October 2024 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

U.S. Marine Mammal Commission Fiscal Year 2023 Funding Opportunity
by Dee Allen 10 Oct '24

10 Oct '24

The U.S. Marine Mammal Commission will be accepting proposals until Wednesday, April 12, 2023 for projects focused on understanding marine mammal population health in a changing climate. Funding requests are limited to $60,000 USD. Marine Mammal Health in a Changing Climate The Marine Mammal Commission's mission, as defined by the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), is to ensure that marine mammal populations are restored and maintained as significant functioning elements of healthy marine ecosystems. However, numerous stressors, including pollution, habitat loss, overfishing and fisheries bycatch, noise, and vessel traffic, threaten both the health of marine mammals and the health of marine ecosystems of which they are a part. In addition, climate change is leading to warming seas, extreme weather events, ocean acidification, and shifts in range and abundance of many marine species and infectious agents, all of which can disrupt ecosystem processes and function, including impacts on the health of marine mammals. For example, some viruses and bacteria that cause disease in marine mammals and other marine wildlife have increased in prevalence or been detected outside of their previously documented range; harmful algal blooms (HABs) that produce dangerous toxins have become more frequent and extensive; increased freshwater discharge from terrestrial sources has dropped salinity in coastal waters and led to marine mammal unusual mortality events; and changes in prey distribution, nutritional quality, or availability are impacting body condition, growth, reproduction, and survival of some marine mammal species. Monitoring the health of populations may provide an early warning of emerging issues prior to observable changes in vital rates or abundance, and may also provide insight into the underlying causes of a population decline. Increased capacity to detect changes in marine mammal population health and understand the underlying factors and processes contributing to those changes is critically needed to be prepared to respond to and mitigate impacts related to changing marine ecosystems, particularly in the face of climate change. We are seeking proposals for projects that: Further our understanding of how environmental factors affect marine mammal population health. In this context, we define "population health" as the distribution of health indicators or outcomes in a population or subset of a population. Health indicators could include a single measure or aggregate measure of body condition or energy stores, organ status, immune status, sublethal injury from trauma or human interaction, or infectious disease. Projects that use long-term data or archived time-series samples are welcome, as are prospective studies, or projects that provide innovative tools for assessing health indicators to support long-term surveillance into the future. We are particularly interested in learning about changes in population health driven by climate change, and encourage proposals that investigate how environmental factors that will be affected by a changing climate, such as prey availability or nutritional quality, HAB toxins, pathogens, temperature, or salinity, influence health of marine mammals. Proposals that increase the inclusion or representation of people from underserved groups in marine mammal research, management, or conservation are strongly encouraged. Eligibility: Applicants from both within the U.S. as well as outside the U.S. are eligible to apply, including both non-U.S. citizens and those affiliated with non-U.S. institutions. Proposal deadline: Wednesday, April 12th 2023 11:59pm EDT Applicant notification: by Monday, July 31st 2023 Proposals should be submitted electronically to the Marine Mammal Commission e-mail address: rpo(a)mmc.gov<mailto:rpo@mmc.gov>. Please be sure to reference both the Current Funding Opportunities as well as the Proposal Requirements web pages prior to submitting proposals. More details can be found on the Commission's webpages below: Current funding opportunities: https://www.mmc.gov/grants-and-research-survey/current-funding-opportunitie… Proposal requirements: https://www.mmc.gov/grants-and-research-survey/current-funding-opportunitie… Dee Allen Scientific Program Officer Marine Mammal Commission 4340 East-West Highway, Suite 700 Bethesda, MD 20814-4498 301-504-0087 dallen(a)mmc.gov<mailto:dallen@mmc.gov> Follow us on Twitter: @MarineMammalCom Visit us online: www.mmc.gov<http://www.mmc.gov/> The Marine Mammal Commission is an independent agency of the U.S. Government. [cid:image001.jpg@01D8EFB8.F3F96B60]

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New Publication on the Ecology of the Black Sea Harbour Porpoise
by Julia Ivanchikova 10 Oct '24

