October 2023 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

2024 Stranding Internships - CWC
by Heather Henderson 12 Oct '23

12 Oct '23

2024 Marine Mammal Rescue and Rehabilitation Internship Opportunities California Wildlife Center is excited to announce internship sessions for the upcoming 2024 stranding season! California Wildlife Center is in Calabasas, California, and responds to reports of stranded marine mammals 365 days a year along the Malibu Coastline. Our pinniped rehabilitation facility is active during the region’s period of highest strandings. Winter Session – one position December 18th, 2023, through February 4th, 2024 Spring Session – three positions March 3rd through May 25th, 2024 Summer Session – one position May 26th through August 10th, 2024 Time Commitment: 28-32 hours per week Summary/Program Description The California Wildlife Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured, orphaned, and sick native wildlife. CWC provides hands-on training to prepare interns for the intensely rewarding experience of Marine Mammal Rescue & Rehabilitation. Marine Program interns assist in the response and rescue of seals, sea lions, dolphins, whales, and sea birds. Interns also assist in the rehabilitation of Northern Elephant Seal and California Sea Lion pups. Intern Responsibilities Under supervision of Marine Mammal staff, experiences will include: * Assessing stranded marine mammals on the beach * Assisting or leading responder teams in the capture and handling of stranded marine mammals requiring rescue * Providing appropriate transport conditions for stranded marine mammals to the rehabilitation facility * Maintaining detailed records of daily activity reports of stranding, human interaction, and patient health status * Performing daily husbandry tasks for pinniped patients admitted to the rehabilitation facility * Working closely with Marine Mammal department staff to provide patient-specific rehabilitative care * Adhering to all safety guidelines set forth by California Wildlife Center and the Marine Mammal Department * Participating in releases of healthy marine mammal patients back to their Pacific Ocean home * Maintaining good rapport with representatives of various public agencies, as well as members of the public * Learning to identify native species of Marine Mammals / Marine Birds and exploring their life history * Assisting with marine mammal necropsy and sample collection Intern Qualifications The internship is open to all applicants at least 18 years of age or older. Undergraduate students and non-students alike are encouraged to apply. If an intern intends to receive academic credit, they will be responsible for making all arrangements with their educational institutions. Due to the unpredictable nature of marine mammal stranding response, interns may be requested to work beyond their normal scheduled hours. Interns must be able and willing to work flexible hours including weekends and holidays. Interns will be required to have good physical strength and the ability to lift/carry 50 lbs. Interns need to have the ability to multitask and work in a fast-paced environment. Animal care and/or marine mammal experience is not required. Please visit our website for more information and to apply: http://cawildlife.org/volunteer/internshipsexternshipspreceptorships/ [cid:caf52f6b-8a09-4ea2-abd0-54865de9a542] Heather Henderson Marine Program Manager California Wildlife Center P.O. Box 2022 Malibu CA 90265 310/458-WILD (9453) cawildlife.org<https://cawildlife.org/> |[cid:c0ace1eb-b0ce-414f-b9c4-14c0c4a35323]<https://www.instagram.com/cawildlife/>|[cid:84b0bde3-700c-4ad7-97d8-b55a5614bb73]<https://www.facebook.com/californiawildlifecenter>

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Seasonal Marine Program Assistant
by Heather Henderson 12 Oct '23

