[MARMAM] ACS-LA Research Grants for Southern California Researchers - Reminder: Deadline is May 25th!

[ACS-LA.Grants]

** Attn Southern California Researchers! — Reminder: Grant Applications are due 
25th of May @ Midnight, Pacific Time!! **
---
The American Cetacean Society, Los Angeles Chapter:
Applications for 2017 Research Grants
Deadline: May 25 (Midnight PDT, GMT -7)
The American Cetacean Society protects cetaceans and their habitats though 
conservation, education and research. ACS funds research projects that address 
some of the most pressing issues facing cetaceans. ACS-LA is pleased to 
announce the availability of two research grants, in the amount of $1,000.00 
each, to established researchers or student researchers attending school in the 
greater Los Angeles area whose work focuses on marine mammals. 
1) The John E. Heyning Research Award.  This award is in the amount of 
$1,000.
 
John Heyning was a brilliant and prolific scientist. He was Deputy Director of 
the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, where he built a collection 
of marine mammal specimens second only to Smithsonian and where he curated the 
Masters of the Ocean Realm exhibit that traveled to 22 countries. He was an 
authority on beaked whales, published the work that separated common dolphins 
into two separate species, and described the countercurrent heat exchange in 
whale tongues, among many other accomplishments. John was a strong supporter of 
ACS and its mission; he served on the organization’s Board of Scientific 
Advisors and taught the Whalewatch naturalist class for many years. 
2) The Bill Samaras Research Award.  This award is in the amount of 
$1,000.00.
 
Bill Samaras was a geologist by training but his first love was whales. He 
taught science at Carson High School for 30 years, helped shape the Cabrillo 
Marine Aquarium into the institution it is today and led the excavation of a 
gray whale skeleton during the construction of the Harbor Freeway in San Pedro. 
Bill was a lifelong supporter of ACS, an organization that he served in many 
capacities.
Guidelines for Research Grants:
The Los Angeles Chapter of the American Cetacean Society offers small research 
grants in support of operating research projects focusing on marine mammals. 
ACS-LA has a long-standing commitment supporting local research on cetaceans 
and other marine mammals. The two $1,000 research grants will be awarded to 
researchers or students exhibiting an outstanding commitment to furthering the 
understanding of marine mammals in California. Priority will be given to 
applicants working or attending school in Southern California and/or conducting 
their marine mammal research in Southern California.
Eligibility:
1.  Applicant should be a researcher or a student living and/or attending 
school in California.
OR
2.  Current research focus should be on Marine Mammals located in or around 
California with priority being given to work conducted in Southern California
Applications:
Applications should include the following:
1. Cover sheet with:
a) Title of Proposal and Research Area of interest including focal species 
b) Field Research Group Information (Name, Address, E-mail, and Phone numbers 
and departmental contacts) or Current School, Major, and Name(s) of Supervisor 
and Department
c) Names and contact information of Lead or Principal Investigator (PI), Second 
PI, and any student participants
2. A one-page CV or Resume for Principal Investigator and Secondary 
Investigators
3. A 1-2 page narrative (single spaced) describing your research organization 
or program, details, and justification for your specific research topic 
including objectives, details on geographical area being investigated, 
hypotheses, and total project timeline including temporal benchmarks for the 
work.  How will your research contribute to our understanding and/or benefit 
the species being studied?  Is this a species-based effort or a habitat and/or 
conservation based study? Please include your estimated 1-year budget and 
budget justifications.
All applications will be reviewed for scientific value and overall conservation 
benefit.
Requirement For Recipients:
Recipients of the awards will be asked to present their research sometime in 
the next year at ACS-LA’s monthly speaker series.  Please be prepared to 
present your work, to the ACS-LA community.
Deadlines:
Deadline for submission is 25th May 2016 (Midnight PDT, GMT -7)
Awards will be announced by 5th June 2016

Please feel free to contact ACS-LA Grants Chair Christina Tombach Wright with 
any questions, acsla.gra...@gmail.com .
Applications should be sent by E-mail to acsla.gra...@gmail.com 
.
Information about the Los Angeles Chapter of ACS can be found on our website: 
www.acs-la.org .  
To join ACS-LA, please go to http://acsonline.org/support-acs/become-member/ 
  and specify the Los Angeles

[MARMAM] Fwd: Scrutinizing reference to a review paper on the whale tag launcher ARTS

[lkarts]

Hi,
I am writing a review on the use of the whale tag launcher ARTS. Some  
20 years ago I developed this research tool with the Norwegian company 
Restech Norway AS, so I am now scrutinizing papers to possibly include 
in this review. If you have been involved in telemetry projects were you 
have been using either the whale tag launcher ARTS or the processing 
radiodirection finder DFHorten, or last the biopsy setup with the ARTS 
using the LKDarts, it would be nice to get feedback on this with 
references to papers deriving from your studies.


