Dear All, Please take a note of the upcoming workshop: Marine Mammal Research and Conservation in Africa, associated with the 17th Biennial Marine Mammal Conference. The workshop will take place on Tuesday, 27 November, at the T. H. Barry Lecture Theatre at the Iziko South African Museum, 25 Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town. There is going to be a modest registration fee (for details see: http://www.smmconference2007.org/special_symposium.php ) collectable at the door during registration (from 8:00 till 8:45). This fee includes tea/coffee breaks. You can also join us for lunch, which would require an additional R70 (US$10) per person, collectable at the time of registration. As we have still some space available, if you are interested in participating you are welcome to do so; in which case you need to respond no later than 22 November providing the following: Full Name: Institution Affiliation: Workshop: Marine Mammal Research and Conservation in Africa Lunch: No / Yes (your dietary preference) Your electronic RSVP should be directed to both of the following two addresses: karczmal@tamug.edu leszekkarczmarski@gmail.com Please make sure that on the day of the workshop you have the exact amount for registration/lunch, as we might not have change available (and there won't be credit card facility). See below the workshop agenda: Marine Mammal Research and Conservation in Africa Workshop Date: 27 November 2007 Venue: Iziko South African Museum Organized by: Leszek Karczmarski (University of Pretoria, South Africa & Texas A&M University, USA) Hosted by: University of Pretoria and Iziko South African Museum Program: 8:00 – 8:45 Tea/Coffee & Registration 8:50 Welcome and Introduction 9:00 Opening Talk: Hector's Dolphin Conservation Science and Management: Lessons from New Zealand Applicable to Africa Liz Slooten & Steve Dawson, University of Otago, New Zealand 9:30 Population Structure of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) Impacted by Bycatch Along the East Coast of South Africa Ada Natoli et al., University of Durham, UK 9:40 Distribution, Abundance and Habitat Use of Humpback and Bottlenose Dolphins in Bazaruto Bay, Mozambique Resia Cumbi et al., Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique 9:50 Movements and Behaviour of Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins in the Shallow Waters of Inhaca Island, Southern Mozambique Almeida T. Guissamulo et al., Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique 10:00 Social Stability and Geographic Fidelity of Humpback Dolphins: Different Patterns in Different Habitats along the Southeast Coast of Africa. Leszek Karczmarski et al., University of Pretoria, South Africa and Texas A&M University, USA 10:15 Population Size Estimate of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins in the Algoa Bay Region, South Africa Ryan R. Reisinger & Leszek Karczmarski, University of Pretoria, South Africa 10:25 Cetacean Research in the Eastern Cape, South Africa Stephanie Plön, Bayworld (Port Elizabeth Museum, Oceanarium & Snakepark), South Africa 10:35 Acoustic Monitoring of Small Odontocetes: From Social Behaviour to Abundance Estimation Applicable to African Populations Tomonari Akamatsu & Ding Wang, Fisheries Research Agency, Japan (TA) & Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, (WD) 10:50 – 11:15 Tea/Coffee/Muffin Break 11:15 Winter Movements of Eastern South Atlantic Humpback Whales within their Reproductive Range and Subsequent Spring Migration from the Equator to the Antarctic: Localized and Regional Patterns with Managerial Consequences Bruce Mate & Howard C. Rosenbaum, Oregon State University, USA (BM) & Wildlife Conservation Society, USA (HCR) 11:30 Stock Assessment of Southern Hemisphere Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaengliae) Breeding off the East and West Coasts of Africa Susan Johnston, University of Cape Town, South Africa 11:40 Estimating Demographic Parameters of Southern Right Whales off South Africa from Aerial Survey Data Anabela Brandão, University of Cape Town, South Africa 11:50 How Many Southern Hemisphere Fin Whales Were There? Sara Mkango & Doug Butterworth, University of Cape Town, South Africa 12:00 Major Histocompatibility Complex Variation at Three Class II Loci in Southern Elephant Seals from Marion Island Matthew S. Leslie et al., American Museum of Natural History, USA 12:15 The Cape Fur Seal and Ecosystem Monitoring: Priorities, Problems and Prospects Steve P. Kirkman et al., University of Cape Town & Marine and Coastal Management, South Africa 12:30 Cape Fur Seals of the Agulhas Current Greg Hofmeyr, Bayworld (Port Elizabeth Museum, Oceanarium & Snakepark), South Africa 12:35 Regional Network and Project for the Research and Conservation of Cetaceans and Dugong in the Indian Ocean Commission Countries (Comoros, France/Reunion, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles) Denis Etienne et al., Indian Ocean Commission, Mauritius 12:50 Research and Conservation of Dugongs (Dugong dugon) in Mozambique Almeida T. Guissamulo et al., Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique 13:00 Conservation and Status of West African Manatees in Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Sierra Leon Caryn Self-Sullivan et al., Dept. Wildlife & Fisheries, Texas A&M University, USA 13:15 – 14:15 Lunch Break 14:15 Towards Sustainable Dolphin Tourism in Zanzibar Eva Stensland et al., Stockholm University, Sweden 14:30 Ethical Dolphin Tourism and the Benefit to Research in Southern Mozambique Angie Gullan & Almeida T. Guissamulo, Dolphin Care Africa, Mozambique (AG) & Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique (ATG) 14:40 Dolphin Watching in Mauritius: Research and Development of this New Fast Growing Local Industry Jacqueline Sauzier, Mauritius Marine Conservation Society, Mauritius 14:50 Cetacean Research and Conservation in La Reunion Island (France) Violaine Dulau-Drouot et al., GLOBICE-Réunion, La Réunion 15:00 The Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Madagascar and Comores; Conciliation of Ecotourism Development, Conservation and Monitoring/Scientific Programmes Implementation Since 2000 François Xavier Mayer et al., Megaptera Madagascar 15:05 The Maluane Whale and Dolphin Watching Programme in the North Quirimbas, Mozambique Isabel Marques da Silva et al., Maulane, Lda – Cabo Delgado Biodiversity Conservation Project, Mozambique 15:10 Cetacean Sightings in Deep Waters off Northern Angola, 2004–2005 Caroline R. Weir, Ketos Ecology, UK 15:20 Marine Mammal Research in Mauritania Ana M. Pinela et al., University of Barcelona, Spain 15:35 Cetaceans in the Strait of Gibraltar: An overview of 10 Years of Research and Conservation Measures R. De Stephanis et al., CIRCE, Cadiz, Spain 15:50 Overview of the Bycatch Problem Around Africa, with Comments on the Rapid Bycatch Assessment (summary of the concurrent Bycatch Workshop) Jeremy Kiszka et al., Direction de l'Environnement et du Développement Durable, Mayotte 16:05 Communicating Marine Mammal Science to Managers Steve Dawson, Otago University, New Zealand Open Discussion Workshop closure time: approximately 17:00