[MARMAM] New paper on the impact of anthropogenic pollutants on the distribution of dolphins

[Bruno Diaz Lopez]

On behalf of my team, I am delighted to bring to your attention the publication 
of our last research published by the Journal of Environmental Monitoring and 
Assessment.

Bridge, C., Methion, S., & Díaz López, B. (2023). The impact of anthropogenic 
pollutants on the distribution of a marine top predator within a coastal 
estuarine system. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 195(7), 898.

Abstract 

Due to anthropogenic pressures, estuarine systems are among the most broadly 
impacted areas for marine top predator species. Given this, it is crucial to 
study the interaction between the vulnerable marine species that inhabit these 
regions
with environmental and anthropogenic variables. This study aims to determine 
whether nutrient pollution is related to the presence of bottlenose dolphins in 
a coastal environment. Using a multi-year dataset and GAMs, we studied the 
relationship
between marine pollutants and the presence of bottlenose dolphins in this 
highly impacted coastal marine environment. We observed that urban fertilizers 
were linked to the spatial distribution of bottlenose dolphins. There was a 
higher presence
of bottlenose dolphins in areas with high levels of phosphoric acid. In 
contrast, at higher concentrations of nitrate, the presence of bottlenose 
dolphins decreased.

The article can be found at the following links: 

https://rdcu.be/dfCNt

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371938022_The_impact_of_anthropogenic_pollutants_on_the_distribution_of_a_marine_top_predator_within_a_coastal_estuarine_system#fullTextFileContent

Please do not hesitate to ask for any question regarding our study or to 
request a PDF copy of the article.


Bruno Díaz López Ph.D
Chief biologist and Director
The Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute BDRI - www.thebdri.com
Avenida Beiramar 192, O Grove 36980, Pontevedra, Spain
Tel. 0034 684248552
he/him/his
ResearchGate - GoogleScholar -https://orcid.org/-0002-0388-3289

Follow BDRI on Facebook , Instagram or mention us on Twitter.

This email is confidential to the intended recipient(s) and the contents may be 
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intended solely for the person to whom it is addressed. If you are not an 
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received in error, please notify the sender and delete the message from your 
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you for your cooperation.

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[MARMAM] Research Topics in Frontiers in Marine Science

[FrontiersMarSci_MarMam]

Dear All,

This is a follow up on a previous announcement of several new thematic
Research Topic collections that are currently being considered in the
journal Frontiers in Marine Science.


Many thanks for the considerable interest received thus far.  Based on the
suggestions and enquiries received, the number of topics under
consideration has been expanded and some of the previously indicated topics
have been slightly modified; please see below.



Topic 1: Conservation ecology of marine mammals in southeast Asia and
western Pacific

Topic 2: Behavioural ecology of island-associated cetaceans

Topic 3: Population processes of apex marine predators: ecology, demography
and behaviour



Topic 4: Conservation ecology of marine mammals in coastal seas of
sub-Saharan Africa


The intended host section of the journal is “Marine Megafauna”, but the
topics will be cross-listed with multiple other sections, such as “Marine
Conservation and Sustainability”, “Marine Biology”, and “Marine
Evolutionary Biology, Biogeography and Species Diversity”.



At this early stage, we welcome expressions of interest so that we can
prioritise topics that are currently under consideration and potentially
suggest new ones. We would like to hear from anyone interested in
contributing a manuscript to any of the above topics. Please send us (i)
your tentative title, (ii) email address of the lead or corresponding
author, (iii) indicate which topic you are interested in participating, and
(iv) an approximate time when you may want to submit your manuscript.
Please note, the expressions of interest are not a commitment but simply an
indication of interest which may or may not result with a manuscript
submission.



Anyone interested, please contact us at: frontiersmarsci.mar...@gmail.com

Note please that as Frontiers is an Open Access platform, standard
manuscript processing fee will apply to all accepted articles.

Thank you all in advance for your interest.

