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2nd call for SMM2026 Workshop: Using techniques from improvisation and acting to gain focus, improve collaboration, and overcome anxiety and imposter syndrome
by Andrew Wright 28 Jul '26

28 Jul '26

Dear Marmam, Are you feeling overwhelmed or dealing with imposter syndrome? Do you struggle with making presentations or participating in workshops? You’re not alone. There are still spots available for you to join us for an interactive workshop exploring how tools from improvisation and acting can help you control your presentation nerves, improve focus, handle unexpected challenges, and generally build confidence in your academic journey. Through simple exercises and improv-based activities built around the idea of “*Yes, and…*”, participants will practice adaptability, quick thinking, and self-acceptance in a supportive environment where mistakes are part of the process. *🎓 Workshop: Using techniques from improvisation and acting to gain focus, improve collaboration, and overcome anxiety and imposter syndrome 📅 Date: Sunday 18th October🕘 Time: 08:30–12:30🔗 More details here: https://www.smmconference.org/workshops/#1776733931021-85a1be63-7bd3 <https://www.smmconference.org/workshops/#1776733931021-85a1be63-7bd3>* Come try something different, learn practical techniques to manage pressure, and take the first steps toward a more confident and balanced academic experience. If you have any questions, please let me know. Best regards, Andrew -- Andrew Wright, Ph.D. andrew(a)vocalearth.com

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2nd call for SMM 2026 Workshop: Asking the right questions: Designing robust social surveys to better inform marine mammal conservation
by Andrew Wright 28 Jul '26

28 Jul '26

Dear Marmam, Spots are still available for the SMM 2026 half-day workshop: Asking the Right Questions: Designing Robust Social Surveys for Marine Mammal Conservation, that will be held on on Saturday, October 17th, 2026: 13:00 - 17:00. Public attitudes and human behaviour often shape marine mammal conservation outcomes as much as biological knowledge. Surveys are common tools used in conservation to assess stakeholder attitudes and preferences. However, it is easy to unintentionally create leading or ambiguous questions and poorly designed surveys can produce misleading results and lead to ineffective management recommendations. Join this interactive workshop to learn how to design, implement, and interpret social surveys that generate credible, decision-relevant evidence. We’ll cover common pitfalls, such as unrepresentative sampling and social desirability bias, as well as practical ways to avoid them, including question design, response scales and survey length. Participants will leave with clear guidelines and example templates to strengthen the role of surveys in marine mammal conservation. This workshop is for scientists, practitioners, managers, and anyone using social surveys in marine mammal conservation. If you have any questions, please reach out. Best regards, Andrew -- Andrew Wright, Ph.D. Vocal Earth Conservation Marketing Leviathan Science Research & Consulting

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Connecting with the Australasia Marine Mammal Community
by ANZSCSMM ANZSCSMM 26 Jul '26

26 Jul '26

Dear MARMAM community, We are happy to share that the Australia/New Zealand Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy continues on with a new committee for the years ahead and we are looking for new members to connect with! For those unfamiliar with the chapter, we bring together students across Australasia who share an interest in marine mammal science. International followers are always welcome, but our main focus is building connections locally, within the Australasian marine mammal community. As a new team hitting the ground running, here is what you can expect from us in the coming months: • Job and opportunity sharing • Social events • Marine mammal knowledge sharing • Experience spotlights • A student conference in 2027 If you know any students in Australasia who might be interested, we would really appreciate you passing this along. Want to give a talk, share an opportunity for students, or connect with the chapter in another way? We would love to hear from you! If you are a student in Australasia, register here <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSev_SCt-K5Y-oJVJFx6ypBNv2v6F4ZKBvi…> to join the chapter. To keep up with our news either way, follow us on LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/company/anzscsmm>, Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/anzscsmm/>, or join our Facebook group <https://www.facebook.com/groups/ANZSCSMM/>. We look forward to welcoming new members to the chapter! Kind regards, Ilona Sinn On behalf of the ANZSCSMM Chapter Heads (Elise Beaumont, Jessica Buckman, Aimee Kate Darias-O’Hara, Andrew Davenport, Hannah Davies, Chloe Edwards, Juliette Gard, Nina Rothe, Ilona Sinn and Nicholai Xuereb) Australia/New Zealand Student Chapter for the Society of Marine Mammalogy (ANZSCSMM) anzscsmm(a)gmail.com ANZSCSMM LinkedIn Page <https://www.linkedin.com/company/anzscsmm> ANZSCSMM Instagram Page <https://www.instagram.com/anzscsmm> ANZSCSMM Facebook Page <https://www.facebook.com/groups/ANZSCSMM> ANZSCSMM Website <https://lpogsonmanning.wixsite.com/anzscsmm/>

