[MARMAM] New paper - Southern right whale behavioral changes due to interactions with whale-watching vessels: evidence-based calculations aimed at improving management policies

[Magdalena Arias]

Dear colleagues,

My co-authors and I are pleased to announce our new publication: Arias, M.,
Dans, S., Crespo, E. A., & González, R. A. C. (2024). Southern right whale
behavioral changes due to interactions with whale-watching vessels:
evidence-based calculations aimed at improving management policies. Marine
Mammal Science, e13149. https://doi.org/10./mms.13149

Abstract: Interactions between whale-watching vessels and cetaceans have
raised questions regarding the sustainability of whale-watching. This study
aimed to build a model for managing whale-watching activity. The approach
involved establishing vessel-exposure thresholds based on changes in
short-term behavioral responses of southern right whales in the Bahía San
Antonio Marine Protected Area of Argentina. The model serves as a source of
information for management decision-making in whale-watching operations,
with an estimated framework for the maximum carrying capacity dictating the
vessel-exposure level that can be maintained with no significant changes in
the whales' activity budgets. The model, based on Markov chains, indicated
that surface active behavior was the form most sensitive to the presence of
tourism vessels. However, vessel exposure always remained below
nonsustainability threshold, defined as the amount of time that a whale
could be disturbed by vessels without significantly changing its activity
budget. Therefore, the observed changes were biologically insignificant.
Thus, whale watching in this area is developing with minimal impact on
southern right whales. An understanding of the exposure thresholds is
essential for establishing management strategies that enable sustainable
whale watching. This approach is crucial for setting limits within a
scenario of future growth and reducing activity when demand exceeds the
carrying capacity.

A PDF copy of the publication can be downloaded from:
http://doi.org/10./mms.13149

Best regards,
Magdalena Arias
-- 
Dra. Magdalena Arias
Investigadora del CONICET
Centro de Investigación Aplicada y Transferencia Tecnológica en Recursos
Marinos Alte. Storni" (CIMAS)
Güemes 1030 - San Antonio Oeste (R8520CXV).
Río Negro - Argentina.
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[MARMAM] Announcement - Funded MMO Training Programme for five students/graduates in Ireland

[Marine Mammal Observer Association]

Calling Ireland Based Marine Science Students & Graduates - ESB announces
funding for Marine Mammal Observer Training Programme following success of
first year.

   - Industry-approved training courses and medicals will again be funded
   through the initiative in 2024
   - Support  and endorsements are being provided by the Irish Whale and
   Dolphin Group, The Marine Mammal Observer Association, and The Institute of
   Marine Engineering, Science and Technology


www.ESB.ie plans to fund its Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) training
programme for a second year. The programme is open to graduates, final-year
undergraduates, and postgraduate students studying or working in marine
science or related disciplines in Ireland. In 2023, five participants
successfully completed the programme and availed of industry-approved
training courses and medicals, which were also funded through the
initiative.

A key objective of the programme is to assist in developing marine ecology
education and skills to support successful applicants at the early stages
of their careers in the marine environmental profession. An additional key
aim is to fill a gap in the Irish offshore wind industry’s local supply
chain due to a lack of locally-based MMOs on the island of Ireland.

ESB will again award up to five places on the MMO training programme this
year. All applicants must be available to participate in person for
training at Kilrush, Co Clare in September. *Application forms can be
requested from ESB via mmotrain...@esb.ie . The
deadline for submissions is Wednesday, 31st July*. Please check eligibility
before applying.

In addition to the MMO training aspect, the costs associated with the
delivery of the necessary industry-approved training courses and medicals
will also be funded with the aim of ensuring all trainees are up to the
standard level of competency for offshore work. These courses include Basic
Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET), United Kingdom's
Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) MMO training with Irish
Guideline certifications, and Offshore Energies U.K (OEUK) approved medical
and Fit-to-Train certifications.

The training programme has been proudly endorsed by the Marine Mammal
Observer Association and the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and
Technology (IMarEST).

The MMO training will be provided by the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group and
will include classroom-based training, two nights’ accommodation and a
half-day at sea experience onboard the research vessel, Celtic Mist.

