March 2024 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

DOSITS Educator Professional Development Opportunity
by Ellen Bellagamba Fucile 20 Mar '24

20 Mar '24

The Discovery of Sound in the Sea (DOSITS) program hosts a resource rich website (https://dosits.org/<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__dosits.org_&d=DwMFAg&c…>) aimed at introducing users to the science and uses of Sound in the Sea by people and animals, with specific sections on how marine mammals use underwater sound and the potential effects of underwater sound on marine mammals. To highlight and engage educators with the resources, DOSITS is launching a new (and free) online Educator Professional Development Certificate program. We are inviting the first cohort of educators to participate in the online program over the Spring of 2024. The program will be limited to 20 formal (grades 5-16) and informal science educators. We encourage marine mammal specialists from aquaria and whale watch operations to participate! To participate, please register using the link below. Registration is open until Monday, April 1, 2024. We will be in touch by Thursday, April 4th regarding registration status. DOSITS Educator Professional Development<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__docs.google.com_forms_…> Please note, we will host additional cohorts of education professionals over the next year, and we will reach out directly to registrants who were not selected for the first cohort when registration opens for the next program. For details about the Professional Development content, please visit:https://dosits.org/resources-dosits-online-educator-professional-deve…<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__dosits.org_resources-2…> The DOSITS Team

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New paper on Burmeister's porpoise abundance and threats
by Ana M Garcia Cegarra 20 Mar '24

20 Mar '24

Dear colleagues On behalf of my co-authors I am happy to share our new research article: Garcia-Cegarra, A.M., Hall, A., Martinez-Lopez, E. 2024. Bycatch and pollution are the main threats for Burmeister's porpoises inhabiting a high-industrialized bay in the Humboldt Current System. Environmental Research 251(2), 118621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2024.118621 Abstract: Pollution and bycatch are two of the main threats for cetaceans worldwide. These threats are exacerbated for nearshore species particularly for those in regions with intense industrial and fishing activities. Burmeister's porpoise is endemic to South America, has a Near Threatened conservation status because of long-term mortality in fisheries. Burmeister's porpoise occur in Mejillones Bay, northern Chile, a hot spot for heavy metals pollution from the mining industry and an intense industrial and artisanal purse-seine fishing area. From 2018 to 2021, we conducted systematic marine surveys to assess the abundance, distribution and habitat use of Burmeister's porpoises. We responded to stranding reports from 2018 to 2022, and necropsied nine individuals. From five of these, we analyzed the metal concentrations (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Se and Zn) in muscle and skin tissues. Results showed an abundance of 76.17 individuals (CV = 25.9%) and an average density of 0.45 individuals/km2 (CV = 26%). Burmeister's porpoises were observed year round, 22.2% were mother-calf pairs present in austral summer at an average of 90.6 m depth in the southwestern bound of the bay. Two-thirds of stranded specimens died due to bycatch and one died due to bottlenose dolphin (*Tursiops truncatus*) attack. We report a dead Burmeister's porpoise positive for avian flu virus A (H5N1). Metals analyzed were found in muscle and skin tissues of stranded Burmeister's porpoises in the following order (Zn > Cu > Cr > As > Hg > Pb > Cd). Although we could not assess pollution as a cause of mortality, Cr, As and Pb concentrations exceeded the concentrations found in other porpoises species worldwide. We conclude that bycatch and pollution as the main threats for Burmeister's porpoise survival in northern Chile. Future studies should investigate the use of acoustic deterrent alarms to mitigate the bycatch in the bay and consider the Burmeister's porpoise as a sentinel species of pollution in northern Chilean coast. The article is in this link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935124005255?dgcid=a… Please do not hesitate to contact me for a pdf copy: anamaria.garcia(a)uantof.cl All the best Ana M. Garcia-Cegarra, PhD. Laboratorio de Estudio de Megafauna Marina, CETALAB Universidad de Antofagasta (Chile) *Ana M. García-Cegarra, Ph.D.*

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New publication!! Peale's dolphins (Lagenorhynchus australis) are acoustic mergers between dolphins and porpoises
by Morgan J. Martin 19 Mar '24