10 Oct '24

Dear colleagues, I am pleased and honoured, on behalf of my coauthors, to announce our new paper on the ecology of Black Sea harbour porpoises: Seasonal and diel patterns in Black Sea harbour porpoise acoustic activity in 2020–2022 Julia Ivanchikova, Nick Tregenza, Dimitar Popov, Galina Meshkova, Romulus-Marian Paiu, Costin Timofte, Ayaka Amaha Öztürk, Arda M. Tonay, Ayhan Dede, Uğur Özsandıkçı, Natia Kopaliani, Davit Dekanoidze, Zurab Gurielidze, Karina Vishnyakova, Philip S. Hammond, Pavel Gol'din (2024) Ecology and Evolution. 2024;14:e70182. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70182 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ece3.70182 The Black Sea is a semi-enclosed inland sea with an unevenly distributed extensive coastal shelf area and anoxic deep waters. It is inhabited by common and bottlenose dolphins, as well as harbour porpoises, all represented by local subspecies. Between September 2020 and October 2022, 19 F-PODs deployed by research teams from Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Türkiye and Ukraine collected data on acoustic activity of Black Sea harbour porpoises. Strong seasonal and diel patterns were found, which varied in three regions. In the south-eastern part of the Black Sea, harbour porpoise acoustic activity was higher from January to May, with a peak in April. This pattern agrees with the seasonal anchovy migration from the winter spawning grounds in warmer waters in the south-eastern region to feeding grounds on the productive shallow north-west shelf. The diel pattern showed strong nocturnal acoustic activity, which is consistent with anchovy vertical migration. Porpoises on the western side of the Black Sea exhibited a bimodal seasonal pattern in acoustic activity, with a larger peak in April and a smaller one in October. Diel activity was primarily nocturnal. On the north-west shelf, harbour porpoise acoustic activity was mostly recorded during the warm period from April to October. The diel pattern showed activity mainly during daylight with two peaks: a smaller one approximately at dawn and a larger one at dusk. This pattern is similar to the vertical migrations of sprat. Overall, the results of the study were consistent with the prey being an important driver of seasonal and diel dynamics of harbour porpoise acoustic activity. Feel free to contact me on any question regarding this research (julia.ivanchikova(a)gmail.com) Julia Ivanchikova PhD | Research Assistant Sea Mammal Research Unit Scottish Oceans Institute University of St Andrews KY16 8LB Scotland [cid:74389466-175e-4584-80ec-bcee3c868f29] You can make a difference in the war in Ukraine – donate here now: Come Back Alive<https://savelife.in.ua/en/donate-en/#donate-army-card-monthly> [cid:e179e882-4c01-44c9-bee8-9f54c55aaac0]

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Join Us at the 4th Marine Mammal Genomics Workshop (G4) in Perth for SMM24!
by Isabella Reeves 10 Oct '24

10 Oct '24

Dear all, Just a quick reminder that the Fourth Marine Mammal Genomics Workshop (G4) is only a few weeks away, happening on November 9-10th. This two-day event promises to be an exciting and collaborative space to shape the future of marine mammal genomics. G4 will cover a range of themes, from evolution and conservation to new methods, genomics on a shoestring, and integrating genomics with traditional knowledge. Alongside traditional presentations and panels, we’re offering unique opportunities to collaborate and learn, including “Bioinformatics Problems Speed Dating” and a project-specific problem-solving panel designed to bring together researchers at all career stages. If you haven't yet registered, now's the time! Please visit the workshop registration page here.<https://www.smmconference.org/workshops/> Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect, learn, and contribute to the future of marine mammal genomics. We can't wait to see you there! Kind regards, Isabella Reeves, Sebastian Alvarez-Costes, Catherine Meyer, and Gabrielle Genty 🌊🐋 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:eae0826b-bd45-4e0b-8ef8-edebfb844a26][cid:8e7a73b4-a85d-4413-82f5-0fd6f8a4a09d] 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 the land, 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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Announcement - Upcoming Webinar on Data Fusion for Marine Mammal Abundance
by Rob Schick 09 Oct '24

