[MARMAM] Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Program - 2024 Summer Batten Fellowship

[Sydney P. Bryant]

The Virginia Aquarium’s Veterinary Science & Research Division is now accepting 
applications for Sea Turtle and Marine Mammal Stranding Response Batten 
Fellowships.

Fellow Application Deadline: 2/28/2024

For more information, including duties, position requirements, and how to 
apply, visit https://www.virginiaaquarium.com/support/work-with-us or email 
strandingvol...@vbgov.com with any questions.

Position Overview:
Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Program (VAQS) Fellows promote the 
conservation of marine animal species through research, response, 
rehabilitation, necropsy and education. Fellows will be trained in all aspects 
of stranding response. Stranding work is unpredictable; therefore, experiences 
will vary by fellowship session. VAQS staff will provide as many learning 
opportunities as possible during each session. Batten Fellows are also expected 
to complete a focused research project. We work with each accepted Batten 
Fellow to select a project from predetermined options based on their 
background, experience, and interests.

Fellowships will be 400 - 800 hours (~3-6 months), depending on the candidate's 
availability, with a start date around May/June. Start and end dates are 
flexible.
This competitive position includes $15 per hour compensation to help offset 
personal and incidental expenses over the course of the appointment period. 
Housing is not provided by the Virginia Aquarium. Fellows are fully responsible 
for fulfilling all requirements of their home institutions to receive academic 
credit.
The fellow is expected to be available 4-5 days per week, either 8:00am-4:30pm 
or 7:00am-5:30pm. Weekend and holiday coverage is expected.

Thank you,

Sydney Bryant, MPhil

Stranding & Research Scientist: Field Response & Volunteer Manager

Phone: (757) 385-6484

sbry...@virginiaaquarium.com

Stranding Response Hotline: (757) 385-7575

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

717 General Booth Blvd.

Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451

[cid:48f8dc7c-8aa6-4b5d-9e86-5cfce9f83db7]

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[MARMAM] New paper on killer whale site fidelity and movement (Tatiana Marchon)

[Tatiana Marchon]

Dear colleagues,



We are pleased to share the publication of our paper about Icelandic killer 
whales site fidelity and movement around Iceland.



Tatiana M. J. Marchon, Marianne H. Rasmussen, Charla J. Basran, Megan 
Whittaker, Chiara G. Bertulli, Cathy Harlow, Rob Lott, Oliver Boisseau, 
Frédéric Gendron, Luisa Guo, Tess Hudson, Hörður Jónsson, Alexa Kershaw, Joonas 
Kinni, Laetitia A. M. G. Lionnet, Marie Louis, Matt Messina, Hanna Michel, 
Barbara K. Neubarth, Belén G. Ovide, Annemieke E. Podt, Jonathan N. Rempel, 
Conor Ryan, Eddy Savage, Judith Scott, Ronald Smit, Hans Verdaat, Solvi R. 
Vignisson & Filipa I. P. Samarra (2023) Geographical movements, site fidelity 
and connectivity of killer whales within and outside herring grounds in 
Icelandic coastal waters. Marine Biology. 
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-023-04345-7



Abstract
Investigating the movements and site fidelity of individuals enhances our 
understanding of population ecology and structure. Killer whales occur around 
the coast of Iceland; however, information on the connectivity between 
different regions is limited to herring grounds, where they are observed 
frequently. In this study, we used photo-identification data to investigate the 
movements and site fidelity of whales within (South and West) and outside 
(Southwest, Northwest, Northeast and East) Icelandic herring grounds. 
Additionally, we used a 10-year photo-identification dataset in the South to 
investigate long-term site fidelity patterns to a single location. Of the 440 
individuals sighted more than once, nearly half (48%) moved between herring 
grounds and site fidelity was higher within, compared to outside, herring 
grounds. Outside herring grounds, individuals showed: more movement from 
Southwest to West compare to South, indicating this region is not exclusively a 
passage between herring grounds; low site fidelity to the Northeast with fewer 
photographic matches to other regions, suggesting individuals found here may be 
part of an offshore population that occasionally visits the area; and low 
proportion of matches to other regions in the Northwest and East, although 
small sample sizes precluded firm conclusions. Finally, long-term residency of 
killer whales in the South showed dynamic patterns, likely caused by prey 
availability and/or environmental changes. This study elucidates the 
complexities of killer whale occurrence and connectivity within the North 
Atlantic and suggests population structure that should be further investigated 
for appropriate regional conservation assessments.
The pdf is available in view-only here: https://rdcu.be/dtyqa and can be 
downloaded from here: 
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00227-023-04345-7
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

For the co-authors,

Tatiana Marchon



PhD Candidate

Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Iceland




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[MARMAM] New publication on bottlenose dolphin electroreception

[Tim Huettner]

Dear MARMAN colleagues,



On behalf of my coauthors I am pleased to share with you our newest
publication on passive electroreception in bottlenose dolphins. Following
our previous study published in 2022, we further investigated the
bottlenose dolphin’s electroreceptive abilities and determined detection
thresholds for DC and AC electric fields. Based on our findings we discuss
not only the use of this electric sense during foraging but also its
implications for large-scale orientation using the Earth’s magnetic field.