Bill Richards

Assistant to Guest Editorial Team
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[MARMAM] New paper: Evidence of signature whistles produced by Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Mozambique

[Rachel Probert]

Dear MARMAM community,

My co-authors and I are pleased to share our recent publication
titled "Evidence of signature whistles produced by Indian Ocean bottlenose
dolphins (*Tursiops aduncus*)
 in Mozambique"

https://doi.org/10.1080/09524622.2023.2229290

ABSTRACT:
Individually distinctive signature whistles are used by common bottlenose
dolphins (*Tursiops truncatus*) during social interactions and to
facilitate group cohesion. There is evidence from a few populations that
Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphins (*T. aduncus*) also use signature
whistles. We investigated this from a coastal resident population of *T.
aduncus* in Mozambique. Video-audio data were collected during recreational
swim-with activities over 12 years, where potential signature whistles were
identified from 28 individuals. Of the 405 whistles documented, 75% were
produced in SIGID bouts. Visual assessment of individual signature whistle
contours demonstrated temporal stability for up to 8 years. Overall, most
signature whistle types had upsweep frequency modulation and were emitted
as multiloop whistles. Comparing all whistle contours to each other
indicated low discrimination between individuals, with contours frequently
categorised together. However, sex differences in the frequency
characteristics of whistles were identified, with females whistling at
lower frequencies than males. Our results indicate either a shared whistle
repertoire or identity encoding with subtle contour features, requiring
acute auditory perception and discrimination to decipher caller identity.
More widespread geographic investigation into signature whistle use may
demonstrate variation in acoustic communication systems for bottlenose
dolphins, which are thus far not well understood.

Best,
Rachel Probert

-- 
*Rachel Probert*
*PhD candidate, Marine Biology, Bioacoustics*
Sea Search Research and Conservation, Muizenberg, Cape Town
School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus,
Durban

Cell: +27767831809

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SeaSearch
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[MARMAM] FWC Florida Manatee Photo-identification Internship

[Johnson, Jennifer]

Manatee Photo-identification Internships

The manatee photo-identification program is based in St. Petersburg, Florida at 
the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI). FWRI is the research arm of 
the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), a state agency. 
For more information about FWRI, please visit: https://myfwc.com/research/. 
FWRI's manatee photo-identification research focuses on long-term monitoring of 
Florida manatees in southwest Florida. The program's primary goal is to 
document individual manatees, which allows us to estimate annual adult survival 
and reproductive rates and to model population dynamics for state and federal 
assessments of Florida manatee status and recovery. Photo-identification data 
also provide insight regarding manatee movements, site fidelity, habitat use 
and behavior.

Interns will primarily assist staff members with photographing manatees and 
collecting behavioral and environmental data at sites around Tampa Bay. Interns 
will also be responsible for a number of lab-based photo-identification tasks, 
such as downloading images, entering information into databases, scanning data 
sheets and matching images to known animals. Interns often collect data 
independently in the field, thus responsible, detail-oriented applicants are 
encouraged to apply. Most field work is land-based; however, during the winter 
session opportunities are available to assist with boat-based manatee 
photo-identification. Other responsibilities may include but are not limited to 
data entry, assisting with manatee genetics research, special projects and 
outreach activities. This internship provides a great opportunity to gain 
valuable field and lab experience at a government agency.

Two positions are available each year: one in winter (November to March) and 
one in summer (May to September). Start and end dates are flexible; however, a 
minimum commitment of four weekdays per week for four months is required. Work 
hours are typically 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no compensation for these 
internship positions and successful applicants will be responsible for their 
own housing and transportation to and from the institute. Positions are open 
until filled, and priority will be given to candidates who can commit for 
longer periods.

Qualifications:
* Computer proficiency; Microsoft Access literacy preferred.
* Working knowledge of SLR digital cameras, filters and lenses 
preferred but not required.
* The ability to lift approximately 50 pounds of equipment.
* A valid U.S. Driver's License.
* Enthusiasm and willingness to learn field and lab-based research 
methods.

