[MARMAM] REVISED Hawaii Marine Animal Response Summer Internships

[marisa.goin]

 JOIN OUR FIELD RESPONSE TEAM on the beautiful island of Oahu in the State of 
Hawaii. We are accepting applications for interns for our Summer 2021 
internship period. The deadline is March 31, however, applications will be 
reviewed as they come in, and positions will be assigned as responses are 
received so apply soon. Here is more detail about this opportunity.
 
 ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
 
 Hawaii Marine Animal Response (HMAR) is the field operations arm of Hawaii
 Marine Mammal Alliance Inc. and is the largest Hawaii-based non-profit
 marine species conservation and response organization. We cover nearly 300
 miles of coastline on the islands of Oahu and Molokai with our team of
 volunteers, interns and staff. We are a U.S. based 501(c)(3) nonprofit
 organization dedicated to the preservation, conservation and stewardship of
 Hawaii's protected marine species and our ocean ecosystem. We focus our
 work on marine species whose natural behaviors and habitat put animals in
 close proximity to and are therefore most affected by human impacts. These
 species include the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, the threatened green sea
 turtle, the endangered hawksbill sea turtle and several vulnerable seabird
 species. HMAR is supported by private donations, corporate funding and
 government grants and operates under partnerships with the National Oceanic
 and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
 the State of Hawaii and others. More information about HMAR is available at
 http://h-mar.org.
 
 FIELD OUTREACH AND SUPPORT (FSO) TEAM INTERN DUTIES:
 
 -Responding to sightings of endangered or threatened marine species such
 as Hawaiian monk seals and sea turtles to provide shoreline response to
 haul-outs and strandings.
 
 -Perform or assist in field escalations, interventions, stranding support
 and rescues.
 
 -Report on animal behavior, provide animal assessment information, provide
 photo-documentation and other important data used in protected marine
 species research, health management and species recovery efforts.
 
 -Perform outreach to the public to teach sustainable human interaction and
 fishery behaviors and encourage stewardship of protected marine species and
 the ocean ecosystem.
 
 -Participate in dispatch and reporting activity such as the taking and
 documenting phone call reports of marine species activity, coordinating
 field response activity, data entry and generating reports.
 



 LOCATION: These positions require on-island travel throughout the island of
 Oahu in the State of Hawaii.
 
 FIELD SUPPORT AND OUTREACH (FSO) INTERN GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:
 
 -This is an un-paid internship that requires the intern to live on the
 island of Oahu in the State of Hawaii for the period beginning 2 weeks
 prior to the start of the internship until the end of the internship. The
 intern is responsible for all lodging, living and transportation costs
 associated with the internship.
 
 -U.S. citizenship or possession of a passport and all applicable visas and
 work permits are needed prior to and during the internship period.
 
 -18 or more years of age.
 
 -English language fluency.
 
 -Must be a degree-seeking student or a graduate of a college or university
 program associated with one of the following courses of study: marine
 biology, marine ecology, conservation, environmental science or a related
 field.
 
 -Minimum grade point average (GPA). For college/university graduates, a
 2.7 cumulative GPA prior to the internship. For current students, a 2.7
 cumulative GPA prior to and during the internship.
 
 -If college credit for this internship is desired it is the responsibility
 of the intern to obtain necessary approvals from the applicable college or
 university.
 
 -Ability to walk in sandy, rocky and unstable shoreline conditions for 2
 miles.
 
 - Ability to work outdoors in a sunny, rainy, windy and hot climate.
 
 -Ability to lift and carry a minimum of 75 pounds for 100 feet in
 shoreline beach and rocky conditions.
 
 -Ability to swim required.
 
 -Ability to maintain a calm demeanor in potentially stressful conditions.
 
 -Possess a team-based work ethic and attitude.
 
 -Acceptance of our Intern Policies, Waivers, Releases and Indemnifications
 agreement.
 

 -Attend mandatory in-field or classroom training sessions as required.
 
 - Possess an interest in and a desire to engage with the public.
 
 - Must have access to a reliable car or truck (truck preferred) during the
 internship period. Motorcycles or scooters will not be sufficient.
 
 -Possession of a valid driver's license.
 
 -Proof of automobile insurance carrying Hawaii minimum liability coverage
 levels.
 
 -Access to a cellular phone with 4G data service and camera.
 
