[MARMAM] WEBINAR: Using behaviour change science to protect whales, dolphins and porpoises

[Projects HBCA]

Dear MARMAM Community,

Human Behaviour Change for Life (HBCL) are delighted to announce that we will 
be joined by the CEO of the World Cetacean Alliance (WCA), Harry Eckman, in a 
very special free webinar (donations optional) on the 15th of December at 1pm 
GMT: “Using behaviour change science to protect whales, dolphins and porpoises”.

Register here: 
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/using-behaviour-change-science-to-protect-whales-dolphins-and-porpoises-tickets-473248317457

In this conversation, we will be exploring how Harry has been using his 
experience and knowledge of behaviour change science to further the mission of 
the World Cetacean Alliance: “to protect 
cetaceans and their habitats through global collaboration”.

We will be leaving time for a Q with HBCL and Harry, so bring along your 
questions – we’d love to hear from you.

Who is this webinar for?

Anyone! Whether you are a marine conservationist looking to delve into a new 
area of study, or you are just curious about these fascinating subjects, this 
webinar is for you.

If you can’t make the webinar live, no problem – just register as normal and we 
will send you the recording afterwards so that you don’t miss out.

If you have any questions, please get in touch at 
proje...@hbcforlife.org

We hope to see you there!

Best wishes,
Sophie & the HBCL Team

--

Sophie Lewis
Project Assistant
Human Behaviour Change for Life (now encompassing HBCA)
www.hbcforlife.org

**Our new course is live! We are very excited to introduce our newest course - 
join us in an exploration of human behaviour change science in The HBCL 
Foundation Course.
Enrol 
now 
or take a look at the course advert 
here.**

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[MARMAM] New publication: Marine soundscape during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sarasota Bay, FL

[Emma Longden]

Hello MARMAM community,

My co-authors and I are pleased to share our recent publication: "Comparison of 
the marine soundscape before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in dolphin 
habitat in Sarasota Bay, FL," published in the special issue of JASA on 
COVID-19 Pandemic Acoustic Effects.

The full paper is available here: (PDF) Comparison of the marine soundscape 
before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in dolphin habitat in Sarasota Bay, FL 
(researchgate.net)
 and an infographic here: 
https://twitter.com/emmalongden_/status/1599791931499823105?s=20=MrubQLRYAMewT5t7dwHqtg.
 Please find the full citation and abstract below.

Best wishes,
Emma

Longden, E. G., Gillespie, D., Mann, D. A., McHugh, K. A., Rycyk, A. M., Wells, 
R. S., & Tyack, P. L. (2022). Comparison of the marine soundscape before and 
during the COVID-19 pandemic in dolphin habitat in Sarasota Bay, FL. The 
Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 152(6), 3170-3185. 
https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0015366

