August 2022 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New publication on key questions in marine mammal bioenergetics
by Elizabeth A McHuron 26 Aug '22

26 Aug '22

Dear colleagues, My coauthors and I are excited to announce the publication of our new paper in Conservation Physiology, outlining 11 key unanswered questions in marine mammal bioenergetics. We also discuss existing tools to address these key questions, and highlight particular areas where development of new methodologies are needed. The impetus for this effort was to provide a guiding framework to set research priorities that would help increase the utility of bioenergetic approaches for addressing management and conservation of marine mammals. The abstract is pasted below and the paper can be found at https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coac055 (it is open access). Many thanks to all of the people who participated in this exercise and made this publication possible. Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions (emchuron(a)uw.edu) Best, Liz McHuron Abstract Bioenergetic approaches are increasingly used to understand how marine mammal populations could be affected by a changing and disturbed aquatic environment. There remain considerable gaps in our knowledge of marine mammal bioenergetics, which hinder the application of bioenergetic studies to inform policy decisions. We conducted a priority-setting exercise to identify high-priority unanswered questions in marine mammal bioenergetics, with an emphasis on questions relevant to conservation and management. Electronic communication and a virtual workshop were used to solicit and collate potential research questions from the marine mammal bioenergetic community. From a final list of 39 questions, 11 were identified as ‘key’ questions because they received votes from at least 50% of survey participants. Key questions included those related to energy intake (prey landscapes, exposure to human activities) and expenditure (field metabolic rate, exposure to human activities, lactation, time-activity budgets), energy allocation priorities, metrics of body condition and relationships with survival and reproductive success and extrapolation of data from one species to another. Existing tools to address key questions include labelled water, animal-borne sensors, mark-resight data from long-term research programs, environmental DNA and unmanned vehicles. Further validation of existing approaches and development of new methodologies are needed to comprehensively address some key questions, particularly for cetaceans. The identification of these key questions can provide a guiding framework to set research priorities, which ultimately may yield more accurate information to inform policies and better conserve marine mammal populations. Elizabeth McHuron, PhD Research Scientist, UW CICOES

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Job Opportunity- Marine Turtle and Florida Manatee Management
by Frederick, Christina 26 Aug '22

26 Aug '22

Greetings everyone, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has several Biological Scientist positions available to aid the Imperiled Species Management Section with developing conservation measures to reduce potential adverse impacts to species under the responsibility of the Section, with a focus on Florida manatee, marine turtle conservation, and marine turtle lighting. Please follow the below links to the job postings to learn more about these opportunities and apply: BIOLOGICAL ADMINISTRATOR II A - SES - 77072661 https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/TALLAHASSEE-BIOLOGICAL-ADMINISTRATOR-II-A-SE… F & W BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST IV - 77072664 https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/TALLAHASSEE-F-&-W-BIOLOGICAL-SCIENTIST-IV-77… OPS-F&W Biological Scientist III - 77905065 https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/TALLAHASSEE-OPS-F&W-Biological-Scientist-III… OPS-F & W Biological Scientist III - 77905015 https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/TALLAHASSEE-OPS-F-&-W-Biological-Scientist-I… Sincerely, Christina Phillips Frederick Environmental Commenting Program Manager Imperiled Species Management Section Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Email: Christina.Frederick(a)MyFWC.com<mailto:Christina.Frederick@MyFWC.com> Phone: 850-922-4330 620 South Meridian Street - 6A Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600

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New Publication: Trade-offs in prey quantity and quality in gray whale foraging
by Hildebrand, Lisa 26 Aug '22