Sincerely,

Niru Dorrian

-- 

The Marine Mammal Observer Association (MMOA)
4 Old Park Lane

LONDON

W1 K1QW



*i...@mmo-association.org  *
*www.mmo-association.org *


*

  [image:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/3028634?trk=tyah&trkInfo=clickedVertical%3Acompany%2CclickedEntityId%3A3028634%2Cidx%3A3-1-10%2CtarId%3A1453856139917%2Ctas%3Amarine%20mamm]
*
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[MARMAM] Announcement of application for student travel awards to SMM from ACS/PS - CORRECTION: Email address

[Stephanie Norman]

Hello all,

We're very happy to announce that, once again, is offering
student/intern/postdoc travel grants to the Society for Marine Mammalogy
Conference in Perth, Western Australia later this year. Thank you and here
are the details:

*American Cetacean Society – Puget Sound Chapter*

*Call for student/intern travel grants to the Biennial Conference on the
Biology of Marine Mammals!*



We are back with another opportunity to apply for student/intern travel
grant awards!

The American Cetacean Society-Puget Sound Chapter (ACS/PS) (
https://www.acspugetsound.org/index.php) would like to once again solicit
submissions for student/intern travel grants to the Society for Marine
Mammalogy's *25th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals* (Perth,
Western Australia, 11-15 November 2024).



*Two* student travel grants (US$750 each) will be selected from all
eligible applications received by *Friday, 16 August 2024*.



*The focus of the research must be on cetaceans within the inland waters
(Puget Sound/Salish Sea) OR the outer coast of Washington State, USA.*



*Qualifications to apply:*

   1. Obtain ACS membership if selected for the grant. Application for
   membership to ACS may be completed at the following website:
   https://www.acsonline.org/membership
   2. Currently enrolled as a student or postdoc at a recognized academic
   institution or an intern at a recognized organization conducting cetacean
   research.
   3. Be first author on an accepted oral or poster presentation.
   4. Register for the conference by the early registration deadline (
   https://www.smmconference.org/ ).
   5. Though you do not need to be a student/intern at a Washington State
   organization/institution, the focus of the research *must* be in
   Washington State waters. International student/intern applications are
   accepted as long as the research takes place within Washington State.
   US/Canada cross-boundary research must take place a majority of the time
   within Washington State waters.

*To apply:*

   1. Submit an accepted title and abstract to the SMM conference.
   2. Provide your name and school/organization affiliation.
   3. E-mail your application to:
   acspsgr...@acspugetsound.org 

  (Corrected email from earlier post)


Note: As an awardee, you will be asked to provide a summary of your
poster/spoken presentation to be posted on ACS/PS social media and website.
And you may be asked to present your poster or oral talk at a future ACS/PS
general meeting.



*The application period closes Friday 16 August 2024 (11:59pm PST)!*

Notification of the student travel grant awards will be made by

*1 September 2024.*



IMPORTANT: If you are selected for an award, you will need to make sure you
register for the conference by the end of the early registration period or
the award will be given to someone else.



For questions or to submit your application, contact Dr. Stephanie Norman,
ACS/PS Grants Chair: acspsgr...@acspugetsound.org

(Corrected email from earlier post)
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[MARMAM] New publication: Delphinid postmortem vitreous humor biochemistry as proxy for antemortem blood analyte concentrations

[Zorotrian, Tiffany]

Dear MARMAMs,

My co-authors and I are happy to share our note on delphinid postmortem 
vitreous humor biochemistry, available online at:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10./mms.13157.

Please let me know if you cannot access the document, as I am happy to share a 
.pdf with anyone interested.

Zorotrian, T., Stern, A. W., Costidis, A., Harms, C. A., Gao, H., Fontaine, C., 
& Adams, H. R. (2024). Delphinid postmortem vitreous humor biochemistry as 
proxy for antemortem blood analyte concentrations. Marine Mammal Science, 
e13157. https://doi.org/10./mms.13157

Biochemical analysis of vitreous humor has multiple forensic applications in 
human death investigations, including estimation of postmortem interval and as 
proxy for select antemortem serum/plasma analytes. Little work has been done on 
vitreous humor biochemistry in cetaceans due in part to a paucity of 
appropriate cases and relatively high cost of analysis. To investigate the 
utility of vitreous humor biochemistry in stranded delphinids, paired 
antemortem serum/plasma and postmortem vitreous humor samples (n=10) were 
analyzed on the UF Clinical Pathology Lab’s Beckman Coulter AU480. Results were 
assessed via a Wilcoxon signed-rank test and calculation of the intraclass 
correlation coefficient.  This study supports the utility of postmortem 
biochemical analysis of delphinid VH for data on antemortem health status and 
metabolic state. Analytes that are likely to be informative for forensic 
purposes or to provide insight into antemortem health include UN, CREA, GLU, K, 
Na, and Cl.

