February 2024 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

JNCC-recognised MMO course and PSO course
by Carolyn Barton 04 Feb '24

04 Feb '24

Spaces are available on a JNCC-recognised MMO course for UK waters on 19th and 20th February 2024, remote delivery by Zoom. Also available is an online self-navigated PSO course for the US Gulf of Mexico and US Atlantic. The JNCC-recognised MMO course will cover all the information needed for work as a Marine Mammal Observer in UK waters. Taught by an instructor with over 25 years experience, the course content includes: 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 JNCC guidelines for geophysical surveys, pile driving and explosives 5) Data recording and reporting requirements 6) Visual monitoring and distance estimation 7) Overview of passive acoustic monitoring 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. Any exercises not completed during the sessions can be completed in your own time. 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. The cost of the MMO course is £180 (180GBP). On successful completion of the course (including the exercises and exam) you will receive JNCC-recognised certification, which is required for work as an MMO in UK waters. Online, self-navigated PSO course: this course is for Protected Species Observers who will be 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 (including the exam) 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 .

1 0

New paper: Morphology of nares associated with stereo-olfaction in baleen whales
by Conor Ryan 03 Feb '24

03 Feb '24

Dear marmam subscribers, On behalf all the coauthors, I would like to inform you of a new paper in Biology Letters: Ryan Conor, Martins Maria C. I., Healy Kevin, Bejder Lars, Cerchio Salvatore, Christiansen Fredrik, Durban John, Fearnbach Holly, Fortune Sarah, Friedlaender Ari, Koski William R., Miller Carolyn, Rodríguez-González Fabian M., Segre Paolo S., Urbán R Jorge, Vivier Fabien, Weir Caroline R. and Moore Michael J. (2024) Morphology of nares associated with stereo-olfaction in baleen whales. Biology Letters, 20: 20230479. http://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0479 Abstract The sensory mechanisms used by baleen whales (Mysticeti) for locating ephemeral, dense prey patches in vast marine habitats are poorly understood. Baleen whales have a functional olfactory system with paired rather than single blowholes (nares), potentially enabling stereo-olfaction. Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) is an odorous gas emitted by phytoplankton in response to grazing by zooplankton. Some seabirds use DMS to locate prey, but this ability has not been demonstrated in whales. For 14 extant species of baleen whale, nares morphometrics (imagery from unoccupied aerial systems, UAS) was related to published trophic level indices using Bayesian phylogenetic mixed modelling. A significant negative relationship was found between nares width and whale trophic level (β = −0.08, lower 95% CI = −0.13, upper 95% CI = −0.03), corresponding with a 39% increase in nares width from highest to lowest trophic level. Thus, species with nasal morphology best suited to stereo-olfaction are more zooplanktivorous. These findings provide evidence that some baleen whale species may be able to localize odorants e.g. DMS. Our results help direct future behavioural trials of olfaction in baleen whales, by highlighting the most appropriate species to study. This is a research priority, given the potential for DMS-mediated plastic ingestion by whales. Best wishes, Conor Ryan

1 0

New Publication: White-beaked dolphin population genomics
by Marc-Alexander Gose 02 Feb '24

