., Katz L., Yadao-Evans W., Ahmadia G.N., Atkinson S., Ban N.C., Dawson N.M., de Vos A., Fitzpatrick J., Gill D., Imirizaldu M., Lewis N., Mangubhai S., Meth L., Muhl E.-K., Obura D., Spalding A.K., Villagomez A., Wagner D., White A. and Wilhelm A. (2021) Advancing Social Equity in and Through Marine Conservation. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.711538/full Abstract: Substantial efforts and investments are being made to increase the scale and improve the effectiveness of marine conservation globally. Though it is mandated by international law and central to conservation policy, less attention has been given to how to operationalize social equity in and through the pursuit of marine conservation. In this article, we aim to bring greater attention to this topic through reviewing how social equity can be better integrated in marine conservation policy and practice. Advancing social equity in marine conservation requires directing attention to: recognition through acknowledgment and respect for diverse peoples and perspectives; fair distribution of impacts through maximizing benefits and minimizing burdens; procedures through fostering participation in decision-making and good governance; management through championing and supporting local involvement and leadership; the environment through ensuring the efficacy of conservation actions and adequacy of management to ensure benefits to nature and people; and the structural barriers to and institutional roots of inequity in conservation. We then discuss the role of various conservation organizations in advancing social equity in marine conservation and identify the capacities these organizations need to build. We urge the marine conservation community, including governments, non-governmental organizations and donors, to commit to the pursuit of socially equitable conservation. Thank you Asha ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º>¸. `·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸·´¯`·.. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> Asha de Vos Ph.D. Pew | TED Fellow National Geographic Explorer WEF Young Global Leader Maxwell-Hanrahan Award in Field Biology 2020 Scubadiving magazine Sea Hero of the Year 2020

1 0

Master in Conservation Medicine of Aquatic Animals
by Marinemammals Bca 08 Aug '21

08 Aug '21

The Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science of the University of Padova (Italy) is pleased to announce that we are now offering a *2nd level Master* in Conservation Medicine of Aquatic Animals *from November 2021 to September 2022*. There is also the possibility to apply for *single courses*. The Master will be provided *online *with some *in-person field training weeks in Italy*. Participants (with a limit of *20 students*) will gain *skills *that enable and empower to: - assess the interaction between animal, human and marine ecosystems in a one health perspective; - adopt the conservation medicine in a range of practical situations in marine environment management; - interpret and communicate scientific results across other related scientific disciplines and to other stakeholders; - manage the emergency response related to marine animals and their environment. A total of *60 ECTS* (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) will be certified together with an *OpenBadge* once the Master has been satisfactorily completed. The *deadline *for application is the *8th of October 2021*. *Language:* English. *Director:* *Prof. Sandro Mazzariol* Associated Professor of Veterinary Pathology, IWC Strandings Expert Panel, ACCOBAMS Scientific Committee. For *more details*, please visit: *https://bca.unipd.it/conservation-medicine-aquatic-animals-1 <https://bca.unipd.it/conservation-medicine-aquatic-animals-1>* For *more information* and to schedule an *online meeting* for further questions, please contact: marinemammals.bca(a)unipd.it <o)))>< ~ - - ~ <o)))>< ~ - - ~ <o)))>< ~ - - ~ <o)))>< ~ - - ~ *Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA), Università degli Studi di Padova* *Cetaceans strandings Emergency Response Team (CERT)* *Mediterranean Marine Mammals Tissue Bank (BTMMM)* *Life DELFI project partner: www.lifedelfi.eu <http://www.lifedelfi.eu>* *Phone:*+39 049 827 2963 + 39 366 9256638 *Address:*AGRIPOLIS - Ed. Museo Viale dell'Università 16 35020 - Legnaro (PD), Italy *Follow us on our social media accounts:* Fb:@CERTUnipd IG: @cert_italy Please consider the environment before printing this email.