09 Oct '24

My colleagues and I have a paper that has been accepted for publication in the Annals of Applied Statistics. Therein, we develop a data fusion method that uses both aerial survey and passive acoustic data to better estimate the abundance of North Atlantic right whales. While our paper is not yet online, the lead author, Erin Schliep, professor of statistics at North Carolina State University, will present the work during a webinar at 2pm (Eastern Time) on the 25th of October. The webinar is hosted by the North Carolina chapter of the American Statistical Association. The webinar is free, but registration is required. To register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvcumorT0vE9x1tSVCjOCMh7PwEQh8ZT…<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvcum…> After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Abstract: Marine mammals are increasingly vulnerable to human disturbance and climate change. Their diving behavior leads to limited visual access during data collection, making studying the abundance and distribution of marine mammals challenging. In theory, using data from more than one observation modality should lead to better informed predictions of abundance and distribution. With focus on North Atlantic right whales, we consider the fusion of two data sources: (i) aerial distance sampling which provides the spatial locations of whales detected and (ii) passive acoustic monitoring, returning calls received at hydrophones placed on the ocean floor. Due to limited time on the surface and detection limitations arising from sampling effort, aerial distance sampling only provides a partial realization of locations. With passive acoustic monitoring, we never observe numbers or locations of individuals. To address these challenges, we develop a novel thinned spatial point pattern data fusion. Our approach leads to improved inference regarding abundance and distribution of North Atlantic right whales throughout Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts in the US. Speaker Bio: Erin Schliep is an Associate Professor of Statistics at North Carolina State University. She completed her PhD at Colorado State University, was a postdoctoral fellow at Duke University, and spent seven years on the faculty at the University of Missouri before joining NCSU. She has research interests in Bayesian statistics, multivariate statistics, and spatiotemporal statistics. She has experience working on large collaborative research projects at the interface of statistics, environmental science, and ecology and has developed and maintained strong working relationships with researchers across disciplines, universities, and government agencies. Citation: Schliep, E. M., Gelfand, A. E., Clark, C. W., Mayo, C. M., McKenna, B., Parks, S. E., Yack, T. M., and Schick, R. S. (In Press). Assessing Marine Mammal Abundance: A Novel Data Fusion. Annals of Applied Statistics. https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.08397 Rob Schick, PhD Senior Scientist Southall Environmental Associates, Inc.

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Registration is now open for The Whale Museum's 2024 virtual Gear Down Workshop for Marine Naturalists
by tracie merrill 09 Oct '24

09 Oct '24

Registration is now open for The Whale Museum's 2024 virtual Gear Down Workshop for Marine Naturalists The Whale Museum (TWM) in Friday Harbor, WA, is holding an exciting virtual Gear Down Workshop for Marine Naturalists this fall on Friday, November 15. This workshop will be held from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific Time and registrants will join sessions through the videoconferencing platform, Zoom. TWM's Gear Down Workshop will enhance your knowledge of the Salish Sea marine ecosystem and is open to the general public. The theme of this “Gear Down” Workshop will be All Rivers Lead to Whales. Invited presenters include: • Madison Rose Bristol, Water Quality 6PPD Planner, and Bryson Finch, Senior Toxicologist, Washington State Department of Ecology on 6PPD-quinone and update on Washington State being first state in the nation to establish freshwater limit • Kaitlin Yehle, Fisheries Biologist, SkeenaWild Conservation Trust on Alaska’s commercial salmon fisheries and impacts on Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs) • Dave Scott, Research and Restoration Coordinator for the Lower Fraser Salmon Program, Raincoast Foundation on Healthy Waters Program and Fraser River salmon recovery projects • Jacob Lerner, PhD Candidate, University of British Columbia on seasonal variation in fat content of Fraser River Chinook salmon and implications for SRKW prey quality • Eva Stredulinsky, Aquatic Biologist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada on foraging research & resident killer whales & • Julie Watson, Killer Whale Policy Lead, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, and Katie Pruit, Salmon Recovery Coordinator, Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office on SRKW vessel regulations and progress on the Statewide Salmon Strategy & salmon in the context of SRKW recovery The registration fee is $35 for non-members; $25 for TWM/SSAMN members. For more information and/or to register, please visit https://whalemuseum.org/products/virtual-gear-down-workshop-2024?_pos=1&_si… . Zoom link and workshop agenda will be sent to registrants at email provided at registration closer to start of workshop. Questions can be directed to Tracie Merrill at tracie(a)whalemuseum.org<mailto:tracie@whalemuseum.org>. Sent from Outlook<http://aka.ms/weboutlook>