 -Access to a digital camera (not a smartphone) with at least a 35X zoom lens 
and
 Wi-Fi capability. If it does not have wifi capability, you can buy an adapter. 
 
 FIELD SUPPORT AND OUTREACH INTERNSHIP ACTIVITY EXPECTATIONS:
 
 

[MARMAM] New publication: Temporal and spatial lags between wind, coastal upwelling, and blue whale occurrence

[Barlow, Dawn Renee]

Dear MARMAM Community,

On behalf of my coauthors, I am excited to share our recent publication in 
Scientific Reports:

Barlow, D.R., Klinck, H., Ponirakis, D. Garvey, C., Torres, L. G. Temporal and 
spatial lags between wind, coastal upwelling, and blue whale occurrence. Sci 
Rep 11, 6915 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86403-y

ABSTRACT: Understanding relationships between physical drivers and biological 
response is central to advancing ecological knowledge. Wind is the physical 
forcing mechanism in coastal upwelling systems, however lags between wind input 
and biological responses are seldom quantified for marine predators. Lags were 
examined between wind at an upwelling source, decreased temperatures along the 
upwelling plume's trajectory, and blue whale occurrence in New Zealand's South 
Taranaki Bight region (STB). Wind speed and sea surface temperature (SST) were 
extracted for austral spring-summer months between 2009-2019. A hydrophone 
recorded blue whale vocalizations October 2016-March 2017. Timeseries 
cross-correlation analyses were conducted between wind speed, SST at different 
locations along the upwelling plume, and blue whale downswept vocalizations (D 
calls). Results document increasing lag times (0-2 weeks) between wind speed 
and SST consistent with the spatial progression of upwelling, culminating with 
increased D call density at the distal end of the plume three weeks after 
increased wind speeds at the upwelling source. Lag between wind events and blue 
whale aggregations (n = 34 aggregations 2013-2019) was 2.09 ± 0.43 weeks. 
Variation in lag was significantly related to the amount of wind over the 
preceding 30 days, which likely influences stratification. This study enhances 
knowledge of physical-biological coupling in upwelling ecosystems and enables 
improved forecasting of species distribution patterns for dynamic management.

The full article is open access, and available online: 
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-86403-y

Please feel free to contact me 
(dawn.bar...@oregonstate.edu) with any 
questions or to request a PDF copy.

Cheers,
Dawn

Dawn Barlow
PhD Candidate
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Marine Mammal Institute
Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center
Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab
dawn.bar...@oregonstate.edu

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[MARMAM] New paper on alliance formation in dolphins of Shark Bay

[Simon Allen]

G’day Marmamers,

It seems that in at least some circumstances: the blood of the covenant is 
thicker than the water of the womb. We are pleased to draw to your attention to 
the latest (open access) paper out of Shark Bay Dolphin Research 
(www.sharkbaydolphins.org).

In summary: We used (very) long-term behavioural and genetic data from 
well-known individual male dolphins in eastern Shark Bay, Western Australia, 
comparing a number of traits (including social bond strength, relatedness and 
age similarity) across two age periods: adolescence and adulthood. Social bond 
strength during adolescence predicted second-order alliance membership in 
adulthood, and males preferred others of similar age or older as second-order 
allies. Non-mating season social bond strength predicted first-order alliance 
partner preferences during mating season consortships with individual females, 
and relatedness did not influence partner choice at either alliance level.

This work represents the second data paper out of the stellar PhD by Livia 
Gerber under the supervision of Michael Krützen. The citation, link to the 
paper and abstract are as follows:

Gerber L, Wittwer S, Allen SJ, Holmes K, King SL, Wild S, Willems E, Connor RC, 
Krützen M (2021). Cooperative partner choice in multi-level dolphin alliances. 
Scientific Reports 11: 6901. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-85583-x

Investigations into cooperative partner choice should consider both potential 
and realised partners, allowing for the comparison of traits across all those 
available. Male bottlenose dolphins form
persisting multi-level alliances. Second-order alliances of 4–14 males are the 
core social unit, within which 2–3 males form first-order alliances to 
sequester females during consortships. We compared social bond strength, 
relatedness and age similarity of potential and realised partners of individual 
males in two age periods: (i) adolescence, when second-order alliances are 
formed from all available associates, and (ii) adulthood, when first-order 
allies are selected from within second-order alliances. Social bond strength 
during adolescence predicted second-order alliance membership in adulthood. 
Moreover, males preferred same-aged or older males as second-order allies. 
Within second-order alliances, non-mating season social bond strength predicted 
first-order partner preferences during mating season consortships. Relatedness 
did not influence partner choice on either alliance level. There is thus a 
striking resemblance between male dolphins, chimpanzees and humans, where 
closely bonded non-relatives engage in higher-level, polyadic cooperative acts. 
To that end, our study extends the scope of taxa in which social bonds rather 
than kinship explain cooperation, providing the first evidence that such traits 
might have evolved independently in marine and terrestrial realms.

