November 2022 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New publication on Interchanges and movements of humpback whales in Japanese waters: Okinawa, Ogasawara, Amami, and Hokkaido using an automated matching system
by Nozomi Kobayashi 18 Nov '22

18 Nov '22

Dear MARMAM community, My co-authors and I are pleased to share our new publication titled, Interchanges and movements of humpback whales in Japanese waters: Okinawa, Ogasawara, Amami, and Hokkaido using an automated matching system, which is now available in the open-access journal of PLOS ONE. by Nozomi Kobayashi, Satomi Kondo, Koki Tsujii, Katsuki Oki, Masami Hida, Haruna Okabe, Takashi Yoshikawa, Ryuta Ogawa, Chonho Lee, Naoto Higashi, Ryosuke Okamoto, Sachie Ozawa, Senzo Uchida, Yoko Mitani Abstract Humpback whales in the western North Pacific are considered endangered due to their small population size and lack of information. Although previous studies have reported interchanges between regions within a population, the relationship between the geographic regions of a population in Japan is poorly understood. Using 3,532 fluke photo IDs of unique individuals obtained from four areas in Japan: Hokkaido, six IDs (2009–2019); Ogasawara, 1,477 IDs, from two organizations (1) Everlasting nature of Asia (1987–2020) and (2) Ogasawara Whale Watching Association, (1990–2020); Amami, 373 IDs (1992–1994, 2005–2016); Okinawa, 1,676 IDs (1990–2018), interchanges were analyzed. The ID matchings were conducted using an automated system with an 80.9% matching accuracy. Interchange and within-region return indices were also calculated. As a result, number of matches and interchange indices follow locations, Hokkaido-Okinawa (3, 0.31), Amami-Ogasawara (36, 0.06), Amami-Okinawa (222, 0.37), and Okinawa-Ogasawara (225, 0.08), respectively. Interchange indices among Japanese areas were much higher than the indices between Ogasawara/Okinawa and Hawaii (0.01) and Mexico (0.00) reported in previous studies, indicating that the Japanese regions are utilized by the same population. At the same time, the frequency of interchanges among the three breeding areas vary, and the high within-region return indices in respective breeding areas suggest the site fidelity of the whales in each area at some level. These results indicate the existence of several groups within the population which are possibly be divided into at least two groups based on geographical features: one tend to utilize Ogasawara and the Mariana Archipelago; the other utilize Amami, Okinawa, and the Philippines, migrating along the Ryukyu and Philippine Trench. The matching results also suggest that Hokkaido is possibly be utilized as a corridor between northern feeding areas and southern breeding areas at least by individuals migrating to Okinawa area. The article is open-access, and full text PDF is available here: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0277761 Please feel free to contact us if you have questions! Warm regards, Nozomi Kobayashi -- ************************************************************* Nozomi Kobayashi, Ph. D. Chief Research Scientist Zoological Laboratory Okinawa Churashima Research Center Okinawa Churashima Foundation https://churashima.okinawa/en/ocrc/marine_organisms 小林希実一般財団法人沖縄美ら島財団総合研究センター動物研究室主任研究員〒905-0206 沖縄県国頭郡本部町字石川888番地 TEL：0980-48-2266 FAX：0980-48-2200 E-mail：n-kobayashi(a)okichura.jp *************************************************************

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Petition to save the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise
by Ida Carlén 18 Nov '22

18 Nov '22

Dear colleagues, As you may be aware, the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise is Critically Endangered. Although some measures have recently been implemented, further action is needed to secure the survival of the population. Coalition Clean Baltic together with other NGOs around the Baltic Sea have created a petition to save the only species of whale in the Baltic Sea, and on 24 November we have a meeting with the EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Mr Sinkevicius, to hand over the list of signatures and raise his and the European Commission's awareness on this subject. We are very close to 100 000 signatures and we would very much like to reach that number before we meet with the Commissioner on Thursday. Therefore, we would like to ask you to please sign this petition and help us and hopefully also the Baltic porpoise. The petition is available in several languages here: https://you.wemove.eu/campaigns/save-the-baltic-harbour-porpoise Please sign and feel free to spread the link :) Thanks for your help! Best regards, Ida Carlén

