April 2022 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New Publication: Concepts, knowledge gaps and concerns relating to stranded cetacean welfare and survival
by Rebecca Boys 26 Apr '22

26 Apr '22

Dear MARMAMers, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce our recent publication in a special issue on Wildlife Welfare in the journal Diversity which has explored the fundamental concepts, knowledge gaps and key concerns relating to stranded cetacean welfare and survival. Boys, R.M.; Beausoleil, N.J.; Pawley, M.D.M.; Littlewood, K.E.; Betty, E.L.; Stockin, K.A. Fundamental Concepts, Knowledge Gaps and Key Concerns Relating to Welfare and Survival of Stranded Cetaceans. Diversity 2022, 14, 338. doi.org/10.3390/d14050338 Abstract: Wildlife management can influence animal welfare and survival, although both are often not explicitly integrated into decision making. This study explores fundamental concepts and key concerns relating to the welfare and survival of stranded cetaceans. Using the Delphi method, the opinions of an international, interdisciplinary expert panel were gathered, regarding the characterisation of stranded cetacean welfare and survival likelihood, knowledge gaps and key concerns. Experts suggest that stranded cetacean welfare should be characterised based on interrelated aspects of animals’ biological function, behaviour, and mental state and the impacts of human interventions. The characterisation of survival likelihood should reflect aspects of stranded animals’ biological functioning and behaviour as well as a 6-month post-re-floating survival marker. Post-release monitoring was the major knowledge gap for survival. Welfare knowledge gaps related to diagnosing internal injuries, interpreting behavioural and physiological parameters, and euthanasia decision making. Twelve concerns were highlighted for both welfare and survival likelihood, including difficulty breathing and organ compression, skin damage and physical traumas, separation from conspecifics, and suffering and stress due to stranding and human intervention. These findings indicate inextricable links between perceptions of welfare state and the likely survival of stranded cetaceans and demonstrate a need to integrate welfare science alongside conservation biology to achieve effective, ethical management at strandings. The paper is freely available open access here: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/5/338/htm Please do contact me if you have any questions or would like a PDF copy. Thank you very much, Rebecca On behalf of all the co-authors ------------------------------------------------------------- Rebecca M Boys Marine Biologist PhD Student Cetacean Ecology Research Group School of Natural Sciences Massey University Auckland New Zealand [cid:5f768191-92f6-496a-8260-b59d971b8ded]<https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rebecca_Boys> [cid:276bc4d5-3cd9-49f0-be14-815980951d93] <https://scholar.google.co.nz/citations?hl=en&user=7rHpOpMAAAAJ> [cid:501b93fc-7ca5-4059-aefa-c3b5548fd45d] <https://twitter.com/RebeccaMBoys> [cid:97c3298c-27b0-463c-a634-d8d389c393a5] <https://www.facebook.com/CetaceanEcologyOrg/?__xts__[0]=68.ARBKlWSLR-YC7KHN…> [cid:75874bed-dd2f-45a0-ab91-6e76032ed681] <https://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/explore/research/animal-veterinary/animal/m…> [cid:5c46ec37-d19c-45e2-a2bf-71a88a1575f8] www.cetaceanecology.org/<https://www.cetaceanecology.org/> Australia and New Zealand Student Chapter SMM Committee member European Cetacean Society National Contact Person for New Zealand

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New paper: On bottlenose dolphins from the Southeast Gulf of California
by Eduardo Morteo 26 Apr '22

