The previous posting inadvertently omitted the authors of one of the articles. This is the corrected version. ************** Apologies, to those of you on both listserves who will receive cross-postings. The following are the contents and abstracts for the most recent issue of Aquatic Mammals. This journal was established by the European Association for Aquatic Mammals (EAAM) in 1974. The EAAM and the Board of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums sponsor the journal. Aquatic Mammals accepts a wide variety of papers on the care, conservation, medicine, and science of marine mammals. Dr. Jeanette Thomas of Western Illinois University is the editor and Dr. Kathleen Dudzinski of Mystic Aquarium is the co-editor. These abstracts are posted as a courtesy to the Marmam editors and the sponsoring societies, as well as the managing editor of Aquatic Mammals. Please find below, the addresses (including email) of the authors to whom reprint requests and other inquiries should be directed. Thank you for your continued interest in these postings, as well as other publication postings to the listserves. With regards, Dagmar Fertl Geo-Marine, Inc. dfertl@geo-marine.com http://www.geo-marine.com <http://www.geo-marine.com/> ********************** Stamation, K.A.*, D.B. Croft, P.D. Shaughnessy, and K.A. Waples. 2007. Observations of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) feeding during their southward migration along the coast of southeastern New South Wales, Australia: Identification of a possible supplemental feeding ground. Aquatic Mammals 33(2):165-174. *School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia; E-mail: <mailto:k.stamation@optusnet.com.au> k.stamation@optusnet.com.au There is anecdotal evidence of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) feeding in southeast­ern New South Wales (NSW) waters on their southward migration (Paterson, 1987). This paper reports the frequency of feeding whales observed from waters just north of Narooma (36° 5' S, 149° 55' E) to just south of Eden (37° 16' S, 150° 17' E). Observations were made from commercial whale-watching vessels from late September to early November in 2002, 2003, and 2005; and from two land-based whale-watching sites, Montague Island (36° 15' S, 150° 14' E) and Green Cape (37° 16' S, 150° 03' E), in the same period for 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. Feeding pods were seen on 24.5% of all whale-watching trips and during 14% of all observations made from land-based sites. Whales fed on schools of small pelagic fish as well as the coastal krill species (Nyctiphanes australis). The number of feeding pods observed in 2005 was more than four times that observed in the two previous years and most likely was due to the warmer current systems operating in the area in 2005. All observations from land-based sites were made when no vessels were in the vicinity of the focal pod. Feeding behaviour did not alter in the presence or absence of vessels; however, the time between feeding lunges increased when the move­ments of the vessel were not consistent with NSW whale-watching regulations and when more than one vessel was present. While many of the reports of humpback whales feeding in mid- to low-lati­tude waters in both the southern and northern hemisphere classify this behaviour as a rare oppor­tunistic event, it is probable that southeastern NSW is a significant supplemental feeding ground for migrating whales, especially when oceanographic conditions are optimal for food productivity. Hobbs, J-P.A.*, A.J. Frisch, J. Hender, and J.J. Gilligan. 2007. Long-distance oceanic movement of a solitary dugong (Dugong dugon) to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Aquatic Mammals 33(2):175-178. *Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia; E-mail: Jean-Paul.Hobbs@jcu.edu.au In this paper, we report on the arrival of a small (2 m long) male dugong (Dugong dugon) to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (12° 12' S, 96° 54' E), Indian Ocean. The dugong arrived in June 2002 after travelling more than 1,000 km across deep open ocean, during which time it would have been vulnerable to predation and presumably unable to feed. This is the longest recorded dugong move­ment and demonstrates that dugongs have the capacity to make long-distance oceanic move­ments to colonise distant, unoccupied locations. The solitary dugong has remained at the Cocos Islands for at least four years and exhibits unusual habitat use and behaviour; it frequently occupies deep water on the edge of the coral reef and inter­acts with SCUBA divers. Dendrinos, P.*, E. Tounta, A.A. Karamanlidis, A. Legakis, and S. Kotomatas. 