March 2022 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

FinBase Workshop
by Jason Allen 09 Mar '22

09 Mar '22

The SMM'22 workshop “FinBase photographic-identification database user community development: Advanced data management and analysis topics” is rescheduled for Saturday, July 30th, 2022. This full day workshop will be held in person with no virtual attendance options. The goal of the workshop is to foster a more engaged FinBase user community that can share knowledge and resources. Many of the FinBase data management concepts and techniques used to address research questions employed by individual research labs can be easily adapted and applied by other FinBase users. The workshop will bring together FinBase users to share their experiences with the system and discuss how they use the program to meet their data management, reporting and analysis needs, showcase any customizations, and relay any system issues and shortcomings. Please email Jason Allen (allenjb(a)mote.org) if you are interested or would like more information. Cheers, Jason Allen and Jeff Adams Workshop Coordinators https://www.smmconference.org/workshops/ https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/finbase-ph… Jason Allen Lab Manager Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program c/o Mote Marine Laboratory 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway Sarasota, FL 34236

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SR3 job opportunity - Marine Mammal Veterinary Nurse
by Casey Mclean 09 Mar '22

09 Mar '22

Hello, SR3 is accepting applications for a seasonal full time veterinary nurse position. The application deadline is 3/21/22. Please visit our website for more information about the position and the organization www.SR3.org <http://www.sr3.org/>. *PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:* - Play an active role in the medical and husbandry care of rehabilitating animals, including but not limited to medication dispensing/administration, sample collection and processing, reviewing and adjusting diets,and preparing for and assisting with diagnostic and medical procedures. - Participate in husbandry care, including but not limited to gavage feeding, enclosure cleaning and maintenance, water quality monitoring, and environmental enrichment. - Perform in-house laboratory procedures and prepare samples for shipment to outside labs. - Perform routine hospital maintenance that includes cleaning and maintaining hospital and laboratory equipment to ensure proper working condition; ability to maintain quality, safety and infection control standards, including demonstrated knowledge of sterile procedures and disposal of biohazardous waste. - Assist with all aspects of anesthesia, including intubation, anesthetic monitoring, and adjustment and use of ventilators. - Calculate dietary needs, update daily feed sheets, monitor intake, and consult with the veterinarian on diet revisions as necessary. - Inventory pharmaceuticals; stock and maintain hospital, laboratory and ambulance supplies. - Create and maintain accurate medical record documentation of clinical procedures, prescriptions, and diagnostic laboratory work. - Assist with euthanasia and post-mortem examinations. - Respond to emergency situations and stranded animal events including those that occur outside of scheduled work time and normal operating hours. - Assists veterinarians and biologists with necropsies, sample collection and field response as needed. - Communicate regularly with the Veterinarian and hospital staff regarding management of active medical cases including, but not limited to, medical procedures, treatments, husbandry/nutrition, and behavioral enrichment. - Participate in the education and training of staff, volunteers, and interns. - Perform other duties as assigned. Job duties may vary based on season. *REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES* - Veterinary technician degree from an accredited organization with a minimum of 2 years in the veterinary field; or equivalent experience. - Veterinary Technician license in the state of Washington or ability to obtain one within 30 days of hire. - Valid driver’s license with a clean driving record. - Ability to work a flexible schedule, including weekends, nights, and holidays as needed; must also be able to share a 24/7 on-call schedule in case of emergency situations. - Strong oral, written and interpersonal communication skills. Detailed oriented and able to follow specific instructions. - Excellent technical skills, including proficiency in restraint, sample collections techniques and patient monitoring. - Detailed and current knowledge of veterinary medical practices, animal anatomy and physiology, basic pharmacology and principles of anesthesia. - Knowledge of sterile techniques and surgical equipment cleaning and sterilization in addition to knowledge of infection control and quarantine practices. - Understanding of medical equipment, including but not limited to anesthetic machine, anesthesia monitoring, in-house lab equipment, Doppler, digital radiology, ultrasound, and autoclave. - Proficient in perceiving and acting upon relevant changes in animal behaviors and conditions. - Capable of dealing with emergencies calmly and efficiently. - Must be able to work independently and as a team with the willingness to learn. - In good physical condition with the ability to work outdoors under adverse conditions (rain, heat, cold, snow, wind and direct sunlight) and lift 50 pounds. - Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe. *DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS* - Experience working with marine mammals in a wildlife, zoo or aquarium setting. - Awareness of safety procedures for handling wild animals and working in the field. - Experience managing hospital inventory and controlled drugs. - Experience training and managing staff or volunteers. - Public speaking experience. - Initiative in identifying and solving problems and recommending ideas and viable suggestions to improve operations is strongly desired. *To apply:* Submit your cover letter, CV and 3 references to info(a)sealifer3.org by March 21, 2022

