July 2024 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Job Opportunity: Necropsy Technician
by Sarah Tatum 26 Jul '24

26 Jul '24

Greetings all! The Marine Mammal Center is hiring a Necropsy Technician for the months of August - December. See below for a summary, and see this link<https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/2610107/Marine-Mam…> <https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/2610107/Marine-Mam…> for the full Job Posting. Title: Necropsy Technician Location of Position: Marin Headlands, Sausalito, California Reports to: Associate Pathologist Position Classification & Expected Hours of Work, and Travel: This is a full-time, temporary, non-exempt position from August 12th, 2024 – December 31st, 2024. * Regular onsite work is required. * Evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand. * Some travel to satellite facilities and/or fieldwork may be expected for this position. Compensation Range: $29.00 - $33.00 / hr. Job Summary The Necropsy Technician will undertake various activities in support of the Pathology & Diagnostics team including gross necropsy, histopathology (trimming of cases), and support of the biobank archives. They will assist in the collection, analysis, storage, and shipment of samples for collaborative research projects as well as the training of pathology participants of the Teaching Hospital program and The Marine Mammal Center’s visitors. OUR MISSION The Marine Mammal Center advances global conservation through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, and education. 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! [Icon Description automatically generated with low confidence] Sarah Tatum (she-her) Human Resources Operations Coordinator TatumS(a)tmmc.org<mailto:tatums@tmmc.org> | MarineMammalCenter.org<http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/> The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito, CA 94965

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Seeking Aerial Observer
by CCS Employment 26 Jul '24

26 Jul '24

*Aerial Observer* The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) is seeking a seasonal Aerial Observer for our Right Whale Ecology Program (RWEP). CCS conducts crewed aerial surveys in nearshore waters between December and May to assess the abundance, distribution, and behavior of North Atlantic right whales. This position is a mix of field- and office-based work. The successful applicant will participate as an observer in a small, fixed wing aircraft during aerial surveys that frequently occur on holidays and weekends through the field season. The start date for this position is on or near December 1, 2024. Housing is available in a shared field house, if desired (please note: a housing benefit is considered taxable income). This is a full-time, salaried position with benefits for six months with possible extension under mutual agreement. The position will be hired at the rank of Specialist Assistant or Associate, commensurate with experience, with a rate of pay in the range $58,000-65,000 annually. Primary Responsibilities • Participate in aerial surveys as an observer, data recorder, and photographer. Observers need to visually scan for marine mammals, vessels, fishing activity, and marine debris from an aircraft at low altitudes and orbit at banked angles to photo-document sightings. Additional aerial duties may include assisting with whale carcass relocation and supporting disentanglement efforts; • Process aerial survey data, including entering and proof data recorded during surveys; completing effort and sightings data tables, photo-analysis and photo-identification of individuals; updating our in-house identification catalog; and assisting with the preparation of data for submissions to the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium; • Assist with survey coordination by interpreting weather forecasts, communicating with aircraft vendors, pilots, and collaborating researchers, and administrating field expenditures; • Become familiar with current entanglement cases, protocols, and individual animals of interest; • Assist program director, data manager, and flight coordinator with relevant projects; • Participate in vessel cruises and assist program interns as needs dictate; • Write field notes to be shared with the public; • Finalize data entry and photo analysis from previous field seasons. Qualifications and Skills • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Biology, Ecology, Fisheries Science or related field with 3-6 years of experience; • Minimum one-year experience working on right whale or related aerial survey projects; • Experience in photo-identification of marine mammals and matching individuals to a catalog; • Demonstrated skill in field identification of North Atlantic marine mammals and familiarity with marine mammal visual survey data collection and processing methods; • Familiarity with monitoring short- and mid-range weather forecast with the intent of identifying field work weather-windows; • Must have a precise attention to detail and the ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities and strict timelines; • Excellent verbal and written communication skills including preparing visual presentations for a variety of technical, scientific, and general public audiences; • Ability to work both independently and as part of a team; • Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States; • Aircraft underwater egress training is desired but not required. However, ditch training with the use of compressed air will be required to conduct the work and is a part of CCS-provided training; • SQL and R programming skills desired. *Application Process:* Please submit cover letter, CV/resume, and contact information for three professional references in a single pdf and attached along with copies of college transcripts via email to *employment(a)coastalstudies.org <employment(a)coastalstudies.org>*. Please use “RWEP Aerial Observer” in the subject line of your email. The closing date for applications is September 6, 2024, but applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as they are received until the position is filled. *The Center for Coastal Studies is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply.* *Diversity of opinions, experience and backgrounds is a key asset.*

