March 2024 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Reminder - UF Fall online aquatics courses - Aquatic Animal Conservation Issues and Marine Mammal Biology
by Larkin,Iskande (Iske) 09 Aug '24

09 Aug '24

Hi All, Registration is still open for Fall 2023. The University of Florida, Aquatic Animal Health Program is offering the Aquatic Animal Conservation Issues and Marine Mammal Biology courses, fully online. Classes start Wednesday August 23rd and run through Wednesday, December 6th. * Registration will remain open through Aug 29th. Aquatic Animal Conservation Issues Class (VME-4012, VME-6010) is an online course (3 credits) designed to introduce students (upper level undergraduate and graduate) and professionals (with an AA or higher degree) to the controversial issues surrounding aquatic animal species ranging from invertebrates to marine mammals, with an emphasis on marine mammals, but also including sea turtles, fisheries, and marine ecosystems. Students enrolled at any College or University can take this course. Marine Mammal Biology (VME-6014) is an online graduate course that will provide graduate students with a detailed overview of marine mammal species including cetaceans, sirenians, pinnipeds, mustelids, and ursids. Each module will broadly explore a particular ecological, biological, or physiological theme related to the study of marine mammals, including taxonomy and biodiversity, diving physiology, thermoregulation, foraging ecology, and reproduction as well as the many conservation and management issues faced by different marine mammal species. *These classes are also available at the graduate level within our Care & Conservation of Aquatic Animals graduate certificate* For more information about the class or enrollment, contact Dr. Larkin (ivlarkin(a)ufl.edu)<mailto:ivlarkin@ufl.edu%29.*This> Sincerely, Dr Iske Larkin [AAH logo blue E-Mail Sig] Iske V. Larkin, PhD Senior Lecturer & Education Coordinator Director of Aquatic Animal Health Program Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida PO Box 100136 2015 SW 16th Ave Gainesville, Florida 32610 Office phone - 352-294-4095 Work cell - 352-494-1742 Fax - 352-392-8289 Program web page: http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu<http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu/> "To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world." -Anonymous ________________________________

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Update to SOCPROG
by Hal Whitehead 01 Jul '24

01 Jul '24

A new and updated version of SOCPROG, SOCPROG2.9 (both compiled and uncompiled downloads) is available at: http://whitelab.biology.dal.ca/SOCPROG/social.htm SOCPROG is a MATLAB-based package of programs for the analysis of animal social structures, movements and populations. The compiled version does not need MATLAB itself. This version is compatible with MATLAB2018b (although it will likely work well on recent and soon-to-be-released versions of MATLAB). It fixes a few bugs and adds functionality compared to previous versions (especially association complexity). Thanks Hal Whitehead, Dalhousie University, Canada

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UF Summer online aquatics courses - Manatee Health
by Larkin,Iskande (Iske) 29 Apr '24

29 Apr '24

Hi All, Registration is currently open for Summer 2023. The University of Florida, Aquatic Animal Health Program is offering the Manatee Health & Conservation course, fully online. Classes starts Monday May 15th and run through Friday Aug 11th. Registration will remain open through May 17th. Manatee Health and Conservation Class (VME4016 and VME6017) is an online course (3 credits) that will provide students (upper level undergraduate and graduate) and professionals (with an AA or higher degree) with a detailed overview of manatee natural history, health assessment, and research findings as well as explore conservation issues. For more information about the class or enrollment, contact Dr. Iskande Larkin (ivlarkin(a)ufl.edu)<mailto:ivlarkin@ufl.edu%29.*This> Sincerely, Dr Iske Larkin [AAH logo blue E-Mail Sig] Iske V. Larkin, PhD Senior Lecturer & Education Coordinator Director of Aquatic Animal Health Program Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida PO Box 100136 2015 SW 16th Ave Gainesville, Florida 32610 Office phone - 352-294-4095 Work cell - 352-494-1742 Fax - 352-392-8289 Program web page: http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu<http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu/> "To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world." -Anonymous ________________________________