1 0

New paper: First records of Elephant Seals in the Colombian Pacific: Southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina?
by Isabel Cristina Avila 07 Aug '21

07 Aug '21

Avila I.C., Trujillo G.A., Alava J.J. 2021. First records of Elephant Seals in the Colombian Pacific: Southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina?. 43(1):408–411. https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/cal/article/view/84687/76649?fbclid=… Abstract: The first records of elephant seals, likely the southern elephant seals, *Mirounga leonina*, are reported for the Colombian Pacific coast. Four animals were recorded, a juvenile elephant seal on the beaches of Piangüita and Magüipi (Valle del Cauca), from January 23-25, 2018, which then it moved northwards on the beach of Guachalito On 22 February 2018, a male juvenile, presumably the same animal, was also reported further north on the beaches of Guachalito (Chocó). Then, a group of three individuals was sighted on the beach of El Medio, mouth of the Yurumanguí River (Valle del Cauca) from 29 December, 2019 to 20 January 2020; this sighting was confirmed on January 3, 2020, by recording a subadult male individual apparently in healthy body condition. Also, a dead subadult in an advanced state of decomposition was found in the river Guapi on January 8, 2021. These sightings are among the most northern extralimital records for this species with a large displacement covering a distance of 5000-8000 km from its normal distributional range that includes Southern Chile and Antarctica. The presence of the southern elephant seal in the Colombian Pacific had not been documented. The arrival of this species could be linked to the search for food and the influence of eco-physiological processes, as well as the impact of the ENSO and ongoing environmental changes in the Southern Ocean.

1 0

catRlog, a new photo-ID project mgmt system in R
by Eric Keen 07 Aug '21

07 Aug '21

Dear colleagues, My coauthors and I are pleased to share news of the following publication: Keen, E.M., Wren, J., O’Mahony, É., Wray, J. catRlog: a photo-identification project management system based in R. Mamm Biol (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-021-00158-7 Abstract Photo-identification (photo-ID) databases can comprise versatile troves of information for well-studied animal populations and, when organized well and curated carefully, can be readily applied to a wide range of research questions, such as population abundance estimates, meta-population connectivity and social network structure. To bring the potential impact of photo-ID data within reach of a greater number of research groups, we introduce an R-based photo-ID project management system, named catRlog. As a computer directory with custom apps embedded throughout, catRlog serves as a workflow organizer that simplifies, streamlines, and improves the quality of photo-ID data processing. The system can be utilized by research teams in a number of ways, ranging from automated formatting and printing of a photo-ID catalog, to photo-ID matching, thereby creating and expanding a historical catalog, to processing of identification data to generate datasets necessary for site fidelity, mark–recapture, and social association analyses. As an R-based tool, the apps are open-source, cross-platform, readily customizable, and easily updated. catRlog has been tested using photo-ID databases of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) within a mainland fjord system of Pacific Canada, but is a generalized system useful for almost any photo-ID project of any species in any habitat. A detailed user’s manual and example dataset are provided. This article is a contribution to the special issue of Mammalian Biology on “Individual Identification and Photographic Techniques in Mammalian Ecological and Behavioural Research: Methods, Applications and Concepts”—Editors: Leszek Karczmarski, Stephen C.Y. Chan, Daniel I. Rubenstein, Scott Y.S. Chui and Elissa Z. Cameron. The paper and catRlog manual may be viewed here: https://rdcu.be/csdPC The catRlog code lives here: https://github.com/ericmkeen/catRlog Please contact me with any questions (ericmkeen(a)gmail.com) Best wishes, Eric Keen

1 0

New Publication: Epigenetic Aging in Bottlenose Dolphins
by Ashley Barratclough 06 Aug '21

06 Aug '21

Dear Marmam Colleagues, My co-authors and I are happy to share the publication of our recent manuscript entitled Accurate Epigenetic Aging in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), an Essential Step in the Conservation of at-Risk Dolphins. Citation: Barratclough,A.;Smith, C.R.; Gomez, F.M.; Photopoulou, T.; Takeshita, R.; Pirotta, E.; Thomas, L.; McClain, A.M.; Parry, C.; Zoller, J.A.; et al. Accurate Epigenetic Aging in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), an Essential Step in the Conservation of at-Risk Dolphins. J. Zool. Bot. Gard. 2021, 2, 416–420. https://doi.org/10.3390/ jzbg2030030 Abstract: Epigenetics, specifically DNA methylation, allows for the estimation of animal age from blood or remotely sampled skin. This multi-tissue epigenetic age estimation clock uses 110 longitudinal samples from 34 Navy bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), identifying 195 cytosine-phosphate- guanine sites associated with chronological aging via cross-validation with one individual left out in each fold (R2 = 0.95). With a median absolute error of 2.5 years, this clock improves age estimation capacity in wild dolphins, helping conservation efforts and enabling a better understanding of population demographics. The full paper is open access and can be found at: https://www.mdpi.com/1218674 <https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5636/2/3/30/htm> Please contact me with any questions at ashley.barratclough(a)nmmf.org Cheers, Ashley Ashley Barratclough BVetMed, MSc WAH, MS, MRCVS Conservation Medicine Veterinarian National Marine Mammal Foundation 2240 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego, CA 92107

