[MARMAM] IFAW Marine Mammal Stranding Internships - Summer 2020

[Kasper, Kira]

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is currently accepting 
applications for Summer 2020
Marine Mammal Stranding Internships.

Summer Session 2020 (First week of June - Last week of August)
Complete Applications due: February 15th, 2020

Program Background
IFAW is an international non-profit organization. This internship is based out 
of our International Operations Center in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, USA. 
IFAW's Marine Mammal Rescue and Research program is a federally authorized 
program dedicated to marine mammal stranding response on Cape Cod and 
southeastern Massachusetts. Our program strives to promote the conservation of 
marine mammal species and their habitat by improving the rescue and humane care 
of stranded marine mammals, advancing stranding science, and increasing public 
awareness through education. Cape Cod is a marine mammal stranding "hot spot," 
with an average of over 251 strandings occurring each year. These strandings 
include live and dead seals, whales, porpoises, and dolphins.

Stranding Intern Duties

*   Stranding hotline coverage: answer calls, document reports, educate 
callers, dispatch volunteers, complete associated paperwork and enter data.

*   Marine mammal stranding response and necropsy: assist staff with all 
aspects of marine mammal stranding response, including live animal health 
assessment and supportive care, biological data collection, post-mortem 
examinations and sampling in both field and laboratory settings.

*   Stranding / necropsy readiness: cleaning, organizing and maintaining 
stranding response and necropsy gear, equipment and facilities, restocking kits 
and supplies.

*   Data entry / sample processing: assist in entry of stranding data. 
Assist in organizing, cataloging, disseminating and archiving of photos, 
videos, datasheets, samples, etc.

*   Outreach: assist staff with training and outreach material preparation 
and organization, participate in opportunistic outreach at stranding sites, 
participate in community events.

For the full position description and to apply, please see the below link:
https://recruiting.ultipro.com/INT1059IFFA/JobBoard/17b588a3-808b-4bc9-aea8-c3385a35ec51/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=9f5b985c-f209-4d54-a45f-2d655c056c88


Kira Kasper
Stranding Technician
Marine Mammal Rescue and Research
290 Summer Street
Yarmouth Port, MA 02675
United States
+1 508 744 2265 (office)
+1 508 743 9548 (stranding hotline)
www.ifaw.org
[ifaw]

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[MARMAM] SEAMAMMS 2020 - Registration Now Open!

[Richardson, Jill L]

SEAMAMMS 2020 Registration Now Open!


Stay Updated via Instagram/Twitter!


The 2020 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium (SEAMAMMS) will 
take place March 27-29 in Miami, Florida, hosted by the University of Miami - 
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (UM-RSMAS). SEAMAMMS is a 
long-standing, regional, student-oriented, scientific marine mammal meeting. 
Preference will be given to marine mammal research conducted by students in the 
mid-Atlantic or Southeast U.S. For meeting details, including registration, 
abstract submissions, and hotel specials, please visit 
https://seamamms.wordpress.com
 and follow us @seamamms on Instagram and Twitter. We hope to see you in Miami!

Warm Regards,
Jill

Jill Richardson, Ph.D.
Department of Marine Ecosystems and Society (MES)
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
(305) 421-4340
jrichard...@miami.edu

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[MARMAM] New Publication: Network analysis reveals underlying syntactic features in a vocally learnt mammalian display, humpback whale song

[Jenny Allen]

Dear MARMAM,



On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to announce the following publication:



Jenny A. Allen, Ellen C. Garland, Rebecca A. Dunlop, & Michael J. Noad. (2019). 
Network analysis reveals underlying syntactic features in a vocally learnt 
mammalian display, humpback whale song. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 
Vol. 286. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2014