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New publication: Ecology of humpback dolphins in the Norther Persian Gulf
by Bruno Diaz Lopez 09 Mar '22

09 Mar '22

Dear Colleagues, We are delighted to share with all of you our last study on the ecology of Indian Ocean humpback dolphins in the Northern Persian Gulf published in the European Journal of Wildlife Research. Title: Abundance estimation, group dynamics, and residence patterns of Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) in the Dayer‑Nakhiloo Marine National Park, Northern Persian Gulf, Iran Authors: Nazanin Mohsenian, Séverine Methion, Hamed Moshiri, Shadi Karbalaei Hassan, Shaghayegh Afkhami, Mohammad Amin Tollab, Mahmod Sadeh, Gill T. Braulik, Bruno Díaz López AbstractThe Persian Gulf is positioned in the heart of the Middle East as one of the most critical water bodies. Indian Ocean humpback dolphins (Sousa plumbea) are distributed in nearshore waters and are therefore highly vulnerable to a variety of anthropogenic pressures. To our knowledge, there is a little information and data available about habitat use and abundance of this endangered species in Iranian waters. In the present study, baseline data about population size and site fidelity of Indian Ocean humpback dolphins in the Dayer-Nakhiloo Marine National Park in Northern Persian Gulf, Iran, has been explored for the first time. From March 2014 to December 2018, 127 boat-based surveys and 6436 km of survey effort were conducted. Overall, 127 groups of humpback dolphins were observed on 62% of the surveys. Humpback dolphin group size ranged from 1 to 14 individuals (mean 5.8 ± SE 0.3). Abundance estimates were calculated and fitted with open population models. Thirty (95% CI 22–38) humpback dolphins were estimated to inhabit the study area. There was a lack of seasonality in the occurrence of humpback dolphins and strong site fidelity within the Dayer-Nakhiloo Marine National Park. Most of the identified individuals used the study zone regularly (79.5%), while a smaller number were present less often. The results of this study provide important baseline information about humpback dolphin ecology in an area subject to significant anthropogenicpressures which can help to take effective conservation and management measures. Journal Reference: Mohsenian, N., Methion, S., Moshiri, H., Hassan, S.K., Afkhami, S., Tollab, M.A., Sadeh, M., Braulik, G.T. and Díaz López, B., 2022. Abundance estimation, group dynamics, and residence patterns of Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) in the Dayer-Nakhiloo Marine National Park, Northern Persian Gulf, Iran. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 68(2), pp.1-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-022-01565-y You can read the article here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359005141_Abundance_estimation_gro… Please do not hesitate to ask for any question regarding our study or to request a PDF copy of the article. Kind regards, Bruno Díaz López Ph.DChief biologist and Director The Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute BDRI - www.thebdri.comAvenida Beiramar 192, O Grove 36980, Pontevedra, SpainTel. 0034 684248552 he/him/his ResearchGate - GoogleScholar -https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0388-3289 Follow BDRI on Facebook , Instagram or mention us on Twitter. 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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Call for Abstracts: 2022 NWSSMM Conference
by Adelsheim, Julia 08 Mar '22