Stay safe and sane.

All the best, Simon

~
Dr Simon J Allen
Mob: +44 (0) 77047 53101 [UK] / +61 (0) 416 083 653 [AU]
Email: simon.al...@bristol.ac.uk / 
simon.al...@uwa.edu.au
Web: http://www.sharkbaydolphins.org
Twitter: @SimonJAllen1

Non-vertical transmission of a dolphin foraging innovation 
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(20)30756-9
Declines in dolphin survival and reproduction following a heatwave 
https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0960-9822%2819%2930217-9
Sexual displays involving marine sponges and alliance formation by Australian 
humpback dolphins http://rdcu.be/w3tL
Abundance and fidelity of dolphins to a trawl fishery 
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-05189-0

“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing–absolutely nothing–half so much 
worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” (Kenneth Grahame)
“I must say here, in passing, that those captains who have scientists… aboard 
their ships, must take with them a good supply of patience. I admit that 
although I have no lack of it, the scientists have frequently driven me to the 
end of my tether...” (Nicolas Baudin)



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[MARMAM] Immediate PSO/Manatee observer position(s) - Florida

[Tide Env]

Tide Environmental is recruiting individuals to monitor for manatees within
Florida waters. Protected species observers monitor the impacts of
ESA-listed species, including any potential interactions with or takes of
those species. Tide Environmental specializes in providing individuals for
marine construction projects when regulations deem there is a potential
impact to Endangered or Threatened Species.



Individuals are being sought for shore based projects monitoring for
manatee, sea turtles, and other protected species of interest in
conjunction with ongoing project(s). Applicants with prior NMFS
Protected/Endangered Species and/or FWC approval will be given preference.


Applicants *must* have experience observing manatees in the wild.
Applicants possessing both manatee and sea turtle qualifications are
desirable.



*Beginning Date*: April 2021



*Experience*:

·   Extensive, documented *HANDS-ON manatee* experience/observation is
mandatory to be considered

·   Ability to identify sea turtle and marine mammals to species level

·   Detailed data collection

·   Necropsy experience is a plus

*Minimum Requirements*:

·   Must have documented experience working with manatees

·   Must have or be able to obtain NMFS Protected Species Approval

·   Must possess or be able to obtain a TWIC card for access to job
sites

·   Must be able to work 12 hour shifts for 21-30 days in a row with no
days off

·   Must be in good physical shape and able to stand for hours at a
time, climb ladders, lift 50lbs, board vessels at sea, and operate in a
safe manner

·   Must be detailed oriented and possess good communication skills

·   Must have reliable transportation and will be responsible for your
own travel to job locations

·   Must be able to provide your own transportation from the housing
location to/from the project site

·   Must be able to travel on short notice

·   Maintain objectivity and work independently

·   Must be able to work with ship and construction crews

·   Must reside within the continental U.S.

·   B.S. in Marine Biology or related field (specialized experience may
substitute for educational experience)



This is an Independent Contractor position. As an Independent Contractor,
travel to/from projects is the responsibility of the observer, there are no
benefits, and taxes are the responsibility of the observer. You will be
issued a 1099 at the end of each year for taxes. Housing is provided at the
project location.



Individuals possessing the above criteria are asked to submit the following
to i...@tideenvironmental.com

·   Resume/CV detailing your relevant experience

·   Date of availability

·   Copy of TWIC (if applicable)

·   Copy of NMFS approval letter

·   References
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[MARMAM] New paper on contaminants and feeding ecology in Icelandic orcas

[Anaïs Remili]

Dear members of the MARMAM community,

My co-authors and I are pleased to announce our recent publication in
Environmental Science & Technology:
Individual Prey Specialization Drives PCBs in Icelandic Killer Whales:
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.0c08563

You can find an explanation of our main findings here, in a non-academic
way: https://whalescientists.com/icelandic-orcas/ Feel free to share this
summary everywhere.

