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Abstract: Distribution and habitat characteristics of the genus Stenella in the southwest Atlantic Ocean
by Ignacio Moreno 20 Sep '05

20 Sep '05

A new paper on Stenella distribution has been published. Reprints available upon request to: Ignacio Moreno - iggy.moreno(a)gmail.com Moreno IB, Zerbini AN, Danilewicz D, de Oliveira Santos MC, Simões-Lopes PC, Lailson-Brito J Jr., Azevedo AF (2005) Distribution and habitat characteristics of dolphins of the genus Stenella (Cetacea: Delphinidae) in the southwest Atlantic Ocean. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 300:229-240 ABSTRACT: The distribution of dolphins of the genus Stenella is poorly known in the southwest Atlantic Ocean. A complete review of records (n = 311) of these dolphin species was performed to describe distribution and habitat. Atlantic spotted dolphins S. frontalis occur in both southern (21 to 33° S) and northern Brazil (north of 06° S), with a hiatus in its distribution off eastern South America. This species presents the highest preference for nearshore habitats, restricted to waters within the 1000 m isobath. Pantropical spotted dolphins S. attenuata are found in tropical waters as far south as 22° S and are mainly observed off northeastern South America. They occur beyond the continental shelf break in depths >850 m. Clymene dolphins S. clymene are distributed in deep waters (1390 to 4500 m) as far south as 30° S. Strandings are more common where the continental shelf is narrower. Spinner dolphins S. longirostris are found in oceanic waters as far south as 30° S. They inhabit tropical waters over the shelf and slope (depths ranging from 170 to 2700 m). The striped dolphin S. coeruleoalba is the least known species of the genus in the western South Atlantic. Most records are from temperate waters in southern Brazil and Argentina. The distributions of S. attenuata, S. clymene and S. longirostris overlap to a great extent and are predominantly oceanic and associated with warm ocean currents. S. frontalis seems to prefer a different, coastal habitat, influenced both by warm currents and upwelling areas. The discontinuous distribution of this species suggests that an isolated population inhabits the southern coast of Brazil. KEY WORDS: Stenella · Atlantic Ocean · Brazil · Uruguay · Argentina · Distribution · Habitat characteristics -- Ignacio Moreno iggy.moreno(a)gmail.com Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Aquáticos do Rio Grande do Sul - GEMARS Rua Felipe Neri, 382/203 90440-150 - Porto Alegre/RS - Brasil e-mail: gemars(a)terra.com.br http://www.ufrgs.br/ceclimar/gemars

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FW: Marine Conservation Organization Announces Grants in Historical Marine Ecology
by Jen Palmer 20 Sep '05