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Course Diseases of Marine Mammals at Autonomous University of Barcelona
by Mariano Domingo Alvarez 31 Mar '24

31 Mar '24

Dear all, I am glad to inform you about the fourth edition of the course Diseases of Marine Mammals. This international Barcelona Autonomous University (UAB) summer school course is full presential, from July/15 to August /02. Registration is now open. Participants, with a limit of 26 students (13 from UAB and 13 out of UAB), will learn about the main diseases and threats that affect wild cetaceans and pinnipeds (bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections, as well as anthropogenic influences and other non-infectious problems). The course will also pay attention to the methodologies of disease detection and investigation. As part of the practical training, a full necropsy of a dolphin (frozen and thawed for the course) will be performed. The course will be presential, from Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and students are expected to spend between two and three hours per day on self-guided learning. A total of 6 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) will be certified once the course has been satisfactorily completed. The course is preferentially directed to veterinary and marine biology students in the last years of training, and to postgraduate students and those working in stranding networks willing to get a comprehensive view of marine mammal diseases. For registration and further details visit the UAB web site through this link Diseases of Marine Mammals<https://www.uab.cat/web/courses/cursos-de-ciencies-de-la-salut-134584408450…> For questions related to the contents of the course, mail to: mariano.domingo(a)uab.cat<mailto:mariano.domingo@uab.cat> Best regards [https://www.uab.cat/vcard/logo-signatura.png]<https://www.uab.cat> Mariano Domingo Alvarez Dept. Sanitat i Anatomia Animals Facultat de Veterinària, Campus de la UAB · 08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès) · Barcelona · Catalunya +34 93 5813144 · www.uab.cat<https://www.uab.cat> Aquest missatge no s’ha de respondre fora de la jornada laboral, en compliment de l’article 88 de la Llei orgànica 3/2018 de protecció de dades personals i garantia dels drets digitals<https://www.boe.es/boe_catalan/dias/2018/12/06/pdfs/BOE-A-2018-16673-C.pdf>, que reconeix el dret a la desconnexió digital, i de la Normativa interna per preservar el dret a la desconnexió digital del personal de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona<https://www.uab.cat/doc/NormativaDesconnexioDigital>.

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New publications - early mysticetes
by Tsai, CH 30 Mar '24