08 Mar '22

Hello all, We are excited to announce that the annual meeting of the Northwest Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy (NWSSMM) will take place virtually this spring on April 30, 2022, hosted by the Marine Mammal Research Unit at the University of British Columbia (UBC). This will be a virtual conference held on Zoom. We would like to invite all graduate and undergraduate students in the Pacific Northwest (British Columbia, Washington, Alaska, Yukon, Oregon, Northern California, and Idaho) doing research on marine mammals to present their work at this conference. The purpose of the meeting is to gather students in a relaxed atmosphere to share their research and practice presenting it in a low-stakes, less formal situation. We also see this as an opportunity to meet other undergraduate and graduate students in the region. PI’s and other professionals involved in student led research projects are welcome to attend, but cannot present. There will be oral presentations with two presentation styles: long form oral presentations (12 minutes) and shorter lightning talks (3 minutes), as well as a poster session. The poster session will take place in Zoom breakout rooms. Last year’s virtual conference hosted by Western Washington University was a great success and similar to their model, we are encouraging students that are in the early stages of their projects to present a poster, and researchers with results to give an oral presentation. Please indicate your method of presentation preference on the registration form and we will do our best to accommodate everyone’s wishes. There will also be a plenary speaker to kick-off the conference and an informal networking breakout session called Philosopher’s Cafe. This event has taken place at past in-person NWSSMM conferences, and we wanted to offer a small networking opportunity for students, since Covid has made that more difficult these last few years. There is no registration fee for attending the conference. Abstract submission for the Northwest Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy (NWSSMM) conference is due Sunday, April 3rd 2022. Guests interested in attending and not presenting can register for the event until Friday, April 29th, 2022. All registrants will receive information on how to attend the conference using the email that was used for the registration at a later date. Presentations will not be recorded. Registration and abstract submissions will be done via Google forms (link below). If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us: Julia Adelsheim <j.adelsheim(a)oceans.ubc.ca<mailto:j.adelsheim@oceans.ubc.ca>> and/or Taryn Scarff <t.scarff(a)oceans.ubc.ca<mailto:t.scarff@oceans.ubc.ca>> Thanks so much, and we look forward to meeting everyone virtually and hearing about your research! Registration and abstract submission link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeBybYIAAK4IHiFkSGB2-pDQzvVTvVH6pe… NWSSMM webpage: https://sites.google.com/uw.edu/nwssmm/home Regards, Julia Adelsheim and Taryn Scarff <j.adelsheim(a)oceans.ubc.ca<mailto:j.adelsheim@oceans.ubc.ca>> <t.scarff(a)oceans.ubc.ca<mailto:t.scarff@oceans.ubc.ca>> MSc Students | Marine Mammal Research Unit Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries University of British Columbia https://mmru.ubc.ca/

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New publication - systematic literature review - Cook Inlet beluga
by Stephanie Norman 08 Mar '22

08 Mar '22

Hello, My co-authors and I published the following paper in Frontiers in Marine Science last week. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.804218 Norman SA, Dreiss LM, Niederman TE and Nalven KB (2022) A Systematic Review Demonstrates How Surrogate Populations Help Inform Conservation and Management of an Endangered Species—The Case of Cook Inlet, Alaska Belugas. Front. Mar. Sci. 9:804218. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2022.804218 Abstract: The genetically and geographically isolated Cook Inlet beluga whale (CIB) was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2008 and a federal recovery plan was adopted in 2016. Despite these measures, the population has failed to make demonstrable progress toward recovery. Data and knowledge gaps exist, as well as high uncertainty in the recovery plan, regarding the impact and severity of identified threats on CIB health and recovery, particularly for threats driven by anthropogenic factors, and cumulative effects. These data deficiencies may hinder threat prioritization and conservation and management actions. Odontocete populations in similarly ecologically precarious situations may serve as research surrogates to help fill information gaps and guide future CIB research and conservation. Through a systematic review of CIB and selected surrogate species [St. Lawrence beluga (SLB), Hector’s dolphins (HD), and southern resident killer whales (SRKW)], we identify gaps associated with threats described and ranked in the CIB recovery plan. All threats identified by the National Marine Fisheries Services as “high”-concern to CIB recovery, except noise, are lower in publication volume compared to publications related to high concern threats in SLB and SRKW. “Medium” or “low” threats to CIB, such as prey reduction and contaminants, respectively, are identified as higher priority threats in surrogate populations. These topics have been more heavily researched for surrogates and suggests that synthesis of this work may help reduce uncertainty, to aid in informing management actions for CIB. Specifically, publishing volume suggests SLB and SRKW are valuable surrogates for understanding the impacts of noise, prey, and contaminants. Publishing volume is necessary to choose a surrogate, but is not sufficient. Surrogates were chosen based on physiological similarities to CIB as well as their comparable management situations. Therefore, these lower-ranked threats should be ranked more highly and researched specifically in regard to CIB. We use this review to offer management recommendations based on current CIB and surrogate literature regarding listed threats in the CIB recovery plan. Our analyses suggest that CIB may benefit from a revision to and elevation of some low and medium-concern threats such as contaminants, habitat degradation, and prey reduction. The publication is open-access. Thank you and kind regards, Stephanie Stephanie A. Norman, DVM, MS, PhD Marine-Med: Marine Research, Epidemiology, and Veterinary Medicine E-mail: stephanie(a)marine-med.com Phone: 206-321-0249 Marine-Med website <https://www.marine-med.com/> | Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/MarineMed1> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/whaledocsteph> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieanorman/>

