July 2022 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New book on Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Mysticetes
by Ellen Garland 07 Jul '22

07 Jul '22

We are pleased to announce a new book on the Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Mysticetes edited by Christopher Clark and Ellen Garland. This book presents an extensive and in-depth compendium of chapters on baleen whale ethology and behavioral ecology (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-98449-6) Part I: Patterns of Mysticete Ethology and Behavioral Ecology 1 Observing Baleen Whales. Christopher W. Clark and Ellen C. Garland 2 Baleen Whale Acoustic Ethology. Christopher W. Clark and George J. Gagnon 3 Anatomy of Sound Production and Reception. Joy S. Reidenberg 4 Baleen Whale Migration. Travis W. Horton, Daniel M. Palacios, Kathleen M. Stafford, and Alexandre N. Zerbini 5 Feeding Strategies of Baleen Whales Through a Behavioral Ecology and Evolutionary Lens. Ari S. Friedlaender 6 Viewing the Lives of Whales Through a Molecular Lens. Emma L. Carroll and Ellen C. Garland 7 Social Organization of Baleen Whales. Peter L. Tyack 8 Culture and Social Learning in Baleen Whales. Ellen C. Garland and Emma L. Carroll Part II: Examples of Mysticete Acoustic Ethology 9 The Bioacoustics of Blue Whales—Global Diversity and Behavioral Variability in a Foraging Specialist. Ana Širovic and Erin M. Oleson 10 Humpback Whales: A Seemingly Socially Simple Whale with Communicative Complexity. Rebecca A. Dunlop 11 Humpback Whales: Exploring Global Diversity and Behavioral Plasticity in an Undersea Virtuoso. Danielle Cholewiak and Salvatore Cerchio 12 Singing Behavior in the Bowhead Whale. Kathleen M. Stafford 13 Right Whales from North to South: Similarities and Differences in Acoustic Communication. Susan E. Parks 14 Mysterious Minke Whales: Acoustic Diversity and Variability. Denise Risch 15 The Omura’s Whale: Exploring the Enigma. Salvatore Cerchio It is part of the 7-book series by Bernd Würsig on the Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Marine Mammals (https://www.springer.com/series/15983/books) Kind regards, Ellen ----------------------------------------------------- Ellen C. Garland, Ph.D. Royal Society University Research Fellow Member RSE Young Academy of Scotland Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) Scottish Oceans Institute School of Biology University of St Andrews Fife, KY16 8LB, UK Ph: +44 (0)1334-46-3620 Ph: +44 (0)7478-649964 Email: ecg5(a)st-andrews.ac.uk<mailto:ecg5@st-andrews.ac.uk> WWW: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/biology/people/ecg5 Twitter: @EllenGarland4 ----------------------------------------------------- The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland: No SC013532

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Postdoc opportunity in marine mammal biologging
by Ari Friedlaender 06 Jul '22

06 Jul '22

Hello, The Department of Ocean Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) invites applications for the position, *Postdoctoral Scholar in Biologging and Behavioral Ecology of Marine Mammals*. Under the direction of Dr. Ari Friedlaender, the postdoctoral scholar will conduct field work and manage data analysis related to ongoing biologging projects in Dr. Friedlaender’s Lab. The lab is currently active in long-term ecological research on baleen whales in the Antarctic in relation to climate change, and the foraging behavior of baleen whales in Monterey Bay. The successful candidate will also conduct field work associated with other new research projects and will be expected to generate original research proposals to increase the scope of research in the lab. The successful candidate will be expected to lead data analysis, prepare scientific manuscripts, and mentor graduate and undergraduate students in the use of biologging instruments as well as data processing and analysis. Please visit this link for more information and/or to apply for the position: https://recruit.ucsc.edu/JPF01336 Thank you. Ari Friedlaender -- Ari S. Friedlaender, PhD *(he/him/his)* Professor, Ocean Sciences Department Institute of Marine Sciences UC Santa Cruz 115 McAllister Way Santa Cruz, CA 95060 ari.friedlaender(a)ucsc.edu https://btbel.pbsci.ucsc.edu/ http://www.caoceanalliance.org/

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New Publication: Kurtosis analysis of sounds from down-the-hole pile installation and the implications for marine mammal auditory impairment
by Guan, Shane 06 Jul '22

