[MARMAM] Job Opportunities at Maine Department of Marine Resources

[Murray, Anita]

Dear MARMAM community,

I am happy to share that the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) in West 
Boothbay Harbor, Maine is seeking applicants for three new Marine Resource 
Scientist I positions for our Cetacean Research Program (CRP) which is part of 
our Ecology and the Environment Division. These positions will play an integral 
role in the CRP's passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) program by analyzing 
acoustic data, maintaining our various PAM stations, and conducting various 
research projects. For more information, please see below a link to the job 
posting and the job description.

Feel free to contact me with any questions about these positions.

Cheers,
Anita

Anita Murray, PhD (she/her)
Lead, Cetacean Research Program
Maine Department of Marine Resources
194 McKown Point Road
West Boothbay Harbor, ME., 04575, USA
anita.mur...@maine.gov

Link to Job Posting: https://mainebhr.hire.trakstar.com/jobs/fk0x3jm/



Opening Date:

January 18, 2023

Closing Date:

January 31, 2023

Location:

West Boothbay Harbor

  Position #:

07200-2707

07200-2708

07200-2709

Position Type:

Limited Period Full Time

  Class Code:

9362

Grade/Salary:

23 $47,611.20 - $64,230.40(*Includes 5.5% Stipend)


BRIEF JOB DESCRIPTION: The Department of Marine Resources (DMR) is seeking 
applicants with strong scientific skills to fill three Marine Resource 
Scientist I positions in the Ecology and the Environment Division/Bureau of 
Marine Science located at the West Boothbay Harbor Laboratory*. These positions 
will be responsible for processing acoustic recordings for species-specific 
vocalizations using various acoustic analysis software. The positions will also 
be responsible for statistical and ambient noise analyses. The positions will 
perform deployment, servicing, and purchasing duties needed to maintain various 
passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) projects. The positions will stay up to date 
on literature and relevant regional projects, and work with the Cetacean 
Research Program (CRP) lead to present and publish results. Each position may 
conduct a research project using the species detection and/or vocal activity 
data generated by the team's analysis. With direction from the program lead, 
this could include identifying a research question, applying for external grant 
funding, implementing the necessary statistical analyses, and disseminating 
results. As needed, the positions will work across DMR programmatic lines, 
including for other Division of Ecology and the Environment programs.
Applicants should demonstrate knowledge of cetacean biology, ecology, and/or 
behavior (particularly vocal behavior). Applicants should demonstrate knowledge 
of management issues with respect to fisheries and/or offshore wind energy 
development, e.g., entanglement, anthropogenic noise, displacement, vessel 
strikes. Candidates should demonstrate strong analytical, writing, and 
communication skills. Candidates should demonstrate an ability to work 
independently as well as cooperatively within a team. Applicants should 
demonstrate strong organization skills and be detailed oriented. Preference 
will be given to candidates with experience in PAM, bioacoustics, soundscape 
ecology, ambient noise, statistical modeling, and/or artificial neural 
networks. Experience with Raven Pro, PAMGUARD, LFDCS, Python, MATLAB and/or GIS 
software are preferred but not required. Experience deploying research 
equipment in a marine environment is preferred but not required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: A Bachelors Degree in a scientific, technical, or 
engineering discipline, or equivalent in directly related work experience; and 
two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in the field of marine 
resource research and management or related field.
*The selected candidate will be eligible, upon department approval, to work 
partially remote.

___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] Marine Mammal Postdoctoral Researcher

[Joanne OBrien]

Dear colleagues,

The Atlantic Technological University (ATU, Galway, Ireland) are recruiting a 
Marine Mammal Postdoctoral Researcher on the EU funded project, Strategic 
Infrastructure for improved animal Tracking in European Seas (STRAITS) P1025. 
If you are interested, please see 
www.atu.ie/jobs-galway-mayo

Closing Date: 12 noon on Wednesday, 8th February 2023
Contact Person :
Dr. Joanne O'Brien
Contact Email :
joanne.obr...@atu.ie

Best wishes,

Joanne

Dr Joanne O'Brien

Ollscoil Teicneolaíochta an Atlantaigh
OTA Cathair na Gaillimhe, Bóthar Átha Cliath, Gaillimh, H91 T8NW, Éire

Marine and Freshwater Research Centre,
Atlantic Technological University
ATU Galway City, Dublin Road, Galway, H91 T8NW, Ireland

Tel: +353 (0)91 742260

www.atu.ie

Confidentiality Note: The information contained in this email and any 
attachments to it may be legally privileged and include confidential 
information. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender 
immediately of that fact.