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Job Opportunity: Marine Mammal Biologist/Analyst
by Cheryl Schroeder 08 Mar '22

08 Mar '22

Marine Acoustics, Inc. (MAI) is seeking a qualified candidate for a Marine Mammal Biologist/Analyst position at the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The job description, requirements, and application instructions follow. **Job Description** Marine Acoustics, Inc. (MAI) is seeking a full-time Marine Mammal Biologist/Analyst to support and help manage the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Code 332 Marine Mammals and Biology (MMB) program. The MMB program supports basic and applied research and technology development to increase the understanding of noise effects on marine mammals including physiological, behavioral, ecological, and population-level effects. Additionally, the candidate would provide support to other ONR programs including Environmental Compliance, Littoral Geoscience, and National Oceanographic Partnership Programs (NOPP). The work location is at ONR in Arlington, VA. MAI is a small, employee-owned scientific and engineering company that provides a diverse set of government, corporate, and international clients with a broad spectrum of consulting and engineering services in the marine environment. MAI offers outstanding fringe benefits. **Job Responsibilities** . Review, analysis, acceptance, and award management of MMB proposals . Coordination of communications between MMB Program Officer, ONR's Financial Management team, and ONRs Legal Division . Organization and attendance at program reviews, workshops, and conferences . Review of scientific literature and management of webpage content . Management of MMB program's compliance with the US federal requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), The Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) . Preparation and validation of environmental compliance worksheets . Collection and analysis of program documentation . Preparation and submittal of required environmental approvals and permits **Requirements** . BS or MS degrees in Marine Biology, Biological Oceanography, or Marine Science with emphasis on marine mammal-related disciplines . SECRET security clearance or ability to obtain a DoD clearance . Completion of core certification training standards required for DAWIA Science and Technology Manager (S&TM) Level I (can be completed after hire) . Ability to work on-site in Arlington, VA with potential to work remotely . Experience: Ten years with BS degree or five years with MS degree of verifiable experience in the following areas: o Planning and executing science and technology meetings, workshops, and program reviews o Extracting and efficiently organizing technical design, performance, and cost analysis information for complex projects o Navy operations and/or acquisition programs, particularly of execution processes o Collection, organization, and analysis of scientific research and documentation o Obtain required permits and approvals or knowledge of the federal permit processes under the MMPA and ESA o Prepare internal ONR environmental compliance paperwork **Additional Preferred (but not required) Skillsets** . Current Project Management Professional (PMP) certification . Technology Manager (S&TM) [Levels II or III], and/or for Business Financial Management (Business FM) [Levels I, II, or III] . Experience planning and executing professional scientific meetings, workshops, and program reviews in support of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) or the NOPP Interagency Coordination Group. **Job Location**: Arlington, Virginia, USA **Salary Range**: Commensurate with education and experience levels After reviewing the job requirements, please submit the following via email (cheryl.schroeder(a)marineacoustics.com) . Submit CV . Cover letter/ letter of application . Any other pertinent information (copies of published papers, letters of recommendation, etc.) CHERYL SCHROEDER Director, Environmental Programs Senior Scientist Marine Acoustics, Inc. 4350 Fairfax Drive, Suite 600 Arlington, VA 22203 703.260.6225 (direct) 703.465.8404 (main office) 703.465.8420 (fax) http://marineacoustics.com

