[MARMAM] New publication: Integrated climate, ecological and socioeconomic scenarios for the whale watching sector

2022-11-08 Thread Andreia Gonçalves Sousa
Dear colleagues,

We are happy to announce the publication of our paper:

Sousa, A., Coelho, R. E., Costa, H., Lourenço, T. C., Azevedo, N. M. J., &
Santos, C. F. (2022). Integrated climate, ecological and socioeconomic
scenarios for the whale watching sector. Science of The Total Environment,
159589.

Abstract
Unprecedented human induced changes to the climate system have already
contributed to a variety of observed impacts to both ecosystems and
populations. Decision-makers demand impact assessments at the
regional-to-local scale to be able to plan and define effective climate
action measures. Integrated socio-ecological assessments that properly
consider system uncertainties require the use of prospective scenarios that
project potential climate impacts, while accounting for sectoral exposure
and adaptive capacity. Here we provide an integrated assessment of climate
change to the whale watching sector by: 1) extending the European Shared
Socio-economic Pathways (Eur-SSPs) and developing four whale watching SSP
narratives (WW-SSPs) and 2) characterize each key element comprised in the
WW-SSPs for the time period 2025–2055. We applied this approach in a case
study for the Macaronesia region where we developed scenarios which
integrate the socio-economic (WW-SSPs), climate (RCPs) and ecological
(species' thermal suitability responses) dimensions of whale watching.
These scenarios were used by local stakeholders to identify the level of
preparedness of the whale watching sector. When confronted with scenarios
that combine this ecological dimension with projected climate changes and
the four different socioeconomic narratives, stakeholders assessed the
whale watching sector in Macaronesia as being somewhat prepared for a
Sustainable World and a Fossil Fuel Development World, but somewhat
unprepared for a Rivalry World. No consensus was reached regarding the
sector's preparedness level under an Inequality World scenario. Our study
demonstrates the importance of considering multiple dimensions when
assessing the potential challenges posed by climate change and provides a
needed resource to help the whale watching sector in Macaronesia, and
elsewhere, in its effort to devise efficient climate action policies and
strategies.

Our paper in available at: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1f-vQB8ccutV8

Best,

Andreia Sousa



*Community art and science project for ocean conservation (432Hz
)*

*Whale watching and climate change project (WHALES CLIMATE
)*

*Climate Change Impacts Adaptation and Modelling* *(CCIAM
)*
*Centre for Ecology Evolution and Environmental Changes*
*(CE3C )Associação para a Investigação e
Desenvolvimento de Ciências* *(FC.ID )*

Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Portugal Phone: +351 217 500
000, line 21403

Skype ID: andreiagsousa
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[MARMAM] New publication on recreational boating and dolphin habitat loss

2022-11-08 Thread aogannier
‌Dear MarMamers,

We are pleased to announce our recent publication in Marine Pollution Bulletin :
 
Recreational boating as a potential stressor of coastal striped dolphins in the 
northwestern Mediterranean Sea.
Alexandre J. Gannier*, Gilles Boyer, Adrien C. Gannier
Marine Pollution Bulletin - www.elsevier.com/locate/marpolbul - 
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114222
 
Abstract : Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) is the most abundant 
cetacean species in the western Mediterranean Sea. Coastal populations are 
locally exposed to intense recreational boating, a growing activity over the 
last thirty years. Dedicated boat surveys carried out since 1988 (13,896 km of 
effort), enabled to map relative abundance for two periods, 1988–2003 and 
2004–2019, which evidenced a significant decrease of habitat use in the inshore 
part of study area. Coastal traffic was surveyed from a shore lookout located 
in Cap d’Antibes (French Riviera) during 47 daily sessions from May 2017 to 
April 2018: traffic flow often exceeded one boat per minute in summer, with a 
majority of motorboats. Underwater recordings showed that inshore noise was 
about 10 dB higher than in the open sea, with much energy being propagated by 
fast boats, including in the medium to high frequency domain. Ambient noise 
data collected during spring 2020 lockdown evidenced a clear noise level 
decrease compared to normal situations. Although other stressors may not be 
neglected, this study suggested that intense motorboat traffic is a likely 
contributor to the observed striped dolphin partial habitat loss.
 
