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Job Posting: Data Manager - IFAW
by Sharp, Brian 23 Dec '25

23 Dec '25

Dear MarMam Community, IFAW's Marine Mammal Rescue team is seeking a highly motivated and multi-faceted person as our Data Manager. The ideal candidate has fluency in relational databases, strong attention to detail, and works great in a team and field setting. The position is based on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. Additional information on the position and the application portal can be found here<https://recruiting.ultipro.com/INT1059IFFA/JobBoard/17b588a3-808b-4bc9-aea8…>. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis after the holidays, with interviews starting in January. Happy Holidays, Brian Brian Sharp Director Marine Mammal Rescue 290 Summer Street Yarmouth Port, MA 02675 United States www.ifaw.org<https://www.ifaw.org/> Stranding Hotline: +1 508 743 9548 [ifaw]<https://www.ifaw.org/> The content of this email is intended only for the use of the above-named addressee and may contain information that is confidential, proprietary, and/or legally privileged. Please notify the sender if you received this email in error.

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Marine Mammal Medicine and Pathology Veterinary Internship - Open for Applicants!
by Sarah Tatum 22 Dec '25

22 Dec '25

Greetings all, Applications are open for the Marine Mammal Medicine and Pathology Veterinary Internship! Marine Mammal Medicine and Pathology Veterinary Internship Location of Position: Marin Headlands, Sausalito, California Reports to: Clinical Veterinarian, Dr. Emily Whitmer Position Classification: Full-time, One-year position Benefits: Full benefits including health insurance through UC Davis. Housing is available at no cost to the intern in a shared unit located within 2 miles of the Center’s main hospital in Sausalito. Anticipated dates: July 29, 2026 - July 31, 2027 Compensation: This position will receive an estimated annual salary of $53,860 through UC Davis. Program Overview: This one-year program is designed to train post-graduate veterinarians in marine mammal medicine, husbandry, and pathology. The intern receives mentorship and training from the clinical veterinary team, pathology team, and animal care staff and volunteers at the Center. The Intern provides medical care for sick and injured marine mammals in rehabilitation, conducts post-mortem examinations, and contributes to teaching visiting veterinary and animal care professionals. The Intern also develops and conducts a research project in marine mammal health with the goal of presentation at a scientific conference and publication. The primary focus is pinnipeds, with occasional opportunities with other taxa such as sea otters and cetaceans. The position may include occasional opportunities for field work including large cetacean necropsy, stranding response and/or veterinary support of free-ranging wildlife research projects. This is a one-year long, full-time, paid position. Housing is available at no cost to the intern in a shared unit located within 2 miles of the Center’s main hospital in Sausalito. This position is a collaboration with the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and the Intern is a House Officer in the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. To Apply and see full details, visit this link: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/3573374/Marine-Mam… 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. The Center is the largest marine mammal Teaching Hospital in the world and a critical training ground for veterinary professionals, combining high-quality animal care with hands-on learning experiences. OUR MISSION The Marine Mammal Center advances ocean health through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, research, and education. OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY The Marine Mammal Center actively engages individuals from all backgrounds. We are committed to embracing diversity within our organization because we firmly believe that diverse employee teams help us to achieve our best organizational outcomes and provide the most effective support to the communities we serve. We are deeply dedicated to creating and maintaining an inclusive, equitable and supportive work environment. We strongly encourage people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities to apply. The Center is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team. The Marine Mammal Center believes in growth and supporting our employees as best we can so they can become their best selves in and outside of work. We believe that a healthy work environment means building an inclusive culture where people can thrive together and feel supported and empowered. We believe in stretch versus constraint. For more information, please visit our “About Us” page at www.marinemammalcenter.org<https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/about-us/what-we-do> Happy Holidays! [Icon Description automatically generated with low confidence] Sarah Tatum (she-her) Human Resources Specialist 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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FT Research Position - Wild Dolphin Project
by Denise Herzing 22 Dec '25

