November 2022 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Northeast Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy
by Melanie Smith 09 Nov '22

09 Nov '22

Dear MARMAM, We are pleased to announce that the Northeast Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy is active! We represent undergraduate, graduate, and recently graduated students from the Northeastern United States, including Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Our mission is to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment where students can support one other in their education and research in marine mammal science. While we are newly formed, we plan to regularly host virtual and in person meetings. Please contact us if you are interested in joining us! Our first virtual meeting will be Friday, December 2 at 4pm EST. Website: https://marinemammalscience.org/professional-development/chapters/northeast… Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/5266900740026363/people/?should_open_welcom… Chapter Leaders and Primary Contacts: Melanie Smith Affiliation: University of New Hampshire; Sound Science Research Collective ; SMM Email: melanie.smith(a)unh.edu<mailto:melanie.smith@unh.edu> Marissa Garcia Affiliation: K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics at Cornell University; SMM Email: mg2377(a)cornell.edu<mailto:mg2377@cornell.edu> Maia Austin Affiliation: University of Vermont; SMM Email: maia.g.austin(a)uvm.edu<mailto:maia.g.austin@uvm.edu> Sponsor: Michelle Fournet, PhD Affiliation: University of New Hampshire; Sound Science Research Collective; SMM Email: michelle.fournet(a)unh.edu<mailto:michelle.fournet@unh.edu> Sincerely, Melanie Smith She/Her/Hers University of New Hampshire Department of Biological Sciences Center for Acoustic Research and Education Marine Bioacoustics and Behavior Lab (SeaBABEL) Marine Biology MSc Candidate

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WDC Marine Mammal Conservation Internships (temporary, full-time, paid)
by Sarah McCormack 09 Nov '22

09 Nov '22

Internship description Whale and Dolphin Conservation’s North American office is offering a 12-week, entry-level Marine Mammal Conservation Internship to candidates with little to no prior experience. This opportunity will help to build skills relevant to the field of marine conservation while providing interns with insight into the inner workings of a non-profit as well as job skills transferable to any field. This position is designed for those who do not yet have experience in marine mammal conservation and outreach. We will prioritize candidates who do not have practical experience (internship, significant volunteering, employment) in this field outside of a classroom setting. Applicants should be eager to dive into new experiences and enjoy having a variety of tasks to work on. This position will help to assist staff in three key program areas: Marine Animal Rescue and Response, Education, and Boater Outreach. Occasional opportunities to see whales at sea may also be possible, though no part of this position requires being in the water. Successful candidates will gain transferable skills in effective communication and public speaking, project management, developing and delivering presentations and other interpretive resources, working on a close-knit team, and record keeping. We have three open positions in 2023 for this temporary, full-time, paid internship. We are seeking to fill one position each for the spring, summer, and fall – as early as March and as late as November. Each of the three successful candidates will be assigned to a priority program (Marine Animal Rescue and Response, Education, or Boater Outreach) on which they will focus; they will support other programs as needed. We will do our best to take into consideration each candidate’s primary interests, however priority programs will be determined by the review committee. Candidates in this internship will: * Have effective verbal and/or written communications skills * Work well with diverse audiences and teams * Have an interest in education/outreach initiatives * Act effectively as a member of a close-knit team * Be able to problem solve in unanticipated situations * Have an attention to detail and follow policies and procedures * Possess a valid driver’s license and be willing to drive a large pick-up truck * Be able to pass a background check * Be able to lift or move heavy objects and work outside in adverse weather conditions * Be comfortable working with deceased/decomposing animals * Have health insurance coverage and be free of (or able to manage) medical issues aggravated by exposure to animals including their fur and bodily fluids, which could contain transmissible diseases * Be legally able to work in the United States * Be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the start of the internship Internship responsibilities include but are not limited to: * Researching and exploring potential outreach and education partnership opportunities * Writing blogs, creating social media content, and managing program websites * Relationship building with boating industry members * Developing outreach materials and grade school lesson plans connected to science standards * Delivering educational programs to K-12 students as well as adults/families at community events * Responding to stranded live and dead marine mammals in the field, including assisting with health assessments and examinations to determine cause of death * Answering WDC’s rescue hotline and handling reports from callers * Ensuring marine animal response preparedness by inventorying and restocking equipment, cleaning gear, fueling vehicles, etc. For additional details about this internship opportunity, visit our website<https://us.whales.org/science-and-outreach-internship/>: https://us.whales.org/science-and-outreach-internship/ Sarah McCormack Stranding Coordinator WDC North America Pronouns: she, her, hers Hotline: +1 617‑688‑6872 WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation 7 Nelson Street Plymouth, MA 02360‑4044 United States whales.org<https://whales.org/> [cid:image001.png@01D8F432.C93E38F0]<https://whales.org/> [cid:image002.png@01D8F432.C93E38F0]<https://www.facebook.com/uswhalesorg> [cid:image003.png@01D8F432.C93E38F0]<https://www.twitter.com/whales_org> [cid:image004.png@01D8F432.C93E38F0]<https://www.instagram.com/whales_org> [cid:image005.png@01D8F432.C93E38F0]<https://www.youtube.com/whalesorg> [cid:image006.png@01D8F432.C93E38F0]<https://us.whales.org/category/news/> [cid:image007.png@01D8F432.C93E38F0]<https://us.whales.org/newsletter> [cid:image008.png@01D8F432.C93E38F0]<https://www.guidestar.org/profile/02-0749188> Whale and Dolphin Conservation (“WDC”), Inc. is an IRS recognized 501(c)3 non‑profit organization. Your contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. WDC, 7 Nelson Street, Plymouth, MA 02360‑4044 Tel: +1 (508) 746‑2522 This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. Please note that any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.

