March 2023 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

new publication on walruses and vessels using statistical matching techniques
by Taylor, Rebecca L 15 Mar '23

15 Mar '23

My coauthors and I are pleased to announce the following open access publication, which is available at the link below: "Exploring effects of vessels on walrus behaviors using telemetry, automatic identification system data and matching." https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4433 Abstract Arctic marine mammals have had little exposure to vessel traffic and potential associated disturbance, but sea ice loss has increased accessibility of Arctic waters to vessels. Vessel disturbance could influence marine mammal population dynamics by altering behavioral activity budgets that affect energy balance, which in turn can affect birth and death rates. As an initial step in studying these linkages, we conducted the first comprehensive analysis to evaluate the effects of vessel exposure on Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) behaviors. We obtained >120,000 h of location and behavior (foraging, in-water not foraging, and hauled out) data from 218 satellite-tagged walruses and linked them to vessel locations from the marine automatic identification system (AIS). This yielded 206 vessel-exposed walrus telemetry hours for comparison to unexposed hours, which we used to assess if vessel exposure altered walrus behavior. We developed a filter to account for misclassification of vessel exposure of telemetered walruses. Then we tested for an effect of vessel exposure on walrus behaviors using a combination of exact and propensity score-based matching to account for confounding covariates, and we conducted statistical power analyses. We did not detect an effect of vessel exposure on walrus behaviors even when statistical power was high (i.e., for foraging walruses), which may have been due to the sample size-driven need to define vessel presence within a larger than desired distance (15-km measured radius) around a walrus. Although this study did not determine at what distance vessel exposure affects walrus behaviors, it provided an upper bound on the distance at which the vessels encountered may disturb foraging walruses. When more situation-specific information is lacking, this distance could be used as a conservative buffer to maintain between vessels and areas of high use by foraging walruses. Studies on behavioral consequences of closer proximities between walruses and vessels are needed, and our assessments of misclassification rates and statistical power can be used for future studies. We demonstrated that analytical approaches such as matching, which are rarely used in wildlife studies, are particularly useful for testing hypotheses with observational data. Citation: Taylor, Rebecca L., Chadwick V. Jay, William S. Beatty, Anthony S. Fischbach, Lori T. Quakenbush, and Justin A. Crawford. 2023. “Exploring Effects of Vessels on Walrus Behaviors Using Telemetry, Automatic Identification System Data and Matching.” Ecosphere 14(3): e4433. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4433 Rebecca Taylor Research Statistician Alaska Science Center U. S. Geological Survey (907) 786-7004 Pronouns: She/her Please note I sometimes send and answer email outside normal work hours. This helps me with my schedule but is not intended to pressure others to do the same.

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New publication on microplastic ingestion by Black Sea cetaceans
by Dimitar Popov 15 Mar '23

15 Mar '23

Dear Marmam Community, My co-authors and I are pleased to share our new paper: Mihova, S., Doncheva, V., Stefanova, K., Stefanova, E., Popov, D., Panayotova, M. Plastic ingestion by /Phocoena phocoena/ and /Tursiops truncatus/ from the Black Sea in the book: Environmental Protection and Disaster Risks DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-26754-3_26 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26754-3_26> <http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26754-3_26> Abstract: Stomach contents and intestines of two species of cetaceans from the superfamily toothed whales (Odontoceti), collected in the western part of the Black Sea during the period 2020–2021 were inspected for the presence of plastic particles. Microplastics (<5 mm) were found in all 2 bottlenose dolphins (/Tursiops truncatus/ ssp. /ponticus / Barabash-Nikiforov, 1940) from the dolphin family (Delphinidae) and micro- and mesoplastics (5–25 mm) were found in 24 of 29 harbour porpoises (/Phocoena phocoena/ ssp./relicta/ Abel, 1905) from the porpoise family (Phocoenidae). A total of 197 plastic particles were recorded in 26 individuals (84% of all individuals examined, 21 of 25 female and 5 of 6 male animals). The average number of plastic particles per cetacean was 6.35 ± 6.92 par.ind., ranged 0 to 25 per individual. The most common type of plastic identified were fibres (43%) and fragments (36%). The most frequent plastic colour recognized was grey, blue and black. Keywords: Microplastics, Black Sea, Cetaceans, Harbour porpoise, Bottlenose dolphin Best regards, Dimitar Popov -- __________________________________________________ *__________________________________________________ Dimitar Popov (Mr.) **Project Manager GREEN BALKANS NGO* LIFE19 NAT/BG/000804 LIFE FOR POMORIE LAGOON 1, Skopie str., office 10 Plovdiv 4004, Bulgaria Tel: +359 (0) 32 626 977 Fax: +359 (0) 32 635 921 Mobile +359 (0)885 108712 E-mail: _dpopov(a)greenbalkans.org_ http://www.greenbalkans.org __________________________________________________