22 Dec '25

Research Co-Director/Manager Wild Dolphin Project, North Palm Beach, Florida The Wild Dolphin Project is the longest running underwater dolphin research project in the world. Our motto is “ In Their World, On Their Terms”. Since 1985 we have tracked and observed a resident group of dolphins in the Bahamas. We have a noninvasive approach using photography and underwater video to document individuals and their behaviors. We focus our fieldwork in the Bahamas, under a Bahamian scientific research permit, during summer months and work off the coast of Florida in the winter, under NMFS permit. We publish our work in scientific journals and present at national/ international conferences. www.wilddolphinproject.org <htttp://www.wilddolphinproject.org> The Research Co-Director/Manager (RDM) will prepare for fieldwork and collection of data and publication of the work. The RDM spends time and works with the Research Assistant learning and analyzing digital photographs of dolphin dorsal fins and body marking and other data collected during the field season. Responsibilities also include creating publications, engaging in conferences, and lecturing to the public. RDM works with the boat captain and organizes details of the field season in the Bahamas and offshore Florida work. Current funding is stable and RDM submits reports and yearly requests as needed. This is a full-time permanent position. This position involves heavy fieldwork (3-4 months) in summer months, out of the United States, and candidate must be willing and able to spend weeks at sea throughout the summer working on a live-aboard vessel. Salary range based on experience, 60-70k/year. Benefits (vacation days, health insurance, 403 matching). Compensation time given for extensive fieldwork in the summer. The critical requirements of the position include the following: - PhD in Biology, Marine Sciences, or a related field - A Valid US Driver license and U.S. Passport (no exceptions) - Scientific publications in press or published - Minimum 2 years of field experience, photo ID work, and database entry - P.A.M experience with field deployment and acoustic analysis - Snorkel and freediving Additional desirable qualifications also include the following: - Underwater photography and video experience - Basic MAC computer skills required, with data entry experience, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Filemaker Pro or equivalent database program. - Demonstrated ability to work independently and as a team and to prioritize tasks - Experience working with interns, graduate students, collaborating scientists, and public. - Must be comfortable on a boat at sea for weeks at a time with working groups. - Photoshop, iMovie, Go Pro editing, and 360 camera experience helpful. Contact: Dr. Denise Herzing. Send c.v., letter of interest, and 3 references or Letters of Recommendation dlherzing(a)wilddolphinproject.org <mailto:dlherzing@wilddolphinproject.org>

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New Publication: Marine mammal and seabird population changes have limited impacts on fisheries catches in the North Sea
by Matthew Woodstock - NOAA Affiliate 22 Dec '25

22 Dec '25

Dear Colleagues, I am happy to share our new paper entitled: "Marine mammal and seabird population changes have limited impacts on fisheries catches in the North Sea", published in *Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences* *Citation* Woodstock, M.S., J.J. Kiszka, P.G.H. Evans, J.J. Waggitt, Y. Zhang. (2025). Marine mammal and seabird population changes have limited impacts on fisheries catches in the North Sea. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 82. 1–14. doi: 10.1139/cjfas-2025-0056 <https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2025-0056> *Key Takeaways* - Since 1990, marine mammal biomass in the region has greatly increased, particularly harbor seals, grey seals, and harbor porpoises. - As populations of gray and harbor seals recovered, predation mortality on commercial species like cod and whiting naturally increased. - Reductions in fishing mortality (driven by management and effort changes) remained the most powerful determinant of stock health, far outweighing the impact of growing predator populations. - Our analysis of resource overlap showed that fishing fleets competed more intensely with each other than they did with marine mammals. - The restoration of marine mammal populations is not incompatible with optimized fisheries yields. When viewed at the ecosystem scale, we can support conservation success stories while maintaining productive, sustainable fisheries. *Abstract* Marine mammals and seabirds are high trophic level consumers that impact community dynamics. In the southern North Sea and eastern English Channel, the abundance of marine mammal species has markedly increased since 1990, while seabird abundance has remained stable since the early 2000s. To evaluate the interaction between top predators and fisheries, we developed an ecosystem model (1990–2014) that incorporated changes in predator abundances, fishing mortalities, and fishing effort. As marine mammal populations increased, predation mortality on commercial fish species increased. However, reductions in fishing mortality were the dominant driver of the overall change in total mortality for most commercial stocks. Seabirds had minimal impacts on commercial species, regardless of population trends. Resource overlap was higher among fishing fleets than between fisheries and top predators, suggesting inter-fleet competition, rather than predator foraging, drives competition. Although marine mammal impacts on fish stocks were evident, the overall effects of top predator increases on fisheries were limited, indicating that the restoration of marine mammal populations is not incompatible with optimized fisheries yields when viewed at the ecosystem scale. *Full Article Link: * https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/cjfas-2025-0056?journalCode=cjfas -- *Matthew S. Woodstock, Ph.D. * *Assistant Scientist, Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS <https://cimas.earth.miami.edu/>) in support of* NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center | U.S. Department of Commerce www.fisheries.noaa.gov