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New paper on sperm whale body mass estimation using aerial photogrammetry
by Maria Glarou 09 Nov '22

09 Nov '22

Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are happy to announce the publication of the following paper in Marine Mammal Science: Glarou, M., Gero, S., Frantzis, A., Brotons, J. M., Vivier, F., Alexiadou, P., Cerdà, M., Pirotta, E., & Christiansen, F. (2022). Estimating body mass of sperm whales from aerial photographs. Marine Mammal Science, 1–23. Abstract: Body mass is a fundamental feature of animal physiology. Although sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are the largest toothed predators on earth, body mass is seldom included in studies of their ecophysiology and bioenergetics due to the inherent difficulties of obtaining direct measurements. We used UAV-photogrammetry to estimate the weight of free-ranging sperm whales. Aerial photographs (23 calves, 11 juveniles, 55 nonmother adults, 13 mothers) were collected in the Eastern Caribbean and Mediterranean Sea during 2017–2020. Body length, widths, and heights (dorso-ventral distance at 5% increments) were measured from dorsal and lateral photographs, while body volume was calculated using an elliptical model. Volume varied noticeably (12.01 ± 4.79 m3) in larger animals (>8 m), indicating fluctuations in body condition of adults and mothers. Volume was converted to mass, using tissue-density estimates from catch data, animal-borne tags, and body-tissue composition. Average total body density ranged from 834 to 1,003 kg/m3, while the weight predictions matched with existing measurements and weight-length relationships. Our body-mass models can be used to study sperm whale bioenergetics, including inter- and intraseasonal variations in body condition, somatic growth, metabolic rates, and cost of reproduction. The paper is open-access and can be accessed from the following link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mms.12982 Best regards, Maria Glarou PhD Fellow Húsavík Research Centre University of Iceland Hafnarstétt 3, 640 Húsavík Email: mag133(a)hi.is<mailto:mag133@hi.is> / maria_glarou(a)outlook.com<mailto:maria_glarou@outlook.com> Skype: mariag.23 Mobile: +30 698 5689823 / +45 50174014 Twitter: @mglarou<https://twitter.com/mglarou> ResearchGate<https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maria-Glarou> / Google Scholar<https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=gVV1c04AAAAJ&hl=en>

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New publication: Indo-Paciﬁc ﬁnless porpoises in Hainan Island (China)
by Francesco Caruso 09 Nov '22

