[MARMAM] Protected Species Observer Training in Newport, OR Oct 5-6

[Angela Bostwick]

MPSC is holding a training course in Newport, Oregon which provides 
Protected Species Observer (also known as Marine Mammal Observer) 
certification on October 5th and 6th, 2019.  This class will include a 
vessel trip and admission to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, where the course 
will be taking place.  The vessel trip will provide opportunity to 
practice the protected species monitoring identification techniques 
discussed in class; students will also be able to practice manual 
settings for wildlife photography using digital SLR cameras, and will 
learn to estimate distance using binoculars with reticles (cameras and 
binoculars provided for use). This course will also include a special 
guest speaker from National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), who will 
discuss life as an observer and different types of wildlife observer 
work.  This training is approved by the federal agencies Bureau of Ocean 
Energy Management (BOEM) and Bureau of Safety and Environmental 
Enforcement (BSEE) in coordination with NMFS to provide Protected 
Species Observer certification for seismic surveys, and is a 
long-standing industry standard which is often accepted in various other 
regions or industries (such as renewable energy, dredging, construction, 
blasting, and pile driving) where monitoring and mitigation for 
protected species is needed.


The course examines the regulations for reducing impacts to marine 
mammals and sea turtles, how to visually locate and identify the 
animals, and objective documentation of animal behavior for reporting to 
regulatory agencies.  A discounted rate is available for students/recent 
graduates, government/veterans, and non-profit organizations.  Lunch is 
provided each day, along with various identification guides and 
regulatory documents (yours to keep), advice on applying to PSO 
positions, admission to the aquarium, the vessel trip, and the 
professional certification.


MPSC will also be holding a PSO course in Galveston, TX on September 
28-29, which will include a vessel trip and a tour of the TAMUG sea 
turtle care facility.  Additional information may be found on the MPSC 
website at http://www.protectedspeciesobservers.com/, by contacting me 
at abostw...@psocertifications.com, or by phone at 832-523-2402.


Thank you,

Angela Bostwick
Founder / Marine Protected Species Consulting
ProtectedSpeciesObservers.com
https://Facebook.com/ProtectedSpeciesObservers/
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[MARMAM] 2 x dual MMO/PAM vacancies: short-duration

[Recruitment]

Dear MMOs and PAMOs,

OSC has two imminent positions available, which are on two separate projects. 
Each of these independent positions requires 1 x dual MMO/PAM, for which the 
primary role will be MMO, but in the event of poor visibility (e.g. fog), then 
the MMO will set up the PAM equipment and revert to PAM duties. A summary of 
project details are as follows:

Offshore windfarm survey in Scotland from 25th September (latest schedule) for 
an estimated 12 days.

Offshore windfarm survey in England from 24th September (latest schedule) until 
01st October (estimated), so about 7 days.

This vacancy is restricted to EU citizens, or overseas citizens in possession 
of a current work visa.

Please feel free to share this email with any colleagues who might be seeking 
work, and for any applicants who have not worked for OSC previously or 
recently, we will require scans/copies of your CV, passport, degree 
certificate(s), MMO and PAM, survival and medical.

Kind regards,
--
Recruitment
Ocean Science Consulting Limited (OSC)
Spott Road, Dunbar, East Lothian, EH42 1RR, Scotland, UK
T: +44 (0)1368 865 722
W: www.osc.co.uk

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[MARMAM] New paper: Preferred, small‑scale foraging areas of two Southern Ocean fur seal species are not determined by habitat characteristics

[Mia Wege]

 Dear MARMAM,

On behalf of all co-authors, I am pleased to announce the publication of
our article about habitat use by three closely situated fur seal colonies
at sub-Antarctic Marion Island and how environmental drivers that are known
to commonly influence fur seal foraging behaiviour, does not explain their
small-scale spatial segregation.