26 Apr '22

Dear colleagues, On behalf of my coauthors, I am delighted to share with you our latest paper dealing with sea surface temperature, chlorophyll and their relation to relative abundance of bottlenose dolphins in Mexican waters, published in the Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals (LAJAM): Zepeda-Borja, K.M., Morteo, E., Guzón-Zatarain, O., Pérez-España, H., Delfín-Alfonso, C.A. and Bello-Pineda, J. (2022) Interannual shifts in sea surface temperature and chlorophyll drive the relative abundance and group size of common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus on the Southeast Gulf of California. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals 17(1) ISSN: 1676-7497. https://doi.org/10.5597/lajam00278LatinAmericanJournalofAquaticMammals Abstract: Despite being one of the most common odontocetes off Sinaloa (Mexican Pacific coast) basic studies on the ecology of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are scarce in the region. This study aimed to describe changes in the relative abundance group size and behavior of this species during 2007 – 2012. We used boat-based surveys and satellite images of sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) to model changes in dolphin relative abundance (RA) over time using correlations in time series analyses. Overall mean RA was 3.6 dolphins h-1 (SD = 8.0) and significantly higher RA (6.4 –16.7 dolphins h-1) occurred in 2008 2011 2012 which was concurrent with hydrographic effects of La Niña oceanographic conditions as well as during the upwelling season (February – April) (SST: 17.3 – 25.0 °C; Chl-a: 3.7 – 21.4 mg m-3). Conversely significantly lower RA values (0.5 – 3.8 dolphins h-1) occurred in 2007 and 2010 that were likely associated with El Niño effects on the biological productivity of the area (Chl-a: 0.3 – 7.6 mg m-3). We found significant correlations between monthly Chl-a and SST average values with mean bottlenose dolphins RA and lags (22 – 29 days) in the trophic response to variations of the hydrographic parameters. Significantly larger dolphin groups were recorded during La Niña years possibly because of the higher availability of their prey. This hypothesis is supported by higher feeding frequencies (35 – 73%) observed during the upwelling seasons especially during La Niña conditions whereas the most frequent behavior throughout all other years was traveling (28 – 69%). Our results show that RA and group size of bottlenose dolphins inhabiting the waters off Sinaloa Mexico are likely influenced by the changes in hydrographic parameters especially during extreme climatic events. This link provides free access to the publication: https://lajamjournal.org/index.php/lajam/article/view/1433/479 <https://lajamjournal.org/index.php/lajam/article/view/1433/479> Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any comments or questions at: eduardo.morteo(a)gmail.com <mailto:eduardo.morteo@gmail.com> Kind regards, Dr. Eduardo Morteo Director Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Universidad Veracruzana Calle Dr. Castelazo Ayala S/N, Col. Industrial Ánimas CP 91190, Xalapa, Veracruz, México. Ph/Tel: +52 (228) 841 89 00 E-mail: emorteo(a)uv.mx http://www.uv.mx/personal/emorteo/ http://uv-mx.academia.edu/EMorteo https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eduardo_Morteo/?ev=hdr_xprf http://scholar.google.com.mx/citations?user=fDUl-IIAAAAJ

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New publication on Saimaa ringed seal moulting site fidelity
by Vincent Biard 26 Apr '22

26 Apr '22

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New publication: Humpback whale song in Antarctic and South African waters
by Fannie Shabangu 26 Apr '22

26 Apr '22

Dear MARMAM Colleagues My co-author and I are pleased to announce the publication of our new paper published in Marine Biology. Shabangu FW and Kowarski KA (2022) The Beat Goes On: Humpback Whale Song Seasonality in Antarctic and South African Waters. Front. Mar. Sci. 9:827324. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2022.827324 Abstract Little is known of the movements and seasonal occurrence of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) of South Africa and the Antarctic, populations once brought to near extinction by historic commercial whaling. We investigated the seasonal occurrence and diel-vocalizing pattern of humpback whale songs off the west coast of South Africa (migration route and opportunistic feeding ground) and the Maud Rise, Antarctica (feeding ground), using passive acoustic monitoring data collected between early 2014 and early 2017. Data were collected using acoustic autonomous recorders deployed 200-300 m below the sea surface in waters 855, 1,118 and 4,400 m deep. Acoustic data were manually analyzed for humpback whale vocalizations. While non-song calls were never identified, humpback whale songs were detected from June through December in South African waters, with a peak in percentage of acoustic occurrence around September/October in the austral spring. In Antarctic waters, songs were detected from March through May and in July (with a peak occurrence in April) where acoustic occurrence of humpback whales was negatively correlated to distance to the sea ice extent. Humpback whales were more vocally active at night than in the day at all recording sites. Detection range modelling indicates that humpback whale vocalizations could be detected as far as 18 and 45 km from recorders in South African and Antarctic waters, respectively. This study provides a multi-year description of the offshore acoustic occurrence of humpback whales off the west coast of South Africa and Maud Rise, Antarctica, regions that should continue to be monitored to understand these recovering populations. The paper is open access and can be downloaded at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.827324/full. Sincerely, Fannie Fannie W. Shabangu, PhD Marine BiologistDepartment of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Cape Town, South AfricaEmail: fannie.shabangu(a)yahoo.com; fshabangu(a)dffe.gov.za Mobile: +27 74 220 0210 Tel: +27 21 402 3553 Research Fellow Mammal Research InstituteWhale Unit University of PretoriaHatfield, South Africa

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Job opportunity: Program Manager, Sarasota Bay Listening Network
by Katie McHugh 25 Apr '22