09 Nov '22

Dear MARMAM recipients, my co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of our article in Frontiers in Remote Sensing: Caruso F, Giorli G, Dong L, Zhao L, Liu M, Lin M and Li S (2022), Large-scale monitoring of Indo-Paciﬁc ﬁnless porpoises (/Neophocaena phocaenoides/) using multiple static acoustic sensors. Front. Remote Sens. 3:987105. doi: 10.3389/frsen.2022.987105 ABSTRACT The distribution of Indo-Paciﬁc ﬁnless porpoise (IPFP, /Neophocaena phocaenoides/) around the Hainan Island (China) is unknown, but evidences for a resident population have recently emerged. Passive acoustic data were collected from 10 locations along the south-west area of the island using static sensors (about 200 km of coastline), over a total period of 476 days from 25th February 2018 to 16th June 2019 (154,884 5-min recordings). A supervised machine learning technique was used to classify IPFP clicks and acoustic features were measured for 2,654 short-narrowband pulses detected within 47 days across the 10 sites. Detections were veriﬁed by a trained operator using spectrogram analysis and the detection range of the clicks was estimated using a Transmission Loss (TL) model. The animals were not detected at all locations and the site with the highest number of detections was characterized by low levels of ambient noise, abundance of soniferous ﬁshes and the presence of another marine mammal species, the Indo-Paciﬁc humpback dolphin (/Sousa chinensis/). The northernmost region had no detections and only two recorded ﬁles containing IPFP clicks were found at the two nearby locations (one ﬁle each). In general, the low number of detections in the study area are most likely a result of the limited detection range (about 200 m) of IPFP echolocation signals. This is a nationally protected species and the Hainan population is increasingly subject to many threats. The large-scale and long-term monitoring approach provides information regarding the spatial acoustic occurrence of this vulnerable, nearshore and small-size cetacean. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsen.2022.987105 Best, Francesco -- Francesco Caruso, PhD Researcher, Marine Biologist and Ecologist https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Francesco-Caruso Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (http://www.szn.it/en/) Department of Marine Animal Conservation and Public Engagement National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology Villa Comunale, Naples, 80121, Italy Phone:+390815833461

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ECS 2023 - Submit Your Abstracts & Join Us in Galicia!
by Bruno Diaz Lopez 09 Nov '22

09 Nov '22

Just One Month Left! Submit Your Talk and Poster Abstracts & Join Us in Galicia! 34th European Cetacean Society Conference April 18-20, 2023 O Grove, Galicia, Spain Deadline: Friday, December 9 - 2022 (23:45 CET) We invite you to submit abstracts for oral presentations and posters for the 2023 ECS Conference, which will be held April 18th-20th in O Grove, Galicia, Spain. This will be a great opportunity to reconnect in person after the pandemic years and talk about marine mammals, science, conservation, discuss research, meet colleagues, have fun and make friends. Abstracts are encouraged to address the meeting theme “OUR OCEANS, OUR FUTURE: Marine Mammal Behavioural Ecology & the Sustainable Use of Marine Resources” if appropriate, but doing so is not necessary. We welcome submissions on any topic that reports on new discoveries in marine mammal science. This also includes proposals on interdisciplinary work, addressing communication with a wide audience, or exploring new ways of studying marine mammals through the use of new technologies. Abstracts will be reviewed by experts in each field. Abstracts must be submitted through the online form <https://www.europeancetaceansociety.eu/conference/submit-abstract-0> by December 9th, 2022 at 23:45 (CET). No late or emailed abstracts will be considered. As part of the 34th Conference of the European Cetacean Society, we will organize a series of events that will allow participants to discover the beauty of the local surroundings, its nature, cultural traditions and the treasures of the local gastronomy. Congress participants will enjoy authentic and unforgettable environmentally–friendly activities, all while having fun and expanding their knowledge. For more information, visit <https://www.europeancetaceansociety.eu/conference/34th-annual-conference-ga…> If you have any further questions, please contact us at: <ecs2023(a)thebdri.com> See you in Galicia, Warm regards, Bruno Díaz López Ph.D Chair of the Local Organising Committee ECS 2023 34 ECS Conference - O Grove - Galicia, Spain he/him/his This email is confidential to the intended recipient(s) and the contents may be legally privileged or contain proprietary and private informations. It is intended solely for the person to whom it is addressed. If you are not an intended recipient, you may not review, copy or distribute this email. If received in error, please notify the sender and delete the message from your system immediately. Please note that neither the Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute BDRI nor the sender accept any responsibility for any viruses and it is your responsibility to scan the email and the attachments (if any). Thank you for your cooperation.