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Job: Senior Marine Mammal Consultant at GoBe
by josie brown 15 Mar '23

15 Mar '23

Hi all, Please see details for a job opening at GoBe Consultants fora Senior Marine Mammal Consultant. Are you an experienced marinemammal specialist looking for a new challenge? Do you want to be part of acompany that is making a real difference in the world, providing sustainablesolutions to today's environmental challenges? GoBe Consultants are seeking ahighly motivated and experienced Senior Marine Mammal Consultant to join andlead our growing Marine Mammal team! As part of APEM group, you will be workingacross some of the largest and most exciting development projects in the UKenergy sector. As a key member of our team, youwill be responsible for providing expert advice, data interpretation, andreporting for assessments related to marine mammal ecology, impact assessments,and related technical studies. You will also be responsible for managing projectsand delegating tasks to more junior members of staff, as well as providingmentoring and guidance. In terms of the location; the most important thing for us isattracting the right person; therefore we can offer flexibility on this. Hybridworking is preferred, at our offices in either Buckfastleigh, Devon or Glasgow,or we are open to remote working if preferred. color:#333333">You will have: * A degree (preferably an MSc) in a relevant discipline * An established track record in marine mammal ecology derived from a relevant career in consultancy, research, or working for government. * Working knowledge of the technical assessments underpinning marine mammal work in support of development projects and through the EIA and HRA processes (ideally related to offshore wind development) * Experience in marine mammal visual survey or mitigation work * An understanding of survey design, choice of instrumentation, and deployment methods used for passive acoustic monitoring (PAM), with experience in the processing and analysis of acoustic and other data. Desirable: * Experience leading a team and knowledge of relevant responsibilities * Familiarity with the process of impact assessment, including ecological impact assessment (EcIA), environmental impact assessment (EIA), Habitats Regulations assessment (HRA), strategic environmental assessment (SEA), and marine mammal risk assessment (MMRA) would be beneficial. To submit an application please click here https://jobs.apemltd.co.uk/vacancies/132/senior-marine-mammal-consultant.ht… <https://jobs.apemltd.co.uk/vacancies/132/senior-marine-mammal-consultant.ht…> or to learn more about GoBe click here https://gobeconsultants.com/ <https://gobeconsultants.com/> Best, Josie

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Toothed whale sound production
by Peter Teglberg Madsen 15 Mar '23

15 Mar '23

Dear All, Our recent paper on toothed whale sound production may be of interest to some of you. We have sought to address the fundamental questions of 1) how echolocating toothed whales can make 500 clicks per second with air at a 1000 meters depth where air volumes are compressed to less than 1%, and 2) how toothed whales with the same nasal sound source produce can both powerful, high frequency clicks for echolocation and softer, low frequency calls for complex communication? We confirm that toothed whales possess a nasal sound production system driven by air. Loud clicks are made when phonic lips collide after having been forced apart by the airflow. This air-driven, self-sustained oscillation mechanism for sound production is functionally the same as laryngeal and syringeal sound production in other mammals and birds. Acoustic analysis of calls across different toothed whale species shows that vocalizations are produced at different frequency regimes, consistent with tissue vibrations at different registers: just like human vocal folds making the vocal fry, chest and falsetto registers. We conclude that the vocal fry register makes powerful, high frequency echolocation clicks in toothed whales, and the two other registers make softer, more low frequency social calls for mediating complex behavioral interactions via acoustic communication. For both sound types, air can be recycled, allowing for continued sound production during deep dives. The vocal fry register for echolocation uses only very little air per click because the phonic lips only open for about 1 ms, explaining how these apex predators can make the loudest biological sound pressure levels in the animal kingdom at depths of more than 1000 meters. This trick opened the previously unexplored rich food niches of the deep ocean for exploitation by more than 20 species of large toothed whales. The paper can be found here https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adc9570 If you don't have access, please feel free to write me an email for a pdf. Best peter

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Aquatic Mammals issue 49.2 is published online
by Kathleen Dudzinski 14 Mar '23