20 Sep '05

For Immediate Release Contact: Dr. Lance Morgan (707) 938-3214 (office) Dr. Elliott Norse (425) 968-0449 (office) Marine Conservation Organization Announces Grants in Historical Marine Ecology September 20, 2005 (Bellevue, WA and Glen Ellen, CA) Marine Conservation Biology Institute (MCBI) announced today the 2005 Mia J. Tegner Memorial Research Grant in Marine Environmental History and Historical Marine Ecology award winners. This grant program is one of the first in the world to specifically help scientists document the interaction of human activities upon ocean life and marine ecosystems. Information from these studies are crucial for helping lawmakers, regulators, managers and conservationists set appropriate targets for marine conservation efforts. This year, MCBI awarded 5 grants from a pool of 76 proposals, which represented scientists or science teams from 31 nations. The Tegner Award program seeks to document the state of marine biological diversity prior to human industrial activities. In many cases, researchers and conservationists do not know the base-line environment they are studying, but indigenous or traditional ecological knowledge can help fill this gap. Conservation biologists are increasingly aware of an ecological syndrome termed "Shifting Baselines", whereby today's researchers cannot fully interpret current ecological health against a backdrop of long-term gradual environmental degradation and change which may span decades to centuries. The 2005 Tegner Award winners will be looking to establish historical pictures of populations and communities from such novel techniques as historical photo archives to traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous peoples to historical analysis including analyses of log books, maps and other historical documents. In some cases researchers will be working with aboriginal communities to access indigenous knowledge of ecology. Many of this year's 2005 Tegner research projects focus on traditional ecological knowledge, as it is becoming increasingly apparent that management strategies for indigenous societies based solely on ecological or biological data are seriously inadequate. The 2005 award winners are: 1) Jo Marie Acebes (Philippines) "Historical whaling in the Philippines: origins of 'indigenous subsistence whaling', mapping whaling grounds and comparison with current known distribution." The history of whaling in the Philippines is largely undocumented. Acebes' study will determine the origins and development of 'indigenous subsistence whaling' and will map the historical whaling grounds of local people's and foreign whalers. The data obtained in this study will be compared to current whale distributions in the Philippines and will be used to assess conservation and management. 2) Darrin Drumm (New Zealand) University of Otago, "Tracking a millennium of reef exploitation and ecological impacts of human interactions with the reefs of the southern Cook Islands: a study of archaeological, anthropological and contemporary evidence." Drumm's study will develop a historical account of human exploitation practices of the coral reefs of the Cook Islands over a 700-1,000 year period. This research will help focus conservation efforts by providing a baseline of the historical, pre-impact conditions as well as an understanding of the magnitude of human-related impacts on the coral reefs and their resources. By providing an understanding of the full social and historical dimensions of indigenous interactions with the marine environment, this study will also use indigenous ecological knowledge to help inform management decisions. 3) Heather Lazrus (USA) University of Washington, "Global climate change in the South Pacific: traditional environmental knowledge and community responses on Polynesian Atolls." Lazrus' ethnographic research will focus on understanding ways that traditional ecological knowledge can increase community social and ecological resilience to global climate change on Funafuti and Nanumea Atolls, located in the nation of Tuvalu. Tuvalu has been inhabited for over 2000 years, thus, accumulated local knowledge of ecological changes may provide robust systems for dealing with ecological disasters during this time. In addition to providing environmental baselines of this region, this study will also assess modes of social adaptation to these changes over time. The information obtained in this project will assist the government of Tuvalu with conservation strategies towards the anticipated impacts of global climate change in the future. 4) Joelle Prange (Australia) Marine Studies Program, University of the South Pacific. "Integrating scientific and local indigenous knowledge of coral reef communities of the Great Astrolabe Reef, Fiji." The South Pacific is an area of distinct biological diversity; however conservation of these regions greatly depends upon the combination of culture and science. Prange's research will be one of the first studies to document and integrate indigenous and scientific knowledge of coral reef communities within the Astrolabe Reef, Fiji. The goal 'is to compare community understanding of coral reef communities with scientific descriptions, and to utilize this information, if appropriate, in development of resource/inventory maps. 5) John Reed (USA) Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution: "Effects of bottom trawling on a deep-water coral reef". Using photographic archives Mr. Reed will look to analyze the historic extend and composition of deep-water Oculina reefs off the coast of Florida prior to widespread bottom trawl activity. The unique Oculina coral reef ecosystem is biologically diverse and productive, thus vulnerable to mechanical anthropogenic impacts. These fisheries, which target shrimp, have resulted in the estimated loss of 90% or more of Oculina deep-water reefs. Reed's study will seek to establish baseline conditions of these reefs. Dr. Mia J. Tegner, a marine biologist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, lost her life in January 2001 while carrying out research off southern California. She studied the ecology of kelp forest communities and abalone populations, and was particularly interested in understanding how marine populations and ecosystems have changed as a result of human activities. This pioneering research earned her appointments as a Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation and as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. These memorial research grants were started to honor her memory by Marine Conservation Biology Institute with funding from the Christensen Fund. Marine Conservation Biology Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the science of marine conservation biology and promoting cooperation essential to protecting and recovering the Earth's biological integrity. Founded in 1996, it is headquartered in Bellevue, WA, and has offices in Glen Ellen, CA and Washington, DC. Go to www.mcbi.org <http://www.mcbi.org/> for more information on this and other MCBI projects, publications and staff. *** NEW ADDRESS & PHONE *** Lance Morgan, Ph.D. Chief Scientist Marine Conservation Biology Institute 14301 Arnold Dr. Suite 25 Glen Ellen, CA 95442 USA V. 707.938.3214 F. 707.996.4842 lance(a)mcbi.org

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tagged bottlenose dolphin in Gulf of Mexico (fwd)
by MARMAM Editors 20 Sep '05