26 Aug '22

Dear MARMAM community, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of our new manuscript in Marine Ecology Progress Series. Hildebrand, L., Sullivan, F.A., Orben, R.A., Derville, S., & Torres, L.G. (2022). Trade-offs in prey quantity and quality in gray whale foraging. Marine Ecology Progress Series 695:189-201. doi.org/10.3354/meps14115 Abstract To forage optimally, predators face complex decisions regarding target prey distribution, quantity, and quality. We paired theodolite tracking of gray whales *Eschrichtius robustus* in Port Orford, Oregon, USA, with concurrent sampling of their zooplankton prey to examine foraging decisions relative to prey quantity (abundance) and quality (caloric content). We tested the hypotheses that whales (1) feed more than search or transit in areas with high quantity and quality prey and (2) select foraging habitat dominated by the calorically rich mysid *Neomysis rayii*. Relative prey abundance was assessed through standardized image analysis of camera drops, and zooplankton prey community was determined from net tows. These data were spatially interpolated and modeled to generate daily layers of species-specific prey abundance and calories (20 m grid) for comparison to whale behavior derived from tracking data. Whales fed significantly more in areas with higher prey abundance and calories than where they searched and transited. Whales increased foraging effort as overall prey availability increased, yet foraging probability was significantly correlated with the quantity and quality of the mysid *Holmesimysis sculpta*, which has significantly lower calories than *N. rayii*. However, during the study period, the maximum abundance of *N. rayii* was 4 times lower than that of *H. sculpta* and never reached the quantity threshold determined by a logistic regression needed to support whale foraging behavior. Hence, gray whale prey selection involves trade-offs between prey quantity and quality to maximize energetic gain, and prey quality should be considered alongside abundance in ecological studies investigating predator decision-making. Please contact lisa.hildebrand(a)oregonstate.edu if you would like a copy of the manuscript or if you have any questions. Best regards, Lisa -- Lisa Hildebrand, M.S. (she/her/hers) PhD Student Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab <https://mmi.oregonstate.edu/gemm-lab> Marine Mammal Institute and Dept. of Fisheries, Wildlife, & Conservation Sciences Oregon State University MMI Profile <https://mmi.oregonstate.edu/people/lisa-hildebrand> | GEMM Lab Blog <http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/gemmlab/> *Land Acknowledgement:* Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Mary's River or Ampinefu Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon ( https://www.grandronde.org) and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians (https://ctsi.nsn.us)

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New paper: Ecosystem shifts inferred from Antarctic fur seals stable isotopes
by Renan Lima 26 Aug '22

26 Aug '22

Dear MARMAM community, On behalf of my coauthors, I'm happy to share our new paper: "Ecosystem shifts inferred from long-term stable isotope analysis of male Antarctic fur seal *Arctocephalus gazella* teeth" which was recently published in the Marine Ecology Progress Series. de Lima RC, Cebuhar JD, Negrete J, Ferreira A, Secchi ER, Botta S (2022) Ecosystem shifts inferred from long-term stable isotope analysis of male Antarctic fur seal *Arctocephalus gazella* teeth. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 695:203-216. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14112 ABSTRACT: The Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean has been rapidly changing over the last century. Many of those changes are driven by climate anomalies such as the El Niño−Southern Oscillation and the Southern Annular Mode, which affect biological processes that scale up the food web. We used δ13C and δ15N time series of dentine growth layer groups (as a proxy of individual foraging history from multiple years, n = 41 teeth) to assess temporal shifts in foraging habits of subadult/adult male Antarctic fur seals *Arctocephalus gazella* (AFSs) in 2 areas of high concentration of Antarctic krill *Euphausia superba*: the South Shetland Islands and the South Orkney Islands. Our analyses, which represent the first long-term isotopic assessment of male AFS sampled in Antarctic waters, revealed a significant decrease of δ13C (0.04‰ yr−1) from 1974 to 2015 and a decrease of δ15N after the late 1990s. The observed changes are likely driven by shifts in latitudinal and longitudinal distribution of krill and increased incorporation of 15Nenriched sources (higher trophic level prey and/or feeding in different areas) in the most recent period for reasons that are not yet clear. We were able to trace ecosystem changes through isotopic bio-archives of Antarctic fur seals, highlighting the role of this species as an ecosystem indicator of the trophic cascade effects caused by climate change in the Southern Ocean. <https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14112>Please contact me (renancdl(a)gmail.com) for a copy or any questions. Kind regards Renan Lima --- *Renan Costa de Lima, MSc* Doutorando do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia Biológica Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação da Megafauna Marinha - EcoMega Instituto de Oceanografia Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG) COMNAP Antarctic Fellow 2021 Fone: +55(53)99718994 | e-mail: renancdl(a)gmail.com www.researchgate.net/profile/Renan-Lima-2