12 Oct '23

California Wildlife Center (CWC) - Seasonal Marine Program Assistant (MPA). California Wildlife Center is located in Malibu, California, and responds to reports of stranded marine mammals 365 days a year. Our on-site rehabilitation facility, serving California sea lions and Northern elephant seals, is active from January through July, the busiest stranding months. Summary: This is a full-time, seasonal, hourly position. The Seasonal Marine Program Assistant (MPA) is an experienced marine mammal rehabilitative care provider, who works under the supervision of the Marine Program Manager, Stranding Coordinator, and often without supervision. This position is scheduled from February through July 2024. Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following (other duties may be assigned): * Perform all duties of a marine mammal rehabilitator including, but not limited to large animal restraint, patient intakes, oversee and perform general husbandry tasks of marine mammal patients, administer medication and fluid therapies, gavage feeding of seals and sea lions, assist with patient releases, maintain all rehabilitation equipment and enclosures. * Provide CWC marine mammal program support. * Provide marine animal response, rescue, and transport. * Facilitate volunteer and intern training and leadership. * Works with Marine Program staff to assess stranded marine mammal as soon as possible. * Utilize a tracking system for animals placed on 24-hour watch. * Transport of stranded marine mammals to the appropriate rehabilitation facility. * Manage maintenance of assigned equipment. * Establish and maintain good rapport with representatives of various public agencies and ensure compliance with all applicable regulations. * Assist in the response and collection of dead-stranded marine mammals. * Perform the occasional rescue of injured terrestrial wildlife (mostly birds) in the surrounding areas. * Responsible for closely supervising up to four volunteers/interns per shift, ensuring that all safety guidelines are followed while performing rescues, completing husbandry tasks, and providing care for all patients. Supervisory Responsibilities Oversee teams of up to four people per shift. Works with the Marine Program Manager to provide a safe environment for interns and volunteers to perform and expand their skillsets. Experience and Requirements: * Must have a valid driver’s license with a clean driving record and be comfortable driving a 12-person van (Ford Transit VN) and a Ford F-150 extended cab pickup truck. * Must be able to work cooperatively with co-workers, volunteers, interns, and the public. * Must be able to work quickly, efficiently, and calmly under stressful conditions. * Must be able to efficiently handle multiple responsibilities. * Must possess good verbal and written communication skills. * Upon hire, must pass a background check and show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. * Commitment to professionalism. Desired qualifications: * Two years’ direct experience in pinniped rehabilitation and husbandry. * BA/BS or higher degree (preference given to marine biology fields of study). * Excellent public relations skills. For more information or to apply, please visit our website https://cawildlife.org/employment/ [cid:c79f42d9-d5d7-403b-ac60-bbeac19da5a7] Heather Henderson Marine Program Manager California Wildlife Center P.O. Box 2022 Malibu CA 90265 310/458-WILD (9453) cawildlife.org<https://cawildlife.org/> |[cid:339cf02a-51c2-48ac-8398-879069709f2e]<https://www.instagram.com/cawildlife/>|[cid:3346e7dc-2dcf-41d3-8e80-a20d3fdbb3fd]<https://www.facebook.com/californiawildlifecenter>

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seeking graduate student applicants
by Janet Mann 12 Oct '23

12 Oct '23

Please consider this posting- thank you: PhD Opportunities Janet Mann is recruiting PhD graduate students for fall 2024 to the Department of Biology at Georgetown University. Janet leads two long-term studies of wild bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops aduncus* in Shark Bay, Australia and *T. ereben*nus in the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay) and we are studying a range of topics, including behavior, social development, foraging ecology, sponge tool use, demography, spatial ecology, genetics, network dynamics, population and community structure, and responses to human activity and climate events. We are especially interested in prospective students that have a strong background in behavioral ecology, field (especially marine) experience, demographic or population modeling, statistics, data science, and programming, especially in R. Candidates who have research experience that has resulted in presentation at scientific conferences and/or scientific publications are also strongly encouraged to apply. Most candidates have applied for external graduate fellowship support (e.g., National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships Program or the Gates Millennium Scholars Program), but if admitted to the program, students are guaranteed five years of stipend support. If you would like to find out more about the Biology Department graduate program at Georgetown, there are *informational sessions* coming up here <https://biology.georgetown.edu/phd-program/applicants/>. The deadline for full applications is *December 1*. If you are interested in joining my lab, please contact me ( mannj2(a)georgetown.edu) by November 15. Please look at our websites: monkeymiadolphins.org and pcdolphinproject.org. Additional PhD opportunities with the Shark Bay Dolphin Project are available through the Foroughirad Lab (foroughiradlab.github.io) in the Marine Biology Department of Texas A&M University at Galveston. Contact vforoughirad(a)gmail.com for more details. Janet Mann, Ph.D. website <https://gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/contact/00336000014RY0bAAG/janet-mann> Distinguished University Professor Department of Biology Department of Psychology Georgetown University pcdolphinproject.org monkeymiadolphins.org

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Call for Abstracts: Special Session on Marine Mammal Ecotoxicology at SETAC Europe (May 2024, Spain)
by Anaïs Remili 12 Oct '23