25 Apr '22

*Job Opening: Program Manager, Sarasota Bay Listening Network* The Sarasota Bay Listening Network monitors the soundscape of Sarasota Bay, recording the underwater sounds of the long-term resident dolphins as well as manatees, fish, and invertebrates. It also provides an index of human activity from boat noise. Passive acoustic listening stations (PALS) provide this acoustic window into the coastal ecosystem, providing a means of documenting and monitoring changes to the ecosystem and its inhabitants. The Program Manager of the Sarasota Bay Listening Network (“SBLN”) will have expertise in the operation, construction, repair, and maintenance of bioacoustics equipment and analysis ensuring high quality acoustic data can be collected, managed, shared and analyzed and will oversee the operations of the SBLN to continue this important work. https://sarasotadolphin.org/listening-stations/ The Program Manager, Sarasota Bay Listening Network contributes to the success of the Chicago Zoological Society by continuing research efforts of the SDRP, developing research proposals, managing funded research projects, training graduate students, undergraduate interns, and foreign colleagues to support the Society’s overall goal of innovations and excellence in animal welfare. Primary duties and responsibilities: Construct, install and maintain passive acoustic listening stations as part of the established Sarasota Bay Listening Network (SBLN) in consultation with the Sarasota-based listening station manufacturer, Loggerhead Instruments, Inc. Coordinate data processing, storage and sharing among SBLN partners (Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, New College of Florida, Eckerd College, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) and other collaborators. Coordinate/facilitate opportunities for community engagement/citizen science and expanding stakeholder participation with the SBLN. Coordinate meetings of SBLN partners and produce semi-annual newsletter for stakeholders (e.g., partners, collaborators, site-owners). Prepare research grant proposals and implement and manage funded research projects including supervising teams of research assistants, graduate students, undergraduate interns and foreign trainees. Analyze data and prepare scientific manuscripts and presentations and present findings to further the long-term research of the program. Remain current with technological and analytical advances in marine bioacoustics, including recordings and analyses and dolphin, fish, and manatee acoustics. Curate/prepare SBLN data for education, training, community engagement and outreach. Assist with training staff and students for conducting acoustic analyses. Assist with field and laboratory research activities of the SDRP as requested, including photographic identification, abundance estimations, tagging and tracking, behavioral observations, biopsy darting, dolphin health assessments, and purse-seining. Other related duties as assigned. The requirements for this position include: * M.Sc. or Ph.D. degree in biology, animal behavior, marine bioacoustics, or related field required. * Three years of experience with marine bioacoustics monitoring and analyses required, including ability to build, troubleshoot, and repair electronic equipment associated with acoustic monitoring. * Experience with signal processing and programming using MATLAB, Python, and/or R required. * Experience or ability to learn machine learning applications for detection and classification of dolphin signature whistles using TensorFlow or other ML framework required. * Experience or ability to learn cloud computing for data storage and analysis of large datasets required. * Computer skills in Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint, ArcView/ArcGIS, R, statistical software required. * Proficient swimmer required. * Full professional proficiency in English required. * Cultural proficiency; experience and/or ability to work and interact effectively with a diverse, multicultural audience. * A valid driver’s license is required at time of hire. Florida residents must possess a valid Florida driver’s license at the time of hire or must obtain one within 30 days of hire. A valid out-of-state driver’s license required at time of hire for out-of-state residents. Preferred qualifications: * Three years of experience operating and maintaining boats (up to 28 ft) and associated equipment, including trailering desired. * USCGA Safe Boating certificate or equivalent desired. * Wildlife photographic experience desired. * Ability to lead photographic identification surveys desired. * Experience with DTAG deployment, tracking, and analyses desired. * Experience with managing teams of research assistants desired. * Current certifications in CPR and First Aid preferred. * Multilingual ability, Spanish fluency a plus, but not required. Additional Information: This position description summarizes the primary duties and functions of this position, but should not be considered a complete listing of every duty the incumbent may ever be called upon to perform. The Chicago Zoological Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Workplace safety is the Chicago Zoological Society’s top priority. We require all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 unless they request and receive a religious or medical exemption. New hires must have at least received their first vaccine dose prior to their start date and must test weekly until fully vaccinated. If fully vaccinated, new hires must receive the booster, if due, prior to their start date. If interested in being considered for this opportunity, please visit the CZS Career Center to obtain more details about the position and to apply by submitting your profile. Please visit our website at www.czs.org/careers. Please use the Advanced Search feature to look for requisition number *2319BR*. -- ************************************ Katherine McHugh Staff Scientist Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program c/o Mote Marine Laboratory 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy Sarasota, FL 34236 (650) 400-2776 cell kmchugh(a)mote.org ************************************