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Call for cetacean parasite samples
by Keir Beaton 26 Jul '24

26 Jul '24

For my PhD project, I am interested in collecting samples of parasites from the brachycladiidae family, a diverse digenean parasite family that are found to infect the liver and pancreas, intestine, and cranial sinuses and auditory tubes of marine mammals. I am studying the molecular interactions that occur during infection of marine mammals by their parasites. I am also aiming to compare genetic variability across populations of parasites, both within the same host sub-population, and across different host sub-populations. To enhance the impact of my population studies, I am trying to collect samples from multiple subpopulations of marine mammals, with an aim to carry out genomic comparisons across wider geographical areas. Most of my work will be performed on whole genome datasets, so we are looking for samples in good condition, however, this is not a necessity. Any specimens from the brachycladiidae family are welcome; Synthesium spp., Nasitrema spp., Hadwenius spp., Oschmarinella spp., Orthosplanchnus spp., Campula spp. & Brachycladium spp. If you believe you may have some samples that you would be willing to share, or have any questions, or simply want to discuss my project further, please don’t hesitate to reach either myself or Dr Sarah Marley, via my email at Keir.Beaton(a)sruc.ac.uk<mailto:Keir.Beaton@sruc.ac.uk>, or Dr Marley at Sarah.Marley(a)sruc.ac.uk<mailto:Sarah.Marley@sruc.ac.uk>. Thank you in advance! Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to. This e-mail message is confidential to the intended recipient at the email address to which it has been addressed. If the message has been received by you in error, it may not be disclosed to or used by anyone other than the intended addressee, nor may it be copied in any way. If it is not intended for you please inform us, immediately, then delete it from your system. If the content is not about the business of the organisation then the message is not from us nor is it sanctioned by us. Anything in this e-mail or its attachments which does not relate to SRUC's or SAC Commercial Limited's official business is neither given nor endorsed by SRUC or SAC Commercial Limited. SRUC A Charitable company limited by guarantee, Scottish Charity Number: SC003712. Registered in Scotland, Company Number: SC103046 - Registered Office: Peter Wilson Building, King’s Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG SAC Commercial Limited, an SRUC company Registered in Scotland, Company Number: SC148684 - Registered Office: Peter Wilson Building, King’s Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG

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Marine Mammal / Sea Turtle Observer Certification Course September 21-22
by Angela Bostwick 25 Jul '24

