[MARMAM] Call for Abstracts: Animal telemetry session at Ocean Sciences meeting Feb 2016, New Orleans, LA. USA.

[Samantha Simmons]

Calling all marine mammal biologgers,

(Apologies for cross-postings)
We are seeking abstracts for an Ocean Sciences (New Orleans, Feb 2016) session, 
Our Session ID#: 9647- Integrating Ocean Observing and Animal Telemetry - the 
US Animal Telemetry Observing Network (ATN).  Further details are given below.
We aim to make this an engaging session with an interdisciplinary, cross-taxon 
focus and opportunities for discussion with experts from across the fields of 
Animal Telemetry Community and Ocean Observing community.

Abstracts can be submitted at:  
https://agu.confex.com/agu/os16/preliminaryview.cgi/Session9647
The submission deadline is 23 September 2015, 23:59EDT.

Session topics and description :

  *Integration between ocean observing and animal tracking platforms- We 
welcome submissions of case studies that show the benefits of integration of 
animal telemetry instruments with ocean platforms (buoys, moorings, gliders etc.
  *   Animal oceanographers - We welcome submissions relevant to advances in 
aquatic animal borne sensors (ABS) and how oceanographic data collected by ABS 
is improving ocean model prediction skill and reducing uncertainty.
  *   ATN data use cases for management/decision making- We welcome submissions 
of case studies that show animal telemetry data used in fisheries management, 
protected and endangered species management, Invasive species and application 
to restoration efforts (oil spills, renewable energy etc.)
  *   Aquatic animal telemetry data management - We welcome submissions 
relevant to the complete life cycle of marine animal telemetry data 
stewardship, from proposal design and data management plans, through data 
handling, managing, storing, retrieving, interoperability with international 
animal telemetry systems, the development and implementation of open data/open 
science principles within the animal telemetry community, publication 
(including provision to WMO GTS) and preservation of animal telemetry data and 
how to eventually feed them to analyses tools publication and preservation.
  *   New technologies - We welcome submissions on new aquatic animal telemetry 
technology including sensors.
  *   The potential of networking to transform aquatic animal telemetry 
science- We welcome submissions of case studies that show the benefits of 
collaborative efforts (i.e. Network approach) to facilitate sharing of existing 
animal telemetry equipment, facilities, expertise and data to address local, 
regional and global scientific and management questions.
Many thanks on behalf of the session organizers:
Hassan Moustahfid (IOOS)
Michael Weise (ONR)
Molly McCammon (AOOS)
Samantha Simmons (MMC)

___
Samantha Simmons, PhD.
Assistant Scientific Program Director
Marine Mammal Commission, 4340 East-West Highway, Suite 700
Bethesda, MD 20814 (w) 301-504-0087  web: www.mmc.gov
The Marine Mammal Commission is an independent agency of the U.S. Government
Follow us on Twitter: @MarineMammalCom



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[MARMAM] New paper on Oceania humpback whales

[Emma Carroll]

Dear Colleagues,
we are please to announce a new open-access publication on the IUCN-listed
Oceania humpback whale population:

Assessing the design and power of capture−recapture studies to estimate
demographic parameters for the Endangered Oceania humpback whale population

E. L. Carroll, L. Brooks, C. S. Baker3, D. Burns, C. Garrigue, N. Hauser,
J. A. Jackson, M. M. Poole, R. M. Fewster

ABSTRACT: Capture−recapture studies offer a powerful tool to assess
abundance, survival and population rate of change (λ). A previous
capture−recapture study, based on DNA profiles, esti- mated that the
IUCN-listed Endangered Oceania population of humpback whales had a super-
population size of 4329 whales (95% confidence limits, CL: 3345, 5315) and
λ = 1.03 (95% CL: 0.90−1.18) for the period 1999−2005. This low estimate of
λ contrasts with the high estimated λ for the neighbouring east Australia
population (1.11; 95% CL: 1.105−1.113). A future assessment of Oceania
humpbacks through capture−recapture methodology has been proposed to meet 3
objec- tives: (1) estimate population size with a coefficient of variation
of <20%, and detect if λ is signif- icantly different from (2) 1.00 or (3)
λ of east Australia. The proposed survey design involves using DNA profiles
to identify whales on principal breeding grounds within Oceania in
proportion to the abundance of whales on these grounds over the 10 to 12 wk
wintering period, to minimise capture heterogeneity between individuals and
to maximise capture probabilities. Simulations of the idealised survey
design incorporating data from the previous surveys (1999−2005) with 3 new
survey years were conducted under a range of scenarios for the ‘true’
demographic status of the population. Simulations of the entire Oceania
region showed that the proposed design will give sufficient power to meet
objectives (1) under all scenarios, (2) if the true λ ≥ 1.05 and (3) if the
true λ ≤ 1.05. Region-specific simulations suggested there was scope to
test for differences in recovery between principal breeding sites within
Oceania.