*Citation: *
Wege, M., de Bruyn, P.J.N., Hindell, M.A., Lea, M.A. & Bester, M.N. (2019).
Preferred, small-scale foraging areas of two Southern Ocean fur seal
species are not determined by habitat characteristics. *BMC Ecol.* *19*,
Article number: 36

This article, published in BMC Ecology is freely available at:
https://bmcecol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12898-019-0252-x

Abstract:
Background

To understand and predict the distribution of foragers, it is crucial to
identify the factors that affect individual movement decisions at different
scales. Individuals are expected to adjust their foraging movements to the
hierarchical spatial distribution of resources. At a small local scale,
spatial segregation in foraging habitat happens among individuals of
closely situated colonies. If foraging segregation is due to differences in
distribution of resources, we would expect segregated foraging areas to
have divergent habitat characteristics.
Results

We investigated how environmental characteristics of preferred foraging
areas differ between two closely situated Subantarctic fur seal (*Arctocephalus
tropicalis*) colonies and a single Antarctic fur seal (*A. gazella*) colony
that forage in different pelagic areas even though they are located well
within each other’s foraging range. We further investigated the influence
of the seasonal cycle on those environmental factors. This study used
tracking data from 121 adult female Subantarctic and Antarctic fur seals,
collected during summer and winter (2009–2015), from three different
colonies. Boosted Regression Tree species distribution models were used to
determine key environmental variables associated with areas of fur seal
restricted search behaviour. There were no differences in the relative
influence of key environmental variables between colonies and seasons. The
variables with the most influence for each colony and season were latitude,
longitude and magnitude of sea-currents. The influence of latitude and
longitude is a by-product of the species’ distinct foraging areas, despite
the close proximity (< 25 km) of the colonies. The predicted potential
foraging areas for each colony changed from summer to winter, reflecting
the seasonal cycle of the Southern Ocean. The model predicted that the
potential foraging areas of females from the three colonies should overlap,
and the fact they do not in reality indicates that factors other than
environmental are influencing the location of each colony’s foraging area.
Conclusions

The results indicated that small scale spatial segregation of foraging
habitats is not driven by bottom-up processes. It is therefore important to
also consider other potential drivers, e.g. competition, information
transfer, and memory, to understand animal foraging decisions and movements.

Thank you,
Mia
-- 
Mia Wege, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow
Gateway Antarctica
School of Earth and Environment
College of Science
University of Canterbury

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mia_Wege?ev=hdr_xprf
http://www.marionseals.com/mia-wege
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[MARMAM] Call for potential contributors - Special issue on small cetacean conservation in Frontiers in Marine Science

[Jeremy KISZKA]

Dear MARMAM subscribers 
 
A number of colleagues and I are conducting an initial survey of interest to 
identify potential contributors for a Research Topic for the journal Frontiers 
in Marine Science (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science 
)
 entitled Small Cetacean Conservation: current challenges and opportunities. 
With their unique mixes of varied contributions from Original Research to 
Review Articles, Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the 
latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area. Here is a 
description of this Research Topic. 
 
Small Cetacean Conservation: current challenges and opportunities There are 
currently 47 extant species of dolphins and porpoises worldwide. They occur 
throughout a range of ecosystems, from freshwater habitats to the open ocean 
and from polar regions to the tropics. Despite decades of research and public 
awareness, an increasing number of these species have become threatened with 
significant population declines and, in some cases, extinction due to 
anthropogenic threats such as fisheries interactions (particularly bycatch), 
water-borne pollution, coastal development and noise. This new topic will aim 
to publish the most up-to-date research on the conservation status of small 
cetaceans around the globe. We welcome papers that address critical 
conservation issues, but also reviews with a broad scope (e.g. global patterns 
of threats, mitigation to reduce human impacts, effects of climate change, 
current knowledge gaps and future directions in research). Contributions from 
developing countries, where research and conservation challenges are 
particularly important are strongly encouraged. Although low-cost methods to 
reduce human impacts on populations will be of particular interest, Frontiers 
in Marine Science Marine Megafauna will welcome any contributions on ecology, 
genetics, evolution and behavior that will contribute to a better understanding 
of the impact that human activities have on populations of small cetaceans 
around the globe.  
 