30 Mar '24

Dear colleagues We are pleased to announce some new publications on early mysticetes. 1, Tsai, CH, Goedert, JL, and Boessenecker, RW. 2024. The oldest mysticete in the Northern Hemisphere. Current Biology 34, 1-7. Abstract Extant baleen whales (Mysticeti) uniquely use keratinous baleen for filter-feeding and lack dentition, but the fossil record clearly shows that “toothed” baleen whales first appeared in the Late Eocene. Globally, only two Eocene mysticetes have been found, and both are from the Southern Hemisphere: *Mystacodon selenensis* from Peru, 36.4 mega-annum (Ma) ago and *Llanocetus denticrenatus* from Antarctica, 34.2 Ma ago. Based on a partial skull from the lower part of the Lincoln Creek Formation in Washington State, USA, we describe the Northern Hemisphere’s geochronologically earliest mysticete, *Fucaia humilis* sp. nov. Geology, biostratigraphy, and magnetostratigraphy places Fucaia humilis sp. nov. in the latest Eocene (ca. 34.5 Ma ago, near the Eocene/Oligocene transition at 33.9 Ma ago), approximately coeval with the oldest record of fossil kelps, also in the northeastern Pacific. This observation leads to our hypothesis that the origin and development of a relatively stable, nutrient-rich kelp ecosystem in the latest Eocene may have fostered the radiation of small-sized toothed mysticetes (Family Aetiocetidae) in the North Pacific basin, a stark contrast to the larger Llanocetidae (whether *Mystacodon* belongs to llanocetids or another independent clade remains unresolved) with the latest Eocene onset of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the Southern Hemisphere. Our discovery suggests that disparate mechanisms and ecological scenarios may have nurtured contrasting early mysticete evolutionary histories in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Open-access: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982224003087 2, Tsai, CH, Kimura T, and Hasegawa, Y. 2024. Coexistence of Oligocene toothed and baleen-assisted mysticetes in the northwestern Pacific. Fossil Record 27, 95-100. Abstract Oligocene mysticetes display an unparalleled diversity and morphological disparity in the evolutionary history of Mysticeti. However, their paleoecological aspects, such as the patterns of coexistence of different morphotypes, remain poorly explored. Here we describe an aetiocetid (toothed mysticete) from the Jinnobaru Formation (lower upper Oligocene, about 28 million years ago) of Umashima Island, Kitakyushu, Japan. Our description of a toothed mysticete from the Oligocene of Umashima exemplifies the coexistence of toothed and baleen-assisted mysticetes in the northwestern Pacific. Hopefully, new finds of Oligocene mysticetes will lead to a well-sampled dataset for analyzing this and other related paleoecological traits to understand the demise of “archaic” Oligocene mysticetes and the subsequent rise of the modern-looking baleen-bearing whales in Miocene times. Open-access: https://fr.pensoft.net/article/111567/ 3, Hernández-Cisneros, AE, Schwennicke, T, Rochín-Bañaga, H, and Tsai, CH. 2023. *Echericetus novellus* n. gen. n. sp. (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Eomysticetidae), an Oligocene baleen whale from Baja California Sur, Mexico. Journal of Paleontology 97, 1309-1328. Abstract Among the several evolutionary lineages of the baleen whales (Mysticeti), the eomysticetids are an ancient successful family that retain possibly nonfunctional teeth and functional baleen, a transitional stage between toothed and baleen-assisted filter-feeding mysticetes. The patchy fossil record leaves gaps in eomysticetid paleobiology interpretations, but their diversity and widespread geographical distribution can be a relevant proxy to understanding the evolution of crown Mysticeti. Here we describe a new baleen whale, *Echericetus novellus* n. gen. n. sp., from the Oligocene of Mexico (slightly older than 27.95 million years ago). This new taxon has morphological features that show its affinity to Eomysticetidae, such as the intertemporal region longer than wide, the elongate and oval temporal fossa, and a well-developed and lobate coronoid process of the mandible. Similarly, our cladistic analyses confirm the inclusion of *Echericetus* in the Eomysticetidae. *Echericetus* reinforces our notion of the eomysticetid diversity and disparity. Geographically, the existence of *Echericetus* from Mexico also indicates that eomysticetid inhabited subtropical regions in the Northern Hemisphere. Last, our discovery of a new eomysticetid from the Oligocene of Mexico provides new insights into the distribution patterns and habitat use of Eomysticetidae, essential to further explain the demise of this transitional lineage between toothed and baleen-bearing whales. Open-access: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-paleontology/article/ech… Alternatively, please feel free to email me for pdf copies or further discussion: whaletsai(a)ntu.edu.tw or craniata(a)gmail.com Cheers, Tsai 蔡政修（Cheng-Hsiu Tsai さいまさのぶ) PhD Associate Professor R508, Lab of evolution and diversity of fossil vertebrates（古脊椎動物演化及多樣性實驗室） Department of Life Science & Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology （生命科學系＆生態學與演化生物學研究所） National Taiwan University（台灣大學） No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei, 106-17, Taiwan（台灣 106-17 台北市羅斯福路 4 段 1 號） Email: whaletsai(a)ntu.edu.tw; craniata(a)gmail.com; Tel: 886 - 2 - 3366 - 2448 Twitter: TSAI_NTU508 <https://twitter.com/TSAI_NTU508>; FB: 蔡政修 CH Tsai <https://www.facebook.com/NTUWhaleTsai>; Google Scholar: TSAI, Cheng-Hsiu <https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=AeNkkhAAAAAJ&hl=en>; and Paleo fund-raising <https://giving.ntu.edu.tw/backend/FastDonation.html?DonateNo=28&DonateIOTxt…>