Abstract: Vocal communication systems have a set of rules that govern the 
arrangement of acoustic signals, broadly defined as ‘syntax’. However, there is 
a limited understanding of potentially shared or analogous rules across vocal 
displays in different taxa. Recent work on songbirds has investigated syntax 
using network-based modelling. This technique quantifies features such as 
connectivity (adjacent signals in a sequence) and recurring patterns. Here, we 
apply network-based modelling to the complex, hierarchically structured songs 
of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) from east Australia. Given the 
song’s annual evolving pattern and the cultural conformity of males within a 
population, network modelling captured the patterns of multiple song types over 
13 consecutive years. Song arrangements in each year displayed clear 
“small-world” network structure, characterised by clusters of highly connected 
sounds. Transitions between these connected sounds further suggested a 
combination of both structural stability and variability. Small-world network 
structure within humpback songs may facilitate the characteristic and 
persistent vocal learning observed. Similar small-world structures and 
transition patterns are found in several birdsong displays, indicating common 
syntactic patterns among vocal learning in multiple taxa. Understanding the 
syntactic rules governing vocal displays in multiple, independently evolving 
lineages may indicate what rules or structural features are important to the 
evolution of complex communication, including human language.



The paper is available via the following link:

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2019.2014



Alternatively, please email me on jenny.al...@griffith.edu.au or 
j.all...@uq.edu.au for a pdf copy.







Best regards,



Jenny Allen



--

Dr. Jenny Allen

Marine Science Lecturer
Environmental Futures Research Institute
Griffith School of Environment and Science
Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus
Building G24, Room 4.13

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[MARMAM] New publication

[Rowenna Gryba]

Dear colleagues,
I'm please to announce the publication of our manuscript "Inferred foraging 
locations and water masses preferred by spotted seals Phoca largha and bearded 
seals Erignathus barbatus" in Marine Ecology Progress Series.

https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13145 (https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13145)

Gryba RD, Wiese FK, Kelly BP, Von Duyke AL, Pickart RS, Stockwell DA (2019) 
Inferring foraging locations and water masses preferred by spotted seals Phoca 
largha and bearded seals Erignathus barbatus. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 631:209-224.

ABSTRACT: Spotted seals Phoca largha and bearded seals Erignathus barbatus are 
ice-associated seals that have overlapping range in the Beaufort, Chukchi, and 
Bering Seas, but have different foraging ecologies. The link between foraging 
behaviour and specific oceanographic variables is not well understood for these 
species, nor is the influence of different dive metrics when modelling their 
foraging behaviour. To explore the value of different dive metrics to estimate 
foraging behaviour, and the relationships between foraging and water 
bodies/oceanographic variables, we tagged 3 spotted seals and 2 bearded seals 
with satellite telemetry tags that recorded movement and oceanographic data. To 
infer foraging behaviour, we included dive metrics in Bayesian state-space 
switching models, and found that models that included depth-corrected dive 
duration were more parsimonious than models that included dive shape. The 
addition of vertical movements to the model enabled better determination of 
foraging areas (inferred from area-restricted searches) and provided insights 
into the probabilities of switching between foraging and transiting behaviours. 
The collection of oceanographic data in situ at a scale relevant to seals 
helped identify water masses, and how they were used, and potential 
oceanographic cues used by seals to identify foraging locations. Fine-scale 
spatiotemporal clustering analysis revealed spotted and bearded seal foraging 
‘hotspots’ in the Chukchi and Bering Seas that overlap with hotspots identified 
for other marine mammals and marine birds.

Please feel free to contact me at r.gr...@stat.ubc.ca 
(mailto:r.gr...@stat.ubc.ca) if you would like to request a copy.

Best,

Rowenna
-
Rowenna Gryba, MSc
PhD Student
Statistical Ecology Research Group
University of British Columbia
Vancouver
xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Territory
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[MARMAM] E-book of VAQUITA 99-cent sale, through January

[Jen Hawse]

Please help us spread the word about the catastrophic decline of the world's 
smallest cetacean. The number one threat to the vaquita is incidental capture 
in illegal gillnets, and with the species plummeting to less than 15 
individuals, education is ever-more imperative.

Following the recent poaching scandal in vaquita habitat, we at Island Press 
felt compelled to take action.

For a limited time, our internationally praised e-book VAQUITA: Science, 
Politics, and Crime in the Sea of Cortez is available through Amazon 
(Kindle)
 and our Island Press website (e-Pub 
version) at a price of only 99 cents! A 
97% discount. Sale ends February 1.