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JOB OPENING: Marine Mammal Acoustician Position at Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation
by Beatriz Tintore 08 Nov '22

08 Nov '22

MARINE MAMMAL ACOUSTICIAN POSITION Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation is recruiting for the following position *1 Marine Mammal Acoustician - Assistant Project Manager* LOCATION - EASTERN AEGEAN SEA, GREECE http://archipelago.gr/en/ Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation has an open job position for a “Marine Mammal Acoustician - Assistant Project Manager” to assist with our expanding team and conservation efforts. We are recruiting for both short - term and long term cooperation. DUTIES - Lead and supervise projects related to passive acoustic monitoring, including survey design and data analysis. - Analyze passive acoustic data and write up of relevant reports - Supervise group of students/ interns - Supervise field research including collection of passive acoustic data as needed. - Assist with outreach activities - Assist in everyday running of our research bases/ boats, including providing assistance to interns and contributing to general base management tasks ESSENTIAL REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: MSc Degree in marine sciences, with experience in marine mammal research Good comprehension of data collection methods and research and analysis principles and techniques Previous experience in analyzing acoustic data Experience with Raven Pro and PAMGuard is a bonus Experience managing and training students and/or volunteers Demonstrated leadership, supervision and team building skills Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships Ability to conduct fieldwork in all weather conditions Ability to write scientific reports and papers Fluency in English Fluency in Greek (optional) Excellent computer skills Sincere interest in issues related to marine conservation Willingness to occasionally work during weekends and holidays Valid international driver’s license or driver’s license for the EU (optional) WE OFFER For the trial period the travel expenses and full board accommodation are covered. For successful candidates the remuneration package offered depends on the level of experience of the applicant. OVERVIEW - LOCATION & OUR TEAM The Aegean Sea is a key Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot supporting some of the most important remaining populations of marine mammals and turtles in the Mediterranean. This includes bottlenose, short-beaked common, striped and Risso’s dolphins, sperm whales and Cuvier’s beaked whales, the highly endangered Mediterranean Monk seal, as well as loggerhead and green turtles. The research and conservation of marine mammals has been one of the key areas of focus the Archipelagos Institute since its establishment in 1998. Our goal is to fill the important knowledge gaps regarding the distribution of marine mammal populations in the Greek Seas and the northeast Mediterranean, while also quantifying the factors that threaten their survival. Our research focuses on assessing populations and the interactions of cetaceans with fisheries and maritime traffic. Also monitored are the effects caused by overfishing and the various forms of pollution (plastic, chemical and noise pollution). Close cooperation with local communities is at the core of Archipelagos’ actions and an essential prerequisite for the implementation of any conservation action. Through the use of our three research vessels, the team records behavioral data, sound recordings, and photo-ID images, as well as documents vessel traffic data, water chemistry data, macroplastic and microplastic data, and seabird abundance. Our main goal is to use our data to develop successful, targeted management and conservation plans. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS Please submit a current resume, a list of three references, and a cover letter expressing your interest to info(a)archipelago.gr *Beatriz Tintoré* *Project Manager of the Marine Mammal and Terrestrial Research Department* *MSc in Marine Biology*

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Special Issue of Anecdotes available online from Aquatic Mammals journal
by Kathleen Dudzinski 08 Nov '22

