[MARMAM] Environmental Training Opportunities in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia and Victoria, British Columbia

[Emily Welsh]

Edgewise Environmental is offering a Seabird Observer (SBO) program from
August 17th - September 7th. This course includes 4 weeks of online theory
with an at-sea practical taking place on September 8th in Lunenburg, NS.

We have an upcoming Canada - MMO Bridging Program delivered* fully online* from
October 10th-31st with no practical session. This course is designed for
observers who have already successfully completed another recognized marine
mammal certification and have at least 12 weeks of experience. Great for
professional development!

We are also offering a Canada - Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) program from
October 11th - November 1st, including 4 weeks of online theory with an
at-sea practical taking place on November 9th in Victoria, BC.

Click here  for more
information or email i...@edgewiseenvironmental.com
.


-- 

Emily Welsh
*Social Media and Marketing Coordinator*
Edgewise Environmental Ltd.
(709) 770-0492
St. John's, NL, Canada
www.edgewiseenvironmental.com

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[MARMAM] Social and community structure of striped dolphins

[Giovanni Bearzi]

Dear colleagues,
a recently-published article attempted to unveil the social structure of 
striped dolphins based on photo-identification records. The new study, 
published in the journal Marine Mammal Science, supports the current Red List 
classification of striped dolphins as Endangered in the Gulf of Corinth, 
Greece. The study benefited from a time-space method to define associations, 
which was originally developed for bottlenose dolphins in the same area. 
You may email me, or the lead author Silvia Bonizzoni 
(silvia.bonizz...@gmail.com), to request a pdf copy of this article.
Cheers,
Giovanni

---
Bonizzoni, S., Santostasi, N. L., Eddy, L., Riley, M. A., Ferreira da Silveira, 
M., Würsig, B., & Bearzi, G. (2023). Social and community structure of striped 
dolphins in a semienclosed Mediterranean embayment. Marine Mammal Science, 
1-21. https://doi.org/10./mms.13060

ABSTRACT - Descriptions of social structure of a species or population help to 
understand the processes that shaped its social system, and such knowledge can 
be valuable in terms of conservation planning. While striped dolphins Stenella 
coeruleoalba are among the most abundant cetacean species worldwide, and the 
most abundant in the Mediterranean Sea, their social and community structure is 
poorly known. This study investigates the association patterns of a population 
inhabiting the Gulf of Corinth, Greece. A total of 501 individuals were 
photo-identified across 7 years (2011-2017). Groups were significantly larger 
(M = 44.7, SD = 46.3) than those studied to date in other Mediterranean areas. 
Association analyses in SOCPROG relied on the time and position metadata of 
dorsal fin photographs. Results indicated a single community characterized by 
nonrandom associations and a loose clustering of individuals (best division 
into clusters corresponded to an association index of 0.02). The high degree of 
social cohesion may result in part from geographic isolation within a 
semienclosed basin. This information can inform management action to protect a 
demographically isolated population classified as Endangered in the IUCN Red 
List, within a European Union Site of Community Importance regarded as an 
Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA).

- - - - - - -
Giovanni Bearzi
http://www.dolphinbiology.org/people/giovanni_bearzi.htm
 



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[MARMAM] New publication: "Epidemiological and genetic analysis of Cetacean Morbillivirus circulating in the Italian coast between 2018 and 2021"

[Ignacio Vargas Castro]

Dear MARMAM community,

My co-authors and I are pleased to share our most recent publication titled
"Epidemiological and genetic analysis of Cetacean Morbillivirus circulating
in the Italian coast between 2018 and 2021".