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WHALE-WATCHING RESEARCH INTERSHIP IN THE GULF OF TRIBUGA, PACIFIC COAST OF COLOMBIA
by Carole V 30 Mar '24

30 Mar '24

WHALE-WATCHINGRESEARCH INTERSHIP IN THE GULF OF TRIBUGA, PACIFIC COAST OF COLOMBIA. BACKGROUND: R&E ocean community conservation, is anon-profit, non-governmental foundation focused on the research andconservation of marine species, running an ongoing study of responsible whalewatching and cetaceans conservation in the pacific Coast of Colombian. Thisproject aims to obtain baseline information on whales and dolphins speciesoccurrence, behavior, and whale-watching guidelines compliance and education inorder to obtain scientific data to support conservation measures and informmarine management policies. R&E volunteers are dynamic,flexible, adaptable, hard-working individuals who are willing to contribute tothe foundation and support on-going activities, while experiencing fieldwork atsea, learning data collection, processing methodologies, learning communicationskills and interrelationships with stakeholders and local communities and beinga part of team of researchers and marine biologists. All team members andparticipants share accommodation, house tasks, knowledge and experience in anfriendly and multicultural environment. WHERE: Pacific coast of the Gulf of Tribuga, Nuqui, Choco -Colombia WHEN: The field season lasts from mid-june to end mid-october 2024. The minimum internship attendance is 1 month. WHAT DO WE LOOK FOR INOUR VOLUNTEERS? -Passion for Nature: If you arepassionate about the ocean and marine life, this volunteering is for you! -Commitment: We are looking forcommitted volunteers who are willing to learn and actively contribute. -Respect for Wildlife and thecommunity: We value respect and admiration for whales and dolphins. Alsorespect among your fellow teammates and the large part of community that wework with. We want our volunteers to be ambassadors for conservation. - Flexibility and Adaptability:Our volunteers should also possess a flexible and adaptable mindset, capable ofadjusting to changing circumstances and environments. As we operate in dynamicand sometimes unpredictable ecosystems, the ability to adapt to new situationsand approaches is invaluable. Whether it's adjusting to varying weatherconditions or modifying project plans to accommodate unforeseen challenges,flexibility is key to successful conservation efforts. FIELDWORK: The field trips are conducted in local cetaceanswatching boats. Fieldwork is dependent on weather conditions, operators willingnessand the tourists in the zone. The field days can be intense and hard,especially in the peak of whale season but are fulfilling and good fun. The volunteers will be trained to: - Conduct on-board surveys ofmarine species occurrence; - Log sighting encounters on ahandheld GPS; - Access and collectenvironmental data; - Collect data on behavior, groupsize, species, etc.; - Collect photos tophoto-identification, acoustic recording; - Conduct training for grade 11 students at the localschool on the importance of responsible whale watching; Supervise students atthe airport of Nuqui. - Share knowledge about conservation, environment,marine fauna to the different grades of the local educational institution. - Provide information to touristsabout responsible whale and dolphin watching regulations, ecology andconservation DATA ANALYSIS: The data obtained in the field will be enteredinto established databases and spreadsheets, photo-identification analyses andacoustic recordings will be carried out periodically. INTERNSHIP FEES: R&E ocean community is a non-profitorganization that relies on donations from our volunteers, partners, andconservation-minded people like you so that we may continue our importantresearch and education programs. This internship requires a monetarycontribution which is used to off-set the cost of accommodation and running anon-profit. For more information oninternship fees or the volunteer program for the 2024 season, please contact: marcela.hernandez(a)oceancommunityconservation.org Included in the fee is: - Accommodation in Nuqui; - Transportation to/from field; - All meals (breakfast, lunch,and dinner); - Fieldwork; - Theoretical capacitation. - Distinctive Wardrobe Not included in the fee is: - Transportation to/fromNuqui-Choco; - Meals in restaurants; - Free time activities; - Personal insurance (allparticipants should have health and/or travel insurance); - Others personal expenses. INTERNS ARE EXPECTEDTO: - Be above the age of 20; - Have a mature attitude towardsmarine mammal research and environment; - Be autonomous and flexible; - Be able to live and work in aninternational team and mainly outdoors at sea; - Be able to work in extremeconditions - Speak Spanish; - Participate for minimum 1 month. BENEFITS OFVOLUNTEERING -Unique Experience: You will havethe opportunity to be close to these amazing creatures and learn from expertsin the field. -Positive Impact: Your work willhelp protect whales and dolphins for future generations. -Connection with Nature: Immerseyourself in the beauty of the ocean and the Pacific coast while contributing toits preservation. INTERNSHIP APPLICATION: You can apply on R&E oceancommunity website here < Ocean CommunityConservation > or Send us an e-mail to: marcela.hernandez(a)oceancommunityconservation.org, with the subject Volunteerprogram R&E ocean community with your CV and motivation letter. We will send you a confirmationemail with the availability and all the other details. Applications will be acceptedduring all season. However, early application is recommended dueto limited vacancies. Ann Carole VallejoExecutive Director and Lead ResearcherMSc. Nordic Marine Ecosystems and ClimateR&E Ocean Community Conservation Foundation Oakville, ON, Canada, L6M 5H5t: +57 (300) 281-0324Wapp: +1 (289) 885-3930Email: carole.vallejo@oceancommunityconservation.orgwww.oceancommunityconservation.org The content of this e-mail isintended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it isaddressed. If you have received this communication in error, be aware thatforwarding it, copying it, or in any way disclosing its content to any other person,is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error,please notify the author by replying to this e-mail immediately. Please consider the environmentbefore printing this email or it's attachments.

