July 2025 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New Publication: Cultural transmission of animal tool use driven by trade-offs: insights from sponge-using dolphins
by Ellen Rose Jacobs 16 Jul '25

16 Jul '25

Hello, We are excited to announce our new open access publication, "Cultural transmission of animal tool use driven by trade-offs: insights from sponge-using dolphins" in Royal Society Open Science. The publication is available here: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241900 Full citation: Jacobs E, Wei C, Erbe C, Mann J.2025 Cultural transmission of animal tool use driven by trade-offs: insights from sponge-using dolphins. R. Soc. Open Sci. 12: 241900. http://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.241900 Abstract: Although tool use offers obvious benefits to the user, the role of costs in the spread of tool use has received scant attention. Sponge tool use is a foraging technique restricted to a small subpopulation of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Shark Bay, Australia, that carry basket sponges on their beaks to probe the seafloor and flush out camouflaged fish, widening the search area and protecting the beak from abrasion. While most instances of animal tool use extend the phenotype, we hypothesized that sponges interfere with echolocation, particularly reception of echoes along the lower jaw. To evaluate how echolocation signals change while travelling through sponge tissue, we simulated echolocation using finite-element analysis based on digital models of sponge species (Echinodictyum mesenterinum and Ircinia spp.). We find that acoustic properties of the echolocation signal are changed in the presence of Ircinia spp. and, to a lesser extent, E. mesenterinum. Given distortions vary with each sponge, dolphins must adaptively and flexibly compensate during neural signal processing. This explains why sponging takes so long to learn, is strictly vertically transmitted and does not spread to others despite close association with tool users. Taken together, these findings provide a compelling look at the underlying intrinsic and extrinsic forces shaping tool use in wild populations. Best, Ellen Jacobs, PhD Postdoc, Marine Mammal Section Department of Ecoscience Aarhus University

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Unlock the power of GLM's with our new course designed around ecological data
by Oliver Hooker 16 Jul '25

16 Jul '25

Introduction to Generalised Linear Models for Ecologists (GLME01) https://www.prstats.org/course/introduction-to-generalised-linear-models-fo… Dive into the power of Generalised Linear Models (GLMs)! Whether you’re studying species presence, abundance, or behavioural occurrences, GLMs unlock the ability to model binary, count, and proportion data—critical for marine ecology. Who should attend? - Marine mammal ecologists analysing presence/absence data for marine mammals like seals or dolphins - Researchers modelling strandings, sightings, or acoustic detections - Conservation analysts examining count data from surveys or passive acoustic monitoring - Graduate students and early-career scientists eager to learn interpretable, robust statistical models in R What you'll learn - The principles and extensions of GLMs: logistic regression for binary outcomes, Poisson/negative‑binomial for counts, and models for overdispersion/zero-inflation - Practical implementation in R using glm()—from model fitting to diagnostics and interpretation - Strategies to model challenging marine datasets such as zero-inflated counts and proportion data Course format - *Live online* over 10 days, 4 hours per day, with interactive lectures and hands-on R sessions - Timezone: Ireland/GMT, with recordings for worldwide participants - Fee: First 10 places £400 - Normal price £450 Prerequisites - Basic experience with R and RStudio—importing data, manipulating data.frames, and generating simple plots - Understanding of fundamental statistics (mean, variance, correlation) - No prior GLM knowledge—everything is introduced from first principles ------------------------------ Secure your place and power your marine mammal research with GLMs! Register or find out more on the PR stats course page or email oliverhooker(a)prstatistics.com. -- Oliver Hooker PhD. PR stats

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Call for Participation – Jonian Dolphin Conservation Expedition in the Gulf of Taranto
by lia＠joniandolphin.it 16 Jul '25

