[MARMAM] Photo-ID software - finFindR

[Dagmar Fertl]

Posted by request of Dr. Sam Ridgway (National Marine Mammal Foundation).


WEST and the National Marine Mammal 
Foundation
 and Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc. (WEST) have released an innovative, 
automated system, ‘finFindR’, that identifies wild dolphins using photographs 
of the nicks and notches on their dorsal fins. This free, opensource software 
application allows researchers to compare fin characteristics in their dolphin 
photographs with those in finFindR’s catalog of known individuals. 'finFindR' 
compares images in a fraction of second.

More information about this software can be found here: 
https://github.com/haimeh/finFindR/wiki…







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[MARMAM] Seeking Research Assistants for Gray Whales Count 2019, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

[Michael H Smith]

RESEARCH ASSISTANT (RA) POSITIONS AVAILABLE - seeking volunteer Research 
Assistants to participate in Gray Whales Count (GWC) 2019 survey of the 
northbound migration of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) migrating through 
the nearshore of the Santa Barbara Channel. 

GWC is seeking Research Assistants (RA) to work with Project Coordinator and 
team of observers to assist in our annual survey, conducted from shore at 
Counter Point, in the Coal Oil Point Reserve, Goleta, California, USA, adjacent 
to the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB).  

This position is open to citizens of the United States of America and those 
authorized to work in the United States with an appropriate visa in hand.

The 2019 survey begins Wednesday, February 13 and continues every day through 
May 29, from 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Sunday . If gray whale calves are 
continuing, we may need to extend the survey through May 31. 

We are looking for passionate, caring individuals who are willing to commit for 
the entire survey, ~100 survey days, and be available to begin Saturday, 
February 9 to train and to assist with preparations.

GWC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization for research and education. The 
primary goal of research is to estimate the number of gray whales and gray 
whale calves migrating northbound through our corridor and to share our data to 
complement similar sampling-studies along the California coast. A secondary 
goal is to document the variety and quantity of other marine mammals in the 
ocean area around our site, which is now a Marine Protected Area.

Goals of education are to teach the process of scientific research to Counters 
and to give them the opportunity to conduct a meaningful study, to experience 
marine mammals in their natural environment, and to share this process and our 
enthusiasm with publics through direct interchange, outreach, and various 
media. 

RAs will be trained by the Project Coordinator and, in-turn, share the 
responsibility for training new volunteers and conducting research and 
education.

Applicable skills learned and achieved include:

  > Process, concepts, and protocols of the survey, including use of equipment 
and data-entry.

  > Ability to identify a multitude of marine mammal species from a distance, 
including but not limited to: gray whales, humpback whales, bottlenose 
dolphins, common dolphins, Pacific white-sided dolphins, harbor seals, 
California sea lions, sea otters, etc. 

  > Identify behaviors of these marine mammals

  > Distinguish calves from juveniles and adults  

  > Identify vessels and vessel operations

  > Gather detailed, consistent data, with ability to teach and check others’ 
work

  > Learn about marine mammals in their natural environment and the forces that 
affect them, both natural and anthropogenic

  > Developing responsibility and a working relationship within a team

Because of the training required, applicants must be willing to commit 
full-time to the project for the time period involved, approximately 100 days. 

This will entail up to 9 hours of work a day for at least 5 days a week. (With 
training, RA’s are required to work everyday the first two weeks.) The Count is 
6 days per week (no counting Tuesdays). The more time you can put in, the more 
you will get out of your experience. 

Priority will be given to those candidates with associative career goals. 
Previous experience is a plus but not a condition.

This is an invaluable opportunity to gain extensive experience in real-time, 
scientific fieldwork in an environment rich with diverse populations of marine 
mammals. You will work with equally diverse individuals who are caring, 
attentive, and curious. Gray whales are a sentinel species traveling from 
temperate lagoons in Mexico, along the dynamic California Current at the 
eastern edge of the North Pacific Ocean to the Arctic waters of northern Alaska 
in one of the longest marine mammal migrations. 

Requirements: 

  > Even though we are situated in Southern California, you must be able to 
withstand harsh weather conditions. Fieldwork can be, at times, physically and 
mentally demanding.