12 Oct '23

Dear colleagues, I hope this message finds you well. I am delighted to invite you to submit abstracts for a special session exclusively dedicated to marine mammal ecotoxicology that will be part of the upcoming SETAC Europe 34th Annual Meeting, taking place in the beautiful city of Sevilla, Spain, from May 5th to May 9th, 2024. Abstract deadline: November 29th, 2023. The session will be co-chaired by myself, Anais Remili (PhD, McGill University), along with my esteemed colleagues, Antoine Simond (PhD, Simon Fraser University), Rune Dietz (PhD, Aarhus University), and Krishna Das (PhD, Université de Liège). Session Title: Assessing and Predicting the Impact of Chemical Pollution on Marine Mammals: Challenges to Be Overcome, Future Prospects, and Conservation Strategies. The rationale for this platform session is driven by the urgent need to expand our knowledge, understanding, and mitigation strategies related to the impact of chemical pollutants on marine mammal populations and their ecosystem. We aim to bring together experts, researchers, and professionals in the field of marine mammal conservation and ecotoxicology to share their latest findings, innovations, and insights so we can strengthen our understanding of chemical pollution on marine mammal health and work towards a sustainable future for both marine mammal species and their fragile habitats. Topics of interest include but are not limited to: - The impact of long-term exposure of contaminants on global marine mammal health (immune, endocrine, and central nervous systems); - The impacts of pollution and anthropogenic pressure on marine mammal ecosystems; - The use of cutting-edge research/methodologies contributing to the discovery of new chemicals and a more holistic understanding of the impact of pollutants on the health of marine mammals (e.g., multi-omics approaches, non-targeted analyses, non-invasive sampling approaches, in vitro bioassays); Innovative conservation strategies that aim at protecting marine mammals and their habitat from chemical pollution and better implementing effective policy frameworks. Conference Details: Event: SETAC Europe 34th Annual Meeting <https://www.setac.org/discover-events/global-meetings/setac-europe-34th-ann…> Dates: 5 - 9 May 2024 Location: Sevilla, Spain Track: 2. Ecotoxicology Becomes Stress Ecology: From Populations to Ecosystems and Landscapes Submission Guidelines: Abstracts should be submitted by November 29th, 2023. Link to start a submission: https://setac.confex.com/setac/europe2024/conversation/cfp.cgi SETAC Europe is usually attended by a minimum of two thousand researchers from all around the world. It represents a unique opportunity to network with fellow marine mammal experts and researchers from around the world. If you have any inquiries or require additional information, please feel free to contact me or one of the session co-chairs: Anais Remili: anais.remili(a)mail.mcgill.ca Antoine Simond: asimond(a)sfu.ca Rune Dietz: rdi(a)ecos.au.dk Krishna Das: krishna.das(a)uliege.be We look forward to your participation and the opportunity to present your research at this session. We are excited about the prospect of your participation and the opportunity to collaborate on these important topics. Thank you for your attention, and we hope to see you all in Sevilla in 2024. Cheers, Anais Remili, PhD <https://anaisremili.com/> Postdoctoral researcher at McGill University Editor-in-chief of Whale Scientists

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Seeking 2 PhD students in elephant seal demography or movement ecology (UC Santa Cruz)
by Roxanne Beltran 12 Oct '23