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Novel publication about herpesvirus and adenovirus in manatees, Brazil
by Carlos Sacristán Yagüe 18 Nov '22

18 Nov '22

Dear colleagues, On behalf of all co-authors, I am pleased to announce the publication of our article: Ewbank et al. (2022). Herpesvirus and adenovirus surveillance in threatened wild West Indian (Trichechus manatus) and Amazonian manatees (Trichechus inunguis), Brazil. Acta Tropica. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106740. [https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0001706X22004326-ga1.jpg]<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106740> Herpesvirus and adenovirus surveillance in threatened wild West Indian (Trichechus manatus) and Amazonian manatees (Trichechus inunguis), Brazil<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106740> African (Trichechus senegalenses), West Indian (T. manatus), WIM)], and the Amazonian manatees (T. inunguis, AMM). Whereas WIM inhabits both riverine … doi.org   In this manuscript we used panPCR protocols to survey herpesvirus and adenovirus in blood samples of wild West Indian manatees (WIM, n = 23) and Amazonian manatees (AMM, n = 26) under human care in Brazil. Herpesvirus DNA was detected in one juvenile female WIM (1/23; 4.3%; 95% CI -4.7 – 13.3) from Ceará state and in four AMM (two juvenile females, a juvenile male, and an adult female; 4/26; 15.4%; 95% CI 0.5 – 30.3) from Amazonas state. The two different gammaherpesvirus DNA polymerase sequence types identified (one per species, a sequence type in a WIM and another one in three AMM) were highly similar (99% nucleotide identity) to Trichechid herpesvirus 1, reported in West Indian manatees of Florida (USA), and 100% identical when translated into amino acids. A herpesviral glycoprotein B sequence was identified in two AMM. None of the samples was positive to adenovirus. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first herpesvirus detection in manatees from South America, expanding the herpesvirus geographical range, and the first in WIM and AMM worldwide. Our findings suggest (i) that West Indian and Amazonian manatees are possibly the natural hosts of the detected herpesvirus, and (ii) coevolution of that gammaherpesvirus with Trichechus. Future studies are necessary to characterize the obtained virus and elucidate potential pathological effects (if any) in these species. You can discover more in the link: https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1g3rH,2UvtInc Best regards, Carlos Sacristan DVM, MSc, PhD Postdoctoral Researcher, DVM, MSc, PhD Epidemiology and Environmental Health Group (EYSA) Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas Member of the Expert Advisory Panel on Strandings of the International Whaling Commission

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New publication: Tidal effects on periodical variations in the occurrence of singing humpback whales in coastal waters of Chichijima Island, Ogasawara, Japan
by Koki Tsujii 18 Nov '22

18 Nov '22

Dear all, On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to inform you about our paper titled "Tidal effects on periodical variations in the occurrence of singing humpback whales in coastal waters of Chichijima Island, Ogasawara, Japan", recently published in Scientific Reports. Tsujii, K., Akamatsu, T., Okamoto, R. et al. Tidal effects on periodical variations in the occurrence of singing humpback whales in coastal waters of Chichijima Island, Ogasawara, Japan. Sci Rep 12, 19702 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24162-0 ABSTRACT Marine organisms inhabiting coastal waters are known to be driven by periodic cycles such as diel, tidal, and seasonal changes. Humpback whales (*Megaptera novaeangliae*) breed in shallow and warm coastal waters, with males singing complex songs during the breeding season. To investigate periodic variations in humpback whale singing activities, we conducted fixed passive acoustic monitoring in the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands, Japan, from winter to spring during 2016–2018. The singing activity and individual number of singers were observed throughout the day and night using a very long baseline passive acoustic array. The occurrence of singers peaked before sunrise and in the evening and was reduced during the daytime. The frequency of song reception depended on the tidal phase. A generalised additive model demonstrated that the occurrence of singers increased during the flood tide and decreased during the ebb tide in the waters west of Chichijima Island. These results suggest that the singing behaviour of humpback whales in breeding areas is affected by the diel and tidal cycles. Male humpback whales may change their behaviour or singing location depending on the strength and direction of the tidal current, considering that the selection of a stable location is beneficial for singing whales. The paper is available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-24162-0 Best regards, Koki -- ----------------------- Koki Tsujii Ogasawara Whale Watching Association Aza Higashimachi, Chichijima, Ogasawara-mura, Tokyo 100-2101, JAPAN Tel: +81-4998-2-3215; Fax: +81-4998-2-3500 E-mail: tsujii(a)owa1989.com -----------------------