08 Nov '22

Dear MARMAM and ECS Talk Subscribers, For 50 years, Aquatic Mammals has published articles on all topics related to aquatic animals. In celebration of our 50th Anniversary, we are pleased to offer a special issue that acknowledges how the journal began and welcomes the insight to be gained from rare observations of individuals in both in- and ex-situ settings. This Special Issue of Anecdotes is intended to celebrate the insight that can be gained from rare or opportunistic observations in the field or in a managed care setting and is dedicated to capturing these observations for the record. Contributors have set their accounts into the literature as much as possible and contextualized their anecdote(s) such that its scope, generality, and potential application are recognized. Our goal has been to offer this special issue as a collective record so these insights and observations may provide perspective to our research and the animals we study. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we have during the review process. Thus, I am pleased to announce that Issue 48.6, A Special Issue of Anecdotes, is now available online from the journal’s website: https://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/ This special issue is GIGANTIC! There are 54 articles (28 of which have supplemental videos, 8 with supplemental PDFs). The Table of Contents (3.5 pages long) is available by clicking on the Issue icon on the journal website’s home page to get to the issue and then clicking on the cover image for the PDF download. This PDF also includes the Introduction, a Sponsor Thank you, and cover photo caption list. On behalf of all contributing authors, I gratefully thank Zoomarine Algarve (Portugal) for sponsoring this special issue. Zoomarine’s sponsorship means that each article in this issue is available as Open Access. To download a PDF from this issue, you simply need to click one of the title links on the issue page, and then click on the link on that article’s page (lower left) … yes, it’s a 2-step process but they’re free! A big thank you to the journal’s copyedit, business, and social media teams for their effort and support in getting this issue out. And, thank you to Jim Darling for the initial issue concept idea and for being our Special Issue Guest Editor. Happy Birthday to the Journal and here’s to 50 more years! Cheers Kathleen P.S. On December 1, 2022, I will make a single PDF of the full issue available from the journal’s website. Because it is currently ~80 MB, we are reviewing the logistics for making this available. Stay tuned. P.S.S. For those of you with print subscriptions, this issue is now with the printer and we will be mailing 48.5 and 48.6 out in early December. Thank you for your patience. Kathleen M. Dudzinski, Ph.D. Editor, Aquatic Mammals business(a)aquaticmammalsjournal.org www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org to submit a manuscript, visit our: Manuscript Fast track web site at http://am.expressacademic.org/actions/author.php

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PhD Opportunity in eDNA monitoring of polar vertebrates, closing date 9th Jan 2023
by Thompson, Kirsten 08 Nov '22