25 Jul '24

MPSC is offering an online training course that provides Protected Species Observer (also known as Marine Mammal Observer) certification on September 21-22, 2024. This training is approved by the federal agencies Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) in coordination with National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to provide Protected Species Observer Certification for geological and geophysical surveys in the Gulf of Mexico, and the certification is often accepted in many other regions or industries where monitoring and mitigation is required for reducing impacts to protected species. Course cost includes the instruction, advice on applying to PSO positions, the professional certification, and the provision of various regulatory documents and supplementary identification guides which will be for course attendees to keep. This course will examine the regulations for reducing impacts to marine mammals, sea turtles, and protected fish, how to locate and identify the animals, and the monitoring and objective data that is required for reporting to regulatory agencies. After discussing regulatory requirements, we will examine key identifying traits and behaviors of the different protected species, as well as the key visual cues which can enable location of protected species in a dynamic and rapidly-changing environment. The course also includes discussions on how to prepare and pack for life offshore. The live, interactive discussions for this course provide a personalized approach to learning as we discuss how to identify protected species and how to document impacts to the animals. The interactive discussion in this course will also include best practice methods for living and working with other PSOs and vessel crew within a collaborative team environment, in order to effectively advise on the regulatory measures required to document and reduce impacts to protected species. By monitoring for marine mammals, sea turtles, and protected fish, advising on the mitigation measures that are required, and documenting impacts through impartial and unbiased reporting, PSOs serve a crucial role in the conservation of protected species during operations at-sea. Additional information may be found on the MPSC website at http://www.protectedspeciesobservers.com/, by contacting me at ABostwick(a)psocertifications.com, or by phone at 832-523-2402. Thank you, Angela Bostwick Founder & CEO Marine Protected Species Consulting ProtectedSpeciesObservers.com BOEM/BSEE/NMFS-Compliant Provider of Protected Species Observer Certification

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ONLINE COURSE – Time Series Analysis and Forecasting using R and Rstudio (TSAF01)
by Oliver Hooker 25 Jul '24

25 Jul '24

ONLINE COURSE – Time Series Analysis and Forecasting using R and Rstudio (TSAF01) https://www.prstats.org/course/time-series-analysis-and-forecasting-using-r… PR stats have a course on time series analysis and forecasting scheduled for October. Although this course does not use ecological datasets, all the skills learnt can be applied to ecological time series datasets, commonly encountered in long term studies of marine mammals. Instructor - Dr. Rafael De Andrade Moral 17th - 26th October Please feel free to share! In this six-day course (Approx. 35 hours), we provide a comprehensive practical and theoretical introduction to time series analysis and forecasting methods using R. Forecasting tools are useful in many areas, such as finance, meteorology, ecology, public policy, and health. We start by introducing the concepts of time series and stationarity, which will help us when studying ARIMA-type models. We will also cover autocorrelation functions and series decomposition methods. Then, we will introduce benchmark forecasting methods, namely the naïve (or random walk) method, mean, drift, and seasonal naïve methods. After that, we will present different exponential smoothing methods (simple, Holt’s linear method, and Holt-Winters seasonal method). We will then cover autoregressive integrated moving-average (or ARIMA) models, with and without seasonality. We will also cover Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) and how they can be used to incorporate seasonality effects in the analysis of time series data. Finally, we will cover Bayesian implementations of time series models and introduce extended models, such as ARCH, GARCH and stochastic volatility models, as well as Brownian motion and Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes. Please email oliverhooker(a)prstatistics.com with any questions. -- Best wishes, Oliver Oliver Hooker PhD. PR stats

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JOB POST: Director of Animal Rescue at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD, USA
by Madden, Margot 25 Jul '24