Sincerely,
Tiffany

​Tiffany J. Zorotrian, MSc, LVT, CVT
PhD Student
Aquatic Animal Health Program
Large Animal Clinical Sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Florida
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[MARMAM] Aquatic Mammals issue 50.4 is published online

[Kathleen Dudzinski]

Dear MARMAM Subscribers,
 
The 4th issue of volume 50 (50.4) of Aquatic Mammals journal is available 
online and officially published.
 
Further information about the journal can be found at: 
http://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/
To submit a manuscript for publication consideration, please visit: 
http://am.expressacademic.org/actions/author.php
 
With regards,
 
Kathleen M. Dudzinski, Ph.D.
Editor, Aquatic Mammals Journal
busin...@aquaticmammalsjournal.org 


Articles with ** are open access:

Heidi L. Bonifácio, Vera M. F. da Silva, Anthony R. Martin, Patrik F. Viana, 
and Eliana Feldberg. (2024). The Karyotype of Tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis; 
Cetartiodactyla, Delphinidae). Aquatic Mammals,50(4), 275-283.
 
Dalia C. Barragán-Barrera, Casandra Gálvez, Christian Bermúdez-Rivas, María del 
Pilar Aguirre-Tapiero, Isabel C. Avila, Katerin Arévalo-González, and Tatiana 
A. Acosta-Pachón. (2024). Systematic Review of Pinniped Sightings and 
Strandings Along the Pacific Coast of Colombia: Implications for Pinniped 
Conservation. Aquatic Mammals, 50(4), 284-301.
 
**Lemnuel V. Aragones, Alessandra Nicole L. Morado, Marie Christine M. Obusan, 
Honey Leen M. Laggui, Jonah L. Bondoc, Leo Jonathan A. Suarez, and Ewen Kye 
Lawler. (2024). Spatiotemporal Variation of Stranded Marine Mammals in the 
Philippines from 2005 to 2022: Latest Stranding Hotspots and Species Stranding 
Status. Aquatic Mammals, 50(4), 302-322.
 
Raúl E. Díaz-Gamboa, Pamela García-Aguilar, Alberto Pereira-Corona, and Carlos 
A. Niño-Torres. (2024). Determination of Metal and Metalloids in Bottlenose 
Dolphins’ (Tursiops truncatus) Skin from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Aquatic 
Mammals, 50(4), 323-331.
 
Elke Schüttler, Melisa Gañan, Omar Barroso, Tamara Contador, Diego Illanes, 
Gabriel Muñoz-Araya, María-José Palma, María-José Pérez-Álvarez, Maritza 
Sepúlveda, and Javier Rendoll-Cárcamo. (2024). Observations of Attacks on Sei 
and Fin Whales by Killer Whales in Magellanic Sub-Antarctic Waters, Chile. 
Aquatic Mammals, 50(4), 332-341.
 
**Hana A. Koilpillai, Charla J. Basran, Simon Berrow, Fredrik Broms, Valerie 
Chosson, Shannon Gowans, Lindsey S. Jones, Reg Kempen, Pedro López-Suárez, Edda 
Magnúsdóttir, Nick Massett, Kris Prince, Marianne H. Rasmussen, Jooke Robbins, 
Richard Sears, Peter Simard, Malene Simon, Pádraig Whooley, and Frederick W. 
Wenzel. (2024). Geographic Distribution of North Atlantic Humpback Whales 
(Megaptera novaeangliae) with Fluke Scars Caused by Killer Whales (Orcinus 
orca). Aquatic Mammals, 50(4), 342-351.
 
**Lars Kleivane, Petter H. Kvadsheim, Anna Victoria Pyne Vinje, Jason Mulsow, 
Rolf Arne Ølberg, Jonas Teilmann, Craig Harms, and Dorian Houser. (2024). 
Capture and Release of Minke Whales Offers New Research Opportunities, 
Including Measurements of Mysticete Hearing. Aquatic Mammals, 50(4), 352-368. 
 