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New paper: Proposing a framework for monitoring demographic parameters in local cetacean populations: the case of short‑finned pilot whales in Madeira
by Philippe Verborgh 26 Aug '22

26 Aug '22

Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are sharing here our new paper "Proposing a framework for monitoring demographic parameters in local cetacean populations: the case of short-finned pilot whales in Madeira. Verborgh, P., Janssen, E.H., Esteban, R. et al. Proposing a framework for monitoring demographic parameters in local cetacean populations: the case of short-finned pilot whales in Madeira. Mamm Biol (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-022-00266-y AbstractIndividuals from cetacean populations regularly using inshore waters can be more vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures than those living in offshore areas. The monitoring of Good Environmental Status within the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires assessing demographic parameters of these local populations. Therefore, a two-step framework was developed for this monitoring and applied to a long-term photo-identification database of short-finned pilot whales in the inshore waters of Madeira. First, a standardized method to identify site fidelity structures based on K-means analysis was used to determine the local population, i.e., individuals with higher site fidelity. Then, demographic parameters were estimated over 15 years using a robust design model. Finally, the effect of increasing whale watching boats as a potential threat was tested. The results revealed no temporary emigration, showing that the site fidelity methodology could accurately identify the local population. Adult survival rates were high and abundance estimates were stable. Therefore, these results should be used as a baseline for future MSFD cycles. No negative effect of whale watching was found on demographic parameters for adult individuals. However, young animals, which could be more vulnerable to local pressures, were not fully included in the analysis, and potential effects on reproduction output were not studied. Therefore, an adverse effect of whale watching on the local population cannot be ruled out. This monitoring framework should be applied to other species and study areas to confirm its wide application to help management decisions reaching better conservation status for cetacean species. You can access the full text on https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-022-00266-y or ask for it through researchgate (shorturl.at/cgIQX) or be email to me (philippeverborgh(a)gmail.com) All the best,Philippe Verborgh

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Last Minute Reminder - Registration open for Fall 2022 - Aquatic Animal Conservation Issues
by Larkin,Iskande (Iske) 26 Aug '22

26 Aug '22

Hi All, The University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine would like to send notice that registration for our fall online course is open. Aquatic Animal Conservation Issues is an online course (3 credits) designed to introduce students (upper level undergraduate and graduate) and professionals (with an AA or higher degree) to the controversial issues surrounding aquatic animal species ranging from invertebrates to marine mammals, with an emphasis on marine mammals, but also including sea turtles, fisheries, and aquatic ecosystems. Students enrolled at any College or University within the US or internationally can take this course. For more information about this class or enrollment, contact Dr. Iske Larkin (ivlarkin(a)ufl.edu<mailto:ivlarkin@ufl.edu> ). If you are interested in taking this class, registration is now open for Fall (2022). Registration will remain open through Tuesday August 30th, the last day of Drop/Add. Class starts Wednesday August 24th and runs through Wednesday December 7th. Sincerely, Dr Larkin [AAH logo blue E-Mail Sig] Iske V. Larkin, PhD Senior 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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IMMS Bottlenose Dolphin Photo-ID Program Fall Internship
by Kailey Pamperin 25 Aug '22