12 Oct '23

Hi folks, My lab group is searching for 2 new PhD students interested in the demography and movement ecology of elephant seals to join us at UC Santa Cruz! Application deadline Nov 1. Full ad below. Thanks for passing this along to folks who might be interested :) https://roxannebeltran.sites.ucsc.edu/join-us/graduate-students/ Take care, Roxanne -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *The Beltran Lab at the University of California Santa Cruz is recruiting * *2 PhD students interested in the demography and movement ecology of long-lived vertebrates.* *Project Overview*: We are seeking 1-2 PhD students to study demography and at-sea movement ecology of long-lived vertebrates, with a focus on elephant seals at Año Nuevo Reserve, a 30-minute drive from the UCSC campus. The students will collaboratively analyze elephant seal demographic data (mark-recapture data, census, drone imagery) or biologging data (diving data, tracking data) to complement ongoing Beltran Lab research on ecology, physiology, and behavior. The positions will *begin Fall 2024*. Each student will be given 3 years of funding (stipend + tuition), with the remaining quarters funded by internal or external fellowships and Teaching Assistantships. Dissertation chapters can also be tailored to student interest and expertise. *Example projects include:* · *life history tradeoffs such as current/future reproduction and survival* · *fitness consequences of environmental variation* · *maternal effects* · *individual consistency in 3-dimensional movement patterns* · *risk-reward landscape maps using elephant seal tracking and diving data* Students will be trained in individual-based wildlife monitoring, drone piloting, and analytical techniques, and gain valuable experience mentoring undergraduate students in field and laboratory activities as well as outreach activities. In addition to data collected during the project, students may have access to an unparalleled 5-decade demographic elephant seal dataset collected by Drs. Burney LeBoeuf and Dan Costa (>320,000 sightings of 51,000 unique, known-age animals across 6 decades, along with offspring size data for thousands of pups born to known-moms) and diving and tracking data for adult female elephant seals. *About Us*: The candidates will be expected to collaborate extensively with each other and with members of the Beltran Lab <http://www.beltranlab.com/> (2 postdocs, 6 grad students, 1 field technician, 3 program assistants, 10 undergraduate student field assistants). We study the ecology, physiology, behavior, and population dynamics of large marine vertebrates. The lab sits within the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology <https://www.eeb.ucsc.edu/> department at the University of California Santa Cruz <https://www.ucsc.edu/>. Our goal is to develop a supportive and respectful community that fosters curiosity and exploration, produces high-quality original science, and launches productive and passionate independent scientists. We expect members of the lab to share our values for enthusiasm, communication, and collective excellence. Lab expectations are available on our website. UC Santa Cruz is a Hispanic-Serving Institution with a high proportion of first-in-family undergraduate students and is renowned for fostering student social mobility. Our department commits to and advocates for equity, anti-racism, and inclusion in every facet of our work. We welcome candidates who understand the barriers facing traditionally underrepresented groups in higher education, and strongly urge candidates who have engaged in teaching, research, professional and/or public service contributions that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion to apply. In addition to biology research, our lab group undertakes research on education (the benefits of field courses for undergraduate student success), equity and inclusion, reproducibility, and the power of long-term monitoring program for training the next generation of wildlife biologists. The students would be welcomed and encouraged to participate in these efforts. *Qualifications*: Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree in biology, physiology, ecology, statistics, or a related field. The successful candidates for these positions will have a strong working knowledge of wildlife and/or marine ecology, excellent verbal and written communication skills, and analytical expertise including but not limited to spatial analyses of animal location data. Extensive experience with mammal handling is strongly desired. Skills relevant to the project components will be viewed favorably. Applicants with a MSc degree and/or first-author publication are especially encouraged to apply. Fieldwork will require long hours in the field, including work outside the traditional Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm hours. *Application Instructions*: To apply, please fill out this Google Form <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMWsRJkUG570Q8nXBZzf4LSclKXXBnf7A…> with the following materials: · A cover letter highlighting your research motivations, your short and long-term career goals, and which component of the research interests you most. · A curriculum vitae / resume that outlines your academic and professional experience. · A writing sample. This could be a technical report, academic paper, or class research project. · Copies of unofficial transcripts or a list of classes taken, as well as your undergraduate GPA. Please do not send GRE scores. · Names and email addresses of 3 references. Application deadline is *November 01, 2023. *I will review applications and contact the top candidates to set up a time to chat by phone/Zoom and, if appropriate, to visit our lab in person. The selected candidates will be invited to apply through the official UCSC Admissions <https://www.gradadmissions.ucsc.edu/> process (due *December 10, 2023*). For more information contact Roxanne Beltran (roxanne(a)ucsc.edu) -- *Roxanne Beltran, PhD *| she/her/hers Assistant Professor Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Zoom Room <https://ucsc.zoom.us/my/roxannebeltran?pwd=UHlsZVJleEtKYjVYclJiRVZBMjZHQT09> | Beltran Lab <http://beltranlab.ucsc.edu> Building a Better Fieldwork Future <http://fieldworkfuture.ucsc.edu/> Science Division Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion <http://dei.science.ucsc.edu/>

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New Publication: Ancestry testing of ‘Old Tom’, a killer whale central to mutualistic interactions with human whalers
by Isabella Reeves 11 Oct '23