You will find the open access publication at the *link*:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2023.1216838/full

*Citation*: Vargas-Castro I, Peletto S, Mattioda V, Goria M, Serracca L,
Varello K, Sánchez-Vizcaíno JM, Puleio R, Nocera FD, Lucifora G, Acutis P,
Casalone C, Grattarola C and Giorda F (2023) Epidemiological and genetic
analysis of Cetacean Morbillivirus circulating on the Italian coast between
2018 and 2021. Front. Vet. Sci. 10:1216838. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1216838


*Abstract*:

Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) has caused several outbreaks, unusual
mortality events, and interepidemic single-lethal disease episodes in
theMediterranean Sea. Since 2012, a new strain with a northeast (NE)
Atlantic origin has been circulating among Mediterranean cetaceans, causing
numerous deaths. The objective of this study was to determine the
prevalence of CeMV in cetaceans stranded in Italy between 2018 and 2021 and
characterize the strain of CeMV circulating. Out of the 354 stranded
cetaceans along the Italian coastlines, 113 were CeMV-positive. This
prevalence (31.9%) is one of the highest reported without an associated
outbreak. All marine sectors along the Italian coastlines, except for the
northern Adriatic coast, reported a positive molecular diagnosis of CeMV.
In one-third of the CeMV-positive cetaceans submitted to a histological
evaluation, a chronic form of the infection (detectable viral antigen, the
absence of associated lesions, and concomitant coinfections) was suspected.
Tissues from 24 animals were used to characterize the strain, obtaining 57
sequences from phosphoprotein, nucleocapsid, and fusion protein genes,
which were submitted to GenBank. Our sequences showed the highest identity
with NE-Atlantic strain sequences, and in the phylogenetic study, they
clustered together with them. Regarding age and species,most of these
individuals were adults (17/24, 70.83%) and striped dolphins (19/24,
79.16%). This study improves our understanding on the NE-Atlantic CeMV
strain in the Italian waters, supporting the hypothesis of an endemic
circulation of the virus in this area; however, additional studies are
necessary to deeply comprehend the epidemiology of this strain in the
Mediterranean Sea.


Please do not hesitate to contact us for any questions you may have.

Kind regards,

Ignacio Vargas-Castro





*Ignacio Vargas Castro*

DVM, PhD Student

Viral Immunology and Preventive Medicine Unit (SUAT)
VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre & Animal Health Department
Universidad Complutense Madrid

Av. Puerta de Hierro, s/n. 28040 Madrid.
spainignav...@ucm.eswww.sanidadanimal.info


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[MARMAM] Internship October 2023-Last two spots available

[Delfini del ponente APS]

*DELFINI DEL PONENTE ASSOCIATION, IMPERIA, ITALY*

*Cetaceans and Marine Fauna research project*


*Delfini del Ponente is currently looking for and accepting interns to join
our research project on bottlenose dolphins and other marine fauna in the
Western Ligurian Sea, Imperia (Italy) in October**.*


*The project*

The dolphin research project “Delfini del Ponente”, started in 2018, is the
first project focused on monitoring bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops
truncatus*) occurrence and distribution in the Western Ligurian Sea. The
project is structured on an annual basis, to obtain data not only on the
distribution during the Summer but also on changes during the different
seasons. The study already provides very interesting information about this
community inside the study area, especially about its social organization,
abundance of individuals, distribution, and movements outside the region.
Moreover, our dataset includes data on several cetacean species and also
about other marine fauna such as Mediterranean shearwaters (*Puffinus
yelkouan)*, Scopoli’s shearwaters (*Calonectris diomedea*), Northern
gannets (*Morus bassanus*), Sandwich terns (*Thalasseus sandvicensis*),
sunfish (*Mola mola*) among others.

Surveys are carried out in coastal waters onboard a dedicated zodiac (6 m
inflatable boat) around 10 times per month. Training will focus on
collecting photos for photo-ID purposes, environmental, marine traffic,
geographical (GPS) and dolphins' behavioural data. Land-based surveys take
place in Imperia, in 2 different locations with the aim of collecting data
on the presence/absence of dolphins, fishing boats in activity and marine
birds. Fieldwork is an excellent opportunity to get involved and improve
skills in cetaceans and marine biodiversity research. Both land-based and
zodiac surveys are weather-dependent, and their number can change each
month.

Office work (6 hours per day) includes training and lessons for the interns
and supervision of all the activities (photo-id work, transcription of
data, data entry, QGIS work, etc...)