14 Mar '23

Dear MARMAM and ECS Talk Subscriber, Happy Spring! The 2nd issue of volume 49 (49.2) of Aquatic Mammals journal is now published online. Further information about the journal can be found at: http://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/ To submit a manuscript for publication consideration, please visit: http://am.expressacademic.org/actions/author.php With regards, Kathleen M. Dudzinski, Ph.D. Editor, Aquatic Mammals Journal business(a)aquaticmammalsjournal.org <mailto:business@aquaticmammalsjournal.org> Articles with ** are open access: Umberto Romani-Cremaschi, Agustín Rebollada-Merino, Rocío Canales, Ignacio Vargas-Castro, Marta Pérez-Sancho, José Manuel Sánchez-Vizcaíno, Mercedes Domínguez, Lucas Domínguez, and Antonio Rodríguez-Bertos. (2023). Histopathology, Immunohistochemical Diagnosis, and Management of Penicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus delphiniCutaneous Infection in a Bottlenose Dolphin. Aquatic Mammals, 49(2), 117-120. Erica Carone, Frida Lara Lizardi, Fabio Favoretto, Jesús Erick Higuera Rivas, and Hiram Rosales Nanduca. (2023).Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico: A Probable Calving Area for Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Aquatic Mammals, 49(2), 121-129 **Roger L. Reep and Gordon B. Bauer. (2023). Anecdotal Accounts of Manatee Behavior: Conservation and Management, Behavioral Ecology, and Cognition. Aquatic Mammals, 49(2), 10-147. Zhilan Lin, Minhao Gao, Xingguang Yu, Qian Zhu, Zhigang Yu, and Xianyan Wang. (2023). Modeling Suitable Habitats of Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in a Highly Urbanized Bay. Aquatic Mammals, 49(2), 148-159. Holli C. Eskelinen, Jill L. Richardson, and Kelley A. Winship. (2023). Fence Fishing: The Use of Algae by Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) to Attract Fish. Aquatic Mammals, 49(2), 160-166. Florencia O. Vilches, Mariano Sironi, Alexandre N. Zerbini, Santiago J. Fernández, Marcela M. Uhart, and Victoria J. Rowntree. (2023). Life Histories of Satellite-Tracked Southern Right Whales Through Photo-Identification and Citizen Science in Patagonia, Argentina. Aquatic Mammals, 49(2), 167-176. Arturo Hernández-Olascoaga, Sergio Guillén-Hernández, and Raúl E. Díaz-Gamboa. (2023). Parasites of Pygmy Sperm Whales (Kogia breviceps) Stranded in the Southern Gulf of Mexico. Aquatic Mammals, 49(2), 177-183. Jaime Bolaños-Jiménez, Jeremy J. Kiszka, Laurent Bouveret, Grisel Rodríguez Ferrer, Eric Angel Ramos, Angiolina Henriquez, Jolanda Luksenburg, Jeffrey Bernus, Yurasi Briceño, and Leonardo Sánchez Criollo. (2023). The Killer Whale in the Caribbean Sea: An Updated Review of Its Ecology, Exploitation, and Interactions with Fisheries. Aquatic Mammals, 49(2), 184-194. Robert L. Pitman, Alisa Schulman-Janiger, Mercedes Eugenia Guerrero-Ruíz, Andre Meresiev Ortega-Gonzalez, Hiram Rosales Nanduca, Michael Fishbach, Ralph Pace, Rui Rodrigues, Denis Chevallay, and Lorena Viloria-Gómora. (2023).Records of Fatal Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) Attacks on Fin Whales (Balaenoptera physalus) with an Emphasis on Baja California, Mexico. Aquatic Mammals, 49(2), 195-207. Myriam Llamas González, Christian D. Ortega-Ortiz, Fernando R. Elorriaga-Verplancken, Úrsula A. González-Peral, Marco A. Liñán-Cabello, Astrid Frisch-Jordan, and Luis Medrano-González. (2023). A Mother–Calf Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Pair from the Southeast Pacific Population Sighted in Mexican Waters. Aquatic Mammals, 49(2), 208-216.

