[MARMAM] publication on new dolphin morbillivirus molecular technique

[Sandro Mazzariol]

Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the 
following publication:


*Molecular analysis of dolphin morbillivirus: A new sensitive detection 
methodbased on nested RT-PCR.* Centelleghe C, Beffagna G, Zanetti R, 
Zappulli V, Di Guardo G,Mazzariol S. Abstract: Cetacean Morbillivirus 
(CeMV) has been identified as the most pathogenic virusfor cetaceans. 
Over the past three decades, this RNA virus has caused several outbreaks 
of lethal disease in odontocetes and mysticetes worldwide. Isolationand 
identification of CeMV RNA is very challenging in whales because of the 
poor preservation status frequently shown by tissues from stranded 
animals. Nestedreverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (nested 
RT-PCR) is used instead of conventional RT-PCR when it is necessary to 
increase the sensitivity and thespecificity of the reaction. This study 
describes a new nested RT-PCR technique useful to amplify small amounts 
of the cDNA copy of Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV)when it is present in 
scant quantity in whales' biological specimens. This technique was used 
to analyze different tissues (lung, brain, spleen and otherlymphoid 
tissues) from one under human care seal and seven cetaceans stranded 
along the Italian coastline between October 2011 and September 2015. 
Awell-characterized, 200 base pair (bp) fragment of the dolphin 
Morbillivirus (DMV) haemagglutinin (H) gene, obtained by nested RT-PCR, 
was sequenced and used to confirm DMV positivity in all the eight marine 
mammals under study. In conclusion, this nested RT-PCR protocol can 
represent a sensitive detectionmethod to identify CeMV-positive, poorly 
preserved tissue samples. Furthermore, this is also a rather inexpensive 
molecular technique, relatively easy to apply.


.

The paper is available online at the following page:

*http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166093416300350*



Kind Regards,


Sandro Mazzariol

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[MARMAM] New paper on pre-modern whaling in the tropical western South Atlantic Ocean

[Igor Morais]

Dear MARMAM colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the publication of the following paper in the
Mammal Review:


*From the southern right whale hunting decline to the humpback whaling
expansion: a review of whale catch records in the tropical western South
Atlantic Ocean*

Igor Morais, Daniel Danilewicz, Alexandre Zerbini, William Edmundson, Ian
Hart and Guilherme Bortolotto

DOI: 10./mam.12073

*Abstract*

1. Historical catch records from whaling activity are crucial for
assessments of whale populations. However, several gaps in the exploitation
history for many populations from before the twentieth century create
limitations that may lead to overestimates of the recovery of these
populations. The history of modern whaling along the Brazilian coast is
relatively well known. However, several questions relating to the
pre-modern period, during and before the nineteenth century, remain
unanswered. For example, the level of exploitation of humpback whales
*Megaptera
novaeangliae* and southern right whales *Eubalaena australis* in this
period is unknown.
2. Pre-modern whaling in Brazil began in 1602 and lasted until the 1920s.
Whales were captured using manual harpoons from either rowing boats or
sailing boats, and processed at land stations called ‘armações’. A review
of the history and oil production of these stations indicates that
substantial catches occurred.
3. Pre-modern whaling records also indicate the collapse of the southern
right whale population in the western South Atlantic Ocean. Increasingly
rare reports of sightings for the nineteenth century and the closing of the
last armação in the breeding grounds off southern Brazil indicate that this
population collapsed by 1830.
4. Armações operating in north-eastern Brazil remained active through the
1800s, and targeted humpback whales until modern whaling techniques were
introduced in the early 1900s. It is estimated that between approximately
11000 and 32000 individuals of this species were captured at these coastal
whaling stations from 1830 to 1924.

Full text is available at:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10./mam.12073/abstract

-- 
*Igor Morais*
*Biólogo */ Biologist
*Mestre em Zoologia */ Master of Science in Zoology
*CV Lattes:*
http://buscatextual.cnpq.br/buscatextual/visualizacv.do?id=K4291610U1

*Pesquisador colaborador - Instituto Aqualie*
Collaborator researcher - Institute Aqualie
*Associado colaborador e membro do Comitê de Bem-Estar Animal da Sociedade
de Zoológicos e Aquários do Brasil - SZB*
Collaborator associate and member of the Animal Welfare Committee of
Brazilian Society of Zoos and Aquariums - SZB

“*A humanidade é sublime. Não por estar acima das outras criaturas, mas
porque ao conhecê-las bem, eleva o conceito da própria vida*."
- Edward O. Wilson

*"Humanity is exalted not because we are so far above other living
creatures, but because knowing them well elevates the very concept of
life."*
- Edward O. Wilson
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[MARMAM] Rescheduled underwater acoustics webinar (June 16, 2016): DOSITS webinar series summary and additional questions

[Holly Morin]

Due to unexpected technical difficulties, the 5th and final webinar in the 
DOSITS series on underwater acoustics was rescheduled to this Thursday, June 
16, 2016, at 12:00pm (US East Coast time).  This webinar will provide a brief 
summary of previous webinars, and offer an opportunity for participants to 
follow up on the topics presented and ask additional questions.  A panel of 
previous webinar speakers will be online and available to answer questions. 