06 Jul '22

Dear Colleagues, On behalf of my coauthors, I'd like to inform the publication of our latest paper "Kurtosis analysis of sounds from down-the-hole pile installation and the implications for marine mammal auditory impairment," published in the JASA Express Letters, 2, 071201. doi:10.1121/10.0012348. The paper is open access: https://asa.scitation.org/doi/full/10.1121/10.0012348. Abstract: Sounds from down-the-hole pile installation contain both impulsive and non-impulsive components. Kurtosis values (β) were determined for two datasets to investigate the impulsiveness of piling sounds. When the hammer struck the pile(s), β was 21–30 at 10 m and approximately 10 at 200 m. When the hammer was used for drilling without contacting the pile, β was 4–6 at all distances. These findings suggest that a simple dichotomy of classifying sounds as impulsive or non-impulsive may be overly simplistic for assessing marine mammal auditory impacts and studies investigating the impacts from complex sound fields are needed. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Cheers, Shane Shane Guan, Ph.D. Oceanographer ----------------------------------------------------------------- Division of Environmental Sciences Office of Environmental Programs Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 45600 Woodland Road Suite #355-C33, MS: VAM-OEP Sterling, VA 20166 Office: 703-787-1444 Mobile: 571-363-1247 [cid:ba991cb7-d056-4f18-8b1d-66fb8625d532] https://www.boem.gov/environmental-studies

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Large Marine Vertebrates Sciences Master: new call
by Annalisa Zaccaroni 06 Jul '22

06 Jul '22

On behalf of the Scientific Committee, I am pleased to inform that the third edition of the Master on Large Marine Vertebrates is open at University of Bologna. You can find a short description of the Master below and the link to the webpage, where you can find more details. Please feel free to contact me (annalisa.zaccaroni(a)unibo.it<mailto:annalisa.zaccaroni@unibo.it>) or the tutor (master.lmvs(a)unibo.it<mailto:master.lmvs@unibo.it>) for more information. The first level Master in Large Marine Vertebrate Sciences is an International Master, held in English, specifically designed to give professionals and young graduates theoretical and practical knowledge on a large variety of aspects of large marine vertebrate management and conservation, starting from the basics (physiology, biology, anatomy, etc.) and including also more specific competencies, like welfare, diseases and pathology, legislation concerning marine vertebrates, monitoring, management in the wild and under human care, as well as communication and scientific writing skills. The special strength of this Master Course is its practical approach, allowing the participants to immerse into the current work of different entities involved in the study and management of large marine vertebrates, both in the wild and under human care, with a 20 CFU (500 hours) internship and with a mandatory, two weeks immersive field research trip with the Dolphin Communication Project (DCP) to the DCP Director’s research field site on Roatan, Honduras. Admission requirements The Master is open to a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 15 students, possessing one of the following titles: - first cycle degree and/or second / single cycle degree obtained under D.M. 270/04 or first cycle degree and/or second / single cycle degree obtained under the laws previously in force (DM 509/99 and Old Regulations) in the following fields or classes: L-13 (Biology), L-32 (Science and Technology for Environment and Nature), L-38 (Animal Husbandry); L-2 (Biotechnology); LM-6 (Biology), LM-9 (Medical, Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology), LM-42 (Veterinary Medicine) or second cycle, single cycle degree/Combined Bachelor and Master degrees in an equivalent disciplinary area, achieved under the previous terms; - first cycle degree and/or second / single cycle degree obtained abroad deemed equivalent to those described in point above by the admission committee, for the purposes of admission to the Master; - according to a positive evaluation by the Admission Board, candidates with Master degrees not listed above may also be admitted to the selection process, provided they are in possession of a curriculum vitae et studiorum proving a qualified competence in the subjects covered by the Master. Following a positive evaluation by the Admission Board, candidates with Master degrees not listed above may also be admitted to the selection process, provided they are in possession of a curriculum vitae et studiorum proving to have competencies qualifying for this Master program. Teaching topics: The Master program is an 18 months program, dedicated to lectures from January to September plus a second period dedicated to the internship. Teaching will be by international experts and will be given partly at University of Bologna and partly at University of Calabria. Cost The tuition fee of 6800 € (six thousand eight hundred Euros) includes the cost for the immersive, mandatory field trip to Roatan with DCP (Dolphin Communication Project). For more information, please visit the Master description page: https://www.unibo.it/en/teaching/professional-master/2022-2023/large-marine…, where you can also find the call text, and the Master web page: https://master.unibo.it/large-marine-vertebrates-sciences Prof. Annalisa Zaccaroni Director of Master in Large Marine Vertebrates Sciences Dep.ment Veterinary Medical Sciences University of Bologna Alma Mater Studiorum [cid:image001.png@01D89147.951B9CF0] Viale Vespucci 2 47042 Cesenatico (FC), Italy [Titolo: Cellulare - Descrizione: icona-cellulare] +393475951709 [Titolo: Telefono - Descrizione: icona-telefono] +390547338944 [Titolo: Email - Descrizione: icona-email] annalisa.zaccaroni(a)unibo.it<mailto:annalisa.zaccaroni@unibo.it> [Titolo: sito Web - Descrizione: icona-sitoweb] https://master.unibo.it/large-marine-vertebrates-sciences/en [Titolo: Facebook - Descrizione: Icona di Facebook]<https://www.facebook.com/lisa.zaccaroni> [Titolo: LinkedIn - Descrizione: Icona di LinkedIn] <https://www.linkedin.com/in/annalisa-zaccaroni-57616119/> [Titolo: Twitter - Descrizione: Icona di Twitter] <https://twitter.com/zaccaroni68> https://profiles.impactstory.org/u/0000-0002-7985-2972