11 Oct '23

Hi all, On behalf of all co-authors, I am pleased to announce the publication of our manuscript titled "Ancestry testing of ‘Old Tom’, a killer whale central to mutualistic interactions with human whalers " in the Journal of Heredity. Abstract: Cooperative hunting between humans and killer whales (Orcinus orca) targeting baleen whales was reported in Eden, New South Whales, Australia, for almost a century. By 1928, whaling operations had ceased, and local killer whale sightings became scarce. A killer whale from the group, known as ‘Old Tom’, washed up dead in 1930 and his skeleton was preserved. How these killer whales from Eden relate to other populations globally and whether their genetic descendants persist today remains unknown. We extracted and sequenced DNA from Old Tom using ancient DNA techniques. Genomic sequences were then compared to a global dataset of mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. Old Tom shared a most recent common ancestor with killer whales from Australasia, the North Atlantic, and the North Pacific, having the highest genetic similarity with contemporary New Zealand killer whales. However, much of the variation found in Old Tom’s genome was not shared with these widespread populations, suggesting ancestral rather than ongoing gene flow. Our genetic comparisons also failed to find any clear descendants of Tom, raising the possibility of local extinction of this group. We integrated Traditional Custodian knowledge to recapture the events in Eden and recognize that Indigenous Australians initiated the relationship with the killer whales before European colonization and the advent of commercial whaling locally. This study rectifies discrepancies in local records and provides new insight into the origins of the killer whales in Eden and the history of Australasian killer whales. For details please see, https://academic.oup.com/jhered/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jhered/esad058/…, it is open access. Kind regards, Isabella Isabella Reeves (she/her) PhD Candidate BSc Marine Biology (Hons.) Cetacean Research Centre, WA Southern Shark Ecology Group College of Science & Engineering, Flinders University Email<mailto:isabella.reeves@flinders.edu.au> | Twitter<https://twitter.com/bellaa_reeves> | LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabella-reeves-60142b175/> [cid:a553e98e-b9d3-4906-9bdf-9df82989f436][cid:e1590179-1bad-4ab7-9154-be1b55e8df58] I acknowledge the Kaurna people, the Traditional Custodians of the land I am fortunate to live on. I pay respect to elders past, present and emerging, and recognise the continuing connection to and, water, culture and community of First Nations people here and across Australia. CRICOS No: 00114A This email and any attachments may be confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please inform the sender by reply email and delete all copies of this message.

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New publication on long-finned pilot whale collective decision making
by Elizabeth Zwamborn 11 Oct '23

11 Oct '23

Dear MARMAMers, My coauthors and I are pleased to share our new publication on collective decision making in long-finned pilot whales, which is now online. Zwamborn E, Walmsley S & Whitehead H. 2023. Flanking female guides: collective decision making in long-finned pilot whales. Animal Behaviour, 205:149-159. You can access this article free of charge for the next 50 days here: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1htlBmjM2RoU Abstract: Little is understood about how social cetaceans make collective decisions. Consensus processes are often beneficial for fitness at both a group and individual level, but most previous studies of decision making in whales and dolphins show evidence of a leader, frequently an individual with greater ecological knowledge or social connectedness. We used drone footage of long-finned pilot whales, *Globicephala melas*, off Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, to examine the characteristics of initial divers (age class/sex, relative position, accompanying calf) and the timing of when individuals dive (i.e. dive lag) within collective group dives (N = 73). Resting groups of pilot whales had three-fold higher mean dive lag and interindividual dive intervals than groups in other behavioural states. Females initiated dives more often than expected by chance and initial divers were most frequently located peripherally on the left or right flank of the group. Dive lags following the initial diver had a heavily right-skewed distri- bution, suggesting that long-finned pilot whales within groups are often responding to a stimulus (e.g. physical leadership, a vocal signal, an approaching vessel). These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that unequally distributed leadership guides the temporal patterning of the collective deep dives of pilot whales. Please contact me if you have any questions. Best, Elizabeth

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DOSITS WEBINAR – How Marine Mammals Respond to Underwater Ambient Noise
by Ellen Bellagamba Fucile 11 Oct '23

11 Oct '23

The Discovery of Sound in the Sea (DOSITS)<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.dosits.org_&d=DwMFa…> Team is pleased to announce that it is again facilitating a free, four-part webinar series on underwater sound. Topics covered in 2023 include natural underwater sound, extreme sounds (natural and anthropogenic), the potential impacts of underwater sound associated with vessels (Saturn Project), and how animals (marine mammals, fishes, and even humans) may use ambient sound. Each webinar will run approximately 60 minutes in length and will consist of a presentation by one or more experts followed by a period of facilitated discussion. The webinar series is open to all interested individuals; however, registration is required. All webinars are presented in Zoom and via a YouTube stream. Post webinar recordings will also be available on the DOSITS website. Register Now for the 4th 2023 Discovery of Sound in the Sea Webinar: How Marine Mammals Respond to Underwater Ambient Noise Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 12:00pm EDT Registration is required for this free webinar. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-marine-mammals-respond-to-underwater-ambie… This webinar will examine marine mammals and their response to underwater ambient noise. The webinar will be held in Zoom and be simultaneously streamed on YouTube. Participants will be able to ask questions during the webinar in both Zoom and YouTube. All DOSITS webinars will be recorded and available to watch on the DOSITS website after the live webinar. PD Certificate DOSITS will offer a Certificate of Professional Development in association with the 2023 Underwater Acoustics Webinar Series. There are no fees associated with this certificate. See the DOSITS 2023 webpage for more information (https://dosits.org/decision-makers/webinar-series/2023-webinar/) Questions? Please contact the DOSITS Team at dositswebinar(a)uri.edu<mailto:dositswebinar@uri.edu>. **apologies for cross-postings**