16 Jul '25

Dear MARMAM Community, We are pleased to announce the opportunity to participate in the Jonian Dolphin Conservation (JDC) Expedition, a field-based scientific experience dedicated to the monitoring and study of cetaceans in the Gulf of Taranto, Northern Ionian Sea (southern Italy). The JDC Expedition is an immersive training program designed for students, early-career researchers, and anyone interested in gaining practical skills in marine mammal science. Participants work alongside professional researchers with over 15 years of experience in cetacean studies. The program includes: * Fieldwork aboard our research vessel for data collection on dolphin behavior and distribution * Techniques in photo-identification, acoustic monitoring, genetic sampling, drone use, and environmental data recording * Daily workshops and data analysis sessions at Ketos, JDC's scientific and cultural hub * Discussions on marine biodiversity, ecological dynamics of the Ionian Sea, and the ethical challenges of cetacean captivity The JDC Expedition aims to combine scientific rigor with active public engagement, promoting the principles of citizen science and environmental awareness. Location: Taranto, Italy Duration: 1 week - 8-14 settembre 2025 Language: English and/or Italian Requirements: No prior experience required; a keen interest in marine science and conservation is essential. For more information, availability, and registration, please contact: 📧 lia(a)joniandolphin.it; nicola(a)joniandolphin.it 🌐 www.joniandolphin.it We look forward to welcoming passionate individuals to contribute meaningfully to our long-term research and conservation goals. Best regards, www.joniandolphin.it Francesca Cornelia Santacesaria Responsabile Ricerca e Tirocini +39 340 7204648 lia(a)joniandolphin.it

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New Publication: First Documented Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) Pupping Event in Virginia
by Michelle Guins 15 Jul '25

15 Jul '25

On behalf of my co-authors, I am very pleased to announce our new publication “First Documented Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) Pupping Event in Virginia” in the Journal of Aquatic Mammals Volume 51, Issue 4. You can request the paper via this link here: https://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/article/first-documented-harbor-seal-… Thank you very much, -- *Michelle Guins* Associate Wildlife Biologist®

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NOAA Fisheries Proposed Incidental Take Regulations for Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Military Readiness Activities in Hawaii and California
by Leah Davis - NOAA Federal 15 Jul '25

15 Jul '25

NOAA Fisheries announced proposed regulations to govern the incidental take of marine mammals under the Marine Mammal Program Act related to U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Army military readiness activities in the Hawaii-California Training and Testing Study Area. These proposed regulations would authorize take of individuals of 40 species of marine mammals by Level A and Level B harassment incidental to the use of sonar and other transducers, in-water detonations, air guns, land-based launches, and vibratory and impact pile driving and extraction. In addition, this proposed rule would authorize serious injury or mortality for up to seven takes of large whales from vessel strikes over the 7-year authorization period. NOAA Fisheries has preliminarily determined that the number and manner of “take” proposed for authorization would have a negligible impact on all affected marine mammal species and stocks. NOAA Fisheries, Navy, Coast Guard, and Army have worked together to develop a comprehensive suite of mitigation measures that will ensure the “least practicable adverse impact” on marine mammals and their habitat. They have also developed a robust monitoring plan specifically for these activities to help better understand the effects of military readiness activities on marine mammals. The public comment period on the proposed regulations is open from July 16 to August 15, 2025. NOAA Fisheries will consider all comments related to the proposed rule prior to making any final decision on the requested regulations. Documents associated with this proposed action are available on our website. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. -- *Leah Davis* Biologist, Permits and Conservation Division Office of Protected Resources | NOAA Fisheries (301) 427- 8431 www.fisheries.noaa.gov

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Publication notice: Changes in the abundance and distribution of rorqual prey in the Northeast United States over four decades
by Stepanuk, Julia 15 Jul '25