19 Mar '24

Dear Colleagues, On behalf of my co-authors, I am excited to share our new publication in the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology: *Morgan J. Martin, Sara Torres Ortiz, Magnus Wahlberg, and Caroline R. Weir. (2024). Peale's dolphins (Lagenorhynchus australis) are acoustic mergers between dolphins and porpoises. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 572 (2024): 151977.* The published paper is open access and freely downloadable to anyone with this link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2023.151977 *Highlights:* • Peale's dolphins produce whistles & broadband clicks in addition to NBHF clicks. • Whistle & broadband signal co-occurrence indicates a likely communication function. • Whistles were similar for Peale's dolphins & four additional* Lagenorhynchus* species. • Demonstrates a lack of convergent whistle loss in this NBHF species at this time. *Abstract:* Most dolphin species produce broadband clicks for echolocation (i.e., biosonar pulses), and whistles and burst-pulsed calls for communication purposes. A few dolphin species in the southern hemisphere are reported to only produce clicks of a more narrowband high-frequency (NBHF) type, very similar to the clicks produced by porpoises. Here, we use underwater acoustic recordings of Peale's dolphins (*Lagenorhynchus australis*) in the Falkland Islands to show that they also can produce broadband clicks and tonal whistle sounds similar to other whistling odontocete species in addition to NBHF clicks. Whistles and broadband clicks co-occurred in seven out of twelve acoustic encounters with Peale's dolphins. The co-occurrence of whistles and broadband signals, which were predominately burst-pulses, produced by Peale's dolphins in this study points to a probable function as communication signals. Furthermore, the measured frequency and time parameters of Peale's dolphin whistles were comparable with whistles recorded from four additional species in the *Lagenorhynchus* genus in various parts of their ranges. This is the only species of *Lagenorhynchus* recorded to date that can relax acoustic crypsis in a similar manner as Heaviside's (*Cephalorhynchus heavisidii*), Commerson's (*C. commersonii*), and Hector's (*C. hectori*) dolphins. Our findings make it likely that additional NBHF species have the ability to generate both pulsed signal types and whistles, and further challenges the acoustic classification of NBHF species. For the audiophiles, we've included two supplementary .wav files which are ~ 30 seconds in duration and contain examples of Peale's dolphin NBHF clicks, broadband clicks, and whistles recorded during a socializing encounter from this study. They are downloadable files located at the very end of the discussion section in the web version of the paper. Please feel free to email me for a PDF copy at mjmartin(a)sandiego.edu. Cheers, Morgan J. Martin, PhD *Marine Bioacoustician* *Center for Marine Acoustics* *Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (USA)*

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DOSITS Webinar April 2024
by Ellen Bellagamba Fucile 19 Mar '24

19 Mar '24

The Discovery of Sound in the Sea (DOSITS) <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.dosits.org_&d=DwMFa…> Team is pleased to announce that it will again facilitate a free, four-part webinar series on underwater sound. Topics covered will include Underwater Radiated Noise, UN Ocean Decade, Multibeam Echosounders (MBES), and Impulsive Sound and Offshore Wind. All topics will touch on marine mammals in some aspect. Each webinar will run approximately 60 minutes in length and will consist of a presentation by one or more experts followed by a period of facilitated discussion. The webinar series is open to all interested individuals; however, registration is required. For a registration link and other details, please visit the 2024 Webinar Series page on the DOSITS website: 2024 Webinar Series - Discovery of Sound in the Sea (dosits.org)<https://dosits.org/decision-makers/webinar-series/2024-webinar-series/>. The first webinar in the 2024 series will take place on April 24, 2024, at 12 pm EST. The webinar titled Underwater Radiated Noise from Vessels (SATURN)<https://dosits.org/decision-makers/webinar-series/2024-webinar-series/urn_s…> features Johann Bosschers from the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) and Christ de Jong from the Acoustics and Sonar Research Group, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO). This webinar, and others in the 2024 series, will be hosted via Zoom and streamed live on YouTube. Participants can ask questions through either platform. All webinars will be recorded, and the webinar recordings will be available on the DOSITS website (and on Vimeo). DOSITS will again offer a free Certificate of Professional Development in association with the 2024 Underwater Acoustics Webinar Series. For certificate requirements and other details, please visit the 2024 DOSITS Webinar Series page (link above). Questions? = Please contact the DOSITS Team at Dositswebinar(a)etal.uri.edu<mailto:Dositswebinar@etal.uri.edu>.