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New publication: Causes of Death and Pathological Findings in Stranded Harbour Porpoises from Swedish Waters
by Jasmine Stavenow 06 Jul '22

06 Jul '22

Dear colleagues, We are happy to announce our recent publication in Animals: Neimanis, A., Stavenow, J., Ågren, E. O., Wikström-Lassa, E., & Roos, A. M. (2022). Causes of Death and Pathological Findings in Stranded Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from Swedish Waters. Animals, 12(3), 369. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12030369 Abstract: Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) are useful indicators of the health of their wild populations and marine ecosystems, yet their elusive nature makes studying them in their natural environment challenging. Stranded porpoises provide an excellent source of data to study the health and biology of these animals and identify causes of death, diseases and other threats. The aim of this study was to document pathology, and where possible, cause of death in porpoises from Swedish waters. Post-mortem examinations were performed on 128 stranded porpoises collected from 2006 to 2020. Overall, bycatch including definitive and probable cases was the most common cause of death (31.4%), followed by disease (21.3%), predominantly pneumonia. In adults, infectious disease was the most common cause of death. Bacteria with zoonotic potential such as Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae and Brucella sp. were documented for the first time in porpoises from Swedish waters, as was the porpoise-adapted group B Salmonella enterica ST416/ST417. Three of four deaths from non-infectious diseases involved parturition complications. Four cases of suspected predation were documented, but further analyses are required to confirm these findings. Our results are consistent with those from other regions in Europe and serve as a reference for future monitoring for changing patterns of health and disease of porpoises and their environments. You will find the open access publication here: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/3/369 All the best, Jasmine Jasmine Stavenow, MSc Ecology and Conservation biology Programme manager | Department of Pathology and Wildlife Diseases National Veterinary Institute, SVA 751 89 Uppsala, Sweden | +46 18-67 52 72, +46 76-767 44 93 sva.se<https://www.sva.se/>

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MARINE ANIMAL REHABILITATION & ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION INTERNSHIP
by Gabbie Nicoletta 05 Jul '22

