September 2021 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Cetacean bycatch mitigation in Indian Ocean drift gillnet fisheries
by Jeremy KISZKA 22 Sep '21

22 Sep '21

Dear MARMAM community On behalf of my coauthors, I have the pleasure to share that the following article has been published yesterday: Kiszka, J., Moazzam, M., Boussarie, G., Shahid, U., Babar, K. and Nawaz, R., 2021. Setting the net lower: a potential low-cost mitigation method to reduce cetacean bycatch in drift gillnet fisheries. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. Abstract: Bycatch is the most significant threat to marine megafauna (sea turtles, marine mammals, elasmobranchs, seabirds) worldwide, and the leading cause of the decline of several cetacean species. The bycatch issue in the Indian Ocean is poorly understood, but high bycatch levels in gillnet fisheries have been documented for the past two decades, in both small-scale and semi-industrial fisheries. Unfortunately, methods to reduce bycatch are often unavailable, financially non-viable or socially unacceptable to fishermen. Using a network of trained boat captains in the tuna drift gillnet fishery in the Arabian Sea, targeted catch and bycatch data were collected from 2013 to 2017 off the coast of Pakistan (northern Indian Ocean). Two fishing methods using multifilament gillnets were used: surface deployment and subsurface deployment (i.e. headline of net set below 2 m depth). Predicted catch rates for targeted species did not differ significantly between the two fishing practices, although a drop in tuna (6.2%) and tuna-like (10.9%) species captures was recorded in subsurface sets. The probability of cetacean bycatch, however, was 78.5% lower in subsurface than in surface sets. Cetacean bycatch in tuna drift gillnet fisheries has the potential to be significantly reduced at a relatively low cost for fishers. However, further research with an appropriate sampling design and a large sample size is required to confirm the efficacy of the proposed mitigation method. The acceptability and adoption of subsurface setting by fishers also needs to be further investigated. Despite some limitations, this preliminary study also highlights the importance of crew-based observer data as an alternative source of data when observers cannot be deployed on fishing vessels. Here is the link to the paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.3706 <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.3706> Please contact me (jeremy.kiszka(a)gmail.com <mailto:jeremy.kiszka@gmail.com>) if you have any questions. Best, Jeremy Jeremy Kiszka (PhD) Assistant Professor Marine Conservation Ecology lab https://marineconservationecologylab.com Department of Biological Sciences Coastlines and Oceans Division Institute of Environment Florida International University 24th Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Co-Chair https://www.smmconference.org

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New peer-reviewed paper on neurobiological harms to captive cetaceans (and elephants)
by Lori Marino 21 Sep '21

21 Sep '21

Dear Colleagues: We would like to announce the publication of our review of the evidence for neurobiological harms to cetaceans (and elephants) confined to zoos, marine parks, and other impoverished settings. Here is the title and abstract: Putative neural consequences of captivity for elephants and cetaceans Bob Jacobs, Heather Rally, Catherine Doyle, Lester O’Brien, Mackenzie Tennison and Lori Marino Putative neural consequences of captivity for elephants and cetaceans https://doi.org/10.1515/revneuro-2021-0100 The present review assesses the potential neural impact of impoverished, captive environments on large-brained mammals, with a focus on elephants and cetaceans. These species share several characteristics, including being large, wide-ranging, long-lived, cognitively sophisticated, highly social, and large-brained mammals. Although the impact of the captive environment on physical and behavioral health has been well-documented, relatively little attention has been paid to the brain itself. Here, we explore the potential neural consequences of living in captive environments, with a focus on three levels: (1) The effects of environmental impoverishment/enrichment on the brain, emphasizing the negative neural consequences of the captive/impoverished environment; (2) the neural consequences of stress on the brain, with an emphasis on corticolimbic structures; and (3) the neural underpinnings of stereotypies, often observed in captive animals, underscoring dysregulation of the basal ganglia and associated circuitry. To this end, we provide a substantive hypothesis about the negative impact of captivity on the brains of large mammals (e.g., cetaceans and elephants) and how these neural consequences are related to documented evidence for compromised physical and psychological well-being. A link to a pdf is here: Reviews in the Neurosciences (whalesanctuaryproject.org)<https://whalesanctuaryproject.org/content/uploads/How-does-captivity-effect…> If you have any comments or questions feel free to email me at Marinolori(a)outlook.com<mailto:Marinolori@outlook.com> Thank you, Lori Marino Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows

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New publication: Trait-mediated shifts and climate velocity decouple an endothermic marine predator and its ectothermic prey
by Lesley Thorne 21 Sep '21

21 Sep '21

Dear colleagues, My co-author and I are pleased to share our new paper examining distributional shifts in long-finned pilot whales and their prey: Thorne, L.H. and Nye, J.A., 2021. Trait-mediated shifts and climate velocity decouple an endothermic marine predator and its ectothermic prey. *Scientific Reports*, *11*(1), pp.1-14. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-97318-z Abstract: Climate change is redistributing biodiversity globally and distributional shifts have been found to follow local climate velocities. It is largely assumed that marine endotherms such as cetaceans might shift more slowly than ectotherms in response to warming and would primarily follow changes in prey, but distributional shifts in cetaceans are difficult to quantify. Here we use data from fisheries bycatch and strandings to examine changes in the distribution of long-finned pilot whales (*Globicephala melas*), and assess shifts in pilot whales and their prey relative to climate velocity in a rapidly warming region of the Northwest Atlantic. We found a poleward shift in pilot whale distribution that exceeded climate velocity and occurred at more than three times the rate of fish and invertebrate prey species. Fish and invertebrates shifted at rates equal to or slower than expected based on climate velocity, with more slowly shifting species moving to deeper waters. We suggest that traits such as mobility, diet specialization, and thermoregulatory strategy are central to understanding and anticipating range shifts. Our findings highlight the potential for trait-mediated climate shifts to decouple relationships between endothermic cetaceans and their ectothermic prey, which has important implications for marine food web dynamics and ecosystem stability. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-97318-z Best, Lesley ____________________________________________________ Lesley Thorne, Assistant Professor School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000 631.632.5117 www.thornelab.com

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New publication on Whale-watch vessel noise levels (Dra Patricia Arranz)
by Patty Arranz 20 Sep '21

20 Sep '21

Dear Colleagues, The paper ‘*Whale-watch vessel noise levels with applications to whale-watching guidelines and conservation'* has been published in the journal *Marine Policy*. You can download the pdf from this link: https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0308-597X(21)00387-0: The work is the result of the joint effort of researchers from the University of La Laguna (Spain), Aarhus University (Denmark) and Murdoch University (Australia) as well as the collaborating tour operators from Exmouth, Australia and Tenerife, Canary Islands. Authors: Patricia Arranz, Natacha de Soto, Peter T. Madsen, Kate R. Sprogis. The number and size of whale-watching and swim-with-cetacean vessels are increasing worldwide, but the noise impact on targeted species depends on vessel source characteristics and levels, which remain largely unquantified. Here, we report the acoustic characteristics from 13 whale-watching vessels from Australia and Canary Islands to inform a discussion of emission standards for this growing industry. We show that the noise source levels from commercial tour vessels can vary by >20 dB, and we highlight that a vessel with third octave source levels <120 dB re 1µPa >100 m away from targeted cetaceans will generally not increase ambient noise levels at their location resulting in a very low risk of impacts on behaviour and masking communication. To strive towards these low impact standards we recommend that vessels comply with a broadband source level (0.2–10 kHz) <150 dB re 1 µPa (RMS) when they are within 500 m of the cetaceans. Reference: Arranz, P., N. A. de Soto, P. T. Madsen, and K. R. Sprogis. 2021. Whale-watch vessel noise levels with applications to whale-watching guidelines and conservation. Marine Policy 134:104776. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2021.104776. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Kind regards, Patricia, Natacha, Peter and Kate

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New publication on effects of dolphin watching on spinner dolphins in Reunion Island
by Belen Quintana 19 Sep '21