**Kathleen Dezio. (2024). First-Ever West Coast AMMPA Annual Meeting Held May 
7-9 in San Diego.Aquatic Mammals, 50(4), 369-371. ___
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[MARMAM] New publication on Cook Inlet beluga

[Manuel Castellote - NOAA Affiliate]

Dear MARMAM recipients,
We are happy to announce our new publication:

Castellote, Gill, Garner, Gilstad, Hou, Brewer, Knoth. 2024. Using passive
acoustics to identify a quiet winter foraging refuge for an endangered
beluga whale population in Alaska. Frontiers in Marine Science 11:1393380.
doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1393380


ABSTRACT:
Cook Inlet beluga (CIB), *Delphinapterus leucas*, have not recovered from
subsistence overharvest despite conservation efforts initiated in 2000.
Reasons for this lack of recovery are still unclear with anthropogenic
noise identified as a high threat in this population's recovery plan.
Baseline information on CIB habitat use and soundscape characterization is
crucial in evaluating impacts from anthropogenic activities. Using passive
acoustic monitoring, we documented the seasonality and foraging occurrence
of CIB, together with killer whale (Orcinus orca), harbor porpoise
(Phocoena phocoena) and humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), for one
year in Chinitna and Tuxedni bays and rivers, two historically important
but recently overlooked areas of their critical habitat in western lower
Cook Inlet, Alaska. This area's ecological interest converges with planned
mining, marine renewable energy, offshore oil and gas production, and
commercial shipping. Results revealed higher presence of harbor porpoise,
killer whale, and humpback whale in Chinitna compared to Tuxedni but much
lower CIB presence. CIB were not detected in Chinitna Bay but were in the
river on 21 days September-February and one day in June. However, CIB were
never detected feeding in Chinitna River. CIB acoustic crypsis and
preferential use of very shallow habitat in Chinitna revealed a perceived
predation risk from killer whales. In contrast, CIB were recorded foraging
in both Tuxedni Bay and River and were detected September-April on 127 days
making it an important winter foraging ground. Low levels of anthropogenic
noise disturbance were quantified in both bays making them some of the most
undisturbed sections of their critical habitat, but at the same time highly
sensitive to further noise disturbance. Commercial shipping was the main
noise source likely causing acoustic disturbance to CIB due to
communication masking despite current low levels of temporal overlap with
beluga presence. We recommend that applicable regulators consider
restricting high sound producing anthropogenic activities in and adjacent
to Tuxedni Bay from September 1st to May 15th when CIB are actively using
this area. Managing future anthropogenic activities to minimize habitat
degradation and acoustic disturbance in this winter foraging refuge will be
a key component to support the recovery of this endangered population.

The article can be downloaded at no cost here:
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1393380/full


Sincerely,
Manuel Castellote

-- 
Manuel Castellote, PhD
Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, University
of Washington
&
Cetacean Assessment and Ecology Program, Marine Mammal Laboratory
Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries
7600 Sand Point Way N.E. F/AKC3
Seattle, WA 98115-6349
(206) 526-6866 (voice)
(206) 526-6615 (fax)
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[MARMAM] New publication: Systematic Review of Pinniped Sightings and Strandings Along the Pacific Coast of Colombia: Implications for Pinniped Conservation

[Tatiana Acosta Pachon]

Dear MARMAM colleagues,

On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to share our new publication in
Aquatic mammals, Vol. 50 (4):

Dalia C. Barragán-Barrera, Casandra Gálvez, Christian Bermúdez-Rivas, María
del Pilar Aguirre-Tapiero, Isabel C. Avila, Katerin Arévalo-González, and
Tatiana A. Acosta-Pachón

Systematic Review of Pinniped Sightings and Strandings Along the Pacific
Coast of Colombia: Implications for Pinniped Conservation


Sightings of pinnipeds in Colombia waters of the Pacific Ocean have
sporadically been reported since 1970. Despite the Colombian Pacific region
(CPR) not being within their typical distribu-tion range, six pinniped
species—the Galápagos fur seal (Arctocephalus galapagoensis), the Galápagos
sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki), the South American fur seal (Arctocephalus
austra-lis), the South American sea lion (Otaria byronia), the Juan
Fernández fur seal (Arctocephalus philip-pii), and the southern elephant
seal (Mirounga leonina)—have been recorded in recent times. This study
presents an overall systematic review of pinniped sightings and strandings
from 1970 to 2023 along the Pacific coast of Colombia, with a total of 68
sightings of 80 individuals. Pinnipeds were recorded most often in 1998 (13
individuals), followed by 2014 (nine individuals); 1997 (eight
individuals); 1983 (seven individuals); and 1993, 1996, 2015, and 2020
(with three individuals each year). Most pinniped observations correspond
to vagrants—solitary, young individuals sighted on the southern coast of
the Colombian Pacific, spe-cifically in Tumaco. Some records of these
species appear to be influenced by upwelling events and changes in
climatic-oceanographic phenomena (ENSO episodes) in the region. Further
moni-toring is necessary to determine whether species presence and
abundance in the CPR is a response to (1) vagrant behavior of the species,
(2) altered habitat use associated with bioecological changes in the
species populations, and/or (3) shifts in dis-tribution ranges related to
potential new habitat suitability.