It is available for free download at:
http://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2015/28/n028p147.pdf

Thank you!
-- 
Emma Carroll PhD
Newton International Fellow
Scottish Oceans Institute
University of St Andrews
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[MARMAM] IWC whale-watching sub-committee survey

[cglea...@masonlive.gmu.edu]

Greetings,

The International Whaling Commission whale-watching (WW) sub-committee is 
conducting a survey to gather data regarding whale-watching 
guidelines/regulations.  It takes approximately 5 minutes to complete and the 
information regarding how the WW sub-committee can improve outreach and 
communication with the whale-watching community will also be gathered.

To complete the survey please follow this link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WMJ9F22


Please forward this link to any appropriate organizations or individuals!

Inquiries can be directed to: Christine Gleason @ 
cglea...@gmu.edu

Thank-you for taking the time to complete the survey.


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[MARMAM] Do bottlenose dolphin females fight and sometimes kill infants?

[Naomi Rose]

Dear MARMAMers:

A weeks-old calf has died at Planète Sauvage, a dolphinarium in France. Here is 
the short press item on this death:

http://www.presseocean.fr/actualite/port-saint-pere-un-jeune-dauphin-meurt-a-planete-sauvage-29-08-2015-168169

For those who don't speak French, the article says:

A dolphin calf died following a fight between two adult females Friday in 
Port-Saint-Père. She was born on August 16.
"When a female gives birth, it is always a risky life stage," warned Martin 
Boye, scientific director of Wild Planet (Planète Sauvage).
"We placed the mother Tarel and her female calf in the nursery pool with 
another female. The whole team was mobilized to monitor this first-time birth. 
Friday, before the afternoon performance, there was an altercation between the 
two females," reported Boye. "The little one was struck. It was immediately 
fatal to her. The veterinary examination confirmed this," he added, clearly 
upset.

According to my sources, Boye also claimed that the death of this calf was 
"totally normal" and that females killing calves (accidentally or deliberately, 
is not clear) occurs in free-ranging populations. He also said that a video 
from a free-ranging population recording this kind of calf death exists, but 
hasn't been seen outside the scientific community.

I am aware that bottlenose dolphins kill harbor porpoises and that male 
bottlenose dolphins kill calves; however, I have never heard of females killing 
calves, accidentally or deliberately, during fights. Is this something that has 
been observed in free-ranging populations and if so, does video exist of it?

Thank you to the community for any information relevant to this situation.


[13_AWILogo_ONLY]

NAOMI A. ROSE, PH.D.
Marine Mammal Scientist

ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003
na...@awionline.org
T: +1 202 446 2120 ~ F: +1 202 446 2131 ~ C: +1 240 401 4269
www.awionline.org

P  Please consider the animals and their habitat before printing.
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[MARMAM] Open-access paper and 3D models of new fossil river dolphin from Panama

[Pyenson, Nicholas]

Open-access paper and 3D models of new fossil river dolphin from Panama

Hi MARMAM list,

On behalf of my coauthors, we wish to share the announcement, published on 
Tuesday 9/1, of a new species of fossil river dolphin, Isthminia panamensis, 
published in the open-access online journal PeerJ 
(https://peerj.com/articles/1227/).

Pyenson ND, Vélez-Juarbe J, Gutstein CS, Little H, Vigil D, O’Dea A. (2015) 
Isthminia panamensis, a new fossil inioid (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Chagres 
Formation of Panama and the evolution of ‘river dolphins’ in the Americas. 
PeerJ 3:e1227 https://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1227