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PhD position available (2026 start): Drone-based tissue sampling, body condition, and energetics of whales (WildBotics MSCA Doctoral Network, Theme 3)
by Fredrik Christiansen 21 Dec '25

21 Dec '25

Dear all, I am advertising a fully funded PhD position (DC10) within the ‘WildBotics – Autonomous Sampling with Robotics in the Wild for Nature Conservation’, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network project. The specific project is part of Theme 3 (WP3): Analysis of large, sample-based datasets for wildlife ecology & biodiversity conservation and will be hosted and enrolled at Aarhus University (Risø campus), Denmark, in collaboration with the University of Southern Denmark (Prof. Ulrik Pagh Schultz Lundquist) and the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (Prof. Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen). This PhD will develop and test a drone-based system for collecting skin and blubber samples from large whales, with a focus on bowhead whales in West Greenland. The approach aims to provide a less invasive alternative to current biopsy methods, enabling sampling of more elusive individuals and, where relevant, sampling from land. The system will be engineered at the University of Southern Denmark, in close collaboration with the PhD student, who will carry out extensive testing and ultimately field deployments. The project will therefore interface closely with technical developments from Themes 1 and 2 within WildBotics and contribute datasets for evaluating and training new robotic and analytical tools. Using the newly developed system, the PhD will collect tissue samples from bowhead whales (and potentially other species) to address questions related to nutritional status, body condition, bioenergetics, and prey consumption, contributing to the broader ecological objectives of Theme 3. While the first chapter of the PhD will focus on system development and validation, chapters 2 and 3 will address ecological questions that can be answered using these samples (e.g. pregnancy detection, sex-specific variation in prey consumption). We are therefore seeking an ecologist with a strong interest in working at the interface between ecology and engineering. Applicants should have a strong background or interest in ecology, physiology, and bioenergetics, and ideally ecological modelling. Experience with fieldwork, drones, data analysis, or programming (e.g. R) is advantageous but not essential. How to apply Applications must be submitted via the WildBotics recruitment portal: https://www.wildbotics.eu/recruitment<https://www.wildbotics.eu/recruitment?utm_source=chatgpt.com> The website provides full details on eligibility, required documents, and deadlines. Interested candidates are very welcome to contact me informally to discuss the project before applying. Application deadline: 7 January, 23:59 CET Dr Fredrik Christiansen Senior Researcher Marine Mammal Research, Department of Ecoscience Aarhus University Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark E-mail: f.christiansen(a)ecos.au.dk | Tel: +45 3133 2367 ResearcherID: O-3655-2017 ORCID: 0000-0001-9090-8458 Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=vkA5Y3EAAAAJ ResearchGate: http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fredrik_Christiansen3

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New publication: Using drone-based infrared thermography for monitoring vital signs in dolphins
by Guido Parra Vergara 20 Dec '25