20 Sep '05

From: ScarGeo(a)aol.com On a pelagic birding trip offshore from South Padre Island Texas in the Gulf of Mexico Sept. 17th, a bottlenose dolphin was seen with a black tag on its dorsal and blue tattooing on its side. The tattooing was not legible under the water. It was feeding with Spotted and other Bottlenose around a shrimp boat. Does anyone have any information on this dolphin? SPI Dolphin Research Center Scarlet Colley, Director spinaturecenter.com South Padre Island, Texas 956-299-0629 ------------------------------------------------------------------- -To submit a message to MARMAM, send it to: marmam(a)lists.uvic.ca -Please include your name and e-mail address in the body of the text of all submissions, and ensure your message has an appropriate subject heading (ie., not "Message for MARMAM") -Do not submit attached files or HTML/MIME messages. -To subscribe to MARMAM, go to lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam -To contact the MARMAM editors, write to: marmamed(a)uvic.ca -MARMAM Editorial Policy & FAQ: http://whitelab.biology.dal.ca/marmam.htm

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MARMAM archives etc
by MARMAM Editors 20 Sep '05

20 Sep '05

A number of subscribers have pointed out that the MARMAM archives normally available at the ESCRIBE site are no longer functioning. For those trying to access older messages sent to MARMAM, these messages can be obtained in a monthly archive by sending a message to: listserv(a)uvvm.uvic.ca saying get marmam logYYMM (where YY = year, MM = month) Please remember that the Listserv treats ALL text as a command, so no additional text (e.g., signature) should be included in the message. Also, since MARMAM has been switched over to the Mailman system, messages are available in a searchable format through the following site: http://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam Note the above web link is also the site that people should use to subscribe or unsubscribe from the list. The old method of writing to listserv(a)uvvm.uvic.ca will not work for subscriptions. Thanks very much, MARMAM Editors ------------------------------------------------------------------- -To submit a message to MARMAM, send it to: marmam(a)lists.uvic.ca -Please include your name and e-mail address in the body of the text of all submissions, and ensure your message has an appropriate subject heading (ie., not "Message for MARMAM") -Do not submit attached files or HTML/MIME messages. -To subscribe to MARMAM, go to lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam -To contact the MARMAM editors, write to: marmamed(a)uvic.ca -MARMAM Editorial Policy & FAQ: http://whitelab.biology.dal.ca/marmam.htm

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The Mammals of North America, 2nd Edition by E. Raymond Hall will soon be available from The Blackburn Press
by Blackburn Press 19 Sep '05

19 Sep '05

The classic book, The Mammals of North America, 2nd Edition, by E. Raymond Hall, 2 volumes, ISBN 1-930665-29-6, will soon be available from The Blackburn Press. Order by September 30 and receive 10% off the list price of $137.95. Credit cards will not be charged until we ship the book. Books will be available mid to late October 2005. Enter your order now on our website http://www.blackburnpress.com/biologybooks.html or via fax at 973-228-7276. Reprinted here from the 1981 edition, The Mammals of North America is the only work to provide all-inclusive information for the entire continent and continues to be an indispensable reference source for zoologists, botanists, entomologists, epidemiologists, parasitologists - all whose interests touch on the native mammals. E. Raymond Hall was one of the outstanding mammalogists of the century. The Mammals of North America is considered to be among the most important faunal works ever published. Hall was President of the American Society of Mammalogists in 1940-41. He was Director of the Museum of Natural History at the University of Kansas in Lawrence from 1944 until his retirement in 1967. The Blackburn Press was founded with the mission of keeping in print and available for purchase book titles that larger publishers have lost interest in and have declared "out-of-print." We specialize in scientific, medical, and technical books and textbooks. The Blackburn Press is interested in hearing of other titles we might consider returning to print. Your suggestions are welcome. Thank you. Mary S. Donovan The Blackburn Press Publishers of classic scientific and technical books Post Office Box 287 Caldwell, NJ 07006 Tel: 973-228-7077 Fax: 973-228-7276 E-mail: mdonovan(a)blackburnpress.com Explore the latest additions to our list at www.Blackburnpress.com All of our books are available at www.Amazon.com

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Contents/abstracts, Aquatic Mammals, vol. 31, no. 2, 2005 (fwd)
by MARMAM Editors 17 Sep '05