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New publication: "A chromosome-level genome assembly for the dugong (Dugong dugon)"
by Nevé Baker 19 Mar '24

19 Mar '24

Dear MARMAM community, On behalf of my co-authors we are pleased to share our recent genome resources article published in the Journal of Heredity: "A chromosome-level genome assembly for the dugong (Dugong dugon)" https://academic.oup.com/jhered/article/115/2/212/7584762?utm_source=author… Abstract: The dugong (*Dugong dugon*) is a marine mammal widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific and the Red Sea, with a Vulnerable conservation status, and little is known about many of the more peripheral populations, some of which are thought to be close to extinction. We present a de novo high-quality genome assembly for the dugong from an individual belonging to the well-monitored Moreton Bay population in Queensland, Australia. Our assembly uses long-read PacBio HiFi sequencing and Omni-C data following the Vertebrate Genome Project pipeline to reach chromosome-level contiguity (24 chromosome-level scaffolds; 3.16 Gbp) and high completeness (97.9% complete BUSCOs). We observed relatively high genome-wide heterozygosity, which likely reflects historical population abundance before the last interglacial period, approximately 125,000 yr ago. Demographic inference suggests that dugong populations began declining as sea levels fell after the last interglacial period, likely a result of population fragmentation and habitat loss due to the exposure of seagrass meadows. We find no evidence for ongoing recent inbreeding in this individual. However, runs of homozygosity indicate some past inbreeding. Our draft genome assembly will enable range-wide assessments of genetic diversity and adaptation, facilitate effective management of dugong populations, and allow comparative genomics analyses including with other sirenians, the oldest marine mammal lineage. -- D. Nevé Baker, PhD NSF EAR Postdoctoral Fellow Dept. of Geography, Environment & Society University of Minnesota

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New publication: "Mitochondrial Variation of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Canary Islands Suggests a Key Population for Conservation with High Connectivity within the North-East Atlantic Ocean"
by Daniel Gómez-Lobo 18 Mar '24

18 Mar '24

Dear MARMAN community, On behalf of my co-authors, we are pleased to share our recent paper published in Animals as part of the Special Issue Protecting Endangered Species, which is open access and available here https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/6/901 Abstract: In recent decades, worldwide cetacean species have been protected, but they are still threatened. The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a vulnerable keystone species and a useful bioindicator of the health and balance of marine ecosystems in oceans all over the world. The genetic structure of the species is shaped by their niche specialization (along with other factors), leading to the classification of two ecotypes: coastal and pelagic. In this study, the genetic diversity, population structure, and ecotypes of bottlenose dolphins from the Canary Islands were assessed through the analysis of 49 new samples from biopsies and from stranded animals using the 636 bp portion of the mitochondrial control region and 343 individuals from databases (n = 392). The results reveal high genetic diversity in Canarian bottlenose dolphins (Hd = 0.969 and π = 0.0165) and the apparent lack of population genetic structure within this archipelago. High genetic structure (Fst, Φst) was found between the Canary Islands and coastal populations, while little to no structure was found with the pelagic populations. These results suggest that Canarian bottlenose dolphins are part of pelagic ecotype populations in the North Atlantic. The studied Special Areas of Conservation in the Canary Islands may correspond to a hotspot of genetic diversity of the species and could be a strategic area for the conservation of the oceanic ecotype of bottlenose dolphins. Keywords: Tursiops truncatus; Canary Islands; mitochondrial DNA; D-loop; special areas of conservation; conservation genetics; ecotypes Citation: Gómez-Lobo, D. A., Monteoliva, A. P., Fernandez, A., Arbelo, M., de la Fuente, J., Pérez-Gil, M., Varo-Cruz, N., Servidio, A., Pérez-Gil, E., Borrell, Y. J., & Miralles, L. (2024). Mitochondrial Variation of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Canary Islands Suggests a Key Population for Conservation with High Connectivity within the North-East Atlantic Ocean. Animals, 14(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14060901 Kind Regards, Daniel -- MSc. Daniel Andrés Gómez-Lobo Camacho Marine Biologist Master in Marine Conservation Phone: +45 50340774 E-mail(s): gomezwoolf(a)gmail.com dagomezlobo(a)uc.cl

