[MARMAM] Marine Mammal Scientist-in-Training Program this summer - high school students (scholarships available)

[Caroline Casey]

The California Ocean Alliance is pleased to announce that we have returned to 
offering our in-person Marine Mammal Scientist-in-Training program. This 
intensive and highly engaging one-week, hands-on course will be offered June 
27th-July 1st 2022 to high school students. Taught by both professors and 
scientists, the goal of this class is to provide students with the opportunity 
to learn about marine mammal natural history and scientific field techniques 
through multi-sensory learning methods in Monterey Bay. Students will 
participate in a variety of activities, including tracking humpback whales or 
other marine mammals  by boat to learn about how these massive animals make a 
living with scientists at Stanford, visiting UCSC’s Long Marine Laboratory to 
work with captive dolphins and seals, hiking Año Nuevo State Park beach trails 
to learn about the natural history of northern elephant seals, and kayaking in 
Elkhorn Slough to collect underwater sound recordings of different marine 
organisms in the marine soundscape. Each field experience will be supported and 
enhanced by a near-college-level scientific curriculum of lectures and labs 
about Monterey Bay marine ecosystems, with an emphasis on marine mammals. 

Course details:

Dates: June 27 – July 1, 2022
Times: 9-4pm Monday – Friday
Location: Seymour Marine Discovery Center, Santa Cruz CA
Who can enroll? Upcoming freshman in high school through outgoing seniors
Price - $1,100 per student, full and partial scholarships available

Please visit https://caoceanalliance.org/education/mmstp/ 
 to enroll and for more details 
about the program!

Warmly,

Caroline Casey, PhD (she/her/hers)
Director of Education
California Ocean Alliance

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[MARMAM] New publication - Oregon whales

[solene . derville]

Dear MARMAM community, 

We are pleased to announce the publication of our study of rorqual whale 
distribution and phenology off the coast of Oregon. 
This publication is part of the OPAL project (for more details see: [ 
https://mmi.oregonstate.edu/gemm-lab/opal-overlap-predictions-about-large-whales-identifying-co-occurrence-between-whales
 | 
https://mmi.oregonstate.edu/gemm-lab/opal-overlap-predictions-about-large-whales-identifying-co-occurrence-between-whales
 ] ) 

Derville S, Barlow DR, Hayslip C and Torres LG (2022) Seasonal, Annual, and 
Decadal Distribution of Three Rorqual Whale Species Relative to Dynamic Ocean 
Conditions Off Oregon, USA. Front. Mar. Sci. 9:868566. doi: 
10.3389/fmars.2022.868566 

Available on open-access: [ 
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.868566/full | 
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.868566/full ] 

Abstract: Whale populations recovering from historical whaling are particularly 
vulnerable to incidental mortality and disturbance caused by growing ocean 
industrialization. Several distinct populations of rorqual whales (including 
humpback, blue, and fin whales) migrate and feed off the coast of Oregon, USA 
where spatial overlap with human activities are on the rise. Effective 
mitigation of conflicts requires better foundational understanding of spatial 
and temporal habitat use patterns to inform conservation management. Based on a 
year-round, multi-platform distance sampling dataset (2016-2021, 177 survey 
days, 754 groups observed), this study generated density models to describe and 
predict seasonal distribution of rorqual whales in Oregon. Phenology analysis 
of sightings revealed a peak of humpback whale and blue whale density over the 
Oregon continental shelf in August and September respectively, and higher fin 
whale density in the winter (December). Additionally, we compared rorqual 
sighting rates across three decades of survey effort (since 1989) and 
demonstrate that rorqual whales are strikingly more prevalent in the current 
dataset, including distinct increases of blue and fin whales. Finally, density 
surface models relating whale densities to static and dynamic environmental 
variables acquired from data-assimilative ocean models revealed that summer and 
spring rorqual distribution were influenced by dynamic oceanographic features 
indicative of active upwelling and frontal zones (respectively 27% and 40% 
deviance explained). On the continental shelf, blue whales were predicted to 
occur closer to shore than humpback whales and in the more southern waters off 
Oregon. Summer and spring rorqual models, and humpback whale models, showed 
predictive performance suitable for management purposes, assessed through 
internal cross-validation and comparison to an external dataset (388 groups 
observed). Indeed, monthly hotspots of high predicted rorqual whale density 
across multiple years were validated by independent sightings (80% overlap in 
the summer model). These predictive models lay a robust basis for fine-scale 
dynamic spatial management to reduce impacts of human activities on endangered 
populations of rorqual whales in Oregon. 