25 Aug '22

Kailey Pamperin (Kailey.pamperin(a)gmail.com) Research Program Institute for Marine Mammal Studies *Bottlenose Dolphin Photo-ID Program Fall Internship * *Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) * *Gulfport, Mississippi* *Job Description * IMMS’ Research Internship Program is designed to provide exceptional research and learning experiences in a real-world setting to early career scientists in the fields of marine biology and ecology, marine mammal population ecology and behavior, veterinary sciences and conservation. In this position, interns will primarily assist the institute’s Bottlenose Dolphin Photo-ID Program in collecting and processing photographs of bottlenose dolphins in the Mississippi Sound. Other research efforts may include conducting literature reviews, collecting and managing fisheries, habitat and environmental data, and investigating ecological factors and relationships. Interns will also gain diverse experience working in other program areas including marine mammal and sea turtle stranding response, sea turtle surveys, veterinary research, aquaria maintenance and animal care (bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, rays, starfish, birds, reptiles, etc.), and marine education and conservation. *As part of a research team, primary duties include: * Conduct boat-based bottlenose dolphin photo-ID surveys up to 7 days per month in estuarine and nearshore marine Gulf Coast waters. Dolphin surveys generally take about 6 hours and sometimes occur in challenging weather and coastal conditions. Photograph dolphins and collect survey data during boat-based field surveys Sort and process photographs of bottlenose dolphins Collect photograph-based data and enter it into Microsoft Excel Match dolphin photographs to our catalog of known individuals using finFindR Enter collected bottlenose dolphin and environmental data in FinBase/Microsoft Access Assist in diverse research efforts related to bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles, and estuarine and near-shore marine ecology Manage spatial data in ArcGIS When needs arrive, assist other program areas including stranding response, sea turtle surveys, veterinary research, animal care and marine education. *Internship Research Projects and Presentations * As part of the research internship, interns will be assigned an independent research project. Research projects are designed to help expand the science of dolphins and sea turtles, contribute to IMMS’ Research Program, and provide interns with real-world research experience. Assigned research project topics will vary depending on the current needs of IMMS’ Research Department. Interns will be given time at work to work on their research projects. Interns are also expected to conduct at least 3 hours per week of research outside of work. Interns will present the findings of their research with a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation in the last week of their internship. *Internship Requirements * Applicants must be 18 years or older. Applicants should be actively pursuing a college degree or be a recent graduate in biology, marine science, marine biology, marine and estuarine ecology, oceanography or a related field. Previous research experience is a plus. Applicants must be able and willing to fulfill all of the duties described in this internship position. Internship positions are 40 hours per week (generally Mon-Fri/8 am-4 pm). As needs arrive, responding to stranded dolphins and sea turtles, for instance, interns may need to shift their schedules to assist our Stranding Department in these efforts. Internship start and end dates for this Fall are flexible. We do require a minimum of a 12-week commitment for this internship position. *Additional Information * Research internships are unpaid positions. IMMS provides a $30 reimbursement per week for groceries. Interns are responsible for their own housing and transportation. Once accepted, IMMS staff will assist interns in finding rooms available to rent. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the positions are filled. To apply, please send a resume (with 3 references), a copy of your college transcripts, and a one-page statement of interest to jbaker(a)imms.org. For information about the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, please visit our website https://imms.org/.

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New publication on the moulting phenology of Saimaa ringed seals
by Milaja Nykänen 25 Aug '22

25 Aug '22

Dear colleagues, On behalf of my co-authors, I'd like to draw your attention to a recently published paper on the moulting phenology of Saimaa ringed seals. Niemi M, Nykänen M, Biard V, Kurkilahti M, Kunnasranta M. 2022. Molting phenology of a lacustrine ringed seal, Pusa hispida saimensis. Ecology and Evolution, e9248. Abstract The timing and effect of a range of environmental variables on the annual molt of ringed seals (Pusa hispida saimensis) in Lake Saimaa were studied in 2013–2019. Molting patterns were investigated by mixed models run on photoidentification data collected by camera trapping and digital camera surveys. Photoperiod was the predominant environmental variable affecting the molt but molting of females was also linked to air temperature and ice thickness. The cumulative proportion of molting seals peaked around the 18th–20th May, when day length reached 18 h. The main molting season, when most of the seals were hauled out at the same time, lasted on average for 16 days with considerable inter-annual differences in the duration (range 11–22 days). The results provide important baseline information on Saimaa ringed seal molt. Continued monitoring is important as the molt is an energetically demanding period for the seals, and any changes in molting behavior may indicate changes in habitat or in environmental conditions. The article is freely available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9248 All the best, Milaja Nykänen -- Dr Milaja Nykänen Post-doctoral researcher University of Eastern Finland Saimaa ringed seal research Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences PO Box 111 FI-80101 Joensuu Finland

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New publication: Historical occurrence of whales in Scottish Waters inferred from whaling records
by Conor Ryan 25 Aug '22