15 Jul '25

Hello Marmam, We are excited to announce the open access publication of our manuscript "Changes in the abundance and distribution of rorqual prey in the Northeast United States over four decades" in Ecosphere. The publication is available here: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ecs2.70303 Abstract: The distribution, phenology, and population dynamics of species at multiple trophic levels have been impacted by climate change across a range of spatial scales. Upper trophic level species may be uniquely impacted through changes to prey species and foraging habitats in space and time. Improving our understanding of how known changes in the abundance and distribution of prey species influence prey availability for marine predators is key to understanding climate impacts on upper trophic level species. Rorquals, a group of baleen whales, are generalist feeders that employ lunge feeding to engulf large volumes of water and prey, thereby requiring dense aggregations of prey for efficient feeding. While climate-driven changes have been well documented for some species of fish and invertebrates consumed by rorquals, changes to the distribution of rorqual prey in aggregate and the implications of these changes for rorqual foraging habitat have received little attention. We used a 40-year time series of prey data to assess spatial and temporal shifts in key prey groups for four rorqual species in the rapidly warming Northeast United States. We found notable changes to the distribution and biomass of prey groups for rorquals through space and time. The center of biomass of key large-bodied prey showed significant poleward shifts and biomass increased in the northern portion of the Northeast United States. Accordingly, we found significant increases in the biomass of large-bodied humpback, minke, and fin whale prey in the northerly Gulf of Maine and George's Bank regions, with concurrent decreases in the biomass of large-bodied humpback whale prey in more southernly Mid-Atlantic Bight and Southern New England regions. In contrast, there was little evidence of change in the distribution and biomass of smaller prey groups, which are of key importance for sei and fin whales. Our results suggest that rorquals that primarily consume large-bodied prey, humpback and minke whales, may be more likely to be impacted by climate-driven shifts in prey than sei and fin whales that feed on smaller prey. Assessments of changing prey distributions are needed for proactive management in light of climate-driven impacts on whale foraging habitat. Cheers, Julia Stepanuk, PhD (she/her) Modeling Program Lead Division of Marine Mammal Research Maine Department of Marine Resources (207) 350-6692

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High Latitude Acoustics - Special Session at ASA Honolulu (Evgeny Podolskiy)
by Evgeniy Podolskiy 14 Jul '25

14 Jul '25

Dear Colleagues, We invite you to submit an abstract to our session at the upcoming joint Acoustical Society of America/Japan meeting (Honolulu, Hawaii, 1-5 December 2025): "Acoustical Remote Sensing at High-Latitudes from Centimeter to Basin Scales and Implications for Climate Change" - a session focusing on passive and active acoustical remote sensing of physical, biological, and chemical processes at high-latitudes relevant to climate change. Submission link: https://acousticalsociety.org/honolulu-2025/ Deadline: July 28 (Monday), 2025 All the best, Session Conveners Elizabeth Weidner (University of Connecticut), John Colosi (WHOI/UCSC), Evgeny Podolskiy (Hokkaido University)

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New publication on short-term behavioural impacts of biopsy sampling on SRWs
by Leena Riekkola 14 Jul '25