1 0

IMMS animal training internship (winter)
by Jennifer Pishnyuk 06 Aug '21

06 Aug '21

The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport, MS is accepting applications for our winter term. *The deadline for applications is Sept 1st.* Please visit our website for details on how to apply or send questions to jpishnyuk(a)imms.org https://imms.org/internship/ The IMMS Animal Training Internship Program is designed as a way for students/individuals interested in a career in animal care and training to gain valuable experience in a real-world setting. Interns will primarily be trained in aspects of animal care, but will also participate in other activities at IMMS. Our goal is to give interns a well-rounded experience in a variety of areas while providing expert training and experience. The IMMS animal care and training staff is in charge of caring for Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, California sea lions, and large parrots. Interns will work directly with animal care staff and be exposed to all aspects of the daily routine. Heavy emphasis is placed on basic tasks such as food preparation, and daily cleaning and facility maintenance. Interns will learn how to train animals with operant conditioning through observation and may assist during sessions. Interns will also complete a project during their internship, as well as help staff with daily water quality. Because we want interns to have a well-rounded experience, they will also be asked to assist in other departments. Interns may participate as 1) environmental educators and assist in giving presentations to the public, 2) research assistants that help with our many wild dolphin based research studies, or 3) emergency responders as IMMS is part of the Southeast Regional Marine Mammal Stranding Network and responds to stranded marine mammals and sea turtles. Interested applicants must follow the directions listed on the website to apply. Interns must be: • 18 years or older. • A recent graduate or actively pursuing a college degree in the sciences. • Willing to accept the internship as an unpaid position. • Able to commit to a minimum of at least 12 weeks, 40 hours a week. The internship can be extended depending on work performance. • Available to work weekdays, weekends, and holidays. • Able to lift 50 lbs, work long hours on your feet, and work outside in extreme conditions. • Able to maintain a positive attitude, good work ethic, sense of responsibility, and a strong willingness to learn. • Financially stable enough to obtain housing and transportation, though IMMS staff will do their best to assist you in making arrangements. • Able to comply with IMMS rules and regulations. Jennifer Pishnyuk Marine Mammal Trainer Animal Care Internship Coordinator Institute for Marine Mammal Studies Gulfport, MS

1 0

SMM Editor’s Select Series for August 19th: Population genomic structure of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Australian and New Zealand waters
by Student Members-at-Large Society for Marine Mammalogy 05 Aug '21

05 Aug '21

Greetings MARMAM! Join us on *19 August 2021 at 6 PM Pacific Time (**August 20th at **1 AM UTC / 10:30 AM ASCT)* for the next SMM Seminar Editor's Select Series: Population genomic structure of killer whales (*Orcinus orca*) in Australian and New Zealand waters with Isabelle Reeves of Flinders University. Free to attend. Registration required. Presented online on Zoom. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CqOz80alTrqdJ-FopiQljw 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:* In Australasia, seasonal killer whale aggregations have been recently discovered and they have known to also reside year-round in New Zealand waters. However, there is currently limited information available about the species in these regions and therefore effective conservation management strategies are lacking. Here, we present the first study on the number of killer whale populations and their connectivity in Australasia using DNA. We discovered a minimum of three populations of killer whales, one in tropical and a second in temperate Western Australia, and a third in New Zealand. They each have distinct female-driven societies and appear to have little movement between them with low number of breeders. These findings can assist conservation management of these animals in the region. *About the presenter: * Isabella is currently a PhD Candidate in the Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab and the Molecular Ecology Lab at Flinders University in South Australia. She has over five years of experience researching cetaceans, leading her to obtain a skillset predominantly in photo-identification methods and using genetics to understand population-level questions for conservation. Her research now focusses on using genetics to broadly understand cetacean evolution, with a focus on Australasian killer whales. 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/>

1 0

New Paper: A Community Science Approach to addressing Seal-Fishery Interactions in New England
by andrea bogomolni 05 Aug '21