17 Sep '05

Dear Marmam and ECS-mailbase subscribers, The following is information on the contents of the most current issue of _Aquatic Mammals_, publication of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals (EAAM). This posting is made as a courtesy to the journal editor (Dr. Jeanette Thomas) and the EAAM. For information about journal subscriptions and manuscript submissions, please contact: Dr. Jeanette Thomas Editor Aquatic Mammals Biological Sciences Western Illinois University-Quad Cities 3561 60th St. Moline, Illinois 61265 USA Tel: 309-762-9481 ext 311 Fax: 309-762-6989 E-mail: J-Thomas(a)wiu.edu EMAIL PREFERRED METHOD OF COMMUNICATION Please do not direct reprint requests to the listserve, the journal editor, or myself. I have provided the address of the author to whom correspondence should be directed with each article. Email addresses were not provided with any of the articles in the journal issue, sorry. Thank you for your continued interest in these postings. Also, thanks to all you readers who post availability of recently published marine mammals articles to the listserves. With regards, Dagmar Fertl Geo-Marine, Inc. 550 East 15th Street Plano, Texas 75074 USA dfertl(a)geo-marine.com http://www.geo-marine.com ************************************************ Mate, B.*, P. Duley, B. Lagerquist, F. Wenzel, A. Stimpert, and P. Clapham. 2005. Observations of a female North Atlantic right whale (_Eubalaena glacialis_) in simultaneous copulation with two males: supporting evidence for sperm competition. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):157-160. *Fisheries and Wildlife, Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, OR 97365, USA Given the huge size of their testes (approximately 1,000 kg), it has been hypothesized that North Atlantic right whales (_Eubalaena glacialis_) have a mating system that is based upon sperm competition. Herein, we report an observation which provides support for this hypothesis. On 11 August 2000 in the Bay of Fundy in Canada, a mature female right whale was observed copulating simultaneously with two mature males. The female made no attempt to resist copulation. For anatomical reasons, double copulation would be difficult or impossible in most mammals; however, it is quite feasible in right whales, and the fact that it actually occurs provides strong support for the belief that females of this species promote sperm competition as a mating strategy. ******************************************************** Wiggins, S.M.*, E.M. Oleson, M.A. McDonald, and J.A. Hildebrand. 2005. Blue whale (_Balaenoptera musculus_) diel call patterns offshore of southern California. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):161-168. *Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0205, USA Diel and seasonal calling patterns for blue whales (_Balaenoptera musculus_) were observed in coastal waters off southern California using seafloor-mounted autonomous acoustic recording packages (ARPs). Automated call counting from spectrogram cross-correlation showed peak seasonal calling in late summer/early fall. When call counts were organized by daily time intervals, calling peaks were observed during twilight periods, just after sunset and before sunrise. Nighttime calling was grater than daytime calling, but also showed a minimum between the dusk and dawn calling peaks. These peaks correlate with the vertical migration times of krill, the blue whales' primary prey. One hypothesis to explain these diel variations is that blue whale calling and foraging may be mutually exclusive activities. Fewer calls are produced during the day while prey are aggregated at depth and foraging is efficient. More calls are produced during the twilight time periods when prey are vertically migrating and at night when prey are dispersed near the sea surface and foraging is less efficient. ************************************************* Mello, I.*, and M. Amundin. 2005. Whistle production pre- and post-partum in bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_) in human care. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):169-175. *Kolmården Djurpark, Research and Education Centre, Kolmarden, Sweden The bottlenose dolphin (_Tursiops truncatus_) has a highly variable acoustic repertoire of whistles, clicks, and pulse burst sounds. Whistles are used to express individuality (signature whistle) and emotional state, and to initiate and maintain contact within a group. This study investigated the whistle production type pre- and post-partum of three female bottlenose dolphins and their calves at the Kolmården Djurpark, Sweden. Gestation lasts approximately 12 months, and with the approach of delivery, the behaviour of the female changed in several ways. Observations of the behaviour and sound production were done for up to seven months prior to birth and for up to the first 22 months of the calves' lives. The results showed that whistle production increased significantly for all three females in the seven months pre-partum, with an accelerating increase in the days prior to birth. The whistles, therefore, might be used as an indicator that delivery is imminent. After birth, the mother-calf pair whistled more often when separated (66%) than when together (34%), and significantly more often when the calf returned to its mother than when she retrieved the calf. *************************************************************** Viddi, F.A.