You can find de paper here:


https://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/article/systematic-review-of-pinniped-sightings-and-strandings-along-the-pacific-coast-of-colombia-implications-for-pinniped-conservation/


Or you can write to:

tatyaco...@gmail.com


If you have any questions about our work, please reach out.

Cheers,

Tatiana.


*---*

*Dra. Tatiana A. Acosta Pachón*
tatyaco...@gmail.com

Profesora - Investigadora
Departamento Académico de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur, Mexico
Tel: +52 612 1238800 Ext. 4140
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[MARMAM] New publication: Interannual site fidelity by Svalbard walruses

[Lonnie Mikkelsen]

Dear Marmam community

On behalf of my co-authors I am pleased to announce the open-access publication 
of our paper:

"Interannual site fidelity by Svalbard walruses"

by Lonnie Mikkelsen, Kit M. Kovacs, Marie-Anne Blanchet, Gary Brodin & 
Christian Lydersen.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-66370-w


Abstract:
The Arctic is experiencing rapid reductions in sea ice, affecting all 
ice-dependant species. In the present study we examine interannual seasonal 
movements and habitat use in relation to sea ice coverage for one of the Arctic 
endemic marine mammals. We tagged 40 male walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) in the 
Svalbard Archipelago with custom-designed tusk-mounted GPS loggers. Twelve of 
these animals provided tracks that lasted 1–6 years. Eleven of the walruses 
displayed clear seasonal migratory behaviour between summer foraging areas and 
winter breeding areas. Individuals showed high inter-individual variation, but 
clear site fidelity, using the same areas in consecutive years despite variable 
sea ice conditions. The walruses swam 5225–10,406 km per year and travelled 
remarkably similar distances between years on an individual basis. The 
phenology of migration was not impacted by sea ice concentrations or daylight 
length but was consistent at the individual level, suggesting endogenous 
drivers. Sea ice concentrations influenced movement behaviour with animals 
showing more tortuous paths when in areas with heavy sea ice, possibly 
searching for polynyas where females reside. Ongoing climate change is expected 
to drastically change walrus habitat, and it remains to be seen if walruses 
will be able to shift from their fixed seasonal migratory routines.

Please reach out to lonnie.mikkel...@npolar.no with any questions!

Best,
Lonnie Mikkelsen

Norwegian Polar Institute

Tromsø, Norway
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[MARMAM] Job Opportunities (3): University of Miami/NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center

[Melissa Soldevilla - NOAA Federal]

Dear colleagues,

Through our cooperative partnership with the University of Miami, the NOAA
Southeast Fisheries Science Center's Marine Mammal Branch in Miami, FL is
looking to hire *three new positions* to join our growing passive acoustics
team.

The SEFSC’s Passive Acoustics Ecology Program conducts research in the Gulf
of Mexico, North Atlantic Ocean, and Caribbean, using innovative passive
acoustic technologies to improve assessment and understanding of marine
mammals and human-produced sounds that may impact them, to aid in
management, monitoring, and conservation efforts.

We seek two full-time Marine Mammal Acousticians, at either the Research
Associate 2 or Senior Research Associate 1 level, with expertise in passive
acoustic data collection and analysis.  The Marine Mammal Acousticians will
assist in collection and analysis of acoustic data recordings to detect
North Atlantic right whale calls and sounds from other marine mammals and
human noise sources.  To apply, these positions can be found on the
University of Miami job site (www.miami.edu/careers).  The Senior Research
Associate 1 position is posted as requisition R100078543
.
The Research Associate 2 position is posted as requisition R100078544
.

We seek one full-time Research Associate 2 with expertise in data science
and data management to join our team as an Acoustic Data Manager. This
position will provide data management and quality control for managing and
migrating large acoustic recording data collections to the cloud and
preparing metadata and summary outputs to support a national passive
acoustic decision support tool for marine mammal management.  To apply, the
Research Associate 2 Acoustic Data Manager position can be found on the
University of Miami job site (www.miami.edu/careers) as requisition
R100078545
.

Please share this info with any potential applicants and feel free to
contact me at melissa.soldevi...@noaa.gov with any questions.

Best wishes,
Melissa


Melissa Soldevilla, PhD
Research Fishery Biologist
Marine Mammal & Turtle Division
NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center
75 Virginia Beach Drive
Miami, FL 33149
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