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New publication: Relaxed selection in evolution of genes regulating limb development gives clue to variation in forelimb morphology of cetaceans and other mammals
by Pavel Gol'din 09 Oct '24

09 Oct '24

Dear colleagues, I am pleased to announce our new paper which can be found at https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2024.1106 Telizhenko V, Kosiol C, McGowen MR, Gol'din P. 2024 Relaxed selection in evolution of genes regulating limb development gives clue to variation in forelimb morphology of cetaceans and other mammals. Proc. R. Soc. B 291: 20241106. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.1106 <https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.1106?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3MBTpJmPW…> Cetaceans have evolved unique limb structures, such as flippers, due to genetic changes during their transition to aquatic life. However, the full understanding of the genetic and evolutionary mechanisms behind these changes is still developing. By examining 25 limb-related protein-coding genes across various mammalian species, we compared genetic changes between aquatic mammals, like whales, and other mammals with unique limb structures such as bats, rodents and elephants. Our findings revealed significant modifications in limb-related genes, including variations in the Hox, GDF5 and Evx genes. Notably, a relaxed selection in several key genes was observed, suggesting a lifting of developmental constraints, which might have facilitated the emergence of morphological innovations in cetacean limb morphology. We also uncovered non-synonymous changes, insertions and deletions in these genes, particularly in the polyalanine tract of HOXD13, which are distinctive to cetaceans or convergent with other aquatic mammals. These genetic variations correlated with the diverse and specialized limb structures observed in cetaceans, indicating a complex interplay of relaxed selection and specific mutations in mammalian limb evolution. Feel free to contact authors, including Valeriia Telizhenko valeriia.dccclxiv(a)gmail.com On behalf of the team and all the best, Pavel Gol'din, Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, Kyiv, Ukraine

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[New paper] Fishers’ perception and activity shifts in a dolphin bycatch mitigation context
by Larissa Dalpaz 08 Oct '24

08 Oct '24

Dear MARMAMers, We are excited to share our new paper on fishing bans for dolphin bycatch mitigation and their unintended social and ecological impacts, published in Ocean & Coastal Management. Links to access the paper: - https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1jlzw3RKK--ryG (free PDF until November 02, 2024) - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2024.107375 Citation: Dalpaz, L., Daura-Jorge, F. G., Lewison, R., Zank, S., & Hanazaki, N. (2024). Fishers' perception and activity shifts in a dolphin bycatch mitigation context. Ocean & Coastal Management, 258, 107375. In this study, we explored the unintended consequences of fishing exclusion zones aimed at reducing bycatch of the endangered Lahille’s bottlenose dolphins in southern Brazil. Through a case study in a coastal lagoon, we examined local fishers' socioeconomic conditions and their reliance on dolphin-cooperative fishing. Our findings reveal significant social disparities among fishers and show how bycatch mitigation efforts may unintentionally push them toward harmful practices like shrimp trawling, further threatening the ecosystem. We emphasize the need for participatory governance and alternative strategies to balance conservation goals with the livelihoods of small-scale fishers. Please feel free to email me for a PDF copy if you have any issues with the links. All my best, Larissa Dalpaz

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JNCC-recognised MMO course (remote delivery) + PSO course
by Carolyn Barton 08 Oct '24