Tá an ríomhphost seo faoi réir an tséanta seo leanas atá le fáil ag Séanadh 
Ríomhphost Ollscoil Teicneolaíochta an 
Atlantaigh
This e-mail is subject to the following disclaimer available at Atlantic TU 
Email Disclaimer
___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] New publication: Age- and sex-specific survivorship of the Southern Hemisphere long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas edwardii)

[Emma Betty]

Kia ora MARMAM community,



My colleagues and I are happy to share the publication of our new open-access 
paper:


Emma L Betty, Karen A Stockin, Bethany Hinton, Barbara A Bollard, Mark B Orams, 
Sinéad Murphy, Age- and sex-specific survivorship of the Southern Hemisphere 
long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas edwardii), Journal of Mammalogy, 
2022;, gyac085, https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac085


Abstract:

Biodiversity loss is a major global challenge of the 21st century. Ultimately, 
extinctions of species are determined by birth and death rates; thus, 
conservation management of at-risk species is dependent on robust demographic 
data. In this study, data gathered from 381 (227 females, 154 males) 
long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas edwardii) that died in 14 
stranding events on the New Zealand coast between 2006 and 2017 were used to 
construct the first age- and sex-specific life tables for the subspecies. 
Survivorship curves were fitted to these data using (1) a traditional maximum 
likelihood approach, and (2) Siler’s competing-risk model. Life table 
construction and subsequent survival curves revealed distinct differences in 
the age- and sex-specific survival rates, with females outliving males. Both 
sexes revealed slightly elevated rates of mortality among the youngest 
age-classes (<2 years) with postweaning mortality rates decreasing and 
remaining relatively low until the average life expectancy is reached; 11.3 
years for males and 14.7 years for females. Overall (total) mortality is 
estimated to be 8.8% and 6.8% per annum for males and females, respectively. 
The mortality curve resembles that of other large mammals, with high calf 
mortality, lower postweaning mortality, and an exponentially increasing risk of 
senescent mortality. An accelerated mortality rate was observed in mature 
females, in contrast to the closely related short-finned pilot whale (G. 
macrorhynchus), which selects for an extension to the postreproductive life 
span. The reason for the observed differences in the mortality rate 
acceleration and postreproductive life span between the two pilot whale species 
have not been established and warrant further investigation. Obtaining robust 
information on the life history of long-lived species is challenging, but 
essential to improve our understanding of population dynamics and help predict 
how future pressures may impact populations. This study illustrates how 
demographic data from cetacean stranding events can improve knowledge of 
species survival rates, thus providing essential information for conservation 
management.




Ngā mihi nui,
Emma


Emma Betty, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

School of Natural Sciences | Massey University

Postal Address: Private Bag 102 904, North Shore, Auckland 0745, New Zealand

Physical Address: Building 5, Gate 4, The Station Crescent,  Albany, Auckland, 
New Zealand

 [cid:dc21d1ab-6c82-45f6-a4f1-e23186e490e3] 
   
[cid:98f74ef6-cfb7-487e-a0d3-d490afb0fc57] 
   
[cid:f8ef8cf5-9ddc-4107-94d9-7d7bcefab55b]    
[cid:580e6943-6186-49c3-ba82-6d57462aa796] 

[cid:33efa7e7-5973-48b9-8231-9c64a0f98689] 


[cid:d9d2e4ae-e4ad-48d7-af85-62560cd91446]










___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] Marine Research Expeditions in the Mediterranean Sea

[Manuel Marinelli]

Project Manaia is a sailboat based Marine Conservation NGO offering spots for 
(marine) biologists to join on board:
Our work focuses on (but is not limited to)
- Mapping habitats, with a focus on Posidonia oceanica
- Marine mammal observations when underway
- Marine debris assessments as well as beach cleanups and recycling workshops
- replanting posidonia oceanica

But we also encourage participants to take on their own project with some of 
the gear we have on board including (but not limited to)
- Sofar Ocean Trident ROV
- Aerial drone
- Hydrophone
- Microscopes
- Plakton net

While we are a small NGO we do ask for a contribution towards the running costs 
of each person to cover the ongoing costs of the boat. This means 550 Euros per 
week for people from related fields, covering food, accommodation, lecturers, 
all gear and of course travel once on board, so in comparison I think a really 
fair deal. All payments are considered donations to a non profit NGO (based in 
Austria) and are (in Austria) tax deductible!
For more information please check
www.projectmanaia.at/schedule 
You will find the planned route and possible legs to join the journey. More 
information about the boat and crew can also be found there!