20 Dec '25

Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are pleased to share our new open access publication in the Journal of Thermal Biology: White, C., Colefax, A. P., & Parra, G. J. (2026). Using drone-based infrared thermography for monitoring vital signs in dolphins. Journal of Thermal Biology, 135, 104353. ABSTRACT Monitoring wild animal health is essential for assessing environmental threats. Physiological parameters such as body temperature and respiration rate provide critical insights into an animal's condition but collecting these from free-ranging species is challenging. This study validated drone-based infrared thermography (drone-IRT) as a non-invasive method for estimating dolphin vital signs, evaluating its accuracy, reliability, and practical application. Using a multirotor drone with an integrated thermal camera, we obtained thermographic images of 14 common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) under human care. Flights were conducted in Austral summer and winter at heights of 5 m–30 m, with the camera angled at 0° (zenith) and 50° pitch. Dolphins were either swimming freely or beached. From thermal images, we extracted temperatures based on the heat received from the blowhole, body, and dorsal fin, along with respiration rate estimates. Close-range IRT reference temperatures and environmental variables were recorded throughout each flight. Robust linear mixed-effects models assessed the influence of flight and environmental variables on measurement accuracy and precision. Spearman's rank correlation evaluated the relationship between drone-IRT blowhole temperature and rectal temperature. Drone-IRT measurements closely matched close-range IRT reference values. The most reliable temperature estimates occurred at a combined 10 m and a 0° angle (accuracy: −0.19 °C – 0.08 °C, precision: −0.07 °C – 0.08 °C). The most accurate respiration rate estimates were obtained at 10 m while dolphins swam freely. A weak negative correlation was found between blowhole and rectal temperatures (r = −0.19). This study demonstrates that drone-IRT is a reliable, non-invasive method for monitoring dolphins' surface temperature and respiration rates, but not rectal temperature. The article is available here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2025.104353 All the best, Guido ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Guido J. Parra, PhD Associate Professor | College of Science and Engineering Research leader | Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL) Staff: http://www.flinders.edu.au/people/guido.parra Lab: www.cebel.org.au<http://www.cebel.org.au/> GoogleScholar<https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?hl=en&user=7YisEoAAAAAJ> | ResearchGate<https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Guido_Parra> | LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/in/guido-j-parra-093217183/> Flinders University, GPO Box 2100 Adelaide, SA 5001 Australia Tel: +61 8 8201 3565|email: guido.parra(a)flinders.edu.au<mailto:guido.parra@flinders.edu.au> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please consider the environment before printing this email

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New publication: Deep breath out: molecular survey of selected pathogens in blow and skin biopsies from North Atlantic cetaceans
by Helena Costa 20 Dec '25

20 Dec '25

Dear all, My co-authors and I are pleased to share our recent publication: "Deep breath out: molecular survey of selected pathogens in blow and skin biopsies from North Atlantic cetaceans" * Abstract: Cetacean morbillivirus, herpesvirus, avian influenza virus (AIV) and Brucella spp. have been linked to numerous cetacean strandings in the Northeast (NE) Atlantic. Yet, their prevalence in free-living cetaceans remains insufficiently investigated, particularly in northern regions. Between 2016 and 2025, humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) and, opportunistically, fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and a long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas), were sampled in two foraging grounds in northern Norway (Skjervøy and Andenes), in Iceland and in Cape Verde. Blow samples (n = 76), skin biopsies (n = 45), and organ samples from one stranded pilot whale were collected and screened for cetacean morbillivirus, herpesvirus, AIV and Brucella spp, via polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In northern Norway, cetacean morbillivirus, identified as the dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) strain, was detected in the blows of two asymptomatic groups of humpback whales, in the blow of one sperm whale in poor health and in the kidney of a stranded pilot whale. An alphaherpesvirus was detected in the blows of five humpback whale groups sampled in Norway, Iceland, and Cape Verde, while a gammaherpesvirus was detected in one humpback whale skin biopsy, sampled in Norway. No other samples tested positive to any of the pathogens, including AIV or Brucella spp. Our results demonstrate that minimally invasive sampling, particularly blow sampling, can be used for pathogen surveillance in free-ranging cetaceans. They also provide new insights into the circulation of cetacean morbillivirus and herpesviruses in cetaceans from the NE Atlantic. Continuous monitoring of pathogen exposure, alongside other stressors, will be crucial to assess the cumulative health implications for these cetaceans. The article is freely available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-025-05152-6 Cheers, Helena Costa DVM, PhD helena.g.costa(a)hotmail.com Nord University Bodø, Norway