02 Feb '24

Dear colleagues, We are excited to share our new publication in Heredity: "Population genomics of the white-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris): Implications for conservation amid climate-driven range shifts" (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41437-024-00672-7) Marc-Alexander Gose, Emily Humble, Andrew Brownlow, Dave Wall, Emer Rogan, Guðjón Már Sigurðsson, Jeremy J. Kiszka, Charlotte Bie Thøstesen, Lonneke L. IJsseldijk, Mariel ten Doeschate, Nicholas J. Davison, Nils Øien, Rob Deaville, Ursula Siebert and Rob Ogden Abstract: Climate change is rapidly affecting species distributions across the globe, particularly in the North Atlantic. For highly mobile and elusive cetaceans, the genetic data needed to understand population dynamics are often scarce. Cold-water obligate species such as the white-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) face pressures from habitat shifts due to rising sea surface temperatures in addition to other direct anthropogenic threats. Unravelling the genetic connectivity between white-beaked dolphins across their range is needed to understand the extent to which climate change and anthropogenic pressures may impact species-wide genetic diversity and identify ways to protect remaining habitat. We address this by performing a population genomic assessment of white-beaked dolphins using samples from much of their contemporary range. We show that the species displays significant population structure across the North Atlantic at multiple scales. Analysis of contemporary migration rates suggests a remarkably high connectivity between populations in the western North Atlantic, Iceland and the Barents Sea, while two regional populations in the North Sea and adjacent UK and Irish waters are highly differentiated from all other clades. Our results have important implications for the conservation of white-beaked dolphins by providing guidance for the delineation of more appropriate management units and highlighting the risk that local extirpation may have on species-wide genetic diversity. In a broader context, this study highlights the importance of understanding genetic structure of all species threatened with climate change-driven range shifts to assess the risk of loss of species-wide genetic diversity. Find the Open Access Article here: https://rdcu.be/dxyMF Please contact Marc-Alexander Gose with any questions: marc-alexander.gose(a)ed.ac.uk Best wishes, Marc-Alexander Gose Marc-Alexander Gose Ph.D. Student in Conservation Genetics R(D)SVS & The Roslin Institute University of Edinburgh Find a Project Description here<https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/conservation-science/conservation-genetics/project…> The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. Is e buidheann carthannais a th’ ann an Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann, clàraichte an Alba, àireamh clàraidh SC005336.

1 0

Upcoming SMM Editors Select Webinar, 15 February 2024: Foraging migration ontogeny in southern elephant seals, with Dr. Trevor McIntyre
by Student Members-at-Large Society for Marine Mammalogy 01 Feb '24

01 Feb '24

Greetings MARMAM community! Join us on Join us on Thursday February 15th 2024 at 10 am PST / 6 pm GMT for the next SMM Editors Select Series Webinar: Foraging migration ontogeny in southern elephant seals: finding their way as they go? with Dr. Trevor McIntyre This event is free to attend and presented online via Zoom, but registration is required. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_l7Hva63SRea5GJgW-BOlkQ#/registr… Space on Zoom is limited to the first 500 attendees. The talk will also be streamed live on the SMM Facebook page. About this talk: Elephant seal pups are abandoned by their mothers when they are between three and four weeks of age. After a short period of fasting on-land, they depart on their first foraging migrations unaccompanied by adults. These maiden foraging trips normally last longer than three months, during which they must avoid potential predators such as orcas and find sufficient food in the vast Southern Ocean. The development of the skills needed to successfully navigate these early foraging trips is poorly understood, not only in elephant seals, but in many animals that perform extreme migratory behaviours. We studied the maiden foraging trips of recently weaned southern elephant seal pups from Marion Island ̶ a small, but intensively studied population located in the southern Indian Ocean. Unlike the adults of this population, recently weaned pups did not show evidence of consistency in travel directions, distances and speed of travel between individuals, or even between sequential foraging trips by the same individuals. Cumulatively, our results suggest that the foraging strategies of adult elephant seals from this population are strongly influenced by rapid learning while at-sea and is likely less reliant on innate behaviours or innate responses to large-scale environmental cues. There remains a need for continued longitudinal studies to better understand what the likely population-level effects of juvenile behavioural strategies are. About the presenter: Dr Trevor McIntyre is an Associate Professor in Zoology at the University of South Africa (UNISA). He first started working with marine mammals as a field assistant on the Marion Island Marine Mammal Programme in 2005, before continuing with his PhD studies on at-sea behaviours of southern elephant seals at the University of Pretoria. Dr McIntyre then commenced a few years of postdoctoral research in South Africa and at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany, followed by a lecturing position at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, before joining UNISA in 2019. His broad research interests are centred around behavioural adaptations of animals to environmental change, particularly for semi-aquatic mammals such as seals and otters. Current research projects he is involved in include studies on the ecology of African clawless otter in freshwater systems of South Africa and Ross seals in the eastern Weddell Sea, Antarctica. Open access to this article is made temporarily available in the weeks around the presentation and can be found here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/mms.13078. Current SMM members have access to all Marine Mammal Science papers. Missed a presentation or want to share this series with a friend? All previous Editors' Select presentations are recorded and archived on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUc78IynQlubS2DVS1VZoplf_t42-yZOO. We hope to see you there! -- Theresa-Anne Tatom-Naecker, Ph.D. Candidate Sophia Volzke, Ph.D. Candidate Clinton Factheu, Ph.D. Candidate Student Members-at-Large (SMaLs) The Society for Marine Mammalogy