All the best,
Manuel



Manuel Marinelli
Marine Biologist/Skipper
Director and Founder | Project Manaia
Marine Research Expeditions

+43 660 6965601 
man...@projectmanaia.at 
www.projectmanaia.at 
Mannstorfferstr. 15, 9800 Spittal, AUSTRIA
    
    
  
 

Support our Work 



___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] Hiring: Associate Registrar and Compliance Administrator

[E L]

Georgia Aquarium (GAI) is seeking an Associate Registrar and Compliance
Administrator to support the Zoological Compliance Administrator (ZCAR)
with the management and execution of GAI’s compliance with federal
regulations, standards and guidelines from accrediting organizations and
institutional policies and procedures pertaining to the animal care and use
program.



Summarized Responsibilities:

   1. Supports the ZCAR as needed with Institutional Animal Care and Use
   Committee (IACUC) and Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) business needs.
   2. Interfaces effectively with other departments to maintain the highest
   quality standards of animal welfare and research ethics; ensures timely
   follow up and communication to staff, committees, chairs, and GAI
   leadership on important compliance and/or welfare matters.
   3. Serves as the Assistant Tracks Administrator; ensures that all
   applicable staff are trained on the use of Tracks; serves as a liaison
   between GAI IT and Tracks Administration.
   4. Assists with managing and monitoring animal transactions and
   coordinates with curatorial staff to ensure legal compliance with local,
   state, federal and international laws, government regulations and
   industry-specific standards.
   5. Supports the ZCAR in ensuring compliance with
   accreditation/certification organizations (i.e., Association of Zoos &
   Aquariums, Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks & Aquariums, American Humane,
   International Marine Animal Trainers Association); stays current with
   standards and guidelines and maintains the schedule for
   accreditation/certification inspections and maintains/updates documents, as
   necessary.



 To apply, please visit www.georgiaaquarium.org/careers.
___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] SEAMAMMS 2023 Registration Now Open!

[Seamamms 2023]

Hello,

We are happy to announce that registration is now open for the 2023
Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium (SEAMAMMS) in Mobile,
AL, on March 17th-19th. Early-bird registration will be available until
February 28th.

We have some exciting additional activities that attendees can register for
outside of the symposium program, including:
- A FREE icebreaker at the University of South Alabama
- A banquet at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab
- Two choices of optional field trip

The registration page can be found here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/seamamms-2023-registration-425160655967

Check out https://seamamms.wordpress.com/ for updates, and please reach out
to seama...@gmail.com if you have any questions.

We hope to see you in March!
The SEAMAMMS Planning Committee
___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] New publication on the impacts of drones on belugas

[Jaclyn Aubin]

Dear colleagues,


We are pleased to share our recent paper in Marine Mammal Science on the
impacts of drones on beluga whales: “Fly with care: belugas show evasive
responses to low altitude drone flights”


Aubin, J. A., Mikus, M.-A., Michaud, R., Mennill, D., & Vergara, V. (2023).
Fly with

care: belugas show evasive responses to low altitude drone flights. Marine
Mammal Science, 1–22. https://doi.org/10./mms.12997


Summary: Drones have become an important research tool for studies of
cetaceans, providing valuable insights into their ecology and behavior.
However, drones are also recognized as a potential source of disturbance to
cetaceans, particularly when flown at low altitudes. In this study, we
examined the impact of drones on endangered St. Lawrence belugas
(*Delphinapterus
leucas*), and reviewed drone studies of cetaceans to identify altitude
thresholds linked to disturbance. We repurposed drone footage of
free-living belugas taken at various altitudes, speeds, and
angles-of-approach, and noted the animals' reactions. Evasive reactions to
the drone occurred during 4.3% (22/511) of focal group follows. Belugas
were more likely to display sudden dives during low-altitude flights,
particularly flights below 23 m. Sudden dives were also more likely to
occur in larger groups and were especially common when a drone first
approached a group. We recommend that researchers maintain a lower altitude
limit of 25 m in drone-assisted studies of belugas and approach larger
groups with caution. This recommendation is in line with our literature
review, which indicates that drone flights above 30 m are unlikely to
provoke disturbance among cetaceans.