05 Jul '22

MARINE ANIMAL REHABILITATION & ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION INTERNSHIP The National Marine Life Center (NMLC) is now accepting applications for the Marine Animal Rehabilitation and Environmental Education Internship for the Fall 2022 session. The application deadline is August 1, 2022. The internship will run from the fourth week of August 2022 through the first week of January 2023. Animal Care Responsibilities: Depending on need, case load, and time of year, interns may assist with the care of the NMLC rehabilitation patients including seals, sea turtles, and a variety of native turtle species. Animal Care duties may include animal restraint; cleaning; disinfecting tanks, equipment, and environmental enrichment devices; diet preparation; administering feeds (including tube feeding); record keeping; facility maintenance; and water quality testing. Interns may also assist animal care staff with medical procedures, admission exams, animal necropsies, and release events. Education Responsibilities: Interns may assist with environmental education programs, including on-site programs, off-site programs, fairs, and festivals. Programs will focus on marine animals, rehabilitation practices, conservation, and STEM activities. Interns may learn how to effectively interpret and educate guests of NMLC on marine animals and conservation. Interns may be asked to work in the gift shop and assist with various office projects such as fundraising and data entry. There may be opportunities to create different educational materials needed that are aligned with the Massachusetts State Frameworks and Ocean Literacy Principles. Please note that the summer internship session offers the most opportunity for education experience. Fall and Spring sessions offer less opportunity given the time of year, so the focus may shift to operations or administrative tasks. Other Responsibilities: Each intern is assigned to multiple projects in different areas of the organization, e.g. research, fundraising, rehabilitation, marketing, social media or education. A weekly chore will be delegated to each intern to assist with the upkeep of the facility and equipment. Each intern is required to attend regularly scheduled meetings throughout their time at NMLC. At the end of the internship, the intern will deliver a presentation about their experience and projects to staff and volunteers. Positions are unpaid. Interns must have their own transportation. Housing is not provided, but NMLC will offer suggestions. Qualifications * Must be currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from an accredited college or university; preference will be given to students or recent graduates working towards biology, environmental studies, marine science, education, or other related fields. * Must demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills. * Must be adaptable, responsible, hard working, willing to learn, and have attention to detail. * Must be able to work independently and as part of a team. * Must be willing to engage in a positive and informative manner with members of the public on a regular basis. * Must be willing to participate in and receive constructive feedback. * Must expect to work approximately 40 hours per week, which can include early morning and/or late night seal feedings depending on the season. * If an intern plans to receive school credit for an internship they must notify staff prior to the internship start date, and it will be the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all required paperwork is completed and submitted. To Apply: Send your resume, cover letter, and one letter of recommendation to internship(a)nmlc.org<mailto:internship@nmlc.org> or P.O. Box 269, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts 02532. Due to the high number of applications, only qualified candidates will be contacted. Gabriella Nicoletta Animal Care, Necropsy, & Operations Coordinator National Marine Life Center P.O. Box 269, 120 Main Street Buzzards Bay, MA 02532-0269 Office: (508)-743-9888 Cell: (585)-775-5354 Email: gnicoletta(a)nmlc.org www.nmlc.org

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SMM Editors' Select Series on July 21st: Response of humpback whales to biopsy sampling
by Student Members-at-Large Society for Marine Mammalogy 05 Jul '22

05 Jul '22

Greetings MARMAM! Join us on *Thursday, July 21st 11 PM GMT (4 PM PDT / 7 PM EDT)* for the next SMM Seminar Editors' Select Series: Response of humpback whales to biopsy sampling with Dr. Solène Derville of the Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab in the Marine Mammal Institute of the Oregon State University. Free to attend. Registration required. Presented online on Zoom. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/.../reg.../WN_lo_3OmCmQqK8Ka7_DIaJ3g Space on Zoom is limited to the first 500 attendees. The talk will also be streamed live on the SMM Facebook page. *The SMM Seminar Editors' Select Series highlights the latest and most exciting marine mammal science published in the Marine Mammal Science Journal. This is your chance to engage with marine mammal scientists, learn and ask questions from anywhere in the world. All are welcome.* About this talk: Tissue biopsy sampling from cetaceans is essential to address many biological, ecological, and behavioral questions that can ultimately inform conservation. Yet, these research activities are invasive and their effect therefore deserves to be investigated, particularly when performed over young individuals (calves and juveniles). We assessed the short-term response of humpback whales to boat approach and remote biopsy sampling in a breeding ground according to age-class, sex, female reproductive status, social context, sampling system, habitat, and repeated sampling with more than 20 years of data collected in New Caledonia, South Pacific. About the presenter: I conduct research in animal behavior and spatial ecology, the way animals interact with their environment, move and are distributed in geographical space. In general, I seek to develop innovative and multidisciplinary methods to study the multi-scale space use patterns of marine megafauna species. I obtained my Masters degree in biology from the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Lyon, France, and my PhD from Sorbonne Université studying humpback whales in the South Pacific. I am currently a postdoc at the Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna lab, in the Marine Mammal Institute (Oregon State University) although I am still based in New Caledonia where I have lived and conducted research for seven years. Best regards, *Ayca Eleman, Ph.D. Candidate* *Theresa-Anne Tatom-Naecker, Ph.D. Student* *Eric Angel Ramos, Ph.D.* *Student Members-at-Large* Society for Marine Mammalogy