Best regards
Lars Kleivane
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[MARMAM] New review paper: Applying welfare science to dolphins

[Isabella]

Dear Colleagues,


We are very pleased to be able to share with you our publication in the current 
issue of Animal Welfare:


Clegg, I. L. K., van Elk, C. E., & Delfour, F. (2017). Applying welfare science 
to bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Animal Welfare, 26, 165-176.


This is the first review of the applications of welfare science to dolphins, 
with implications for captive cetaceans in general. The work highlights 
potential welfare measures from the behaviour, health and cognition disciplines 
of cetology, and suggests areas of future research.


Abstract

Animal welfare science is a burgeoning field, but research on cetaceans 
(whales, dolphins and porpoises) is lacking. Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops 
truncatus) are the most well-known and studied cetaceans, particularly in 
captivity, and thus are used in this review as a model for other cetacean 
species. Despite the public interest and need for such research, studies 
specifically investigating dolphin welfare are lacking. This review uses the 
three broad categories of behaviour, health, and cognition, to discuss how 
dolphin welfare has been assessed thus far, and could be assessed in future. We 
present welfare indicators validated in other species that could be applied to 
dolphins, including innovative measures such as cognitive appraisal of 
emotions. We provide a summary of practical recommendations for validating the 
indicators of bottlenose dolphin welfare. This paper aims to stimulate further 
research into dolphin welfare which could improve the lives of the animals 
themselves and ultimately support regulatory decisions. We recommend uniting 
expertise in cetology and welfare science in order to develop a holistic 
approach to dolphin welfare assessment.

The paper can be found here: 
 
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ufaw/aw/2017/0026/0002/art3

Or send any requests for copies directly to isabella.cl...@leec.univ-paris13.fr

Best wishes,

Isabella Clegg



Isabella Clegg
Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée
Université Paris 13
isabella.cl...@leec.univ-paris13.fr
+33 7 71 21 18 14
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[MARMAM] Internship Openings - Deadline Approaching: Field Response Team Interns on the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawaii

[Jon Gelman at Hawaii Marine Mammal Alliance]

HAWAII MARINE ANIMAL RESPONSE (Hawaii Marine Mammal Alliance):  Announcing 
internship openings on our Field Response Team on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii.  
Deadline for Fall 2017 is July 31, 2017.
ABOUT US

Hawaii Marine Animal Response (HMAR) is the field operations arm of Hawaii 
Marine Mammal Alliance and is Hawaii’s largest non-profit marine species 
response organization.  We cover approximately 300 miles of coastline on the 
islands of Oahu and Molokai with our team of over 100 volunteers, interns and 
staff. We are a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the 
preservation, conservation and stewardship of Hawaii’s protected marine 
species. Under a partnership with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), HMAR provides important species preservation, 
conservation and recovery support for the highly endangered Hawaiian monk seal 
as well as the endangered and threatened marine turtle species inhabiting 
Hawaiian waters.

Our Field Response Team spends thousands of hours each year on surveys for 
animals, or responding to specific sightings, so we may document the condition 
of specific animals, identify potential health issues and record other data 
needed for species population and recovery research. We save protected marine 
animals from deaths and injuries caused by disease, hookings, entanglement in 
marine debris and potentially dangerous or inappropriate interaction with 
humans and pets. We engage in animal intervention activity, stranding support 
and marine animal rescue to enable medical treatment, rehabilitation and 
release. And we use our significant field response presence to teach 
sustainable human, pet and fishery behaviors to the public resulting in 
improved stewardship for these animals to support long-term species 
preservation and recovery.



INTERN ACTIVITY

— Perform surveys for, or respond to, sightings of Hawaiian monk seals and 
marine turtles and provide shoreline response to haul-outs or strandings.

— Report on animal behavior, provide animal assessment information, provide 
photo-documentation and other important data used in protected species 
research, health management and species recovery efforts.

— Assist in escalated or emergency field response, marine species intervention 
activity and stranding support.

— Engage with the public to teach sustainable human interaction and fishery 
behaviors and encourage stewardship of these protected species.

— Participate in dispatch, reporting and data entry activity.



LOCATION

These internship positions are located on the Island of Oahu in the State of 
Hawaii and require significant travel on the island.



GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

--  This is an un-paid internship opportunity.  The intern is responsible for 
all living and transportation costs associated with the internship.


--  U.S. citizenship or possession of passport and all applicable visas and 
work permits needed prior to and during the internship period.

--  18 or more years of age.

--  English language fluency and an interest and desire to engage with the 
public.

--  Must be a degree-seeking student or a graduate of a college or university 
program associated with one of the following courses of study: marine biology, 
marine ecology, conservation or a related field.

--  Minimum grade point average (GPA).  For college/university graduates - a 
2.7 cumulative GPA prior to the internship. For current students - a 2.7 
cumulative GPA prior to and during the internship.

