========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Jan 1997 09:11:21 IST From: Oz Goffman Subject: Solitary dolphin gives birth Shalom Fellow Marmamers, On Sunday, December 29th, at 7 a.m., the Bedouins from the fishing village in Nuweiba, Sinai, noticed that Holly, the solitary dolphin (Tursiops aduncus), had given birth to a male calf. Last month we posted a message about her increase in aggression towards swimmers and divers of all ages. This was probably due to her pregnancy, but nobody knows. The calf was named by Abdallah, who is the head Bedouin in charge of Holly. His name is Jimmy El Atrash--Jimmy because it is the name of an Indian wrestler who is very popular now (via videotapes) in the village; El Atrash because a lot of people in the tribe are deaf and this is the term for them. However, Jimmy is far from deaf. Jimmy is in excellent condition and is suckling a lot. Holly is very vocal now, compared to the last two and half years. He is copying her behavior and staying close by; he is also vocalizing a great deal and is releasing a stream of bubbles like his mother (Holly rarely did this before--usually only after feeding, but she is now doing this a great deal). The Bedouins are now completely restricting swimming with Holly, as she has become very aggressive with this birth. They are feeding her a greater amount of fish than ever before. Before they fed her food, but not so often, so as to encourage her to fend for herself. In the last two days, we monitored the feeding rate and forbid people from swimming with her for the next month. We made signs in five different languages (Arabic, Italian, German, Hebrew, and English) to notify people of the situation. Abdallah, who was kind of wild before, has become very responsible now and understands the importance of protecting the calf and Holly from the numerous tourists. This Friday there will be a big celebration with all of the Bedouins of the desert invited. We have videotape (UW) and slides of many of Holly's behaviors with her calf and will continue to do so as often as possible. We will keep MARMAM posted on any developments. Oz Goffman Kari Lavalli Allan Goldblatt Dani Kerem IMMRAC (Israel Marine Mammal Research & Assistance Center) Center for Maritime Studies, University of Haifa email: rhss101(\)uvm.haifa.ac.il ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Jan 1997 12:50:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Florida daybook Florida daybook The Florida United Press International Daybook includes: -------- Thursday, Jan. 16 MIAMI -- 5:30 p.m. -- Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce's Area Councils and Miami Seaquarium host reception to showcase the Seaquarium's Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Program. 4400 Rickenbacker Causeway, Virginia Key. Contact: Nancy O'Connor, (305) 350-7700. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Jan 1997 06:25:47 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Dec 1996 MarmamNews Articles (fwd) From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com The following articles were uploaded to MarmamNews in December 1996. MarmamNews can be found at http://members.aol.com/marmamnews 12/03/96 QLD: Protecting Great Whites "Disgusting" says Hislop QLD: Conservationists criticise emergency measures 12/04/1996 Chuckles The Dolphin Bites 3rd person FED: Hill seeking further dugong protection measures QLD: State moving to protect dugong - Littleproud PHOTO: Dolphin scanned PHOTO: Dolphin scanned 12/05/1996 Endangered Species 12/06/1996 550 CFR Part 630 Atlantic Swordfish Fishery; Drift ... SADC: IUCN rejects animal rights group as member 12/08/1996 Wanted: '#15 Parents' for secretive seals 12/10/1996 Anger as fishermen call for seal cull Seal's N-station rescue Fur dispute issue raised at WTO discussions - Canada NSW: Workshop initiative to bring dolphins back to harbour Saving the China River Dolphin: Everybody's ... 12/11/1996 NSW: Premier's dreaming of a dolphin Olympics Australia Seeks Dolphin Return VIC: Dolphins at risk in Port Phillip Bay Fur may not fly in EU-Canada row 12/12/1996 Environment-U.N.: Debate on Oceans disappoints 12/13/1996 Stock drop prompts calls to curb pollock catch PHOTO: MELBOURNE - A bottle-nosed dolphin and its curious calf 12/14/1996 Pygmy whale heading home for the holidays 12/15/1996 Australia rebukes whaling nations Japan and Norway FED: Australia rebukes whaling nations 12/16/1996 NSW: Thar she blows - Sailors asked to watch for whale 12/18/1996 CMC Welcomes New Federal Proposals to Cut Shark ... 12/19/1996 PHOTO: Sydney's Taronga Zoo's New Zealand Sea Lion Sasha U.S. threatens to punish Canada for whale hunt Aust Stock Exchange gets behind seal scientists 12/20/1996 NSW: Recreational fishermen hit back at bans proposal U.S. proposes to limit shark fishing FED: Abare saya fisheries production fell 10% in 95 OTC-Canada to Complain to WTO AboutU.S. Fish Ban 12/21/1996 DEAD WHALE NSW: Dolphin dies during rescue attempt 12/22/1996 Latin American Briefs ACCC restrains Port Stephens cruise price fixing 12/25/1996 Zoo Worker's Award Overturned 12/26/1996 Oil seeping from Argentine wreck in Antarctic sea 12/29/1996 PHOTO: Newborn Killer Whale ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Jan 1997 06:29:20 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Department of Commerce - NOAA (fwd) From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Department of Commerce - NOAA WASHINGTON,DC (FedNet, 2-JAN-97) -- In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA), NMFS updates its final List of Fisheries (LOF) for 1997. The LOF classifies fisheries as Category I, II, or III, based on their level of incidental mortalities and serious injuries of marine mammals. The LOF informs the public of the level of interactions with marine mammals in various U.S. commercial fisheries and which fisheries are subject to certain provisions of the MMPA, such as the requirement to register for Authorization Certificates. The registration of several fisheries under this program, referred to as the Marine Mammal Assessment Program (MMAP), has been successfully integrated with other existing registration or permitting systems. NMFS also amends the instructions for registration in part 229. EFFECTIVE DATES: The amendments to part 229 are effective December 27, 1996. As of December 27, 1996, the effective period ofthe List of Fisheries for 1996 (60 FR 67063, Dec. 28, 1995) is extended to February 28, 1997. The changes to the List of Fisheries for 1997 are effective March 1, 1997. AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Final rule. ------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Jan 1997 08:51:41 -0800 From: "Michael L. Torok" Organization: Zayante Research Associates Subject: Latest HSIL Sent The January-March 1997 update of the Harbor Seal Investigator List (HSIL) has been emailed to all participants. If you have not received your copy, please contact me at mltorok(\)ix.netcom.com. You may also download the HSIL and submit new or changed information via the World Wide Web at the following URL: http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/4562/ If submitting via email, please include the following information: Name: Affiliation Name: Affiliation Address: Affiliation Phone/Fax Number(s): Email Address(es): Detailed Research Interests: For those without a formal affiliation, simply include your mailing address,etc. Please direct any questions to mltorok(\)ix.netcom.com. Regards, Michael Torok ====================================================================== Michael L. Torok Marine Biologist Zayante Research Associates mltorok(\)ix.netcom.com Voice (408) 462-3099 ====================================================================== PGP-encrypted mail encouraged. To receive a copy of my PGP public key, mailto:mltorok(\)ix.netcom.com with "Send PGP key" as the subject. ====================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Jan 1997 13:15:38 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: ASM annual meeting From: "Paul K Anderson" > REMINDER > The American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) wishes to encourage > marine mammalogists to participate in its annual meetings. The > ASM Marine Mammal Committee has requested that oral and poster > sessions specifically for marine mammal presentations be included > in the program of the forthcoming meeting at Oklahoma State > University, Stillwater Oklahoma, 14-18 June, 1997. > Instructions for submission of abstracts can be requested > from Dr. Karen McBee, Program Chair, Dept. of Zoology, LSW 430, > Oklahoma State University, Stillwater OK, USA 74078-3052 (Phone: > 405-744-9680, Fax: 405-744-7824, e-mail: mcbee(\)okway.okstate.edu). > Abstracts should be clearly marked "FOR MARINE MAMMAL > SESSION" and postmarked not later than 1 March 1997. > Paul K. Anderson, Chair > ASM Marine Mammal Committee > e-mail: pkanders(\)acs.ucalgary.ca ------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Jan 1997 11:46:32 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 1/3/97 -- Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them -- a selection of issues which I view as having potential public policy implications for the U.S. Congress. My role is to provide objective, non-partisan, unbiased public policy analysis for Congress. Thus, it is useful weekly to pass this summary by those subscribing to this list to solicit input about areas where my objectivity could be improved, where someone's bias shows through and should be adjusted, and where there are simply other issues of which I am unaware. Anyway, what follows is today's summary. Generally I add new items every morning, and remove items after they have been on the summary for about a month. Items in the summary are modified as I receive new information. In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I post the entire summary once each month on the first Friday of the month, for those who do not monitor the group each week or wish the more complete format. This is longer the first Friday posting for January 1997. NOTE: Archived copies of "first Friday" longer summaries for February 1994 through the present are now available at: "http://www.lsu.edu/guests/sglegal/public_html/" I would appreciate your feedback on this summary. Comments should be directed to me (gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov). I will post this summary each Friday on this list as long as I continue to receive helpful feedback on issues. To further assist me in providing a broad scope of information resources to Congress, I would appreciate being added to any mailing lists of publications, news releases, newsletters, etc. relevant to marine mammals and fisheries. Where there is a subscription cost, a sample copy would provide a basis for deciding whether or not a subscription could be justified. Thanks for your assistance in this matter. Gene Buck Congressional Research Service - ENR Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540-7450 e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: New info and changes since 12/20/96 are bracketed {...}. Marine Mammals . Canadian Whaling Certification. On Dec. 18, 1996, Dept. of Commerce officials announced that, on Dec. 12, 1996, Secretary of Commerce Mickey Kantor certified to President Clinton that Canada was undermining international efforts to protect bowhead whales by permitting Canadian Inuits to kill two of these whales earlier this year. Under the provisions of the Pelly Amendment, President Clinton has until Feb. 10, 1997, to determine whether or not to impose import sanctions on Canadian products. [Reuters] . Right Whale Protection. On Dec. 16, 1996, the State of Massachusetts, in response to a federal court order, submitted plans to require a modification to weaken lobster fishing buoy lines used in Cape Cod Bay that might entangle right whales. Lobstermen would be required to weaken buoy lines by February 1997, with the State developing a special weak buoy line to be required by January 1998. Floating lines will also have to be replaced by sinking lines. Gear restrictions to protect whales would be required from January through mid-May annually. U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock must approve the state's proposed plan. Gillnet fishing would also be banned in state waters frequented by whales. On Dec. 16, 1996, NMFS announced its intention to close the Great South Channel east of Cape Cod to gillnet and lobster fishing from April 1 to June 30 annually to protect right whales. [Assoc Press, Boston Globe via Greenwire] . Australian Whaling Statements. On Dec. 15, 1996, Australia's Foreign Affairs and Environment Ministers issued a joint statement calling on Japan to end its scientific whaling program and criticizing Norway for increasing its 1997 commercial catch limit. [Reuters] . Makah Whaling. In early December 1996, Makah Indian Tribe announced that it had established a 20-member tribal commission to draft a charter and develop management policy for the restoration of traditional whaling. [Assoc Press] . CA Sea Otter Census. In early December 1996, U.S. Geological Survey scientists reported that 2,019 CA sea otters were counted during a November 1996 census. This was almost 8% fewer than the 2,190 animals counted in the fall 1995 census. It was not certain whether the population is declining or whether, due to poor weather, the 1996 census missed more animals than the 1995 census. A peak census count of 2,377 animals was recorded in spring 1995. The spring 1996 count was lower than the spring 1995 census, and a total of 145 sea otter carcasses have been recorded during the first 9 months of 1996 -- in excess of the average of 80 carcasses. [Assoc Press] . Marine Mammal Center Opens New Pools. On Dec. 2, 1996, the Marin Headlands Marine Mammal Center opened $200,000 in new pools in Sausalito, CA, to care for as many as 400 marine mammals in the event of an oil spill along the northern and central CA coast. This Center is one of a series of 7 treatment facilities to be constructed along the CA coast to implement 1990 and 1993 state legislation. [Assoc Press] . CITES and Whales. On Dec. 2, 1996, Japan was reported to be considering joining Norway in its proposal to CITES to downlist minke whales. Japan may also propose downlisting of north Pacific and southern hemisphere minke whales, Bryde's whales in the north Pacific, and gray whales in the eastern Pacific. [personal communication, Dow Jones News, Kyodo via Foreign Broadcast Information Service] . Captive Dolphin Bites. On Dec. 2, 1996, a male Amazon River dolphin bit the hand of a Pittsburgh Zoo visitor who violated posted warnings and tried to pat its snout. {On Dec. 24, 1996, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania overturned a lower court decision that had awarded $50,000 to a volunteer Pittsburgh Zoo assistant who lost part of her finger to an Amazon River dolphin's bite in March 1990. The higher court held that the City of Pittsburgh was not liable for the actions of a wild animal, even when held in captivity.} [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Jan 1997 08:43:24 -0800 From: Howard Breen Subject: BC Marine Mammal Deaths I'm currently co-representing the Georgia Strait Alliance (GSA) for British Columbia's Salmon Aquaculture Review /SAR (Environmental Assessment of the industry). We have had a call by an industry employee claiming over 450 illegal marine mammal shootings at ONE fish farm alone over two years (seals, otters, sea lions, even one harbour porpoise). He wasn't willing to risk criminal prosecution or lose his job so he remained anonymous. Even if half the 100 + farms are acting similarly we are seeing the extermination of marine mammals at a rate which will only grow exponentially if the industry suceeds in lifting the BC moratorium on fish farm development (they want a tenfold increase!). [GSA, the David Suzuki Foundation, Greenpeace, First Nations is recommending moving ALL fish farming to closed land-based systems by 1999 or 2002 (no consensus on date)...but realistically our government seems to be facing an industry captured bureaucracy i.e. DFO & MAFF] Thus far, during 3 months of SAR proceedings, nothing has emerged to attest to the systemic slaughter by the fish farm industry. A couple of passing claims of shootings by kayakers (hearing much gunfire) have gone by simply because the review is not giving much credibility to anecdotal evidence (esp. anyone w/o witnesses). We know several haulouts in the Broughton Archipelago / Clayoquot Sound are now vacant. The BCSFA reps claim they just relocated because of Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADD's) (which certainly deter cretaceans creating "exclusion zones" , but that's another issue!). Is there anyone out there who could give substantiated evidence to these illegal shootings for the last public meeting in Campbell River (Jan. 16-18) before the EAO delivers their recommendations to the provincial cabinet. Does anyone know of CRIMESTOPPERS being used to stop illegal shootings? Is there a body that could be approached to lobby for such attention from CRIMESTOPPERS? Better still, is there anyone/Foundation/group that would put up a reward for information leading to the arrest and trial of perpetrators of this slaughter? Kind regards, Howard Breen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .............................................. Howard Breen GEORGIA STRAIT ALLIANCE Discussion List & New-Wire Coordinator Voice:h)250.247.7467 GSA) 250.753.3459 Email: hbreen(\)island.net Fax: 250.753.2567 Website:http://www.island.net/~gsa Fish Farm Discussion Group: send subscription to: Majordomo(\)Onenw.org In Body Of Message type: subscribe fishfarm MarinE~Wire news-wire: send subscription to: Majordomo(\)Onenw.org In Body of Message type: subscribe marine-wire ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Jan 1997 13:30:26 -0500 Reply-To: gmk(\)ccsr.uiuc.edu From: Gottfried Mayer-Kress Organization: CCSR Subject: Humpback Whale Song References? In his 1995 book "Among Whales" Dr. Roger Payne describes his findings that: - songs of humpback whales of the same breeding ground are structurally identical - the structure of the songs evolves with a typical time scale of a year The only related reference in Dr. Payne's book is an article by Payne and McVay in a 1971 issue of Science. We would be interested in more details of these studies and what research has been done since 1971. We have 1993 and 1996 humpback whale recordings from Samana Bay (courtesy Bob Bowman) and plan to do our own recordings in the same area. We would also be interested in humpback whale recordings (with information of location and time of the recording) that support this claim. We would be especially interested in recordings from the North Atlantic breeding grounds in the Caribbeans. We also would like to locate the web site of Dr. Payne's Whale Conservation Institute. (The URL http://www.tiac.net/users/rhobson/wciweb.html that is listed in his bio page http://whales.prodigy.com/paynebio.htm is not valid.) Thanks in advance for your help, Dr. Gottfried Mayer-Kress gmk(\)ccsr.uiuc.edu http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Jan 1997 07:58:04 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: MARMAM archives on the web Archives for MARMAM can now be obtained from the web. http://www.reference.com/cgi-bin/pn/listarch?list=MARMAM(\)uvvm.uvic.ca Quyen Lam began archiving this list as of Nov. 28, 1996. The service is free and will apparently remain so. The archives can be searched by keyword or if listings are required by date, click on "Browse Archive for MARMAM" and then change the date setting to search for desired dates. MARMAM editors ------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Jan 1997 18:14:45 +1200 From: liz.slooten(\)stonebow.otago.ac.nz Subject: MSc position available Space for one or two Master's students has just become available, to begin studies in the third week of February 1997. Potential projects: 1. Effects of tourism on Hector's dolphins 2. Photographic Identification of Hector's dolphins, to study survival and movements 3. Effects of tourism on bottlenose dolphins in Fiordland 4. Comparison of association patterns in several dolphin species 5. Bycatch of fur seals and New Zealand sealions 6. Levels of PCBs and other pollutants in fur seals and New Zealand sealions I'm also interested in hearing your project ideas..... The following skills would be an advantage: For projects like 1, 2, 3 and 4: Photo-id experience (photography, matching, filing and analysing ID data), boating skills For projects 1 and 3: Use of theodolites and analysing data on locations For project 5: Population dynamics, autopsy skills For project 6: A background in biology and chemistry Experience with biostatistics and data analysis, as well as general problem-solving skills are a major advantage for all of the projects. Please send your CV and accompanying letter direct to: Liz.Slooten(\)Stonebow.Otago.ac.nz Looking forward to hearing from you, Dr Elisabeth Slooten Director of Environmental Science University of Otago Dunedin, New Zealand phone: (03) 479-7980 fax: (03) 479-7584 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Jan 1997 16:24:00 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: NMFS press release (fwd) From: "Robyn Angliss" NMFS PRESS RELEASE: 1997 List of Fisheries Published Gulf of Maine/Mid-Atlantic Lobster Trap/Pot Fishery Reclassified NMFS Starts Coordinated MMAP Registration in the Northeast and Alaska The National Marine Fisheries Service has published the final List of Fisheries for 1997, which classifies each U.S. commercial fishery based on its level of interaction with marine mammals. This final list reclassifies fisheries into Category I, II, or III, makes several technical changes to the names and descriptions of several fisheries, and refines regulatory language to promote increased state and federal coordination of fisheries registration under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. As part of the final List of Fisheries, NMFS reclassified the Gulf of Maine/Mid-Atlantic lobster trap/pot fishery from Category III into Category I due to its impact on the endangered North Atlantic right whale population. Between 1990 and 1994, two critically endangered northern right whales, nine endangered humpback whales, and six minke whales were seriously injured or killed by entanglement in lobster pot gear in these areas. The agency is investigating an additional two reports of entanglements of humpback whales. Participants in Category I and II fisheries, those fisheries known to have frequent or occasional interactions with marine mammals, are required to register with NMFS under the Marine Mammal Authorization Program (MMAP). To reduce some of the annual administrative burden this program places on fishermen and on agency resources, NMFS is striving to automate registration of fisheries wherever possible through cooperative transfer of data from state and federal permit databases into the MMAP. In the Northeast, NMFS has automated registration of the federal multispecies sink gillnet fishery, the federal squid/mackerel/butterfish trawl fishery, and all 13,000 state and federal commercial lobster trap/pot fishermen. The NMFS Alaska Region is also successfully integrating MMAP registration with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Nearly 5,400 Alaska fishermen in Category II fisheries will be registered in the MMAP automatically. Legally permitted participants in those fisheries are not required to submit an MMAP registration or renewal form to receive or validate their MMAP Authorization Certificates for 1997. Also, the annual $25 fee will be waived for participants in the fisheries with integrated registration. As part of the final List of Fisheries, NMFS has reclassified the California squid purse seine fishery from Category III to Category II due to a historical record of serious injuries and mortalities of pilot whales and new information about the overlap in the location of the pilot whales and the fishery. Minor changes to the final list include: combining the offshore monkfish bottom gillnet fishery with the New England sink gillnet fishery or the Mid-Atlantic coastal gillnet fishery; redefining the geographic boundary between the New England sink gillnet fishery and the Mid-Atlantic coastal gillnet fishery; and combining the Gulf of Maine mackerel trawl fishery with the squid, mackerel, butterfish trawl fishery. The Atlantic large pelagic pair trawl fishery has been removed from the List of Fisheries as its experimental fishing permit has expired. The List of Fisheries, which must be published annually by NMFS, classifies fisheries based on a two-tiered, stock-specific approach that first addresses the total impact of all fisheries on each marine mammal stock and then addresses the impact of individual fisheries on each stock. The annual rate of marine mammals seriously injured or killed incidental to commercial fisheries is compared to the Potential Biological Removal (PBR) level for each stock. The PBR is defined as the maximum number of animals that may be removed from a marine mammal stock while allowing that stock to reach or maintain its optimum sustainable population. Tier 1 considers the cumulative fishery mortality and serious injury for a particular stock, while Tier 2 considers fishery-specific mortality and serious injury for a particular stock. Tier 1: If the total annual mortality and serious injury across all fisheries that interact with a stock is less than or equal to 10 percent of the PBR of such a stock, then all fisheries interacting with that stock would be placed in Category III. Otherwise, these fisheries are subject to the next tier to determine their classification. Tier 2 - Category I: Annual mortality and serious injury of a stock in a given fishery is greater than or equal to 50 percent of the PBR level. Tier 2 - Category II: Annual mortality and serious injury in a given fishery is greater than1 percent and less than 50 percent of the PBR level. Tier 2 - Category III: Annual mortality and serious injury in a given fishery is less than or equal to 1 percent of the PBR level. Commercial fishermen who participate in fisheries placed in Category I or II must register in the Marine Mammal Assessment Program and submit a $25 fee unless registration has been integrated with a pre-existing state or federal registration program. The Marine Mammal Protection Act requires that all commercial fishermen submit a report to the fisheries service within 48 hours of the end of each fishing trip if they have injured or killed a marine mammal incidental to fishing operations. ### NOTE: All NOAA press releases, and links to other NOAA material, can be found on the Internet at http://www.noaa.gov/public-affairs. Journalists who wish to be added to our press release distribution list, or who wish to switch from fax to e-mail delivery, can send an e-mail to releases(\)www.rdc.noaa.gov, or fax to (202) 482-3154. NOAA constituents can send an e-mail to constaff(\)www.rdc.noaa.gov, or fax to (202) 501-2953. ------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 11:24:40 GMT From: KELLY HUGHES Organization: The University of Greenwich Subject: tagging of marine mammals Dear all, I am currently writing a small report as part of my MSc on pros and cons of tagging marine mammals (it will also extend to birds). The aim is to investigate whether the information gained from tagging such animals can be justified in cases where there is the possibility that the welfare of the animal has been affected. I would like to hear from anybody who has carried out invasive tagging of marine mammals and can answer the questions below: 1. What species was the subject of your investigation? 2. What is its current status? (endangered?) 3. Method of tagging? (Brief description) 4. Reaction/response of animals to the tagging procedure? 5. Information sought? 6. Time period of tagging experimemt? 7. Information gained? 8. Do any non-invasive methods exist which give you the same information? If so, why did you not use them? 9. Personal opinions on tagging. If you are willing to perhaps answer some more in depth questions then please give a contact number on your reply. Thanks in advance. Replies will be much appreciated. Happy New Year to you all, Kelly Hughes, University of Greenwich, Creek Road, Deptford, London. SE8 3BW. HK408(\)GRE.AC.UK ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 13:36:42 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Position Announcement Our department is currently searching for an organismal biologist, as described below. Please forward this announcement to appropriate candidates (should also appear in Jan. 3, 1997 issue of Science). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ASSISTANT PROFESSOR ORGANISMAL BIOLOGIST / ZOOLOGIST Loyola University New Orleans The Department of Biological Sciences, Loyola University New Orleans, invites applications for a tenure-track position in organismal biology/ zoology at the level of Assistant Professor to begin in August 1997, pending budgetary approval. Loyola University has a strong commitment to excellence in teaching and research, particularly research involving undergraduates. Teaching will include the introductory-level Zoological Diversity course, as well as upper-level courses in related areas. Research area is open; however, we are especially interested in individuals who can work in Gulf Coastal environments. Ph.D. is required. Post-doctoral and/or teaching experience desirable. Candidates should submit applications, including curriculum vitae, brief statements of teaching and research interests and three letters of reference to Biology Search, Box 25, Loyola University, 6363 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118. Review of applications will begin on January 15, 1997 and will continue until the position is filled. Loyola University New Orleans is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ************************************************************************* * Dr. Craig S. Hood * I'm on SABBATICAL LEAVE this * * Biol., Loyola Univ., New Orleans * academic year, meaning that I can * * * read and respond quicker than * * chood(\)beta.loyno.edu * usual. * ********************************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 19:01:15 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: book chapters - female pinnipeds (fwd) Recently available through Princeton University Press is "The Evolving Female: a Life-history Perspective" edited by Mary Ellen Morbeck, Alison Galloway, and Adrienne L. Zihlman (ISBN 0-691-02747-1). In this book are two chapters about marine mammals. One by Kathryn Ono "Sea lions, life history, and reproduction" and the other by Joanne Reiter "Life history and reproductive success of female northern elephant seals". Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov ------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Jan 1997 17:41:26 +0000 From: oliver_kiely(\)ucc.ie Subject: Research assistant positions Coastal Resources Centre - Department of Zoology & Animal Ecology University College Cork, Republic of Ireland Research Assistants - Two posts available "Grey Seals in the Irish and Celtic Seas" Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates to undertake research for a minimum period of two years on: 1) Aspects of the population biology of the grey seal in the Irish&Celtic Seas 2) grey seal interactions with fisheries in this area. The research is funded under the EU INTERREG Programme and will be conducted in collaboration with the Dyfed Wildlife Trust, Wales. Candidates should have at least a 2.1 Honours degree in a biological discipline and extensive field experience in the marine environment is desirable. A good working knowledge of fisheries is also preferable. The start date is to be as soon as possible and no later than 1 March 1997. Salary will be IR# 7,000 per annum. Applications including a full CV and the names and addresses of three referees should be sent to: Dr. Niamh Connolly, Coastal Resources Centre, University College, Lee Maltings, Prospect Row, Cork. IRELAND. to be received by Wednesday 22nd January 1997. Further information is available on request and interested candidates may discuss the positions informally with: Dr. Connolly or Oliver Kiely Tel.:+353-21-904189 Tel.:+353-21-904283 Fax.:+353-21-277922 Fax.:+353-21-270562 We look forward to hearing from you.. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Jan 1997 13:51:25 -0600 From: Meghan Kennedy Subject: Searching for hydrophone... I am currently conducting research on the whistles of captive _Tursiops truncatus_ (Atlantic bottlenose dolphins) at the Minnesota Zoo. I am focusing on a seven-month old infant and the development of his whistles. Unfortunately, our hydrophone is old and seems to be close to failure. The zoo is building a new tank for the dolphins which will open in April and up-to-date hydrophones will be installed there, but because of the time-sensitive nature of my current research, I would rather not be without data for the next few months. I am looking for a hydrophone, either for sale or loan, used or new--whatever I can afford, anyway. I need it as soon as possible, so if there is anyone out there who can help me, please respond. I will be leaving for California a week from today (on the 16th), and I will be there for almost two weeks, but otherwise I will be checking my mail daily. Thank you, Meghan Kennedy, University of St. Thomas (undergraduate) St. Paul, Minnesota mekennedy(\)stthomas.edu (612) 698-7924 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 11:41:25 +0000 From: Colin MacLeod Subject: Evolution in beaked whales Dear Marmammers, I have been looking at dentition in Mesoplodons and at the variation between species in position of the teeth in the jaw. In relation to this I am interested to know how the various species are related to each other as it may help to explain how and why the varition in dentition found in Mesoplodons evolved. I would, therefore, be interested to know of any publications on the evolutionary relationships, examined either by DNA or morphological methods, between Mesoplodon species and/or the relationship between the genera of beaked whales (Ziphiidae) . Thanks for any help with this. Regards, Colin. ============================================================================== Colin D. MacLeod, B.Sc. F2/2, 13 Kennoway Drive, "See what everyone has seen Thornwood, and think what no one has thought" Glasgow, - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi G11 7UA. U.K. Tel: 0141 337 2209 International: +44 141 337 2209 Email: macleod_c(\)colloquium.co.uk ============================================================================ == ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 13:17:21 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: 1/10/97 - Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff (fwd) Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. NOTE: Archived copies of "first Friday" longer summaries for February 1994 through the present are now available at: "http://www.lsu.edu/guests/sglegal/public_html" Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Keiko's Health. In the year since the orca (killer whale) Keiko moved to the Oregon Coast Aquarium from Mexico on Jan. 7, 1996, he is reported to have gained more than 1,000 pounds and overcome both a sensitive stomach and a skin virus. [Assoc Press] . Record Manatee Deaths. On Jan. 3, 1997, officials of the FL Dept. of Environmental Protection reported that 415 manatees died during 1996, more than twice the number (206 animals) dying in the previous record year (1990). Of the 415 deaths, 151 will killed by red tide in southwest FL and 60 were killed by boats. [Assoc Press] . Canadian Seal Quota. On Dec. 23, 1996, Canadian Minister of Fisheries Fred Mifflin announced that the 1997 harp seal quota will be 275,000 animals, an increase from 1996's quota of 250,000. The 1997 hooded seal quota will remain the same as in 1996 -- 8,000 animals. Federal government assistance for the sealing industry is to be reduced to C$750,000 in 1997 from the C$1,300,000 provided in 1996. [High North Alliance News] . Right Whale Protection. In early January 1997, NMFS reclassified the Gulf of Maine/Mid-Atlantic lobster trap/pot fishery from Category III to Category I under its Marine Mammal Authorization Program to better manage the interactions of this fishery's 13,000 fishermen with right whales. [Assoc Press, Boston Globe via Greenwire, NMFS press release] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. Wayward newborn whale at Sea World SAN DIEGO, Jan 11 (UPI) -- A newborn gray whale that lost its mother off the California coast has been taken to Sea World where workers are caring for it. Sea World spokeswoman Nancy Cerrington says the 1,670-pound (750-kg) baby is being treated for low blood sugar and is being exercised in a pool. The whale, which is nearly 14 feet (4 meters) long, lost its mother and roamed around the harbor at Marina Del Rey before lifeguards and others were able to beach it Saturday. Los Angeles County lifeguard Brian Hogue said the 4-day-old mammal was trucked to Sea World Saturday evening. Cerrington says animal care workers "are keeping it moving" in a pool at Sea World and plan to feed the female baby. Experts feared it would die unless it found its mother. The baby, with its umbilical cord still attached, was separated from its migrating herd. It beached itself briefly Friday at Venice, but swam back into the ocean before it was beached near Marina Del Rey. Apparently the baby was born prematurely during the annual three- month migration from Alaskan waters to the winter feeding and calving grounds in Baja California, Mexico. Gray whales are federally protected. The National Marine Fishery Service may have the final word on what is to become of the whale. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 01:03:45 -0800 From: David Bain Subject: Symposium on Information Processing by Aquatic Mammals Dear Colleagues, Due to a delay in the mailing of abstract and registration forms, the abstract submission deadline for the Symposium on Information Processing by Aquatic Mammals has been extended to February 15. Thank you for your patience. David Bain dbain(\)u.washington.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 11:39:37 -0800 From: Alan Macnow Subject: JAPAN'S WHALE RESEARCH FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association Amacnow(\)igc.apc.org The Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) strongly protested demands last month by Australian and New Zealand government of- ficials for Japan to stop its research in the Antarctic. ICR is the lead scientific institution appointed by the Govern- ment of Japan to carry out research programs on whales. Its re- search program in the Antarctic includes sightings surveys and ecological studies along with biological research. The program involves the random annual sampling of 400 minke whales, plus or minus 10%, from a minke population of over 760,000 animals. The International Whaling Commission's Revised Management Proce- dure (RMP) indicates that at least 2,000 whales per year could be taken from the minke population for 100 years without any ad- verse effects on the population. Both Australia and New Zealand have been among the most vocal opponents of whaling internationally and in the IWC. Interestingly, a news report from New Zealand indicates that country's position has been shaped primarily by animal rights and like-minded environmental NGOs, with no input from other sectors of the country. MANA News reported that when the government finally got around to hearing from others, at a whal- ing policy seminar in Wellington on December 18 last year, NZ IWC Commissioner Jim McLay heard a Maori group call for the right of indigenous people to kill whales for trade. Then rep- resentatives of the country's fishing industries criticized the government's anti-whaling stance as indefensible. They pointed out that New Zealand allows some take of protected species and endorses sustainable use domestically. Despite the fact that its indigenous people eat whale meat and trade whale products, usually obtained from stranded or beached whales, and the obvious contradictions between its domestic and IWC policies, the New Zealand government seems unlikely to change its anti-whaling stance. Commissioner McLay affirmed that he would seek the greatest protection for whales, oppose commercial whaling, and defend the Southern Ocean Sanctuary and commercial whaling moratorium against challenges to their legality. Commissioner McLay's statements to the press, demanding that whale research in the Antarctic stop, are particularly irritat- ing to the Japanese because McLay misrepresents the facts. The Southern Ocean Sanctuary does not ban whale research, or even aboriginal whaling, only commercial whaling. IWC votes to end lethal whale research in the area are in the form of non-binding resolutions and are nothing more than an anti-whaling propaganda exercise. IWC members have an absolute right to carry out whale research without restriction under the international whaling convention. Following is a statement from the Japanese to explain the pur- poses and some of the results of the research: JAPAN'S RESEARCH INDISPENSABLE TO WHALE MANAGEMENT What percentage of whale stocks die from natural causes every year? Are whale stocks producing enough young each year to replenish their populations? Is pollution or environmental change affecting reproductive functions, growth or mortality? Are any diseases spreading among whale populations? Are popula- tion trends favorable or unfavorable? How many minke whale stocks forage in Antarctic waters and what areas do they occupy? To what extent do minke whales compete for food and territory and what effect, if any, does this have on other whale species? These and other questions must be answered if the International Whaling Commission is to carry out its mission of "safeguarding for future generations the great natural resources represented by the whale stocks," as called for by the International Conven- tion on the Regulation of Whaling. In waters off Alaska, where American Eskimos conduct annual hunts on a small population of bowhead whales, US scientists study the biological data from the whale kills to ensure that the level of take does not deplete the stocks. Without the biological data from the 52 or so whales caught each year, no one could ever be sure that the population, which numbers only about 8,200 animals, is not being harmed. Japan's whale research in the Antarctic, focusing on the abundant minke whale, covers a much broader area. The IWC Scientific Committee estimates that there are over 760,000 minke whales in the Antarctic, of which about 400 are taken annually for examination. But although Japan's sample size, only 5 whales taken for every 10,000 whales in the population, is pro- portionally much smaller than that available to the US scientists for their research (6 out of 1,000), the scope of Japan's research is much broader. Japan's Antarctic research program includes sightings surveys to provide data on population numbers, densities, and distribution. A DNA sampling program is being developed to aid in stock identity and provide information on sex ratios and pregnancy rates. Oceanographic data are collected to provide information on water temperature changes, current flow, salinity, and the presence of pollutants. But by far the most important part of the studies is the biological research, which yields such essen- tial data as changes in the age composition of the stocks, natu- ral mortality rates, age at sexual maturity, pregnancy rates, heart and liver function, nutritional status, health status, growth rates, biological changes caused by changes in the en- vironment or pollutants, and the composition of the stocks. The research program was started in 1988 and is due to end in 2004. The reasons for conducting it over a 16 year period reside both in the fact that: (a) changes and trends can only be determined by tracking them over a time continuum, and (b) the Antarctic is a vast area and the annual sample size is only a very small fraction of the minke whale population, 0.05%. But although the study is only half way through the research pe- riod, it has already begun to reveal some important facts. For one thing, the minke whale population appears to be very healthy. If global warming or the thinning of the ozone layer is occurring, it has not produced any effects on the minke whale stocks. The minke whale population is producing many young and there do not appear to be any factors - - such as disease, mal- nutrition or predation - - causing undue mortality. Studies of minke whale tissues and organs also reveal that pollution is not yet a problem. There are little to no organocloride or heavy metal residues detected. Other findings include the discovery of a dwarf species of minke whale, confirmation of two minke whale stocks in the research area, each distributed over a much wider range than originally anticipated, and an unusual pattern of sex and age segregation in the feeding areas. The Japanese whale research has so far produced over 120 scientific papers. The Scientific Committee of the IWC regu- larly commends the research program, which it reviews each year. Unfortunately, the majority of the IWC members come from coun- tries under political pressure from animal rights activists and rarely reflect the views of the organization's Scientific Com- mittee. They oppose Japan's research on the grounds that it is not necessary for the management of whaling, i.e., allocating catch quotas. A recently devised computer program can generate safe catch levels for baleen whale stocks without the need to input such biological data as reproduction rates or population trends. The anti-whaling commissioners apparently would rather not know about the condition of the whale populations, or fac- tors affecting the whale stocks. Their attitude towards whale science resulted in the resignation in 1993 of the then chairman of the Scientific Committee, Dr. Philip S. Hammond of the U.K. Japan's whale research is authorized by Article VIII of the whaling Convention. It is conducted by the Japan Institute of Cetacean Research under government supervision. -end- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 14:44:42 +0730 From: Laurence DOUAZE Subject: Cetacean Facilities Dear members, Here, at the National University of Singapore, I am working on a research project on architectural design of facilities housing cetaceans. I am compiling a list of facilities worldwide, and am using various sources like the IMATA and EAAM directories, the International Zoo Yearbook listing, the web and personal contacts in various facilities. But I still miss information on facilities in Africa, Central and South Americas, former East Block countries, and 3 countries in Asia.In the list below, I indicate the facilities that I already know in those regions. If you know other facilities housing whales and dolphins, I would greatly appreciate if you could send me their name, address and contact numbers, along with the curator/director or head trainer's names if you have them. South Africa: -Sea World Durban -Port Elizabeth Aquarium (Any other in Africa?) Argentina: -Mundo Marino Colombia: -Acuario Rodadero Cuba: -National Aquarium of Cuba (I miss a contact person there and can't reach them easily) Mexico: -Amigos del Mar -Dolphin Discovery Venezuela: -Aquarium de Valencia (Any other in Central and South America?) Corea: -I know there is at least one but can't find it China: -Institute of Hydrobiology Taiwan: -Ocean World (I miss contact numbers there) Bulgaria: -Dolphinarium Varna Ukraine: -State Oceanarium of Ukraine (Any other in former East Block?) Thank you very much for your help and I look forward to your replies. Lauren ____________________________________________________________________ Lauren DOUAZE E-mail:akild(\)nus.sg Dolphin Study Group National University of Singapore School of Architecture Kent Ridge Crescent Singapore 119 260 Tel: (65) 772 34 30 Fax: (65) 779 30 78 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 12:54:54 -0600 From: "Rick D. Davis" Subject: synthetic baleen I am currently a 2nd year Polymer Science graduate student at the Univ. of Southern Miss. I am searching for information about the chemical structure and natural synthesis of baleen in humpback whales. I am also curious if any researchers have attempted to synthesize a similar material or use the whale's biochemical process of synthesizing baleen as a base for creating other materials. If you can provide any information about these matters I would be sincerely grateful. I would also appreciate any recommendations of literature and researchers that may be of assistance. Thank you for your time and effort. Rick D Davis email: rddavis(\)ocean-mail.st.usm.edu address: Rick D Davis SS Box 10076 Hattiesburg MS, 39406 phone: 601-266-6186 fax: 601-266-5504 Rick D Davis ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 16:27:33 GMT From: CRIP La Paz Subject: meeting announcement ------ SOCIEDAD MEXICANA PARA EL ESTUDIO DE LOS MAMIFEROS MARINOS [MEXICAN SOCIETY FOR MARINE MAMMALOGY] (SOMEMMA) and INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE LA PESCA (INP) Announce the 22nd INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL MEETING FOR THE STUDY OF MARINE MAMMALS Dates: The 22nd annual meeting will be held from April 27 to May 1, 1997 Place: The meeting will be held in =91Hotel Sierra=92 in Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit= and at the National Fisheries Institute field station located in the town of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. Workshop: As in previous meetings we will have a workshop, this time dedicated to WHALEWATCHING. Registration of presentations: Both, posters and oral presentations can be submitted. Oral presentation= s can be given either in English or Spanish. Abstracts will be reviewed by = a committee of experts and should be typed both in Spanish and English according with the attached format and sent to the address below. Deadli= ne for receiving abstracts is February 21, 1997. Contributions should be sent in two printed copies and in a 3 =BD=92 disk= ette using a known word processor to the following address: XXII Reuni=F3n SOMEMMA Atn. M. en C. H=E9ctor P=E9rezCort=E9s M. CRIP La Paz Km 1 carretera a Pichilingue 23020 La Paz, B.C.S. MEXICO If preferred, send your abstracts via e-mail as an attached file or as a message writing scientific names within asterisks (*). criplp(\)balandra.uabcs.mx. Ate. H=E9ctor P=E9rezCort=E9s. Registration fee: SOMEMMA members: $ 300.00 ($40.00 U.S.) No members: $ 450.00 ($60.00 U.S.) Students: 50% Accommodation: Hotel Sierra (sede) Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit $85 U.S.(aprox)single room al= l inclusive $125 U.S. double room all inclusive $56 U.S. extra person Rates at Hotel Sierra includes suite with minibar, all meals and beverage= s, activities program, spa, night entertainments, taxes and tips. For reservations and payments contact directly Hotel Sierra, Nuevo Vallarta i= n: Av. de los Cocoteros No. 19 Fracc. N=E1utico Turistico Nuevo Vallarta, Na= y. phones (329) 71300 and 70800. If preferred, you can stay at other hotels at Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerias or= La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. For the last two alternatives, transportation will be available to the ho= st hotel of the 22nd. anual meeting. Access to Vallarta: regi=F3n Main domestic and some international airlines fly to Puerto Vallarta; you can also arrive in Nuevo Vallarta by land via Guadalajara or Tepic. Registation form for authors 22nd INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL MEETING FOR THE STUDY OF MARINE MAMMALS Name: Presentation title Addess Phone No. Fax e-mail Mark type of presentation whalewatching workshop oral poster (100 x 110 cm.) If your presentation is to be consdered for the best student presentation= , check one bachelors graduate student For the best student presentation, please read and fill in the following Certification for best student presentation The coauthors of this presentation certify that the work in its present f= or in the attached abstract has been developed mainly by the first author (student), acting the co-authors as reviewers and advisors. Date: Signatures (of coauthore); TITULO DEL TRABAJO CENTRADO, EN MAYUSCULAS Y EN NEGRITAS; *Nombres cient=EDficos* EN CURSIVAS MINUSCULAS Nombre del Autor o Autores Completos y en May=FAsculas y min=FAsculas. Filiaci=F3n Institucional y Direcci=F3n Postal, en el mismo p=E1rrafo, se= guido separando con comas (,). En el cuerpo del resumen, se deber=E1n incluir los objetivos, hip=F3tesis= , el m=E9todo y =E1rea de estudio, los resultados principales as=ED como las conclusiones m=E1s trascendentes. Escribir en un s=F3lo p=E1rrafo, justi= ficado y sin sangr=EDas. Utilizar preferentemente, letra tipo courier de 12 pts o= en su caso, no menor de 10 pts. No deber=E1n incluirse citas bibliogr=E1fic= as. Los *Nombres cient=EDficos* deben escribirse en cursivas it=E1licas. Se recomienda utilizar unidades del sistema m=E9trico decimal, usando abreviaturas. El t=EDtulo del trabajo as=ED como el texto del resumen de= ber=E1n escribirse en espa=F1ol e ingl=E9s (si lo solicita se traduce por un cost= o de $10.00 US). Es suficiente con incluir el nombre y direcci=F3n de los aut= ores una sola vez, debajo del t=EDtulo escrito en el idioma en que el trabajo = vaya a ser presentado. El conjunto del t=EDtulo, nombres y direcciones junto = con el resumen, en los dos idiomas, no deber=E1 exceder de una p=E1gina con m= =E1rgenes de por lo menos 2.5 cm por lado. TITLE CENTERED, IN UPPER CASE AND BOLD TYPE; *Scientific names* MUST BE WRITEN IN ITALICS AND LOWER CASE. Name of Author or Authors Complete, in Upper and lower case. Institutional Filiation and Postal Address, in a continued paragraph, separating with commas (,). In the abstract include objectives, hypothesis, methodology, study area, results and conclusions. Write in a single paragraph, justified and do n= ot leave blank spaces at the beginning. Use if possible, 12 pts courier typ= e letter, or if necessary do not use less than 10 point type. Do not inclu= de bibliographic references. *Scientific names* must be written in italics. It is recommended to use metric system units, abbreviating. Both, the ti= tle and the abstract must be written in Spanish and English (if requested can= be translated at a U.S. $10.00 rate). It is enough to write the author=92s = name and address only once, below the title in the language in which the presentation is given. Title, name and address and abstract in both languages, must not exceed one single page with margins of at least 2.5 c= m on each side. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 15:47:38 +0100 From: Georg Blichfeldt Organization: HNA Subject: Conference: Whaling in the North Atlantic Conference Announcement: WHALING IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC - ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL PERSPECTIVES - REYKJAVIK, ICELAND, 1 MARCH 1997 ORGANISED BY THE FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND AND THE HIGH NORTH ALLIANCE The aim of the conference is to provide a forum for discussing the economic and political perspectives of whaling in the North Atlantic with reference to international law, the practices of relevant international organisations and the current political climate. Prominent international experts will present lectures on the various topics in question. The lectures will be followed by a panel discussion in which politicians, bureaucrats and stakeholders will participate. Each lecture is scheduled for 20 minutes and the conference language is English. The main sponsor of the conference is the Nordic Atlantic Cooperation (NORA), with the Icelandic Ministry of Fisheries, the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and KNAPK (the Greenland hunters and fishermen4s association) as co-sponsors. PRACTICAL INFORMATION Date and Time: 1 March 1997, from 0900 to 1800. Location: Hotel Loftleipir, Reykjavik, Iceland Registration: Contact the Fisheries Research Institute, University of Iceland, Neshagi 16, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland. Telefax: +354-525-5829, e-mail: fisheries(\)rhi.hi.is Conference Fee: 2500 Icelandic krsnur (approximately 35 US $), Students 2000 Icelandic krsnur (approximately 30 US $). The fee includes lunch and coffee. Students, without lunch, 1000 Icelandic krsnur. Payment of the fee at the beginning of the conference. Accomodation and Travel: For further details contact Conference Services, c/o Helga Bjarnason, Alagrandi 12, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland. Telefax: +354-552-7462, e-mail: hhconf(\)itn.is (Helga Bjarnason). For special conference price, your hotel reservation must be made before 5 February 1997. Programme: WHALING IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC - ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL PERSPECTIVES - PART I CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS -Opening Address ^orsteinn Palsson, Icelandic Minister of Fisheries -Whale Resources in the North Atlantic and the Concept of Sustainability Jshann Sigurjsnsson, Institute of Marine Research, Iceland -The International Whaling Commission Today Dr. Ray Gambell, Secretary to the International Whaling Commission -The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission Kate Sanderson, Secretary to the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission PART II ECONOMIC ASPECTS -Economic Potentials and Risks in Whale Trade Prof. Trond Bjxrndal, The Norwegian School of Management and Business Administration, Bergen, Norway -Potential Effects of Whaling on Icelandic Export ^srpur Fripjsnsson, Director Icelandic Institute of National Economy -The WTO: Economic Sanctions and Trade Barriers Prof. Ted McDorman, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto, Canada -CITES and International Trade in Whale Products Jaques Berney, Adviser to CITES, former Deputy Secretary General of CITES PART III MANAGEMENT AND POLITICS -Whaling Management and International Law Prof. William Burke, School of Law, University of Washington, USA -NAMMCO, IWC and the Nordic Countries Steinar Andresen, Research Director, The Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Oslo, Norway -The Case of Faroese Bottlenose Whaling Kjartan Hoydal, Secretary to the Nordic Atlantic Cooperation -Recent Developments in The IWC Aboriginal Subsistence Category Dr. Ray Gambell, Secretary to the International Whaling Commission and Prof. Robert Friedheim, School of International Relations, University of Southern California, USA -Future Whaling Regime Prof. Robert Friedheim, School of International Relations, University of Southern California, USA PART IV: PANEL DISCUSSION Topic: THE FUTURE OF WHALING IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC Chairman: Journalist Lars Toft Rasmussen, Danish TV2 Participants: Politicians, bureaucrats and stakeholders in the isue of whaling in the North Atlantic -- High North Alliance P.O. Box 123 N-8390 Reine i Lofoten Norway Tel.: + 47 76 09 24 14 Fax.: + 47 76 09 24 50 E-mail: highnor(\)online.no Web Site: http://www.highnorth.no/ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 05:21:33 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: MARMAM FAQ ___MARMAM__________________________________________________________ _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/_/ _/ MARMAM FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS and ASPECTS OF NETIQUETTE ___________________________________________________________________ This FAQ is sent to all new subscribers to the list. It may also be obtained by sending the following message to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca: get marmam faq *Please save this message for future reference!* WHAT IS MARMAM? MARMAM is an edited e-mail discussion list devoted to topics in marine mammal research and conservation, established in August 1993. 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To change this setting to individual messages, send the message: set marmam mail HOW DO I RETRIEVE MESSAGES PREVIOUSLY SENT TO MARMAM? All MARMAM messages are archived and are retrievable by sending the message: get marmam logxxyy to the listserver, where xx = year and yy = month (e.g. get marmam log9601). As of Nov. 28 1996 all MARMAM messages have also been archived on the world-wide web. These can be found at: http://www.reference.com/cgi-bin/pn/listarch?list=MARMAM(\)uvvm.uvic.ca This archive can be searched by keyword or by date. The archive manager is Quyen Lam HOW DO I FIND OUT WHO SUBSCRIBES TO MARMAM? A list, sorted by country, of all current subscribers to the list may be retrieved along with their e-mail address' by sending the command: review marmam (country to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. Subscribers not wanting this information available to others can send the command: set marmam conceal to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. HOW DO I GET HELP USING LISTSERVER COMMANDS? 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A specific request, with a brief description of what the information is to be used for, is most likely to stimulate feedback from other subscribers. 3) JOB/VOLUNTEER POSITION/INTERNSHIP WANTED. Requests for employment or volunteer opportunities are not posted to the list. Persons seeking such positions are encouraged to monitor MARMAM for opportunities, which they can apply to directly. Students interested in careers in marine mammal science are encouraged to consult the Society of Marine Mammalogy's 'Strategies for Pursuing a Career in Marine Mammal Science', obtainable from Allen Press PO Box 1897, Lawrence, Kansas 66044-8897, tel. 1-800-627-0629. 4) BEEN THERE, DONE THAT. Messages of a duplicative nature which do not contribute new information are generally not posted to the list. Exceptions include event-related postings, such as conference information, job openings, and surveys. New subscribers are strongly encouraged to monitor MARMAM for a one week period before submitting messages to the list, or to review recent archived messages, to reduce the number of duplicative submissions. 5) 'FLAMES'. Messages which are derogatory or serve to insult rather than contribute to the discussion at hand are not posted to the list. WHO DO I CONTACT WITH MY QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS? Questions and concerns about MARMAM can be sent to the list editors (Robin Baird, Sascha Hooker, or Kerry Irish) at marmamed(\)uvic.ca ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 15:48:00 -0800 From: Caitlyn Liberty Toropova Subject: Delphinus tapes... Hello Marmamers, My name is Caitlyn Toropova and I am working on acoustic geographic variation in signature whistles of Common dolphins (Delphinus delphis).I am looking at variation in vocalizations and trying to determine cause (habitat/environment/evolution...).I have tapes from the Channel Is and am appealing to anyone who has and would be willing to let me borrow/make copies of their tapes, or to anyone who knows where I might find other tapes (ideally from the California coast). The tapes need to be in DAT format. Please respond to the email below. Thank you, Caitlyn clgt(\)cats.ucsc.edu University of California at Santa Cruz Department of Marine Sciences 408-458-3696 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 13:10:44 -0500 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Orphan Gray Whale Current information on the status of the orphaned baby gray whale that is at Sea World of California can be found on the Sea World web page. Updated information on the whale's status will be posted to the web page at regular intervals. http://www.bev.net/education/SeaWorld/GrayWhale/graywhale.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel K. Odell, Ph.D. phone: +407-363-2662 Research Biologist fax: +407-345-5397 Sea World, Inc. 7007 Sea World Drive Orlando, Florida 32821-8097 USA http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~odell/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 17:38:47 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Inaccuracies in Macnow posting (fwd) From: mike donoghue Dear Marmam You recently (10 January) carried a posting by Alan Macnow, which contained a number of factual inaccuracies that need to be corrected. The New Zealand Commissioner to the IWC, Jim McLay, has requested that the following posting be transmitted to Marmam subscribers, and is using my e-mail address to transmit this message to you. Mike Donoghue Department of Conservation Alan Macnow's recent posting reporting the seminar convened by the New Zealand Government in December to review its policy on whaling is factually incorrect on a number of important points, as follows: - The "Maori group" described in the posting was in fact the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission, Te Ohu Kai Moana, a statutory body established by the Government to manage the allocation of commercial fishing quota to Maori; - Macnow alleges that Maori called for the right of indigenous peoples to kill whales for trade, but while the Commission's representative strongly advocated the right of indigenous peoples to sustainably harvest marine resources for their own consumption, when he was questioned on details of his position, he specifically declined to endorse commercial whaling by indigenous peoples; - Contrary to Macnow's assertions, New Zealand Maori do not consume beached whales, nor do they trade in whale products; - No cetaceans (or other protected species of marine mammals) are legally taken in New Zealand for human consumption; - The great majority of those attending the seminar (including the major whalewatching company, which is entirely owned and managed by Maori of the Ngai Tahu tribe) strongly endorsed the Government's present policy on whaling. I should be grateful if these corrections could be brought to the attention of MARMAM subscribers. Jim McLay New Zealand Commissioner to the IWC A fisheries biologist colleague recently inquired about the status of the SEAWOLF project and I told her I would post the question to Marmam. Does anyone have any information as to the project's status? For those of you not familiar with the SEAWOLF project, the Navy was looking at evaluating the environmental consequences of shock testing (with explosive charge detonations) the SEAWOLF submarine at an offshore location. The environmental impact statement analyzed in detail two alernative sites - Mayport, FL and Norfolk, VA. Mayport was designated as the preferred site, with mitigation to minimize risk to marine mammals and turtles. Thanks in advance for any information. Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov Reply to: Stan Butler 1997 Fifth Annual Whales Alive Conference January 16-19 1997 Four Seasons Resort Kihei, Maui, Hawaii A gathering of top whale experts will be on Maui January 16-19, 1997 for a rare forum promoting whale and ocean education and conservation. The 1997 Whales Alive Conference offers an array of presentations, excursions and related activities available to the public. The theme for this year's conference is "Whales & Dolphins of the World". Producer of the event is Whales Alive, a Hawaii-based project of Earth Island Institute. Contact information: 1997 Whales Alive Conference URL: http://nko.org/whales_alive Online 1997 Whales Alive NetForum URL: http://nko.org/netforum/enviro/a/6-6 Stan Butler email whalesalive(\)igc.apc.org Stan Butler voice (808)875-6123 -- Paul G. Hugel Principal Investigator Scientific Analysis & Visualization of the Environment Maui Program S.A.V.E. Maui Program paul(\)mhpcc.edu PO.Box 862 Hana Maui 96713 http://nko.org ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 05:07:02 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: alternative to whale hunting (fw From: "Michael Kundu, ARCTURUS Adventure Communications" A few comments to respond to Georg Blichfeldt October 1996 posting about whale watching not being a viable alternative industry to whale harvesting: Blichfeldt reports; >" Makah whaling the resumption of the Makah whaling is presented as a >threat to the whale watch industry" Members of the Washington State Whale Watching Operator's Association (WWOA) have expressed a concern that struke-and-injured gray whales eluding their Makah hunters may come to consider small tour operators (ie., zodiac operations and a kayak touring groups) as potential aggressors. The industry concern in this region is that the possibility of aggression from these grays, however remote or limited, may be a industry liability that could require operators to take on additional insurance coverage. This economic impact is added to the potential cost to these regional operators of potential boycotts by international groups. Each of these concerns are valid evidence that the Makah whale hunt could be in conflict with whale watching in this region of the world. Blichfeldt also states; >"According to Peter Blathwayt a person a [sic] the Norwegian embassy in >London should have stated that minke whales are not suited for whale >watching because they are too dark. I think the embassy employee's >conclusion is correct..." Minke whales are one of the prime whale species encountered in the St. Lawrence/Saguenay River Estuary of Quebec Canada, and contrary to Mr. Blichfeldt's comments, they are very easy to spot and observe, their foraging habits and transverse white flipper bands make excellent identification markings for neophyte whale watchers. In areas like Tadoussac, Quebec and Telegraph Cove, British Columbia, whale watching has become one of the dominant sources of regional income. While the Lofoten Islands may not have had a suitable whale watching industry developed to date, this may be because that sort of activity generally requires the presence of a large, accessable population center nearby for interest and accessability purposes. Michael Kundu Sea Shepherd Conservation Society arcturus(\)arcturus.seanet.com Subject: whale watching accidents I am writing a short piece on whale watching accidents, specifically an incident in Scammons Lagoon last February, when a calf was accidently run over by a whale watching boat and the mother flipped the boat. If you have any information about whalewatching accidents(there was a previous incident involving a death at Scammons that I'm trying to find out about)I would very much like to hear from you.Thanks in advance. Ian Douglas idouglas(\)oberon.ark.com ph 250-285-2827 fax 250-285-2892 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 16:33:24 EST From: JALLEN(\)ecology.coa.edu Organization: College of the Atlantic Subject: posting From: Judy Allen Organization: College of the Atlantic Please post the following message on MARMAM. Thank you Marine Mammals Visiting Faculty - Spring Term College of the Atlantic Bar Harbor, Maine College of the Atlantic seeks a one term visiting professor to teach a Marine Mammals course at the introductory/intermediate level for students interested in ecology, marine biology and marine policy. A second course in the areas of research methods or statistics is also desirable. The Co llege's Spring term is ten weeks long -- from March 31 - June 6. Prior teaching experience is expected. Compensation will be commensurate with experience and number of courses to be taught. College of the Atlantic is a small private four-year college located in Bar Harbor, Maine. The college emphasizes innovative interdisciplinary study in a curriculum highlighting ecological approaches to issues and ideas. Applications should consist of a letter describing teaching approach and experience, a resume and a syllabus for the proposed course(s). Marine mammal studies have been a part of the COA curriculum for more that two decades. Inquiries and materials should be sent to: Academic Affairs Committee, College of the Atlantic, 105 Eden Street, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609 Application may also be made by Email to aacom(\)ecology.coa.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 15:24:26 EST From: Phil Subject: Re: Seawolf (fwd) To Dagmar Fertl and MARMAMers: The Navy is in the process of finalizing the environmental impact statement (EIS) based on comments received on the Draft EIS. No decision will be made for at least thirty days after the Final EIS is released to the public. Phil Bafield barfield(\)oasys.dt.navy.mil At 05:42 PM 1/15/97 -0800, you wrote: >From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov (Dagmar Fertl) > > A fisheries biologist colleague recently inquired about the status of > the SEAWOLF project and I told her I would post the question to > Marmam. Does anyone have any information as to the project's status? > For those of you not familiar with the SEAWOLF project, the Navy was > looking at evaluating the environmental consequences of shock testing > (with explosive charge detonations) the SEAWOLF submarine at an > offshore location. The environmental impact statement analyzed in > detail two alernative sites - Mayport, FL and Norfolk, VA. Mayport > was designated as the preferred site, with mitigation to minimize risk > to marine mammals and turtles. > > Thanks in advance for any information. > > Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 11:30:48 -0800 From: GreenLife Society - North America Subject: 2d Annual IWLC ------ 2d Annual International Wildlife Law Conference: Registration Materials The 2d Annual International Wildlife Law Conference will take place on April 8, 1997 in Washington DC at the Georgetown University Law Center. =20 Conference co-sponsors are: =B7 American Society of International Law's wildlife section =B7 GreenLife Society - North America =B7 Georgetown International Environmental Law Review =B7 Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law & Policy =B7 Environmental Law Society, American University School of Law =B7 Detroit College of Law-Michigan State University The conference will utilize the same three panel format as at last year's conference. The panels for the conference are as follows: PANEL #1 The precautionary principle and international wildlife treaty regimes Moderator: David Favre, Faculty of Law, Detroit College of Law - Michigan State University =B7 Drs. Jonathan Verschuuren & Chris Backes, Faculty of Law, Tilburg University, Netherlands, "The Precautionary Principle in European and Dut= ch Wildlife Protection Law and Policy;" =B7 Dr. Joan E. Russow, Co-ordinator, Global Compliance Research project = & Sessional lecturer, Global Issues, Environmental Studies Program, U. Of Victoria, "The Implications of Compliance with the Precautionary Principl= e: Report to the Commission on Sustainable Development;" =B7 Dr. W.M. von Zharen, College of Wildlife and Agriculture; College of Geosciences and Maritime Studies, Texas A&M University, Galveston, Texas= , USA, "Stewarding Marine Species: Beyond the Precautionary Principle;" =B7 William C. Burns, Director, GreenLife Society - North America, "Using Reverse Listing to Implement the Precautionary Principle in the Context o= f the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora;" =B7 Dr. Sudhir K. Chopra, Visiting Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy and Department of International Relations, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary & Craig Hanson, Member, Illinois state bar, "Deep Ecology to the Precautionary Principle: Ethical Principl= es Evolve into Customary International Law." PANEL #2 The International Whaling Commission and the aboriginal whaling exception. Moderator: Professor Howard S. Schiffman, New York University School of L= aw =B7 Bill Dollinger, Wildlife Coordinator, Friends of Animals, Washington,= DC, "Return to Commercial Whaling: Playing the Native Card;" =B7 Dr. Harry Scheiber, Stefan Riesenfeld Professor of Law and History, & Associate Dean of Law for Jurisprudence & Social Policy, Boalt Hall Schoo= l of Law, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA, "T= he Ethical Basis and Proper Limits of Special Indigenous Claims;" =B7 Karen Barton, Dept. Of Geography, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz= ona, USA, "Common Property Theory and the Resource Dilemma: The Case of the California Gray Whale;"=20 =B7 Leesteffy Jenkins, The Humane Society of the United States/Humane Soc= iety International, "Aboriginal Subsistence Quotas at the International Whalin= g Commission: Tradition or Travesty?;" =B7 Phoebe Wray, President of the Board, Center for Action on Endangered Species, topic to be announced. PANEL #3 The Convention on Biological Diversity: Problems and Prospects Moderator: William P. Weiner, Faculty of Law, Thomas M. Cooley Law School. =B7 Lyle Glowka, Legal Officer, International Union for the Conservation = of Nature Environmental Law Center, Bonn, Germany, "The Convention on Biological Diversity: A New Context for Wildlife Conservation;" =B7 Dr. Maria Gavouneli, Associate, Hellenic Institute of International a= nd Foreign Law, Athens, Greece; "The New Mediterranean Protocol on Biodiversity: Regional Approaches in a Wider Context;" =B7 Manuel Ruiz, Senior Researcher, Biodiversity Program, Sociedad Peruan= a de Derecho Ambiental, Peru, "International Wildlife Traffic and Article 15 o= f the Convention on Biological Diversity;" =B7 Dr. Tracy Dobson, Associate Dean of International Studies, Michigan S= tate University, Lansing, Michigan, USA, "Radical Restructuring of Environment= al Policy to Preserve Biodiversity in Africa: Malawi at the Crossroads;" =B7 Chris Wold, Adjunct Professor of Law, Washington College of Law, Amer= ican University & staff attorney , Center for International Environmental Law, topic to be announced. Registration may be effectuated by printing out the form below and mailin= g it to the following address: Professor David Favre, Detroit College of La= w - Michigan State University, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824. Checks should be made out to "Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University." Registration Form: 2d Annual International Wildlife Law Conference, April 8, 1997 Georgetown University School of Law Center Name: ____________________________________________ Organization: _____________________________ Address: _________________________________ City: __________________________ State: ________________________ Postal Code: ___________ =20 Country _______________ Phone: ________________ Fax: _________________ E-mail: ________________ Fees (Check One): Regular _____ ($50.00 until March 1st, $55.00 thereafter) Student _____ ($25.00) =20 Please mail to: Professor David Favre, Detroit College of Law - Michigan State University, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824. Checks should be made out to "Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University." Wil Burns =09 Director, GreenLife Society - North American Chapter=20 700 Cragmont Ave. Berkeley, CA 94708 USA =09 Phone/Fax: (510) 558-0620=09 E-mail: pcis(\)igc.apc.org =09 WWW site: http://EELINK.umich.edu/greenlife/index.html =09 GLSNA Affiliations: The EarthAction Network Reseau International d'ONG sur la Desertification (RIOD) Accredited NGO Observer, International Whaling Commission European Social Science Fisheries Network -=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-= =3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D- The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. -- William James -=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-= =3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 05:08:13 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CANADIAN BOWHEAD HUNT (fwd) From: annelise(\)direct.ca In 1991, Canada approved the first request by the Inuvialuit from the community of Aklavik, NWT, to kill one Bowhead whale. The Inuvialuit had not hunted great whales for over 40 years. The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement gives the Inuit the right to kill Bowhead whales, as long as proper conservation and safety practices are followed (whatever that means). The latest study by the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) puts the eastern Bowhead population somewhere near 500 or 600 whales. That's only a tiny fraction of the estimated population in the early 1800s, and the figures are very rough. Both the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife In Canada (COSEWIC) have designated Bowhead whale populations endangered. Furthermore, by international agreement, the species comes under the management authority of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). The IWC has repeatedly expressed concerns about whaling in the Canadian Arctic because Bowhead whale stocks are not recovering. Back in 1991, the U.S. government officially advised Canada that it had three options: to prohibit the bowhead hunt, to rejoin the IWC and seek the bowhead quota, or to face American sanctions against Canadian fish products under the Pelly Amendment. Canada chose to ignore both the IWC and the U.S. government. The Fisheries Joint Management Committee (FJMC) recommended to then DFO Minister Tom Siddon, allow the hunt. Also, Canada's Committee on Whales and Whaling (COWW) determined that there was no conservation concern, despite the endangered status of the bowhead. In August, new Minister John Crosbie send a press release announcing that he had given permission for the hunt to proceed. On Sept. 3, the Inuvialuit killed an immature male bowhead, but the U.S. was reluctant to take action under the Pelly Amendment if the Canadian public didn't care enough to oppose the hunt. And the fact is that we didn't. Despite much hard work, Canadian conservation groups were unsuccessful in creating the kind of public awareness and media-hype necessary to allow the US to impose sanctions against us. Now, the US government is giving Canadians another chance to protect endangered Bowhead whales from going extinct. On Dec. 12, 1996, US Secretary of Commerce Mickey Kantor certified to President Clinton that Canada was undermining international efforts to protect Bowhead whales by having permitted Canadian Inuits to kill two of these whales last July and August. Under the provisions of the Pelly Amendment, President Clinton has until Feb. 10, 1997, to determine whether or not to impose import sanctions on Canadian fish products. Anyone who would like to voice an opinion on this matter should write to U.S. President Clinton and urge him to impose import sanctions on Canadian fish products. Economic sanctions will pressure the Canadian government to hopefully stop the Bowhead whale hunt. E-mail President Clinton BEFORE Feb. 10, 1997 at: Please, also e-mail us a copy of your letter: . Many thanks. Annelise Sorg Coalition for No Whales in Captivity 102-1365 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6H 3Y8 Tel: (604) 736-9514 - E-mail: annelise(\)direct.ca The GIS/Remote Sensing Working Group of The Wildlife Society is pleased to announce a dedicated poster session during the 1997 Annual Meeting in Snowmass, Colorado during 21-27 September, 1997. The session, tentatively titled Integrating Technologies for Wildlife Management: The Future is Now, will be held on Thursday, September 25, beginning at 3:00 p.m. and continuing until 8:00 p.m. This dedicated poster session and social serves as a sister session to the Radiotelemetry Forum that will be held 21-23 September, 1997 in conjunction with the Snowmass conference. The Telemetry Forum will focus upon the technological aspects of radiotelemetry; whereas the Dedicated Poster Session will illustrate the integration of Geographic Information, Global Positioning, Remote Sensing, and Radiotelemetry Technologies in directing and facilitating wildlife- and natural resource-related research and problem solving. While there are 10-20 positions available for traditional posters, at least half of our format will be dedicated to interactive posters and displays that allow presenters the option to provide hands-on, interactive demonstrations of the uses of these technologies in applied natural resources venues. As of this mailing, about as many posters and presentations as available slots have been recieved. Assuming the current level of response, we do not anticipate any rejections. However, in the event that abstracts exceed available positions, selection criteria will include: deadline compunction, preparation standards, grammar and content, and applicability to the theme of the session. The selection committee will compose a final program by 7 February so that unselected authors, if any, may submit their posters by the 14 February "at large" deadline. Final abstracts for selected posters/ presentations will be submitted in late February with instructions and a specific date to be announced. Abstract submission forms are available in the September-October Wildlifer, or via The 1996 Symposium Homepage at http://web.syr.edu/~rilawren/twsgis.html, or Dr. Lawrence's homepage at http://web.syr.edu/~rilawren Abstracts for traditional posters, invited, and at large interactive presentations must be postmarked no later than 1 February, 1997. A copy of your abstract may be mailed to: GIS Poster Session, c/o Dr. Richard K. Lawrence, State University of New York, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210. Submissions may also be emailed to Dr. Lawrence at rilawren(\)syr.edu, Karl Didier at kadidier(\)syr.edu, Darren Divine at divined(\)nevada.edu, or Dave Morton at dmorton(\)vt.edu. Please include your e-mail address on all correspondence. Thank you, and I apologize for any crosspostings. ===================================================================== | Richard K. Lawrence | | | 253 Illick Hall | | | 1 Forestry Drive | "...and from that time on, whenever I | | SUNY-ESF | went anywhere, I was RUN-NING!" | | Syracuse, NY 13210 | | | (315)470-6985/6990 | -Forrest Gump | | rilawren(\)mailbox.syr.edu | | ===================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 10:28:54 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 1/17/97 - Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. NOTE: Archived copies of "first Friday" longer summaries for February 1994 through the present are now available at: "http://www.lsu.edu/guests/sglegal/public_html" Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . North Atlantic Whaling. On Mar. 1, 1997, Norwegian, Icelandic, and Greenland sponsors have scheduled a conference on "Whaling in the North Atlantic - Economic and Political Perspectives" in Reykjavik, Iceland. [High North Alliance News] . Gray Whale Calf Stranding. On Jan. 10, 1997, a several-days-old gray whale calf was discovered stranded and separated from its mother near Venice Beach, CA. The 1,670-pound, 13-foot-long female was taken to San Diego Sea World for rehabilitation and care in preparation for release back into the wild after possibly a year in captivity. [Assoc Press] . Keiko's Health. On Jan. 16, 1997, the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation announced a collaborative scientific research project with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and the Univ. of California, Santa Cruz, to establish acoustical, optical, medical, behavioral, and physiological benchmarks for measuring the recovery of the killer whale, Keiko. [Assoc Press, Free Willy-Keiko Foundation press release] . Humpback Whale Entanglement. On Jan. 6, 1997, Navy personnel freed a 30-foot humpback whale from plastic crabbing buoys and nylon lines ensnaring its tail. Although the buoys were traced to Alaskan crabs traps lost more than 2 months earlier, the whale was freed southwest of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. [Assoc Press] . Right Whale Protection. On Jan. 16, 1997, the New England Fishery Management Council began consideration of a proposal to prohibit gillnet fishing in certain offshore federal waters near Cape Cod Bay and the Great South Channel annually between January and June to better protect right whales. The Council is scheduled to vote on the proposal on Jan. 29, 1997. The State of MA was reported to have implemented similar prohibitions in inshore state waters in early January 1997. On Jan. 16, 1997, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that it had begun weekly flights over New England waters to spot whales and warn ships. [NMFS press release, Assoc Press] . Japanese Oil Spill. On Jan. 2, 1996, the Russian oil tanker Nakhodka ruptured and split apart in storms in the Sea of Japan about 90 miles off the north coast of Japan, releasing an estimated 26,000 barrels (3,700 metric tons) of heavy oil into the sea. On Jan. 17, 1997, 14 dolphins were evacuated from an amusement park aquarium (Echizen Matsushima Aquarium, located one mile from where the tanker bow has grounded) to be held in 5 other aquariums until the spill is cleaned-up. The estimated amount of spilled oil was increased to 5,000 metric tons. [Reuters] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 04:54:22 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: address for Vera DaSilva From: Dianne Taylor-Snow 17 January 1997 I am trying to locate an e-mail address or telephone number for Vera DaSilva in Brasil. I have exhausted other sources. Would anyone on the list have this information ? Thank you in advance. Dianne Taylor-Snow dts(\)psnw.com Exxon Valdez: Back to Prince William Sound? January 15, 1997 WASHINGTON (AP) -- Exxon Corp. wants the Exxon Valdez to navigate again the Alaska waters it fouled with millions of gallons of crude oil in 1989. Some Alaskans are outraged. Attorneys for the corporation were to ask a U.S. District Court judge here Thursday to strike down federal legislation that barred the vessel, since renamed the Mediterranean, from Prince William Sound. "It is impossible to overstate the depth of Exxon's insensitivity to the Alaskan natives," said Gary Mason, an attorney representing a group of Alaska natives. Mason and colleagues Michael D. Hausfeld and Lloyd Miller argued that Exxon's proposal is not only offensive to residents of the affected region but could again imperil the fish and fowl that are still recovering from the tanker accident. The Oil Pollution Act, a provision of which is at issue in the case, "was plainly intended to prevent rusty buckets such as the Exxon Valdez from plying the waters of Prince William Sound again," the attorneys wrote in their brief. A representative of Exxon's shipping company said it was challenging the ban because Congress improperly punished the ship's owners retroactively. In March 1989, the tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil. Exxon was ordered to pay $5 billion in punitive damages to commercial fishermen, Alaska natives, property owners and others harmed by the spill. It also was ordered to pay $287 million to fishermen for actual losses. The Oil Pollution Act, which was passed in response to several accidents that occurred around the time of the Valdez spill, barred any tanker that had spilled more than 1 million gallons from navigating Prince William Sound. In a complaint filed against theTransportation Department,SeaRiver Maritime Financial Holdings, a subsidiary of Exxon, argued that the act's exclusion was unconstitutional. "Basically you're finding the vessel guilty of something (when) you passed a law after it happened," said Pete Rupp, a SeaRiver vice president. "It's retroactively applying a law, which is not permissible; that was not in effect at the time of the Valdez incident." U.S. maritime law requires that certain vessels doing business in U.S. ports be built in the United States and operated by Americans, significantly raising the costs of such vessels. Built in 1986, the Mediterranean and her sister ship, the Long Beach, are the newest U.S. tankers, Rupp said. The company is losing money by operating the Mediterranean between Europe and Egypt where cheaper ships are available. The vessel was rebuilt after the accident and its seaworthiness isn't an issue, Rupp said. The Transportation Department has asked that the case be dismissed, or moved to an Alaska courtroom. In a friend of the court brief filed Tuesday, the native village of Port Graham and the Valdez tribe of native Alaskans argue Exxon waived its right to contest any federal action related to the Valdez spill in a 1992 consent decree. Earlier this month, Exxon announced it would receive $300 million from Lloyd's of London and about 250 other underwriters in a partial settlement of a lawsuit to recover expenses from the spill. Exxon had sought more than $1 billion from its insurers. The insurers refused to pay, blaming the accident on negligence. The Irving, Texas-based company still has $250 million in unresolved claims pending with Lloyd's and other underwriters. An April 8 trial date has been set in state court in Harris County, Texas. Exxon spent $3 billion to clean up the spill and settle state and federal charges But insurers contended Exxon was to blame for putting a known alcoholic at the helm of the Valdez. Capt. Joseph Hazelwood was acquitted in 1990 of operating the tanker while drunk. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 20:02:01 -0700 From: M Freeman Subject: Bowhead hunts Dear Marmam Subscribers, I refer to the request for Canadians to write President Clinton re imposing sanctions on Canada for the bowhead hunts. Before considering whether to do this, subscribers may wish to have clarification. The lady as the events described have been quite mixed up. The posting has confised three different hunts involving two different whale stocks. The September 3 hunt referred to was in 1991. It was from the Pacific (Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort seas) stock, which numbers in excess of 8000 whales. Alaskans take ca. 50 bowheads from this stock each year, which is increasing at a net rate of about 3% per year (i.e. about 240 whales added after the hunting mortality is accounted for). Taking one whale of of a population increasing by that number will not cause extinction. There were no bowheads taken in Canada in 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995. In 1996 two licences were issued. One bowhead was taken from the Pacific stock, and one from the Eastern Arctic stock(s) (there may be two stocks). The population figure given (around 650) relates to a survey in Foxe Basin and N.W. Hudson Bay (a small part of the Eastern Arctic bowhead range), where Inuit have for the last twenty years reported increasing numbers of sightings in places where no, or very few, bowhead had been seen in older peoples early years. Similar reports are common in Inuit communities elsewhere in the eastern arctic (from North to South Baffin Island, which possibly refers to a separate stock). In Cumberland Sound, for example, bowheads are now considered a hazard to people boating (in fact four tourists were drowned in another sound further north two summer ago when their boat was capzised by a surfacing bowhead, so it does not appear to be a far-fetched fear). In Nunavut a five year study of bowhead has commenced, and although still unpublished, the first year's results make it very probable that (1) a population recovery is well underway, and (2) taking one whale from the Eastern Arctic population(s) does not constitute a conservation threat. Inuit in Canada have a constitution right to hunt for food; the only grounds for suspending that right is if there is a legitimate conservation concern. At this time there is no evidence such a concern exists. Milton Freeman milton.freeman(\)ualberta.ca ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 11:25:29 +0000 From: sm2(\)st-andrews.ac.uk Subject: Seal vocalisations Dear all, I am currently preparing a literature review of seal vocalisations as part of my PhD and would be grateful for any references on the following genera (In brackets are the references I already have): Genus Monachus (Job, Boness & Francis 1995) Genus Hydrurga (Stirling & Siniff, 1979; Thomas & Galladay 1995; Rogers, Cato & Bryden 1996) Genus Lobodon Genus Ommatophoca (Watkins & Ray 1985) Genus Leptonychotes (Watkins & Schevill 1968; Thomas & Kuechle 1982; Thomas & Stirling 1983; Thomas, Zinnel & Ferm 1983; Green & Burton 1988; Thomas Puddicombe, George & Lewis 1988; Morrice, Burton & Green 1994) Genus Mirounga (Bartholomew & Collias 1962; Le Boeuf & Peterson 1969; Le Boeuf & Petrinovich 1974; Le Boeuf & Petrinovich 1975; Shipley, Hines & Buchwald 1981; Shipley & Strecker 1986; Shipley, Hines & Buchwald 1986; Insley 1992) Genus Erignathus (Cleator, Stirling & Smith 1989) Genus Cystophora (Terhune & Ronald 1973; Ballard & Kovacs 1995) Genus Phoca (Watkins & Ray, 1977; Terhune, Stewart & Ronald 1979; Watkins & Schevill 1979; Renouf 1984; Renouf 1985; Ralls, Fiorelli & Gish 1985; Terhune & Ronald 1986; Terhune, MacGowan, Underhill & Ronald 1987; Perry & Renouf 1988; Hanggi & Schusterman 1994; Terhune 1994; Kunnasranta, Hyvarinen & Sorjonen 1996) Genus Halichoerus (Asselin, Hammill & Barretti 1993) Genus Callorhinus Genus Arctocephallus ( Stirling & Warnecke 1971; Stirling 1971; Trillmich 1981) Genus Neophoca Genus Phocarctos Genus Otaria Genus Eumetopias Genus Zalophus (Peterson & Bartholomew 1969; Hanggi 1992) Genus Odobenus rosmarus (Stirling, Calvert & Spencer 1987) Thanks for your help and time, Yours sincerely, Susanne McCulloch Susanne McCulloch Room E31 Tel: 01334 463508 Bute Medical Building Fax 01334 78399 St.Andrews E-mail address : sm2(\)st-andrews.ac.uk Fife, KY16 9TS Scotland, U.K. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 22:25:19 -0500 From: Stephanie Brown Subject: Canadian bowhead Hello Marmammers, Further to the posting by Milton Freeman: He stated no bowhead was killed in Canada in l992-95. An Eastern Arctic bowhead was killed illegally in l994 because a 94-year-old community elder in Iglooik, Noah Piugatuq, wanted to taste bowhead muktuk before he died. The elder had reportedly killed a bowhead in the l960s. The Eastern Arctic bowhead is an endangered species, according to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). The Canadian Justice Department considered, but did not prosecute the case. Stephanie Brown Toronto ************************************************************************* Ken, Stephanie, Lia and Melanie Brown Toronto, Canada e-mail: brown(\)idirect.com ************************************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 12:10:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Russia May Resume Whaling Russia May Resume Whaling MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia is considering resuming commercial whaling due to a jump in the whale population in the Barents, Bering, Black, and White seas and a related drop in fish stocks. White whales in particular have been breeding rapidly and depleting cod stock in the White Sea, said Vladimir Izmailov, head of the State Fishing Committee for fish stocks, the Interfax news agency reported Monday. Fishing authorities may start by giving permission for whaling to ethnic groups in Russia's Chukotka peninsula that have traditionally used whale meat. If Russia decides to resume whaling, it would follow the example of Iceland, which recently announced that it will catch a minimum of 200 whales in 1997 for commercial purposes, Interfax said. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 06:50:31 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Re: Bowhead hunts (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 09:20:19 -0700 From: James Hrynyshyn To: Milton Freeman is also not giving you the entire picture. His point about the two separate stocks is important and the estimate given of the Pacific population (circo 8,000) is generally accepted among knowledgeable experts. But his notes on the Eastern Arctic population neglected significant information. There are no reliable estimates of the size of the Eastern Arctic population. I have talked to numerous biologists in the one thing on which they all agree is they really have no good idea of the size. There is one -- just one -- scientific study of use to come out in recent years and even it hedges its bets more than usual. The bottom line is the population could be as high as 1,000 or more, or as small as 250. The idea that the population is growing is plausible, but far from certain. Among the more accepted observations about the population is the pressure from environmental change (ocean temperature rise) and toxic contamination. This suggests that increased encounters with bowhead whales among Inuit in the area could very well be the result of shifting travel and behaviour patterns by the bowhead. I am not trying to accuse Prof. Freeman of biasing his report, but when you're talking about a population with as low as 250 (just as likely as any other number), then I think erring on the side of caution (i.e. conservation) is far more reasonable a response than harvesting. The lead federal cetacean biologist for the department of Fisheries and Ocean, whom I interviewed last year, said the loss of even one healthy member of such a small population could constitute a serious threat. And we have to remember that the government of Canada gave the Inuit the right to "strike" two bowhead and "land" one. As well, Prof. Freeman is not correct that no Eastern Arctic bowhead whales have been hunted between 1992 and 1995. One was taken in 1994 by Inuit of the area after a dying elder requested they provide him with bowhead meat before his dies. The hunters killed one and were subsequently charged with illegally killing the whale. They later changed their story, arguing they unexpectedly came across a sick and dying whale and killed it out of mercy. Incidentally, (and just to complete the story), the federal prosecutor decided to drop the charges two years later because, he said, the rising costs were becoming prohibitive. Cheers James Hrynyshyn jamesh(\)internorth.com Yellowknife, NWT Canada http://www.achilles.net/~jamesh 403.669.0427 or 403.873.4031 ------------------------------ Subscribers I am once again asking for advice and input. The Marine Mammal Interest Group is looking to build / develop a marine mammal, mostly dolphins and seals, and also penguin, rehabilitation centre. But, we don't want to re-invent the wheel and our resources are limited (we will be relying on corporate sponsorships and anyone who has ever sought those knows how limited they are!). Our intention is to build the facility in a modular fashion, starting small, but with the planned ability to add to the facility as funds acrue. What I'm asking for is designs, ideas etc. from those of you who have done or been involved in this kind of thing. Any self explanatory drawings, architects concept pictures etc. would be appreciated. Obviously we won't infringe on intellectual property, it's just a matter of formulating what is needed and what would be nice to have and the best, easiest and cheapest way to achieve this. Thanks in anticipation for any replies. Vic Dr V.G. Cockcroft e-mail: pemvgc(\)zoo.upe.ac.za Centre for Dolphin Studies Port Elizabeth Museum & University of Port Elizabeth P.O. Box 13147, Humewood 6013. South Africa Telephone 27 + 41 + 561051 Telefax 27 + 41 + 562175 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 00:48:49 GMT From: Edward Brown Subject: DISTURBANCE AT SEAL HAUL-OUTS Dear Marmamers, I'm looking for information on disturbance at seal haul-outs sites, preferably at harbour seal sites but any species is of interest. I live on the Shetland Islands, North Sea, and have limited access to sources of information. BACKGROUND There is a large harbour seal haul-out (max numbers during moult approaching 500) on an offshore island called Mousa. The island is uninhabitated but has a structure of historical interest which many people visit during the summer months as a boat service is run by a local boatman. There are two main haul-outs on the island, both around tidal pools. Many people visit the sites to "see the seals" and want to get as close as possible. The net result is that many seals abandon the site when people are present in large numbers. This has given concern locally over the last year or two as some females do give birth at one of the tide pools. I have visited the island regularly for the last couple of years collecting faecal samples for a diet study, most people i talk to don't seem to be aware that they are causing harm when they try to get as close as possible to mother-pup pairs to take photographs etc. The disturbances are (1) Groups of people, max 20-25 at the haul-out sites at anyone time. (2) People having picnics, virtually in the haul-out sites themselves. (3) Loud music (4) People trying to swim in the tide pools, when the seals are present! (5) Children running around, screaming/shouting etc. As a result of the concern, the statuatory agency for nature conservaion in Scotland (Scottish Natural Heritage) is considering funding a project on the effects of human (and other if relevant) disturbance in relation to wildlife on the island. There are other species such as otters and artic terns which frequently get disturbed. I am looking for background information on the issue of disturbance at seal haul-out sites and any advice anyone may have on how best to plan a research project on this topic. One other thing about the site gave me concern last year was children playing on a shell sand beach at one of the haul-outs, which the seals use to haul-out on and upon which they defecate. The children were bare foot running around, my concern was the potential for pathogens being present, especially parasites eggs being present in the sand. A small child having an open wound on a foot could be at risk. Am i correct in this assumption and if so what pathogens are likely to be present? Thanks in advance Edward G. Brown (e.brown(\)zetnet.co.uk) -- Edward G. Brown 9 Twageos Rd, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0BB UK. Telephone/Faxphone +44 (0) 1595 693582 Email e.brown(\)zetnet.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 19:26:01 -0500 From: Marthajane Caldwell Gustin Subject: Tursiops genetics Greeting Marmamers, I am a graduate student at the University of Miami. I plan to use mtDNA and microsatellite DNA to look at population structure in Tursiops truncatus utilizing northeast Florida. Two years of photo-id and behavioral studies have provided habitat ulitization and association data for three drastically different "communities" of dolphins. One is an inracoastal year-round resident, one is an intracoastal seasonal resident, and one is coastal with no discernable residency pattern. Can anyone help me find information on genetic studies of Tursiops truncatus. I know that some studies are underway. The only ones in print that I know of are Dowling and Brown (1993) in MMS and Duffield and Wells (1991) in IWC special issue 13. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you Marthajane >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Marthajane Caldwell University of Miami caldwell(\) pop.jaxnet.com If you encounter difficulty, don't change your decision to go. Change your direction to get there. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 21:34:59 -0800 From: "Michael Kundu, ARCTURUS Adventure Communications" Subject: Re: bowhead hunt A few additional comments on the recent posting about the Canadian Innuit bowhead hunt. I am concerned that some of the data presented by M. Freeman may also be based on his own interpretation of second-hand, undocumented and unpublished information. If the eastern bowhead population is indeed stable or increasing, it is something which I, for one, would like to see published data on. From my understanding, the Foxe Basin/Huson Bay population number of bowhead is unknown, with estimates ranging anywhere between 200-450 animals. If the true figure is even at the top of that range, killing one animal would be a tremendous waste of genetic diversity, akin perhaps to killing one of British Columbia's unique Kermode black bears. At this stage of bowhead recovery efforts, that is unacceptable. Of the 5 bowhead stocks believed to exist, it is also my understanding that the eastern Greenland/Barents Sea stock is either extinct or very near extinction, primarily a result of whaling. The third eastern Arctic stock {Baffin Bay/Davis Strait} I believe is estimated by the Canadian Department of Fisheries & Oceans (DFO) to number only about 500 animals. While M.F. is correct that the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort stock, whose numbers are thought to be between 6,000 and 8,500, are reproducing at about 3%, they still fall drastically below the pre-whaling estimates which were thought to be between 18,000-36,000 animals. At a 3% growth rate ( 190 after annual aboriginal harvest by my clculations), we can still expect this stock to be below its historical population levels until at least around the year 2050, if nothing else threatens them. While there my be reports on increased bowhead sighting in areas previously unnoticed, there are many variables that may be factors, ie., increased use of aircraft and snowmobiles for observation and cetalogist coverage of territory, stock migrations following flux in food source, etc. I find heresay and casual reporting both scientifically flawed and moreover, cavalier as a method of basing or establishing harvest quotas. Additionally, I would argue that one alleged boating capsize (I have not seen any documentation of this incident) by a bowhead does not make this highly endangered whale a hazard to humans in the region. As M.F. mya be interpreted as meaning in his last sentence, it would be helpful if a comprehensive, peer-reviewed population study existed prior to the Canadian government alotting an eastern bowhead harvest. Since the 5-year Nunavut bowhead study cited by M.F. is not yet released, I maintain that there is still ample international rationale to question and object to this harvest. Michael Kundu Sea Shepherd Conservation Society arcturus(\)arcturus.seanet.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 00:25:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Russia not planning to resume Russia not planning to resume whale hunting MOSCOW, January 22 (Itar-Tass) - There are no facts proving the increase of the population of the white whale in Northern seas. This is why the resumption of whale hunting on a commercial scope is out of the question, Alexei Yablokov, head of the Interdepartmental Commission for Ecological Security under the Russian Security Council, believes. Commenting on the recent speculations about a possibility of the resumption of whale hunting, which was totally stopped by the Soviet Union in 1987, he said today in an interview with Tass that "there are no grounds for such speculations." Sources at the Russian State Committee for Fishing also told Tass that at present Russia is not ready for the resumption of whale hunting either technically, or economically, because during the past ten years the whaling fleet became obsolete. Yablokov refuted statements that the white whale eats too much cod-fish, which may upset its population balance. The white whale does not eat this variety of fish at all, he explained. According to his information, the population of only one type of whale -- the minke shale -- has shown a perceptible increase of late. Its habitat in the South Antarctic, which is a preserve zone. Whale hunting even for scientific purposes is forbidden there. An international convention on whaling was signed in 1946. In accordance with the convention, the International Whaling Committee was set up, whose activities are aimed at eliminating any opportunity for the extermination of whales. Signatories to the convention agreed with the need for preserving the natural resources and confined whale hunting only to those types of whales which can still be hunted on a commercial scope. A quota for whale hunting was set for every hunting season. At present only whaling for scientific purposes is permitted. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 11:51:06 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 1/24/97 - Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. NOTE: Archived copies of "first Friday" longer summaries for February 1994 through the present are now available at: "http://www.lsu.edu/guests/sglegal/public_html" Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . World Council of Whalers. On Jan. 22, 1997, Japanese whaling industry officials announced that a nongovernmental international organization was being formed to promote whaling and oppose the antiwhaling movement. The World Council of Whalers will be headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and is scheduled to hold its first meeting in November 1997 in Tonga. Participants are said to include Japan, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and the United States. [Dow Jones News] . Iceland's Commercial Whaling; Russia Considering. In mid-January 1997, Icelandic officials were reported to have officially notified the International Whaling Commission that Iceland planned to resume commercial whaling in 1997 and kill no less than 200 whales. Iceland was reported to have killed whales in 1996 for research. Russian officials were reported to be considering a difficult decision on resumption of commercial whaling in the White, Barents, Bering, and Black Seas. [Interfax] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 09:50:27 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: newsclip - ship paint and dolphin deaths The following came from Greenwire 1/22-23/97. TOXICS: SHIP PAINT MAY HARM DOLPHIN IMMUNE SYSTEMS. Scientists at Georgia's Skidaway Institute of Oceanography have concluded that a toxic chemical used in ship paint and its breakdown components contribute to dolphin deaths by suppressing their ability to fight infection. Banned in the US since 1989 except on very large vessels and aluminum boats, tributyltin (TBT) is still "widely used" to prevent barnacles and algae from attaching to hulls. The study of the "highly toxic" compound's role in dolphin die-offs was published in the 1/97 issue of the journal ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY. In the study, researchers tested tissue from dolphins that died near Florida's Atlantic and Gulf coasts from 11/89 to 8/94. They found butyltin compounds -- which impair the immune system -- in organs such as the liver, kidney and heart and brain at higher levels than in healthy dolphins. They also found higher butyltin levels in dolphins that live close to shore, suggesting "exposures from coastal shipping." Lead researcher Kurunthachalam Kannan said that TBT is a "very serious" problem that may pose a greater risk to dolphins than PCBs. PART OF A BIGGER PROBLEM Scientists worldwide are "compiling strong evidence linking environmental contaminants to marine mammals' health problems" (GREENWIRE, 5/13/95). Marine mammal specialist Graham Worthy of Texas A&M U. said that many pollutants have a cumulative effect: "We're dealing with a toxic soup in many cases. ... There is really no place in the world that isn't affected" (Randy Lee Loftis, DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/20). ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 25 Jan 1997 09:16:47 -0700 From: Serge L Dedina Subject: GRAY WHALE DISSERTATIONS RECENT DISSERTATIONS ON GRAY WHALE AND WETLAND CONSERVATION IN MEXICO The following dissertations on the historical political, economic and cultural dimensions of gray whale and wetland conservation in Mexico can be found in the locations in the United States and Mexico listed after the abstracts. These dissertations can also be ordered through University Microfilms. THE PRODUCTION OF GRAY WHALE CONSERVATION IN BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO Serge Louis Dedina, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Austin, 1996 Conservation as it has traditionally been defined--as a process that involves some sort of nature protection--is an imagined landscape of laws, regulations, parks and propaganda that has little to do with what occurs in the field. The production of conservation is the result of how state policies, resource conflicts and environmental politics are manifested and dealt throughout the nested system of resource management. This study examines and compares the political ecology of gray whale conservation in two coastal lagoons on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. One area, San Ignacio Lagoon, forms part of the largest protected area in Mexico. The other area, Magdalena Bay, is unprotected. The historical forces that resulted in the establishment of gray whale reserves in Mexico are the result of: 1) attempts to identify and assess economically important natural resources including flora and fauna in Baja California during the revolutionary period; 2) measures designed to protect mammals in danger of extinction and reestablish national control over important resources; 3) Mexico's adhesion to the International Whaling Commission and its participation in the international ban on the commercial harvest of gray whales; 4) and the influence of Mexican and American scientists and government officials engaged in gray whale research who initiated a three decade long lobbying campaign to have gray whale lagoons declared protected areas. These forces reflect the coalescence of interests in efforts in Mexico to establish national sovereignty over natural resources and binational concerns and programs designed to protect whale habitat in Baja California Sur. Laws and programs aimed at the protection of gray whales the establishment were a legacy of the utilitarian and nationalist reaction to the overexploitation of natural resources by foreigners prior to the Mexican Revolution. ELUSIVE EDENS: LINKING LOCAL NEEDS TO NATURE PROTECTION IN THE COASTAL LAGOONS OF BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO Emily Harriet Young, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Austin, 1995 The satisfaction of basic needs, self-reliance, self- empowerment, control over natural resources (in part to ensure environmental stewardship), and the economic well-being of future generations are new ideologies of ecodevelopment and community-based conservation in the so-called "Third World." This dissertation questions whether ecotourism and biosphere reserves, as strategies to promote these objectives, truly represent an improvement over the previous generation of development and conservation strategies. The cases of two fishing communities in Laguna San Ignacio and Bahia Magdalena, Baja California Sur, Mexico are examined to determine whether recreational whale-watching in both areas, and the Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve in Laguna San Ignacio are any more effective in promoting livelihood activities that are both socially viable and ecologically sound over the long term than are the already devastated inshore fisheries in the region. Local lifeways and attitudes towards fish and shellfish resources and other marine wildlife, as well as the variety of community-based institutions, market and political structures, and governmental policies that shape local resources use are examined comparatively to evaluate the prospects for and pitfalls of community involvement in both ecotourism and biosphere reserve endeavors. Although local people in these areas are aware that their economic survival in recreational whale-watching is tied to the survival of gray whales, like fisheries, neither community-based institutions nor regional economic and political structures or government policies are effective in mobilizing such attitudes into collective action toward marine resource conservation. El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve has been unable to fulfill any of its three assigned roles in the areas of conservation, logistics, and development or to avoid the problems faced by more traditional types of protected areas. The cases of both ecotourism and the biosphere reserve in Baja California Sur illustrate that as strategies for ecodevelopment and community-based conservation, they are doomed to a similar fate as the previous generation of development and conservation strategies unless the underlying issues of marine resource destruction is addressed in their regional context AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico Biblioteca Central, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Sur Achivo Historico Pablo L. Martinez (Archivo del Estado de Baja California Sur) Hermosillo, Sonora Centro de Datos para la Conservacion, CIDESON Guaymas, Sonora. Biblioteca Central, ITESM-Campus Guaymas. La Jolla, California Scripps Institution of Oceanography Library Austin, Texas Main Library, University of Texas at Austin. --------------------------- Serge Dedina Northwest Mexico Program Manager The Nature Conservancy Latin American and Caribbean Division 300 East University Blvd., Suite 230 Tucson, Arizona 85705 serge(\)u.arizona.edu Emily Young Assistant Professor Dept. of Geography and Regional Development Harvill Box #2 University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona 85721 eyoung(\)u.arizona.