[MARMAM] New publication - systematic literature review - Cook Inlet beluga

[Stephanie Norman]

Hello,

My co-authors and I published the following paper in Frontiers in Marine
Science last week.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.804218

Norman SA, Dreiss LM, Niederman TE and Nalven KB (2022) A Systematic Review
Demonstrates How Surrogate Populations Help Inform Conservation and
Management of an Endangered Species—The Case of Cook Inlet, Alaska Belugas.
Front. Mar. Sci. 9:804218. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2022.804218

Abstract:

The genetically and geographically isolated Cook Inlet beluga whale (CIB)
was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2008 and a
federal recovery plan was adopted in 2016. Despite these measures, the
population has failed to make demonstrable progress toward recovery. Data
and knowledge gaps exist, as well as high uncertainty in the recovery plan,
regarding the impact and severity of identified threats on CIB health and
recovery, particularly for threats driven by anthropogenic factors, and
cumulative effects. These data deficiencies may hinder threat
prioritization and conservation and management actions. Odontocete
populations in similarly ecologically precarious situations may serve as
research surrogates to help fill information gaps and guide future CIB
research and conservation. Through a systematic review of CIB and selected
surrogate species [St. Lawrence beluga (SLB), Hector’s dolphins (HD), and
southern resident killer whales (SRKW)], we identify gaps associated with
threats described and ranked in the CIB recovery plan. All threats
identified by the National Marine Fisheries Services as “high”-concern to
CIB recovery, except noise, are lower in publication volume compared to
publications related to high concern threats in SLB and SRKW. “Medium” or
“low” threats to CIB, such as prey reduction and contaminants,
respectively, are identified as higher priority threats in surrogate
populations. These topics have been more heavily researched for surrogates
and suggests that synthesis of this work may help reduce uncertainty, to
aid in informing management actions for CIB. Specifically, publishing
volume suggests SLB and SRKW are valuable surrogates for understanding the
impacts of noise, prey, and contaminants. Publishing volume is necessary to
choose a surrogate, but is not sufficient. Surrogates were chosen based on
physiological similarities to CIB as well as their comparable management
situations. Therefore, these lower-ranked threats should be ranked more
highly and researched specifically in regard to CIB. We use this review to
offer management recommendations based on current CIB and surrogate
literature regarding listed threats in the CIB recovery plan. Our analyses
suggest that CIB may benefit from a revision to and elevation of some low
and medium-concern threats such as contaminants, habitat degradation, and
prey reduction.

The publication is open-access.

Thank you and kind regards,
Stephanie

Stephanie A. Norman, DVM, MS, PhD
Marine-Med: Marine Research, Epidemiology, and Veterinary Medicine
E-mail: stepha...@marine-med.com
Phone: 206-321-0249
Marine-Med website  | Facebook
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 | LinkedIn

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[MARMAM] New publication on ecotoxicology of Ross Sea Killer whales

[Cristina Panti]

Dear MARMAM members,

On behalf of all the authors, I would like to share with you the
publication in the Ecotoxicology of Tipe C Killer whales from Antarctica:



Ecotoxicological Characterization of Type C Killer Whales From Terra Nova
Bay (Ross Sea, Antarctica): Molecular Biomarkers, Legacy, and Emerging
Persistent Organic Contaminants

Cristina Panti, Juan Muñoz-Arnanz, Letizia Marsili, Simone Panigada, Matteo
Baini, Begoña Jiménez, Maria Cristina Fossi, Giancarlo Lauriano

You can find the paper here: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.818370

Abstract:

Among killer whale forms, type C is a fish-eating form and is the most
common in the Ross Sea. In the austral summer 2015, a study was conducted
to evaluate the toxicological hazard these marine mammals face in the
Antarctic ecosystem. Seven biopsy samples were collected from adult
individuals (five males and two females) in the surroundings of the Italian
Research Station Mario Zucchelli, Terra Nova Bay, by remote dart sampling
from the pack ice. The accumulation levels of persistent organic pollutants
(POPs) such as legacy (DDTs, PCBs, and HCB) and emerging (PBDEs and DP)
were measured. Moreover, the protein expression of cytochrome P450 (CYP1A1
and 2B) and the mRNA level variations of the peroxisome
proliferator-activated receptors α and γ (PPARα-γ) and the estrogen
receptor α (ERα), aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), and Cyp1a were
evaluated. Twenty PCB congeners, six DDTs, HCB, three HCHs, and fourteen
brominated BDEs and DP-syn and anti-isomers were analyzed on freeze-dried
blubber biopsy samples by GC-MS. The protein expression was evaluated by
Western Blot and the mRNA levels were quantified by quantitative real-time
PCR. The average abundance pattern for the contaminants was DDTs > PCBs >
HCB > HCHs ≈ PBDEs >> DP. Contaminant levels resulted to be lower when
compared to the existing data from the Antarctic type C killer whales from
the McMurdo Sound (Ross Sea) and those reported for fish-eating killer
whales worldwide. The mRNA levels of the five target genes were
successfully quantified, but no statistical correlation was found with POP
levels, suggesting that either the low levels of quantified POPs in blubber
may not significantly affect the biological responses investigated, or that
other stressors could contribute to the alterations of the molecular
biomarkers. Although the results showed a lower risk related to
contamination compared to more impacted areas, this study provides baseline
data for the conservation of this species in an area with high ecological
value, recently declared as the largest Marine Protected Area in
Antarctica, where pollutants should remain at minimum levels despite
increasing multiple stresses existing in the region.

Thank you for your interest in the paper!



Best regards,



Cristina


><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

Cristina Panti, PhD

Department of Environmental, Earth and Physical Sciences

University of Siena

Via P.A. Mattioli, 4

53100, Siena

Italy



Ph. +39 0577 232245

Fax. +39 0577 232930


https://plasticbustersmpas.interreg-med.eu/

https://www.unisi.it/
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[MARMAM] New Paper_Marine Mammal Interactions With Fisheries

[Ketki Jog]

Hi,

I am pleased to share my new publication: abstract and the link to the
paper are provided below

*Abstract:*
Marine mammal interactions with fisheries, such as bycatch and depredation,
are a common occurrence across commercial and small-scale fisheries. We
conducted a systematic review to assess the management responses to marine
mammal interactions with fisheries. We analyzed literature between 1995 and
2021 to measure research trends in studies on direct and indirect
interactions for (i) high and low to middle-income countries, (ii) fishery
operations (commercial and small-scale), and (iii) taxonomic groups. Management
responses were categorized using the framework described previously in
peer-reviewed studies. Marine mammal bycatch remains a major conservation
concern, followed by marine mammal depredation of fishing gear. A high
proportion of studies concentrated on commercial fisheries in high-income
countries, with an increase in small-scale fisheries in low to
middle-income countries between 1999 and 2020. The insufficient
understanding of the social dimensions of interactions and the inevitable
uncertainties concerning animal and human behaviors are major challenges to
effective management. Despite the key role of human behavior and
socioeconomics, we found only eight articles that incorporate human
dimensions in the management context. Integrating social dimensions of
marine mammal interactions with fisheries could help in

setting pragmatic conservation priorities based on an enhanced
understanding of critical knowledge gaps. An area-specific adaptive
management framework could be an effective tool in reducing the risk to
marine mammals from fisheries by coupling technical solutions with
socio-economic and political interventions. We conclude that despite the
vast body of literature on this subject, a “silver bullet” management
solution to marine mammal interactions with fisheries does not yet exist.



*Link: *
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.758013/full?_source=Email_to_authors__medium=Email_content=T1_11.5e1_author_campaign=Email_publication==Frontiers_in_Marine_Science=758013

Could you please share the same on the digest, mailing list?

Best regards,
Ketki
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[MARMAM] Job Posting: Associate Director, Field Operations & Response, The Marine Mammal Center

[Kathi George]

Hello MARMAMers,

Please see the link below to apply for the Associate Director, Field Operations 
& Response position at The Marine Mammal Center.

https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/opportunities

The Associate Director, Field Operations & Response will lead a large and 
geographically diverse team on the frontlines of the Center’s marine mammal 
field response and rescue work. If you are an experienced and dynamic leader 
and manager of people and you are excited by and have a track record of 
building analyses to create data-driven decisions, bringing together partners 
from across the organization to build and execute a plan, and leading and 
developing a team to keep pushing the limits of impact success, then this is 
the perfect role for you.