19 Sep '21

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to share that our paper "Dolphin Watching and Compliance to Guidelines Affect Spinner Dolphins’ (Stenella longirostris) Behaviour in Reunion Island" has been published in the *Animals *special issue *: Zoo and Wild Animals Welfare Assessments * https://www.mdpi.com/journal/animals/special_issues/Zoo_Wild_Animals_Welfar… The paper is available in PDF format here: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/9/2674/pdf ABSTRACT: Marine wildlife tourism has rapidly developed in Reunion Island, due to a large demand for interactions with a resident population of spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris). The presence of dolphin-watching vessels close to dolphin groups can cause short-term impacts on their behaviour; cumulative incidences likely result in deleterious long-term impacts on the population. Using scan sampling, we collected behavioural data on spinner dolphins to evaluate the short term effects of dolphin watching on their behaviour. The dolphins were less likely to begin socialising or diving while travelling and more likely to stay travelling and milling in the presence of vessels. Additionally, activity budgets for resting and socialising decreased simultaneously with increased travelling and milling. Avoidance responses significantly increased with an increase in the number of vessels and non-compliance with the local dolphin-watching guidelines. These behavioural responses are likely to have energetic costs for the dolphins, which may lead to decreased survival and reproductive success at individual and population levels. More restrictive regulations, increased surveillance and animal-based measures are key tools to adapt the conservation efforts in Reunion Island. Further studies on the island’s resident dolphin populations are necessary to ensure the continuity of dolphin watching activities in a sustainable manner. Please feel free to reach out (belenquintana(a)cetdm-asso.org) with questions. Kind regards, Belén Quintana *Équipe Quiétude - Observation respectueuse des cétacés et tortues marines à La Réunion* https://cedtm-asso.org/quietude/ *>> Formez-vous à l'approche des cétacés sur omega.upilty.fr ! <https://omega.upility.fr>* *>> 100 Mesures pour dessiner l'avenir de l'activité d'observation des cétacés à La Réunion ? Découvrez, soutenez, participez ! <https://cedtm-asso.org/quietude/mesure/>* [image: CEDTM-quietude.png] *Centre d'Etude et de Découverte des Tortues Marines (CEDTM)* 19, Cité des Frangipaniers 97424 Piton Saint Leu, La Réunion Tel : (+262) 02 62 91 35 28

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Urgently needed - VHF antennas
by Leonie Huijser 19 Sep '21

19 Sep '21

Dear MARMAM community, My colleagues and I are currently conducting humpback whale fieldwork in Australia and are in desperate need of two VHF antennas that can be tuned to 215-220 MHz to track DTAGS. VHF antennas in a suitable frequency range are near impossible to find here in Australia. Ordering units from overseas will take longer to arrive than if we had them shipped via FedEx. We are looking for two units and are happy to pay for their use and shipping to Australia and back. If anything were to happen to them, we will happily replace them. If you are willing and able to help, or know someone that might be, please contact Rebecca Dunlop (r.dunlop(a)uq.edu.au) or Michael Noad (m.noad(a)uq.edu.au) Many thanks in advance! Kind regards, Léonie Huijser, MSc | PhD Candidate ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratories (CEAL) The University of Queensland | Moreton Bay Research Station 37 Fraser Street, Dunwich QLD 4183, Australia ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mobile (AUS): +61 (0)422 156 316 Email: l.huijser(a)uq.edu.au CEAL website: https://ceal.lab.uq.edu.au/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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New publication on Auditory Adaptations for Echolocation in Air vs. Water
by D R Ketten 16 Sep '21