The paper can be freely accessed until early December via the publisher 
ShareLink: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1g0X%7E,asi2GBJ
Don't hesitate to ask us any question.
 
On behalf of the co-authors, Alexandre
Groupe de Recherche sur les Cétacés (France)
 
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[MARMAM] Manatee Behavioral Ecology Research Job Opportunity

2022-11-08 Thread Barlas, Margie
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) Marine Mammal 
Research Group is looking for one biological scientist to work in the Manatee 
Behavioral Ecology Program in St. Petersburg, FL.



Division: Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI)

Section: Wildlife Research

Subsection: Marine Mammals

Location: St. Petersburg, Florida (Pinellas County) with field work statewide

Salary: $1,374.84 bi-weekly. This is a Career Service position with full 
benefits.

Posting Closing Date: 11/22/2022

NOTICE: Responses to qualifying questions should be verifiable by skills and/or 
experience stated on the employment application.

Job Description:

The person in this position will collaborate with Fish and Wildlife Research 
Institute (FWRI) scientists to conduct field research and collect data on 
manatee behavior, ecology, habitat, distribution, and threats. The successful 
candidate will be responsible for assisting with tagging manatees through 
capture and in-water replacement of tags, independently tracking tagged 
manatees with radio-telemetry and sonic equipment by boat and from shore, and 
recording behavioral observations and environmental data.  Additional field 
responsibilities may include conducting aerial surveys, photo-identification, 
genetic biopsy sampling, temperature monitoring, habitat assessments, and other 
field work as assigned.  Office and lab responsibilities include entering, 
editing, and verifying data; monitoring manatee movement behavior using 
satellite-linked telemetry; maintaining project databases, equipment 
inventories, and records; creating and updating written procedures; providing 
summary information and data to managers as needed; purchasing and constructing 
tagging and other project-related gear; and assisting with maintenance of field 
and lab equipment, vehicle, and vessel. The person in this position may take on 
supervision of an OPS staff. Travel may be state-wide.

Minimum Qualifications:

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in 
one of the biological sciences and one year of professional biological 
experience in a field or laboratory program; or a master's degree from an 
accredited college or university in one of the biological sciences.

Knowledge, Skill(s), and Abilities:

  *   Knowledge of wildlife ecology, biology, and natural systems
  *   Knowledge of principles and techniques of scientific research
  *   Knowledge of radio-telemetry equipment, radio tracking methods, and use 
of GPS
  *   Knowledge of supervisory practices, principles and procedures
  *   Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and 
Outlook), Adobe Acrobat
  *   Skilled in the safe operation and trailering of small watercraft (up to 
24ft.), able to complete a small boat safety course within the probationary 
period
  *   Skilled in the use and maintenance of scientific field equipment, 
including digital SLR cameras
  *   Skilled in problem-solving, especially in field situations
  *   Ability to record data independently and accurately in a sometimes-harsh 
field environment
  *   Ability to perform detail-oriented work in an organized manner
  *   Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing
  *   Ability to work independently and as part of a team; establish and 
maintain effective working relationships
  *   Ability to swim with sufficient skill to perform in-water research
  *   Ability to maintain a U.S. driver's license

Application Requirements:

Applicants are required to submit a complete, up-to-date, State of Florida 
Application Form electronically in People First, by midnight on the closing 
date listed. Go to: 
https://jobs.myflorida.com/
 (enter 77073235 in the keyword search field). Applicants must also upload a 
cover letter, resume, and contact information (including email and phone) for 
three references with their People First application by the closing date, but 
these do not replace the requirement for a completed State of Florida 
application form.  Applicants are required to complete the additional 
application questions.  If you experience technical difficulties during the 
application process, please call People First at 1-877-562-7287.