*, and A-K Lescrauwaet. 2005. Insights on habitat selection and behavioural patterns of Peale's dolphins (_Lagenorhynchus australis_) in the Strait of Magellan, southern Chile *Instituto de Ecologia y Evolucion, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile During the austral summer/autumn of 2001, habitat selection of Peale's dolphins (_Lagenorhynchus australis_) was assessed through a five-month land-based survey in two sectors on the central west coast of the Strait of Magellan, Punta Arenas, Chile. The main objective of this study was to evaluate habitat selection of Peale's dolphins in relation to kelp beds and the behavioural patterns determining dolphins habitat use. In 191 h of observation effort, habitat use of Peale's dolphins displayed a significant concentration in only a small part of the study area, which was strongly associated with kelp beds. Feeding was the most frequent behaviour observed, followed by traveling. The former behavioural state was observed principally inside and on the border of kelp beds, while traveling was observed mainly outside the beds. Peale's dolphins' preference for kelp beds, which seemed to be their primary feeding ground, was evident throughout this study. Kelp forests appear to be a fundamental habitat for Peale's dolphins in coastal ecosystems, and their protection might be crucial for the conservation of Peale's dolphin populations. ***************************************************************** Arronte, J.C.*, J.A. Pis-Millán, and C. Pérez. 2005. Injury to an Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin (_Lagenorhynchus acutus_) caused by needlefish impalement _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):184-186. *Universidad de Oviedo, Facultad de Biologia. Dpto. B.O.S., Area de Zooloia C/Catedratico Rodrigo Uria s/n, 33071, Oviedo, Spain Specific interactions between dolphins and other marine species may result in the injury or death of the individuals involved. This case report describes a perforating injury to an Atlantic white-sided dolphin, _Lagenorhynchus acutus_, by a garpike, _Belone belone gracilis_, of the family Belonidae (needlefishes) in Asturias, Spain. On postmortem examination, the dolphin had a full-thickness perforation of its right thoracic wall, with penetration and abscess formation in the right lung due to a needlefish's lower jaw. The wound appeared to be recently acquired, based on the absence of reactive fibrosis. No other gross abnormalities were identified. Results from bacterial and viral analysis on the spleen, liver, kidney, and left lung were negative. Most likely, death occurred as a result of an open pneumothorax produced by the traumatic penetrating injury to the right lung. ***************************************************************** Blomqvist, C.*, I. Mello, and M. Amundin. 2005. An acoustic play-fight signal in bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_) in human care. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):187-194. *Department of Research and Education, Kolmårdens Djurpark, Kolmården, Sweden Play-fighting is common in many mammals, especially among juveniles and subadults, providing a safe opportunity to practice behaviours important in adult life. To prevent escalation into a potentially dangerous real fight, play-fighting often is accompanied by acoustic and/or visual appeasement behaviours. We studied aggressive and play-fight behaviours in bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_) at the Kolmården Djurpark. The results showed that play-fighting subadult dolphins emitted a characteristic sound, which was never observed in aggressive interactions. This was a short pulse burst followed by an FM-whistle. By plotting pulse repetition rate (PRR) vs. duration of the bursts, two main clusters were found. The bottom cluster had a mean PRR of 59 pulses per second (pps), and a mean duration of 154 msec. The top cluster had a mean PRR of 502 pps and a mean duration of 149 msec. These play-fight clusters were compared separately to corresponding adult aggressive pulse burst clusters. Taking both PRR and duration into consideration, no significant difference was found between the top clusters, or between the bottom clusters, in the two age groups. The trailing whistles were divided into five different frequency contour categories. These did not resemble the signature whistles of any of the play-fighting dolphins. The average start and end frequencies were 13.0 kHz and 10.1 kHz, respectively, and the maximum and minimum frequencies were 13.7 kHz and 7.0 kHz, respectively. The mean duration was 410 msec. Based on the fact that this sound occurred only in play-fights, we propose that it helps prevent a play-fight from escalating into a real fight and, hence, is analogous to the "laugh" and "chuckle" seen in apes. ***************************************************************** Irwin, L-J. 2005. Marine toxins: adverse health effects and biomonitoring with resident coastal dolphins. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):195-225. *mailing address: P.O. Box 37, Volcano, HI 96785, USA Ecotoxicologic studies of marine environments are complex. Expanding knowledge should take into account toxicology, ecology, biology, medicine, and global as well as local anthropogenic disturbances of ecosystems. These areas of interest are discussed, leading to recommendations for biomonitoring of a specific location. Marine mammals are useful as bioindicators of environmental disturbance and as sentinels of health risks for humans who frequently consume seafood. A small community of bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_) in West Galveston Bay, Texas, with strong site fidelity is discussed here for consideration as a local environmental biomonitor. These dolphins are subject to a number of environmental impacts, including industrial toxins, nonpoint source agricultural and residential runoff, and pollutants from vessels. Other threats include climate change and toxic algal blooms. Marine mammal mass mortality events linked to morbillivirus infections in other areas have been associated with one or more of these environmental disturbances. Toxic effects described in cetacean literature generally do not include neurotoxic changes because specific tests for aquatic mammals are not yet available. Neurotoxicity has been addressed in studies of humans who consume contaminated seafood; specific findings are included in this review because marine mammals are likely to be subject to similar adverse effects. Researchers designing biomonitor studies need to keep in mind the multiple and complex impacts caused by both local and global issues. Known impacts on Galveston Bay are outlined and considered in suggesting local biomonitor study designs. Small populations of near-shore resident dolphins can serve more effectively as useful upper trophic level environmental bioindicators with such a multidisciplinary approach. ************************************************************** Pearson, H.C., and R.W. Davis. 2005. Behavior of territorial male sea otters (_Enhydra lutris_) in Prince William Sound, Alaska. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):226-233. Texas A&M University, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Science, 5007 Avenue U, Galveston, Texas 77551, USA Photo-identification and focal animal sampling were used to examine the daytime behavior of territorial male sea otters (_Enhydra lutris_) in Simpson Bay, Prince William Sound, Alaska, during the summer (June to August) of 2003. The average number of otters (all age classes of males and females) in the study area was 121 ± 12.1 SD (n = 5 surveys). The bout duration of six behaviors (resting, grooming, foraging, interacting with other otters, swimming at the surface, and patrolling), activity time budgets, and interactions with females were determined for territorial males. Ten males were observed during 183 focal follows (i.e., observation periods), representing 92 h of observation. More time was spent foraging (30%) than on any other activity, and foraging bouts were longer than all other activities. Males interacted with females with pups (59%) and with single females (41%). Two of three consortships (i.e., mating associations lasting ca. three days) were formed with single females. Sixty-seven percent of interactions between territorial males were aggressive and were longer than one min. ******************************************************** Ribeiro, S.*, F.A. Viddi, and T.R.O. Freitas. 2005. Behavioural responses of Chilean dolphins (_Cephalorhynchus eutropia_) to boats in Yaldad Bay, southern Chile. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):234-242. *Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Goncalves 9500, Caixa Postal 15007, CEP 91540-000, Porto Alegre (RS), Brazil During the austral summer of 2002, theodolite tracking was used to evaluate Chilean dolphin (_Cephalorhynchus eutropia_) behavioural responses to boats in Yaldad Bay, southern Chile. This bay represents an important site for the occurrence of this species. Boat traffic has increased considerably since 1980 in this area due to aquaculture activities. Behavioural responses were analysed for each dolphin activity, and pre-, during, and post-boat encounters. When foraging and approached by a vessel, dolphins increased their reorientation rate, whereas swimming speed showed no significant change. When traveling, however, dolphins reacted to boats by increasing their directional swimming speed, while reorientation rate did not differ. After encounters, dolphins seemed to return quickly to previous behavioural patterns when traveling, whereas it took longer to establish normal patterns when foraging. Group dispersion analyses showed that when boats approached foraging dolphins, they became significantly more cohesively grouped. Consequently, dolphins reacted negatively to boat presence in Yaldad Bay, but these responses were conditional on dolphin behavioural activities prior to boat encounters. These findings emphasize the need to consider boat traffic disturbance on cetaceans in coastal management plans. ********************************************* Beekmans, B.W.P.M.