Abstract:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in vessel activity and associated noise 
have been reported globally. Sarasota Bay is home to a large and increasing 
number of recreational vessels as well as a long-term resident community of 
bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus. Data were analyzed from two 
hydrophones to compare the soundscape during the COVID-19 pandemic to previous 
years (March-May 2020 and 2018/2019). Hourly metrics were calculated: vessel 
passes, 95th percentile sound levels [125 Hz and 16 kHz third octave bands 
(TOBs), and two broader bands: 88-1122 Hz and 1781-17 959 Hz], and dolphin 
whistle detection to understand changes in vessel activity and the effect on 
wildlife. Vessel activity increased during COVID-19 restrictions by almost 80% 
at one site and remained the same at the other site. Of the four sound level 
measures, only the 125 Hz TOB and 88-1122 Hz band increased with vessel 
activity at both sites, suggesting that these may be appropriate measures of 
noise from rapid pass-bys of small vessels in very shallow (<10 m) habitats. 
Dolphin whistle detection decreased during COVID-19 restrictions at one site 
but remained the same at the site that experienced increased vessel activity. 
The results suggest that pandemic effects on wildlife should not be viewed as 
homogeneous globally.


~~~
Emma Longden
Researcher
Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU)
Scottish Oceans Institute
University of St Andrews
St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB

Twitter: @EmmaLongden_ @_SMRU_
ResearchGate

The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland: No SC013532

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[MARMAM] New publication: Changes in humpback whale song structure and complexity reveal a rapid evolution on a feeding ground in Northern Norway (Saskia Cathrin Tyarks)

[Saskia Tyarks]

 Dear MARMAM community,

On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to share our recent publication in
Frontiers in Marine Science (Section Marine Megafauna):


Tyarks, Saskia Cathrin; Aniceto, Ana Sofia; Ahonen, Heidi; Pedersen, Geir
and Lindstrøm, Ulf (2022). Changes in humpback whale song structure and
complexity reveal a rapid evolution on a feeding ground in Northern
Norway. *Front.
Mar. Sci.* 9:862794. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.862794


Abstract:
Singing behaviour by male humpback whales (*Megaptera novaeangliae*) has
traditionally been associated with low-latitude breeding grounds. However,
in recent years, this vocal behaviour has been increasingly reported
outside these areas. All singers in a given population sing the same
version of a song and this song is continually evolving over time with
modifications on different levels within the song structure. Tracing
changes in whale song will help to undercover the drivers underlying this
vocal display and contribute to the understanding of animal culture and its
evolution. To determine the progressive changes in songs found on a
subarctic feeding ground and migratory stopover, a detailed analysis of
humpback whale song recordings from Northern Norway was conducted. Passive
acoustic data from the Lofoten-Vesterålen Ocean Observatory (LoVe),
collected using a bottom-moored underwater hydrophone, were used from
January - April 2018 and January 2019. Two measures of the song structure
were examined: (1) sequence similarities using the Levenshtein distance and
(2) song complexity using a principal component analysis (PCA). In total,
21 distinct themes were identified which presented highly directional,
structural changes over time. Two themes from 2018 reoccurred in 2019,
whereas all other themes in 2019 appeared to be evolved versions of 2018
themes. All songs grouped into three general clusters, reflecting the rapid
evolution over the study period. With all sampled animals singing the same
version of the song, this might indicate that the singers are either from
the same breeding population or that song learning occurred before the
study period. Song complexity appeared to follow the trend of song
progression; songs became more complex as they evolved over the months in
2018 and decreased in complexity between the years, returning to a more
simplified song in 2019. The results confirm that humpback whale song
exhibits a rapid progression on a shared subarctic feeding ground, with
strong potential for song exchange and opportunities for cultural
transmission between populations in the North Atlantic.


The article is open access and can be downloaded following the link below:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.862794/full


If you have any questions regarding our work please contact this email:
saskiatya...@gmail.com


Kind regards,
Saskia Tyarks (formerly Martin)
(she/her)

Department of Biology, Lund University, Sweden
Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Arctic University of Norway (UiT),
Tromsø, Norway
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[MARMAM] PhD Stipends in Marine Bioacoustics at CMST - Curtin MAURITIUS

[Christine Erbe]

PhD Stipends in Marine Bioacoustics at CMST - Curtin MAURITIUS

 

The Centre for Marine Science and Technology at Curtin University has 4 PhD 
stipends on offer in marine bioacoustics.

 

Project: 

These stipends are part of a 4-year research project entitled “The Quieter 
Western Indian Ocean” (QWIO), funded by the Fonds Français pour l'Environnement 
Mondial (FFEM). The project is a partnership of the Wildlife Conservation 
Society (WCS), the African Aquatic Conservation Fund, Armateurs de France, 
Bureau Veritas, Centre d’Etude et de Découverte des Tortues, Curtin University, 
The French Biodiversity Agency, Globice, Kelonia, The Marine Megafauna 
Foundation, Quiet Oceans, and The University of St Andrews. The aims of the 
QWIO project are two-fold: 1) to study and assess underwater noise from 
shipping and maritime services and its potential effects on targeted species 
among large cetaceans (baleen whales and sperm whales), sharks, and sea turtles 
in the South-Western Indian Ocean, and 2) in consultation with regional 
governments, ship owners, ports, and relevant international authorities, to 
identify and initiate concrete and practical measures to reduce the risks of 
noise impacts and collisions. 

 

The 4 PhD theses will comprise (depending on student interest and skills) any 
