February 2024 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Job Opportunity - ORCA Ocean Conservationist - Newhaven/Dieppe
by Kate Weston 26 Feb '24

26 Feb '24

ORCA (Organisation Cetacea) is a whale and dolphin conservation charity dedicated to the long-term protection of whales, dolphins and porpoises and their habitats. ORCA's vision is to have oceans alive with whales and dolphins, and their mission is to give everyone who cares about whales and dolphins an active role in safeguarding their future. We have an exciting new opportunity for an enthusiastic Ocean Conservationist to join the team delivering the DFDS programme in the English Channel this season. You’ll be working onboard the Cotê d’Albâte and Seven Sisters ships, sailing between Newhaven and Dieppe for one return crossing per day (Wednesday-Sunday). *Note: The ability to speak both English and French is essential for this role.* The Ocean Conservationist Programme is a vital part of ORCA’s education and outreach work, inspiring thousands of passengers about the wonders in our waters every year. We have been partnered with DFDS for over 15 years, and Ocean Conservationists work remotely and independently on board their ships to give the passengers an experience of a lifetime. We are looking for passionate individuals to showcase the diversity and abundance of wildlife that can be spotted across the English Channel, encouraging passengers to help protect the whales and dolphins. This education work is conducted through lectures or other interactive activities with members of the public (both adults and children). In addition, you will be collecting scientific data based on your sightings using the OceanWatchers app, data that contributes to the protection of whales and dolphins. Person Specification - Experience in marine conservation or related field - Experience in giving presentations and talking to members of the public - Ability to work independently - Knowledge and passion for wildlife and the natural world - Fundraising experience A full person specification and further information about the role can be found here - https://orca.org.uk/vacancies To apply for the Ocean Conservationist role, please send a *2-minute video *outlining why you think you’d be a good fit for this role and why you want to help protect whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as *an up-to-date CV (no more than 2-pages). *Applications should be submitted through the Application Form, which can be found on the vacancies page. The deadline to apply for this position is *Sunday 3rd March 2024 at 23:59 (GMT*) For more information and for the application form, please visit www.orca.org.uk/vacancies

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MMO & PAM Training 4th - 8th March - Okehampton, Devon, UK
by Sarah Hancock 26 Feb '24

26 Feb '24

Seiche Training has 2 spaces left on our next training at Okehampton. Devon UK. * 04-05 March Okehampton, UK MMO with (optional) PSO * 06-08 March Okehampton, UK PAM Level 1. JNCC MMO training course will give you a thorough insight into all aspects of life as a marine mammal observer. Exploring: how noise impacts marine mammals; the legislative landscape; record-keeping; reporting requirements; and mitigation measures. PAM Level 1 course combines classroom study with practical experience at sea to equip you with the all the skills required to become a professionally qualified Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) Operator. you will look at the role of a PAM Operator and an in-depth introduction to PAM software, including an interactive PAMGuard workshop. To book on the courses or to find out further information email training(a)seiche.com<mailto:training@seiche.com> Sarah Hancock Seiche Products & Services Director Seiche Ltd T: +44(0)1837 503387 E: s.hancock(a)seiche.com W: https://www.seiche.com Bradworthy Industrial Estate, Langdon Road, Bradworthy, Holsworthy, Devon, EX22 7SF, United Kingdom Seiche Ltd is registered in England & Wales. Registered number: 03475558. Registered Office: Bradworthy Industrial Estate, Langdon Road, Bradworthy, Holsworthy, Devon, EX22 7SF, United Kingdom The information contained in this e-mail transmission, and any documents, files or previous e-mail messages attached to it, is privileged and confidential, and solely intended for the use of the individual(s) to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient or a person responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient you should not read, copy, distribute or otherwise use the information, and you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of any of the information contained in or attached to this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify sender immediately and delete this e-mail and attached documents.