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Hiring: Marine Biologist
by Dr. Laura Williamson 08 Mar '22

08 Mar '22

Role: Marine Biologist Employment: Full-time/permanent position Salary: £22,000-28,000 + offshore uplift (depending on qualifications & experience) Location: Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland, UK Application deadline: 11 April 2022 Ocean Science Consulting Limited (OSC) is a technology-focused marine science company involved principally in providing environmental services worldwide. OSC specialises in marine mammal<https://www.osc.co.uk/services/marine-mammal-observer/> and underwater-sound<https://www.osc.co.uk/services/passive-acoustic-monitoring-pam/> monitoring, acoustical<https://www.osc.co.uk/services/acoustic-measurements/> and statistical modelling<https://www.osc.co.uk/services/data-analysis-publication/>, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) surveys<https://www.osc.co.uk/services/remote-operated-vehicle-rov-surveys/>, and imagery analyses<https://www.osc.co.uk/services/remote-operated-vehicle-rov-research/>, and is currently expanding its services portfolio. OSC has a track record for providing environmental monitoring (mitigation for regulatory compliance) and scientific research<https://www.osc.co.uk/sectors/research/> (field studies and experiments) for a large clientele<http://www.osc.co.uk/clients> and range of marine industries<https://www.osc.co.uk/sectors/>. OSC is seeking a highly motivated Marine Biologist to become a member of its environmental team. The individual should be able to perform data collection and analysis tasks, as well as client reporting. The candidate will focus on marine mammal risk mitigation. Experience with other scientific equipment and instrumentation e.g. noise recorders<https://www.osc.co.uk/services/acoustic-measurements/>, C-PODs<https://www.osc.co.uk/services/t-pod-c-pod-click-detectors/>, acoustic releases, Acoustic Deterrent Devices<https://www.osc.co.uk/services/acoustic-mitigation-devices-3/> (ADDs), CTDs, Van Veen Grabs, ROVs<https://www.osc.co.uk/services/remote-operated-vehicle-rov-surveys/> is an advantage. This role will be based primarily offshore and at remote locations, with project durations lasting from a few days to periods of months. Offshore duties will comprise Marine Mammal Observer<https://www.osc.co.uk/services/marine-mammal-observer/> (MMO) and Passive Acoustic Monitoring<https://www.osc.co.uk/services/passive-acoustic-monitoring-pam/> (PAM) surveys, risk mitigation, distance sampling, environmental sampling, data collection, and client liaison. Between field work, personnel will contribute to shore-based duties at the Company’s headquarters in Dunbar, Scotland. Shore-based duties will include field-work planning, training, EIAs, reviewing environmental licences, client reporting, literature review, ROV imagery analysis, stock control, etc. Additional details can be found here: https://www.osc.co.uk/careers/ Responsibilities: -Data collection (MMO/PAM/environmental survey/ornithology); -Provide mitigation advice for offshore industries; -Data preparation, entry, and database maintenance; -Source, analyse, and visualise data; -Generation of figures and maps for presentations, reports, and publications; and, -ROV imagery analysis and taxonomical identification. The successful candidate will have the following: Required: -A degree (minimum 2:1) in a relevant scientific discipline (e.g. marine biology / ecology / oceanography); -JNCC-approved MMO; -Prior MMO/PAM/Environmental survey work experience (minimum of 6 months field experience); -Offshore survival certifications (BOISET/GWO/O&G medical – can be acquired after accepting position – must have ≥6 months validity left at date of appointment); -Legally permitted to work in UK prior to employment; -Excellent written and verbal communication skills; -Familiarity with Microsoft Office programmes (e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams); -Ability to lift 20 kg; -Genuine interest about the business, and the industry; and, -Commercially aware, discreet, and able to handle sensitive information. Desirable: -Experience with equipment deployment; -Knowledge and experience of environmental surveys (e.g. water & sediment sampling); -Creation of maps in QGIS (or similar GIS software); -Statistical modelling and analyses of biological datasets in R; -Scientific literature reviews; -Knowledge and experience of marine fauna taxonomic identification; and, -Prior knowledge or experience of ornithological surveys (ESAS certification is a significant advantage). OSC is an Equal Opportunities and Living Wage Employer. Please send your CV and cover letter to recruitment(a)osc.co.uk<mailto:recruitment@osc.co.uk>. There will be a written task as part of the interview process. Interviews are intended to be held week of 18 April 2022. Kind Regards, OSC Recruitment Team. Ocean Science Consulting Limited (OSC) Spott Road, Dunbar, East Lothian, EH42 1RR, Scotland, UK T: +44 (0)1368 865 722 W: www.osc.co.uk<http://www.osc.co.uk> MMO or PAM requirement? We wrote the book. Now available on Amazon: www.marinemammalobserverhandbook.com<http://www.marinemammalobserverhandbook.com>