*Where:* Imperia, Italy



*When:* 1-31 October 2023 (minimum 30 days)

Number of interns for the month: 2 /3

Activities:

•  boat-based surveys monitoring the presence and distribution of
bottlenose dolphins

•  data collection of other cetaceans, fishes, seabirds, turtles

•  classwork, database updating

•  photo-id matching and analysis

•  land-based surveys /opportunistic surveys

•lessons and training about cetacean ecology, biology and research
techniques


This is a great opportunity to get involved in cetacean research, encounter
marine biodiversity while gaining fieldwork experience, travel and explore
the beautiful Liguria region and support cetacean research and conservation
.

Interns will be involved 5 days a week, 6-8 hours/day (depending on
fieldwork or lab work)
During their free time, interns will have the opportunity to experience all
sorts of activities: swimming, diving, hiking, exploring historical sites,
visiting museums, and sailing.

*Skills/qualifications:*

·   Minimum age of 18

·   Prior experience in cetaceans or boat-based surveys is not required

·  Degree or ongoing studies in biology, natural science, veterinary or
similar (preferred)

·   Strong motivation and interest in cetaceans and research

·   Speak, read and write in fluent English

·   Be adaptable as fieldwork is weather dependent

·   Be prepared to spend many hours on a small zodiac (5-6 m) and under the
sun, be able to swim and work in harsh weather conditions both in nearshore
and offshore waters



·   Be prepared to spend many hours in the office (generally 6 hours/day)



·Be sociable and with a positive attitude as he/she is expected to live
and work in an international team



*Internship fee*

Delfini del Ponente is a self-funded research project, so participation in
this program requires a tuition fee. The fee includes the accommodation in
an apartment in Imperia, tuition and all associated field costs during the
internship period (use of research vessel, training, use of equipment,
field trips, insurance). Transportation expenses to and from Imperia
(Italy) and food costs during the stay are not included in the fee.

*How to apply: *

Send your CV with a letter of interest to *i
n...@delfinidelponente.it
*

For any further inquiries and details, please send an email to i
n...@delfinidelponente.it

-
*Delfini Del Ponente APS*
Via Regione Bussi, 18100 Imperia (Italy)
C.F. 91048910086
pec: delfinidelpone...@pec.it
https://delfinidelponente.it/
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[MARMAM] International Save the Vaquita Day 2023

[Thomas Jefferson]

Dear MARMAMers,
  The vaquita is theworld’s most endangered marine mammal, with an estimated 
10-13 individualssurviving in the core zone.  Make a note thatInternational 
Save the Vaquita Day 2023 will be held on Saturday, 12 August,starting at 9 am 
(Pacific).  It will be avirtual event, with a half-day live-stream of 
informative talks and videocontent.  Some in-person booths will alsobe held at 
various venues in the US.  
Seehttps://vivavaquita.org/international-save-the-vaquita-day/for more details, 
and check back for updates. Please join us on Saturday, 12 August, to learn the 
latest.  We appreciate your help in working to savethe vaquita from extinction!
Best wishes,Tom JeffersonDirector, VIVA Vaquita
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[MARMAM] New publication: The isotopic niche of a tropical cetacean community

[Mariana C Neves]

Deal all,

My co-authors and I are pleased to share our new contribution:

 M.C. Neves, M. Vannuci-Silva, G. Montanini, A.F. Azevedo, J.
Lailson-Brito, T.L. Bisi (2023). From narrow and overlapped to wide and
segregated: The isotopic niche of a tropical cetacean community. Ecological
Indicators.

Abstract
Species in sympatry can coexist due to some degree of niche partitioning.
Four cetacean species, Guiana (Sotalia guianensis), franciscana (Pontoporia
blainvillei), Atlantic spotted (Stenella frontalis), and rough-toothed
dolphins (Steno bredanensis), frequently occur in Ilha Grande Bay (RJ),
with three of them presenting residence pattern. This tropical bay is
considered a biodiversity hotspot and preserved by marine protected areas,
though located in a highly developed region of the Southwestern Atlantic
Ocean. To verify niche partitioning and segregation in these species and to
explore the trophic structure of this cetacean community, their isotopic
niches were investigated through carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable
isotopes in the muscle of specimens stranded in the region between 2012 and
2022. The rough-toothed dolphin had the largest niche area and high
segregation. On the other hand, there was a high niche overlap between the
species that have site fidelity patterns in the bay. The Atlantic spotted
dolphin had the highest values for almost all the Layman metrics, a large
niche area, and trophic diversity; the Guiana dolphin explored a diverse
variety of resources, and the franciscana dolphin presented the narrowest
and most overlapped niche and the lowest niche diversification. This is the
first study to access the trophic ecology of this cetacean community. Our
results indicate that the region is an important foraging area for three of
the studied species, with a high diversity and availability of resources
that might enable the high niche overlap observed for resident species. The
findings for the threatened and small franciscana population in this
recently discovered habitat bring concern. Therefore, the area deserves
conservation attention to prevent anthropogenic stressors from interfering
in the relationship balance between these sympatric predators.

