[MARMAM] Whales of Guerrero (Humpback whales in Mexico) Winter 2016 Internship Opening
Hello there - The deadline to apply for a winter 2016 internship with the Whales of Guerrero Research Project is fast approaching! The job description can be found in Spanish in the link below. Thank you! *** Whales of Guerrero Research Project Internship Winter 2016 - Deadline September 1st, 2015 (Find the full job description and announcement in Spanish and English HERE: http://www.whalesinmexico.com/internships-2016.htm) Background The Whales of Guerrero Research Project (WGRP) is a field research and community outreach project located in the southwestern state of Guerrero, Mexico, near the twin cities of Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo on the Pacific Ocean coast. This project is the first to investigate humpback whales and other marine mammals in depth in the state of Guerrero. There is an absence of information and awareness about whales and other cetaceans among boat operators, tour guides, residents and visitors to the region. Project Goals The two primary goals of the Whales of Guerrero Research Project¹s are: Contribute to a better understanding of the structure, abundance, distribution and dynamics of the migratory humpback whales and other marine mammals which visit and inhabit the region. Raise awareness about responsible whale watching and ecotourism practices and humpback whale behavior and biology among boat operators, tour guides, educators, residents and visitors. We will accomplish our research goals by conducting on-water and land-based field studies in the area from January through March annually for the next 4 years (winters 2015-2018). The 2016 study will include two concurrent on-water efforts to locate, photo-identify and record the songs of humpback whales and collect occurrence data on other marine mammals including four dolphin species (Tursiops truncatus, Stenella attenuata, Steno bredanensis and Delphinus delphis). The research boats will be 6-meter long fiberglass fishing pangas, driven by local fishermen, who will be participating in the project as regional experts, citizen scientists and ecotour guides in training. In addition, one land-based field study will record marine mammal occurrence and activity relative to all boats in the area. Fluke identification photos will contribute to our local fluke identification catalog as well as larger existing fluke identification catalogs maintained by research colleagues elsewhere in Mexico and the US. We will record humpback whale vocalizations to note presence/absence and also share these data with researchers elsewhere in Mexico and the US. Data we collect will (1) help the region to become a SEMARNAT-acknowledged marine mammal site, which will garner further resources to study and protect the whales, (2) identify potentially sensitive regions for humpback whales relative to shrimp boat activity, gillnet fishing and other potentially harmful anthropogenic activities, and (3) contribute to the larger scientific community¹s understanding of the Northeastern Pacific Humpback Whale stock. We will raise awareness regarding whale watching practices and humpback whale behavior by hosting and facilitating workshops and training sessions geared toward boat operators, fishermen, tourist-oriented business owners, residents and visitors. These efforts will be led by early career and established scientists and educators from Mexico and the United States. A number of marine mammalogists and marine biology educators will spend short periods of time on the study with us throughout the season to participate in our outreach efforts, provide expertise and support to our research efforts, and strengthen the scientific community¹s understanding of marine mammals in the state of Guerrero as they relate to the larger stocks. Website For more information about the Whales of Guerrero Research Project, please visit: Our project website at: http://www.whalesinmexico.com http://www.whalesinmexico.com/ and on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/whalesinmexico Volunteer Intern Positions The WGRP is in the process of selecting volunteer interns for our Winter 2016 internship program. A minimum of 10 weeks of participation is required during 4 January - 20 March. Applications are due by September 1st. Please note that we are only seeking 4-6 interns this session and that we receive many more applications than we have openings. Successful candidates will participate in the following research projects: 1) Humpback whale field monitoring and photo-identification. This study will continue monitoring the migratory community of humpback whales in Barra de Potosi, Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and the surrounding waters. Duties in the field will consist of assisting with boat-based photographic identification surveys for humpback whales five days per week, six hours per day. Behavioral, location, individual, and environmental data will be recorded for each marine mammal group. Interns can expect to rotate between land-based field
[MARMAM] Marine Mammal Field Techniques