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

State of Florida employees enjoy top-tier benefits offerings including 
comprehensive health coverage to meet the needs of you and your family while 
maintaining low deductibles and low monthly out-of-pocket contributions. State 
employees also enjoy the option of selecting between the FRS Pension Plan and 
the FRS In

[MARMAM] New thesis: Variation and sensitivity of residency and site fidelity estimates for dolphin capture-recapture data

2022-11-08 Thread Eduardo Morteo
Dear MARMAM community,

On behalf of my former student, MSc Israel Huesca-Dominguez, I am pleased
to announce the publication of his thesis "Variation and sensitivity of
residency and site fidelity estimates for dolphin capture-recapture data”,
which was successfully defended last September.

The resulting scientific manuscripts of the chapters of his thesis will
soon be available; thus we will let you know the electronic links for
proper citation.

In the meantime, please follow the link to have full access to his
(translated) thesis (in English):

(PDF) Variation and sensitivity of residency and site fidelity estimates
for dolphin capture-recapture data

researchgate.net



Cita (SP): Huesca-Domínguez I. 2022. Variación y sensibilidad de
estimaciones de residencia y fidelidad al sitio para datos de
captura-recaptura en delfines. Tesis de Maestría en Biología Integrativa.
Cum laude. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Universidad Veracruzana.
Xalapa Veracruz. 100 pp. 27 de septiembre de 2022.

Citation (EN): Huesca-Domínguez I. 2022. Variation and sensitivity of
residency and site fidelity estimates for dolphin capture-recapture data.
Thesis. Cum laude. Master in Integrative Biology. Instituto de
Investigaciones Biológicas Universidad Veracruzana. Xalapa Veracruz. 100
pp. September 27th, 2022

You may find the abstract below.

Abstract: Residency and site fidelity are important parameters in the
population ecology of many species as they indicate temporal and spatial
use of individuals. Cetaceans with well-defined patterns of residency and
site fidelity may be more vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances and the
study of these parameters makes it possible to assess such impacts. However
due to interspecific differences and logistical restrictions for the study
of cetaceans there is no consensus on the definitions and ways to evaluate
these parameters. This project investigated the factors that influence
measurements of residency and site fidelity in dolphins through a
retrospective ~20 year (1990-2019) literature review. Simulations of
capture-recapture histories based on real scenarios of wild populations of
dolphins were used to evaluate residency metrics by varying the parameters
in a JollySeber model. We found 30 indicators of residency where 20 were
based on capture-recapture data and 8 contained categories. These main
differences were associated with patterns of temporal use and the
thresholds for classifying individuals. Simulations showed sensitivity to
different survival estimates in addition to those of already known
catchability. Indicators of site fidelity were more consistent with each
other and the best performing indicators of residency combined monthly
seasonal and annual data. These findings show the need for paradigm shifts
to create comprehensive standardized and generalized definitions of
residency which can be compared across different populations of marine
mammals around the world.

Kind regards,

Dr. Eduardo Morteo
Director

Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas
Universidad Veracruzana

Calle Dr. Castelazo Ayala S/N, Col. Industrial Ánimas
CP 91190, Xalapa, Veracruz, México.

Ph/Tel: +52 (228) 841 89 00
E-mail: emor...@uv.mx

http://www.uv.mx/personal/emorteo/

http://uv-mx.academia.edu/EMorteo
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eduardo_Morteo/?ev=hdr_xprf

http://scholar.google.com.mx/citations?user=fDUl-IIJ
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[MARMAM] SMM Editors' Select Series on November 17th: Life in the fast lane: differences in behavior between lactating and non-lactating Antarctic fur seals at high latitudes

2022-11-08 Thread Student Members-at-Large Society for Marine Mammalogy
Greetings MARMAM!

Join us on* Thursday, 17 November 2022 at 6 PM GMT / 1 PM EST / 10 AM PST *for
the next SMM Seminar Editors' Select Series: Life in the fast lane:
differences in behavior between lactating and non-lactating Antarctic fur
seals at high latitudes with Dr. Renato Borras-Chavez.

This event is free to attend and presented online via Zoom, but
registration is required.
Register here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VJY7H6WBQA-aa4fNaV6Nvw
Space on Zoom is limited to the first 500 attendees. The talk will also be
streamed live on the SMM Facebook page.