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ECS festive newsletter
by Mariel ten Doeschate 19 Dec '25

19 Dec '25

Dear all, Thank you to everyone who has submitted an abstract/workshop for the 37th European Cetacean Society Conference 2026 (ECS2026) which will be held in Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom, from the 20th - 24th of April 2026. Before we all break for the festive period, please find your latest ECS conference newsletter by clicking this link: https://sway.cloud.microsoft/CHwirJ1eUjGVLryA In this edition: - Updates on conference organisation from your local and scientific committee - Important information for abstract reviewers - And a call for more! - Discounted flights with Loganair to Dundee airport You will also find links to book discounted accommodation, as well as info on how to get to Dundee the easy way. For now, we wish you and your families a wonderful festive holiday. Kind regards, *ECS2026 Local Organising Committee* Ailsa Hall, Joanna Kershaw, Carol Sparling, and Mariel ten Doeschate

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Two recent publications on marine mammals and underwater noise
by Fannie Shabangu 19 Dec '25

19 Dec '25

Dear MARMAM Community I am pleased to announce the publication of the below two papers on marine mammals and underwater noise: 1. Shabangu FW, Yemane D, Stander N, Estabrook BJ. 2025 Underwater soundscape indicates low anthropogenic influence around two sub-Antarctic islands. Royal Society Open Science 12: 250677. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.250677 Abstract Contributions and effects of anthropogenic activities on the underwatersoundscape of the sub-Antarctic regions remain poorly studied. Over a 21-monthperiod (April 2021 to December 2022), we recorded underwater noise levels amid twosub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands (PEIs) within an offshore marine protectedarea with the aim to quantitatively investigate the sources of underwater noiseand the impact of such noise on the detectability of marine mammal vocalizations.We measured underwater noise levels within the low (20–120 and 121–800 Hz),medium (801–25 000 Hz) and high (25 001–48 000 Hz) frequency bands. Wind speed wasthe primary predictor of low and medium frequency underwater noise levels,whereas iceberg volume was the primary predictor at the high frequency band.Probabilities of detecting vocalizations of Antarctic blue, fin, humpback, Antarcticminke and killer whales decreased with increasing noise levels. On thecontrary, probabilities of detecting sei and Madagascan pygmy blue whalevocalizations increased with noise levels. Overall, these novel resultsindicate that geophonic noise dominates the underwater soundscape of the PEIsin the absence of intense anthropogenic activities such as marine traffic, andthat the detectability of marine mammal underwater vocalizations isspecies-specific. 2. Shabangu, F.W. 2026.Sperm whale acoustic ecology around two sub-Antarctic islands. MarineEnvironmental Research 215: 107805. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107805 AbstractSpermwhales are cosmopolitan in nature, but very little is known about theiroccurrence in the sub-Antarctic region. This study aimed to investigate theacoustic occurrence of sperm whales relative to environmental conditions andunderwater noise around two sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands (PEIs) usingpassive acoustic monitoring data collected between early 2021 and early 2023.Sperm whale clicks were detected continuously throughout the study period withhigh presence of calls in February through August, highlighting the PEIs as anessential habitat with sufficient year-round prey for this species. Moreover,the February through August peak occurrence corresponds to the migration periodof males from Antarctica to the low latitudes for mating. Diel vocalizingpattern revealed high nighttime vocalization that varied slightly betweenseasons. Wind speed was classified by the random forest model as the mostimportant predictor of sperm whale acoustic occurrence, indicating possiblemasking and attenuation of whale signals by wind-induced noise and wind-inducedair bubbles respectively. Generalized additive model showed that theprobability of detecting sperm whale clicks decreased with increasing highfrequency band (25001–48000 Hz) noise, reflecting a significant influence ofthe high frequency noise on this species’ ecology. This is the first study todocument the acoustic presence of sperm whales around the sub-Antarctic PEIs,showcasing the capability of bioacoustics method to effectively study marine mammalsthat are rarely sighted. Sperm whales should be considered in the spatialmanagement and conservation plans of the PEIs given their year-round presencein this region. The sperm whale paper is openly accessible through this share link: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1mIN5W5UJVTdv I wish you all and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a blessed 2026. Kind regards,Fannie _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Fannie W. Shabangu, PhD (He/Him) Marine BiologistDepartment of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Cape Town, South Africa E-mail: fannie.shabangu(a)yahoo.com Research Fellow Mammal Research InstituteWhale Unit University of PretoriaHatfield, South Africa