Here is the abstract:
Interindividual variation in prey specialization is an essential yet
overlooked aspect of wildlife feeding ecology, especially as it relates to
intrapopulation variation in exposure to toxic contaminants. Here, we
assessed blubber concentrations of an extensive suite of persistent organic
pollutants in Icelandic killer whales (Orcinus orca). Polychlorinated
biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in blubber were >300-fold higher in the most
contaminated individual relative to the least contaminated, ranging from
1.3 to 428.6 mg·kg–1 lw. Mean PCB concentrations were 6-to-9-fold greater
in individuals with a mixed diet including marine mammals than in fish
specialist individuals, whereas males showed PCB concentrations 4-fold
higher than females. Given PCBs have been identified as potentially
impacting killer whale population growth, and levels in mixed feeders
specifically exceeded known thresholds, the ecology of individuals must be
recognized to accurately forecast how contaminants may threaten the
long-term persistence of the world’s ultimate marine predator.

Please reach out to me if you have questions/comments or if you want the
PDF version of our paper. You can also reach me at
anais.rem...@mail.mcgill.ca

Cheers,
Anaïs Remili
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[MARMAM] Summer Online Course - Manatee Health

[Larkin,Iskande (Iske)]

Hi All,

The  University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Aquatic Animal 
Health Program would like to announce that registration for our summer online 
course is open.

Manatee Health and Conservation is an online course (3 academic credits) that 
will provide students (upper level undergraduate and graduate) and 
professionals (with an AA or higher degree) with a detailed overview of manatee 
natural history, health assessment, and research findings as well as explore 
conservation issues.

CE Manatee International Short Course - this continuing education (CE) option 
provides Spanish and French closed captioning for the lectures.  The short 
course does not have homework or discussion board assignments, and only uses 
quizzes to establish a baseline of information on manatees.

Students enrolled at any College or University within the US or internationally 
can take these courses. For more information about this classes or enrollment, 
contact Dr. Iskande Larkin (ivlar...@ufl.edu ).

The  first day of the summer semester is Monday May 10th and registration will 
be open until May 14th.

Sincerely,
Dr Larkin

[Description: AAH logo blue E-Mail Sig]
Iske V. Larkin, PhD
Lecturer & Education Coordinator
Interim Director
Aquatic Animal Health Program
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Florida
PO Box 100136
2015 SW 16th Ave
Gainesville, Florida 32610

Office phone - 352-294-4095
Work cell - 352-494-1742
Fax - 352-392-8289
Program web page: http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu

"To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the 
world." -Anonymous

Please note that Florida has a broad public records law, and that all 
correspondence to or from University of Florida employees via email may be 
subject to disclosure.


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[MARMAM] New publication on feeding behavior of tropical killer whales in the Indian Ocean

[Maeva Terrapon]

Dear MARMAM community,

My co-authors and I are pleased to share our recent publication:

Terrapon, M., Kiszka, J. J., & Wagner, J. (2021). Observations of Killer
Whale (*Orcinus orca*) Feeding Behavior in the Tropical Waters of the
Northern Mozambique Channel Island of Mayotte, Southwest Indian Ocean.
Aquatic Mammals, 47(2), 196-205. DOI: 10.1578/AM.47.2.2021.196

If you would like a copy, please contact Maeva Terrapon:
mt...@st-andrews.ac.uk

Abstract: Very little is known about the foraging ecology of killer
whales (Orcinus
orca) in tropical oceans and on how these large apex predators affect prey
communities. In most tropical waters, the presence of killer whales is
unpredictable, and most information on their ecology is inferred from
opportunistic records. This is particularly the case in the Indian Ocean
where limited information is available. Between 2002 and 2017, killer
whales were opportunistically encountered around the Mozambique Channel
island of Mayotte in the eastern Comoros Archipelago (southwest Indian
Ocean). A total of 15 killer whale sightings collected by various local
experts were compiled and used to describe observed feeding events.
Twenty-seven distinct individuals from four separate groups were identified
by photo-identification, highlighting short-term site fidelity (minimum 7
days) to this area. Feeding was observed on seven occasions, and recorded
prey included two species of elasmobranchs (Centroscymnus coelolepi and
Mobula spp.) and two species of cetaceans: a humpback whale (Megaptera
novaeangliae) calf and a pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata).
This study represents the first account of killer whales foraging on a
combination of marine mammals and elasmobranchs in tropical waters, and
describes the first presumed predation on a humpback whale calf in the
southwest Indian Ocean.