*, H. Whitehead, R. Huele, L. Steiner, and A.G. Steenbeek. Comparison of two computer-assisted photo-identification methods applied to sperm whales (_Physeter macrocephalus_). _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):243-247. *Department of Industrial Ecology, Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands Two computer-assisted photo-identification methods for sperm whales (_Physeter macrocephalus_), namely the Highlight method (Whitehead, 1990) and the Europhlukes method (based on Huele et al., 2000), were compared. Performance was measured in terms of speed and accuracy. A test set was constructed containing two photographs of each of 296 individuals. The test set was divided into three classes of photographic quality and three classes of pattern distinctiveness. Both programs met requirements for rapid matching; the mean extraction times were 74.2 and 90.1 s per image for the Highlight and the Europhlukes methods, respectively. The two methods performed similarly with respect to accuracy. Accuracy improved by using higher-quality photographs or photographs representing more distinctive flukes. Still, even when using only the higher-quality photographs, 12.4% of the matches were not included in the top nine of the list of potential matches by the Highlight method compared to 14.0% for the Europhlukes method. The rate of failure to find the true match in the top nine was only 3.3% when both methods were used together, however. It is, therefore, recommended that for improved matching, both methods should be used in tandem or that an integrated program, which combines the two methods, should be developed. ************************************ Morisaka, T.*, M. Shinohara, and M. Taki. 2005. Underwater sounds produced by neonatal bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_): I. Acoustic characteristics. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):248-257. *Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwake, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan Bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_) communicate using various acoustic signals, including whistles and pulsed sounds. Many studies have been conducted on dolphin whistle development over a long span, but little research has been done on sounds produced by neonatal dolphins just after birth. For this reason, we studied the acoustic characteristics of underwater sounds produced by two neonatal dolphins. Both whistles and burst-pulses were identified as neonatal sounds at 1.5 h after birth. Whistles became longer by the hour. Whistle durations were highly correlated with respiration intervals. The neonate randomly produced various types of whistles, but no dominant whistles were documented. There were significant differences between neonates in the proportion of whistles to burst-pulses used, and also in the acoustic characteristics of their whistles. Acoustic characteristics that are unique to each individual neonate might help a mother dolphin to recognize her neonate. ******************************************************** Morisaka, T.*, M. Shinohara, and M. Taki. 2005. Underwater sounds produced by neonatal bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_): II. Potential function. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):248-257. *Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwake, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan Neonatal bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_) produce many sounds just after birth, including whistles and pulsed sounds. Herein, we report the possible function of the sounds produced by two captive-born, neonatal bottlenose dolphin as revealed by behavioural observations. Typical sucking sounds were observed during 71 to 81% of all suckling bouts. Since the neonates produced more sounds at the beginning of the suckling sequence than expected, it appeared that they might use the sounds as care-solicitation signals or begging signals. These sounds contained a higher proportion of whistles than sounds in other contexts, which implied that the proportions of sound types, especially whistles, were important for neonatal dolphins and their mothers to initiate the nursing sequence. ********************************* Fertl, D. 2005. Book Review: Marine Mammals: Fisheries, Tourism, and Management Issues. Editors: N. Gales, M. Hindell, and R. Kirkwood. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):266-267. Geo-Marine, Inc., 550 East 15th Street, Plano, Texas 75074, USA ************************************* Rendell, L. 2005. Book Review: The Biology of Traditions: Models and Evidence. Editors: Dorothy M. Fragaszy and Susan Perry. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):268-270. Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, Fife, UK ------------------------------------------------------------------- -To submit a message to MARMAM, send it to: marmam(a)lists.uvic.ca -Please include your name and e-mail address in the body of the text of all submissions, and ensure your message has an appropriate subject heading (ie., not "Message for MARMAM") -Do not submit attached files or HTML/MIME messages. -To subscribe to MARMAM, go to lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam -To contact the MARMAM editors, write to: marmamed(a)uvic.ca -MARMAM Editorial Policy & FAQ: http://whitelab.biology.dal.ca/marmam.htm