The article can be downloaded at
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.110711

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions: maricne...@gmail.com

Kind regards,
Mariana

---
Msc. Mariana Cappello Neves

Ph.D. student
Programa de Pós-graduação em Oceanografia - UERJ
Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores (MAQUA)
maqua.com.br
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[MARMAM] Fwd: Vacancy Announcements- NMFS SERO- Protected Resources Division

[Kara Shervanick - NOAA Federal]

Greetings,



We are announcing five vacancies in the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional
Office. The announcement will be open for *14 days*, from* 07/27/23 *to
*08/10/23*. Job Announcement (NMFS-SERO-23-12046185-DHA):
https://www.usajobs.gov/job/739337000



*Below are descriptions of the two vacancies in the Marine Mammal Branch:*


   - One Natural Resource Specialist “Marine Mammal Biologist” will
   preferably be located in St. Petersburg, FL.  This position will assist
   with implementing all aspects of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)
   and Endangered Species Act (ESA) for endangered marine mammals with an
   emphasis on fishery bycatch and other human impacts.  Tasks include
   coordinating logistics and implementing Take Reduction Teams (TRTs) (e.g.,
   Bottlenose Dolphin TRT and Pelagic Longline TRT); preparing and reviewing
   regulatory and non-regulatory documents (e.g., proposed and final rules,
   public comments, NEPA, research reports, stock assessments, etc..);
   conducting analyses to better understand impacts of human impacts on marine
   mammals (e.g., statistical analyses, strandings data); implementing the
   Marine Mammal Authorization Program; facilitating partnerships with local,
   state, Federal and non-governmental organizations; providing technical
   assistance regarding how to mitigate harmful human impacts to marine
   mammals and implementing marine mammal conservation programs.


   - One Natural Resource Specialist “Project Manager” will preferably be
   located in Baton Rouge, LA. This position will work collaboratively with a
   diverse team of NOAA employees, contractors, and state personnel to oversee
   successful implementation of a 15+ year project portfolio in Barataria
   Basin, LA. Initial tasks include overseeing the design and initiation of a
   pre-operations bottlenose dolphin monitoring program; facilitating
   coordination and communication among multiple internal and external groups;
   supporting the drafting and execution of contracts for monitoring and field
   work implementation; and building the state and federal relationships
   necessary to initiate and effectively execute the portfolio of Barataria
   Bay bottlenose dolphin work.

Please circulate to qualified candidates who might be interested in joining
our outstanding team and making important contributions to natural resource
conservation.



V/r

SERO Marine Mammal Branch Chief – Laura Engleby



 _


*Below is the description of the other three vacancies: *



Three Natural Resource Specialists will primarily serve as Endangered
Species Act Section 7 Biologists in either the Coral Conservation Branch or
the Interagency Coordination Branch.  These positions will preferably be
located in St. Petersburg, FL or West Palm Beach, FL. Tasks will include
participating in all aspects of ESA Section 7 consultations, including
writing biological opinions and letters of concurrence, providing technical
assistance to action agencies, recommending opportunities to minimize
impacts to protected species and critical habitat, and contributing to
opportunities to achieve efficiencies in the Section 7 process.



V/r

SERO Protected Resources Division-- Jennifer Schull and Kelly Shotts
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[MARMAM] Job opportunities in Maine, USA

[Summers, Erin L.]