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New paper on tooth wear and dental pathology in Amazonian dolphins
by Carolina Loch Silva 25 Feb '24

25 Feb '24

Dear MARMAM subscribers, My co-author and I are pleased to announce the following paper in the *Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals*: *Tooth wear and dental pathology in Amazon River dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) and tucuxis (Sotalia fluviatilis)* Carolina Loch and Miriam Marmontel https://doi.org/10.5597/lajam00318 *Abstract* The investigation of tooth wear and pathology in freshwater dolphins can increase our understanding of their life history, including interactions with the environment and impacts of disease and morbidity. This paper evaluated the occurrence, prevalence and discussed the putative etiology of dental wear and pathology in freshwater dolphins - tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis) and the Amazon River dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) - from the central Amazon basin. Teeth of 29 Amazon River dolphins and 14 tucuxis were visually inspected to identify wear facets and the presence of pathology. Dental wear was observed in 55% (n = 16) of the Amazon River dolphin and 79% (n = 11) of the tucuxi specimens. For both species, superficial wear restricted to the tooth crown was more frequent. Calculus deposits were observed in both species, occurring in 14% of tucuxi (n = 2) and 41% of Amazon River dolphin (n = 12) specimens. Caries-like lesions were observed in a third of Amazon River dolphin specimens (n = 10), affecting 10% of the teeth (n = 197). Gross caries was the most commonly caries type observed. Only one tucuxi had caries-like lesions, affecting 1.6% of the teeth (n = 13). While conditions such as tooth wear arise from normal physiological processes, severe wear and pathology such as caries and calculus can contribute to further disease development and morbidity, impacting the health of the animals. Further studies using materials from museum collections in other regions from the Amazon Basin will help elucidate the occurrence, etiology, and health impact of tooth wear and dental pathology in freshwater cetaceans, contributing to our growing understanding of their life history. Keywords: abrasion, calculus, caries, dental wear, pigmentation, river dolphins Full text is available at: https://www.lajamjournal.org/index.php/lajam/article/view/1633/567 Or alternatively, a *pdf* can be requested at: carolina.loch(a)otago.ac.nz Best regards, *Carolina Loch Silva (She/her)* Senior Lecturer in Oral Biology Deputy Director, Sir John Walsh Research Institute Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago *Phone* +(64) 03 479-9255 *Web* https://www.otago.ac.nz/dentistry/about/people/expertise/profile/index.html… *Email* carolina.loch(a)otago.ac.nz

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Internship Opportunity | The Marine Mammal Center
by Sarah Tatum 23 Feb '24

23 Feb '24

Greetings all! The Marine Mammal Center is recruiting! Maui Hawaiian Monk Seal Response Intern Location of Internship: Maui Island Reports to: Response Dispatcher - Maui Position Classification / Expected Time commitment and work schedule: * This is a six-moth internship (April 2024 to September 2024). * 8 – 12 hours per week, with additional training hours required at the start of the internship. * Travel around Maui Island is expected. Stipend: $500/month Internship Summary: The Hawaiian Monk Seal Response Intern supports The Marine Mammal Center’s Maui operations by answering calls from the public, educating, and engaging the public in conversations about Hawaiian monk seals, conservation work, and the Center, help identify and assess the health of the monk seal, direct beach foot traffic, and dispatching the Center’s volunteers to the seal. To read the full description and to apply, please visit: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/2267008/Marine-Mam… ABOUT THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER The Marine Mammal Center is leading the field in ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue, veterinary medicine, science, and education. For more information, please visit our “About Us” page at www.marinemammalcenter.org<https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/about-us/what-we-do> Thank you! Sarah [Icon Description automatically generated with low confidence] Sarah Tatum (she-her) Human Resources Operations Coordinator MarineMammalCenter.org<http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/> The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito, CA 94965

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Re: [MARMAM] New publication on Genetic investigation of Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris, along the coast of Türkiye and Northern Cyprus, based on mtDNA
by Arda M. Tonay 23 Feb '24