  > Willingness to work long hours.

  > Commit for a minimum of 100 days, full time (minimum five days per week).

  > Enrolled in or completed a degree in biology, marine science, zoology, 
environmental science, animal behavior or a related field.

  > Previous field experience with marine wildlife and observation is a plus 
but not required.

  > Ability to work in a team environment to produce consistent, high quality 
results. We cannot stress this enough. You will be trained to be a leader of an 
operation with people of differing experience and dedication.

  > Be enthusiastic and possess a caring, positive attitude, with a strong 
desire to learn.

  > Be adaptable and patient. The migration is characterized by pulses rather 
than a steady stream; and weather is the unknown factor: 

[MARMAM] New Publication on Long-finned pilot whale skull morphometry, MarMamSci

[María Constanza Marchesi]

Dear Colleagues,

We are happy to announce the publication of our note in Marine Mammal Science 
entitled: "Long-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala melas, Traill 1809) subspecies 
in the Atlantic Ocean: Are there differences in their skulls?” by T.I. Marina, 
M.C. Marchesi and R.N.P Goodall, DOI: 10./mms.12548.

In this note, we employed traditional morphometrics to characterize in detail 
the skull morphometry of the two subspecies of long-finned pilot whale (G. 
melas melas and G. melas edwardii) in the Atlantic Ocean and compare them in 
order to provide new information about their cranial structure, as well as to 
contribute to the taxonomic resolution of the subspecies. We hypothesized 
morphometric differences in the skull of both subspecies, based on the fact 
that they are completely isolated and on the presence of analogous skull 
distinction in the short- and long-finned pilot whale species, and in the 
eastern and western North Atlantic populations of the long-finned pilot whale. 
This is the first study that characterizes and compares the skull morphometry 
of the two long-finned pilot whale subspecies in detail. Our results lead to 
the conclusion that these subspecies exhibit significant differences in skull 
morphology in the Atlantic Ocean. Furthermore, we suggest functional 
implications for feeding habits, diving behavior and sound production that 
should be tested in future studies.

You can access the article 
at:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10./mms.12548

If you cannot download the publication, you can request a pdf copy by emailing 
the leading author: tomasimar...@gmail.com


Regards,

Lic. María Constanza Marchesi
Doctoral Fellow, Laboratorio de Mamíferos Marinos, Centro para el Estudio de 
los Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR, CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Argentina


> 
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[MARMAM] Job Opportunity: Animal Care & Necropsy Tech, National Marine Life Center

[Kathy Zagzebski]

ANIMAL CARE & NECROPSY TECHNICIAN (part-time):

The National Marine Life Center, an independent, non-profit marine animal
hospital and science and education center on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, seeks
a part-time Animal Care & Necropsy Technician to work with stranded sea
turtles and seals.  Responsibilities include:  animal husbandry; animal
necropsies; performing animal health assessments; scheduling procedures;
collecting samples; animal handling and restraint, preparing food and
feeding; administering vitamins and medications; training and supervising
volunteers; cleaning and maintaining the facilities; testing water quality;
and maintaining the life support systems. Additional duties include:
presenting educational programs to the public, participating in fundraising
activities, and assisting with general office duties.

Requirements:  rehabilitation experience with marine mammals and sea
turtles; necropsy experience on marine mammals and sea turtles; B.A./B.S. in
biology, zoology, or related field, and/or veterinary technician
degree/certification, and/or equivalent work experience; excellent verbal
and written communication skills; proficiency with standard MS Office
software. Must be willing to work weekends and holidays.

This is a part-time position, working approximately 20 hours per week. The
position is open until filled. We are looking to fill this position quickly.
For more info and a full job description, please visit:
http://nmlc.org/about/staff/job-opportunities/#animalcarenecrotech

Send cover letter, resume, and the names of three professional references to
Lisa Becker, Animal Care Manager, lbec...@nmlc.org 
, (fax) 508-759-5477, National Marine Life Center, P.O. Box 269, Buzzards
Bay, MA, 02532-0269.

The National Marine Life Center is an equal opportunity employer.
www.nmlc.org  .