Individuals must register in advance for this webinar.
To register for this webinar, please visit: 
http://dosits.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e142faad1ca3ef0f816ca8553=1ab5fa19f4
 


All previous webinars, and their associated resources, are archived on the 
DOSITS website (Webinar Series for Regulators of Underwater Sound 
; 
http://www.dosits.org/resources/all/decisionmakers/ircwebinar/ 
)


Questions?  Please contact Holly Morin at holly_mo...@uri.edu 
.


 
This webinar series is being sponsored by the American Petroleum Institute 
(API).  The American Petroleum Institute (API) is the only national trade 
association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas 
industry.

Discovery of Sound in the Sea (DOSITS; www.dosits.org ) 
is a comprehensive, educational website on underwater sound, designed to 
provide accurate scientific information at levels appropriate for all 
audiences, including decision-makers.


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[MARMAM] Reminder ACS-LA Grant Deadline Midnight on 15th of June

[ACS-LA.Grants]

Reminder: Grant Application Deadline Midnight PST on 15-June
The American Cetacean Society, Los Angeles Chapter (ACS-LA) is happy to 
announce the opening of applications for its 2016 Research Grants
 
The American Cetacean Society protects cetaceans and their habitats though 
conservation, education and research.  Working with world-class scientists, ACS 
funds research projects that address some of the most pressing issues facing 
cetaceans. ACS-LA is pleased to announce the availability of two research 
grants in the amount of $1,000.00 each to established researchers or student 
researchers attending school in the greater Los Angeles area whose work focuses 
on marine mammals.
 
1) The John E. Heyning Research Award.  This award is in the amount of 
$1,000.
 
John Heyning was a brilliant and prolific scientist. He was Deputy Director of 
the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, where he built a collection 
of marine mammal specimens second only to Smithsonian and where he curated the 
Masters of the Ocean Realm exhibit that traveled to 22 countries. He was an 
authority on beaked whales, published the work that separated common dolphins 
into two separate species, and described the countercurrent heat exchange in 
whale tongues, among many other accomplishments. John was a strong supporter of 
ACS and its mission; he served on the organization’s Board of Scientific 
Advisors and taught the Whalewatch naturalist class for many years.
 
2) The Bill Samaras Research Award.  This award is in the amount of 
$1,000.00.
 
Bill Samaras was a geologist by training but his first love was whales. He 
taught science at Carson High School for 30 years, helped shape the Cabrillo 
Marine Aquarium into the institution it is today and led the excavation of a 
gray whale skeleton during the construction of the Harbor Freeway in San Pedro. 
Bill was a lifelong supporter of ACS, an organization that he served in many 
capacities.

Guidelines for Research Grants:
 
The Los Angeles Chapter of the American Cetacean Society offers small research 
grants in support of operating research projects focusing on marine mammals. 
ACS-LA has a long-standing commitment supporting local research on cetaceans 
and other marine mammals. The two $1,000 research grants will be awarded to 
researchers or students exhibiting an outstanding commitment to furthering the 
understanding of marine mammals in California. Priority will be given to 
applicants working or attending school in Southern California and/or conducting 
their marine mammal research in Southern California.
 
 
Eligibility:
 
1.  Applicant should be a researcher or a student living and/or attending 
school in California.
 
OR
 
2.  Current research focus should be on Marine Mammals located in or around 
California with priority being given to work conducted in Southern California
 
Applications:
 
Applications should include the following:
 
1. Cover sheet with:
a) Title of Proposal and Research Area of interest including focal species
b) Field Research Group Information (Name, Address, E-mail, and Phone numbers 
and departmental contacts) or Current School, Major, and Name(s) of Supervisor 
and Department
c) Names and contact information of Lead or Principal Investigator (PI), Second 
PI, and any student participants
 
2. A one-page CV or Resume for Principal Investigator and Secondary 
Investigators
 
3. A 1-2 page narrative (single spaced) describing your research organization 
or program, details, and justification for your specific research topic 
including objectives, details on geographical area being investigated, 
hypotheses, and total project timeline including temporal benchmarks for the 
work.  How will your research contribute to our understanding and/or benefit 
the species being studied?  Is this a species-based effort or a habitat and/or 
conservation based study? Please include your estimated 1-year budget and 
budget justifications.
 
All applications will be reviewed for scientific value and overall conservation 
benefit.
 
Requirement For Recipients:
Recipients of the awards will be asked to present their research sometime in 
the next year at ACS-LA’s monthly speaker series.  Please be prepared to 
present your work, with visuals, to the ACS-LA community.
 
