Dear Colleagues, The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) have on offer six places on a practical training week in Marine Mammal Observation and Passive Acoustics off the South West coast of Ireland. Training will be on board the newly refitted RV Celtic Mist (http://www.rvcelticmist.ie/) and involve discussion and instruction in the application of the Irish guidelines, as well as their practical application in the field. The course will start and finish in Castletownbere, County Cork, and will depart port on the 3 September 2012, returning on the 9th September. A second week will be offered immediately following, on the 12th of September if there is sufficient demand. Ireland has an abundance of marine mammals, turtle and marine fauna present along its coast, many of which have had relatively limited study. The summer months and are associated with abundant sightings of cetaceans and many more rarely seen visitors such as marine turtles. This is an opportunity for those who wish to gain experience in observation of a wide variety of cetacean species and their acoustic detection. RV Celtic Mist is fitted with a HF towed hydrophone array and dipping hydrophones with associated filter boxes and sound card for high sampling rates. The southwest of Ireland provides access to wide range of possible locations for study and the exact course for Celtic Mist will depend partially on weather patterns at the time, but it is expected to take in offshore shelf edge waters as well as inshore and coastal waters to provide the maximum variety of species and marine habitats for detection. The course will satisfy the National Parks and Wildlife Service requirements for MMOs (Marine Mammal Observers) but is intended primarily as an opportunity for those who wish to gain experience of this type of work, whether for scientific or commercial careers or just for interest. You will be expected to work as part of a crew on a rota and all sightings and observations will be logged and submitted to the IWDG (www.iwdg.ie) database. You will need to carry a valid sea survival certificate (STCW95 or equivalent) and current marine medical certificate (ENG11 or equivalent) for offshore work. The cost of the week long course is €1435.00 (euros) with a small reduction for IWDG members. This includes accommodation onboard RV Celtic Mist and food. There will be no additional costs onboard for the week. INTERESTED? Contact the course coordinator, Patrick Lyne by email at mmo@iwdg.ie by March 31st stating reasons for doing this course and any past marine experience briefly. Deposit of 50% will be required by April 30th and the remainder by June 30th. Withdrawl from the course will be reimbursed less 7%, only if a replacement can be found. Patrick Lyne Marine Mammal Observer Coordinator Irish Whale and Dolphin Group Disert Castletownbere County Cork Ireland. Tel: 353-27-71930; Mob/Cell: 353-86-2334424 Email: mmo@iwdg.ie