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 10:48:46 -0500 From: Stephen Best Subject: Re: Bowhead hunts Dear MARMAM, The posting I made on behalf of Dan Morast of the International Wildlife Coalition did not raise the issue of the appropriateness of Inuit Bowhead whaling. It did raise concerns about Canada allocating a quota for Bowhead whales outside of the scrutiny and oversight of the International Whaling Commission. This act, on the part of Canada, undermines the effectiveness and credibility of the International Whaling Commission, which could have an adverse effect on the international efforts to protect threatened and endangered species of whales. Whatever constitutional or treaty requirements Canada has vis a vis Inuit Bowhead whaling would most certainly be given due consideration by the Commission if Canada, as a member, made its case to the Commission as most responsible members do. However, it seems evident that, in fact, Canada's policy is, indeed, to undermine the effectiveness and credibility of the Commission. For this policy, Canada ought to be challenged, using every means available, including sanctions under US legislation. On personal note, it seems to me that as the fabric of international treaties and conventions that purport to protect endangered and threatened species is so flimsy that, at the very least, countries like Canada -- where a reasonably open and democratic political system is in place -- ought to be held by concerned citizens to the highest environmental protection standards possible. For the Canadian government, that means it ought to not only recognize its obligations to the Inuit but also to the rest of the international community and, indeed, its own non-Inuit citizens. Regards ---- Stephen Best, Vice President | Tel: 1.705.435.3969 International Wildlife Coalition | Fax: 1.705.434.0606 PO Box 988 | e-mail: sbest(\)inforamp.net Shelburne ON Canada L0N 1S0 | http://iwc.org ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 04:51:52 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Re: Bowhead hunts (fwd) Forwarded message: From: dduffus(\)office.geog.uvic.ca (Dave Duffus) I have a few comments regarding Stephen Best' discussion of the Inuit bowhead hunt, Canada, and the IWC.... As is widely known, Canada dropped out of the IWC in the early 1980's, partly because it was tired of being "roughed up" over the issue of allowing aboriginal subsistence hunting without much data on arctic cetaean populations, as well as some other internal political dalliances...so as far as this bowhead permitting undermining the IWC, it is merely a more visible aspect of an overall policy malaise in Canada that, while it does not frequently violate international standards in so visible a manner, it certainly does nothing to keep in step with them. At any rate Stephen Best's comment about responsible membership in the IWC is a useful point to bring up and I hope that generates some dialogue. I dont think we can accomplish as much in the international scene, nor can we in Canada do as much domestically sitting on the side lines in the IWC. As far as Best's "personal feelings" that Canada ought to be held by its citizens to high environmental standards and to high ethical standards dealing with First Nations, that is my personal feeling also, in my experience people from other nations as well as many Canadians are surprized and even shocked at the state of conservation legislation and management in Canada dealing with marine mammals and the oceans...as i write this I am looking over a copy of the new Bill-26, An act respecting the oceans of Canada...and although I have not completed an in-depth evaluation, already the discretionary nature, the "Minister may" clauses seem to outnumber the obligative "Minister shall" clauses, which means, in keeping with Canada's technocratic style of governance in this area, much of what is done will depend on the quality of leadership in the DFO, which , finally, is dependent somewhat on those qualities in the people to conclude this little diatribe, I hope interested people out these are looking over this new act and thinking about its links to the Fisheries Act and the Marine Mammal Regulations and will take the time to let our democratic institutions know there are interested citizens who are not complacent (oops where is my white collar) Society for Conservation Biology Annual Meeting June 6-9, 1997 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada http://geography.geog.uvic.ca/dept/announce/scb_page.html Conference Management University of Victoria Box 3030, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3N6 250-721-8470 (phone) 250-721-8774 (fax) Dear fellow members, Recently Lutra 39-2 (1996) was published. Lutra is the scientific magazine of the Benelux Society for the Study and Protection of Mammals VZZ. For your information, this article might be of interest: Kompanje, E.J.O., & C. Smeenk - Recent Bones of Right Whales Eubalaena glacialis from the Southern North Sea. P. 66-75. Abstract: This article describes a humerus, a radius, two ulnae and a mid-thoracic vetebra of the northern right whale Eubalaena glacialis, dredged by fishing vessels in the southern part of the Dutch sector of the North Sea, in 1994/95 and 1996. The bones are almost certainly from the second part of the 20th century and form the only proof of the occurrence of this species in the North Sea since the 19th century. The differences between the bones of the right whale and those of other large whales are discussed. A brief history of the Northeast Atlantic population of the right whale is given; this stock appears to be on the verge of extinction. The VZZ can be contacted at Emmalaan 41, NL-3581 HP Utrecht, The Netherlands. --- Jan Willem Broekema ECS Computer Support Group http://web.inter.NL.net/users/J.W.Broekema/ecs.htm ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 11:24:00 -0400 From: /R=IML/R=AM/U=L_Measures/FFN=L_MEASURES/(\)mr.dfo.ca Subject: Enterococcus faecium in marine mammals Further to my question on reports of Enterococcus faecium in marine mammals (seals or whales, wild or captive), we wish to know if marine mammals exposed to waters or sediments contaminated with untreated human waste containing E. faecium can acquire infections of this bacterium. We have no evidence that this has or can occur and are simply interested in knowing if this bacterium has been reported previously in marine mammals (either experimentally or naturally). Obviously, this can be a concern in areas of the world where coastal communities discharge human waste (treated or untreated sewage) directly into the ocean. Apparently this bacterium can survive in marine waters but whether it can be transmitted through the food chain to marine mammals or be acquired directly from contaminated water is unknown. Does anyone know of any cases where E. faecium has been found in marine mammals and under what circumstances? Has anyone looked? Dr. Lena Measures. My E-mail is L_Measures(\)DFO.QC.CA ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 21:16:52 -0400 From: "Dr. Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni" Subject: Death of Steve Leatherwood I received this e-mail today. I thought Marmamers worldwide would like to know of this terrible and saddening lost to our professional community. Antonio Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 10:14:35 -0600 From: William Neill Subject: Death of Steve Leatherwood Bernd Wursig has asked that I relay the following sad news: "Steve Leatherwood died quietly, surrounded by loved ones, this Saturday, 25 Jan. He had lymphoma and was told last Monday that he had three to six months to live. He let go very rapidly throughout the week. I miss him as the close friend he became while doing his Ph.D. with us. We in science shall all miss him for his amazingly clear writing, his honest ways, and his dedication to the environment. Please pass this news on at WFSC. Thanks." ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 10:49:22 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: manatees in Chad, Africa (fwd) This was originally posted on the ecs-all list (apologies for cross-posting), but should be of interest to MARMAM subscribers ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 11:54:27 -0500 (EST) From: jsalkind(\)OPAL.TUFTS.EDU Hello there, I have been working with manatees in Chad, Africa for the past couple of years. My work has entailed a preliminary survey of an allegedly landlocked population in two small lakes in southwestern Chad. I have performed a preliminary survey which examined the relative distribution of the manatees, any threats such as hunting, habitat destruction, disease, and the relationship between the manatees and the local Moundang people. I have also collected 13 bone specimens and performed mitochondrial DNA analysis to examine population parameters. I am in the process of publishing some of my work. I am particularly interested in promoting some enthusiasm towards the conservation of this much neglected species, Trichechus senegalensis. I am looking for some european counterparts [...]. I would appreciate any information you might have for me and please pass this message on to anyone that might be interested. Thank you and I look forward to hearing back from you, Jonathan Salkind Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine 200 Westboro Road N. Grafton, MA 01536 jsalkind(\)opal.tufts.edu -------------------------------------------------------------- --- Dear MARMAMERS, I am writing my PhD about the behaviour of solitary dolphins in South France. The focus animal of my study is a female dolphin called "Dolphy" who choosed her home range close to the Spanish-French-Mediterranean border (the dolphin disappeared in summer 1995). I am working with video footage that I took with this dolphin and I would like to compare the behaviour of Dolphy when interacting with humans with the behaviour of other solitary and sociable dolphins. Could anybody of you help me with video footage of wild sociable dolphins to help me to compare the behaviour of different individuals? I am looking forward to hear from you, Best wishes Monica Monica Mueller Laboratoire Arago F- 66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer FRANCE monica(\)arago.univ-perp.fr Observatoire Oceanologique de Banyuls BP 44 66650 BANYULS SUR MER Tel : 33 4 68 88 73 73 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 12:07:09 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: books There are some marine mammal books available via Donald E. Hahn Natural History. You'll need to refer to Catalogue No. 51 when placing an order. You may use VISA, MASTERCARD, or AMERICAN EXPRESS when ordering by phone (502-634-5016) and FAX (520-634-1217). You'll also need to refer to the item number when placing your order. Prices are in U.S. dollars. I don't vouch for the integrity of any of the items since I'm only forwarding the information. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ************************************************************* 1372. Allen, J.A. 1880 (1974). History of North American pinnipeds: a monograph of the walruses, sea-lions, sea-bers and seals of North America. (hardback) $56 1416. Kellogg, W.N. 1970. Porpoises and sonar. (softback) $12 1439. Norris, K.S. et al. 1994. The Hawaiian spinner dolphin. (hardback) $45 1442. Perrin, W.F. 1975. Variation of spotted and spinner porpoise (Genus Stenella) in the eastern tropical Pacific and Hawaii. (softback, ex-library copy) $21 1445. Rice, D.W. and A.A. Wolman. 1971. The life history and ecology of the gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus). (softback) $14 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 13:59:28 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 1/31/97 - Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. NOTE: Archived copies of "first Friday" longer summaries for February 1994 through the present are now available at: "http://www.lsu.edu/guests/sglegal/public_html" Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Russian Commercial Whaling. On Jan. 23, 1997, Russian officials disavowed previous statements that the Russian government is considering any resumption of commercial whaling. [Assoc Press] . Namibian Seals. On Jan. 22, 1997, the International Fund for Animal Welfare charged that Namibian seals were being illegally killed and their meat sold to the poor, who were unaware that it was handled in an unhygienic manner in Henties Bay making it unfit for human consumption. Health inspectors confiscated 10 metric tons of seal meat on the premises of an illegal processing operation in Henties Bay. [Johannesburg SAPA via Foreign Broadcast Information Service] . TBT and Dolphins. The January 1997 issue of Environmental Science & Technology contained an article by scientists at GA's Skidaway Institute of Oceanography concluding that tributyltin (TBT) and its breakdown products contribute to dolphin mortality by impairing the dolphins' immune system. Although banned for some uses in the United States since 1989, TBT is used in paints to discourage the attachment of marine organisms to ship hulls. [Greenwire] . Iceland's Commercial Whaling. Although Interfax reported in mid-January 1997 that Iceland had officially notified the International Whaling Commission (IWC) that it planned to resume commercial whaling in 1997 to kill no less than 200 whales, and that it had killed whales in 1996 for research , the IWC reported no official or unofficial notification or knowledge of such matters. [Interfax, personal communication] . Right Whale Protection. On Jan. 30, 1997, the New England Fishery Management Council approved regulations limiting gillnet fishing near Cape Cod Bay (January 1 through May 15) and the Great South Channel (April 1 through June 30) annually to protect right whales. NMFS must decide whether to accept the proposed regulations. [NMFS press release, Assoc Press] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 20:37:08 -0200 From: Ignacio Agudo Subject: Cetaceans of Aruba (Dutch Caribbean). ------ Dear Marmamers, Contributions FUNDACETACEA,=20 ABSTRACT I : GENERAL REPORT ON THE PRESENCE OF CETACEANS IN THE ARUBA ISLAND (SOUTHEAS= T DUTCH CARIBBEAN) For : A. Ignacio Agudo P. (FUNDACETACEA, F.C.-Brazil). Aruba, Dutch Antilles (12o30'N, 70oW), 24 km of coastal area, located at = 19 miles to the North of Venezuela, no cetaceans' study has been done up to = the moment, although it's known the ocurrence of 19 species (3 Mysticeti and = 16 Odontoceti) in adjacent waters of Bonaire, Curacao and Ve nezuela. This report constitute the second existing recopilation as to th= e presence of cetaceans in such island (the first : Agudo & Ponson,Jr., 1996), based on the exhaustive analysis of publications and extraordinary references produced between 1952-1996, field direct observations, as well as local interviews.Through 17 registries (12 strandings and 5 watchings), confirmed for 7 especific places, it was previously establish= ed the occurrence of 6 Odontoceti (Mesoplodon cf. europaeus, Ziphius cavirostris, Tursiops truncatus, Stenella frontalis, Grampus griseus, Glo= bice phala macrorhynchus) and 1 Mysticeti (Balaenoptera cf. edeni). Empiricall= y, the most extended knowledge in the island is that the stranding phe nomenon (73% of registries) is rare and sporadical, this fact was reflect= ed in the scarce reports obtained along the cronological period of stu dy. Effects of human activities in the island are unknown. Future detecti= on of at least 13 species (3 Mysticeti and 10 Odontoceti) is expected. This is Contribution #2 of the Program "Aruban Stranding Network", coordinated for FUNDACETACEA (F.C.-Brazil) and the Cetacean Work Group-CW= G ( Oranjestad-Aruba, Dutch Caribbean). Reference :=20 Agudo, I. & M.E. Ponson, Jr. 1996. Primeiro rexistro de cetaceos na illa = de Aruba (Antillas Holandesas). EUBALAENA, A Coru=F1a-Spain, (9): 5-9. ____________________________________________________ A. Ignacio Agudo P. General Director FUNDACETACEA F.C. - Brazil. Provisional address : Caixa Postal 5087 88040-970 Florianopolis - SC BRAZIL. Fax: (048)234.1580 E-mail: ignacio(\)hipernet.ufsc.br ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 13:17:43 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: newsclip - Navy and right whales from Greenwire. I'd be curious to hear from folks about their opinion of this: RIGHT WHALES: NAVY HELPS TRACK AND PROTECT SPECIES. The Navy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin., the Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources and the Florida Dept. of Env'tal Protection are tracking and guarding right whales, an endangered species that researchers say numbers only about 350. Kurt Fristrud, a Cornell U. biologist and acoustic engineer, "believes that the right whales are trapped by their habits and unable to migrate away from ... shipping lanes." Fristrud: "I think there are hot spots -- little windows where for some reason whales and ships come together. If we can find those points, we can direct ships away and save the whales." The "only known calving grounds" are in shipping lanes off of GA and FL. Rear Admiral Kevin Delaney, the environmental officer for the South Atlantic fleet, says the Navy is using infrared trackers to spot the whales. Researchers also are able to send instant messages of whale locations to ships so that collisions can be avoided (AP/BOSTON GLOBE online, 1/27). ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Feb 1997 00:11:05 -0500 From: garyelston Subject: Stranded dolphin - Key West All MARMAMERS : We have had an event yesterday here in Key West of a dolphin going to shallow water. This female dolphin aprox.8' 6" in length and 350 lbs. was recovered by concerned volunteer's in the communities response network. She is presently being cared for in an interem facillity pending further evaluation. The problem is this : Identification, so far as species is Tursiops. This dolphin, upon initial physical examination, has no teeth. Her rostrum is elongated and somewhat tubular and has a red-orange (described as looking like spaghetti stains) markings along the lower jaw, exterior, some slighly raised. We would very much like to know if this malady has been observed, (captive or wild environments) as to whether this could be an oral or gum disease that has caused this animal to lose all solid dentifrace. There has been speculation of course that old age is a factor but this animal appears to be a fully mature female with very little scarring, 12 to 15 yrs. of age. She is as could be expected somewhat lean from her ordeal, but has a strong heartbeat, good respirations and is responding well to her caregivers. If any MARMAMERS have any idea what we may be dealing with here please respond to myself at : Captain Gary Elston - Dolphin Watch Florida Keys Community College Marine Biology Dept. Dolphin Affairs Laison P.O.Box 4851 Key West, Fl. 33041-4851 Mango(\)key.net (305) 292-3962 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 12:55:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: ENVIRONMENT: CONCERN OVER CON ENVIRONMENT: CONCERN OVER CONTAMINATION OF ... GUATEMALA CITY, (Jan. 28) IPS - Planned transport of timber by barge along the Rio Dulce River, one of the most beautiful in Guatemala, has stirred intense protests from environmentalists opposed to the move. Jorge Schippers and Magali Rey Sosa of the non-governmental group Madre Selva (Mother Forest), said that the U.S. company Forestal Simpson had already badly polluted the Cienaga and Chocon Machacas rivers in the eastern department of Izabal. The activists warned the National Environment Commission (CONAMA) and the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) that the Rio Dulce River could face the same fate. This river, also in the department of Izabal in northeast Guatemala, runs into the Caribbean bay of Amatique, near the town of Livingston. Its mouth is also close to the important shipping terminal of Puerto Barrios. Schippers and Rey Sosa confirmed the nurseries of the Gmelina species planted by Simpson Forestal on the company lands "were transported along with great quantities of fertilizer along the Chocon Machacas River, in the protected area of the manatee reserve." Rey Sosa explained that when it rains, the fertilizer being transported runs off in a dissolved form into the river, a situation which is worsened by the manner in which the Forestal Simpson officers treat the bags containing it. Schippers, meanwhile, said the company had cut down more than 10,000 Manaco palms, used by the Izabal inhabitants to build roofs for their ranch houses. Forestal Simpson asked the government for permission to use the Rio Dulce River as a route to transport wood in barges. The deputy for the department of Izabal, Augusto Ponce, supported the company request, saying the U.S. company generated employment in the zone. However, CONAMA coordinator, Francisco Asturias, warned that CONAP had not yet evaluated the environmental impact of the project presented by ForestalSimpson, and that until this happens the passage of barges transporting timber along the Rio Dulce will be illegal. Meanwhile, Madre Selva warned that the transportation of timber in barges along this river could cause accidents, as well as alter the ecosystem, especially the natural habitat of the manatee. Michael Mussack, director general of Forestal Simpson, told the Guatemalan daily Prensa Libre that his company aimed to use the Rio Dulce to transport timber because they consider it "the most profitable, least contaminating and safest option." Mussack added the company experts reached this conclusion after comparing the water route with land and rail options. He also said a barge makes less noise and produces less contamination than the speed boats and tourist yachts which currently cruise the river. The Forestal Simpson representative said the barges would have special navigation equipment to avoid accidents, the speed of the barges would be only four knotsper hour, and the timber would be packed into special containers to prevent the residues from leaking into the water. Mussack argued that the company had fulfilled its environmental responsibilities, saying that it had created biological corridors -- strips of untouched natural flora that will allow the fauna to migrate -- in its plantations, establishing "mosaic plantations" which offer the animals access to water and connect them all to natural drainage. He said the sustainable development measures imposed by the company mitigated any possible negative effects, as they impede the migration of people to the park, where a large part of the development or Rio Dulce is located. "We evaluated the impact (of the project) on water quality and on the flora and fauna, and we concluded that there will not be any negative impact on the manatee population, a endangered species," he said. But the argument of Forestal Simpson did not convince the environmental groups, who vigorously oppose the authorization of timber transport along the river. The Audubon Association of Guatemala declared that if the project is approved it will create a precedent for other companies interested in doing the same. The transport of timber on barges, said the Audubon group, is risky and could destroy an area reserved for ecotourism development. Schippers admitted that the activity of Forestal Simpson had generated hundreds of jobs on the banks of the Rio Dulce, but he noted that the workers carry out their jobs in subhuman conditions, with salaries of approximately a dollar and a half per day. Rey Sosa accused the U.S. company of intimidating some of the opponents to its operations. Ex-president Jorge Serrano Elias in 1993 ordered the creation of a protected zone around the Rio Dulce which could not be converted into an industrial zone, and where any activities affecting the ecosystem of the region be allowed. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Feb 1997 13:12:13 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: new species of Mesoplodon (beaked whale) off Chile (fwd) The following message is forwarded from the ECS list (apologies for cross-posting). ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- From: Koen Van Waerebeek Subject: Groeten uit Peru Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 23:04:58 -0500 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. K Van Waerebeek, Director Peruvian Center for Cetacean Research (CEPEC) Jorge Chavez 302, Pucusana, Lima 20, Peru ph/fax +51-1-430 9174 email: kvwaere(\)net.cosapidata.com.pe Reyes, JC, K Van Waerebeek, JC Cardenas & JL Yanez. 1995. Mesoplodon bahamondi sp.n. (Cetacea, Ziphiidae), a new living beaked whale from the Juan Fernandez Archipelago, Chile. Bol. Mus. Nac. Hist. Nat. Chile, 45:31-44. Abstract Mesoplodon bahamondi sp.n. is described from a calvarium collected at Playa Blanca, Robinson Crusoe Island (33 37'S 78 53'W), off Chile. Cranial characters which differentiate this new species from all congeners include: 1) unique arrangement and shape of bones in the antorbital region, in particular the large size of the jugale; 2) widest known rostrum base, relative to zygomatic width, of any known Mesoplodon skull; 3) the extremely short distance between the premaxillary foramina. Comparisons are made with other species of Mesoplodon, in particular with M. bowdoini, its closest morphological relative, confirming its distinctness. The antorbital region is proposed as useful aid in the identification of Mesoplodon skulls. The possible relationship between M. bahamondi with an unidentified Mesoplodon repeatedly sighted in the eastern tropical Pacific is suggested. Dear marmamers, i'm looking for updates on the status of the following captive killer whales: - Belen and Sharmenk at the Acuario Mundo Marina, Argentina - Nami-Chan at the Taiji Whale Museum, Japan. On Sep, 26, 1996 there was a posting to marmam referring to a plan to capture a killer whale for an aquarium in Argentina. Is there an update on that? Also i'd like to recommend to you my new website < http://members.aol.com/stejacorca > where besides many other whale stuff, you can find a listing of the current killer whales in captivity. Cheers, Stefan Jacobs please email to: stejacorca(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Feb 1997 06:16:25 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Potential Whale & Dolphin Watching in Venezuela. (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 21:16:37 -0200 From: Ignacio Agudo Contributions FUNDACETACEA, ABSTRACT II : CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE/DEVELOPMENT OF POTENTIAL WHALE & DOLPHIN WATCHING IN VENEZUELA, SOUTHEAST CARIBBEAN For : A. Ignacio Agudo P. & Saida Josefina Blondell de Agudo* (FUNDACETACEA, F.C.-Brazil). *Posthumous Contribution. As from September 1979, there is a background in Venezuela which talk of touristic potential Whale Watching represented by the presence of ceta ceans in certain regional areas of the territory. Based on such information and bibliographic document + field direct observations, compiled bet ween 1989-1996, for the first time it is presented a caracterization and preliminar analysis of possible development in the country of this unu sed potential for the non destructive use of Whales and Dolphins, delimiting 3 geographic areas for their immediate fulfillment. This alternati ve not only is introduced as a regional scientific/conservationist strategic alternative, but as an economic alternative of high profitability with an ecological low impact (1 Marine, in the Northeastern coast ; 1 Fluvial, in the Orinoco-Apure basin ; 1 Lake-Estuary, in the SW Northwes tern region), stationary or permanent habitat of 7 of the most common/frequent species in Venezuela (1 Mysticeti Balaenopteridae and 6 Odontoce ti : 1 Iniidae and 5 Delphinidae), it must be stressed out as highly potential the "Ballenato" Balaenoptera edeni Anderson, 1878 (stationary, with important annual concentration of regional population between June and October), the "Tonina de Agua Dulce" Inia geoffrensis de Blainvillei , 1817 (permanent, but with fluctuating population concentration in certain areas as a consequence of stationary rithm determined by rainy/droug ht periods), and the "Soplon, Bufon o Tonina del Lago de Maracaibo" Sotalia fluviatilis (Gervais, 1853), this species still requires some regio nal population studies. ____________________________________________________ A. Ignacio Agudo P. General Director FUNDACETACEA F.C.-Brazil. Provisional address : Caixa Postal 5087 88040-970 Florianopolis - SC BRAZIL. Fax: (048)234.1580 E-mail: ignacio(\)hipernet.ufsc.br ____________________________________________________ . The following was also published in the Marine Mammal Society Newsletter, Winter 1996 (Vol 4, No 4) From: Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara In May 1991 Fiorenzo Mogno, a petty officer of the Italian Navy and a diver, happened to be in the water with his camera about 13 km off the small island of Sant=92Antioco (southwestern Sardinia), when a large, light-gray coloured whale happened to swim by, almost at touching distance. It was only very recently that his two successive photographs came to our attention. They unmistakably depict a right whale. Given the rarity of northern right whales in the North Atlantic, and the near extinction of a former eastern North Atlantic population, this is a very surprising sighting, and the first in the XX Century. Earlier known occurrences of right whales in the Mediterranean include the stranding of a juvenile near Taranto (southeastern Italy) in 1877 and the sighting of two (one of which was later captured) in the bay of Castiglione (Algiers) in 1888.=20 Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara Tethys Research Institute Acquario Civico - viale G. B. Gadio 2 I-20121 Milano - ITALY tel. (++39-2) 72001947 * fax (++39-2) 72001946 email: gnstri(\)imiucca.csi.unimi.it ********************************************** ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 21:38:29 -0200 From: Ignacio Agudo Dear Marmamers, Contributions FUNDACETACEA, ABSTRACT III : THE CETACEANS OF BRAZIL. I. SPECIES INVENTORY For: A. Ignacio Agudo P. (FUNDACETACEA, F.C.-Brazil). Based on the analysis of specific literature available for Brazil, generated between 1988/1996, it was determined that the country has at presen t a confirmed inventory of 35 species of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises, taxonomically distributed in 2 SubOrders (- Mysticeti (n= 7) and Odonto ceti (n= 28) -) and 8 families, as follows : BALAENIDAE (n= 1), BALAENOPTERIDAE (n= 6), PHYSETERIDAE (n= 3), ZIPHIIDAE (n= 6), INIIDAE (n= 1), PONTOPORIIDAE (n= 1), DELPHINIDAE (n= 16), and PHOCOENIDAE (n= 1). >From these, Delphinus delphis (DELPHINIDAE), Berardius arnuxii and Mesoplodon hectori (ZIPHIIDAE) look like as the most recent acquisitions. It is expected the future detection/confirmation of other 10 species (1 BALAENIDA E, 4 ZIPHIIDAE, 1 PHOCOENIDAE and 4 DELPHINIDAE), which will definitively increase the number of known species to 45. ___________________________________________ A. Ignacio Agudo P. General Director FUNDACETACEA F.C.-Brazil. Provisional address : Caixa Postal 5087 88040-970 Florianopolis - SC BRAZIL. Fax: (048)234.1580 E-mail: ignacio(\)hipernet.ufsc.br ___________________________________________ ------ Hi, This message is to announce the new web site of ALNITAK Marine Environmen= t Research and Education Centre: http://www.lander.es/~canadas We invite all of you to have a look at it. We are carrying out a research program on the ecology of cetaceans along = the southeastern coast of Spain, since 1992. On this web page you can find so= me information on the aims of the research, the methodology and some preliminary results. =20 ALNITAK =20 MARINE ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CENTRE Nal=F3n 16. Hoyo de Manzanares. 28240 Madrid. Spain. Tlf: 34-(9)08-636051 Fax: 34-(9)1-8565199 E-mail: canadas(\)lander.es ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Feb 1997 05:06:50 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Fifth Annual Atlantic Coastal (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 3 Feb 97 04:14:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Announcing the Fifth Annual Atlantic Coastal Dolphin Conference University of North Carolina at Wilmington South College Road, Wilmington, North Carolina April 4-6, 1997 The fifth annual Atlantic Coastal Dolphin Conference (ACDC) will be held at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) on April 4-6, 1997. The meeting is sponsored by Biological Sciences and the Center For Marine Science Research and UNCW. The meeting will be held at the New Science Building on the main campus of the University (a map will be provided in your final registration package). The meeting is scheduled to start on Friday 4 April with registration, dinner and an evening Keynote address by Dr. John E. Reynolds III. We will continue on Saturday with presentations, and unless we receive an overwhelming response for presentations, Sunday will be open for photo matching and heated discussions(!). We have arranged for accommodations at the Comfort Inn close to the University. We have included a brochure from the hotel in this package. Please make hotel reservations yourselves! The phone number is (910) 791-4841. When making your reservation, please mention the group reservation number G00493. This is the block reservation for the meetings and we have negotiated the best available rates. In addition, would you please note on the reservation form if you are intending to stay at the hotel. This will help us determine if we have filled our block. If you are interested in attending the meeting please fill out the enclosed Registration Form ( and Abstract Form, if you are interested in presenting at the meetings) and return both by February 15, 1997. Please feel free to copy and forward these forms to anyone else you think might be interested in attending. Should you have any questions please contact: William McLellan (910) 962-7266, FAX(910) 962-4066 mclellanw(\)uncwil.edu Biological Sciences, UNCW, 601 South college Road, Wilmington, NC 28403 Registration and abstract forms can be found at the ADRC web site at... http://members.aol.com/adrcnet By Chris Herde of AAP GOLD COAST, Qld, Jan 31 AAP - A baby dugong being reared at Sea World could be vital to the long-term protection of the endangered species, Sea World Marine Sciences Manager Trevor Long said today. Mr Long said there was little known about the species and the one-month-old male dugong, flown to Sea World early last month after it was found near Bundaberg, was providing a great deal of knowledge. "We have had a tremendous amount of interest from the scientific community and zoological community," Mr Long said. "We are in contact with the experts right around the world." Mr Long said the baby dugong was well, although there were "many hurdles" to cover. "No-one has a (feeding) formula. We are designing a formula as we go. We are changing it as we go," he said. "These animals suckle for 12 to 18 months ... so we have a long, long way to go." Mr Long said netting and boat strikes of dugongs were reducing numbers and he expected more young to be found abandoned. "The animal is an endangered species," Mr Long said. "This is the second we have had in the last couple of years and I think we're probably going to see a re-occurance of this situation, so any information that we can gain, we can pass on." ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Feb 1997 15:21:02 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Stenos A few weeks ago, Lodi from Brazil asked for information about observed feeding behaviors by Stenos. I apologize for sending this to the whole list, but I can't seem to find the original message in my files. I wanted to let Lodi know about the following paper which is quite difficult to locate, but is recently published: Steiner, L. 1995. Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis: a new species record for the Azores, with some notes on behaviour. Arquipelago. Life and Marine Sciences 13A: 125-127. I can send Lodi a copy of the paper if it is needed. Included in the account are observations of feeding on a fish ball composed of snip fish, Macrorhamphosus scolopax, and observations of a Steno pushing an inflated pufferfish along the water's surface. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Feb 1997 17:15:25 +0000 From: Luke Subject: Seal Watching Dear MARMAMERS My name is Kirsten Young and carrying out an assessment of seal watching in the UK and Ireland, for the International Fund for Animal Welfare. I would be very grateful if any one could contribute any information or ideas on seal watching. Here are the kind of questions that I would like to find more information on: - Where are the main sites for seal watching on UK/Irish coasts? - Methods used to watch seals. - The economic aspects to seal watching. - Impact on the seals. - Impact on the local community. I am particularly keen to hear from people who have experience of seal watching, from anywhere in the world. The address to reply to is : jgordon/ifaw(\)mcimail.com Please mark subject: FAO Kirsten. Thank you very much, Kirsten Cetacean Group, Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS U.K. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Feb 1997 12:02:36 -0500 From: David Morin Subject: Internship opening Dear Marmam'ers, Due to unexpected circumstances, The Cetacean Research Unit has an immediate opening for one intern from now until June 1st. We are a small non-profit whale research organization that has been around since 1980, studying primarily humpbacks and other baleen whales (for more information, please access our world wide web site at www.cetacean.org). Applicants must have completed at least their sophomore year in college and they will need to send a cover letter, c.v., transcripts, and a letter of recommendation. An interview will then be promptly scheduled to complete the process. Housing will be provided, and a fee of $200 will be charged to cover some of our educational, supurvisory, and other costs (Note that this is a substantial reduction from the usual $1,000 tuition fee, which is largely being waived to encourage interest in the position). This spot will be filled ASAP. Send all materials to: Cetacean Research Unit PO Box 159 Gloucester, MA 01930 ATTN: David Morin Please respond by e-mail or phone ASAP. David Morin CRU Intern Coordinator david(\)cetacean.org (508)281-6351; fax (508) 281-5666 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Feb 1997 11:36:55 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: dolphin stranding (fwd) From: garyelston Dear Marmamers, This a correction as to the identification of the toothless dolphin recently recovered after stranding near Key West FL. Any error in species identification was my own and in no way should reflect on the caregivers for this dolphin. I have been informed that this is a ROUGH TOOTHED DOLPHIN. I had however observed this dolphin swimming with a local pod of tursiops for about five weeks before the stranding incident. Perhaps she was looking for aid in her weakened state. Sorry about the inaccuracy, if this helps to answer why she has lost all her teeth please don't hesitate to contact me. She is doing well and has accepted some squid to eat. Thanks, Captain Gary Elston Captain Gary Elston - Dolphin Watch Florida Keys Community College Marine Biology Dept. Dolphin Affairs Liason P.O.Box 4851 Key West Fl. 33041-4851 Mango(\)key.net 305-292-3962 WORLD MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE CONFERENCE Sponsored by The Society for Marine Mammalogy and The European Cetacean Society FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT The 12th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals and the 12th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society will be held together as the WORLD MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE CONFERENCE in Monaco from 20 to 25 January 1998. It will be hosted by the Congress Center of Monaco and the adjacent Hotel Loews in Monte-Carlo. The Principality of Monaco (including Monaco-ville and Monte-Carlo) is located on the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by French small cities, and close to the French-Italian border. The closest international airport is in Nice (France) linked to Monaco by a motorway (20 miles of sometimes heavy traffic), train (20 minutes) and helicopter (6 minutes). For the international flights arriving in Paris, there are domestic flights to Nice every half an hour. The current language in Monaco is French but most people speek Italian and many speak English. As usual, the only language of the meeting will be English. The Monagasc currency is the French Franc (FF), US$1 is equivalent to 5 FF. Many hotels are available in the Principality and in the surrounding French cities or villages. Within a walking distance from the Congress Center, hotel rates range from $25 to $120 per person per night, depending on the hotel standard (1 to 4 stars) and the room chosen (single to triple). There is also a small Youth Hostel at $15 per person per night. Detailed information on hotels will be provided in the second announcement. As Monaco is a very touristic area, we suggest the participants to book their hotel room as soon as possible. Preliminary information will be mailed to members of both societies by January 1997 as a component of the newsletters of the respective societies. Registration material and abstract submission forms will be mailed to members in spring 1997. Conference information will also be posted on MARMAM internet discussion, the SMM home page (http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/) and the ECS home page (http://web.inter.NL.net/users/J.W.Broekema/ecs.htm). The deadline for abstract submission will be 30 June 1997. Abstracts may be submitted as hard copy, fax or e-mail in order to meet the submission deadline. HOWEVER, all abstracts sublitted by fax or e-mail MUST be followed-up with a camera-ready hard copy. Proposals for evening symposia and workshops should be submitted to : Roger Gentry (Scientific Program Committee Chair) NMFS-NOAA 7600 Sand Point Way, NE Seattle, Washington USA 98115 ph : +1 (206) 526 4032 fax : +1 (206) 526 6615 email : Roger.Gentry(\)noaa.gov Contact : Anne Collet (Program Committee Chair) World Marine Mammal Science Conference Centre de Recherche sur les Mammiferes Marins Institut de la Mer et du Littoral Port des Minimes 17000 La Rochelle FRANCE ph : +33 546 44 99 10 fax : +33 546 44 99 45 email : crmm(\)hpuniv.univ-lr.fr --------------- end of file ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Feb 1997 04:40:33 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Guelph seal facility (fwd) From: Hank Davis As you may be aware, after over 30 years the University of Guelph will be closing its seal facility. We are presently trying to find new homes for seven animals. There are four Harbour seals, about 7 years old, and 3 Grey seals, between 6-7 years old. All animals are female and all were either captive raised or born. Each of these seals is well socialized and in good health. If you have any leads or suggestions that might help us find a home for any of these animals, please contact me as soon as possible. Hank Davis Professor of Psychology University of Guelph hdavis (\) uoguelph.ca 519-824-4129 ext 3504 (voice) 519-837-8629 (fax) I had a few questions for researchers with some basic knowledge of the harp seal. I really want these answers to come from folks who are or have been active with research with these populations. You can reply through the MARMAM group or by email. Any assistance would be appreciated. These questions relate to the harp seal and the impact/interaction of the seal population with the ongoing "harvesting" or hunting actions by Canada and Norway. 1) I am used to talking about the relative stress impact wild animals incur upon interaction with humans in the open, or in their natural habitat. In this regard, and I don't believe this is a factor of dispute, most wild animals demonstrate increased stress levels when a large mammal, particularly a human, enters their immediate area. a) Can the same be said or be reasonably assumed with harp seals? b) Has there been any attempt to monitor relative stress levels, particularly among the harp seal mothers, when their pups are killed? If not, are there any studies (peer-reviewed research) that could be used as perspective for comparison? 2) Harp Seal Mortality Questions: a) What is the predicted mortality, sans any impact by humans, for a harp seal pup? b) As a percentage of the overall population, and considering the recent harvest of 250,000 seals (not including those harvested by Norway), what impact does the current level of harvest have on pup mortality? (as a population, not the individual which is of course 100%). c) As mankind is not a normal predator within this environment, and his selection for harvest has no interaction beyond what animal is closest/most convenient, is the harvesting of pups having an impact on the vigor of genetic makeup? E.g one *could* assume that some seals have better hearing, social interactions, etc. that protect the group or its members. Is the hunt dissapating or randomly interfering with a normal enhancement or reinforcement of the species? d) Is there another age/sex of the harp seal better suited for harvest with less impact on the population, its survival or its members? e) An obvious last question is how do questions 2(b) and 2(c) interact, if at all? E.g. if there is a possible interference with the species, how bad is it? Sam McClintock scmcclintock(\)ipass.net ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Feb 1997 13:32:56 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Cetaceans of Brazil. II. Conflicting Interactions with Human Activities. (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 22:07:52 -0200 From: Ignacio Agudo Contributions FUNDACETACEA, ABSTRACT IV : THE CETACEANS OF BRAZIL. II. CONFLICTING INTERACTIONS WITH HUMAN ACTIVITIES For: A. Ignacio Agudo P. (FUNDACETACEA, F.C.-Brazil). Eight conflicting interactions between Man and Cetacean occurring in Brazilian territory waters are established. These are based on the analysis of 26 specific references, availables for Brazil, which deal about the subject, generated between 1990-1996, involving 22 of 35 species of cetac ean registered in the country (2 Mysticeti and 20 Odontoceti), resulting 3 of them particularly negative for the number of species simultaneousl y involved : Fishing net trapping - Artisanal and Industrial - (n= 20); General Human Consumption, including : Meat for food, Grease as medicine and fishing bait, Animal Parts (Eyes, Tooth, Sexual Organs) for fetichism and body ornamentation (n= 7); Bad oriented activity "Whale & Dolphin Watching" (n= 5). Statistically, the most affected species are : Physeter macrocephalus, Inia geoffrensis, Steno bredanensis, Sotalia fluviatili s, Tursiops truncatus, Stenella frontalis, and Globicephala macrorhynchus. A massive divulgation of the National Cetacean Protection Legislation is most necessary and urgent together with the implementation of wide educational campaigs for tourist and fishing navigation. ______________________________________________ A. Ignacio Agudo P. General Director FUNDACETACEA F.C.-Brazil. Provisional address : Caixa Postal 5087 88040-970 Florianopolis - SC BRAZIL. Fax: (048)234.1580 E-mail: ignacio(\)hipernet.ufsc.br ______________________________________________ . Hi All. This is a proposal that comes from comments on the list about the citation of abstracts and the problems of getting original papers that ran last year. I think we all have had problems at one time or other getting hold of papers, or worse, thesis! Even journals are becoming problematic as subscriptions are cut back by institution libraries due to the double squeeze of rising cost, and slashed budgets. As I possible way forward I wondered if we could follow the lead of the high-energy physics comunity in this area; an on-line archive of pre-prints, reports and thesis. So, some background. In 1991, Paul Ginsparg at Los Alamos National Labs started xxx.lanl.gov. Its purpose was to hold current pre-prints in the area of high-energy physics theory for e-mail and ftp dissemination to those interested. It quickly became *the* means of research communication in its area, and also rapidly spread to several other related disciplines as well. Paul considered that several factors came together to help ensure the adoption of the new system, both cultural to the users, and technical. xxx currently archives papers from over 24 areas of physics, astro-physics, mathematics and computational linguistics, and is available to other areas as well. In particular, it is available to the marine mammal research comunity. I e-mailed him about this a few days ago, and xxx is not only available, it is in fact NSF funded for just this purpose. All the debates about access, security, quality etc have all been well thrashed out over the years. It is currently mirrored at many sites world wide, and 3rd world physicists have stated that it has improved their access to material. However, for it to be of great use, it needs to have a large percentage of papers available, so as to encourage people to see it as `the place' to look for material. Ideally, any- one doing a report, preparing a paper, or a thesis will place a copy on the archive. This would include papers in the form of `notes' or `letters'; `case notes' in the Medical and Psychology areas. Physics does not seem to generate many of these, but they can be of great value to biologists etc who may need rapid access to practical material in the case of strandings, orphans etc. The current system accepts abstracts and papers by e-mail, ftp, or http. The system is automated, reliable and well debugged. However, it will probably require that many of us change the way we currently prepare papers. However, the effort required is modest, and the same source can be used as-is for submission to the journal or for printing for thesis defence at (near) no extra effort. The submission format is TeX, Latex plus post-script and Abobe PDF. Figures diagrams and images can also be included in the submission. Full details can be found at: http://xxx.lanl.gov/ and the pages there. A full, detailed account would be too long for now, but if wanted can easily be posted to the list or e-mailed. So, what does everyone think? -- ~Paul Paul Repacholi 1 Crescent Rd, zrepachol(\)cc.curtin.edu.au Kalamunda. West Aust. 6076 +62 (09) 257-1001 GMT +8 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Feb 1997 10:54:01 BDB From: Eduardo Secchi Organization: UNIVERSIDADE DO RIO GRANDE - RS - BRASIL Subject: Cetaceans of Brazil?? WARNING!! Dear Colleagues, I have read two messages sent by Mr. Ignacio Agudo (who is not a Brazilian reseacher) talking about interactions between cetaceans and human activities (in one of the messages) and about the species occurring in our waters (in the other message). Both messages present some mistakes that should be clarified. In one of the messages he mentions a list of "statistically affected species". I would like to make it clear that there is no good statistics of impacts for most of the mentioned species. I would also like to say that he forgot to include one of the most (or the most) impacted species in our territory, the franciscana, Pontoporia blainvillei. The problem of extensive captures of the species in coastal gillnet fisheries have been stressed by several researchers in many conferences and publications (see for instance: Pinedo 1994 - Special Issue 15 of the IWC). We have been monitoring the unload of 15-20% of the coastal gillnet fleet (the whole fleet has about 150 boats, only in Rio Grande Port, southern Brazil) since 1994 and I really believe that Pontoporia is the most impacted cetacean species in Brazil. He also mentioned the problem of utilization of cetacean meet, blubber and organs for different reasons. This information must be updated!! It is not common in most part of our country. People that read the information provided by Mr. Agudo may think that Brazilian fishermen commonly use cetaceans parts for that purposes. WARNING!! In the other message he mentioned a list of "new aquisitions" for the Brazilian cetacean fauna, including delphinus delphis. It is not true!! This species was found in Brazilian waters several years ago!! He also included unpublished information without permission of the authors!! Finally, I would like to say that Mr. Agudo needs to live some year more in Brazil to fully understand the real problems of our cetacean fauna, and need also to read more references and talk to Brazilian cetologists to avoid these misinformations sent for the international comunity. Sincerely, Eduardo Secchi Marine Mammals Lab. Museu Oceanografico do Rio Grande Cx.P 379 CEP 96200-970 BRASIL e.mail: musmamif(\)super.furg.br pgobers(\)super.furg.br Fax: ++ 55 532 32 9633 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Feb 1997 15:04:19 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - trophic relationships of pinnipeds Dear Marmam and ECS-mailbase readers, I apologize for the double mailings that those of you who are subscribers to both lists will get. The following is an abstract of an article that appears in the most recent issue of _Marine Mammal Science_. This is provided as a favor to the editor of the journal, as well as the list editors of Marmam. I have provided the address of the author to whom correspondence should be directed, so please send reprint requests to that person and not to me. Thank you for your continued interest in the journal, as well as the posting of the abstracts. I encourage everyone with marine mammal articles to do the same for the sake of information flow. Sincerely, Dagmar Fertl (Dagmar.Fertl(\)smtp.mms) ********************************************************************* Hobson, K.A.,* J.L. Sease, R.L. Merrick, and J.F. Piatt. 1997. Investigating trophic relationships of pinnipeds in Alaska and Washington using stable isotope ratios of nitrogen and carbon. Marine Mammal Science 13(1): 114-132. We measured stable-nitrogen (N) and stable-carbon (C) isotope ratios in muscle and hair from 7 northern fur seals (_Callorhinus ursinus_) from the Pribilof Islands, Alaska, and 27 Steller sea lions (_Eumetopias jubatus_), and 14 harbor seals (_Phoca vitulina_) from the Gulf of Alaska and coast of Washington State, in order to contrast dietary information derived from isotopic vs. available conventional dietary studies. Stable-nitrogen-isotope analysis of muscle revealed that harbor seals were enriched over northern fur seals (mean N = 18.6%o vs. 17.5%o) which were in turn enriched over northern fur seals (mean N = 16.6%o). Trophic segregation among these species likely results primarily from differential reliance on herring (_Clupea harengus_), Atka mackerel (_Pleurogrammus monopterygius_), and large vs. small walleye pollock (_Theregra chalcogramma_). According to their N values, adult male Steller sea lions showed a higher trophic position than adult females (mean N: 18.0%o vs. 17.2 %o), whereas adult female northern fur seals were trophically higher than juvenile male fur seals (mean N: 16.5%o vs. 15.0%o). Each of these observed differences likely resulted from differential reliance on squid or differences in the size range of pollock consumed. Three northern fur seal pups showed higher N enrichment over adults (mean 17.7%o vs. 15.8%o) due to their reliance on their mother's milk. Stable-carbon isotope measurements of hair revealed a cline toward more negative values with latitude. Segregation in hair C between Steller sea lions and harbor seals off the coast of Washington (mean C: -13.6%o vs. -15.0%o) reflected the greater association of harbor seals with freshwater input from the Columbia River. Our study demonstrates the utility of the stable and isotope approach to augment conventional dietary analyses of pinnipeds and other marine mammals. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Feb 1997 14:41:37 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 2/7/97 - Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them -- a selection of issues which I view as having potential public policy implications for the U.S. Congress. My role is to provide objective, non-partisan, unbiased public policy analysis for Congress. Thus, it is useful weekly to pass this summary by those subscribing to this list to solicit input about areas where my objectivity could be improved, where someone's bias shows through and should be adjusted, and where there are simply other issues of which I am unaware. Anyway, what follows is today's summary. Generally I add new items every morning, and remove items after they have been on the summary for about a month. Items in the summary are modified as I receive new information. In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I post the entire summary once each month on the first Friday of the month, for those who do not monitor the group each week or wish the more complete format. This is longer the first Friday posting for February 1997. NOTE: Archived copies of "first Friday" longer summaries for February 1994 through the present are now available at: "http://www.lsu.edu/guests/sglegal/public_html/" I would appreciate your feedback on this summary. Comments should be directed to me (gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov). I will post this summary each Friday on this list as long as I continue to receive helpful feedback on issues. To further assist me in providing a broad scope of information resources to Congress, I would appreciate being added to any mailing lists of publications, news releases, newsletters, etc. relevant to marine mammals and fisheries. Where there is a subscription cost, a sample copy would provide a basis for deciding whether or not a subscription could be justified. Thanks for your assistance in this matter. Gene Buck Congressional Research Service - ENR Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540-7450 e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: New info and changes since 1/31/97 are bracketed {...}. Marine Mammals . North Atlantic Whaling. On Mar. 1, 1997, Norwegian, Icelandic, and Greenland sponsors have scheduled a conference on "Whaling in the North Atlantic - Economic and Political Perspectives" in Reykjavik, Iceland. [High North Alliance News] . FY1998 Federal Budget. {On Feb. 6, 1997, the Clinton Administration released its FY1998 budget proposal increasing the NMFS budget 5% to $338.3 million, including additional funds for northern right whale protection. Funding for the National Sea Grant College Program would be decreased about 8% from its current $54.3 Million.} [NOAA announcement, Assoc Press] . {Manatee Count. On Jan. 27, 1997, scientists with the FL Marine Research Institute conducted an annual manatee survey, counting 1,329 on FL's west coast (147 more than in 1996) and 900 on FL's east coast (557 fewer than in 1996). Two more surveys are planned this year.} [St. Petersburg Times via Greenwire] . Russian Commercial Whaling. On Jan. 23, 1997, Russian officials disavowed previous statements that the Russian government is considering any resumption of commercial whaling. [Assoc Press] . Namibian Seals. On Jan. 22, 1997, the International Fund for Animal Welfare charged that Namibian seals were being illegally killed and their meat sold to the poor, who were unaware that it was handled in an unhygienic manner in Henties Bay making it unfit for human consumption. Health inspectors confiscated 10 metric tons of seal meat on the premises of an illegal processing operation in Henties Bay. [Johannesburg SAPA via Foreign Broadcast Information Service] . World Council of Whalers. On Jan. 22, 1997, Japanese whaling industry officials announced that a nongovernmental international organization was being formed to promote whaling and oppose the antiwhaling movement. The World Council of Whalers will be headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and is scheduled to hold its first meeting in November 1997 in Tonga. Participants are said to include Japan, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and the United States. [Dow Jones News] . TBT and Dolphins. The January 1997 issue of Environmental Science & Technology contained an article by scientists at GA's Skidaway Institute of Oceanography concluding that tributyltin (TBT) and its breakdown products contribute to dolphin mortality by impairing the dolphins' immune system. Although banned for some uses in the United States since 1989, TBT is used in paints to discourage the attachment of marine organisms to ship hulls. [Greenwire] . Iceland's Commercial Whaling. Although Interfax reported in mid-January 1997 that Iceland had officially notified the International Whaling Commission (IWC) that it planned to resume commercial whaling in 1997 to kill no less than 200 whales, and that it had killed whales in 1996 for research , the IWC reported no official or unofficial notification or knowledge of such matters. [Interfax, personal communication] . Gray Whale Calf Stranding. On Jan. 10, 1997, a several-days-old gray whale calf was discovered stranded and separated from its mother near Venice Beach, CA. The 1,670-pound, 13-foot-long female was taken to San Diego Sea World for rehabilitation and care in preparation for release back into the wild after possibly a year in captivity. [Assoc Press] . Keiko's Health. In the year since the orca (killer whale) Keiko moved to the Oregon Coast Aquarium from Mexico on Jan. 7, 1996, he is reported to have gained more than 1,000 pounds and overcome both a sensitive stomach and a skin virus. On Jan. 16, 1997, the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation announced a collaborative scientific research project with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and the Univ. of California, Santa Cruz, to establish acoustical, optical, medical, behavioral, and physiological benchmarks for measuring the recovery of the killer whale, Keiko. [Assoc Press, Free Willy-Keiko Foundation press release] . Humpback Whale Entanglement. On Jan. 6, 1997, Navy personnel freed a 30-foot humpback whale from plastic crabbing buoys and nylon lines ensnaring its tail. Although the buoys were traced to Alaskan crabs traps lost more than 2 months earlier, the whale was freed southwest of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. [Assoc Press] . Right Whale Protection. In early January 1997, NMFS reclassified the Gulf of Maine/Mid-Atlantic lobster trap/pot fishery from Category III to Category I under its Marine Mammal Authorization Program to better manage the interactions of this fishery's 13,000 fishermen with right whales. On Jan. 16, 1997, the New England Fishery Management Council began consideration of a proposal to prohibit gillnet fishing in certain offshore federal waters nea r Cape Cod Bay and the Great South Channel annually between January and June to better protect right whales. The State of MA was reported to have implemented similar prohibitions in inshore state waters in early January 1997. On Jan. 16, 1997, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that it had begun weekly flights over New England waters to spot whales and warn ships. On Jan. 30, 1997, the New England Fishery Management Council approved regulations limiting gillnet fishing near Cape Cod Bay (January 1 through May 15) and the Great South Channel (April 1 through June 30) annually to protect right whales. NMFS must decide whether to accept the proposed regulations. [NMFS press release, Assoc Press] . Record Manatee Deaths. On Jan. 3, 1997, officials of the FL Dept. of Environmental Protection reported that 415 manatees died during 1996, more than twice the number (206 animals) dying in the previous record year (1990). Of the 415 deaths, 151 will killed by red tide in southwest FL and 60 were killed by boats. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Feb 1997 14:08:25 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: table of notes - Marine Mammal Science Dear Marmam and ECS-mailbase readers, I apologize for the double mailings that those of you who are subscribers to both lists will get. The following is the list of notes (summaries are not provided in notes) that appear in the most recent issue of _Marine Mammal Science_. This is provided as a favor to the editor of the journal, as well as the list editors of Marmam. I have provided the address of the author to whom correspondence should be directed, so please send reprint requests to that person and not to me. Thank you for your continued interest in the journal, as well as the posting of the abstracts. I encourage everyone with marine mammal articles to do the same for the sake of information flow. Sincerely, Dagmar Fertl (Dagmar.Fertl(\)smtp.mms) ********************************************************************* Marino, L. 1997. The relationship between gestation length, encephalization, and body weight in odontocetes. Marine Mammal Science 13(1): 133-138. * Department of Bilogy, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA Martin, A.R. and F.J. Walker. 1997. Sighting of a right whale (_Eubalaena glacialis_) with calf off S.W. Portugal. Marine Mammal Science 13(1): 139-140. * Sea Mammal Research Unit, c/o British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK O'Sullivan, S. and K.D. Mullin*. 1997. Killer whales (_Orcinus orca_) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Marine Mammal Science 13(1): 141-147. * Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, P.O. Drawer 1201, Pascagoula, MS 39568, USA Anderson, H.F.* and A.J. Rawson. 1997. Volvulus with necrosis of intestine in _Stenella attenuata_. Marine Mammal Science 13(1): 147-149. * Mote Marine Laboratory, Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA Castellini, M.A. and T. Zenteno-Savin. 1997. Heart rate scaling with body mass in pinnipeds. Marine Mammal Science 13(1):149-155. *University of Alaska Fairbanks, Institute of Marine Science, P.O. Box 757220, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-7220, USA Gentry, R.L.* and V.R. Casanas. 1997. A new method for immobolizing otariid neonates. Marine Mammal Science 13(1): 155-157. * National Marine Mammal Laboratory, NMFS, NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E. C15700, Seattle, WA 98115-0070, USA Henriksen, G.*, I. Gjertz, and A. Kondakov. 1997. A review of the distribution and abundance of harbor seals, _Phoca vitulina_, on Svalbard, Norway, and in the Barents Sea. Marine Mammal Science 13(1): 157-163. * Rogaland Consultants a.s., P.O. Box 1137, 4301 Sandnes, Norway ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Feb 1997 13:52:57 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - dominant Tursiops Dear Marmam and ECS-mailbase readers, I apologize for the double mailings that those of you who are subscribers to both lists will get. The following is an abstract of an article that appears in the most recent issue of _Marine Mammal Science_. This is provided as a favor to the editor of the journal, as well as the list editors of Marmam. I have provided the address of the author to whom correspondence should be directed, so please send reprint requests to that person and not to me. Thank you for your continued interest in the journal, as well as the posting of the abstracts. I encourage everyone with marine mammal articles to do the same for the sake of information flow. Sincerely, Dagmar Fertl (Dagmar.Fertl(\)smtp.mms) ********************************************************************* Samuels, A.* and T. Gifford. 1997. A quantitative assessment of dominance relations among bottlenose dolphins. Marine Mammal Science 13(1): 70-99. * Conservation Biology, Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield, IL 60513, USA; Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA Agonistic behavior of bottlenose dolphins was studied at Brookfield Zoo for nearly 4.5 yr, and dominance relationships were determined using a quantitative technique adapted from primate behavioral research. Dominance relations among dolphins were incluenced by the gender of participants. Male dolphins were clearly and consistently dominant to females, and intersexual agonism occurred at moderate reates with seasonal peaks in spring and fall. Dominance relationships among female dolphins were age-ordered and stable, even though agonism among females did occur at uniformly low rates. In contrast, the two males had a changeable dominance relationship in which periods of stability and low-level agonism were interspersed with episodes of intense competition. Zoo-based research revealed patterns of behavior that conformed to current knowledge about bottlenose dophin social structure. Moreover, reserach in a zoo setting facilitated development of a quantitative technique that can be used to assess cetacean dominance relationships in field research. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Feb 1997 13:32:53 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - male sperm whales Dear Marmam and ECS-mailbase readers, I apologize for the double mailings that those of you who are subscribers to both lists will get. The following is an abstract of an article that appears in the most recent issue of _Marine Mammal Science_. This is provided as a favor to the editor of the journal, as well as the list editors of Marmam. I have provided the address of the author to whom correspondence should be directed, so please send reprint requests to that person and not to me. Thank you for your continued interest in the journal, as well as the posting of the abstracts. I encourage everyone with marine mammal articles to do the same for the sake of information flow. Sincerely, Dagmar Fertl (Dagmar.Fertl(\)smtp.mms) ********************************************************************* Christal, J. and H. Whitehead. 1997. Aggregations of mature male sperm whales on the Galapagos Islands breeding ground. Marine Mammal Science 13(1): 59-69. * Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 4JI The distribution and behavior of mature (12.3-16.3 m) male sperm whales (_Physeter macrocephalus_) were studied on the Galapagos Islands breedng ground from April to June 1995. In contrast to previous research seasons when males were observed only in close spatial and temporal proximity to mixed schools of females and immature animals, in 1995 males were sighted in loose aggregations, separated by hours to days from our vessel's encounters with mixed schools. Only one of ten identified males was observed in spatial proximity to a mixed school. Aggregations consisted of two to four (minimum estimates) mature males travelling within a range of a few kilometers and were characterized by consistency of heading among individuals. Aggregations moved over time. During encounters, one to three males were observed at the surface at the same time, with interindividual distances of less than 1,000 m. Synchrony of heading was apparent between spatial associates, and its extent appeared to be related to interindividual distance. Clustering (two or more individuals within 100 m) was observed on only two occasions. No agonistic behaviors were seen. Functions of mature male aggregation on a breeding ground remain unclear. Possible explanations for our observations are local prey abundance, or some form of sociality mediated over spatial scales of hundreds to thousands of meters. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Feb 1997 13:25:11 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - vaquita abundance Dear Marmam and ECS-mailbase readers, I apologize for the double mailings that those of you who are subscribers to both lists will get. The following is an abstract of an article that appears in the most recent issue of _Marine Mammal Science_. This is provided as a favor to the editor of the journal, as well as the list editors of Marmam. I have provided the address of the author to whom correspondence should be directed, so please send reprint requests to that person and not to me. Thank you for your continued interest in the journal, as well as the posting of the abstracts. I encourage everyone with marine mammal articles to do the same for the sake of information flow. Sincerely, Dagmar Fertl (Dagmar.Fertl(\)smtp.mms) ********************************************************************* Barlow, J., T. Gerrodette, and G. Silber. 1997. First estimates of vaquita abundance. Marine Mammal Science 13(1): 44-58. *Southwest FIsheries Science Center, P.O. Box 271, La Jolla, CA 92038 USA The abundance of the only population of vaquitas, Gulf of California harbor porpoise (_Phocoena sinus_), is estimated from four surveys conducted in Mexico between 1986 and 1993, using a variety of methods. A line-transect approach was applied, using some parameters estimated from a related species, the harbor porpoise (_Phocoena phocoena_). Vaquita abundance is estimated as 503 (CV = 0.63) from 1986-1988 boat surveys, 885 (CV = 0.50) from 1988-1989 aerial surveys, 572 (CV = 1.43) from a 1991 aerial survey, and 224 (CV = 0.39) from a 1993 ship survey. A weighted log-linear regression indicates a rate of population change (decline) of -17.7% per year (95% CI = -43.2% to +19.3%) between 1986 and 1993. All of these estimates of vaquita abundance indicate that the species is at a critically low level. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Feb 1997 13:09:09 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - head striping Dear Marmam and ECS-mailbase readers, I apologize for the double mailings that those of you who are subscribers to both lists will get. The following is an abstract of an article that appears in the most recent issue of _Marine Mammal Science_. This is provided as a favor to the editor of the journal, as well as the list editors of Marmam. I have provided the address of the author to whom correspondence should be directed, so please send reprint requests to that person and not to me. Thank you for your continued interest in the journal, as well as the posting of the abstracts. I encourage everyone with marine mammal articles to do the same for the sake of information flow. Sincerely, Dagmar Fertl (Dagmar.Fertl(\)smtp.mms) ********************************************************************* Perrin, W.F. 1997. Development and homologies of head stripes in the delphinoid cetaceans. Marine Mammal Science 13(1): 1-43. * Southwest Fisheries Science Center, P.O. Box 271, La Jolla, CA 92038, USA Ontogeny and variation of head stripes were investigated in _Stenella attenuata_, _S. longirostris_, and _Delphinus delphis_. The _eye stripe_ and the _blowhole stripe_ together comprise the _bridle_. The _Anlage_ of the bridle is a line extending across the back of the head in small fetuses. As the blowhole moves posteriorly and the rostrum lengthens, an inflection point develops in the line above the eye. This point moves forward, creating a progressively greater triangular area between the incipient eye and blowhole stripes. Well before birth, the inflection point is close to the apex of the melon, and the eye and blowhole stripes are narrow and well defined. This process proceeds to varying degrees in the other delphinoids. For example, in _Peponocephala electra_ and in _Cephalorhynchus_ spp., the inflection point migrates only part of the way to the apex of the melon, and the resulting "blowhole stripe" remains a broad caplike feature, resembling the state of development in small fetuses of _Stenella_ and _Delphinus_. A simple eye spot without a stripe may be primitive, as it occurs in non-delphinoid cetaceans. Presence of the bridle only in the delphinids and phocoenids may unite them in a clade exclusive of the monodontids. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Feb 1997 15:48:11 +0800 From: John & Kathryn McMullan Subject: Dolphins shot in Philippines Philippine Daily Inquirer, Saturday, February 8, 1997 Another dolphin found dead in coastal town. Bacolod City - A third dolphin was found dead with bullet wounds on the shores of a beach in a village 82 kilometres north of Bohol, raising suspicions that fishermen may have been shooting the dolphins. The 10-feet long dolphin was found to have four wounds, but the fatal one was in its head. Early this week two dead dolphins, also bearing wounds, were separately washed ashore in two coastal villages of this city. The Negros Occidental Provincial Agriculturist Office had examined the first two dolphins and found a hole-like wound on each of them, said Ruel Almoneda, aquaculture technologist. Residents of Barangy Old Sagay believe the wound was caused by spears hurled by fishermen. "They appear to be bullet wounds", said Almoneda. He said dolphins travel along with schools of tuna and fishermen on board big vessels may have shot at them so they would not disturb their fish catch. He said the dolphins that were washed ashore in Bacolod may have come from the Sulu Sea in southern Negros while the one found in Sagay came from the Tanon Strait. The Tanon Strait, which separates the islands of Cebu and Negros, is a known habitat of dolphins. It is being promoted for aqua-tourism by officials of Bais City in Negros Oriental, which faces the strait. Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia is still having the death of the dolphins investigated but so far the culprits remain unknown. The killing of dolphins is punishable by imprisonment. Carla P. Gomez, PDI Visayas Bureau. ----------------------------------- John McMullan Kiwi(\)Netasia.Net ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Feb 1997 06:45:48 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Re: Navy and right whales (fwd) From: rlambert(\)iu.net (R.H. Lambertsen) Dear Dagmar: As one who took issue publically with the recent past plans for U.S Navy/NATO war games on the SE calving grounds of the North Atlantic Right whale, it seems only fair that I respond to your request for comment on the "Navy and right whales" newsclip. As background, the North Atlantic right whale is, without doubt, one of the most critically endangered of all mammals. Its extinction would represent a national tragedy of very large proportions for the United States -- a country that shares with few others full responsibility for the decimation of this species in historical times. Published research has clarified to some extent the occurrence of right whales in various shipping lanes and their associated high risk of mortality from ship collision. It is a matter of fact that "right" whales (which have very thick blubber) are comparatively slow swimmers, float and may spend long periods of time in sleep or semi-conciousness, essentially immobile at the sea surface. Alteration of the recent past plans for U.S.Navy/NATO war games off the SE U.S. coast are a matter of record and involved the relocation of high speed maneuvers further offshore. In my opinion, both this and the proactive project now brought to light in the "Navy and right whales" article represent __excellent__ responses to international concern about the survival of the North Atlantic right whale. In fact, the use of infrared sensors to locate right whales so that ship traffic can __in an instant__ be redirected to minimize risk of collision with these animals offers __significant__ new hope that this critically endangered species will be saved. It is __not__ clear, however, whether the rapid communication of information on infrared sightings will be restricted to U.S. military traffic, which is limited, or if other ship traffic (e.g., commercial, NATO) also will be alerted. Nonetheless, it __is__ very clear that those individuals in the the Navy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admininistration, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection who are responsible should be strongly commended for their innovative and timely efforts to solve a conservation crisis of international proportions. No doubt such activity also offers public relations and possibly training/readiness benefits for the Navy -- but those are entirely secondary issues. Whoever the responsible individuals are, they should be encouraged to develop this new protective capability for the North Atlantic right whale to __fully effective__ levels. Their project should be allocated any supplementary funds or special assets that may be needed for it to succeed. Protection of the North Atlantic right whale from ship collision is an extremely important conservation objective. Yours sincerely, R.H. Lambertsen, Ph.D., V.M.D. Ecosystems Technology Transfer, Inc. P.O. Box 6788, Titusville, FL 32782 USA Member, Species Survial Commision International Union for the Conservation of Nature and former Fellow, Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Information copies to: Mr. Albert Gore Vice President of the United States Mr. Janvier Solana, Secretary General North Atlantic Treaty Organization Dagmar Fertl wrote: > from Greenwire. I'd be curious to hear from folks about their opinion > of this: > > > RIGHT WHALES: NAVY HELPS TRACK AND PROTECT SPECIES. > > > The Navy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin., the Georgia > Dept. of Natural Resources and the Florida Dept. of Env'tal Protection > are tracking and guarding right whales, an endangered species that > researchers say numbers only about 350. > > Kurt Fristrud, a Cornell U. biologist and acoustic engineer, "believes > that the right whales are trapped by their habits and unable to > migrate away from ... shipping lanes." Fristrud: "I think there are > hot spots -- little windows where for some reason whales and ships > come together. If we can find those points, we can direct ships away > and save the whales." The "only known calving grounds" are in > shipping lanes off of GA and FL. > > Rear Admiral Kevin Delaney, the environmental officer for the South > Atlantic fleet, says the Navy is using infrared trackers to spot the > whales. Researchers also are able to send instant messages of whale > locations to ships so that collisions can be avoided (AP/BOSTON GLOBE > online, 1/27). ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Feb 1997 06:41:43 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Cetacean dermoplasts Hi! i was wondering if any of you have any experience or know someone who has in preparing cetacean dermoplasts (i hope this term is proper in English! to me it means when you take the skin and stuff it). The problem i have is that our museum technicians do not know how to prepare and preserve dolphin skin since it is so greasy. Any help would be welcomed!! but most helpfull would be the procedure and chemicals to be used! (or name of someone who knows) Thanks a million Drasko -- Drasko Holcer, B.Sc.Biol. Croatian Natural History Museum Department of Zoology Demetrova 1 HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia E-m(\)il Drasko.Holcer(\)hpm.hr tel. +385 1 424995, 424973, 428596, 428615 fax +385 1 424998 http://www.hpm.hr ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Feb 1997 15:35:37 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - blood values in Galapagos fur seals Dear Marmam and ECS-mailbase readers, I apologize for the double mailings that those of you who are subscribers to both lists will get. The following is an abstract of an article that appears in the most recent issue of _Marine Mammal Science_. This is provided as a favor to the editor of the journal, as well as the list editors of Marmam. I have provided the address of the author to whom correspondence should be directed, so please send reprint requests to that person and not to me. Thank you for your continued interest in the journal, as well as the posting of the abstracts. I encourage everyone with marine mammal articles to do the same for the sake of information flow. Sincerely, Dagmar Fertl (Dagmar.Fertl(\)smtp.mms) ********************************************************************* Horning, M.* and F. Trillmich. 1997. Development of hemoglobin, hematocrit, and erythrocyte values in Galapagos fur seals. Marine Mammal Science 13(1): 100-113. * mailing address: Dept of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 5007 Avenue U, Galveston, TX 51551, USA We studied the ontogeny of hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, and erythrocyte counts in the Galapagos fur seal (_Arctocephalus galapagoensis_, Heller 1904). Two hundred and fifty-three animals were sampled between the ages of 22 d and >= 8 yr, of which 46 were adult females. Body mass increased steadily with age from 6.1+=1.2 kg in 1-mo-old pups (n=27) to 28.5+=3.3 kg in adult females. Even adult females increased in mass with age. Hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), and red blood cell (RBC) values all increased in a logarithmic fashion with age up to 2 yr. Blood values for pups were Hct: 35.5+=4.1%; Hb: 12.9+=1.3 g/dl; RBC: 4.1+=0.3x10^6/microliters. Half-year-old fur seals (Hct: 42.1+=3.2%; Hb: 15.7+=1.3 g/dl; RBC: 4.9+=0.5x10^6 microliters; n = 50) were the oldest age group to show significantly lower blood than adult females (P<0.001 for all three parameters). Yearling blood values (Hct: 47.2+=3.6%; Hb: 17.3+=1.6 g/dl; RBC: 5.6+=0.4 x 10^6/microliters; n = 56) did not differ significantly from those of adult females (P<0.32; P<0.26; P<0.23, respectively). Blood values of adult females were lower than those of 2-yr-olds (Hct: 49.6+=2.4%; Hb: 18.5+=1.2 g/dl; RBC: 5.7+=0.3 x 10^6/microliters; n = 31). These differences were significant only for RBCs (P<0.003). Up to the age of 1 yr, age was the best predictor for blood values, thereafter mass tended to be a better predictor. Female juveniles between the ages of 150 and 600 d had higher blood values than same-age males. The relationship of blood value development to diving activity is briefly described and the results are compared to values of other marine mammals. Ontogeny is discussed in relation to the development of these blood values in terrestrial mammals. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Feb 1997 09:41:13 -0500 From: Stejacorca(\)aol.com Subject: Re: newborn whale stranding in January Dear marmamers, you might be interested to know that, regarding the newborn gray whale which stranded in January, there is not just the "official" website >http:www.bev.net/education/SeaWorld/GrayWhale/graywhale.html< but also that of Peter Wallerstein (Whale Rescue Team home page) - who was THE person who actually rescued it >http://www.blacktop.com/whalerescue/< Two sides of a story. Best wishes, Stefan Jacobs email: stejacorca(\)aol.com website: http://members.aol.com/stejacorca ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Feb 1997 12:37:59 -0500 From: Sam McClintock Subject: Re: Harp Seal Questions cc: Dr. Rose > From the content of your questions, I wasn't certain...are > you aware that it is illegal to kill white-coat pups? Only > weanlings and older animals are allowed to be harvested. > Most of the animals taken, to my understanding, are adults. > Canada continues to ban the killing of white-coats. I am aware that white-coat pups are illegal to kill. My reference to "pups" was in reference to those seals just after white-coat status, e.g. beaters or just weaned. (Not sure I am altogether comfortable with typical sealer jargon for age groups). From what I understand, most animals taken are not all that old (e.g. full adult) when killed. As reference for the Humane Society, if you are not aware of it, 101 sealers including the former president of the Canadian Sealers Association, were charged with the illegal killing of hooded and harp seals in the last harvest. The official quota on hooded seals was 8000, but around 22,800 blueback hooded pelts were confiscated. In addition, 2200 white-coat pelts were seized. (I called the DFO Enforcement Office and this is about the only information you can receive as many of those charged have not gone to court yet). Sam McClintock scmcclintock(\)ipass.net ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 11:22:55 +0000 From: "J.C.Goold" Subject: Re: Navy and right whales (fwd) In-Reply-To: <9702081443.AA11917(\)sos.bangor.ac.uk> On Sat, 8 Feb 1997, MARMAM Editors wrote: > From: rlambert(\)iu.net (R.H. Lambertsen) > > In fact, the use of infrared sensors to locate right whales so that ship > traffic can __in an instant__ be redirected to minimize risk of collision > with these animals offers __significant__ new hope that this critically > endangered species will be saved. > > It is __not__ clear, however, whether the rapid communication of > information on infrared sightings will be restricted to U.S. military > traffic, which is limited, or if other ship traffic (e.g., commercial, > NATO) also will be alerted. > > > > > Rear Admiral Kevin Delaney, the environmental officer for the South > > Atlantic fleet, says the Navy is using infrared trackers to spot the > > whales. Researchers also are able to send instant messages of whale > > locations to ships so that collisions can be avoided (AP/BOSTON GLOBE > > online, 1/27). > I'm curious about the use of infra-red sensors, I thought the whole point of whale blubber was to keep the body heat in. I'm aware of some species that can shunt blood to the blubber surface, but do whales really emit enough heat to show up on infra-red sensors? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the efforts made to help protect this endangered species - but can't help my curiosity. Somebody please enlighten me. ---------------- John C. Goold University of Wales Bangor School of Ocean Sciences Menai Bridge Anglesey. LL59 5EY. UK Tel. (0)1248 383752 Fax. (0)1248 716367 email: oss123(\)sos.bangor.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Feb 1997 10:16:37 -0800 From: Alan Macnow Subject: NEW WHALE SCIENCE WEB SITE NEW ON THE NET WHALE SCIENCE - - Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) details the natural and social sciences forming the basis of whale conservation and management. Plans for the site include the publication of research papers from scientists in Japan and abroad. The site also features a revolving gallery of whale art by the noted marine artist Richard Ellis. ICR's Whale Science site is at http://www.whalesci.org FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant Japan Whaling Association amacnow(\)igc.apc.org ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 04:53:56 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CITES CONFERENCE (fwd) From: "P. G. G. DAVIES" "CONFERENCE ON THE REGULATION OF TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES UNDER CITES" A conference will be held on MONDAY 12 MAY AND TUESDAY 13 MAY 1997 at the DEPARTMENT OF LAW, UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM, UK Sessions will include: THE ROLE OF THE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES IN INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE LAW IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT TENSIONS AND COUNTERPOINTS WITHIN THE CITES SYSTEM REGULATED TRADE AS A CONSERVATION TECHNIQUE: CASE STUDY ON THE IVORY TRADE THE FUTURE OF CITES Speakers/contributors will include: Professor Patricia Birnie (former Director of the IMO International Law Institute of Maritime Law) Jaques Berney (former Secretary-General, CITES Secretariat) Michael Bowman (Department of Law, University of Nottingham) Bill Clark (Member, Interpol subgroup on Wildlife Crime) TO BE CONFIRMED Cyrille de Klemm (Member, IUCN Commission on Environmental Law) Professor David Favre (Detroit College of Law, Michigan State University) Al Gillespie (Department of Law, University of Waikato, NZ) Rob Hepworth (Wildlife and Countryside Directorate, UK) David Parkin (Department of Genetics, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham) A copy of the confirmed programme and registration form can be obtained by replying OFF LIST to Maureen Welch who can be contacted at Law(\)nottingham.ac.uk OR Maureen.Welch(\)nottingham.ac.uk Department of Law, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD Fax +44 (0)115 951 5696 Tel +44 (0)115 951 5700 Canada-Seal Hunt By DAVID CRARY Associated Press Writer TORONTO (AP) -- Foes of Canada's annual seal hunt escalated their attack on the industry Monday, releasing undercover video footage showing seals being skinned alive and dragged over the ice with hooks. "The only conclusion one can draw from the film is that the Canadian seal hunt is cruel, criminal and out of control," said Clayton Ruby, a prominent lawyer who joined animal-rights activists at a press conference in Ottawa. The International Fund for Animal Welfare said it obtained the video footage by hiring investigators who posed as photographers for a U.S. hunting magazine. The 10 hours of tape show 144 alleged violations of seal-hunt regulations, the group said. The video footage, coupled with full-page anti-sealing ads placed in major Canadian newspapers Monday, was likely to worsen the dilemma faced by the federal fisheries department. The department risked the wrath of animal-rights activists worldwide whenit boosted the 1996 seal harvest quota by 34 percent, allowing 250,000 harp seals along the Atlantic coast to be killed. Alleged infractions committed during that hunt led to 101 sealers being charged last year with illegally killing and selling protected seal pups. The department says it will study the video to determine whether more charges are warranted. Earle McCurdy, president of Newfoundland's largest fishing union, said the video gives a distorted view of an industry that is no more vicious than others in which animals are killed. But Mary Richardson, who chairs the animal welfare committee of the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, said the level of cruelty depicted would not be tolerated at slaughter houses or research labs in Canada. The 1996 seal quota was increased in part to help Newfoundland's battered economy. The province -- Canada's poorest -- was devastated by the collapse of codfish stocks in the early 1990s, and sealing was touted as a way to compensate. "Political considerations have resulted in the (fisheries department) expanding a hunt that it cannot control," said Rick Smith of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 12:51:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: QLD: Joint military operation QLD: Joint military operation questioned BRISBANE, Feb 11 AAP - Conservationists have questioned the need for the joint US-Australian military operation Tandem Thrust to be held off the north Queensland coast following the revelation today smoke grenades were lost overboard from a US supply ship. Queensland Conservation Council coordinator Imogen Zethoven said the council was opposed to the exercise being held in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park area. "It should not be happening in the Shoalwater Bay area now," she said. "Dugongs are already under threat in the area and with 17,000 US troops and 5,000 Australian troops moving into the area as well as a nuclear-powered submarine, the threat to the environment is tremendous." In Federal Parliament today, Environment Minister Senator Robert Hill revealed 50 smoke grenades had been lost overboard from a US ship preparing to take part in the exercise. Australian navy divers had been able to recover only two of the grenades. Ms Zethoven, who will take part in a protest in Brisbane tomorrow to have gill netting banned from all dugong habitat areas, said Australians should be demanding answers about why their tax dollars were being spent on the exercise. "Tens of millions of dollars are being spent on this operation," she said. "Why are we doing it? Who are our enemies that we have to have this sort of operation?" Queensland Commercial Fishermen's Organisation president Ted Loveday said the grenades could be a problem if they were in an area used by trawlers. "We would hope that the navy would contact the local fishermen and advise them." Mr Loveday said that following World War II, a lot of ammunition had been dumped at sea off the Queensland coast. "Throughout the years we've trawled up bombs and things but the fishermen are usually very careful and stay right away from them," he said. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 01:03:27 -0700 From: Pieter Folkens Subject: Killer Whale capture in Japan Friends in Japan have shared with me the following report of the capture of 5 killer whales from a pod of ten on 9/10 February 1997. Concerned people have visited Taiji to investigate what happened. There is no information about the pod affiliations, i.e, one pod or more. In total 10 orcas were surrounded by a net (80 m x 150 m) and caught in the sea Taiji, Wakayama prefecture. On 10 February at 6:30 AM the following orcas were delivered to sea worlds 1. Taiji whale museum: female 4.5 M (delivered by a truck) 2. Nanki Shirahama Adventure World: female 4.0 M (delivered by a truck): male 4.0 M / female 4.5 M (delivered by a boat) 3.Izu Mito Sea paradise: female 5.4 M (delivered to Taiji whale museum and will be delivered to Izu after the training) On 10 February at 11:20 am, 5 other orcas were released. (males: 10M, 5M and 4.5M, and females: 7M, 5M) Some of the orcas panicked and made sounds constantly. People have started to send a letter to the government, the above museum and the sea worlds in protest. Pieter Folkens \\| \| Y _ ,~------------------------/ \___^___^._ | ~ ~.~ ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.'~`^--^_,''/ | (\) _ ~,~.~'~.~,~'~.~,~.~ ~ ~ ~ ~.~ { \_________ \_l ~,~,~,~,~,~'.~.____'-----'__` \ ~ ~ `----------------------\__'--' ` \ ~ ~ ` ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 00:51:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Clinton Letter to Congress on Clinton Letter to Congress on Canadian Whaling WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released today by the White House: TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES: On December 12, 1996, Secretary of Commerce Michael Kantor certified under section 8 of the Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967, as amended (the "Pelly Amendment") (22 U.S.C. 1978), that Canada has conducted whaling activities that diminish the effectiveness of a conservation program of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). The certification was based on the issuance of whaling licenses by the Government of Canada in 1996 and the subsequent killing of two bowhead whales under those licenses. This message constitutes my report to the Congress pursuant to subsection (b) of the Pelly Amendment. In 1991, Canadian natives took a bowhead whale from the western Arctic stock, under a Canadian permit. In 1994, Canadian natives took another bowhead whale from one of the eastern Arctic stocks, without a permit. In 1996, under Canadian permits, one bowhead whale was taken in the western Canadian Arctic on July 24 and one bowhead whale was taken in the eastern Canadian Arctic on August 17. The whale in the eastern Arctic was taken from a highly endangered stock. The IWC has expressed particular concern about whaling on this stock, which is not known to be recovering. None of the Canadian whale hunts described above was authorized by the IWC. Canada withdrew from the IWC in 1982. In those instances where Canada issued whaling licenses, it did so without consulting the IWC. In fact, Canada's 1996 actions were directly contrary to IWC advice. At the 1996 Annual Meeting, the IWC passed a resolution encouraging Canada to refrain from issuing whaling licenses and to rejoin the IWC. However, Canada has recently advised the United States that it has no plans to rejoin the IWC and that it intends to continue granting licenses for the taking of endangered bowhead whales. Canada's unilateral decision to authorize whaling outside of the IWC is unacceptable. Canada's conduct jeopardizes the international effort that has allowed whale stocks to begin to recover from the devastating effects of historic whaling. I understand the importance of maintaining traditional native cultures, and I support aboriginal whaling that is managed through the IWC. The Canadian hunt, however, is problematic for two reasons. First, the whaling took place outside the IWC. International law, as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, obligates countries to work through the appropriate international organization for the conservation and management of whales. Second, whaling in the eastern Canadian Arctic poses a particular conservation risk, and the decision to take this risk should not have been made unilaterally. I believe that Canadian whaling on endangered whales warrants action at this time. Accordingly, I have instructed the Department of State to oppose Canadian efforts to address takings of marine mammals within the newly formed Arctic Council. I have further instructed the Department of State to oppose Canadian efforts to address trade in marine mammal products within the Arctic Council. These actions grow from our concern about Canada's efforts to move whaling issues to fora other than the IWC and, more generally, about the taking of marine mammals in ways that are inconsistent with sound conservation practices. Second, I have instructed the Department of Commerce, in implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act, to withhold consideration of any Canadian requests for waivers to the existing moratorium on the importation of seals and/or seal products into the United States. Finally, the United States will continue to urge Canada to reconsider its unilateral decision to authorize whaling on endangered stocks and to authorize whaling outside the IWC. I believe theforegoing measures are more appropriate in addressing the problem of Canadian whaling than the imposition of import prohibitions at this time. I have asked the Departments of Commerce and State to keep this situation under close review. WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, February 10, 1997. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 10:57:48 +0000 From: "J.C.Goold" Subject: Infra Red Sensors Dear All, Further to my question about how whales are detected by infra-red sensors, I'd like to thank all those who responded. A number of people also contacted me wanting to know the same, so I thought I'd just post this brief note of enlightenment. It seems that it is the whale blow that is seen by the sensor, and can be effective up to several kilometres range - rather obvious with hindsight but it often takes someone else to point these things out ! I'm also told that this method has been used effectively to detect respiration from Gray Whales for some time, and that contrary to my earlier skepticism body heat can also be seen. Thanks again. ---------------- John C. Goold University of Wales Bangor School of Ocean Sciences Menai Bridge Anglesey. LL59 5EY. UK Tel. (0)1248 383752 Fax. (0)1248 716367 email: oss123(\)sos.bangor.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 00:50:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: First sighting of right whale First sighting of right whale calf ANCHORAGE, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- A chance encounter by marine biologists with a pod of whales in Bristol Bay has resulted in the first confirmed sighting of a right whale calf in the North Pacific ocean in 150 years. The Anchorage Daily News reports Tuesday that when scientist Pam Goddard photgraphed the pod last summer she had no idea she was recording such an unusual scene. It wasn't until several weeks later that Goddard showed the pictures to Dave Rugh, a biologist at the National Marine Mammal Laboratory. The two soon realized that this was no ordinary whale sighting. The animals in the pictures were right whales, the most endangered of all the great whales. Hunted to the edge of extinction by commercial whalers, fewer than 200 of the animals are thought to remain in the entire North Pacific. The photos have since spurred optimism among whale researchers that the species may be returning. The calf wasn't the only thing unusual about the pod. Goddard's photos, backed up by those taken by others aboard the Arcturus, showed four right whales together. No group of more than two right whales has been reported in the region in the past 30 years. For many reasons, right whales were hunted for hundreds of years, and intensely during the late 1800s. They are slow swimmers. They have high oil content and a lot of baleen. They don't sink when killed. They are docile and don't actively avoid boats. Whalers decimated the right whales in the North Atlantic and then in the North Pacific. The species has been protected against most hunting since 1935. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 12:44:34 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: 1995 Survey, St Lawrence belugas (fwd) From: M_KINGSLEY On 21 Jan. 1997, the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans released the following: 'THE CONDITION OF ST LAWRENCE BELUGAS IS IMPROVING 'QUIBEC - The condition of the St Lawrence beluga population is improving, according to the latest data published by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The results of an aerial survey carried out in 1995 show that the population index estimate for belugas of the St Lawrence and the Saguenay is 705, compared with 525 in 1992, which confirms that the population is not decreasing. 'Moreover, Fisheries and Oceans Canada scientists are now considering the possibility that the St Lawrence beluga population could be increasing: other information on the dynamics of the population, such as the high age at death of adults, the apparently normal birth rate, and the rarity of juvenile mortalities, are encouraging. 'The 1995 survey, carried out under the programme -St Lawrence Vision 2000-, is the latest in a 15-year series of aerial surveys by which Fisheries and Oceans Canada has monitored the numbers and trend of the St Lawrence population of belugas. The next survey will be carried out in the summer of 1997. 'For the 1995 survey, two aircraft equipped with mapping cameras flew at 4000 feet over the estuary between Nle aux Coudres and Nle du Bic, taking continuous bands of photography which covered 50% of the area. While these aircraft were shooting their 1092 frames, a visual observer surveyed the length of the Saguenay Fjord aboard another aircraft. 'The report -Population Index Estimate for the Belugas of the St Lawrence in 1995- is available at Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Communications Branch in Quebec City (418-648-7747) and Mont-Joli (418-775-0526).' The abstract of the Technical Report on the survey is as follows: 'Kingsley, M.C.S. 1996. Population index estimate for the belugas of the St Lawrence in 1995. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2117. vi + 38 p. 'On 25 August 1995 a survey flight was carried out to estimate a population index for the St Lawrence population of belugas (Delphinapterus leucas). Two aircraft, each equipped with a metric mapping camera shooting 9" x 9" frames through a 6" lens, flew at 4000 feet over a systematic grid of transects, aligned from northwest to southeast, that stretched from Nle aux Coudres to Nle du Bic. The transects were spaced 2 nautical miles apart, giving a 50% coverage of the estuary. One thousand and ninety-two frames were shot on colour positive aerial survey film. At the same time, another aircraft surveyed the length of the Saguenay Fjord with a single visual observer. 'The wind was light over the whole survey area and the sky was clear, so good- quality photography was obtained. The film was analysed on a light table using low-power microscopy. A total of 377 belugas were counted on 86 frames. Ninety-three were judged to be duplicates of belugas also seen on the adjacent frame, so the net count was 284. Fifty of 197 (25%) appeared from their small size to be juveniles. The resulting estimate of visible belugas was 568 (sampling S.E. 94.0). A 15% visibility correction gave an estimated index for the St Lawrence of 653.2 (S.E. 108.1). The counts were not corrected for sun glare reflected from the water surface and appearing on the photo frames. On the simultaneous visual survey of the Saguenay Fjord, 51 more belugas were seen at baie Ste-Marguerite and one further upstream; these counts were not corrected for visibility. The final total estimated population index, including the Saguenay, was 705.2. 'This index estimate is 34% bigger than the value of 525 obtained on a windier day in 1992 using the same methods, and a 16% increase over the 1990 estimate.' Copies of the Technical Report are available. M.C.S. Kingsley m_kingsley(\)qc.dfo.ca Dear Marmammers, I wish to look at the distribution of beaked whales (Ziphiidae) in the North Atlantic Ocean including the contiguous areas of the North Sea and Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean, aiming to find out how sympatric (or allopatic) the various species are and to look at potential factors affecting distribution. I am intenting to plot the total number of strandings per species per area (per country for Europe, Africa, Carribean and Latin America and per states/provences for U.S.A. and Canada). I am interested in hearing from people who are involved with strandings in these areas who have written summary papers containing such information, particularly unpublished papers, conference presentations or local/internal reports which are not widely availible, or who would be able to provide me with summary information - particularly in Latin America (as far south as French Guiana), Africa (as far south as Cameroon), the Caribbean and the islands of Bermuda, Canaries, Cape Verdes and Azores. I am also very interested to find out about live sightings at sea in the North Atlantic, again particularly those contained in unpublished reports, conference presentations or in literature which is not widely availible. Any references, copies of unpublished literature or personal communications of unpublished reports would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help. Regards, Colin. ============================================================================== Colin D. MacLeod, B.Sc. F2/2, 13 Kennoway Drive, "See what everyone has seen Thornwood, and think what no one has thought" Glasgow, - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi G11 7UA. U.K. Tel: 0141 337 2209 International: +44 141 337 2209 Email: macleod_c(\)colloquium.co.uk ============================================================================ == ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 13:53:26 -0800 From: Sandra Sneckenberger Subject: dolphin aging I am currently working on a project which uses skull formation to age dolphins. So far it has meshed very well with age approximations from tooth cross sections. Since aging by tooth growth rings cannot be done on young dolphins (newborn to a year or so), we hope to use the rate of skull formation to determine ages. Any information on past or present research regarding aging dolphins -mainly Tursiops - from skull growth would be very helpful to me. Thank you for your time. Sandra Sneckenberger Mote Marine Laboratory sneck(\)marinelab.sarasota.fl.us 1600 Thompson Parkway Voice: 941-388-4441 Sarasota FL 34236 Fax: 941-388-4312 We are an independent, nonprofit, marine and estuarine research and education facility. Opinions expressed here are not MML policy unless so indicated. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 05:22:17 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: humpback whale sanctuary From: Ray Taylor The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary The shallow, warm waters surrounding the main Hawaiian Islands comprise one of the world's most important humpback whale habitats. Scientists estimate that two-thirds of the entire North Pacific humpback whale population migrate to Hawaiian waters to engage in breeding, calving and nursing activities. The continued protection of humpback whales and their Hawaiian habitat is crucial to the long-term recovery of this magnificent endangered species. These waters are also home to the highly endangered Hawaiian monk seal, sea turtles, seabirds and many endemic coral reef fish and invertebrate species. This Spring, the Governor of Hawaii will decide on whether to approve or reject NOAA's Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. The Governor needs to hear that there is public support for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary or it may be rejected. The Hawaii Sanctuary provides an opportunity to coordinate the various activities of Federal, State and local government agencies and the public that may affect humpback whales and their habitat. The Sanctuary also has established a citizen's advisory council to allow public input into the management of the site and will provide additional resources for marine-related research, long-term monitoring and education projects. If you would like to write to the governor to express your support of the sanctuary, please direct letters to: Honorable Benjamin J. Cayetano Governor State of Hawaii Executive Chambers Hawaii State Capitol Honolulu, HI 96813 ------ 2d Annual International Wildlife Law Conference: Registration Materials The 2d Annual International Wildlife Law Conference will take place on April 8, 1997 in Washington DC at the Georgetown University Law Center. =20 Conference co-sponsors are: =B7 American Society of International Law's wildlife section =B7 GreenLife Society - North America =B7 Georgetown International Environmental Law Review =B7 Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law & Policy =B7 Environmental Law Society, American University School of Law =B7 Detroit College of Law-Michigan State University The conference will utilize the same three panel format as at last year's conference. The panels for the conference are as follows: PANEL #1: 9:00am-11:30am The precautionary principle and international wildlife treaty regimes Moderator: David Favre, Faculty of Law, Detroit College of Law - Michigan State University =B7 Drs. Jonathan Verschuuren & Chris Backes, Faculty of Law, Tilburg University, Netherlands, "The Precautionary Principle in European and Dut= ch Wildlife Protection Law and Policy;" =B7 Dr. Joan E. Russow, Co-ordinator, Global Compliance Research project = & Sessional lecturer, Global Issues, Environmental Studies Program, U. Of Victoria, "The Implications of Compliance with the Precautionary Principl= e: Report to the Commission on Sustainable Development;" =B7 Dr. W.M. von Zharen, College of Wildlife and Agriculture; College of Geosciences and Maritime Studies, Texas A&M University, Galveston, Texas= , USA, "Stewarding Marine Species: Beyond the Precautionary Principle;" =B7 William C. Burns, Director, GreenLife Society - North America, "Using Reverse Listing to Implement the Precautionary Principle in the Context o= f the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora;" =B7 Dr. Sudhir K. Chopra, Visiting Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy and Department of International Relations, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary & Craig Hanson, Member, Illinois state bar, "Deep Ecology to the Precautionary Principle: Ethical Principl= es Evolve into Customary International Law." PANEL #2: 1:00-3:00pm The International Whaling Commission and the aboriginal whaling exception. Moderator: Professor Howard S. Schiffman, Adjunct Faculty, International Programs, New York University School of Continuing Education. =B7 Bill Dollinger, Wildlife Coordinator, Friends of Animals, Washington,= DC, "Return to Commercial Whaling: Playing the Native Card;" =B7 Dr. Harry Scheiber, Stefan Riesenfeld Professor of Law and History, & Associate Dean of Law for Jurisprudence & Social Policy, Boalt Hall Schoo= l of Law, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA, "T= he Ethical Basis and Proper Limits of Special Indigenous Claims;" =B7 Karen Barton, Dept. Of Geography, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz= ona, USA, "Common Property Theory and the Resource Dilemma: The Case of the California Gray Whale;"=20 =B7 Leesteffy Jenkins, The Humane Society of the United States/Humane Soc= iety International, "Aboriginal Subsistence Quotas at the International Whalin= g Commission: Tradition or Travesty?;" =B7 Phoebe Wray, Senior Consultant, Center for Action on Endangered Speci= es & Professor, Cultural History, Boston Conservatory, Boston, Massachusetts, Cultural Conundrums: Can We Ever Find A Loop? PANEL #3: 3:30-5:30pm The Convention on Biological Diversity: Problems and Prospects Moderator: William P. Weiner, Faculty of Law, Thomas M. Cooley Law School. =B7 Lyle Glowka, Legal Officer, International Union for the Conservation = of Nature Environmental Law Center, Bonn, Germany, "The Convention on Biological Diversity: A New Context for Wildlife Conservation;" =B7 Dr. Maria Gavouneli, Associate, Hellenic Institute of International a= nd Foreign Law, Athens, Greece; "The New Mediterranean Protocol on Biodiversity: Regional Approaches in a Wider Context;" =B7 Manuel Ruiz, Senior Researcher, Biodiversity Program, Sociedad Peruan= a de Derecho Ambiental, Peru, "International Wildlife Traffic and Article 15 o= f the Convention on Biological Diversity;" =B7 Dr. Tracy Dobson, Associate Dean of International Studies, Michigan S= tate University, Lansing, Michigan, USA, "Radical Restructuring of Environment= al Policy to Preserve Biodiversity in Africa: Malawi at the Crossroads;" =B7 Chris Wold, Adjunct Professor of Law, Washington College of Law, Amer= ican University & staff attorney , Center for International Environmental Law, topic to be announced. Registration may be effectuated by printing out the form below and mailin= g it to the following address: Professor David Favre, Detroit College of La= w - Michigan State University, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824. Checks should be made out to "Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University." For additional information, contact us at: pcis(\)igc.apc.org. Registration Form: 2d Annual International Wildlife Law Conference,=20 April 8, 1997 Georgetown University School of Law Center Name: ____________________________________________ Organization: _____________________________ Address: _________________________________ City: __________________________ State: _______ Postal Code: ___________ =20 Country _______________ Phone: ________________ Fax: _________________ E-mail: ________________ Fees (Check One): Regular _____ ($50.00 until March 1st, $55.00 thereafter) Student _____ ($25.00) =20 Please mail to: Professor David Favre, Detroit College of Law - Michigan State University, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (Favre(\)pilot.msu.edu). Checks should be made out to "Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University." Wil Burns =09 Director, GreenLife Society - North American Chapter=20 700 Cragmont Ave. Berkeley, CA 94708 USA =09 Phone/Fax: (510) 558-0620=09 E-mail: pcis(\)igc.apc.org =09 WWW site: http://EELINK.umich.edu/greenlife/index.html =09 GLSNA Affiliations: The EarthAction Network Reseau International d'ONG sur la Desertification (RIOD) Accredited NGO Observer, International Whaling Commission European Social Science Fisheries Network -=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-= =3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D- The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. -- William James -=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-= =3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 21:18:56 -0800 From: "Michael Kundu, ARCTURUS Adventure Communications" Subject: Condemnation of Canadian Bowhead Hunt May Impact Makah Gray Whale Hunt Feb. 11, 1997 -- The Clinton Administration expressed outrage today at Canada's decision to permit the killing of a highly endangered eastern arctic bowhead whale this past August. Yet in criticising the Canadian government, Clinton did not take the additional, necessary steps to impose sanctions against the import of Canadian fisheries products, as mandated under the 1979 Pelly Amendment to the Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967. This option was made available to Clinton after US Commerce Secretary Mickey Kantor certified Canada under the Pelly Amendment in December of 1996, for endangering world whale conservation and protection efforts. The eastern arctic bowhead population (Baffin Bay/Davis Strait) from which this whale is said to have been taken is estimated to lie between 300- 400 animals. This stock is not known to be recovering. Although Clinton's letter will do little to dissuade further issuance of eastern Arctic bowhead permits by the Canadian government, Clinton's letter to Congress may have a profound impact on domestic US aboriginal whaling policies. As quoted, Clinton states that..., "I support aboriginal whaling that is managed through the IWC." There is wide speculation that the Makah tribe of Washington State, USA, who have unsuccessfully petitioned the IWC for a gray whale quota in 1996, will begin to kill whales illegally, if they are declined a quota in 1997. In light of the Clinton Administrations' recent letter, it is expected that the US government, in order to retain international credibility, must than take the appropriate disciplinary actions to protect gray whales domestically, if the Makah proceed with a gray whale hunt outside of IWC rule. This would also be the case if a Makah hunt were to begin prior to the IWC meeting in October 1997. In condemning the Canadian government for this bowhead take, the Clinton Administration may have inadvertently forced itself to write a policy of mandatory enforcement, should the Makah tribe kill a gray whale without IWC approval. Michael Kundu, Pacific Northwest Coordinator Sea Shepherd Conservation Society arcturus(\)arcturus.seanet.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 15:34:55 -0800 From: "William F. Perrin" Subject: workshop report I have a very few copies for distribution of "Report of the Workshop on the Biology and Conservation of Small Cetaceans and Dugongs of Southeast Asia" edited by W. F. Perrin, M. L. L. Dolar and M. N. R. Alava (UNEP(W)/EAS WG.1/2, 101pp). I would like to place them in libraries, agencies and ngo's where they can be consulted. Bill Perrin ------------------------------------------------------------------------ William F. Perrin, Ph.D. Tel.(619) 546-7096 (office) Senior Scientist (619) 535-0840 (home) Editor, Marine Mammal Science FAX (619) 546-7003 Adjunct Professor, SIO/UCSD Southwest Fisheries Science Center Email wperrin(\)ucsd.edu (office) P.O. Box 271, La Jolla, CA 92038, USA dolarperri(\)aol.com (home) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 10:45:01 +0800 From: Caroline Durville Subject: Taiwanese fishing trap in Lembeh Strait (North Sulawesi) Dear Marmammers, Recently I received the following message. >Some of the best sea mammal interactions I've had in almost 25 years as a >dive professional have occurred here in the Lembeh Strait. We are >less than 5 miles from the area where migrating sea mammals enter the >strait to feed and take a 'short cut' around the island of Lembeh. A >detailed study needs to begin on just how active this migration path is. >Before the Taiwan "seafood" company set up their huge permanent fish trap >about a year ago in the center of this migration path, I would regularly >see lots of sea mammals in the Lembeh Straits: pilot whales, dolphins, >humpback & minke whales. The Taiwan trap, with an opening of almost 1/2 >mile and strategically set in the middle of the migration path, is >catching everything that comes down the North Sulawesi coast. I've >personally witnessed catches of dozens of giant manta rays and marlin. >And the permit they operate with is under the disguise of "research". >If you know of an agency or department that can be alerted to this new >form of hi-tech destructive fishing, that is taking sea mammals as well as >tons of fish, please do so. I cannot corroborate the information, but if it is true, it seems to me this could mean a serious threat to sea life including marine mammals in the Lembeh Strait. Does anybody know an agency/department/persons that could be contacted regarding this situation? Any advice will be welcome. Sincerely, Caroline Durville email address: carodurv(\)swiftech.com.sg _________________________ Phone: (65) 474 4273 Fax: (65) 475 8543 Email: carodurv(\)swiftech.com.sg Mailing address: 48 Jalan Puteh Jerneh Chip Bee Gardens Singapore 278069 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 16:14:34 -0400 From: Claudette LeBlanc Subject: ACZISC NOTICE N O T I C E The Atlantic Coastal Zone Information Steering Committee (ACZISC) is pleased to announce the availability of Version 3 of the Atlantic Coastal Zone Database Directory on the WWW. The Directory is available, in a searchable format, via the ACZISC homepage which is located at the following URL: http://is.dal.ca/aczisc/aczisc The Database Directory lists and describes 608 databases of relevance to the integrated management of the coastal zone of Atlantic Canada. The majority of the databases described in the Directory are geographically-referenced. Also available through the ACZISC Homepage is an Inventory of Atlantic Coastal Mapping Projects, currently under development. The Inventory describes coastal mapping projects extant or currently under way in Atlantic Canada. Feedback from users and suggestions regarding databases and projects which should be described in the Database Directory or the Inventory would be appreciated. Please forward comments to the ACZISC Secretariat to the attention of: Claudette LeBlanc Chair, ACZISC Database Directory Working Group Oceans Institute of Canada 1226 LeMarchant Street Halifax, NS B3H 3P7 CANADA Tel 902-494-3879 Fax 902-494-1334 Email leblancc(\)fox.nstn.ca Thank you for your interest and we apologize if you receive duplicate copies of this message! ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 05:58:18 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: ROW BREAKS OUT IN JAPAN OVER CAPTIVE KILLER WHALES (fwd) 14-Feb-97 02:41 am Regular International ROW BREAKS OUT IN JAPAN OVER CAPTIVE KILLER WHALES By Olivier Fabre of Reuter Tokyo, Feb 13 Reuter - A row broke out on Thursday over the fate of five killer whales destined for Japanese amusement parks. Environmentalists demanded the release of the five mammals, which were among 10 killer whales caught by Japanese fishermen last week. But the Japanese Fisheries Agency said it had the authority to allow the whales' capture under international quotas set to catch whales for scientific study. The 10 orcas, made famous in the Free Willy movies, were trapped on Friday when a giant net was put across a bay near the town of Taiji, about 450 km southwest of Tokyo. On Wednesday, five of the whales were set free. Fishermen prodded and lured three others into slings and they were sent to Adventure SeaWorld in nearby Shirahama. Two others remained inside the netted area waiting to be delivered to another amusement park and a whaling museum. The agency gave permission to local fishermen in 1992 to capture five orcas. But the Dolphin and Whale Action Network, an environmental group, said the fishermen's authority had been nullified in the meantime by new international laws on scientific whaling which make orcas a protected species. Japan, where whale meat is considered a delicacy, has long been at odds with many countries over its interpretation of regulations on catching whales for scientific purposes. Critics charge that Japan uses the guise of scientific study to maintain whale catching for commercial purposes while nearly all other countries have outlawed the industry. There is no suggestion that the five trapped whales are to be slaughtered. But the environmental group said their dispatch to amusement parks is for tourist purposes, not for scientific study. Yukari Surugi, a spokesman with the group, said amusement parks pay up to 30 million yen ($NZ354,463) for a killer whale. He said the life span of killer whales in captivity ranges from six to seven years, while in the wild they can outlive human beings. An official of the Izumito Sea Paradise, which has rights to one of the two whales still awaiting transfer, said they purchased their female for breeding purposes. ``At Izumito we are currently raising a male killer whale, and we are interested in breeding,'' said Masatoshi Mano, head of public relations. Reuter iw ------------------------------------------------------------ Anyone wishing to comment on this situation might be interested in the following suggestions (forwarded from the ECS maillist) The Japan Whale and Dolphin Action Network (Sakae Fujiwara & co.) are working incredibly hard for the whales & still hope to achieve their release. They believe the most effective protest is from overseas (though I am sure that concern expressed within Japan is very helpful too) and want more messages sent to the government, Taiji, and the aquariums involved. List of contact numbers: Mr. Ryutaro Hashimoto, Prime Minister 81 3 5511 8855 Mr Michio Shimada, Director of National Fishery Agency 81 3 3502 0794 Mr Isamu Nishiguchi, Governor of Wakayama Prefecture 81 734 22 4032 Wakayama Prefecture Government Fishery Section 81 734 31 2244 Tourist Section 81 734 32 8313 Tour Office of Taiji 81 7355 9 3375 Taiji Fishermans Union 81 7355 9 2821 If possible, please fax a copy of your message to Ms Sakae Fujiwara, Dolphin & Whale Action Network: Fax: 81 298 511 637 If it's easier, send your copy to Mark Berman at Earth Island Institute: Fax: (415)788-7324 Here are the numbers for the 3 aquariums that have bought the whales: * Shirahama Adventure Sea World Tel:81-739-43-3333 Fax:81-739-43-3252 * Izu Mito Sea Paradise Tel:81-559-43-2331 Fax:81-559-43-2336 * Kujira no Hakubutsukan (Taiji Town Whale Museum) Tel:81-7355-9-2400 Fax:81-7355-9-3823 One more thing that will help a lot is for you to MAKE A PHONE CALL AND/OR SEND A FAX TO THE JAPANESE EMBASSY OR CONSULATE NEAREST TO YOU. In many cases you'll be able to do this with a local call. With many thanks & all best wishes to you all, Paul. Paul Spong, Ph.D. Director, ORCALAB. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 23:47:27 -0500 From: Dolphintlf(\)aol.com Subject: Cetacean bibliographies, audiography, and videography Dear MARMAMers, Today substantive updates were uploaded for my cetacean fiction and nonfiction bibliographies, audiography, and videography, plus the still partially completed children's bibliography, at: http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/whale/literature/fic_main.html I've added several recent titles and other useful links to the children's bibliography, but still have circa fifty or so backlist titles to add, and I hope to finally accomplish the latter by the June 1997 update. Suggestions for additions to any of the lists--including forthcoming titles--are always welcome, and my thanks go to all of you who have submitted additions and corrections for the current update. Best regards, Trisha ---------------------- Trisha Lamb Feuerstein Indexer and Indexing Instructor Integral Publishing, P.O. Box 1030, Lower Lake, California 95457, USA Voice: (707) 928-5751 Fax: (707) 928-4738 E-mail: dolphintlf(\)aol.com URL: http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/whale/literature/fic_main.html ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 12:40:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Nationa DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and ... WASHINGTON,DC (FedNet,13-FEB-97) -- Disturbance is identified in the Final Recovery Plan for the Northern Right Whale (Recovery Plan) as among the principal human-induced factors impeding recovery of the northern right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) (NMFS, 1991). NMFS is issuing this interim final rule to restrict approaches within 500 yards (460 m) of a right whale, whether by vessel, aircraft or other means, in an attempt to reduce the current level of disturbance and the potential for vessel interaction and injury. This rule requires right whale avoidance measures if a vessel or aircraft is within the 500-yard (460 m) restricted area. Generally, vessels are required to immediately depart from the area at a slow, safe speed in a direction away from the whale. Exceptions are provided for emergency situations, where certain authorizations are provided for aircraft operations (unless the aircraft is conducting whale watch activities), for certain right whale disentanglement/rescue efforts and investigations, and for a vessel restricted in its ability to maneuver and unable to comply with the right whale avoidance measures. EFFECTIVE DATE: March 17, 1997. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 12:40:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Oil slick off Uruguay threaten Oil slick off Uruguay threatens sea lion colony MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Feb 13 (Reuter) - An oil slick has threatened the world's largest sea lion reserve off the coast of Uruguay, local newspapers reported on Thursday. The slick, from a weekend spill of 200 tons of crude, has washed up on Lobos Island at two points and threatens to trap thousands of sea lions, the reports said. An Argentine coast guard plane sprayed chemicals to break up the oil in the water near the island in an attempt to keep the slick from advancing on the animals. National coast guard chief Francisco Pazos said the slick was "under control," but he was contradicted by a naval spokesman responsible for the area of the spill. The spokesman told El Observador that some oil was still leaking from the hull of the Panamanian-registered San Jorge. The ship ran aground on Saturday, 20 miles (32 km) off the Uruguayan coast, spilling the crude. Officials initially had hoped the oil would be washed south out to sea, but a wind change sent it toward the coast. The Uruguayan army sent 450 soldiers to clean contaminated beaches, Environment Minister Juan Chiruchi said. "The ministry will provide the army personnel with the adequate clothing and everything necessary for the manual cleaning work," he said. His ministry said that the San Jorge's owners were prepared to pay the Uruguayan government for the clean-up. "Our theory is that he who pollutes pays," Chiruchi said. Local environmental groups and the thriving tourism industry have expressed alarm at the accident. At the height of the summer holiday season, the slick was threatening the white sands of Punta del Este, a glitzy beach resort that lives off a seasonal influx of wealthy Argentine tourists. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Feb 1997 05:48:55 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: ECS conference and awards (fwd) From: "Dr. Harald Benke" <101676.1264(\)compuserve.com> EUROPEAN CETACEAN SOCIETY 11th ANNUAL CONFERENCE 10-12 March 1997 in Stralsund, Germany I would like to draw yours attention to the pre-registration deadline F E B R U A R Y 1 5 ! After 15 February you have to pay a late fee of 30 DM (students 15 DM). --- Awards for best presentations --- Awards for best presentations --- Dear participants of the ECS conference, Sponsors were kind enough to offer awards for best presentations: 500,- DM award for best talk 500,- DM award for best poster 500,- DM award for best student talk 500,- DM award for best student poster So, prepare good presentations for the Stralsund meeting! Harald Benke Conference Organiser For further details, please contact: ECS Conference 1997, Deutsches Museum f|r Meereskunde und Fischerei, (German Museum for Marine Research and Fishery) Katharinenberg 14/20, 18439 Stralsund, Germany, Tel.: +49-3831-295135, Fax: +49-3831-292217, E-mail: 101676.1264(\)compuserve.com Harald Benke Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. NOTE: Archived copies of "first Friday" longer summaries for February 1994 through the present are now available at: "http://www.lsu.edu/guests/sglegal/public_html" Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Uruguayan Oil Spill Threatens Sea Lions. On Feb. 13, 1997, the Uruguayan press reported that a 200-ton crude oil spill from the grounded panamanian-registered San Jorge threatened to harm thousands of sea lions in a large colony on Lobos Island. [Reuters] . Pelly Amendment Announcement - Canada. On Feb. 10, 1997, President Clinton reported to Congress that he would not impose sanctions on Canada under the Pelly Amendment for Inuit bowhead whale kills. The U.S. response would include opposing Canadian efforts to address trade in marine mammal products within the Arctic Council, withholding consideration of any Canadian requests for waivers on the MMPA moratorium on importing seals or seal products, and urging Canada to reconsider its unilateral decision to permit whaling on endangered stocks outside International Whaling Commission consultation and authority. [White House press release, Reuters] . Canadian Sealing. On Feb. 10, 1997, the International Fund for Animal Welfare placed full-page ads in Canadian newspapers and released undercover video footage showing what were represented as some of an alleged 144 violations of Canadian federal regulations plus 34 additional examples of cruelty and abuse taped during 1996 sealing off Newfoundland. Representatives of the Canadian Sealers Assoc. responded that, although sometimes gruesome, the tapes appeared to show normal, not illegal, sealing operations. [Assoc Press, Reuters] . Small-Scale Coastal Whaling. On Feb. 10, 1997, Japanese officials announced that they will appeal to the International Whaling Commission, at a 3-day workshop in Sendai, Japan, during March 1997, for international support on approval of small-scale commercial whaling (50 whales per year) along Japan's coasts. [Dow Jones News] . Sakhalin Island Whales. On Feb. 7, 1997, Vice President Al Gore and Russian Federation Chairman Viktor Chernomyrdin issued a joint statement in support of the implementation of environmentally sound petroleum exploration and production practices in the Sakhalin Island area, protective of endangered western gray and right whale populations. The statement urges continuation of planning discussions so that baseline field studies can be initiated in 1997. [White House press release] . Japanese Orca (Killer Whale) Capture. On Feb. 7, 1997, Japanese fishermen encountered a pod (family group) of 10 orca (killer whales) offshore of Shingu City, Japan, and drove them for an hour before they were trapped and are being held by nets in Hatajiri Wan Bay, near Taiji, Japan, possibly for sale to 5 marine mammal facilities in Japan and/or abroad. The family group consists of a single large adult male, a pregnant female, a young calf, and a mixture of juveniles. The Taiji fishermen had a 1992 permit allowing the capture of five orca, but applied for an extension to take the entire pod. On Feb. 12, 1997, 3 juvenile orcas were sent to Adventure SeaWorld in Shirahama, while 5 orcas were released. Two juvenile orcas remained in the Bay's enclosure pending delivery to 2 other marine mammal facilities. [personal communication, Reuters] . Right Whale Protection. On Feb. 11, 1997, NMFS announced new regulations requiring all vessels, unless specifically permitted, to not approac h northern right whales any closer than 500 yards. [NMFS press release, Assoc Press] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Feb 1997 17:56:13 +1100 From: Stephen Burnell Subject: Manatee video footage I have been asked by an Australian TV producer to source some good underwater footage of Manatees. I would be grateful if any individual or institution who has such footage and would consider making it available could email me direct. Please do not reply to the discussion group! Any clear underwater footage of manatees (preferably in the wild and exhibiting a variety of natural behaviors)would be suitable. Only Hi8/SVHS or better (ie. betacam or digital) recordings will be suitable. There are some funds to purchase high quality footage. Thanks, Steve Stephen Burnell Marine Mammal Research Centre B01, JD Stewart Bldg. University of Sydney NSW. AUSTRALIA. 2006 Ph. 61 411 243 143 Email. sburnell(\)mail.usyd.edu.au ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 12:47:49 -0500 From: Nikolas Entrup <106127.1133(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Orca Capture v. Convention on Biodiversity ORCA CAPTURE IN JAPAN - VIOLATION AGAINST CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (CoBD)? While international conventions as e.g. the Convention on Biological Diversity are signed by several countries, it is very questionable if the actual capture of the ten orcas in Taiji, Japan, is in agreement with that Convention. It is my understanding that the capture of 5 orcas was permitted by the Japanese Fisheries Agency for scientific research". Olivier Fabre of REUTER`S writes within his MARMAM message that an official of the Izumito Sea Paradise, which has rights to one of the two whales still awaiting transfer, said they purchased their female for breeding purposes". Fabre quotes: At Izumito we are currently raising a male killer whale, and we are interested in breeding,'' said Masatoshi Mano, head of public relations". Therefore there are two arguments given to justify the capture. 1. BREEDING PURPOSE 2. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH To capture an orca for a captive breeding program is within the CoBD a purpose for an Ex-Situ measure. Criteria for Ex-Situ Conservation are listed under Article 9. Therefore basic criteria for any Ex-Situ program is that it is predominantly for the purpose of complementing In-Situ (protection within their natural habitat) measures. Are there any In-Situ measure steps undertaken by Japan to protect Orca within their natural habitat ? Are there any In-Situ measure steps undertaken by Japan to protect that specific Orca Pod ? If not, taking these orcas are not fullfilling the basic criteria of the CoBD. Further it is important to look at Article 9 (d) which states regulate and manage collection of biological resources from natural habitats for ex-situ conservation purposes so as not to threaten ecosystems and in-situ populations of species, except where special temporary ex-situ measures are required under subparagraph (c) which states adopt measures for the recovery and rehabilitation of threatened species and for their reintroduction into their natural habitats under appropriate conditions". Orca Pods are sighted infrequently in Japanese waters. The size of the population is unknown but probably very small. Destroying even one orca family could cause great harm to the Japanese orca population. It is my understanding that NO scientific evaluation of this specific pod and the Japanese Orca population has been done before granting the permit for the capture and before the capture itself. The capture of almost a whole pod will cause extinction or even do enormous harm to this pod. Such an operation is a threat to the In-Situ population and therefore violates against the CoBD. It is my understanding that till today NO research application has been made by any of the involved dolphinariums. So we have to look at the argument that the orcas got captured for breeding purpose". As an Ex-Situ measure has to complement In-Situ measures I assume that the captive breeding population and so the programs must be self-sustaining. Several amusement parks and zoological gardens argue that their breeding programs are self-sustaining. Therefore I would like to know why they have to capture orcas from the wild if these programs are successful? Having a look at the reproduction of captive orcas in Japan we have to face the fact that two birth have been recorded. One calf survived about 10 days (conceived in the wild) and one live birth which died the same day. To start (!) talking about a successful captive breeding program assume that the captive population breed regularly in the second and third generation and then it is still critical if the population is self-sustaining. As reproduction of captive orcas is NOT self-sustaining, captive facilities are no valid Ex-Situ measures! Looking at the statistics of already captured Orcas within japanese waters and taken for amusement parks or zoos, an extremely high mortality rate is fact. From about 14 captured Orcas 11 are already dead. Regarding Artcile 9.c, we have to be aware that till today NO amusement park or zoological garden has ever released an orca back to its natural habitat. Summarizing the listed facts I personally come to the conclusion that the actual capture of Orcas in Japan violates against CoBD and has to be stopped. To minimize the damage which is already been done to the wild population these animals has to get immediately released back to the wild and measure steps implemented to protect Orcinus Orca in Japanese waters. I ask the zoological gardens and amusement parks to dissociate officially from such operations! Also I ask the Japanese authorities to revoke the permit which was given to capture five Orcas and release the captured animals. Nicolas Entrup VIER PFOTEN e.V. Grabenstr.15 20357 Hamburg Germany Tel. + 49 40 43 29 29 - 50 Fax. + 49 40 43 29 29 - 99 email: 106127.1133(\)compuserve.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 03:04:29 -0800 From: David Bain Subject: Symposium on Information Processing by Aquatic Mammals ------ Dear Colleague, I am writing to tell you about some programs for partners=20 during the 1997 Symposium on Information Processing by=20 Aquatic Mammals, and a post-conference trip to Long Marine=20 Lab and Monterey Bay Aquarium. In addition, information on=20 daily registration for those who would like to participate=20 but are unable to stay throughout the meeting follows. For partners, on Monday, there will be a trip to Napa Valley=20 to go wine tasting. A second trip, to Sonoma Valley=20 wineries, will be offered on Tuesday. On Wednesday, family=20 members may join conferees for the trip to San Francisco. =20 Thursday will be an open day for spending time at Marine=20 World, or other activities of your choice. Friday there=20 will be a boat trip around San Francisco Bay. A post-conference trip is being offered to participants and=20 families. Saturday, bus transportation will be provided to=20 Long Marine Lab. After a visit there, the bus will continue=20 on to Monterey Bay Aquarium. Participants will be given=20 lodging at the DoubleTree Inn in Monterey. On Sunday, the=20 bus will return to Vallejo, via Bay Area airports. The=20 package includes transportation, admission to Monterey Bay=20 Aquarium, and one night=92s lodging. Meals and items of a=20 personal nature are not included. Orinda Travel (California Seller of Travel Registration=20 Number 2011522-40) has offered to assist participants to=20 make travel arrangements. They may be contacted at 1 (800)=20 254-7185 or (510) 254-3715 (voice), (510) 254-3985 (fax), or=20 via e-mail at choosetocruise(\)msn.com. Please identify=20 yourself as a Symposium attendee and have the following=20 information handy when you contact them: travel dates,=20 departure and destination cities, preferred airline and=20 frequent flyer information, if relevant, and payment=20 information. They will also need to know how to reach you: =20 names of travelers, address, work phone, and home phone. Daily Registration for part of the conference is available=20 at $75 per day. This fee includes admission to working=20 sessions, but does not include admission to evening events. =20 Admission to the opening reception and banquet may be paid=20 for separately. Registration for partners includes the=20 opening reception, San Francisco trip, banquet, registration=20 packet, and admission to Marine World on Sunday and=20 Wednesday through Friday (Marine World is closed to the=20 public on Monday and Tuesday) but does not include admission=20 to working sessions. Don=92t forget that abstracts are due February 15, and that=20 registration is due March 1. See you in April! Sincerely, David E. Bain, Conference Chair dbain(\)u.washington.edu The following is provided for your information. Those of you on the mailing list will receive the above letter and this information in a registration form format.=20 Cost=09 =09 Sunday Reception Only $ 30 Monday Daily Registration $ 75=09 Tuesday Daily Registraion $ 75=09 Wednesday Daily Registration, Including trip $ 90=09 Thursday Daily Registration, Including Banquet $115=09 Thursday Banquet Only $ 40 Friday Daily Registration $ 75=20 Partner Registration (Reception, SF trip and banquet) $ 70=20 =20 TRIPS FOR PARTNERS AND POST-CONFERENCE TRIP Monday, April 7, trip to Napa Valley Wineries (Cost: $35 / person)=20 Tuesday, April 8, trip to Sonoma Valley Wineries (Cost $35 / person) =09 Wednesday, April 9, trip to San Francisco (no charge) =09 =09 Thursday, April 10, at Marine World (no charge) =09 Friday, April 11, Day on the Bay (Cost: $15 / Person) =09 =09 Saturday, April 12, trip to Long Marine Lab and Monterey Bay=20 Aquarium, lodging at DoubleTree Inn and return to airports=20 or Marine World=09 (Cost: $199 / person, double occupancy, =09 $299 / person, single occupancy) =09 =09 ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 16 Feb 1997 17:27:15 +1000 From: Karen Evans Subject: Spectacled Porpoise Stranding Hi all, on Wednesday 12/2/97, a dead Spectacled Porpoise calf was discovered on one of the beaches of Bruny Is, just south of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. This is the first confirmed identification of a Spectacled Porpoise in Australian waters that we know of (although a skull, now housed in the Museum of Victoria, was retreived from Macquarie Is. many years ago). Because this is an important specimen of a rare species I have not conducted an autopsy (on behalf of Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service) on the animal as yet and have stored it frozen for the time being. The reason for this is that I would like to know whether anyone is studying this species at present or would like to study this animal for taxonomic, anatomical or other reasons. I have taken both blood and skin samples from the animal, weighed it and taken the standard measurements before it was placed in the freezer. If there are any parties interested in this animal could they please let me know. Otherwise if anyone wants particular samples collected when I autopsy this animal could they please let me know. I usually take a suite of samples for pathology which are then placed in a register, samples for heavy metal and contaminant analysis and samples for isotope analysis. The skeleton of this animal is to be housed in an Australian museum, preferrably one in Tasmania so no requests for the skeleton please! Thankyou for your time and I look forward to your replies. Karen Evans CSIRO Division of Marine Research Castray Esplanade GPO Box 1538 Hobart, Tasmania, 7001 Australia Phone: (03) 6232 5386 (Int: +61 3 6232 5386) Fax: (03) 6232 5485 (Int: +61 3 6232 5485) email: karen.evans(\)marine.csiro.au ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 16 Feb 1997 18:39:17 EST From: William Rossiter <71322.1637(\)CompuServe.COM> Subject: whales and dolphins To the experts: The following request to Cetacean Society International could use a little better qualified help than we can provide...perhaps you? Please be kind enough to help out Thanks, Bill Rossiter ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- From: "ampc", INTERNET:ampc(\)vividnet.com TO: William Rossiter, 71322,1637 DATE: 1/23/97 6:37 PM RE: whales and dolphins I am a writer and editor for an educational software publisher; we make CD-ROM's for ages 10 and up for schools, museums, and the general end user. I am currently working on putting together a new series called Ocean World, in which titles on dolphins, whales, marine mammals, and other subjects. In these titles I would like to include chapters on dolphin and whale behavior, and would also like to discuss the research that has been and is being done with whales and dolphins as well as refer to the organizations that are doing it, and would also like to discuss global issues that face cetaceans. I came across your website and find your work very interesting. I would like to mention and discuss it in these titles, and was wondering if you have any information you could send me, and was also wondering if you have any images and/or video clips that you could lend or sell us to include in the CD-ROMs to support the discussion of and illustrate research on dolphins, whales, and other marine organisms. I would appreciate any help you can give me, and would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have about our company and our software. I can be e-mailed at ampc(\)vividnet.com, and I can also be reached by: Telephone: (310) 801-0108 Fax: (310) 801-0138 Information can be sent to me at: 11849 E. Telegraph Rd. Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 Thank you very much. Sincerely, Tanja Trainer Research Editor ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Feb 1997 21:26:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Drug Sellers Eyed in Sea Death Drug Sellers Eyed in Sea Deaths By MARK STEVENSON Associated Press Writer MEXICO CITY (AP) -- A chemical that drug traffickers use to mark ocean drop sites may to be blame for the mysterious deaths of dozens of dolphins and whales off Mexico's west coast, scientists said Friday. Forty-two dolphins were found dead on beaches near Culiacan on Mexico's northern Pacific on Friday; at least three dead whales have been discovered in the same area in the last week. Fishermen also are reporting schools of dead sardines floating in the Gulf of California. Biologist Benito Mejia of the University of Sinaloa said in a telephone interview that the whales were probably heading into the Gulf to breed when they died. Scientists say they are looking into a cyanide-based chemical used by drug traffickers as a possible explanation for the die-off, the largest reported in at least a year. The phosphorescent chemical, known as Natural Killer-19 or "NK-19," is used to guide low-flying aircraft to areas in the ocean where bales of drugs have been dumped from passing ships. Jaime Loya Chairez, an assistant to the state attorney general's office, was quoted by the daily Noroeste de Culiacan as saying that NK-19 was probably the cause. However, Greenpeace Mexico director Roberto Lopez says a combination of pollutants may be responsible for the deaths, which he says are not uncommon in the area. He cited the discharge of waste from local fish-packing plants, emissions of pesticides and antibiotics from coastal shrimp farms and agricultural and residential waste running directly into the ocean. The decomposed state of most of the mammals washed ashore on the Tetuan and Novolato beaches may complicate the investigation. The first of the dead whales to wash up Feb. 7 near a tourist beach has already been towed to a dump. "We are sending a team to take samples from the animals, to check chemical and pollution levels," said biologist Luis Miguel Flores, director of the School of Ocean Sciences at the University of Sinaloa. "The case is very strange, because the waters off these coasts are deep, which tends to rule out the animals having beached themselves," he said. Mexico City environmental activist Homero Aridjis contends that the Mexican government may be ignoring NK-19 as a possible cause because of the sensitive nature of drug trafficking in U.S.-Mexico relations. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 05:18:51 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Help for census technique (fwd) From: gucu(\)deniz.ims.metu.edu.tr Dear Colleges, We are carrying out a project for the conservation of the Mediterranean monk seal in Turkey. This project is sponsored by WWF International and targets primarily monk seals of the Cilician Basin, the strait between Cyprus Island and Turkish mainland. We are aiming to estimate total population number of this species and their distribution. We have been using direct survey methods sofar like diving, observations from land, photo identification and collecting data from fishermen and locals. The identification of a seal is not very easy, especially taking photos when it is swimming. Now we are discussing about more effective methods to distinguish the seals. This can be done by using a camera installed in caves. We know that there are few type of detectors which can be used to trigger the camera when the seal come into the cave. But we have no idea which kind of cameras and detectors are most suitable for our purpose and from where we can get it. Therefore we would like to contact other groups or people who are using or designing such equipment. It is also important for us to know approximate prices. We would appreciate if anyone of you have any experience on this matter and send us her/his recommendations and suggestions. Thanks a lot in advance for your interest. Regards form Blue MEDITERRANEAN Hasan Orek, WWF Conservation of the Mediterranean Monk Seal in Turkey: Cilician Basin Middle East Technical University Institute of Marine Sciences P.O.Box 28 Erdemli, 33731, Icel, Turkey Tel: + 90 324 521 3434 Fax: + 90 324 521 2327 e.mail: gucu(\)deniz.ims.metu.edu.tr From: Filippo Aureli UPCOMING EVENTS ABOUT CONFLICT-RESOLUTION RESEARCH We are pleased to announce two events concerning the study of conflict resolution, planned for the XXV International Ethological Conference, August 20-27, 1997, in Vienna, Austria: *** A 2-hour SYMPOSIUM, "Conflict Resolution in Primates and Non-Primates", will provide a comprehensive overview of current knowledge on conflict resolution in primate and non-primate animals. The Symposium will include original reviews of the nonhuman-primate findings, and also will emphasize novel approaches and new studies on other animals, including humans. Please note that the Symposium speakers already have been selected. For additional information about the Symposium, please contact Symposium organizer, Filippo Aureli (aureli(\)rmy.emory.edu). *** A ROUNDTABLE discussion, "Conflict Resolution: Current Trends and Future Research", is aimed to complement the symposium. The Roundtable will provide a discussion forum on current issues and new ideas in conflict-resolution research, particularly emphasizing studies of non-primates. If you will be attending IEC and are interested in studies of conflict resolution (in primates and in non-primates), we welcome you to attend the Roundtable! Since we are presently planning the Roundtable format, we ask all those interested in attending the Roundtable to please contact Roundtable organizers, Darlene Smucny (ny6(\)cu.nih.gov) or Filippo Aureli (aureli(\)rmy.emory.edu). We need to know the approximate number of individuals attending, in order to plan for an effective and meaningful discussion. We encourage those doing conflict-resolution research to submit abstracts for IEC presentations (spoken paper, poster-talk, or posters). If you submit an abstract dealing with conflict resolution, please let the Roundtable organizers know, so that your work can be further discussed at the Roundtable. Note that the IEC abstract deadline is February 28, 1997. Information about the XXV IEC is found at the website (http://evolution.humb.unvie.ac.at). We look forward to these two events planned for IEC!!! Please contact the Symposium and Roundtable organizers if you have any questions. all the best, Filippo Aureli aureli(\)rmy.emory.edu With the recent postings and comments regarding the orca capture in Japan and suggestions on how to respnd I thought many of you could use the following information: You can also send your comments to Prime Minister and the Ministry of Agriculture, forestry and Fisheries by email. The homepage has a suggestion and question box. Prime Minister's official residence: email address: jpm(\)kantei.go.jp homepage: http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/question.html The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: email address: white56(\)sc.maff.go.jp homepage: http://www.maff.go.jp/soshiki/kambou/kikaku/board.html Pieter Folkens animalbytes(\)earthlink.net \\| \| Y _ ,~------------------------/ \___^___^._ | ~ ~.~ ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.'~`^--^_,''/ | (\) _ ~,~.~'~.~,~'~.~,~.~ ~ ~ ~ ~.~ { \_________ \_l ~,~,~,~,~,~'.~.____'-----'__` \ ~ ~ `----------------------\__'--' ` \ ~ ~ ` ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 13:33:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Kayaks offer benign way to tag Kayaks offer benign way to tag whales MONTEREY, Calif., Feb. 17 (UPI) -- A small group of researchers are using sea kayaks instead of motor boats as a gentler way to attach radio transmitters to California gray whales during their annual migrations along the Pacific Coast. Scientists at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in Monterey said today (Monday) that motor boats alter the behavior of the giant creatures and affect research results. The idea of the project is for researchers to quietly approach the whales in a fiberglass sea kayak, armed with a crossbow loaded with an arrow that has a suction-cup tip lashed to a small radio unit. Jim Harvey, the project's lead scientist, says, "This is a more benign way to put a radio tag on these animals so we can track their normal movements and migrational patterns." The only danger, Harvey says, is that the whales may not realize the kayak is above them and knock the researchers into the water. Researchers hope that by charting the gray whales' movements in and around Monterey Bay they will gain a better grasp of the whale's biology and behavior. California gray whales have rebounded from near-extinction twice. Their numbers were cut by whaling to less than 2,000 in 1880, and again in the 1930s. The present population is estimated at more than 22,000. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 08:28:56 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: CONF Announcement & CALL for Papers Please distribute or post the following announcement. Thank you. CANADIAN SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGISTS http://www.freenet.edmonton.ab.ca/cseb/ cseb(\)freenet.edmonton.ab.ca ******************************************************************************* ANNOUNCEMENT and CALL FOR PAPERS: FISH AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT: applying emerging technologies Workshop --- Conference --- Trade Show ************************************************************************** This 37th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists will examine innovative applications of technologies in fisheries, wildlife and related research. ************************************************************************** When: September 28-30, 1997 Where: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Location: Crowne Plaza/Chateau Lacombe PROGRAM TOPICS will focus on both aquatic & terrestrial environments, and include: Radio / Ultrasonic Telemetry Water Quality / Pollution Management / Monitoring GIS / GPS Technology Habitat Assessment & Improvement Techniques Computer Applications / Modelling / Simulation Genetics / DNA Investigations ++ Additional topics will be considered ++ YOU ARE INVITED to present a paper, poster, or workshop session, or to host a trade show booth. Details are included in the attached ABSTRACT SUBMISSION for, to be returned by ** March 31, 1997 ** MAILING LIST: To receive additional meeting information, please send an e-mail to: cseb(\)freenet.edmonton.ab.ca URL: http://www.freenet/edmonton.ab.ca/cseb/ REGISTRATION: Advanced registrations should be received by August 29, 1997. All prices in $Canadian. Advanced After August 29 CSEB Members: $ 75.00 $100.00 Regular: $110.00 $135.00 Students*: $ 25.00 $ 25.00 Fee (Members and Non-Members) includes: Welcoming Reception; Conference Sessions; Coffee; Luncheon; Banquet, and Proceedings. * Student Fee does not include meals. PLEASE forward this Call for Papers to colleagues who might be interested in CSEB97. Thank you. ******************************************************************************* ABSTRACT SUBMISSION ******************************************************************************* You are invited to submit a draft abstract for oral or poster presentation; workshop outline; or trade show. The intent of the information is to reserve your place in the national meeting. The draft abstract (limit 150 words) will not be published and must only be legible to allow assigning of your submission(s) to a specific session. Oral presentations will be a maximum duration of 20 minutes. Final abstracts and proceedings will be published. Further instructions will be forwarded to those who submit abstracts or workshop outlines, or show interest in a trade show booth, describing guidelines on preparation of papers, conference costs, workshops, trade shows, accomodations, etc. Please note that presenters will be responsible for their own costs. Additional information on the conference will be also posted at the CSEB Website: http://www.freenet.edmonton.ab.ca/cseb/ (meeting information at http://www.freenet.edmonton.ab.ca/cseb/meet97.html) **************************************************************************** ORAL PRESENTATION: ____ POSTER: ____ WORKSHOP: ____ TRADE SHOW: ___ TITLE: ______________________________________________________________________________ AUTHORS: ______________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ PHONE: ___________________ FAX: ______________________ EMAIL: _______________________________________________ ABSTRACT (150 words maximum please): ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ SEND abstracts, by MARCH 31, 1997, to: Scott McKenzie, RL&L Environmental Services Ltd. 17312 - 106 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta Canada T5S 1H9 phone: 403-483-3499 fax: 403-483-1574 email: rlledm(\)oanet.com or: cseb(\)freenet.edmonton.ab.ca http://www.freenet.edmonton.ab.ca/cseb/ ****************************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 04:16:19 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: MMS newsletter - Great Australian Bight Park Taken from Marine Mammal Society Newsletter Spring 1997, Vol. 5, No. 1 World Wide Web Page: http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/ News, Issues, Opportunities, and Topics of Interest ------------------------------------------------------------------- Great Australian Bight Commonwealth Park Update Last summer the President of the Society for Marine Mammalogy sent a Presidential letter to the Chief Executive for the Department of Environment and Natural resources of South Australia commenting on the South Australian Government's proposed multiple use marine park in the waters of the Great Australian Bight (see Newsletter volume 4, number 3). The letter praised the steps taken to protect the calving grounds of the southern right whale and the coastal waters close to the colonies of Australian sea lions in the Great Australian Bight. However, the letter also expressed concern that the proposed three nautical mile conservation zone and right whale sanctuary and the proposed one nautical mile wide sea lion sanctuary zones may not afford sufficient protection from human activities occurring just outside the proposed protected areas. In the letter the Board of Governors of the Society for Marine Mammalogy encouraged, among other things, reconsideration of the proposed boundaries of the Great Australian Bight Marine Park, and initiation of discussions with the Federal Government toward expanding the marine park to include the adjoining Commonwealth waters, which extend beyond three nautical miles from the coast. The state reserve was proclaimed by the South Australian government in September 1996. The Great Australian Bight Marine National Park on the south coast of Australia extends seaward from the South Australian coast for three nautical miles, and in an east-west direction from the state border of South Australia and Western Australia eastwards for about 300 km, almost to Cape Adieu in South Australia. It was proclaimed under the South Australia National Parks and Wildlife Act in September 1996. The park includes two types of protected areas: 1) The Great Australian Bight Marine Park Whale Sanctuary, proclaimed in June 1995 under the South Australia Fisheries Act. It includes the area used by southern right whales at the Head of the Bight. It is three nautical miles wide and extends about 50 km in an east-west direction. It is an exclusion zone year-round. 2) Six prohibited areas, each of one nautical mile radius around breeding colonies of the Australian sea lion. These prohibited areas were proclaimed under the South Australia National Parks and Wildlife Act in September 1996. A management plan for the Great Australian Bight Marine National Park has been prepared by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) and is expected to be released in early 1997 for public comment. It will include zoning for those parts of the Marine National Park beyond the whale sanctuary and the sea lion protected area. We were pleased to learn that this past November formal talks had begun to consider the establishment of a commonwealth marine park in the Great Australian Bight. Environment Minister Robert Hill announced that consultations had started into the feasibility of setting up the park, which would aim to help conserve sensitive whale breeding grounds and sea lion habitats. He said advice was being sought from conservation and indigenous groups, the state government, and the fishing, tourism, petroleum, and minerals industries, and that "The government is going into the consultations with an open mind and is seeking the views of a wide cross-section of the community." Such a commonwealth marine park would complement the state reserve proclaimed by the South Australian government. If the outcome was positive, a notice of intent to declare a Commonwealth Reserve in the Bight could be issued, and public comment would be invited. Submitted by Peter Shaughnessy and Steven L. Swartz (sswartz(\)shark.ssp.nmfs.gov), Committee of Scientific Advisors ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Submission of Materials for the Next SMM Newsletter The SMM Newsletter is published quarterly. Submissions should be concise, and they may be subject to editing to meet space limitations. Text on 3.5" disks, formatted for either Microsoft Word 5.1 for Macintosh or WordPerfect 5.1 for IBM-compatibles is preferred. Brief submissions via e-mail are acceptable (please send directly as e-mail messages, not as attachments). If these formats are not available, then printed material sent via mail or fax will be accepted. Please send material for the next issue (Summer 1997) by 30 April 1997 to: Randall Wells, SMM Newsletter Editor Telephone: (941) 388-4441; Ext.454, Chicago Zoological Society Fax: (941) 388-4223 c/o Mote Marine Laboratory e-mail: rwells(\)mote.org 1600 Thompson Parkway Sarasota, Florida 34236 U.S.A. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 04:18:55 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: MMS newsletter - Seals, Science and Society Taken from Marine Mammal Society Newsletter Spring 1997, Vol. 5, No. 1 World Wide Web Page: http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/ News, Issues, Opportunities, and Topics of Interest --------------------------------------------------------------------- Seals, Science and the Society- The Canadian Harp Seal Hunt At the eleventh biennial meeting of the Society for Marine Mammalogy in Orlando, Florida, scientists from 15 countries signed a petition criticizing the Canadian government's statement that North Atlantic harp seals are a "conservation problem" and its decision to increase the harvest of harp seals in eastern Canada. The seal quota was raised from 186,000 to 250,000 based on population models that indicate the population had increased from 2.5 million in the early 1980's to 4.8 million in 1994. Implicit in statements by Canadian officials and in the media was the assumption that predation by the harp seal population is limiting cod stock recovery in the Northwest Atlantic. While this assumption was purported to be scientifically based, scientific experts (Canadian and otherwise) report that the dynamics between cod and seals are not well understood, there is a great deal of uncertainty concerning the interactions between these species, and any proposed direct causal relationship is not defensible. The Society's Board of Governors asked its Committee of Scientific Advisors to investigate this issue and to recommend whether or not the Board should issue a Presidential letter expressing its view. Presidential letters were established as a mechanism to provide timely scientific comment on issues where there is strong scientific support, and where the majority of the Society's membership would likely hold the same scientific opinion. With regard to the dynamics between cod and seal predators, the Committee believed that there exists sufficient uncertainty about the ecological relationships between seals and fish and other components of the NW Atlantic marine ecosystem to render statements of a cause-and-effect relationships equivocal. With regard to the use of this information for justifying a policy decision, however, the Committee chair reported that, after considerable deliberation, there was not consensus among the Committee members on a preferred action by the Board, and recommended that a Presidential letter not be issued. Here we question whether scientific uncertainty was misused by a government to justify a political decision, and argue that the Society has an important responsibility to speak out on the misuse of science for political purposes. For example, on October 20, 1995, the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) distributed a press release (NR-HQ-95-122E) entitled North Atlantic Fisheries Ministers Renew Commitment to Conservation that summarized decisions taken at a meeting of North Atlantic Fisheries Ministers attended by representatives of the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Greenland and the European Union. In reference to seal predation and cod, the press release included the statement, "...the abundance of seals continues to be a conservation problem in certain areas of the North Atlantic. A joint public information campaign based on the best scientific evidence available will be conducted to ensure wide public understanding of this matter." The Canadian government has posted this information on its Internet web page (see http://www.ncr.dfo.ca/communic/seals/understa/utsf3_e.htm.), which includes the assertion that "Harp seals are one of the factors impeding groundfish stock rebuilding." In contrast, there is general acknowledgment in the scientific community of the lack of scientific evidence linking harp seal abundance to the recovery of depleted cod stocks. To cite but one example, in a recent article in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (1996, Volume 53:943-962), Jeff Hutchings of Dalhousie University noted, "the lack of significant changes in mean recruitment between pre-collapse and collapse periods suggests that seals did not have a significant effect on the collapse of east coast stocks" and further noted that "there are no empirical data to support the hypothesis that the influence of seal predation on the recovery of northern cod is disproportionately greater than the influence of other predators of juvenile cod, historically low levels of cod spawner biomass, competitors of cod for food and space, and natural environmental variability in recruitment." In short, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that a reduction in the number of harp seals will have any effect on the recovery of cod stocks. It was also reported by Jeff Hutchings in a New Scientist article (March 16, 1996, p. 35-39) that "science is being used as a tool to justify a political decision. And scientists who disagree are muzzled." In our view such actions jeopardize a scientist's professional integrity and the credibility of any management program that professes to consider scientific advice. As wildlife scientists we recognize that policy makers must consider social, economic, and political realities in addition to scientific information when formulating policy. Similarly, policy makers must remain cognizant of the precarious, no-win position their scientific advisors are subjected to when objective assessments are intentionally misrepresented. We agree with Mangel et al. (Ecological Applications, Volume 6(2): 338-371) that policy makers should "neither ask for firm conclusions when they do not exist, or interpret scientific results to serve preferred policy outcomes." The question of what constitutes "sound, creditable scientific evidence" is difficult for most journalists and the general public to judge. It is our view that scientists have a responsibility to themselves and to the non-technical public to champion the honest use of science for wildlife conservation and management. It is incumbent on the Society of Marine Mammalogy, as the representative of professional marine mammal scientists, to: encourage and participate in debate on the appropriate use of science for the conservation of the animals we study; to maintain and reinforce a positive public perception of science, including recognition of its limitations and uncertainties; and to support scientific colleagues in government agencies whose ability to discuss their work may be constrained by real or perceived policy considerations. The harp seal-cod issue is only one example of what will likely be an ever increasing number of similar conflicts over the utilization of living marine resources that occur worldwide. At this writing a similar conflict has developed off the Western Isles of Scotland implicating grey seals in slow recovery of depleted fish stocks in that region. If we are to achieve sustainable use, science must remain credible and policy makers must value and protect their sources of scientific expertise and the information they produce. We believe that the Society's Board should produce a Presidential letter addressing the issues of the need for creditable science to guide wildlife conservation and management, and the misuse of science by policy makers. We invite comment from the membership on the issue of the misuse of science. Submitted by Andrew Read, Duke University Marine Lab (aread(\)mail.duke.edu) and Steven L. Swartz, NOAA Fisheries (sswartz(\)shark.ssp.nmfs.gov). The views expressed are those of the authors and do not represent Duke University, NOAA Fisheries, or the Society for Marine Mammalogy. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Submission of Materials for the Next SMM Newsletter The SMM Newsletter is published quarterly. Submissions should be concise, and they may be subject to editing to meet space limitations. Text on 3.5" disks, formatted for either Microsoft Word 5.1 for Macintosh or WordPerfect 5.1 for IBM-compatibles is preferred. Brief submissions via e-mail are acceptable (please send directly as e-mail messages, not as attachments). If these formats are not available, then printed material sent via mail or fax will be accepted. Please send material for the next issue (Summer 1997) by 30 April 1997 to: Randall Wells, SMM Newsletter Editor Telephone: (941) 388-4441; Ext.454, Chicago Zoological Society Fax: (941) 388-4223 c/o Mote Marine Laboratory e-mail: rwells(\)mote.org 1600 Thompson Parkway Sarasota, Florida 34236 U.S.A. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 04:20:55 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: MMS newsletter - Cetacean Survey in Southern Morocco Taken from Marine Mammal Society Newsletter Spring 1997, Vol. 5, No. 1 World Wide Web Page: http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/ News, Issues, Opportunities, and Topics of Interest --------------------------------------------------------------- Cetacean Survey in Southern Morocco Between 20 January and 14 February 1996 a field expedition to the coastal waters of Southern Morocco, a former wintering ground for right whales (Eubalaena glacialis), was organized by the Tethys Research Institute (Milan, Italy) in cooperation with the Rabat-based Groupe d'Etudes des C=E9tac=E9s et Pinnip=E8des du Maroc, and funded by t= he Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. The cruise, conducted aboard the Tethys' 20 m auxiliary ketch "Gemini Lab", had the following main objectives: 1) verify if right whales could still be found in the area, 2) evaluate the environmental conditions of the region and assess its suitability as a right whale habitat, 3) investigate the status of other cetaceans living in the area, and 4) establish a long-term cetacean sighting and stranding reporting mechanism in cooperation with the local authorities. A 750 km-long survey yielded no cetacean sightings except inside Dakhla Bay, where communities of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and Atlantic humpbacked dolphins (Sousa teuszii) were found to coexist. During the survey in open ocean waters between Dakhla and Cintra Bay, as well as during the off-effort navigation during the night, the research vessel was surrounded by an astonishingly high number of large fishing ships: vessels could be seen in every direction for the entire period, and the radar confirmed the presence of other ships well beyond visual range. It was very surprising that no cetaceans were sighted in the waters outside Dakhla Bay, in spite of the excellent weather conditions encountered during part of the survey. By contrast, large numbers of sea birds were seen, which attested, together with the huge quantity of fishing vessels encountered, the remarkable secondary productivity of these waters. Within Dakhla Bay bottlenose dolphins and Atlantic humpbacked dolphins were seen ten times, with bottlenose dolphins ranked highest in relative abundance. Twenty-one individual bottlenose dolphins were identified from photographs, six of which were seen on at least two different occasions, suggesting the Dakhla Bay community is rather small. Four cetacean carcasses were found and inspected during this expedition: two bottlenose dolphins, one humpbacked dolphin, and a newborn Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni). Two of the dolphins bore clear signs of lines and nets on their bodies, suggesting that mortality might have been caused by interactions with fishing activities. Local knowledge of a regular, predictable presence of large whales in the coastal zone was lacking. On such grounds the hypothesis that the area still serves as a winter concentration site for the remnants of an eastern North Atlantic right whale population, although not falsified by this study, seems rather unlikely. The dearth of cetaceans in the shelf waters of Southern Morocco, as well as the possible over-exploitation of the fishing resources in the region, should raise concern, and warrants further investigation. Finally. with the objective of increasing baseline information on the local cetacean fauna, and particularly concerning the possibility that right whales may be sighted in the future, a procedure was established for the long-term reporting of cetacean sightings and strandings by the Royal Navy of Morocco to the Groupe d'Etudes des C=E9tac=E9s et Pinnip=E8des du Maroc. Submitted by Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara, gnstri(\)imiucca.csi.unimi.it -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -- Submission of Materials for the Next SMM Newsletter The SMM Newsletter is published quarterly. Submissions should be concise, and they may be subject to editing to meet space limitations. Text on 3.5" disks, formatted for either Microsoft Word 5.1 for Macintosh or WordPerfect 5.1 for IBM-compatibles is preferred. Brief submissions via e-mail are acceptable (please send directly as e-mail messages, not as attachments). If these formats are not available, then printed material sent via mail or fax will be accepted. Please send material for the next issue (Summer 1997) by 30 April 1997 to: Randall Wells, SMM Newsletter Editor Telephone: (941) 388-4441; Ext.454, Chicago Zoological Society Fax: (941) 388-4223 c/o Mote Marine Laboratory e-mail: rwells(\)mote.org 1600 Thompson Parkway Sarasota, Florida 34236 U.S.A. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 18:07:44 -0500 From: Vicki Cornish Subject: Cooperative Proposal to Reduce MM Bycatch in Driftnets COOPERATIVE PROPOSAL AIMS TO REDUCE WHALE AND OTHER MARINE MAMMAL INTERACTIONS WITH SHARK AND SWORDFISH DRIFTNETS The National Marine Fisheries Service is seeking public comment on a cooperative plan that is expected to significantly reduce injuries and deaths to marine mammals from commercial shark and swordfish driftnets, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today. The proposed plan would reduce the bycatch and mortality of several marine mammal stocks, including pilot, sperm, and the rare beaked whales, that incidentally occur when fishing for swordfish and thresher shark with driftnet gear off California and Oregon. The draft plan, designed by a team of experts from the fishing industry, environmental groups, and scientists, was submitted by the Pacific Offshore Cetacean Take Reduction Team to meet requirements of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. "This cooperative team was formed to ensure everyone had an opportunity to participate in reducing marine mammal interactions with commercial fishing gear as mandated by federal law," said Rolland Schmitten, fisheries service director. "The plan is a great example of teamwork and cooperation." "I am excited to be part of a process that allows fishermen to be involved in determining the outcome of a take reduction plan," said Tony West, head of the California Gillnetters Association and member of the team. "Fishermen are much more informed about how to identify areas of marine mammal activity and how to avoid interacting with them." "We were able to reach consensus in a group of people that represented opposite sides of the issue," said Hannah Bernard, director of education for the Hawaii Wildlife Fund and also a team member. "There isn't any question that this type of team effort is going to become more common as a way to seek solutions to our environmental problems." Four primary strategies are being proposed to reduce bycatch in the fishery: Establish a fleetwide fishing depth requirement of six fathoms. Lowering nets has already significantly reduced incidental bycatch of cetaceans in this fishery. The proposed rule would require vessel operators to set their nets a minimum of six fathoms below the surface. Conduct mandatory workshops to provide skippers with information on how the take reduction plan was developed and how to avoid marine mammal entanglement. These fisheries service workshops also would solicit feedback from fishermen on how to reduce marine mammal interactions. Require all fishery vessels to use pingers to deter marine mammals from their nets. Preliminary results from a 1996 pinger experiment in the fishery show that the cetacean entanglement rate is almost four times less for nets using pingers than for those nets that do not. Pingers are high-frequency acoustic devices that may keep marine mammals from becoming entangled in fishing nets. Further limit the potential expansion of fishing effort in California and Oregon. This proposal would not affect those driftnet fishermen that annually land well beyond established minimum landing requirements. The fisheries service is seeking comment on two recommendations, one to cease reissuing driftnet permits that have been allowed to lapse, and the other to institute a permit buy-back program to purchase permits from those fishermen who only land the minimum number of fish required to maintain their permits. Comments on the draft plan must be received by March 31, 1997. Send comments to Chief, Marine Mammal Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226. Copies of the Federal Register notice, draft plan, and Environmental Assessment are available upon request from Irma Lagomarsino, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 W. Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213; or from Victoria Cornish, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226. Submitted by: Vicki Cornish NMFS Office of Protected Resources 1315 East-West Highway Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226 phone: (301) 713-2322 e-mail: Vicki_Cornish(\)noaa.gov ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 17:22:47 +0100 From: Jaume Forcada Nogues 1456 Subject: spagetti tags Dear Marmamm subscribers I am interested in obtaining "spagetti" tags for dolphins. We are planning to use them soon, and I only have a relatively old address from Seattle. I am not certain if they still supply such tags, and would appreciate very much if somebody could send me information on where and how obtain them. All addresses, faxes, phones and e-mails will be more than welcome. You can send such information to my e-mail address: forcada(\)porthos.bio.ub.es Jaume Forcada Department of Animal Biology Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona Diagonal 645, E-08028 Barcelona, SPAIN Fax/Phone: 34-3-3198959 Phone: 34-3-3198021 Thank you very much in advance! ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 09:50:50 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: bioacoustics-l info (fwd) From: "Paul Repacholi (prep)" I noticed a passing reference to a bioaucoustics mail list, but it did not give the full details. So does anyone have the details of the list please? ~Paul zrepachol(\)alpha2.curtin.edu.au 02/18/97 Scientists call for more marine parks By EVA EMERSON UPI Science News SEATTLE, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Top ocean scientists want to turn 20 percent of the world's oceans into natural marine reserves by the year 2020. Oregon State University ecologist Jane Lubchenco says (Monday) that such a large system of these watery sanctuaries would help to halt the continuing deterioration of the ocean environment that has already made one-third of the globe's fisheries commercially unviable. "We are just beginning to realize the whole suite of ways humans are altering oceans," Lubchenco says during a press briefing at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Lubchenco and her colleagues cite the current crisis in the world's commerical fisheries as the most glaring example of why more marine reserves are needed. Scientists estimate that 30 percent of major fish stocks have been overfished and that a total of 69 percent show signs of serious depletion. But researchers also list other ways that humans impact the ocean. Problems include the depletion in numbers of non-commercial fish, vast changes in marine biological diversity, an increase in oceanic pollution and rising levels of ultra-violet (UV-B) radiation due to the thinning ozone layer. As well, many marine species are threatened with extinction; in 1996, 100 marine fishes were added to the World Conservation Union's Red List, a kind of international endangered species list. Lubchenco says, "How do we deal with all of this? One way is to put up marine reserves." Marine parks help to protect habitat, especially along coasts, where the majority of ocean wildlife live and breed. Already, 1,200 marine parks have been set up around the globe, the largest lies along Australia's Great Barrier Reef. However, taken together, these reserves encompass less than 0.25 percent of the entire ocean's surface, Lubchenco says. And, of the dozen U.S. Marine National Sanctuaries, most still allow some kinds of fishing. "This is the most critical time to implement these policies. If we don't, we lose," says Sylvia Earle, marine biologist and former administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Asking for "20 percent is politically impractical -- right now. But politics can change," says Carl Safina, director of the National Audubon Society's Living Oceans Program. "There's already been a quiet revolution in thinking about these issues. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 06:28:43 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: newclip - global warming & oceans from Greenwire 2/18-19/97 CLIMATE CHANGE II: TWO STUDIES EXPLORE OCEANS' ROLE. The "greenhouse effect" may be triggering a wind-and-current cycle in the eastern Pacific Ocean that offsets global warming, according to a study published on 2/14 in the journal SCIENCE. Richard Seager of Columbia U.'s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory said a view of the past century's sea-surface temperature records show some cooling has occurred along the equator in the eastern Pacific. Seager believes the overall warming of the Earth's atmosphere has fanned east-to-west winds in the south Pacific, which in turn push warm surface water at the equator westward, triggering an upwelling of colder water. Colder water absorbs heat from the atmosphere and surrounding ocean, and hence, may offset global warming, Seager said. NASA's James Hansen, "who pioneered the study of global warming," said Seager's theory was "plausible" but possibly inconsistent with other data. Although there was cooling in the eastern Pacific early in this century, Hansen said, waters there have "warmed strongly" since 1965. If Seager's theory were correct, then those waters would not have warmed, Hansen said (Paul Recer, AP/SEATTLE DAILY JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, 2/14). GLOBAL WARMING UNDER THE SEA? By studying the fossilized remains of ancient micro- organisms that lived on the bottom of the mid-Atlantic Ocean, scientists from the US Geological Survey and MIT have determined that the number of such species rose and fell "in harmony with" the coming and going of global ice ages. The findings, published in the current issue of the journal NATURE, contradict the "prevailing belief" that the deep sea is an isolated ecological system and suggest the deep ocean "is not going to be immune" from global warming (William Stevens, N.Y. TIMES, 2/16). ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 10:01:17 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Re: behavioral intervention in stranded mammals (fwd) I am interested in reviewing any material which pertains to the use of behavioral intervention programs to alleviate stress in stranded mammals which are being treated in captivity. This would include both environmental adaptations (quiet areas, appropriate visual/auditory/tactile stimulation) as well as human-cetacean interactions (voice level, eye contact, etc.) I am currently volunteering at a research/rehab facility which works with stranded mammals, and have noticed that this issue is not addressd in a systematic way, and that sometimes assumptions are made that marine mammals would be most comfortable when treated in a "human"-like manner. As a neuropsychologist, I work with people who have been severely injured and who cannot communicate, and use behavioral approaches to decrease their agitation and stress level, thus improving their chances of recovery. I wondered if anyone had used the same approaches with stranded mammals, and would like to adopt this approach at the facility I volunteer at, but don't want to reinvent the wheel. Thank you, Cynthia Bailey, Ph.D. (CYNDIVER(\)aol.com) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Feb 1997 09:04:44 -0600 From: "Naomi A. Rose" Subject: Fwd: Norwegian fishermen killing orcas? Does anyone on MARMAM know anything about this? I received it through a network I belong to, but the original sender, whom I do not know, intended to look further into it for verification. Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States narose(\)ix.netcom.com ---- Begin Forwarded Message >From: John.Frizell(\)green2.greenpeace.org >Date: FRI 10 JAN 97 13:58:50 GMT >Subject: Norwegian fishermen killing orcas? > >NTB - Norwegian Telegram Bureau, January 3rd. 1997 > >Molde: The Coastal fishermen are very unhappy because the >authorities are not doing anything to reduce the huge amount of >killer whales along the Norwegian coast. At the annual meeting of >Nordmoere Notfiskarlag (a local fishermen's association in mid- >west of Norway) some of the delegates argued that one should kill >whales "quietly" to reduce the stock. > >According to Tidens Krav (local Newspaper), the president of the >Notfiskarlag, Kjell P. Doenheim, said at the annual meeting that >"we do not want to make the whale extinct, but we must be able to >reduce the stock so that we can continue fishing in the normal >way". > >He and the rest of the annual meeting was heavily attacking >groups in Norway and abroad that are opposing whaling. " I am >aware that this is like swearing in Church" says Doenheim. > > A true bother. > >During the annual meeting the whale was compared with the holy >cows of India. Because the fishermen are bound to loose against >the common opinion, it was argued that whales should be killed >quietly. "The whales have become a true bother, not only in the >fjords but also in the North Sea. This is both Pilot whales and >killer whales." said one of the delegates that argued strongly to >reduce the whale stocks. > >The problem is that the whales eats huge amounts of the fish that >the fishermen needs to survive. An adult killer whale eats 1,5 >(hectolitre of herring a day. According to scientific estimates, >the killer whale alone eats 350 000 - 400 000 hectolitre of >herring a year, in addition to other species. > >Whaling commissioner Kaare Bryn says to NTB that it is not a >matter of debate to hunt killer whales. > >Does nothing. > > "In principle all whaling in Norway is forbidden, unless it is >given a special permit. For the moment we are not doing anything >about the question to hunt killer whales" says Bryn. > > There has not been killed Killer whales in Norway since the >1960s, and according to Bryn there has not been big interest in >hunting this species. The stock of killer whales has not been >sufficiently documented, and there is therefor no good estimate >of the size of the stock. >"But we know that there is quite a lot along the coast. They >often swim in schools in limited areas, so one can get the >impression that the stock is bigger than it really is" says >whaling commissioner Kaare Bryn. >---------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Feb 1997 00:19:50 GMT Reply-To: green_volunteers(\)rcm.inet.it From: Fabio Ausenda Organization: DSI RCM NET Subject: Fwd: Projects for Green Volunteers Guide Re: PUBLICATION OF THE "GREEN VOLUNTEERS" GUIDE / FREE SUBMISSION OF PROJECTS FOR CONSTANT UPDATES Dear Marmam Friends, The 1997 edition of Green Volunteers has just been published. It includes more than 100 projects and organizations worldwide, where enthusiasts can volunteer from one week to one year: to study or care for a whole range of species, from marine mammals to primates, in a variety of habitats, from African savanna to tropical rainforests, from the Alps to the Mediterranean , from the Andes to the Pacific shores. A wide choice of no-cost projects and research opportunities for students are also listed. Volunteers are seen more and more as an important resource for supporting projects, both financially and with their work. Green Volunteers can be an excellent instrument also to find graduate students and in general to communicate about your projects. Through the Green Volunteers Club, the guide gives its readers the choice to receive constant updates,. If you have a project to submit, you do not need to wait for the 1998 edition, but you can send it whenever you are ready. We will also give you advice on what volunteers expect and how to manage them. For those who are interested, the book can be ordered via E-mail for US$ 16.00 plus postage. For more information contact: green_volunteers(\)rcm.inet.it. Or: Fabio_Ausenda(\)rcm.inet.it We look forward to hearing from you. Fabio Ausenda Editor ********************************************************************* Rete Civica di Milano ++39-2-55182133 GUI-TCP/IP:149.132.120.68:3004 at the Computer Science Department of Milan State University ********************************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 19:10:31 -0500 From: Stephanie Brown Subject: CFHS calls for end to seal hunt For immediate release February l8, l997 CFHS CALLS FOR END TO SEAL HUNT The Candian Federation of Humane Societies has asked the Canadian Prime Minister to end the seal hunt immediately. The video footage of the 1996 hunt recently released by the International Fund for Animal Welfare confirms that the hunt is inhumane and unmanageable. Seals are clubbed to death with illegal weapons, hooked and skinned alive or wounded by gunshot to die in agony. CFHS Executive Director Frances Rodenburg was horrified at the widespread animal suffering clearly shown in the video evidence. "This inhumane slaughter of seals must be stopped. Obviously the Department of Fisheries and Oceans cannot enforce the Marine Mammal Regulations that are supposed to ensure a humane hunt." Current regulations allow seals to be shot in the water where they are frequently wounded, never recovered and left to die lingering deaths. Hunters also shoot several seals at a time before ensuring that each one is dead. This results in immense animal suffering. Live seals are held by a hook through their flesh while they are repeatedly beaten to death. In addition to concerns about humaneness, CFHS believes that the seal hunt is not based on sound scientific information. In June 1994, then DFO Minister Brian Tobin said, "There is no doubt in my mind that man has been a far greater predator on these stocks that disappeared than seals have been. If we're going to recover some of these stocks, it is more important to stop the two-legged predators and their pirate vessels than it is to go out and shoot seals." Indeed, DFO scientists have stated that the collapse of the fishery was caused by overfishing, not seal predation. However, based on different methods of population analysis over the years and several assumptions regarding seal reproduction and behaviour, DFO is now claiming that seals are preventing the fish stocks from recovering. But studies have not been done to determine the predator/prey relationships within the ecosystem that will indicate whether seals may actually be assisting the cod recovery by preying on species that feed on cod. Although CFHS questions the ability of DFO to ensure a humane hunt, it supports the recommendations of the International Fund for Animal Welfare for changes that will strengthen the Marine Mammal Regulations. Stephanie Brown, Chair of the CFHS Marine Mammals Committee, urged Canadians to join CFHS in expressing their concern about the inhumane slaughter of seals. "The public can help put an end to this cruelty by speaking out. We encourage people to write or call Prime Minister Jean Chretien or Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Fred Mifflin to request immediate action." The Canadian Federation of Humane Soceieties is a national body representing over l00 animal welfare organizations whose purpose is to promote compassion and humane treatment for all animals. CFHS works in cooperation with governments, industry representatives and the public on behalf of animals. For more information contact: Shelagh MacDonald Frances Rodenburg Stephanie Brown Program Director Executive Director Chair 6l3-224-8072 6l3-224-8072 Marine Mammals Committee 6l3-748-3l36 6l3-258-5642 4l6-920-4984 ************************************************************************* Ken, Stephanie, Lia and Melanie Brown Toronto, Canada e-mail: brown(\)idirect.com ************************************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 15:24:20 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: literature request I've tried interlibrary loaning the following thesis w/ no success, and am hoping that someone out there has access to it and can make a copy for me (or loan it to me, so that I might make a copy): Watson, A.P. 1976. The diurnal behavior of the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena L.) in the coastal waters of the western Bay of Fundy. Master's thesis, University of Guelph, Guelph. It should be roughly 94-100 pp in length. Thank you in advance for any assistance. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 22 Feb 1997 18:51:59 +0000 From: Gerhard Steenkamp Subject: Oral pathology Dear MARMAM subscribers In January I requested some help in locating articles on oral pathology in marine mammals. From the response I received, I deducted that not too much was published/known on this subject. I would like to start a database on oral pathology in marine mammals, including articles, publications, photos, slides, video footage etc. Before I request material from you, I would like to contact people interested in joining me in the venture, and further, if there is anybody with comments or suggestions please contact me at: sadent(\)globalnet.co.uk Thank you for your interest. Gerhard Steenkamp Gerhard Steenkamp BSc BVSc MRCVS Ronell Steenkamp B(Home Economics) HED 62 Fleet Road Rochester Kent ME1 2PX United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1634 403 447 Fax: +44 (0)1634 408 878 Email: sadent(\)globalnet.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Feb 1997 12:25:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: NSW: Distressed whale destroye NSW: Distressed whale destroyed after condition deteriorated SYDNEY, Feb 23 AAP - Veterinarians put down a melon-head whale on the New South Wales north coast today after efforts to save the distressed animal had failed over the previous 24 hours. A spokesman for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said the three-metre female whale was given a massive valium dosage about 4.30 pm (AEDT) after its condition had deteriorated. "On the advice of three veterinary surgeons, the advice was not good. One of the vets had another look at the animal and decided that the best and kindest thing to do was to put it down," the spokesman said. The cetacean was found disoriented and floundering on Seven Mile Beach near Forster about 9.30 pm (AEDT) yesterday. More than 50 volunteers worked in 15-minute shifts to care for the animal but it was later moved overland 15km north to Lake Wallis when efforts to persuade it to move out to sea prove unsuccessful. The spokesman said whale beachings happened often enough in the wild but pointed out that the NPWS had a statutory obligation to respond to any distressed marine mammal. "We're not automatically qualified or equipped to make judgments about these animals without calling in the vet. "The early veterinary advice was, well, let's keep an eye on it and see if it recovers and let's keep an eye on it while it's being nurse in sheltered waters at the entrance to Wallis Lake. "Mid-morning it was beginning to show signs of liveliness, and so on. Mid-afternoon, it appeared to have gone into a decline," he said. Speculation that the whale had been suffering from either a parasitic or viral illness or whether it had been pregnant would not be known until a post mortem examination was held later this week. The spokesman said melon-head whales were relatively common and looked like large dolphins. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Feb 1997 12:24:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: 150 CFR Parts 217 and 222 Nort 150 CFR Parts 217 and 222 North Atlantic Right ... WASHINGTON,DC (FedNet,21-FEB-97) -- This document corrects the preamble to an interim final rule (I.D. 072296B) published in the Federal Register of February 13, 1997, regarding North Atlantic Right Whale Protection. This correction clarifies the exceptions to the requirements of the rule. EFFECTIVE DATE: February 20, 1997. AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Ocean icand Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Feb 1997 15:59:15 -0800 Reply-To: dave(\)mbari.org From: Dave Mellinger Subject: Bioacoustics-L The Bioacoustics-L mailing list is for discussion of any subjects related to sound in the natural world, including animal communication, sonar, acoustic behavior, sound production, hearing physiology and auditory processes, signal processing for bioacoustics, the impact of noise on animals, acoustic tracking, and any other topics that may come up. Discussion of experimental methods and equipment, queries for information, announcements of results, and raising of public policy questions are all welcome. To subscribe to Bioacoustics-L, send mail to listproc(\)cornell.edu with the message contents of subscribe bioacoustics-l and you'll be automatically included in the list of subscribers. Be sure to use your real name, rather than your email address, like this: subscribe bioacoustics-l Dave Mellinger The mailing-list software automatically gets your email address from the header of your message. Note that the software tries to interpret EVERY line of your message as a command, so any trailing "signature" lines added by your mailer will confuse it. Dave Mellinger dave(\)mbari.org Bioacoustics-L list manager ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Feb 1997 10:57:46 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Re: SPERM OIL (fwd) I'M SEEKING SOME MATERIAL TO CONVINCE ONE OF OUR BUYERS THAT FORMULATING A PRODUCT CONTAINING SPERM OIL IS NOT ONLY UNDESIRABLE BUT MAY ALSO BE AGAINST INTERNATIONAL LAW. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME IN SEARCHING WHETHER SUCH A DOCUMENT EXISTS. The product intended to be formulated is a special lubricating oil nomenclature of which is OC-35 and the relevant British Standard has already been withdrawn. With assitance of several of your readers I was able to find an authority to convince the relevant authorities here to test a synthetic blend. If your readers can suggest a better replacement of oil OC-35 that would be most helpful REGARDS JEHANGIR MITHANI mithani(\)isb.compol.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 12:36:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Latin American Briefs Latin American Briefs By The Associated Press MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) -- As many as 6,000 sea lions could die because of a large oil spill off Uruguay's Atlantic coast, a report said Monday. The Panamanian tanker San Jorge ran aground Feb. 8, spilling oil that has washed up on long stretches of beaches. Several sea lions already have been found dead near Isla de Lobos, east of Punta del Este, the navy said. Environmental experts quoted by El Pais newspaper said the death toll could reach 6,000. Isla de Lobos is home to some 200,000 sea lions. The tanker, carrying 370,000 barrels of crude oil, was headed from southern Argentina to the Brazilian port of Sao Sebastian when it ran aground. It is not known how much oil flowed out. The oil slick was broken up by chemical agents and many beaches have been cleaned. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Feb 1997 05:56:15 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: job announcement (fwd) From: Shannon Atkinson The following position is being recruited until March 15, 1997: Junior Researcher, R2, Pacific Biomedical Research Center, Pos. No. 88625T, 100% FTE, non-tenure track, private, state, and revolving funds, renewable annually for 2 additional years pending availability of funds, to begin approximately 3/97. Duties: The successful applicant will be involved in an education/research project involving humpback whales and other marine mammals in Hawaiian waters. The education portion of the project will be to develop an outreach program aimed at the local community that is involved or interested in marine mammals, including the coordination of a workshop for researchers studying humpback whales and other marine mammals in Hawaiian waters, the development of brochures, posters, and displays to educate the public, and make presetations to community and school groups. The research portion of the project will include the preparation of grant proposals, standard operating procedures and permit applications for the development of the Hawaiian Monk Seal Center, to be located on Coconut Island, Kane'ohe Bay, Oahu, Hawai'i. The successful applicant will spend approximately half time at the State of Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources. The other half time will be spent at Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, Coconut Island, Kane'ohe Bay. MInimum Qualifications: Applicant must hold a doctorate (PhD or DVM), and have experience with marine mammals. Desriable Qualifications: The successful applicant will have experience with a variety of computer software programs that will enable them to produce creative educational materials as well as academic proposals. They will have knowledge of the variety and biology of marine mammals in Hawaiian waters. The ability to communicate with all age groups, and with members of a variety of professions will be an advantage. Minimum Annual Salary: $33,312. Inquiries to Dr. S. Atkinson (808) 956-8625. Submit letter of application, curriculum vitae, and 3 letters of recommendation to Dr. Ken Kaneshiro, CCRT, University of Hawai'i, 3050 Maile Way, Gilmore 409, Honolulu, HI 96822. Closing date 03/15 or until position filled. submitted by S. Atkinson email shannon(\)soest.hawaii.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Feb 1997 10:31:30 +0100 From: Robert Fox Subject: Solitary Dolphins Dear Marmamers As I am working on a script on a documentary for Danish education on solitary dolphins (Bottlenose). I would appreciate to be contacted by researchers who have or who are working on this subject. The idea is to make a "video-map" of solitary dolphins in order to pinpoint similarities and differences. I am also very interested in any video footage that you might have. Please write me and tell me about your project. Robert Fox Fox Media Tagensvej 85 C Dk-2200 Copenhagen N. Tel/fax (+45) 31 85 68 20 E-mail: FoxMedia(\)dk-online.dk ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1997 12:39:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: QLD: Hinchinbrook resort a goe QLD: Hinchinbrook resort a goer, says Borbidge BRISBANE, Feb 26 AAP - Premier Rob Borbidge said today he was now confident Keith Williams' controversial Port Hinchinbrook resort project in north Queensland would proceed. Mr Borbidge and Mr Williams met Prime Minister John Howard and federal Environment Minister Robert Hill in Canberra today to discuss the project. Mr Borbidge said after the meeting that the Queensland and federal governments would now be putting in place mechanisms that would hopefully enable the project to proceed. "I raised the matter with the Prime Minister today and Mr Williams was also present in that meeting along with Senator Hill," Mr Borbidge said. "It does concern me that there seem to be ongoing problems in the bureaucracy in respect of that particular project. "I would be reasonably confident that as a result of mechanisms and procedures that the Queensland government and the federal government will now be putting in place, that Mr Williams will be able to proceed with that project." Environmentalists have hotly opposed the project because of its proximity to the World Heritage-listed Hinchinbrook Island and vital feeding grounds for the endangered dugong. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1997 12:39:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: SA: New road to aid whale watc SA: New road to aid whale watchers ADELAIDE, Feb 27 AAP - The South Australian Government plans to spend $2.7 million on improving whale watching facilities on the state's west coast. Aboriginal Affairs Minister Dean Brown said a $1.6 million contract to construct an all-weather road to an area known as the Head of the Bight was approved today. The road would be part of a $2.7 million project to improve tourist facilities in the Great Australian Bight Marine Park, which would include a car park, public toilets and safety barriers. "The Head of the Bight is one of the best spots in the world to view the Southern Right Whale, which is drawn to the region for breeding in the middle of the year," Mr Brown said. "This contract will provide a major economic boost to the state's west coast." ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Feb 1997 09:46:11 -0800 From: Amaruq Subject: Press Release ------ FROM: Matt Stabler - WCW Secretariat Director E-mail: "wcw(\)island.net" Subject: World Council of Whalers Press Release World Council of Whalers Opens Secretariat=20 In Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada The Secretariat for the World Council of Whalers, located on the land of=20 the traditional whaling peoples of the Nuu Chah Nulth Nations (at Port=20 Alberni, British Columbia, Canada), opened on February 26, 1997.=20 Following meetings held in June, 1996 participants from ten countries=20 decided to form an international organization to promote the sustainable=20 and equitable use of marine living resources, to protect the cultural,=20 social, economic and dietary rights of whaling peoples, and to address=20 their concerns. This was the first time whalers from around the world=20 addressed the prospect of working together under one global umbrella. =20 Subsequent meetings and discussions resulted in the formal establishment=20 of the =93World Council of Whalers=94 (WCW) in January, 1997. This new=20 organization will provide an informed international voice in support of=20 communities engaged or interested in sustainable whaling, as well as=20 working to protect whalers' livelihoods, health and cultural integrity. Chaired by Chief Mexsis, Head Whaling Chief of the Huu-ay-aht Nation of=20 British Columbia, the Executive Board consists of one Director from each=20 of the five regions: North America, North Atlantic, North Pacific, South=20 Pacific-Indian Ocean, and Caribbean. Chief Mexsis stated:"Many species of whales are non-endangered and are=20 an abundant and renewable resource that various coastal peoples have=20 used for food on a sustainable basis for hundreds of years.=20 Unfortunately, it seems that many city dwellers are unaware of the=20 continuing importance of whales, as both food and cultural resources,=20 for many coastal communities today. These communities are often situated=20 in areas where farming is not possible, and where peoples' livelihoods=20 and dignity depend upon using marine resources. The World Council of=20 Whalers intends to support the well-being of these communities through=20 the promotion of competent science and local knowledge-based management,=20 and the sustainable use of our customary marine resources."=20 The WCW will hold an international conference in 1997 to which whalers=20 and others engaged in the management of whaling and the sustainable use=20 of living marine resources will be invited. The WCW will seek=20 affiliation with relevant United Nations=92 and regional resource=20 management bodies, and will contribute to the work of these=20 organizations through the efforts of a number of expert committees,=20 including a Legal Affairs Committee, a Human Rights Committee, a Health=20 and Nutrition Committee, and an Education Committee. For further information, interested parties are invited to contact: World Council Of Whalers Secretariat P.O. Box 1383, Port Alberni, BC, Canada V9Y 7M2 Phone: 1 250 724 2525 Fax # 1 250723 0463 E-mail: wcw(\)island.net ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1997 18:35:15 -0400 From: "Dr. Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni" Subject: Stranded pygmy Killer whale SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, 27 Feb 1997 - Fishermen from Puerto Rico found a pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata) stranded in Barrio Espinal between the towns of Aguada and Aguadilla early in the morning of Tuesday 25 of February. The dolphin was pushed back to sea by the fishermen, but the animal again beached. Department of Natural and Environmental Resources officials secured the animal from by-standers and alerted the Caribbean Stranding Network team for assistance. The animal was transported by van to San Juan for initial treatment at the Network's provisional facilities. The dolphin, a male, measured 7'3" (220 cm) and weighed 244 lbs (111 kg), and was found to be in good shape, except for a few scars from probably from the stranding process and handling. About a dozen cyamids (whale lice) were found scattered on the body surface. Blood samples and a nasal swab were taken to assess the health of the dolphin. The animal was hydrated with 2 liters of lactated ringers and antibiotics were prescribed. A 24-hour watch was maintained with volunteers assisting the animal to stay afloat. Despite the efforts, the dolphin died the next morning around 9:15 am. The necropsy revealed preliminarily problems associated with the lungs and liver. Histopathology analysis are still pending. Stomach contents included squid beaks and fish otoliths. Parasites were found in the stomach (nematodes and acanthocephalans) and cestodes were found in encysted near the intestines. The complete skeleton was salvaged for the University of Puerto Rico Biology Museum. This is the third record for this species for the Caribbean. The first is a report by the Caldwells of a pygmy killer whale captured in the Lesser Antilles as part of their aboriginal whaling, and the second is of a herd (mass) stranding of five pygmy killer whales which stranded in Tortola (British Virgin Islands) the day after Hurricane Marylin passed by the islands. [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Dr. Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni Scientific Coordinator-Caribbean Stranding Network Assistant Professor-University of Puerto Rico PO Box 38030 San Juan PR 00937 USA Phones: 787-767-8009, 787-764-0000 x4878 Fax: 787-764-2610, E-mail: mignucci(\)caribe.net Emergencies: 787-402-2337 unit 990-0440 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1997 10:35:52 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 2/28/97 - Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. NOTE: Archived copies of "first Friday" longer summaries for February 1994 through the present are now available at: "http://www.lsu.edu/guests/sglegal/public_html" Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . World Council of Whalers. On Feb. 26, 1997, the Secretariat for the World Council of Whalers (WCW) opened at Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada. Ten nations are represented by this group seeking to promote the sustainable and equitable use of marine living resources. The WCW will be seeking affiliation with relevant United Nations and regional resource management bodies. [WCW press release] . Polar Bear Trophies from Canada. On Feb. 18, 1997, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published final regulations in the Federal Register to implement a permit program for importing polar bear trophies from Canada. [Federal Register] . Mexican Whale and Dolphin Emergency. On Feb. 18, 1997, Mexican environmental officials declared an environmental emergency due to deaths of whales and dolphins in the Gulf of California near Culiacan, Mexico, during the previous 2 weeks. Mexican authorities suspect at least 6 whales, 42 dolphins, and schools of sardines were killed by the phosphorescent, cyanide-based chemical Natural Killer-19 (NK-19), used to mark water sites for nighttime drug pickup by drug traffickers. [Reuters, NY Times via Greenwire] . Canadian Sealing. On Feb. 18, 1997, the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS), representing more than 100 animal welfare organizations, called on the Canadian federal government to halt the annual seal hunt, charging that the Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans cannot regulate sufficiently to ensure a humane hunt. [Assoc Press, Reuters, CFHS press release] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Feb 1997 15:23:42 +0100 Reply-To: Lorenz Gygax From: Lorenz Gygax Subject: on-line archive Dear Marmamers, It is almost two weeks now since Paul (KZREPACHOL(\)ALPHA2.CURTIN.EDU.AU) suggested to take advantage of the http://xxx.lanl.gov/ site for prepublication of research on marine mammals. As no discussion started on the list I will try encourage not only this discussion but the use of the site. I had a look at it at it seems a really good way to get a fast access to recent scientific findings. Unfortunately I do not have something short of being published or a thesis being finished myself thus I can not go ahead and do the seemingly impossible. I completely agree with Paul that it would be an ideal site to make reports, MSc and PhD theses quickly available. This would free all of us of the trouble of trying to get hold of some such manuscript which has not been published in a peer reviewed journal (yet), but which might contain important and interessting information. What I don't see very clearly right now ist whether and how manuscripts being prepared for publication can or can not appear online (because of the copy-right the journal claims). But at least for the theses and reports I would assume that an on-line publication does not prevent a peer reviewed publication later, because (1) usually the peer-reviewed version is different and includes only parts of a thesis and (2) the on-line archive is not a publication in the narrow sense (yet). Maybe the first person who will submit a contribution to the archive could write something about the experiences to marmam to encourage other people to try. She/he could then wander in the hall of fame for eternity as the person who first made a small (?) step for her/himself but a big one for the scientific community :-) I look forward to your reactions Lorenz Gygax LL GGGGGG Lorenz Gygax room: 36-L-40 LL GG GG Department of Applied Mathematics LL GG G University of Zuerich-Irchel LL GG Winterthurerstr. 190 LL GG GGGG CH-8057 Zurich / Switzerland LL GG GG voice: 41-1-257-58-52 fax: 41-1-257-57-05 LLLLLLL GGGGGGG e-mail: lgygax(\)amath.unizh.ch privat: Dennlerstr. 23, CH-8047 Zuerich, voice: 41-1-493-57-05 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Mar 1997 11:35:41 +0200 From: Susanna U H Ketola Subject: Re: The whales of the Baltic Sea In-Reply-To: <199702271540.HAA125638(\)uvaix2e1.comp.UVic.CA> Dear Marmamer's I am a student of phonetics and zoology at the University of Helsinki. and I'm conducting research on killer whale (Orcinus orca) vocal behavior in northern Norway as my master thesis. Recently I have been asked to write a chapter in a mammalian book about whales generally. Therefore I am collecting data about whales that have been observed in the Baltic Sea (especially Baltic Proper, Bothnian Sea and Gulf of Finland areas. These waters are not very deep (200-400 meters) and the salinity is low (between 5 - 7). Therefore not many whale species can manage in these conditions. Only Harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) are known to live in the Baltic Sea . The whales that have been observed occasionally in the Baltic Sea are listed below : Balaenoptera musculus, Balaenoptera acutorostrata, Megaptera novaeangliae, Delphinapterus leucas, Lagenorhynchus albirostris, Delphinus delphis, Tursiops truncatus, Orcinus orca, Physeter catodon, Ziphius cavirostris, Mesoplodon bidens, Hyperoodon ampullatus, Lagenorynchus acutus, Pseudorca crassidens , Globicephala melaena, Balaenoptera borealis and Eubalaena glacialis I'd be interested to get more detailed information regarding these occasional visits: when?, where? etc and also information about Harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena): what is the size of the population(s) in the Baltic Sea today and how has is changed during the past decades and what is the future prediction? If you can help me with these questions, please reply to my email address below. Thank's in advance, Susanna Ketola email:Susanna.Ketola(\)helsinki.fi ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Mar 1997 10:13:28 -0700 From: Sergio Flores Ramirez Subject: grey whale specimens Hi everybody: I am a doctoral student at the University of New Mexico Department of Biology. Currently I am planning to study some aspects of the population genetics of the Gray Whale american stock. I will greatly apreciate any information that you can provide on collections (museographical or particular) that harbour any gray whale remainings (bones, baleens, tissues) or objects (e.g. forniture) made out of whale remainings (vertebrae, ribs, etc.) that are dated to the prewhaling and whaling periods (up to 1940). If you can help me with these questions, please reply to my email address below. Thank's in advance, Sergio Flores-Ramirez email:sergiof(\)unm.edu Sergio Flores-Ramirez Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM, 87131 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Mar 1997 11:26:24 -0500 Reply-To: webmaster(\)repamerica.org From: "William A. Detwiler" Organization: REP AMERICA Subject: Can you help get this message out? Hi, My name is Bill Detwiler and I am dedicated to protection of our natural heritage. As you may know Congress is once again trying to re-define the dolphin safe label, even though NO voters or tuna customers are currently complaining about the current cans of tuna on the shelves of our markets. The new bills before the 105th Congress are HR 408 and S.39, sponsored by some of the most anti-environmental Senators and Representatives that have ever been on the Hill; Don Young, Ted Stevens, and Frank Malkowski. I have seen from your websites that you are concerned about dolphins. I am hoping that you might be able to help get the message out about these bills. I work with two groups. The first is REP AMERICA, a national Republican grassroots group that wishes to return the Republican party to its conservancy roots and stop the anti-environmental agenda. There is an interesting page on their site the states why Republicans should not support either H.R. 408 or the Senate Bill S.39 named by 85 organizations as the 'dolphin death bills'. The page that I am referring to is located at: http://www.repamerica.org/hr408s39.html There entire site can be see at http://www.repamerica.org Hopefully, you find that the information here is convincing that these pieces of legislation are bad politics in there on right and certainly are cause for alarm if you want to keep 'dolphin safe' tuna truly safe. The other group is just getting formed and is called GreenMission. It is an Internet linked group of schools that gets involved in actively trying to make a difference for the environment. The group, never formally incorporated before, has spoken before the Congressional committee in Portland, OR to save the last remaining Ancient Forests, actively campaigned to save the rainforests, lobbied in Washington, DC in front of representatives for dolphins, endangered species, Ivory trading and better marine mammal protection. Their latest efforts where in September of 1996 when 250 students meet with 10 Senators and showed their support of the dolphin safe label. Senators Santorium and Specter of Pennsylvania, the students home state, pledged their support of the Boxer/Biden bill retaining the current dolphin safe label. Check the page at http://www.rep.org/kidpower.htm showing photos of the students with the Senators. They have a page that gives their point of view on this issue that the students would like other students to read and join with them in the Spring for actions to show their support. This page is at http://www.cciu.k12.pa.us/GreenMission Hopefully, you will agree with our movement and help get this information out to others that also want to protect dolphins. Please get in touch with me if I can help with your efforts and let me know if there are projects being carried out in your area. Bill Detwiler -- ___________________________________________________________ William A. Detwiler 721 Little Shiloh Road West Chester, PA 19382-5567 610.696.3236 610.696.7490 FAX VISIT REP AMERICA WEBSITE AT: http://www.repamerica.org ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Mar 1997 20:45:56 -0800 From: Robert &Maura Leos Subject: Tribute to Steve Leatherwood To all MARMAMMERS: My name is Maura Leos and I am the editor for the American Cetacean Society's Whalewatcher. The next issue is going to be dedicated to one of ACS's greatest friends, the late Steve Leatherwood. As such, I am asking anyone who knew him to send me anecdotes or stories they would like to share. Any and all photos of him, or by him would be wonderful too. If you have anything to share, please contact me. Thank you so much. Maura Leos 922 Syida Dr. Pacific Grove, CA 93950 (408) 375-0475 e-mail: leos(\)mbay.net ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Mar 1997 08:15:44 -0800 From: Alan Macnow Subject: SEATTLE TIMES EDITORIAL FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association The following editorial on the Japanese capture of 5 orcas in Taiji was published by the Seattle Times: 'Save the Orcas' isn't an exportable value (Seattle Times, February 20, 1997) Television images of orca whales captured in Japan strike a sensitive chord in the Pacific Northwest, where whales oc- cupy a special place in our cultural and environmental values. But there is no justification for demanding that the Japanese feel the same way. We can wish Japanese officials felt as we do about these magnificent creatures. We can show the way to Friday Harbor or to Canada's Robson Bight or Alaska's Prince William Sound, where orcas can be watched in the wild. We can con- trast this with images of captured orcas that jump through hoops at popular aquariums. We can point to sagging dorsal fins and to evidence that whales' lives are shortened in captivity. We can argue that such displays turn these dignified creatures into circus animals. But the Japanese can simply respond: You Americans already have your whales, captured 20 years ago and kept in public aquariums from San Diego to Miami. Those captive whales both entertain and educate people who would never see one in its natural setting. Japan merely proposed to do the same. Orcas are not endangered - legally or biologically. A renewed hunt could bring them to that point, but there is no immediate danger since orcas have no commercial value except to a limited number of large aquariums. There is no inter- national law against capture; there isn't even an official U.S. policy. In the absence of compelling legal or biological arguments, we are left with cultural values that vary from one culture to the next. The Japanese, who view wild deer with much the same reverence we do whales, could wag fingers and instruct us not to hunt deer - but they don't. This is not a matter for international sanctions, but for human understanding and education. We in the Northwest be- lieve the world would benefit from leaving orcas and other whales to roam the oceans. Perhaps the same TV pictures of captive orcas will bring Japanese attitudes to this point of view. In the meantime, this is an issue for the Japanese, who will attempt to do what's right for their culture and their en- vironment, without any help from this side of the Pacific. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Mar 1997 12:47:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: 150 CFR Part 648 Fisheries of 150 CFR Part 648 Fisheries of the Northeastern WASHINGTON,DC (FedNet, 3-MAR-97) -- NMFS issues this final rule to implement measures contained in Framework Adjustment 16 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This rule prohibits the use of all gillnets capable of catching Northeast multispecies during the periods in which the harbor porpoise time/area closures are in effect unless the gillnet meets certain specifications. The intent of this action is to restrict the use of small mesh pelagic gillnets, which are currently exempt from the multispecies regulations, to avoid increasing the risk of harbor porpoise entanglements but still allow a traditional bait fishery to continue by specifying the size and method of deployment of the gear. EFFECTIVE DATE: April 2, 1997. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Mar 1997 11:59:38 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: No more summaries... Marmam: In response to evolving Congressional Research Service (CRS) policy, I believe it is prudent that I suspend providing my weekly fishery and marine mammal summaries to non-congressional parties and retract all permission previously granted for use this material. CRS is sensitive to perceptions that its material is more widely available than might be helpful in fulfilling its li mited role of serving Congress. Thus, I am taking this step to terminate what could be perceived as an inappropriate exposure of CRS material. As I will be continuing to provide daily fishery and marine mammal summaries to Members of Congress and their staff, I will remain a subscriber to many Internet discussion groups, but will become more of a "lurker." I benefit greatly from the exchange of information that many of you have provided; I regret that I now find it necessary to restrict what I can provide i n return. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Mar 1997 07:45:34 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: interactions with Tursiops. (fwd) From: KELLY HUGHES Dear all, I was talking to a friend recently who had visited "Fungi", the sociable dolphin in Cork, Ireland some time ago. It was extremely interesting to hear of her experiences and it is a topic I would like to know more about. Can anyone pass on some information with regards to other solitary, sociable bottlenose dolphins? (or other species).Where is their location? How long have they been in the area (history), do they seem to actively seek out human attention? Has their behaviour towards humans ever suddenly changed causing injury to bathers? (I recall one incident of a sociable dolphin off Israel suddenly beginning to bite its visitors). Are other dolphins seen in the vicinity? Any information will be gratefully appreciated, Many thanks, Kelly hughes Rachel McMillam Building, Creek Road Deptford, London SE8 3BW HK408(\)GRE.AC.UK Organization: HNA Subject: "Final Solution" Dear Marmamers, Please find enclosed a news article from the High North Web News concerning IWC-Secretary Gambell's proposed solution to the IWC's stalemate. Yours sincerely Rune Frovik, High North Alliance, Rune(\)highnorth.no International Whaling Commission's Stalemate: Secretary Gambell Proposes "Final Solution" High North Web News (3 Mar. 1997): At a conference in Reykjavik 1. March, the Secretary to the International Whaling Commission (IWC), Ray Gambell, expressed optimism concerning the possibility to reach a "final solution" to the Commission's present stalemate. Gambell's proposal for a "final solution" is to permit "traditional and cultural" whaling activities within the 200 nautical miles EEZs, combined with no whaling on the high seas. When questioned on the specific content of the term "traditional and cultural whaling", Gambell was not willing to specify what he had in mind. But from what is already stated in his lecture it is clear that his proposal would also allow commercial whaling. The proposal would "reflect the economic realities" and allow those communities wishing to "maintain and continue" their "traditional and cultural" whaling activities to do so, he said. In the subsequent debate the representatives of the whaling interests did not share Gambell's optimism. "It is inconceivable that the IWC-majority will accept such a compromise. Countries like Australia, New Zealand, USA and UK have committed themselves so strongly to end commercial whaling that it is hard to believe that they suddenly will change their policy," the secretary of the High North Alliance, Georg Blichfeldt, stated. Gambell explained that his optimism was based on the closed and informal IWC-commissioners meeting in Grenada in January. For information about the Grenada meeting please see High North Web News articles from 19 December 1996 and 26 November 1996. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Mar 1997 15:43:10 -0600 From: "Naomi A. Rose" Subject: Re: SEATTLE TIMES EDITORIAL Dear Marmamers: This is in reply to Alan Macnow's posting. The trouble with this editorial, as tolerant and rational as it sounds, is that it leaves the whales themselves entirely out of the equation. What strikes me most about this editorial and other statements like it that I've seen over the years is the amazingly arrogant anthropocentrism inherent in its arguments. It presumes that the issue, if there is no threat of endangering the survival of a *species*, is entirely one of different cultural values between two human populations, rather than one completely independent of human culture or politics or economics -- the issue is not US, for heaven's sakes. Human self-absorption simply knows no bounds. The issue is THEM, the whales, and their values, their individual well-being and survival, and yes, their *rights.* In my opinion, nobody, on either side of the Pacific (or any other ocean), has the right to do what the people who captured these whales did; and frankly, I would argue that the Japanese (and anybody else) would have every right to chastise our culture for its ethically-challenged promotion of killing animals (like deer) for sport. Cruelty, whether to humans or non-humans, is absolute; it is not one thing in one culture and another thing in another culture. That animals suffer is a cold, hard, scientific fact; pain, anxiety -- many of the things that constitute "suffering" are measurable by science. To cause suffering gratuitously, for economic greed (or worse yet, for pleasure) rather than for survival -- that is cruelty, regardless of the culture in which it occurs. And I would argue also that the ethic that cruelty is *wrong* and should not be tolerated by society is (or should be) universal. Beyond that, in this case there are legal and scientific points to consider as well. The whales were captured under a scientific research permit, but will be kept in marine parks with performance formats and for breeding purposes. This begs the question of whether the permit was applied properly to this capture. Also, very little is known about the orca population off the coast of Japan. Certainly specific population parameters, such as numbers, range, birth rates, and mortality rates, are either unknown or poorly defined. Thus the information needed to determine the impact of the removal of these animals is not available, indicating that this capture was not conducted applying sound conservation principles. These are issues that should concern all of us, not just the Japanese. Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States narose(\)ix.netcom.com >FROM: Alan Macnow > Consultant, Japan Whaling Association > >The following editorial on the Japanese capture of 5 orcas >in Taiji was published by the Seattle Times: > > 'Save the Orcas' isn't an exportable value > >(Seattle Times, February 20, 1997) > > Television images of orca whales captured in Japan strike a >sensitive chord in the Pacific Northwest, where whales oc- >cupy a special place in our cultural and environmental >values. But there is no justification for demanding that >the Japanese feel the same way. > >We can wish Japanese officials felt as we do about these >magnificent creatures. We can show the way to Friday Harbor >or to Canada's Robson Bight or Alaska's Prince William >Sound, where orcas can be watched in the wild. We can con- >trast this with images of captured orcas that jump through >hoops at popular aquariums. > >We can point to sagging dorsal fins and to evidence that >whales' lives are shortened in captivity. We can argue that >such displays turn these dignified creatures into circus >animals. > >But the Japanese can simply respond: You Americans already >have your whales, captured 20 years ago and kept in public >aquariums from San Diego to Miami. Those captive whales >both entertain and educate people who would never see one in >its natural setting. Japan merely proposed to do the same. > >Orcas are not endangered - legally or biologically. A >renewed hunt could bring them to that point, but there is no >immediate danger since orcas have no commercial value except >to a limited number of large aquariums. There is no inter- >national law against capture; there isn't even an official >U.S. policy. > >In the absence of compelling legal or biological arguments, >we are left with cultural values that vary from one culture >to the next. The Japanese, who view wild deer with much the >same reverence we do whales, could wag fingers and instruct >us not to hunt deer - but they don't. > >This is not a matter for international sanctions, but for >human understanding and education. We in the Northwest be- >lieve the world would benefit from leaving orcas and other >whales to roam the oceans. Perhaps the same TV pictures of >captive orcas will bring Japanese attitudes to this point of >view. > >In the meantime, this is an issue for the Japanese, who will >attempt to do what's right for their culture and their en- >vironment, without any help from this side of the Pacific. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Mar 1997 20:28:54 -0600 From: Joey Maier Subject: Re: No more summaries... On Wed, 5 Mar 1997, Gene Buck wrote: > In response to evolving Congressional Research Service (CRS) policy, I I understand, and deeply regret, the end of the summaries being posted to marmam. Thanks for having provided them thus far.....you've actually been a help to the community. People in very focused areas [like my work on Tursiops bones] don't always stay on top of broader subjects. I looked forward to your posts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joey Maier: DNRC Holder of Past Knowledge O- maierj(\)okstate.edu "Culture moves forward, and the cause of silliness is greatly advanced." - Andrei Codrescu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Mar 1997 14:54:49 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Forwarded mail...Canada a sacred cow? I am wondering if any listeners to MARMAM can shed light on the issue that Andy Read and Steve Swartz brought up in the excerpt from the SMM Newsletter about the non-issuance of a Presidential letter from the Society for Marine Mammalogy regarding the misuse of science in the justification for the harp seal hunt in eastern Canada. The fact that the Society for Marine Mammalogy executives decided not to act on this issue is interesting and I wonder if anyone can explain the details behind the decision. Read and Swartz make what appears to be a sound case. I sure hope Canada in general, or Canadian seal hunts, or some other variant thereof are not becoming sacred cows of some kind. I feel that the marine mammal conservation interests within Canada require as much international support as possible. The legislation and regulations that protect marine mammals in Canada are very vague and largely at the discretion of the Minister, rather than obligatory with any strong mandate. In many ways we in Canada are not anywhere near as advanced as many developing countries in this regard, I am hoping that organizations as influential as the SMM are not considering us otherwise. Dave Duffus dduffus(\)office.geog.uvic.ca > Unique Summer Opportunity in Marine Conservation Biology The Duke University Marine Laboratory is offering an unparalleled summer educational opportunity from July 21 through August 22, 1997. Marine conservation biology teaches the principles of conservation and preservation of the coastal environment with a focus on problem solving as well as the application of science in shaping environmental management decisions and policy. Distinguished faculty from around the country will assemble for this concentrated five week program. Among the guest faculty are: Baird Callicott, North Texas State University, Norman L. Christensen, Jr., Duke University, John Clarke, Mote Marine Laboratory, Paul Dayton, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Martin Hall, Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, Jane Lubchenco, Oregon State University and others from the summer faculty at the Duke University Marine Laboratory. In addition to the course in marine conservation biology and this distinguished group of visitors, those enrolled in summer term II have the opportunity to fulfill two college credits by adding on of the seven elective courses offered at that time. Two credits for the price of one. Full tuition summer scholarships are still available. Applications for scholarships are due by March 28, 1997. Applications for Summer Term II will be taken until July 17, 1997. For specific information on this program see our web site: http://www.env.duke.edu/marinelab/marine.html or contact Helen Nearing at hnearing(\)mail.duke.edu, (919) 504-7502 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Mar 1997 09:43:04 EST From: "Judith M. Allen" Organization: College of the Atlantic Subject: message to post Please post: Marine Mammalogist One Year Appointment College of the Atlantic seeks a visiting professor for a one-year appointment to teach courses in marine mammalogy and several of the following: oceanography, marine resources, marine management and conservation policy, statistics, research methods, molecular or ecological genetics, general biology --- or other areas of the teacher's expertise.. The College's calendar includes three ten-week terms: early September to Thanksgiving; New Year's to mid-March; April 1st to early June. A full year appointment is preferred; but visitors for one or two terms will be considered. Compensation will be commensurate with experience and number of courses to be taught. Applications will be reviewed as soon as all materials are received and a final selection will be made by May 15. Applicati ons should contain a letter describing the candidate's teaching approach and experience, a resume, descriptions of proposed courses, and three letters of recommendation. College of the Atlantic is a small private four-year college located on Mount Desert Island, Maine, which offers the BA and M.Phil. in Human Ecology. Marine mammal studies have been a part of COA's curriculum for more than two decades. Mail applications to: Academic Affairs Committee, College of the Atlantic, 105 Eden Street, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609; or Email to aacom(\)ecology.coa.edu. COA is an AA/EEO employer. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Mar 1997 12:35:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Greenpeace urges protections f Greenpeace urges protections for Steller sea lions WASHINGTON (Reuter) - The United States should designate the north Pacific's Steller sea lion an endangered species as overfishing off Alaska's coast has caused the sea lions' population to plunge, Greenpeace said Thursday. "The Steller sea lions are in direct competition with the factory trawlers for food and the Stellers are losing," Ken Stump, the environmental group's fisheries campaigner, said. The National Marine Fisheries Service is expected to announce a decision within a few days on whether to reclassify the Steller as endangered, up from its current looser classification of threatened. To save the sea lions and other marine wildlife of Alaska's coast, Greenpeace said the United States should phase out use of factory trawlers fishing by 2001. In the interim, it said no-trawl buffer zones should be extended to include sea lion foraging ranges, overall fish catch quotas should be reduced and the allowable catch should be reapportioned to save more fish that are important to sea lions' diets. Trawlers that fish offshore of Alaska deplete the fish stocks and drive other fishing vessels closer to shore, further encroaching on sea lion habitat and food supply, Gerry Leape, Greenpeace's fisheries legislative director said. But a spokesman for the National Marine Fisheries Service said Alaska fisheries are among the nation's best managed. "There is no overfishing in the Bering Sea or Alaska waters," the spokesman said. He also said there has been "no scientific proof that fishing is the reason for Steller declines." Greenpeace said populations of Stellers, which inhabit the north Pacific Ocean, have plunged from about 250,000 worldwide since the early 1960s to fewer than 64,000 by 1989. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Mar 1997 14:36:58 -0800 From: Diana Lynn Reischel Subject: bird/mammal housing MARMAMer's, Has anyone ever done research regarding the housing of birds and marine mammals in a rehabilitation setting? I'm working with a new rehab facility in Ventura county. We are in the repair/construction phase and need to know if anyone has determined a specific space/distance between the two, in the case of transferring disease. We will be set up to work with animals (birds and mammals) coming in from oil spills and I believe there will a seperate area designated for washing, etc. If anyone can direct me to any papers or tell me of their own research, it'd be much appreciated. Thank you. Diana mermaid(\)isle.net Channel Islands Internet It just doesn't get much better than this... ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Mar 1997 14:05:19 -0800 From: "Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE" Subject: Coastal whaling Further to Ray Gambrell's suggestion that the International Whaling Commission might resolve the present deadlock over the resumption of whaling by permitting coastal whaling (within 200 nautical miles of shore) but continuing the ban on high seas whaling, as well as the Seattle Times editorial to which Naomi Rose responded, it must be pointed out that the Gambrell suggestion would potentially introduce whaling to many of the most important whale feeeding and breeding habitats, such as the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Gulf of California, which happen to be along coastlines; might also open fragile habitats such as the Mediterranean to whaling; and might expose some highly endangered species who sometimes occupy coastal habitat to "traditional" whaling, e.g. the right whales and the bowheads. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. anmlpepl(\)whidbey.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 13:33:34 -0500 From: Edward Gregr Subject: Re: MARMAM Digest - 5 Mar 1997 to 6 Mar 1997 In-Reply-To: <9703070802.AA01664(\)sun.zoology.ubc.ca> Hi All! Having exhausted all other sources of information, I turn to MARMAM for some details on a somewhat sensitive subject! I am currently working on a project investigating the potential of managing aboriginal whaling by limiting reinvestment. This is basically a combination population-economics model. Right now we are building it for Gray Whales but plan on including Humpbacks as well. The goal is to try and manage a subsistence whale fishery with the minimum amount of intrusion (i.e. no quotas, or "openings"). We want to see if we can control the success of the fishery by simply limiting the type and number of vessels that can be used for harvesting. We are lacking data in two key areas: The "value" of whale meat, and some of the components of the "catchability coefficient" (commonly known as "Q"). The "value" of a whale, for the purposes of this model, is strictly a monetary issue. However there are several aspects to this: Because we would expect any aboriginal whaling to be subsistent in nature, the value of a kg of whale should be equivalent to a kg of beef or fish or whatever dietary component it is replacing. But since we want the economics to drive the model, we must, at least as a theoretical exercise, consider the possibility of excess whale meat being sold outside the native community. So, the specific questions here are: 1) What might a kg of whale meat be worth on the black market? 2) What proportion (by weight) of a mature Gray (and Humpback) whale is useable meat? 3) Are there any existing or potential commercial uses for the remaining portions of these animals (i.e. bones, blubber, baleen)? With respect to catchability (Q), this is dependent on the level of technology used, and breaks down into a number of components. We are interested in any info people might have regarding: 1) Reactive distance of various vessel types; 2) Probability of capture, or an encounter rate, again for a variety of vessel types. We have found some work on this in the IWC literature by Doi. However this is from the mid 70's, and seems to represent the first kick at the can, so to speak. Anyone aware of any similar work that is more recent? This doesn't have to be species specific, but it does have to be dependent on the speed of the vessel, and perhaps the number of observers. Any comments, criticisms and useful tidbits are welcome! Please reply to: gregr(\)zoology.ubc.ca Thanks! ed. ***************************************************************************** * Edward Gregr, UBC Marine Mammal Unit e-mail: gregr(\)zoology.ubc.ca * * Department of Zoology voice: (604) 822-8181 * * 6270 University Boulevard fax: (604) 822-8180 * * Vancouver B.C. V6T 1Z4 Canada home: (604) 254-9297 * ***************************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Mar 1997 21:50:02 -0700 From: Jim Moore Subject: Cetacean origins How solid is the paleontological dating of the cetacean - artiodactyl split? I've got one source putting it solidly at 60mya, am curious as to whether to bank on that. Similarly, would divergence of Delphinidae, Ziphidae, & Physeteridae be fairly securely about 32mya? Please reply to me at jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu _only_ if you think those dates look wrong or very flimsy (rather than wondering whether to bother with "yeah, looks fine"). I'll take silence as relative concensus :-) Thanks, Jim -------------------------------------------------------------- Jim Moore Anthro 0532 In the cool morning UCSD I fry up a slab of Spam. La Jolla CA 92093 A dog barks next door. fax 619 534-5946 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 16:56:56 +0000 From: Samantha Strindberg Subject: First Announcement - Wildlife Population Assessment Workshops THREE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOPS ON WILDLIFE POPULATION ASSESSMENT 1. Design and analysis of distance sampling surveys. 2. An overview of capture-recapture models. 3. The analysis of survival data from marked animal populations. June 17 - 28 1997 To be held at University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK. **************************************************************************** DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF DISTANCE SAMPLING SURVEYS June 17 - 20. COURSE INSTRUCTORS: Professor Steve Buckland and Dr David Borchers (Research Unit for Wildlife Population Assessment, University of St Andrews). INTENDED PARTICIPANTS: The workshop is intended for scientists who are carrying out population assessments of wildlife. We anticipate a mixture of marine and terrestrial mammalogists, ornithologists and fisheries biologists, plus statisticians who have an interest in the topic. WORKSHOP CONTENT: The workshop will concentrate primarily on line and point transect sampling methods. Although the basic theory will be covered, the focus of the workshop will be on practical application of the methods. Line and point transect sampling will be covered in detail in separate sessions. Field methods and survey design will be addressed. Participants will be taught how to use the software package DISTANCE and are thus encouraged to bring their own data sets for partial analysis on the course. Individual tuition will be given on the analysis of these data. Informal discussion groups will be established for participants with common interests or problems. **************************************************************************** AN OVERVIEW OF CAPTURE-RECAPTURE MODELS June 23 - 24. COURSE INSTRUCTORS: Professor Ken Pollock and Mr Russell Alpizar-Jara (North Carolina State University). INTENDED PARTICIPANTS: The course is primarily aimed at biologists who are interested in using capture-recapture methods and would also be of use as a first course for applied statisticians. We anticipate the same mixture of participants as for the Distance Sampling course. WORKSHOP CONTENT: The workshop will be an introductory overview of capture-recapture models and will include estimation of population size, survival rates and birth numbers. Software packages CAPTURE, JOLLY and JOLLYAGE will be used. Topics will include: The Lincoln Petersen Model, Closed Models, Open Models, The Robust Design, Designing Capture-Recapture Studies and Applications. **************************************************************************** THE ANALYSIS OF SURVIVAL DATA FROM MARKED ANIMAL POPULATIONS June 25 - 28. COURSE INSTRUCTORS: Dr Jean-Dominique Lebreton (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Montpellier, France) and Professor Byron J T Morgan (University of Kent, UK). INTENDED PARTICIPANTS: The course is aimed at three sets of people: firstly, numerate and computer-literate biologists and ecologists; secondly, academics with graduate teaching or research interests in capture-recapture theory; and thirdly, biometricians working with biological population issues. Some familiarity with capture-recapture models (e.g. through attending the preceding workshop) is almost essential. WORKSHOP CONTENT: The workshop will provide a comprehensive approach to the analysis of survival data from marked animal populations. This will be achieved by introducing the participants to the theory and application of the latest capture-recapture methodology and by illustrating these methods with real data using the software RELEASE and SURGE for recaptures and resightings, and SURVIV and EAGLE for recoveries. **************************************************************************** For further information and registration forms, please send your name, mailing address and e-mail address to: Jane Cumberlidge (e-mail: jane(\)dcs.st-andrews.ac.uk) RUWPA Mathematical Institute North Haugh St Andrews Fife KY16 9SS SCOTLAND FAX: +44 (0)1334 463748 TEL: +44 (0)1334 463713 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 14:19:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Whale Shot Whale Shot KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) -- Wildlife officials believe a four-ton Minke whale grounded itself in the Florida Keys because someone shot it at least five times. The whale died last week and a necropsy revealed five bullet wounds. "You'd like to think it never happens, it's just fantastical stories people tell," Becky Barron, director of Wildlife Rescue of the Florida Keys, told The Miami Herald for today's editions. "But unfortunately here's very graphic evidence that it does happen." National Marine Fisheries Service special agent Logan Gregory said this is the first time he has investigated the shooting of a marine mammal. He wouldn't tell the newspaper what kind of ammunition was used. The whale was discovered last Wednesday, stranded in the shallows off Big Pine Key. The 30-foot creature was too big to take to an enclosure for treatment. "The only thing you could do was move it into deep water or just watch it die because its body weight was crushing its own organs," Barron said. The whale managed to travel about two miles before dying. Its remains were found Thursday. The necropsy found it probably died from the pressure on its organs. "The bullets may have caused it to come in close to shore," Barron said. "Some of the bullets were beginning to abscess in there. No matter how big you are, five bullets in you are bound to do something." There are believed to be about 500,000 Minke whales in the world. Black on top and white underneath, they migrate from polar feeding grounds to subtropical waters to breed. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 04:03:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: January 1997 MarmamNews The following articles were uploaded to MarmamNews in January 1997. MarmamNews can be found at http://members.aol.com/marmamnews 01/01/1997 VIC: Shark terror for dinghy four 01/02/1997 Florida daybook VIC: Oil on Surf Beach a health risk, says opposition 01/03/1997 Department of Commerce - NOAA 01/04/1997 Manatee Deaths 01/06/1997 Russian ship pulled off rocks in Antarctica 01/11/1997 Sick dolphin rescued from marina Baby Whale Newborn whale still lost 01/12/1997 Wayward newborn whale at Sea World Yangtze River Dolphin Spends 17th Birth Anniversary Florida turtle rescued from unappetizing fate in New York Whale survives first night at Sea World 01/13/1997 Hoover fishing' ban demanded to save North Sea stocks Rescued whale gains weight 01/14/1997 Fund to Save White-Flag Dolphin in Central Chinese ... 01/15/1997 NMFS rules Philippines - Environment: Once - lush mangroves in ... 01/18/1997 Japan Oil Spill Forces Dolphin Evacuation Japan officials laying sea road to oil tanker bow 01/19/1997 Divers repair North Sea tanker, avert further spill 01/20/1997 Whale not out of woods but doing well 01/21/1997 Atlantic Students Find New Path Russia May Resume Whaling Parts of Proposed Shark Rules Australia Protests US Prawn Ban 01/22/1997 Russia not planning to resume whale hunting 01/24/1997 Whales stop Navy from exploding bomb Fish Habitat BRF--WWII Bomb Found 01/26/1997 Brazil - Development: Fishing crisis in Brazil 01/27/1997 Squid Search Russia Can't Resume Whaling 01/28/1997 Environment: Concern over contamination of Guatemala River 01/29/1997 BRF--Japan-Oil Spill FEATURE-People and penguins feel Antarctic warming 01/30/1997 Baby seal lost in North Carolina 01/31/1997 QLD: Abandoned dugong aiding valuable research ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 04:03:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: February 1997 MarmamNews The following articles were uploaded to MarmamNews in February 1997. MarmamNews can be found at http://members.aol.com/marmamnews 02/01/1997 The Weekend California Daybook Whales N/L 2 Sydney Navy keeping waters safer for endangered whales 02/02/1997 NSW: Beached whale autopsy inconclusive China Establishes First Dolphin Protection Center 02/10/1997 NSW: First sea lion born at Taronga Animal activists criticize Canadian seal hunt Canada-Seal Hunt 02/11/1997 QLD: Joint military operation questioned FEATURE-Ozone hole starts taking its toll in Antarctica Clinton blasts Canadian whaling Clinton hits Canada on whaling Clinton Letter to Congress on Canadian Whaling First sighting of right whale calf 02/13/1997 QLD: Baby dugong dies at Sea World Row breaks out in Japan over captive killer whales Oil slick off Uruguay threatens sea lion colony 02/14/1997 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and ... 02/15/1997 Environment: Oil spill darkens horizon for... Drug Sellers Eyed in Sea Deaths Growing baby whale moved to bigger tank 02/16/1997 Bodies of 60 dolphins swept ashore in France Growing baby whale moved to bigger tank Intruding sea lion finally jumps ship 02/17/1997 Antarctic: Warmer temperatures change penguin numbers 02/18/1997 Kayaks offer benign way to tag whales Mexico declares emergency in whale, dolphin deaths Hinchinbrook Howard 2 Canberra 02/19/1997 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and ... 02/20/1997 QLD: Hinchinbrook should go ahead unhampered, says Borbidge 02/21/1997 150 CFR Parts 217 and 222 North Atlantic Right ... 02/23/1997 NSW: Stranded whale driven to safety NSW: Distressed whale destroyed after condition deteriorated 02/24/1997 BRF--NZealand-Beached Whales Battle to save beached dolphin Latin American Briefs 02/26/1997 QLD: Hinchinbrook resort a goer, says Borbidge Press Briefing toAnnounce The Nature Conservancy 1997 Species Report Card SA: New road to aid whale watchers 02/27/1997 Namibia: To eat or not to eat - Seal meat Oil spill kills 200 sea lions in Uruguay Venezuela - Environment: Network to fight dangers 02/28/1997 QLD: Hunter says shark must be killed Environment-Uryguay: Activists slam tardy ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Mar 1997 04:37:58 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Right whale feeding abstract (fwd) From: Robert Kenney Beardsley, R.C.*, A.W. Epstein, C. Chen, K.F. Wishner, M.C. Macaulay, and R.D. Kenney. 1996. Spatial variability in zooplankton abundance near feeding right whales in the Great South Channel. Deep-Sea Res. 43(7-8): 1601-1625. [*address for reprints - Robert C. Beardsley, Dept. of Physical Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543] Abstract - On 3 June 1989, during SCOPEX'89, two right whales were observed to be feeding close to the surface at separate sites in the Great South Channel of the Gulf of Maine. The R.V. Marlin deployed and monitored a radio tag on one whale, and underway measurements were made near each whale from the R.V. Endeavor to investigate the small-scale spatial structure of water properties and zooplankton abundance in the upper water column near the whales. These measurements included two CTD tow-yos, zooplankton sampling with a MOCNESS, continuous vertical profiling of currents with a 150-kHz ADCP, and continuous vertical profiling of zooplankton concentration with a towed acoustic profiler operating at 120 and 200 kHz. The whales were feeding on a relatively homogeneous mixture of primarily two stages (copepodite IV and V) of a single copepod species (_Calanus finmarchicus_), which was most abundant in the upper 10-20 m of the water column above the seasonal pycnocline. Descriptions of the spatial structure of copepod abundance in patches traversed by the whales were developed based on MOCNESS samples, acoustic backscatter, and light transmission. In particular, a high correlation was found between MOCNESS biomass measurements and certain 200-kHz acoustic biomass estimates, which enabled the acoustic data to be interpreted solely in terms of copepod abundance. Acoustic measurements made in a copepod patch while closely following one whale indicated mean and peak copepod biomasses of 6.0 and 28.4 g m**-3 (corresponding to mean and peak concentrations of 8.7 x 10**3 and 4.1 x 10**4 copepods m**-3) in the 4-10 m depth band, where the whale was probably feeding. With a mean energy content of 10**-3 kcal copepod**-1, that whale's mean energy intake rate was 3.8 x 10**4 kcal h**-1. The whale was observed to reverse course and turn back into the patch when it swam into a region of lower copepod abundance, with biomass less than roughly 1-3 gm m**3 or 1.5-4.5 x 10**3 copepods m**-3. This concentration is consistent with independent estimates of the minimum prey concentration required for a right whale to regain the energy it expends when it feeds. The next morning, one of the whales was found to be skim-feeding on a _Calanus finmarchicus_ patch in which a bucket sample gave a copepod biomass of 256 gm m**-3 or 3.3 x 10**5 copepods m**-3. If this one sample approximated the mean abundance of the patch, then the whale had a mean energy intake of 1.4 x 10**5 kcal h**-1. At this rate, it could consume its daily basal metabolic energy requirement in roughly 9 min, and its annual requirement in roughly two days (assuming continuous feeding at a rough speed of 1.2 m s**-1 as determined from the ADCP measurements). Although physical advection on regional and smaller scales appears to be an important element in the processes that cause such dense patches to form in this region during late spring, the lack of a clear linkage between the small-scale physical and biological data reported here suggest that some nonphysical, species-specific animal behavior like swarming must be partially responsible for creating the very densest copepod patches observed during SCOPEX'89. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Robert D. Kenney, Ph.D. rkenney(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu | | University of Rhode Island ('gsosunONE' not 'gsosunELL') | | Graduate School of Oceanography | | Box 41, Bay Campus TEL: (401) 874-6664 | | Narragansett, RI 02882-1197, U.S.A. FAX: (401) 874-6497 | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= A wide bibliography on the biology of abalones: http://www.dada.net/naturama/malafile.html Updating welcomed Enjoy! Riccardo Riccardo Giannuzzi-Savelli naturama C.P. 28 (Succ. 26) 90146 PALERMO ITALY E-mail: naturama(\)mbox.vol.it propal(\)mbox.vol.it Visite our site: http://www.dada.net/naturama ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 10:03:00 EST From: Phil Clapham Subject: abstract - humpback whales Clapham, P.J. & Palsboll, P.J. 1997. Molecular analysis of paternity shows promiscuous mating in female humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae Borowski). Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Part B 264: 95-98. It is widely assumed that the mating system of the humpback whale is similar to that of most mammals in that it represents some form of polygyny or promiscuity, but this cannot be tested without observations of copulation or data on paternity of offspring. Microsatellite DNA markers were used to examine the paternity of calves born to individually identified mature female humpback whales from the Gulf of Maine. Skin biopsies were obtained from three females and several (range: three to five) of their known offspring. Multiple paternity of offspring, indicated by the presence of at least three different paternal alleles, was evident in all three females at either three or four of the six microsatellite loci surveyed. This finding of promiscuous mating is expected given current knowledge of the social ecology of this species. It is also consistent with resightings of individually identified female humpbacks with different male associates during two or more breeding seasons. Phil Clapham Smithsonian Institution clapham(\)simnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Mar 1997 15:38:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: QLD: Tribal hunters to back of QLD: Tribal hunters to back off dugongs BRISBANE, March 9 AAP - Agreement by Aborigines to stop hunting dugongs in Queensland waters was welcomed today by state Environment Minister Brian Littleproud. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority indigenous liaison officer Ross Williams said more than 90 per cent of the traditional hunters of dugongs, which inhabit Australia's tropical waters, had agreed to stop killing the mammal. "The people are willing to take on a self-enforced moratorium on hunting dugong so management plans can be put in place," he said. Mr Williams said the marine park authority would advise other Aboriginal groups on the need to preserve dugongs, a traditional source of Aboriginal food. Environmentalists have campaigned strongly against the destruction of dugong habitats, with some estimates putting the Queensland population at less than 2,000 animals. Some environmental campaigners have fought to stop Keith Williams's resort complex beingbuilt near the Hinchinbrook Channel, claiming the destruction of seagrass beds were putting further pressure on the dugongs' survival. The project is proceeding with the federal government recently ordering an independent observer to monitor the work. A spokesman for Mr Littleproud said dugongs had been a major topic at an environmental seminar held by the marine park authority late last year. "The minister welcomes any moves that will help the species," the spokesman said. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 15:03:28 +0100 Reply-To: Rune(\)highnorth.no From: Rune Frovik Organization: HNA Subject: UK Rejects Proposal for IWC Compromise Dear Marmamers, As a follow up to the posting on IWC Secretary Gambell's proposed solution to the IWC's stalemate, I enclose a news article from the High North Web News with comments from the UK IWC Commissioner to this proposal. Yours sincerely Rune Frovik, High North Alliance, Rune(\)highnorth.no UK Rejects Proposal for IWC Compromise: Prefers a "Purely Protectionist Organisation" High North Web News (6 Mar. 1997): It is highly unlikely that Great Britain would support a whaling compromise which accepts Norwegian minke whaling. Great Britain would prefer to see the IWC (International Whaling Commission) become an organisation for the protection of the world's whale stocks, the UK Commissioner to the IWC, Ivor Llewelyn told the Norwegian Press Agency (NTB), 6 March. This was in response to IWC Secretary Ray Gambell's recent proposal which would allow some kinds of commercial whaling. Llewelyn further said that "politically it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for any British government to liberalise Great Britain's restrictive whaling policy". Questioned on whether those nations opposed to whaling nevertheless fear that the IWC will exhaust its role if real management of whale stocks is not soon implemented, he answered: "Great Britain certainly doesn't fear such a development. It would be consistent with our policy if the IWC becomes a purely protectionist organisation." The Norwegian IWC Commissioner, Kere Bryn, confirmed to NTB, 5 March, that during a closed and informal meeting of IWC Commissioners in Grenada in January, several of the anti- whaling nations gave new signals that could provide hope for a breakthrough for Norwegian and Japanese whaling. "I would be wary of believing in any rapid solution, but there was a new tone that we haven't heard before from the whaling opponents. It was mentioned that the current stalemate in the IWC cannot continue, and that a compromise should be sought," said Bryn. IWC Secretary Gambell proposed at a conference in Iceland some days ago a solution which would permit "traditional and cultural" whaling activities within the 200 nautical miles EEZs, in exchange for the prohibition of whaling on the high seas. The Norwegian IWC Commissioner confirms that the present commercial minke whaling carried out in Norway would be covered by the proposed term "traditional" whaling. For more information about Secretary Gambell's proposal please see High North Web News article from 3 March, http://www.highnorth.no ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Mar 1997 19:21:13 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Reporter's inquiry: Value of Gene Buck's reports (fwd) Forwarded to the MARMAM list from the fish ecology list: >From: Bob Holmes > >Hello-- > I'm a reporter for New Scientist magazine, and a long-time lurker >on Fish-Ecology. I'm preparing a short news story on the effect of the US >Congressional Research Service's policy prohibiting public release of >material such as Gene Buck's Friday summaries. > If any of you have been making formal or informal use of these >summaries, and are now inconvenienced by their absence, please email me >privately before Monday morning. I'd like to know the details: how did you >use the reports? What can you no longer do (or what must you work harder to >do) now that Gene is no longer posting them? What effect do you think this >will have on your work? > Please note that I may want to quote your reply in my article. If >you DO NOT want to be quoted, please indicate this in your email message. > Thanks. > >Bob Holmes >New Scientist magazine >408-457-0432; 457-0371 (fax) I am a graduate student in the Cetacean Behavior Lab at San Diego State Univ. The lab is very interested in the movement and feeding ecology of the Pacific bottlenose dolphin. This population is a coastal one. They travel almost exclusively along the coast and venture rarely more than a kilometer offshore. Except for a relatively unsuccessful attempt to track the dolphins with night vision goggles, we have no data on their nocturnal behavior. The area had recent influx of over 100 animals into our study area after what appeared to be a total absence for almost two months. This phenomena may be correlated with the nocturnal spawning of squid. Does anybody know of attempts to track dolphins with sonar? I have not seen anything in the literature. The dolphins have an upper hearing threshold of 120 kHz and should not be affected by 200 kHz sounder pulses. I have talked to a commercially available surface scanning echosounder manufacturer (Interphase Probe) and he says it is possible. Are there any other manufacturers? Thank you, Eric S. Howarth Web Page http://www.netcom.com/~ehowarth Cetacean Behavior Lab http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/CBL/CBLHome.html The acoustic passive location notebook: http://www.netcom.com/~ehowarth/pal.html ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Mar 1997 14:41:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Reward offered in Florida whal Reward offered in Florida whale shooting case MIAMI, March 14 (Reuter) - A reward was posted on Friday for the trigger-happy boaters who shot a whale off the Florida Keys. A four-tonne Minke whale that beached on Big Pine Key last week was found to have five bullets in it. It died after attempts to refloat it failed. The Humane Society of the United States on Friday offered a $3,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever shot the animal. "This is the first time that I have ever heard of a whale suffering gunshot wounds washing up on American shores," Naomi Rose, marine mammal scientist for the Humane Society, said. "The Humane Society of the United States is horrified by this cruelty." The total amount of reward money offered from various sources now stands at about $10,000. Police say they believe boaters opened fire on the whale. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Mar 1997 14:20:03 -0500 From: "Kenneth E. Smith TAL 904/922-4330" Subject: Tetrabutyltin and dolphin strandings Hello fellow MARMAMERS! I am interested in the recent posting of a publication dealing with tetrabutyltin and dolphin strandings. Could anyone in the know please forward the reference for this work to me at Smith_KE(\)dep.state.fl.us? Many thanks from the manatee managers at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection! Kent Smith Biological Scientist Florida Department of Environmental Protection 3900 Commonwealth Blvd., M.S. 245 Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 22:11:21 -0400 From: Phillip Bigelow Organization: Seattle Community Network Subject: Help! Seal publication request. Marmam group, Having exausted all known local sources in my search for this paper, I come to you for help. I am in need of a photocopy of the following paper: Sivertsen, E. 1954. A survey of the eared seals (family Otariidae) with remarks on the antarctic seals collected by M/K "Norvegia" in 1928-1929. Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademie, Oslo, 36:1-76, plates 1-10. If it is on your reprint shelf, let me know and I will pay you for photocopy and mailing costs. Thanks in advance, Phillip K. Bigelow 916 1/2 Mason Street Bellingham, WA 98225 e-mail: bh162(\)scn.org ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 08:20:03 -0500 From: anne doncaster Subject: harp seal/fishery interactions The St. John's Evening Telegram, March 11, 1997, under the heading Telegram Forum, published a statement by 3 Memorial University scientists: Dr. John M. Lawson, Ocean Sciences Centre; Dr. Edward H. Miller, biology department; and Dr. William A. Montevecchi, biopsychology program. All were participants in the recent workshop on harp seal- fishery interactions sponsored by the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation. According to the statement: "The workshop concluded that seals played no role in causing the collapse of northern cod. The scientists also concluded that the 1994 seal population was 4.5 million (not 4.8 as widely quoted, nor 8 million, as some politicians maintain." The 3 scientists also stated that the Evening Telegram's coverage of the workshop's results was gravely unbalanced particularly in high- lighting a viewpoint totally out of keeping with the workshop's clear findings and recommendations. The viewpoint in question ". . . we definitely know that now with a small spawning stock biomass, the lowest ever, it (the consumption of cod by seals) is having an effect. It has to have an effect" was attributed to Fred Woodman, chairman of the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council. The scientists stated that "to assess seal predation in isolation from the complex ecosystem of which both seals and cod are part is both simple-minded and ecologically ignorant" and went on to say that "they trust that Mr. Woodman, as chairman of the advisory body charged with channelling scientific information to the minister of fisheries, will study the workshop report that was prepared and agreed to by the 29 scientists from around the world (including DFO scientists) who met in St. John's last week, and will transmit its contents faithfully to the minister." The full statement is well worth reading for other details of the workshop's findings as I'm sure will be the report of the workshop which, I understand, is expected to be available soon. The International Wildlife Coalition commends these scientists for speaking out. Anne Doncaster - adncstr(\)muskoka.com Anne Doncaster International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461, Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, ON L5G 4M1 Canada Tel: (705) 765-6341 Fax: (705) 765-6435 ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 16 Mar 1997 22:45:41 +0900 From: Toshiyuki Kimura Subject: distribution of pygmy right whale Dear Marmam readers I am interested in the distribution pattern of pygmy right whale. Does anyone have any information concerning the record (sighted, stranded or fossil) of pygmy right whale, Caperea marginata, in the northern hemisphere? I would be grateful if you can help me by letting me know if you have any pertinent information. Thanks in advance for any help. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Toshiyuki Kimura Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Nagoya University, Japan E-mail: i45115a(\)nucc.cc.nagoya-u.ac.jp :f960405d(\)eds.ecip.nagoya-u.ac.jp voice: +88-52-789-3022 fax : +88-52-789-3033 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Mar 1997 10:56:45 IST From: Oz Goffman Subject: Steno in the Eastern Med. Shalom fellow Marmam, On March 16th, 8:00 PM, fishermen off the coast of the southern part of Israel - DUGIT, 3 km. north of the Gaza Strip - came upon a stranded dolphin. The dolphin was given an autopsy by Itzik Kodovytsky, a ranger from Marine Pollution Control, Ministry of Environment, Israel. The dolphin appeared to be a Steno bredanensis, male, sub-adult, length - 163 cm., weight - 32 kilo. As far as we can tell, this is the first documented Steno to be found by IMMRAC in this area in the last few tears. A guide, written by Notarbartolo Di Sciara, states that this species exists in the Western Mediterranean. I would like to know if there are any other documentations relating to the sighting of this species in the Eastern Med. I would also appreciate any other material dealing with the Steno dolphin. Thank You, Oz Goffman Director, IMMRAC Center for Maritime Studies University of Haifa Mt. Carmel, 31905 Haifa, Israel email: rhss101(\)uvm.haifa.ac.il ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Mar 1997 09:13:59 -0500 Reply-To: davidwms(\)ix.netcom.com From: dw Subject: Trying to find email address for RE Shadwick or JM Gosline I have tried to find email address for RE Shadwick or JM Gosline using alternative methods but have failed. Can anyone help? Either may be associated with University of Britist Columbia, University of Calgary, or with Scripps Institution in LaJolla, CA. Thanks for any help. David Williams Moby Dick Society, Inc. davidwms(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Mar 1997 11:46:35 -0800 From: "Oscar R. Guzon Z." Subject: rehabilitation clinic GRUPO DE INVESTIGACION Y CONSERVACION DE MAMIFEROS MARINOS (GICOMM) (Marine mammal research and conservation group) Ensenada, Baja CFA. march/17/97 To whom it may concern: It is with great pleasure that GICOMM writes you this letter. We would like to inform you of our group upcoming plans. GICOMM is composed of students from the Marine Science school at the Universidad Autonoma de baja california (UABC). The main purpose of our group is to establish a marine mammal rehabilitation clinic. The clinic is planed to be located at UABC campus Ensenada. The location is host to a great marine mammal bidiversity and therefore an excellent site. Due to this biodiversity, numerous marine mammals are stranded every year. We are addressing this concern to you and are proposing the clinic as an alternative to help stranded mammals off north Baja California area; this clinic could be also used to train people in marine mammal science and care. Our group would like to request your assistance in initiating the clinic. We would like to ask what equipment you see fit and necessary for a small but efficient clinic. Our immediate vision, is a modest but hundred per cent functional clinic. We would appreciate all of your input and any suggestions that you feel would help our vision become a reality. Thank you very much for your time, we look forward to hearing from you soon! Sincerely. Oscar R. Guzon zZatarain and/or Tsuyoshi Nieda Manzano. Apdo. Postal 2462 Ensenada, baja California. MEXICO. e-mail: oguzon(\)faro.ens.uabc.mx __________________________________________________________________________ Dear marmammers: If any of you is related to marine mammal care, we would be very happy if you could help us with this. For a better world! sincerely yours. Oscar Guzon "What happens to beasts, can happen to man. If the great beasts are gone man will surely die of a great loneliness of spirit...." The Indian chief, SEeattle. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 18 Mar 1997 10:48:41 +0000 From: "J.C.Goold" Subject: Re: Sonar Tracking of Tursiops In-Reply-To: <9703151820.AA29536(\)sos.bangor.ac.uk> On Sat, 15 Mar 1997, Eric S. Howarth wrote: > Does anybody know of attempts to track dolphins with sonar? I have not seen > anything in the literature. The dolphins have an upper hearing threshold > of 120 kHz and should not be affected by 200 kHz sounder pulses. I have > talked to a commercially available surface scanning echosounder manufacturer > (Interphase Probe) and he says it is possible. Are there any other > manufacturers? This is not the first time I've heard of someone interested in tracking dolphins with active sonar on the premise that high frequency echosounder pulses are inaudible. However, that basic assumption is generally flawed as the pulse envelope of the sonar pulse may be sharp edged and hence introduce broadband components across a wide bandwidth (even down into the human hearing range below 20 kHz). Have you ever wondered why it's possible to hear dolphin clicks by ear on standard audio equipment, even though they are supposedly ultrasonic sounds? That's because they are broadband transients with peak energies in the 100 kHz range, but have significant energies at much lower (and higher) frequencies. Incidentally I've listened to echosounder pulses through towed hydrophones suspended beneath a stationary vessel. If I can hear them (supposedly operating in the 100's of kHz range) then I'm sure marine mammals can. I therefore put it to you that studying dolphins etc with active sonar will not be an "invisible" and "non-intrusive" method of study (anyone remember LFA? What's happening here by the way??). I've seen images of a sperm whale tracked with side scan sonar, but even keeping such a large and slow object "illuminated" presented considerable technical difficulties. The problems of tracking a large school of fast and manouverable dolphins would be magnified several fold. If you want the details laboured to appropriate and tedious extreme I can put you in touch with a sonar engineer who will be more than happy to oblige. Regards John Goold ---------------- John C. Goold University of Wales Bangor School of Ocean Sciences Menai Bridge Anglesey. LL59 5EY. UK Tel. (0)1248 383752 Fax. (0)1248 716367 email: oss123(\)sos.bangor.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 18 Mar 1997 09:39:54 -0500 Reply-To: djohnsto(\)imma.org From: Dave Johnston Organization: IMMA Inc. Subject: Harp seal-fishery interactions in the Northwest Atlantic Harp Seal-Fishery Interactions in the Northwest Atlantic Towards Research and Management Actions Twenty-nine scientists from seven countries met in St. John's, Newfoundland from 24-27 February 1997 to consider the interactions between harp seals and fisheries in the Northwest Atlantic. The workshop was sponsered by the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation (CCFI) and Memorial University of Newfoundland. The summary of the report is available on the IMMA website (http://www.imma.org/forum.html), as well as the entire report of the workshop in Adobe Acrobat (PDF)format (http://www.imma.org/workshop.pdf). Cheers Dave Johnston djohnsto(\)imma.org ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 04:38:20 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: hepatitis C in Tursiops (fwd) From: sasha(\)bios.iuf.net Dear colleagues, We have founded antigens to hepatitis C virus in the blood samples of the Black sea bottlenosed dolphins _Tursiops truncatus_. The only similar citation we found in the work of Bossart G., Brauner T., Cabal C. et al. Hepatitis B-like infection in a Pacific white sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obligniden) // J.Amer. Vet .Med Assoc.. -1990, 196, N1, p.127-130, but we can not get the original paper. Did anybody find something similar? We would appreciate any published and informal information on this topic. Could anybody help us in information on biochemical and serological changes in dolphin with hepatitis? Thank you, Alexander Drobyshevski State Oceanarium of Ukraine. GRADUATE STIPEND AVAILABLE M.S. in Functional Morphology Research Program: Graduate training opportunity in functional mammalian morphology, specializing in skeletal adaptations of marine mammals. Developmental, comparative, evolutionary, and functional aspects of skeletal morphology (and radiology) in cetaceans will be emphasized. Potential Research Projects: Research projects are focused on the developmental, functional, and radiographic osteology of the dolphin post-cranial skeleton. Potential projects include: 1. Osteological development of the flipper in bottlenose dolphins. 2. Functional morphology of the vertebral column related to bending/swimming. Prerequisites: A strong background in mammalian morphology is highly desired along with post-baccalaureate experience in zoology. Stipend: $10,600 per annum for 2-3 years. Graduate students are required to assist in laboratory teaching of gross anatomy to first-year veterinary students. Tuition: Qualified students may be eligible for a limited number of tuition waivers. Starting Date: August 1997. Application Deadline: Until suitable applicant is found. Please send your Curriculum Vitae, unofficial College Transcripts and Graduate Record Examination Scores, and your letter outlining your research interests to: Looking forward to receiving your letters, Dr. Alastair Watson Department of Anatomy, Pathology, and Pharmacology College of Veterinary Medicine Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK 74078, USA FAX: 405-744-8263 EMAIL: awatson(\)okway.okstate.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 18 Mar 1997 08:58:49 -0800 From: Rebecca Lewison Subject: biotelemetry Does anyone know of a tracking device that can be darted into an animal? I'm looking to individually follow hippos, but direct follows are not feasible, nor are radio-collars. I know subcutaneous devices have been used in marine mammals, but I need something that could be embedded or strongly attached to the skin without having to capture and/or tranquilize the animal. I dont know the exact range of the animals (that's why I'm trying to put a tracking device in them) but somewhere between 3-8km would be a realistic range.I would be using the device for individual habitat choice rather than animal id, although that would be a bonus. As you might know, hippos spend most of the day in the water, which probably presents an additional challenge. thanks Rebecca Lewison *************************************************************************** Rebecca Lewison Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology University of California Davis CA 95616 tel. (916)752-5196 fax.(916)752-4154 e-mail: rllewison(\)ucdavis.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 10:03:18 +0100 From: NAMMCO Secretary Subject: NAMMCO Scientific Committee ------ >From the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission Troms=F8, 17 March 1997 - PRESS RELEASE - The Scientific Committee of NAMMCO - the North Atlantic Marine Mammal=20 Commission - met in Troms=F8, Norway, 10-14 March 1997. The meeting was=20 attended by scientific experts appointed to the Committee from NAMMCO=20 member countries (Norway, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands). As=20 well, a number of invited experts from across the North Atlantic, includi= ng=20 Canada, Iceland, Norway, the UK and Russia, contributed to the Committee'= s=20 special focus this year on questions related to the role of whales and=20 seals in the marine ecosystem. Some of the major conclusions and=20 recommendations of the Scientific Committee can be summarised as follows: * Estimates of whale abundance in the North Atlantic New information on the abundance of several whale stocks in the North=20 Atlantic was reviewed. Data from the 1995 North Atlantic Sightings Survey= =20 for cetaceans (NASS-95), which was coordinated through NAMMCO, was used a= s=20 the basis for revised estimates for the surveyed areas. - The current best estimate of the central North Atlantic stock of minke= =20 whales is 72,000. Combined with the estimate of 112,000 from the Norwegia= n=20 part of the survey in the Northeast Atlantic, which was reviewed by the=20 Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission in 1996, thi= s=20 gives a total estimate of 184,000 minke whales in the central and northea= st=20 Atlantic. - The Scientific Committee concluded that the abundance of fin and sei=20 whales in North Atlantic waters east of Greenland was 22,800 and 9,250=20 respectively. * Long-finned pilot whales Pilot whales are of particular interest for the Faroe Islands. Data from = the=20 NASS-95 survey did not result in significantly different estimates of=20 abundance, and the earlier number of 778,000 pilot whales in the northeas= t=20 Atlantic was still considered to be the best estimate. The Scientific=20 Committee concluded that the effects of historic and present catches in t= he=20 Faroe Islands have had a negligible effect on the long-term trends in the= =20 stock.=20 * Role of marine mammals in the ecosystem - Fish consumption of minke whales, harp seals and hooded seals in the No= rth=20 Atlantic Based on a review of recent results from ecological studies, the Scientif= ic=20 Committee concluded that minke whales, harp seals and hooded seals may ha= ve=20 substantial direct and/or indirect effects on commercial fish stocks. As = an=20 example it was shown that stocks of minke whales and harps seals in the=20 Barents Sea and off northern Norway may consume 2.5-3.5 million tons of p= rey=20 per year, more than half of which is commercially important fish.=20 - To better understand the possible effects of this consumption, the=20 Scientific Committee recommended that knowledge be improved in a number = of=20 areas, such as variations in abundance, distribution, diet, energy=20 requirements and prey abundance of these marine mammals, the way in whic= h=20 marine mammals select their prey, and the extent of consumption of fish=20 species by other predators in the system. - Sealworm infection in fish Transmission of parasites (sealworm) from seal to fish has a significant=20 economic impact on the fisheries sector in many parts of the North Atlant= ic.=20 The Scientific Committee reviewed the current state of knowledge concerni= ng=20 the life cycle of sealworms. In relation to the influence of seal abundan= ce=20 on the level of sealworm infection in fish, the Scientific Committee=20 concluded that: - The presence of grey seals or harbour seals may lead to sealworm=20 infection over the entire North Atlantic region; - because of their more=20 limited foraging range, harbour seals could be particularly responsible f= or=20 high local infection in fish; - sealworm infection in fish is not=20 necessarily directly correlated with seal abundance, as even a few seals = can=20 maintain high infection levels in fish in an area. The full report of the Scientific Committee will be presented to this yea= r's=20 annual meeting of the Council of NAMMCO, which will be held in T=F3rshavn= ,=20 Faroe Islands from 27-30 May 1997.=20 North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission c/- University of Troms=F8 N-9037 Troms=F8 Norway Tel.: +47 776 45908 Fax: +47 776 45905 E-mail: nammco-sec(\)nammco.no ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 13:27:41 -0400 From: "Rolando Bernal D." Subject: Resident common dolphins ------ Dear Marmams, Since 1989 we have monitoring a pair of short-rostrum common dolphins Delphinus delphis living in a Chilean central bay. The animals made all their activities in the bay in the major time we hav= e watching. Both individuals have been fotoid basing in dorsal fin form. As it is know , this cosmopolitan specie is pelagic. For this reason we would like know if in another part of the world there is this resident behavior in common dolphins. Thank you in advance Rolando Bernal Instituto de Oceanologia=20 Universidad de Valpara=EDso Chile rbernal(\)uv.cl ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 18 Mar 1997 11:01:03 -0500 From: "Olga Rey de Michell,Nina Pardo" Subject: URGENT ------ My name is Carmen Bedoya, i=B4m working here in Lima Per=FA with = Olga Rey de Michell . We are in a campaign to save dolphins, because here peop= le kill dolphins (muchame, sea pig) My e-mail: dolphins(\)amauta.rcp.net.pe=20 Hi, everyone! >=20 > We're an organization called 'Cruzada por la Vida' (Crusade for Life), > based in Peru, and are currently involved in a campaign to save dolphin= s > here. >=20 > Cruzada por la Vida recently succeeded in pushing through legislation f= or > the protection of dolphins, and we are now part of a joint commission w= ith > the Peruvian government to enforce the law. >=20 > We need your help. >=20 > Specifically, we need information on which countries do NOT accept > itinerant dolphins (in traveling shows), and what their policy is on th= is > matter. >=20 > We hope you can help us. >=20 > Warm Regards, Carmen > =09 =09 *************************************************************************= *** Olga Rey de Michell - President Nina Pardo- International Coordinato= r=09 Carmen Bedoya - Assistant PERUVIAN DOLPHIN PROYECT affiliated = with CRUZADA POR LA VIDA - PERU Cruzada por la Vida =20 Av. Pardo y Aliaga 689 4416 Butterworth Place, NW =20 Lima 27 - Peru Washington DC, 20016 USA =20 Ph: +51-1-442-5741 Ph: (202) 244 - 2397 Fx: +51-1-440-2399 =20 Email: dolphins(\)amauta.rcp.net.pe Email:np0490a(\)american.edu Website: http://ekeko.rcp.net.pe/DELFIN *************************************************************************= *** ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 22 Mar 1997 20:34:37 -0500 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Sirenews Sirenews, the newsletter of the IUCN/SSC Sirenia Specialist Group, is now available on The Society for Marine Mammalogy's web site. Sirenews number 26 (October 1996) was posted on 22 March. Sirenews is published twice each year in April and October. http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/ Dan Odell Society for Marine Mammalogy ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 23 Mar 1997 17:52:44 -0400 Reply-To: rwbaird(\)is.dal.ca From: "Robin W. Baird" Organization: Dalhousie University Subject: harbour seal status, threats and management in Canada Greetings, I am preparing a report on the status and management of harbour seals in Canada, under contract to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). Since COSEWIC will use this report as a basis for designating the status (e.g., Vulnerable, Threatened) of harbour seal populations in Canada, having the most current information available will increase the likelihood that the designations accurately reflect the status of this species. I am trying to track down any recent publications, reports, or abstracts from conference presentations on this species, particularly anything related to stock differentiation or threats in Canadian waters and adjoining areas. The COSEWIC review process takes a considerable period of time, and my report will probably not be published for at least 2 years (sometime in 1999 at the earliest), thus anyone willing to share any pre-prints of publications, manuscripts submitted, or unpublished information would have lots of time to up-date how this information is cited before my report is ever released. For any unpublished information which is cited in the report, a copy of the relevant section in which it would be cited would be sent for approval. Thanks very much. Sincerely, Robin ========================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Biology Department Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4J1 Canada Phone (902) 494-3723 Fax (902) 494-3736 e-mail: rwbaird(\)is.dal.ca ========================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 12:38:24 +0000 From: manelg(\)porthos.bio.ub.es Subject: Temple Tag Inc, address Dear all, We'd been using plastic tags from Temple Tag Inc. to mark phocid pups since 1993. We have run out of tags, and we are not able to contact Temple Tag in Texas. Does anybody know the present address? any fax number, e-ma il or mail address will be of preciate interest. Thanks in advanced , please reply directly to my e-mail: manelg(\)porthos.bio.ub.es Manel Gazo Dept. Animal Biology Faculty of Biology University of Barcelona Fax: 34-3-3198959 e-mail: manelg(\)porthos.bio.ub.es ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 23 Mar 1997 20:34:30 -0400 From: "Dr. Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni" Subject: Kogia in South America Dear Marmamers: We are preparing of a manuscript regarding pygmy sperm whales (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf sperm whales (Kogia simus) in South America, as part of reporting a new record for Colombia. After checking the literature, the Smithsonian Cetacean Database and corresponding directly with some colleages (which have been very helpful), we are still short on information for some of the records for these two species in the area. We would like to obtain alpha-level information on Kogia strandings/sightings in South America, especially Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Brasil. We have had the help of Nelio Barros, Fernando Rosas (Brasil), Koen van Waerebeek (Peru) and Fernando Felix (Ecuador), but it has been impossible to contact Eduardo Secchi, Maria Cristina Pinedo, L. Lodi, S. Siciliano (Brasil), and we could not find e-mail addresses for Hugo Castello, Maria Pia Heras, Marcela Junin (Argentina), Ricardo Praderi (Uruguay) and Daniel Palacios (Colombia), all who have dealt directly with Kogia in their respective countries. In some cases, we have tried a number of e-mail addresses, but none seem to work. If anybody has any information regarding Kogia in South America or knows how to contact these colleages or any other colleages which have worked Kogia strandings/sightings in South America, we would really appreciate if you drop us a note at our e-mail address. Muchas gracias, Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni, Milton F. Munoz-Hincapie & Diana M. Mora-Pinto [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Dr. Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni Scientific Coordinator-Caribbean Stranding Network Assistant Professor-University of Puerto Rico PO Box 38030 San Juan PR 00937 USA Phones: 787-767-8009, 787-764-0000 x4878 Fax: 787-764-2610, E-mail: mignucci(\)caribe.net Emergencies: 787-402-2337 unit 990-0440 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 05:04:21 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Captive breeding request (fwd) From: "E.C.M. PARSONS" Dear MARMAM, I'm currently writing a paper on some veterinary aspects of captive breeding in cetaceans. If anyone out there has information on births (including stillbirths) of captive marine mammals, or has addresses of facilities that have bred captive animals, I'd be most grateful.Any institutions who can provide me with information will be duely acknowledged in the paper/report. I'm trying to gather more information upon the sex ratios of marine mammal calves born in captivity. From the data I have at the moment animals born in captivity are predominantly males (about 90%). In deer and several other species of ungulates there are shifts in the ratio of offspring when there are changes in the abundance of nutrients (the current theory is that it is optimal to have females when there is an abundance of nutrients, whereas it's better to have males when resources are scarce). It looks as though this may also be the case in delphinids, which would have rather drastic implications for the various captive breeding facilities around the world and, most importantly, for the population dynamics of endangered species in compromised environments- such as the Baiji. I am, however, trying to to find more facilities and more data on this topic in order to get a more definitive answer as to whether this theory is correct. Getting more information has, to say the least, been difficult. So any data on captive births anyone could give me,or adresses of dolphinaria/aquaria that have a captive breeding program. would be most gratefully appreciated, Many thanks, Chris Parsons The Veterinary Hospital Ocean Park Aberdeen Hong Kong ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sam Ridgway In response to the question on sex ratio in cetaceans at birth Ridgway and Benirschke (1977) contains some information on Tursiops born at several aquaria in North America through 1974 - I count 36 males and 28 females to that time. In 1992, I asked my associate, Michelle Reddy, to do a count on Tursiops in the U.S. Marine Mammal Inventory which would account for births through 1991. The count was 65 males and 64 females. So, for Tursiops, it looks like about 101 males and 92 females. I have read that in most mammals there is a higher ratio of males at birth but males have a higher mortality rate so that by early adulthood and beyond there tend to be slightly more females. There is a great deal of research on sex ratios and what factors can change them. So, jumping to some conclusion about sex ratios in one group or another should be avoided unless one has controlled experiments or a huge amount of data on which to base statistical comparisons. (1977) Ridgway, S.H. and K. Benirschke, (Eds) "Breeding dolphins, present status, suggestions for the future." National Technical Information Service, U.S. Dept. of commerce, pp. 308. Sam Ridgway Subject: Upcoming Conference ********************************************************************** ANNOUNCEMENT Upcoming Conference: 1997 JOINT New Zealand Marine Sciences Society and the Australian Marine Sciences Association "Integrated Approaches to Marine Science" 8-11 July 1997 - University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand ********************************************************************** Special Symposium on Marine Mammals: Some proposed topics include: Ecotourism and marine mammals Ecology and evolution of pinnipeds Management and scientific value of strandings Conservation genetics of endangered marine mammals Population status of baleen whales in the Southern Hemisphere Fisheries interactions with marine mammals If you are interested in attending, please contact conference organisers (see below). If you are interested in the symposium on marine mammals, please contact Scott Baker or Franz Pichler at: Scott Baker cs.baker(\)auckland.ac.nz Franz Pichler f.pichler(\)auckland.ac.nz ********************************************************************** General Information about the conference follows: Invitation: The New Zealand Marine Sciences Society and the Australian Marine Sciences Association invite all interested persons and members to attend the Joint NZMSS-AMSA Scientific Meeting in Auckland, July 8-11, 1997. The Conference: The theme "Integrated Approaches to Marine Science" has been chosen to encourage marine scientists from all disciplines to participate in recognition of the growing need for multi-disciplinary approaches to marine science. Contributions are invited from all disciplines and areas of marine science. We will provide a format of concurrent sessions incorporating well focused mini-themes that will allow participants to present their work to the most appropriate audience. All those wishing to present their research are encouraged to attend, regardless of topic or discipline. Plenary Themes There will be daily plenary session with keynote addresses that will provide overviews of the current status and future direction of marine science in the areas of: Integrated approaches to fisheries research and mariculture development. Chris Francis. National Institute of Water and Agriculture Research. Community and indigenous based management of marine resources. Bob Johannes. Tasmania Physical, chemical and biological dynamics of soft sediment systems. Larry Mayer. University of Maine Coastal ocean modelling: recent developments and applications to resource management. Kerry Black, University of Waikato Interactions between marine organisms and their environment. George Branch. University of Cape Town. Management Day (Wednesday July 9) An entire day will be devoted to marine management issues and research. A high level of participation is encouraged from non-research oriented delegates who are invited to attend this particular day of sessions devoted to communicating what science has to offer managers, and also allowing scientists to get a better picture of exactly what kinds of research is required for effective management decisions. Public Session The Management Day will be capped off with an open public session addressing the issue of the creation of marine protected areas in the Hauraki Gulf situated adjacent to Auckland, New Zealand's most heavily populated area. More Information and Registration Forms are available at: http://www.cce.auckland.ac.nz/ms/ms97.html or contact Gary Tomlin or George Dibley (Conference Organisers) at: g.tomlin(\)auckland.ac.nz g.dibley(\)auckland.ac.nz ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 10:09:13 -0500 From: Matt Bille Subject: Cetacean Study Project I'm a zoological writer specializing in new, rediscovered, or unconfirmed species. I've embarked on a new project, researching a book about the mysteries which still exist concerning the cetacea. The lead author is Darren Naish, a British paleontologist specializing in whale evolution. The illustrator will be Richard Ellis. I'm casting a broad net for data, references, and contacts concerning the following: Mysteries of cetacean origins and evolution (e.g., where and how the mysticetes split off) Recently described species (e.g., M. peruvians) Unusual individuals (e.g., hybrids in the wild, albinistic or melanistic whales, or species recorded far away from their known habitats) Still-unconfirmed or unclassified species (e.g., Mesoplodon "species A," the Antarctic cetacean reported by Sir James Ross, etc.) We greatly appreciate any and all assistance. Sincerely, Matt Bille Author, Rumors of Existence (Hancock, 1995) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 22 Mar 1997 17:40:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Demand for aphrodisiac may pus Demand for aphrodisiac may push sea lion culling LIMA, March 21 (Reuter) - Peruvian fishermen seeking to cull net-ravaging sea lions only want to make money by selling the sea mammals' genitals to Asians who use them as aphrodisiacs, a local conservation group charged on Friday. "They have received offers by Koreans to sell their genitals, to which they attribute aphrodisiacal powers," Rosario Quintanilla, president of Crusade for Life, said. Fishermen also aim to sell sea lion meat, canned or in sausages, to supplement their livelihood fishing for sardines, anchovy and other species along Peru's rich Pacific coastal waters, she added. While most Peruvians adore the playful, whiskered sea lions, Lima fishermen last week asked the government for permission to kill a limited number. They contend the animals tear nets and cause the loss of thousands of tons of fish every year. "They eat the fish and break the nets trying to get them out," fisherman Carlos Sanchez told local daily El Sol. The National Archaeological Maritime Institute says 100,000 sea lions live along Peru's nearly 1,900 miles (3,000 kms) of coastline. Quintanilla maintains the population is not large enough to warrant a culling and fishermen should clarify their intentions. The Fisheries Ministry is considering a pilot programme that would allow the killing of 60 sea lions. But a ministry adviser said officials are mulling all options for resolving the seal problem and that "the solution will not necessarily be the culling." ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 23:17:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: FREEDOM AT LAST FOR MOBY? FREEDOM AT LAST FOR MOBY? By Chris Barry, PA News A 40ft sperm whale named Moby, whose presence in the Firth of Forth sparked a prolonged rescue operation tonight appeared to be safe and out of danger. "Moby is now definitely clear of the Forth estuary and out at sea, he is clear of danger and heading out in the right direction," Dr Keith Todd, curator of the Deep-Sea World research centre which co-ordinated "Operation Moby" told PA News tonight. "We are confident that he is now safe, he is around 11 miles away from the Forth Road bridge," he added. Dr Todd said Moby's case had captured the public imagination and that the centre has received dozens of calls from people convinced they have seen Moby. Earlier today, rescuers and marine biologists from Bangor University used sophisticated equipment to try and trace Moby, but there was no sign of the whale's presence in the shallow waters. On at least three occasions since Thursday, experts thought he had swum to freedom -- only to see him come back again. It is thought that Moby, and possibly two other sperm whales, turned left too soon, on their way from Antarctica to the Azores, putting him in the shallow waters of the North Sea rather than the Atlantic. From there he blundered into the Firth of Forth and the dangers of its upstream shallows. His attempts to get out failed when he got as far as the Forth road and rail bridges, where it is thought the noise of cars and trains made him too frightened to pass through. Rescuers made repeated attempts to guide him out using the noise of their boat engines to direct him. On Sunday night he got stuck in two metres of water near Cramond, having been flushed some distance downstream earlier in the day. Boats were on guard to watch the whale, whose plight brought hundreds of spectators to the banks of the Forth but after about five hours the massive beast had managed to free himself. A BP tug and the crew of a Ministry of Defence police launch,which patrols the Forth, helped force Moby off the sandbank where it had been beached for about five hours. Tonight it emerged that there have been unconfirmed sightings of a whale off the coast of Portobello in Edinburgh. Dr Todd said: "We don't know if it is Moby. Members of the public are ringing up and saying they're sure it is a sperm whale, but we can't be sure until we have checked it out, which we will do tomorrow." He also said that as a result of an improvement to the marine environment in the Firth of Forth, porpoises, dolphins and whales were returning to the area to feed. "Even if this whale does turn out to be Moby then we're not too concerned as he is heading in the right direction." Now that the rescue looks successful, Dr Todd praised the public for their help. "They have been great," he said. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Mar 1997 23:27:19 -0600 From: arkabc(\)ix.netcom.com Subject: Forwarded request >Date: Wed, 26 Mar 1997 14:09:02 >Hello! Though members of this list could help Marvin out best. Contact him at his email below or through his infomation posted at the end of his request. >Regards, >Diana Guerrero > >>Date: Wed, 26 Mar 1997 07:19:12 -0800 >>From: Marvin Snell >>Subject: Platanista gangetica and P.indi (Ganges and Indus) susu >> >>I apologize for taking up the lists participants time in this manner, but I >>am in need of some help. An acquaintance of mine Dr. Wistow of the >>National Eye Institute is in need of contacts that have done research on P. >>gangetica and/or P. indi. >>These river dolphins are of interest to Dr. Wistow because they apparently >>lack a lens yet the dogma is that the lens is essential for normal eye >>induction and development. It would also be interesting to look at what >>happens to lens genes when there is no lens. >> >> >>Marvin Snell >>marvin(\)cts.com >>Wildlife Center >>San Diego, CA >>619-749-8160 (voice) >>619-749-8304 (fax) >> > ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Mar 1997 18:04:46 GMT0BST From: "P. G. G. DAVIES" Organization: Law Dept., Univ of Nottingham Subject: CITES CONFERENCE ELAN(\)csf.colorado.edu, ENVIRONMENT-L(\)cornell.edu, envirolaw(\)oregon.uoregon.edu, FWIM-L(\)listserv.vt.edu *WITH APOLOGIES FOR CROSS POSTING* "CONFERENCE ON THE REGULATION OF TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES UNDER CITES" A conference will be held on MONDAY 12 MAY AND TUESDAY 13 MAY 1997 at the DEPARTMENT OF LAW, UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM, UK Co-sponsored by the American Society for International Law Wildlife Group and the Nottingham University Treaty Centre Sessions/Speakers/Papers include: IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT Professor David Favre (Detroit College of Law) "Why the language of CITES should not be changed"; Professor David Parkin (University of Nottingham) "The role of Genetics in CITES investigations"; Professor Cyrille de Klemm (Member, IUCN Commission on Environmental Law) "Implementation Legislation: Needs and Present Practice"; TENSIONS AND COUNTERPOINTS WITHIN THE CITES SYSTEM Noel McGough (Head of Conventions and Policy Section, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) "CITES and the Plant Trade"; Dr Al Gillespie (Dept of Law, University of Waikato, NZ) "Philosophy, Culture and Endangered Species"; Michael Bowman (Dept of Law, Nottingham) "Conflict or Compatibility: Conservation and Animal Welfare under CITES"; REGULATED TRADE AS A CONSERVATION TECHNIQUE Jaques Berney (formerly CITES Secretariat) "CITES and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources"; Dr Jon Hutton (African Resources Trust) "The view of CITES from Southern Africa"; FUTURE OF CITES Rob Hepworth (Vice Chairman of CITES Standing Committee, Dept of Environment) "The Independent Review of CITES in 1996". A copy of the confirmed programme and registration form can be obtained by replying OFF LIST to Maureen Welch who can be contacted at Law(\)nottingham.ac.uk OR Maureen.Welch(\)nottingham.ac.uk Department of Law, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD Fax +44 (0)115 951 5696 Tel +44 (0)115 951 5700 PLEASE NOTE THAT, IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY REQUESTED FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THIS CONFERENCE, YOU SHOULD ALREADY BE IN RECEIPT OF THE SAME OR YOU WILL RECEIVE THEM IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. P. G. G. Davies Law ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Mar 1997 04:03:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: NZ protects sea-lions but draw NZ protects sea-lions but draws Greenpeace fire By Simon Louisson WELLINGTON, March 25 (Reuter) - New Zealand banned squid fishing in the Southern Ocean in a move to protect rare sea-lions on Tuesday, but at the same time was accused by Greenpeace of threatening a species of tuna. Fisheries Minister John Luxton said he was closing the Auckland Islands squid fishing grounds after an estimated 100 Hooker's sea-lions were drowned in nets this season. The New Zealand Fishing Industry Association denied that squid fishing was threatening the mammals and said the early closure of the fishery would cost NZ$20 million (US$13.9 million) in lost export income. Only around 13,500 of Hooker's sea-lions survive, mostly in the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands south of New Zealand. Luxton said he was required to balance economic interest against any ecological damage. "In this case there is an impact on the Hooker's sea-lions above the determined limit," he said, addingthat long-term solutions needed to be found. The fishery will be closed until January. In a separate move, environmentalist group Greenpeace said it was launching a campaign for the immediate suspension of the Southern bluefin tuna fishery. Spokeswoman Cristina Mormorunni said Greenpeace would embark on a documentation tour aboard the ship MV Arctic Sunrise. "Essentially what we are going to do is see first hand what is happening at sea and to be able to bring those images back to the New Zealand public and the government so that a stronger position can be taken" regarding protection of the tuna, she said in a phone interview. "The situation is so grim that a suspension of the fishery is essential." Most research on the species is conducted by the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna primarily made up members from Japan, Australia and New Zealand. "Their science suggests that Southern bluefin tuna is about two percent of what it wasin the 1960s. The situation is so severe that the International Union for the Conservation of Nature at the end of 1996 listed Southern Bluefin tuna as critically endangered," she said. Luxton was unavailable to comment on the tuna fishery. Mormorunni said the domestic tuna fishing industry had collapsed but fishing in international waters continued. Boats from New Zealand, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, South Korea and Taiwan fish for tuna but only the commission members abide by quota regimes established. ($1 - NZ$1.43) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Mar 1997 04:02:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Baby whale rescued off Califor Baby whale rescued off California dies SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Reuter) - A 3-month-old gray whale calf rescued from shallow water off the central California coast last week died Monday at San Diego's Sea World from an infection, officials said. The 16-foot 2,900-pound calf was on antibiotics and being fed a special formula and was initially thought to be recovering. But over the weekend it grew sluggish and unresponsive to the attendants who were caring for it in a closed-in isolation pool, a spokesman said. "There simply wasn't anything else we could do to save her. We knew the prognosis was not good when we first examined her, but we wanted to try everything we could to bring her back to health," said Sea World veterinarian Dr Tom Reidarson. Sea World officials said the calf was severely dehydrated and emaciated. It was transported to Sea World last Friday. Officials speculated the calf was abandoned by its mother, who may have been ill. Another calf, rescued off Los Angeles in January, has responded well to treatment, Reidarson said. The whale, named J.J., will be reintroduced to the ocean late this year or early next year. The gray whales are currently migrating from Mexico's Baja peninsula to the wtaers off the Pacific Northwest region. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 15:15:53 +0000 From: ebadosa(\)porthos.bio.ub.es Subject: Re: theodolite Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 ------ Dear Marmamers: I=B4m working with Mediterranean monk seal in the Western Sahara and I=B4m studying male territories. I think to use a theodolite and I=B4m interested to get references about marine mammals, where theodolite is used or another similar experiences. Thanks in advanced. Enric Badosa Department of Animal Biology Faculty of Biology University of Barcelona SPAIN Tel:(34-3)3198021 Fax:(34-3)3198959 E-mail:ebadosa(\)porthos.bio.ub.es ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 05:12:24 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: line drawings of the internal anatomy of large cetacea (fwd) From: Michael C Kacergis Dear Marmam subscribers,=20 For some while now I have been in search of a text detailing line drawings of the internal anatomy of large cetacea. I am interested in Megaptera novaeangliae, but other species will do. Ideally this reference would provide detail similar to that found in NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS =93Small Cetacean Dissection and Sampling: A Field Guide. By Jefferson, T.A., A.C. Myrick, and S.J. Chivers, April 1994. In this report there are excellent black and white photographs as well as line drawings depicting the internal anatomy (visceral mass) of both the male and female dolphin. I pose the question, does there exist similar information for large cetacea- clear line drawings depicting the internal anatomy? One would think that this would run along the lines of basic biology/anatomy. I have searched the NOAA Library holding in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. Skip Theberg, a reference librarian writes, =93There are many partial diagrams found in these issues which are similar to what I think you are looking for. I find it quite disconcerting that it is so difficult to find the sort of information that you require=94 Mr. Theberg recommended I contact G. Pilleri at the Museum of Natural History at Paciano, Umbria, Italy. He edited "Investigations on Cetacea=94 Should someone know the email address of (Mr./Dr.) Pilleri, I would truly be in their debt.=20 Sincerely, Michael C. Kacergis Email: Kacergis(\)erols.com phone: (410) 549-0713 926 Slash Pine Court Eldersburg, Maryland 21784 USA Fifth Annual Atlantic Coastal Dolphin Conference Conference Agenda University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC April 4-6, 1997 Conference information and schedule are available on the ADRC web site at: http://members.aol.com/adrcnet Spoken Presentations: Photo-identification of dolphins near Wilmington, NC Sayigh, L., Urian, K., Bocconcelli, A., Jones, A.G., Koster, D., Halbrook, K. and A. Read Sighting Patterns of Individually Identified Bottlenose Dolphins in Beaufort, North Carolina, 1985-1996 Rittmaster, K., Bowles, N. and V. Thayer The Virginia/North Carolina Coastal Dolphin Interstate Barco, S., Bowles, N., Rittmaster, K., Swingle, W. and V. Thayer A Centralized Photo-ID Catalog for Mid-Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins Urian, K., Holn, A. and L. Hansen Calf and Neonate Abundance and Distribution in Jacksonville Florida Caldwell, M. and B. Gunar Dolphin Abundance and Distribution in Jacksonville, Florida Gunar, B. and M. Caldwell Site Fidelity and Association of Habituated Dolphins in South Carolina Gubbins, C. and D. St. Aubin Effects of Training Protocol and Observer Bias on Shore-Based Surveys of Bottlenose Dolphins, (Tursiops truncatus) Young, R.F. and S.W. Peace Aerial Survey of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Along the East Coast of Florida Thomas, C.T., Brooks, W.B. and W.D. Webster Assessment and Habitat Use of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), in Boca Ciega, Florida Eide, S.D., Bolen, M.E., Carlson, S., Doty, S.M., Forys, E.A., Morris, J.M., Odell, J.L., Thomas, K.A. and J.E. Reynolds III Effects of Activity and Group Size on Vocal Production in Free-ranging Bottlenose Dolphins Jones, G. and L. Sayigh The Visual Pigments of the Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Fasick, F. and P. Robinson The Development of the Axial Locomotor System on Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Dearolf, J., McLellan, W.A. and D.A. Pabst Cell Signal Transduction Pathways in Dolphin Renal Epithelium: Effects of Fuel Oil Exposure Pfeiffer, C.J., Mullins, J. and L. Gray Patterns of blubber loss in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) H.N. Koopman Monitoring a Rehabilitated Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) Using Satellite Telemetry Cox, T.M., Read, A.J., Anderson, K.E., Schofield, T.D. and B.R. Whitaker Detecting Evidence of Human Interaction in Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins: It's Conditional Touhey, K., Holn, A. and V. Thayer Documenting bycatch of marine mammals in coastal fisheries: observations of stranded harbour porpoises along the Mid-Atlantic Coast Read, A., Cox, T., Barco, S., Evans, J., Gannon, D., Koopman, H., McLellan, W.A., Murray, K., Pabst, D.A., Potter, C., Swingle, M., Thayer, V., Touhey, K. and A. Westgate Poster Presentations: Changelings: Dolphins Whose Dorsal Fin Features Change Over Time Bowles, N., Rittmaster, K. and V. Thayer A New Database for Whale sightings in Virginia and North Carolina Cornejo, C., Swingle, W.M. and S. BarcoAn Analysis of Sentry Behavior in Bottlenose Dolphins in the Lower Chesapeake Bay Dixon, M., Iammatteo, N., Johnson, J., Collinetti, S. and S.C. Jones Applications of Cell Acidification Microphysiometry with Cultured Cetacean Cells Gray, L.B., Mullins, J.T. and C.J. Pfeiffer A study on the behavioral patters of inshore bottlenose dolphins in the Stono River Estuary, South Carolina S. Guan Seasonal Relative Abundance of Inshore Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Within Different Habitats in the Stono River Estuary, Charleston County Rosenkoetter, S.T., and S. Guan Avoidance of Marine Construction Activities by Bottlenose Dolphins at the Mouth of Chesapeake Bay Jones III, S.C., Roundtree, G.H. III and J. Weaver ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 22:16:15 -0500 From: TWOAB(\)aol.com Subject: infected seals I am a nutritionist working with the fur industry in North America. As carnivours, most of the diet consists of animal by-products. In areas such as Atlantic Canada, a significant portion of the diet will consist of fish waste and related by-products. Over the past few years, as some of the Provinces have resumed the seal hunt, some seal meat and seal by-prooducts are finding their way into the farm raised mink and fox food chain. Last year and this year as these products have become more available, we have seen an increase in foot rot and related staph infections. Many of these have been typed as staph-intermedius. This is a common bacteria that has to date only affected animals with imparred immune response. What's odd are the characteristic leg swelling and foot infections common to almost all the producers that are feeding seal products. Do you know of any reason ? It's been suggested that because staph-intermedius is a common bacteria, that it is likley a secondary infection to a primary virus or anerobe. I have been told that there is a common infection to sealers called "seal finger", presumably an infection due to a cut and causing the loss of the finger. I have also been told that some seal populations are plagued with venereal disease that these symptoms resemble. I'm looking for direction, contacts and more information ....can you be of any help ? Thank You in advance for any ideas you offer. TWOAB(\)AOL.COM ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 15:02:28 GMT From: SILVIA HILDEBRANDT Subject: crossbows for biopsy sampling Dear Marmamers, With the aim of obtaining skin samples from cetaceans for genetic studies, I've been looking for crossbows for biopsy darting. I have seen that there are two types: crossbow pistols and crossbow guns. The pistols I've found, have a draw weight of 23 and 34 kg. while the gun's draw weight is 68 kg. I would like to get in touch with someone who has experience in biopsy darting with crossbows and can give me advice about the subject. I would like to know which is the ideal draw weight for animals which are within 10-15 m. from the vessel, whether it is better to use a pistol or a gun and any other pros and cons of this method. Thank you very much in advance. Silvia **************************************************************** Silvia Hildebrandt Dpto. Biologia. Edif. Ciencias Basicas Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Campus Universitario de Tafira 35017 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands) SPAIN Tel. ++ 34 28 45 44 73 Fax. ++ 34 28 45 29 22 e-mail: silvia.hildebrandt(\)biologia.ulpgc.es **************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 10:21:04 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: MARMAM FAQ ___MARMAM__________________________________________________________ _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/_/ _/ MARMAM FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS and ASPECTS OF NETIQUETTE ___________________________________________________________________ *Please save this message for future reference!* ___________________________________________________________________ **New or updated sections of the FAQ are marked with * for easy identification** TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. What is MARMAM? * 2. What types of messages are posted to MARMAM? 3. How do I post messages to the list? 4. How do I reply to individual subscribers? 5. How do I subscribe/unsubscribe/temporarily signoff? 6. How do I receive MARMAM postings as a single daily digest rather than as individual messages? * 7. How do I retrieve messages previously sent to MARMAM? * 8. How do I find out who subscribes to MARMAM? 9. How do I get help using listserver commands? * 10. Why was my message not posted to MARMAM? * 11. Why did my MARMAM subscription stop? 12. Who do I contact with my questions or concerns? ___________________________________________________________________ 1. WHAT IS MARMAM? MARMAM is an edited e-mail discussion list devoted to topics in marine mammal research and conservation, established in August 1993. As of March 1997 there were about 2,500 subscribers from 50 different countries. Anyone may subscribe to the list. 2. WHAT TYPES OF MESSAGES ARE POSTED TO MARMAM? A wide spectrum of message types are found on MARMAM, all related to marine mammal research and/or conservation. Commonly seen messages include requests for information regarding current or recent research projects, publications, or research techniques; current or previously unreported unusual news events, meeting announcements, job or volunteer opportunities, abstracts from scientific papers or reports, and books/techniques/products announcements. "Casual" requests for information, news reports of common events (e.g. strandings of common species of cetaceans), requests for volunteer positions/employment, opinion statements offering little or no novel arguments, and humourous anecdotes are examples of messages not posted to the list. 3. HOW DO I POST MESSAGES TO THE LIST? All messages meant for MARMAM subscribers should be sent to marmam(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. Messages should include the sender's name and e-mail address within the body of the text, and a detailed subject heading. 4. HOW DO I REPLY TO INDIVIDUAL SUBSCRIBERS? Messages meant soley for a particular subscriber and not for MARMAM may be sent directly to that subscriber using his or her e-mail address, which will appear in the header of the message and/or in the body of the message. Subscribers are asked to include their e-mail address within the body of their messages, as not all subscribers receive headers including this information with their messages. If your reply is of general interest to the subscribers, please reply to the list, otherwise you should reply directly to the individual posting the original message. *NOTE: Many subscribers will find that use of the 'reply' option will reply to MARMAM, not to the intended recipient. Please check your header when using the 'reply' option.* 5. HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE/TEMPORARILY SIGNOFF? All messages not meant for MARMAM subscribers should be sent to the listserver (listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca). As the list-server is an automated service, it is important that commands be sent without errors or extraneous text. To subscribe, send a message to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca which says: subscribe marmam Yourfirstname Yourlastnamename To unsubscribe, send the message: signoff marmam If you want to temporarily discontinue your subscription without signing off the list, send the message: set marmam nomail to continue it, send the message: set marmam mail 6. HOW DO I RECEIVE MARMAM POSTINGS AS A SINGLE DAILY DIGEST, RATHER THAN AS INDIVIDUAL MESSAGES? To receive marmam messages daily as a single file, send the message: set marmam digests to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. To change this setting to individual messages, send the message: set marmam mail 7. HOW DO I RETRIEVE MESSAGES PREVIOUSLY SENT TO MARMAM? All MARMAM messages are archived and are retrievable by sending the message: get marmam logxxyy to the listserver, where xx = year and yy = month (e.g. get marmam log9601). ** As of Nov. 28 1996 all MARMAM messages have also been archived on the world-wide web. These can be found at: http://www.reference.com/cgi-bin/pn/listarch?list=MARMAM(\)uvvm.uvic.ca This archive can be searched by keyword or by date. The archive manager is Quyen Lam 8. HOW DO I FIND OUT WHO SUBSCRIBES TO MARMAM? A list, sorted by country, of all current subscribers to the list may be retrieved along with their e-mail address' by sending the command: review marmam country to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. Subscribers not wanting this information available to others can send the command: set marmam conceal to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. ** The list of subscribers can then be imported into a spreadsheet or wordprocessing package where a "find" command can be used to locate a particular subscriber. 9. HOW DO I GET HELP USING LISTSERVER COMMANDS? A list of common commands for different listserver functions (subscribing, retrieving files, etc.) is obtainable by sending the message: help to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. A more detailed list of listserver commands may be obtained by sending the message: info refcard to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca 10. WHY WAS MY MESSAGE NOT POSTED TO MARMAM? MARMAM is an edited discussion list. Senders of messages are not notified upon rejection of their message nor provided individual reasons why their message was not posted to the list. However, messages not sent to the list typically fall into one or more of the following categories: 1) OFF TOPIC. Messages which do not pertain specifically to marine mammal research or conservation are not posted to the list. 2) 'CASUAL' REQUEST. Messages which request information which is readily available from other sources, such as your average uni- versity library, are not posted to the list. A specific request, with a brief description of what the information is to be used for, is most likely to stimulate feedback from other subscribers. 3) JOB/VOLUNTEER POSITION/INTERNSHIP WANTED. Requests for employment or volunteer opportunities are not posted to the list. Persons seeking such positions are encouraged to monitor MARMAM for opportunities, which they can apply to directly. Students interested in careers in marine mammal science are encouraged to consult the Society for Marine Mammalogy's 'Strategies for Pursuing a Career in Marine Mammal Science', which can be found at the Society for Marine Mammalogy's website: http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/strat.htm 4) BEEN THERE, DONE THAT. Messages of a duplicative nature which do not contribute new information are generally not posted to the list. Exceptions include event-related postings, such as conference information, job openings, and surveys. New subscribers are strongly encouraged to monitor MARMAM for a one week period before submitting messages to the list, or to review recent archived messages, to reduce the number of duplicative submissions. 5) 'FLAMES'. Messages which are derogatory or serve to insult rather than contribute to the discussion at hand are not posted to the list. * 6) INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION. Messages which include only an information request without providing any background information justifying the request and demonstrating that available means to obtain this information have been exhausted. * 11. WHY DID MY MARMAM SUBSCRIPTION STOP? Your subscription may be cancelled if your email is undeliverable. This can happen, for example, if your in-box is full or if your server is down for a period of time. When this happens the marmamed account will receive error messages, and those whose accounts bounce back are either automatically deleted from the list or manually deleted by the list Editors every once in a while. If you find that you receive no MARMAM messages for a few days, try subscribing to the list again. 12. WHO DO I CONTACT WITH MY QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS? Questions and concerns about MARMAM can be sent to the list editors (Robin Baird, Sascha Hooker, Sara Ellis or Kerry Irish) at marmamed(\)uvic.ca ______________________________________________________________________ Updated March 1997 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 29 Mar 1997 05:17:57 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Sperm whale in Firth of Forth (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 28 Mar 97 13:32 EST From: Russell Leaper <0002054254(\)mcimail.com> A male sperm whale was reported in the Firth of Forth (E. Scotland) on 20th March. The whale was in a few metres of water close to the shore at N. Queensferry. Two divers entered the water close to the whale which they estimated to be about 14m in length. They saw no apparent injuries and reported hearing regular click vocalisations. After a few hours, the whale swam off upstream through the Queensferry narrows which are about a mile wide with a maximum depth of around 80metres. Throughout Friday 21st March the whale remained upstream of the bridges in depths of between 10 and 40m. The whale maintained a regular dive cycle with dives of around 14 minutes followed by 10 minutes at the surface. It also had a regular blow rate of around one blow every 16 seconds. Continuous acoustic monitoring was not possible, but it appeared that the whale was making regular clang type clicks at the surface. The whale never fluked up but frequently showed a side fluke at the surface on the majority of dives. This was often associated with changes in swim direction. Background noise levels in the Firth were relatively high with several small vessels and a number of larger cargo ships on passage to Grangemouth. Construction work on the bridge supports may also have been creating noise but this was not detected on the hydrophone. It is very unlikely that traffic noise from either the road or rail bridge had a significant effect on underwater noise levels. At the time there were unconfirmed reports of three other whales a few mile further to the East. There was speculation that these may be sperm whales, but three humpbacks were later identified in this area and it seems unlikely that there was more than one sperm whale involved. Attempts were made during Saturday to persuade the whale to head downstream. The plan was to have a line of boats moving slowly behind the whale. This effort was organised by Deep Sea World aquarium and involved recreational boats, the police, the Forth ferry 'Maid of the Forth', and tugs from British Petroleum. The boats were co-ordinated by VHF and after some initial confusion were well organised with the line of 9 boats keeping a good distance from the whale. Around 1800 the whale headed downstream below the bridges and into the wider part of the estuary. It is not clear whether this was due to the presence of the boats but at the time the boats were all in an arc upstream of the animal and so may have had an effect. The whale was again observed upstream of the bridges on Sunday morning and remained in the area all day allowing a good view from the shore which was packed with visitors. Attempts were again made to persuade the whale downstream but the whale swam underneath the line of boats and surfaced upstream off Rosyth. However, about 1700 the whale headed downstream and continued through the bridges and past the Hound Point terminal. It got into very shallow water and became beached on Drum Sands near Cramond around 1830. The tide was well down by then and the whale was lifted off by the flood tide at 2230. There have been no confirmed sightings of the whale since and so it appears that it may have found its way to the North Sea. The incident raises the obvious question of why sperm whales which normally remain in deep oceanic waters come into a shallow coastal areas and highlights the lack of knowledge of sperm whale movements in the North East Atlantic. There is also the question of what is the best response to such incidents. There has been some discussion in the past of the effectiveness of trying to direct whale movements using boats, but no definite conclusions. The well co-ordinated and publicised rescue attempt in this incident seems clearly preferable to the crowds of recreational boats that might otherwise have occurred. Russell Leaper 30 Ivy Terrace, Edinburgh, EH11 1PJ, UK email rleaper(\)mcimail.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 29 Mar 1997 05:19:09 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Risso's dolphin stranding (fwd) Forwarded message: From: "Dr. Adriana Vella" Hello Marmamers, I would like to share with you the news of a Risso's Dolphin stranding on the Island of Malta in the Middle of the Mediterranean. This occurred yesterday evening. Though the dolphin was still alive when I arrived on the scene, after a huge effort to find an appropriate place, carry the animal to the place hosting the wounded animal and caring for it continously, it died today night. I would greatly appreciate having news and contacts from any Risso's dolphin experts or researchers on the best post-stranding care and treatments. Unfortunately, I did not manage to make such an appeal before as I was involved with the struggle for the dolphin's survival. Dr. Adriana Vella Department of Biology University of Malta Msida MALTA ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 29 Mar 1997 11:36:03 CST From: "Wesley R. Elsberry" Subject: Med. Monk Seals -- Deterrents? I got this message in email that I have no clue about answering. Perhaps someone on the list can help my correspondent out? Thanks. Date: Sat, 30 Mar 96 19:03:09 PST From: daniel Subject: WebSurfer Message To: welsberr(\)orca.tamu.edu Message-Id: Dear Sir, I am writing to you because a person working in a turkish company that grows fish in cages in the sea, told me that they (the company) will shoot mediterranean monk seals because they destroy the cages and the fish go away. If you know of any device to stop these animals from harming the nets, or anybody that could know how to do it, please let know. Daniel Gateno ------------------------------------- Name: Dr. Daniel Gateno Israel Oceanographic Institute E-mail: daniel Date: 30-03-96 Time: 7:03:09 PM This message was sent by Chameleon ------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 03:56:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Nationa DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and ... WASHINGTON,DC (FedNet,28-MAR-97) -- NOAA, as required by section 2306 of the Hawaiian Islands National Marine Sanctuary Act (the HINMSA or Act), has developed a comprehensive final management plan and implementing regulations for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (the HIHWNMS or Sanctuary). The Sanctuary was designated by Congress in 1992. This document publishes the final Designation Document and final regulations for the Sanctuary, and summarizes the final management plan. The management plan details the goals and objectives, management responsibilities, research and long-term monitoring activities, and interpretive, educational, and resource protection programs for the Sanctuary. The regulations implement the final management plan and govern the conduct of activities consistent with the HINMSA, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA), and the Designation Document for the Sanctuary. AGENCY: Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM), Nationa lOcean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administr ation(NOAA), Department of Commerce (DOC). ACTION: Final rule; final rule and summary of final management planimpl ementing the Sanctuary designation. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 06:03:30 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Position available: Lecturer in Global Sustainability (fwd) From: "Peter J. BRYANT" The Student-Recommended Faculty Program of the University of California, Irvine, seeks a lecturer for a one-year appointment for the 1997-98 academic year September 26, 1997 to June 20, 1998). The lecturer will teach undergraduate courses and develop on-line courses related to Global Sustainability, contributing to the Interdisciplinary Minor on this topic (http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/~pjbryant/global/global.htm). The lecturer will be housed in the department of Environmental Analysis and Design in the School of Social Ecology, but will also teach in other schools. The goal for the year is to expose students to a range of general topics from environmental resource management and alternative environmental futures to more specialized issues such as the challenges of shared international resources and frameworks for international environmental cooperation. Given the multi-disciplinary nature of the subject matter, it may be both possible and necessary to arrange for several individuals to divide the academic year. Demonstrated excellence in teaching, research, and/or professional experience is required. Salary for nine months is comparable to that of a beginning Assistant Professor, around $37,000. Send curriculum vitae, teaching evaluations, course syllabi, and names of three references to Priya Gopinath, ASUCI-SRFP, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92687, FAX the materials to (714) 824-3571 or e:mail to pjbryant(\)uci.edu. UCI is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to excellence through diversity. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 06:05:22 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Global Directory of Marine and Freshwater Scientists (fwd) From: Kimberly Murray Dear All The last directory of people working in marine and freshwater related disciplines was published by Unesco in 1983. As part of our work in marine information management with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and the International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centres (IAMSLIC), we would like to compile a new directory. The most obvious way is online and so we have set up a web based Directory. We will of course have to derive other methods for collection of data to pick up those who do not have access to the Web but we thought we should try the Web approach first The database has some 700 entries at the moment, and it is just waiting for all of you to input your details. We are making this request worldwide, so that eventually it will become THE online finding tool for those working in marine and freshwater related disciplines and those seeking contract partners, co-authors, reviewers, specialists etc. PLEASE input your details it will take no more than a few minutes. The data will be validated and loaded within a day or so. You will find a general GLODIR page (with links to input and search pages on) http://www.unesco.org/ioc/infserv/glodir.htm The input form can be found on: http://www.unesco.org/ioc/isisdb/html/glod.htm If you belong to any appropriate listservs please forward this request. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 19:08:20 GMT From: Nick Tregenza Subject: Seal deterrents Daniel Gateno asks for information on monk seal deterrents for use on fish cages. Ferranti-Thompson in the UK make a 'seal scrammer' system which uses a single central unit containing a powerful acoustic transducer and multiple bells attached to the cage nets. When a seal disturbs the net it rings the nearest bell and this noise, of predetermined pitch, is detected by circuitry attached to the transducer. One of a library of very loud sounds is then emitted by the transducer and causes the seal to scram (flee). Various questions have been raised about the effects on seals (deafness? exclusion from habitat?) and on porpoises etc. However fish farmers in Scotland, Chile and elsewhere have been buying these systems because they pay for themselves by reducing fish losses to seals. Where seals are rare the same economics would not apply, and exclusion from habitat might be critical. Others may know more of the extent of these problems. Nick Tregenza ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dr N.J.C. Tregenza Beach Cottage, Beach Terrace Long Rock, Penzance Cornwall, TR20 8JE UK tel +44 1736 711783 email njctrege(\)exeter.ac.uk ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 16:59:24 +0200 From: Lorenz Gygax Subject: literature request ------ Dear Marmamers, Don't believe this is a hobby for me :-) but I want to raise once more a general and a personal point regarding availability of literature in the field of marine mammalogy. I was rather disapointed that there was no reaction at all regarding my attempt to re-start the discussion on using an on-line site for quick access to recent iformation. I had hoped that points like whether and how such work would be copy-righted or whether it can stay there after being published in a peer reviewed journal would be discussed. I think only such a discussion provides a basis of trust(?) and confidence so that someone might gather the courage and put a first item on the xxx.lanl.gov site. Well, maybe this is not such an issue for many. But it is certainly a current problem for me. I have come across quite a few cited theses that sound interesting but don't seem to be published. I have contacted quite a few of the authors and got a copy or reprints (Thanks again to all of you!) but I wasn't able to track quite a few others nor libraries that would have been willing to provide copies. I tried to get hold of those theses through our library but they have been approximately as succesful as I and I have to admit that inter- library-loan is not very cheap overseas. Thus I would like to ask you if you could help me out with copies of the 9 PhD theses, 11 MSc-theses and 6 (somewhat obscure, at least in the eyes of our libraries) journal articles that are listed below. Of course, I am willing to cover the cost of copying and postage where necessary. Please send me an e-mail (lgygax(\)amath.unizh.ch) when you can help me with an item before you start working to avoid double or multiple postings. Thanks to all of you for your help! Lorenz Gygax LL GGGGGG Lorenz Gygax room: 36-L-40 LL GG GG Department of Applied Mathematics LL GG G University of Zuerich-Irchel LL GG Winterthurerstr. 190 LL GG GGGG CH-8057 Zurich / Switzerland LL GG GG voice: 41-1-257-58-52 fax: 41-1-257-57-05 LLLLLLL GGGGGGG e-mail: lgygax(\)amath.unizh.ch=20 privat: Dennlerstr. 23, CH-8047 Zuerich, voice: 41-1-493-57-05 PhD-theses: ########### Brownell, R. L. (1975). Feeding ecology of the Franciscana dolphin, Pontoporia blainvillei, and associated toop trophic vertebrates in Uruguayan waters. Unpublished PhD-thesis. University of Tokyo. Desportes, G. (1985). La nutrition des odontocetes en Atlantique (Nord-Est cotes francaises-iles Faroe). Unpublished PhD-thesis. University of Poitiers. Hay, K. A. (1984). The life history of the narwhal (Monodon monoceros L.) in the eastern Canadian Arctic. Unpublished PhD-thesis. McGill University, Montreal. Heimlich-Boran, J. R. (1993). Social organisation of the short finned pilot whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus, with special reference to the comparative social ecology of dolphinids. Unpublished PhD-thesis. Cambridge. Kriete, B. (1995). Bioenergetics in the killer whale, Orcinus orca. Unpublished PhD-thesis. University of British Columbia. Newby, T. C. (1982). Life history of Dall porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli True, 1885) incidentally taken by Japanese high seas salmon fishery in the northwestern North Pacific and Bering sea. Unpublished PhD-thesis. University of Washington State, Seattle. Ostman, J. (1994). Social behavior and social organizaiton of Hawaiian spinner dolphins, Stenella longirostris. Unpublished PhD-thesis. University of California, Santa Cruz. Poole, M. M. (1995). Aspects of the behavioural ecology of spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) in the nearshore waters of Moorea, French Polynesia. Unpublished PhD-thesis. University of California, Santa Cruz. Slooten, E. (1990). Population biology, social organisation and behaviour of Hector's dolphin. Unpublished PhD-thesis. University of Canterbury, Christchurch. MSc-theses: ########### Crawford, T. W. (1981). Vertebrate prey of Phocoeniodes dalli (True) associated with the Japanese high seas salmon fishery in the Norht Pacific Ocean. Unpublished MSc-thesis. University of Washington, Seattle. da Silva, V. M. F. (1983). Ecologia alimentar dos golfinhos da Amazonia. Unpublished MSc-thesis. Funda=E7ao Universidade do Amazonas, Manaus. Gruber, J. A. (1981). Ecology of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in the Pass Cavallo area of Matagorda Bay, Texas. Unpublished MSc-thesis. Texas A & M University, College Station. Hansen, L. J. (1983). Population biology of the coastal bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) of southern California. Unpublished MSc-thesis. California State University Sacramento. Kruse, S. L. (1989). Aspects of the biology, ecology and behavior of Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) of the Californian coast. Unpublished MSc-thesis. University of California, Santa Cruz. McHugh, M. B. (1989). Population numbers and feeding behavior of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) near Aransas Pass, Texas. Unpublished MSc. University of Texas. McKinnon, J. S. (1988). Feeding habits of two dolphins and a porpoise from the coastal waters of Peru. Unpublished MSc-thesis. University of Guelph. Miller, E. J. (1989). Distribution and behavior of Dall's porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli) in Pudget Sound, Washington. Unpublished MSc-thesis. University of Washington. Weller, D. W. (1991). The social ecology of Pacific coast bottlenose dolphins. Unpublished MSc-thesis. San Diego State University. Saulitis, E. L. (1993). The behavior and vocalizationsof the 'AT' group of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Prince Williams Sound. Unpublished MSc-thesis. University of Alaska. Silverman, H. (1979). Social organization and behaviour of the narwhal, Monodon monoceros, L., in Lancaster Sound, Pond Inlet, and Tremblay Soune, Northwest Territories. Unpublished MSc-thesis. McGill University, Montreal. Journal Articles: ################# Berrow, S. D.; Holmes, B. & Kiely, O. R. 1996. Distribution and abundance of bottle-nosed Dolphins Tursiops truncatus (Montagu) in the Shannon Estuary. Biology and Environment, 96B, 1-9. Bychkov, V. A. 1967. On the attack of killer whales to fur seals off Robben island. Zoological Magazine, 16, 149-150. Hay, K. & McClung, R. 1976. Observations on beluga and narwhal in the Canadian high arctic summer 1974. Fisheries Research Board Canada, Manuscript Series No 1385, 1-55. Kataoka, T.; Kitamura, S.; Sekido, M. & Yamamoto, K. 1976. On the feeding habits of finless porpoise (Neophocoena phocoenoides). Mie Seibutsu, 24/25, 29-36. Michaud, R.; Vezina, A.; Rondeau, N. & Vigneault, Y. 1990. Annual Distribution and Preliminary Characterization Of Beluga Delphinapterus-Leucas Habitats In the St. Lawrence. Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences, 1757, 1-28. Orr, J. R. & Hiatt Saif, M. 1992. A Flipper Band For Individual Identification Of Beluga Whales Delphinapterus-Leucas. Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences, 1856, 1-9. #### this is finally the end of the list ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 08:09:17 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: books available Dear Marmam subscribers, The following are marine mammal books available through two different locations. I've ordered thru both before, and they are both prompt and handle business well. I do not vouch for the actual technical quality of the books though. ************ Connor, R.C. and D.M. Peterson. The lives of whales and dolphins. (Published at $15.95, yours for $5.95). This is via a bookseller that has many copies of this book. Edward R. Hamilton, Falls Village, CT 06031-5000, USA. No phone number is provided. Postage and handling is a flat $3.00. A check or money order is required, no credit cards accepted. Connecticut residents need to add sales tax. ************* Brower, K. 1979. Wake of the whale. Friends of the Earth, NY. $25 (quote item number 051 or 569) Doak, W. 1981. Dolphin dolphin. Sheridan House, NY. $20 (quote item number 108) Fay, F. 1982. Ecology and biology of the Pacific walrus, Odobenus rosmarus divergens illiger. U.S. Government Printing. $17.50 (quote item number 128) Feazel, C.T. 1990. White bear. Encounters with the masters of the Arctic ice. Henry Holt & Co., NY. $22.50 (quote item number 129) Howell, A.B. 1930. Aquatic mammals. Their adaptations to life in the water. Charles C. Thomas Publisher, Springfield, IL. $45 (quote item number 205) Minasian, S. et al. 1984. The world's whales. The complete illustrated guide. Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. $25 (quote item number 315) Peterson, R.S. & G. Bartholomew. 1967. The natural history and behavior of the California sea lion. American Society of Mammalogists, Lawrence, KS. $15 (quote item number 364) Stackpole, E.A. 1953. The sea-hunters. The New England whalemen during two centuries 1635-1835. Bonaza Books, NY. $20 (quote item number 452) Ognev, S. 1962. Mammals of the USSR & adjacent countries. vol. 7. Carnivora fissipedia and pinnipedia. U.S. Dept of Commerce. Translation. $25 (quote item number 549) These books are typically one copy only, so you must act fast. Watkins Natural History Books, 7036 State Highway 29, Dolgeville, NY 13329, USA. email: bearsend(\)telenet.net Phone: 518-568-2280. Telephone orders welcome. Please add $2.00 for the first book and 0.75 cents for each book thereafter (in the States). VISA and Mastercard accepted. Postage charged by actual weight on credit card ordrs. Hours: 4 PM to 10 PM EST Monday thru Friday, 8 AM to 10 PM EST Saturday and Sunday. New York residents must add sales tax. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 14:11:38 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: newsclip - shoot the sea lions SHOOT THE SEA LIONS -- NMFS The National Marine Fisheries Service on 3/28 recommended that Congress allow the shooting of sea lions in California, Oregon and Washington to protect endangered salmon. The recommendation "marks the first time that a federal agency has broadly agreed with fisher[s] that there are too many sea lions and not enough salmon in Pacific waters." Sea lions are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (Paul Rodgers, SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 3/29). ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 10:59:07 -0500 From: Julie Gauthier Subject: information request ------ Dear Marmamers, I have 2 information requests: I am looking for data on: 1) skin thickness on the posterior dorsal regio= n, and 2) water content of the blubber, of minke, fin, blue and humpback wha= les. =20 Published data would be the best but unpublished data would also be helpf= ul. I have looked in the litterature and there is not much information. I fo= und a bit of info on blubber water content (about 15%) in fin whales publishe= d by Lockyer et al. Maybe I am missing something. =20 Thank you very much, Julie Gauthier e-mail: c2656(\)er.uqam.ca Universit=E9 du Qu=E9bec =E0 Montr=E9al D=E9partement des Sciences Biologiques Montr=E9al, Qu=E9bec, Canada. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 18:31:03 EST From: William Rossiter <71322.1637(\)CompuServe.COM> Subject: film footage sought Greetings, Walleye Productions of Toronto, Canada, is an independent film company developing a 45 minute IMAX 3D/2D film tentatively titled "Endangered Species" for worldwide distribution. Walleye Productions is seeking film footage (16mm,35mm,Beta) of endangered marine mammals that might be included in the film, as well as scientific or educational support/expertise to ensure accuracy of the film's content. Please contact Karen Virta, Production Assistant, ph:416-214-4755, fx: 416-214-4822, Subject: Request for Comments ------ Comments have been requested on the following three publications which may be of interest to MARMAMers: 1) Draft Report: Status of the Gray Whale in Washington, prepared by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife=20 - Comments due May 31, 1997 =20 This report evaluates downlisting the gray whale from endangered to sensitive species status on the state=92s list of species. Species are classified by the state as endangered, threatened, or sensitive, in descending order of vulnerability. To obtain a copy, contact Harriett Allen, WDFW, 360-902-2694. 2) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) conducted an investigation to determine whether California sea lions and Pacific harbor seals are having a significant negative impact on the recovery of certain salmonid stocks or on the coastal ecosystems of Washington, Oregon, and California. After completion of the report of the scientific investigation, NMFS prepared a draft report to Congress to submit recommendations, resulting from discussions with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission to address issues and problems identified in the scientific report. The scientific report is complete and available for public information, and the draft report to Congress is available for public review and comment.- Comments due June 26, 1997. =20 Copies available from William Stelle, Jr., Administrator, NMFS, Northwest Region, 7600 Sand Point Way, NE, BIN C15700, Seattle, WA 98115, Attn: West Coast Pinniped Report or Joe Scordino, NMFS, (206)-526-6143. 3) Draft Environmental Assessment on Preventing California Sea Lion Foraging and Predation on Salmonids at the Willamette Falls Fish Passage Facility, Oregon City, Oregon =20 - Comments due April 14, 1997 =20 This Draft Environmental Assessment (EA), prepared jointly by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and National Marine Fisheries Service, explores the environmental consequences of three alternatives: (1) No action; (2) Non-lethal removal of California sea lions (proposed action); and (3) Lethal removal of sea lions foraging at Willamette Falls. To obtain a copy, leave a message for Joe Scordino, NMFS at 206-526-6143. For more information, contact: Toni Frohoff, Ph.D., Scientific Consultant to The Humane Society of the United States, Email: frohoff(\)ix.netcom.com - Phone: 206-780-2532. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 12:29:03 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Seal deterrents (fwd) From: Dag.Vongraven(\)FM-ST.SRI.telemax.no This was originally an answer to Dr. Daniel Gateno, but as I understand that mor e people could have an interest in seal deterrents, I post it to the list: Dear Dr. Gateno There is a company in Norway called LOFITECH, that produces a hydroacoustic dete rrent for seals. For the record, I have no interest whatsoever in this company, but here are some basic information: 20 x 25 x 15 cm box, running ca. 4-5 days on a marine 12 V 75 mAh battery, with a 25 m cable connected to a transducer. Transducer to be immersed under ca. 1 m of water. Range 300 m. No automatic triggering, but adjustable intervals between signals (normally around one minute) and number of signals given between interv als (9-17), with optional randomization. Cost: NOK 19,400 (Norwegian VAT - 23% - excl.), equivalent to USD 3000. If you l ike, contact the company yourself on tel. +47 76085888. Or, feel free to inquire through me. Regards, Dag Vongraven County Governor of S-T Environmental Division Trondheim, Norway tel. +4773949253, fax. +4773949255 email: dag.vongraven(\)fm-st.sri.telemax.no ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 12:35:32 -0500 From: KSgro(\)aol.com Subject: Marine Educator Job Opportunity A marine naturalist/educator position has just become available, to begin immediately. Location: Greater Boston area, Massachusetts USA Job Description: * part-time (up to 20 hours/week). * teaching children about the New England marine ecosystem in a variety of venues (classroom, boat, seashore). * whale watching (public and scholastic). * general assistance in maintaining programs. * pay scale dependent upon experience. Education/Experience Required: * Bachelor of Science * 1-2 years of marine education or marine biology experience Deadline for Applications: April 21, 1997 Along with inquiries, please send your CV (or a detailed education and experience outline) and accompanying letter direct to: ksgro(\)aol.com I look forward to speaking with you. Sincerely, Kim Sgro ksgro(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 12:47:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 50 CFR DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 50 CFR Part 648 National ... WASHINGTON,DC (FedNet, 1-APR-97) -- NMFS issues this final rule to implement measures contained in Framework Adjustment 23 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This rule closes Federal waters at the times specified to vessels fishing with sink gillnet gear and other gillnet gear capable of catching multispecies, with the exception of single pelagic gillnets, in parts of the following right whale critical habitat areas: Cape Cod Bay from March 27, 1997 through May 15, 1997, and from January 1 through May 15 in subsequent years; and the Great South Channel from April 1 through June 30, annually. The intent of this action is to restrict multispecies fishing activities that have been determined to jeopardize the continued existence of the northern right whale. EFFECTIVE DATE: March 27, 1997. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 12:46:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Sea Grant News, Notes From Aro Sea Grant News, Notes From Around the Nation WASHINGTON, April 1 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released by The National Sea Grant College Program: State-of-the-Art Technique Helps Determine Chemical Sensitivity in Marine Mammals The sensitivity of marine mammals to toxic contaminants such as planar halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAH), which include PCBs and dioxins, is not easily measured since legal and ethical concerns prohibit the direct testing of toxic chemicals on protected animals. Certain species of seals and whales, however, have some of the highest levels of these pollutants documented in any animal group. To better understand the sensitivity of marine mammals to these contaminants, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sea Grant Program researchers Mark Hahn and Brenda Jensen are studying the structure and function of one of the beluga whale's Delphinapterus leucas, intracellular proteins known as the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The AhR is a major determinant of PHAH toxicity, and is thought to mediate most of the effects of PHAH in vertebrate animals. This new approach, commonly used to study human sensitivity to toxics, employs DNA cloning, in vitro expression, and the analysis of protein function, and does not require the use of whole animals. Scientists hope that their in vitro molecular and biochemical experiments will serve as a model for a new method to assess protected animals' risk to environmental contaminants. According to Hahn, "Information concerning the sensitivity of beluga whales or other protected species is important for evaluating the chances of recovery of those species, and for determining the most effective action to achieve healthy, viable populations." Contact: Mark Hahn, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sea Grant Researcher, 508-457-2000, ext. 3242; or e-mail: mhahn(\)whoi.edu. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 08:21:00 GMT+0200 From: Michelle Wait Organization: University of Port Elizabeth Subject: Whale watching - opinions required Dear Marine Mammologists, South Africa is in the initial throes of starting boat-based whale watching and having the laws regarding approach to cetaceans relaxed. (The current laws forbid an approach closer than 300m). On Friday (tomorrow) there is going to be a minisymposium on just this subject and it would be highly appreciated if any of you could drop us some ideas, esp. those of you who are involved in the industry or who have worked with the industry. Some sort of comment of things to watch out for would come in very useful indeed. I apologize for the short notice, but hope for some sort of response nonetheless :> Please reply directly to Plett.tourism(\)pixie.co.za Cheers from Michelle Wait writing on behalf of: JAMES BLACK GARDEN ROUTE WHALE AND DOLPHIN SURVEY CENTRE FOR DOLPHIN STUDIES PORT ELIZABETH MUSEUM PO BOX 13147 PORT ELIZABETH SOUTH AFRICA 6013 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 14:09:23 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Conference - Oiled Wildlife seabird(\)uct.ac.za (From the Oil Spill Intelligence Report) The sponsors of a 3-7 November conference to be held in Monterey, California, USA, examining issues surrounding oiled wildlife have issued a call for papers. The conference, Effects of Oil on Wildlife, is sponsored by the Oiled Wildlife Care Network, the University of California's Wildlife Health Center, the International Bird Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, and the California Office of Spill Prevention and Response. The sponsors of the conference are currently seeking speakers in the areas of spill response and contingency planning; moving from natural resource damage assessment to joint inury determination; restoration plans and projects; habitat, species risk, and protection, wildlife response management; research; evolving technology; rehabilitation; and oil spill case histories. The deadline for the abstracts is 1 July. For more information contact: Nancy Ottum, Wildlife Health Center, ITEH, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. 1-916-752-3809, FAX 1-916-752-3318; email: ndottum(\)usdavis.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 12:48:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Offshore drilling `Driving wha Offshore drilling `Driving whales to their deaths' By Zoe Brennan, European Correspondent, PA News Environmental campaigners are reporting the British Government to the European Commission for breaching EU laws and driving sperm whales like Moby to their death, they announced today. The move could lead to Britain facing the European Court of Justice if the Commission backs the claim. Greenpeace has also written to Scottish Secretary Michael Forsyth calling for an inquiry into Moby's death. Ministers' failure to comply with rules on oil drilling might have killed the sperm whale, who died after becoming trapped earlier this week, the campaigners believe. Greenpeace and other pressure groups believe the Government is flouting an 1985 EU directive, by failing to ensure that legally-required environmental impact assessments were carried out before drilling began in the Atlantic. One of their concerns is that the noise of drilling disorientates sperm whales, who can then get lost and die if they flounder into shallow water. Moby died in the Firth of Forth last Monday after being trapped for two weeks, and was taken to a council landfill site today. Greenpeace's letter to Mr Forsyth warned that more whales would die and called for an urgent inquiry into Moby's death. "It is scandalous that the Government is giving out licences for drilling without these assessments," said Greenpeace spokesperson Mirella Lindenfels. "Whales are very sensitive to noise, and experts believe that the industrial noise of drilling is putting them off course. "Something is clearly driving sperm whales off course in increasing numbers, and we are calling for an urgent investigation." She added: "Quite apart from that, we believe the Government is acting illegally in granting these licences without carrying out assessments. "It is irresponsible, because we don't even yet know what lives in these waters. They are so deep that we have no idea, and we don't understandwhat we are doing." The Marine Conservation Society, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds are backing the action. The oil being drilled cannot be burnt without accelerating global warming, said Ms Lindenfels. "On the one hand, this Government is saying that climate change is terrible," she said. "But they are letting people drill for oil when it is generally accepted that we can't burn it without seriously damaging the environment. It is totally hypocritical." Under the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive, member states should have instituted regulations for dealing with offshore oil and gas activities by July 1988. But the British Government has not yet incorporated the directive into domestic law. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 23:06:47 -0700 From: Pieter Folkens Subject: Zalophus Foraging and Predation on Salmonids It is unfortunate, but perhaps not surprising that the proposed solution to the problem of sea lions being sea lions is to shoot them. Back in the 1960s, after fur hunters wiped out all but the last 0.1% of sea otters in the southern range, abalone fishermen opposed efforts to allow sea otters to expand back into their former range. They claimed sea otters ate too many abalone and ruined the fishery. They neglected to mention that the number of abalone fishermen and the take of abalone had risen a couple of orders of magnitude when otter numbers were at their lowest. Two hundred years ago, the pinniped population on the west coast of the lower 48 was significantly larger than it is now. So was the salmon. As the sea lion popluation subsided the population of fishermen and the gross tonnage of salmon taken soared. Meanwhile beaver-like bipedal hominids dammed every river (and salmon spawning habitat). The salmon population crashes. Major salmon runs are declared endangered. Hungry sea lions prey on the few remaining salmon and the solution is to shoot the sea dogs. Hey! Why not shoot a few dams and open up the salmon spawning areas again? That way there'll be plenty of salmon to go around. Or is that too logical? Pieter Folkens animalbytes(\)earthlink.net \\| \| Y _ ,~------------------------/ \___^___^._ | ~ ~.~ ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.'~`^--^_,''/ | (\) _ ~,~.~'~.~,~'~.~,~.~ ~ ~ ~ ~.~ { \_________ \_l ~,~,~,~,~,~'.~.____'-----'__` \ ~ ~ `----------------------\__'--' ` \ ~ ~ ` ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 08:52:39 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Faculty Position - Wildlife Ecologist ************************************************************* FACULTY POSITION WILDLIFE ECOLOGIST DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND KINGSTON, RI 02881 POSITION Tenure-track, academic-year position at the Assistant Professor level in a multi-disciplinary department with a broad commitment to natural resource management. STARTING DATE September 1, 1997 RESPONSIBILITIES This is a teaching and research faculty position. Teaching load is presently three classes per academic year, including an undergraduate course in the principles of wildlife management, an advanced undergraduate course in wildlife ecology or management, and a graduate course in the candidate's area of expertise. The successful applicant will be expected to develop a vigorous, applied research program focusing on the nature, consequences, and mitigation of human impacts on wildlife in a coastal urbanizing landscape. Advising of undergraduate and graduate students is required. QUALIFICATIONS Ph.D. in wildlife ecology or related field is required. Postdoctoral experience is highly desirable. Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain a vigorous, extramurally-funded research program and to publish in refereed journals is required. University teaching experience is required. Proven ability to interact effectively with resource management agencies is highly desirable. SALARY Competitive and commensurate with background and experience. APPLICATION Applicants should submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, statement of teaching philosophy and research direction, and official transcripts. Three letters of reference should be sent directly to the address below. Professor Peter V. August Search Committee Chair Faculty Position in Wildlife Ecology (Log # 191162) The University of Rhode Island P.O. Box G Kingston, RI 02881 CLOSING DATE Consideration of applications will begin on May 2, 1997 and proceed until the position is filled. For additional information, see www.edc.uri.edu/wildecol The University of Rhode Island is an AA/EEO employer and is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty, staff and students. People from under-represented groups are encouraged to apply. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 16:15:52 -0400 From: Paulo Andre de Carvalho Flores Subject: interactions between humpback and right whales Dear colleagues, I'm sending this message on the behalf of my friend Marcia Engel, who has been working with the humpback whales in Abrolhos National Park, southeastern Brazil, and unfortunately is not yet among our fellows at MARMAM. Last season (July to October) she recorded a couple of interactions between humpback and right whales and she's seeking for information regarding this type of interspecific associations among this species in other regions as well as among humpback and other whale species. Any comments or suggestions should be sent to her e-mail at jubarte(\)nuxnet.com.br We thank you in advance for your attention. Sincerely, Paulo Flores International Wildlife Coalition/Brasil P.O. Box 5087 Florianopolis, SC, Brasil, 88040-970 e-mail: paflores(\)mbox1.ufsc.br ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 14:19:26 -0500 From: Robyn Angliss Subject: Long: NMFS Proposes Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Return requested Note: A fact sheet accompanies this press release; it will be forwarded with the subject heading "Long: NMFS Proposed TRP Fact Sheet". ---------------------------------------------- LARGE WHALE TAKE REDUCTION PLAN PROPOSED BY FISHERIES SERVICE Related action restricts some lobster gear in critical habitat off Mass. The National Marine Fisheries Service is seeking input on a proposed plan to reduce encounters between large whales and several fisheries in U.S. waters off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today. The fisheries service developed the proposed take reduction plan after receiving advice from a team of fishermen, specialists in marine mammal conservation, scientists, and federal and state managers. The team was established under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) process and was asked to consider and report on ways to reduce takes of northern right, humpback, minke, and fin whales in four U.S. fisheries: the new England sink gillnet fishery, the lobster trap/pot fishery in the Gulf of Maine and mid-Atlantic, the coastal gillnet fisheries in the mid-Atlantic, and the shark net fishery in the southeastern U.S. Atlantic. Fisheries service officials believe that these measures, once implemented, will reduce the risk of large whale entanglement in the affected fisheries to levels that meet both 6-month and 5-year goals set by law for each marine mammal species. "The MMPA requires us to develop a plan to reduce serious injuries and mortalities of these animals without placing undo hardship on fishermen" said Hilda Diaz-Soltero, acting director of the fisheries service's Office of Protected Resources. The proposed plan applies the following measures to the gear and fisheries concerned: 1) seasonal time/area restrictions on setting the gear in the Northern right whale critical habitats of Cape Cod Bay, the Great South Channel, the Florida/Georgia coastal corridor, and possibly the Jeffrey's Ledge/Stellwagen Bank areas; 2) requiring gear modifications, such as using breakaway buoys, weak vertical lines, or sinking line, designed to allow whales to break through encountered gear or reduce the severity of an entanglement; 3) improved response and assistance to entangled large whales; 4) skipper workshops to increase awareness of fishing practices, responsibilities for marine mammals, and gear technology for take reduction. In related emergency actions, the fisheries service is imposing a seasonal restriction (from April 1 until May 15) on lobster pot gear in Cape Cod Bay right whale critical habitat. This action is consistent with existing Massachusetts restrictions. Only certain pot gear types will be permitted during this period. The emergency action also prohibits the use of lobster pot gear in the Great South Channel right whale critical habitat from April 1 until June 30. Both actions are taken under the MMPA to implement the reasonable and prudent alternatives described in a biological opinion issued for the lobster fishery. These actions do not require public comment and are expected to affect fewer than 10 commercial fishermen. Comments on the proposed take reduction plan must be received by May 15, 1997. Send comments to: Chief, Marine Mammal Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Copies of the draft Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team report and Environmental Assessment are available through the Office of Protected Resources, or by calling Sal Testaverde, Northeast Region-NMFS, 508-281-9368; Kathy Wang, Southeast Region-NMFS, 813-570-5312; or Michael Payne, Office of Protected Resources, 301-713-2322. ### NOTE: The National Marine Fisheries Service is a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. All NOAA press releases, and links to other NOAA material, can be found on the Internet at http://www.noaa.gov/public-affairs . ------------------- Posted by: Robyn Angliss Office of Protected Resources National Marine Fisheries Service 1335 East West Hwy Silver Spring, MD 20910 301/713-2322 Robyn.Angliss(\)noaa.gov ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 14:19:33 -0500 From: Robyn Angliss Subject: Long: NMFS Proposed TRP Fact Sheet Return requested Fact sheet to accompany NMFS press release. ----------------------------------------------------- LARGE WHALE TAKE REDUCTION PLAN: EMERGENCY RULE & PROPOSED RULE FACT SHEET The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has documented historical incidental bycatch of several endangered large whales in the North Atlantic, including right whales, humpback whales, and fin whales. Incidental bycatch of these species is of great concern due to low population levels that may not be able to sustain current levels of human-caused mortality. Of particular concern is the impact to the right whale population due to its critically depressed population level (295 individuals). NMFS is addressing these concerns through two actions: an emergency rule and implementation of a take reduction plan. Emergency Rule to protect right whales In December 1996, NMFS initiated a consultation on the American Lobster Fishery Management Plan under the Endangered Species Act to assess impacts of the fishery on protected species. NMFS found that the current operation of the fishery would jeopardize the existence of right whales, unless changes were made in either the fishing practices or gear. The Biological Opinion, released in December 1996, recommended that right whale critical habitat areas be closed to unrestricted lobster pot fishing until gear modifications are developed that significantly reduce the risk of entanglement to whales. An emergency rule that implements provisions of the Biological Opinion was filed at the Federal Register on April 1, 1997 and published on April 4. This action: - Restricts the Federal portion of Cape Cod Bay right whale critical habitat to certain lobster gear types approved by NMFS from April 1 until May 15. - Closes the entire Great South Channel right whale critical habitat to lobster pot fishing from April 1 to June 30. These actions will reduce the risk of entanglement to right whales during a time of peak right whale abundance in the critical habitat areas. Because a small proportion (under 10%) of the total lobster landings are made between April and June, this emergency rule is not anticipated to have a significant impact on the lobster industry. Proposed rule to implement the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) requires NMFS to develop and implement a take reduction plan to assist in the recovery or to prevent the depletion of each strategic stock that interacts with a Category I or II fishery. Category I or II fisheries are fisheries that have frequent or occasional incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals, respectively. The immediate goal of a take reduction plan is to reduce, within 6 months of its implementation, the mortality and serious injury of strategic stocks incidentally taken in the course of commercial fishing operations to below the PBR levels established for such stocks. The long-term goal of the take reduction plan is to reduce mortality and serious injury of marine mammals incidental to commercial fisheries to levels approaching a zero mortality rate goal. A strategic stock is a stock: (1) For which the level of direct human-caused mortality exceeds the potential biological removal (PBR) level; (2) which is declining and is likely to be listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the foreseeable future; or (3) which is listed as a threatened or endangered species under the ESA. The incidental bycatch of strategic stocks in this fishery exceeds the PBR levels established for these stocks. (PBR is defined as the maximum number of animals that may be removed from a marine mammal stock while allowing that stock to reach or maintain its optimum sustainable population level.) In August 1996, NMFS convened the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team (ALWTRT) to develop a plan to reduce the take of large whales (right, humpback, fin) incidental to the following U.S. North Atlantic fisheries: the New England sink gillnet fishery, the lobster trap/pot fishery in the Gulf of Maine and mid-Atlantic, the coastal gillnet fisheries in the mid-Atlantic, and the shark driftnet fishery in the southeastern U.S. Atlantic. These fisheries are all listed as Category 1 fisheries due to their interactions with marine mammals, particularly the right whale Although the ALWTRT did not reach consensus on management measures, they submitted a report to NMFS which was used in the development of the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan. The proposed rule filed by NMFS on April 1, 1997, and published on April 4, contains proposed implementing regulations which include the following measures: - seasonal time/area restrictions on setting gear in the Northern right whale critical habitats of Cape Cod Bay, the Great South Channel, the Florida/Georgia coastal corridor; - a contingency plan that may be activated in the event of unusual whale distribution, that could include more extensive restrictions in certain areas, including Jeffrey's Ledge, Stellwagen Bank, and other areas; - gear modifications requirements, such as using breakaway buoys, number of allowable vertical lines on certain gear, weak vertical lines, or sinking line, - improved response and assistance to entangled large whales; - skipper workshops to increase awareness of responsible fishing practices and new gear technology to avoid interactions with marine mammals. These proposed measures, if implemented, are expected to significantly decrease the risk of entanglement to large whales. Proposed time/area closures will reduce or eliminate fishing effort when and where whales are most vulnerable. Proposed gear modification requirements are designed to allow whales to break through encountered gear or reduce the severity of an entanglement. The expansion of the disentanglement network, a group of large whale biologists trained to disentangle live whales from fishing gear, will reduce the impacts of entanglement on individual whales and on the whale populations. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 14:55:48 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Publication on pollutants (fwd) Forwarded message: From: alexa(\)porthos.bio.ub.es _______________________________________________________________ NEW PUBLICATION ________________________________________________________________ MARINE MAMMALS AND POLLUTANTS, AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY by Alex Aguilar & Assumpci=A2 Borrell, 1996 252pp ISBN:8460558908 Price: 30$ / 4.000 Spain's ptas. _________________________________________________________________ The scientific production describing the incidence of pollutants in marine mammals has increased exponentially in recent years and a considerable body of data has been built up on the incidence, metabolic pathways, physiological response and effects of pollutants on these, quite often threatened, group of mammals. This volume presents an annotated bibliography compiling over 500 references on the subject. It is expected to assist senior students, researchers, disseminators of science, or environmentally oriented managers in future studies. The book is organized into three main parts: an introductory chapter describing the past, current and future trends in this field, an annotated list of references, and a series of indices which provide access to references on particular taxonomic species, geographical regions, or topics through the use of keywords. Keywords were extracted not only from the title, abstract or keywords given by the authors, but also directly from the contents; the level of detail reached in the descriptive notations is therefore much higher than is usual in common bibliographic retrieval systems. The introductory chapters and the indices are presented in Spanish and English. CONTENTS: 1. Introduction. 2. Thirty years of research on pollutants in marine mammals (1966-1995). 3. List of citations (with authors, publication reference, taxonomic list of species covered, geographical scope of the citation, and keywords of contents in English and Spanish). 4. Author index. 5. Taxonomic index. 6. Geographical index. 7. Subject index in English. 8. Subject index in Spanish. *********************** ORDER FORM ****************************** MARINE MAMMALS AND POLLUTANTS, AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Please send me ______ copy/es at US$ 30 or 4.000 Spanish pesetas..........________________ For outside Europe, please add US$5 or 700 Spanish pesetas for postage.....________________ Total________________ *PAYMENT OPTION 1: I enclose a cheque of pts______payable to T-Fundaci=A2 pel Desenvolupament Sostenible (Cheks must be on Spain's pesetas and payable on a bank in Spain) *PAYMENT OPTION 2: Please charge my credit card (encircle): + VISA + Mastercard Card no.______________________________________________________ Issuing Bank__________________________________________________ Expiry date___________________________________________________ Name__________________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________ City_____________________________ State_____________________ Zip______________________________ Country____________________ Signature__________________________________Date_______________ ***************************************************************** Please, encircle the cross if you want to receive an invoice + ***************************************************************** Complete and send this form to: TERRA- FUNDACI=E0 PEL DESENVOLUPAMENT SOSTENIBLE P.O. Box 94141 08080 Barcelona SPAIN Fax: +34- 3 - 319 89 59 ***************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 09:12:49 -0500 Reply-To: djohnsto(\)imma.org From: Dave Johnston Organization: IMMA Inc. Subject: Med. Monk Seal Conservation Guidelines The Mediterranean Monk Seal Conservation Guidelines Since 1978, there have been numerous meetings to discuss what needs to be done to save the Mediterranean monk seal from extinction. Despite general agreement about priorities for action, there has been remarkably little progress in implementing the necessary conservation measures. In 1995, Bill Johnson and David Lavigne synthesized the available information into a single set of "conservation guidelines." These guidelines have been widely endorsed by the international conservation community. To quote from the Second International Conference on the Mediterranean Monk Seal, held in La Rochelle in 1984: "...there is no longer time for discussion -- only for action." The "guidelines" are currently being translated into French, Greek, Spanish and Turkish. In the interim, the original English version is available for download from the IMMA web site in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format (http://www.imma.org/policy.html). Point your browser to http://www.imma.org/guidelines.pdf to directly download the Mediterranean Monk Seal Conservation Guidelines. Cheers Dave Johnston IMMA Inc. http://www.imma.org ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 6 Apr 1997 11:49:01 -0400 From: anne doncaster Subject: Re: DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 50 CFR The International Wildlife Coalition is doing a report on the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). One of the areas of interest is legislation, regulations or other provisions for the protection of the marine environment and marine life. Are legislation/regulations in place? If so, are they adequate? Are they enforced? Therefore, it would be helpful if anyone has information on measures taken by Canada to protect right whales. Anne Doncaster (adncstr(\)muskoka.com) Canada >At 12:47 PM 4/3/97 GMT, you wrote: >>DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 50 CFR Part 648 National ... >> >> WASHINGTON,DC (FedNet, 1-APR-97) -- NMFS issues this final rule to >>implement measures contained in Framework Adjustment 23 to the >>Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This rule closes >>Federal waters at the times specified to vessels fishing with sink >>gillnet gear and other gillnet gear capable of catching multispecies, >>with the exception of single pelagic gillnets, in parts of the >>following right whale critical habitat areas: Cape Cod Bay from March >>27, 1997 through May 15, 1997, and from January 1 through May 15 in >>subsequent years; and the Great South Channel from April 1 through June >>30, annually. The intent of this action is to restrict multispecies >>fishing activities that have been determined to jeopardize the >>continued existence of the northern right whale. EFFECTIVE DATE: March >>27, 1997. >> >> >Anne Doncaster >International Wildlife Coalition >P.O. Box 340 >Port Carling, ON P0B 1J0 >Canada >Tel: (705) 765-6341 >Fax: (705) 765-6435 > > Anne Doncaster International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 340 Port Carling, ON P0B 1J0 Canada Tel: (705) 765-6341 Fax: (705) 765-6435 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 7 Apr 1997 10:05:27 +1200 From: hiroto ichishima Subject: generic status of blue whales Dear all: I'm interested in the generic status of blue whales. After mid 1980's there seems few discussions over the generic allocation of blue whales, _Balaenoptera_ or _Sibbaldius_. Recent authors seem to almost always use _Balaenoptera_ for the species _musculus_. I was wondering any plausible evidence to decide the generic allocation of blue whales to _Balaenoptera_ was found. When the taxonomic differentiation of a group of animals is considered, skeletal, especially skull, morphology appears significant from morphological aspect. The cranial morphology (bone contact around the vertex, rostral shape, etc.) of blue whales actually seems considerably different from that of other rorqual species. I think what can be "sufficient" in order to distinguish a group of animals from others at the generic level is case by case, but in this case the extent of the differences of the skull morphology among _Balaenoptera_ spp.(except for blue whales) seems to provide a good ground to recognise blue whales as a different genus. The putative hybrid between fin and blue whales has been reported. We can say intergeneric breeding is, by definition, impossible, so that viable, if not fertile, offspring suggests that parental species are congeneric. However, despite several other cases of "intergeneric" hybridization, virtually no rigorous reconsideration about their generic allocation has been made. To get a uniform picture of cetacean taxonomy, blue whales may be able to be separated from other rorquals at the generic level, I wonder. What do you think about this question? Hiroto Ichishima (hiroto.ichishima(\)stonebow.otago.ac.nz) ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 6 Apr 1997 23:42:45 -0800 From: "Michael L. Torok" Organization: Zayante Research Associates Subject: Re: literature request On 1 Apr 97 at 16:59, Lorenz Gygax wrote: > I was rather disapointed that there was no reaction at all regarding > my attempt to re-start the discussion on using an on-line site for > quick access to recent iformation. I had hoped that points like > whether and how such work would be copy-righted or whether it can stay > there after being published in a peer reviewed journal would be > discussed. I think only such a discussion provides a basis of trust(?) > and confidence so that someone might gather the courage and put a > first item on the xxx.lanl.gov site. I think the idea of an online repository for theses is one whose time has come. To accommodate varied operating systems in use, it would make sense to make theses available in a format like Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF). I believe Adobe makes PDF viewers for all major operating systems (DOS, Windows, Windows 95, Macintosh, UNIX). The PDF file itself is independent of platform and allows for simultaneous viewing of both text and graphics in a document. As for copyright issues, each author would retain their copyright to all the material unless they have sold, or otherwise transferred, that right to some other party. I see no problem with a thesis remaining online after portions have been published in a journal. One would ideally have access to the online repository via multiple modalities such as www, ftp, and gopher. If only one of these is possible, the www access would probably be the most useful of the three because it is the most user-friendly. Speaking of which, I found the xxx.lanl.gov site to rather user-unfriendly with tendencies toward the cryptic. I have a vision of a simple web site with theses indexed by author, title, year, and species. A quick search would pull up the relevant information matching your request along with abstracts and the option to download each complete thesis. If there is significant interest in establishing such a site, I would be happy to do a little research into the particulars involved. I could also make my computer skills available to setup and maintenance of such a site (for a meager compensation, of course). Michael Torok ====================================================================== Michael L. Torok Marine Biologist Zayante Research Associates mltorok(\)ix.netcom.com Voice (408) 462-3099 ====================================================================== PGP-encrypted mail encouraged. To receive a copy of my PGP public key, mailto:mltorok(\)ix.netcom.com with "Send PGP key" as the subject. ====================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 6 Apr 1997 20:51:13 -0700 From: Pieter Folkens Subject: Re: Offshore drilling `Driving whales' A few comments from a science junkie in the radical middle. (i.e. things to do on an airplane.) Zoe Brennan's article on 'Offshore drilling `Driving whales to their deaths' comes very close to promoting junk science. It hit many hot points, but failed to support the contentions with verifiable facts or weave a logical arguement. >breaching EU laws [are] driving sperm whales like Moby to their death It's a far reach to claim the death of one sperm whale was caused by this (or any) industrial activity. Beached whales, and particularly abandoned calves, is a relatively common occurrence. A major die-off would have been easier to link. One cannot deduce that a beached calf in San Ignacio Lagoon is a cosmic protest over the proposed Baja salt works. (Something like this has been suggested before!) Northern California recently had a Risso's dolphin calf beach. Although it would have been nice to peg the cause of it on HRC's recent trip to Africa, it can't be done, not logically. Yes, the Ministers' should comply with rules on oil drilling and the sperm whale may have gotten into trouble, but the hyperbole is a bit much. It seems more inflamatory than enlightnening. > One of their concerns is that the noise of drilling disorientates sperm >whales, who can then get lost and die if they flounder into shallow water. Considering the degradation of sound energy as one gets further from the source it is a stretch to say the drilling noise has the power to "disorientate" or "drive" the whales into the shallows. Studies do show that noise motivates marine mammals to avoid the sound source, but obvious disorientation has yet to be proven. > Greenpeace's letter to Mr Forsyth warned that more whales would die Considering the lack of an investigation in the cause of death at this point, on what fact is this warning based? > "Something is clearly driving sperm whales off course in increasing numbers" "Clearly"? How many have been documented? One? I guess that is an increase from zero. Later she said: > "we don't even yet know what lives in these waters. They are so deep >that we >have no idea, and we don't understand what we are doing." So which is it? On one hand they speak with authority on what's happening, then admit they "have no idea." >oil being drilled cannot be burnt without accelerating global warming >"On the one hand, this Government is saying that climate change is >terrible," >she said. "But they are letting people drill for oil when it >is generally >accepted that we can't burn it without seriously damaging >the environment. It >is totally hypocritical." Yes the climate is warming; yes it is going to cause some drastic, even dire changes; yes burining oil damages the environment (by putting gasses and particles into the air).But if one takes a giant step backwards for a broader view, it becomes obvious that we are in a rather minor and normal warming after a particularly cool interglacial period. The climate has had many substantial warm periods in the world's history and there was no industry to blame it on (or people to do the blaming). When we look at the really big picture this warming is relatively natural. But I don't recommend buying beach property! I don't care for offshore drilling and was involved in the (successful) fight to keep it out of Northern California waters. Authourities should follow reasonable environmental guidelines. Nevertheless, I much prefer that all activists adopt a stringent policy in favor of good science. Avoid junk sciene no matter how effective it is in getting the masses all riled up. Pay attention also to the Engelmann Curve (Dr. Rudolf Engelmann, NOAA). An industrial endeavour which fails (oil spill, fallen building, toxic release) has a high cost to both the industry and society. It is wise for industy to take preventative measures to an ideal percentage of abatement in order to place the project at a minimal cost to industry. For society its is important to increase the investment in abatement to lessen the cost to society of potential industrial failures. The difference between what is optimal for industry (relative to cost) and what is optimal to society (safety) is where attention must be focused. Some in society wish to force the cost of abatement to 100% saftey which means killing the industry. This comes at a very high cost to society in jobs. loss of tax revenue and alternative technologies. For example, the automobile and the petro industries were devised in part to lower the offensive pollution problems caused by horses -- methane and otherwise. Pieter Folkens animalbytes(\)earthlink.net \\| \| Y _ ,~------------------------/ \___^___^._ | ~ ~.~ ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.'~`^--^_,''/ | (\) _ ~,~.~'~.~,~'~.~,~.~ ~ ~ ~ ~.~ { \_________ \_l ~,~,~,~,~,~'.~.____'-----'__` \ ~ ~ `----------------------\__'--' ` \ ~ ~ ` ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997 09:59:31 +0100 From: "J.C.Goold" Subject: Re: Offshore drilling `Driving whales' (fwd) On Sun, 6 Apr 1997, Pieter Folkens wrote: > > "Something is clearly driving sperm whales off course in increasing number s" > > "Clearly"? How many have been documented? One? I guess that is an increase > from zero. Later she said: To be fair I think something can be said in defence of the former statement. Sperm whale strandings (alive and dead) have been increasing at a rate which is of some concern. For Scotland alone I believe the number of strandings over the past five years is 59. A recent example was that of six live whales coming ashore in Cruden Bay January last year, some time before that eleven beached themselves live in the Orkney Islands. If you look at historical stranding records the last decade or so has seen more strandings than the previous ninety years. Allow me to quote from Peter Evans work: Status review of cetaceans in British & Irish Waters, UK Mammal Society Cetacean Group, Oxford. 1992 "There has been a clear increase in the number of strandings on the British and Irish coasts this century, particularly since 1980, with nine (average 0.25 per year) between 1913-48, thirty (average 0.8 per year) between 1949-86, and 21 (average 5.25 per year) between 1987-90. However, the peak in numbers in the latest period is mainly attributable to the large numbers stranding in 1990 (Berrow et al 1993)." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Berrow et al (1993). "Sighting and strandings of sperm whales in British and Irish Waters". Journal of Zoology (guess this was in press at the time as there's no volume/page numbers quoted). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- If one adds the 59 strandings this last five years to the 21 between 1987-90 that makes an average of 8 per year since 1987, somewhat greater than the 0.25 per year in the first half of this century. The 59 is also just the figure for Scotland (assuming I remember correctly), I don't know how many have stranded in Ireland. Does this increased starnding rate simply indicate an increasing population of sperm whales, or is something else happening that has caused a higher proportion of animals to strand in modern times? Answers on a post-card please ..... ---------------- John C. Goold University of Wales Bangor School of Ocean Sciences Menai Bridge Anglesey. LL59 5EY. UK Tel. (0)1248 383752 Fax. (0)1248 716367 email: oss123(\)sos.bangor.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997 04:22:36 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: intergeneric breeding (fwd) From: "Jan Willem Broekema" Dear MarMam readers, Hiroto Ichishima (hiroto.ichishima(\)stonebow.otago.ac.nz) wrote: > The putative hybrid between fin and blue whales has been reported. > We can say intergeneric breeding is, by definition, impossible, so > that viable, if not fertile, offspring suggests that parental > species are congeneric. However, despite several other cases of > "intergeneric" hybridization, virtually no rigorous reconsideration > about their generic allocation has been made. To get a uniform > picture of cetacean taxonomy, blue whales may be able to be > separated from other rorquals at the generic level, I wonder. What > do you think about this question? I have been thinking about this question ever since I finished an (unpublished) study on the generic status of the Odontocete species. I used numeric taxonomic techniques to establish correlations between Odontocete skulls. Several examples of intergeneric breeding have been reported from toothed whales, some even within a delphinarium (and therefore well documented). Considering the almost impossibility to interbreed land mammals (and birds, reptiles and so on), this seems to indicate that marine mammals are much closer related than their taxonomy suggests. Maybe what we consider a species should be a subspecies and a genus should be a species? If not, I would,like to hear some arguments. --- Jan Willem Broekema ECS Computer Support Group http://web.inter.NL.net/users/J.W.Broekema/ecs.htm ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997 04:23:43 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Searching for film footage of pinniped disturbance (fwd) From: Kate_Faulkner(\)nps.gov (Kate Faulkner) Greetings. The Channel Islands National Park is making a video for the general public regarding disturbance to seabird and pinniped colonies. The goal is to educate park visitors, especially those in boats, about the impacts of disturbance to the colonies and how to avoid it. We are interested in acquiring high quality footage (film or broadcast quality video) of disturbance and the consequences to the colony of the disturbance. Please contact me at 805/658-5709 or kate_faulkner(\)nps.gov if you know of footage which may be of interest. Thanks, Kate Faulkner Chief, Resources Management Channel Islands National Park Ventura, California ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997 04:41:36 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: old books on whales & dolphins (fwd) From: "Jan Willem Broekema" Taken from ecs-list: ecs-all(\)mailbase.ac.uk As usual I keep you informed of old, and sometimes rare books which are on the market. I have not seen those books, so I cannot vouch for their quality, but knowing the seller I expect them to be in good to excellent condition. If you want any of these, please let me know and I will bring you into contact with the seller. These books do not come from my collection (you wished they were). Eschricht, D.F. Unders=F6gelser over Hvaldyrene I - V. 5 vols.=20 Copenhagen, (1844-1848) 421 p. NLG 1250,=3D. Matthews, L.H. (ed). The Whale. London, 1968. 287 p. NLG 90,=3D. Schenkkan, E.J. On the comparative anatomy & function of the nasal=20 tract in Odontocetes. Amsterdam, 1973. 72 p. NLG 45,=3D. Slijper, E.J. Walvissen. Amsterdam, 1958. 524 p. NLG 135,=3D. Utrecht, W.L. van. On the growth of the baleen plate of the Fin and=20 Blue Whale. Amsterdam, 1965. 38 p. NLG 40,=3D. The Dutch guilder (NLG also DFL) is about 0,45 ECU. --- Jan Willem Broekema ECS Computer Support Group http://web.inter.NL.net/users/J.W.Broekema/ecs.htm ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997 10:48:54 +0000 From: Hal Whitehead/Linda Weilgart Subject: Re: Offshore drilling `Driving whales' From: Hal Whitehead, Dalhousie University I would like to add a little to John Goold's comments about the strandings of sperm whales and their potential relationship with the oil industry. Like Pieter Folkens I found the original article misleading in many areas . However there is some valid scientific speculation behind some of its assertions. As John Goold points out, sperm whale strandings in the U.K. have increased in recent years. There have also recently been an unusual number of strandings of this species in other countries around the North Sea. The North Sea is shallow (mostly less than 200m), and not what we think of as sperm whale habitat. I think it unlikely that the increase in North Sea strandings of sperms is entirely a result of an increase in population size for two principal reasons: sperm whale populations can only increase very slowly (less than 1% per year according to IWC models); and there is no corresponding increase in numbers of strandings in the western North Atlantic over the same time period (I have recently reviewed Canadian sperm whale strandings). The IWC considers the N. Atlantic one stock for sperm whales, and so we would expect increases everywhere, but strandings off eastern Canada have been low and steady at about 2-3events/year over the last 10 years, despite the very long coastline which in many places is close to good sperm whale habitat. So what is causing the European strandings? As far as I can tell this is a mystery, but one speculation I have heard (from folks at WDCS, but I don't know if they originated it) is that seismic work north of Scotland may be deflecting whales moving south along the shelf edge into the North Sea. Then, according to the theory, when in the North Sea they become disoriented in the shallow water and strand. There is evidence that sperm whales react to seismic noise at long ranges (hundreds of km according to Bowles et al.'s report of the Heard Island Feasability Test in the Journal of the Acoustic Society of America). Thus, it seems possible to me that some of the recent strandings of sperm whales around the North Sea may be linked to oil industry activities. However it would be hard to show this clearly. Any comments? Hal Whitehead hwhitehe(\)is.dal.ca ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997 17:14:36 -0300 From: Robin W Baird Subject: cetacean taxonomy, intergeneric breeding etc... "Jan Willem Broekema" wrote > Several examples of intergeneric breeding have been reported from > toothed whales, some even within a delphinarium (and therefore > well documented). Considering the almost impossibility to > interbreed land mammals (and birds, reptiles and so on), this seems > to indicate that marine mammals are much closer related than their > taxonomy suggests. Maybe what we consider a species should be a > subspecies and a genus should be a species? I am not a taxonomist but feel a few points should be raised regarding these issues. Clearly cetacean taxonomy has a few things that need to be worked out, to try to make it consistent with other mammalian groups, and to take into account both the large quantity of genetic data now available, and the increasing behavioural and ecological information coming to light on some species. To date a morphological species concept has been applied to cetaceans, and the recent surge in genetic analyses have not yet resulted in concrete reconsideration of species designations (I seem to recall several different "species" of minke whales, bryde's whales, and bottlenose dolphins being talked about at various conferences and in IWC publications, but haven't seen any publications of new species designations). There appear to be two aspects of cetacean taxonomy as a field that differ from taxonomy of other mammalian (or vertebrate) groups: (1) total reliance on a morphological species concept, rather than a biological one (although this is by necessity for all but one or a few groups, e.g., eastern North Pacific "transient" and "resident" killer whales would be considered separate species using a biological species concept) (2) the use of some terms (e.g., subspecies or race) in different ways than other mammalian taxonomists use them (for non-cetaceans, race almost always equals subspecies, which are geographically isolated populations). So, to address Jan Willem's direct question, what we consider species today should not be relegated to subspecific status, if we want to try to use the same taxonomic rules that others use (since subspecies are by definition geographically isolated and the groupings he talks about are not). But clearly many groups of odontocetes that are currently separated at the generic level should be re-considered, taking into account the hybridization that occurs in captivity (Tursiops producing hybrids with almost every species they've ever been kept with in captivity), and in the wild (a well-documented hybrid between different porpoise genera, and numerous suggestions of hybrids in delphinids, and possibly a monodontid, based on morphological data). Similarly, Hiroto Ichishima asked whether blue whales should be in a separate genus from the other balaenopterids based on morphological characteristics, to be consistent with the taxonomy of other cetaceans. Clearly if one of the goals of cetacean taxonomy is to be consistent with other mammalian groups (which I personally think would be a good goal), then the answer is "no", rather the generic classification of other groups should be re-considered. I would be interested to hear the opinions of other MARMAM subscribers...... Robin ========================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Biology Department Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4J1 Canada Phone (902) 494-3723 Fax (902) 494-3736 e-mail: rwbaird(\)is.dal.ca ========================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997 16:45:20 EST From: jreiden(\)smtplink.mssm.edu Subject: cetacean hybrids The question is certainly interesting. Do cetaceans follow the same rules as terrestrial mammals? Perhaps the idea of geographic separation is not valid, as the oceans interconnect, and the species involved often inhabit very large territorities (on a global scale) with overlapping ranges. Thus, perhaps species and subspecies delineations are purely terrestrial constructs which cannot apply to an Order in which these types of barriers are absent. Species distinctions may be very confusing, since the opportunity to hybridize is everpresent. The real test, however, is not whether a hybrid can be produced, but whether the hybrids are fertile. Horses and donkeys can mate, but they produce a sterile mule. I have heard of at least one fertile hybrid (I'm sure there are many other examples) at Hawaii's SeaLife Park: the famous "wholphin". that was fertile. I think she mated with another dolphin to produce viable offspring. Sincerely, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ___ \~#\_ Joy Reidenberg, Ph.D., Assistant Professor __________________________ \~##\_ Box 1007, Dept. Cell Bio./Anatomy _____/############))))))))))))))) \~###\__ Mount Sinai School of Medicine ____/#############==((\))==//////////_- >~#####\___New York, NY 10029-6574____/################========/////////_- /~##/\_=####\_____/\__________/####################\ |=======/////////_- /~#_/ \_=#####################################====/ /=====////////_- /__/ \__==#############################========\/====//////_- \___======================================/////_- e-Mail: \________==========================///_- jreiden(\)smtplink.mssm.edu \________________________- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997 17:06:00 EDT From: Robert Kenney Subject: Re: Offshore drilling `Driving whales' >................... Then, according to the theory, when in the North >Sea they become disoriented in the shallow water and strand. I can't say anything directly about disturbance from seismic exploration as a factor in disorienting sperm whales, or about the cause(s) of increased stranding frequency in the eastern North Atlantic, however I think it unlikely that the mere fact of being in shallow water would disorient a sperm whale (all other factors being equal). During the period from the late 1970s through the mid 1980s (primarily based on the CETAP survey data, augmented by the sighting program carried out from NMFS vessels), a significant percentage of the sperm whale sightings off the northeast U.S., about one in five in fact, occurred in waters inside the 200-meter isobath. Sperm whales were sighted regularly off southern New England and off the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia, in water as shallow as 21 m. We saw large, solitary males just south of Martha's Vineyard often enough that we usually flew home from right whale surveys of the Great South Channel over that area purposely to look for them. By the way, we used the wing shadow of the airplane (38-foot wingspan) as a field sexing measurement tool. I realize that this may be more or less unique in comparison with sperm whale habitat use patterns elsewhere in the world, but it does indicate that they are perfectly able to utilize shallow habitats at times. Jim Hain and I were working on a manuscript on this phenomenon, but it turned into one of those projects that gets almost finished, then is consigned to a desk drawer when more pressing business comes along. Cheers, Bob =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Robert D. Kenney, Ph.D. rkenney(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu | | University of Rhode Island ('gsosunONE' not 'gsosunELL') | | Graduate School of Oceanography | | Box 41, Bay Campus TEL: (401) 874-6664 | | Narragansett, RI 02882-1197, U.S.A. FAX: (401) 874-6497 | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997 15:13:13 -0700 From: Rick LeDuc Subject: cetacean genera Hi all, I have a couple cents to add regarding cetacean genera. Past morphological systematic work on cetaceans at any taxonomic level has been largely phenetic (Heyning's work being an exception), and most of the recent stuff assumes the monophyly of genera. However, this monophyly is definitely open to question. In my field of interest (delphinids), morphologists have long recognized that some genera (e.g., Stenella) are artificial assemblages of species, but the requisite systematic revision of the family has been slow in coming. Recent molecular systematic work on delphinids indicates that Stenella and Lagenorhynchus both are paraphyletic (Cipriano has something in press on Lags and I'm finishing my thesis on the whole family; both were presented at the Orlando meetings). So in considering the degree of differentiation of recognized genera, we must remember that some of these genera are not monophyletic. This is not a molecules vs morphology issue; the morphological dolphin systematists I have talked to have little problem with the Lag and Stenella results. Similar questions arise for baleen whales; for example, most genetic work has grey whales nested within the balaenopterids, in some cases within Balaenoptera. The upshot is that determining relative common ancestry of species should precede any decisions about what level constitutes a genus, subfamily, family, etc. Perhaps a third aspect of cetacean taxonomy should be added to Baird's list: the rarity of good cladistic analyses. It is interesting that the reported wild and captive hybrids (Tursiops & Grampus/Steno/Pseudorca/Globicephala; Delphinus & L. obscurus) all involve parents that were not closely related in my mitochondrial DNA analysis. Given that, Broekema's question regarding taxonomic ranking deserves more consideration. Maybe Linnaeus was right in describing Delphinus delphis, Delphinus orca, and Delphinus phocoena. Thanx and I'll shut up now, Rick Rick LeDuc SWFSC PO Box 271 La Jolla, CA 92038 Ph: 619-546-7095 FAX: 619-546-7003 e-mail: rleduc(\)ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 9 Apr 1997 00:12:30 -0700 From: Craig Mckenzie Subject: Re: Offshore drilling `Driving whales' (fwd) Dear Marmammers, I would like to put in some real numbers, with regards to sperm whale strandings around the Scottish coastline in the past five years - John Goold wrote >To be fair I think something can be said in defence of the former >statement. Sperm whale strandings (alive and dead) have been increasing >at a rate which is of some concern. For Scotland alone I believe the >number of strandings over the past five years is 59. A recent example >was that of six live whales coming ashore in Cruden Bay January last year, >some time before that eleven beached themselves live in the Orkney Islands. >If you look at historical stranding records the last decade or so has seen >more strandings than the previous ninety years. To be more precise Since 1992, 37 sperm whales carcasses, from 22 stranding incidents, have been identified on the Scottish coast, 29 between 1994 and 1996. Of the total, 24 animals were stranded on the east (North sea) coast of Scotland and the Orkney and Shetland Isles whilst 12 were stranded on the west ( Atlantic) coast of Scotland (Mainland, Western Isles, Islay). There were 7 stranding incidents on the east coast and northern isles comprising 5 single stranded sperm whales and 2 mass strandings at Cruden Bay (6 animals) and on Sanday (11 animals). In addition to these strandings I also have information on strandings in the Netherlands (3, Scheveningen, 1994), Belgium (4, Koksijde, 1994), Germany (1, 1994) and Denmark (16, Romo, 1996). The Scottish strandings data has been collected by the Scottish Agricultural College under a contract from the Dept. of the Environment. Tissues were collected from 27 animals (20 Scottish, 3 Dutch, 4 Belgian) for organic contaminant analysis (and trace metals from Cruden Bay). The contaminants data and the morphometrics (age, sex, length, blubber thickness etc) will soon be available as a Scottish Fisheries Working Paper, which will then be submitted for journal publication. 'Organic contaminants and trace metals in sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) stranded in Northern European Waters 1993-1996" Mckenzie C., Reid, R.J. and Wells D.E." In addition analysis of a large number of environmental contaminants has been carried out on the Danish strandings under work coordinated by Bjarne Clausen. I hope this additional information is useful to the sperm whale discussion. Craig McKenzie SOAEFD Marine Laboratory Aberdeen Tel (01224) 295462 E-mail mckenziec(\)marlab.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 9 Apr 1997 09:26:44 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Increase in sperm whale strandings... (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "R.H. Lambertsen" The article to follow appeared in the Autumn 1996 Newsletter of the Veterinary Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (Newsletter Number 12, Peter Turnbull, Editor). It is directly relevant to the recent MARMAM discussion on sperm whale mortality. It refers to a publication of the Royal Institute of Natural Sciences of Belgium on the North Sea sperm whale stranding phenomenon. That publication, at this moment, is nearing completion. Yours sincerely, R.H. Lambertsen, Ph.D., V.M.D. Ecosystems Technology Transfer, Inc. P.O. Box 6788 Titusville, FL 32782 USA _______________________________________________________________ North Sea Sperm Whale Deaths Richard H. Lambertsen P.O. Box 6788, Titusville, Florida 32782 USA The recent past has seen unprecedented mass mortalities of small marine mammals. These in several instances have been linked to morbilliviral epizootics that might in fact have been exacerbated by toxic immunosuppression caused by a polluted diet (for a review see the contribution of R.L. de Swart and A.D.M.E. Osterhaus to VSG Newsletter No. 10)1. Less clearly understood is a significant parallel increase in both live and dead strandings of the largest odontocete cetacean, the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), in the North Sea and adjacent waters. This species feeds lower on the food chain than most seals and dolphins, so bioaccumulation of toxics is expected to be less, and in deep water, not the more polluted coastal zone. Even so, in late 1988 and early 1989, at least 36 sperm whales were reported dead in the North Sea region, 9 afloat, the remaining 27 stranded on the Norwegian coast2. At least 5 other sperm whales stranded during the same period on the coasts of Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and Faroe Islands. The following year, 12 dead sperm whales beached on the Eire and UK west coasts and, on the Norwegian coast, an additional twenty3. Data obtained from another 20 sperm whales that stranded in 1994/1995 on the North Sea coast were considered at an international workshop convened in November l995 by the Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models, Belgium Ministry of Public Health and Environment, as part of the Belgium Prime Minister's Impulse Program in Marine Science. Measurements of blubber lipid content, interpreted in the context of toxicological, pathological, historical and geographic data, suggested a general process of starvation in a shallow sea essentially devoid of those pelagic cephalopods which constitute the dominant prey of the sperm whale. Acute ulceration of the skin4, taking the form of large distinctive oval lesions that have not been reported in any previous pathological study, viz., of commercial catches of sperm whales5-8, occurred in the one animal that also had the extreme lowest blubber lipid content. Other similar remarkable lesions were found by histo- and anatomic pathology to be subacute or chronic in appearance. The fact that the one whale bearing acute skin lesions4 also carried the lowest concentration of lipid-soluble toxicants9 suggested that any cause of death linked to the formation of such lesions was not related to pollution. Workshop proceedings, to be published by the Royal Institute of Natural Sciences of Belgium, will bring forward new data and hypotheses concerning the recent increase in sperm whale deaths in the North Sea. Sperm whale strandings in that region continues at higher than historical rates. References 1. R.L. de Swart and Osterhaus, A.D.M.E. Morbillivirus infections in marine mammals. IUCN Species Survival Commission Veterinary Specialist Newsletter 10: 6-8, 1995. 2. Christensen, I. A note on the recent strandings of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) and other cetaceans in Norwegian waters. Rep. Int. Whal. Comm. 40: 513-515, 1990. 3. Berrow, S.D., Evans, P.G.H. and Sheldrick, M.C. An analysis of sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus L. strandings and sightings records from Britain and Irelands. Proceedings of the 5th Annual European Cetacean Society Conference. Sandefjord, Norway. 21-23 Februrary, l991. 4. Jauniaux, T. and Coignoul, F. Hard palate and skin ulcers of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) stranded along the Belgian and Dutch coasts during the 94-95 winter. Proceedings of the 10th Annual European Cetacean Society Conference, Lisbon, Spain. 11-13 March, l996 (in press). 5. Cockrill, W.R. Pathology of the Cetacea. Parts 1 and 2. Brit. Vet. J. 116: 113-189, l960. 6. Uys, C.J. and P.B. Best. Pathology of lesions observed in whales flensed at Saldanha Bay, South Africa. J. Comp. Pathol. 76: 407-412, l966. 7. Berzin, A. A. Parasites and enemies. In: Berzin, A.A. [The Sperm Whale]. Israel Program for Scientific Translations. Jeruselum. Pp. 273-304. 1971. 8. Lambertsen, R.H. Disease biomarkers in large whale populations of the North Atlantic and other oceans. In: Biomarkers of Environmental Contamination. J. McCarthy and L. Shugart (Eds.). Lewis Publishers and CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. Pp. 395-417, l990. 9. Law, R.J., Stringer, R.L., Allchin, C.R. and Jones, B.R. Metals and organochloroines in sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) stranded around the North Sea during the l994/1995 winter. Marine Pollution Bulletin 32: 72-77, 1996. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Apr 1997 03:55:21 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: cetacean hybrids -Reply (fwd) Forwarded message: From: Alex Rooney (J. Derr's Lab) I think that the cetacean hybrid "problem" relates mainly to the idea of species concept. If one invokes the traditional biological species concept, then perhaps hybridization is a problem. However, there are many more species concepts that one could apply to cetaceans e.g., independent gene pools, phylogenetic species, etc. Second, how frequently in nature do these hybrids arise? Is there a particluar hybrid zone, such as identified between two species deer in the U.S.? Before anyone goes dissolving genera, one should also consider the fact that chromosomal conservation among plays a large part in determining if two species can hybridize and produce viable offspring. For example, dogs, wolves, and coyotes can all hybridize and produce fertile offspring. So can grizzlies and polar bears, lions and tigers, mule deer and white-tailed deer, certain tree frogs in the Hyla genus as well as frogs in Rana. This list goes on. A well known case where chromosomal conservation allows viable, but infertile, offspring to be produced is between the horse and donkey. (This is due to the offspring having an odd number of chromosomes.) The fact that distinct species can interbreed, from a cladistic standpoint, is a plesiomorphic characteristic i.e., one that is remnant from a time when both species were one in the same. One should keep this in mind when proposing systematic changes. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 9 Apr 1997 08:34:17 BSC From: Andre Organization: UNIVERSIDADE DO RIO GRANDE - RS - BRASIL Subject: Re: cetacean hybrids In-Reply-To: Message of Tue, 8 Apr 1997 16:45:20 EST from Well, here goes my two cents too. I think that the problem of cetacean hybrids and species has other implications also. As I'm starting to go into the deep waters of taxonomy (not only of cetaceans) as a result of my work on geographical variations of Tursiops, I couldn't find a reference which defined where is the point from which we have to say "those are different SPECIES" or "those are diferent SUBSPECIES" (if someone now about such reference, please tell me). The whole concept of species is somewhat blurred to me. I know that the biological concept ("not being able to produce fertile hybrids") is a good one, but when we get to real situations, things start to get difficult. If I'm not mistaken, there were in some zoos arounnd the world what were called "Ligers", which were hybrids of lions and tigers. I'm not sure if they were fertile, but it still serves to prove that sometimes the hability to copulate and produce offspring is retained among different species. This probably also happens in many other species. The key point here is that although hybrids may be produced, they shouldn't be able to reproduce in great numbers, and eventually they will disappear from the populations. It's known that female choice plays a great part in some cetacean species, and this might be as good as being infertile for a hybrid. If a hybrid is not "attractive" to a female it might not get a chance to copulate and produce offspring. And this might be enough to maintain the integrity of the concerned species. If we start to find hybrids in great numbers, then perhaps we could say that the previous species were NOT species, but rather subspecies or geographical races. And then I return to the point I raised in the beggining of this message: where is the division between a species and a subspecies? What level of morphological or genetic difference is enough to separate two groups of organisms into two species? From what I've heard from people, this still is a personal decision of each researcher. As there are no rules to where to draw the line, then each one draws it where it seems fit. This might cause problems in both extremes: creating too many species or too few. As was pointed out in a previous message by Robin Baird, perhaps the "transient" and "resident" killer whales. And previous discarded species of Tursiops are returning after studies that show that they are valid. But again, it's up to the researcher decide what they are: species, subspecies, geographical races, ecotypes, ... If I'm mistaken, and there is a consensus about where ends a species and begins a subspecies/geographical race, then please tell me where to look about it. Sincerely, Andre S. Barreto | Laboratorio de Mamiferos Marinhos | Depto. de Oceanografia - FURG (posasb(\)super.furg.br) | C.P. 474 Rio Grande RS | 96201-900 | Brasil __________________________|_____________________________________ | "Science is common sense subject to criticism." | | Carolus M. Vooren | |________________________________________________________________| ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 9 Apr 1997 22:11:26 -0400 From: Tim Sullivan Subject: 25th Annual IMATA Conference The 25th Annual International Marine Animal Trainers Association Conference will be held in Baltimore, MD from 26-31 October, 1997. The meeting will be hosted by the National Aquarium in Baltimore. For more information please contact Tim Sullivan at the Brookfield Zoo / Seven Seas, 3300 Golf Road, Brookfield. IL. 60513. PH: 708-485-0263-x464, FAX: 708-485-3532, e-mail: Orosmarus(\)aol.com. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Apr 1997 07:58:33 -0400 From: "Samuel S. Sadove" Subject: Re: Offshore drilling `Driving whales' I can add to Bob Kenny's comments since I have recently published a paper on the recurrent occupation of very shallow waters for Sperm Whales. Those interested it will be in April's Marine Mammal Science. Over more than 11 years Sperm whales have regularly been seen at the same time of year of Long Island, New York, in water as shallow as 17m. Since they are seen in this area every year at the same time it is unlikely that they are disturbed by shallow water. I have also handled a few strandings of sperm whales, inclusive of handling a live captive animal for about 10 days. The captive animal was in water less than 5m and occassionally les than 2m. During times that the water was below 3m the animal was touch the bottom and this dramatically changed its behavior, causing it to list often. However, at greater depths it seemed more mobile. As a final note from this animal it did seem to be effected by increased acoustic activity around the area it was held. The more activity, and I would presume associated noise, around the dock area the less active the animal became. In addition, sudden increases in soise produced an increased respiratory rate. We kept respiratory rates on this animal for the entire 11 days. Hope this is useful. At 05:06 PM 4/8/97 EDT, you wrote: > >>................... Then, according to the theory, when in the North >>Sea they become disoriented in the shallow water and strand. > >I can't say anything directly about disturbance from seismic exploration as >a factor in disorienting sperm whales, or about the cause(s) of increased >stranding frequency in the eastern North Atlantic, however I think it >unlikely that the mere fact of being in shallow water would disorient a >sperm whale (all other factors being equal). During the period from the >late 1970s through the mid 1980s (primarily based on the CETAP survey data, >augmented by the sighting program carried out from NMFS vessels), a >significant percentage of the sperm whale sightings off the northeast U.S., >about one in five in fact, occurred in waters inside the 200-meter isobath. >Sperm whales were sighted regularly off southern New England and off the >southwestern tip of Nova Scotia, in water as shallow as 21 m. We saw large, >solitary males just south of Martha's Vineyard often enough that we usually >flew home from right whale surveys of the Great South Channel over that area >purposely to look for them. By the way, we used the wing shadow of the >airplane (38-foot wingspan) as a field sexing measurement tool. > >I realize that this may be more or less unique in comparison with sperm >whale habitat use patterns elsewhere in the world, but it does indicate that >they are perfectly able to utilize shallow habitats at times. Jim Hain and >I were working on a manuscript on this phenomenon, but it turned into one of >those projects that gets almost finished, then is consigned to a desk drawer >when more pressing business comes along. > >Cheers, >Bob > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > | Robert D. Kenney, Ph.D. rkenney(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu | > | University of Rhode Island ('gsosunONE' not 'gsosunELL') | > | Graduate School of Oceanography | > | Box 41, Bay Campus TEL: (401) 874-6664 | > | Narragansett, RI 02882-1197, U.S.A. FAX: (401) 874-6497 | > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > Samuel S. Sadove Researh Director Puffin Consulting, Inc / Trade-Winds Environmental Inc. / CRESLI P.O. Box 361 Jamesport, NY 11947 email:bphysa1(\)pipeline.com ssadove(\)worldnet.att.net Phone: 516-722-8160 or 516-755-4000 Fax: 516-722-5199 or 516-755-4018 "The more we know of other forms of life, the more we enjoy and respect ourselves. Humanity is exalted not because we are so far above other living crestures, but because knowing them well elevates the very concept of life." E.O Wilson ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Apr 1997 08:37:11 -0700 From: "John E. Heyning" Subject: Re: generic status of blue whales Hiroto and others: I do not see the tremendous differences between blue whales and other Balaenoptera. In fact, as I recall, the vertex of fin whales is more different from other Balaenopetera than the blue whale. DNA sequence analysis places blue whales deep within the Balaenoptera clade. I would ignore hybridization as a fact to support or refute any claim of close relationship. there are numerous cases of very different delphinids getting together and producing viable young. At 10:05 AM 4/7/97 +1200, you wrote: >Dear all: > >I'm interested in the generic status of blue whales. After mid 1980's >there seems few discussions over the generic allocation of blue whales, >_Balaenoptera_ or _Sibbaldius_. Recent authors seem to almost always use >_Balaenoptera_ for the species _musculus_. I was wondering any plausible >evidence to decide the generic allocation of blue whales to _Balaenoptera_ >was found. > >When the taxonomic differentiation of a group of animals is considered, >skeletal, especially skull, morphology appears significant from >morphological aspect. The cranial morphology (bone contact around the >vertex, rostral shape, etc.) of blue whales actually seems considerably >different from that of other rorqual species. I think what can be >"sufficient" in order to distinguish a group of animals from others at the >generic level is case by case, but in this case the extent of the >differences of the skull morphology among _Balaenoptera_ spp.(except for >blue whales) seems to provide a good ground to recognise blue whales as a >different genus. > >The putative hybrid between fin and blue whales has been reported. We can >say intergeneric breeding is, by definition, impossible, so that viable, if >not fertile, offspring suggests that parental species are congeneric. >However, despite several other cases of "intergeneric" hybridization, >virtually no rigorous reconsideration about their generic allocation has >been made. To get a uniform picture of cetacean taxonomy, blue whales may >be able to be separated from other rorquals at the generic level, I wonder. >What do you think about this question? > >Hiroto Ichishima (hiroto.ichishima(\)stonebow.otago.ac.nz) > > John E. Heyning, Ph.D. Curator of Mammals Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007 213 744 3404 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Apr 1997 14:41:01 CET From: Jan Willem Broekema Subject: cetacean species: here we go again Dear all, I have been very interested in the arguments I've heard sofar. But I'm not convinced that our cetacean taxonomy is soundly based. First some things about the species concept. Cetaceans are mammals, right? I don't see any reason why our species concept (as used in other mammals) should be any different here. Seals, polar bears, manatees and otters are treated likewise. Of course we should realise that the species concept is man made. It is an instrument to measure nature, just as a meter is for length. That it does not hold up under scrutiny is well known; there are many examples where species 'diffuse' into another at a boundery. A well known example are two sea gull species in Western Europe. One of these extends westward into Siberia and the other has an eastern range. There, in the middle of nowhere, they are one species. Had the taxonomists lived there, he would have described one species with a worldwide expansion. The specimens (not species) of the outer edges of the range are so different that they do not interbreed. If you change the color of their eyes, they do interbeed. Species need not necessarily be unable to interbreed (fertile). They may have different geologic ranges and never the twain shall meet (lion and tiger). They may, indeed, not interbeed because the color is different (sea gulls), the size or behaviour. I don't want to start a whole discussion on the subject 'species', but it seems to be rather important for us. And I don't agree with the argument that cetaceans 'have no bounderies' assuming that they are all world-wide species. They certainly are not and there exist many bounderies: temperature, salinity, food, continents, depth. Back to the whales and dolphins. Here we have offspring from the interbreeding of different genera, not just species. I can live with the interbreeding of species in rare cases (as justly stated by Alex Rooney and Andre Barreto). But at the genus level? If I'm not mistaken Megaptera novaeangliae from different parts of the world do not interbreed (often), even though their mating grounds and season overlap. The (let us say) stocks recognise each other by their song. Still, we consider them to be one species, at least most of us do. J.W.Broekema(\)inter.NL.net --- Jan Willem Broekema http://web.inter.nl.net/users/J.W.Broekema ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997 15:54:49 -0700 From: hiroto ichishima Subject: taxonomic status of blue whales At 11/4/97 Dr. John Heyning wrote: >I do not see the tremendous differences between blue whales and other >>Balaenoptera. In fact, as I recall, the vertex of fin whales is more >different >from other Balaenoptera than the blue whale. Hello John and others: A notable difference between the blue whale's skull and that of other Balaenoptera spp. is the extent of the forward thrust of the supraoccipital shield and of the exposure of the frontals on the dorsal surface as well as the rostral conformation, all of which seem characteristic in blue and pygmy blue whales. The anteriormost margin of the supraoccipital shield in those animals lies around the level of hinder edge of the supraorbital process of the frontal. On the other hand, in other "finner" whales the supraoccipital shield reaches around or beyond the mid-point of the supraorbital process of the frontal. This seems important. This characteristic interdigitation between the rostrum and the cranium in blue whales may reflect the different degree of telescoping rather than variation. Yes, as the number of mysticete skulls available to science is limited, we do not know exactly how the mysticete skull is variable. Even so, we can still see some skulls representing various ontogenetic stages. The supraoccipital shield moves forward through ontogeny, and fin and minke whale skulls seem to undergo only minor changes since rather early ontogenetic stage, say young, compared to the dramatic change seen at the fetal or neonate stage. The supraoccipital shield in "young Balaenoptera" already reaches farther forward than that of a sizable blue whale. It is difficult to say which character is variable, and how far the variation can extend, although this varies from taxon to taxon, I guess. Limited number of studies for the variation apparently hamper our understanding for this problem. All features potentially can be variable in a sense, but such a view nullifies the taxonomy. I understand the proportional differences is less reliable because of the potential allometric growth. However, I wonder if variations can extend to the bone contact relationship, which seems to be significant for a given mammalian group. I would like to know any group of animals, which shows the change of the topological relationships between bone elements rather than proportional differences during the ontogeny. Features, by which a given taxon is characterised, may not change gradually throughout ontogeny, but change rather rapidly during a relatively early ontogenetic stage. And I suspect that the bone contact relationships around the vertex of blue whales may represent the true difference (not variation) from that of other rorquals. By this reasoning, I am inclined to interpret the skull structure of blue whales as taxonomically significant. (Maybe the skull features warrant the separate generic status of blue whales. Even if the presence of the putative hybrid between fin and blue whales conflicts with the notion, restructure for the whole cetacean taxonomy would be needed then, anyway.) We can arrange some rorquals in the order of the size as follows: minke, sei, fin, and blue whales, and this arrangement seemingly reflects that blue whale represents one end of the spectrum of the size. And no significant gap can be seen between fin and blue whales. Rather, the difference of the body size between minke and fin whales appears even more significant than between fin and blue whales. However, as far as the skull morphology is concerned, it seems that isometric change occurred regardless of their significant size difference. But if, as a thought experiment, all rorquals except for minke and blue whales had become extinct and unknown to us, I wonder if recent taxonomists put those two animals in the same genus. Hiroto Ichishima (hiroto.ichishima(\)stonebow.otago.ac.nz) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997 15:18:47 +0100 From: "J.C.Goold" Subject: Re: Offshore drilling `Driving whales' I'm very pleased to read the contributions re Sperm Whale Strandings, and particulary impressed to see the long lists of references pouring forth. I hope the recent works in press will be announced on the list when they hit journal pages. For my part I shall refrain from further speculation - I'm probably on record for more speculation on this subject than is healthy, but if it gets a discussion like this going and disemination of factual information then I guess it served a purpose. Having read the reports of sperm whales in shallow water I thought I would mention a few more specifics with regard to "Moby" (for those who've forgotten, that's the sperm whale which died recently in the Firth of Forth, Scotland). Moby measured in at 14.6 metres, rather larger than originally estimated from boat observations, and was probably a lone male. Initial reports that 3 other sperm whales were sighted in the Firth are probably incorrect; these were never confirmed or resighted. What was found in the area, however, was a humpback whale and 2 minke whales so most probably these were "the other 3 sperm whales". When we observed the humpback and minkes from a boat our echosounder showed dense shoals of fish. Reportedly herring and sprat had congregated along the northern shore for a Spring spawning, which coincided with very high spring tide. I speculate (oops!) that these 3 whales had come in to feed (they disappeared after a few days). The sperm whale "Moby" did not frequent the same area and showed a consistent (indeed irritating) tendency to travel south-west, which eventually put him on a mud-bank far up river where he died. This was a whale with almost as many lives as a cat, having previously grounded himself 3 times followed by successful refloations on the incoming tides. On these three occasions the whale was never totally without the support of water, which no doubt saved his life. During shepherding operations to encourage the whale to move out to the (relatively) open North Sea, the whale could be heard making regular clicks through the hydrophone. Only when the animal grounded on a sandbank (stranding number 2) was any change to the vocalisations heard. When grounded the whale emitted "loud, sharp knocks", which sounded to me to be rather more narrow band than the clicks. When a window in my workload presents itself I'll have a look at these in more detail, and as I was using a calibrated hydrophone hopefully the "loud" bit can be quantified to some extent. Question: Could these loud knocking sounds be an indication of distress? Has anyone else made a similar observation? Although the humpback and minke whales were likely to have been feeding on spawning fish, a sperm whale is unlikely to be able to feed efficiently on such prey, and indeed there was no evidence to suggest it was. I would, however, be interested to know if there is evidence from elsewhere that sperm whales have followed fish shoals. As the whale was probably a lone male, not fully mature but possibly old enough to undertake a migration to the breeding latitudes, the south-westerly trend of movement suggests to me that the whale was on the wrong side of the British Isles. Had he been following the shelf-edge to the west of the British Isles the path to more southern latitudes would be have been open. If, for whatever reason, the whale had diverted from this course and entered the North-Sea this path would be largely obscured by the land mass of the British Isles. ---------------- John C. Goold University of Wales Bangor School of Ocean Sciences Menai Bridge Anglesey. LL59 5EY. UK Tel. (0)1248 383752 Fax. (0)1248 716367 email: oss123(\)sos.bangor.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997 02:38:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Marmam News Archive for March The following articles were uploaded to MarmamNews in March 1997. MarmamNews can be found at http://members.aol.com/marmamnews 03/03/1997 150 CFR Part 648 Fisheries of the Northeastern 03/04/1997 FED: Defence stands on record for Tandem Thrust enviro... Massive Slaughter and Brutality of Marine Mammals by Ecological Warriors NSW: War games will hurt dugong population say Greenies 03/05/1997 Govt comes under fire as it okays Nobbies development WA: Premier can't guarantee no mining in Shark Bay Minson says Australians misled on World Heritage FEATURE-Whales, salt miners share promised land 03/07/1997 CMC: Federal Foot-Dragging Threatens Future of Sea Greenpeace Demands Swift 'Endangered' Listing of ... Greenpeace urges protections for Steller sea lions 03/09/1997 QLD: Tribal hunters to back off dugongs 03/10/1997 QLD: New animal welfare laws planned Elusive Florida manatee dying slow death 03/12/1997 Bullets found in beached whale State of Florida Department of Highway Safety and ... Whale latest victim of Florida gunplay Search continues for Phil the manatee Whale Shot Search continues for Phil the manatee 03/13/1997 Elusive Florida manatee caught, spared death WA: Attempts to rescue stranded dolphins 03/14/1997 Stranded dolphins ferried to safety Disabled manatee caught; it's a girl! Reward offered in Florida whale shooting case 03/15/1997 Manatee Rescue Scientists rescue manatee in danger after yearlong search VIC: Govt urged to rewrite whaling treaty 03/17/1997 EXP--Whale Summit More Life Beneath Earth's Surface Than Above, Scientists Find Chicago aquarium hopes rivalry will boost potency Young Female Beluga Whale Arrives at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium From Shedd Aquarium Reward request in slaying of whale 03/20/1997 PHOTO: Seal protest: New York Whale Away 03/21/1997 YALE UNIVERSITY: Trade loss from environmental ... Blue whale dies after washing up on Chilean beach Concern for whale trapped by traffic noise Moby makes break for the sea Large Schools of Dophins Cause Trouble 03/22/1997 Rescue mission to save trapped whale Demand for aphrodisiac may push sea lion culling Life-saving mission for Moby Mate's message makes Moby gets a move on 03/23/1997 New life-saving mission launched for Moby the whale Marine experts on stand-by after whale rescue fails 03/24/1997 Sperm whales' brains are world's largest Tide of hope as Moby fails to resurface FED: Senior Federal official to resign Baby Whale's Life in Danger Freedom at last for Moby? Baby gray whale dies Britain-Whale Freed 03/25/1997 Fresh fears for misguided Moby Greenpeace in Sea Buy-up plan NZ protects sea-lions but draws Greenpeace fire Baby gray whale dies Baby whale rescued off California dies 03/26/1997 Deep mystery over Moby's whereabouts Leave Moby alone now, say experts 03/27/1997 Experts ponder over fate of whale 03/28/1997 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and ... 03/31/1997 PHOTO: Britain-Whale: Queensferry, Scotland Wrong turning' may have doomed Moby BRF--Stranded Whale Hopes fade as whale is stranded again ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997 11:52:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: BRF--Mexico-Dolphin Deaths BRF--Mexico-Dolphin Deaths MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Environmental authorities said Monday that 162 dolphins found dead on Gulf of California beaches earlier this year died from red tide, a naturally occurring toxic algae. Investigators in the northern state of Sinaloa said they have largely discounted hypotheses that toxic wastes or chemical markers used by drug traffickers could have caused the deaths. "It can now be affirmed that the deaths were not caused by a spill of toxic substances," the Sinaloa Committee for Natural Resource Emergencies said in a report published by the Mexico City daily Reforma. The report says the dolphins, four whales and one sea lion, found dead in January and February, probably swam through a red-tide bloom in the open ocean, with their bodies washing ashore near the state capital of Culiacan. The Sinaloa coast is a main route for drug traffickers, who occasionally drop shipments at sea and mark them with a phosphorescent, cyanide-based chemical. Final results of an investigation should be available within two weeks. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997 17:11:10 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: speakers wanted re: marine mammal strandings in Ensenada, Mexico , (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 9 Apr 1997 14:36:38 -0700 From: "Oscar R. Guzon Z." Dear Friends: The GICOMM (Grupo de Investigacion y Conservacion de Mamiferos Marinos) (Marine Mammal Research and Conservation Group) just organized by Oceanography students from the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California UABC, together with the same University are trying to find people involved in the field of Marine Mammal Care and Rescue, to give the students some talks or courses about Marine mammal care and rescue with the purpose of creating an action plan to help stranded mammals in the area.. If there's anyone interested in give this kind of help it would be a plesure to count with your contribution to this commitment to life. If this is possible please let us Know your possibilities to make a visit to our University in the city of Ensenada in Baja California, MEXICO. just a few miles down San Diego,CA. Thanks in advance for your attentions and your help. Sincerely. Oscar R. Guzon Zatarain GICOMM calle sexta #1449-2 Col. Obrera cp. 22800 Ensenada, Baja California. e-mail: oguzon(\)faro.ens.uabc.mx __________________________________________________________________________ "What happens to beasts.. can happen to man... Everything is connected...If the great beasts are gone.... Man will surely die of a great loneliness of spirit..." The Indian chief, SEATTLE. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997 11:53:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Right whales recover strongly Right whales recover strongly off S.Africa CAPE TOWN, South Africa (Reuter) - Southern Right Whales, hunted to the brink of extinction in the first half of the century, produced a record crop of around 140 calves in the 1996 breeding season off South Africa, an expert said Thursday. Peter Best, senior whale researcher for the University of Pretoria's mammal research institute, told Reuters he had photographed 146 cow-and-calf pairs during his annual survey last year. Through analysis of the photographs and the distinctive barnacle-like markings, he expects to weed out a handful of double-sightings, but the evidence remains clear that the whales are breeding successfully. "There are more whales off the South African coast now than there have been for at least the last 100 years. They are breeding as fast as it is possible for them to do," he said. Working from the South African national museum in Cape Town, Best combs the coast by air every year, photographing cow and calf pairs as part of a survey to monitor the recovery of the whales. He said last year's survey, the results of which are still being analysed, pointed to a growth in the migrant South African population from 2,000 to around 2,300 over the past three years. That could be between a half and a third of the surviving world population of the Southern Right Whales, so named by 19th Century hunters because they were the best or "right" whales to kill. "They are still depleted. It seems we are now around 10 percent of the original numbers before whaling started in earnest in the 18th Century. They've still got a long way to go," Best said. The Southern Right Whales, which visit the South African coast between June and December every year, were given international protection in 1937, but the hunting ban was routinely violated until the 1960s. Now, the whales are protected from hunters and from the increasing numbers of whale tourists who arrive every year to watch them frolic in Cape Town's False Bay and in Walker Bay, their main calving grounds, to the east. Hundreds of tourists visit the town of Hermanus every year to watch the whales playing in clear water at the base of its low cliffs, but boat-based whale-watching is carefully regulated to prevent any interference in the breeding pattern. Best said individual whales calved every three years. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 13 Apr 1997 12:00:59 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Disease transmission (fwd) From: wanderson(\)waonline.com Subject: Evaluating The Risk of Disease Transmission From Released Aquaria Cetaceans To Wild Populations Text: An important consideration in the debate on whether it is appropriate to release cetaceans from captivity into the wild is whether there is a risk of disease transmission to wild populations. The Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) of Lynnwood, WA is interested in reviewing the literature on this subject as we establish our policy and standards. To that end, we request relevant citations of papers, unpublished data that may be of value, proceedings of conferences and articles from the public media that describe evidence of disease in both wild and captive Orcinus orca as well as any species of dolphin and porpoise. There are no geographic limitations. We will share the resulting bibliography with anyone upon request. Pleae respond to Will Anderson, wanderson(\)waonline.com Our thanks in advance, Will Anderson ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 12 Apr 1997 11:05:55 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Dolphin Number 56 - sightings wanted Back in August of 1979 we freeze-branded a number of bottlenose dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon on the east central coast of Florida. Dolphin 56 is a male that was estimated to be 12 years old based on tooth growth layer groups at the time of branding. Over the years he has built up quite a reputation in the north end of the Indian River and adjacent Mosquito Lagoon. Some place along the line he was fed by people and started to surprise boaters by approaching their boats - even putting his snout on the gunwale of small boats - and apparently begging for food. Last fall (1996) his photo was in the Orlando Sentinel showing some folks holding out food as 56 came out of the water to get it. To the best of our knowledge he has never been seen outside the Indian River/Mosquito Lagoon area. However, early this year he was seen by a reliable source in Jacksonville, Florida, having apparently traveled up the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). Then on 2 April he was seen off Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and then on 4 April about 20 miles south of Charleston, SC. We have no idea of where he is going but want to alert everyone on the east coast of the US to be on the lookout. He is very friendly, approaches boats and the '56' on both sides of his dorsal fin is quite legible at close range. We would appreciate any and all sighting reports and copies of photos for purposes of positive identification. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel K. Odell, Ph.D. phone: +407-363-2662 Research Biologist fax: +407-345-5397 Sea World, Inc. 7007 Sea World Drive Orlando, Florida 32821-8097 USA http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~odell/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997 21:03:00 -0500 From: arkabc(\)arkanimals.com Subject: Ark moves....seeks contributors Think we need some marine mammal material and thought this would be of some interest! Contact me if you have material you think would be appropriate. ARK ANIMAL TRACKS, The electronic magazine dedicated to captive wildife behavior, training, and conservation related issues, has moved to a new domain. The new address and email are: http://www.arkanimals.com arkabc(\)arkanimals.com In addition to the regular series on "Unusual Animal Careers," New articles appear regularly. Contributions are welcomed, however, no unsolicited work is accepted. Please query the editor first at arkabc(\)arkanimals.com. Average article word count is 1500 words. Diana Guerrero ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997 13:11:50 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: newsclip - right whales/lobster fishers RIGHT WHALES: LAWMAKERS FIGHT NEW REGS ON LOBSTER FISHERS. Members of the Maine delegation on 4/8 "expressed skepticism" about the National Marine Fisheries Service's proposal to impose gear restrictions on the state's lobster fishers in an effort to protect endangered Northern right whales. State Marine Resources Commissioner Robin Alden estimated the new gear requirement would cost the lobster industry between $40 million and $70 million. Senate Oceans and Fisheries Subcommittee Chair Olympia Snowe (R-ME) claimed the regulations would cause substantial economic harm in return for "questionable" conservation benefits. Snowe: "We should work hard to conserve [right whales]. But devastating the fishing industry is not the answer. ... We can have right whales and we can have fishermen." Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), in a letter to Commerce Sec'y William Daley, "urged" the department to drop the "onerous proposed rules and return to the negotiating table to work in a meaningful way with state and industry leaders." Alden: "We do need to be responsible about right whale protection, but not impose costs where there is no benefit." Snowe said the subcommittee plans to hold a hearing on the issue in Maine (AP/BANGOR [ME] DAILY NEWS, 4/10). ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Apr 1997 14:38:47 +-800 From: "E.C.M. PARSONS" Subject: Re: cetacean taxonomy, intergeneric breeding etc... ------ =_NextPart_000_01BC465F.9C22E020 "Jan Willem Broekema" wrote > Several examples of intergeneric breeding have been reported from > toothed whales, some even within a delphinarium (and therefore > well documented). Considering the almost impossibility to > interbreed land mammals (and birds, reptiles and so on), this seems > to indicate that marine mammals are much closer related than their > taxonomy suggests. Maybe what we consider a species should be a > subspecies and a genus should be a species? Perhaps it's about time that there was a meeting of heads to discuss = this problem. Maybe the IWC could have a special workshop to gather = together the morphologists, the geneticists and taxonomists specializing = in the classification of other mammalian species- then thrash out a set = of definitions which everyone can agree upon for species, sub-species = and genera. On another note, speaking as a conservationist I find the lack of = consensus a little frustrating as many conservation bodies deal with = conservation at a species level- if an entire species is endangered then = it gets a greater priority than a mere population. As a consequence = geographically isolated and genetically dissimilar populations are = facing extirpation. But it's considered to be Okay because there are = plenty more members of the species in other parts of the world, = therefore, it doesn't matter so much if this population disappears. A = formal agreement and conformity with the classification of other = mammalian species may make the situation easier and allow certain = populations/sub-species/whatever to get a listing in the IUCN Red data = book/CITES etc. Anyway, that's my two pennies worth. =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Chris Parsons The Veterinary Department Ocean Park Aberdeen Hong Kong Email: delphis(\)hk.super.net =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D ------ =_NextPart_000_01BC465F.9C22E020 eJ8+Ih8CAQaQCAAEAAAAAAABAAEAAQeQBgAIAAAA5AQAAAAAAADoAAENgAQAAgAAAAIAAgABBJAG AFwBAAABAAAADAAAAAMAADADAAAACwAPDgAAAAACAf8PAQAAAGUAAAAAAAAAgSsfpL6jEBmdbgDd AQ9UAgAAAABNYXJpbmUgTWFtbWFscyBSZXNlYXJjaCBhbmQgQ29uc2VydmF0aW9uIERpc2N1c3Np b24AU01UUABNQVJNQU1AVVZWTS5VVklDLkNBAAAAAB4AAjABAAAABQAAAFNNVFAAAAAAHgADMAEA AAAUAAAATUFSTUFNQFVWVk0uVVZJQy5DQQADABUMAQAAAAMA/g8GAAAAHgABMAEAAAA2AAAAJ01h cmluZSBNYW1tYWxzIFJlc2VhcmNoIGFuZCBDb25zZXJ2YXRpb24gRGlzY3Vzc2lvbicAAAACAQsw AQAAABkAAABTTVRQOk1BUk1BTUBVVlZNLlVWSUMuQ0EAAAAAAwAAOQAAAAALAEA6AQAAAAIB9g8B AAAABAAAAAAAAAPKRgEIgAcAGAAAAElQTS5NaWNyb3NvZnQgTWFpbC5Ob3RlADEIAQSAAQA0AAAA UkU6IGNldGFjZWFuIHRheG9ub215LCBpbnRlcmdlbmVyaWMgYnJlZWRpbmcgZXRjLi4uAFUSAQWA AwAOAAAAzQcEAAoADgAmAC8ABABJAQEggAMADgAAAM0HBAAKAA4AEwARAAQAGAEBCYABACEAAABF RTRGRjgxQ0E1QjFEMDExQUYyRDQ0NDU1MzU0MDAwMAAUBwEDkAYAeAcAABIAAAALACMAAAAAAAMA JgAAAAAACwApAAAAAAADADYAAAAAAEAAOQCgwLjXeUW8AR4AcAABAAAANAAAAFJFOiBjZXRhY2Vh biB0YXhvbm9teSwgaW50ZXJnZW5lcmljIGJyZWVkaW5nIGV0Yy4uLgACAXEAAQAAABYAAAABvEV5 144c+E/vsaUR0K8tREVTVAAAAAAeAB4MAQAAAAUAAABTTVRQAAAAAB4AHwwBAAAAGQAAAGRlbHBo aXNAaXMxLmhrLnN1cGVyLm5ldAAAAAADAAYQCs7b+AMABxAtBgAAHgAIEAEAAABlAAAAIkpBTldJ TExFTUJST0VLRU1BIjxKV0JST0VLRU1BQElOVEVSTkxORVRXUk9URVNFVkVSQUxFWEFNUExFU09G SU5URVJHRU5FUklDQlJFRURJTkdIQVZFQkVFTlJFUE9SVEVERgAAAAACAQkQAQAAANsFAADXBQAA DwoAAExaRnUeAyCb/wAKAQ8CFQKoBesCgwBQAvIJAgBjaArAc2V0MjcGAAbDAoMyA8UCAHByQnER 4nN0ZW0CgzM3AuQHEwKDNATWEzVCcph1c2gGAAUETVQCgC59CoAIzwnZOxhPMjUeNQKACoENsQtg bmcxfDAzFFALChRRC/ITUG+lE9BjBUAiSgORVwMQRmwT4BZRb2VrE+BhgCIgPEouVy4eNgxASQIw BJAuTkwuYm4RwD4gdx0CCots+GkzNhzRHC8dMgqFIHANBmB2BJAHQCBleGHGbQtQB5FvZiALgB/R RmcJ8AZxYyBiCdFkeQuAZyARgCQgJgAJ4SBtGFBwF/EJgCADUiN3dGpvHRBoJ6F3EYAk0Sz8IHMD cCbQJBEDoAPwKNCRC4AgYSANsGxwKnHpCsBpdR4QKABwJ7Ao0W8YUAIQGFAjd3cq4AMgZBxvYytw CfAnkSkuIL8IUACBBIEmYijRKqBsBGDfE8AlMCSwL2AAkGIDECpQ3nkokSN3JUMmEyAbMSew9QDA bQDAbAQgK6MwEAsg+ylxJ0F0AxAHkSuyKaAlAHxuKSmAKmEEIBGwE+Bz5ygZJTEmUGNhE9Ar4TZw vzIhLqEm0DI2CsA3UXURcPwgYxfgEbAFwBhQC2Ankp82sQOgKNEzECgYYXgCIGMDcDBgc3VnJZAT wHPxLhBNYXkm8CkSBUAtEOc4cC5FKqFzcAWQCJA08XpoCGBsMuEvESN3OzBifz1mK7IqsCWRFoA9 2j1WP18KhyIqI2YK+xViMhVgY7EAQWkgUASQEYBwBCDtKlAnM+EG4HUFQDOgKcH3NrMr8yCAYTPh MiAJ4DOg9yZxJREo4GEzMDXiJlAE8P8WgEjBNNIc8QJgE+A7ti7y+ElXQzyhPhImoz1FJFGqdwWw az3hcDXiZzZwvywBKJElkE2ELwEEYHIrAP0X0WcEADuQNKIm0CWSM6A/PZA7gTPzOqVQQ0wlaXq/ JmIqgS7yOIBHgACQZjZS/mkCICUCKMIFwDI0BzADoP09ZS0r4jmiJEAWkUYyPUH/EcAlAg2xC4Aq UFOBBCApIHcl4BagJBJ5AiA8kQORYfkJwiB1J2ADoCxBPVYpgc0/MC0/WiWTYS5DNUM13k8qkTrg TYNdEWUpgT1wvGFrJmJHgzyyBJB2U2M/TzFLACfANiEu4wtgY2u/JQJewwCAQGEqsDAxdB3w+yfB FoB0JEBIA0eBA4EwYP9eyiYABHA9og2wTHIqUWNc7zbRPUgd8CQgbFVgBpAz8X8kcAIwMxAm0D1m NOEJ8GT/G0EsESvTA6AqUEAhUGJAIP8YUDZxBcATUFOABRAwUjmCd0eyOAEnYHA+EFNjLhBB5V6H cQpQbmNPsk3gJED/KwE2YB3gMGAEAAbwOSNbRv9QEW6zSREAkFEwC2Bq0WxX/TfUZgDQJmIkgGfR Q2BspH5CRkFFwzy2OUI0UDwBT/5rO+Am4TZgFoBKszgBN/L/JMECMDBgTqE3URPgJvARoP8lAi7y aCdToU2DQ2FQYXfV/0yhPiBPcywkKYBp0S1gB5D8bic24gJAOME0QTgzZ1H/SZRsV0kCRYBd8RGg bOFZov8yYVj0LaIz8zyxfvIwQmTz/1KfU69UuTIhduFeEEq0AJD8dHWCFEiQAJA9Ej/iHeC+bwfg beAAIAtxcTovWon+LzwyJBJNI1axYZITwFIp8ElVQ04H8CehaPABkAFkIW9rL0NJVEVrBfARwGNb 7UFjMEdwee80ojZwReE7AXRMoEnQCfD/AwAHkUyhKNBb5iFfIm9b/P1b/D2T/5UPlh+WhEM/RE7v DIIuIFXgNOFQEZEuQZeW9ZmyVC8BVhHALpIKwDBg3kQnUHlhLaKayk9t4AOR9ZpRa5rKQXeBDbAJ 8JrKtkgCICaAS6CBmspFAMAFAxA6KsVzQGhrLv87MD1wH/AgQY+vkL8dBZaP/6cPqB+XLFv8o+8V RKRgDEELIv0XcQCt4AADABAQAAAAAAMAERAAAAAAQAAHMKC2TB53RbwBQAAIMKC2TB53RbwBHgA9 AAEAAAAFAAAAUkU6IAAAAAChbQ== ------ =_NextPart_000_01BC465F.9C22E020-- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997 11:53:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Nationa DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and ... WASHINGTON,DC (FedNet, 8-APR-97) -- NMFS by this action proposes a take reduction plan and implementing regulations to reduce serious injury and mortality of four large whale stocks that occur incidental to certain fisheries. The whales stocks consist of the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis), Western North Atlantic stock, humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), Western North Atlantic stock, fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), Western North Atlantic stock, and minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), Canadian East Coast stock. Covered by the proposed plan are fisheries: for multiple species, including monkfish and dogfish in the New England Multispecies sink gillnet fishery; for multiple species in the U.S. mid-Atlantic coastal gillnet fisheries; for lobster in the Gulf of Maine and U.S. mid-Atlantic trap/pot fisheries; and for sharks in the Southeastern U.S. Atlantic driftnet fishery. NMFS seeks comments on this proposed plan and the proposed regulations to implement the plan. DATES: Comments on the proposed plan and proposed regulations to implement the plan must be received by May 15, 1997. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 10:42:10 -0700 From: "John E. Heyning" Subject: Re: cetacean taxonomy, intergeneric breeding etc... Dear All: There has been a lot of confusion out there regarding taxonomy and systematics in general, and specifically regarding cetaceans. I will try to briefly address the salient points. 1) Interspecific breeding does NOT tell you how closely related two species are. It does infer something about the isolating mechanisms involved (read Mayr for details). 2) A species that shows a lot of differences does not inherently warrant being placed in a new genus. What is important is the relationship of species to each other (this is the point that Rick LeDuc correctly made). Separating out species just because they are different often obscures their true relationship. For example placing humans in the monotypic family Hominidae obscures the fact that we are very closely related to chimps and gorillas. 3) There is no universal criteria for assigning taxonomic rank to land mammals. The species level is a real, but difficult the document entity, but the rest of the ranks are human constructs. Even for defining species, there is no absolute criteria, either for morphological or molecular data. One seeks a distinct break in some feature that transcends individual, sexual, and geographical variation (see the works of Perrin). The lack of adequate sample sizes for many species of cetacean hinders such work. There are more subspecies formally named for many species of land mammals. This is due, in part, because the samples in museums are large enough to quantify these differences and the fact that most small land mammals do not travel as far as cetaceans, so local populations are more confined. 4) All orgamisms need to be managed at a level below the species in order to preserve genetic diversity and role in the ecosystem. This can be based on populations or subspecies (biologically defined subunits) or stocks (units defined for management purposes). Whether or not there is a formal subspecies name for the harbor porpoises off the coast of west Africa should not play into their management. They clearly do not freely interbreed or migrate with animals from the North Pacific. The IWC recognizes this and manages by stocks/regions. The U.S. Marine Mammal protection Act and Endangered Species act. also recognizes populations below the level of species. I am sure that other countries have laws or management plans that also recognize this. Rather than try to get taxonomists to agree on formal subspecific designations. We need to make sure that ALL management plans recognize the need to conserve local populations/stocks. As for seeking biologically significant subunits, more molecular work is needed as this is an excellent tool for resolving population substructure. John E. Heyning, Ph.D. Curator of Mammals Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007 213 744 3404 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 13:03:46 +0200 From: "ing. Willem C. Verboom" Subject: new harbour porpoise book Dear all, Last week a new book on husbandry and rehabilitation, as well as on morphology, anatomy, physiology, behaviour and sensory systems of (stranded) HARBOUR PORPOISES has been issued by Ron Kastelein, the biologist of the Harderwijk Marine Mammal Park (The Netherlands). Editors of this book were Andy Read (Duke University), Piet Wiepkema (Wageningen Agricultural University) and Paul Nachtigall (University of Hawaii). Contents of the book (409 pages): - Introduction: The harbour porpoise (=HP) - Rehabilitation: - The rehabilitation and release of stranded HP - A method of tube-feeding junenile HP - Anatomy - An anatomical atlas of an adult female HP - Blubber thickness in HP - Physiology - Respiration in HP - Food consumption and body weight of HP - Swimming behaviour of HP under different conditions in human care - Skin surface temperature changes in a HP while on land - Passage time of carmine red dye through the digestive tract of HP - Biomechanics - Pressure changes in the mouth of a feeding HP - Acoustics - Low-frequency aerial hearing of HP - Detection of bone conductor signals by a HP - The ability of a HP to discriminate between object buried in sand - Structure of HP click train signals - Interactions with fisheries - The effect of various sounds on HP - The response of a HP to nets of various sizes, with and without deterring sounds. Publisher is De Spil, Woerden, The Netherlands; e-mail address despil(\)pi.net Wim Verboom TNO Institute of Applied Physics - Delft University dept. Ship and Bioacoustics verboom(\)tpd.tno.nl ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 22:09:46 EDT From: William Rossiter <71322.1637(\)CompuServe.COM> Subject: Inia capture ECS , Kate O'Connell <76633.1610(\)CompuServe.COM> Dear Marmam and ECS Participants, We have just learned that the Dallas World Aquarium, Texas, USA, (which is privately owned and separate from the Dallas Zoo and Aquarium) has applied for the capture and import of four Amazon River dolphins, or Boto, Inia geoffrensis, from Venezuela. Although expected soon, when, where and how the captures would take place, and the people contracted to do it, are unknown at this time. Numerous scientific workshops and papers have suggested that the Boto is a vunerable if not threatened species over much of its range, primarily due to a variety of human impacts.. The impact of this capture on a specific population of Boto may be of considerable concern to many. Therefore we are seeking current data and expert opinions that will either alleviate those concerns or justify a conservative scientific assessment that these captures may be ill-advised on scientific grounds. Please send qualified and professional information, data, opinions, or suggestions to: Cetacean Society International POB 953, Georgetown, CT 06829 USA ph/fx 203-544-8617 <71322.1637(\)compuserve.com> Thank you, William W. Rossiter President/CSI ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 14:54:52 -0300 From: Bia Hetzel Subject: observation of free-ranging steno's birth Dear all, We have a record of a probable birth of a _Steno bredanensis_ in Ilha Grande Bay, Rio de Janeiro, and are looking forwards to compare the dolphin's behavior and the whole event observed with any other record of births of free-ranging dolphins. If any of you could help us, please reply to: Liliane Lodi and Bia Hetzel PROJETO GOLFINHOS Caixa Postal 14521, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22412-970, Brazil phone/fax: 55 21 512-4810 e-mail: biahetze(\)uninet.com.br ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 14:02:01 GMT From: CRIP La Paz Subject: SOMEMMA Conference Schedule The 22nd INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL MEETING FOR THE STUDY OF MARINE MAMMALS, sponsored by Instituto Nacional de la Pesca (the National Fisheries Institute) and SOMEMMA, will be held from April 27 to May 1, 1997, according with the following schedule. ** (la version en ESPANIOL esta al final) ** *Sunday April 27* 12:00 REGISTRATION Host Hotel: Club Oasis Marival Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit Phones: (329) 701 00 / 701 60 18:00 ICE BREAKER *Monday April 28* 9:00 INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS and WELCOMING ADDRESS 9:15 break 9:25 Plenary Address I. Participation of the Mexican scientific community in the IWC meetings 9:45 Spoken Presentations 1. ODONTOCETES I 11:45 break 12:00 Spoken Presentations 2. PINNIPEDS I 14:00 lunch 16:00 Spoken Presentations 3. MYSTICETES I 18:00 break 18:20 Spoken Presentations 4. MYSTICETES II *Tuesday April 29* 9:00 Plenary Address II. A vaquita recovery plan 9:20 Spoken Presentations 5. ODONTOCETES II (Tursiops truncatus) 11:20 break 11:40 Spoken Presentations 6. PINNIPEDS II 13:40 lunch 15:40 Spoken Presentations 7. ODONTOCETES III 16:40 receso 17:00 Spoken Presentations 8. ODONTOCETES IV (management) 18:20 Poster Presentation *Wednesday April 30* 9:00 Plenary Address III. The vaquita and its critical habitat in the Upper Gulf of California 9:20 Spoken Presentations 9. (WHALEWATCHING) 11:35 break 11:50 Workshop on whalewatching 12:40 Spoken Presentations 10. PALEONTOLOGY and SYSTEMATICS 14:00 lunch 16:00 Spoken Presentations 11. PINNIPEDS III and MANATEES 17:20 break 17:30 Closure 17:50 Business Meeting *Thursday May 1* Visit to the National Fisheries Institute (INP) Field Station For additional information please contact Hector Perezcortes phone (112) 516 23 / 213 67 fax (112) 301 22 e-mail criplp(\)balandra.uabcs.mx or Luis Belendez M. phone (5) 604 2352 x118 fax (5) 604 4887 e-mail lbelende(\)servidor.unam.mx *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** S P A N I S H *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** La XXII REUNION INTERNACIONAL PARA EL ESTUDIO DE LOS MAMIFEROS MARINOS patrocinada por el Instituto Nacional de la Pesca (INP) y SOMEMMA, se celebrara del 27 de abril al 1 de mayo de 1997 de acuerdo con el siguiente programa. *Domingo 27 de abril* 12:00 REGISTRO Hotel Sede: Club Oasis Marival Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit Telefonos: (329) 701 00 / 701 60 18:00 Coktail de Bienvenida *Lunes 28 de abril 28* 9:00 INAUGURACION 9:15 receso 9:25 Conferencia Especial I. Participacion de la comunidad cientifica mexicana en las reuniones de la CBI 9:45 Sesion de presentaciones orales 1. ODONTOCETOS I 11:45 receso 12:00 Sesion de presentaciones orales 2. PINNIPEDOS I 14:00 comida 16:00 Sesion de presentaciones orales 3. MYSTICETOS I 18:00 receso 18:20 Sesion de presentaciones orales 4. MYSTICETOS II *Martes 29 de abril* 9:00 Conferencia Especial II. Un Plan de recuperacion para la vaquita 9:20 Sesion de presentaciones orales 5. ODONTOCETOS II (Tursiops) 11:20 receso 11:40 Sesion de presentaciones orales 6. PINNIPEDOS II 13:40 comida 15:40 Sesion de presentaciones orales 7. ODONTOCETOS III 16:40 receso 17:00 Sesion de presentaciones orales 8. ODONTOCETOS IV (manejo) 18:20 Sesion de carteles *Miercoles 30 de abril* 9:00 Conferencia Especial III. La vaquita y su habitat critico en el alto Golfo de California 9:20 Sesion de presentaciones orales 9. (WHALEWATCHING) 11:35 receso 11:50 Taller de whalewatching 12:40 Sesion de presentaciones orales 10. PALEONTOLOGIA y SISTEMATICA 14:00 comida 16:00 Sesion de presentaciones orales 11. PINNIPEDOS III y MANATIES 17:20 receso 17:30 C L A U S U R A 17:50 A S A M B L E A D E S O M E M M A *Jueves 1 de mayo* Visita a la Estacion de Biologia Marina del INP Para informacion adicional favor de ponerse en contacto con: Hector Perezcortes tel (112) 516 23 / 213 67 fax (112) 301 22 e-mail criplp(\)balandra.uabcs.mx o Luis Belendez M. tel (5) 604 2352 x118 fax (5) 604 4887 e-mail lbelende(\)servidor.unam.mx ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 22:48:12 -0500 From: Koen Van Waerebeek Subject: Inia geoffrensis Lima, 15.04.1997 William Rossiter Cetacean Society International USA Dear Bill: Thank you for distributing the information on the planned take of botos in Venezuela via MARMAM. Botos from Venezuela and Colombian Meta and Guavare rivers belong to a subspecies (Inia geoffrensis humboltiana) separate from Amazon basin botos (Inia geoffrensis geoffrensis) from Brasil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombian Amazon, Guyana and I.geoffrensis boliviensis from the upper Madeira river drainage in Bolivia. Despite some taxonomical uncertainty (cf. levels of variation) these nominal subspecies are at least to a high degree geographically and reproductively isolated (there is some discussion whether some individuals may cross from one drainage into another), and there should be no question about the fact that for management reasons they ought to be treated as different stocks. I am unaware of any, past or present, population estimate for Inia geoffrensis humboltiana in Venezuela, nor of a well-founded assessment of its current conservation status. If I am in need of more updated information, I would much appreciate to hear about that. Considering what is happening to river dolphins world-wide, the lack of comprehensive data, and the indications of an alarming increase in numbers of botos taken in riverine gillnet fisheries in Peru, I strongly advise against any directed take of boto of any stock. Best regards, Koen <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Dr. K. Van Waerebeek Director, Peruvian Center for Cetacean Research (CEPEC), Jorge Chavez 302, Pucusana, Lima 20, PERU ph/fax +51-1-430 9406 email: kvwaere(\)mail.cosapidata.com.pe EU-address: Coupure 60, 9000 Gent, Belgium phone +32-9-225 5966 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 10:54:31 -0700 From: Jean Herrman Subject: Respiratory Pathogens in Cetaceans Dear marmamers, I am a 3rd year combined D.V.M./Ph.D. student at U.C. Davis. My research is in cetacean immunology. I would like to focus my research on evaluating the immune response of the respiratory tract. Therefore, I would like to gather information on the common respiratory pathogens encountered in cetaceans. (bacterial, viral, fungal etc..) My interest is in the pathogenesis of the disease processes. I have done some literature searches and have found very little information thus far. I realize that there is a lot of information floating around out there that is not published in the mainstream literature that I currently have access to. Any leads would be greatly appreciated. Jean Marie Herrman Univ. California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine jmherrman(\)ucdavis.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 08:34:24 -0700 From: Lewis Sharman Subject: Coastal Ecologist Job Vacancy webmaster(\)fish.washington.edu, webmaster(\)ims.alaska.edu, Webmistress(\)marine.usf.edu, Wible(\)krypton.stanford.edu Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) is announcing a full-time GS-12 Coastal Ecologist position. A short description of the position follows. Please post and distribute this description as widely as possible. The full vacancy announcement is available on the Federal Government Office of Personnel Management's "USA Jobs" Internet site (http://www.usajobs.opm.gov). COASTAL ECOLOGIST The United States Office of Personnel Management is soliciting applications from interested and qualified individuals for the position of Coastal Ecologist with the National Park Service in southeastern Alaska. The position is located at Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Gustavus, Alaska. It will be filled at the GS-0408-12 level, starting salary $53,612 per year. The purpose of the position is to develop and implement a comprehensive marine and coastal resource management program for the marine waters, shorelines, and immediately associated uplands in and surrounding a group of National Parks in this area. This group of Parks, known as the Alaska Southeastern Coast Cluster, includes Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Sitka National Historical Park, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Qualification requirements include completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree or higher in the field of biology or a related field of science underlying ecological research. In addition, you must have progressively responsible experience in the field of ecology that included 1 year equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service, which equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled, including knowledge of coastal and marine ecosystems. Any qualified U.S. citizen or American Samoan may apply. Completed applications must be received at the office below or postmarked by April 21, 1997. Information about applying and application forms may be obtained by calling or writing: Federal Employment Information Center 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Rm. 5316 Box 50028 Honolulu, HI 96850 808-541-2791 or 808-541-2799 or (fax) 808-541-2788 Refer to Announcement No. FH-7-3206 The complete job announcement can be viewed electronically at "USA Jobs", the U.S. Government's official site for jobs and employment information (http:\\www.usajobs.opm.gov). Further information about the duties of the position and the area of responsibility can be obtained by calling Mary Beth Moss, Chief of Resource Management, Glacier Bay National Park (907-697-2230), or Robyn Burch, Human Resources Office, Gates of the Arctic National Park (907-456-0496). ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 11:39:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Black Finless Porpoise Settle Black Finless Porpoise Settle in New Home WUHAN (April 18) XINHUA - A school of 29 black finless porpoises have given birth to 11 baby porpoises since leaving their former home in the main course of the Yangtze River and settling in a new home last year. The rare mammals now live in the Tian'ezhou White-Flag Dolphin National Nature Reserve in central China's Hubei Province, free from the polluted water of the main course, and the dangers of motorboats and fishing equipment. The success story of the black finless porpoises offers scientific proof that the white-flag dolphin, a rare mammal on the verge of extinction in the Yangtze River, can be relocated for protection, scientists said. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 14:02:54 -0400 Reply-To: shooker(\)is2.dal.ca From: Sascha Hooker Organization: Dalhousie University Subject: Hyperoodon research - volunteer position We are potentially looking for volunteers to assist on one or more three-week long field trips to study northern bottlenose whales off Nova Scotia. Trips leave out of Halifax, Nova Scotia between June and August, on a 40 foot sailboat, and remain offshore for 3 weeks at a time. Volunteers must have sailing experience (we take shifts steering the boat so some experience is needed) and should not have problems with sea-sickness as we commonly have seas of 10-15 feet. Volunteers should have extensive experience working with cetaceans. The projects that we are looking for assistance with include: - photo-id - behavioural monitoring - acoustic monitoring - radio-tagging - biopsy darting In addition, we are looking for people without fear of heights as we need crew to look-out from the crow's nest, 10 m up the mast. Volunteers are expected to make their own way to Halifax. Food and accomodation (a bunk) are provided for the trip. Please only apply if you have experience with this type of work. If there are a lot of replies I may not have time to answer all. Sascha Hooker =========================================================== Sascha Hooker Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4J1, Canada Phone: (902) 494-3723 Fax: (902) 494-3736 Email: shooker(\)is2.dal.ca =========================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 11:43:04 -0400 Reply-To: rwbaird(\)is.dal.ca From: "Robin W. Baird" Organization: Dalhousie University Subject: observations of odontocete births Liliane Lodi and Bia Hetzel wrote regarding observations of a birth of Steno bredanensis in the wild, asking for observations of other odontocete births. We currently have a note in press on a killer whale birth and reviewed much of the literature on wild odontocete births, so I thought I would present the results of that search below, for anyone interested in this subject. Based purely on published accounts, scientists appear to have only observed births of four species of odontocetes in the wild, and for two of these, only one birth has been reported for each. Clearly there is great value in reporting any currently unpublished observations. A species list with references follows. BELUGA Beland, P., A. Faucher and P. Corbeil. 1990. Observations on the birth of a beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Quebec, Canada. Canadian Journal of Zoology 68:1327-1329. SPERM WHALE Weilgart, L.S., and H. Whitehead. 1986. Observations of a sperm whale (Physeter catodon) birth. Journal of Mammalogy 67:399-401. KILLER WHALE Jacobsen, J.K. 1981. The birth of a wild killer whale (Orcinus orca). Page 62 in Abstracts of the Fourth Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, San Francisco, CA. Stacey, P.J., and R.W. Baird. 1997. Birth of a "resident" killer whale off Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Marine Mammal Science 13: in press. FALSE KILLER WHALE Notarbartolo Di Sciara, G., G. Barbaccia and A. Azzellino. 1995. Birth at sea of a false killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens. Page 83 in Abstracts of the Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Orlando, FL. I hope this is of some help. Robin ========================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Biology Department Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4J1 Canada Phone (902) 494-3723 Fax (902) 494-3736 e-mail: rwbaird(\)is.dal.ca ========================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 06:29:36 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Question regarding megaptera and tursiops cooperative behavior (fwd) This message is in MIME format. The first part should be readable text, while the remaining parts are likely unreadable without MIME-aware tools. Send mail to mime(\)docserver.cac.washington.edu for more info. ------ =_NextPart_000_01BC4BE9.2BD6ECA0 From: Richard Wallace Greetings, This past January I had the good fortune to observe a behavior off Maui that was unfamiliar to me. It consisted of a mother and calf humpback whale pair and two tursiops, swimming together. The calf was perhaps two days old, judging from the size and behavior (the mother was supporting it by swimming underneath it to keep it at the surface). The tursiops pair were swimming a number of yards in front of the humpbacks, and the four were staying in a close formation, each pair never straying from the direction or route taken by the other. As it was explained to me at the time, this is a symbiotic relationship in which the tursiops eat the humpback's afterbirth and in return protect the calf from shark attacks for the first few days of its life. Is this actually what is hapenning? Are there published studies of this behavior, and if so would someone be so kind as to post some citations? Thanks much. Cheers, Rich Wallace School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Yale University ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 12:20:16 -0400 From: DAKARK(\)aol.com Subject: status of stranded animals The education staff at Disney has received several questions from guests about the status of some recently stranded animals. Does anyone have an update on any of the following three animals: 1. Grey whale (J.J.) that stranded in California around January. 2. Rough tooth dolphin that stranded near Key West around March (and any speculation on why it had no teeth). 3. Rough tooth dolphin that that was in the care of Gulf World (?Billy or Joe Bob?) Thanks in advance, Chris Davis Disney's Animal Kingdom Research Dept. email: DAKARK(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 11:36:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: U.S. House panel votes to lift U.S. House panel votes to lift tuna embargo By Vicki Allen WASHINGTON (Reuter) - A House committee Wednesday passed a bill to lift an embargo against imports of tuna caught in nets that also snare dolphins, as long as dolphin deaths were kept to a minimum. Supporters said the bill, backed by Mexico and the Clinton administration, would reward Mexico and other Latin American countries for improved fishing methods that have drastically reduced the killing of dolphins that swim with tuna in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. But opponents said the bill, passed by the House Resources Committee, would allow the injury, harassment and death of dolphins in order to catch tuna that would be sold in cans carrying a label that the tuna was caught with "dolphin-safe" methods. The bill, which was passed in the House last year but never reached the Senate floor, has split many Democrats in the White House and divided environmental and wildlife groups. Now that the billhas been passed by the House committee it will have to once again go to the full House and the Senate for approval. The committee passed the bill on a voice vote after rejecting amendments from Democrats for stricter protections for dolphins they said may be drowned in nets, injured or chased by high-speed helicopters during the tuna harvest. "I think it's about a lot of other decisions about trade policy that have little or nothing to do with dolphin-safe policy," California Rep. George Miller, the committee's ranking Democrat, said. But Maryland Republican Wayne Gilchrest, the bill's sponsor, said it would put into law improved fishing methods that have reduced dolphin deaths from 100,000 a year to less than 5,000. Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, the United States and other countries signed an agreement in 1995 to limit dolphin mortality, which this bill would place into law. The bill would lift the embargo the United States imposed in 1990 on tuna caught in huge "purse seine" nets that are placed on dolphin to catch the tuna that swim below. But it would cap the number of allowable dolphin deaths at 5,000 annually, and says no tuna should be labeled dolphin-safe if there were an observed dolphin death during the catch. Tuna companies in 1990 adopted "dolphin-safe" labels to affirm they were not selling tuna caught with the huge nets placed on dolphins. Gilchrest also said the bill would reduce use of other fishing methods that result in a heavy bycatch of turtles and other marine life. Critics say the administration is pushing this bill to lift the embargo because it fears it would lose if countries challenged the existing law at the World Trade Organization that governs international trade rules. Mexico and other countries twice won challenges taken to the former General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade against the U.S. dolphin-safe law, but the United States vetoed those decisions. Hearings on the tuna-dolphin bill were scheduled to start Thursday in the Senate. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 06:32:53 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: marine mammal journals (fwd) From: terranovaml(\)axrma.uniroma1.it (dott. Maria Livia Terranova) Hallo to everybody in the marmam! I was just trying and trying again to get some information on the web about international journals dealing with the observation of aquatic mammals' behaviour, when I fortunately discovered your mail list. The fact is that my research group -- usually dealing with rodents', humans' and sometimes gulls' behaviour -- got recently involved in a study of the behaviour of dolphins kept in captivity. Due to the simultaneus birth of two baby-dolphins in the same aquarium, we had the great opportunity to observe the ontogenetic development of suckling behaviour of two mother-calf dyads! Unfortunately (or maybe not), the Journal of Comparative Psychology rejected our first paper, and we decided to submit it to a journal more specifically interested in aquatic mammals. However, we are not so much aware of the existing journals and, more importantly, of their impact factors, and of the real possibilities of having the paper accepted for publication in a journal or in another. Just to provide an example, a question that will surely sound nearly "heretical" to most of you, is the following: what's the difference between Marine Mammals Science and Aquatic Mammals? Which one is the more serious and important journal? Which one will almost for sure reject a paper that is interesting but not astonishing, well but not perfectly done? Do other similar journals exist? This is, I guess, the right context to ask dolphins-fond people to help us naives to unravel the misteries of journals, editors and like, by mailing us informations and suggestions. Thanks a lot in advance!! Livia Terranova Dr. M. Livia Terranova Dipartimento di Psicologia Universita' di Roma "La Sapienza" via dei Marsi, 78 00185 Roma tel O6-49917663 fax 06-4451667 terranovaml(\)axrma.uniroma1.it ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 20 Apr 1997 14:23:57 +0200 From: Dani Zbinden Subject: Re: Respiratory Pathogens in Cetaceans ------ Dear Jean Marie The Pathology Working Group of the European Cetacean Society (ECS) held a workshop on lung pathology in Lisbon in March 1996. The workshop guide contains abstracts on the following topics: * Distribution of surface activity in common dolphin lungs * Lungworm parasitism in cetaceans * Lung pathology in St. Lawrence beluga whales * Nocardiosis in a striped dolphin * Tensional (positive) pneumothorax in two striped dolphins * The significance of parasitic infections as a cause of pulmonary diseas= e and mortality in stranded cetaceans from England and Whales. * Pathology of the respiratory tract of porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) fro= m German waters of the North and Baltic Seas * Lung parasitism in harbour porpoises stranded on the Dutch coast * The structure of the lung in cetaceans * Histopathology of the lung in Atlantic white-sided dolphins by-caught i= n midwater trawl * A new flagellate protozoan living as a commensal or opportunist in the blow hole of a stranded pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) You may contact Manuel Garc=ECa Hartmann (e-mail: ha005ha(\)rs1-hrz.uni-duisburg.de), the contact person of the Pathology Working Group, to get a copy of the abstract guide and more information about literature that is relevant to your interests. Cheers Dani ************************************************************************* * * * Dani Zbinden University of Basle * * Gartematt 3 Vertebrate Lab * * 8180 Buelach * * Switzerland * * * * tel. ++41-1-860 70 69 * * zbinden(\)wild.unizh.ch * * * ************************************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 20 Apr 1997 17:18:35 IST From: Oz Goffman Subject: Aggression towards individual male tursiops by other dolphins Shalom Fellow Marmamers: Two weeks ago, we found a dead stranded male Tursiops truncatus dolphin, still a juvenile, 256 cm long off the coast of Akko, northern Israel. IMMRAC volunteers were trying to capture this dolphin several days beforehand, but they did not succeed. A week and a half before the stranding, he approached the boat of a naval high school (from Mickmoret, in the middle of Israel), and they saw that he was in serious condition. Five days later, he approached the northern seacoast (Haifa harbour), 100 km north of Mickmoret. He was circling very close to the coastline and was spotted by a life guard and a marine police officer. I came to the site and swam with this dolphin for a half an hour. He seemed to be in a bad condition, with open wounds (tooth marks). At this point, we tried to capture him with a net, but were unsuccessful and he later disappeared. Boats from a naval school in Akko were looking for him for 5 hours after his disappearance. Three days later, he washed ashore in an even worse condition. Because the body wasn't fresh, we cannot say for certain what caused his death, but his body was full of scars from the dorsal fin to the fluke (all around this entire area). The scars were very deep and not at all healed. We think that these scars were caused by the teeth of other dolphins. Does anybody know of any references of dolphins biting and tooth raking each other and causing this kind of deep damage. There was no evidence that the dolphin had been rammed, as he had no broken bones or marks on the blubber, which could be evidence of a highly aggressive fight with another dolphin. This animal was still a juvenile and did not have mature testes. If anybody has any information or knows of any references about similar incidences, please let us know. Thank you very much. Oz Goffman & Kari Lavalli IMMRAC University of Haifa Mt. Carmel, Haifa 31905 Israel email: rhss101(\)uvm.haifa.ac.il ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 15:11:06 +0200 From: David Griffiths Subject: Colour vision in phocids ------ If any of you are involved in or have any references on spectral sensitivity and colour vision in any of the seal groups, or for that matt= er whales, I would really like to hear from you. I am involved in a programme for investigating colour vision in mammals. = To do this we use a totally non-invasive tool bought in for use in our veterinary clinic, which shines a beam of mono-chromatic light onto the retina and measures reflected light. It requires no more than tranquillization or at the most anaesthesia of the test animal. Now we wa= nt to look at the spectral sensitivity of the phocid retina, using tamed adult Phoca vitulina. We have done a literature search on the topic but have not found any relevant references to speak of, so if there are references I=B4ve missed it would be very handy to find out now before I start work. Sincerely, David David Griffiths B.V.Sc., Ph. D. Department of Anatomy Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine PB 8146 Dep., N-0033 Oslo Norway Telephone: 47.22.964545 Telefax: 47.22.964764 E-mail: David.Griffiths(\)veths.no ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 13:19:54 -0400 From: Robyn Angliss Subject: Public hearing schedule for proposed regulations NMFS published the proposed Large Whale Take Reduction Plan and associated proposed regulations on April 7, 1997. The regulations propose multiple measures for reducing serious injury and mortality of North Atlantic right whales, western North Atlantic humpback whales, western North Atlantic fin whales, and Canadian East Coast minke whales incidental to the New England multispecies sink gillnet fishery, the U.S. mid-Atlantic coastal gillnet fishery, the U.S. Gulf of Maine/Mid-Atlantic lobster pot fishery, and the Southerastern U.S. drift net fishery. Comments on the proposed regulations are due to NMFS no later than May 15, 1997. The following public hearing schedule for the proposed plan and associated proposed regulations was filed at the Federal Register on 4/21/97: Monday, April 28, 1997, 6 p.m. EST Massachusetts Maritime Academy 101 Academy Dr. Buzzards Bay, MA 02532 (508)830-5000 Monday, April 28, 1997, 1 p.m. EST Holiday Inn at the Tower Junction US Rte. 1 & 138 West S. Kingston, RI 02881 (401)789-1051. Tuesday, April 29, 1997, 1 p.m. EST Double Tree Club Hotel 880 Military Highway Norfolk, VA 23502 (757)461-9192 Wednesday, April 30, 1997, 1 p.m. EST Radisson Eastland Hotel 157 High Street Portland, ME 04101 (207)775-5411. Wednesday, April 30, 1997, 1 p.m. EST Sheraton Fontainebleau Hotel 10100 Coastal Highway Ocean City, MD 21842 (410)524-3535. Thursday, May 1, 1997, 1 p.m. EST Trade Winds Motor Inn 2 Park View Drive Rockland, ME 04856 (207)596-6661 Thursday, May 1, 1997, 1 p.m. EST Holiday Inn, 290 Highway-Route 37 East/Clifton Ave. Tom's River, NJ 08754 (908)244-4000. Friday, May 2, 1997, 1 p.m. EST White Birches, Rte 1-East of Ellsworth Ellsworth, ME 04605 (207)667-3621 Saturday, May 3, 1997, 1 p.m. EST University of Maine, Science Building, Room 102 9 O'Brien Avenue Machias, ME 04654 (207)255-1200. Monday, May 5, 1997, 6 p.m. EST Fuller School 4 School House Road Gloucester, MA 01930 (508)281-9841 Tuesday, May 6, 1997, 7 p.m. EST Urban Forestry Center 45 Elwyn Road Portsmouth, NH 03801 (603) 431-6774. These hearings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to the NMFS regional contact (Kevin Chu, 508/495-2291 or Kim Thounhurst, 508/281-9138) at least 5 days prior to the hearing date. ------------------------------------ Posted by: Robyn Angliss National Marine Fisheries Service 1315 East-West Hwy Silver Spring, MD 20910 Robyn.Angliss(\)noaa.gov ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 09:18:46 -0400 From: Phil Clapham Subject: Humpbacks and Tursiops Item Type: Note Date: 04/21/1997 (Monday) Tursiops swimming round calving humpbacks in the hope of eating the placenta? Wow - where did THAT little gem come from? There is, to my knowledge, absolutely nothing published on this, and I seriously doubt it. Tursiops swim with humpbacks on occasion, and it's likely that all they're doing is what they do with other whales and ships - catching a free ride or otherwise amusing themselves. Phil Clapham Smithsonian Institution clapham(\)simnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 10:40:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Maine lobsters vs. right whale Maine lobsters vs. right whales AUGUSTA, Maine, April 18 (UPI) -- Maine Gov. Angus King says he will complain directly to President Clinton about proposed rule changes aimed at protecting the few remaining right whales in the Atlantic Ocean. King says the rules gravely threaten the state's lobster industry with extra costs of more than $100 million for new gear and extra time at sea. The governor told reporters "I'm taking this as an appeal straight to President Clinton." If necessary, he said today (Friday) he will go to court to block the proposed National Marine Fisheries Service rules, which he described as "An extreme solution in search of a problem." King said the proposed rules changes are a "staggering example of federal law run amok," adding that if they are enacted they would "doom the lobster industry to marginality." The proposed rules include requiring buoys to be attached to nets and traps with a line that would break at 150 pounds of pressure. Anotherwould eliminate inexpensive lighter "floating" lines from buoys to traps and among traps in a key whale migration area, Jeffrey's Ledge off Maine's southern tip. Instead, heavier more expensive sinking rope would be required. Federal officials estimate fewer than 300 right whales exist in the Atlantic. Those seeking to protect the species say the rules would protect them from extinction. The rules are set to become official May 15, after public hearings. Last year's Maine lobstermen catch was the third largest in history, a whopping 35.5 million pounds, worth some $105.6 million. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 13:06:27 +0200 From: Kate Sanderson Subject: Sealing - The Future ------ FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT SEALING - THE FUTURE - International Conference & Exhibition 25-27 November 1997 - Delta St. John's Hotel & Conference Centre, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada=20 Arranged by : the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) in cooperation with Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC)=20 Nordic Council of Ministers (NMR) Nordic-Atlantic Cooperation (NORA) High North Alliance Hosted by the Government of Newfoundland & Labrador BACKGROUND & AIMS=20 Seals have long been an important resource for coastal communities, providing food, clothing and other products for local use and for nationa= l and international trade. With appropriate conservation and management approaches, seals can continue to contribute to the sustainable developme= nt of many communities in the future. =20 The aim of the NAMMCO Conference - Sealing - the future - is to provide a= n international forum through which to share information and experiences fr= om sealing activities around the world, to enhance contacts between sealing communities, industry and policy makers in different regions, and to strengthen cooperation across political, geographical and cultural border= s on the conservation and management of seals and trade in seal products. The need to better integrate ecological and economic aspects of resource management has led to an increased focus on the role of seals in the mari= ne ecosystem in recent years. The Conference also aims to explore the scientific bases and policy objectives of multi-species approaches to the management of seals in different contexts. A special exhibition will be arranged in conjunction with the Conference= , giving participants and the general public the opportunity to relate the main themes of the Conference to the realities of sealing and the people = and products involved.=20 NAMMCO - the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission - is an intergovernmental body established in 1992 by an Agreement between Norwa= y, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands with the objective of contributi= ng through regional consultation and cooperation to the conservation, ration= al management and study of marine mammals in the North Atlantic. =20 THEMES=20 The Conference will be held over three days and divided into several sessions under the following main themes: - Sealing past & present: Where and how are seals utilized and what are t= he historical, social, economic and cultural factors which characterise different forms of sealing today? - In principle & practice: What are the principle and ethical bases for t= he conservation and use of wildlife and where do seals fit in? What has been the influence of anti-sealing campaigns?=20 - Products & markets: How is the production and marketing potential of se= als being explored and developed? What are the impediments to sustainable use and trade in seal products? - Seals in the ecosystem: What is the state of knowledge on interactions between seals and other marine species and how can this knowledge be appl= ied to conservation and management? - International cooperation: What are the requirements and mechanisms for international cooperation on the conservation and management of seals?=20 EXHIBITION An international exhibition will coincide with the Conference. This will comprise a standing exhibition of product and information displays, with film screenings, hands-on presentations, and product sampling. Producers, sealing communities, researchers and relevant national and international institutions and organisations are encouraged to make use o= f this unique opportunity to inform an international audience of their activities and views. CONFERENCE DESIGN Conference sessions will be organised around keynote presentations by experts from organisations, communities, the research environment and industry, allowing ample time for both plenary and informal discussions between participants and interaction with the Conference exhibition.=20 PROPOSALS FOR PAPERS & DISPLAYS Proposals for oral presentations under any of the main themes of the Conference should be submitted in writing to the NAMMCO Secretariat with = a detailed outline of the intended presentation no later than 1 July 1997.=20 Requests for exhibition space should be submitted to the NAMMCO Secretari= at together with a clear description of the intended display no later than 1 July 1997. Details on display space and requirements will be distributed separately.=20 PROCEEDINGS An initial summary report of proceedings will be produced for distributio= n to participants and other interested parties. The proceedings of the Conference will also be compiled and edited as a NAMMCO publication. Editorial guidelines for presentation of papers will be circulated at a later date. REGISTRATION & FEES=20 The Pre-Registration Form must be returned to the NAMMCO Secretariat by 1 July 1997 in order to receive the full Conference programme in August. Th= e deadline for final confirmation of attendance, hotel bookings and payment= of fees will be 1 October 1997. Conference & Exhibition: CA 200 ( 100 for students & unemployed) which covers Conference documents, social arrangements and access to the Exhibi= tion. Exhibition only: CA 100 (standard exhibition space) PRE-REGISTRATION To receive the full Conference programme, complete and return to the NAMM= CO Secretariat by 1 July 1997: Name: Organisation:=09 Address:=09 City . . . Post code =09 Country=09 Phone: . . . Telefax:=09 E-mail:=09 HOTEL BOOKINGS A block booking for the Conference has been made at:=20 Delta St. John's Hotel & Conference Centre,=20 120 New Gower St., St. John's Newfoundland, Canada=20 Tel.: +1 709 739 6404 Fax: +1 709 570 1622=20 Please indicate below if you wish to be included in this booking. Booking= s must be confirmed directly with the Delta (mention NAMMCO Conference) by = 1 October 1997 in order to ensure a room at the Conference rate. =20 I wish to make a preliminary booking for:=20 Single room (standard) (CA 115.00) Double room (standard) (CA 115.00) Business class (CA 130.00) CONFERENCE PARTNERS Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) represents the 125,000 Inuit of Chukot= ka (Russia), Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. The ICC has NGO status in the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and represents the Inuit in the international arena of environmental and social initiatives. ICC's recent report: Collapse of the Arctic Sealskin Market: A Retrospect= ive Analysis and Sustainable Options was prepared for the Arctic Environmenta= l Protection Strategy. Nordic Council of Ministers (NMR) is an intergovernmental ministerial cooperation between the Nordic countries - Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Nor= way and Sweden as well as Greenland, the Faroe Islands and the =C5land Island= s. Its counterpart on the parliamentary level is the Nordic Council. The NMR= 's Programme on Cooperation in the Arctic Region has as one of its goals to ensure that both indigenous and other peoples of the Arctic region can develop modern societies on nature's premises and on a sustainable basis. Nordic Atlantic Cooperation (NORA) was established in 1995 by the Nordic Council of Ministers as a project and funding programme aimed at improvi= ng the framework and conditions for industry, trade and development in the W= est Nordic region (Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Islands & Norway). High North Alliance(HNA) represents major fishing, sealing and whaling organisations in Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Norway, as wel= l as the Canadian Sealer's Association. The objective of HNA is to protect = the rights of whalers, sealers and fishermen to harvest renewable marine resources in accordance with the principles of sustainable management. NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR In 1997, Newfoundland and Labrador celebrates the 500th Anniversary of Jo= hn Cabot's voyage to Newfoundland which marked the beginning of European settlement in North America. St. John's, the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador is the oldest city in North America, and has a strong connection= to the sealing industry in Canada. The city offers a modern harbour, international airport, business and telecommunications infrastructure, as well as a strong cultural connection to the sea and sealing. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: NAMMCO - North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission=09 c/- University of Troms=F8, N-9037 Troms=F8, Norway Tel.: +47 776 45908 - Fax. +47 776 45905 E-mail: nammco-sec(\)nammco.no ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 07:48:02 -1000 From: Scott Steven Spitz Subject: Re: Question regarding megaptera and tursiops cooperative behavior (fwd) In-Reply-To: Greetings, We frequently encounter humpbacks and bottlenosed dolphins, spinners or spotteds swimming in the same area. The dolphins are commonly bow riding in front of the whales' heads. It is also not uncommon for the whales to pec slap, tail slap, and peduncle slap in the presence of the dolphins. One might hypothesize that the whales are not as amused by the dolphins as the dolphins are by the whales. We have seen dolphins in the presence of many different pod types - cow and calf; cow, calf, and escort; and large competitive pods without calf. It seems very unlikely that there is any symbiotic relationsh related to calving. Furthermore, inaccurate information flows freely about humpbacks. One researcher apparently informed some whale-watch boats that the whales were "following" the dolphins. It seems very unlikely that a 45 ton animal would follow a 450 pound dolphin. I have never heard of bottlenosed, or any other dolphin species, scavenging. Has anyone ever observed this type of behavior? My understanding is that dolphins brought into captivity must learn to eat dead fish. Sincerely, Scott Spitz Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Lab Honolulu, Hawaii spitz(\)hawaii.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 15:55:00 -0500 Reply-To: jeliot(\)ngs.org From: John Eliot Organization: National Geographic Subject: Help for contacts Content-type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859" Form: Memo Text: (28 lines follow) Hello Marmamers: My name is John Eliot and I'm a staff writer for National Geographic magazine. I'm looking for an e-mail address or a fax number for both a marine mammal researcher in South Africa and also someone knowledgeable about an Italian marine reserve. The Internet, often so magically helpful, flopped on both of these. 1. I'm trying to track down Peter Best of the University of Pretoria's Mammal Research Institute (MRI), in the wake of R. Mallon's thoughtful posting of the Reuter story recently concerning Best's findings on the latest crop of southern right whales off South Africa. The University of Pretoria's net site is no help at all on the MRI. 2. I'm looking for someone familiar with an underwater site called Scandola in the Mediterranean off western Corsica. We have some nice photos from an Italian picture agency called Rapho. They included a release suggesting that Scandola, which already enjoys some preservation under UNESCO, may soon become the largest Mediterranean underwater natural park. I'm trying to confirm the agency's release and find out more. A French source might be the best bet since this interest apparently stems from agreements made by France during the 1992 Rio conference. If anyone can help, I'd be grateful if you could e-mail me at: jeliot(\)ngs.org. Cheers--John Eliot Use Proportional Font: true ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 21:39:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Manatee protection bill killed Manatee protection bill killed TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 22 (UPI) -- The marine industry has apparently killed legislation that would have required boats manufactured in Florida after 1998 be equipped with propeller guards. The measure was intended to protect the endangered species. Last year, half of the 60 manatees that collided with boats in Florida waters died from propeller cuts or a combination of cuts and impact trauma. But opposition from the marine industry killed the proposal, which now calls only for a third-party study to determine whether the guards -- cage-like devices that cover open-bladed propellers -- could effectively protect manatees without hampering the operation of boats on which they are installed. Industry representatives say the guards can impede boat performance and handling, possibly posing a danger to operators. They also contend there is no evidence the devices can protect manatees or humans at anything other than minimal speeds, and that some models actually can entrap hands or limbs struck by a fast-moving boat. The watered-down legislation specifies that, if studies demonstrate the guards can be effective, the state would encourage their use on a voluntary basis. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 21:14:10 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Sirenews, No. 27, April 1997 Sirenews, the newsletter of the IUCN/SSC Sirenia Specialist Group, is available on the Society for Marine Mammalogy's home page. Issue Number 27, April 1997, was posted on 23 April 1997. Dan Odell ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 08:27:05 -0700 From: "Wallace J. Nichols" Subject: plastic tags We have noticed that the commonly used plastic, 2-part flipper tags ("Roto-tags) contribute to sea turtles becoming entangled in gill nets. This has been supported by in water observations, interviews with fishermen, and studies of captive turtles. During our investigations in Baja California, Mexico we became aware that the same type of tag has been used to identify pinnipeds and that several tagged sea lions had been caught locally in gill nets (Bahia de Los Angeles, Baja Cal., Mexico). Have there been any studies of the contribution of flipper tagging to incidental capture of marine mammals? We have recommended discontinuation of use of these plastic tags on sea turtles despite claims of superior retention. Any infomation would be appreciated. Saludos, J. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wallace J. Nichols Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences School of Renewable Natural Resources Biological Science East, Room 104 The University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona 85721 USA phone: 520-620-0833 fax: 520-792-8370 jnichols(\)ccit.arizona.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 14:37:44 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: meeting announcement There will be a session at the upcoming Southwestern and Rocky Mountain Division, American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting, to be held in College Station, Texas, concerning the Gulf of Mexico's whales, sharks and turtles. That particular session is the afternoon of 20 May 1997. Registration is $40 before 3 May ($50 after that). Requests for further information (and registration forms) can be directed to Dr. Dave Owens, Texas A&M University: daveo(\)bio.tamu.edu (409)845-0910 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 21:39:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Nujoma delays on seal charges Nujoma delays on seal charges Windhoek (The Namibian, April 21, 1997) - President Sam Nujoma has yet to finalise what action should be taken concerning allegations of an illegal, insanitary seal meat operation at Henties Bay. A State House spokesperson told The Namibian that a report on the seal meat operation completed by Inspector of Hospitals and Health Facilities, Dr Iyambo Indongo, was still with Nujoma and was "not finalised". President Nujoma intervened towards the end of January by appointing his personal doctor, Indongo, to probe the claims surrounding the backyard seal project, which was alleged to be a public health threat. The Wildlife Society of Namibia has also expressed fears it would be a risk to consume seal meat, until such time that it was known what virus was responsible for the recent killing of thousands of seals along the coast of Namibia two years ago. In addition, the WLS added its voice to those who called for a thorough investigation into allegations that seals used in the meat operation had been killed outside the official sealing season. The WLS said that once the inquiry into the Henties Bay project had been concluded, the source of the seal meat, the time of killing and the proposed destination of the meat should be made public. It called for the findings to be presented promptly and transparently. "...And if it is shown that culling has taken place outside of the permitted season, that the Ministry of Environment and Tourism will announce what preventative measures they are proposing to ensure no reoccurrence of these activities," the WLS said. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said the seal processing operation indicated that the Namibian seal industry was in "a complete mess". IFAW's David Barritt called on the Government to appoint a judicial inquiry to investigate the whole industry. The seal concession holder at Cape Cross, Aldred Brink, was behind the sealmeat project. He said he was merely experimenting with making seal salami, biltong and sausages to see if it would be possible to produce them commercially. It is not known if the the seal meat was sold to unsuspecting customers. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 04:33:18 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Vaginal plugs in cetaceans ?? (fwd) From: Daniel Danilewicz Schiavon Dear Marmamers I've been working on franciscana (Pontoporia blainvillei) reproduction and I am currently interested in cetacean reproductive strategies. One interesting alternative that I've read on this subject is that the paternity of the offspring could be limited internally by the female through the production of a vaginal plug after an initial mating. Although I know such strategy is common in many invertebrate species, I was not able to find many references of something similar in cetaceans. Actually, the only citation that I know is in the book titled "The Hawaiian spinner dolphin" published in 1994 by Norris et al.. There is a small paragraph on page 188 where the authors made the following comment: "Vaginal plugs, or at least what seem to be such plugs, have been reported by Harrison (1969) for the genus Delphinus." Does anybody have ever found such plugs during necropsies of female Delphinus or any other cetacean species? How does it like? Do you know something similar in the scientific literature on marine mammals or even on terrestrial mammals? Thanks in advance for your attention. Daniel Danilewicz danilewicz(\)conex.com.br Grupo de Estudos de Mamiferos Aquaticos do Rio Grande do Sul - GEMARS ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 10:39:22 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS marine mammal summaries 4/25/97 (fwd) The following is an edited version of the CRS summaries provided to the U.S. congress, provided courtesy of Kate Wing. MARMAM Editors, marmamed(\)uvic.ca ----------------------------------------------- Forwarded message: From: Kate Wing Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 4/25/97 (available via e-mail; updated daily) Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 4/18/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 4/24/97 are in CAPITAL LETTERS. Marine Mammals . Polar Bear Hearing. The House Resources Committee has tentatively scheduled a hearing for Apr. 30, 1997, on H.J.Res. 59, a joint resolution to disapprove a rule affecting polar bear trophies from Canada issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [personal communication] . {CITES Proposal - Walrus. On Apr. 16, 1997, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it would not submit a proposal to list walrus on CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife Fauna and Flora) Appendix II.} [Federal Register] . {Illegal Polar Bear Hide. On Apr. 14, 1997, an OR man was fined $2,000, ordered to perform 200 hours of community service, and placed on probation for 3 years after pleading guilty in federal District Court to illegally buying a polar bear hide. The individual stated that he intended to use the hair to make flies for fishing.} [Assoc Press] . Dolphin Interaction. On Apr. 10, 1997, Sea World of Florida began a Dolphin Interaction Program, wherein eight participants pay for a day of education about and interaction with dolphins. [Sea World of Florida press release] . Tuna-Dolphin Legislation. On Apr. 9, 1997, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans held a hearing on H.R. 408, amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act to support the International Dolphin Conservation Program. On Apr. 10, 1997, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans marked-up H.R. 408 and approved this measure for consideration by the full Committee. On Apr. 16 1997, the House Resources Committee marked-up H.R. 408 and ordered the bill reported. The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries postponed a hearing on S. 39, amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act relating to the International Dolphin Conservation Program, scheduled for Apr. 17, 1997. [personal communication, Congressional Record] . Mexican Whale and Dolphin Emergency. On Apr. 7, 1997, Mexican environmental authorities reported that 162 dolphins found dead on Gulf of California beaches earlier this year probably had been killed by red tide toxins, discounting earlier reports that a toxic spill or cyanide chemicals used by drug traffickers had caused these deaths. [Assoc Press] . Atlantic Large Whale Protection. On Apr. 7, 1997, NMFS published a proposed take reduction plan and implementing regulations for northern right whales, humpback whales, fin whales, and minke whales in the Federal Register that would restrict fishing times in whale habitat off New England and the mid-Atlantic in Cape Cod Bay, the Great South Channel, and several other areas. In addition, fishing gear modification would be required to allow whales to break free of gear in case of incidental entanglement, and response and assistance for entangled whales would be improved. Maine officials contend the required gear modification will cost the lobster industry between $40 million and $70 million. Public comments will be received until May 15, 1997. [Assoc Press, Federal Register] . Whaling Protester. On Apr. 3, 1997, Dutch police arrested Paul Watson on a Norwegian warrant issued by Interpol. Watson was convicted in absentia in May 1994 for participating in sinking a Norwegian whaling vessel. Watson is being held by Dutch authorities while a Dutch court decides whether to extradite him to Norway. {A court hearing on extradition to Norway is tentatively scheduled for May 26, 1997. Lofoten Islands police have announced that legal proceedings in Lofoten County Court are scheduled against Watson in Norway on Sept. 1, 1997, relating to alleged negligent navigation and collision with a Norwegian coast guard vessel in the summer of 1994. Compensation for damages of $120,000 with possible interest is sought by the Norwegian Navy for this collision.} [Assoc Press, High North Alliance News] . Canadian Sealing. On Mar. 29, 1997, the International Fund for Animal Welfare released a video claiming to show illegal hunting of young, whitecoat seals by sealers in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in mid-March 1997. Federal authorities reported that some white-looking seals can be older and technically not the younger, whitecoat seals. [Assoc Press] ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 11:57:58 +1000 From: Mr SB Birch Subject: Australian opinion on ATOC needed for conference The organisers of the 6th International Whale and Dolphin Conference in Hervey Bay QLD, August 6-10 1997 are seeking someone in Australia prepared to discuss ATOC at the conference. For further information, respond directly to the conference convenor: Kamala Hope-Campbell Thanx, sTeve Birch =================================================================== InterSpecies Research & Development * http://web.access.net.au/~diverse/InterSpecies Bioelectronics Group - Monash University * http://www.ecse.monash.edu.au/courses/bioeng =================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 06:56:48 -0400 From: "CFN (by way of Dan Morast by way of Stephen Best )" Subject: KEIKO'S PROGRESS TO: ALL FROM: BEVERLEE HUGHES, President FREE KEIKO FOUNDATION PHONE 541-867-3540,3544 FAX 541-867-3542 EMAIL: keiko1(\)pioneer.net KEIKO'S PROGRESS. Today, Keiko is a normal healthy teenage killer whale. He is independent, confident and sometimes defiant and aggressive. He has shaken off off his mental slumber and become alert to his environment. His papilloma is externally unidentifiable. Keiko's appetite, energy and playfulness is robust. In general Keiko is in great shape, mentally and physically. RESEARCH We have contracted with several scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and the University of California at Santa Cruz to better understand Keiko and other North Atlantic killer whales. State of the art technology is being installed to monitor and record Keiko's underwater vocalizations, document his swim speeds and respiration periods, assess his ability to detect prey acoustically and also gather physiological data needed. Ongoing research will continue throughout the year. RELEASE PLANS Today, we do not know when/if Keiko will be released. However, we believe the above mentioned research will indicate if Keiko is a suitable candidate.As soon as we know more about his ability to echo-locate and hunt food , we will make the appropriate determinations. If everything works out the way we hope, release to a sea pen could be in 1998. OUR APPROACH Our goal is to engage in scientific research and public education while we rehabilitate Keiko. Developing accredited scientific protocols for reintroduction will be our first contribution to the scientific community. Given the popularity of Keiko in Newport, OR, we can afford to finance the pursuit of pure science and research in hopes of understanding Keiko and other killer whales. This research will not interfere with release plans, but should just increase their integrity. NEXT STEPS Upcoming plans include stocking live fish with regular release in the pool, a search for Keiko's pod utilizing his database of vocalizations and development of a long term plan for future usage of our facility after Keiko's release. FUTURE COMMUNICATIONS Updates will continue every quarter. I apologize for the recent breakdown in communications; the learning curve has been very steep. Please call or email if I can provide any additonal information. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 28 Apr 1997 09:04:58 +0100 From: Andy Williams Subject: Predatory behaviour observed in pygmy killer whales. During a recent survey trip to the southern Bay of Biscay as part of an ongoing study of cetaceans in the Bay of Biscay and Channel areas two groups of pygmy killer whales (Feresa attenuata) were observed. They were in close proximity to other species with calves. In a number of sources it is suggested that this species is a predator on other cetacean species. However, I have only been able to find Perryman and Foster (1980) that has direct observation of predation and in this reference their is some debate about the species. The only other references I have been able to find are about captive behaviour (Pryor et al., 1965, Best 1970, and Nishiwaki et al., 1965). Despite the usual searches this is the best I have come up with. Is anyone working on this species at the moment? Can anyone suggest any other sources that may be less accessable. Please reply to my e-mail Andysmlr(\)athene.co.uk (Andy Williams) Thank you Andy Williams Sea Watch Foundation 10 Gibson Close Lee on Solent Hants PO13 8JD England Dept of Environmental Science University of East London Romford Road London England Tel +44(0)1705 552631 Fax +44 (0)1705 341576 e-mail Andysmlr(\)athene.co.uk Andy Williams Durlston Dolphin Research Programme Durlston Country Park Swanage Dorset BH19 2JL England Dept of Environmental Science University of East London London England E15 4LZ Tel +44 (0) 1705 552631 Fax +44 (0) 1705 341576 e-mail Andysmlr(\)athene.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 28 Apr 1997 09:48:47 -0700 From: "William F. Perrin" Subject: position open The half-time position of Assistant to the Editor, Marine Mammal Science, will become vacant in a few weeks. Location: Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, CA Duties: General assistant to Editor, Bill Perrin. Log in manuscripts, maintain computerized files, route manuscripts to reviewers and Assistant Editor as directed, monitor status of manuscripts and nag tardy reviewers, edit manuscripts by authors for whom English is not first language, correct page proofs, prepare reports on journal for SMM Board, work with bibliographic software Papyrus, other general editorial and secretarial duties as assigned. Salary: Half-time (4 hours per day), $7,056 to $14,643, depending on experience. No fringe benefits or paid vacation. Term: Approximately 2.5 to 3 years. Experience preferred. Direct inquiries to Bill Perrin at wperrin(\)ucsd.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------ William F. Perrin, Ph.D. Tel.(619) 546-7096 (office) Senior Scientist (619) 535-0840 (home) Editor, Marine Mammal Science FAX (619) 546-7003 Adjunct Professor, SIO/UCSD Southwest Fisheries Science Center Email wperrin(\)ucsd.edu (office) P.O. Box 271, La Jolla, CA 92038, USA dolarperri(\)aol.com (home) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 08:53:42 +0100 From: Vincent Janik Subject: Vocel learning in mammals In-Reply-To: <199704281648.JAA05990(\)sgilj.ucsd.edu> Janik, V. M. & Slater, P. J. B. (1997) Vocal learning in mammals. Advances in the Study of Behavior 26: 59-99 ABSTRACT Vocal learning, as we discuss it in this review, refers to instances where vocalizations are modified in form as a result of experience of those of other individuals. While many birds are capable of vocal learning, unequivocal evidence for it is rare in mammals. The most versatile mammalian vocal learners are cetaceans, harbor seals, and humans, all of which are able to imitate new sounds. Greater horseshoe bats learn the main frequency of their echolocation calls from their mothers and are the only other mammals shown so far to be capable of learning to change frequency parameters in their calls. Nonhuman primates have been conditioned to alter the duration and amplitude of their calls but not their frequency parameters. We suggest that sexual selection, defense of resources, and individual recognition are the most likely reasons why vocal learning has evolved in mammals. However, we know little about the functional significance of vocal learning for these animals and more studies are badly needed. reprints are available from: V. M. Janik School of Biological and Medical Sciences Bute Bldg. University of St Andrews Fife KY16 9TS UK ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 11:49:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: U.S. Navy requests MMPA modifi U.S. Navy requests MMPA modification WASHINGTON,DC (FedNet,28-APR-97) -- On March 11, 1997, the U.S. Navy submitted a petition to NMFS amending its June 7, 1996, application and requesting a modification to the proposed effective date of the regulations proposed by NMFS issuing an incidental small take exemption under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to take a small number of marine mammals incidental to shock testing the USS SEAWOLF submarine in the offshore waters of the U.S. Atlantic coast in 1997. By this notice, NMFS, in accordance with the Navy's request, amends the proposed regulations to make them effective from April 1 through September 30, 1998 and 1999. NMFS invites comment on this modification. DATES: Comments must be received no later than May 28, 1997. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 11:11:22 -0400 Reply-To: rwbaird(\)is.dal.ca From: "Robin W. Baird" Organization: Dalhousie University Subject: publication on cetacean incidental mortality in B.C. Stacey, P.J., D.A. Duffus and R.W. Baird. 1997. A preliminary evaluation of incidental mortality of small cetaceans in coastal fisheries in British Columbia, Canada. Marine Mammal Science 13:321-326. This is a note, so no abstract is published. A summary is below. A question on small cetacean incidental mortality was included in a survey distributed to all 5,375 commercial fishing licence holders in British Columbia in 1989. A total of 865 questionnaire returns documented 350 fishing gear collision incidents (including 118 positive mortalities) of small cetaceans in 4 fishing gear types (salmon seine, salmon gillnet, salmon troll, bottomfish or midwater trawl). Three species were involved: harbour porpoise, Dall's porpoise and Pacific white-sided dolphins. Mortality associated with striking troll lines was unexpected. Absolute rates of fishing-related mortality were not calculated due to limitations in questionnaire surveys; however it was clear that further research on incidental mortality in British Columbia is warranted, and several lines of future research were suggested. ========================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Biology Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4J1 Canada Phone (902) 494-3723 Fax (902) 494-3736 e-mail: rwbaird(\)is.dal.ca ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 11:49:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: US FWS: Agency announces appro US FWS: Agency announces approval of permits for ... APR 28, 1997, M2 Communications - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced it has approved 24 permits to allow the import of polar bear trophies from Canada. This approval fully complies with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended in 1994, which gives the Secretary of the Interior authority to issue permits provided specific requirements are met. The 1994 amendments require that the Service find Canada's sport- hunting program to be consistent with the purposes of the 1973 International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears and based on scientifically sound quotas to ensure the affected populations are sustained in the wild. The Service recently approved five populations: Southern Beaufort Sea, Northern Beaufort Sea, McClintock Channel, Viscount Melville Sound, and Western Hudson Bay. The Service will continue to review any new information to determine if and when the importation of sport-hunted trophies may be allowed from additional populations. Currently, the Service is reviewing new research and management data on the area formerly known as Parry Channel (newly designated by Canada as Kane Basin, Norwegian Bay, Lancaster Sound, and Baffin Bay populations) and expects to publish a proposed rule for public comment shortly addressing some of these new populations. Also, the agency will consider other populations as soon as it receives new data, much of which will come from Canada's ongoing research and co-management discussions with Ontario, Quebec, and Greenland. "The Service recognizes Canada's significant achievements in establishing an effective polar bear management program. Close cooperation between the Service and Canada continues in order to gather additional biological and management data," said Marshall Jones, the Service's assistant director for international affairs. When an import permit application is approved, the applicant must pay a $1,000 permit issuance fee. The funds are to be used for the conservation of polar bear populations shared between the United States and Russia as stipulated by the MMPA. There are an estimated 28,000 polar bears worldwide, half of which are found in Canada. Canada is the only range country to allow polar bears to be harvested by non-residents through a regulated sport-hunt in its Northwest Territories where polar bear hunting is vital to the culture and economy of indigenous peoples. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 28 Apr 1997 15:27:54 -0700 From: Lewis Sharman Subject: Job Vacancy - Coastal Ecologist Webmaster(\)coast.ucsd.edu, webmaster(\)fish.washington.edu, webmaster(\)ims.alaska.edu, Webmaster(\)marine.usf.edu, Wible(\)krypton.stanford.edu, Webmaster(\)sofia.marine.usf.edu Comments: cc: Mary Beth Moss This message amends the application closing date for the vacancy announcement distributed 2-3 weeks ago. Please distribute this amendmenmt as widely as possible. The position is Coastal Ecologist at Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Originally, the application period ended 4/21/97. The period has since been extended to 5/5/97. Refer to Announcement Number FH-3206. For the complete vacancy announcement and application materials, call 808-541-2791 or 808-541-2799. Further information about the duties of the position and area of responsibility can be obtained by calling Mary Beth Moss, Chief of Resource Management, Glacier Bay National Park (907-697-2230). ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 10:25:27 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Pingers' may preserve thr porp (fwd) From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Pingers' may preserve thr porpoise By Roger Williams, PA News University scientists are trying to discover what kind of noise annoys a porpoise -- because the prize could be a world-beating product that is life-saving for the threatened mammal. Members of the underwater acoustics group at Loughborough University, Leicestershire, hope to perfect an electronic "pinger" whose sounds will send porpoises swimming away from death in fishermen's nets. Chief experimental officer David Goodson said he hopes the end product will be a small waterproof box which can be sold in large numbers to fishing fleets worldwide. His team's efforts, involving testing the effects of a range of noises on porpoises, come as figures for deaths of the animals have raised fears among some conservationists that one important species, harbour porpoises, could disappear around much of Britain and Ireland. Paul Jepson of the Institute of Zoology in London said the statistics were based on a survey by Cornwall Wildlife Trust, whose volunteers spent time at sea on Irish and Cornish fishing boats and counted 43 dead porpoises in nets. Calculations from that suggested 2,300 would be found across the whole Celtic Sea, which was about 6% of the estimated area population of harbour porpoises, he said. Death was most common in bottom-set gill nets, which form a static curtain rising from the seabed. Once trapped, porpoises were unable to reach the surface for the air they needed as mammals. "Until now we were only guessing what the extent was," he told PA News. "Now the data suggests there is cause for real concern. It is very worrying." Mr Goodson said Canadian attempts to scare whales from fishing nets using underwater noises had some success with porpoises too, and his team had been carrying out detailed experiments in Holland. "We built a box of tricks which makes different types of sound, and used video to find out whether each sound attracted the porpoise or made it move away,"he told PA News. "We came up with quite a complex sound which they clearly find aversive. We don't know why, but it makes them go clear away." The team believed it was also a world "front-runner" in developing the gadget to make it cheap and compact and able to withstand the rigours of repeated manhandling, as well as spending long periods under water. "This is about the worst environment to put electronics into," he said. "The equipment has got to survive not only being on the sea bed but being dragged on and off boats and jumped up and down on when the nets are on deck." Worldwide concern about threats to porpoises meant there was a large potential market, he said. Each net would require a line of "pingers". Dr Nick Tregenza of the Cornish Wildlife Trust, was cautious about the interpretation put on his own volunteers' findings. He believed that the reduction in fishing in the past two years meant that extinction was not a threat within 30 years, even on the worst view. Marine biologist Mark Simmonds of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society said the figures were a subject for debate in which some people believed there was a risk of regional extinction. "Anything above 1% of a population dying is regarded as setting alarm bells ringing," he added. However, Mike Townsend, chairman of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations and chief executive of the Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation, condemned "emotional outbursts" by some members of the conservation lobby. The 6% porpoise annual death figure "does not stand up to serious scrutiny", he said. Not only had the level of fishing halved in the area since the survey, but the population figure used was conjectural. But some Cornish fishermen had volunteered to try out the latest "pingers" from the Loughborough team this summer. "These pingers would be another cost for fishermen, but it would be a price we would be prepared to pay to be able to fish responsibly, even though we think pollution is also an important cause of death. "It is upsetting for anybody who gets something like a harbour porpoise caught in their nets," he added. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 11:33:16 -0500 From: Beverly Bayley-Smith - MLI Organization: University of Southern Maine Subject: Intensive semester in marine environmental law MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW 1997 INTENSIVE SEMESTER August 25 - December 19, 1997 at the University of Maine School of Law, Portland, Maine APPLICATION DEADLINE MAY 30, 1997 Whether you are currently enrolled in law school, engaged in graduate studies, or are a professional working in the field of ocean or coastal resources management, Maine's Law School, through its Marine Law Institute, is offering you a unique opportunity to study marine environmental law in one of the nation's most scenic coastal areas. The School of Law is located in Portland, Maine, an important fishing and shipping port, with a thriving lobster industry, a unique fresh fish display auction, an oil pipeline and international marine terminal, and close connections with the Canadian maritime provinces. The city is located on Casco Bay, a federally designated estuary of national significance. The Marine Law Institute is a center for research and education on ocean and coastal law and policy established in 1979. The Institute publishes the Ocean and Coastal Law Journal, oversees implementation of the Casco Bay National Estuary Plan, and coordinates the marine environmental law program. CORE COURSES: COASTAL ZONE LAW, 3 credits; MARINE RESOURCES LAW, 3 credits; LAW OF THE SEA SEMINAR, 2 or 3 credits; INDEPENDENT STUDY, 2 credits OTHER COURSES: ADMIRALTY, 3 credits; ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, 3 credits; ADMINISTRATIVE LAW, 3 credits; INTERNATIONAL LAW, 3 credits; ENVIRONMENTAL TORTS AND TOXICS REGULATION, 3 credits; STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT, 3 credits CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES National Ocean and Coastal Environmental Law Symposium; Semester-long Workshop on Topics in Coastal Zone Management; Field Trips ADMISSIONS CRITERIA Students should be enrolled in J.D. or graduate programs in marine science, or environmental marine or public-policy studies. In some circumstances, post-graduate students without a home instituteion but with a strong background in marine studies will be added. CORE FACULTY: Alison Rieser, Professor of Law and Director, Marine Law Institute Barbara Vestal, Lecturer and Associate Director, Marine Law Institute Peter Shelley, Adjunct Professor and Senior Attorney, Conservation Law Foundation ASSOCIATED FACULTY Orlando Delogu, Professor of Law and Public Policy Martin A. Rogoff, Professor of Law Sharon Treat, Lecturer Donald Zillman, Dean and Godfrey Professor of Law For further information contact Marine Law Institute, 246 Deering Avenue, Portland, Maine 04102 (207) 780-4474 FAX (207) 780-4913. E-mail bbsmith(\)payson.usmacs.maine.edu The University shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or citizenship status, age, disability, or veterans status and will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 14:00:11 -0400 From: Richard Ellis Subject: new beaked whales For a summary I am preparing on the mesoplodonts, I need the names and literature citations of the new species (one of which is _M. peruvianus_) that have been recently described. Thank you, Richard Ellis 17 East 16th Street New York, NY 10003 Phone: (212)243-6950 Fax: (212)243-6932 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 11:19:35 -0500 From: "Naomi A. Rose" Subject: Re: USFWS approval of trophy import permits To MARMAMERs: Rich Mallon-Day posted a news item about polar bear trophy import permits today. It may interest you all to know that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced its approval of those permit applications on the morning the 30-day public comment period closed (comment periods typically end at close of business on the 30th day). In other words, the permits were approved before the Service might have received all comments from the public (and certainly before the Service would have been able to review any last-minute submissions from the public). The notice about the permit applications was published on March 26. The public should have had until close of business on April 25 (at least by my calculations) to submit its comments. Presumably the Service would take at least 12-24 hours to review those comments before announcing its decision regarding the applications (or, alternately, if no last-minute submissions were made and/or if most comments were minor or easily reviewed, it would wait until the morning after the comment period closed to announce its decision, just to be certain it had received all comments). Yet the Service issued its press release on the morning of Friday, April 25, rather than (at the earliest) the morning of Monday, April 28. My point is: the Service decided to approve the permit applications before it knew for certain it had in hand all the information the law requires it to solicit to guide its decision. For anyone who actively participates in regulatory matters and the public comment process that our democracy provides to us, this sort of behavior, which borders on the improper and is certainly insultingly dismissive of potential input from the public, is at best aggravating and at worst demoralizing. For those who are interested in our democratic process, you should also know that the chairman of the House Resources Committee, Don Young (R-AK), is holding a hearing tomorrow regarding his resolution to overturn the Service's regulations governing polar bear trophy imports, because he believes these regulations (promulgated in Feb.) are too restrictive. He wants regulations that allow essentially unrestricted import of trophies by sport hunters -- in other words, he wants it to be easier for sport hunters to import their trophies than it is for researchers to import samples or even the public display industry to import live animals. One reason this should disturb people is because, unlike the research or public display exceptions to the MMPA's prohibition on the import of marine mammals or marine mammal parts, trophies are purely for personal use, not enhancement of public knowledge or education. Sport hunters argue trophy hunting has conservation benefits, but even were this true (which I vehemently dispute), the trophy is still just a personal possession to be displayed for personal pleasure. Yet last time I looked, the MMPA protects marine mammals for the public good, not for the good of a small group of (wealthy) individuals. Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States narose(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 08:49:19 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstrct - density and behavior of leopard seals On behalf of a request made by the Marmam editors, I am posting abstracts for the lastest issue of Marine Mammal Science. This is being cross-posted as well to the ECS mailbase. I have included the mailing address of the author to whom inquiries should be directed, please do not send the mail to me. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ******************************************************************** Rogers, T.L. and M.M. Bryden. 1997. Density and haul-out behavior of leopard seals (_Hydrurga leptonyx_) in Prydz Bay, Antarctica. Marine Mammal Science 13(2): 293-302. Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Sydney, N.S.W. 2006, Australia The spatial distribution of leopard seals along the fast-ice edge in the austral spring and summer of 1992 and 1993 in Prydz Bay, Antarctica, was determined by aerial surveys. Fewer individuals wre observed within the area, and the seals observed were larger, in 1992 than in 1993. Comparison of the distributions and relative sizes of the seals suggests that there may be an age-related difference in spatial behavior. The greater degree of separation among older seals may be due to intraspecific aggression increasing with age, a hypothesis supported by the high incidence of intraspecific scarring noted on leopard seals in this region. The seals' haul-out behavior was negatively related to wind-chill index. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 10:09:44 EST From: lmarino(\)biology.emory.edu Organization: Emory University Biology Dept. Subject: Request for info on cetacean juvenile period Dear Marmamers, I am interested in the relationship between encephalization and life history parameters in cetaceans. As you know, much work has been done on this topic in primates and other terrestrial mammals. I would like to investigate whether the patterns of relation among brain size and life history variables in primates are similar in cetaceans. One of the more interesting life history parameters is duration of the juvenile period, which is quite extended (relative to other mammals) in primates. I am defining the length of juvenality as the period between weaning and sexual maturity. It appears that the juvenile period may be extended in cetaceans as well and I would predict this to be the case on the basis of their level of encephalization. However, apart from a few original references, I am aware only of values on weaning age and age of sex. maturity in cetaceans in mostly general popular books on whales and dolphins. However, I'd like to get a look at the original references for these data that appear in these more general sources. ** To that end, I'd like to ask that if anyone has a reference for solid data on weaning age and/or age of sexual maturity in any odontocete species, would you please let me know. You can send any replies to lmarino(\)biology.emory.edu. ** If anyone is interested in this topic, please also let me know. I'd be happy to discuss ideas. Thanks very much. Sincerely, Lori Marino, Ph.D. Dept. of Biology Emory University Atlanta, GA 30322 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 07:58:41 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - bottlenose whales On behalf of a request made by the Marmam editors, I am posting abstracts for the lastest issue of Marine Mammal Science. This is being cross-posted as well to the ECS mailbase. I have included the mailing address of the author to whom inquiries should be directed, please do not send the mail to me. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ******************************************************************** Whitehead, H., S. Gowans, A. Faucher, and S.W. McCarrey. 1997. Population analysis of northern bottlenose whales in the Gully, Nova Scotia. Marine Mammal Science 13(2): 173-185. Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 4J1 Northern bottlenose whales (_Hyperoodon ampullatus_) are consistently found through the year in the Gully, a prominent submarine canyon on the edge of the Scotian Shelf. Individuals were photographically identified during field studies between 1988 and 1995. About 70% of the population is identifiable, and 29% have markings which persist reliably over periods of years. A mark-recapture analysis of photographic individual identifications collected between 1988 and 1995 indicates that the population using the Gully numbers about 230 animals (approximate 95% confidence interval 160-360). The rate of mortality plus emigration plus mark change (in animals with reliable long-term marks) is about 12% per year, although this estimate has wide and uncertain confidence limits. Members of the Gully population, which includes calves and mature males, are shorter than animals caught off Labrador. The small size of the Gully population and its persistent use of a very small, bathymetrically unique ocean area make it vulnerable to human disturbance. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 08:35:34 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - blubber in harbor seals On behalf of a request made by the Marmam editors, I am posting abstracts for the lastest issue of Marine Mammal Science. This is being cross-posted as well to the ECS mailbase. I have included the mailing address of the author to whom inquiries should be directed, please do not send the mail to me. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ******************************************************************** Rosen, D.A.S. and D. Renouf. 1997. Seasonal changes in blubber distribution in Atlantic harbor seals: indications of thermodynamic considerations. Marine Mammal Science 13(2): 229-240. Biopsychology Program and Ocean Sciences Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada A1B 3X9 Among its functions, the hypodermal blubber layer of pinnipeds serves as both an energy reserve and insulation. This study examined seasonal changes in blubber distribution and body morphology in a gorup of captive harbor seals to test whether these changes were designed to maximize insulative effectiveness. Seasonal changes were found in girth, blubber volume, mean blubber depth, and the ratio of blubber depth to body radius (d/r ratio). These changes were more evident in older seals. The d/r ratio demonstrated a smaller relative annual variation along the length of the seal than blubber depth at any given time. Similar to reports for ringed seals, and contrary to those for southern elephant seals, the harbor seals preferentially lost blubber from overinsulated areas of the body. These results suggest that core tissue and blubber mass are lost in a manner that maximizes insulative effectiveness. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 09:41:09 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: List of notes/letters in Marine Mammal Science On behalf of a request made by the Marmam editors, I am posting notes/letters (no summaries are provided for these) for the lastest issue of Marine Mammal Science. This is being cross-posted as well to the ECS mailbase. I have included the mailing address of the author to whom inquiries should be directed, please do not send the mail to me. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ******************************************************************** NOTES: ************************ Dans, S.L., E.A. Crespo, S.N. Pedraza, and M.K. Alonso. 1997. Notes on the reproductive biology of female dusky dolphins (_Lagenorhynchus obscurus_) off the Patagonian coast. Marine Mammal Science 13(2): 303-307. Laboratorio de Mamiferos Marinos, Centro Nacional Patagonico, Conicet, Blvd. Brown s/n, (9120) Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina ************************* Acevedo-Gutierrez, A., B. Brennan, P. Rodriguez, and M. Thomas. 1997. Resightings and behavior of false killer whale (_Pseudorca crassidens_) in Costa Rica. Marine Mammal Science 13(2):307-314. Marine Mammal Research Program, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 4700 Avenue U, Building 303, Galveston, Texas 77551-5923 ************************ Borsa, P. 1997. Seasonal trends in the occurrence of marine mammals in the Golfe du Morbihan, Kerguelen Islands. Marine Mammal Science 13(2):314-316. ORSTOM-MAA, Institut Francais de Recherche Scientifique pour le Developpement en Cooperation, B. P. 5045, 34032 Montpellier cedex 1, France ************************ Scott, T.M. and S.S. Sadove. 1997. Sperm whale, _Physeter macrocephalus_, sightings in the shallow shelf waters of Long Island, New York. Marine Mammal Science 13(2): 317-321. Department of Biology, Roger Williams University, One Old Ferry Road, Bristol, Rhode Island 02809-2921. ************************* Stacey, P.J., D.A. Duffus, and R.W. Baird. 1997. A preliminary evaluation of incidental mortality of small cetaceans in coastal fisheries in British Columbia, Canada. Marine Mammal Science 13:321-326. Marine Mammal Research Group, Box 6244, Victoria, B.C., Canada V8P 5L5 A summary for this note was provided earlier on Marmam by Dr. Baird. ************************** Iwasa, M., S. Atkinson, and S. Kamiya. 1997. Lipofuscin granular cells in regressing corpea lutea and corpea albicantia of ovaries from wild Hawaiian monk seals (_Monachus schauinslandi_). Marine Mammal Science 13(2): 326-332. Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, 1000 Pope Road, Marine Science Building 213, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822 ************************** Gallo-Reynoso, J-P and G.B. Rathbun. 1997. Status of sea otters (_Enhydra lutris_) in Mexico. Marine Mammal Science 13(2): 332-340. Centro de Investigacion en Altimentos y Desarrollo, Unidad Guaymas, Carretera a Varadero Nacional km 6.6 Apdo, Postal 284, Guaymas, Sonora 85480, Mexico ************************** LETTERS: ************************** Garshelis, D.L. and J.A. Estes. 1997. Sea otter mortality from the _Exxon Valdez_ oil spill: evaluation of an estimate from boat-based surveys. Marine Mammal Science 13(2): 341-351. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 1201 East Highway 2, Grand Rapids, MN 55721, USA ************************** Eberhardt, L.L. and R.A. Garrott. 1997. Response to critique by Garshelis and Estes of _Exxon Valdez_ sea otter mortality estimate. Marine Mammal Science 13(2): 351-354. 2528 W. Klamath Ave., Kennewick, Washington 99336, USA ************************* Cesar de O. Santos, M. 1997. Lone sociable bottlenose dolphin in Brazil: human fatality and management. Marine Mammal Science 13(2); 355-356. Departamento de Ecologia Geral, Insituto de Biociencias, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Rua do Matao, 321, Sao Paulo, Brail, 05508-900. ************************* LeDuc, R.G., W.F. Perrin, A.O. Debrot, N.B. Barros, and P.J.H. van Bree. 1997. _Stenella attenuata_ from Curacao misidentified as _S. coeruleoalba_. Marine Mammal Science 13(2): 356-357. Southwest Fisheries Science Center, P.O. Box 271, La Jolla, California 92038, USA ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 08:44:18 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - population dynamics of fur seals On behalf of a request made by the Marmam editors, I am posting abstracts for the lastest issue of Marine Mammal Science. This is being cross-posted as well to the ECS mailbase. I have included the mailing address of the author to whom inquiries should be directed, please do not send the mail to me. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ******************************************************************** Wickens, P. and A.E. York. 1997. Comparative population dynamics of fur seals. Marine Mammal Science 13(2): 241-292. Marine Biology Research Institute, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7700, Cape Town, South Africa The population sizes, trends, exploitation, and life history parameters for the ten fur seal species and subspecies are summarized. The largest population is that of _Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus_ with approximately two million seals, and the smallest if _A. townsendi_ with approximately 7,000 individuals. Most populations are legally protected, although controlled harvesting may occur. None of the fur seal populations is currently known to be decreasing. Data are presented for parameters related to the survival of pups, juveniles, adults, and territorial males, and to reproduction, including the age of attainment of territorial status, aggregation sizes, age of first parturition, pregnancy rates, sex ratios of young animals, and information on the birth seasons of the different species. Since pinipeds are often of concern in fisheries management, their daily consumption rates are of importance, and consequently data on body masses are summarized and the paucity fo data on consumption rates as a function of body mass noted. A simplified age-structured model is developed, and the results of this model are compared with results from more detailed models based on two published life tables for _Callorhinus ursinus_. This comparison shows that the use of the simplified age-structured model is justified to explore changes in population growth rate. However, the simplified model does show exaggerated age structure effects compared to the more detailed models. This model is used to compare the population dynamics of those species for which sufficient data are available. Areas in which limited, or no, data are available for the different fur seal species are highlighted. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 08:29:45 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract -diving behavior in Australian fur seal On behalf of a request made by the Marmam editors, I am posting abstracts for the lastest issue of Marine Mammal Science. This is being cross-posted as well to the ECS mailbase. I have included the mailing address of the author to whom inquiries should be directed, please do not send the mail to me. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ******************************************************************** Hindell, M.A. and D. Pemberton. 1997. Successful use of a translocation program to investigate diving behavior in a male Australian fur seal, _Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus_. Marine Mammal Science 13(2): 219-228. Department of Zoology, University of Tasmania, P.O. Box 252C, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia This study reports some of the first foraging behavior data collected for male fur seals. A nonbreeding male Australian fur seal, _Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus_, captured at a commerical salmon farm in southern Tasmania, Australia, was relocated 450 km from the site of capture. The animal was equipped with a geolocating time-depth recorder that recorded diving behavior and approximate location for the 14.4 d that it took the seal to travel down the east coast of Tasmania and be recaptured at the salmon farm. During its time at sea, the seal spent most of its time over the relatively shallow shelf waters. It spent 30% of its time ashore on a number of different haul-out sites. The deepest dive was 102 m and the maximum duration was 6.8 min. "Foraging" type dives made up 31.2% of the time at sea and had a median duration of 2.5 min and a median depth of 14 m. The seal performed these dives more commonly during the latter part of its time at sea, while it was on the east coast. Unlike other fur seal species studied to date, there was no evidence of a diurnal foraging pattern; it made dives at all times of the day and night. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 08:23:06 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - Steller sea lions On behalf of a request made by the Marmam editors, I am posting abstracts for the lastest issue of Marine Mammal Science. This is being cross-posted as well to the ECS mailbase. I have included the mailing address of the author to whom inquiries should be directed, please do not send the mail to me. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ******************************************************************** Westlake, R.L., W.L. Perryman, and K.A. Ono. 1997. Comparison of vertical aerial photographic and ground censuses of Steller sea lions at Ano Nuevo Island, July 1990-1993. Marine Mammal Science 13(2): 207-218. National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 8604 La Jolla Shores Dr., La Jolla, California 92038 Counts of Steller sea lion (_Eumetopias jubatus_) pups and non-pups (adults and juveniles) from aerial photographs of rookeries at Ano Nuevo Island between 1990 and 1993 were significantly higher than those made on the ground. Based on regression of natural logs of photographic counts versus year, the number of pups declined at a rate of -0.099/yr while non-pup numbers declined at -0.315/yr. Examination of ground count data for the same period revealed a significant decline in non-pups (-0.139/yr), but no trend was detected in the ground count of pups. The regression coefficients from photographic and ground counts of non-pups did not differ significantly. Power analyses using the program TRENDS indicated that detectable rates of change in abundance from four annual surveys were much lower for counts of pups than counts of non-pups where sampling precision was based on fits to linear models. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 08:16:00 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - video sonar and dolphin swimming speed On behalf of a request made by the Marmam editors, I am posting abstracts for the lastest issue of Marine Mammal Science. This is being cross-posted as well to the ECS mailbase. I have included the mailing address of the author to whom inquiries should be directed, please do not send the mail to me. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ******************************************************************** Ridoux, V., C. Guinet, C. Liret, P. Creton, R. Steenstrup, and G. Beauplet. 1997. A video sonar as a new tool to study marine mammals in the wild: measurements of dolphin swimming speed. Marine Mammal Science 13(2): 196-206. Laboratorie d'Etude des Mammiferes Marins, Oceanopolis, B.P. 411, 29275 Brest Cedex, France. The use of a multibeam sonar for fine-scale studies of the foraging activity of bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_) was tested in a coastal environment where a group of 14 individuals is known to be resident. The sonar was set on a rubber boat and the signals were received continuously as the dolphins were foraging in a pass swept by strong tidal currents. These signals were recorded in Hi 8 video standard. The system produced real-time undistorted images of the dolphins and of their movements within the limits of the sonar beam (15 degree vertical width, 90 degree horizontal width, range set at 50 m). The average swimming speed relative to the bottom was 1.8 m x sec ^-1 but swimming speed relative to the water was 2.2 m x sec ^-1 when allowance was made for the average 1.2 m x sec ^-1. Maximum swimming speed relative to the water was as high as 4.8 m x sec ^-1. It is estimated from studies of swimming energetics that continuously foraging in a current vein flowing at 1.2 m x sec ^-1 would represent only small additional costs compared to foraging out of these currents. However, previous observations of the same pod have shown that these dolphins keep foraging in this site when current speed reaches 2.7 m x sec ^-1; under such circumstances, the cost of foraging in this site was calculated to increase by 96%. This suggests that foraging efficiency should be dramatically enhanced during rising tide since the dolphins consistently forage in these currents year round. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 08:04:25 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - blue whale vocalizations On behalf of a request made by the Marmam editors, I am posting abstracts for the lastest issue of Marine Mammal Science. This is being cross-posted as well to the ECS mailbase. I have included the mailing address of the author to whom inquiries should be directed, please do not send the mail to me. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ******************************************************************** Rivers, J.A. 1997. Blue whale, _Balaenoptera musculus_, vocalizations from the waters off central California. Marine Mammal Science 13(2): 186-195. P.O. Box 28861, Bellingham, Washington 98228 Low-frequency calls produced by blue whales, _Balaenoptera musculus_, were recorded in the northeastern Pacific Ocean off central California. Two blue whales were sighted during a vessel-based marine mammal survey, and when sonobuoys were subsequently deployed, blue whale calls were recorded. A third recording was obtained during that survey from a blue whale that was not seen. Recordings with 15, 25, and 55 min of calls were obtained from these individuals. The three recordings all contain two-part, low-frequency calls with slight interindividual variation. The calls consist of an amplitude modulated (AM) signal with a mean center frequency of 16.5 Hz, followed by a downsweep whose mean center frequency sweeps from 18.2 Hz to 16.6 Hz. The recordings were compared with blue whale recordings from the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The geographic variability suggests that blue whale calls may be used as an acoustic indicator of stock identity. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 17:52:05 EDT From: William Rossiter <71322.1637(\)CompuServe.COM> Subject: Posting openings Dear ECS and MARMAM participants, A gentle request and reminder to post any internship and staff openings that you might have, to help the apparently vast number of young people who want to work. Please remember when you were there... Thanks, Bill Rossiter President Cetacean Society International POB 953, Georgetown, CT 06829 USA ph/fx 203-544-8617 71322.1637(\)compuserve.com http://elfi.com/csihome.html ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 23:40:06 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: World Marine Mammal Science Conference The World Marine Mammal Science Conference (WMMSC), incorporating The Society for Marine Mammalogy's Twelth Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals and the European Cetacean Society's Twelth Annual Conference, will be held in Monaco from 20-24 January, 1998. Conference registration materials will be available on 2 May 1997 on the Society for Marine Mammalogy's web page and on the European Cetacean Society's web page shortly thereafter. If you are not a member of either society and do not have a web browser, email Dr. Anne Collet, Conference Chair, for a hard copy. Dan Odell member, Conference Committee ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 04:18:16 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly marine mammal summary to U.S. congress (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 5/01/97 (available via e-mail; updated daily) Marine Mammals . {JAPANESE SCIENTIFIC WHALING. ON MAY 1, 1997, A FLEET OF 4 JAPANESE SHIPS DEPARTED FOR THE NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF KILLING AS MANY AS 100 MINKE WHALES FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES. RESEARCH IS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF JULY 1997.