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INTERNSHIP 2022- Last two spots
by Delfini del ponente APS 04 Jul '22

04 Jul '22

*DELFINI DEL PONENTE ASSOCIATION, IMPERIA, ITALY* *Cetaceans and Marine Fauna research project* *Delfini del Ponente is currently looking for and accepting interns to join our research project on bottlenose dolphins and other marine fauna in the Western Ligurian Sea, Imperia (Italy) in August and October**.* *The project* The dolphin research project “Delfini del Ponente”, started in 2018, is the first project focused on monitoring bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops truncatus*) occurrence and distribution in the Western Ligurian Sea. The project is structured on an annual basis, to obtain data not only on the distribution during the Summer, but also changes during the different seasons. The study is already providing very interesting information about this community inside the study area, especially about its social organization, abundance of individuals, distribution, and movements also outside the region. Moreover, our dataset includes data on several cetacean species and also about other marine fauna such as Mediterranean shearwaters (*Puffinus yelkouan)*, Scopoli’s shearwaters (*Calonectris diomedea*), Northern gannets (*Morus bassanus*), Sandwich terns (*Thalasseus sandvicensis*), sunfish (*Mola mola*) among others. Surveys are carried out in coastal waters onboard a dedicated zodiac (6 m inflatable boat) around 10 times per month. Training will focus on collecting photos for photo-ID purposes, environmental, marine traffic, geographical (GPS) and dolphins' behavioural data. Land-based surveys take place in Imperia, in 2 different locations with the aim of collecting data on the presence/absence of dolphins, fishing boats in activity and marine birds. Fieldwork is a great opportunity to get involved and improve skills on cetaceans’ and marine biodiversity’s research. Both land-based and zodiac surveys are weather-dependent, and their number can change each month. Office work (6 hours per day) includes training and lessons to the interns and supervision of all the activities (photo-id work, transcription of data, data entry, QGIS work, etc...) *Where:* Imperia, Italy *When:* August and October (minimum 30 days) Number of interns for month: 2 /3 Activities: • boat-based surveys monitoring the presence and distribution of bottlenose dolphins • data collection of other cetaceans, fishes, seabirds, turtles • classwork, database updating • photo-id matching and analysis • land-based surveys /opportunistic surveys • lessons and training about cetacean ecology, biology and research techniques This is a great opportunity to get involved in cetacean research, encounter marine biodiversity while gaining fieldwork experience, travel and explore the beautiful Liguria region and support cetacean research and conservation . Interns will be involved 5 days a week, 6-8 hours/day (depending on fieldwork or lab work) During free time, interns will have the opportunity to experience all sorts of activities: swimming, diving, hiking, exploring historical sites, visiting museums, sailing. *Skills/qualification:* · Minimum age of 18 · Prior experience in cetaceans or boat-based surveys is not required · Degree or on-going studies in biology, natural science, veterinary or similar (preferred) · Strong motivation and interest in cetaceans and research · Speak, read and write in fluent English · Be adaptable as fieldwork is weather dependent · Be prepared to spend many hours on a small zodiac (5-6 m) and under the sun, be able to swim and work in harsh weather conditions both in nearshore and offshore waters: · Be prepared to spend many hours in the office (generally 6 hours/day) · Be sociable and with a positive attitude as he/she is expected to live and work in an international team *Internship fee* Delfini del Ponente is a self-funded research project, so participation in this program requires a tuition fee. Fee includes the accommodation in an apartment in Imperia, tuition and all associated field costs during the internship period (use of research vessel, training, use of equipment, field trips, insurance). Transportation expenses to and from Imperia (Italy) and food costs during the stay are not included in the fee. *Information and application:* Send your CV with a letter of interest to *delfinidelponente(a)gmail.com <delfinidelponente(a)gmail.com>* For any further inquiries and details, please send an email to delfinidelponente(a)gmail.com -- *Delfini Del Ponente APS* Via Regione Bussi, 18100 Imperia (Italy) C.F. 91048910086 pec: delfinidelponente(a)pec.it https://delfinidelponente.it/