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Personal tribute to Dr Janet Lanyon
by Helene Marsh 25 Jul '26

25 Jul '26

Eminent dugong researcher, Dr Janet Lanyon recently passed away, unexpectedly and tragically, after a scuba dive. As one of her former PhD advisers, I would like to share this personal tribute to Janet with the marine mammal community. Helene Marsh Emeritus Professor, Environmental Science James Cook University Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia Mobile 0409872377 email: helene.marsh(a)jcu.edu.au<mailto:helene.marsh@jcu.edu.au>

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Requesting back copies of the Whalewatcher
by Thomas Jefferson 25 Jul '26

25 Jul '26

Dear MARMAMers, VIVA Vaquita is working with the American Cetacean Society and Society for Marine Mammalogy to develop a complete digital (PDF) set of the ACS journal, Whalewatcher. We have many of them scanned, but are missing several issues, most importantly issues from volumes 1-10, and volumes 21-37. If you have any of these issues, or any others you would like to donate to the cause, please send them to me at the following address, so I can scan them:Tom JeffersonVIVA Vaquita13037 Yerba Valley WayLakeside, CA 92040Thanks very much for your help...Best wishes,Thomas Jefferson, Ph.D.sclymene(a)aol.com

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SMM Biennial Workshop: New & Improved “APPS” System for MMPA/ESA Permits
by Sara Young - NOAA Federal 24 Jul '26

24 Jul '26

Dear MMPA/ESA permit holders and interested parties, The NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Protected Resources’ Permits and Conservation Division is pleased to announce we will be hosting a workshop on our newly redesigned Applications and Permits for Protected Species (APPS) system at the 26th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in San Juan, Puerto Rico: *Workshop*: New & Improved “APPS” System for MMPA/ESA Permits *Date*: Saturday, October 17, 2026 Time: 8am-12pm ET (half day) The workshop will introduce new and returning researchers to NOAA Fisheries’ new and improved APPS application and reporting website, which is is the primary method for requesting MMPA/ESA permits and authorizations for scientific research, commercial/educational photography, or public display of cetaceans and pinnipeds in the U.S. Through this new and improved system, we are also introducing a streamlined, applicant-forward approach to environmental reviews and incidental take permitting. The first and last hours of the workshop (8-9am and 11am-12pm) will be “open hours” serving as a Help Desk or support service for APPS where we can help attendees set up their profiles in APPS and we can answer questions about the new system. At 9am, we will begin the group session with a presentation of the changes from the original system followed by a targeted demonstration of the new APPS system. After the demonstration there will be dedicated time for feedback and suggested improvements to the new system as well as Q&A. We look forward to this opportunity to provide an in-depth tutorial of our new APPS system and reconnect with our constituents. For those unable to attend, we will host webinars during the rollout of the new system with key information. If you have any questions about this workshop, please contact Sara Young at sara.young(a)noaa.gov. *Sara Young* *Fishery Biologist* *Office of Protected Resources* *NOAA Fisheries* *U.S. Department of Commerce* (301) 427-8484 Sara.Young(a)noaa.gov

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New publication: Concentrations of essential and non-essential elements in eastern North Pacific killer whales (Orcinus orca)
by Catherine F Lo 23 Jul '26

23 Jul '26

Dear colleagues, On behalf of my co-authors, I am delighted to share our new manuscript published in PLOS One on concentrations of essential and non-essential elements in eastern North Pacific killer whales: Lo CF, Gaydos JK, Poppenga R, Barre L, Burek-Huntington K, Calambokidis J, et al. (2026) Concentrations of essential and non-essential elements in eastern North Pacific killer whales (Orcinus orca). PLOS One 21(7): e0353196. Please find this publication available open access through the following link: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353196 You can find a short digest about the paper in our recent blog post here: https://www.seadocsociety.org/blog/new-study-provides-largest-ever-dataset-… Best Regards, Catherine Catherine Lo (she/her/hers) Research Assistant SeaDoc Society www.seadocsociety.org<http://www.seadocsociety.org/> [cid:a7fcae37-9e62-441e-9dc3-5aabba3620bf]