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New publication: A risk-based forecast of extreme mortality events in small cetaceans
by Matthieu Authier 29 Mar '24

29 Mar '24

Dear MARMAM colleagues, On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to share our new open-acces publication in the journal Ecological Indicators, 160, March 2024, 111820: Authier, M. / Bouchard, C. <https://colinbouchard.gitlab.io/personal-website/> / Dars, C. / Spitz, S. A risk-based forecast of extreme mortality events in small cetaceans: Assessing trends and changes over time <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X24002772> In this short note, we used Extreme Value Theory to model and forecast the monthly maxima of small cetacean stranding along the seabord of mainland France. Forecasts are computed from the 2009-2014 period for 6 years-ahead and compared to observed data over the period 2015-2020 to infer on change in the intensity of pressures behind at-sea mortality events. The short-note discusses this work and how to use the forecasts as an indicator for informing the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the good environmental status of small cetaceans. If you have any questions about our work, please reach out. Cheers, Matthieu Authier -- Matthieu Authier - Ingénieur de Recherche La Rochelle Université Observatoire Pelagis UAR 3462 CNRS-LRUniv 5 allée de l'océan 17 000 La Rochelle telephone: +00 33 (0)7 77 22 32 67 (remote-working/télé-travail) https://www.observatoire-pelagis.cnrs.fr/pelagis-2/lequipe/matthieu-authier/ Try again. Fail again. Fail better. (Samuel Beckett) Verzögerungen im Betriebsablauf (Deutsche Bahn) 🍍 🦉🐛

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New publication reviewing gray whale post mortem findings during the eastern Pacific Unusual Mortality Event
by Raverty, Stephen AF:EX 28 Mar '24