16 Sep '21

My co-authors and I are pleased to provide the following information on our recent publication: Ketten DR, Simmons JA, Riquimaroux H, Simmons AM (2021) Functional analyses of peripheral auditory system adaptations for echolocation in air vs water. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, pp. 1-17. The article provides a review and new data on comparisons of auditory systems of bats and odontocetes. It is open access: https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fevo.2021.661216 There are additional links in the article to supplemental videos of 3D digital dissections of whole head and inner ear from microCTs of several species. ABSTRACT: Similarities of acoustic tasks performed by odontocetes and microchiropteran insectivorous bats suggest they have common auditory ultrasonic signal processing mechanisms. However, there are also significant differences among these earsrelated to operating in water vs. air. We compared the anatomy of the peripheral auditory system of two species of FM bat (big brown bat /Eptesicus fuscus/; Japanese house bat /Pipistrellus abramus/) and tw odontocetes (harbor porpoise /Phocoena phocoena/; bottlenose dolphin /Tursiops truncatus/) using ultra high resolution (11–100 micron) isotropic voxel computed tomography (helical and microCT). Significant differences were found for the stapes-oval window location (the point of input of sound to the inner ear) in these species compared to most mammals. Further, the porpoise’s basilar membrane includes a “foveal” region with “stretched” frequency representation and relatively constant membrane thickness/width ratios similar to those previously reported for some bat species. In the bats, the stapes is located above the hook which may create bi-directional sound energy propagation. In the porpoise, there is a narrow double hook which we hypothesize limits the penetration of low frequency signals into the cochlea. Both bats and porpoises have low ratios of cochlear radii, which also curtails low frequency admission.These specializations result in an inner ear with the majority of the hair cells and neurons devoted to high frequency transduction.

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Recent Publication: New Blue Whale Song Variants
by Alexander Carbaugh-Rutland 16 Sep '21

16 Sep '21

To whom it may concern, On behalf of my co-authors I am happy to announce our new publication in the Journal of Endangered Species Research, entitled *Geographically distinct blue whale song variants in the Northeast Pacific. * Carbaugh-Rutland A, Have Rasmussen J, Sterba-Boatwright B, Širović A (2021) Geographically distinct blue whale song variants in the Northeast Pacific. Endang Species Res 46:19-33. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01145 This article is open access and can be found at the following link: https://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2021/46/n046p019.pdf <https://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2021/46/n046p019.pdf> *Abstract: * The Northeast Pacific (NEP) population of blue whales Balaenoptera musculus musculus is currently managed as a single stock. We investigated the fine-scale frequency characteristics of 1 NEP blue whale song unit, the B call. We analyzed B calls from passive acoustic data collected between 2010 and 2013 at 2 low-latitude sites, Palmyra Atoll and the Hawaiian Islands, and 3 higher-latitude sites, off southern California, off Washington state and in the Gulf of Alaska. Frequency measurements were extracted along the contour of the third harmonic from each call, and data from each region were compared. Calls from the Gulf of Alaska and Hawai‘i presented a downshift in frequency, beginning just past the midway point of the contour, which was not present in calls recorded from southern California or Palmyra Atoll. Calls from Washington displayed intermediate characteristics between those from the other 2 high-latitude sites. Cluster analysis resulted in consistent grouping of call contours from Washington and southern California, in what we termed the NEP B1 variant, while contours from Hawai‘i and the Gulf of Alaska were grouped together, as a NEP B2 variant. Frequency differences were also observed among the variants; the Gulf of Alaska displayed the highest frequency on average, followed by Washington, then southern California. Consistent with other studies, a yearly decline in the frequency of B calls was also observed. This discovery of at least 2 geographically distinct variants provides the first evidence of vocally distinct subpopulations within the NEP, indicating the possibility of a need for finer-scale population segmentation. Thank you for your consideration! Sincerely, Alex Carbaugh-Rutland

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SMM Editor’s Select Series for September 23rd: Echolocation behaviour of fish-eating killer whales during pursuit and capture of salmon prey
by Student Members-at-Large Society for Marine Mammalogy 16 Sep '21