Best,
Kathi

Kathi George
Director, Field Operations & Response
The Marine Mammal Center
Sausalito, CA, USA
geor...@tmmc.org




[cidimage001.png@01D588D0.7631FBE0]
Kathi George (she-her)
Director, Field Operations & Response
geor...@tmmc.org | T: 415.289.7370 | C: 650-906-4914
MarineMammalCenter.org
The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito, CA 94965



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[MARMAM] FinBase Workshop

[Jason Allen]

The SMM'22 workshop “FinBase photographic-identification database user
community development: Advanced data management and analysis topics” is
rescheduled for Saturday, July 30th, 2022. This full day workshop will be
held in person with no virtual attendance options.

The goal of the workshop is to foster a more engaged FinBase user community
that can share knowledge and resources. Many of the FinBase data management
concepts and techniques used to address research questions employed by
individual research labs can be easily adapted and applied by other FinBase
users. The workshop will bring together FinBase users to share their
experiences with the system and discuss how they use the program to meet
their data management, reporting and analysis needs, showcase any
customizations, and relay any system issues and shortcomings.

Please email Jason Allen (alle...@mote.org) if you are interested or would
like more information.

Cheers,

Jason Allen and Jeff Adams

Workshop Coordinators

https://www.smmconference.org/workshops/
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/finbase-photo-identification-database-system


Jason Allen
Lab Manager
Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program

c/o Mote Marine Laboratory
1600 Ken Thompson Parkway
Sarasota, FL 34236
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[MARMAM] Call for Abstracts: 2022 NWSSMM Conference

[Adelsheim, Julia]

Hello all,

We are excited to announce that the annual meeting of the Northwest Student 
Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy (NWSSMM) will take place virtually 
this spring on April 30, 2022, hosted by the Marine Mammal Research Unit at the 
University of British Columbia (UBC). This will be a virtual conference held on 
Zoom.

We would like to invite all graduate and undergraduate students in the Pacific 
Northwest (British Columbia, Washington, Alaska, Yukon, Oregon, Northern 
California, and Idaho) doing research on marine mammals to present their work 
at this conference. The purpose of the meeting is to gather students in a 
relaxed atmosphere to share their research and practice presenting it in a 
low-stakes, less formal situation. We also see this as an opportunity to meet 
other undergraduate and graduate students in the region. PI’s and other 
professionals involved in student led research projects are welcome to attend, 
but cannot present.

There will be oral presentations with two presentation styles: long form oral 
presentations (12 minutes) and shorter lightning talks (3 minutes), as well as 
a poster session. The poster session will take place in Zoom breakout rooms. 
Last year’s virtual conference hosted by Western Washington University was a 
great success and similar to their model, we are encouraging students that are 
in the early stages of their projects to present a poster, and researchers with 
results to give an oral presentation. Please indicate your method of 
presentation preference on the registration form and we will do our best to 
accommodate everyone’s wishes.

There will also be a plenary speaker to kick-off the conference and an informal 
networking breakout session called Philosopher’s Cafe. This event has taken 
place at past in-person NWSSMM conferences, and we wanted to offer a small 
networking opportunity for students, since Covid has made that more difficult 
these last few years.

There is no registration fee for attending the conference. Abstract submission 
for the Northwest Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy (NWSSMM) 
conference is due Sunday, April 3rd 2022.

Guests interested in attending and not presenting can register for the event 
until Friday, April 29th, 2022. All registrants will receive information on how 
to attend the conference using the email that was used for the registration at 
a later date. Presentations will not be recorded.

Registration and abstract submissions will be done via Google forms (link 
below). If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us: 
Julia Adelsheim mailto:j.adelsh...@oceans.ubc.ca>> 
and/or Taryn Scarff mailto:t.sca...@oceans.ubc.ca>>

Thanks so much, and we look forward to meeting everyone virtually and hearing 
about your research!