Please contact me to submit a provisory title and the list of authors for a 
potential contribution as soon as possible. The deadline to submit manuscript 
via the online system of Frontiers in Marine Science will be March 15th, 2020.
 
Thank you very much!
 
Best,
 
Jeremy Kiszka, Randall Davis, Lars Bejder, Robert Harcourt and Mark Meekan 
(Special Topic Editors and Guest Editors)



Jeremy Kiszka (PhD)
Florida International University
Department of Biological Sciences
Center for Coastal Oceans Research (InWE)
& Tropical Conservation Institute
Tel. (305) 919 5234 (office)
Mobile. (786) 717 9797 (cell)
Skype: jeremy.kiszka
Website: https://ccor.fiu.edu 




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[MARMAM] Job Vacancies at SMRU Consulting North America for senior acoustician and software engineer

[Dominic Tollit]

Job Vacancies at SMRU Consulting North America for senior acoustician and 
software engineer

SMRU Consulting NA are looking for a senior acoustician and a software 
engineer. Posts are full-time and permanent with salary commensurate with 
experience.

Please see the details in the relevant job postings found here: 
http://www.smruconsulting.com/job-vacancies/

  *   Software 
Engineer
  *   Senior 
Acoustician

Apply: Please send us a covering letter telling us why you would be a great 
hire together with a copy of your resume to:

i...@smruconsulting.com

Closing date: 15th October 2019

Thanks for your response.

Dr Jason Wood

Operations Manager SMRU Consulting NA
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[MARMAM] 2020 - Internships at Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute

[Bruno Diaz Lopez]

The Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute, a research institution dedicated 
since 2005 to the understanding and conservation of marine mammals and the 
marine environment in which they live, is now accepting applications for its 
Internship Program 2020. 

Our scientific research experience and commitment to research, education, and 
conservation make our center an important source of knowledge about marine 
biodiversity and the environment for scientists, undergraduate and postgraduate 
students, and the public. This training experience provides the opportunity for 
highly motivated individuals to work with and learn from a multidisciplinary 
team of marine mammal scientists, including internationally renowned 
investigators. We offer participants their first experience of a marine 
megafauna long-term project by involving them in the routine activities 
associated with different research projects. The position is located in O Grove 
(Galicia, NW Spain). The BDRI is a very international environment, and the 
everyday working language is English.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION - An internship period at the BDRI offers an excellent 
opportunity for interested and motivated people to obtain field and laboratory 
experience in marine megafauna (cetaceans, marine birds, sharks, and otters) 
field research methodology and data analysis. With state-of-the-art facilities 
and equipment, participants are trained to get involved with multiple research 
projects involving a combination of boat-based surveys onboard research 
vessels, land-based observations, laboratory work (photo-identification, GIS, 
bioacoustics, diet analysis, diving behaviour, video analysis, database work, 
etc), and strandings (response, rescue, necropsy, and data collection). While 
you’ll benefit from specialized research training, you’ll need the drive to 
make the most of our research programs working side by side with the chief 
biologist (Dr. Bruno Diaz Lopez), and other experienced researchers (Severine 
Methion, PhD candidate & marine ecologist and Oriol Giralt, PhD candidate & 
marine biologist). The incredible diversity of cetaceans present in Galician 
waters allows the BDRI team to have several ongoing research projects focused 
on the study of the ecology and behaviour of cetaceans (bottlenose dolphins, 
harbour porpoises, Risso’s dolphins, common dolphins, striped dolphins, pilot 
whales, humpback whales, minke whales, sei whales, fin whales, and blue 
whales), marine birds, Eurasian otters, and sharks.
 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - Internships are open to applicants 18 years of age or 
older. An academic background in biology, veterinary or natural science, 
coupled with motivation and interest in marine research make the most qualified 
individuals. Start and end dates are flexible depending on the needs of the 
institute and the intern’s availability, but the position requires a minimum of 
30 days continuous commitment sometime between January 2020 through to November 
2020. Approved applications are accepted on a first-come, first serve basis. 
BDRI internships are not paid and this training experience requires a tuition 
fee which is used to off-set the cost of training, use of research equipment, 
facilities and research vessels, shared accommodation, and other expenses. The 
fee reflects the real world costs and expenses that go into making the research 
program possible and the BDRI Internship Program worthwhile.