2007. A video surveillance system for monitoring the endangered Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus). Aquatic Mammals 33(2):179-184. *Mom/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, Solomou Str. 18, 10682 Athens, Greece; email: p.dendrinos@mom.gr The components and specifications of a surveillance system developed in a pilot study to monitor Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus monachus) are presented. The system consisted of two B/W CCD cameras, infrared illuminators, a CCTV video web server, and photovoltaic solar panels, and it was operated under harsh outdoor conditions for three and a half months. It enabled the recording of rarely observed aspects of the Mediterranean monk seals' social and reproductive behaviour, as well as provided a method to document demographic parameters of the local seal population. Advantages of the system include its non-invasive nature and its autonomous operation, while the primary disadvantage is the high initial cost, which should decrease as technology continues to improve. This system could prove to be a valuable tool in the conservation of critically endangered seal species such as the Mediterranean monk seal. Greig, T.W., J.A. Bemiss, B.R. Lyon, G.D. Bossart, and P.A. Fair. 2007. Prevalence and diversity of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli found in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, and Charleston Harbor area, South Carolina. Aquatic Mammals 33(2):185-194. National Ocean Service Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, 219 Fort Johnson, Charleston, SC 29412, USA; email: Thomas.grieg@noaa.gov A total of 724 Escherichia coli isolates sampled from 38 wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Charleston Harbor area, South Carolina, and the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, were screened for resistance to 25 antibiotics. The percentages of animals harboring at least one resistant isolate differed significantly between sampling locations. No resistance was detected in E. coli from dolphins at either site for six of the 25 antibiotics tested. Resistance to penicillin was most common followed by cephalothin, ampicillin, and amoxicillin. Within-animal isolate variability was examined in addition to between sampling locales. Isolates from animals sampled in the Charleston Harbor area exhibited a greater complexity of resistance patterns and within individual diversity compared to isolates sampled from animals in the Indian River Lagoon. Causes related to the observed heterogeneity are discussed. Larson, S., and C.J. Casson. 2007. Reproductive hormone levels within captive female northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) with and without chemical contraceptives. Aquatic Mammals 33(2):195-201. *Seattle Aquarium, 2483 Alaskan Way, Pier 59, Seattle, WA 98101-2059, USA; email: shawn.larson@seattle.gov Northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) are hold in only a few institutions within the United States and the world. The Seattle Aquarium was the first institution to successfully breed and raise captive Northern fur seals from conception to adulthood. The captive group that was the focus of this study consisted of one adult male and five adult females. One female was related to the adult male and was placed on chemical contraceptives to prevent inbreeding. Another female was exposed to a chemical spill in the wild while in utero, had some health problems throughout the study period, and never became pregnant. The remaining three females were though to be reproductively normal throughout most of the study period, although one became pregnant and gave birth. Serum estrogen, progerstone, and testerone levels were measured using standard competitive binding antibody radio ad enzyme immunoassay techniques. Individual animal longitudinal data are reported for samples collected over the 7-year study period. The hormone data revealed changes associated with chemical contraceptives, pregnancy, and animals becoming sexually mature and senescent. Green, S.R.*, E. Mercado, III, A.A. Pack, and L.M. Herman. 2007. Characterizing patterns within humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) songs. Aquatic Mammals 33(2):202-213. *Department of Pyschology, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA; email: srgreen@buffalo.edu Male humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) produce long songs that contain predictably repeated sound patterns. Other animals (including humans) identify patterns in acoustic sequences based on regularities in transitions between sounds. The present study examined transitional probabilities within humpback whale songs to determine whether relative acoustic changes from unit to unit are sufficient for identifying repeating patterns within humpback whale songs. To identify such patterns, four humpback whale songs were analyzed by first classifying song units using a self-organizing map, and then calculating transitional probabilities based on these classifications. Two separate analyses of transitional probabilities were conducted: one involved units classified based on their absolute acoustic features (e.g., duration, peak frequency, and amplitude) as well as changes in these features relative to adjacent units, and the other used units classified based on the relative changes alone. Both analyses revealed repeated sequences of units within humpback whale songs, but the analysis based on relative changes alone yielded a larger number of predictable transitions. This finding suggests that relative acoustic changes within humpback whale songs may provide robust indicators of repeating patterns. Bossart, G.D.*, G. Hensley, J.D. Goldstein, K. Kroell, C.A. Manire, R.H. Defran, and J.S. Reif. 2007. Cardiomyopathy and myocardial degeneration in stranded pygmy sperm whales (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf (Kogia sima) sperm whales. Aquatic Mammals 3(2):214-222. *Center for Coastal Research, Marine Mammal Research and Conservation Program, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, 5600 U.S. 1 North, Fort Pierce, FL 34946, USA; email: GBossarst@hboi.edu Cardiomyopathy (CMP) has been documented as a disease associated with stranded pygmy (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf (Kogia sima) sperm whales in the United States and Asia. In this study, hearts from 27 pygmy and two dwarf sperm whales stranded in the coastal U.S. Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico from 1999 to 2006 were analyzed. Gross and microscopic examinations were conducted according to a standardized protocol designed to ensure systematic examination of tissue and data recording. Hearts were weighed and specific measurements made for selected tissues. Fourteen (48.3%) pygmy sperm whales had a microscopic diagnosis of CMP, 12 (41.4%) showed evidence of mild myocardial degeneration (MCD), one (3.4%) had moderate myocarditis and two (6.9%) had no pathological lesions. One dwarf sperm whale had CMP, and the other had mild MCD. The majority of stranded Kogia spp. with cardiac lesions came from the southeast Atlantic region (19/27, 70.3%). Cardiomyopathy and MCD lesions were found predominantly among adult whale. An excess of males was found for CMP and MCD (approximately 75% of both groups). The predominant histological lesions found in both disorders were anisokaryosis with karyomegaly and nuclear rowing, followed in frequency by interstitial edema. Cardiac weight, ventricular wall thickness, and valve circumference were compared between pygmy sperm whales with CMP and those with MCD. The largest differences were found for heart weight and intraventricular septum wall thickness, but none of the differences were statistically significant. Further adjustments for sex and body length did not alter the results. In this aggregate, these findings suggest that CMP in Kogia spp. is a chronic, progressive condition that represents a continuum from MCD to the more severe forms of the disorder. The etiology of this complex disorder remains unknown. Gerpe, M.*, D. Rodriguez, V. Moreno, R. Bastida, and J. Aizpun. 2007. Copper, zinc, cadmium, and mercury in southern sea lions (Otaria flavescens) from Argentina. Aquatic Mammals 33(2):223-228. *Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET), Argentina; email: msgerpe@mdp.edu.ar or msgerpe@hotmail.com Copper, zinc, mercury, and cadmium were studied in the muscle, liver, and kidney of three adults and one juvenile Southern sea lion (Otaria flavescens) found dead on the beaches of Argentina. Heavy metal concentrations were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry; cold vapor and air/acetylene flame techniques were applied for mercury and for the rest of the metals, respectively. Previous acid digestion was made with nitric/sulphuric (Hg) and percholoric/nitric (Cd, Zn, Cu) mixtures. Quality was checked with a Certified Reference Material. Mercury concentrations were highest in the liver, whereas cadmium levels were highest in the kidney. The juvenile and adults presented the same tissue distribution pattern for all studied metals. Hepatic mercury concentrations ranged from 23.2 μg/g (juvenile female) to 47.6 μg/g (adult male), with renal cadmium concentrations between 0.8 μg/g and 5.7 μg/g, respectively. Esteves, M.A.*, and L.A. Oviedo. 2007. Potential morphotype of common dolphin (Delphinus spp.) on the northeast coast of Venezuela. Aquatic Mammals 33(2):229-234. *Proyecto Delphinus, Isla de Margarita, Nueva Esparta, Venezuela 6010 Records of the common dolphin on the northeast coast of Venezuela have been widely documented. The complex topography and bathymetry of this area and the enhanced productivity due to upwelling processes promote the occurrence of occurrence of common dolphin populations. It has not been clear, howeve,r whether the species involved is Delphinus delphis or D. capensis. The aim of this contribution is to review taxonomically Delphinus spp. from the northeast coast of the country through skull morphometric analysis. A sample of 30 skulls comprised of specimens collected in Nueva Esparta State (n=28) and Sucre State (n=2) in Venezuela were analyzed using the morphometric parameters rostrum length (RL) and zygomatic width (ZW), including the ratio of the measurements RL/ZW. Only skulls identified as mature individuals (n=16) were included in the analysis. The data were compared with published records of South Atlantic dolphins from Brazil and West Africa. Rostral length showed significant differences within the Venezuelan sample (p<0.05) and between the dolphins from Brazil and West Africa. Zygomatic width also showed clear differences (Venezuela to Brazil, p <0.05; Venezuela to West Africa, p < 0.05). In contrast, no differences were found for the RL/ZW ratio (Venezueal to Brazil, p=0.21; Venezuela to West Africa, p=0.33). Observations in the study area during sightings of common dolphins noted small females with calves. These observations suggested the occurrence of a small morphotype of common dolphin on the northeast coast of Venezuela, a semi-enclosed basin. Habitat conditions in this kind of ecosystem could lead to morphologic differences between smaller coastal forms and larger off-shore forms, an effect that could be related to feeding ecology. Bossart, G.D.*, L. Hansen, J.D. Goldstein, D. Kilpatrick, S. Bechdel, E. Howells, K. Kroell, M. De Sieyes, M.K. Stolen, W.K. Durden, J.S. Reif, R.H. Defran, and S.D. McCulloch. 