16 Sep '21

Greetings MARMAM! Join us on *23 September 2021 at 4 PM PDT (11 PM** UTC)* for the next SMM Seminar Editor's Select Series: Echolocation behaviour of fish-eating killer whales during pursuit and capture of salmon prey with Brianna Wright of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Free to attend. Registration required. Presented online on Zoom. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_i1j2SHX2R2GvLexGa4HYPQ 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:* We used high-resolution acoustic and movement tags (Dtags) to analyse the echolocation behaviour of fish-eating killer whales during pursuit and capture of salmon prey. Whales produced more echolocation trains and had faster clicking rates prior to catching salmon versus afterward, confirming the importance of echolocation in prey detection and tracking. Extremely rapid click sequences (buzzes) occurred in the lead-up to salmon captures at depths typically exceeding 50 m, and were likely used for close-range prey targeting. Distinctive crunching sounds related to prey handling occurred at shallow depths following captures, matching observations that whales surfaced with salmon prior to eating them and often shared their prey. *About the presenter: * I received my B.Sc. majoring in Biology and Anthropology from the University of Victoria in 2007. During my undergrad I also participated in the UVic Biology Co-op program and studied at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. From 2008-2010, I worked as a Technician with the Cetacean Research Program of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) before returning to school and completing my M.Sc. in 2014 at UBC’s Marine Mammal Research Unit under the supervision of Dr. John Ford and Dr. Andrew Trites. My thesis investigated the fine-scale foraging behaviour of resident killer whales using suction-cup attached tags that recorded dive depth, body position and acoustic behaviour of individual whales. I returned to work with DFO’s Cetacean Research Program at the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo in July 2014, and I’m currently a marine mammal Biologist with this group. My job takes me throughout beautiful coastal British Columbia, Canada where I’ve been lucky enough to participate in killer whale and sea otter census surveys and offshore ship and aerial distance-sampling surveys for cetaceans. Analytically, my recent work has focused on spatial density modelling of survey data for cetacean species to estimate their distribution and abundance. I also conduct assessments of killer whale diet composition and prey sharing behaviour through field collection and analysis of prey remains. 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: Bayesian approach for predicting photogrammetric uncertainty in morphometric measurements derived from drones
by Bierlich, Kevin C 15 Sep '21

15 Sep '21

Greetings MARMAM Community, On behalf of my colleagues, I am pleased to share our recent publication in Marine Ecology Progress Series: Bierlich KC, Schick RS, Hewitt J, Dale J, Goldbogen JA, Friedlaender AS, Johnston DW (2021) Bayesian approach for predicting photogrammetric uncertainty in morphometric measurements derived from drones. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 673:193-210. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13814 <https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13814> <https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13814> ABSTRACT: Increasingly, drone-based photogrammetry has been used to measure size and body condition changes in marine megafauna. A broad range of platforms, sensors, and altimeters are being applied for these purposes, but there is no unified way to predict photogrammetric uncer- tainty across this methodological spectrum. As such, it is difficult to make robust comparisons across studies, disrupting collaborations amongst researchers using platforms with varying levels of measurement accuracy. Here we built off previous studies quantifying uncertainty and used an experimental approach to train a Bayesian statistical model using a known-sized object floating at the water’s surface to quantify how measurement error scales with altitude for several different drones equipped with different cameras, focal length lenses, and altimeters. We then applied the fitted model to predict the length distributions and estimate age classes of unknown-sized hump- back whales Megaptera novaeangliae, as well as to predict the population-level morphological relationship between rostrum to blowhole distance and total body length of Antarctic minke whales Balaenoptera bonaerensis. This statistical framework jointly estimates errors from altitude and length measurements from multiple observations and accounts for altitudes measured with both barometers and laser altimeters while incorporating errors specific to each. This Bayesian model outputs a posterior predictive distribution of measurement uncertainty around length measurements and allows for the construction of highest posterior density intervals to define measurement uncertainty, which allows one to make probabilistic statements and stronger infer- ences pertaining to morphometric features critical for understanding life history patterns and potential impacts from anthropogenically altered habitats. The article is open-access and available at: https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v673/p193-210/ Cheers, KC KC (Kevin) Bierlich, PhD, MEM Postdoctoral Scholar Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna (GEMM<https://mmi.oregonstate.edu/gemm-lab>) Lab Marine Mammal Institute | Dept. of Fisheries, Wildlife, & Conservation Sciences Oregon State University Pronouns: he, him, his kcbierlich.com<https://www.kcbierlich.com> kevin.bierlich(a)oregonstate.edu<mailto:kevin.bierlich@oregonstate.edu>

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