Thank you,

Maeva Terrapon,

PhD Candidate
Sea Mammal Research Unit,
Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews,
Fife, Scotland
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[MARMAM] Seeking volunteer research assistants in Australia on dolphins

[Kate Sprogis]

Seeking volunteer research assistants to evaluate the ecology and biology of 
coastal dolphins in Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia.

Project Outline: The Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL) at 
Flinders University is seeking full-time volunteer assistants for assistance on 
a dolphin research project to assess the ecology of coastal dolphins in Exmouth 
Gulf, Western Australia. The study is part of a long-term research project led 
by CEBEL on the ecology of inshore dolphins in the Ningaloo-Exmouth region. 
Information on the distribution, encounter rates and habitat use of Australian 
humpback dolphins (Sousa sahulensis) and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins 
(Tursiops aduncus) in Exmouth Gulf is lacking. This information is crucial to 
collect as the gulf is under increasing human pressure. On the International 
IUCN Redlist, Australian humpback dolphins are listed as vulnerable and 
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins are listed as near-threatened (Parra et al. 
2017, Braulik et al. 2019). Thus, this research will fill crucial knowledge 
gaps on inshore dolphin numbers, distribution and habitat use to assist 
environmental impact assessments and conservation management actions.

Dates: We are seeking 2-3 volunteers for dedicated, full-time assistance from 
May 1st to July 31st 2021 (for the whole duration or half the duration).

Primary Investigators: Dr Kate R. Sprogis and Assistant Professor Guido J. 
Parra. Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL), Flinders 
University, Australia.

Location: Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia. Exmouth is a small, remote town with 
limited shops and facilities that is ~16hrs drive north of Perth.

Specifics: The research project is office and boat based. When the weather 
permits (<15 kn winds, Beaufort sea state <3, no precipitation), boat-based 
line-transect surveys will be conducted where 3 people are on the boat. The 
boat is a 6 m rigid hull, centre console. On transect, the vessel will be 
driven at slow speed, whilst searching for dolphins with the naked eye and 
binoculars. Once dolphins are sighted, the transect will be paused, and the 
dolphins will be slowly approached to collect information on the dolphin’s 
location (time and latitude/longitude), group size and age composition, 
predominant behaviour (e.g. travelling, resting, socialising, foraging, 
feeding), and environmental variables (water depth, sea surface temperature, 
benthic habitat type). Photographs of individual dolphin dorsal fins will be 
taken for photo-identification purposes. Surveys will follow standardised 
methods used in previous studies of coastal dolphins in Australia (e.g. Parra 
et al. 2006, Sprogis et al. 2016), including the North West Cape (Hunt et al. 
2017, Hunt et al. 2019, Haughey et al. 2020, Hunt et al. 2020). After boating, 
data is downloaded and equipment is cleaned and charged to prepare for the next 
day. When the weather does not permit, we work in the office on data entry, 
photo-identification of dolphin dorsal fins, maintenance of equipment, project 
organisation and logistics (e.g. weather checking for timing for boating). The 
office is in a shared research house. Team work in a small team is crucial. 
Assistants and researchers live in the shared-research house, where cooking, 
cleaning and grocery shopping is done as a team. There will be 3-4 people on 
the team at any one time.

Preferred skills and traits: We seek hard-working, motivated, friendly people 
that are willing to give it their all to achieve a great research output. We 
seek people who are attuned to the intensities of fieldwork and research. Prior 
field experience with cetacean research, on small-boats and in small teams is 
preferred. Assistants should be adaptable and patient as fieldwork is highly 
weather dependent (e.g. any day with <15knt winds, including weekends, on 
consecutive days and can be 8hr long days). As many days are office days, we 
seek individuals that have initiative, but will also work diligently on routine 
tasks. We are seeking people that have a genuine interest in wildlife and 
conservation research. As field researchers, our lives consist of living in a 
house with assistants for extended durations, so we seek easy-going, positive, 
kind, team-players with a mature attitude. Housing will be in a house, and a 
caravan at times, so small spaces will need to be shared. Being fluent in 
spoken English is preferred.