1 0

PhD studentship, marine mammal bioacoustics and statistics, University of St Andrews
by Len Thomas 01 Feb '24

01 Feb '24

Estimating spatial and temporal patterns in density of harbour porpoises in the North Sea using datasets from passive acoustic ocean observation networks with data flow to EU Digital Twin Ocean database University of St Andrews, Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM) Closing date: 4 March 2024. Start date: May - Sept 2024 We welcome applications for a fully-funded inter-disciplinary PhD in statistics and marine mammal bioacoustics at the University of St Andrews. This PhD project will use existing underwater acoustic datasets to monitor the distribution and abundance of harbour porpoises throughout the North Sea. The PhD project will run alongside a recently started multi-year, international project, called DTO Bioflow (https://dto-bioflow.eu) The project will be tailored to suit the student’s specific skills and interests, building on work developed by DTO partners to: 1) process available acoustic and visual sighting datasets to detect porpoise; 2) implement animal density estimation methods on processed datasets; 3) compare results using visual vs acoustic detections with an effort to integrate data from both sources; and (4) use spatial and temporal modelling methods to investigate how patterns in porpoise densities vary with biological and physical oceanographic variables. Project supervisors are Professor Len Thomas (CREEM), Professor Peter Tyack (Sea Mammal Research Unit, SMRU) and Dr. Jamie Macaulay (SMRU). The student will matriculate in the School of Mathematics and Statistics. The ideal applicant will have excellent academic credentials, strong university-level training in statistics and signal processing, a demonstrated interest in statistical ecology and marine mammal bioacoustics and evidence of contributions to the wider research community. Applications are particularly welcome from candidates belonging to a group that has been historically under-represented in statistics and biology programmes at St Andrews. For more details of the position, our selection criteria and how to apply, please see https://stats.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/files/2024/02/DTO_bioflow_studentship.pdf -- Len Thomas (he/him) len.thomas(a)st-andrews.ac.uk lenthomas.org @len_thom Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling and School of Mathematics and Statistics The Observatory, University of St Andrews, Scotland KY16 9LZ Office: UK+1334-461801 Admin: UK+1334-461842 While I may be sending this email outside of my normal office hours, I have no expectation to receive a reply outside of yours. The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland, No SC013532.

1 0

MARMAM administrative message to GMail subscribers
by Melvin Klassen 01 Feb '24

01 Feb '24

If you are subscribed to the MARMAM mailing-list with a GMail ID, you have not recently been receiving the distribution of MARMAM messages. The software incompatibility between the mailing-list and the GMail mail-servers has been resolved. The mailing-list keeps monthly archives of all the submissions. See: https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam to obtain/change your personal list-password. With the password, see: https://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/marmam/ to download the archive for January 2024. The mailing-list has over 6900 subscribers with a GMail ID, out of the 15600+ subscribers.

1 0

Louis M Herman Research Scholarship Application Deadline Reminder
by Lindsay Porter 01 Feb '24

01 Feb '24

Louis M. Herman, Ph.D. and Emeritus Professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, will always be remembered for his innovative, creative, and scientifically rigorous approach to the study of the marine mammals he so loved, and for the future generations of marine mammal researchers he and his work continue to inspire. The *Louis M. Herman Research Scholarship* supports research projects that contribute to our understanding of either cetacean cognition and sensory perception (laboratory or field studies), or humpback whale behavioural ecology or communication. Work with other marine mammals that especially enhances our understanding of their cognitive abilities will also be considered. Eligible candidates include graduate students and those students who have completed their Masters or PhD within the past three years and are members of the Society of Marine Mammalogy. Full details of application submission materials and criteria can be found on the Society for Marine Mammalogy webpage <https://marinemammalscience.org/awards-funding/awards-and-scholarships/loui…>. < https://marinemammalscience.org/awards-funding/awards-and-scholarships/loui… > Submission deadline is *Monday,* *5* *February 2024 (10pm,* *Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time GMT-10 hours) *