*The paper can be accessed here:* https://doi.org/10./mms.12997

All the best,
Jaclyn
___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] Online Course Now Open for Registration - An Introduction To Using GIS/QGIS In Biological Research, 27th February - 2nd March 2023

[cdmacleod]

_GIS In Ecology_ will be holding a new online training course on using 
GIS in biological research between the 27th of February and the 2nd of 
March 2023. GIS has become a critical skill for many marine mammalogists 
regardless of whether they are working on academic research, 
conservation, management or environmental impact assessment, and this 
course provides the perfect introduction for those who wish to learn how 
to use GIS for any of these purposes. While aimed at biologists in 
general, it in includes a number of practical exercises that use marine 
mammal data (including calculating abundance per unit survey effort 
based on data on dolphins from Scotland, and calculating grids of 
species richness using data on beaked whales from the North Atlantic). 
In addition, the course will primarily be taught using QGIS, a free, 
open-source GIS software package, meaning that the skills learned on 
this course can be used by anyone working with marine mammals, 
regardless of their budgets and funding.


The course will be held using the Zoom video-conferencing platform, and 
will consist of four three-hour sessions. One session will need to be 
completed each day. However, you will have a choice of completing it 
between 10:00 and 13:00 UK Time (primarily for those living in Europe, 
Asia and Africa) or 19:00 to 22:00 UK Time (primarily for those living 
in North and South America). This choice of time slots for each session 
allows participants from as wide a range of time zones to participate in 
the course.


Attendance will be limited to a maximum of 24 people per session. The 
fees for this course are GBP 295 per person (with a discounted rate of 
GBP 245 for students, the unwaged and those working for registered 
charities). To book a place on it, or for more information, visit  the 
course's dedicated webpage at 
http://gisinecology.com/online-course-an-introduction-to-using-gis-qgis-in-biological-research/, 
 Alternatively, you can email i...@gisinecology.com with the subject 
line _Introductory Online GIS Course February 2023_.


This course will be taught by Dr Colin D. MacLeod, the author of _ GIS 
For Biologists: A Practical Introduction For Undergraduates_ [1] 
(Pictish Beast Publications), and will provide an introduction to using 
GIS in a wide variety of biological research situations ranging from the 
basics of making maps through to studying the spread of diseases and 
creating maps of species biodiversity. It will consist of a series of 
background sessions on using GIS mixed in with practical sessions where 
you will work directly with GIS software to complete various tasks which 
biological researchers commonly need to be able to do.


Each three-hour session will consist of a background talk covering a 
specific topic, followed by practical exercises based on instructions 
from one of our workbooks. While you are encouraged to remain online 
during the practical sessions, you can choose to go off-line as you work 
though the exercises (or if you need to take a break). However, if you 
have any questions, the course instructor will be available for you to 
ask any questions you wish at any point.


This course will primarily be based around QGIS (also known as Quantum 
GIS), which provides a user-friendly, open-source, free alternative to 
commercial GIS software packages, and it is becoming increasingly widely 
used in both academic and commercial organisations As a result, it is 
aimed at both those with no GIS experience, but wish to learn how to to 
do GIS with QGIS, and also those who are familiar with using commercial 
GIS software, such as ArcGIS, but who wish to learn how to use QGIS as 
an alternative. However, this course is taught using 
software-independent approach, and it is also open to those who wish to 
learn how to use ArcGIS to do biological GIS.


When you attend this course you will receive a free copy of _GIS For 
Biologists: A Practical Introduction for Undergraduates [1]_as the 
practical exercises in that course are based on the ones contained in 
that book.


At the end of the course, all attendees will receive a certificate of 
attendance and completion. Each certificate is embossed with the GIS In 
Ecology official stamp to prevent its fraudulent reproduction. In 
addition, each certificate has its own unique identification number that 
we will record, along with your name, meaning that we can verify the 
authenticity of the certificates we issue (and the course you have 
completed) on request.