of the following: underwater ship noise (measurement, modelling, mapping, 
management, minimisation, mitigation), marine soundscapes (characterisation, 
quantification, sources, sound budgets, geographic and temporal variability, 
trends, modelling, prediction), and large whale bioacoustics (species 
diversity, vocal behaviour of humpback whales, blue whales, and/or sperm 
whales, passive acoustic monitoring, sound production, song structure, song 
variability, dialects, spatial and temporal distribution, migration, relative 
abundance, acoustic ecology, risk of ship strike, effects of noise). The 
intention is to fill two of the four PhD stipends with a project focused more 
on physical acoustics and ocean noise/soundscapes, and the other two focused 
more on organismal biology and bioacoustics, looking at the possible impacts of 
noise on species ecology. The composition of the above topics in the theses 
will therefore vary among the students. There will be the need to fulfil 
specific QWIO objectives during the course of the PhD program (as guided by the 
supervisors), but the theses will not necessarily be restricted to those 
objectives. 

 

Location:

Students will be enrolled at Curtin University Australia. However, they will be 
based at Curtin Mauritius (Moka, Mauritius). Opportunities for fieldwork exist 
from Mauritius, to Reunion, Madagascar, and eastern Africa. 

 

Supervision:

Students will be supervised by Prof Christine Erbe (Centre for Marine Science 
and Technology, Curtin University), Dr Salvatore Cerchio (African Aquatic 
Conservation Fund), Dr Violaine Dulau (Globice), and Tim Collins 
(WCS)—depending on the PhD topics. 

 

Stipends:

Each stipend includes an international tuition fee scholarship for 3.5 years. 
In addition, we are offering an annual living cost stipend of EUR 9,000, for 
3.5 years (total EUR 31,500).

 

Eligibility:

As a preference of the funder, students would ideally be citizens of one of the 
Nairobi Convention signatory states: Comoros, France, Kenya, Madagascar, 
Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania, or South Africa. However, 
applicants from the broader Indian Ocean will be considered.

 

Students must obtain a student visa for Mauritius.

 

Essential Criteria:
Given the focus on underwater acoustics and bioacoustics, and depending on the 
chosen thesis project, students would ideally have a degree (Honours or 
Masters) in Physics, Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, or a related 
field, or a degree in Biological Sciences with experience in Organismal 
Biology, Bioacoustics, Acoustic Ecology, or a related field. Students with 
experience in both disciplines may be strongly favoured.
Strong command of English is required. Students will have to pass an IELTS 
prior to enrolment, with a minimum grade of 6.5 overall and a minimum of 6 for 
any of its components (i.e., speaking, writing, reading, and listening).
Experience programming in MATLAB or R.
 

Desirable Criteria:
Prior experience in acoustics is desired but not essential. 
Prior experience in marine science is valuable.
Prior experience in offshore fieldwork is valuable. 
 

How to apply:

Please email your expression of interest, including CV, summary of research 
skills and experience, reason you are interested in this project, and choice 
(focus) of project (e.g., ship noise, soundscape, whale ecology) to Christine 
Erbe: i...@cmst.curtin.edu.au, subject: QWIO Stipend.

 

Dates:

Applications close 31 January 2023. Theses would ideally commence by April 2023.

 

Christine Erbe, Ph.D.

Director | Centre for Marine Science & Technology (CMST)

John Curtin Distinguished Professor | 

Re: [MARMAM] Publication: New mark-recap model and new Cook Inlet beluga demographic rate estimates

[Himes Boor, Gina]

Corrected link to the paper:
Himes Boor, G. K., McGuire, T. L., Warlick, A. J., Taylor, R. L., Converse, S. 
J., McClung, J. R., and Stephens, A. D., 2022, Estimating reproductive and 
juvenile survival rates when offspring ages are uncertain: a novel multievent 
mark-resight model with beluga whale case study: Methods in Ecology and 
Evolution

https://doi.org/10./2041-210X.14032

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[MARMAM] SMM Editors' Select Series on December 15th: Hormones and whales: what tiny molecules can tell us about the giants of the sea

[Student Members-at-Large Society for Marine Mammalogy]

Greetings MARMAM!

Join us on *Thursday, December 15th 3 PM AKST / 4 PM PST / 7 PM EST
(December 16th 12 AM GMT)* for the next SMM Editors’ Select Series:
Hormones and whales: what tiny molecules can tell us about the giants of
the sea with Dr. Valentina Melica of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

This event is free to attend and presented online via Zoom, but
registration is required.
Register here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bZI5tOxLSNy_s8xXOt1TUQ
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:*
Hormones are tiny molecules that regulate many functions in our (and in a
whale) body. Some of them have the important job to keep the energy level
up in challenging situations. We researched how these hormones behave in
response to ordinary changes in the life of blue and gray whales. We found
that soon-to-be mothers blue whales and nursing gray whales experienced
higher energy demands, thus their hormones were elevated. This information
is essential for understanding how whales may cope with stressors caused by
human activities.

*About the presenter:*
Dr. Valentina Melica is a research biologist specializing in endocrine
analysis. She grew up in Italy, where she worked as an aquarist and snorkel
guide in northeast Italy and earned a master's degree from the University
of Trieste, with a research project on moon jellyfish. She completed her
PhD at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where her research focused on
reproductive and stress-related endocrinology in the eastern North Pacific
populations of blue and gray whales. She now lives in North Vancouver,
Canada, where she is research scientist with the Department of Fisheries
and Oceans, in the Marine Mammal Conservation Physiology program. In that
position, she is studying biomarkers in killer whales and humpback whales.

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/10./mms.12954 . 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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