2007. Pathologic findings in a rare mass stranding of melon-headed whales (Peponocephala electra) in Florida. Aquatic Mammals 33(2):235-240. *Center for Coastal Research, Marine Mammal Research and Conservation Program, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, 5600 U.S. 1 North, Fort Pierce, FL 34946, USA; email: GBossarst@hboi.edu Pathologic findings associated with the mass stranding of five melon-headed whales (Peponocephala electra) along the Atlantic coast of Florida are reported. Four of the five whales were freshly dead, and the fifth was moderately decomposed. Body weights ranged from 160 to 180 kg, and all whales had mild to moderate weight loss evidenced by postnuchal depression and pronounced scapulae and peduncular vertebrae. All whales had from 10 to 21 ovoid dermal scars consistent with healed cookie-cutter shark (Isistius brasiliensis) wounds. Gastric compartments of all whales contained from 6 to 20 squid beaks with no other solid food items present. The peritoneum of all whales contained many parasitic cestode cysts consistent with Monorygma spp. In all cases, the alimentary tract had gross and microscopic lesions. Colons had an unusual microscopic lesion diagnosed as particularly florid examples of the collagenous stage of microcscopic colitis known as collagenous colitis as reported in humans. The lesion was characterized by a diffuse, irregular, moderate thickening of the colonic wall due to deposition of subepithelial collagen between the muscularis mucosae and basement membrane of the surface epithelium in the lamina propria. The surface epithelium and collagen layer had mild multifocal infiltrates of neutrophils and eosinophils and mildly increased numbers of lymphocytes and plasma cells. Additionally, mild to moderate myocardial degeneration was a consistent finding in all cases. Less consistent lesions included erosive esophagitis, ulcerative gastritis, granulomatous gastritis, ulcerative dermatitis, and Nasitrema-associated suppurative sinusitis. The case of the mass stranding was not determined; however, all whales exhibited pathological changes consistent with pre-existing chronic disease with inanition that developed prior to the stranding event. Luque, S.P.*, J.W. Higdon, and S.H. Ferguson. 207. Dentine deposition rates in belugas (Delphinapterus leucas): An analysis of the evidence. Aquatic Mammals 33(2):241-245. *Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John's NL A1B 3X9, Canada; email: sluque@mun.ca Accurately determining the age of belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) has been difficult and the source of considerable uncertainty in demographic studies of this species. Previous studies have predominantly assumed that two growth layer groups (GLGs) are deposited annually in beluga teeth; however, recent evidence from aquarium-raised individuals and radiocarbon dating assays of teeth lends support to the hypothesis that one dentinal GLG is deposited annually in beluga, rather than to the competing hypothesis claiming the rate is twice as large. We present the allometric relationship between female age and length at maturity among delphinoid cetaceans and suggest that estimates of beluga age at maturity based on one GLG per annum are in better agreement with this relationship than estimates base on the competing hypothesis. Our results, and a reanalysis of previously published evidence, give further support to the one annual GLG hypothesis; however, a change in the pattern of deposition rate at sexual maturity remains a possibility, and research is needed to determine whether changes in dentine deposition rates during life stages of beluga. Gregg, J.D.* 2007. Book review: Rational animals? Editors: Susan Hurley and Matthew Nudds. Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN 0-19-852826-4. Aquatic Mammals 33(2):246-247. *School of Psychology, Aras an Phiarsaigh, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland; email: justin@dolphincommunication.com ********************** Simmonds, M.* 2007. Book review: A guide to the identification of the whales and dolphin of Ireland. Editors: Jim Wilson with Simon Berrow. Irish Whale and Dolphin Group. ISBN o-9540552-2-5. Aquatic Mammals 33(2):248-249. *The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), Brookfield House, 38 St. Paul Street, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1LJ, UK; email: mark.simmonds@wdcs.org ******************** Ecott, T.* 2007. Book review: Sensuous seas: tales of a marine biologist. Eugene H. Kaplan. Princeton University Press, 2006. ISBN 0-691-12560-0. Aquatic Mammals 33(2):250. *no mailing address provided; email: timecott@hotmail.com ***************** Reynolds, J.E., III.* 2007. Book review: The Florida manatee: biology and conservation. Roger L. Reep and Robert K. Bonde. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. ISBN 81302949X. Aquatic Mammals 33(2):251. *Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida 34236, USA (no email address provided) *************************** Fertl, D.* 2007. Book review: Marine conservation biology: the science of maintaining the sea's biodiversity. Editors: E.A. Norse and L.B. Crowder. Island Press, Washington, D.C., 2005. ISBN 1559636629. Aquatic Mammals 33(2):252-253. *Geo-Marine, Inc., 2201 K Avenue, Suite A2, Plano, TX 75074, USA; email: dfertl@geo-marine.com Price, S.* 2007. Book review: Horns, tusks, and flippers: the evolution of hoofed mammals. Editors: Donald R. Prothero and Robert M. Schoch. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore and London, 2002. ISBN 0-8018-7135-2. Aquatic Mammals 33(2):254. *National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent), 2024 W. Main Street, Suite A200, Erwin Mills Building, Durham, NC 27705, USA; no email address provided