08 Nov '22

Dear Marmammers, High-resolution monitoring of marine vertebrates in changing polar oceans with eDNA, NERC GW4+ DTP PhD studentship for 2023 Entry, PhD in Biosciences. Ref: 4589 Join a dynamic group of bioscientists, geneticists and cetacean biologists at Exeter in the southwest of the UK. We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate for an exciting collaboration between the University of Exeter (Dr Adam Monier and Dr Kirsten Thompson), British Antarctic Survey (Dr Jennifer Jackson) and Greenpeace Research Laboratories (Exeter; Dr Kirsten Thompson). Full information on the project and how to apply: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/funding/award/?id=4589 Project Background: Climate change is particularly pronounced in the polar regions, precipitating widespread range shifts, invasions of new species and losses of others. These changes present significant challenges for conservation of marine vertebrates; thus a suite of biomonitoring strategies is required to help manage marine resources and monitor biodiversity. Furthermore, polar regions provide extreme and expensive field conditions for researchers with many understudied species and a dearth of knowledge on ecosystem functioning. Monitoring methods such as visual survey, bioacoustics, and biologging are spatially limited and expensive, often requiring extensive ship time and expert knowledge. In many cases, they also do not provide high-resolution taxonomic classification and are not effective in evaluating taxonomically cryptic, elusive or undescribed species. Environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring is one strategy that could provide a rapid, non-invasive tool to characterise polar vertebrate biodiversity. Routinely used in, for example, freshwater ecology, eDNA is currently an underdeveloped method for monitoring marine animals. Current eDNA-based methods focus on cataloguing taxa, but rarely generate information on intraspecific community diversity or resilience, nor are they developed for systematic monitoring. Recent expeditions by Greenpeace, in collaboration with SPYGEN (www.spygen.com<http://www.spygen.com>) and the University of Montpellier (France), collected 100+ samples from polar regions generating mitochondrial 12S sequence datasets for mammals, teleosts and elasmobranchs. The student will analyse these samples and generate bioinformatic pipelines and protocols that will help to provide the next step in eDNA monitoring for marine ecosystem characterisation and conservation. Project Aims and Methods: The student will use bioinformatic procedures based on sequence-level classification to maximise the utility of eDNA datasets for biomonitoring to inform the future implementation of eDNA biomonitoring in relation to marine biodiversity management. The PhD student will: * Further develop a bioinformatics pipeline to classify eDNA sequence datasets to examine polar communities at the population level (instead of basic cataloguing at the species, genus and family levels) and use the recovered phylogenetic signal to measure intra- and intercommunity diversity as captured by eDNA sampling. * Take advantage of available molecular sequence databases, e.g. Genbank (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank>) and generated by Tara Ocean Expeditions (www.oceans.taraexpeditions.org<http://www.oceans.taraexpeditions.org>) to investigate trophic links between vertebrates and phyto- and zooplankton community diversity. * Feedforward results to web-based platforms to visually represent the geographical and temporal distribution of such diversity for better interfacing with end-user management needs. * Use existing portable DNA sequencing equipment to trial field protocols that integrate real-time eDNA sequencing and bioinformatic web-based frameworks. Candidate requirements We seek a highly motivated and independent candidate with a background in molecular ecology, phylogenetics and bioinformatics and an interest in further developing these with support. Skills and knowledge of GIS, web design and statistics are also preferred. Experience in molecular laboratory and field work are desirable but not essential. For informal inquiries contact: Adam Monier, A.Monier(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:A.Monier@exeter.ac.uk> and Kirsten Thompson, k.f.thompson(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:k.f.thompson@exeter.ac.uk> Send us your CV, we would love to hear from you if you think you might be interested in this research. Kind regards, Kirsten Dr Kirsten Thompson Pronouns<http://www.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/communicationservices/docu…>: she/her Lecturer in Ecology University of Exeter Mob: +44 (0)7841695569 Staff profile: Biosciences<https://biosciences.exeter.ac.uk/staff/profile/index.php?web_id=Kirsten_Tho…> Hatherly Laboratories, Prince of Wales Rd, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4PS

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New paper on association patterns and community structure among female dolphins from Shark Bay Dolphin Research
by Simon Allen 08 Nov '22