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New publication: Assessment of the impact of anthropogenic airborne noise on the behaviour of Cape fur seals during the breeding season in Namibia
by Mathilde Martin 08 Mar '22

08 Mar '22

Dear colleagues, On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to inform you our new publication in /Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology/: *Assessment of the impact of anthropogenic airborne noise on the behaviour of Cape fur seals during the breeding season in Namibia* Mathilde Martin, Tess Gridley, Simon Elwen, Isabelle Charrier Abstract: The increase of anthropogenic noise in the environment is a global phenomenon occurring in various types of habitats. Its impact on wildlife is therefore a growing research concern for many taxa. Due to their amphibious lifestyle, pinnipeds are exposed to anthropogenic noise in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. Using playback experiments, the present study assessed the impact of engine noise (car and boat) on the behaviour of Cape fur seals at the Pelican Point breeding colony, Namibia. Groups of individuals (35 groups, 369 individuals) were exposed either to low, medium or high amplitude levels of in-air noise, broadcast from the land or sea side. During the noise exposure, we found a significant increase in energetically costly behaviours: time spent awake, vigilance and locomotion for both females and pups. This was to the detriment of vital activities such as resting and nursing that decreased considerably (from 5.9 to 45% decrease) compared to the pre-playback phase without noise exposure. Animals' behavioural disturbance was limited to the 2-min period of noise exposure and we observed a rapid recovery when the noise ceased. We found stronger responses to boat motor noise broadcast from the sea side compared to car motor noise from land. Noise pollution from vehicles and boats in the vicinity of seal breeding colonies may threaten their health and the survival of their young by modifying their natural behaviour. It is therefore important to develop regulations for vehicles (speed, distance) in these areas with increasing tourist and recreational activities to limit disturbance. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or would request the PDF Best regards, -- *Mathilde MARTIN* PhD Student Acoustic Communications Team, Department Cognition & Network Neuroscience NeuroPSI - Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience 151 rue de la Rotonde, 91400 Saclay, FRANCE https://neuropsi.cnrs.fr Tel: +33 (0)1 69 82 63 56 Email: mathilde.martin(a)universite-paris-saclay.fr Website: https://mathildemartin-research.com/

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New cetacean stranding paper in Frontiers in Marine Science
by Stephanie Norman 07 Mar '22