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New anecdotal observations published: Pilot whale placental expulsion observed in the wild, and an interaction between a harbour seal and a Eurasian otter
by Hague, Emily L 18 Nov '22

18 Nov '22

Dear MARMAM Colleagues, I'm really pleased to share with you two observations recently published in the Aquatic Mammals 50th Anniversary Special Issue of Anecdotes. The first paper shares the first ever recorded documentation of a long-finned pilot whale expelling placental material, close inshore to the Shetland Isles, UK. Read the full paper (open access) here https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.48.6.2022.610, and follow this link<https://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=art…> to watch video footage of the observation. Hague, E., McCaffrey, N., Stockin, K and Orbach, D. (2022). Previously undocumented Long-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala melas) placental expulsion in coastal waters of Shetland, United Kingdom. Aquatic Mammals. 48:6, 610-616. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.48.6.2022.610 [cid:image002.png@01D8FA84.AB809F30] The second paper documents an inter-specific interaction, between a harbour seal and a European otter. This type of interaction likely occurs reasonably regularly between UK seal species and otters, however it has never been described in the literature, despite it having potential implications for inter-species disease transmission and interesting potential implications of 'risky' behaviour between species. Read the full paper (open access) here https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.48.6.2022.584 , and follow this link<https://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=art…> to watch the video footage of the observation. Hague, E. and McCaffrey, N. (2022). Dyadic Interspecific Interaction between a harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) and a Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra). Aquatic Mammals. 48:6, 584-587. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.48.6.2022.584 [cid:image003.png@01D8FA84.E7AA62C0] Warm wishes, Emily Emily Hague (She/her/hers) PhD Researcher Marine Spatial Analysis Group Edinburgh Campus Heriot-Watt University Email: elh2001(a)hw.ac.uk<mailto:elh2001@hw.ac.uk> Twitter: @emilyhague<https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.c…> Scottish Vessel Project: https://bit.ly/ScottishVesselProject<https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F…> [cid:image001.png@01D8FA83.C67DC2A0] ________________________________ Founded in 1821, Heriot-Watt is a leader in ideas and solutions. With campuses and students across the entire globe we span the world, delivering innovation and educational excellence in business, engineering, design and the physical, social and life sciences. This email is generated from the Heriot-Watt University Group, which includes: 1. Heriot-Watt University, a Scottish charity registered under number SC000278 2. Heriot- Watt Services Limited (Oriam), Scotland's national performance centre for sport. Heriot-Watt Services Limited is a private limited company registered is Scotland with registered number SC271030 and registered office at Research & Enterprise Services Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS. The contents (including any attachments) are confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of its contents is strictly prohibited, and you should please notify the sender immediately and then delete it (including any attachments) from your system.