If you are interested in applying for an internship with the Fish and Wildlife 
Research Institute, the following information is required:
* A cover letter describing the internship you are applying for; 
area(s) of academic/research interest; and the dates, days, and hours of 
availability.
* A resume (or curriculum vitae) describing your relevant training and 
experience.
* Current academic transcripts (unofficial are sufficient).
* Names and contact information for three references.
Please submit application items as an e-mail attachment to: 
inte...@myfwc.com

If electronic submission is not possible, hard copies can be mailed to:
Internship Coordinator
FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
100 Eighth Avenue SE
St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5020

Applicants may contact FWRI's Manatee Photo-identification Intern Manager, 
Jennifer Johnson, 
(jennifer.john...@myfwc.com, 727-502-4735) 
with questions regarding the internship.
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[MARMAM] New paper on killer whale refugium off japan during Last Glacial Maximum suggested by genetic and cultural evidence

[Erich Hoyt]

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce our publication in Marine Mammal Science, available 
as open access: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10./mms.13046

Filatova OA, Fedutin ID, Borisova EA, Meschersky IG, Hoyt E 2023. Genetic and 
cultural evidence suggests a refugium for killer whales off Japan during the 
Last Glacial Maximum. Marine Mammal Science, 11pp DOI: 10./mms.13046

Abstract
During glacial periods, highly mobile species were able to shift their ranges 
to warmer regions that remained ice-free—so-called “glacial refugia.” Glacial 
refugia often preserved higher levels of genetic diversity than areas that were 
colonized after the retreat of glaciers. In this study, we examined genetic and 
vocal variation in R-type (“resident”) killer whales, Orcinus orca, from Nemuro 
Strait in the western North Pacific to test the hypothesis that environmentally 
stable marine regions may have preserved refugial populations of the killer 
whale that retained historical genetic and cultural diversity. We found three 
distinct mtDNA control region haplotypes and stereotyped calls that differed 
significantly from the repertoire of a population further north off Kamchatka 
and the adjacent western North Pacific. Therefore, both genetic and cultural 
evidence suggest that at least some killer whales from Nemuro Strait represent 
a separate maternal lineage. The control region haplotype diversity for Nemuro 
Strait is comparable to that for the rest of the North Pacific. The data 
presented here are consistent with the existence of the southwestern glacial 
refugium for killer whales in the waters off northern Japan during the Last 
Glacial Maximum.

Thank you and best regards,

Erich Hoyt

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Research Fellow, WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation
Co-chair, IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force

Park House, Allington Park
Bridport, Dorset DT6 5DD
United Kingdom
Email: erich.h...@mac.com
Web: erichhoyt.com
 marinemammalhabitat.org
 whales.org
 erichhoytbooks.com

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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[MARMAM] SMM Seminar Editors’ Select Series on July 20th 2023. Assimilation takes time: integration of two dolphin societies

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

Greetings MARMAM!

Join us on Thursday, 20 July 2023 at 3pm PDT / 6pm EDT / 10pm GMT
for the next SMM Seminar Editors' Select Series
Assimilation takes time: integration of two dolphin societies
with Dr. Cindy Elliser

This event is free to attend and presented online via Zoom, but
registration is required.
Register here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CevPOor4Q8-BOom0BHG_bA
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:
In the Bahamas live two communities of spotted dolphins separated by deep
water: one on Little Bahama Bank (LBB) off of Grand Bahama Island and one
on Great Bahama Bank (GBB) off of Bimini. In 2013 an unprecedented 50% of
the LBB spotted dolphins moved across the deep water and took up residence
on GBB. This type of large-scale immigration is rare. How does such a large
group of dolphins move into an established community? This is the story of
how these two communities have reacted, how they have integrated and how
this is shaping the social structure of this new community.

About the presenter:
Dr. Cindy R. Elliser is the Research Director and Founder of Pacific Mammal
Research (PacMam) and Associate Director of the Salish Sea Institute at
Western Washington University. She received her B.S. (2000) and M.S. (2003)
in Biological Sciences from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and received
her Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from FAU in 2010. Her work focuses on
photo-identification, behavioral ecology and social structure of marine
mammals. For 10 years she worked with Dr. Denise Herzing and the Wild
Dolphin Project studying Atlantic spotted and bottlenose dolphins in the
Bahamas. In 2014 Dr. Elliser moved to the Pacific Northwest and founded
PacMam to study marine mammals in the Salish Sea, particularly harbor
porpoises and harbor seals. Dr. Elliser also teaches biology and related
courses as an associate professor at Skagit Valley College and Western
Washington University.

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.12960
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*
*Sophia Volzke, Ph.D. Candidate*
*Student Members-at-Large*
Society for Marine Mammalogy
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