The Maine Department of Marine Resources is currently hiring many positions to 
fill out a new North Atlantic right whale monitoring and research program. This 
program is being formed with three primary objectives in mind:

  1.  Collect baseline information on right whale occurrence, distribution, and 
habitat use in the Gulf of Maine.
  2.  Contribute to and create new right whale, fishery, and risk assessment 
models
  3.  Provide support for innovative gear testing and research, including 
on-demand fishing gear

The current open positions listed below can be found on our 
website or are linked below directly to the job 
description and application. There will be more positions released in the 
coming months so keep an eye out for additional opportunities if this new 
program sounds interesting to you! All positions will be based at the Maine 
Department of Marine Resources laboratory in West Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

Marine Resource Scientist II: Gear Research and Development
Closes August 8th
https://mainebhr.hire.trakstar.com/jobs/fk0xglh/

Marine Resource Scientist II: Acoustic Program Lead - 2 positions available
Closes August 8th
https://mainebhr.hire.trakstar.com/jobs/fk0xglj/

Marine Resource Scientist III: Modeling Lead
Closes August 17th
https://mainebhr.hire.trakstar.com/jobs/fk0xgyf/

Marine Resource Scientist III: Survey Lead
Closes August 17th
https://mainebhr.hire.trakstar.com/jobs/fk0xgy3/

Marine Resource Scientist III: Fisheries Data Analytics Lead
Closes August 24th
https://mainebhr.hire.trakstar.com/jobs/fk0xgyh/


Feel free to email questions to me at 
erin.l.summ...@maine.gov.



Erin Summers
Director, Division of Ecology and the Environment
Maine Department of Marine Resources
PO Box 8
West Boothbay Harbor, ME. 04575
(207) 350-6076 phone
(207) 633-9579 fax
www.maine.gov/dmr

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[MARMAM] New paper on the characteristics of hotspots for Hector's dolphins

[Tom Brough]

Kia ora marmam community,
On behalf of my co-authors I'm pleased to announce the following publication on 
the biophysical characteristics of hotspots for Hector's dolphins. Please 
follow this link to the open-access publication in Frontiers of Marine Science 
and feel free to get in touch if any questions.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1204943/full

Brough, T.E., Rayment, W.J., Slooten, L., Dawson, S. (2023) Prey and habitat 
characteristics contribute to hotspots of distribution for an endangered 
coastal dolphin. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10. 10.3389/fmars.2023.1204943

Introduction: Understanding the characteristics of hotspots of species 
distribution provides opportunities for habitat-based management; a vital and 
often missing component in the conservation of mobile marine species. 
Correlates of species distribution derived from species distribution models 
(SDMs) are assumed to represent the characteristics of important habitat, which 
often include physical and biological (i.e., prey) components. In this study, 
we integrate surveys of Hector's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori) with in-situ 
data on environmental characteristics and prey to identify the statistical 
correlates of distribution and to assess 'what makes hotspots unique'.
Methods: Between 2014 and 2017, ca. 300 surveys were carried out at hotspots 
and areas not routinely used by dolphins at Banks Peninsula on the east coast 
of New Zealand's South Island. A broad range of prey and environmental 
variables were explored as drivers of dolphin distribution using generalized 
additive models, and principal component analysis was employed to determine a 
key environmental signature for hotspots.
Results: The relative abundance of dolphins was strongly correlated with prey 
abundance and a range of environmental variables representing habitat type and 
oceanographic conditions. The combination of high prey abundance and sandy, 
shallow, high current and low turbidity habitat was strongly represented at 
hotspots.
Discussion: These characteristics are also likely attributes of habitat with 
high ecological value generally, being related to high biodiversity, 
productivity, naturalness and ecosystem function. This study showcases the 
importance of targeted investigations into the characteristics of species 
hotspots to better guide the management of important areas for the conservation 
of both species and ecosystems

[https://www.niwa.co.nz/static/niwa-2018-horizontal-180.png] 

Dr Tom Brough (he / him)
Marine Ecologist - Quantitative Modeller

+64-7-856-1735
+64-21-997-275
National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd (NIWA)
38 Harrow Street, Dunedin Central Dunedin New Zealand
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