23 Feb '24

Dear All, Apologies for cross posting. We would like to inform you that the new paper on genetic investigation of Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris, along the coast of Türkiye and Northern Cyprus, based on mtDNA sequences has been published in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom as open access. Tonay, A.M., Karaman, K., Dede, A., Danyer, E., Danyer Aytemiz I., Uzun B., Taşkaya, İ., Deval, C., Öztürk Amaha, A., Bilgin, R. 2024. Genetic investigation of Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris, along the coast of Türkiye and Northern Cyprus, based on mtDNA sequences. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 104, e14 You can view the article at: <https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315424000079> https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315424000079 Abstract The Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris, is a cosmopolitan species and the only beaked whale species commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea. Five strandings of Cuvier's beaked whale were reported along the Aegean/Mediterranean Seas coasts of Türkiye and northern coast of Cyprus in 2016-2017. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region (430-444 bp) and cytochrome b (cytb) (382-424 bp) sequences each revealed two different haplotypes (four out of five individuals had the same haplotype for each locus) on these stranded animals. The control region haplotypes were identical to two previously identified haplotypes from the Ionian (Greece) and Adriatic (Croatia) Seas. Only one of the cytb haplotypes had previously been described from the Adriatic Sea (Italy) and the other one was detected for the first time. In a comparison of these haplotypes with Cuvier's beaked whale haplotypes previously reported from outside the Mediterranean Sea, the Mediterranean subpopulation shows genetic differentiation based upon the presence of two unique haplotypes. Additional mtDNA sequences from the Mediterranean Sea are needed for a better understanding of the genetic population structure of this species and to elaborate more concrete conservation measures. Regards Arda Arda M. TONAY Ph.D Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University Marine Biology Dep. Kalenderhane Mah. Onaltı Mart Şehitleri Cad. No: 2 Fatih 34134 İstanbul, Türkiye Tel: +90 212 440 0000/20159 Fax: +90 212 440 0232 atonay(a)istanbul.edu.tr <mailto:atonay@istanbul.edu.tr> http://subilimleri.istanbul.edu.tr/ Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TUDAV) P.O. Box 10 Beykoz, 34820 İstanbul, Türkiye Tel: +90 216 424 0772 Fax: +90 216 424 0771 -- *Yasal Uyarı:* Bu elektronik posta, **buradan* <https://bilgiislem.istanbul.edu.tr/tr/duyuru/e-posta-yasal-uyari-e-mail-dis…> *ulaşabileceğiniz Koşul ve Şartlara tabidir. *Disclaimer: *This email is subject to the Terms and Conditions available *here.* <https://bilgiislem.istanbul.edu.tr/tr/duyuru/e-posta-yasal-uyari-e-mail-dis…>

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Job Posting - Protected Resource Science Coordinator
by Matthew Lettrich - NOAA Affiliate 23 Feb '24

23 Feb '24

ECS is seeking qualified candidates to work remotely to support NOAA Fisheries protected resources science and to provide leadership and strategic planning with vessel strike mitigation research and supporting technology. https://phh.tbe.taleo.net/phh02/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=ECS_FEDERAL… Thank you! -Matt Lettrich -- Matt Lettrich Protected Species Climate Vulnerability Assessment Lead, Contractor with ECS in support of NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce matthew.lettrich(a)noaa.gov www.fisheries.noaa.gov

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New publication: Submesoscale coupling of krill and whales revealed by aggregative Lagrangian coherent structures (James Fahlbusch)
by James Andrew Fahlbusch 23 Feb '24

23 Feb '24

Hello everyone, On behalf of my coauthors, I am pleased to share our recently published paper titled "Submesoscale coupling of krill and whales revealed by aggregative Lagrangian coherent structures". Fahlbusch James A., Cade David E., Hazen Elliott L., Elliott Meredith L., Saenz Benjamin T., Goldbogen Jeremy A. and Jahncke Jaime (2024) Submesoscale coupling of krill and whales revealed by aggregative Lagrangian coherent structures. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. *Abstract* In the marine environment, dynamic physical processes shape biological productivity and predator–prey interactions across multiple scales. Identifying pathways of physical–biological coupling is fundamental to understand the functioning of marine ecosystems yet it is challenging because the interactions are difficult to measure. We examined submesoscale (less than 100 km) surface current features using remote sensing techniques alongside ship-based surveys of krill and baleen whale distributions in the California Current System. We found that aggregative surface current features, represented by Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS) integrated over temporal scales between 2 and 10 days, were associated with increased (a) krill density (up to 2.6 times more dense), (b) baleen whale presence (up to 8.3 times more likely) and (c) subsurface seawater density (at depths up to 10 m). The link between physical oceanography, krill density and krill–predator distributions suggests that LCS are important features that drive the flux of energy and nutrients across trophic levels. Our results may help inform dynamic management strategies aimed at reducing large whales ship strikes and help assess the potential impacts of environmental change on this critical ecosystem. The paper is open access and can be downloaded here: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2023.2461 Code and documentation can be found on my github page: https://github.com/physalus/Krill_and_Lagrangian_Features A knitted R-Markdown with the analysis and results for this manuscript (including the code to produce them) can be found at: https://physalus.github.io/Krill_and_Lagrangian_Features/ Please contact me at musculus(a)stanford.edu if you have any questions. Best regards, James Fahlbusch PhD Candidate Hopkins Marine Station Stanford University