07 Mar '22

Hello, My co-authors and I published the following paper in Frontiers at Marine Science last week. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.758812/full <https://www.mdpi.com/1341844> Warlick AJ, Huggins JL, Lambourn DM, Duffield DA, D’Alessandro DN, Rice JM, Calambokidis J, Hanson MB, Gaydos JK, Jeffries SJ, Olson JK, Scordino JJ, Akmajian AM, Klope M, Berta S, Dubpernell S, Carlson B, Riemer S, Hodder J, Souze V, Elsby A, King C, Wilkinson K, Boothe T and Norman SA (2022) Cetacean Strandings in the US Pacific Northwest 2000–2019 Reveal Potential Linkages to Oceanographic Variability. Front. Mar. Sci. 9:758812. doi:10.3389/fmars.2022.758812 Abstract: Studying patterns in marine mammal stranding cases can provide insight into changes in population health, abundance, and distribution. Cetaceans along the United States West coast strand for a wide variety of reasons, including disease, injury, and poor nutritional status, all of which may be caused by both natural and anthropogenic factors. Examining the potential drivers of these stranding cases can reveal how populations respond to changes in their habitat, notably oceanographic variability and anthropogenic activities. In this study, we aim to synthesize recent patterns in 1,819 cetacean strandings across 26 species in the Pacific Northwest from 2000 to 2019 to compare with previous findings. Additionally, we aim to quantify the effects of localized and basin-scale oceanographic conditions on monthly stranding cases for five focal species using generalized additive models in order to explore potential relationships between strandings and changes in biophysical features that could affect foraging conditions or other important physiological cues. Our results suggest that strandings of harbor porpoises, gray whales, humpback whales, Dall’s porpoises, and striped dolphins are correlated with certain environmental variables, including sea surface temperature, chlorophyll concentration, and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation depending on the species. While it remains challenging to identify the causal mechanisms that underlie these relationships for a given species or population based on its utilization of such a complex ecosystem, improving our understanding of periods of increased strandings can enhance our knowledge of how these species interact with their environment and assist conservation and management efforts. This study enhances the utility of stranding records over time beyond simply reporting trends and has broader applicability to other geographic regions amid global climate change. The publication is open-access. Thank you and kind regards, Stephanie Stephanie A. Norman, DVM, MS, PhD Marine-Med: Marine Research, Epidemiology, and Veterinary Medicine E-mail: stephanie(a)marine-med.com Phone: 206-321-0249 Marine-Med website <https://www.marine-med.com/> | Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/MarineMed1> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/whaledocsteph> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieanorman/>

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publication announcement
by Alejandra Romero 07 Mar '22

07 Mar '22

My co-authors and I are glad to announce our new publication: Romero, M.A., Coscarella, M.A., Adams, G.D., Pedraza, J.C., González, R., Crespo, E.A. 2022. Historical reconstruction of the population dynamics of southern right whales in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Scientific Reports 12, 3324. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-07370-6 Abstract: Understanding the recovery of whale populations is critical for developing population-management and conservation strategies. The southern right whale (SRW) Eubalena australis was one of the baleen whale species that has experienced centuries of exploitation. We assess here for the first time the population dynamics of the SRW from the southwestern Atlantic Ocean at the regional level to measure numerically the effect of whaling and estimate the population trend and recovery level after depletion. We reconstructed the catch history of whaling for the period 1670–1973 by an extensive review of different literature sources and developed a Bayesian state-space model to estimate the demographic parameters. The population trajectory indicated that the pre-exploitation abundance was close to 58,000 individuals (median = 58,212; 95% CI = 33,329–100,920). The abundance dropped to its lowest abundance levels in the 1830s when fewer than 2,000 individuals remained. The current median population abundance was estimated at 4,742 whales (95% CI = 3,853–6,013), suggesting that the SRW population remains small relative to its pre-exploitation abundance (median depletion P2021 8.7%). We estimated that close to 36% of the SRW population visits the waters of the Península Valdés, the main breeding ground, every year. Our results provide insights into the severity of the whaling operation in the southwestern Atlantic along with the population´s response at low densities, thus contributing to understand the observed differences in population trends over the distributional range of the species worldwide. You can download the open-access publication here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-07370-6 Best regards, María Alejandra Romero -- Dra. María Alejandra Romero Centro de Investigación Aplicada y Transferencia Tecnológica en Recursos Marinos "Almirante Storni" - CONICET, Güemes 1030 – (8520) San Antonio Oeste, Río Negro. Argentina. Escuela Superior de Ciencias Marinas - Universidad Nacional del Comahue (IBMP-UNCo), San Martín 247 – (8520) San Antonio Oeste, Río Negro. Argentina. Tel/Fax: 54 (2934) 421002/430764 Email: romero.ale(a)gmail.com, aromero(a)cenpat-conicet.gob.ar

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