25 Aug '22

Dear Colleagues, On behalf of my coauthors, I am pleased to announce the publication of a new open access paper: Ryan, C., Calderan, S., Allison, C., Leaper, R., & Risch, D. (2022). Historical occurrence of whales in Scottish Waters inferred from whaling records. *Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems*. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/aqc.3873 Abstract Archived logbooks detailing landings at Scottish shore-based whaling stations between 1903 and 1951 were used to map whale catch locations. Historical distribution and occurrence are inferred and summary statistics on total landings are updated for blue (Balaenoptera musculus), fin (Balaenoptera physalus), humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae), North Atlantic right (Eubalaena glacialis), sei (Balaenoptera borealis) and sperm (Physeter macrocephalus) whales: a total of 9,996 whales were caught during this period, which is 3.7% higher than previously reported and 25% higher for blue whales. The most frequently caught species were fin and sei whales. Whaling off Scotland in the 1920s contributed to the likely extinction of right whales in the eastern North Atlantic. Blue whales, once regularly hunted to the west of Scotland, are now rarely documented there and North-east Atlantic whaling appears to have had a significant and lasting impact on sei whales. Analysis of whaling effort indicates that catch rates remained high despite the depletion of some species. This may be a consequence of two features of Scottish shore-based whaling: (1) the mixed species catch composition; and (2) the catching of whales as they migrated through Scottish waters. The findings of this study highlight the historical significance of the shelf-seas around Scotland as a habitat for some species, which was not apparent from previous studies. These results can inform where there may be potential for the recovery of some species in the future. Current major threats in the North Atlantic include entanglement, ship strike and displacement owing to the effects of climate change. The baseline and historical information on distribution and seasonal occurrence examined here is important for informing spatial and temporal measures to reduce these threats. If populations are to recover post-whaling there is an increasing need to reduce threats such as ship strikes and entanglement, whose magnitude is proportional to whale density. We have a lot of work to do. Best wishes Conor Ryan website: conorryan.photography twitter: @whale_nerd <https://twitter.com/whale_nerd> instagram: @whale_nerd <https://www.instagram.com/whale_nerd/>

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New publication on a mammalian mRNA sex determination method
by jake linsky 24 Aug '22

24 Aug '22

Dear Colleagues, My co-authors and I are happy to share our new paper "A mammalian messenger RNA sex determination method from humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) blubber biopsies" in The Royal Society Open Science. Our paper presents a functional blubber mRNA extraction protocol and a method of determining sex using the extracted mRNA, to help streamline expression-based health studies. A mammalian messenger RNA sex determination method from humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) blubber biopsies Jacob M. J. Linsky, Rebecca A. Dunlop, Michael J. Noad and Lee A. McMichael Published:24 August 2022 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.220556 Abstract The large size of free-ranging mysticetes, such as humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), make capture and release health assessments unfeasible for conservation research. However, individual energetic condition or reproductive health may be assessed from the gene expression of remotely biopsied tissue. To do this, researchers must reliably extract RNA and interpret gene expression measurements within the context of an individual's sex. Here, we outline an RNA extraction protocol from blubber tissue and describe a novel mammalian RNA sex determination method. Our method consists of a duplex reverse transcription-quantitative (real-time) polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) with primer sets for a control gene (ACTB) and the X-chromosome inactivation gene (XIST). Products of each RT-qPCR had distinct melting temperature profiles based on the presence (female) or absence (male) of the XIST transcript. Using high-resolution melt analysis, reactions were sorted into one of two clusters (male/female) based on their melting profiles. We validated the XIST method by comparing results with a standard DNA-based method. With adequate quantities of RNA (minimum of approx. 9 ng µl−1), the XIST sex determination method shows 100% agreement with traditional DNA sex determination. Using the XIST method, future cetacean health studies can interpret gene expression within the context of an individual's sex, all from a single extraction. A mammalian messenger RNA sex determination method from humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) blubber biopsies | Royal Society Open Science (royalsocietypublishing.org) <https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.220556> regards, -Jake [image: width=] <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_cam…> Virus-free.www.avg.com <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_cam…> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>

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