To attend this course, you must have your own laptop computer with an 
appropriate GIS software package installed on it. Our recommended GIS 
software for this course is the freely available QGIS software. For 
those wishing to use QGIS, you will need to download and install QGIS 
2.8.3 (for those using Windows computers) or 2.8.4 (for those using 
Macs) rather than the latest version. The best way to download the 
correct version of QGIS for this course is to use

[MARMAM] Marine Policy Officer with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group

[Simon Berrow]

*Marine Policy Officer*



The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group is Ireland’s premier eNGO working in the
marine environment. Established in 1990, the IWDG has built a credible
reputation for effective advocacy for cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and
porpoises) and their habitats.  The IWDG is also a primary data holder with
unique datasets on cetaceans which we use to support conservation actions
and policies. The IWDG currently has three full-time staff and eight
service providers. We wish to recruit a full-time *Marine Policy Officer*
on a three-year contract to develop IWDG conservation policies, build our
advocacy capability and assist in the delivery of the IWDG 5 year plan.



The initial focus of the IWDG Policy Officer role will be to drive the
preparation and promotion of key IWDG policies on *offshore renewable
energy* and *commercial fishing.*



The roll out of offshore wind and wave energy in Irish inshore waters over
the next 10 years will have profound effects on our marine environment. The
potential for biodiversity enhancement and net biodiversity gain is huge.
The IWDG published a policy document on offshore wind in 2021 and has had
many consultations with the offshore renewables industry and their
representatives. The demand on IWDG for consultations regarding
environmental scoping, assessments and mitigation and monitoring is
increasing rapidly and IWDG wish to provide a consistent and coherent
response to these requests.



The fishing sector, especially inshore, is under increased pressure from a
range of policy developments including the licensing of offshore renewable
energy (wind and wave farms) and marine protected areas. This has led
fishers to describe these key policies as resulting in “fishing squeeze”
and fishers face potential restrictions and exclusion from large areas of
the sea. However, such restrictions may also yield benefits for fishers in
terms of stock recovery and increased fishing opportunities in the future.



The IWDG wish to further build on our good relationships with fishers and
their representative organisations to engage in these issues, identify
areas of mutual concern and benefit, and identify policies which will
further our stated objectives.



This role will appeal to a candidate with a strong knowledge of marine
conservation and a desire to communicate the importance of marine
protection to a variety of stakeholders and audiences from the general
public to government representatives. A good understanding of environmental
impact assessment and marine spatial planning as well as a good
understanding of government policy in these areas is an advantage.







*Responsibilities*:



A detailed programme of work will be agreed with the successful candidate
at the outset. The successful candidate will report to the IWDG CEO and
work closely with IWDG Officers, especially the Science and Conservation
Officers.  Responsibilities include;



Advocacy

   - Primary contact and lead at the IWDG for consultation with offshore
   renewable companies on impact assessment, site stewardship, planning and
   monitoring
   - Researching and writing submissions to consultations on offshore
   renewable developments.
   - Advocating for strong marine conservation measures and an ethos of
   site stewardship to be implemented.
   - Developing and promoting IWDG policy on commercial fishing, especially
   on inshore fisheries.



Stakeholder Engagement and Communications

   - Engaging international partners on best practice for offshore
   renewables.
   - Attending occasional in-person meetings in Brussels with our European
   partners.
   - Exploring opportunities for collaboration between Irish and European
   initiatives
   - Build relationships with fishers and their representative
   organisations.
   - Represent the IWDG at a number of fisheries forums and stakeholder
   groups (e.g. RIFFs, RAC, IEN Marine Group).
   - Supporting the production of reports, policy positions and website
   articles.
   - Communication of reports, press statements, policy positions and
   outputs from advocacy campaigns to the IWDG network and beyond through
   social media, press releases, Flukes magazine articles and talks.



Reporting

   - Tracking campaign activities and deliverables
   - Identifying funding sources and preparing funding applications
   - Assisting in writing reports
   - Communicating campaigns to IWDG members



*Essential skills or experience*



   - Skills in communicating scientific information to a diverse range of
   audiences
   - A relevant university degree or equivalent qualifications or
   experience
   - An understanding of marine ecosystems and marine conservation biology

· Knowledge of the relevant EU and Irish policies and legislation

· Experience working as part of a team and independently

· Understanding of the roles and interactions of various marine
stakeholders such as: civil society groups, researchers, commercial
int