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Webinar: Advancing Marine Species Density Surface Modelling - Invitation to register
by Dr Robert Schick, Ph.D. 25 Apr '22

25 Apr '22

Advancing Marine Species Density Surface Modelling. Webinar – 1st June 1100-1330 EST Following on from two successful workshops held at the Society for Marine Mammalogy Conferences in Halifax and Barcelona, this 2.5 hour webinar will provide a final summary of advancements made by the LMR-funded DenMod project team over the last four years on analytical methods for density surface modelling. To register for the webinar please follow this link*: https://forms.office.com/r/2Th931Pa9n<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/forms.office.com/r/2Th931Pa9n__;!!OToaGQ…> A link to join the webinar will be sent out to all registrants one week in advance of the event. Further information: Density surface models attempt to describe animal distribution as a function of spatially referenced variables. Data typically come from visual line transect surveys, though other effort-indexed methods (i.e., passive acoustics) are emerging. Outputs include modelled relationships between density and explanatory variables, maps of population density, and stratified estimates of population size with uncertainty. These are of practical use for marine spatial planning and impact assessment. Many statistical approaches are available for density surface modeling. This seminar is being hosted by those involved with the LMR-funded research project, DenMod, that has compared different density surface modelling approaches, identified common ground and outstanding issues over the last four years. This will be the final public dissemination event of the DenMod project and will follow workshops held in Halifax (2017) and Barcelona (2019). This webinar is relevant to researchers who build density surface models and those who use DSM-predicted abundance and uncertainty estimates in their work. Format: The webinar will be a MS Teams Live event with a series of presentations and time for a moderated Q&A session. *Participant information will not be held beyond the date of the webinar other than summary statistics on categories of participant affiliations (e.g. academic, NGO, government). All information will be held securely and not shared with other parties.

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Ship-strike encounter rate simulator: new publication
by Eric Keen 23 Apr '22

23 Apr '22

Dear colleagues, My coauthors and I are pleased to share the following article recently published in *Ocean & Coastal Management*: Keen, Eric M; Hendricks, Ben; Shine, Chenoah; Wray, Janie; Picard, Chris R; Alidina, Hussein M. (2022). A simulation-based tool for predicting whale-vessel encounter rates. In Ocean & Coastal Management (Vol. 224, p. 106183). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2022.106183 Abstract ============== To understand the threat of ship strikes for marine predators such as whales, quantitative tools are needed that measure specific impacts without ignoring the many uncertain and stochastic elements of whale-vessel interactions. We developed a tool that focuses on one particularly complex aspect of the ship-strike problem: the encounter rate, the fraction of co-occurrences (i.e., times that whales and vessels occur within the same 1-km2) that result in an imminent collision. This tool uses iterative simulations, based in R, and basic inputs regarding marine traffic and whale biology to predict the rate at which the precise courses of the whale and the vessel intersect in space and time. The result of this simulator is a spatially explicit probability distribution of encounter rates, which can be summarized for reports as well as integrated into subsequent stages of a ship-strike impact analysis. We explain the design of this tool, provide its source code, and demonstrate its utility with four case applications. First, we estimate encounter rates for fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in Gitga'at First Nation waters (British Columbia, BC, Canada) and quantify the differences in encounter rate between vessel classes. Second, we predict encounter rates for the same area in 2030, by which time a new shipping lane is slated to be established in Gitga'at territory, highlighting the impact of shifting traffic composition vs. traffic volume. Third, we assess the sensitivity of these estimates to changes in vessel and whale characteristics, finding that vessel length is the most important determinant of the encounter rate, followed by whale speed. Fourth, we integrate the encounter rate estimator into a shipping impact assessment for Gitga'at fin whales. Our predictions indicate that this decade's traffic increase in Gitga'at waters alone could match Potential Biological Removal for coastal BC fin whales. However, the assumptions underlying our prediction require validation and further study. The encounter rate simulator is available in the R package, “shipstrike”. The article may be accessed at the link below, or by contacting me. https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1ex4q3RKK-uDAk A demo for the corresponding R package 'shipstrike' (available on GitHub) can be found here: https://ericmkeen.github.io/shipstrike/ Our special thanks to the Gitga'at First Nation for their collaboration and support in this work. Best wishes, Eric Keen

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Marine Mammal Biology/Conservation Ecology Semester with Undergraduate Internship Opportunity
by K Frost 22 Apr '22