14 Jul '25

Dear MARMAM community, My co-authors and I are pleased to share our recent open-access publication in Conservation Science and Practice: Riekkola, L., Childerhouse, S., Constantine, R., Cole, R., Harcourt, R., Heimeier, D., ... & Carroll, E. L. (2025). Balancing ethics and conservation: Assessing short‐term behavioral impacts of biopsy sampling in a recovering whale population. *Conservation Science and Practice*, e70077. *https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70077* <https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70077> Abstract: Long-term monitoring programs based on individual identification have provided a sound basis for monitoring the status of endangered and recovering species. However, the impact of such research needs to be understood relative to the benefit gained. Here, we present a case study of a population that has been studied using genetic monitoring since 1995, the New Zealand southern right whale (*Eubalaena australis;* tohorā). Tissue samples for genetic monitoring were collected using a remote biopsy system, an approach used widely in marine mammal research. Under most ethical frameworks, this is considered a minor impact of short duration, but perceived or potential impact limits sampling of some demographic classes (e.g., calves). We used data collected during surveys from 2020 to 2022 to measure short-term behavioral impact of biopsy sample collection, with 748 responses collected over 52 days in the field from 524 individual whales. Biopsy sampling was overwhelmingly of minimal impact: the majority (90%) of biopsy responses were classified as either ‘no response’ (46%, *n* = 341) or ‘weak response’ (44%, *n* = 326). This study also supports previous work that calves do not show a greater reaction to biopsy sampling than adults. The behavior of the whales prior to being approached for biopsy sampling significantly affected the response elicited, but there was no measurable cumulative impact of multiple sampling, based on within-year (*n* = 113) or between-year (*n* = 21) comparisons. Genetic data from this monitoring project has been used to revise the conservation status of the population, to demonstrate the effectiveness of conservation policies and to understand circumpolar stock structure. Overall, this study confirms that biopsy sampling is a minimally invasive, data-rich collection method that provides a wealth of information for conservation and management of whales. It typically causes only a minor, short-term behavioral disturbance with wounds that, based on other studies, heal quickly and without discernible adverse health effects. See also New Zealand Department of Conservation Media release about the paper: https://www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-releases/2025-media-releases/whale-resea… Please feel free to contact us with any questions. Thank you, Leena Riekkola Emma Carroll -- -- Rutherford Postdoctoral Fellow Te Kura Mātauranga Koiora | School of Biological Sciences Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland e: lrie003(a)aucklanduni.ac.nz | p: +64 (0)212922551 | t: @FinntasticLeena -- Associate Editor, Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

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New publication on large whale satellite tag development
by Alexandre Zerbini 14 Jul '25

14 Jul '25

Hi everyone, I am pleased to share a new publication on the development of robust satellite tags for large cetaceans. Zerbini, A.N., Robbins, J., Andrews‐Goﬀ, V., Baumgartner, M., Clapham, P.J., Double, M., Gales, N., Landry, S., Gulland, F.M.D., Hammar, T., Holland, M., Kennedy, A.S., Leask, A., Mattila, D.K., Sandilands, D., & Schorr, G.S. (2025). Developing Robust Large Whale Satellite Tags Through Follow‐Up Studies. J. Cetacean Res. Manage. Special Issue 5: 77-88. https://doi.org/10.47536/jcrm.v5i1.1091 The publication can be downloaded here: https://journal.iwc.int/index.php/jcrm/article/view/1091 Abstract: The use of satellite tags has yielded important information to better understand cetacean ecology and to improve cetacean conservation. However, tag deployment duration has been highly variable and typically shorter than their battery life on most large whale species. Between 2011 and 2018, 80 consolidated satellite tags were deployed in North Atlantic humpback whales (*Megaptera novaeangliae*) in the Gulf of Maine (GoM) to study whale movements, to assess tag impacts, and to understand causes of tag rejection and tag failure. The strong site fidelity of individual whales to the GoM, long feeding ground residency, and high observer effort allowed repeated sightings of animals instrumented with satellite tags. In early deployments multiple structural deficiencies were documented on the tags, revealing the need to improve the mechanical design and manufacturing of the instruments. These tag deficiencies not only resulted in short tag transmission durations, but also in negative health impacts on individual animals. Incremental modifications to the mechanical design and the manufacturing processes to resolve the observed deficiencies included: (1) changes in the anchor tip, retention devices, and anchor articulation, (2) the removal of the interface between the transmitter housing and the anchor and (3) the redesign of the posterior end of the tag. More robust instruments were produced by welding deficient tag parts or by using 3‐dimension (3‐D) metal printing processes to manufacture integrated instruments. Deployments of redesigned satellite tags resulted in 65–85% significantly longer average transmission durations when compared to earlier designs that showed structural deficiencies. This study highlights the importance of developing satellite tagging technology in association with follow‐up monitoring of tagged individuals and provides new tag designs that are structurally more robust and less impactful for use with large cetaceans. I take this opportunity to encourage those of you on this list working on cetaceans to consider publishing in the Journal of Cetacean Research and Management, fondly known as JCRM (or the IWC Journal, https://journal.iwc.int/index.php/jcrm/index) This publication has been recently revitalized and modernized, including a beautiful new layout. In times when many are facing severe budget cuts, JCRM comes as an attractive option to publish papers relevant to the biology, management and conservation of cetaceans. There are no publication fees and the review process has been streamlined. Check it out. Best wishes, Alex -- Alexandre N. Zerbini, PhD Senior Scientist and Principal Investigator ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies University of Washington Seattle, WA, USA email: azerbini(a)uw.edu ph: +1 206-351-7311