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DOLPHIN RESEARCH INTERNSHIP IN PORTUGAL
by AIMM Internships 18 Mar '24

18 Mar '24

*DOLPHIN RESEARCH INTERNSHIP IN PORTUGAL* *BACKGROUND: *The Marine Environment Research Association - AIMM, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization focused on the research and conservation of marine species, running an ongoing study of cetaceans in southern Portugal (Algarve). This project aims to obtain baseline information on species occurrence, behavior, and social structure of the local cetacean populations in order to obtain scientific data to support conservation measures and inform marine management policies. The main species observed are Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), and Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), although other species such as Minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) can also be sighted. AIMM Interns are young, hard-working individuals who are willing to contribute to the association and support on-going activities, while experiencing fieldwork at sea, learning data collection and processing methodologies, and being a part of AIMM's team of researchers and marine biologists. All team members and participants share accommodation, house tasks, knowledge and experience in an friendly and multicultural environment. Interns have the additional option to enrich their time with AIMM by beginning or improving their SCUBA skills with a PADI-certified instructor, hiking, kayaking, surf classes and others. *WHERE:* Albufeira, Algarve, Portugal *WHEN:* The field season lasts from May to end of November 2024. The minimum internship attendance is 7 days. *FIELDWORK: *The field trips are conducted in AIMM's research vessel, Ketos, commercial dolphin watching boats and from the shore. Fieldwork is dependent on weather conditions. The field days can be intense, especially in the peak of summer but are fulfilling and good fun. The interns will be trained to: - Conduct on-board surveys of marine species occurrence; - Record effort tracks on a handheld GPS; - Access and collect environmental data; - Collect data on behavior, group size, species, etc.; - Collect photos to photo-identification, acoustic recording, and underwater videos; - Help to collect of drone footage from the marine mammals; - Land base monitoring of marine mammals. *DATA ANALYSIS: *This will be conducted on a daily basis and will entail entering data into established databases and spreadsheets, photo-identification processing, and preliminary data interpretation. *INTERNSHIP FEES:* AIMM is a non-profit organization that relies on donations from our volunteers, partners, and conservation-minded people like you so that we may continue our important research and education programs in the Algarve. This internship requires a monetary contribution which is used to off-set the cost of accommodation and running a non-profit. For more information on internship fees for the 2023 season, please contact: interns(a)aimmportugal.org *Included* in the fee is: - Accommodation in AIMM field station; - Transportation to/from the marina; - All meals at home (breakfast, lunch, and dinner); - Fieldwork; - Theoretical classes. *Not included* in the fee is: - Transportation to/from Albufeira; - Meals in restaurants; - Free time activities; - Personal insurance (all participants should have health and/or travel insurance); - Others personal expenses. *INTERNS ARE EXPECTED TO:* - Be above the age of 16; - Have a mature attitude towards marine mammal research and environment; - Be autonomous and flexible; - Be able to live and work in an international team and mainly outdoors at sea; - Speak English; - Participate for minimum 7 days. *Preference will be given* to those who have: - Relevant marine mammal field experience - Working experience on research vessels - Experience working from dolphin/whale watching platforms - Experience in photo-identification - Availability to stay for longer periods of time *INTERNSHIP APPLICATION: * You can apply on AIMM website here <http://www.aimmportugal.org/opportunities/dolphin-research-internship/>*.* *or * Send us an e-mail to: interns(a)aimmportugal.org, with the subject “*DOLPHIN RESEARCH INTERNSHIP*” with your CV and motivation letter. We will send you a confirmation email with the availability and all the other details. Applications will be accepted during all season. However, early application is recommended due to limited vacancies. The follow links are a shorts videos about the internship in Albufeira. You get a different perspective and feedback from old participants about it: http://bit.ly/aimm-movie <https://bit.ly/AIMM-movie> https://youtu.be/hTJJQPHBdI0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zTIEQEsftA *Contacts*: interns(a)aimmportugal.org | www.aimmportugal.org | Thank you, [image: Logo AIMM] <https://www.aimmportugal.org/> Associação para Investigação do Meio Marinho *Marine Environment Research Association* m: (00351) 915013285 e: interns(a)aimmportugal.org www.aimmportugal.org <https://www.facebook.com/AIMM.org> <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8jcTONJZsvaQ3tZiQtRFNQ> <https://www.linkedin.com/company/aimm-portugal---marine-environment-researc…> <https://www.instagram.com/aimmportugal_org/>