Our decision to offer this unique sale came after 80 boats holding hundreds of 
poachers took to the waters off San Felipe, Mexico, where no fishing is 
allowed. They brazenly entered the Vaquita Refuge-the "zero tolerance area"-and 
working together in broad daylight hauled in a maelstrom of gillnets stuffed 
with over 500 endangered totoabas. The fishes' swim bladders were carved out to 
be dried and smuggled to China as part of the multi-billion-dollar black market 
in wildlife parts, bloody bodies quickly dumped overboard. When authorities 
arrived on scene, they were reportedly held back by gunfire.

In addition to totoaba, how many vaquitas may have been killed in the frenzy?

We MUST heighten awareness. As conservationists struggle against a stronghold 
of organized crime and corruption, biologist Brooke Bessesen takes readers on a 
first-hand journey to understand why and how this is happening. The story 
applies to species protection efforts around the globe and adeptly addresses 
key elements in the worldwide conservation crisis.

Take this opportunity to read VAQUITA. And send a 99-cent copy to anyone you 
think may be interested.

A lucid, informed, and gripping account...a must-read. -Science
Passionate...a heartfelt and alarming tale. -Publishers Weekly
Intrepid conservation detective story. -Nature
Compelling. -Library Journal
Wonderful, heartbreaking... beautifully written. -Nature Conservancy
A well-told and moving tale of environmentalism and conservation. -Kirkus
STARRED -Booklist

Jen Hawse | Partnership Manager
Island Press
2000 M St NW, Suite 650
Washington, DC 20036
202.232.7933  fax 202.234.1328
http://www.islandpress.org

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[MARMAM] Paid Undergraduate Summer Research Program in One Health and the Environment

[Kristina Cammen]

The University of Maine Initiative for One Health and the Environment is
excited to announce an NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates
(REU) program for summer 2020. Our fully paid summer program will focus on
Accelerating New Environmental Workskills (REU ANEW). From June 1 to August
8, 2020, we will invite 10 motivated undergraduate students to join our
faculty and graduate students to conduct cutting-edge research at the
intersection of human, animal (including marine mammals!), and
environmental health. REU ANEW students will have the opportunity to work
directly with faculty research mentors, as well as Broader Impacts mentors
who are working in the field to apply One Health research to real world
problems. Through our program, students will develop critical research and
thinking skills that are directly relevant to future career success, and
build lasting professional relationships with their undergraduate peers,
graduate students, and faculty and broader impacts mentors. All REU
participants will receive a generous stipend and living expenses, including
partial travel expenses and housing at the University of Maine in Orono.
For more information and to apply, visit
https://nsfa.umaine.edu/one-health/REU.  Students should apply by January
31 for full consideration.  Direct any questions you have about the program
or the application process to anne.lichtenwal...@maine.edu.
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[MARMAM] : Education and Outreach Assistant Opportunity – Sea Watch Foundation

[Chiara Giulia Bertulli]

*Education and Outreach Assistant Opportunity – Sea Watch Foundation*



The Sea Watch Foundation (http://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/) is seeking
an *Education and Outreach Assistant *for the 2020 season. This position
will suit a volunteer who has a strong interest in marine conservation and
recognises the importance of educating and raising awareness by involving
the public. This position can be very busy, so applicants will need to
demonstrate their ability to deal with varied and heavy workloads.



The assistant will be responsible in aiding the Sightings Officer with the
following duties:

   - Promoting and organising the National Whale and Dolphin Watch
   education and outreach activities in New Quay (25th July – 2nd August
   2019)
   - Participating in presentations and creating activities to take to
   local schools
   - Researching and writing articles
   - Creating educational/promotional materials (posters, displays, flyer)
   - Assisting in the organisation of training courses
   - Social networking (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, website)
   - Raising Sea Watch Foundation’s profile locally (organising events,
   manning the Sea Watch stand on the pier, liaising with local boat operators
   to produce educational materials)
   - Interacting with the media (radio, TV and newspapers)
   - Representing Sea Watch at public events and within the UK generally
   - Liaising with the Adopt a Dolphin Coordinator for the promotion of Sea
   Watch Foundation and the Adopt a Dolphin scheme

The Education and Outreach Assistant will also have some opportunity to be
involved in the fieldwork aspects of the ‘Cardigan Bay Monitoring Project’ (
http://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/cardigan-bay-monitoring-project;
land-based
and boat-based surveys). This project, undertaken on behalf of Natural
Resources Wales, manages the conservation of a coastal population of
bottlenose dolphins, the largest in the UK. Monitoring of harbour porpoise
and grey seal populations is also part of the project.