05 Aug '21

Dear MARMAM colleagues, We are happy to share our new open access community case study publication in Frontiers in Conservation Science: Bogomolni, A., Nichols, O. C., & Allen, D. (2021). *A Community Science Approach to Conservation Challenges Posed by Rebounding Marine Mammal Populations: Seal-Fishery Interactions in New England*. *Frontiers in Conservation Science*, *2*, 34. The article can be accessed here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2021.696535/full Abstract: Between 1880–1962, gray and harbor seals were targeted in legal seal bounty hunts across Maine and Massachusetts due to a perceived competition with commercial fisheries. Following their extirpation 50 years ago, legislative protections allowed seals to recolonize historical grounds along the New England coast. With this conservation success story, conflict has re-emerged as seen in the numerous media articles reflecting a temperament beckoning to the past century, with calls to cull the population and the spread of misinformation. The return of seals after decades of near-absence has created a new ecological and psychological baseline for New Englanders where for three generations, seals were rarely present. Although seals are statutorily protected species, unlike the tools and resources available for depleted, threatened or endangered species, the support needed to increase opportunities for coexistence of humans with rebounding pinnipeds, are comparatively lacking. Even as gray seals have the highest fisheries bycatch levels of any marine mammal in the U.S., resources to address these management challenges are minimal due to limitations and prioritization processes for committing available support. While seal conservation has been a success, the manner in which management is often separately applied to ecosystem elements (e.g., harvested species, protected species) contributes to knowledge gaps, and a disconnect between the goals of conservation to sustainably utilize natural resources while also protecting the intrinsic value of resources for ecosystem health. Solutions to such coexistence challenges could benefit from a more holistic ecosystem conservation approach. To address these disconnects, a two-day workshop was convened to understand seal-fishery interactions where we provided opportunities for community members to meet and learn from one another including, but not limited to, fishermen, natural resource managers, marine mammal stranding response personnel and scientists. A convening that might otherwise result in tumultuous and adversarial engagement, we used as a tool to engage. This community science approach led to long-term relationships that have allowed for successful applied, and community driven, solutions. Here we share the lessons learned and subsequent partnerships. Our intent is to share our approach to address other marine mammal conservation conflict challenges, allowing for collaborative pathways toward long-term coexistence. THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF THE RESEARCH TOPIC <https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/16505#articles>: Planning and Decision-Making in Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence <https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/16505#articles> https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/16505/planning-and-decision-mak… Best, Andrea Bogomolni, Owen Nichols and Dee Allen You can reach us at: abogomolni(a)gmail.com nichols(a)coastalstudies.org dallen(a)mmc.gov

1 0

New Paper: Separating overlapping echolocation: An updated method for estimating the number of echolocating animals in high background noise levels
by Rebecca Hamilton 05 Aug '21

05 Aug '21

Dear MARMAMers, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of our recent paper in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. Rebecca A. Hamilton, Josefin Starkhammar, Stefanie K. Gazda, and Richard C. Connor , "Separating overlapping echolocation: An updated method for estimating the number of echolocating animals in high background noise levels", The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 150, 709-717 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0005756 ABSTRACT Much can be learned by investigating the click trains of odontocetes, including estimating the number of vocalizing animals and comparing the acoustic behavior of different individuals. Analyzing such information gathered from groups of echolocating animals in a natural environment is complicated by two main factors: overlapping echolocation produced by multiple animals at the same time, and varying levels of background noise. Starkhammar et al. [(2011a). Biol. Lett. 7(6), 836–839] described an algorithm that measures and compares the frequency spectra of individual clicks to identify groups of clicks produced by different individuals. This study presents an update to this click group separation algorithm that improves performance by comparing multiple click characteristics. There is a focus on reducing error when high background noise levels cause false click detection and recordings are of a limited frequency bandwidth, making the method applicable to a wide range of existing datasets. This method was successfully tested on recordings of free-swimming foraging dolphins with both low and high natural background noise levels. The algorithm can be adjusted via user-set parameters for application to recordings with varying sampling parameters and to species of varying click characteristics, allowing for estimates of the number of echolocating animals in free-swimming groups. The full paper is available Open-Access here: https://asa.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1121/10.0005756 If anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me at rebecca.hamilton-5(a)postgrad.manchester.ac.uk Kind regards, Becca Hamilton ___________________________________________________________________ PhD Student, University of Manchester Field Manager, Cedar Key Dolphin Project MS in Biology, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Twitter: @BeccaAHamilton <http://twitter.com/BeccaAHamilton> | Website: www.rahamilton.weebly.com <https://www.cedarkeydolphinproject.org/>

1 0