Hüttner, T., Fersen, L. von, Miersch, L., & Dehnhardt, G. (2023). Passive
electroreception in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Implication
for micro- and large-scale orientation. *The Journal of Experimental
Biology*, *226*(22). https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.245845


-

 ** Abstract **


For the two dolphin species *Sotalia guianensis* (Guiana dolphin) and *Tursiops
truncatus* (bottlenose dolphin), previous research has shown that the
vibrissal crypts located on the rostrum represent highly innervated,
ampullary electroreceptors and that both species are correspondingly
sensitive to weak electric fields. In the present study, for a comparative
assessment of the sensitivity of the bottlenose dolphin's electroreceptive
system, we determined detection thresholds for DC and AC electric fields
with two bottlenose dolphins. In a psychophysical experiment, the animals
were trained to respond to electric field stimuli using the go/no-go
paradigm. We show that the two bottlenose dolphins are able to detect DC
electric fields as low as 2.4 and 5.5 µV cm−1, respectively, a detection
threshold in the same order of magnitude as those in the platypus and the
Guiana dolphin. Detection thresholds for AC fields (1, 5 and 25 Hz) were
generally higher than those for DC fields, and the sensitivity for AC
fields decreased with increasing frequency. Although the electroreceptive
sensitivity of dolphins is lower than that of elasmobranchs, it is
suggested that it allows for both micro- and macro-scale orientation. In
dolphins pursuing benthic foraging strategies, electroreception may
facilitate short-range prey detection and target-oriented snapping of their
prey. Furthermore, the ability to detect weak electric fields may enable
dolphins to perceive the Earth's magnetic field through induction-based
magnetoreception, thus allowing large-scale orientation.

-


The paper is open access and be downloaded here:



https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.245845



Please feel free to reach out with any questions (tim.huettne...@gmail.com)


Best regards,

Tim Hüttner
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[MARMAM] New publication - Short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) total length estimation using laser photogrammetry off the southwest coast of Ireland

[Sean O'Callaghan]

Dear MARMAM community,

We are pleased to announce our recent publication on common dolphin laser
photogrammetry detailed below.

O'Callaghan, S.A., Daly, M. and Berrow, S. (2023). Short-beaked common
dolphin (Delphinus delphis) total length estimation using laser
photogrammetry off the southwest coast of Ireland. Journal of Cetacean
Research and Management 24(1):189-204.
https://doi.org/10.47536/jcrm.v24i1.395

Abstract
Measurements from 106 stranded short‐beaked common dolphins along the Irish
coast were taken between March 2017 and March 2023. Data were collected
from the Irish Necropsy Project and Irish Cetacean Stranding Scheme. Total
length measurements were gathered from 103 individuals where the tail
flukes were still attached. These ranged between 96–238cm, mean 185.7cm, SD
31.43cm. Males (n = 58) ranged from 96–238cm, averaging 189cm, SD 34.64cm.
Females (n = 40) measured 117.5–231cm, averaging 181cm, SD 25.80cm. Scaled
dorsal fin photos were taken from stranded dolphins to formulate an
equation to estimate the total length of live dolphins. The total lengths
of 29 live common dolphins were estimated off the southwest coast of
Ireland using laser photogrammetry and dorsal fin dimensions between March
2018–April 2019. Total lengths for three stranded dolphins with amputated
tail flukes were also estimated. Dorsal fin base lengths were the most
accurate predictor of total length R2 = 0.78. Total length estimates ranged
between 143.77–242.25cm, averaging 194.78cm, SD 20.05cm. The adoption of
laser photogrammetry as a measurement tool warrants further exploration as
a means to reduce potential disruption from aerial systems and enhance the
utility of behavioural and photo‐ID images. This study describes a
non‐invasive technique with a range of possible applications for
understanding pod size structure and seasonality due to this species’
approachable behaviour and inquisitive nature.

The study is freely available to download  in the below link but if you you
have any questions regarding this work feel free to get in touch with me on
seanocallaghan...@gmail.com

https://journal.iwc.int/index.php/jcrm/article/view/395?fbclid=IwAR3onplj0UeWtH725ZWdOhrBdzmJytHBnBVSzsKqx1ouQCmZ4cYMNVLxDgU

Kind regards and happy holidays,

Seán
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[MARMAM] SEAMAMMS 2024 will be held at the Duke University Marine Laboratory at Beaufort, NC

[Andrew Read, Ph.D.]

We are pleased to announce that the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal 
Symposium (SEAMAMMS) will be held at the Duke University Marine Laboratory in 
Beaufort, NC April 26-28, 2024. SEAMAMMS is a long-standing, regional, 
scientific marine mammal meeting open to all, with an emphasis on presentations 
by undergraduate and graduate students. SEAMAMMS is intended to provide a 
platform for students to share their research and network with experts in the 
marine mammal field. Presenters will be able to present their work in regular 
oral talks, speed talks, and posters. Abstracts will be due on February 2 and 
authors will be notified of acceptance on February 16. We hope to have 
discussion panels on offshore wind development, the NMFS permit process, 
navigating graduate school, the Mid-Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin Catalog, and 
marine mammal legislation and regulation. The early registration deadline will 
be on March 1. The website will be up in January.

We hope to see you in Beaufort next April!

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