Marine Mammal Field Techniques Participants in this program will spend 5 days in the field learning skills important to marine mammal research and two days snorkeling near shore reefs. Each day we will focus on a different skill and include a round table discussion in the evening. This program is meant to be low stress and enjoyable! A maximum of 8 students (and 2 MCERC faculty members) will cover the following: Ø Passive acoustic monitoring data collection Ø Acoustic analysis software Theodolite tracking and theory Ø Marine Mammal identification ØCapture-recapture studies (fluke and fin matching) Bring your own snorkel gear and a camera because we will be working from beautiful cliffs and swimming/snorkeling from Puerto Rico’s Caribbean beaches. Cost of this program is $900.00USD and includes the instruction fee, a bunk at the field house, all meals (we cook together), and transportation to all field sites and beaches. The program fee does not include transportation to and from San German, Puerto Rico. To join us in this program; Go to www.Marine-Eco.org/mcerc-moodle and fill out the Simple Application Form. You can find the form and detailed instructions on the left on the home page of the Education Hub. Send all the pages (you can take photos of them!) to the address on the form. You will get a log on and password, then you just log in, go to the course through the block on the right of the home page, and follow the instructions! There are only 8 spots for this program, so register quickly! Mithriel MacKay, Ph.D. Director of Research and Education Marine and Coastal Ecology Research Center San German, Puerto Rico, USA and Pipe Creek, Texas 78063 Website www.Marine-Eco.org http://www.marine-eco.org/ E-mail mithr...@marine-eco.org mcerc.m...@gmail.com Education HUbwww.Marine-Eco.org/mcerc-moodle Photo Gallery www.Marine-Eco.Jimdo.com ___ MARMAM mailing list MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam
[MARMAM] Clearwater Marine Aquarium Stranding Biologist Position
Interested applicants will email a cover letter and resume to ddesan...@cmaquarium.orgmailto:ddesan...@cmaquarium.org . Clearwater Marine Aquarium is located at 249 Windward Passage, Clearwater FL . Information can be found at www.seewinter.comhttp://www.seewinter.com . Due to the large number of applicants no follow up calls or emails will be accepted. POSITION DESCRIPTION POSITION TITLE: Stranding Biologist REPORTS TO: Supervisor EXEMPT OR NON-EXEMPT: Non-exempt PERCENTAGE OF FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT: 100% PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Able to work in adverse environmental conditions, lift and carry 50 lbs, proficient swimmer, and have good physical stamina. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY: The role of the Stranding Biologist within the Stranding Department is to support and contribute to the goals and objectives outlined by management. This will require the Stranding Biologist position to maintain flexible working hours, to be amenable to shifting priorities and other changes, and to be able to modify accordingly. The Stranding Biologist may report to more than one job site, which involves traveling beyond Pinellas County and/or to other facilities. The primary responsibility of the Stranding Biologist is to be activity involved in tasks that are necessary to support stranding preparedness and response, as determined by the Stranding Coordinator, and that which promotes education and community awareness. Routine tasks required of the Stranding Biologist include, but are not limited to, public speaking, public relations, maintenance and storage of equipment, purchase of supplies, teaching and education, collection and management of data and samples, correspondence related to all aspects of the job, rehab shift coverage and overnight observations, operation of vehicles and vesicles, and producing written materials. Other aspects of the Stranding Biologist position involve transport, processing and/or disposal of carcasses as well as the treatment and care of live animals in the field and/or in a rehab setting. The Stranding Biologist is required to participate in random and unscheduled events such as interviews, necropsies, or various animal responses. On an as needed basis, the Stranding Biologist will also assist with some or all aspects of various projects, research, or grant writing and is required to participate in other animal care departments. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: * To have complete knowledge of the SE Marine Mammal Stranding Network, CMA's role within the stranding network and the community. * Participate in all operations required for consistent stranding response preparedness 100% of the time. * Participate in daily operations including, but not limited to, the completion of checklists, equipment cleaning and organization, monitoring and response to the stranding hotline, public stranding demonstrations, guest programs, and more. * Modify and adjust work schedule and priorities in order to participate in the rapid response to all stranded animal rescues and rehab events, including those which occur during non-schedule times. * Maintain the cleanliness and organization of the critical care facilities and storage areas on a consistent basis. * Complete routine inspections of critical care facilities based on NMFS Polices and Best Practices and USDA guidelines. Make recommendations for work orders. * Complete all tasks necessary to monitor the 24-hour CMA emergency stranding hotline. * Maintain a comprehensive and updated stranding team membership database. * Conduct workshops and trainings for the Stranding Team volunteers, interns, law enforcement, and the public. * Participate in the rehabilitation, release, and monitoring efforts of marine mammals, which involve overnight and extended-hour shifts. * Maintain accurate and updated information on CMA's Cetacean Database, CMA's Photo Archive, and the NMFS Marine Mammal National Database. * Collect quality data and complete required documentations (e.g. 24-hour report, Level A Data) for stranded animals. * Maintain or revise the Stranding Internship syllabus as needed, and provide daily training and supervision to Stranding Interns. Complete a minimum of two evaluations for each Stranding Intern. * Participate in activities that promote or support the Stranding Department as determined by the Stranding Coordinator. * Participate in various public relations and media events, including professional interviews. * Participate in community relations, outreach events and other activities, which may involve traveling to the other counties within the state of FL, for the purpose of education, training, and networking. * Conduct public stranding demonstrations and/or hoist paid guest programs. Assist with training of new