28 Mar '24

Hello We are pleased to share a review of gray whale post mortem findings during the recent unusual mortality event in the eastern Pacific, entitled "Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) post-mortem findings from December 2018 through 2021 during the Unusual Mortality Event in the Eastern North Pacific" Stephen Raverty, Pádraig Duignan, Denise Greig, Jessica L. Huggins, Kathy Burek Huntington, Michael Garner, John Calambokidis, Paul Cottrell, Kerri Danil, Dalin D'Alessandro, Deborah Duffield, Moe Flannery, Frances MD Gulland, Barbie Halaska, Dyanna M. Lambourn, Taylor Lehnhart, Jorge Urbán R., Teri Rowles, James Rice, Kate Savage, Kristin Wilkinson, Justin Greenman, Justin Viezbicke, Brendan Cottrell, P. Dawn Goley, Maggie Martinez, and Deborah Fauquier. Beginning in December 2018, increased numbers of gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) strandings were reported along the west coast of Mexico, the United States, and Canada, prompting declaration of a gray whale Unusual Mortality Event (UME) by the United States National Marine Fisheries Service. Although strandings declined in 2020 and 2021 from a peak in 2019, the UME is still ongoing as of fall 2023. Between 17 December 2018 and 31 December 2021, 503 animals stranded along the west coast of North America, with 226 strandings in Mexico, 71 in California, 12 in Oregon, 56 in Washington, 21 in British Columbia, and 117 in Alaska. These included 187 males, 167 females, and 149 whales of undetermined sex; and 193 adults, 194 subadults, 40 calves, 1 fetus, and 75 whales of undetermined age class. We report on 61 of the 503 carcasses (12%) that had external and internal gross necropsy and/or histopathology data: of these 61 whales, findings that contributed to death were identified in 33 (54%) whales. Sixteen of the 61 (26%) were severely emaciated. Gross lesions of blunt force trauma consistent with vessel strike were identified in 11 of the 61 animals (18%), only two of which were emaciated. Two whales (3%) were entangled at time of death, and one died from entrapment. Signs of killer whale (Orcinus orca) interaction were documented in 19 of the 61 animals; five were deemed from recent interactions and three (5%) likely contributed to mortality. A specific cause of death could not be identified in 28 of 61 whales (46%). Additionally, logistical challenges and the advanced state of decomposition of most examined carcasses precluded detection of potential infectious or toxic causes of morbidity or mortality. Up to 2016, the eastern North Pacific population of gray whale population had generally been increasing since the cessation of historic whaling and a prior UME in 1999-2000. However, recent abundance and calf production estimates have declined, a trend that overlaps the current UME. The relative contributions of carrying capacity, environmental change, prey shifts, and infectious, toxic, and other processes to the increased gray whale mortalities have not yet been resolved. Nevertheless, the marked temporal increase in strandings, including findings of malnutrition in some of the whales, along with low calf production, likely represent consequences of complex and dynamic ecological interactions in the ocean impacting the population. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0295861 Thank you Stephen Raverty Veterinary Pathologist Animal Health Center 1767 Angus Campbell Road Abbotsford, BC Canada V3G2M3 Stephen.Raverty(a)gov.bc.ca Phone 778-666-0516 [cid:image001.png@01DA8104.D5CD6130]

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North Atlantic right whale density surface model for the US Atlantic evaluated with passive acoustic monitoring
by Jason Roberts 28 Mar '24