 

 

 

***

   Kathy Zagzebski

   President & Executive Director

 

   National Marine Life Center

   P.O. Box 269, 120 Main Street

   Buzzards Bay, MA 02532

 

   kzagzeb...@nmlc.org

   www.nmlc.org  

   @MarineLifeCtr 

 

   508-743-9888 x301

   Fax 508-759-5477

   Cell 774-313-8850

   

   I Goodsearch.com for the

   National Marine Life Center!

 

   I #shopwithasmile for the

   National Marine Life Center at

 
 https://smile.amazon.com/ch/04-3290276

**

 



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[MARMAM] DOLPHIN RESEARCH INTERNSHIP IN PORTUGAL

[AIMM Internships]

*DOLPHIN RESEARCH INTERNSHIP IN PORTUGAL*



*BACKGROUND: *The Marine Environment Research Association - AIMM, is a
non-profit, non-governmental organization focused on the research and
conservation of marine species, running an ongoing study of cetaceans in
southern Portugal (Algarve). This project aims to obtain baseline
information on species occurrence, behavior, and social structure of the
local cetacean populations in order to obtain scientific data to support
conservation measures and inform marine management policies.

The main species observed are Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus
delphis), Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), and Harbour porpoises
(Phocoena phocoena), although other species such as Minke whales
(Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) can
also be sighted.

AIMM Interns are young, hard-working individuals who are willing to
contribute to the association and support on-going activities, while
experiencing fieldwork at sea, learning data collection and processing
methodologies, and being a part of AIMM's team of researchers and marine
biologists for a period of time. All team members and participants share
accommodation, house tasks, knowledge and experience in an environmental
friendly and multicultural environment.

Interns have the additional option to enrich their time with AIMM by
beginning or improving their SCUBA skills with a PADI-certified instructor.



*WHERE:* Albufeira, Algarve, Portugal



*WHEN:* The field season lasts from 1st of May to 31st October 2019. The
minimum internship attendance is 7 days, preferably starting on a Monday.



*FIELDWORK: *The field trips are conducted in AIMM's research vessel,
Ketos, or in opportunistic platforms (commercial dolphin-watching boats).
Fieldwork is dependent on weather conditions and seat availability in the
dolphin-watching boats. Field days can be intense, especially in the peak
of summer, but are fulfilling and good fun. The interns will be trained to:

·Conduct on-board surveys of marine species occurrence;

·Record effort tracks on a handheld GPS;

·Collect data on behavior, group size, species, etc.;

·Collect photos to photo-identification, acoustic recording, and
underwater videos while on-board;

·Secchi disk methodology;

·Help to collect of drone footage from the marine mammals.



*DATA ANALYSIS: *This will be conducted on a daily basis and will entail
entering data into established databases and spreadsheets,
photo-identification processing, and preliminary data interpretation.



*INTERNSHIP FEES:* AIMM is a non-profit organization that relies on
donations from our volunteers, partners, and conservation-minded people
like you so that we may continue our important research and education
programs in the Algarve. This internship requires a monetary contribution
which is used to off-set the cost of accommodation and running a
non-profit. For more information on internship fees for the 2019 season,
please contact: inte...@aimm-portugal.org

We have a special deal for you book the internship until 31st December 2018.



*Included* in the fee is:

·Accommodation in the research house;

·Transportation to/from the marina;

·Meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner);

·Fieldwork in the research vessel or commercial dolphin-watching
vessels.



*Not included* in the fee is:

·Transportation to/from Albufeira;

·Meals in restaurants and snacks;

·Free time activities;

·Personal insurance (all participants should have health and/or
travel insurance);

·Personal expenses.



*INTERNS ARE EXPECTED TO:*

·Be above the age of 16;

·Have a mature attitude towards marine mammal research and
environment;

·Be autonomous and flexible;

·Be able to live and work in an international team and mainly
outdoors at sea;

·Speak English;

·Participate for minimum 7 days.



*Preference will be given* to those who have:

·Relevant marine mammal field experience

·Working experience on research vessels

·Experience working from dolphin/whale watching platforms

·Experience in photo-identification

·Professional cameras that can be used for photo-ID

·Availability to stay for longer periods of time



*INTERNSHIP APPLICATION: *

Applicants should fill up the online application at:

http://www.aimmportugal.org/dolphin-research-internship

AIMM will send a confirmation e-mail with all the details about the
internship and asking for your Resume/CV, motivation letter (small
statement on which are your expectations and why do you want to work with
AIMM) and the period of time that you want do the program.