*About this talk:*
Mammals spend more energy when lactating (i.e., feeding their young) than
at any other time in their lives. Antarctic fur seal mothers perform trips
to sea to find food and then return to feed their pups, repeating this
cycle for four consecutive months. By comparing at-sea behavior between
lactating and non-lactating females carrying microprocessor instruments, we
better understand the challenges of being a mother: they take shorter trips
to get food (to return to their pups as quickly as possible), spend less
time ashore (to start the cycle again as soon as possible), and modify
their diving behavior to collect more food. Now that is a GREAT mom!

*About the presenter:*
Dr. Renato Borras-Chavez is a scientist from Chile. He obtained his
bachelor's degree in Marine Biology at Andres Bello University, Chile, and
his master's degree at San Diego State University, USA, working in kelp
forest ecology. He started working with marine mammals while pursuing his
Ph.D. at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Since his first trip
to Antarctica 10 years ago, he has been there seven times, including three
long deployments for the project he is presenting here. After completing
his Ph.D., he worked for three years with the Chilean Antarctic Institute
(INACH), continuing his work on Antarctic pinnipeds. Today, he is a
research associate at the Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability
(CAPES) and preparing to start a postdoctoral research project on leopard
seal ecology at Baylor University. He was also the president and national
representative of APECS Chile (the Association of Polar Early Career
Scientists) until this year.

Open access to this article is made temporarily available in the weeks
around the presentation and can be found here:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10./mms.12970 Current SMM
members have access to all Marine Mammal Science papers.

Missed a presentation or want to share this series with a friend? All
previous Editors' Select presentations are recorded and archived on our
YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUc78IynQlubS2DVS1VZoplf_t42-yZOO

All the best,

*Ayça Eleman, Ph.D. Candidate*
*Theresa-Anne Tatom-Naecker, Ph.D. Candidate*
*Student Members-at-Large*
Society for Marine Mammalogy
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[MARMAM] New Publication: Damages associated with bottlenose dolphin depredation

2022-11-08 Thread Maria Garagouni
My co-authors and I are pleased to share our recent publication in ICES
JMS, wherein we calculate the material and financial damage caused by
bottlenose dolphins depredating a gillnet fishery in the Northern Aegean
Sea.

Maria Garagouni, Georgia Avgerinou, Foivos-Alexandros Mouchlianitis, George
Minos, Konstantinos Ganias: Questionnaire and experimental surveys show
that dolphins cause substantial losses to a gillnet fishery in the eastern
Mediterranean Sea, ICES Journal of Marine Science, 2022, fsac196,
https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsac196

ABSTRACT
Common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are known to depredate
fishing gear, resulting in damage to the catch and/or the gear itself. The
extent of this damage and estimated financial loss varies between areas,
métiers, and survey methods. We quantified losses due to bottlenose dolphin
depredation in a coastal gillnet fishery in the Thermaikos Gulf, Greece, in
terms of CPUE reduction, catch damage, and gear damage. Experimental
fishing effort was carried out over two seasons (2020 and 2021), along with
concurrent questionnaire surveys over the second season (2021). Depredation
frequency (∼35%) and CPUE changes due to depredation (a significant
decrease of 45–50%) were similar for both sampling schemes. The number of
damaged fish in experimental hauls increased significantly with dolphin
depredation, but did not fully account for the sizeable loss in marketable
catch, indicating that large numbers of fish were removed from the nets
entirely. Damage to experimental nets increased with dolphin presence and
group size, with an average of 0.59% of net surface area damaged per
depredation event. Both datasets point to annual economic losses of over
€5000 per vessel in this fishery, while the similarity between direct
observations and self-reported losses highlights the usefulness of frequent
questionnaire surveys.

Feel free to contact me with any questions or for a copy of the article:
garagoun...@gmail.com

Cheers,
Maria

--
Dr Maria Garagouni
Postdoctoral Researcher
Marine Living Resources Group
School of Biology
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Greece
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[MARMAM] New paper on association patterns and community structure among female dolphins from Shark Bay Dolphin Research

2022-11-08 Thread Simon Allen
Dear Marmamers,

This year Shark Bay Dolphin Research celebrated 40 years of long-term 
investigation into a remarkable animal population that includes not only 
alliances of alliances, but several forms of tool use with differing 
transmission pathways. Following on from Chabanne et al.’s recent publication 
on evidence of male alliances from a small community of Indo-Pacific bottlenose 
dolphins some way south (the Swan-Canning Riverpark, dolphins which will no 
doubt be seen from the venue of the 2024 Biennial Conference on the Biology of 
Marine Mammals in Perth) in the Special Issue of Mammalian Biology, we are 
pleased to bring to your attention another paper in the same issue, this one on 
sociality among female dolphins in Shark Bay.