What will you gain?: On the boat, you will gain knowledge on the behaviour, 
habitat use and distribution differences of humpback dolphins and bottlenose 
dolphins, how to conduct dolphin photo-identification surveys and field skills 
(reading weather in a remote location, driving a boat, using an SLR camera for 
fast moving dolphins). In the office, you will learn how to enter environmental 
and behavioural data, and identify unique dolphin dorsal fins and catalogue 
existing and new fins into a dolphin-identification catalogue.

[MARMAM] VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED FOR A BEHAVIOURAL RESPONSE STUDY ON HUMPBACK WHALES IN AUSTRALIA

[Michael Noad]

The Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratories at the University of Queensland 
are seeking expressions of interest from volunteers for a five week behavioural 
response study (BRS) on humpback whales from September 12 to October 23 this 
year (2021).

Due to the COVID epidemic, most Australian international border are closed and 
likely to remain so until late this year or early 2022. For this reason WE WILL 
ONLY BE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE CURRENTLY IN AUSTRALIA OR 
NEW ZEALAND.

The study will be the first in a series to determine the hearing range of 
humpback whales by measuring their behavioural response to tones of various 
frequencies. The study will be conducted at Peregian Beach on the Sunshine 
Coast, just north of Brisbane, and follows several successful studies of 
humpback whale vocalisations and behaviour at the same site during the Humpback 
whale Acoustic Research Collaboration (HARC; 2002 - 2008) and the BRAHSS 
experiments in 2010 - 2015 (http://www.brahss.org.au/; 
https://www.ceal.lab.uq.edu.au/ ).

Volunteers are required mainly to conduct land-based observations of the whales 
as they pass our study site. Approximately 5,000 whales should migrate 
southwards within 10 km of Peregian Beach during the field period making the 
site ideal for land-based tracking and observations of behaviour. Some whales 
will be tagged with Dtags. Although volunteers will be used to help out on the 
boats, opportunities for volunteers to participate in boat work are limited and 
most time will be spent doing land-based observations.

Volunteers will receive detailed training at the beginning of the project and 
therefore successful applicants must be available for the entire duration of 
the project. A high standard of safety will be maintained throughout the field 
work and volunteers will be trained in safety procedures.

Peregian Beach is a beautiful area on the Sunshine Coast, and there are plenty 
of things for volunteers to do during downtime. Favourite activities in 
previous projects here have included surfing, hanging out at cafes (within 
walking distance of our field site), diving, walking the Noosa National Park, 
trips to Fraser Island, etc.

Volunteers must be sociable as they will be expected to work and live as part 
of teams with shared cooking and cleaning duties. We expect that there will be 
up to 30 people (researchers, staff and volunteers) at the site. Volunteers 
must organise and pay for their own transport to the study site (approximately 
1.5h from the Brisbane Airport or 30 mins from the Sunshine Coast Airport) but 
food and accommodation are provided once there. Meals are communal.

This project will suit people with a background in science (including recent 
graduates and graduate students as well as higher level undergraduate students) 
keen to gain experience in cetacean survey techniques, acoustics and 
behavioural response studies. Applicants should also be highly motivated, 
enthusiastic, sociable, and able to concentrate for several hours at a time. 
Those with previous survey experience of marine mammals or other taxa will be 
preferred.

We are also seeking a part-time child carer. This person will be required to 
care for a 6-year old on a few occasions but will be a regular volunteer on the 
project for most of the time. Carer duties are likely to be only one or two 
days a fortnight (daytime only) and applicants must have had previous child 
care experience (please include details of this on the application). Preference 
for a volunteer position will be given to the successful applicant for the 
carer position.

The research project is being funded by the U.S. Navy Living Marine Resources 
(LMR) applied research program.

Applicants should reply with an email to both Rebecca Dunlop 
(r.dun...@uq.edu.au) and Michael Noad 
(mn...@uq.edu.au) outlining why they would be suitable 
for this work, why they would like to participate, an outline of previous 
relevant experience, and any other relevant details. The email should include 
an attached CV and the names and contact details of two professional referees. 
The closing date for volunteer applications is 31 April and successful field 
applicants will be notified in late May.