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New Publication: Dolphin social phenotypes vary in response to food availability but not the North Atlantic Oscillation index
by Cheney, Barbara J. 11 Oct '23

11 Oct '23

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce that the following paper is now available online: Fisher, D.N. & Cheney, B.J. (2023) Dolphin social phenotypes vary in response to food availability but not the North Atlantic Oscillation index. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.1187<https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.1187> Abstract Social behaviours can allow individuals to flexibly respond to environmental change, potentially buffering adverse effects. However, individuals may respond differently to the same environmental stimulus, complicating predictions for population-level response to environmental change. Here, we show that bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) alter their social behaviour at yearly and monthly scales in response to a proxy for food availability (salmon abundance) but do not respond to variation in a proxy for climate (the North Atlantic Oscillation index). There was also individual variation in plasticity for gregariousness and connectedness to distant parts of the social network, although these traits showed limited repeatability. By contrast, individuals showed consistent differences in clustering with their immediate social environment at the yearly scale but no individual variation in plasticity for this trait at either timescale. These results indicate that social behaviour in free-ranging cetaceans can be highly resource dependent with individuals increasing their connectedness over short timescales but possibly reducing their wider range of connection at longer timescales. Some social traits showed more individual variation in plasticity or mean behaviour than others, highlighting how predictions for the responses of populations to environmental variation must consider the type of individual variation present in the population. A PDF copy can be downloaded from https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2023.1187 Kind regards, Barbara -- Barbara Cheney Research Fellow Lighthouse Field Station University of Aberdeen George Street Cromarty Ross-shire IV11 8YL Tel: 01381 600548 [Aberdeen_Uni_logo_big low res]<http://www.abdn.ac.uk/lighthouse/> [FB_FindUsOnFacebook-320] <https://www.facebook.com/lighthousefieldstation> [follow us on twitter logo] <https://twitter.com/cromartylh> The University of Aberdeen is a charity registered in Scotland, No SC013683. Tha Oilthigh Obar Dheathain na charthannas cl?raichte ann an Alba, ?ir. SC013683.

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New study on legacy and emerging contaminants in North Atlantic killer whales
by Anaïs Remili 11 Oct '23

11 Oct '23

Dear members of the MARMAM community, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce our recent open-access publication in *Environmental Science & Technology*: *Varying diet composition causes striking differences in legacy and emerging contaminant concentrations in killer whales across the North Atlantic*. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c05516 You can find a recap of our main findings aimed at the public, as well as an infographic recap of the paper, here: https://whalescientists.com/north-atlantic-killer-whales-toxic-menus/ Here is the abstract of the paper: Lipophilic persistent organic pollutants (POPs) tend to biomagnify in food chains, resulting in higher concentrations in species such as killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on marine mammals compared to those consuming fish. Advancements in dietary studies include the use of quantitative fatty acid signature analysis (QFASA) and the differentiation of feeding habits within and between populations of North Atlantic (NA) killer whales. This comprehensive study assessed the concentrations of legacy and emerging POPs in 162 killer whales from across the NA. We report significantly higher mean levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides, and flame retardants in Western NA killer whales compared to eastern NA conspecifics. Mean ∑PCBs ranged from ~100 mg/kg lipid weight (lw) in the Western NA (Canadian Arctic, Eastern Canada) to ~50 mg/kg lw in the mid-NA (Greenland, Iceland), to ~10 mg/kg lw in the Eastern NA (Norway, Faroe Islands). The observed variations in contaminant levels were strongly correlated with diet composition across locations (inferred from QFASA), emphasizing that diet, and not environmental variation in contaminant concentrations among locations, is crucial in assessing contaminant-associated health risks in killer whales. These findings highlight the urgency for implementing enhanced measures to safely dispose of POP-contaminated waste, prevent further environmental contamination, and mitigate the release of newer and potentially harmful contaminants. Please reach out to me if you have questions/comments: anais.remili(a)mail.mcgill.ca. Cheers, Anais Remili, PhD Postdoctoral researcher at McGill University Editor-in-chief of Whale Scientists

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