22 Apr '22

Marine Mammal Biology (Fall) /Conservation Ecology (Spring) Program and Undergraduate Internships (http://semesterbythebay.org/internships/) available this Spring and/or Fall Semesters at the University of Alaska Anchorage-KPC-KBC in Homer, Alaska. Semester by the Bay is accepting applications from students interested in hands-on placed-based study of conservation ecology (Spring Semester) and/or Marine Mammal Biology (Fall Semester) in the beautiful seaside town of Homer, Alaska that may result in the receipt of an occupational endorsement certificate. Our fall courses offer students numerous unique experiential learning opportunities in the lab and field, such as the behavioral ecology of beluga, humpback and killer whales, sea otters, Steller sea lions and harbor seals; acoustics of harbor porpoises and belugas; marine mammal skeletal articulation; seining, identification and articulation of estuarine and marine fishes; behavior of marine mammals in estuarine and nearshore environments. Spring courses center around individual conservation ecology research. Through Exploration Ecology students identify their own burning conservation questions and receive assistance designing, conducting and reporting real projects. Additionally, students in both semesters participate in community-based *internships*and/or service-learning volunteer opportunities with governmental or non-governmental researchers while studying with us at the Kachemak Bay Campus of Kenai Peninsula College. KPC offers *in-state tuition* for all US students, and many internships include free or significantly reduced housing with our community-partner agencies (USFWS, NOAA, KBNERR, AMNWR, Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game, Kachemak Bay Land Trust). Internships still available for Fall 22. Please see www.semesterbythebay.org or email semesterbythebay(a)alaska.edu for more details. -- Kim Frost 907-235-1658 Student and Enrollment Services Manager Kachemak Bay Campus/KPC/UAA

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Recruitment for Marine Mammal Biometrician
by Polasek, Lori K (DFG) 22 Apr '22

22 Apr '22

Good morning Marmam, I would like to share the following posting about an opening for a biometricion on our team. Thank you, Lori The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation is recruiting for a Biometrician 1/2/3 located in either Juneau, Anchorage or Fairbanks ! What you will be doing: The department is seeking an individual with an interest in marine mammal research and conservation with vision to be part of an innovative and skilled research team, and who aspires to solve scientific problems and address conservation issues. This position provides biometric assistance to mid and upper level wildlife biologists (Wildlife Biologist II, III, and IV) to support the statewide Marine Mammal Program staff and projects and consultations on management level issues. This position works closely on statewide research issues and offers a rare opportunity to provide biometric support to a diverse array of marine mammal projects in beautiful and remote areas of Alaska. The wildlife species associated with these projects include such species as ice seals, polar bears, sea lions, belugas, walrus, otters, and bowhead whales, as well as other marine mammal species. The successful applicant may also have the opportunity to participate in wildlife field work. Full posting link: Alaska biometrician-1-2-3-flex-Posting<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gover…>

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Reminder: UF Summer online aquatics courses - Manatee Health and Marine Mammal Bio
by Larkin,Iskande (Iske) 22 Apr '22

22 Apr '22

Hi All, I am just sending a reminder that registration is currently open for Summer 2022. The University of Florida, Aquatic Animal Health Program is offering the Manatee Health & Conservation course, and a new Marine Mammal Biology graduate level course, both fully online. Classes starts Monday May 9th and run through Friday Aug 5th. Registration will remain open through May 11th. Manatee Health and Conservation Class (VME4016 and VME6017) is an online course (3 credits) that will provide students (upper level undergraduate and graduate) and professionals (with an AA or higher degree) with a detailed overview of manatee natural history, health assessment, and research findings as well as explore conservation issues. <New> Marine Mammal Biology Class (VME6014) is an online graduate level course (3 credits) that will provide graduate students with a detailed overview of marine mammal species including cetaceans, sirenians, pinnipeds, mustelids, and ursids. Each module will broadly explore a particular ecological, biological, or physiological theme related to the study of marine mammals, including taxonomy and biodiversity, diving physiology, thermoregulation, foraging ecology, and reproduction as well as the many conservation and management issues faced by different marine mammal species. For more information about the class or enrollment, contact Dr. Iskande Larkin (ivlarkin(a)ufl.edu)<mailto:ivlarkin@ufl.edu%29.*This> Sincerely, Dr Iske Larkin [AAH logo blue E-Mail Sig] Iske V. Larkin, PhD Lecturer & Education Coordinator Director of Aquatic Animal Health Program Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida PO Box 100136 2015 SW 16th Ave Gainesville, Florida 32610 Office phone - 352-294-4095 Work cell - 352-494-1742 Fax - 352-392-8289 Program web page: http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu<http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu/> "To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world." -Anonymous ________________________________

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