--  College credit: If college credit for this internship is desired it is the 
intern’s responsibility to obtain necessary approvals from the applicable 
college or university.

--  Attend mandatory in-field or classroom training sessions as required.

--  Must have access to a reliable car or truck.  Truck preferable.  
Motorcycles or scooters will not be sufficient.

--  Possession of a valid driver’s license.

--  Proof of automobile insurance carrying Hawaii minimum liability coverage 
levels.

--  Access to a cellular phone (4G service required).

--  Access to binoculars with at least a 10X magnification level or access to a 
digital camera (not smartphone) with at least a 35X zoom lens

--  Ability to walk at least 2 miles over shoreline beach and rocky conditions.

--  Ability to lift and carry at least 50 pounds over a distance of 100 feet.

--  Acceptance of Hawaii Marine Mammal Alliance Intern Policies, Waivers, 
Releases and Indemnifications.

--  Background check.



INTERNSHIP ACTIVITY EXPECTATIONS

--  Internship term: minimum of 3 months during the internship period (see 
below).  Internship may be extended for up to 1 year upon mutual agreement.


--  Hours per week: 35 hours minimum (travel time to training, survey or 
response locations is not included in minimum hours)

--  The intern must also be able and willing to work flexible hours including 
weekends and holidays.  The intern is expected to be available for response 
anywher

[MARMAM] Conservation Plan for Strait of Gibraltar killer whales

[Pauline Gauffier]

Dear Marmam subscribers,

I would like to send the communication below on behalf of Dr. Renaud de 
Stephanis. For more information, please contact him directly at 
renauddestepha...@gmail.com

All the best,

Pauline


**

Dear friends,

I would like to draw your atention to the following link 
https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2017/05/17/pdfs/BOE-A-2017-5474.pdf. In this 
document you can get the Conservation Plan for killer whales of the Strait of 
Gibraltar, just accepted by the Spanish Ministry of Environment, so the 
document is officially official. It is the first conservation plan for a 
cetacean species in the Med as far as I know, and all the document is based on 
science. With these lines I would like to acknowledge all the persons that made 
this possible. Especially to Dr Ruth Esteban Pavo. It is the result of more 
than 20 years of work, 9 papers, 4 PhD, more than 80.000 nm sailed, 300.000 
dorsal fin analysed (for only 60 individuals...). Thanks also to the anonymous 
reviewers and editors of the journals that made all the papers  publishable.

Thanks again
Renaud de Stephanis
PD: Sorry for my english!!!
***
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[MARMAM] New Publication: A timely opportunity to protect North Atlantic right whales in Canada

[Tonya Wimmer]

Dear MARMAM readers,


My co-authors and I would like to announce our recent publication in Marine 
Policy:


Brillant, S.W., Wimmer, T., Rangeley, R.W. and C.T. Taggart. 2017. A timely 
opportunity to protect North Atlantic right whales in Canada.

Marine Policy 81: 160-166. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2017.03.030


ABSTRACT
The survival of federally protected North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena 
glacialis) requires an immediate reduction in the risk of entanglement in 
commercial fishing gear. This paper argues that at least a 30% reduction in 
risk is needed to meaningfully contribute to the conservation of right whales. 
The argument follows from risk estimates calculated using time and space 
intersections of right whales and fishing gear in Canadian waters. Almost all 
the risk occurs during July, August and September (12%, 50%, 37% respectively) 
and the groundfish fishery contributed the greatest proportion (86%) of annual 
risk. Given that efforts in the USA to reduce entanglement risk through 
modified fishing gear have been unsuccessful to date, we address the 
alternative option of restricting certain fishing gear at times and locations 
where entanglement risk is elevated. There are many options that Canada could 
employ to achieve the above risk reduction and our results clearly point to the 
most effective and efficient action being seasonally restricted fishing in two 
relatively small regions; the Grand Manan Basin and the Roseway Basin. Fully a 
third (34%±4%) of the annual risk is associated with these two basins, though 
fishery catch estimates in the basins are relatively small and declining.

If you cannot download the publication, you can request a pdf by emailing Sean 
Brillant: se...@cwf-fcf.org


Cheers

Tonya


PS. Don't forget to register for SMM2017 to be held October 22-27th in Canada's 
Ocean Playground: Halifax, Nova Scotia! Abstract acceptance notifications will 
go out June 5th. Follow us on Facebook: Tonya and Hilary plan SMM2017 or 
Twitter: TnHplanSMM2017!


~
"From space, the planet is blue. From space, the planet is the
territory, not of humans, but of the whale" - Heathcote Williams

Tonya Wimmer, MSc.
Director, Marine Animal Response Society
1-866-567-6277
www.marineanimals.ca
&
Conference Co-Chair, SMM2017
http://www.smmconference.org/
&

Whitehead Lab

Dalhousie University, Halifax


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