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DOLPHIN RESEARCH INTERNSHIP IN PORTUGAL
by AIMM Internships 14 Mar '23

14 Mar '23

*BACKGROUND: *The Marine Environment Research Association - AIMM, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization focused on the research and conservation of marine species, running an ongoing study of cetaceans in southern Portugal (Algarve). This project aims to obtain baseline information on species occurrence, behavior, and social structure of the local cetacean populations in order to obtain scientific data to support conservation measures and inform marine management policies. The main species observed are Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), and Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), although other species such as Minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) can also be sighted. AIMM Interns are young, hard-working individuals who are willing to contribute to the association and support on-going activities, while experiencing fieldwork at sea, learning data collection and processing methodologies, and being a part of AIMM's team of researchers and marine biologists. All team members and participants share accommodation, house tasks, knowledge and experience in an friendly and multicultural environment. Interns have the additional option to enrich their time with AIMM by beginning or improving their SCUBA skills with a PADI-certified instructor, hiking, kayaking, surf classes and others. *WHERE:* Albufeira, Algarve, Portugal *WHEN:* The field season lasts from 15tg April to 30th November 2023. The minimum internship attendance is 7 days, preferably starting on a Monday. *FIELDWORK: *The field trips are conducted in AIMM's research vessel, Ketos. Fieldwork is dependent on weather conditions. The field days can be intense, especially in the peak of summer, but are fulfilling and good fun. The interns will be trained to: - Conduct on-board surveys of marine species occurrence; - Record effort tracks on a handheld GPS; - Access and collect environmental data; - Collect data on behavior, group size, species, etc.; - Collect photos to photo-identification, acoustic recording, and underwater videos; - Measure water visibility with the Secchi disk methodology; - Help to collect of drone footage from the marine mammals; - Land base monitoring of marine mammals. *DATA ANALYSIS: *This will be conducted on a daily basis and will entail entering data into established databases and spreadsheets, photo-identification processing, and preliminary data interpretation. *INTERNSHIP FEES:* AIMM is a non-profit organization that relies on donations from our volunteers, partners, and conservation-minded people like you so that we may continue our important research and education programs in the Algarve. This internship requires a monetary contribution which is used to off-set the cost of accommodation and running a non-profit. For more information on internship fees for the 2023 season, please contact: interns(a)aimmportugal.org *Included* in the fee is: - Accommodation in the research house; - Transportation to/from the marina; - Meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner); - Fieldwork in the research vessel. *Not included* in the fee is: - Transportation to/from Albufeira; - Meals in restaurants and snacks; - Free time activities; - Personal insurance (all participants should have health and/or travel insurance); - Personal expenses. *INTERNS ARE EXPECTED TO:* - Be above the age of 16; - Have a mature attitude towards marine mammal research and environment; - Be autonomous and flexible; - Be able to live and work in an international team and mainly outdoors at sea; - Speak English; - Participate for minimum 7 days. *Preference will be given* to those who have: - Relevant marine mammal field experience - Working experience on research vessels - Experience working from dolphin/whale watching platforms - Experience in photo-identification - Professional cameras that can be used for photo-ID - Availability to stay for longer periods of time *INTERNSHIP APPLICATION: * You can apply on AIMM website here <http://www.aimmportugal.org/opportunities/dolphin-research-internship/>*.* *or * Send us an e-mail to: interns(a)aimmportugal.org, with the subject “*DOLPHIN RESEARCH INTERNSHIP*” with your CV and motivation letter. We will send you a confirmation email with the availability and all the other details. Applications will be accepted during all season. However, early application is recommended due to limited vacancies. The follow links are a shorts videos about the internship in Albufeira. You get a different perspective and feedback from old participants about it: http://bit.ly/aimm-movie <https://bit.ly/AIMM-movie> https://youtu.be/hTJJQPHBdI0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zTIEQEsftA *Contacts*: interns(a)aimmportugal.org | www.aimmportugal.org | <http://aimm-marineresearch.blogspot.com/>

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New publication announcement
by Florencia Vilches 14 Mar '23

14 Mar '23

New publication: Long-term photo-ID, telemetry, and citizen science on southern right whales (Florencia Vilches) Dear MARMAM community, We are excited to share our new publication, "Life Histories of Satellite-Tracked Southern Right Whales Through Photo-Identification and Citizen Science in Patagonia, Argentina" by Florencia O. Vilches, Mariano Sironi, Alexandre N. Zerbini, Santiago J. Fernández, Marcela M. Uhart, and Victoria J. Rowntree. Publication link: https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.49.2.2023.167 In this note, we show how a 5-decade photo-identification study on Patagonian southern right whales can integrate scientific research with whale watching and citizen science and contribute relevant information to enhance a satellite telemetry study. Please do not hesitate to contact me at florencia.vilches(a)icb.org.ar with any questions regarding our work. All the best, Florencia *Florencia Vilches *| she/hers/ella <https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/gender-pronouns#importance> Fulbright Scholar <https://eca.state.gov/fulbright/about-fulbright/fulbright-program-overview> Ph.D. Student | University of California, Santa Cruz | Costa <http://costa.eeb.ucsc.edu/>& Beltran <https://roxannebeltran.weebly.com/> Labs Researcher | Instituto de Conservación de Ballenas <http://www.ballenas.org.ar/>