Deadlines:
 
Deadline for submission is 15th June 2016
 
Awards will be announced by 30th June 2016
 
Please feel free to contact Grants Chair Christina Tombach Wright with any 
questions, acsla.gra...@gmail.com.
Applications should be sent by E-mail to acsla.gra...@gmail.com.
Information about the Los Angeles Chapter of ACS can be found on our website: 
www.acs-la.org.  
To join ACS-LA, please go to http://acsonline.org/support-acs/become-member/  
and specify the Los Angeles Chapter.
For further information about specific chapters and other grant-making 
programs, please visit the Chapter page of the National American Cetacean 
Society website: www.acsonline.org.
 

[MARMAM] New publication on the stranding of a pregnant Cuvier's beaked whale in Brazil

[Guilherme Augusto Bortolotto]

Dear colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the publication of the following paper in the
Marine Biodiversity Records:

Bortolotto G.A., Morais I.O.B, Ferreira P.R.B., Reis M.S.S and Souto L.R.A.
(2016) *Anthropogenic impact on a pregnant Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius
cavirostris) stranded in Brazil*. *Mar Biodivers Rec*, 9:30. DOI
10.1186/s41200-016-0055-0.

Abstract
*Background*: Because of their usually cryptic behaviour, most knowledge on
the biology of beaked whales are from records of stranded animals. Although
the Cuvier’s beaked whale (*Ziphius cavirostris*) is the best known species
of the ziphiidae family, little information on its reproduction is
available.
*Results*: Here we report on the stranding of a dead pregnant female with
clear signs of anthropogenic impact, including the presence of a fishing
artefact in the stomach.
*Conclusions*: The region of the stranding (north-eastern coast of Brazil)
is an area of increasing interest for oil and gas exploitation.
Conservation concerns may arise from findings such as the one presented and
discussed here.

Full text and pdf files can be found here:
http://mbr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41200-016-0055-0

Please send *pdf requests* for bortolotto@gmail.com.

All the best,

Gui Bortolotto

-- 
*Guilherme A. Bortolotto | *PhD Student

SMRU • CREEM • School of Biology
University of St Andrews
*http://biology.st-andrews.ac.uk/contact/staffProfile.aspx?sunid=gabdo
*

Mobile UK: (44) 0 7884 398394

R3 Animal Association (http://en.r3animal.org/)
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[MARMAM] Sperm whale clans in the Atlantic Ocean [NEW PUBLICATION]

[Shane Gero]

Dear All,

Hi Everyone,

We are pleased to announce the publication of a new paper in Royal Society Open 
Science:

Socially segregated, sympatric sperm whale clans in the Atlantic Ocean
By: Shane Gero, Anne Bøttcher, Hal Whitehead, Peter Teglberg Madsen

The paper is OPEN ACCESS and available here:


HTML Full Text: 
http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/cgi/content/full/rsos.160061?ijkey=0FzOZ0kR2i5RSiC=ref

PDF: 
http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/cgi/reprint/rsos.160061?ijkey=0FzOZ0kR2i5RSiC=ref

Abstract

Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are unusual in that there is good 
evidence for sympatric populations with distinct culturally determined 
behaviour, including potential acoustic markers of the population division. In 
the Pacific, socially segregated, vocal clans with distinct dialects coexist; 
by contrast, geographical variation in vocal repertoire in the Atlantic has 
been attributed to drift. We examine networks of acoustic repertoire similarity 
and social interactions for 11 social units in the Eastern Caribbean. We find 
the presence of two socially segregated, sympatric vocal clans whose dialects 
differ significantly both in terms of categorical coda types produced by each 
clan (Mantel test between clans: matrix correlation = 0.256; p ≤ 0.001) and 
when using classification-free similarity which ignores defined types (Mantel 
test between clans: matrix correlation = 0.180; p ≤ 0.001). The more common of 
the two clans makes a characteristic 1 + 1 + 3 coda, while the other less often 
sighted clan makes predominantly regular codas. Units were only observed 
associating with other units within their vocal clan. This study demonstrates 
that sympatric vocal clans do exist in the Atlantic, that they define a higher 
order level of social organization as they do in the Pacific, and suggests that 
cultural identity at the clan level is probably important in this species 
worldwide.



Cited as: Gero, S., Bøttcher, A., Whitehead, H. & Madsen, P.T. 2016 Socially 
segregated, sympatric sperm whale clans in the Atlantic Ocean. R. Soc. Open 
Sci. 3, 160061. (doi:10.1098/rsos.16006)

My very best,
Shane


Shane Gero
FNU Research Fellow
Marine Bioacoustics Lab
Institute for Bioscience
Aarhus University
Denmark


Learn more about The Dominica Sperm Whale Project at 
http://www.thespermwhaleproject.org Find 
us on Facebook or Follow 
@DomWhale





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