[MARMAM] Aquatic Mammals Issue 41.3 available online
Dear MARMAM and ECS-talk subscribers, Apologies to those of you who will receive duplicate emails due to cross-posting. The following titles represent the contents of the most recent issue (Volume 41, issue 3, 2015) of Aquatic Mammals. The online issue is now available at this link: http://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/index.php?option=com_contentview=categoryid=60Itemid=157 For individuals with a print subscription, the joint hard copy of 41.3/41.4 will be mailed in December. Aquatic Mammals is the longest running peer-reviewed journal dedicated to research on aquatic mammals and is published quarterly with manuscripts available as published PDFs in real time. Further information about the journal can be found at: http://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/ Instructions for authors and formatting guidelines can be found in the first volume of each issue and at this link: http://tinyurl.com/AMauthorinstructions To submit a manuscript for publication consideration, please visit: http://am.expressacademic.org/actions/author.php If you subscribe to Aquatic Mammals online, you can visit the journal web site and sign in to download all articles from this volume:http://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/ Please do not contact the listserve editors for PDFs or copies of the articles. To obtain a PDF, please subscribe to Aquatic Mammals http://tinyurl.com/AMsubscribe or contact the corresponding author for reprints. Links to a purchase page for each article are also included below. Please see list below for Volume 41, issue 3 contents. Thank you for your continued interest in the journal and abstract postings. With regards, Kathleen Dudzinski, Ph.D. Editor, Aquatic Mammals aquaticmamm...@gmail.com *** K. Melillo-Sweeting, D. Yeater, and K. M. Dudzinski. 2015. Short Note: Dolphin Sightings Near the Coast of Bimini, The Bahamas, 2003-2013. Aquatic Mammals 41.3, 245-251. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.41.3.2015.245 A. D. Whitt, M. A. Baran, M. Bryson, and L. E. Rendell. 2015. Short Note: First Report of Killer Whales Harassing Sperm Whales in the Gulf of Mexico. Aquatic Mammals 41.3, 252-255. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.41.3.2015.252 M. H. Rasmussen, J. C. Koblitz, and K. L. Laidre. 2015. Buzzes and High-Frequency Clicks Recorded from Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) at Their Wintering Ground. Aquatic Mammals 41.3, 256-264. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.41.3.2015.256 G. L. Gemmell, J. D. McInnes, S. J. Heinrichs, and G. de Silva Wijeyeratne. 2015. Short Note: Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) Predation on Whales in Sri Lankan Waters. Aquatic Mammals 41.3, 265-271. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.41.3.2015.265 E. Vermeulen, L. Holsbeek, and K. Das2015. Diurnal and Seasonal Variation in the Behaviour of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Bahía San Antonio, Patagonia, Argentina. Aquatic Mammals 41.3, 272-283. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.41.3.2015.272 L. Fiorucci, D. Garcia-Parraga, R. Macrelli, F. Grande, C. Flanagan, F. Rueca, S. Busechian, B. Bianchi, M. Arbelo, and P. Saviano. 2015. Determination of the Main Reference Values in Ultrasound Examination of the Gastrointestinal Tract in Clinically Healthy Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Aquatic Mammals 41.3, 284-294. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.41.3.2015.284 M. F. Blasi, A. Giuliani, and L. Boitani. 2015. Influence of Trammel Nets on the Behaviour and Spatial Distribution of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Aeolian Archipelago, Southern Italy. Aquatic Mammals 41.3, 295-310. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.41.3.2015.295 R. A. Kastelein, I. van den Belt, L. Helder-Hoek, R. Gransier, and T. Johansson. 2015. Behavioral Responses of a Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) to 25-kHz FM Sonar Signals. Aquatic Mammals 41.3, 311-326. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.41.3.2015.311 W. Xianyan, X. Min, Wu Fuxing, D. W. Weller, M. Xing, A. R. Lang, and Z. Qian. 2015. Short Note: Insights from a Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) Bycaught in the Taiwan Strait Off China in 2011. Aquatic Mammals 41.3, 327-332. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.41.3.2015.327 E. J. Ferrari, Z. A. Schakner, C. A. Villafana, L. S. Enriquez, and D. D. Lawson. 2015. Short Note: Pilot Study of Underwater Observations of Interactions Between Harbor Seals, California Sea Lions, and Cormorants with Halibut Trawl Fisheries in Southern California. Aquatic Mammals 41.3, 333-340. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.41.3.2015.333 E. Saulitis, L. A. Holmes, C. Matkin, K. Wynne, D. Ellifrit, and C. St-Amand. 2015. Short Note: Biggs Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) Predation on Subadult Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Lower Cook Inlet and Kodiak, Alaska. Aquatic Mammals 41.3, 341-344. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.41.3.2015.341 L. Fiorucci, F. Grande, C. Flanagan, J. Silva, N. Urbani, J. Sampayo, and R. Macrelli. 2015. Reference Baseline Data for Gastric Cytology in