Best, 


-- 
Solène Derville (she/her) 
PhD - Marine & Geospatial Ecology 
-- 
101 Promenade Roger Laroque, BPA5 
98848 Noumea cedex, New Caledonia 
Phone: +687 912299 
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Solene_Derville 

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[MARMAM] Job Posting: IFAW Data Stranding Apprenticeship

[Volker, Kristen]

Marine Mammal Rescue and Research

Stranding Apprenticeship Announcement



Position Title: Stranding Apprentice - Data



Background: IFAW is an international non-profit organization with its 
International Operations Center in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, USA. IFAW’s 
Marine Mammal Rescue and Research Program is a federally-authorized response 
program dedicated to marine mammal stranding response on Cape Cod and 
southeastern Massachusetts. Our mission is to promote the conservation of 
marine mammal species and their habitat by improving the rescue and humane care 
of stranded marine mammals, advancing stranding science, and increasing public 
awareness through education. This area averages about 260 strandings per year 
of live and dead seals, whales, porpoises and dolphins, and is a known “hot 
spot” for live dolphin mass strandings.



Position Description: This position is a temporary (12 month) paid internship 
with IFAW’s Marine Mammal Rescue and Research Program located at IFAW’s 
International Operations Center in Yarmouth Port, MA, USA. This position is 
designed to afford candidates, new to the marine mammal field, the opportunity 
to work full-time alongside experienced marine mammal stranding responders. The 
apprentice will train directly with IFAW’s marine mammal rescue and research 
staff and veterinarians and will likely have opportunities to network and learn 
from other marine mammal professionals who collaborate with IFAW. Through 
practical experience, the apprentice will develop skills and knowledge in 
marine mammal rescue, health assessment, supportive and clinical care, 
necropsy, data and sample collection and management, and other related 
responsibilities. This position will also assist with database development, 
data curation, entry and query protocols, data analysis, and various research 
projects. The Stranding Apprentice will report directly to the Assistant 
Coordinator - Research, but will also take direction from other staff who will 
provide guidance and oversight on day-to-day responses, tasks and projects, as 
needed.



Schedule: The apprentice is scheduled 5 days per week for 8 hours each day (40 
scheduled hours per week). This will include at least one weekend day per week 
and some scheduled holidays. Additional hours may be required, and overtime pay 
will be provided. The proposed dates for this position are July 2022 - July 
2023.



Pay Rate and Benefits: Regular pay rate is $16-$18/hour. Health insurance is 
offered after 3 months of employment. This position is eligible for paid 
holidays, workers’ compensation, and paid sick leave, as accrued.



Responsibilities:

General Stranding Response:

*   Provide coverage for IFAW’s marine mammal stranding hotline, and 
coordinate initial responses and dispatch team members

*   Participate in live animal stranding events, including health 
assessment, capture, supportive and clinical care, data and sample collection, 
transport, tagging and release

*   Participate in dead animal response, including carcass recovery and 
field and laboratory post-mortem examinations

*   Assist with case data entry and tracking, including stranding event 
information, health assessments, post-mortem exams, and samples collected and 
results received

*   Ensure response and necropsy equipment is maintained and ready for use

*   Assist with intern training and leading in daily activities and during 
responses

 Data:

*   Assist staff with ongoing development of new relational database, 
including review of table structure, data field options, user navigation and 
data input for efficient and accurate data collection

*   Participate in testing of data entry and navigation for each newly 
built database component to identify inefficiencies, incorrect data input, or 
“glitches”

*   Under guidance of Assistant Coordinator - Research, draft protocols 
related to data entry into and navigation of the new database

*   Review historical data to clean it up and realign parameters to aid in 
migrating existing data records into new database

*   Work with staff and provide assistance in updating protocols, 
datasheets, and sample inventory lists to meet efficient and consistent data 
and/or research needs

*   Assist staff with data and equipment needs for research projects, 
reports, presentations, trainings or other projects

*   Assist with sample curation, tracking, dissemination and curation of 
results

*   Train and lead interns in daily data tasks

*   Curate the Pinniped Entanglement Tracking portion of the database, with 
input from staff





Required Qualifications:

* A degree in the field of biology, zoology, ecology, 
marine/environmental/animal science (or related field), veterinary technician 
degree, or equivalent experience

* Demonstrate a serious interest in pursuing a career in marine or veterinary 
science

* Date entry experience and familiarity 

[MARMAM] Whale ID & Research Internship Opportunity

[James Stewart]

WHALE ID & RESEARCH INTERNSHIP - Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, CA
The Aquarium of the Pacific is southern California's largest public Aquarium 
whose mission is to instill a sense of wonder, respect, and stewardship for the 
Pacific Ocean, its inhabitants, and ecosystems. The education team, including 
prides itself on being a scientific and educational institution, making 
Aquarium guests feel like explorers as they learn about conservation and 
ecology across multiple animal touch pools, exhibits, and public whale watches 
in partnership with Harbor Breeze Cruises.

Interns will be collecting data on various cetaceans (dolphins, blue whales, 
humpbacks, fin whales, gray whales, etc.) while on public whale watches. 
Primary responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to: 
handling photography equipment, participating in whale watches in various 
weather conditions, uploading photos and data to a database, and managing 
photos and sighting data for further utilization, and interacting with Aquarium 
and whale watch guests.