1 0

Online workshop: Introduction to cetaceans
by AIMM Internships 01 Feb '24

01 Feb '24

Hello ocean enthusiasts! *AIMM's highly anticipated online workshop “Introduction to cetaceans” is back! *Enter the world of cetaceans during this *6-hour session*, spread across three days. The tutors will be two of AIMM researchers, Alicia and Gui, both with proven experience in the field of marine biology. The workshop, given in English and via Zoom, will be on the *19, 20 and 21 of February* from 6 to 8 pm (WET). Whether you're a student or a dedicated enthusiast, this workshop caters to all, offering a comprehensive understanding for beginners and a chance to deepen knowledge for those already passionate about whales, dolphins, and porpoises. *This workshop has a donation fee. We offer a discount for students!* Registration + all the program: www.aimmportugal.org/courses_workshops/intro-cetaceans

1 0

NGO in Portugal // Volunteer Research Assistant (food + stay offered)
by AIMM Internships 01 Feb '24

01 Feb '24

Have you always wanted to work with marine life? Then check the info below and see if you have what it takes to join AIMM! *AIMM is currently looking for a volunteer research assistant for the 2024 field season.* The Position: - Each year, from *April to November*, AIMM has their research field season, and also their program, the *Dolphin Research Internship*. They receive interns of all ages and backgrounds, from across the world. - AIMM is currently looking for a person for a *Volunteer Research Assistant* position for this field season of 2024. The Location: - Albufeira, Portugal The benefits: - The Research Assistants will *participate directly in our fieldwork* and will receive *training* in species identification, research and data collection methods, photo-identification and the use of GPS and camera equipment. You’ll *supervise the interns* while conducting surveys on AIMM’s research vessel, dolphin watching boats of our partners, and during land-based observation. - Additionally, *you will receive 3 meals a day and accommodation in AIMM’s shared Field Station*. You will be entitled to *1 day off per week* when you may explore the local area or simply rest with a good book by the pool! Know the requirements and what you need to apply: www.aimmportugal.org/research-assistant *Send us your updated CV and a motivation letter to info(a)aimmportugal.org <info(a)aimmportugal.org>* *Deadline for application is the 15th of February 2024.*

1 0

Whales and dolphins of the Adriatic Sea
by Giovanni Bearzi 31 Jan '24

31 Jan '24

Dear colleagues, we just published a longish review on whales and dolphins in the Adriatic Sea, which aims to provide a reference and a road map for anyone working on in this region. We describe the main threats to Adriatic cetaceans and provide conservation suggestions. Open access download: https://acta.izor.hr/acta/pdf/65_1_pdf/65_1_1.pdf Bearzi G., Bonizzoni S., Genov T., Notarbartolo di Sciara G. (2024) Whales and dolphins of the Adriatic Sea: present knowledge, threats and conservation. Acta Adriatica 65(1). https://doi.org/10.32582/aa.65.1.1 ABSTRACT – The Adriatic Sea is one of the Mediterranean areas most exposed to cumulative human stressors. This semi-enclosed and largely shallow basin has been subjected to intensive exploitation and destructive fishing practices for decades, resulting in biodiversity decline and poor ecosystem health. Diversity of cetaceans is lower than in other parts of the Mediterranean, and the extant dolphins and whales have been facing threats that include the combined effects of habitat loss and degradation, prey depletion, incidental mortality and injury caused by fisheries, anthropogenic noise, chemical contamination and climate change. Here, we report information for the nine cetacean species known to occur in the basin (classified as either regular, visitor or vagrant), plus three species characterized by a single record. For these species, we review evidence from field research and other studies – with a bias towards the common bottlenose dolphin *Tursiops truncatus* (by far the most intensively-studied cetacean in this area). We also describe and characterize the main threats to cetaceans in the Adriatic, relying on recent literature as well as historical information that helps frame the present status of cetaceans in the context of past human impacts (particularly the extensive killing campaigns conducted until the 1960s). Finally, we provide management recommendations to inform and guide the action that must be taken in compliance with extant legislation, marine conservation directives and international commitments to protect marine biodiversity. Best wishes, Giovanni Bearzi http://www.dolphinbiology.org/people/giovanni_bearzi.htm

1 0