25 Jul '24

Hello Stranding Colleagues, The National Aquarium is currently seeking qualified applicants to fill the Director of Animal Rescue position within the Animal Rescue Department. Annual compensation minimum of $80,000. Interested and engaged applicants should apply through our website http://aqua.org/jobs. Please include a cover letter. Requests for reasonable accommodation can be made by e-mailing HR(a)aqua.org<mailto:HR@aqua.org>. Please share with any qualified individuals that may be interested. Director of Animal Rescue General Purpose: The Director of Animal Rescue is responsible for managing and providing oversight and strategic direction to the Aquarium's Animal Rescue Program and partnerships. Directs planning, budgeting, implementation, and evaluation of Animal Rescue programs. Responsible for oversight of Animal Rescue staff and associated program activities, including live animal care, rehabilitation, and triage (multiple sites), stranding and incident response, stranding research, and outreach & education. Responsible for developing Animal Rescue’s strategic direction in concert with internal/external partners and aligning with the National Aquarium’s strategic priorities; assists with the development and implementation of science-based conservation initiatives for marine mammals and sea turtles. Represents the National Aquarium to state and federal agencies, the public, and partner conservation programs. Qualifications/Basic Job Requirements: Required: * Master’s degree in marine science, conservation biology, or related field, or equivalent professional experience * 10 years related progressive experience. * At least 5 years' experience in program administration, including personnel and budget management, short and long-term goal setting, program development and evaluation. * Employees assigned to this position must possess and maintain a valid and current motor vehicle operator’s license, have an acceptable driving record, and possess the ability to drive a variety of vehicles. Preferred: * PhD in marine science, conservation biology, or related field preferred * 24-hr HAZWOPER certification MARGOT MADDEN Senior Rehab Biologist 410-659-9261 443-890-1925 mmadden(a)aqua.org aqua.org We are a nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect people with nature to inspire compassion and care for our ocean planet. National Aquarium 501 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202 (Aquarium) 111 Market Pl, STE 800, Baltimore, MD 21202 (Office) Please consider our ocean planet before printing. [NAISIG1]

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Whales and offshore wind FAQ document release - New York Environmental Technical Working Group
by Julia Stepanuk 25 Jul '24

25 Jul '24

To meet the need for accurate and readily understandable information about whale mortality events and the level of the potential risk to whales from offshore wind energy development activities, a specialist committee of the Offshore Wind Environmental Technical Working Group (E-TWG) has released an FAQ document to aid in the dissemination of scientifically sound answers to common questions. Committee members represent a variety of sectors including government agencies, offshore wind developers, and environmental nonprofit organizations. These FAQ responses were also reviewed by expert stakeholders that included members of academia, state and federal agencies, and other environmental organizations. This version of the document includes a total of 12 FAQs and is available at https://www.nyetwg.com/communications-committee. FAQ responses include: What are stranding and Unusual Mortality Events? What are some of the causes of stranding events? Why are baleen whales dying in the Northwest Atlantic and is this a new phenomenon? What can we learn from stranding data? What are the biases or limitations of stranding data? How are necropsies conducted? What are the major components of an offshore wind farm? What are the potential effects of offshore wind development on whales? Does offshore wind development kill whales? What federal and international environmental laws protect whales? What mitigation measures are available to avoid or minimize OSW effects on marine mammals? What mitigation measures are being required by regulators in the U.S. for offshore wind? We have developed this FAQ document with the intention for it to primarily be used as a resource for stakeholders who are in direct communication with the general public and who regularly receive questions from the public on these topics. It provides multiple levels of detail in response to each FAQ, including a concise answer to the question and a more detailed answer with associated scientific citations, enabling readers to have a better understanding of the facts and available information sources. In addition to scientific citations, FAQ responses in many cases also have a "For More Information" section that refers the reader to materials aimed at a general audience, including web pages, videos, and popular media. You may use the information in this document to create other materials to aid in the dissemination of information. We hope that you consider using the information in this document to communicate with stakeholders. In particular, this FAQ document was explicitly created to provide scientifically accurate summaries that can, in turn, be used to create social media posts or other materials to aid in the dissemination of information. If you have other ideas for how to best support stakeholder engagement on these issues, please email julia.gulka(a)briwildlife.org. For more information about the FAQs, the committee, or to submit a new FAQ topic for the committee to consider addressing, please visit https://www.nyetwg.com/communications-committee or contact julia.gulka(a)briwildlife.org. [image: Biodiversity Research Institute] <https://www.briwildlife.org/> Biodiversity Research Institute *Julia Stepanuk, PhD (she/her)* *Quantitative Ecologist* 207-839-7600 julia.stepanuk(a)briwildlife.org <julia.stepanuk(a)briwildlife.org> https://briwildlife.org <https://briwildlife.org/> <https://www.facebook.com/briloon> <https://twitter.com/BiodiversityRI> <https://www.instagram.com/biodiversityresearchinstitute/> <https://www.linkedin.com/company/biodiversity-research-institute/mycompany/> <https://www.linkedin.com/company/biodiversity-research-institute/mycompany/> ------------------------------ BRI is a nonprofit ecological research group based in Portland, Maine, conducting innovative wildlife science worldwide. This email may contain confidential or proprietary materials for the sole use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, any review, use, distribution, or disclosure is strictly prohibited.