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Next Issue of Aquatic Mammals (51.4) is published online
by Kathleen Dudzinski 14 Jul '25

14 Jul '25

Dear MARMAM Subscribers, The 4th issue of volume 51 (51.4) of Aquatic Mammals journal is available online and officially published Tuesday, July 15th. Further information about the journal can be found at: http://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/ To submit a manuscript for publication consideration, please visit: http://am.expressacademic.org/actions/author.php With regards, Kathleen M. Dudzinski, Ph.D. Editor, Aquatic Mammals Journal business(a)aquaticmammalsjournal.org <mailto:business@aquaticmammalsjournal.org> Issue 51.4 contents (** denotes open access): **Ellen M. Chenoweth, Kim E. W. Shelden, Rie M. Christianson, and Willa R. Johnson. (2025). First Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus) Sighting in Southeast Alaska: An Extralimital Southern Excursion of this Arctic-Adapted Species. Aquatic Mammals, 51(4), 311-318. **Ronald A. Kastelein, Christ de Jong, Lean Helder-Hoek, Linde Defillet, John M. Terhune, Femke Kuiphof, and Laura Van Acoleyen. (2025). Effect of Impact Pile-Driving Playback Sound on Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) Behavior: Dose-Response Relationship and Frequency Weighting. Aquatic Mammals, 51(4), 319-335. Michelle S. Guins, Deanna R. Rees, and Rick E. Sherwin. (2025). First Documented Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) Pupping Event in Virginia. Aquatic Mammals, 51(4), 336-342. Eric Angel Ramos, Catalina Ocampo-Carvajal, and Nataly Castelblanco-Martínez. (2025). Two Dolphin–Vessel Collisions in Mexican Waters: Potential Implications for Dolphin Behavior and Boating Safety. Aquatic Mammals, 51(4), 343-348. Yara Suhan Juárez-Campusano, Olga Patricia García, Fernando R. Elorriaga-Verplancken, and Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse. (2025). Blood Biochemical Markers of Weaned Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris) Pups Born at the San Benito Archipelago Vary Across Birth Cohorts. Aquatic Mammals, 51(4), 349-362. **Katharine A. Ballinger, Marjorie A. Cox, Dane N. Horowski, and Sarah A. Codde. (2025). Attempted Predation on Northern Elephant Seal Weanlings (Mirounga angustirostris) by Coyote (Canis latrans) in Point Reyes National Seashore, California. Aquatic Mammals, 51(4), 363-370. **Christopher Scala, Daryl Codron, Melanie Oesterwind, Isabelle Brasseur, and Marcus Clauss. (2025). Presumptive Photoperiodic Regulation of Food Intake and Body Mass in Killer Whales (Orcinus orca). Aquatic Mammals, 51(4), 371-391. Maria Maust-Mohl, Laura Eierman, J. Daisy Kaplan, and Kelly Melillo-Sweeting. (2025). Occurrence and Seasonal Residency of a Community of Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) off Bimini, The Bahamas, 2006-2016. Aquatic Mammals, 51(4), 392-399. Aage K. O. Alstrup, Charlotte Bie Thøstesen, Natacha M. Kristensen, Daniel K. Johansson, and Sussie Pagh. (2025). Biometrics of Stranded White-Beaked Dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) in Danish Waters. Aquatic Mammals, 51(4), 400-412. **Kathleen Dezio. (2025). Letter to the Editor: 2025 AMMPA Annual Meeting Held May 6-8 in Atlanta. Aquatic Mammals, 51(4), 413-415.

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