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New publication - Forecasting system for Southern Resident Killer Whales
by Marine Randon 04 Jul '22

04 Jul '22

Dear MARMAM community, On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to announce the publication of our paper entitled "A real-time data assimilative forecasting system for animal tracking" in the journal Ecology. Randon, M., Dowd, M., & Joy, R. (2022). A real‐time data assimilative forecasting system for animal tracking. Ecology, e3718. Abstract Monitoring technologies now provide real-time animal location information, which opens up the possibility of developing forecasting systems to fuse these data with movement models to predict future trajectories. State-space modeling approaches are well established for retrospective location estimation and behavioral inference through state and parameter estimation. Here we use a state-space model within a comprehensive data assimilative framework for probabilistic animal movement forecasting. Real-time location information is combined with stochastic movement model predictions to provide forecasts of future animal locations and trajectories, as well as estimates of key behavioral parameters. Implementation uses ensemble-based sequential Monte Carlo methods (a particle filter). We first apply the framework to an idealized case using a nondimensional animal movement model based on a continuous-time random walk process. A set of numerical forecasting experiments demonstrates the workflow and key features, such as the online estimation of behavioral parameters using state augmentation, the use of potential functions for habitat preference, and the role of observation error and sampling frequency on forecast skill. For a realistic demonstration, we adapt the framework to short-term forecasting of the endangered southern resident killer whale (SRKW) in the Salish Sea using visual sighting information wherein the potential function reflects historical habitat utilization of SRKW. We successfully estimate whale locations up to 2.5 h in advance with a moderate prediction error (<5 km), providing reasonable lead-in time to mitigate vessel–whale interactions. It is argued that this forecasting framework can be used to synthesize diverse data types and improve animal movement models and behavioral understanding and has the potential to lead to important advances in movement ecology. The full text is available Open Access following this link: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ecy.3718 If you have questions, feel free to contact me at this address: mrandon(a)ifremer.fr Best wishes, Dr. Marine Randon Postdoctoral fellow Simon Fraser University 8888 University Drive Burnaby, BC V5A 2S6 Canada

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New Publication on the body condition and migrating timing of east Australian humpback whales
by Grace Russell 03 Jul '22

03 Jul '22

To the marmam community, We are extremely pleased to announce the publication of our recent article titled: Body condition and migration timing of east Australian humpback whales. Russell G, Colefax A, Christiansen F, Russell G, Fowler Z, Cagnazzi D (2022) Body condition and migration timing of east Australian humpback whales. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 692:169-183. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14075 ABSTRACT: In order to exploit seasonally favourable habitats for feeding and breeding, humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae undertake one of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom. Stored energy is crucial for a successful migration, but few studies have investigated the relationship between migration timing and body condition in baleen whales. Using unmanned aerial vehicles, we quantified the body condition of east Australian humpback whales. We collected data on 513 individuals (48 calves, 166 juveniles, 251 adults, and 48 lactating females) during their northbound and southbound migrations between June and October 2020. For adults and juveniles, we explored the loss of body condition between migration direction (north versus south) as well as the relationship of migration timing (day of year) and body condition. We found a significant loss in body condition between the northbound and southbound migrations for both adults (9.8%) and juveniles (18.3%). However, migration timing did not influence body condition for either reproductive class. Cow/calf pairs were analysed using relative calf length (percentage of maternal length) as a proxy for days postpartum. We found a positive curvilinear relationship between migration timing and calf body condition. However, lactating females showed no relationship between migration timing and body condition. Whilst body condition is important for capital breeding whales, the lack of a correlation found for adults and juveniles suggests that body condition is not the main driver of migration timing from feeding or breeding grounds. However, calf body condition may be a significant factor for the migration timing of cow/calf pairs. If you're interested in reading the full article, please email me for a copy of the pdf. Many thanks! Grace Russell PhD Candidate Faculty of Science and Engineering Southern Cross University Military Road, East Lismore NSW 2480 | Room G1.01 E: g.russell.11(a)student.scu.edu.au M: +61 432 821 345 [cid:37654e89-0350-4e0b-9286-fdf860036cee] [cid:3e164db9-3ed5-4ce6-b4f8-593985caa93e] The_Fat_Whales_Project

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