The citation is as follows: SM Marfurt, SJ Allen, MR Bizzozzero, EP Willems, SL 
King, RC Connor, AM Kopps, S Wild, L Gerber, S Wittwer, M Krützen 2022. 
Association patterns and community structure among female bottlenose dolphins: 
environmental, genetic and cultural factors. Mammalian Bioliogy 
https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-022-00259-x.

Abstract: Social structuring from assortative associations may affect 
individual fitness, as well as population-level processes. Gaining a broader 
understanding of social structure can improve our knowledge of social evolution 
and inform wildlife conservation. We investigated association patterns and 
community structure of female Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops 
aduncus) in Shark Bay, Western Australia, assessing the role of kinship, shared 
culturally transmitted foraging techniques, and habitat similarity based on 
water depth. Our results indicated that associations are influenced by a 
combination of uni- and biparental relatedness, cultural behaviour and habitat 
similarity, as these were positively correlated with a measure of dyadic 
association. These findings were matched in a community level analysis. Members 
of the same communities overwhelmingly shared the same habitat and foraging 
techniques, demonstrating a strong homophilic tendency. Both uni- and 
biparental relatedness between dyads were higher within than between 
communities. Our results illustrate that intraspecific variation in sociality 
in bottlenose dolphins is influenced by a complex combination of genetic, 
cultural, and environmental aspects.

You can score yourself a shiny PDF here https://rdcu.be/cYQO2 or go here 
http://www.sharkbaydolphins.org/publications/, where you will also find links 
to the other papers from 2022 (below) and prior.

Connor RC, Krützen M, Allen SJ, Sherwin WB, King SL 2022. Strategic intergroup 
alliances increase access to a contested resource in male bottlenose dolphins. 
PNAS 119: e2121723119.
Chereskin E, Connor RC, Friedman WR, Jensen FH, Allen SJ, Sørensen PM, Krützen 
M, King SL 2022. Male dolphins use vocal exchanges to ‘bond at a distance’. 
Curr Biol 32: 1657–1663.
Gerber L, Connor RC, Allen SJ, Horlacher K, King SL, Sherwin WB, Willems E, 
Wittwer S, Krützen M 2022. Social integration influences fitness in allied male 
dolphins. Curr Biol 32: 1664-1669.
Manlik O, Lacy RC, Sherwin WB, Finn H, Loneragan NR, Allen SJ 2022. A 
stochastic model for estimating sustainable limits to wildlife mortality in a 
changing world. Cons Biol: e13897.

All the best, Simon

~
Dr Simon J Allen
Senior Lecturer
School of Biological Sciences
University of Bristol

Mob: +44 (0) 77047 53101 [UK] / +61 (0) 416 083 653 [AU]
Email: simon.al...@bristol.ac.uk / 
simon.al...@uwa.edu.au
Web: http://www.sharkbaydolphins.org
Twitter: @SimonJAllen1

 [Chart, scatter chart  Description automatically generated]

Recent papers: Estimating sustainable limits to human-caused wildlife mortality 
https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10./cobi.13897
Cooperation-based concept formation in bottlenose dolphins 
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-22668-1
Non-vertical transmission of a dolphin foraging innovation 
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(20)30756-9
Declines in dolphin survival and reproduction following a heatwave 
https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0960-9822%2819%2930217-9

“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing–absolutely nothing–half so much 
worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” (Kenneth Grahame)
“I must say here, in passing, that those captains who have scientists… aboard 
their ships, must take with them a good supply of patience. I admit that 
although I have no lack of it, the scientists have frequently driven me to the 
end of my tether...” (Nicolas Baudin)
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