OR

Applicants should send an e-mail to: inte...@aimm-portugal.org, with the
subject “*DOLPHIN RESEARCH INTERNSHIP*”. You will receive and e-mail with
the availability and all the others details.

[MARMAM] IMMS Animal Training Internship (Spring)

[Jeanette Gramm]

IMMS Animal Training Internship
Spring: Feb – April 2019
Deadline: December 1, 2018

The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (“IMMS”) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit 
organization established in 1984 for the purposes of public education, 
conservation, and research on marine mammals in the wild and under human care. 
Located in Gulfport, Mississippi, IMMS has been an active participant of the 
National Stranding Network since its inception. IMMS is the premier stranding 
organization in the Mississippi-Louisiana-Alabama region of the Gulf Coast with 
the capability and expertise to care for sick and injured marine mammals. IMMS 
serves as an important educational outlet for the Mississippi Gulf Coast, 
incorporating programs for conservation, education and research of marine 
mammals and their environment.

Program Description
The IMMS Animal Training Internship Program is designed as a way for 
students/individuals interested in a career in animal care and training to gain 
valuable experience in a real-world setting. Interns will primarily be trained 
in aspects of animal care, but will also participate in other activities at 
IMMS. Our goal is to give interns a well-rounded experience in a variety of 
areas while providing expert training and experience. This is an unpaid 
position and all interns are responsible for their own housing and 
transportation.

Duties
The IMMS animal care and training staff is in charge of caring for Atlantic 
bottlenose dolphins, California sea lions, and large parrots. Interns will work 
directly with animal care staff and be exposed to all aspects of the daily 
routine. Heavy emphasis is placed on basic tasks such as food preparation, and 
daily cleaning and facility maintenance. Interns will learn how to train 
animals with operant conditioning through observation and may assist during 
sessions. Interns will also complete a project during their internship, give 
educational presentations to guests before they interact with our animals, as 
well as help staff with daily water quality. Because we want interns to have a 
well-rounded experience, they will also be asked to assist in other 
departments. Interns may participate as 1) environmental educators and assist 
in giving presentations to the public, 2) research assistants that help with 
our many wild dolphin based research studies, or 3) emergency responders as 
IMMS is part of the Southeast Regional Marine Mammal Stranding Network and 
responds to stranded marine mammals and sea turtles.

Eligibility Requirements
Interns must be:
• 18 years or older.
• A recent graduate or actively pursuing a college degree in the sciences.
• Willing to accept the internship as an unpaid position.
• Able to commit to a minimum of at least 12 weeks, 40 hours a week. The 
internship can be extended depending on work performance.
• Available to work weekdays, weekends, and holidays.
• Able to lift 50 lbs, work long hours on your feet, and work outside in 
extreme conditions.
• Able to maintain a positive attitude, good work ethic, sense of 
responsibility, and a strong willingness to learn.
• Financially stable enough to obtain housing and transportation, though IMMS 
staff will do their best to assist you in making arrangements.
• Able to comply with IMMS rules and regulations.

To Apply

Please send the following documents to: jgr...@imms.org 
with “Animal Training Internship” in the subject line.

  *   IMMS Animal Training Internship 
Application
  *   Resume with cover letter.
  *   Two letters of recommendation - Provide at least one academic, and one 
work/volunteer- related reference if applicable. Letters may be emailed from 
the applicant or the person providing the recommendation letter.
  *   A copy of your current official college transcript. Applicants may submit 
an unofficial copy.
  *   Full photograph

Documents must be in one of the following formats - PDF, .doc, .docx, and must 
be submitted together with your first and last name and the date in the file 
name.
Ex)
2013Aug_Jane_Doe_Resume,
2013Aug_Jane_Doe_Application,
2013Aug_Jane_Doe_Transcript.

Jeanette Gramm
Marine Mammal Trainer
Animal Training Internship Coordinator
Institute for Marine Mammal Studies
Gulfport, MS

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