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New publication on grey and harbour seal at-sea distribution in Northwest Europe
by Matt Carter 18 Dec '25

18 Dec '25

Dear MARMAM community, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of a new study in Journal of Applied Ecology: Carter et al. At-sea distribution of seals on the Northwest European Shelf: Towards transboundary conservation and management. The study presents at-sea distribution maps for seven European countries (UK, France, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Denmark) alongside some additional resources for the UK (distribution maps for the UK constituent nations and dependencies, Seal Monitoring Units and Special Areas of Conservation). In addition to the maps, we present some analysis of transboundary movements and outline important considerations for offshore developments and management strategies. Link to paper: https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.70236 Link to datasets: https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/datasets/datasets-from-carter-e… Abstract: Quantifying and mitigating transboundary effects of anthropogenic activity is a key challenge in environmental management, particularly for wide-ranging species such as large predators, fish and migratory birds, relying on habitats across multiple national jurisdictions. This challenge is especially complex in marine ecosystems, where the movement of species and impacts across borders is largely unobserved. Central-place foragers, such as pinnipeds and seabirds, exemplify this complexity: abundance is typically assessed on local (regional or national) scales on land, yet at-sea movements and drivers of abundance occur on broader transboundary scales. Resolving this mismatch is critical to effective conservation, especially in areas such as the Northwest European Shelf (NWES), which features globally important predator populations (including two pinniped species) alongside growing anthropogenic pressures and a mosaic of national maritime borders. We model an unprecedented GPS dataset from 236 grey (Halichoerus grypus) and 606 harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) tracked in waters of seven countries across the NWES (United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Denmark). Using regional habitat association models, we generate at-sea distribution estimates for both species at 5?km resolution, scaled to haulout counts, producing country-specific and NWES-wide density maps. Analysis of the extent to which seals making foraging trips from one country occupy the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of other countries revealed substantial transboundary overlap, particularly for grey seals, and harbour seals in the southern North Sea. A case study apportioning grey seal density within three adjacent offshore marine protected areas in different EEZs revealed that, where total density in a given area is required, overlooking transboundary distribution can underrepresent numbers by an order of magnitude. This study provides the first comprehensive, regionally scalable distribution estimates for pinnipeds across the NWES and its constituent countries. The modelling framework is adaptable to other central-place and migratory species, supporting transboundary biodiversity assessments and international conservation policy. We discuss common limitations and misconceptions of species distribution estimates, highlight priorities for future work and underscore the need for transboundary efforts to manage wide-ranging species, providing a foundation for future ecological modelling and decision-making across shared ecosystems. Best wishes, <http://intheloop.newsweaver.com/intheloop/17cae036ofohmxeaknevkb/external?a…>Dr Matt Carter Research Fellow Sea Mammal Research Unit School of Biology University of St Andrews KY16 8LB

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