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New Publication
by John M. 13 Mar '23

13 Mar '23

Publication Announcement: Changes in the overwintering diet of Steller sea lions (*Eumetopias jubatus*) in relation to the 2014 – 2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave (Maniscalco, J. M.) Open Access: Changes in the overwintering diet of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in relation to the 2014 – 2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave - ScienceDirect <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423000628?via%3Di…> Understanding variation in the diets of endangered species during critical time periods in their annual cycle is of utmost importance because of the effects that diet can have on vital rates and population trends. This may be especially true for Endangered Steller sea lions during the winter months when prey can be difficult to find, and many adult females are both lactating and pregnant. This study aimed to examine changes in the overwintering diet of Steller sea lions across an extreme climatic event, the northeast Pacific marine heatwave (PMH) that adversely affected this species and broadly impacted many others throughout the trophic spectrum. Diet analysis was conducted from scat samples using hard part remains and qPCR methods. Prior to the peak impact of the PMH, Steller sea lions fed predominantly on epipelagic and mesopelagic fishes such as capelin, walleye pollock and Pacific cod. Following the warm-water peak, capelin was strongly reduced in their diet, and diet diversity increased with greater presence of demersal and benthic prey such as skates, lumpsuckers, snailfish, and polychaetes. These results suggest that sea lions were having a difficult time finding their preferred prey, spending time searching deeper to find alternative prey with poorer energy content following the peak impact of the PMH. These changes in diet corresponded with fewer pups being born and a reduction in overall sea lion numbers in the study area, providing evidence that overwintering prey fields may have a substantial impact on population health. -- *John M. Maniscalco, Ph.D.* Senior Research Scientist, Alaska SeaLife Center

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New publication of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin conservation
by Mingming Liu 12 Mar '23

12 Mar '23

Hi MARMAM community, On behalf of my co-authors, I am happy to share our new publication in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, available at the following link: https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3930 Mingming Liu, Mingli Lin, Songhai Li. (2023). Population distribution, connectivity and differentiation of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in Chinese waters: Key baselines for improving conservation management. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. (early view) Abstract: Humpback dolphins (Sousa spp.), throughout their distribution ranges, are often designated as flagship species for coastal ecosystem conservation. Most of the early research on humpback dolphins was carried out in Chinese waters, and in the last two decades, numerous studies have provided abundant conservation-valuable findings. In this study, a systematic review was conducted to gain a comprehensive understanding of the distributional ecology of humpback dolphins in Chinese waters, to establish an updated national knowledge base about key conservation baselines on this flagship species. Currently, there are at least eight main distribution areas of humpback dolphins along the coast of southern China, representing a clear picture of place-based conservation units. However, the overall biogeographical distribution pattern is discontinuous, and existing marine protected areas are far from sufficient to protect these key areas for the survival of humpback dolphins. Based on the photo-identification technique, cross-matching of humpback dolphin individuals revealed extremely low inter-population connectivity among most of the known populations. Genetic studies suggested that several examined populations have low haplotype diversity levels, with limited inter-population gene flow. Morphological and behavioural evidence also supports population differentiation among geographical locations. These findings provide key baselines for the promotion of conservation management initiatives for humpback dolphins in Chinese waters. All recognizable geographical populations, together with each key habitat, should be considered as independent conservation units. With small distribution areas, low genetic diversity and unfavourable geographical isolation, several populations may be at a high risk of regional extinction. A country-led scheme with cross-regional collaboration is required for science-based, action-focused and timely conservation efforts. Future conservation management initiatives should aim to increase or at least maintain key habitats, inter-population connectivity, population-level genetic diversity and effective population size. Sincerely, ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mingming Liu, PhD, Doctoral Research Fellow Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IDSSE, CAS) #28 Luhuitou Road, Sanya, 572000, China TEL: +86-13976199641 ResearchGate ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One World, One Ocean. Let's protect our ocean.

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Kelp/shellfish aquaculture & entanglements
by Phil Clapham 11 Mar '23

11 Mar '23

Does anyone have data on known entanglements between large whales (especially humpbacks) and nearshore aquaculture facilities that focus on sugar kelp and/or shellfish (mussels, clams, scallops)? I'd appreciate any observations or information. Thanks. -- Phillip J. Clapham, Ph.D. Seastar Scientific Inc. Vashon Island, WA

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