Commitment
200-hour program that will be completed in 10 weeks, average 20 hrs per week
Pay Status: This is an unpaid internship

Interns will receive training and experience in the following:
Learning the methods of wildlife observation and data collection in the field
Using DSLR photography equipment
Taking dorsal fin and fluke photos of cetaceans encountered during daily, 
public whale watches
Maintain detailed data logs of sightings and enter them into a digital database
Create a research project to display to Aquarium staff and guests using whale 
data
Photo management with Adobe Lightroom and data entry with Microsoft Access
Interpreting and communicating science while on board the whale watch or in the 
building to Aquarium guests

What the Aquarium of the Pacific expects from interns
The drive and ability to learn tasks quickly and well
To perform all of their assigned duties promptly and reliably with minimal 
supervision
To be prompt and on time
To exercise care and judgment when working on a boat
To abide by all Aquarium of the Pacific employee guidelines and policies
The ability to meet the minimum time commitments of the position

Qualifications
Must be 18 years of age or older
Background in cetacean science, biology, marine biology, or conservation a plus 
but is not required
Prior experience with DSLR cameras and photo software is a plus, but not 
required
Completed and pass a background check

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities
Applicants should have a broad knowledge of ecological and biological 
principles, especially those relating to marine mammals and marine habitats
Ability to spend many hours standing, especially on a boat, and in various 
weather conditions
Experience in data entry recommended but not required
Comfortable speaking in front of groups of people
Strong communication skills to transmit information to staff, visitors, and 
whale watch participants in a clear and thorough manner
Have excellent oral and written communication skills
Ability to manage multiple tasks at once
Must be able to lift and carry 30 lbs on stairs, boats, docks, etc.

Requirements
Must complete general orientation session
Interns will complete a pre-post program questionnaire
Internship completion based on accruing 200 hours of work time
Research project completed and presented to Aquarium Staff during internship 
period (to be determined by the intern in collaboration with program 
coordinator)

Follow the link to apply to our internships https://bit.ly/37Vwhp6

James Stewart| Education Supervisor of Boat Programs
Aquarium of the Pacific | jstew...@lbaop.org

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[MARMAM] New publication: First biologging data finds remarkably fast biosonar and movement strategy for Sowerby's beaked whale

[fvisser]

Dear marmam,

It is our pleasure to share our recent publication on the biosonar and 
movement strategy of Sowerby's beaked whales.
The first biologging data on this species, from individuals tagged off 
Terceira, Azores with Dtags, showed surprisingly fast swimming and 
hunting behaviour, combined with fast, high frequency echolocation. 
These findings suggest a much wider range of deep-sea foraging niches 
and strategies in beaked whales than currently expected, as well as a 
possibly different beaked whale response strategy to anthropogenic 
sounds.


Link to the open access paper:
https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/225/9/jeb243728/275372/Sowerby-s-beaked-whale-biosonar-and-movement
Authors: Fleur Visser, Machiel G Oudejans, Onno A Keller, Peter T Madsen 
and Mark Johnson.


Abstract:
Closely-related species are expected to diverge in foraging strategy, 
reflecting the evolutionary drive to optimize foraging performance. The 
most speciose cetacean genus, the mesoplodonts, are beaked whales with 
little diversity in external morphology or diet, and overlapping 
distributions. Moreover, the few studied species of beaked whales 
(Ziphiidae) show closely-similar foraging styles with slow, 
energy-conserving movement during long, deep foraging dives. This raises 
the question of what factors drive their speciation. Using data from 
animal-attached tags and aerial imagery, we test the hypothesis that two 
similar-sized mesoplodonts, Sowerby's (Mesoplodon bidens) and 
Blainville's (M. densirostris) beaked whales, exploit a similar 
low-energy niche. We show that, compared to the low-energy strategist 
Blainville's beaked whale, Sowerby's beaked whale lives in the fast 
lane. While targeting a similar meso/bathypelagic foraging zone, they 
consistently swim and hunt faster, perform shorter deep dives, 
echolocate at a faster rate and with higher frequency clicks. Further, 
extensive near-surface travel between deep dives challenges the 
interpretation of beaked whale shallow inter-foraging dives as 
management of decompression sickness. The distinctively higher frequency 
echolocation clicks do not hold apparent foraging benefits. Instead, we 
argue that a high-speed foraging style influences dive duration and 
echolocation behaviour, enabling access to a distinct prey population. 
Our results demonstrate that beaked whales exploit a broader diversity 
of deep-sea foraging and energetic niches than hitherto suspected. The 
marked deviation of Sowerby’s beaked whales from the typical Ziphiid 
foraging strategy has potential implications for their response to 
anthropogenic sounds, which appear to be strongly behaviourally-driven 
in other Ziphiids.

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