Dear Marmammers
On
behalf of Oceans Research
(www.oceans-research.com) , I am
pleased to announce that we
are currently accepting internship applications for our dolphin and
whale project for 2010 on the
Skeleton Coast of Namibia.
Background
Skeleton
Coast Marine Lab was established to formalise the ongoing marine mammal research
of Dr. Simon Elwen of the University of Pretoria and Dr Ruth Leeney of
Provincetown Centre for Coastal Studies. The laboratory is situated along the
desert coast of Namibia at
Walvis Bay, a world wide mecca of dolphin
watching and desert tourism. The cool Benguela current is the driving force
behind one of the world’s most abundant marine environments and attracts dense
populations of marine mammals such as the Heaviside’s dolphin, bottlenose
dolphin, Cape fur seal and humpback whale. The
Namibian coast line is considered one of the most undeveloped and beautiful
places in the world. The Namib is the oldest desert in the world and is
characterised by the conjunction of large fields of sand dunes meeting one of
the world’s richest marine environments, the cold currents of the Benguela
ecosystem. The opportunity to conduct marine research here is a rare privilege
that is made possible only through this project’s dedicated association and work
in Namibia.
Research Projects
- Use of photographic
identification to estimate the abundance of bottlenose and Heaviside's dolphins
in the bay.
- Use of visual surveys and moored
hydrophones to investigate distribution and behaviour of bottlenose dolphins
relative to environmental variables and human impacts including aquaculture and
harbour traffic.
- Use of moored acoustic recorders
(C-PODs) to investigate the acoustic behaviour, distribution and attendance
patterns of Heaviside's dolphins and bottlenose dolphins at key
sites.
- Collection of skin and blubber
samples from dolphin species to investigate population structure and dietary
variation across sites and seasons using stable isotope and fatty acid
analysis.
Intern activities
Assisting in running research vessels and research
station
Above water photo identification of dolphin
species
Above water focal behavioural follows of bottlenose
dolphins
Above water photo-identification of humpback whales.
Above water genetic sampling of dolphin and whale species
Acoustic monitoring of cetacean vocalisations
Shore based tracking of dolphin species around hydrophones and tour
boats