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Sea Watch Foundation internships in Cardigan Bay
by katrin.lohrengel＠seawatchfoundation.org.uk 17 Nov '22

17 Nov '22

Interns are invited to assist the Sea Watch Foundation (SWF) with the running of the Cardigan Bay Monitoring Project. The project is based in the picturesque town of New Quay, West Wales, and supports the conservation management of one of only two semi-resident bottlenose dolphin populations in the UK. Interns will gain experience in the following areas: *Daily land-based surveys *Full day boat surveys *Opportunistic data collection from wildlife tour boats *Photo-identification matching *Data entry *Raising public awareness *Environmental education initiatives and events *Assisting with and participating in adult cetacean surveying training courses In addition to these tasks, we have some specialist equipment: a hydrophone, a polecam, and an aerial drone to opportunistically collect acoustic, video and aerial data during boat-based surveys. The SWF research season runs from April until the end of October 2023 and interns are invited to apply for one or more of the following 8 week periods: Period 1: April 3 - May 28  Period 2: May 29- July 23  Period 3: July 24 - September 10  Period 4: September 11 - October 29 This is an unpaid internship. Interns are responsible for their own living expenses. Accommodation is provided at a rate of between £76 and £80 per person per week. All interns will be trained in cetacean observation and species identification, in boat survey protocols, and photo-identification of bottlenose dolphins but the following skills are advantageous: *Strong team player with a sense of humour as you’ll be working in a small team in the changeable Welsh weather! *a background in marine biology/environmental science or similar, prior fieldwork experience is beneficial *Good IT skills *Good written and verbal communication skills, experience with public speaking is also desirable If you are interested in this position, please visit the Sea Watch Foundation website for more information and how to apply: https://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/internships/ or email katrin.lohrengel(a)seawatchfoundation.org.uk Deadline for applications is the 29th January 2023. Decisions will be made by 21st February 2023 For a snapshot of what to expect, why not check out our social media profiles! Facebook: shorturl.at/QS568 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seawatchfoundation/

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Requests for proposals to conduct a dolphin cow-calf separation study in the eastern tropical Pacific
by Michael Scott 17 Nov '22

17 Nov '22

The Inter-Amercian Tropical Tuna Commission is requesting research proposals to study whether dolphin cows and calves become separated during tuna purse-seine fishing operations in the eastern tropical Pacific. The study will address long-standing unanswered questions about whether cow-calf separation occurs, and, if it does, is potential calf mortality at levels high enough to hinder population growth. The details of the request for proposals can be found at this link: https://www.iattc.org/getattachment/425bab9f-ae3a-4692-b94c-f9758609b0c1/Co… Michael Scott Senior Scientist, IATTC (ret.)

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January 2023 Introductory distance sampling workshop, registration closes 30 Nov
by Eric Rexstad 17 Nov '22

17 Nov '22

A reminder that registration for the remaining handful of places in the 09-20 January training workshop, widely used in population assessment of marine mammal populations, closes in just under two weeks (30 November). Details about the workshop and the registration process can be found at http://workshops.distancesampling.org/intro-jan-2023.html Any questions, please send them to me. Eric Rexstad Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling University of St Andrews Registered Charity in Scotland SC013532

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New Publication: Combining Monitoring Approaches as a Tool to Assess the Occurrence of the Mediterranean Monk Seal in Samos Island, Greece
by Guido Pietroluongo 16 Nov '22