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ANNOUNCEMENT: Workshop on cetacean satellite tracking at the 2026 meeting of the SMM, Puerto Rico
by Alex Zerbini 23 Jul '26

23 Jul '26

Hi everyone, I am sending this email to those interested in satellite tracking of large cetaceans. We will be hosting a full day workshop at the 2026 meeting of the Society for Marine Mammalogy in Puerto Rico on Sunday, 18 October. The workshop title is: “A workshop on advancement, misconceptions, and future developments in applications of consolidated (type C) satellite tags to cetaceans.” The workshop will focus on consolidated or type C satellite tags as defined by Andrews et al. (2019). These tags have also been referred to as “implantable”, “deep implant” or “transdermal” and are mostly used with baleen whales and sperm whales, though some of the newest technology can also be applied to large odontocetes. Type C tags are typically nearly fully embedded in the tissue, and they anchor in the blubber or at/below the blubber muscle interface. These tags provide, on average, the longest transmission durations among all tag types used with cetaceans, and current tags have allowed tracking for multiple months and sometimes even a year or more. The introduction of the new satellite constellation by Argos (the Kineis satellites) opens opportunities for multi-year tracking. Because type C tags implant deeper in the tissue, they raise concerns about potential impacts to the welfare of tagged animals and the potential for demographic, physiological and behavioral effects both on an individual and on a population level. In recent years, multiple studies have been done to address questions related to these impacts. The primary goals of the workshop are: • Provide an update on type C tagging technology, including the most recent developments, information on tag performance (e.g., transmission duration) of current instruments, and a discussion on strategies to further advance this technology. • A summary of the findings from studies designed to assess demographic, physical/physiological and behavioral effects of type C tags. • Provide an opportunity for members of the community to discuss concerns about tag effects in an open and friendly environment. • Discuss knowledge gaps and future tag improvements that could help the community to further address cetacean research and conservation. The workshop is targeted to the following audiences: • satellite tagging developers and practitioners, • members of permitting agencies and animal care committees, • marine mammal scientists interested in using type C tags in the future, • agencies engaged or interested in funding satellite technology for cetaceans. • members of the marine mammal science community with broad interest in cetacean tagging. The workshop will consist of presentations by experts in the field and discussion sessions to address questions by the audience. Additional information and the link to sign up for the workshop are provided here: https://www.smmconference.org/workshops/#1776734911914-2b90a9ef-2679 Workshop organizers appreciate the support received from the US Office of Naval Research, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). If you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. We hope to see you in Puerto Rico in October. Best wishes, Alex Zerbini (on behalf of the workshop organizers) Reference: Andrews, R.D., Baird, R.W., Calambodikis, J., Goertz, C.E.C., Gulland, F.M.D., Heide-Jørgensen, M.P., Hooker, S.K., Johnson, M., Mate, B., Mitani, Y., Nowacek, D.P., Owen, K., Quakenbush, L.T., Raverty, S., Robbins, J., Schorr, G.S., Shpak, O.V., Townsend, F.I., Jr., Uhart, M., Wells, R.S. and Zerbini, A.N. 2019. Best practice guidelines for cetacean tagging. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 20: 27-51. -- Dr. Alexandre N. Zerbini Research Scientist Marine Ecology and Telemetry Research 2468 Camp McKenzie Trail NW, Seabeck WA 98380-4513 E-mail: azerbini(a)marecotel.org www.marecotel.org Follow MarEcoTel on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/marecotel/> Follow MarEcoTel on Twitter <https://twitter.com/marecotel>

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Invitation: Streamlining marine mammal monitoring data workflows
by Chris Ward-Paige 22 Jul '26