08 Nov '22

Dear Marmamers, This year Shark Bay Dolphin Research celebrated 40 years of long-term investigation into a remarkable animal population that includes not only alliances of alliances, but several forms of tool use with differing transmission pathways. Following on from Chabanne et al.’s recent publication on evidence of male alliances from a small community of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins some way south (the Swan-Canning Riverpark, dolphins which will no doubt be seen from the venue of the 2024 Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Perth) in the Special Issue of Mammalian Biology, we are pleased to bring to your attention another paper in the same issue, this one on sociality among female dolphins in Shark Bay. The citation is as follows: SM Marfurt, SJ Allen, MR Bizzozzero, EP Willems, SL King, RC Connor, AM Kopps, S Wild, L Gerber, S Wittwer, M Krützen 2022. Association patterns and community structure among female bottlenose dolphins: environmental, genetic and cultural factors. Mammalian Bioliogy https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-022-00259-x. Abstract: Social structuring from assortative associations may affect individual fitness, as well as population-level processes. Gaining a broader understanding of social structure can improve our knowledge of social evolution and inform wildlife conservation. We investigated association patterns and community structure of female Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Shark Bay, Western Australia, assessing the role of kinship, shared culturally transmitted foraging techniques, and habitat similarity based on water depth. Our results indicated that associations are influenced by a combination of uni- and biparental relatedness, cultural behaviour and habitat similarity, as these were positively correlated with a measure of dyadic association. These findings were matched in a community level analysis. Members of the same communities overwhelmingly shared the same habitat and foraging techniques, demonstrating a strong homophilic tendency. Both uni- and biparental relatedness between dyads were higher within than between communities. Our results illustrate that intraspecific variation in sociality in bottlenose dolphins is influenced by a complex combination of genetic, cultural, and environmental aspects. You can score yourself a shiny PDF here https://rdcu.be/cYQO2 or go here http://www.sharkbaydolphins.org/publications/, where you will also find links to the other papers from 2022 (below) and prior. Connor RC, Krützen M, Allen SJ, Sherwin WB, King SL 2022. Strategic intergroup alliances increase access to a contested resource in male bottlenose dolphins. PNAS 119: e2121723119. Chereskin E, Connor RC, Friedman WR, Jensen FH, Allen SJ, Sørensen PM, Krützen M, King SL 2022. Male dolphins use vocal exchanges to ‘bond at a distance’. Curr Biol 32: 1657–1663. Gerber L, Connor RC, Allen SJ, Horlacher K, King SL, Sherwin WB, Willems E, Wittwer S, Krützen M 2022. Social integration influences fitness in allied male dolphins. Curr Biol 32: 1664-1669. Manlik O, Lacy RC, Sherwin WB, Finn H, Loneragan NR, Allen SJ 2022. A stochastic model for estimating sustainable limits to wildlife mortality in a changing world. Cons Biol: e13897. All the best, Simon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dr Simon J Allen Senior Lecturer School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Mob: +44 (0) 77047 53101 [UK] / +61 (0) 416 083 653 [AU] Email: Simon.Allen(a)bristol.ac.uk<mailto:Simon.Allen@bristol.ac.uk> / Simon.Allen(a)uwa.edu.au<mailto:Simon.Allen@uwa.edu.au> Web: http://www.sharkbaydolphins.org Twitter: @SimonJAllen1 [Chart, scatter chart Description automatically generated] Recent papers: Estimating sustainable limits to human-caused wildlife mortality https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cobi.13897 Cooperation-based concept formation in bottlenose dolphins https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-22668-1 Non-vertical transmission of a dolphin foraging innovation https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(20)30756-9 Declines in dolphin survival and reproduction following a heatwave https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0960-9822%2819%2930217-9 “Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing–absolutely nothing–half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” (Kenneth Grahame) “I must say here, in passing, that those captains who have scientists… aboard their ships, must take with them a good supply of patience. I admit that although I have no lack of it, the scientists have frequently driven me to the end of my tether...” (Nicolas Baudin)

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New Publication: Damages associated with bottlenose dolphin depredation
by Maria Garagouni 08 Nov '22

08 Nov '22

My co-authors and I are pleased to share our recent publication in ICES JMS, wherein we calculate the material and financial damage caused by bottlenose dolphins depredating a gillnet fishery in the Northern Aegean Sea. Maria Garagouni, Georgia Avgerinou, Foivos-Alexandros Mouchlianitis, George Minos, Konstantinos Ganias: Questionnaire and experimental surveys show that dolphins cause substantial losses to a gillnet fishery in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, ICES Journal of Marine Science, 2022, fsac196, https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsac196 ABSTRACT Common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are known to depredate fishing gear, resulting in damage to the catch and/or the gear itself. The extent of this damage and estimated financial loss varies between areas, métiers, and survey methods. We quantified losses due to bottlenose dolphin depredation in a coastal gillnet fishery in the Thermaikos Gulf, Greece, in terms of CPUE reduction, catch damage, and gear damage. Experimental fishing effort was carried out over two seasons (2020 and 2021), along with concurrent questionnaire surveys over the second season (2021). Depredation frequency (∼35%) and CPUE changes due to depredation (a significant decrease of 45–50%) were similar for both sampling schemes. The number of damaged fish in experimental hauls increased significantly with dolphin depredation, but did not fully account for the sizeable loss in marketable catch, indicating that large numbers of fish were removed from the nets entirely. Damage to experimental nets increased with dolphin presence and group size, with an average of 0.59% of net surface area damaged per depredation event. Both datasets point to annual economic losses of over €5000 per vessel in this fishery, while the similarity between direct observations and self-reported losses highlights the usefulness of frequent questionnaire surveys. Feel free to contact me with any questions or for a copy of the article: garagouni.m(a)gmail.com Cheers, Maria -- Dr Maria Garagouni Postdoctoral Researcher Marine Living Resources Group School of Biology Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Greece

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