28 Mar '24

My collaborators and I are pleased to announce the publication of our right whale density model. The paper and all results are open access, freely downloadable, and reusable under a CC-BY License. Download the paper: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14547 Download the model: https://seamap.env.duke.edu/models/Duke/EC/ North Atlantic right whale density surface model for the US Atlantic evaluated with passive acoustic monitoring Jason J. Roberts, Tina M. Yack, Ei Fujioka, Patrick N. Halpin, Mark F. Baumgartner, Oliver Boisseau, Samuel Chavez-Rosales, Timothy V. N. Cole, Mark P. Cotter, Genevieve E. Davis, Robert A. DiGiovanni Jr., Laura C. Ganley, Lance P. Garrison, Caroline P. Good, Timothy A. Gowan, Katharine A. Jackson, Robert D. Kenney, Christin B. Khan, Amy R. Knowlton, Scott D. Kraus, Gwen G. Lockhart, Kate S. Lomac-MacNair, Charles A. Mayo, Brigid E. McKenna, William A. McLellan, Douglas P. Nowacek Orfhlaith O’Brien, D. Ann Pabst, Debra L. Palka, Eric M. Patterson, Daniel E. Pendleton, Ester Quintana-Rizzo, Nicholas R. Record, Jessica V. Redfern, Meghan E. Rickard, Melanie White, Amy D. Whitt, Ann M. Zoidis Abstract: The Critically Endangered North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis entered a population decline around 2011. To save this species without closing the ocean to human activities requires detailed information about its intra-annual density patterns that can be used to assess and mitigate human-caused risks. Using 2.9 million km of visual line-transect survey effort from the US Atlantic and Canadian Maritimes conducted in 2003-2020 by 11 institutions, we modeled the absolute density (ind. km-2) of the species using spatial, temporal, and environmental covariates at a monthly time step. We accounted for detectability differences between survey platforms, teams, and conditions, and corrected all data for perception and availability biases, accounting for platform differences, whale dive behavior, group composition, and group size. We produced maps of predicted density and evaluated our results using independently collected passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) data. Densities correlated positively (r = 0.46, ρ = 0.58, τ = 0.46) with acoustic detection rates obtained at 492 stationary PAM recorders deployed across the study area (mean recorder duration = 138 d). This is the first study to quantify the concurrence of visual and acoustic observations of the species in US waters. We summarized predictions into mean monthly density and uncertainty maps for the 2003-2009 and 2010-2020 eras, based on the significant changes in the species’ spatial distribution that began around 2010. The results quantify the striking distribution shifts and provide effort- and bias-corrected density surfaces to inform risk assessments, estimations of take, and marine spatial planning. For those of you already familiar with this model, the paper documents "version 12.2" of the model, which is the most recent version. Version 12 was first released for management use on 14 February 2022. On 27 May 2023, we released version 12.1, which included a supplementary report giving technical details of the model but did not change the model's density predictions. On 20 March 2024, we released 12.2 in conjunction with this publication, and again did not change the model's density predictions. If you downloaded version 12 or 12.1 and performed an analysis with it, your analysis does not need to be redone at this time, and it is OK to say your analysis was conducted against the latest right whale model (version 12.2) available at this time. This project builds upon the efforts of the hundreds of people involved in conducting line transect surveys in the eastern United States over the past 25 years. Thanks for the opportunity to analyze the data you helped collect. I hope you will find this project a worthy outcome of your efforts. All the best, Jason Roberts jason.roberts(a)duke.edu Duke Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab

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Stranding Response & Research Scientist with the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
by Erin R. Bates 28 Mar '24

28 Mar '24

The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center is seeking an Exhibits Technician II - Stranding Response and Research Scientist. This position serves as a working lead within the Stranding Response Program team of staff, volunteers, and interns in assigned areas or during stranding response events involving live and dead stranded sea turtles and marine mammals. Primary areas of responsibility will be assigned based on candidate experience and skill level, as well as programmatic needs, at the time of hire. Primary focus for Tech II staff can include: rehabilitation and live animal care and husbandry; necropsy and post-mortem assessments; sample management and quality control (QC); data assessment and reporting; data curation and quality assurance/quality control (QAQC); field response logistics; coordination and equipment management; research project activities or project design; and/or volunteer management. Regardless of assigned primary responsibilities, all members of the Stranding Response Program need to have/develop foundational skills and working knowledge in all of these areas due to the rotational coverage to fit programmatic needs and seasonal fluctuations in stranding activities. For more details on the position and to apply, please follow this link: https://phg.tbe.taleo.net/phg02/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=VBGOV&cws=3… -Erin Bates Stranding Response Rehabilitation Manager

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