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New publication: Basin-wide shift in bowhead whale migration in the Pacific Arctic
by Angela Szesciorka 21 Feb '24

21 Feb '24

Dear MARMAM colleagues, On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to share our new publication in the open access journal Geophysical Research Letters: Szesciorka, A.R., Stafford, K. M., Berchok, C. L. (2024). Basin-wide shift in bowhead whale migration in the Pacific Arctic. Geophysical Research Letters, 51, e2023GL106416. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL106416 The paper is available here: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023GL106416 Abstract: In a rapidly changing Arctic, multiple lines of evidence suggest that bowhead whale migration is changing. To explore these changes further, we used passive acoustic data to examine bowhead whale presence in the western Beaufort Sea (12 years) and Chukchi Plateau (11 years) spanning 2008 to 2022. Departure from the western Beaufort Sea shifted 45 days later over the 12-year period. Summer presence increased at both sites, suggesting feeding areas within the Chukchi Sea are becoming more favorable. Likewise, findings from the Bering Strait suggest that some whales are remaining north of the Bering Strait for the winter instead of in the Bering Sea. These Pacific Arctic-wide changes to migration have occurred over only one decade. Questions remain about prey availability in the Chukchi Sea, implications of migratory changes, such as a northward shift in the core overwintering area, and impact to communities south of the Bering Strait. Please contact me if you have any questions or if you need a PDF copy. Cheers, Angie -- Angela Szesciorka, Ph.D. Research Associate Marine Mammal Institute Oregon State University

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New Publication: Addressing temporal trends in survivorship from cross-sectional sampling designs: A modelling framework with applications for megafauna conservation
by Etienne Rouby 21 Feb '24

21 Feb '24

>From then on, using age-at-death data of marine mammals at some of their full potential was impossible. In this article, we provide a new Bayesian regression modeling framework to evidence temporal changes in marine mammal populations survival rates. The model is available with Stan code and is fully reproducible (supplementary material and Github link in the publication). This work can help conservation biology by providing clear demographical evidence of a decline in survival. Since several marine mammal populations can not be monitored longitudinally, age-at-death data remain the only demographic source of information for these populations. By quantifying decline in their survival over time, it is possible to enforce management decisions before a population depletion occurs. How to use it? You have to provide your age-at-death data to the model and the associated timescale. Then, you will obtain several parameter posteriors. Finally you have to use these posteriors in the associated functions to estimate various survival parameters and their evolution according to time. In case you have any question or you need help with the methodology, please contact me at : etienne.rouby(a)whoi.edu with the subject: Query for age-at-death analysis. Link to the publication : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2024.110647

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New publication: dwarf minke whales
by Lis Bittencourt 21 Feb '24

21 Feb '24

Dear colleagues, On behalf of my co-authors, I would like to share our new article: Bittencourt L, Carvalho R, Santos-Neto EB, Bisi TL, Lailson-Brito Jr. J and Azevedo AF (2024) Dwarf minke whales (*Balaenoptera acutorostrata*) acoustic signals from the South Atlantic Ocean. Front. Mar. Sci. 11:1338538. Abstract: At present, there are still populations of different balaenopterids that have never been acoustically recorded and observed simultaneously. In an opportunistic sighting of dwarf minke whales during winter in southeastern Brazil, we have registered six individuals and recorded over 200 acoustic signals. Signals were quantified and had their acoustic parameters extracted; the calling rate was estimated as the number of sounds per minute, and the repetition rate was estimated as the number of calls of the same type emitted per minute. Four call types were described: Ba1, Ba2, Ba3 and Ba4. The most common and distinctive call was the Ba1, composed of three components: one had a peak frequency of 615.0 ± 189.8 Hz, and the other had peak frequencies of 1632.0 ± 191.5 and 5038.2 ± 195.1 Hz. Ba1 repetition varied from 2.4 to 11.1 repetitions/min. Ba2 was the second most common call with a peak frequency of 485.2 ± 421.9 Hz. The total calling rate varied from 4.4 to 11.1 calls/min. The signals are in the same frequency range reported for other areas but contain different structures. It is open access and you can download the pdf here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1338538/full Kind regards, Lis PhD in Oceanography Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores - MAQUA Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ Brazil

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