16 Nov '22

Dear all, My Co-authors and I are pleased to announce and share our recent paper titled: "Combining Monitoring Approaches as a Tool to Assess the Occurrence of the Mediterranean Monk Seal in Samos Island, Greece" Pietroluongo, G.; Martín-Montalvo, B.Q.; Ashok, K.; Miliou, A.; Fosberry, J.; Antichi, S.; Moscatelli, S.; Tsimpidis, T.; Carlucci, R.; Azzolin, M. Combining Monitoring Approaches as a Tool to Assess the Occurrence of the Mediterranean Monk Seal in Samos Island, Greece. *Hydrobiology* *2022*, 1, 440-450. https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrobiology1040026 *Abstract* With a current global estimation of 600–700 individuals, *Monachus monachus* is considered among the most threatened seal species globally and is ranked as “Endangered” by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Mediterranean distribution of the species is fragmented, and the largest known sub-population inhabits its easternmost areas. The present study analyses the occurrence of *M. monachus* on Samos Island, in the north-eastern Aegean Sea, Greece. From May 2017 to November 2019, data were collected through a combination of monitoring approaches, including visual monitoring from a land position, opportunistic sightings collected by citizen science, and data of stranded individuals. Results indicate the constant occurrence of monk seals in the waters and coastal areas of Samos Island, confirming the importance of this area for conservation purposes. Furthermore, the results show that an integrated methodological approach can contribute to enhancing and increasing data collection, representing an effective method for conservation studies. This approach could be applied in other locations, allowing the scientific community to identify regions of interest, where to expand targeted monitoring and apply conservation measures. The paper can be accessed here: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9917/1/4/26/htm Don't hesitate to contact us for any further information. Many thanks Dr Guido Pietroluongo <o)))>< ~ - - ~ <o)))>< ~ - - ~ <o)))>< ~ - - ~ <o)))>< ~ - - ~ Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA), Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, Greece, www.archipelago.gr Please consider the environment before printing this email.

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new publication
by Monson, Daniel H 16 Nov '22

16 Nov '22

Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are very pleased to inform you that our article “Brown bear–sea otter interactions along the Katmai coast: terrestrial and nearshore communities linked by predation” is now available. Monson, D. H., Taylor, R. L., Hilderbrand, G. V., Erlenbach, J. A., Coletti, H. A., Kloecker, K. A., Esslinger, G. G., Bodkin, J. L. 2022. Brown bear–sea otter interactions along the Katmai coast: terrestrial and nearshore communities linked by predation. Journal of Mammalogy. 10.1093/jmammal/gyac095 https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac095 Abstract Sea otters were extirpated throughout much of their range by the maritime fur trade in the 18th and 19th centuries, including the coast of Katmai National Park and Preserve in southcentral Alaska. Brown bears are an important component of the Katmai ecosystem where they are the focus of a thriving ecotourism bear-viewing industry as they forage in sedge meadows and dig clams in the extensive tidal flats that exist there. Sea otters began reoccupying Katmai in the 1970s where their use of intertidal clam resources overlapped that of brown bears. By 2008, the Katmai sea otter population had grown to an estimated 7,000 animals and was likely near carrying capacity; however, in 2006–2015, the age-at-death distribution (AADD) of sea otter carcasses collected at Katmai included a higher-than-expected proportion of prime-age animals compared to most other sea otter populations in Alaska. The unusual AADD warranted scientific investigation, particularly because the Katmai population is part of the Threatened southwest sea otter stock. Brown bears in Katmai are known to prey on marine mammals and sea otters, but depredation rates are unknown; thus, we investigated carnivore predation, especially by brown bears, as a potential explanation for abnormally high prime-age otter mortality. We installed camera traps at two island-based marine mammal haulout sites within Katmai to gather direct evidence that brown bears prey on seals and sea otters. Over a period of two summers, we gathered photo evidence of brown bears making 22 attempts to prey on sea otters of which nine (41%) were successful and 12 attempts to prey on harbor seals of which one (8%) was successful. We also developed a population model based on the AADD to determine if the living population is declining, as suggested by the high proportion of prime-age animals in the AADD. We found that the population trend predicted by the modeled AADDs was contradictory to aerial population surveys that indicated the population was not in steep decline but was consistent with otter predation. Future work should focus on the direct and indirect effects these top-level predators have on each other and the coastal community that connects them. Best regards, Daniel Monson Daniel Monson, PhD. Research Wildlife Biologist US Geological Survey, Interior Region 11 Alaska Science Center 4210 University Drive Anchorage, AK 99508 907-786-7161 (w) 907-230-7139 (c) Please note I sometimes send and answer email outside normal work hours. This helps me with my schedule but is not intended to pressure others to do the same.

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