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New publication: Using eDNA to track cetacean habitat use
by Simon Goodman 25 Jul '24

25 Jul '24

Dear All, Please see below details of our new open access publication on using eDNA to track seasonal spatial variation in habitat use of cetaceans and their prey species. Very well done to Betty Boyse who led this work as part of her PhD research. Boyse, E., Robinson, K. P., Beger, M., Carr, I. M., Taylor, M., Valsecchi, E., & Goodman, S. J. (2024). Environmental DNA reveals fine-scale spatial and temporal variation of marine mammals and their prey species in a Scottish marine protected area. Environmental DNA, 6, e587. https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.587 Abstract Marine mammal foraging grounds are popular focal points for marine protected area (MPA) implementation, despite being temporally dynamic, requiring continuous monitoring to infer prey availability and abundance. Marine mammal distributions are assumed to be driven by their prey in foraging areas, but limited understanding of prey distributions often prevents us from exploring how shifting prey availability impacts both seasonal and long-term marine mammal distributions. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding could enhance the understanding of marine mammal habitat use in relation to their prey through simultaneous monitoring of both. However, eDNA applications focused on marine mammals or predator-prey dynamics have been limited to date. In this study, we assess spatiotemporal changes in the distribution and abundance of cetaceans, minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in relation to key prey species in a newly established MPA, employing eDNA metabarcoding. We recovered 105 molecular operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from marine vertebrates using two primer sets targeting 12S and 16S genes, along with 112 OTUs from a broader eukaryotic primer set targeting 18S rRNA. Overall, key forage fish prey species, sandeels and clupeids, were the most abundant teleost fishes detected, although their availability varied temporally and with distance from shore. We also found clear spatial partitioning between coastal bottlenose dolphins and the more pelagic minke whales and harbor porpoises, paralleling availability of their main prey species. Other species of conservation interest were also detected including the critically endangered European eel (Anguilla anguilla), Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), and the invasive pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha). This study demonstrates the application of eDNA to detect spatiotemporal trends in the occurrence and abundance of cetacean predators and their prey, furthering our understanding of fine-scale habitat use within MPAs. Future long-term monitoring of predator-prey dynamics with eDNA could improve our ability to predict climate-induced shifts in foraging grounds and enhance rapid responses with appropriate management actions. ============================================================ Dr Simon Goodman School of Biology, University of Leeds Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK Tel: +44-(0)113-3432561 Email: s.j.goodman(a)leeds.ac.uk<mailto:s.j.goodman@leeds.ac.uk> Web: http://www.goodmanlab.org/ Twitter: @DrSimon_Goodman BlueSky: @phoca-sapiens.bsky.social Sustainable Ecosystems and Adaptation Research Pillar Lead Ecology & Evolution Research Group Lead, School of Biology Director of PGR Studies, School of Biology [cid:image003.jpg@01DADE7C.BB41E5E0] https://global-biosphere-sensing.org/ ============================================================

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New publication: Transferability of SDMs for Hector's dolphins
by Steph Bennington 24 Jul '24