ABSTRACT: In contrast to dominant mode of ecological transition in the 
evolution of marine mammals, different lineages of toothed whales (Odontoceti) 
have repeatedly invaded freshwater ecosystems during the Cenozoic era. The 
so-called ‘river dolphins’ are now recognized as independent lineages that 
converged on similar morphological specializations (e.g., longirostry). In 
South America, the two endemic ‘river dolphin’ lineages form a clade 
(Inioidea), with closely related fossil inioids from marine rock units in the 
South Pacific and North Atlantic oceans. Here we describe a new genus and 
species of fossil inioid, Isthminia panamensis, gen. et sp. nov. from the late 
Miocene of Panama. The type and only known specimen consists of a partial 
skull, mandibles, isolated teeth, a right scapula, and carpal elements 
recovered from the Piña Facies of the Chagres Formation, along the Caribbean 
coast of Panama. Sedimentological and associated fauna from the Piña Facies 
point to fully marine conditions with high planktonic productivity about 
6.1–5.8 million years ago (Messinian), pre-dating the final closure of the 
Isthmus of Panama. Along with ecomorphological data, we propose that Isthminia 
was primarily a marine inhabitant, similar to modern oceanic delphinoids. 
Phylogenetic analysis of fossil and living inioids, including new codings for 
Ischyrorhynchus, an enigmatic taxon from the late Miocene of Argentina, places 
Isthminia as the sister taxon to Inia, in a broader clade that includes 
Ischyrorhynchus and Meherrinia, a North American fossil inioid. This 
phylogenetic hypothesis complicates the possible scenarios for the freshwater 
invasion of the Amazon River system by stem relatives of Inia, but it remains 
consistent with a broader marine ancestry for Inioidea. Based on the fossil 
record of this group, along with Isthminia, we propose that a marine ancestor 
of Inia invaded Amazonia during late Miocene eustatic sea-level highs.

NOTE: A 3D print of the skull and jaws is currently on display at the BioMuseo 
in Panama City, Panama. Also, 3D models are available for visualization, 
measurement, download and 3D printing at the Smithsonian X 3D browser: 
http://3d.si.edu


Nicholas D. Pyenson, Ph.D.

Curator of Fossil Marine Mammals
Department of Paleobiology
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
NHB, MRC 121, PO Box 37012
10th & Constitution NW
Washington, DC 20013-7012 USA

For FedEx, UPS, or other couriers, please use:
Nicholas Pyenson
Smithsonian Institution
MRC 121, Natural History Building, West Loading Dock
10th & Constitution NW
Washington, DC 20560 USA

Tel: 202-633-1366
Fax: 202-786-2832
Email: pyens...@si.edu
Twitter: @PyensonLab
Lab blog: http://nmnh.typepad.com/pyenson_lab/
Staff page: http://paleobiology.si.edu/staff/individuals/pyenson.cfm

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[MARMAM] A New Miocene Family, Tranatocetidae, Brings Perspective on Baleen Whale Evolution

[Pavel Gol'din]

Dear colleagues,

We are happy to announce the following open access paper on the evolution
of baleen whales:

Gol’din P, Steeman ME (2015) From Problem Taxa to Problem Solver: A New
Miocene Family, Tranatocetidae, Brings Perspective on Baleen Whale
Evolution. PLoS ONE 10(9): e0135500. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0135500

Miocene baleen whales were highly diverse and included tens of genera.
However, their taxonomy and phylogeny, as well as relationships with living
whales, are still a subject of controversy. Here, “Mesocetus” argillarius,
a poorly known specimen from Denmark, is redescribed with a focus on the
cranial anatomy. It was found to represent not only a new genus,
Tranatocetus gen. nov., but also a new family; Tranatocetidae. The whales
of this family have the rostral bones either overriding or dividing the
frontals; the rostral bones are contacting the parietals and nasals
dividing the maxillae on the vertex; the occipital shield is dorsoventrally
bent. The tympanic bulla is particularly characteristic of this family
featuring a short, narrow anterior portion with a rounded or squared
anterior end and a wider and higher posterior portion that is swollen in
the posteroventral area. A phylogenetic analysis including 51 taxa supports
a monophyletic group comprising most Neogene and modern whales, with
Tranatocetidae being possibly closer related to Balaenopteridae (rorquals)
than to Cetotheriidae. Tranatocetidae exhibit a charahteristic bulla shape.
In fact, all Neogene and modern mysticete families examined have a unique
shape of the tympanic bulla that is diagnostic at family-level. Inclusion
of problematic taxa like Tranatocetus argillarius in phylogenies brings new
understanding of the distribution and diagnostic value of character traits.
This underlines the need for re-examination of earlier described specimens
in the light of the wealth of new information published in later years.

The paper can be read and downloaded at:

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0135500

Regards,
Pavel Gol'din
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