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publication on N. Pacific right whale call detection
by Lisa Munger 14 Sep '05

14 Sep '05

Munger, L., D.K. Mellinger, S.M. Wiggins, S.E. Moore, and J.A. Hildebrand. 2005. Performance of spectrogram correlation in detecting right whale calls in long-term recordings from the Bering Sea. Canadian Acoustics 33 (2): 25-34. ABSTRACT We investigated the performance of spectrogram cross-correlation for automatically detecting North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica) calls in long-term acoustic recordings from the southeastern Bering Sea. Data were sampled by autonomous, bottom-mounted hydrophones deployed in the southeastern Bering Sea from October 2000 through August 2002. A human analyst detected right whale calls within the first month (October 2000) of recorded data by visually examining spectrograms and by listening to recorded data; these manual detections were then compared to results of automated detection trials. Automated detection by spectrogram cross-correlation was implemented using a synthetic kernel based on the most common right whale call type. To optimize automated detection parameters, the analyst performed multiple trials on minutes-long and hour-long recordings and manually adjusted detection parameters between trials. A single set of optimized detection parameters was used to process a week-long recording from October 2000. The automated detector trials resulted in increasing proportions of false and missed detections with increasing data set duration, due to the higher proportion of acoustic noise and lower overall call rates in longer recordings. However, the automated detector missed only one calling "bout" (2 or more calls within a 10-minute span) of the 18 bouts present in the week-long recording. Despite the high number of false detections and missed individual calls, spectrogram cross-correlation was useful to guide a human analyst to sections of data with potential right whale calling bouts. Upon reviewing automatic detection events, the analyst could quickly dismiss false detections and search recordings before and after correct detections to find missed calls, thus improving the efficiency of searching for a small number of calls in long-term (months- to years-long) recordings. * * * * * Please address any inquiries to lmunger(a)ucsd.edu. Thanks, Lisa Munger Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California, San Diego La Jolla, CA 92093-0205 (858)534-5755 ~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~ Biological Oceanography ~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

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Third International Symposium on Marine Conservation Biology at Society for Conservation Biology Meeting in San Jose (24-28 June 2006)
by Ellen Hines 13 Sep '05

13 Sep '05

apologies for cross-postings The Marine Section of the Society for Conservation Biology is pleased to announce the Third International Symposium on Marine Conservation Biology, to be integrated into the 20th Annual Meeting of SCB in San Jose, California, USA. The Meeting is scheduled for 24-28 June 2006. The theme of the 2006 meeting is "Conservation Without Borders". We strongly encourage all scientists, practitioners, and students working in marine conservation to make plans for attending and participating in this important event. Details for the 2006 Annual Meeting are in on the following website: http://www.conservationbiology.org/2006 The deadline for proposing symposia, workshops, and organized discussions is October 15, 2005. Please see the following website for details: http://www.conservationbiology.org/2006/Symposiumcall.cfm Contributed papers on marine topics are also encouraged, and will be accepted between October 15th and January 10th. We hope to see you in San Jose in June 2006! Ellen Hines, Ph.D Assistant Professor Department of Geography and Human Environmental Studies San Francisco State University 1600 Holloway Ave. San Francisco, CA 94132 USA (415) 405-0921 Fax: (415) 338-6243 ehines(a)sfsu.edu

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revised mail:chronobiological essay on marine mammal behavior
by sergiounesp 13 Sep '05

13 Sep '05

sergio candido de oliveira junior sergiounesp(a)ig.com.br for those working with marine mammal behavior: is there some way to apply chronobiological analysis in behavior studies of cetaceans in wild environment ? any body works like that in behavior analysis of cetaceans ? the difficult of the studies on natural environment probably brings a lot of impossibilities at observation that , in turn , brake the continuum status on data. however different technics on methodological observation can brings a framework to make possible that occur. I´ve been searched information about that in http://www.portaldapesquisa.com.br, a brazilian data bank of cientific papers around the world. otherwise, I´ve been seached in scientific books generals. I wait for any kind of opinion or suggestion in this subject. cheers.

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Publication: taxonomic status of Sotalia dolphins
by Haydee Cunha 13 Sep '05

13 Sep '05

Dear all, I would like to announce a recently published paper on the specific status of Sotalia dolphins: Cunha HA, da Silva VMF, Lailson-Brito JJr, Santos MCO, Flores PAC, Martin AR, Azevedo AF, Fragoso ABL, Zanelatto RC & Solé-Cava AM. 2005. "Riverine and marine ecotypes of Sotalia dolphins are different species". Marine Biology. DOI: 10.1007/s00227-005-0078-2. PDFs requests should be sent to haydeecunha(a)yahoo.com.br Best regards, Haydée Cunha ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MSc. Haydée A. Cunha Laboratório de Biodiversidade Molecular (UFRJ)/ MAQUA - Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos (UERJ) Dept. de Genética, Inst. de Biologia Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ CCS, Bloco A, Sl. A2-098. Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil. 55 21 2562-6389/3869-7346/2587-7133 _______________________________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger com voz: PROMOÇÃO VOCÊ PODE LEVAR UMA VIAGEM NA CONVERSA. Participe! www.yahoo.com.br/messenger/promocao

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