Dr Rebecca Dunlop
Director of Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratories
Moreton Bay Research Station, University of Queensland
Corner of Flinders Avenue and Fraser Streets
Dunwich, North Stradbroke Island, QLD 4183
Australia

Associate Professor in Animal Behaviour and Physiology
University of Queensland
Australia
r.dun...@uq.edu.au
https://ceal.lab.uq.edu.au/


Dr Michael Noad
BVSc(Hons) QldPhD Sydney
Associate Professor
Cetacean Ecology and Acoustic Laboratories (CEAL) Group
Academic Director, Moreton Bay Research Station

School of Veterinary Science
The University of Queensland - Gatton campus
Gatton Qld 4343 Australia

Moreton Bay 

[MARMAM] New publication on bottlenose dolphin behavioral adaptations to construction-related habitat degradation

[Ann Weaver]

We are pleased to announce two recent contributions.



Weaver A (2021) An Ethology of Adaptation: Dolphins Stop Feeding but
Continue Socializing in Construction-Degraded Habitat. Front. Mar. Sci.
8:603229. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.603229



Open access publication in Frontiers in Marine Science, section Marine
Conservation and Sustainability. To view the online publication, please
click here:

http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2021.603229/full?_source=Email_to_authors__medium=Email_content=T1_11.5e1_author_campaign=Email_publication==Frontiers_in_Marine_Science=603229




Or download it from my website
https://www.dolphinsdigital.org/technical-articles

ABSTRACT Adaptation is a biological mechanism by which organisms adjust
physically or behaviorally to changes in their environment to become more
suited to it. This is a report of free-ranging bottlenose dolphins’
behavioral adaptations to environmental changes from coastal construction
in prime habitat. Construction was a 5-year bridge removal and replacement
project in a tidal inlet along west central Florida’s Gulf of Mexico
coastline. It occurred in two consecutive 2.5-year phases to replace the
west and east lanes, respectively. Lane phases involved demolition/removal
of above-water cement structures, below-water cement structures, and
reinstallation of below + above water cement structures (N = 2,098 photos).
Data were longitudinal (11 years: 2005– 2016, N = 1,219 surveys 2–4
times/week/11 years, N = 4,753 dolphins, 591.95 h of observation in the
construction zone, 126 before-construction surveys, 568 during-construction
surveys, 525 after-construction surveys). The dependent variable was
numbers of dolphins (count) in the immediate construction zone. Three
analyses examined presence/absence, total numbers of dolphins, and numbers
of dolphins engaged in five behavior states (forage-feeding, socializing,
direct travel, meandering travel, and mixed states) across construction.
Analyses were GLIMMIX generalized linear models for logistic and negative
binomial regressions to account for observation time differences as an
exposure (offset) variable. Results showed a higher probability of dolphin
presence than absence before construction began, more total dolphins before
construction, and significant decreases in the numbers of feeding but not
socializing dolphins. Significant changes in temporal rhythms also revealed
finer-grained adaptations. Conclusions were that the dolphins adapted to
construction in two ways, by establishing feeding locations beyond the
disturbed construction zone and shifting temporal rhythms of behaviors that
they continued to exhibit in the construction zone to later in the day when
construction activities were minimized. This is the first study to suggest
that the dolphins learned to cope with coastal construction with variable
adjustments.



Weaver, A. (2020). Why Dolphins Jump. Treasure Island FL: Jaasas Academic
Press. 140 pp. Presents 170 contexts of 7 types of aerial behaviors among
free-ranging coastal bottlenose dolphins.
https://www.dolphinsdigital.org/store/Why-Dolphins-Jump-Picture-Book-of-the-Acrobats-of-the-Sea-p200310520
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[MARMAM] Marine Mammal Observers in Virginia Beach

[Amy Whitt]

*Marine Mammal Observers (MMOs) in Virginia Beach*

Azura is looking for MMOs based in or near the Virginia Beach, VA area.
Potential work would include land-based monitoring and mitigation during
construction for one year beginning this spring. Work may be sporadic,
ranging from 1 day a week to 6 days a week depending on the construction
schedule.

If you are a Virginia Beach MMO and interested in this work, please send
your resume to len...@azuraco.com. In your resume, please describe your
previous MMO experience and list any relevant certifications (e.g., BOEM-
or JNCC-approved PSO certifications).
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