CALL FOR PAPERS for a special THEME SECTION in Endangered Species Research on "Techniques for Reducing Bycatch of Marine Mammals in Gillnets" http://www.int-res.com/journals/esr/esr-specials/techniques-for-reducing-byc... Gillnetting yields one of the highest portions of total fisheries catch worldwide and is a prevalent fishing method among the thousands of small-scale and localized fisheries in developing countries; where the annual catch can exceed that of the larger-scale industrialized commercial sector. Bycatch in gillnets often results in high collateral mortality of non-target marine species and is a major threat to many endangered marine mammals. For species such as the Gulf of California porpoise (or vaquita, Phocoena sinus), it is the most immediate threat to species recovery, or indeed continued existence. This Theme Section of ESR features papers that evaluate various techniques for reducing marine mammal bycatch in gillnets, including acoustic deterrents, non-acoustic gear deterrents (such as modifications to gillnet material), time-area closures, and gear switching (for example, from gillnets to hook-and-line). It assembles papers presented at the International Marine Mammal-Gillnet Bycatch Mitigation Workshop, convened in October of 2011 (see http://bycatch.org/marine_mammal_gillnet_bycatch). Other relevant manuscripts are welcome, please contact Tim Werner. Submission deadline: June 1, 2012 Editorial Team for the Theme Section: Dr. Simon Northridge, University of St. Andrews (Guest Editor); Dr. William Perrin, NOAA (Guest Editor); Dr. Andy Read, Duke University; Dr. Randall Reeves, Okapi Associates (Guest Editor); Tim Werner, New England Aquarium (Guest and Contact Editor; twerner@neaq.org)