24 Jul '24

Kia ora all, we are pleased to share our latest publication on the spatial transferability of species distribution models for Hector's dolphin. Article is available here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.70074. Abstract: Species distribution models (SDMs) can be used to predict distributions in novel times or space (termed transferability) and fill knowledge gaps for areas that are data poor. In conservation, this can be used to determine the extent of spatial protection required. To understand how well a model transfers spatially, it needs to be independently tested, using data from novel habitats. Here, we test the transferability of SDMs for Hector's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori), a culturally important (taonga) and endangered, coastal delphinid, endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand. We collected summer distribution data from three populations from 2021 to 2023. Using Generalised Additive Models, we built presence/absence SDMs for each population and validated the predictive ability of the top models (with TSS and AUC). Then, we tested the transferability of each top model by predicting the distribution of the remaining two populations. SDMs for two populations showed useful performance within their respective areas (Banks Peninsula and Otago), but when used to predict the two areas outside the models' source data, performance declined markedly. SDMs from the third area (Timaru) performed poorly, both for prediction within the source area and when transferred spatially. When data for model building were combined from two areas, results were mixed. Model interpolation was better when presence/absence data from Otago, an area of low density, were combined with data from areas of higher density, but was otherwise poor. The overall poor transferability of SDMs suggests that habitat preferences of Hector's dolphins vary between areas. For these dolphins, population-specific distribution data should be used for conservation planning. More generally, we demonstrate that a one model fits all approach is not always suitable. When SDMs are used to predict distribution in data-poor areas an assessment of performance in the new habitat is required, and results should be interpreted with caution. -------------------------------------- Steph Bennington (she/her) PhD candidate Marine Megafauna Research Group Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, NZ

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SMM 2024 Australia (10.11.2024) Workshop: Vth Edition: “What is new in Marine Mammal Pathology”
by Antonio Jesús Fernández Rodríguez 24 Jul '24

24 Jul '24

We are delightful to announce you that we will host the workshop Vth Edition: “What is new in Marine Mammal Pathology” Now open for inscription https://www.smmconference.org/workshops/ [https://www.smmconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/courtnie-tosana-X7…]<https://www.smmconference.org/workshops/> Workshops - SMM Conference<https://www.smmconference.org/workshops/> SMM2022 workshops are half day, full day, or two day events that are proposed and organised by individual researchers. Pre-conference workshops will be held on Saturday, December 11th and Sunday, December 12th, 2021, during the weekend just prior to the conference. www.smmconference.org This workshop provides a dedicated forum for experts and trainees in marine mammal pathology to share and discuss new pathologies, outbreaks, diagnostic tools, etc. in the context of marine mammal pathology and conservation within the conference. The workshop aims to use pathology as a tool for marine mammal health and conservation. Advances in marine mammal pathology, including field, laboratory diagnosis, new methodologies, and tools, will be presented and discussed. The workshop will consist of case report discussions and presentations. Pathologists working in this field are invited to submit a presentation title and brief outline (less than 200 words) by July 31st, 2024. We are looking for an interactive and dynamic atmosphere for exchanging knowledge. The expected outcome of the workshop is the in situ exchange of knowledge, continuing education in marine mammal pathology, and strengthening collaboration and networking among marine mammal pathologists. Previous workshops were very successful with high occupancy and received excellent feedback. We recommend early registration because we had full occupancy with a waiting list in the previous years. Prof. Antonio Fernandez (antonio.fernandez(a)ulpgc.es<mailto:antonio.fernandez@ulpgc.es>) Dr. Padraig Duignan (duignanp(a)TMMC.org<mailto:duignanp@TMMC.org>) Antonio Fernández Full Professor. Histology and Veterinary Pathology. DVM, PhD, DECVP, DEFVP, DECZM (Wildlife Health), EBVS® European Specialist in Veterinary Pathology Head of WOAH Collaborating Centre on Marine Mammal Health Veterinary School. Morphology Department University Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA) WOAH Collaborating Centre (Marine Mammal Health) Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria tel. 928459712 antonio.fernandez(a)ulpgc.es ORCID 0000-0001-5281-0521 Campus Universitario Cardones de Arucas 35413 · Arucas, Gran Canaria · España/Spain [cid:4db8265e-a9a7-43e2-9699-258a7f63014b]

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