Registration and abstract submission link: 
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeBybYIAAK4IHiFkSGB2-pDQzvVTvVH6peA6eJXDaOlhrpV7A/viewform?usp=sf_link

NWSSMM webpage: https://sites.google.com/uw.edu/nwssmm/home

Regards,

Julia Adelsheim and Taryn Scarff

mailto:j.adelsh...@oceans.ubc.ca>> 
mailto:t.sca...@oceans.ubc.ca>>

MSc Students | Marine Mammal Research Unit

Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries

University of British Columbia

https://mmru.ubc.ca/
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[MARMAM] New publication: Ecology of humpback dolphins in the Norther Persian Gulf

[Bruno Diaz Lopez]

Dear Colleagues,
We are delighted to share with all of you our last study on the ecology of 
Indian Ocean humpback dolphins in the Northern Persian Gulf published in the 
European Journal of Wildlife Research.
Title: Abundance estimation, group dynamics, and residence patterns of Indian 
Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) in the Dayer‑Nakhiloo Marine National 
Park, Northern Persian Gulf, Iran
Authors: Nazanin Mohsenian, Séverine Methion, Hamed Moshiri, Shadi Karbalaei 
Hassan, Shaghayegh Afkhami, Mohammad Amin Tollab, Mahmod Sadeh, Gill T. 
Braulik, Bruno Díaz López
AbstractThe Persian Gulf is positioned in the heart of the Middle East as one 
of the most critical water bodies. Indian Ocean humpback dolphins (Sousa 
plumbea) are distributed in nearshore waters and are therefore highly 
vulnerable to a variety of anthropogenic pressures. To our knowledge, there is 
a little information and data available about habitat use and abundance of this 
endangered species in Iranian waters. In the present study, baseline data about 
population size and site fidelity of Indian Ocean humpback dolphins in the 
Dayer-Nakhiloo Marine National Park in Northern Persian Gulf, Iran, has been 
explored for the first time. From March 2014 to December 2018, 127 boat-based 
surveys and 6436 km of survey effort were conducted. Overall, 127 groups of 
humpback dolphins were observed on 62% of the surveys. Humpback dolphin group 
size ranged from 1 to 14 individuals (mean 5.8 ± SE 0.3). Abundance estimates 
were calculated and fitted with open population models. Thirty (95% CI 22–38) 
humpback dolphins were estimated to inhabit the study area. There was a lack of 
seasonality in the occurrence of humpback dolphins and strong site fidelity 
within the Dayer-Nakhiloo Marine National Park. Most of the identified 
individuals used the study zone regularly (79.5%), while a smaller number were 
present less often. The results of this study provide important baseline 
information about humpback dolphin ecology in an area subject to significant 
anthropogenicpressures which can help to take effective conservation and 
management measures.
Journal Reference: 
Mohsenian, N., Methion, S., Moshiri, H., Hassan, S.K., Afkhami, S., Tollab, 
M.A., Sadeh, M., Braulik, G.T. and Díaz López, B., 2022. Abundance estimation, 
group dynamics, and residence patterns of Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa 
plumbea) in the Dayer-Nakhiloo Marine National Park, Northern Persian Gulf, 
Iran. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 68(2), pp.1-11. DOI: 
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-022-01565-y
You can read the article here:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359005141_Abundance_estimation_group_dynamics_and_residence_patterns_of_Indian_Ocean_humpback_dolphin_Sousa_plumbea_in_the_Dayer-Nakhiloo_Marine_National_Park_Northern_Persian_Gulf_Iran
Please do not hesitate to ask for any question regarding our study or to 
request a PDF copy of the article.
Kind regards,
Bruno Díaz López Ph.DChief biologist and Director
The Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute BDRI - www.thebdri.comAvenida 
Beiramar 192, O Grove 36980, Pontevedra, SpainTel. 0034 684248552
he/him/his
ResearchGate - GoogleScholar -https://orcid.org/-0002-0388-3289
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