08 Oct '24

Spaces are available on a JNCC-recognised MMO course for UK waters on 4th and 5th November 2024, remote delivery by Zoom. The course is taught by an instructor with over 25 years' experience of training MMOs, working as an MMO, analysing MMO data and being involved with the development of JNCC guidelines. The course will cover all the information needed for work as a Marine Mammal Observer in UK waters: 1) Impacts of noise on marine mammals 2) Introduction to activities that require mitigation 3) Legislation protecting marine mammals and marine licensing 4) Detailed examination of the suite of JNCC mitigation guidelines for different offshore activities 5) Data recording and reporting requirements 6) Visual monitoring and distance estimation 7) Overview of passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) 8) Working as an MMO / PAM operator 9) Identification of marine mammals Zoom sessions will be a mixture of lectures and exercises, over 1.5 days. There is also an online multiple choice exam to be done at your convenience after the Zoom sessions (re-sits are possible if you don't pass first time). Each delegate gets individual feedback on their exercises and the exam. On successful completion of the course you will receive JNCC-recognised certification, which is required for work as an MMO in UK waters. The cost of the MMO course is £150 (150GBP), which includes a comprehensive resource pack and ongoing support available after the course. Also available is an online, self-navigated PSO course, for Protected Species Observers working in offshore waters of the US Gulf of Mexico and US Atlantic on activities such as geophysical surveys and offshore wind energy developments. Topics include: 1) Marine mammals and sea turtles, their biology and threats to populations 2) Sound in the seas and the impact of noise on marine mammals 3) US legislation protecting marine mammals and sea turtles 4) Activities requiring mitigation 5) Geophysical survey mitigation 6) Vessel strike avoidance 7) Explosive removal of structures 8) Offshore wind energy developments and mitigation 9) Visual monitoring and distance estimation 10) Introduction to passive acoustic monitoring 11) Working as a PSO 12) Life at sea 13) Identification of marine mammals and sea turtles 14) Final assessment The cost of the PSO course is £180 (180GBP). On successful completion of the course you will receive PSO certification, which is required as part of the approval process for work as a PSO in US waters. For further details and for a registration form for either course see www.carolynbarton.co.uk or e-mail info(a)carolynbarton.co.uk .

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New publication: Hormones and reproductive cycles in marine mammals
by Dara Orbach 08 Oct '24

08 Oct '24

Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce our review chapter on marine mammal reproductive hormones. Orbach, D. N., Sperou, E. S., Guinn, M., & Charapata, P. (2024). Hormones and reproductive cycles in marine mammals. In Norris, D. O., & Lopez, K. H. *Hormones and Reproduction of Vertebrates, *2nd edn, Vol 5, pp. 377-413. Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-15986-2.00017-4 Abstract: Pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, fur seals, and walruses), cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), and sirenians (manatees and dugongs) spend most of their lives beneath the surface of the water. Each clade has distinctive reproductive cycles that more closely resemble their terrestrial relatives than other marine mammal groups, although patterns are relatively conserved within suborders and families. Pinnipeds experience delayed implantation. Postreproductive lifespans are unique to humans and a few species of toothed whales. Male sirenians can restrain, delay, and possibly cease reproductive activity. More is known about the reproductive hormones and cycles of female, captive, and postmortem marine mammals than male, free-ranging, and live animals. However, exploration of diverse tissue matrices and emerging technologies continue to rapidly expand our understandings of marine mammal reproduction. As reproductive cycles are tightly linked to environmental conditions, increasing anthropogenic disturbances pose threats to marine mammal breeding and survival. The article is not open access and is available upon request to Dara Orbach (dnorbach(a)gmail.com) Thank you, Dara Orbach, PhD Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi

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Vacancy: Science Officer posts at HWDT
by Lauren Hartny-Mills 08 Oct '24

08 Oct '24

Dear all, The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) are recruiting for a Senior Science Officer and a Seasonal Science Officer to join our team. Both of these exciting opportunities involve working on our research vessel, Silurian, to deliver research expeditions on the west coast of Scotland as part of our long-term marine mammal monitoring programme, which has been running for more than twenty years. The Senior Science Officer will lead the delivery of the programme and the Seasonal Science Officer will support them to run summer and winter surveys. For more information about both of these exciting positions and details of how to apply please visit https://hwdt.org/vacancies As a small charity HWDT are unable to sponsor visa applications for international workers at this time and you will need to have the right to work in the UK to apply for this role: https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-work. The closing date for applications is Monday 28th October. Interviews will take place in person in Tobermory, Isle of Mull on 11th or 12th November. Many thanks, Lauren Dr Lauren Hartny-Mills Science and Conservation Manager Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust 01688 302620 | www.hwdt.org<http://www.hwdt.org>

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