22 Jul '26

Hello MARMAM community, After my post last month about teaching a data science course for marine science and governance, I received a lot of interest from people wanting to visualize and explore their own marine mammal datasets — from cetacean occurrence and distributions, to behaviour, pollution and threat interactions, strandings, and more. Many also asked if they could take the course themselves. It highlighted a broader need than I expected: helping researchers and teams think through and improve the full data workflow — from monitoring design and modernization, through data collection, management, visualization, analysis, and reporting. We’re going to pilot a series of short, 60-minute, small-group sessions to explore where support is most needed and whether this format can help researchers and practitioners move their projects forward. During these FREE sessions, we’ll discuss: ✔️ The data you have — and the data you may need ✔️ Different spatio-temporal datasets and visualization approaches ✔️ Setting up your first FREE eOceans project ✔️ Approaches for reviewing and interpreting visualized data ✔️ Tips for collaboration and dissemination ✔️ How automated workflows can reduce repetitive tasks and support faster insights and reporting These sessions are intended for people building or improving marine monitoring and research programs — including marine mammal monitoring, biodiversity surveys, fisheries, conservation, pollution, and other initiatives where well-structured data can support stronger evidence and better decisions in complex systems. No code or GIS experience needed. Learn more and sign up here <https://eoceans.co/sign-up-group-onboarding-sessions-eoceans>. Please share with colleagues who may find this useful, and feel free to contact me with any comments or suggestions. We’re keen to help reduce workflow challenges, increase capacity, and support teams in turning their data into useful outputs and evidence. Thanks, Chris -- *Chris Ward-Paige, PhD* CEO *eOceans🇨🇦* chris(a)eoceans.co website: eOceans <https://www.eoceans.org/> mobile app: iOS <https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/eoceans/id1495841229> and Android <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.eoceans.app&hl=en_CA&gl=US> Book a meeting: *here* <https://calendar.app.google/7eZwdjZSnptjVrpu8> eOceans is located in *Mi’kma’ki*, the unceded and ancestral territory of the *Mi’kmaq People*. This message is intended only for the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient, you are strictly prohibited from disclosing, distributing, copying, or in any way using this message. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender and delete copies you received.

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New publication: Underwater noise modeling of Arctic shipping scenarios in Eclipse Sound, Nunavut: Assessing acoustic conditions in narwhal habitat
by Katrina Johnson 21 Jul '26

21 Jul '26

Dear MarMam Community, On behalf of my co-authors, we are pleased to share our recent paper titled "Underwater noise modeling of Arctic shipping scenarios in Eclipse Sound, Nunavut: Assessing acoustic conditions in narwhal habitat". This article was recently published in Marine Pollution Bulletin. Here is the link to the article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X2600929X. Abstract: Increasing commercial shipping in Eclipse Sound, Nunavut, has reshaped low-frequency ocean soundscapes, necessitating tools that quantify vessel noise contributions and mitigation potential. Here, we combine passive acoustic measurements from Eclipse Sound in 2023 with propagation modeling to derive monopole source levels (MSLs) from 289 unique transits, validate spatiotemporal noise model predictions, and map noise exposure across vessel transit case studies. Cargo vessels dominated encounters (*n* = 251; 63-Hz mean MSL = 157.8 dB re 1 μPa·m), while tankers had the highest MSLs (170.1 dB re 1 μPa·m at 63 Hz) despite a low sample size. Spatiotemporal underwater noise models (error < ±3 dB) were generated and validated for six transit scenarios: conventional and Det Norske Veritas (DNV) SILENT-E two-vessel convoys, conventional and SILENT-E single-vessel transits, and loaded and unloaded transits of the same vessel. Case studies contrasted conventional vs. DNV SILENT-E single transits and loaded vs. unloaded passages, revealing frequency-dependent noise impacts (10–20 dB excess at 63 Hz vs. 2–10 dB at 1,000 Hz). This enabled comparisons of quiet-design, loading optimization, and convoy routing scenarios relevant to Arctic underwater noise management amid rising shipping activity. Citation: Johnson, K. H., V. M. ZoBell, K. H. Westdal, A. J. Ootoowak, K. E. Frasier, and J. M. Jones. 2026. Underwater noise modeling of Arctic shipping scenarios in Eclipse Sound, Nunavut: Assessing acoustic conditions in narwhal habitat. Marine Pollution Bulletin 233:120142. Best, Katrina Johnson -- *Katrina Johnson* (she/her) PhD Candidate, Scripps Machine Listening Lab <https://sioml.ucsd.edu/> Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Ritter Hall 101

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