HOW TO APPLY - Interested candidates should submit an e-mail to 
i...@thebdri.com, and we will provide you further information about the 
program. Approved applications are accepted on a first-come, first serve basis. 
Positions are open until filled (maximum 15 vacancies).

For more information and details, please visit: 
 

Some of our ex-interns shared their BDRI internship experience at: 
 

For regular updates with photos and videos about our programs and research 
activities feel free to visit 

BDRI’s reputation for success rests solidly on its ability to carry out studies 
published in prestigious scientific journals.
Scientific articles published by the BDRI team in 2019 (for a full list of 
publications please visit: ):

- Methion S, Diaz Lopez B (2019) Individual foraging variation drives social 
organization in bottlenose dolphins. Behavioral Ecology. 
doi:10.1093/beheco/arz160 
- Diaz Lopez B, Methion S (2019) Habitat drivers of endangered rorqual whales 
in a highly impacted upwelling region. Ecological Indicators 103, 610 – 616. 
- Methion B, Diaz Lopez B (2019) First record of atypical pigmentation pattern 
in fin whale Balaenoptera physalus in the Atlantic Ocean. Diseases of Aquatic 
Organisms, 135:121-­125. 
- Diaz Lopez B, Methion S, Giralt Paradell O (2019) Living on the edge: Overlap 
between a marine predator’s habitat use and fisheries in the Northeast Atlan

[MARMAM] Sirenews call for articles due 1 October

[James Powell]

Sirenews call for articles. The editors of Sirenews, the IUCN newsletter for 
the Sirenia Specialist Group, wish to invite authors to submit short articles 
related to sirenian research and conservation to 
siren...@sea2shore.org. Material should be 
submitted in MS Word, less than 500 words in length and may contain 
photographs, tables and graphs. Recent literature, abstracts, announcements, 
and news of general interest may also be submitted. Deadline for submission is 
1 October 2019.

Buddy Powell
Bob Bonde
Editors

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[MARMAM] Ocean ethics, and John Reynolds' last work

[Wallace, Richard]

Dear Marmam folks,

I thought it would be of general enough interest to the Marmam community to 
share with you some of the work that John E. Reynolds, III was doing when he 
passed away in December 2017, and which has just now been published. For those 
who didn’t know John, he was senior scientist at Mote Marine Laboratory, and 
long-time chair of the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission and (before that) chair of 
MMC’s Committee of Scientific Advisors.

John, Sherryl Gilbert, and I were working on an analysis of lessons learned 
from the Deepwater Horizon disaster, and were in the process of writing it up 
when he passed. The resulting article, a forum piece in the journal BioScience, 
is entitled “Improving the integration of restoration and conservation in 
marine and coastal ecosystems: Lessons from the Deepwater Horizon disaster.” It 
was published online this week, is open access, and is available here: 
https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz103.

The paper describes the challenges of learning and applying conservation 
lessons from the Deepwater Horizon and previous oil industry disasters, and 
culminates in our joining with the many voices in our community who have long 
called for an ocean ethic. Though it may seem pie-in-the-sky to pit calls for 
an “ocean ethic” against the neoliberal forces of oil exploration, John was 
forever optimistic about soldiering on, despite the odds. We honor and remember 
him with this publication and hope that it contributes to further consideration 
of the values and advocacy needed to protect our marine and coastal species and 
ecosystems.

Sincerely,

Rich Wallace


--

Richard L. Wallace
Professor, Department of Environmental Studies
Co-Director, Whittaker Environmental Research Station
Ursinus College
601 E. Main Street
Collegeville, PA 19426 USA
(610) 409-3730
https://www.ursinus.edu/live/profiles/103-richard-wallace
P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

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