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New Publication on the body condition of south-east Indian Ocean pygmy blue whales
by Grace Russell 17 Mar '24

17 Mar '24

To the marmam community, We are extremely pleased to announce the publication of our recent article titled: Comparatively poorer body condition of south-east Indian Ocean pygmy blue whales on their southern migration. Russell, G., Jolliffe, C., Elsdon, B., Christiansen, F., Colefax, A., & Cagnazzi, D. (2024). Comparatively poorer body condition of south-east Indian Ocean pygmy blue whales on their southern migration. *Australian Mammalogy*, *46*(2). https://www.publish.csiro.au/am/AM23029 ABSTRACT: The south-east Indian Ocean population of pygmy blue whales (*Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda*) forages in habitats between temperate foraging grounds off southern Australia and breeding grounds in Indonesian waters. With the opportunity to forage during migration, limited seasonal variation in body condition would be expected. However, increasing numbers of individuals in poor body condition with prominent spinal columns and other features of emaciation have been sighted during their southern migration. This study aimed to measure the morphology and body condition (relative body volume to body length) of pygmy blue whales during their northbound and southbound migration. Unmanned aerial vehicles were used to obtain images of 42 pygmy blue whales (one calf, five juveniles and 36 adults, including one lactating female) in 2021 and 2022. The body lengths ranged from 15.32 to 24.32 m, and the mean relative head length, length to blowhole, width of eyes, fluke width and length of peduncle were 21.8, 18.1, 12.8, 22.9 and 21.3% respectively. There was a significant decrease in body condition of 15.3% between north and southern migrating adult whales. Given the importance of body condition for reproductive success, understanding if this loss is due to natural seasonal variation, or habitat or prey disturbance from environmental environmental or anthropogenic sources, has implications for the future management of the species. If you're interested in reading the full article, please email me for a copy of the pdf. Many thanks! Grace Russell PhD Candidate Faculty of Science and Engineering Southern Cross University Military Road, East Lismore NSW 2480 | Room G1.01 E: grussell924(a)gmail.com

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Humpback Whale Detector paper JASA
by Vincent Kather 16 Mar '24

16 Mar '24

Hi everyone, I would just like to inform you that our paper has just been published in JASA and can be found here <https://pubs.aip.org/asa/jasa/article/155/3/2050/3271347/Development-of-a-m…>. In it we describe how we developed a deep learning detector for humpback whale song in the North Atlantic. During the project we developed a framework to train machine learning models and use them for inference. The code is open source and can be found here <https://github.com/vskode/acodet>. Please do not hesitate to email me if you have any questions. Best, Vincent Kather

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New publication on Antarctic minke whale in the Caribbean Sea
by Jaime 15 Mar '24

15 Mar '24

Dear Marmam community: On behalf of my coauthor MSc Tulio Gutiérrez, I am very pleased to announce the publication of the short note Bolaños-Jiménez, J. and Gutiérrez, T. 2024. An Antarctic Minke Whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) Live-Stranding in Venezuela: First Record for the Caribbean Sea. Aquatic Mammals, 50(2), 122-126, DOI https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.50.2.2024.122 https://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/article/an-antarctic-minke-whale-bala… In the note, we report on the stranding of a male whale in the Ciénaga los Olivitos Wildlife Refuge in the southern Gulf of Venezuela on 18 March 1997. During three days in a row the fishers and Guardafaunas (fish and game wardens) conducted a dozen attempts to release the whale into deeper waters but the whale died. At the time (1997) the whale was erroneously identified as a Bryde´s whale but a new analysis (July 2023) of the original report and color pictures revealed the taxonomic determination. This is the first species record for Venezuela and the Caribbean sea. So far, there are only six available records of this species outside its primary range in Antarctic waters. This work is in respectful memory of the late fellow Guardafaunas Helímenes Perozo and Néstor Jiménez, who devoted their life to the protection of Venezuelan wildlife, specially the Ciénaga de los Olivitos Wildlife Refuge. A copy of the pdf will be available from my email address: bolanos.jimenez(a)gmail.com

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