The field season will run from *April to October 2020* and has been split
into four periods of seven weeks for Research Interns. Our Education and
Outreach Assistant is required to stay for at least half of the season
(choosing Period 1-2 or 3-4) but can also choose to stay the whole season.
The assistant will be based in New Quay, West Wales. Accommodation is
provided at a rate of approximately £73/week in a house, sharing with the
Research Interns. The assistant is responsible for their own travel and
living expenses, but it is generally quite easy to obtain part-time paid
work in the area if required.


*Education & Outreach Assistant periods for summer 2020: *

*Period 1 & 2: *13/04 – 19/07
*Periods 3 & 4:* 20/07 – 25/10


*Important skills/qualifications*

*Essential:*

·a strong interest in marine conservation and education

·outgoing personality with confidence to interact with the public

·excellent verbal and writing skills

·must have initiative and bring their own ideas and personality to
the position

·strong commitment to volunteering work

·an ability to work in an organised and reliable manner and to
manage a variable workload, including appropriate delegation

·an ability to get on well with others in a small team and within
shared accommodation


*Desirable:*

·a background in marine biology/environmental science or similar

·a strong interest and some knowledge of British cetaceans

·good IT skills (Office package)

·prior experience in public speaking

·experience with postings in social media

·prior experience in boat-based survey work

·willingness to work long hours outdoors in often very changeable
Welsh weather



*To apply:*
Please send your CV and a cover letter reporting any relevant experience
you have and *specifying the period(s) you would prefer to volunteer for, *as
well as contact details of two referees, to Chiara Giulia Bertulli (
chiara.bertu...@gmail.com) and Kirsten Hintner (
kirsten.hint...@seawatchfoundation.org.uk).

*Deadline: 3rd February 2020. *

*Please specify EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ASSISTANT APPLICATION into your
subject title.*
Applicants must be available for interview via Skype between the 10th and 14
th February and will be notified of the outcomes by the 17th February 2020.


*The Sea Watch Foundation*

The Sea Watch Foundation is a national marine environmental research
charity that aims to achieve better conservation of whales and dolphins in
the seas around Britain and Ireland, by involving the public in scientific
monitoring of populations and the threats they face. It is the
longest-running research charity in UK focusing upon cetaceans around the
British Isles, and maintains a national sightings database, the largest in
Europe. It works closely with all the UK statutory conservation agencies,
and has provided advice to the UK government, the UNEP Reg

[MARMAM] Internship - Marine mammal research in Spain

[Bruno Diaz Lopez]

Internship - Marine mammal research in Spain

The Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute (BDRI), 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 Research Programme 2020. 

Our internship programme aims to prepare students for a professional career in 
the research of marine mammals, and conservation of the marine environment. 
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. The BDRI 
also offers a limited number of independent studies to advanced undergraduate 
and graduate students (bachelor and master students). 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 - 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. Lasting between one and nine months, there’s a variety of research 
projects that will help you explore what you may want to do long term. With 
state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, participants will be 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). 

The main research topics of the 2020 BDRI research season will include marine 
mammal ecology, social and feeding behaviour, ecological modelling, and 
bioacoustics (on cetaceans), as well as marine birds, sharks, and otters 
ecology. 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 different species of cetaceans 
(bottlenose dolphins, harbour porpoises, Risso’s dolphins, common dolphins, 
striped dolphins, pilot whales, humpback whales, minke whales, fin whales, and 
blue whales), marine birds, Eurasian otters, and sharks.
 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - 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. 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.

For more information and details, please visit: 
 

A feedback from old participants at:  

Regular updates with photos and videos about our research at 


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 Atlantic 
waters (NW Spain). Progress in Oceanography 175, 115 – 223. 
- Methion S, Diaz Lopez B (2019) Natural and anthropogenic drivers of foraging 
behaviour in bottlenose dolphins: influence of shellfish aquaculture. Aquatic 
Conservation Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 29(6), 927-937. 
- Giralt Paradell O, Diaz Lopez B, Methion S, (2019) Modelling common dolphin 
(Delphinus delphis) coastal distribution and habitat use: insights for 
conserv