} [DOW JONES NEWS] . {STELLER SEA LION LISTED AS ENDANGERED. ON APR. 30, 1997, NMFS ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL LIST THE GULF OF ALASKA AND BERING SEA POPULATION OF STELLER SEA LION AS "ENDANGERED," AS THE POPULATION CONTINUES TO DECLINE BETWEEN 5% AND 7% ANNUALLY. A SECOND DISTINCT, BUT STABLE, POPULATION OF STELLER SEA LIONS, FROM SOUTHEAST AK THROUGH CA REMAINS LISTED AS "THREATENED." NMFS IS PLANNING A WORKSHOP TO DESIGN AN EXPERIMENT ON ASSESSING WHETHER FISHING AREA CLOSURES MIGHT BENEFIT STELLER SEA LIONS WITHOUT UNNECESSARILY RESTRICTING COMMERCIAL FISHING.} [REUTERS, ASSOC PRESS, NOAA PRESS RELEASE] . Polar Bear Trophies. The House Resources Committee {held a hearing on Apr. 30, 1997,} on H.J.Res. 59, a joint resolution to disapprove a rule affecting applications to import polar bear trophies from Canada issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). {On Apr. 25, 1997, FWS announced that it had approved 24 permits to import polar bear trophies from Canada. Five Canadian polar bear populations have been approved from which trophy bears can be imported.} [personal communication, FWS press release] . CITES Proposal - Walrus. On Apr. 16, 1997, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it would not submit a proposal to list walrus on CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife Fauna and Flora) Appendix II. [Federal Register] . Illegal Polar Bear Hide. On Apr. 14, 1997, an OR man was fined $2,000, ordered to perform 200 hours of community service, and placed on probation for 3 years after pleading guilty in federal District Court to illegally buying a polar bear hide. The individual stated that he intended to use the hair to make flies for fishing. [Assoc Press] . Dolphin Interaction. On Apr. 10, 1997, Sea World of Florida began a Dolphin Interaction Program, wherein eight participants pay for a day of education about and interaction with dolphins. [Sea World of Florida press release] . Tuna-Dolphin Legislation. On Apr. 9, 1997, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans held a hearing on H.R. 408, amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act to support the International Dolphin Conservation Program. On Apr. 10, 1997, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans marked-up H.R. 408 and approved this measure for consideration by the full Committee. On Apr. 16 1997, the House Resources Committee marked-up H.R. 408 and ordered the bill reported. The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries postponed a hearing on S. 39, amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act relating to the International Dolphin Conservation Program, scheduled for Apr. 17, 1997. [personal communication, Congressional Record] . Mexican Whale and Dolphin Emergency. On Apr. 7, 1997, Mexican environmental authorities reported that 162 dolphins found dead on Gulf of California beaches earlier this year probably had been killed by red tide toxins, discounting earlier reports that a toxic spill or cyanide chemicals used by drug traffickers had caused these deaths. [Assoc Press] Atlantic Large Whale Protection. On Apr. 7, 1997, NMFS published a proposed take reduction plan and implementing regulations for northern right whales, humpback whales, fin whales, and minke whales in the Federal Register that would restrict fishing times in whale habitat off New England and the mid-Atlantic in Cape Cod Bay, the Great South Channel, and several other areas. In addition, fishing gear modification would be required to allow whales to break free of gear in case of incidental entanglement, and response and assistance for entangled whales would be improved. Maine officials contend the required gear modification will cost the lobster industry between $40 million and $70 million. {On Apr. 26, 1997, the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries held a field hearing in Portland, ME, on the proposed regulations. Four public hearings will be held from Apr. 30-May 3 on fishing gear modification regulations; additional public comment} will be received until May 15, 1997. [Assoc Press, Federal Register] . Whaling Protester. A Dutch court hearing on the possible extradition of Paul Watson to Norway is tentatively scheduled for May 26, 1997. Lofoten Islands police have announced that legal proceedings in Lofoten County Court are scheduled against Watson in Norway on Sept. 1, 1997, relating to alleged negligent navigation and collision with a Norwegian coast guard vessel in the summer of 1994. Compensation for damages of $120,000 with possible ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 04:22:43 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Subantarctic right whale research-volunteer position(fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 12:12:43 GMT+1200 From: n.patenaude(\)auckland.ac.nz We are presently organising our third winter scientific expedition to the Auckland Islands of New zealand to continue our research on southern right whales. We are lookin g for volunteers to assist on the 16 to 21 days long field trip and contribute to the costs of the charter. The trip departs from Invercargill, New Zealand, in late July aboa rd a charter vessel licensed for the subantarctic seas. It is a 2 to 3 day transit time to the subantarctic islands then we remain aboard the boat in a quiet harbour for the duration of field work. Volunteers should have some experience working with cetaceans. This project involves: photo-identification, collection of skin samples and behavioural monitoring. The estimated cost for each berth depends on the total number of participants (maximum of 6 volunteers with a team of 3 researchers) but is estimated at US$3,800. People interested in volunteering on this project are invited to contact us as soon as possible for further details. Nathalie Patenaude C. Scott Baker School of Biological Sciences University of Auckland Private Bag 92019 Auckland, NZ ph: 09-373-7599 ext 4588 or ext 7280 fax: 09-373-7417 email: n.patenaude(\)auckland.ac.nz Nathalie Patenaude Ecology and Evolution Group School of Biological Sciences University of Auckland Private Bag 92019 Auckland, New Zealand ph:64-9-373-7599 ext 4588 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 11:40:56 -0400 From: Robyn Angliss Subject: Western stock of Steller sea lions reclassified NMFS press release issued April 30, 1997: ------------------------ DECLINE OF STELLER SEA LION CONTINUES SPECIES RECLASSIFIED AS TWO POPULATIONS - ENDANGERED IN MOST OF ALASKA CURRENT FISHING OPERATIONS MAY CONTINUE Based on biological information collected since the Steller sea lion was listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act in 1990, the National Marine Fisheries Service is reclassifying a population of Steller sea lions found in most of Alaska as "endangered," the agency announced today. The fisheries service will classify Steller sea lions in two distinct populations separated at a line near Cape Suckling, Alaska (144 degrees west longitude), with the western population classified as endangered and the eastern population (southeastern Alaska to California) remaining classified as threatened. The reclassification is necessary because the number of Stellers in the western population has continued to decline since the 1990 classification of threatened. For instance, since 1994, the number of juvenile and adult Stellers has dropped by 18 percent in the Gulf of Alaska population alone. Pup counts at Alaska's largest rookeries fell by 40 percent between 1991-1994. Using current population models, fisheries service biologists predict there is nearly a 100 percent chance the western Steller sea lion population will be extinct in the next 65 to 100 years. "Based on the best available scientific and commercial information available from independent groups and within the agency, reclassifying the western Steller sea lion as endangered is the right move," said Rollie Schmitten, director of the National Marine Fisheries Service. "Not only does the reclassification more accurately reflect the status of the western Steller population, but we will be able to protect and conserve the species more effectively by managing the two populations through individual population trends without losing sight of the overall trend for the species." "Given our current knowledge of prey availability, competition for food, and the effects of human disturbance, it would be difficult to identify whether any further management actions are needed beyond those already in place," added Schmitten. Commercial fishing operations in the western population area that are likely to affect Steller sea lions may have to reconsult with the fisheries service under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. However, the fisheries service believes it is premature to propose additions or changes to the Steller sea lion protective measures. "Fishing in the western population area will continue under the current management measures as we develop and conduct experiments to reexamine how Stellers may interact with these fishing operations. Once we better determine the entire scope of the interaction, we will better know if any additional management actions are required to reduce impacts to Stellers," said Schmitten. To improve scientific and management data, the agency is organizing a workshop of outside experts in the coming year to design an experiment for assessing how well fishing area closure zones will benefit Steller sea lions without unnecessarily restricting the commercial fishing fleet. The agency will also prepare updated stock assessments that reexamine the estimated mortality rates incidental to commercial fisheries, and consider the next steps, if necessary, toward take reduction. In addition, the fisheries service will review the ongoing Steller sea lion program and look at developing an action plan for future research and management directions. At the time of the original listing, the fisheries service had insufficient information available to consider animals in different geographic regions as separate populations. However, subsequent data analyses using Steller sea lion population dynamics, data from tagging, branding, and radio-telemetry studies, phenotypic data, and genetics have enabled the agency to delineate two discrete population segments of Steller sea lions within their geographic range. Since 1990, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Canadian and Russian governments have continued to assess the Steller sea lion populations and to study the causes of the decline. Results of 1990-1994 surveys to monitor abundance trends indicate that the number of adults and juveniles continues to decline in Alaska. The Alaska Steller sea lion population fell by 60 percent from 157,000 juveniles and adults in the 1970s to less than 69,100 in 1989. The entire Steller sea lion population in the United States has declined 24 percent to 52,200 animals since 1989. ------------------------------- Posted by: Robyn Angliss Office of Protected Resources National Marine Fisheries Service 1315 East-West Hwy Silver Spring, MD 20910 Robyn.Angliss(\)noaa.gov ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 10:49:17 -0700 From: Moe Brown Subject: Summer courses for undergraduate and graduate students SUMMER INSTITUTE CENTER FOR COASTAL STUDIES/ UNIV. MASSACHUSETTS - LOWELL COLLEGE UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE CREDIT AND NON -CREDIT FIELD COURSES IN PROVINCETOWN ON CAPE COD For information or applications, contact Dr. Moira Brown, Director (508) 487-3622, email: mbrown(\)wn.net or write: Summer Institute c/o Center for Coastal Studies P.O. Box 1036 Provincetown, MA 02657 Application Deadline: June 1, 1997 The Summer Institute at the Center for Coastal Studies offers intensive field courses in marine and coastal science, combining classroom, field and laboratory studies. Each two week course will give participants the equivalent of a semester-long college course (3 semester-hour credits). Students will receive credit through the University of Massachusetts - Lowell. Graduate credit can be arranged for qualified students. The Summer Institute will give you the chance to combine rigorous, intellectually stimulating lectures and discussions with laboratory studies and field work in the most beautuful and evocative landscapes and seascapes - a place Thoreau called "a most advantageous point from which to view this world". SESSION I: JULY 7-18, 1997 * Coastal Botany: Dr. Howard Irwin, Former director, N.Y. Botantical Garden, Former Professor of Botany, Columbia University. * Coastal Geology: Dr. Graham Giese, Coastal Geologist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. * Utilization of Marine Resources: Dr. Moira Brown, Senior Scientist, Center for Coastal Studies SESSION II: JULY 21 - AUGUST 1, 1997 * Biology of Marine Mammals: Drs. Moira Brown and Charles "Stormy" Mayo, Senior Scientists, Center for Coastal Studies * Evolving Coastal Ecology of Cape Cod: Dr. Norton Nickerson, Professor Emeritus of Biology and Director Emeritus of the Environmental Studies Program, Tufts University * Marine Environmental Issues: Dr. Benjamin Giese, Department of Oceanography, Texas A & M University Fees: Tuition: Undergraduate credit - $900 Graduate credit - $1300 Non-credit students - $450 Texts and materials - $75 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 17:13:51 +0200 From: Marielle BONNET Subject: reproduction of fur seals to MARMAMERs: I am veterinarian (France) and studying more specially pinnipeds (subantarctic and cap fur seals).My research work is about reproduction, endocrinology and levels of hormons during pregnancy. I am actually looking for informations about delayed implantation,placentation and gonadotropine chorionic hormons in seals. If you have any information about it ,or if you are studying this subject too,please ,contact me. Thank you for your help, From: bonnet(\)tours.inra.fr ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 22:32:05 -0400 From: Malcolm Martin Subject: phocid foraging?? Hello All, I am a graduate student at Rutgers University studying the accumulation of heavy metals in Phocids. Any assistance with information and/or references on the foraging behavior of Phocids in general and Harp and Harbor seals in particular would be greatly appreciated. E-mail: malcolmm(\)rci.rutgers.edu Thanks in advance, Malcolm L. Martin Rutgers University Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 09:42:55 -0500 From: John Duff Subject: Re: Job vacancy ------ POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY, MS 38677 =09 APRIL, 1997=09 MISSISSIPPI LAW RESEARCH INSTITUTE Position Title: Research Counsel Salary: $32,809.00 Duties: =09 Conduct research on ocean, coastal, natural resource, and related environmental legal issues; prepare reports of research in the form of briefs and articles for publication; provide assistance to governmental agencies concerning interpretation of statutes, regulations, and case law= ; assist in the preparation and publication of the WATER LOG, a quarterly S= ea Grant legal reporter; travel to conferences to present research papers; a= nd supervise law student research associates.=09 Qualifications:=09 Bachelor's Degree; Law Degree by starting date; relevant coursework and/o= r work experience in one or more of the following (in preferred order): ocean/coastal, natural resources, environmental law; demonstrated abilit= y to conduct research and writing; familiarity with Westlaw and/or Lexis; ability to communicate easily and work well with others; and, membership = in the Mississippi Bar or commitment to acquire membership in the Mississipp= i Bar. Desired Qualities:=09 Strong law school academic record; law journal writing, judicial clerkshi= p, or equivalent; experience with personal computers; and, familiarity with internet and World Wide Web resources.=20 Deadline for Receipt of Application: May 16, 1997=09 Starting Date: Summer 1997 Contact: Send r=E9sum=E9 of experience and education, copy of law school transcrip= t, research and writing sample, references and other pertinent information t= o: Richard J. McLaughlin, Associate Professor of Law and Director Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program Law Center, Room 518 University, MS 38677 (601) 232-7775 The University of Mississippi is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, pregnancy, religion, marital status, national origin, disabilities, or status as disabled or Vietnam-era veteran. (AA/ADA/EOE) =09 =09 Regards, John ********************************************************************** John A. Duff, Adjunct Prof. of Law | =20 and Associate Director, | jduff(\)olemiss.edu =20 Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program | =20 University of Mississippi Law School | (601) 232-7775 phone = =20 Law Center, Room 518 | =20 University, MS 38677 | (601) 232-5267 fax = =20 ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 3 May 1997 07:28:16 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: European Cetacean Society e-mail list (fwd) Information on the European Cetacean Society's e-mail list follows. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Jan Willem Broekema To: all ECS-members From: the ECS Computer Support Group Concerning: the use of electronic mail within the ECS Update April 1997 E U R O P E A N C E T A C E A N S O C I E T Y C O M P U T E R S U P P O R T G R O U P Dear friends, 1. THE STRUCTURE OF MAILBASE How do I reach Mailbase and what does it do? Mailbase is a mailbox like any other. All ECS-members are on a list, which has its own mail address. If you send a message to this address, the message will be relayed to all members with a mailbox. You do not need to know the address of each member; you don't even have to know which members are on the list! Send your message to: ECS-all(\)Mailbase.Ac.UK ECS-ALL An open list, which means that anybody can join this list. Any type of discussion, remark, request can be sent and discussed through ECS-ALL. Please keep any discussion within our interest, so cetaceans and electronic mail are fine, but refrain from poli tics, the weather and other matters. Since this is an open list quite a few people have joined in who are NOT official members of the ECS. We, the ECS, do welcome you but we retain the right to exclude you from this list and its associated lists. We would advise you to request information a bout the ECS. Just send a message with your address to ECS-BOARD(\)Mailbase.ac.uk. The ECS board will then send you all information you need. 2. SUBLISTS Besides ECS-ALL there are some other sublists especially for the ECS. Some of these lists may be closed: you cannot join them yourself. A message sent to ECS-ALL is also sent to the members in the lists below, even if they are not on the ECS-ALL list. A message sent to a sublist will only be distributed to the members within that list. With a short description those are: ECS-PATHOLOGY A list for members with a special interest in the pathology and anatomy of cetaceans. ECS-BRAER (Closed list) Named after the Braer disaster of 1993, this list will be used by members to discuss matters as the ECS sees fit. At present it is closed for use for the 1998 Conference. ECS-SPERM-WHALE (Closed list) Closed temporarely for the 1998 WMMSC Scientific Committee. ECS-NEWS This list is open to students attending the 1998 Conference. We encourage students attending the Monaco conference to enlist here instead of in ECS-all. Remember that you will receive all e-mail sent to ECS-all as well. ECS-BOARD (Closed list) For all messages to the ECS-board members. You may send, but cannot receive messages unless you are a board-member. ECS Computer Support Group/Helpdesk The ECS Computer Support Group can be reached by sending a message to: ECS-all-request(\)mailbase.ac.uk. 3. HOW DO I JOIN, CHANGE OR LEAVE? It is very simple to become a member of a list. You only have to send the following message (depending on your computer and mail system!): To: Mailbase(\)Mailbase.Ac.UK Subj: Text: join ecs-all firstname (firstname ...) lastname stop You will be sent more detailed information when you join. If you would like to join one of the sublists, please change 'ecs-all' to the name of the sublist. The 'leave' command works when you want to leave ECS-all. To: Mailbase(\)Mailbase.Ac.UK Subj: Text: leave ecs-all stop If you get another e-mail address (or lose your e-mail account) PLEASE do not forget you are a member of this list! Send a 'leave' command from your OLD account and send a 'join' command from the new address. The system will recognize your e-mail address and not your name. The Computer Support Group loses quite a lot of time to correct this kind of problems: wrong addresses more that double the amount of e-mail through Internet, sometimes even transatlantic. If you want to leave all mailing lists on Mailbase at once, change 'ecs-all' into 'all'. 4. OTHER SOURCES ON THE WEB The ECS Website can be reached at the following address: http://web.inter.NL.net/users/J.W.Broekema/ecs.htm The ECS mailing lists can also be reached through World Wide Web: http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists-a-e/ecs-all (or any other list) This is very handy if you want to retrieve old mail (which is stored for one year) and for looking up e-mail addresses. And remember: we are here for you! The ECS Computer Support Group, Jan Willem Broekema, Joke Bakker ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 3 May 1997 15:02:49 -0700 From: Jeff Northam Subject: Blue Whale length MARMAM list members, I am currently working on an exhibit that includes a complete lower left mandible that is approximately 14 feet long from a blue whale . Given these dimensions, does anyone have an idea of what the probable overall length, including the distal end of the tail flukes, this specimen may have reached in life. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Jeff Northam Pouncing Pachyderm Productions Exhibition Design & Fabrication 3875 Whitehouse Creek Road Pescadero, CA 94060-9722 415.879.0031 voice 415.879.1331 voice/fax pouncing-pachy(\)southcoast.net ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 08:06:08 -0800 From: Marvin Snell Subject: Rabies & Cetaceans In-Reply-To: While researching rabies in general, I became interested in finding out if rabies had been detected in marine mammals. After some searching, I came across an article about a ringed seal in Norway that was confirmed to have rabies through immunofluroescent examination of the brain. Apparently the seal caught the virus from a rabid group of foxes in the area. As I continued on researching the subject, I have been unable to find any literature or studies that either confirm or deny any association of rabies to cetaceans. Is anyone aware of any research or literature covering this area? If so would you be so kind as to email me the references. Thanks in advance. Regards, Marvin Snell Wildlife Center P.O. Box 2404 Valley Center, CA 92082 760-749-8160 (voice) 760-749-8304 (fax) marvin(\)cts.com (Email) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 00:27:13 UT From: GreenLife Society Subject: Book Review Editor Sough Infoterra , Primate Talk , ASIL International Environmental Law Section , Environmental Law List The Board of Managing Editors of the Journal of Wildlife Management Law & Policy, a journal that will focus on international and comparative law and policy issues, to be launched by Kluwer Publishers in January of 1998, is seeking a dedicated individual to serve as the Book Review Editor for the journal. This position will be unpaid, as is true for all members of the journal's staff. The Editor will solicit and catalog incoming publications, solicit reviewers, process proposals for reviews, and edit submitted reviews. Information about the journal is included below. Inquiries may be directed to my attention. Thank you. The Journal of Wildlife Management Law & Policy: A Journal devoted to international and comparative wildlife law and policy Overview The Journal's mission is to address legal and political issues concerning the human race's interrelationship with and management of wildlife species, their habitats and the biosphere. This includes analysis of the efficacy of international and regional wildlife treaty regimes, national legislation and regulations, the impact of judicial decisions at both the national and international level and the interface of other institutions in society that have a substantive impact on the management of species and ecosystems. The Journal's specific aims are as follows: * Acknowledging that wildlife management benefits from input from many different fields, including law, economics, sociology and psychology, the journal will seek to provide decision makers with contemporaneous, multi-disciplinary analysis and knowledge so as to facilitate a systematic and scientific approach that minimizes threats to biodiversity and natural ecosystems while furthering society's socioeconomic objectives; * Provide a forum to discuss the ethical, legal and political implications of conflicting perspectives on wildlife utilization, including sustainable use and preservation of the interests of future generations so as to further the objective of priority setting at both the national and international level; * Enhance the colloquy between stakeholders in the field of wildlife conservation; Our ultimate goals are to: * Assist actors at the international, national and local levels in the drafting and implementation of laws, and policy makers in drafting legislation and regulations; * Improve the colloquy between actors with differing viewpoints by providing a forum to discuss and confront issues attendant to wildlife management; * Ensure that utilization of wildlife is conducted in a sustainable manner; * Acknowledge the inestimable and unquantifiable value of wildlife species and seek to protect their continued right to existence on Earth. George Carvalho, Research Associate GreenLife Society - North American Chapter 700 Cragmont Ave. Berkeley, CA 94708 USA Phone/Fax: (510) 558-0620 E-mail: greenlifesociety(\)msn.com WWW site: http://EELINK.umich.edu/greenlife/index.html GLSNA Affiliations: The EarthAction Network Accredited NGO Observer, International Whaling Commission European Social Science Fisheries Network -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. -- William James -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 08:42:51 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: MMPA & SEAWOLF (fwd) Forwarded message: From: Ken Hollingshead The information provided below is in response to recent inquiries to MARMAM on the status of the Navy's application for an authorization under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to incidentally take small numbers of marine mammals during the shock trial of the USS SEAWOLF. On June 7, 1996, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) received an application for an authorization under section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA from the U.S. Navy for a small take of marine mammals incidental to shock testing the USS SEAWOLF submarine off the U.S. Atlantic Coast in 1997. The USS SEAWOLF is the first of a new class of submarine being acquired by the Navy. In accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2366, each new class of ships constructed for the Navy cannot proceed beyond initial production until realistic survivabililty testing of the ship and its components are completed. Realistic survivability testing means testing for vulnerability in combat by firing munitions likely to be encountered in combat. Because realistic testing by detonating torpedoes or mines against a ship's hull could result in the loss of a multi-billion dollar Navy asset, the Navy has established a "Live-Fire Test & Evaluation" program, consisting of computer modeling, component and surrogate testing, and shock testing the entire ship. Together, these components complete the survivability testing as required by statute. The Navy proposed to shock test the SEAWOLF by detonating a single 10,000 lb explosive charge near the submarine once per week over a 5-week period between April 1 and September 30, 1997. If a Mayport FL site is selected, the shock tests would be conducted between May 1 and September 30, in order to minimize risk to sea turtles. Detonations would occur 100 ft below the ocean surface in a water depth of 500 ft. The SEAWOLF would be underway at a depth of 65 ft. For each test, the submarine would move closer to the explosive in order to experience a more severe shock. As part of review under NEPA, two sites, Mayport FL and Norfolk VA are being considered by the Navy for the shock test. The Mayport site is the preferred location by the Navy because of a lower abundance of marine mammals at that site. Because of the potential impact to marine mammals, the Navy requested NMFS to grant an authorization under the MMPA to incidentally take small numbers of marine mammals. On June 14, 1996 (61 FR 30232), EPA noted the availability for public review and comment the draft EIS prepared by the Navy for this action. The comment period on the draft EIS closed on July 29, 1996. On August 2, 1996 (61 FR 40377), NMFS published a proposed rule to issue an incidental take authorization under the MMPA to the Navy for the shock trial. The proposed rule also announced the schedule for public meetings under NEPA and the MMPA. These meeetings were held in Silver Spring, MD, Norfolk, VA and Atlantic Beach, FL. The comment period on the draft EIS was reopened from August 1, 1996 (61 FR 40204) until September 17, 1996, to incorporate comments from the meetings and to coincide with the closing of the comment period on the proposed rule. A final EIS is presently under development by the Navy. The Navy's proposed action includes mitigation that would minimize risk to marine mammals and sea turtles. The Navy would: (1) Through pre-detonation aerial surveys, select a test area at the chosen site with potentially the lowest number of marine mammals and turtles; (2) monitor the area visually (aerial and shipboard monitoring) and acoustically before each test and postpone detonation if either (a) any marine mammal or sea turtle is detected within a safety zone of 2.05 nmi or in a buffer zone of an additional 0.95 nmi and on a heading that will place them within the safety zone prior to detonation, or (b) the sea state exceeds Beaufort 4, the visibility is not 1 nmi or greater, or the ceiling is not 1,000 ft or greater; and (3) monitor the area after each test to find and treat any injured animals. If post-detonation monitoring shows that marine mammals or sea turtles were killed or injured as a result of the test, teting would be halted until procedures for subsequent detonations could be reviewed and modified as necessary. On March 11, 1997, the Navy submitted a petition to NMFS amending its June 7, 1996, application and requesting a modification to the proposed regulations. The petition states that the Navy, for reasons unrelated to the environment, will not be able to conduct the shock trial between April 1, 1997, and September 30, 1997, and requests that the period of effectiveness for the regulations and the authorization be extended until 1999. No modification to the proposed seasonal restrictions, principally to protect large marine mammals, mentioned above is requested. Comments on this modification will be accepted until May 28, 1997. For additional background information on marine mammal abundance, estimated levels of take, safety range calculations, mitigation etc, reviewers should refer to draft EIS. Limited copies may remain available from Mr. Will Sloger (803-820-5797). Similar information is also available in the Navy's MMPA application and the proposed rule. Copies of the latter two documents can be obtained from Mr. Ken Hollingshead (301-713-2055). ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 10:09:37 -0500 From: Michelle Padgett Subject: Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation ------ *I have been asked to send the following message to this list. The messa= ge has also been sent to the ECS list; I apologize for any cross-postings.* = =20 Your name was obtained from Wildlife Health Organizations or Wildlife Rehabilitators listed on the Internet. As such, we are sure that you and= /or your organization would be interested in the Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitatio= n course being offered by Texas A&M=92s Center for Marine Training and Safe= ty this summer. This three day course will cover the care of oiled animals, with emphasis on birds and fur-bearing mammals, both terrestrial and mari= ne. It will provide participants with both classroom and hands-on experience = in oiled wildlife cleaning using current cleaning techniques. Unfortunately in today=92s world, the oiling of wildlife is occurring in greater frequencies than ever before. As wildlife health/rehabilitation professionals, the proper care and treatment of oiled wildlife will prove invaluable to you. However, there is much more to consider when respondin= g to an oiled wildlife event than just the care of the animals affected. Federal and State laws, personal safety in handling hazardous materials, = and proper disposal of those materials must all be taken into account. The Center for Marine Training and Safety=92s Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitati= on course includes such topics as: =B7 Federal and State Laws Dealing with Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation =B7 Natural Resource Damage Assessment =B7 Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) =B7 Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) =B7 Fate and Effects of Oil in the Marine Environment =B7 Marine Mammals and Oil / Sea Turtles and Oil / Birds and Oil =B7 Design of Rehabilitation Facilities =B7 Toxicological Effects of Hydrocarbon =B7 Veterinary Care of Oiled Mammals and Birds =B7 History of Oiled Wildlife The tentative price for this informative course is $1,750.00. The date a= nd location of this class have not yet been determined, and that is where we would like your assistance. Please call 409-740-4850 or e-mail CMTS(\)TEEXNET.TAMU.EDU for more information, and to place your name on the waiting list. Please be sure to mention when and where you would like to attend this course. Possible locations are the Center=92s Headquarters i= n Galveston, Texas, or on the east or west coasts of the United States. Immediate responses are necessary to get this course underway. Please circulate this information to any persons/agencies you feel may be interested and encourage them to contact us. Michelle Padgett Research Materials Specialist Center for Marine Training and Safety Galveston, Texas padgettm(\)arctic.tamug.tamu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 08:51:02 -0700 From: Dale Rice Subject: new beaked whales -Reply Richard: References to the original descriptions of the two new species of Mesoplodon are as follows: Reyes, J. C., J. G. Mead, and K. Van Waerebeek 1991. A new species of beaked whale Mesoplodon peruvianus. Marine Mammal Science 7(1):1--24. Reyes, J. C., K. Van Waerebeek, J. C. Cardenas, and J. L. Yanez. 1996. Mesoplodon bahamondi sp. n., (Cetacea, Ziphiidae), a new living beaked whale from the Juan Fernandez Archipelago, Chile. Boletin del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Chile 43:31-44. I am just putting the finishing touches on a revised and greatly expanded edition of my list of the marine mammals of the world, to be published as Special Publication No. 3 by the Society for Marine Mammalogy. As regards the beaked whales, Perrin and Heyning think that M. bahamondi may be the same as M. bowdoini--which it was previously reported as. You might wish to check with Mead. Dale rice(\)afsc.noaa. gov ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 13:41:22 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: NOAA SEEKS COMMENT ON APPLICATION AND PROPOSED AUTHORIZATION (fwd) Forwarded message: From: Ken Hollingshead NMFS Press Release dated April 25, 1997: NOAA SEEKS COMMENT ON APPLICATION AND PROPOSED AUTHORIZATION FOR MARINE MAMMAL DISTURBANCE DURING SEISMIC SURVEY The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is seeking comment on an application and proposed authorization for BP Exploration (Alaska) of Anchorage to potentially disturb small numbers of marine mammals while conducting a seismic survey in the Western Beaufort Sea in state and federal waters of Alaska. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, BP Exploration applied for a permit to incidentally disturb small numbers of bowhead whales and other marine mammals during an oil and gas survey in the vicinity of the Northstar Unit of the Western Beaufort Sea. NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service may grant permission to incidentally harass these mammals if it finds the survey will have a negligible impact on marine mammals and will not halt the availability of some species for subsistence uses. Also, BP Exploration must meet proposed mitigation, monitoring, and reporting guidelines. If a marine mammal authorization is approved, the survey is expected to take place between about July 1 and Oct. 20, 1997, during the open water season in and near the Northstar Unit. The Beaufort/Chukchi Seas support a diverse assembly of marine mammals, including bowhead whales, gray whales, belukha whales, ringed seals, spotted seals, and bearded seals. (2) It is possible the harvest of some marine mammals (mainly bowhead whales, ringed seals, and bearded seals) by native hunters from coastal North Slope communities may be affected. Migrating marine mammals (principally bowhead whales) may move farther offshore due to possible behavioral changes from elevated noise levels, and this could potentially make the subsistence harvest of this species more difficult. Deep seismic surveys collect data about oil-bearing rock formations several thousands of meters deep. Sound waves are transmitted into the earth, which are reflected off subsurface formations and recorded. A typical marine seismic source is an airgun array that releases compressed air into the water, creating an acoustical energy pulse that is directed into the earth. Hydrophones spaced along the ocean bottom receive the reflected energy from the subsurface formations and transmit the data to the surface vessels. On board, the signals are amplified, digitized, and recorded on magnetic tape. The airguns emit pulsed energy primarily at frequencies in the 10 to 300 Hz range. Small whale and seal hearing is believed to be poor at frequencies less than 1,000 Hz, and should be relatively unaffected by the survey, although the belukha whale and the seals are likely to detect some sounds at these frequencies. However, bowhead and gray whales have been known to move away from a seismic search area. As part of the proposed authorization, the fisheries service proposes that BP Exploration observe several operating procedures designed to avoid potential injury to marine mammals. The fisheries service proposes 1) biological observers onboard the seismic vessels monitor marine mammal presence in the vicinity of the seismic array (the array would be powered down if seals or whales are sighted within 850 - 3,300 feet, depending on the species); 2) the airguns be brought to operating levels over a several minute period at the commencement of operations or after any period where the array is powered down; and 3) if marine mammals are observed within a safety zone designated to prevent injury to the animals, start-up operations will be delayed until all marine mammals are outside that distance. In addition, BP Exploration is developing an agreement with Native American subsistence whalers to reduce any potential interference with their hunt as well as provide information to help resolve uncertainties about the effects of seismic exploration on the accessibility of bowheads to hunters. Comments will be received through May 22, 1997, and should be addressed to Chief, Marine Mammal Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3225. Copies of the application and an environmental assessment may be obtained by contacting the above office. ### Posted by: Ken Hollingshead Office of Protected Resources National Marine Fisheries Service 1315 East-West Highway Silver Spring, MD 20910 Telephone: 301-713-2055 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 14:36:31 +1200 From: Corey Bradshaw Subject: Volunteers needed - NZ fur seals I am still looking for a few more volunteers (i.e, 2-3) to assist with my Ph.D. field work this winter (end of May to mid-July 1997). I will be capturing and marking pups from ~15 colonies around South Island, New Zealand. Transportation from colony to colony will be provided, but volunteers must pay for transportation to NZ, food, & accommodation. For more details, contact: Corey Bradshaw University of Otago corey.bradshaw(\)stonebow.otago.ac.nz ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 08:06:18 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - range extension of Steno, new records of stripers As a courtesy to the editor of _Aquatic Mammals_ , the following is an abstract/summary of an article that was published in the most recent issue. I have included the contact address for the corresponding author; please direct any inquiries to that person and not to me. _Aquatic Mammals_ is a publication of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals; for more information, contact the editor: Dr. Paul Nachtigall, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, Hawaii 96734 USA, FAX (809)247-5831, nachtig(\)nosc.mil Thanks for your continued interest in the journal. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ****************************************************************** Ott, P.H.* and D. Danilewicz. 1996. Southward range extension of _Steno bredanensis_ in the southwest Atlantic and new records of _Stenella coeruleoalba_ for Brazilian waters. _Aquatic Mammals_ 22(3): 185-189. * Grupo de Estudos de Mamiferos Aquaticos do Rio Grande do Sul (GEMARS) - Rua Felipe Neri, 382/203 - Porto Alegre, RS 90440-150 Brazil no summary or abstract was provided with the article, the following is the first paragraph to the paper which provides the synopsis: The present note reports on a southward range extension of the rough-toothed dolphin, _Steno bredanensis_, along the coastal waters of the Southwest Atlantic Ocean, and provides additional records of the striped dolphin, _Stenella coeruleoalba_, for the Brazilian coast. Biological and morphological information are given whenever possible, allowing for some insights into the natural history and ecology of these little known delphinids in Brazilian waters. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 07:57:19 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - geo variation/morphology and the Dall's porpoise As a courtesy to the editor of _Aquatic Mammals_ , the following is an abstract/summary of an article that was published in the most recent issue. I have included the contact address for the corresponding author; please direct any inquiries to that person and not to me. _Aquatic Mammals_ is a publication of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals; for more information, contact the editor: Dr. Paul Nachtigall, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, Hawaii 96734 USA, FAX (809)247-5831, nachtig(\)nosc.mil Thanks for your continued interest in the journal. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ****************************************************************** Amano, M.* and N. Miyazaki. 1996. Geographic variation in external morphology of Dall's porpoise, _Phocoenoides dalli_. _Aquatic Mammals_ 22(3): 167-174. *Current address: Otsuchi Marine Research Center, Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Otsuchi, Iwate 028-11, Japan We examined geographic variation in external measurements of Dall's porpoises, using 269 sexually mature specimens from throughout their range, excluding coastal waters off North America and the northern Okhotsk Sea. The lateral white patch is more caudad in dalli-type porpoises from the Sea of Japan than in those from other areas. This is a distinguishing character of the Sea of Japan-Okhotsk Sea population, and it indicates its independence along with genetic, morphological and ecological differences previously reported. Morphological and genetic differentiation suggests and older origin for this population. Sexual dimorphism is less developed in mature males form the eastern North Pacific than from other areas. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 07:43:07 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - dolphin hearing As a courtesy to the editor of _Aquatic Mammals_ , the following is an abstract/summary of an article that was published in the most recent issue. I have included the contact address for the corresponding author; please direct any inquiries to that person and not to me. _Aquatic Mammals_ is a publication of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals; for more information, contact the editor: Dr. Paul Nachtigall, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, Hawaii 96734 USA, FAX (809)247-5831, nachtig(\)nosc.mil Thanks for your continued interest in the journal. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ****************************************************************** Tarakanov, M.B., M.G. Pletenko and A.Ya Supin. 1996. Frequency resolving power of the dolphin's hearing measured by rippled noise. Aquatic Mammals 22(3): 141-152. Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences, 33 Leninsky Prosp., 117071 Moscow, Russia Frequency resolving power (FRP) of hearing was studied in bottlenose dolphins in behavioral experiments (go/no-go paradigm) using rippled noise with a phase-reversal test. The rippled noise has a frequency spectrum with periodically alternating peaks and troughs (ripples) which is a convenient spectrum pattern to test frequency resolution. The principle of the phase-reversal test was to find the highest ripple density at which an interchange of peak and trough positions (the phase reversal) in the ripple spectrum is detectable. Measurements were made using narrow-band rippled noise stimuli with center frequencies varying from 2 to 128 kHz. The found FRP was frequency-dependent: it increased from 6.7-7.4 (mean 7.0) at 2 kHz to 33.2-62.8 (mean 48.3) at 128 kHz. At lower frequencies (2-16 kHz) the found FRP values are close to those of humans. At high frequencies (90-128 kHz) these values are several times higher which indicates very sharp frequency tuning. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 07:49:31 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - Steller sea lion abundance As a courtesy to the editor of _Aquatic Mammals_ , the following is an abstract/summary of an article that was published in the most recent issue. I have included the contact address for the corresponding author; please direct any inquiries to that person and not to me. _Aquatic Mammals_ is a publication of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals; for more information, contact the editor: Dr. Paul Nachtigall, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, Hawaii 96734 USA, FAX (809)247-5831, nachtig(\)nosc.mil Thanks for your continued interest in the journal. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ****************************************************************** Trites, A.W. and P.A. Larkin. 1996. Changes in the abundance of Steller sea lions (_Eumetopias jubatus_) in Alaska from 1956 to 1992: how many were there? _Aquatic Mammals_ 22(3): 153-166. Marine Mammal Research Unit, Fisheries Centre, 2204 Main Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4 The size of Steller sea lion populations in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands was estimated by applying life table statistics to counts of pups and adults (non-pups) at rookery sites. Total population size was 5.10 times the number of pups counted or 3.43 times the number of adults counted. Only 55% of the adult population return to rookeries during the summer. Data compiled from published and unpublished sources for all 39 major rookeries in Alaska suggest that the total number of Steller sea lions (including pups) rose from 250 000 to 282 000 between the mid 1950s and the mid 1970s. Since 1980 it has decreased by over 70% (roughly 5% per year) to about 76 000 animals in 1992. Most of the decline took place in the Aleutian Islands and Kodiak region. However since 1989, the population decline appears to have slowed or stopped within two subareas of these large regions - the eastern Aleutians and western Gulf of Alaska. Increases ahve been occurring in the smaller populations of southeast Alaska. It is not known why these changes have occurred. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 08:50:39 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - dolphin sound production and ovulation As a courtesy to the editor of _Aquatic Mammals_ , the following is an abstract/summary of an article that was published in the most recent issue. I have included the contact address for the corresponding author; please direct any inquiries to that person and not to me. _Aquatic Mammals_ is a publication of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals; for more information, contact the editor: Dr. Paul Nachtigall, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, Hawaii 96734 USA, FAX (809)247-5831, nachtig(\)nosc.mil Thanks for your continued interest in the journal. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ****************************************************************** Moore, S.E.* and S.H. Ridgway. 1996. Patterns of sound production and ovulation. _Aquatic Mammals_ 22(3): 175-184. * SAIC, Maritime Services Division, 3990 Old Town Avenue, Suite 105A, San Diego, CA 92110 USA The total number of sounds (whistles and pulsed sounds) produced by two female common dolphins and two female bottlenose dolphins, housed in separate enclosures, were counted over one 24-hour period roughly every 2-weeks from December 1979 through January 1981. Progesterone levels from each of the four dolphins were measured from blood samples drawn just before or soon after the sound counts. Moon phase, day length and water temperature were collated with biacoustic and hormone data throughout the experiment. Peaks in progesterone level indicative of ovulation occurred in one of the common dolphins and in both bottlenose dolphins. The common dolphin exhibited nine progesterone peaks; four >10 ng/ml occurred in late spring and summer, with five lesser peaks (3.5-8.2 ng/ml) throughout the balance of the year. Both bottlenose dolphins ovulated in late April and mid-May, indicated by progesterone levels between 3.4-5.9 ng/ml; one of the females ovulated again in June and July, evidenced by progesterone levels between 3.1-4.4 ng/ml. Sound production was negatively correlated with progesterone levels in both species, although the relationship was statistically significant (r=-0.58, P<0.01) only between number of pulsed sounds and progesterone level in one of the _Tursiops_ females. Total sound production fell to its lowest level, and the whistle component was highest, during springtime progesterone peaks by both bottlenose dolphins. Sound production from the common dolphins fell off dramatically after the first five sampling periods, as the same female continued to ovulate through summer and early autumn. Both species exhibited progesterone peaks on study date 28/29 April 1980, when day length at 13.45 hours was increasing at a rate of about 2 minutes/day. The last progesterone peak occurred on 23/24 October and on 10/11 June for the common and bottlenose dolphins, respectively. Progesterone level was significantly associated with moon phase for the common (F=4.42, P=0.047) but not for the bottlenose dolphins. Six of nine progesterone peaks exhibited by the _Delphinus_ female occurred on the full moon, including all four peaks >10 ng/ml. There was some diurnal pattern to sound production in both species, with fewest calls counted between hours 2300-0700 and 1000-1100 for common dolphins and between 0000-0400 for bottlenose dolphins. Sound production generally increased during feedings and decreased immediately afterwards. Conversely, sound production sometimes increased with no apparent instigation. The unaccounted influence of external factors undermine strong inferences regarding diurnal sound production patterns. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 11:59:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Norway-Whaling Norway-Whaling OSLO, Norway (AP) -- Norway opened its controversial whaling season Friday with whalers going after an increased limit of 580 minke whales. One boat was sabotaged by activists and may have to sit out the commercial hunt. Norway resumed commercial whaling in 1993 following a six-year hiatus, despite international protests and a non-binding ban by the International Whaling Commission. Norway's Fisheries Ministry argues that minke whales are not endangered and that an uncontrolled population of the whales would threaten valuable fish stocks. It has steadily increased annual quotas. The limit was raised from 425 minke whales to 580 for this year, even though hunters took only 382 whales in 1996. One of the 34 authorized whaling boats was damaged by arson Wednesday night. It was unclear if it could be repaired in time to take part in the hunt, which ends July 21. The same boat, the "Senet," also was sabotaged in 1994. Paul Watson, leader of the Sea Shepherd environmental group, was convicted of the sabotage in absentia and sentenced to 120 days in jail. Watson was seized in Amsterdam last month and is fighting extradition to Norway, where he also faces charges of ramming a naval vessel during a whaling protest. A previously unknown group called "Agenda 21" claimed responsibility for Wednesday's fire. The Greenpeace environmental group, which opposes both whaling and extremist tactics, denounced the sabotage. Because of tough ice conditions in the Arctic regions where the hunt takes place, it is unlikely that many boats will start whaling right away. A new feature of this year's hunt is that each boat can only have an inspector on board for six weeks, effectively limiting individual boats' hunting season to six weeks, even though the season lasts closer to three months. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 May 1997 12:15:54 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: One year position available in organismal biology at Colby C COLBY COLLEGE is seeking an Organismal Biologist to fill a temporary, one-year position as Assistant Professor of Biology to begin September, 1997. Candidates should have a Ph.D. in the biological sciences, broad training in animal biology with an emphasis on mammalian anatomy and physiology, and a strong commitment to undergraduate education. Teaching assignments will include three courses with laboratories in the candidate's discipline including mammalian anatomy and physiology, and two other courses (e.g., animal behavior, vertebrate biology, marine biology). Familiarity with liberal arts colleges, teaching experience, and/or post-doctoral experience are desirable. Please submit a letter of application, statement of teaching interests (including courses you would like to teach at Colby), curriculum vitae, reprints of no more than three publications, undergraduate and graduate transcripts, and three letters of recommendation to: Paul G. Greenwood, Chair, Department of Biology, 5720 Mayflower Hill, Colby College, Waterville, Maine 04901. (207) 872-3322. E-mail: pggreenw(\)colby.edu. Application review will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Colby College is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, and encourages applications from minorities and women. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 May 1997 06:55:12 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Aquatic Mammals - correction Apologies to all, it appears that my finger slipped when I was typing the instructions for contacting the editor of _Aquatic Mammals_ for subscription information. The FAX number's area code should have been (808) not (809) as it appears on the five _Aquatic Mammals_ abstracts that were submitted yesterday to Marmam. The following is the complete correct information: Dr. Paul Nachtigall Editor, Aquatic Mammals Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology P.O. Box 1106 Kailua, Hawaii 96734 USA FX (808) 247-5831 email: nachtig(\)nosc.mil I apologize for any confusion/inconvenience that this may have caused anyone. Dagmar.Fertl(\)mms.gov ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 May 1997 21:09:23 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: killer whale thesis abstract (fwd) From: "Elvira Harms" I would like to poste my M.Sc. thesis abstract. I won't be able to answer my e-mail for the next 4 months, because I will be working in the bush. Hopefully, I'll be back online after that. Thanks, Elvira Harms. harms(\)ubc.zoology.ca M.Sc. thesis abstract by Elvira Harms Association Patterns and Pod Cohesion in Northern Resident Killer whales (Orcinus orca) Understanding the social structure of a killer whale community may give insight into the short-term factors that determine pod-cohesion and pod-splitting. Social patterns within British Columbia's northern resident killer whale community were analyzed using a 20-year long photographic database. Females were found to associate primarily with their mothers when young, and with their own offspring later in life. They showed a surprising lack of contact with other females in their pod, and were photographed more often with females of other pods. Males seemed to be the preferred associates of all pod members, especially other males. Upon reaching age 21, males showed an explosion in social contacts of all sorts, especially with their extended kin. The results suggest that it is male social bonds that give cohesion to killer pods, binding two or more related female-offspring units. Female associations are mainly between mothers and their offspring, and their associations with females of other pods may give some cohesion to the community as a whole. These patterns lead to the prediction that without an adult male and the possibility of male-male bonds between mother-offspring units, a pod is likely to split after the death of the common mother. This prediction is consistent with observed cases of pod-splitting. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 11:52:58 +0100 From: Samantha Strindberg Subject: Second Announcement - Wildlife Population Assessment Workshops THREE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOPS ON WILDLIFE POPULATION ASSESSMENT There are still places available on the following workshops: 1. Design and analysis of distance sampling surveys. ST Buckland and DL Borchers 2. An overview of capture-recapture models. KH Pollock and R Alpizar-Jara 3. The analysis of survival data from marked animal populations. JD Lebreton and BJT Morgan June 17 - 28 1997 To be held at University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK. **************************************************************************** DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF DISTANCE SAMPLING SURVEYS June 17 - 20. COURSE INSTRUCTORS: Professor Steve Buckland and Dr David Borchers (Research Unit for Wildlife Population Assessment, University of St Andrews). INTENDED PARTICIPANTS: The workshop is intended for scientists who are carrying out population assessments of wildlife. We anticipate a mixture of marine and terrestrial mammalogists, ornithologists and fisheries biologists, plus statisticians who have an interest in the topic. WORKSHOP CONTENT: The workshop will concentrate primarily on line and point transect sampling methods. Although the basic theory will be covered, the focus of the workshop will be on practical application of the methods. Line and point transect sampling will be covered in detail in separate sessions. Field methods and survey design will be addressed. Participants will be taught how to use the software package DISTANCE and are thus encouraged to bring their own data sets for partial analysis on the course. Individual tuition will be given on the analysis of these data. Informal discussion groups will be established for participants with common interests or problems. **************************************************************************** AN OVERVIEW OF CAPTURE-RECAPTURE MODELS June 23 - 24. COURSE INSTRUCTORS: Professor Ken Pollock and Mr Russell Alpizar-Jara (North Carolina State University). INTENDED PARTICIPANTS: The course is primarily aimed at biologists who are interested in using capture-recapture methods and would also be of use as a first course for applied statisticians. We anticipate the same mixture of participants as for the Distance Sampling course. WORKSHOP CONTENT: The workshop will be an introductory overview of capture-recapture models and will include estimation of population size, survival rates and birth numbers. Software packages CAPTURE, JOLLY and JOLLYAGE will be used. Topics will include: The Lincoln Petersen Model, Closed Models, Open Models, The Robust Design, Designing Capture-Recapture Studies and Applications. **************************************************************************** THE ANALYSIS OF SURVIVAL DATA FROM MARKED ANIMAL POPULATIONS June 25 - 28. COURSE INSTRUCTORS: Dr Jean-Dominique Lebreton (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Montpellier, France) and Professor Byron J T Morgan (University of Kent, UK). INTENDED PARTICIPANTS: The course is aimed at three sets of people: firstly, numerate and computer-literate biologists and ecologists; secondly, academics with graduate teaching or research interests in capture-recapture theory; and thirdly, biometricians working with biological population issues. Some familiarity with capture-recapture models (e.g. through attending the preceding workshop) is almost essential. WORKSHOP CONTENT: The workshop will provide a comprehensive approach to the analysis of survival data from marked animal populations. This will be achieved by introducing the participants to the theory and application of the latest capture-recapture methodology and by illustrating these methods with real data using the software RELEASE and SURGE for recaptures and resightings, and SURVIV and EAGLE for recoveries. **************************************************************************** For further information and registration forms, please send your name, mailing address and e-mail address to: Jane Cumberlidge (e-mail: jane(\)dcs.st-andrews.ac.uk) RUWPA Mathematical Institute North Haugh St Andrews Fife KY16 9SS SCOTLAND FAX: +44 (0)1334 463748 TEL: +44 (0)1334 463713 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 14:13:53 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Marine Mammal Positions in Woods Hole (fwd) From: Tim Smith _____________________________________________________________ The Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NOAA, NMFS) is advertising two positions in its Protected Species Branch for scientists with strong backgrounds in the population dynamics of marine mammals. Both are for scientists with expereince, and are advertised at the GS-13 ($53-69K) or GS-14 ($63-82K) levels. One is for a supervisory fishery biologist to lead the Protected Species Branch, and the other is for a research fishery biologist. Both positions are restricted to US citizens. Both positions are focused on conducting research programs to increase knowledge of biology, distribution and population status of protected and endangered species (e.g. marine mammals, sea turtles, shortnosed sturgeon), with particular focus on marine mammals. The research position will focus on conducting stock assessments and related research, especially quantitative studies of distribution, abundance, and impacts of human activities. The supervisory position has broad supervisory responsibilities for all members of the Branch staff (10 scientists and technicians). If interested, please contact Kathryn McArthur at 757-441-6348 (fax at 441-3563). Tim Smith Tim.Smith(\)noaa.gov ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 9 May 1997 10:56:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: MarmamNews for April 1997 ------ The following articles were uploaded to MarmamNews in April 1997. MarmamNews can be found at http://members.aol.com/marmamnews 04/01/1997 Moby prepared for final journey Sea Grant News, Notes From Around the Nation Deutschland/ Greenpeace-Mitbegr=FCnd.. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 50 CFR Part 648 National ... 04/02/1997 Moby set for final resting place Tragic Moby dragged away Brite-Amorous Whale Moving Moby's body poses problems Moby heads for last resting place Offshore drilling `Driving whales to their deaths' CMC: Government Acts to Cut Shark Catches in Half Shark Limits 04/03/1997 SA: Stranded whale dead, Environment Dept reveals Shark Limits 04/04/1997 Lobstermen denounce right whale rules Department of Commerce: National Oceanic and ... 04/06/1997 Experts seek entangled minke whale Antarctic Warming Stirs Worries Otters get their own Des Res 04/07/1997 Beached baby whales confuse scientists BRF--Mexico-Dolphin Deaths 04/08/1997 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and ... 04/09/1997 Environmental Groups Urge Congress to Save ... 04/10/1997 Right whales recover strongly off S.Africa Sea World Of Florida Guests 'Wading' To Meet Dolphins 04/12/1997 Researchers suspect whales may have dialects ... Latin American Briefs 04/14/1997 B.C. Indians Plan To Hunt Again Dolphin back in Cuba after ecologists' battle 04/15/1997 QLD: Fishermen threaten legal action over fishing ban 04/16/1997 BRF--Maybe Baby Beluga Congress Comes Closer to Dismantling Dolphin-Safe ... U.S. House panel votes to lift tuna embargo Dolphin-Tuna 04/17/1997 Help Rescue Texas Dolphins 04/18/1997 Black Finless Porpoise Settle in New Home Maine protests right whale rules Maine lobsters vs. right whales 04/21/1997 Nujoma delays on seal charges 04/22/1997 Manatee protection bill killed 04/23/1997 Chinese Wetlands Get State Protection For Rare Animals Sailor hopes to break record, save orcas 04/24/1997 Yachtsman sets sights on Pacific record House Votes To Kill Biosphere Money Moby's death remains a mystery Public hearings - Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Lawmakers ask Clinton to push Japan to save whales 04/27/1997 Pingers' may preserve thr porpoise 04/28/1997 US FWS: Agency announces approval of permits for ... Killer whales preying on gray whale migration U.S. Navy requests MMPA modification 04/30/1997 Whalers may be helping seals ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 10 May 1997 05:22:15 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly marine mammal summary to US congress (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 5/08/97 (available via e-mail; updated daily) New info and changes since 5/01/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 5/8/97 are in CAPITAL LETTERS. . Marine Mammals . Norwegian Whaling. A Dutch court hearing on the possible extradition of Paul Watson to Norway is tentatively scheduled for May 26, 1997. Lofoten Islands police have announced that legal proceedings in Lofoten County Court are scheduled against Watson in Norway on Sept. 1, 1997, relating to alleged negligent navigation and collision with a Norwegian coast guard vessel in the summer of 1994. Compensation for damages of $120,000 with possible interest is sought by the Norwegian Navy for this collision. {On May 2, 1997, Norway began its 1997 commercial minke whale hunt for a quota of 580 animals. The season will end on July 21, 1997. Individual vessels are limited to six weeks of whaling, when an inspector is aboard.} [Assoc Press, High North Alliance News] . {Keiko's Recovery. On May 6, 1997, the Free Willy Keiko Foundation announced that, by spring 1997, Keiko could be in a fenced-off pen in the North Atlantic as the next step toward release to the wild. Details of cost and potential sites are under research and negotiation.} [Assoc Press] . Japanese Scientific Whaling. On May 1, 1997, a fleet of 4 Japanese ships departed for the northwestern Pacific with the objective of killing as many as 100 minke whales for research purposes. Research is scheduled to be completed by the end of July 1997. [Dow Jones News] . Steller Sea Lion Listed as Endangered. On Apr. 30, 1997, NMFS announced that it will list the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea population of Steller sea lion as "endangered," as the population continues to decline between 5% and 7% annually. A second distinct, but stable, population of Steller sea lions, from southeast AK through CA remains listed as "threatened." NMFS is planning a workshop to design an experiment on assessing whether fishing area closures might benefit Steller sea lions without unnecessarily restricting commercial fishing. [Reuters, Assoc Press, NOAA press release] . Polar Bear Trophies. The House Resources Committee held a hearing on Apr. 30, 1997, on H.J.Res. 59, a joint resolution to disapprove a rule affecting applications to import polar bear trophies from Canada issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). On Apr. 25, 1997, FWS announced that it had approved 24 permits to import polar bear trophies from Canada. Five Canadian polar bear populations have been approved from which trophy bears can be imported. [personal communication, FWS press release] . Atlantic Large Whale Protection. On Apr. 26, 1997, the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries held a field hearing in Portland, ME, on the proposed regulations. Four public hearings will be held from Apr. 30-May 3 on fishing gear modification regulations; additional public comment will be received until May 15, 1997. {On May 7, 1997, MA Dept. of Environmental Affairs officials lifted an emergency ban on fishing gear aimed at protecting northern right whales since these whales appear to have left MA waters several weeks earlier than normal this year.} [Assoc Press, Federal Register] . CITES Proposal - Walrus. On Apr. 16, 1997, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it would not submit a proposal to list walrus on CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife Fauna and Flora) Appendix II. [Federal Register] . Tuna-Dolphin Legislation. On Apr. 16 1997, the House Resources Committee marked-up H.R. 408 and ordered the bill reported. The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries postponed a hearing on S. 39, amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act relating to the International Dolphin Conservation Program, scheduled for Apr. 17, 1997. {The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries has tentatively rescheduled a hearing on S. 39, amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act relating to the International Dolphin Conservation Program, for May 14, 1997.} [personal communication, Congressional Record] . Illegal Polar Bear Hide. On Apr. 14, 1997, an OR man was fined $2,000, ordered to perform 200 hours of community service, and placed on probation for 3 years after pleading guilty in federal District Court to illegally buying a polar bear hide. The individual stated that he intended to use the hair to make flies for fishing. [Assoc Press] . ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 07:46:50 -0400 From: Phil Clapham Subject: Abstract - humpback whales Barlow, J. & Clapham, P.J. 1997. A new birth-interval approach to estimating demographic parameters of humpback whales. Ecology 78: 535-546. A demographic model is developed based on interbirth intervals and is applied to estimate the population growth rate of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the Gulf of Maine. Fecundity rates in this model are based on the probabilities of giving birth at time t after a previous birth and on the probabilities of giving birth first at age x. Maximum likelihood methods are used to estimate these probabilities using sighting data collected for individually identified whales. Female survival rates are estimated from these same sighting data using a modified Jolly-Seber method. The youngest age at first parturition is 5 yr, the estimated mean birth interval is 2.38 yr (SE - 0.10 yr), the estimated noncalf survival rate is 0.960 (SE = 0.008), and the estimated calf survival rate is 0.875 (SE = 0.047). The population growth rate (lambda) is estimated to be 1.065; its standard error is estimated as 0.012 using a Monte Carlo approach, which simulated sampling from a hypothetical population of whales. The simulation is also used to investigate the bias in estimating birth intervals by previous methods. The approach developed here is applicable to studies of other populations for which interbirth intervals can be measured. Please send reprint requests to: Dr Jay Barlow SW Fisheries Science Center Box 271 La Jolla, CA 92038 Phil Clapham Smithsonian Institution claphamp(\)nmnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 02:06:21 -0400 From: "Dr. Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni" Subject: Caribbean stranding web page Dear Marmamers: The Caribbean Stranding Network (Red Caribena de Varamientos) has just completed a web page dedicated to information on strandings and conservation of marine mammals in the Caribbean. The page is mostly in Spanish, but has a few English pages dealing with whales, dolphins, seals and manatees. It also has a bilingual form to document stranding cases in Caribbean countries. Those interested may want to check the page at http://netdial.caribe.net/~mignucci/ or contact me for further information at mignucci(\)caribe.net Hope you visit our page Antonio ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 17:08:32 -0400 From: Phil Clapham Subject: Seeking mapping software For a mammalian species account of the humpback whale, I'm in need of some software that would allow me to produce a good world distribution map. Does anyone have any good mapping shareware that they could send me for IBM? Many thanks. Please reply directly to me at claphamp(\)nmnh.si.edu. Phil Clapham Smithsonian Institution ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 11:59:26 +0200 From: gucu(\)deniz.ims.metu.edu.tr Subject: Volunteers are neede for Mediterranean Monk Seal Conservation VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED FOR MEDITERRANEAN MONK SEAL CONSERVATION Mersin - Mediterranean Coast (Cilician Basin) TURKEY 1 9 9 7 I N T R O D U C T I O N The Mediterranean Monk Seal is one of the most endangered species in the world. If no immediate action is undertaken, the monk seal will become extinct very soon. In the Mediterranean there are only 150-200 animals left. For several reasons their number is declining rapidly; they are shot by fishermen, disturbed by tourists, drowning in fishing nets, their food is being over-fished, illegal fishing and loss of habitats. In Turkey we offer you the possibility to join the monk seal conservation programme in Cilician Basin (Mersin) as an volunteer. You will be directly involved in working with young and motivated people who are doing their best to save this historical and ecological heritage. T H E M O N K S E A L P R O J E C T The organization The Mersin (Cilician Basin) Project was established in 1995. Its aim is to collect reliable first-hand information and conduct field observation and surveys to extract data and status, distribution and behaviour of the Mediterranean monk seal to be used in situations, planning, performing public awareness activities, in co-operation with other national and international organizations who deal with monk seal protection. The Cilician Basin Project objectives are: * Monitoring of biological data in order to confirm and extend the already existing data on the biology and ecology of the monk seal * Stimulate officials to implement existing laws for the protection of the sea and the monk seal. * Forwarding proposals to the local authorities, related ministries and legislature aiming at the effective long term conservation of seals in the study area and the vicinity. * Continuation and enlargement of public awareness programmes on a regularbasis and active involvement or more local people in monk seal conservation. * Promotion of the establishment of protection zones in Turkey. As an volunteer you will actively participate in research and public awareness activities. THE WORKING AREA You will work around Bozyazi and Ovacik, which are about 100 and 180 kilometres west of Mersin respectively. The west coast of Cilician Basin (after Tasucu) has very rocky shores with large cliffs and small sand and pebble beaches, little islands and peninsulas. Along this coast you will find a few tourism, mainly Turkish (secondary houses). Due to the ever extending urbanization along the coast a lot of habitat is already destroyed. This has to be stopped in order to give the monk seal and other animal species a chance of survival. Although there is no mass-tourism in Mersin, coastal development is taking over rapidly. THE RESEARCH The coastline has been searched before for suitable caves for the Mediterranean monk seal. The volunteers will control these caves found regularly and will look for others with project staff. The research also consists of land observations. These observations are mostly done in the morning during sunrise or in the afternoon during sunset. All observers will have a form to fill out all kinds of observations. Not only seal sightings but also passing boats, dolphins, turtles, cormorants, sea and weather conditions will be recorded. The land observations combined with the cave observations would lead a good estimate to the current number of the population and behaviors in the area. H O W Y O U M A Y H E L P PUBLIC AWARENESS With the help of volunteers, slide shows will be given about the project and the monk seal on the beach at night. Furthermore an information stand will be opened in places where beach tourists pass by. On the beach you will work with questionnaires for tourists, to get a good impression of what people know about the monk seal, about the project and to find out what kind of public awareness activity is most effective. Furthermore daily talks will be held on the tourboats that sail to sea every day to inform the people about the protection measures. Turkish volunteers will concentrate on getting more involvement from the local people. You should however realize that your working hours depend on what kind of activities are needed in the project, note that project activities continue also at weekends. P R A C T I C A L T R A V E L I N F O R M A T I O N Duration: minimum participation = two weeks Period: all of 1997; dates to be chosen by participant Capacity: a maximum of ten volunteers The volunteers will pay Flights to and from Adana + other travels within country. Food and drinking is cheap and good in Turkey; volunteers cook together in the accommodation and they are expected to contribute food expenses. Provided that the flight schedule of the volunteer will be made available to project office at the latest one week before departure, it will be arranged that the volunteer will be met at the airport of Adana and transported to project area. If the flight schedule is not provided in time, the volunteer will be considered to have arranged for his / her own transfer to project area. Accommodation The house for 1997 is not yet settled at the moment this information is written. Rooms and facilities are shared between participants. Together with other volunteers, you will take care for cleaning and cooking. There is no minimum number of volunteers required, maximum will be 10. Conditions for participation This volunteer programme is suitable for everyone: * who has a normal physical health * who is able to walk on difficult grounds * who is between 18 and 40 years old. * You have to be a good swimmer. People with dive experience, boat, skills, birds, fish, marine and biology students are very welcome. * You have to be able to work in a team and be tolerant and be patient and have a flexible attitude towards different habitats and customs of Turkish culture. * You have to be able to speak good English and especially participants with knowledge of German language are welcome / preferred. For more information please contact with: Ali Cemal Gucu, PhD. Institute of Marine Sciences, Middle East Technical University P.K. 28 Erdemli - Icel 33731 Turkey Phone: +90-324-521-2406 Fax: +90-324-521-2327 Telex: 67796 dms tr e-mail: gucu(\)deniz.ims.metu.edu.tr ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 13:56:04 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - abundance of Gulf of Mexico cetaceans Please direct reprint inquiries for Dr. Tom Jefferson in care of Mr. Andy Schiro at Marine Mammal Research Program, Texas A&M University, 4700 Avenue U, Bldg 303, Galveston, TX 77551, USA schiroa(\)tamug.tamu.edu Jefferson, T.A. 1996. Estimates of abundance of cetaceans in offshore waters of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, 1992-1993. The Southwestern Naturalist 41(3): 279-287. In order to estimate cetacean abundance, seven vessel-based surveys were conducted in outer continental shelf and continental slope waters of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico from 1992 to 1993. Sixteen species were identified, and estimates of abundance were made using line transect methods for the most commonly seen species: sperm whales (_Physeter macrocephalus_), 442 (CV=35.7%); bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_), 451 (CV=36.5%) over the continental shelf, and 520 (CV=56.3%) over the continental slope; pantropical spotted dolphins (_Stenella attenuata_), 5,876 (CV=42.3%); and Clymene dolphins (_Stenella clymene_), 2,285 (CV=60.8%). Most line transect assumptions were satisfied, or were dealt with in the analyses. The major remaining bias is the probable underestimation of sperm whale abundance, due to missed animals on and near the transect line. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 13:48:42 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - Gulf of Mexico cetacean distribution Please direct reprint inquiries for Dr. Tom Jefferson in care of Mr. Andy Schiro at Marine Mammal Research Program, Texas A&M University, 4700 Avenue U, Bldg 303, Galveston, TX 77551, USA schiroa(\)tamug.tamu.edu Jefferson, T.A. and A.J. Schiro. 1997. Distribution of cetaceans in the offshore Gulf of Mexico. Mammal Review 27: 27-50. In order to comprehend better the distribution of Gulf of Mexico cetaceans, all available records of whales and dolphins in the offshore Gulf were assembled and analysed. This included sightings, strandings and captures of all species, except the Bottlenose Dolphin _Tursiops truncatus_, from all sources, except the recently completed GulfCet project. An attempt was made to confirm species identification for each of the records. A total of 1223 records was available for analysis. Twenty-seven species of cetaceans have been confirmed to occur in the offshore Gulf of Mexico. All of the baleen whales, with the possible exception of the Bryde's Whale _Balaenoptera edeni_ appear to be extralimital in the Gulf. The Sperm Whale _Physeter macrocephalus_ is, by far, the most common great whale in this body of water. All previous records of Common Dolphins _Delphinus_ spp. in the Gulf are rejected as either incorrect or unreliable, and there is currently no convincing evidence that dolphins of the genus _Delphinus_ occur in the Gulf. The Atlantic Spotted Dolphin _Stenella frontalis_ is the only species, other than the Bottlenose Dolphin, that regularly occurs over the continental shelf. The Pantropical Spotted Dolphin _Stenella attenuata_ is the most common species of small cetacean in oceanic waters of the Gulf, but many other species also occur there in significant numbers. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 04:16:25 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Re: NOAA SEEKS COMMENT ON APPLICATION AND PROPOSED AUTHORIZATION (fwd) From: DLjungblad(\)aol.com I have a few comments about the BP Seismic survey permit application. The open water period covers a lot of time which I understand is dependent on yearly ice conditions. The most likely period of open water, based on my 14 years of experience in the proposed study area, would most likely occur in September October which will be in the peak of the bowhead whale's fall near shore migration. When describing airguns, the source level of 240 db as a reasonable average should be mentioned. The statement that small whales and seal hearing is believed to be poor below 1000hz and the assumption that little effect wiil occur is based on what scientific studies? The weak statement that bowheads and gray whales (note: gray whales should not be present in the study area) have been known to move away from an active seismic vessel, should state instead that studies have documented avoidance behavior from bowheads at ranges of 1.3 km, 7.2 km, 3.5 km and 2.9 km with corresponding sound levels of 152 db, 165 db, 178 db, and 165 db. Observations on the Behavioral Responses of the Bowhead whales (balaena mysticetus) to Active Geophysical Vessels working in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea(Ljungblad et al., 1996 )is one of numerous seismic effect studies that should be mentioned. The proposed operating procedures to detect the presence of whales and avoid disturbances may be inadequate due to the limited range that the shipboard observers can be expected to see. My concern is based on my knowledge of ice and sea conditions and the observers height above the water which will limit the distance they can observe. Who will be the observers, what are their qualifications, and will local village representatives be included? The best way to clear an area for seismic operations is to have experienced, trained observers overfly the study area each day while keeping constant voice communication with the operating seismic vessel. The statement that the seismic guns will be shut down if seals or whales are observed within 850-3,300 feet is, in my opinion, much to close, especially for bowheads. Based on documented flight behavior of bow heads to active approaching seismic vessels, this range should be extended using existing known parameters as a guideline. Don Ljungblad DLjungblad(\)AOL.com Reference Ljungblad, D.K., Wursig, B., Swartz, S.L., and Keene, J. M. 1986. Observations on the Behavioral Responses of Bowhead Whales (Balaena mysticeus) to Active Geophysical Vessels in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea. Arctic. Vol. 41, no. 3 (September 1988) p. 183- 194. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 14:58:11 GMT+2 From: "G. Hofmeyr. Dierkunde & Entomologie, 3-38, X" Organization: University of Pretoria Subject: Abstract: Fur seal population changes Hofmeyr, G.J.G., Bester, M.N. & Jonker, F.C. 1997. Changes in population sizes and distribution of fur seals at Marion Island. Polar Biology 17:150-158 Population censuses of the Antarctic fur seal (_Arctocephalus gazella_) and the sub-Antarctic fur seal (_A.tropicalis_) were conducted during the 1994/1995 breeding season at Marion Island. Pup numbers, determined from direct counts and a mark recapture experiment, were used to estimate population sizes. Pup numbers of _A.tropicalis_ showed a mean annual change of 2,0% over the previous 6 years, culminating in an estimated total population of 49,523 for 1994/1995. The population appears to be entering the maturity phase of population growth and may therefore have recovered from the effects of uncontrolled sealing that ended in the early twentieth century. Numbers on the major colonies on Marion Island showed little change since 1989 and these sites may have reached carrying capacity. The extension of breeding to other parts of the island continues. Over the same period, _A.gazella_ pup numbers showed a mean annual change of 17% and the total population numbered 1,205 in 1994/1995. This species has possibly entered the rapid recolinisation phase of population growth. A few hybrid seals were found. Please send reprint requests to: Greg Hofmeyr Department of Zoology & Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria 0002 South Africa Email: ghofmeyr(\)scientia.up.ac.za Fax: +27-12-342-3136 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 23:24:32 +0200 Reply-To: Rune(\)highnorth.no From: Rune Frovik Organization: HNA Subject: CITES and downlisting of whale stocks Dear Marmamers, Please find enclosed a news article from the High North Web News relating to the CITES Secretariat's recommodation to downlist various whale stocks. Yours sincerely Rune Frovik, High North Alliance, Rune(\)highnorth.no CITES: Secretariat Recommends Downlisting of Whale Stocks High North Web News (12 May 1997): The CITES Secretariat recommends that the five proposals to transfer various whale stocks from Appendix I to Appendix II are accepted. These proposals are submitted by Japan and Norway to the tenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, CITES, which will take place 9-20 June in Harare, Zimbabwe. Three of the proposals relate to different minke whale stocks. Norway has proposed to downlist the North East Atlantic and the Central North Atlantic minke whale stocks, while Japan has proposed to downlist the Southern Hemisphere and the Okhotsk Sea West Pacific minke whale stocks. The Secretariat writes in its comments that "it seems that the whole" minke whale species "could be transferred to Appendix II because it does not qualify for inclusion in Appendix I with a total population of around one million animals". The other two proposals relate to the Eastern Pacific stock of grey whales and the North Pacific Western stock of Bryde's whales. Although the grey whale proposal "does not provide comprehensive explanations and justifications," comments the Secretariat, "it appears that the stock under consideration does not meet the criteria for inclusion in Appendix I". The US has transferred this stock from the "Endangered" to the "Threatened" category under the Endangered Species Act, "which may be another argument in favour of the proposal," writes the CITES Secretariat. The aim of CITES is to prevent international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants from being detrimental to their survival. Species threatened with extinction are included in Appendix I, and international trade in specimens of these species is not permitted. Species that are not threatened with extinction, but for which the international trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival are listed in Appendix II. The same applies to species that can be mistaken for endangered species. CITES adopted a non-binding resolution in 1979 which recommends the members not to issue any permit for international trade in whale products from a species or stock protected from commercial whaling by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). The IWC adopted a general ban on whaling in 1982, effective from 1986. Therefor the CITES Secretariat recommends that the proposals are transferred to Appendix II with a zero quota unless this CITES resolution is repealed. Japan has proposed to repeal this resolution. At the last CITES meeting in 1994 a Norwegian proposal to downlist two North Atlantic minke whale stocks was rejected. Based on the resolution mentioned above, the CITES Secretariat recommended in 1994 that this proposal should be rejected. At the 1994 meeting new criteria for amendments of the Appendices were adopted. When these are applied, "it is clear that the criteria are not met and that the stocks concerned should be transferred to Appendix II," comments the Secretariat. The minke whale was included in Appendix II in 1979. At the CITES meeting in 1983, a proposal by the Seychelles to include minke whale in Appendix I was adopted. For further information please see the following documents and news article from 19 December 1996: CITES: Norwegian Proposal to downlist Minke Whales. http://www.highnorth.no/co-on-in.htm CITES would not downlist minkes http://www.highnorth.no/ci-wo-no.htm CITES Home Page http://www.wcmc.org.uk/CITES/english/index.htm ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 16:20:49 -0400 From: KulaNaia(\)aol.com Subject: Summer courses on marine mammals MARINE MAMMALS OF HAWAII The Summer Program in Marine Science at the University of Hawaii, Hilo announces an undergraduate course on the Biology of Marine Mammals (MARE 394) This course will cover a wide range of topics relating to both pinnipeds (seals, sea lions and walruses) and cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), including oceanography, taxonomy, distribution, genetics, physiology, social organization, social behavior and acoustics. This upper division course is designed for students with a background in college level biology but no previous education in marine mammalogy. Students will learn to identify all species of cetaceans and pinnipeds with particular emphasis on the marine mammals of Hawaii. We will take advantage of the "Big Island" of Hawaii's unique location to observe cetaceans both in captivity and in the wild. In addition, there will be an independent study course (MARE 399) offered emphasizing research methodologies and the development of directed research projects. Both courses will be taught by Dr. Jan Ostman-Lind. Dates: June 16-July 25 1997 For Registration and further information about these and other marine science courses contact: Ms. Corinne Tamashiro Summer Program in Marine Science University of Hawaii at Hilo -- CCECS Hilo, Hawaii, 96720-4091 Phone: (808) 974-7664 e-mail: corinne(\)Hawaii.edu Jan Ostman-Lind KulaNaia(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 11:41:04 -0400 From: Ed Kelly Subject: research opportunity in middle east The Arabian Seas Expedition (ASE) is an environmental awareness project which was born in 1993 from the apparent environmental anti-climax that followed the Gulf War and was originally aiming to view first hand the short and long term impact from the Gulf War's oil spill. We have and are producing a series of documentary film studies investigating the marine life and environmental issues within all the seas surrounding the Arabian Penninsula. This year we are offering a unique opportunity to research institutions and Universities enabling you to participate in our ASE " Voyage of Discovery " this fall which will take us from the southern Omani coast to the island of Socotra and then into the Red Sea to the Daklak Islands and finishing at Sharm-el-Shaikh in the Gulf of Aqaba. Recent research is revealing that the proposed route intended by the ASE will take them to waters that are potentially full of discovery and will undoubtedly prove to be the most stunning and important areas of Arabia's underwater world. The proposed route takes us from Dubai, U.A.E. out to the southern coast of Oman which we believe may be home to the world's only resident humpback whale population. Next we travel onto Socotra, a place so isolated and remote from either the Arabian penninsula or African mainland, that it's unique bio-diversity has chnaged little throughout millennia. Socotra is considered the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean and promises to be full of interesting discoveries. Next stop is the Daklak Islands off the coast of Eritrea in the Red Sea which has been off limits for over 30 years of bitter civil war. The islands represent one of the last regions of pristine marine ecology in the southern Red SEa. FInally we will visit Sharm-el sheikh, the most famous diving destination in the Middle East to look at the latest marine park conservation project run by the Egyptian gov't. If you have interests in this region and would like to initiate a specific research study, please e-mail me at ekelly(\)sentex.net with details on the nature of your research with an outline of what you would like to do. We will respond immediately with a plan as to how we could integrate your reseach into our overall mission. We want to stress that we are a small operation and as such, able to offer a very personalized package. The boat is basic but comfortable and we will do our best to make participants feel part of a unique unpresedented project. Cost is $3000 for every 4 weeks on board We provide for this - End destination pick-up - transfer to boat - full board (three meals daily) - shared accomodation - full or partial scuba equipment, training if required For full details of the trip, description of the boat and list of past researchers involved with ASE please write or fax me Elaine Kelly 62 Harvard Road Guelph, Ontario Canada N1G 2X8 fax 1 519 763 0300 Jason Kelly, ekelly(\)sentex.net ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 16:18:35 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Position available (fwd) Forwarded message: From: Dana Friedman The Friends of the Sea Lion Marine Mammal Center (FSL MMC), a non-profit organization providing medical care and rehabilitation to rescued seals and sea lions in Orange County, is seeking to fill the position of Director of Operations. Founded in 1971, FSL MMC is a non-profit (501c-3) organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release back to the wild sick and injured seals and sea lions that inhabit Orange County beaches. We treat up to 200 seals and sea lions every year. FSL MMC has a volunteer staff of 60 extensively trained Animal Care Specialists, and up to 15 Docents. In addition to our animal rescue & rehabilitation program, FSL MMC hosts educational presentations for classes of all ages at our facility, and also operates an outreach program to provide educational presentations on Orange County's marine wildlife to classrooms throughout Southern California. Responsibilities of the position of Director of Operations include: -overseeing daily animal care operations, all staff, - overseeing inventory of medical supplies, operating materials and equipment; - maintain professional relationships with all Stranding Network members, all media, and all corporate, institutional & individual sponsors; - overseeing all communications with all veterinary consultants; -overseeing all administrative and financial functions relating to operations of Center; -overseeing all promotional functions relating to the Center; -maintain open communications between board of directors, shift supervisors and volunteer staff regarding every aspect of program. Qualified applicants will: -Have experience in marine mammal care; - Show experience, strengths in business administration; - Show skills supervision & management of staff; - Show strengths in educational concepts as they relate to FSL MMC program and the public; - Have experience in administering non-profit organizations (ecology/wildlife), including familiarity with development (fund raising); - Have earned a B.S. degree (M.S. preferred). Salary range is $25-35K per year commensurate with experience. Candidates who are interested in applying for this position should send a resume with cover letter to FSL MMC Board Member Diane Swarts at: 15619 Brookhurst St., Westminster, CA 92683. Tel: 714-839-9882 (days) or 714-642-5567 (evenings). ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 04:13:52 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Subject: Spinner and Dusky dol (fwd) This message was posted on alt.animals.dolphins. --------------------------------------- Subject: Spinner and Dusky dolphins -expert From: David Harper-Jones <101362.1507(\)CompuServe.COM> Date: 9 May 1997 10:27:03 GMT I am working for a film company in Bristol, UK and we are currently making a film of dolphins. I am in search of an expert/scientist working on spinner dolphins and also one for dusky dolphins with a view to filming both these species in the next year, possibly with the scientists working with them. Also if there is anyone breaking new ground on dolphin behaviour, social patterns and intelligence, I would very much appreciate getting in touch with them. Please e-mail me at miranda(\)umbrella.co.uk (pls do this rather than reply to the newsgroup because I don=92t have access to the latter from my own computer.) Thanks Miranda Harper-Jones mailto:miranda(\)umbrella.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 18:11:43 -0800 From: Richard J Lindemann Subject: volunteer position opening I would like to post an opening for a summer volunteer. I am a graduate student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. I am doing research on a declining population of harbor seals in Aialik Bay, Alaska. These harbor seals haul out on calved glacier ice. The puping and molting seasons are crucial times of the year for these seals and that coincides with the peak of the tourist season in this area. These seals were studied by Anne Hoover in 1979 - 1981, and there were over 2,000 seals then. Now there are under 200. Topics I am looking at are: population dynamics (mean pup counts, mean total seal counts, peak pupping and molting dates, pup/adult ratio, and comparing this data to previous data), behavioral observations (haul out behavior, mating behavior), and human/seal interactions. Associated with this work will be attempts to capture these seals in August in collaboration with the National Marine Fisheries Service using a floating seal trap I have devised. My name is Richard J. Lindemann and my e-mail address is: ftrjl(\)aurora.alaska.edu I collected data last summer and have already been in the field for 3 weeks this year. My assistant did not work out, so now I need another person in order to complete my research. I would like to head back out into the field on May 27. I would like to remain in the field until early September in order to collect enough data. I would prefer to have one person for the duration, but if this is not possible I will take as many people to fill my field season as needed. I can provide food and field gear (camping equipment, rain gear, etc) while we are in the field. The volunteer will need to provide their transportation and any personal items they may need. Qualifications are: 1) Experience with small craft (whaler, zodiac) operations 2) Experience in back country camping in various weather conditions 3) Be able to work well in what can be stressful situations 4) Knowledge in first aid 5) 18 years or older 6) Biology background preferred or a future interest in biology Please get back to me ASAP. Thanks, Rick ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 09:57:44 -0700 From: Amy Mathews-Amos Organization: Marine Conservation Biology Institute Subject: Post-doc in Marine Conservation Biology contact: Amy Mathews-Amos (amymcbi(\)erols.com) Please accept our apology for cross-postings. POST-DOC IN MARINE CONSERVATION BIOLOGY Marine Conservation Biology Institute is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow starting Fall 1997 or shortly thereafter. This will be a one- year position with possible renewal and will be based at MCBI's Headquarters in Redmond WA USA. Salary: high 20s-low 30s. MCBI is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to advancing the science of marine conservation biology. The person who is chosen will work closely with MCBI's staff--President Elliott Norse (Headquarters), Program Director Amy Mathews-Amos (DC Office) and Program Assistant Aaron Tinker (Headquarters)--to: 1) develop emerging issues in marine conservation biology. This involves using library research, networking with colleagues, and organizing and running scientific workshops. The goal is to find scientific information relevant to under-appreciated threats to marine biodiversity or ways to protect, restore or sustainably use it, then to synthesize this information into a coherent "issue" for decision makers and the public to catalyze action; 2) help build a compelling case for establishing a federal funding mechanism for marine conservation biology research in the USA; 3) publish on marine conservation biology issues in the peer- reviewed scientific literature and in popular media; 4) serve as a spokesperson on one or more issues relevant to MCBI's mission at scientific meetings, to the news media, to government agencies or to Congress, as needed; and 5) help MCBI raise funds by writing proposals to continue this work. The successful candidate will be a very broadly trained Ph.D. or equivalent in a marine biological field such as marine ecology, biological oceanography, invertebrate zoology, seabird biology, fisheries biology, biogeography, population genetics or epidemiology. Individuals with demonstrable expertise in a broad range of disciplines, regions, taxa, tools and issues will be favored. This position requires not only strong knowledge of the marine realm and interest in conservation, but also a multidisciplinary approach, outstanding writing skills, excellent people skills and exceptional ability to work towards a shared goal as part of a close- knit team. We especially encourage inquiries by people in groups that have been under-represented in the sciences. To apply, please send a 2-page resume (NOT an exhaustive CV) and a cover letter of no more than two pages that includes names and complete contact information for 3-5 referees, or its equivalent as an e-mail message (not an encoded attachment) or fax. For those who will be attending the first Symposium on Marine Conservation Biology at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology at the University of Victoria, Victoria BC, you are welcome to bring these materials and talk with MCBI staff. The Symposium runs from the evening of June 6 to the evening of June 9, 1997, but Elliott, Amy and Aaron plan to be at UVic starting on June 5, and will be happy to meet with candidates before the Symposium starts or, thereafter, as time allows. For information about the Symposium and to register for the SCB Annual Meeting, please visit: http://geography.geog.uvic.ca/dept/announce/scb_page.html on the World Wide Web. For information about MCBI, please visit: http://www.mcbi.org -- *********************************************************** Amy Mathews-Amos MCBI is organizing Program Director the first Symposium Marine Conservation Biology Institute on Marine Conservation 205 N. Edgewood St. Biology at the Arlington, VA 22201 Annual Meeting of ph. (703) 276-1434 the Society for fax (703) 276-1528 Conservation Biology, email: amymcbi(\)erols.com June 6-9, 1997 at the University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. *********************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 10:03:03 -0400 From: Robyn Angliss Subject: Position announcement - NMFS The Marine Mammal Conservation Division of NMFS' Office of Protected Resources has a GS 7/9/11 term position available. The position closes on June 13, 1997. Duties: The incumbent participates in the implementation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in accordance with legal requirements and agency policies and procedures. Implementation activities may include any or all of the following: assist with the administration of the Marine Mammal Assessment* Program, assist with the development and/or implementation of Take Reduction Teams, prepares the List of Fisheries, and assists with the management of office databases. Prepares public relations materials, including the division's newsletter. Reviews Fishery Management Plans and other documents to determine whether impacts to protected species may occur. Ensures all work products are accurate and complete and of acceptable quality. The full text of the job announcement is available at the USAJobs website at: http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/wfjic/jobs/BQ1727.htm * "Assessment" was erroneously included in the announcement; the announcement should refer to the Marine Mammal *Authorization* Program. ------------------------------- Robyn Angliss Office of Protected Resources 1315 East-West Hwy Silver Spring, MD 20910 301/713-2322 Robyn.Angliss(\)noaa.gov ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 10:52:35 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Chesapeake Bay marine mammals I'd be interested in being contacted by someone doing work in Chesapeake Bay. I ran across some slides of some dead baleen whale, as well as Tursiops photo-ID shots that I believe might be connected to that area. I don't know how much use the stuff will be, but I figure it's better off in someone else's hands to determine whether it should be discarded. Where these came from, I don't know...they ended up in a big box of miscellaneous things that I'm currently sorting. It appears to have been someone's personal project at one time, but no labelling is available. Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 05:22:05 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: MARMAM FAQ ___MARMAM__________________________________________________________ _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/_/ _/ MARMAM FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS and ASPECTS OF NETIQUETTE ___________________________________________________________________ *Please save this message for future reference!* ___________________________________________________________________ **New or updated sections of the FAQ are marked with * for easy identification** TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. What is MARMAM? 2. What types of messages are posted to MARMAM? 3. How do I post messages to the list? 4. How do I reply to individual subscribers? 5. How do I subscribe/unsubscribe/temporarily signoff? 6. How do I receive MARMAM postings as a single daily digest rather than as individual messages? 7. How do I retrieve messages previously sent to MARMAM? 8. How do I find out who subscribes to MARMAM? 9. How do I get help using listserver commands? 10. Why was my message not posted to MARMAM? 11. Why did my MARMAM subscription stop? 12. Who do I contact with my questions or concerns? ___________________________________________________________________ 1. WHAT IS MARMAM? MARMAM is an edited e-mail discussion list devoted to topics in marine mammal research and conservation, established in August 1993. As of March 1997 there were about 2,500 subscribers from 50 different countries. Anyone may subscribe to the list. 2. WHAT TYPES OF MESSAGES ARE POSTED TO MARMAM? A wide spectrum of message types are found on MARMAM, all related to marine mammal research and/or conservation. Commonly seen messages include requests for information regarding current or recent research projects, publications, or research techniques; current or previously unreported unusual news events, meeting announcements, job or volunteer opportunities, abstracts from scientific papers or reports, and books/techniques/products announcements. "Casual" requests for information, news reports of common events (e.g. strandings of common species of cetaceans), requests for volunteer positions/employment, opinion statements offering little or no novel arguments, and humourous anecdotes are examples of messages not posted to the list. 3. HOW DO I POST MESSAGES TO THE LIST? All messages meant for MARMAM subscribers should be sent to marmam(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. Messages should include the sender's name and e-mail address within the body of the text, and a detailed subject heading. 4. HOW DO I REPLY TO INDIVIDUAL SUBSCRIBERS? Messages meant soley for a particular subscriber and not for MARMAM may be sent directly to that subscriber using his or her e-mail address, which will appear in the header of the message and/or in the body of the message. Subscribers are asked to include their e-mail address within the body of their messages, as not all subscribers receive headers including this information with their messages. If your reply is of general interest to the subscribers, please reply to the list, otherwise you should reply directly to the individual posting the original message. *NOTE: Many subscribers will find that use of the 'reply' option will reply to MARMAM, not to the intended recipient. Please check your header when using the 'reply' option.* 5. HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE/TEMPORARILY SIGNOFF? All messages not meant for MARMAM subscribers should be sent to the listserver (listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca). As the list-server is an automated service, it is important that commands be sent without errors or extraneous text. To subscribe, send a message to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca which says: subscribe marmam Yourfirstname Yourlastnamename To unsubscribe, send the message: signoff marmam If you want to temporarily discontinue your subscription without signing off the list, send the message: set marmam nomail to continue it, send the message: set marmam mail 6. HOW DO I RECEIVE MARMAM POSTINGS AS A SINGLE DAILY DIGEST, RATHER THAN AS INDIVIDUAL MESSAGES? To receive marmam messages daily as a single file, send the message: set marmam digests to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. To change this setting to individual messages, send the message: set marmam mail 7. HOW DO I RETRIEVE MESSAGES PREVIOUSLY SENT TO MARMAM? All MARMAM messages are archived and are retrievable by sending the message: get marmam logxxyy to the listserver, where xx = year and yy = month (e.g. get marmam log9601). As of Nov. 28 1996 all MARMAM messages have also been archived on the world-wide web. These can be found at: http://www.reference.com/cgi-bin/pn/listarch?list=MARMAM(\)uvvm.uvic.ca This archive can be searched by keyword or by date. The archive manager is Quyen Lam 8. HOW DO I FIND OUT WHO SUBSCRIBES TO MARMAM? A list, sorted by country, of all current subscribers to the list may be retrieved along with their e-mail address' by sending the command: review marmam country to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. Subscribers not wanting this information available to others can send the command: set marmam conceal to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. The list of subscribers can then be imported into a spreadsheet or wordprocessing package where a "find" command can be used to locate a particular subscriber. 9. HOW DO I GET HELP USING LISTSERVER COMMANDS? A list of common commands for different listserver functions (subscribing, retrieving files, etc.) is obtainable by sending the message: help to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. A more detailed list of listserver commands may be obtained by sending the message: info refcard to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca 10. WHY WAS MY MESSAGE NOT POSTED TO MARMAM? MARMAM is an edited discussion list. Senders of messages are not notified upon rejection of their message nor provided individual reasons why their message was not posted to the list. However, messages not sent to the list typically fall into one or more of the following categories: 1) OFF TOPIC. Messages which do not pertain specifically to marine mammal research or conservation are not posted to the list. 2) 'CASUAL' REQUEST. Messages which request information which is readily available from other sources, such as your average uni- versity library, are not posted to the list. A specific request, with a brief description of what the information is to be used for, is most likely to stimulate feedback from other subscribers. 3) JOB/VOLUNTEER POSITION/INTERNSHIP WANTED. Requests for employment or volunteer opportunities are not posted to the list. Persons seeking such positions are encouraged to monitor MARMAM for opportunities, which they can apply to directly. Students interested in careers in marine mammal science are encouraged to consult the Society for Marine Mammalogy's 'Strategies for Pursuing a Career in Marine Mammal Science', which can be found at the Society for Marine Mammalogy's website: http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/strat.htm 4) BEEN THERE, DONE THAT. Messages of a duplicative nature which do not contribute new information are generally not posted to the list. Exceptions include event-related postings, such as conference information, job openings, and surveys. New subscribers are strongly encouraged to monitor MARMAM for a one week period before submitting messages to the list, or to review recent archived messages, to reduce the number of duplicative submissions. 5) 'FLAMES'. Messages which are derogatory or serve to insult rather than contribute to the discussion at hand are not posted to the list. 6) INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION. Messages which include only an information request without providing any background information justifying the request and demonstrating that available means to obtain this information have been exhausted. 11. WHY DID MY MARMAM SUBSCRIPTION STOP? Your subscription may be cancelled if your email is undeliverable. This can happen, for example, if your in-box is full or if your server is down for a period of time. When this happens the marmamed account will receive error messages, and those whose accounts bounce back are either automatically deleted from the list or manually deleted by the list Editors every once in a while. If you find that you receive no MARMAM messages for a few days, try subscribing to the list again. 12. WHO DO I CONTACT WITH MY QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS? Questions and concerns about MARMAM can be sent to the list editors (Robin Baird, Sascha Hooker, Sara Ellis or Kerry Irish) at marmamed(\)uvic.ca ______________________________________________________________________ ** The MARMAM FAQ can also be found at the website: http://is.dal.ca/~whitelab/marmam.htm ** Updated May 1997. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 12:34:34 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly marine mammal summary to US congress (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 5/09/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 5/15/97 are in CAPITAL LETTERS. Marine Mammals . {Hawaiian Whale Sanctuary. June 6, 1997, is the deadline by which HI Governor Ben Cayetano must decide how much, if any, of a proposed 1,680 square miles of state waters and submerged lands should be included within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and managed under its federal management plan.} [Assoc Press] . Norwegian Whaling. A Dutch court hearing on the possible extradition of Paul Watson to Norway is tentatively scheduled for May 26, 1997. Lofoten Islands police have announced that legal proceedings in Lofoten County Court are scheduled against Watson in Norway on Sept. 1, 1997, relating to alleged negligent navigation and collision with a Norwegian coast guard vessel in the summer of 1994. Compensation for damages of $120,000 with possible interest is sought by the Norwegian Navy for this collision. On May 2, 1997, Norway began its 1997 commercial minke whale hunt for a quota of 580 animals. The season will end on July 21, 1997. Individual vessels are limited to six weeks of whaling, when an inspector is aboard. [Assoc Press, High North Alliance News] . {WHALEMEAT SMUGGLING REPORT. ON MAY 15, 1997, THE BRITISH TRAFFIC NETWORK RELEASED A REPORT ENTITLED "WHALE MEAT TRADE IN EAST ASIA," WHICH REPORTED THAT WHALEMEAT IS SMUGGLED ILLEGALLY FROM JAPAN AND AVAILABLE ON THE MENUS OF NUMEROUS RESTAURANTS IN HONG KONG.} [DOW JONES NEWS] . {CA SEA LION DEATHS. ON MAY 14-15, 1997, MEXICAN AUTHORITIES REPORTED FINDING THE CARCASSES OF 14 CA SEAL LIONS ON BEACHES JUST SOUTH OF THE U.S.-MEXICAN BORDER. THE ANIMALS WERE CLUBBED OR SHOT AND COULD HAVE DRIFTED SOUTH FROM U.S. WATERS. EARLIER THIS MONTH, 5 SEA LION CARCASSES WASHED ASHORE IN THE TIJUANA SLOUGH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, JUST NORTH OF THE U.S.-MEXICAN BORDER.} [ASSOC PRESS] . Tuna-Dolphin Legislation. {On May 14, 1997, the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries held a} hearing on S. 39, amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act relating to the International Dolphin Conservation Program. {H.R. 408 HAS BEEN TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE FULL HOUSE DURING THE WEEK OF MAY 19, 1997.} [Federal Register, PERSONAL COMMUNICATION] . {CITES Downlisting of Certain Whales. In early May 1997, Norwegian sources reported that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat had recommended that 5 proposals to downlist various whale stocks (minke whales in the northeast and central north Atlantic, Southern Hemisphere, and Okhotsk Sea-West Pacific; eastern Pacific grey whales; northwest Pacific Bryde's whales) from Appendix I to Appendix II be accepted with a zero harvest quota, based on these populations not meeting the criteria for inclusion on Appendix I. Downlisting to Appendix II could permit controlled international trade in these species' products only if a 1979 CITES resolution recommending no permits for trade in whale products protected by the International Whaling Commission were repealed. Japan has proposed to appeal the 1979 CITES resolution.} [High North Alliance News] . Keiko's Recovery. On May 6, 1997, the Free Willy Keiko Foundation announced that, by spring 1997, Keiko could be in a fenced-off pen in the North Atlantic as the next step toward release to the wild. Details of cost and potential sites are under research and negotiation. [Assoc Press] . Japanese Scientific Whaling. On May 1, 1997, a fleet of 4 Japanese ships departed for the northwestern Pacific with the objective of killing as many as 100 minke whales for research purposes. Research is scheduled to be completed by the end of July 1997. {On May 12-16, 1997, the International Whaling Commission's Scientific Committee is meeting behind closed doors in Tokyo, Japan, to review Japan's scientific whaling program. Results of this review will be presented at the IWC's annual meeting in Monaco in October 1997.} [Dow Jones News, Reuters] . Steller Sea Lion Listed as Endangered. On Apr. 30, 1997, NMFS announced that it will list the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea population of Steller sea lion as "endangered," as the population continues to decline between 5% and 7% annually. A second distinct, but stable, population of Steller sea lions, from southeast AK through CA remains listed as "threatened." NMFS is planning a workshop to design an experiment on assessing whether fishing area closures might benefit Steller sea lions without unnecessarily restricting commercial fishing. [Reuters, Assoc Press, NOAA press release] . Polar Bear Trophies. The House Resources Committee held a hearing on Apr. 30, 1997, on H.J.Res. 59, a joint resolution to disapprove a rule affecting applications to import polar bear trophies from Canada issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). On Apr. 25, 1997, FWS announced that it had approved 24 permits to import polar bear trophies from Canada. Five Canadian polar bear populations have been approved from which trophy bears can be imported. [personal communication, FWS press release] . Atlantic Large Whale Protection. On Apr. 26, 1997, the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries held a field hearing in Portland, ME, on the proposed regulations. Four public hearings will be held from Apr. 30-May 3 on fishing gear modification regulations; additional public comment will be received until May 15, 1997. On May 7, 1997, MA Dept. of Environmental Affairs officials lifted an emergency ban on fishing gear aimed at protecting northern right whales since these whales appear to have left MA waters several weeks earlier than normal this year. [Assoc Press, Federal Register] . ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 18:10:46 +0200 From: Eleonora de Sabata Subject: Fernando de Nonorha spinner dolphins Hello everybody. I have just returned from Fernando de Noronha, Brazil, one of two places in the world (the other being Kealaleuka, Hawaii) to host a resident population of spinner dolphins. These dolphins spend part of their day in a bay, and venture out at predictable times in the afternoon to hunt, spending the night away and returning at about 6 o'clock the next morning in the same bay. Kenneth Norris spent many years studying the Hawaiian population of spinner dolphins, studying their behaviour during the "rest" period and their socialization. These dolphins too spent the day in one bay and sorted out at night. In his book "Dolphin days", Norris describes several interesting behavior among which the characteristic rotating jumps, which he noticed were commonly performed during and preceding the "awakening" period in the bay, prior to the hunt. As I am now in the process of writing an article on one of the magazines I work for, I am looking for more information on Fernando's dolphins. I have asked information about them to the IBAMA Vice-Head of the Fernando de Noronha's national Park, who said some research had been done in the past on their behaviour, but at this moment "the scientist working on them is travelling". That's all I found out on the island, apart from a booklet published by Liliane Lodi and Bia Hetzel "Golfinhos-rotadores do Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha", which does not say much. Apparently the authors did a study on the interactions between the tourists and the dolphins, which lead to the bay being declared off-limits to the humans. Does anybody know what kind of research has recently been done on Fernando de Noronha's dolphins, who conducted it and how could I get in touch with him/her? Did Norris, or any of the people who worked on his project in Hawaii, ever see these dolphins as well? It would be really interesting to find out if there were analogies in the behaviour of these dolphins with that shown by the Hawaiian populations I would greatly appreciate your help. Thanks - Eleonora ********************************************** Eleonora de Sabata sea stories - storie e immagini di mare via Ruggero Fauro 82 00197 Roma, Italy tel.: (39-6) 807.2533 fax: (39-6) 439.6309 e mail edes(\)RMnet.it ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 May 1997 05:15:52 -0700 From: Pete Blathwayt Subject: Phocid herpesvirus type-1 Dear Marmam Veterinary Record 1997 Vol 140 pages 500-503 Harder T C, Vos H, de Swart R L, Osterhaus A D M E "Age-related disease in recurrent outbreaks of phocid herpesvirus type-1 infections in a seal rehabilitation centre: evaluation of diagnostic methods" =ABSTRACT= "The prevalence and clinical signs of phocid herpesvirus type-1 (PhHV-1) infections among harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in a seal rehabilitation centre in the Netherlands were monitored between June and September 1993 and 1994 when 34 and 36 seals, respectively, were rehabilitated. In both years PhHV-1-related disease outbreaks occurred in the pupping season. PhHV-1 infections were diagnosed by the demonstration of a more than four-fold increase in virus neutralising serum antibodies in paired serum samples, by the isolation of the virus from swab samples in primary seal kidney cells, and by the detection of PhHV-1 DNA with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay in swab samples. This assay targets a 290 bp fragment of the glycoprotein D (gD) gene equivalent of PhHV-1. The PCR assay when combined with Southern blotting (PCR-SB) was approximately 1000 times more sensitive than virus isolation when tested with serially diluted samples from PhHV-1-infected cell cultures. In contrast with virus isolation, the PCR-SB scored as positive all the animals with serological evidence of PhHv-1 infection. The majority of seals present in the centre during the outbreaks contracted the infection and developed benign upper respiratory disease. However, the severity of PhHV-1-related disease was inversely correlated with age and fatal generalised infections occurred only in neonates." == Pete Blathwayt peteb(\)easynet.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 May 1997 06:56:07 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Royal B.C. Museum - Whales Exhibit (fwd) From: "Joan M. Goddard" Marmam subscribers may be interested in knowing about the recently opened exhibit on whales and whaling at the Royal BC Museum, Victoria if they will be in neighborhood in the next year. The museum announcement is below: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: CAHIGGINS BACKGROUNDER Whales: The Enduring Legacy VICTORIA--With exceptional artifacts, displays and special effects, the Royal B.C. Museum will celebrate a group of mammals that have fascinated humans for centuries. Whales: The Enduring Legacy opens April 18, 1997.=20 =09Of all the creatures on Earth, whales are one of the most intriguing in the natural world. From the extraordinary migratory journeys of the Gray Whale to the history of the commercial whaling industry, the stories and legends of these mammals have appealed to all of us.=20 =09Whales: The Enduring Legacy will explore the often controversial relationship between whales and humankind: the mythology, conservation, economics, recreation and art associated with the largest and some of the least known mammals on Earth.=20 =09An articulated 10-metre Gray Whale skeleton will greet visitors as they enter a gallery filled with remarkable artifacts, specimens and informative displays. You=92ll hear mysterious whale sounds, learn about whale identification and view displays on prey and feeding habits.=20 =09Whales: the Enduring Legacy will touch on the mythology, traditions and tribal history associated with whales in Northwest Coast aboriginal culture.=20 =09You=92ll learn of the mythological world of whales, a place of the hunter and hunted where heroic and magical encounters took place. You=92ll learn of the wondrous, ancestral creatures of the sea - part human, part animal and part spirit.=20 =09The traditions, rituals, regalia and elements of the whale hunt will be highlighted. Archaeological specimens will emphasize the antiquity of aboriginal whaling, comparing hunting techniques to those of the Euro-American commercial whalers.=20 =09Impressive artifacts will illustrate the importance of whales in aboriginal ceremony. Dance blankets, headdresses, feast dishes and rattles will be exhibited as well as an array of ceremonial masks, which were worn by dancers to portray the legendary sea creatures of the mythic world.=20 =09The history of commercial whaling in British Columbia will be explored, from its origins in the 1840s to its fall in 1967. British Columbia=92s whaling industry represented over a century of exploration and misuse, exploiting the great whales until the industry drove its prey to extinction.=20 =09Conservation and research issues will be investigated, encompassing a wide range of viewpoints from various periods. Rare artifacts, including early notebooks and laboratory equipment, highlight displays on preservation issues, research and the International Whaling Commission.=20 =09Whales: the Enduring Legacy explores how human beings are continually fascinated with these graceful animals and how this is demonstrated through everything from artistic works to sight-seeing excursions. The exhibit will also touch on some of the controversies, such as keeping whales in captivity and the issues surrounding the whale-watching industry. =09For further information, call the museum at (250) 387-3701 or toll-free at 1-800-661-5411. Media Contact: Chris Higgins (250) 387-2101 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 13:25:09 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: marine mammal books available (fwd) From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov (Dagmar Fertl) The following are listed in catalogue no. 52 from Donald E. Hahn, Natural History (located at Box 1004, Cottonwood, Arizona, 86326-1004, USA). Phone 520-634-5016, FAX 520-634-1217. VISA, Mastercard or American Express may be used when ordering by phone or FAX or mail. You'll need to provide the item number, as well as the catalogue number. *********************************************** 1644. Alpers, A. 1960. Dolphins: the myth and the mammal. $12 1652. Ash, C. 1962. The whaler'e eye. $22 1653. Auguee, M.L. (ed.) 1988. Marine mammals of Australasia: field biology and captive management. $19 1662. Bertram, C. 1963. In search of mermaids - the manatees of Guiana. $14 1675. Bruemmer, F. The narwhal, unicorn of the sea. $30 1676. Bullen, F.T. 1899 (1927). The cruise of the "cachalot" round the world after sperm whales. $19 1723. Fraser, F.C. 1974. Report on cetacea stranded on the British coasts from 1948 to 1966. $15 1751. Hewer, H.R. 1974. British seals. $15 1753. Howell, A.B. 1930. Aquatic mammals - their adaptations to life in the water. $39 1765. Katona, S.K. et al. (eds). 1980 (2nd ed). Humpback whales: a catalogue of individuals identified in the western North Atlantic Ocean by means of fluke photographs. $26 1766. Kenyon, K.W. 1969 (1975). The sea otter in the eastern Pacific Ocean. $19 1786. Lilly, J.C. 1961. Man and dolphin. $17 1783. Martin, F. 1960. Sea bears: the story of the fur seal. $14 1799. Matthews, L.H. 1979. The seals and the scientists. $15 1820. Peterson, R.S. and G.A. Bartholomew. 1967. The natural history and behavior of the California sea lion. $12 1836. Sanderson, I.T. 1956 (1958). Follow the whale. $19 1838. Scammon, C.M. 1874 (reprint 1968). The marine mammals of the northwestern coast of North America, together with an account of the American whale fishery. $9 1839. Schevill, W.E. (ed) 1974. The whale problem -- a status report. $20 1852. Slijper, E.J. 1958 (1962 translated). Whales. (no price was made available) 1858. Starbuck, A. 1989. History of the American whale fishery. $39 1875. True, F.W. 1983 (reprint) The whalebone whales of the western North Atlantic. $40 1883. Whitehead, H. 1990. Voyage to the whales. $22 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 20:37:34 EDT From: Zhexi Luo Subject: Mammalogist Position MAMMALOGIST Carnegie Museum of Natural History Carnegie Museum seeks a curator to head the Section of Mammals. Applicants should have a Ph.D.; strong interest in specimen-based studies; proven achievement in publication and curation; strong interest in public education/exhibits. Salary/rank commensurate with qualifications. Submit letter outlining professional interests and goals; curriculum vitae; three selected publications; and addresses and phone numbers of five references to Ellen J. Censky, Chairman, Division of Life Sciences, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 by July 1, 1997. An Equal Employment Opportunity. ++++++++++++++++++ cut off line ++++++++++++++++++++ Zhexi Luo, Ph.D. Section of Vertebrate Paleontology Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Tel. (412)622-6578, Fax. (412)622-8837, Email: luoz(\)clpgh.org ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 11:36:44 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: seeking whale skeletons ARCHAEOLOGY PROJECT SEEKS WHALE SKELETON INFORMATION We (Allen McCartney and James Savelle, in conjunction with Howard Braham and Craig George) are seeking information about the locations of articulated whale skeletons from which several measurements could be taken. We are thinking about those that might hang in museums or similar institutions and that are of animals of approximate known live length. We are interested in visiting several institutions and taking cranial, mandibular, and scapular measurements from such skeletons for the purpose of deriving regression models by which estimated total length may be calculated from single bone measurements. We will use this information for identifying and estimating live lengths for species represented as disarticulated bones in Alaskan archaeological sites. We are interested in the following whales (in decreasing order of interest): Gray, Fin, Right, Humpback, Sei, Minke, and Bowhead If your institution has a skeleton of one of these whales on display (or if you know of another institution that does....and we are looking for North American examples rather than European) or has a significant collection of disarticulate d parts of a single animal of known length, we would appreciate you contacting us through the following address: Allen McCartney Dept. of Anthropology Univ. of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 72701 apm(\)uafsysb.uark.edu Phone: (501) 575-6374 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 15:03:08 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Stopping the Cetacean Slaughter in Manado Sulewesi (fwd) From: William Rossiter <71322.1637(\)CompuServe.COM> The following message is being forwarded to a very wide range of people, in the hopes that you will be able help with the issue. I have included my response, and questions at the end, and ask that you be kind enough to include me in any responses that you may have. I am aware that everyone is hard pressed to find time to deal with such issues toady. This one seems to merit a priority. Thanks you, Bill Rossiter Cetacean Society International address and contacts at end ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- From: INTERNET:haysteve(\)pacific.net.sg, INTERNET:haysteve(\)pacific.net.sg DATE: 5/11/97 1:21 AM RE: Stopping the Cetacean Slaughter in Manado Sulewesi I recently visited Manado, Indonesia on a SCUBA break and was horrified to discover that two high tech wall nets have been installed in the pelagic migratory channel. Inside informants report a 10 1/2 month catch of: 1,457 Mantas, 577 pilot whales, 789 Marlin, 326 sharks, 326 dolphins, 84 turtles, 9 dugong -- all of which are destoyed for resale. The local authorities are turning a well-paid, blind-eye to the whole affair. Others are taking advantage of the lax enforcement of environmental regulations in the area and are harvesting the reefs at night and planning to build hotel lodging virtually on top of the once famous Bunaken Wall Reef. We will be exposing what we know, along with an amatuer video showing the slaughter of a whale shark, at the Asia Diving Exhibition and Conference (ADEC) in Singapore May 16-20. A vacationer-turned activist, Robin Marinos, has been collecting details while trying to put an end to this slaughter. He's even attempted to organise an attempt to cut away the nets from their moorings. It seems some ex-military intelligence officers (4 star & 3 star generals) have formed this fishing venture with the help of satellite pictures of the migration paths (this is what we believe but has yet to be verified -- all else has been verified). Robin will arrive in Singapore this week for our thrown together ADEC campaign. We will put some data together and forward it to you if you don't mind. I thought we might be able to organise a campaign to stop the use of the devastational method of fishing which I believe is banned internationally. (I am still trying to find out Indonesia's position on the matter. -- there is a possibility that the corruption goes farther than Manado but we don't know yet and hope not. Anyway -- can you help us? Any other suggestions for stopping this operation and ensuring that Indonesia enforces the world wide ban on wall net fishing? Who can I talk to for more info, help?? Thanks Steve Morris *****************MY RESPONSE******************** Dear Steve, Your message about the Indonesian slaughter deserves the attention of many. I have been away, and just got it, and the repeat you sent to CSI board member, Brent Hall. I have sent your message to several hundred activists in a network. I would like to send it to several thousand scientists. The CITES conference may be one place to get it noticed in an international forum. Because you are there, with far better access than anyone I know, please get at least the information I've added below. It is absolutely necessary to provide as much of it as possible. You need to make it as easy as possible for organizations to respond; they must know what the facts and laws are, and whom to contact about the issue that may have an impact. Do not make everyone scratch for this; they don't have time and you need to get as much response as possible. Sounds callous? I've been doing this a long time. People/organizations focus on need, and that includes their needs to get many things done. Make it full, factual, and easy. You must be able to find substantiating documentation. If this can get to a ministerial or international level the first requirement will be glaring proof. The knowledge that there is proof, and even better, proof of scandal or corruption, may make the government respond. Otherwise they have no motive to act; they don't care about the killing. If there is someone in the government who cares, and can be contacted, please detail that. MOST IMPORTANT, if you have sources that need to be protected please make that clear...best not to share their identifications. So, please detail locations (remember, people across the world will have to look at a map), dates, people involved, documentation available, and species/numbers taken (last important for CITES/scientists to get involved). Where is the market? What are the corporate/multinational connections to whomever puts up the net...is this big business? What is the specific commercial value, or motive for the killing? What are the Indonesian laws, or are there treaties regarding fishing rights, methods, or limitations. Is there enforcement available? What oversight or inspection is available? There are probably few activists or organizations that have any of this information, or the ability to get it. If they have it, and with a coordinated response aimed and timed well, the government can suddenly find hundreds of fax protests and international uproar. That will attract the media. Maybe some commercial pressure. To get this started we all need hard facts. NO HYPE. It's bad enough as raw data. I will be back online 24 May and hope to have responses and help to share with you, and stuff from you as well. Thanks for caring. We do want to help. We will help. Bill Rossiter President Cetacean Society International POB 953 Georgetown, CT 06829 USA ph/fx 203-544-8617 71322.1637(\)compuserve.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 21 May 1997 05:21:50 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: recommendation on marine mammal book (fwd) From: "Eduardo Salete" We are a Sea Life Magazine, Mundo Marino, and we would like to include a few words about a mammal book in our section Natural Selection (books, CD= , Videos etc..). Is there any interesting book that you could sugest (for any reader, not just biologist)? Could we have it to have a look? Do you deliver to Spain? Please conctact us for further information. Best Regards, Eduardo Salete MM Redacci=F3n Mundo Marino c/Porto Alegre 2, 3=BADcha Alcorc=F3n 28924 Madrid FAX. 34 1 619 8214 TEL: 34 1 612 0298 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 11:42:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Thailand-Environment: Dugongs Thailand-Environment: Dugongs threatened by nets... BANGKOK, (May 15) IPS - People in the fishing village of Jao Mai in southern Thailand still remember Ton, a dugong or sea cow that children had befriended some four years ago. An unusual sight in Thai waters, the dugong soon became a frequent playmate of children in the village located in Trang province. The children said that from the time a fisherman's son found Ton swimming near the beach one day, it would come whenever they called. Ton became widely known in Thailand as the dugong that loved humans -- until he disappeared one day. The villagers found him dead, with a big wound on his back that indicated he had gotten trapped underwater by a fishing net. Since then Jao Mai villagers have stopped playing with dugong, hoping that by staying away from them, the marine mammals would not lose the instincts that help them stay away from danger. Contact between villagers and dugongs have indeed been rare. In fact, many people thought there were no dugongs left, until a group of them reappeared near the wildlife conservation area of Libong island in the province a few years ago. A Ministry of Agriculture survey says there are about 50 to 60 dugongs in this group, which could be the last group of sea cows in Thailand. In the past, dugongs could be found in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. Dugongs, which look like walruses without tusks, disappeared from the Gulf of Thailand a long time ago. Very few remain today around provinces on the Andaman side southwest of Thailand, which include Trang. Dugongs in this area are the same species of sea cows found in the Indian Ocean and the tropical zone of Australia, and are classified as vulnerable by the World Conservation Union. The dugong is also one of 15 animals in conservation under Thai laws. But many have been found dead in the past two years, like Ton, caught and drowned in fishing nets. Experts say incidental drowning in fishing nets is the most common cause of death among dugongs in Thailand, because these nets are widely and illegally used by many fishing boats. Though they can grow to well over two meters and weigh 360 kilograms, dugongs are no match for the nets. "Dugongs can't be in the deep water more than 15 minutes. They have to come on the surface of the water every three or five minutes because of their breathing system," said Prapot Manunsaran, chief of the Panga province conservation area on the Andaman Sea. "Once they are trapped in a net, they always die because it takes about one or two hours for fishermen to bring the net under the water," he added. Apart from lack of oxygen, some dugongs die of the wounds caused by struggling against fishing nets. He says at least three dugongs have been found dead in the Panga conservation area. Fishing nets harm not only dugongs, but their food sources. Fishing nets used in areas near the shore -- which dugongs favor -- drag along and destroy seagrass that the marine mammals feed on. Dugongs spend much of their day grazing in seagrass beds close to shore, so the destruction of their habitats due to fish nets, pollution or siltation spells trouble as well. In 1993, Thailand banned the use of fishing nets less than 3,000 meters from the shore and restricted the shallower fishing grounds to smaller fishermen. The agriculture ministry later said that the number of fishing boats had dropped from 200 to 10. But some fishing boats, mostly from big fishing companies, still violated the law. Last year, however, Thailand removed those restrictions and allowed larger boats, including those that had been found to be fishing illegally in the past, to operate again. Although using nets is still illegal, the operation of more boats in areas close to shore has allowed the old problems to creep back. "Having fishing boats with ring nets around this area doesn't only kill dugongs, but also destroys seagrass. With the increasing amount of nets in the sea, more dugongs will die and less seagrass remains," said Pisit Chansanoh, president of the Yad Fon Association that works with the Trang fishermen. Said Pisit: "The only way to solve this problem is to stop fishing boats from working within the area 3,000 meters from the shore." He said allowing errant fishing boats to operate again, without tougher law enforcement, goes against wildlife conservation policy. To create a favorable habitat for dugongs, he says this policy should be reversed and small fishermen subsidized to help them acquire fishing equipment that is more environment-friendly. Well aware that many of the boats that use fishing nets belong to small fishermen, NGOs like Yad Fon and fishermen's groups have started dugong conservation schemes in areas by the Andaman Sea. Slowly, Yad Fon officials say, fishermen in Jao Mai village have begun to learn that fishing and conservation can go together without hurting their income. "We are working with the dugong conservation club in the province on informing our fishermen members to take care of dugongs and the seagrass resource," said Attaporn Panthumat of the Koh Yao island fishermen's association in Panga province. But problems created by village fishermen cannot compare with other, probably more serious, threats to the dugong population in the long run. The Andaman Sea, where dugongs are spotted occasionally, is considered perfect for tourism given its beautiful scenery and lush natural resources. Several seaports for tourists and industry are being built in the provinces of Trang, Krabi and Phuket, where dugongs used to frolic. The area's popularity for tourism also makes it prone to environmental ills. Last month, a tourist boat sank near Phuket province. The oil it leaked into the sea still covers the area. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 10:44:59 -0300 From: Daniel Danilewicz Schiavon Subject: trying to find e-mail address for Ray Tarpley ------ =_NextPart_000_01BC650B.1BA6E7A0 Does anybody know how can I contact Dr. Ray Tarpley? I tried him at tarpley(\)vetmed.tamu.edu. (Texas A&M university) but I was unsuccessful. Alternative methods of search such as netfind, the Society for Marine Mammalogy directory and the MARMAM list of subscribers could not help me. Thanks for your attention Daniel Danilewicz danilewicz(\)conex.com.br ------ =_NextPart_000_01BC650B.1BA6E7A0 eJ8+IiwNAQaQCAAEAAAAAAABAAEAAQeQBgAIAAAA5AQAAAAAAADoAAENgAQAAgAAAAIAAgABBJAG AFwBAAABAAAADAAAAAMAADAFAAAACwAPDgAAAAACAf8PAQAAAJEAAAAAAAAAtTvCwCx3EBqhvAgA KypWwhUAAADObBZjr7C7Ebk05uEMf4+W5IcAAAAAAACBKx+kvqMQGZ1uAN0BD1QCAAAAAE1hcmlu ZSBNYW1tYWxzIFJlc2VhcmNoIGFuZCBDb25zZXJ2YXRpb24gRGlzY3Vzc2lvbgBTTVRQAE1BUk1B TUBVVlZNLlVWSUMuQ0EAAAAAHgACMAEAAAAFAAAAU01UUAAAAAAeAAMwAQAAABQAAABNQVJNQU1A VVZWTS5VVklDLkNBAAMAFQwBAAAAAwD+DwYAAAAeAAEwAQAAAAkAAAAnTUFSTUFNJwAAAAACAQsw AQAAABkAAABTTVRQOk1BUk1BTUBVVlZNLlVWSUMuQ0EAAAAAAwAAOQAAAAALAEA6AQAAAAIB9g8B AAAABAAAAAAAAAUYRQEIgAcAGAAAAElQTS5NaWNyb3NvZnQgTWFpbC5Ob3RlADEIAQSAAQAuAAAA dHJ5aW5nIHRvIGZpbmQgZS1tYWlsIGFkZHJlc3MgZm9yIFJheSBUYXJwbGV5AHAQAQWAAwAOAAAA zQcFABQACgAsADsAAgBgAQEggAMADgAAAM0HBQAUAAoALAA7AAIAYAEBCYABACEAAAA3ODkwODI3 QkZBRDBEMDExOTkwRDQ0NDU1MzU0MDAwMADUBgEDkAYAhAMAABIAAAALACMAAAAAAAMAJgAAAAAA CwApAAAAAAADADYAAAAAAEAAOQBgEYYCJGW8AR4AcAABAAAALgAAAHRyeWluZyB0byBmaW5kIGUt bWFpbCBhZGRyZXNzIGZvciBSYXkgVGFycGxleQAAAAIBcQABAAAAFgAAAAG8ZSQChnuCkH7Q+hHQ mQ1ERVNUAAAAAB4AHgwBAAAABQAAAFNNVFAAAAAAHgAfDAEAAAAYAAAARGFuaWxld2ljekBjb25l eC5jb20uYnIAAwAGED5sCmwDAAcQJAEAAB4ACBABAAAAZQAAAERPRVNBTllCT0RZS05PV0hPV0NB TklDT05UQUNURFJSQVlUQVJQTEVZP0lUUklFREhJTUFUVEFSUExFWUBWRVRNRURUQU1VRURVKFRF WEFTQSZNVU5JVkVSU0lUWSlCVVRJV0EAAAAAAgEJEAEAAADxAQAA7QEAAMwCAABMWkZ1ZIUhof8A CgEPAhUCqAXrAoMAUALyCQIAY2gKwHNldDI3BgAGwwKDMgPFAgBwckJxEeJzdGVtAoMztwLkBxMC gzQSzBTFfQqAPwjPCdkCgAqBDbELYG5ncDEwNDYK+xRRC/EgLERvB5EAcHkG4GR5UCBrbm8H4Ggb 4WM9A5FJHEACIQDQBUBEcmouB/BhG6BUCsALUGWseT8KhRyQdAiBZBwAnwdwGzAFQAGQHdNAdhHA iQeAZC4BkG11LgmAgSCwIChUZXhhBCDgQSZNIHUDACAQEaCAaXR5KSBidQVAvRyQdyFhCocLYxk0 MxRRhxViGsEh0HN1Y2MHkJBzZnVsHVBBbBPQVwSgH2Ah8SAHgHQcEGTxBCBvZiARsArAEXAnYFcl UCfAIWFuEcBmC4BkTiwjlhp2HrBoZQqFU+xvYwiQIlAgAhAFwQrAtwuAJqArUG0AwBcwZxug/GRp F6AdAAWwG6AAcB8AsynxBdBBUi2AIbBsBADTBUAnQnViBPJiIhEKhT8FoCXAHwAb0AVAKgBscL8m sR1QI68ktSM8GnZUEYDsbmsEICsSeQhhH1ET0N0CMGkCIAqFCoVEAHAIkE8DIDYSHfAD8GN6CoVk LTaXQByxIUAuBaBtLixicgqFFsEAObAAAAADABAQAAAAAAMAERAAAAAAQAAHMMD0/HsiZbwBQAAI MICyjQIkZbwBHgA9AAEAAAABAAAAAAAAAH3v ------ =_NextPart_000_01BC650B.1BA6E7A0-- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 23 May 1997 04:10:31 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Job announcement (fwd) From: "Saltwater Inc." JOB OPPORTUNITY: If you require further information or have any questions, please feel free to call, e-mail or fax. Saltwater Inc. also has a web site that potential applicants can review additional information about Saltwater. Our web site address is www.alaska.net/~saltwatr Adventurous biologists to observe and sample catches onboard commercial fishing boats off Alaska. Duties include crab and fish I.D., collecting, sorting, recording, marine mammal documentation, and measuring representative samples of the catch. Requires a B.S. in biology or natural sciences, a course in statistics, and a flexible attitude. Strenuous working conditions. Supportive company, opportunities year-round. Training classes offered monthly. Mail, e-mail or fax resume/transcripts to Saltwater Inc., 540 L Street, Suite 202, Anchorage, Alaska, 99501. Ph: (907) 276-3241. Fax: (907) 258-5999. E-Mail: saltwatr(\)alaska.net Thank you, Kathy Robinson ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 May 1997 03:36:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Export Manatees Export Manatees FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- Manatees that cannot live in the wild are filling up facilities set aside for their care, forcing wildlife officials to seek places outside Florida that are suitable to the endangered animals. "The rehabilitation facilities are crowded beyond their capacity to care for the animals, so we're looking at alternatives," said Robert Turner, manatee rehabilitation coordinator at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The wildlife service has never moved manatees out of Florida, where five facilities care for 50 or so animals that have been injured or orphaned. While many will eventually be returned to their natural habitats, about a dozen cannot be released to the wild because they've been in captivity too long, were too badly injured or were orphaned too young. "If somebody can build a good facility that meets the standards we have in Florida, we're not opposed to them receiving permanent captives," said Kipp Frohlich of the Florida Officeof Endangered Species. So far the Columbus Zoo in Ohio is the only facility that has talked seriously about the idea. Its board of directors has approved a $25,000 feasibility study. Other offers have been rejected. "I've been approached in the past by facilities that wanted to display manatees, and I told them that's not going to happen," Turner said. "But now we're in a position where we need help." Earlier this year, scientists counted 2,229 of the endangered sea cows in Florida waters. A record 415 manatees died in Florida last year; 151 of those perished in Southwest Florida between March 5 and April 27 due to red tide toxin. Manatees are now at five facilities in Florida: Florida Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Sea World in Orlando, Epcot in Lake Buena Vista, the Miami Seaquarium and the Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 May 1997 03:36:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Norway Whalers Sue Their Gover Norway Whalers Sue Their Government By DOUG MELLGREN Associated Press Writer OSLO, Norway (AP) -- Already facing death threats, sabotage and protests from outsiders, Norway's whale hunters picked a fight at home Tuesday by suing the government over a five-year gap in the hunt. Norway resumed its controversial whale hunts in 1993 after a grudging five-year break. The renewed commercial hunt brought furious protests, boycott threats and attacks on whaling boats. Despite the government's heavy spending in defense of the unpopular hunts, the whalers claim the state owes them millions for giving in to pressure in the past. Twenty-eight whalers and four whale meat processing companies sued the government for 60 million kroner ($8.5 million) in losses during the years the commercial hunt was banned. They were appealing a loss in a lower court on the claim. The whalers claim there was no reason for the ban, since Norway is not bound by a 1986 commercial whaling prohibition imposed by the International Whaling Commission. Commission rules allow members to reject its decisions, making Norway's hunt legal. Norway says minke whales are plentiful, and should be hunted to protect fish stocks and provide income for coastal villages. But if the minke, the smallest of the baleen whales at about 30 feet were never endangered, then there was no reason to stop the hunt after the 1987 season, the whalers argued in Oslo district court on Tuesday. "Despite a stated political goal to allow whaling as long ecologically responsible -- which it was -- the state stopped the hunts," the whalers's attorney Kristian Herslov said in court. "Why? Because the threat from the United States of a trade boycott was too much," Herslov said. He said the government must pay compensation for illegally banning the hunt. Norway does not admit that boycott threats from the United States and other countries forced it to call off the hunt after the 1987 season. It said it was taking a break to reassess the stocks. This year's hunt started on May 2, with a government-set limit of 580 minke whales, an increase of one-third from 1996. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 May 1997 20:12:24 +0200 From: Eleonora de Sabata Subject: spinner dolphins in the world Dear Marmamers, this is a follow up of my spinner dolphins question. Dolphin Bay, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil, and Kealakeuka bay, Hawaii, are not the only places in the world where one can find resident populations of spinner dolphins. These are the other populations I have been told by marmammers: 1. In Hawaii Lanai, Maui, Ohau and Kauai have their own populations of spinners. Kealakekua is still the best known. 2. Polinesia: around the islands of Moorea and Tahiti, there are spinner dolphins that also exhibit the behaviors described by Norris in his studies of Hawaiian populations. The Tahitian animals have been studied since 1987 as a dissertation project by Michael Poole (now Dr. Poole) of the University of california at Santa Cruz 3. Fernando de Noronha: responsible for the project is Jose Martins da Silva Jr. who has been doing a Master's 'thesis on the biology of the dolphin population at F. noronha. 4. Sha'b Rumi, Sudan Thanks to everybody who helped me so far. Eleonora ********************************************** Eleonora de Sabata sea stories - storie e immagini di mare via Ruggero Fauro 82 00197 Roma, Italy tel.: (39-6) 807.2533 fax: (39-6) 439.6309 e mail edes(\)RMnet.it ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 23 May 1997 12:59:07 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly marine mammal summary to US congress (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service From: Kate Wing Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 5/15/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 5/21/97 are in CAPITAL LETTERS. Marine Mammals . Hawaiian Whale Sanctuary. June 6, 1997, is the deadline by which HI Governor Ben Cayetano must decide how much, if any, of a proposed 1,680 square miles of state waters and submerged lands should be included within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and managed under its federal management plan. [Assoc Press] . Norwegian Whaling. A Dutch court hearing on the possible extradition of Paul Watson to Norway is tentatively scheduled for May 26, 1997. Lofoten Islands police have announced that legal proceedings in Lofoten County Court are scheduled against Watson in Norway on Sept. 1, 1997, relating to alleged negligent navigation and collision with a Norwegian coast guard vessel in the summer of 1994. Compensation for damages of $120,000 with possible interest is sought by the Norwegian Navy for this collision. On May 2, 1997, Norway began its 1997 commercial minke whale hunt for a quota of 580 animals. The season will end on July 21, 1997. Individual vessels are limited to six weeks of whaling, when an inspector is aboard. {On May 20, 1997, 28 Norwegian whalers and 4 whalemeat processing companies argued in an appeal of a lower court denial on a $8.5 million lawsuit against the Norwegian government in Oslo district court, claiming they sustained considerable loss when the Norwegian government failed to support the whaling industry between 1988 and 1993 and did not permit commercial whaling.} [Assoc Press, High North Alliance News, Dow Jones News] . {Captive Manatees Outside FL? On May 20, 1997, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials reported in the Fort Myers, FL, News-Press that more than 50 manatees are in captivity in FL, and that display facilities are overcrowded. Some manatees that are not candidates for release may be made available to public display facilities outside FL, if appropriate captive maintenance standards can be met.} [Assoc Press] . {Dolphin Feeding Enforcement. On May 19, 1997, NMFS issued an announcement reminding the public that it is illegal to feed or swim with dolphins in the wild. NMFS personnel are holding news conferences at various locations in FL where dolphin feeding has become popular. NMFS has contracted with the FL Marine Patrol to provide additional enforcement relating to dolphins during 1997 and, in 1998, NMFS expects to fund an additional 6 enforcement officers for protected species enforcement, including dolphin feeding and harassment.} [Assoc Press, NMFS press release] . Whalemeat Smuggling Report. On May 15, 1997, the British TRAFFIC Network released a report entitled "Whale Meat Trade in East Asia," which reported that whalemeat is smuggled illegally from Japan and available on the menus of numerous restaurants in Hong Kong. [Dow Jones News] . CA Sea Lion Deaths. On May 14-15, 1997, Mexican authorities reported finding the carcasses of 14 CA seal lions on beaches just south of the U.S.-Mexican border. The animals were clubbed or shot and could have drifted south from U.S. waters. Earlier this month, 5 sea lion carcasses washed ashore in the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge, just north of the U.S.-Mexican border. [Assoc Press] . Tuna-Dolphin Legislation. On May 14, 1997, the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries held a hearing on S. 39, amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act relating to the International Dolphin Conservation Program. {H.R. 408 WAS APPROVED BY the full House on May 21, 1997, BY A VOTE OF 262-166.} [Federal Register, personal communication] . CITES Downlisting of Certain Whales. In early May 1997, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat recommended that 5 proposals to downlist various whale stocks (minke whales in the northeast and central north Atlantic, Southern Hemisphere, and Okhotsk Sea-West Pacific; eastern Pacific grey whales; northwest Pacific Bryde's whales) from Appendix I to Appendix II be accepted, based on these populations not meeting the criteria for inclusion on Appendix I. Downlisting to Appendix II could permit controlled international trade in these species' products only if a 1979 CITES resolution recommending no permits for trade in whale products protected by the International Whaling Commission were repealed. Japan has proposed to appeal the 1979 CITES resolution. [High North Alliance News, Dow Jones News] . Keiko's Recovery. On May 6, 1997, the Free Willy Keiko Foundation announced that, by spring 1997, Keiko could be in a fenced-off pen in the North Atlantic as the next step toward release to the wild. Details of cost and potential sites are under research and negotiation. [Assoc Press] . Japanese Scientific Whaling. On May 1, 1997, a fleet of 4 Japanese ships departed for the northwestern Pacific with the objective of killing as many as 100 minke whales for research purposes. Research is scheduled to be completed by the end of July 1997. On May 12-16, 1997, the International Whaling Commission's Scientific Committee is meeting behind closed doors in Tokyo, Japan, to review Japan's scientific whaling program. Results of this review will be presented at the IWC's annual meeting in Monaco in October 1997. [Dow Jones News, Reuters] . Steller Sea Lion Listed as Endangered. On Apr. 30, 1997, NMFS announced that it will list the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea population of Steller sea lion as "endangered," as the population continues to decline between 5% and 7% annually. A second distinct, but stable, population of Steller sea lions, from southeast AK through CA remains listed as "threatened." NMFS is planning a workshop to design an experiment on assessing whether fishing area closures might benefit Steller sea lions without unnecessarily restricting commercial fishing. [Reuters, Assoc Press, NOAA press release] . Polar Bear Trophies. The House Resources Committee held a hearing on Apr. 30, 1997, on H.J.Res. 59, a joint resolution to disapprove a rule affecting applications to import polar bear trophies from Canada issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). [Federal Register] . Atlantic Large Whale Protection. On Apr. 26, 1997, the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries held a field hearing in Portland, ME, on the proposed regulations. Four public hearings will be held from Apr. 30-May 3 on fishing gear modification regulations; additional public comment will be received until May 15, 1997. On May 7, 1997, MA Dept. of Environmental Affairs officials lifted an emergency ban on fishing gear aimed at protecting northern right whales since these whales appear to have left MA waters several weeks earlier than normal this year. [Assoc Press, Federal Register] ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 24 May 1997 04:36:28 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Mediterraean monk seal die-off in the Western Sahara (fwd) From: manelg(\)porthos.bio.ub.es MEDITERRANEAN MONK SEAL DIE-OFF IN THE WESTERN SAHARA 36 Mediterranean monk seals have been found washed ashore on the beaches of Western Sahara and Mauritania since May 19. This mortality has been detected by the monitoring team of the Spanish Mediterranean monk seal LIFE/CEE project, which has been studying the population since 1994 in collaboration with the Parc National du Banc d'Arguin. The origin of these individuals is the colony inhabiting the Peninsula of Cap Blanc which is the only Mediterranean monk seal population that still keeps the social and numerical structure of a colony. Recent population estimates from this population range about 220-300 individuals, excluding pups. A main objective of the LIFE/CEE project is to detect potential threats to the colony which, because its limited distribution range,it has been traditionally considered to be extremely vulnerable. Indeed, the whole reproductive segment of the population concentrates in only two caves along a 1.5km coastline. The mortality has centered on adults only, with an even proportion of sexes. It is noticeable that, while lactating females die, their pups remain alive and apparently healthy condition. Seal corpses do not present external markings suggestive of an incidental catch in fishing gear and, unfortunately, the corpses examined were from individuals that had all been dead for some days and were too decomposed to give a clear postmortem picture. The only indication so far obtained of the causative agent of the mortality is the fact that analyses of sea water samples collected in the vicinity of the colony, and carried out by the Department of Genetics of the Veterinary Faculty of Madrid University, have in all cases showed presence of at least three highly toxic dynoflagellates: Alexandrium minutum, Gymnodinium catenatum, and Dynophisis acuta. The first two ones produce a potent PSP (Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning) toxin which is lethal in high concentrations. Density of cells was about 2000 cells per litter, a quantity considered to be high. Further analysis are underway to confirm the hypothesis of a link between the observed seal mortality and a bloom of these highly toxic dynoflagellates, but the so far observed pattern of mortality would fit well with such causative agent. However, this last option should be considered yet preliminary until seal tissue analyses are finished. Luis Felipe Lopez Jurado, Dep. of Biology, University of Las Palmas of Gran Canaria Luis Mariano Gonzalez, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Madrid Alex Aguilar, Dep. of Animal Biology, University of Barcelona Esteve Grau, Dep. of Animal Biology, University of Barcelona Mauro Hernandez, Laboratorio Forense de Vida Silvestre, Madrid Ian Robinson, Norfolk Wildlife Hospital (RSPCA) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 May 1997 08:48:19 -0400 From: Ed Kelly Subject: articles for middle east marine magsine Arabia's Underwater World, is an new middle east wide magasine which will be begin distribution next month from its base in Dubai. Published by the Emirates Diving Association, it features information on marine conservation, diving sites, and wishes to focus on any research being conducted in the area. We are interested in articles, photographs that anyone may be able to supply to us. The following subjects are of particular interest: - invertebrate Zoology - Ictheology - Cetacean Zoology - Terrestrial Flora and Fauna - Man and his environment We are particularly interested in articles pertaining to coral studies as this is the Year of the Coral. We put out 3 issues a year. Anyone wishing more information or wishing to submit articles, photos, please contact elaine Kelly at ekelly.sentex.net. Jason Kelly, ekelly(\)sentex.net ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 26 May 1997 19:23:14 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Med. monk seal die-off. causative agent identified (fwd) From: manelg(\)porthos.bio.ub.es THE MEDITERRANEAN MONK SEAL DIE-OFF CONTINUES AND THREATENS THE CAP BLANC COLONY The mass mortality that since past May 19 is afflicting the Mediterranean monk seal population of Cape Blanc continues and is producing a significant impact in the colony. Counts of haul- out seals in the main caves, wich during the month of May of the last four years ranged 40-80 individuals, have in the last three days dropped to 17-37. Mortality continues to extensively affect adults seals fo both sexes, but in the last two days one juvenile and two subadults have also died. It is feared that this may indicate an extension of the mortality to the nonadult segment of population, wich until now appeared to evade the causative agent. The caves were the reproductive segment of the population usually haul-out are almost devoid of selas, with only some descomposing corpses inside. Four orphaned seals pup (two males and two females) have been collected from inside the caves by the spanish LIFE/CE team and the Parc National du Banc d'Arguin, and put under treatment at the Maurutanian Centre National de Recherches Oceanographiques et des Peches to keep them alive. Veterinarians from this center, the RSPCA Norfolk Wildlife Hospital, the Seal Rescue Center of Pieterburen and the Laboratorio Forense de Vida Silvestre have joined efforts to ensure their survival. CAUSATIVE AGENT OF THE MEDITERRANEAN MONK SEAL DIE-OFF IDENTIFIED Results of high performance liquid chromatography analysis (HPLC) on blubber and liver samples from two monk seals diseased during the die-off have shown extremely high levels of 23 different saxitoxins (PSP) and their metabolites. The analysis carried out by E. Costas (Dep. Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Madrid), J. Franco (Spanish Institute of Oceanography of Vigo) and the Community Laboratory of Biotoxins, have shown that in particular, Neosaxitoxin and GTX4-Saxitoxin, were found at lethal levels in the tissues. Research to identify the toxins continues and the finding of other similar agents cannot be discarded. However, these results clearly indicate that intoxication by the ingestion of saxitoxins produced by dinoflagellates is the causative agent of the massive mortality that has afflicted the Cabo Blanco population of Mediterranean monk seals in the last weeks. This result is further substantiated by the finding of high concentrations of Alexandrium minutum, Gymnodinium catenatum and Dynophisis acuta, three highly toxic dinoflagellates, in the water adjacent to the main caves where monk seals haul-out Luis Felipe Lopez Jurado, Dep. of Biology, University of Las Palmas of Gran Canaria. Luis Mariano Gonzalez, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Madrid Alex Aguilar, Dep. Animal Biology, Universitry of Barcelona Esteve Grau, Dep. Animal Biology, Universitry of Barcelona Mauro Hernandez, Laboratorio Forense de Vida Silvestre, Madrid Ian Robinson, Norfolk Wildlife Hospital (RSPCA). ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 27 May 1997 00:33:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Ecologists register mass death Ecologists register mass deaths of Baikal Lake seals. MOSCOW, May 26 (Itar-Tass) - Russian ecologists have registered in the Baikal Lake large amounts of dead seal, unique fish-eating animals living only in the Baikal Lake, Itar-Tass learned on Monday at the international Greenpeace organisation. Russia's Greenpeace activists arrived on the spot to make video-recordings and photographs confirming the report on the death of several dozens of seals in the southern part of the lake. Large numbers of dead and dying seals have been registered some 18 kilometers from the Baikal pulp and paper mill. Alone when examining a kilometer-and-a-half-long coastal line, the Greenpeace activists and scientists from the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences were coming across the dead seals every 50 meters. According to them, the mass deaths of seals can be caused by two reasons. One of them is the contamination of water by sewages from the mill, which uses chlor for bleaching paper. The other one is an infectious disease. However, since the 1930s seal infection was only registered once. There in 1988, dead seals could be found along the entire coast of the lake. This time, the dead seals have only be found along a small strip of the coast, several kilometers from the mill's sewage. Even if the deaths were caused by an infectious disease, they could have been provoked by the sewage weakening the seals' immunity, Greenpeace activists believe. According to first results of investigation, the seals began to die a month-and-a-half ago. However, the ice covering the lake was for a long time hiding the dead seals. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 27 May 1997 14:06:39 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: cetacean intelligence - response to Jelmert (fwd) From: lmarino(\)biology.emory.edu Dear Folks, Several months ago I responded to a discussion concerning cetacean intelligence within the context of the suggestion that Klinowska (1992) "Brains, Behavior, and Intelligence in cetaceans" be used as an appropriate source of information on cetacean intelligence. I took issue with several points made by Klinowska in her paper. Since then, Anders Jelmert, of the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, has challenged a number of those points. Unfortunately, most of Mr. Jelmert's counter-points are ad hominem, misconceived, or both. Nevertheless, I feel that it is my responsibility to - one final time - set the record straight on a number of points made within this ongoing discussion. I am not doing so to get in the middle of a political argument nor am I necessarily arguing for or against the view that intelligence should be the most important consideration in political and ethical issues such as whaling. I am responding simply to defend the viewpoint that scientific information must be communicated in a knowledgeable and accurate manner. Below is a point-for-point response to Jelmert's criticisms of my original points. I hope these comments are clear and I apologize in advance for the length. I want to state from the outset that I do not believe that this issue is well served by ad hominem or nonscientific arguments and I will refrain from responding to any arguments of that nature in the future. #1. I wrote: "This brings me to my next point regarding the eternally frustrating citation of the spiny hedgehog or ("basal insectivore) as a glaring exception to the brain- intelligence rule...". Jelmert responded: "Your eminent Dr. Marino is confusing the spiny anteater with a spiny hedgehog..." My response: I am at fault here for the confusion. I erroneously wrote "spiny hedgehog" when I intended to refer to the spiny anteater, the echidna. Indeed, a varied subset of species, such as the hedgehog, shrew, tenrec, echidna, have been repeatedly used as examples of "initial" or "generalized basal Insectivores" in the literature and I was thinking of both the hedgehog and the Australian spiny anteater (the echidna) at the same time. Nevertheless, it still stands that any claim that the brain-intelligence rule is not useful because the spiny anteater has a "neocortex... relatively much larger than that of a human...and nobody has so far put forward any claims for superior 'intelligence' in spiny anteaters " (Klinowska, 1992) is erroneous. #2. I wrote: "...there is recent [human] evidence by Andreasen et al. (1993) and Willerman et al. (1991) that the correlation coefficient between IQ and various brain component volumes (as measured by MRI) is 0.4 - not trivial." Jelmert responded: "0.4-??? Also in the MARMAM-post the upper limit of the range was absent. An upper limit of the range would be useful. ... Dr. Marino are (sic) pointing to the 'anecdotal examples' and states that these are not diminishing the 'statistical evidence'!! No they are not, but that is not the point! It appears that she [Marino] has made the error any satatisitcal (sic) textbook worth reading would warn about: To imply cause and effect from correlation...With this in mind, I hope it should be possible to put the information given by Klinowska (and ref's therein) of small brain size of some ostensibly brilliant people in proper perspective. This is information to help us go looking for other factors of importance when trying to find causal factors for 'intelligence'". My response: The only way to answer this "call" for an "upper limit of the range" of the correlation coefficient is to offer a very brief lesson in correlational statistics for the benefit of my responder. First, 0.4 is a correlation coefficient, which is a number that summarizes and describes the direction and magnitude of the relationship between two variables. The value of a correlation coefficient can range from 0 (for no relationship) to +/- 1 (for a perfect negative or positive relationship). Thus, a value of 0.4 does not imply that the relationship between the two variables is perfect. In this specific case, the coefficient of 0.4 says that 16% of the variance in IQ is accounted for by variance in brain component volume or visa versa. In the two studies above this correlation is statistically significant. This says there is a significant but imperfect positive relationship between IQ and brain volume. Therefore, this statistical outcome is not weakened or invalidated by examples of exceptions. Finally, of course correlation does not imply causation. No where in my arguments do I imply a causal relationship between brain size and intelligence. I am simply stating evidence for a *relationship* between those two variables, which - for whatever reason(s) - is statistically significant in the Willerman et al. (1991) and Andreasen et al. (1993) studies. #3. I wrote: Klinowska states that dolphins 'have not developed the latest stage of brain evolution' (Klinowska, 1992) because they don't have some features that humans and land mammals do - yet - at the same time - urges us not to adopt an anthropocentric view of intelligence and brain size!" Jelmert responded: "In biology it is perfectly appropriate to speak about 'primitive' and 'advanced' features, without the value-laden connotations elswhere (sic) inferred from such terms. It's simply a matter of a useful 'vernacular' " and he continues "As long as Dr. Marino seems to be a strong advocate for the importance of relative brain measures, I could not see why she would wave this information away". My response: Words like "primitive" and "advanced" can be used as short-cut descriptive terms, yet it is apparent that Klinowska bases much of her overall argument about cetacean brain evolution on a very literal acceptance of the concepts of primitive and advanced. Furthermore, in an area where there is the potential for a lot of confusion, such as the question of "primitiveness" and "advancement" in biological evolution, it is encumbant on writers to avoid terms that only contribute to the confusion. Finally, I am not "advocating" the importance of relative brain measures. Scientific data are what they are - they are not "advocated for". I am simply pointing out that Klinowska's resort to brain size issues involves a number of erroneous assumptions. #4. In apparent opposition to my citation of evidence for a correlation between brain size and intelligence, Jelmert mentions Egan et al. (1994) in which they found that there is a significant positive relation between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume and some IQ measures. My response: It is indeed the case that Egan and colleagues found a positive relation between CSF volume and IQ. However, the authors admit that this result may have "arisen due to chance factors" (Egan, 1994,p.365). There is nothing about this result that invalidates findings of an association between brain size and intelligence. It is simply an interesting finding that needs to be investigated further. Incidentally, Andreasen et al. (1993) found no correlation between CSF volume and IQ. Nevertheless, Egan et al. (1994) also found that there are appreciable positive correlations between total brain volume and IQ when the correlational data are corrected for range restriction (as was appropriate for their sample). The authors conclude that "it seems plausible that small differences in brain volume translate into millions of excess neurones (sic) for some individuals, accounting for their higher IQ" (Egan et al., 1994, p.365). #5. I wrote: " One of the most glaring weaknesses of Klinowska's paper is her unfamiliarity with the behavioral literature on language capacities and behavioral complexity in cetaceans and primates. It is also astounding that Klinowska does not ever cite Lou Herman, who... has contributed...to our understanding of language capacities in dolphins [by showing that] bottlenose dolphins have a very sophisticated capacity for understanding artificial language in both the auditory and gestural mode. .. This is known by anyone familiar with the relevant literature - which Klinowska totally ignores." Jelmert wrote that he was "confused" about my subsequent statement that "we have not gotten close to understanding the complexities of cetacean communication", implying that I am contradicting myself. My response: There is no way in which I am contradicting myself by stating that we do not know *everything* about cetacean communication but what we *do* know - through work by Herman and many others - is that dolphins appear to be capable of complex information processing and communication. My original statement was meant to point out that one cannot legitimately address the issue of dolphin intelligence while ignoring an entire body of literature on this topic, as Klinowska does. #6. Finally, I suggest that anyone interested in brain size and intelligence should take a look at the more relevant, objective, empirical, scientific literature (such as Willerman et al. 1991. In vivo brain size and intelligence. INTELLIGENCE, 15: 223-228; Andreasen et al. 1993.Intelligence and brain structure in normal individuals. AMERICAN J. OF PSYCHIATRY, 150(1): 130-134; and Egan et al. 1994. Size isn't everything: A study of brain volume, intelligence and auditory evoked potentials. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES, 17(3): 357-67., as well as the vast comparative psychological literature) instead of the Rushton web site that Anders Jelmert proposes. Thank you. Lori Marino, Ph.D. Department of Biology and Research Associate at Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center Emory University Atlanta, Georgia 30322 Lori Marino, Ph.D. Dept. of Biology Emory University Atlanta, GA 30322 Phone: (404) 727-7582 FAX: (404) 727-2880 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 27 May 1997 15:54:02 -0700 From: William Megill Subject: Grey whale research course The Coastal Ecosystems Research Foundation is a registered Canadian charitable organisation inviting the general public to assist as "paying volunteers" in research on the feeding behaviour, movements, and abundance of grey whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, killer whales and humpback whales, off the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Research & instruction are carried out from a 40' sailboat and shore stations. Participants are incorporated directly into the research team for the duration of their stay, and have the opportunity to learn theory and techniques first-hand from working biologists. In addition to the field research techniques, instruction and hands-on experience in sailing is provided. Cost includes tuition, all meals, return transportation from Port Hardy to the base camp, and tent accomodation. Topics covered during the week-long course (continuing education level): grey whale-mysid shrimp ecology: succession, disturbance, optimal foraging, carrying capacity; photo-identification & capture-recapture models applied to grey & humpback whales; orca social structure & acoustic behaviour; white-sided dolphin social & acoustic behaviours; conservation issues. Cost: Adults: $1400 (CAD) $1075 (USD) Students: $1275 (CAD) $995 (USD) Dates: (NB: At only four to five participants per course, dates are filling up) June 29 - July 5(full), 5-11, 13-19(students only), 19-25 July 27 - Aug 2, 2-8, 10-16, 16-22(full), 24-30, Aug 30 - Sept 5. For more information, contact: Coastal Ecosystems Research Foundation c/o Adventure Spirit Travel Company 1843 W 12th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6J 2E7 1-800-667-7799 (N America) (604) 736-5188 (elsewhere) email: rdavis(\)direct.ca world-wide web: http://www.bcu.ubc.ca/~megill/cerf ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 May 1997 13:38:22 -0700 From: Shari Snitovsky Subject: skeleton rearticulation Dear Marmamers, We at the Marine Science Institute in Redwood City, California are getting ready to rearticulate the skeleton of a Grey Whale. I am looking for some helpful hints to get us started. If there is anyone out there in the SF Bay Area who would like to help us hands on, that would also be appreciated. Please respond directly to Shari Snitovsky snitovsky(\)smcccd.cc.ca.us Thanks for your help. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 May 1997 17:34:43 +0000 Reply-To: dian(\)ecostewards.org From: Dian Hardy Organization: World Stewardship Institute Subject: NMFS proposed seal and sea lion cull We are a group of northern California coast marine mammal scientists and advocates meeting to strategize our response to NMFS' call for a cull of seal and sea lion populations. We are in touch with Greenpeace, HSUS, Earth Island and are aware of their plans. We would like to know of other grassroots groups, who, like us, work with seal populations and their response to the planned cull. Please respond to dian(\)ecostewards.org. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 09:48:32 EDT From: William Rossiter <71322.1637(\)CompuServe.COM> Subject: Indonesian net fishery crisis Multiple recipients of l , Steve Morris Comments: cc: "M. Putrawidjaja" Dear MARMAM, European Cetacean Society members, and other interested parties, The following updates a rapidly developing fisheries conservation crisis in Indonesia. We are searching for information, particularly scientific data and opinion, regarding regional stock vunerabilities, conservation conventions, and appropraite venues for seeking solutions to the issue. We request that anyone with CITES experience consider way that this issue might be addressed at the upcoming meeting. Any parties willing to join a consortium to deal with this issue would be welcome. Please reply to both addresses at the end. On 11 May Steve Morris (< haysteve(\)pacific.net.sg>) reported that two "high tech" wall / trap/ draw nets were installed in the pelagic migratory channel at Tangkoko, Manado area, NE Suluwesi, Indonesia. Two set of nets were about 3 km apart 20-30 meters from the coastline of the Tangkoko Nature Reserve. Sources indicate that between 27 March 1996 and 12 February 1997 catches included some 1,424 manta rays, 18 whale sharks, 312 other sharks, 4 minke whales, 326 dolphins, 577 pilot whales, 789 marlin, 84 turtles, and 9 dugong. The nets were completed March 1996, but the operations seem to be expanding very rapidly. On 22 May Peter Rudolph (<: Rudolph.P(\)t-online.de>), a biologist working on cetaceans in Indonesian waters, reported that, according to a dive master (Larry Smith), " the nets are located in and near Lembeh Strait, not in Manado Bay, and that these nets are set by Taiwanese. Bitung is one of the most important harbours in eastern Indonesia. It is one of the stops of the Taiwanese fishing fleet working in the Arafura and Banda Sea (this is the same fleet formerly working in northern Australian waters, with a very high bycatch)". "Bitung is also a very important military harbour. According to Indonesian fishermen, working on Taiwanese boats in the Banda Sea, most of the bycatch is not discarded, but stored and transported to Taiwan." 3 April video included the slaughter of a whaleshark. Please contact Morris for all documentation, including net descriptions, and the names of people, boats, companies, packing and shipping operations, and potential markets associated with this fishery. There is an urgent need to expand and substantiate all information. There are various reports linking military and government authorities to this operation and enforcement of environmental regulations is very ineffectual. "By 15 May, eyewitnesses reported the disappearance of one of the Tankoko Trap Nets -- although the concrete pylons remain". This may or may not have been an early reaction to the publicity, but there is every certainty that the nets will be reinstalled or used elsewhere in the region. Local government offices, such as the harbour master, Fisheries Department, Forestry Deptartment, Coast Guard, and the Bitung Police have all stated that they are unaware of any irregularities. The Indonesian government was one of the major co-sponsors of the 1995 United Nations conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, agreeing to all eleven Articles implemented. It is believed that the Central government in Jakarta has had little knowledge of the full extent of the actions of this fishery. The Bitung operation is reported to have increased its fleet from one fiberglass skiff to include three much larger ships with crews of 15\20 men each, making trips two or three times a day to each net, some days working on 24 hour basis due to large catches. A second pier is being built to expand operations further. It is believed that many of these Taiwanese (and other) boats are connected directly or indirectly to the movement, distribution, and sale of the packed hauls, by-passing the normally required legal documentation, not registering the actual take, and not paying taxes or upholding quotas. It is believed that at least three more of these nets exist along the Suluwesi coastline, operated by the same company. There may be many others operated by other companies at different locations within Indonesia operating beyond the control and monitoring of proper authorities. This message is an appeal to all concerned, for information regarding this Indonesian situation, first, with facts and contacts, and second, the potential of bringing this issue to CITES in a manner that will terminate this operation and strengthen fishing regulations and enforcement in the region. We appeal to all to contribute whatever knowledge, contacts, or suggestions that they can. Cetacean Society International is acting only as a facilitator for the issue. We ask that any NGO with CITES or other appropriate affiliations consider joining in a coalition designed to stop this situation. Thank you, William W. Rossiter, President, Cetacean Society International, <71322.1637(\)compuserve.com Steve Morris < haysteve(\)pacific.net.sg> ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 13:33:38 +0200 From: Europe Conservation Italia Subject: Mediterranean Sea Sancturay Mediterranean Sea Sanctuary The Corsican-Ligurian basin, in the Mediterranean Sea, includes one of the most important cetaceans habitats. Large pelagic fish and almost the two-thirds of the regular Mediterranean cetacean fauna engage here in breeding, calving and feeding activities. Particularly, this area represents the Mediterranean summer-feeding ground for fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus). The basin is also one of the most densely populated zones of the Mediterranean Sea during summertime when fin whales congregate to feed. In recent years in addition to commercial traffic, fishing activities, pollution and habitat destruction, commercial whale-watching is developping in uncontrolled way: this could expose fin whales to serious long term threats. In march 1993 the Governements of France, Italy and Monaco declared the area Sanctuary for cetaceans. The aim of the Sanctuary is to protect marine habitat and to manage human activities in the area. This declaration has not yet been implemented. Europe Conservation, together with other NGO'S and official bodies, during this last year set up a program in cooperation with the Nature Conservation Dept. of Italian Ministry for Environment, in order to start up the Sanctuary implementation. In the program we included the creation of an international authority to allow managing and control of industrial and commercial activities carried out in the area, including whale-watching and to provide marine-related research, public awareness projects and cetaceans long term monitoring research . The importance of the area is already recognized by the general assembly of IUCN (19.92) and by motion by Europe Conservation France (adopted the 15th 1996) to include the Sanctuary in the future list of "Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI list). We really need to ward off that a long negotiations period delay the Sanctuary implementation. If you would like to express your support of the Sanctuary, please direct letters to: Europe Conservation Italia Via del Macao 9, 00185 Roma Italia eco.italia(\)agora.stm.it ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 05:00:00 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: For sale: Cetacean Biopsy System (fwd) From: moisan We have for sale, a Cetacean Biopsy System. The system is identical to the one described in:=20 Barrett-Lennard et al. 1996. A Cetacean biopsy system using lightweight pneumatic darts and its effect on the behavior of killer whales. Marine Mammal Science 12:14-27.=20 The kit includes: -Pneudart Model 191 0.50 caliber variable-power dart projector. Powered by blank .22-cal charges. (also used as a tranquilizer gun)=20 -8 Pneumatic darts. Assembled and ready to use (without biopsy tips). Parts to build additionnal darts: -~35 aluminium shafts -~25 tailpieces -96 practice darts -Firearm cleaning kit -Rigid gun case This equipment has been used only a few times (one month of field work).=20 Asking 500$US for everything. Contact: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Michel Moisan Le GREMM 108 de la Cale S=E8che Tadoussac, QC G0T 2A0 moisan(\)mail.fjord-best.com Tel 418 235 4701 Fax 418 235 4325 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>><><><><><><><><><><><>><< ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 23:45:29 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Florida Manatee Population Status (fwd) Forwarded message: From: Sirenia Project THOUGHTS ON RECORD 1996 MANATEE MORTALITY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR FLORIDA MANATEE STATUS Submitted by: Lynn Lefebvre, U.S. Geological Survey-Biological Resources Division, Florida Caribbean Science Center, Gainesville, Florida The total deaths of Florida manatees in 1996 was indeed staggering: 415, compared with 201 in 1995 (Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Marine Research Institute). While the large increase in manatee mortality in 1996 is certainly cause for concern, I would urge both researchers and managers to avoid any hasty conclusions based on the mortality patterns of one year. A large portion of the added mortality was clearly associated with the extensive and severe red tide event that occurred in southwest Florida during late winter and spring (151 deaths were attributed to the red tide epizootic). An unknown portion of the recovered carcasses (82) in the "undetermined" cause-of-death category could also have been victims of the epizootic; these animals are generally too decomposed for cause of death to be identified. In addition to the red tide, severe cold during the 1995-96 winter accounted for 17 mortalities, compared to none in the previous, mild winter. Red tides, which are caused by dense blooms of the dinoflagellate Gymnodinium breve, are a recurring phenomena in southwestern Florida. Karen Steidinger with the Florida Marine Research Institute has found anecdotal records that suggest red tide was noted in Tampa Bay hundreds of years ago. The first well-documented manatee mortality event associated with a red tide was in 1982 (O'Shea et al. 1991), when 39 manatee deaths were attributed to exposure to G. breve toxin. Researchers hypothesized that the toxin was concentrated by tunicates, which were incidentally ingested by seagrass-grazing manatees. Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the 1996 manatee mortality statistics is that 60 deaths were caused by watercraft collisions, the highest number yet in a single year. This was a substantial increase over watercraft-related deaths in 1995 (42); moreover, it reversed a promising trend toward declining watercraft-related mortalities since 1991, when 51 such deaths were recorded. Collisions with watercraft are still by far the leading cause of human-related manatee mortality (approximately 78%), and account for about 25% of all documented deaths (Wright et al. 1995). Unless, and until, cold weather and red tides are under our control, watercraft-craft related mortality is the primary target for mortality reduction. In their recently published paper on manatee population viability analysis, Marmontel et al. (1997) projected a slightly negative population growth rate and low probability of persistence over 1000 years if adult mortality trends are not reduced. They recommended that management efforts include reduction of boating activities and speed in areas occupied by manatees. This common-sense approach has met with considerable controversy in some of the counties charged with the development of manatee protection plans. Managers must meet the challenge of finding innovative, constructive ways to involve the boating public in the manatee recovery process. Without public cooperation and support, the seemingly unavoidable increase in Florida's human population and numbers of boaters will crush any hope of achieving a sustainable manatee population in Florida. As if cold weather, red tides, and increasing numbers of watercraft weren't enough to worry about, manatees may soon be facing another problem: the disappearance or sporadic availability of warm water at sites north of their natural winter range. The proposed deregulation of Florida's power plant industry may have profound effects on manatee mortality, distribution, and habitat use. However, the power-generating industry has been very responsive to the needs of manatees, and careful planning should prevent severe impacts on the manatee population even if deregulation occurs. Assessing the outlook for manatees as pessimistic or optimistic probably has more to do with the personality of the assessor than the outlook. I find some cause for optimism because manatees (1) are one of the most loved species in the world, (2) are highly adaptable to human-altered environments, and (3) seem to like us despite all we've done to them and their habitat. Helene Marsh (James Cook University, Queensland, Australia) presented a seminar at the University of Florida last February, in which she compared and contrasted the life history strategies of manatees and dugongs, and assessed their chances for survival in the 21st century. Noting the manatee's higher reproductive rates and greater adaptability to urban environments, she placed her bets on manatees doing better than dugongs when in close proximity to humans, but dugongs having the better chance for long-term survival in some of the more remote regions where they occur. I will stick with the assessment that Tom O'Shea and I made (Lefebvre and O'Shea 1995): "Population and life-history information suggests that the potential long-term viability of the Florida manatee population is good, provided that strong efforts continue to curtail mortality, habitat quality is maintained or improved, and steps are taken to offset potential catastrophes [such as oil spills or disease]." LITERATURE CITED Lefebvre, L.W., and T.J. O'Shea. 1995. Florida manatees. Pp. 267-269 in Laroe, E.T., G.S. Farris, C.E. Puckett, P.D. Doran, and M.J. Mac, eds. Our Living Resources: a report to the nation on the distribution, abundance, and health of U.S. plants, animals, and ecosystems- Coastal & Marine Ecosystems. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Biological Service, Washington, D.C. 530pp. Marmontel, M., S.R. Humphrey, and T.J. O'Shea. 1997. Population viability analysis of the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), 1976-1991. Conservation Biology 11(2): 467-481). O'Shea, T.J., G.B. Rathbun, R.K. Bonde, C.D. Buergelt, and D.K. Odell. 1991. An epizootic of Florida manatees associated with a dinoflagellate bloom. Marine Mammal Science 7(2): 165-179. Wright, S.D., B.B. Ackerman, R.K. Bonde, C.A. Beck, and D.J. Banowetz. 1995. Analysis of watercraft-related mortality of manatees in Florida, 1979-1991. Pp. 259-268 in T.J. O'Shea, B.B. Ackerman, and H.F. Percival, eds. Population biology of the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris). Information and Technology Report 1. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Biological Service, Washington, DC. 289pp. Need volunteers to participate in a bottlenose dolphin cruise starting june 12 through June 20th in Southern California. We will be camping along the way. Food is paid for by the project. Plase contact me at MLNEWS(\)AOL.COM or (408) 582-1030. I would prefer somebody that lives in California and has boating and phto-id experience. Daniela M. Feinholz Pacific Cetacean Group P.O.BOX 378 Moss Landing, CA 95039 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 14:03:53 -0700 From: "Joan M. Goddard" Subject: whaling book query Dear colleagues: I am asking your help in determining a market for a small book I am preparing on the subject of commercial whaling in British Columbia. My idea is to write some anecdotal material to appeal to a general audience while at the same time providing an overview of commercial whaling history and a chronology of important dates which will be useful for reference. Maps, historic photos and suggested reading will be included. Footnotes and and index will not. The idea grew out of my participation in the Royal BC Museum's recently opened exhibit on whales and whaling and the complementary exhibit at the Maritime Museum of BC which is underway. An easily carried and not-too expensive book on the theme of the museum exhibits will be welcomed at the museum gift shops, but its broader appeal is not clear. Only one serious reference exists on the subject of BC whaling and it is excellent, though heavy. That is Robert Lloyd Webb's ON THE NORTHWEST; COMMERCIAL WHALING IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST 1790 - 1967. UBC Press, Vancouver. 1988. 425 pp. I am a whaling historian specializing in BC whaling history, both commercial and aboriginal. I have a number of articles and papes to my credit, but no books as yet. In addition to researching primary sources on BC whaling in museums, archives, universities and private collections, I have drawn on my own personal interviews with former whaling inudstry participants or their children. These latter comprise about 100 hours of tapes. Newspapers of the period have been especially useful. I have a book ms in progress on the social history of BC whaling; but this little project has grabbed my imagination at the moment. I would be most grateful to hear, off-list, from anyone with ideas about its usefulness and appeal. Joan Goddard, Victoria, BC ul149(\)freenet.victoria.bc.ca ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Jun 1997 09:37:29 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: PhD thesis related to the humpback whale song (fwd) This message was sent to the Bioacoustics list, but we thought it would be of interest to MARMAM subscribers. MARMAM Editors ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Sat, 31 May 97 17:43:59 BST Reply-to: paliourg(\)cs.man.ac.uk From: George Paliouras To: Subject: PhD thesis related to the humpback whale song Dear all, I have recently defended my PhD thesis, which is entitled: Refinement of Temporal Constraints in an Event Recognition System using Small Datasets I have applied the techniques that I developed in the thesis to the analysis of humpback whale songs. I attach the abstract of the thesis. If you would like to download the thesis, see: http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/csonly/cstechrep/Theses/Paliouras/thesis.html For more information about my work see: http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/ai/George/mypage.html For any comments or problems, please contact me directly. Regards, George Paliouras ============================================================================ Refinement of Temporal Constraints in an Event Recognition System using Small Datasets The central aim of this thesis is to develop novel approaches to the representation and the refinement of event recognition models. The event recognition system is viewed as a temporal expert system, which searches for interesting patterns in a stream of temporally indexed data. The format of the input stream is unusual in comparison to standard work on event recognition, such as speech and sound recognition. It consists of time-stamped events, rather than a set of signal properties measured at fixed time intervals. This format has only recently been studied in the area of temporal event recognition. This thesis proposes a new graphical representation which facilitates explicit modelling of time. The recognition model is a hierarchy of events, each defined as a sequence of subevents. A distinction is made between low-level events, used in the input data stream, and high-level events, defined by the model. Each event definition in the model constrains the duration and temporal association of subevents. This approach naturally handles overlapping events, which have been overlooked in event recognition systems that do not model time explicitly. Using this graphical representation, a novel method for refining the temporal constraints of a model is presented. The refinement of the model is based on a small training set, consisting of a sequence of low-level events and the high-level events which should be recognised. The small size of the data set does not allow the use of empirical learning methods. Instead, a knowledge refinement approach is adopted, which utilises the original model parameters to guide the refinement process. This approach differs from standard knowledge refinement methods, in that it can handle the temporal aspects of event recognition. Particular emphasis is given to the association of low-level to high-level events - information that is not provided in the data set. Two modes of refinement are examined in the thesis: full and partial supervision. The former requires the provision of training information for all of the high-level events in the model. This assumption is relaxed under partial supervision, where training information is provided only for the events at the highest level of the hierarchical model. The issue that arises under partial supervision is the correct distribution of the limited training information to all of the events in the model. The performance of the refinement method is evaluated on a real-world problem: the thematic analysis of the humpback whale song. The song of humpback whales has been extensively studied and analysed in the biological literature and data has been collected, in the form of tape recordings. An event recognition model is derived for the song and the refinement method is applied using a small set of songs. The results of the evaluation are very encouraging, showing that the system is able to improve significantly an initially inaccurate model, even with the use of very limited training data. This result suggests that the method is suitable for structured hierarchical models, such as that of the humpback whale song. Models of this type are used in a wide range of other event recognition tasks, such as fault diagnosis and image sequence analysis. The following articles were uploaded to MarmamNews in May 1997. MarmamNews can be found at http://members.aol.com/marmamnews 05/01/1997 Agency lists Steller sea lion as endangered 05/02/1997 TV's Flipper dies Green groups condemn Norwegian whale hunt TV's Flipper dies 05/03/1997 Norway-Whaling 05/04/1997 China Speeds Up Study of Yangtze River Eco-system 05/05/1997 Whale protection may hurt lobstermen NSW: Hunt on for seal killer NMFS -Steller sea lion reclassification 05/06/1997 Lost Moby's skull goes on display 05/07/1997 Alleged dolphin killings condemned FED: Estuaries declining because of land use abuse 05/08/1997 House rejects eased species law for flood control 05/12/1997 Dolphin exhibit opposed Conservationists attack cameras on seals Finback whale corpse floats into Boston Harbor Japan to defend ``research'' whaling at IWC meet Taming the Mekong 05/13/1997 Sea Grant News: Steller sea lions 05/14/1997 New Wave and Imax Dive With Dolphins in Honduras 05/15/1997 White House rejects tuna-dolphin bill compromise Thailand-Environment: Dugongs threatened by nets... 05/17/1997 Nuisance the seal plucked to safety 05/19/1997 Whalers Rescued Whalers rescued from Arctic ice 05/20/1997 International Whaling Norway Whalers Sue Their Government Export Manatees House to Vote on Tuna-Dolphin Bill Environment-Argentina: Dinosaurs of the future 05/21/1997 Coastal Zhuhai City to Build Oceanic Park House votes to lift U.S. tuna embargo Dolphin-Harmful Legislation Passes House Dolphin-Tuna Environment: Whale breeding grounds in Mexico House Dolphin-Tuna Roll Call New Greenpeace campaign takes aim at Atlantic oil 05/23/1997 NMFS: Reopening comment period Manatee meat sold as `pork' in Colombia 05/24/1997 Toxic algae kill rare monk seals off Mauritania 05/25/1997 APN--Keys Missiles-Wildlife 05/26/1997 Pulp plant blamed in death of seals Ecologists register mass deaths of Baikal Lake seals. 05/27/1997 NMFS: List of Fisheries changes ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Jun 1997 20:25:35 -0400 From: Tom Eagle Subject: NMFS Draft Report to Congress on West Coast Pinnipeds A recent posting to MARMAM mischaracterized a draft report to Congress prepared by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that requested comments for dealing with the impact of California sea lions and Pacific harbor seals on salmon species. As explained in the Federal Register, NMFS conducted an investigation to determine whether California sea lions and Pacific harbor seals are having a significant negative impact on the recovery of certain salmonid stocks or on the coastal ecosystems of Washington, Oregon, and California. After completion of the report of the scientific investigation (scientific report), NMFS prepared a draft report to Congress to submit recommendations, resulting from discussions with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission to address issues and problems identified in the scientific report. The scientific report is complete and available for public information, and the draft report to Congress is available for public review and comment. Comments are due to NMFS by June 26, 1997. The draft report to Congress is posted on the NMFS Office of Protected Resources home page at the following address: http://kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov/tmcintyr/report.html The Federal Register notice that summarizes the issues and recommendations included in the draft report and gives instructions for submitting comments is also available. The notice may be found at the following address: http://kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov/tmcintyr/pinnfr.html Please read the report for yourself regarding the nature of the recommendations. Thanks: Tom Eagle (Tom.Eagle(\)noaa.gov) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 10:19:32 BST From: Neil.Cox(\)wcmc.org.uk Subject: CITES Information Service Dear Colleagues WCMC is pleased to launch a new CITES Information Service on the WWW. This is just the beginning! What you will see at http://www.wcmc.org.uk/CITES is a prototype designed to show what can be achieved. For instance, if you interested in the species themselves, go directly to the interactive CITES-listed species database at http://www.wcmc.org.uk/CITES/english/fauna.htm (or step through the site instead). Where else on the Internet can you discover what CITES-listed species occur in a country or find out when particular species were listed? Alternatively you can access the Resolutions and Decisions from past Conferences of the Parties and many other documents. Where possible we provide this information in each of the three official languages used by CITES (English, French and Spanish). The trilingual facility will be expanded as the site is developed further. We are very grateful to the CITES Secretariat for their advice in developing this prototype, and to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (UK) and the European Commission (DGXI) for their additional support. We know there is much more to add to the site and we shall be working continually to improve it. In order to make it as useful as possible we need to know what YOU would like to see on the site and how you would like to see it, so please give us feedback and the chance to cater for your needs. Just click on the word "comments" at the footer of each page and fill out the form. Alternatively contact me directly by email. I will be at CITES COP10 in Harare, June 9-20th, and would be happy to discuss the development of the prototype with anyone who is interested. We hope this site will be of use to you. Regards Lorraine Collins -- Lorraine Collins | E-mail: lorraine.colllins(\)wcmc.org.uk Projects Officer | Wildlife Trade Monitoring Unit | World Conservation Monitoring Centre | 219 Huntingdon Road | Phone: +44 1223 277314 Cambridge CB3 0DL, U.K. | Fax: +44 1223 277136 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 08:40:50 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Fisheries Conservation Crisis in Indonesia (fwd) Forwarded message: From: "Peter Bryant" A web site has been established to compile and distribute, as widely as possible, information on the growing controversy concerning the massive by-catch of marine mammals, reptiles and fish by wall nets in a pelagic migratory channel at Tangkoko, Manado area, NE Suluwesi, Indonesian. The URL is http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/~pjbryant/bio65/indon97e.htm If you know of other web sites that are relevant, please send us the addresses. If you have additional information on the ecology and fisheries of that area, please send it so that we can add it to the site. Thank you very much. Peter Bryant Dear Marmamers, Following is the abstract of an article on the rough toothed dolphin _Steno bredanensis_ recently published in a Brazilian journal. Flores, P.A.C. and Ximenez, A. 1997. Observations on the rough-toothed dolphin _Steno bredanensis_ off Santa Catarina Island, southern Brazilian coast. Biotemas, 10 (1): 71-79, 1997 The rough-toothed dolphin _Steno bredanensis_ is a pelagic species of tropical and temperate oceans and seas, though in Brazil it is frequently observed in coastal waters. This paper presents new information on the species off Santa Catarina Island, southern Brazil. A single stranding at Conceicao Lagoon, with evidence of entanglement in fishing gear, provides the apparently firt record of _ S. bredanensis_ in a lagoon system. The feasibility of using photoidentification techniques with the species is discussed based on a sighting of a herd including at least one calf. These records lend support to previous suggestions of the costal habits of _S. bredanensis_ in at least some Brazilian regions. Reprints request should be addressed to: Paulo Flores International Wildlife Coalition/Brazil C.P. 5087 Florianopolis, SC, Brasil 88040-970 e-mail: paflores(\)mbox1.ufsc.br ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 19:55:03 +0200 Reply-To: rune(\)highnorth.no From: Rune Frovik Organization: HNA Subject: DNA Register for Whales Dear Marmamers, Please find enclosed an article from the High North Web News relating to the establishment by the Norwegian authorities of a DNA register for minke whales. Yours sincerely Rune Frovik, High North Alliance, email: Rune(\)highnorth.no CITES: DNA Register for Whales High North Web News (3 June 1997): A DNA register for whales will be established by the Norwegian authorities. DNA profiles from all minke whales caught during legal Norwegian whaling will be included in the register. Already, DNA samples are being taken from this years minke whaling season. These will be analysed and the DNA profile for each whale will be registered in a database, the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management writes in a letter on 28 May 1997 to CITES. This letter contains an addendum to the proposal submitted to downlist two North Atlantic minke whale stocks. To the extent that tissue samples are available, DNA profiles from other minke whale stocks and from other whale species will also be included in the register. Using this control system, samples from whale meat and blubber in the market can be tested to determine its DNA profile, which can then be checked against DNA profiles in the database. The register will also be able to confirm whether meat and blubber have been traded illegally, and - subjected to the comprehensiveness of the register - it will often be possible to determine the species and the stock the products stem from. "This is the most stringent mechanisms ever established to control any international trade in any wildlife products," says Secretary of the High North Alliance, Rune Frxvik. "The proposed DNA register will prevent legal whale products from functioning as a cover for any illegal products in the market. If this DNA register is not regarded as a sufficient and appropriate control measure, one must ask whether it is possible to downlist at all," says Frxvik. "The system will be fully transparent and will be useful to all authorities involved in controlling the distribution and marketing of whale products," as stated in the addendum. The DNA profiles are reproducible between various laboratories and countries, and can be digitized and entered in a searchable database. Further it will be possible to communicate profiles unambiguously between countries without transfer of samples, states the Norwegian addendum to CITES. In addition to Norway, Japan has submitted four proposals to downlist whale stocks. And it would appear from the Japanese proposals that Japan is also working on developing methods for using DNA analyses to control trade in minke whales. Japanese authorities already carry out spot-checks using DNA and isozyme tests. Last month the CITES Secretariat recommended that all the five downlisting proposals are accepted. For further information, please see the following documents: CITES and the IWC: The Fall of Conservation? The Downlisting of Minke Whales in the North Atlantic. High North Alliance, 1997 http://www.highnorth.no/ci-an-iw.htm La CITES et la CBI: La Chute de la Conservation? http://www.highnorth.no/ci-an-FR.htm La CITES y la CBI:? EL OCASO DE LA CONSERVACION? http://www.highnorth.no/ci-an-sp.htm CITES: Secretariat Recommends Downlisting of Whale Stock http://www.highnorth.no/se-re-do.htm CITES: Norwegian Proposal to downlist Minke Whales http://www.highnorth.no/co-on-in.htm ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 13:58:58 -0500 From: "Graham A. J. Worthy" Subject: Request for pinniped skulls I oversee the curation of a vertebrate teaching collection here at Texas A&M University at Galveston and am looking to acquire a series of pinniped skulls to expand our undergraduate teaching capabilities. Ideally I would like to obtain males and females from any and/or all of the pinniped species. We can process and clean intact heads here, or would be even happier to receive cleaned skulls. Collection data is not required as they are not going to be used for any research purposes. All I can offer in trade would be Tursiops skulls and/or postcranial material. If we can strike a deal - please contact me directly. Thank you. Graham Worthy _________________________________________________________________________ Graham A.J. Worthy, Ph.D. worthyg(\)arctic.tamug.tamu.edu Director, Physiological Ecology and Bioenergetics Lab, and Director, Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Texas A&M University, 4700 Avenue U, Bldg. 303, Galveston TX 77551 USA (409) 740-4721 voice, (409) 740-4717 fax _________________________________________________________________________ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 23:37:48 -0700 From: David Bain Subject: Volunteers needed for study of effects of noise on marine mammals ------ Volunteers are needed for a study of the effects of seismic=20 survey noise on marine mammals in Puget Sound. The work=20 involves censusing, behavioral observation, and acoustical=20 measurements and will be carried out from mid-June through=20 early July. This observational study will be carried out=20 from a small vessel and the seismic survey vessel itself. =20 Species expected to be sighted most often are harbor seals=20 and Dall=92s porpoises, but the study area is sometimes=20 inhabited by other species including killer whales, minke=20 whales, and California sea lions. If you are interested in participating, please send a short=20 note indicating your relevant background (e.g., previous=20 work with marine mammals; computing, electronics, and=20 acoustics experience; and academic training) and=20 availability to Dr. David Bain at dbain(\)u.washington.edu. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Jun 1997 07:40:04 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Newest issue of Whalewatcher The latest issue of Whalewatcher (journal of the American Cetacean Society) is now available (vol. 30, no. 1, 1996). The issue covers ACS' conference held in San Pedro, CA in November of last year. For information on how to obtain this issue, or to join ACS, contact: American Cetacean Society P.O. Box 1391 San Pedro, CA 90733 USA acs(\)pobox.com http://www.acsonline.org/acs Contents: Too much is never enough: can the whaling industry be trusted? (Phil Clapham) Whalewatching and its effect on the whales (Carole Carlson) Swim-with-dolphin activities in nature: weighing the pros and cons (Bernd Wursig) The tuna-dolphin controversy (Michael D. Scott) 1996 ACS Conference enjoyed by all (Maura Leos) ACS Conference Poster Abstracts ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Jun 1997 15:34:03 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: JOB ANNOUNCEMENT (fwd) From: Michele Sousa POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT SEA OTTER PROGRAM MANAGER MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM 6/2/97 The Monterey Bay Aquarium is seeking to fill the position of Sea Otter Research and Conservation Program Manager. This full-time position will report to the Director of Life Sciences and will direct all aspects of the Sea Otter Research and Conservation Program, including developing a long-range strategic plan and annual goals and budget, supervising stranding and science staff, integrating the program with other aquarium programs, and nurturing and developing partnerships with outside agencies and institutions. The successful candidate must have a bachelor's degree or higher in the life sciences with broad knowledge of wildlife rehabilitation, behavioral science and wildlife management. Additional requirements are well-developed leadership and communication skills, and demonstrated skills in experimental design, data interpretation and technical publication. Interested applicants please send resume, cover letter and 3 letters of recommendation to: Monterey Bay Aquarium 886 Cannery Row Monterey, CA 93940 Attn: Human Resources EOE/Committed to Diversity APPLICATION DEADLINE: August 31, 1997 The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 5/30/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 6/4/97 are in CAPITAL LETTERS. Marine Mammals . Hawaiian Whale Sanctuary. June 6, 1997, is the deadline by which HI Governor Ben Cayetano must decide how much, if any, of a proposed 1,680 square miles of state waters and submerged lands should be included within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and managed under its federal management plan. [Assoc Press] . {Atlantic Large Whale Protection. In late May 1997, U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock ruled that federal agencies were making sufficient progress through proposed regulations to address citizen concerns for better protecting north Atlantic right whales.} [Assoc Press] . Norwegian Whaling. On May 20, 1997, 28 Norwegian whalers and 4 whalemeat processing companies argued in an appeal of a lower court denial on a $8.5 million lawsuit against the Norwegian government in Oslo district court, claiming they sustained considerable loss when the Norwegian government failed to support the whaling industry between 1988 and 1993 and did not permit commercial whaling. {On May 26, 1997, a Dutch court rejected Paul Watson's petition for release on bail at a hearing on his possible extradition to Norway. The court is to submit its recommendation concerning the Norwegian petition for extradition within two weeks.} Lofoten Islands police have announced that legal proceedings in Lofoten County Court are scheduled against Watson in Norway on Sept. 1, 1997, relating to alleged negligent navigation and collision with a Norwegian coast guard vessel in the summer of 1994. Compensation for damages of $120,000 with possible interest is sought by the Norwegian Navy for this collision. {On May 28, 1997, the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management wrote a letter to the CITES Secretariat stating that Norway will establish a DNA register for whales to better identify whalemeat from whales taken under proclaimed Norwegian quotas, as an addendum to Norway's proposal to downlist 2 minke whale stocks.} [Assoc Press, High North Alliance News, Dow Jones News] . Captive Manatees Outside FL? On May 20, 1997, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials reported in the Fort Myers, FL, News-Press that more than 50 manatees are in captivity in FL, and that display facilities are overcrowded. Some manatees that are not candidates for release may be made available to public display facilities outside FL, if appropriate captive maintenance standards can be met. [Assoc Press] . Dolphin Feeding Enforcement. On May 19, 1997, NMFS issued an announcement reminding the public that it is illegal to feed or swim with dolphins in the wild. NMFS personnel are holding news conferences at various locations in FL where dolphin feeding has become popular. NMFS has contracted with the FL Marine Patrol to provide additional enforcement relating to dolphins during 1997 and, in 1998, NMFS expects to fund an additional 6 enforcement officers for protected species enforcement, including dolphin feeding and harassment. [Assoc Press, NMFS press release] . Mediterranean Monk Seal Deaths. In mid-May 1997, more than 60 endangered Mediterranean monk seals died after eating fish tainted by toxic algae along Mauritania's Atlantic coast. [Reuters] . Whalemeat Smuggling Report. On May 15, 1997, the British TRAFFIC Network released a report entitled "Whale Meat Trade in East Asia," which reported that whalemeat is smuggled illegally from Japan and available on the menus of numerous restaurants in Hong Kong. [Dow Jones News] . CA Sea Lion Deaths. On May 14-15, 1997, Mexican authorities reported finding the carcasses of 14 CA seal lions on beaches just south of the U.S.-Mexican border. The animals were clubbed or shot and could have drifted south from U.S. waters. Earlier this month, 5 sea lion carcasses washed ashore in the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge, just north of the U.S.-Mexican border. [Assoc Press] . Tuna-Dolphin Legislation. On May 14, 1997, the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries held a hearing on S. 39, amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act relating to the International Dolphin Conservation Program. H.R. 408 was approved by the full House on May 21, 1997, by a vote of 262-166. [Federal Register, personal communication] . Japanese Scientific Whaling. On May 12-16, 1997, the International Whaling Commission's Scientific Committee is meeting behind closed doors in Tokyo, Japan, to review Japan's scientific whaling program. Results of this review will be presented at the IWC's annual meeting in Monaco in October 1997. [Dow Jones News, Reuters] . Uruguay-Conservation: Sea lions targeted by andry fishermen MONTEVIDEO, (June 2) PANOS/IPS - Internationally-protected sea lions in Uruguay face an uncertain future: fishermen think there are far too many of them and that a ban on culling should be lifted. In Uruguay, as in other countries in Latin America, the hunting of sea lions was banned six years ago. Since then, their numbers have risen by six percent to reach its present population of 290,000. But this growth has coincided with a trend that goes back some 30 years: large-scale human emigration, fuelled by unemployment, to the coastal areas along the Atlantic Ocean and bordering Argentina and Brazil. This in turn has led to an increase in the numbers of small-scale fishermen in the provinces of Maldonado and Rocha, along the Atlantic Ocean. These are home to the two largest sea lion reservations: the Isla de Lobos (Sea Lion Island) and the Cabo Polonio (Cape Polonio). The government used to allow a controlled yearly slaughter of sea lions, prized for their hide and blubber. But the state-owned company which held the monopoly over the culling was dismantled in 1990 and later replaced by the National Fishing Institute (Instituto Nacional de Pesca, or INAPE). The new body stopped the culling in 1991, apparently on the grounds that it did not have enough money. In these six years, Uruguay's sea lions have thrived as a tourist attraction, that is, until January of this year, when fishermen asked to restart the hunting of the animals. This has triggered off a heated debate between scientists, traders, the fishing community and ecologists. Fishermen complain that sea lions destroy their nets and steal their catch. Conservationists disagree. They say only a small group of sea lions feed near the coast. But this group belongs to the threatened single-hair species, which numbers only about 16,000 to 20,000 in Uruguay. Far more populous are the two-hair species, distinguishable by their mane, of which there are some 270,000. These feed far from the coast and on fish that are not caught by fishermen. They too are threatened by a planned fur factory (sea lions have abundant underfur) that is expected to create 400 jobs. Paul Diaz, a member of the environmental organization Vida Marina (Marine Life) says that the reduction in the ocean's fish stock is not due to sea lions. He blames human activity such as large-scale industrial fishing and pollution that is caused by city sewers. In February, an oil tanker spilt 4,000-5,000 cubic meters of oil into the sea off the coast of Maldonado, killing six thousand sea lions. "It is clear that there is a social problem in the areas of Rocha and Maldonado caused by the fish stock reduction, but sea lions cannot be blamed for this phenomenon. What is happening is that fish resources are diminishing and sea lions are being forced to compete for their food. This is something that did not happen before," Diaz says. Fishermen are not so sure. Francisco Saavedra of SUNTMA, the national trade union of fishermen and workers from the marine sector, says "competition from sea lions is real." However, Saavedra says there are other difficulties faced by the fishing community. Small-scale fishing, he says, provides only subsistence-level incomes and that too irregularly, are dependent on the season. For Sergio Galante, Director of INAPE, trapping single-hair sea lions is out of the question "because this species is endangered worldwide and it would be absurd to begin slaughtering them." Some environmentalists, such as Vida Silvestre (Wild Life) say sea lions, because of their known friendliness towards humans, make ideal candidates for "green marketing" the areas they inhabit. The aim being to attract tourists who are sensitive to endangered species and to generate employment. In Uruguay there is no general law protecting these areas. Cabo Polonio and Isla de Lobos, for instance, fall under the jurisdiction of several ministries, making them vulnerable to a morass of bureaucratic conflicts of interest and limits. The Ministry of Cattle, Agriculture and Fishery has jurisdiction over the use of fish and sea animal resources, and the Ministry of Defense over all the coastal areas. As if this is not enough, the Ministry of Housing, Territorial Management and Environment is charged with the responsibility of preventing illegal constructions in Cabo Polonio. In addition, if the proposed ecotourism project goes through, the Ministry of Tourism would step in. INAPE's Sergio Galante thinks ecotourism is feasible "if sea lion tours are carried out in a controlled manner, without disturbing them." Whether this is at all possible is another matter. Isla de Lobos, home to 62 percent of Uruguay's sea lions, is officially out-of-bounds for tourists. But located just eight kilometers away is the luxury beach paradise of Punta del Este, which hosts thousands of Argentinean, Brazilian and European tourists every year. If opened up, this unspoiled island could well turn into a sea lion safari. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Jun 1997 17:27:17 -0700 From: Harald Jurk Subject: Re: hydrophones In-Reply-To: <199706052234.PAA97990(\)uvaix2e1.comp.UVic.CA> Hi Everybody Due to a number of requests for affordable hydrophones that are suitable for fieldwork I thought I post the information about the hydrophones we use for killer whale research. The hydrophones are build by Berverly Ford's one person company called Offshore Acoustics. Just to keep everybody happy I want to give a disclaimer first. I do not receive any finacial or other benefit from the proceeds of this company. The information posted is taken from the company's brochure. ______________________________________________________________________ Offshore Acoustics hydrophones offer high performance, field durability, and low cost. Their broad frequency response and high sensitivity make them well suited for a wide range of underwater monitoring applications, from basic listening with an amplified loudspeaker to recording using audio cassette, DAT, or video cam-corders. Standard hydrophones come with 10 meters of rubber-encased coaxial cable, which is optimal for use from a drifting boat. Longer cable lengths for use in fixed shore-based systems are also available. Each hydrophone is supplied with a plastic power supply box (12 x 6.5 x 3.5 cm) containing a 9 volt battery that drives the hydrophoneUs internal preamplifier. This is fitted with a standard 3.5 mm mini-plug for connection of the unit to an amplified speaker or recorder. Specifications: Nominal sensitivity -154 dBV/uPa +/- 4 dB at 100 Hz Directional characteristics Omnidirectional Maximum operating pressure 500 psi Operating temperature range 0 Celisius to +35 Celsius Storage temperature range -40 Celsius to +71 Celsius Dimensions, hydrophone element 3.5 cm x 7 cm Total weight 1 kg (including cable & power supply box) Frequency response curve 6 Hz to 14 kHz 1 3dB, 5 Hz to 40 kHz 1 10dB 1996 Prices (Canadian dollars): Standard hydrophone system with 10m cable and power supply box $460.00 Optional mini speaker amplifier (with battery) $27.00 Extra cable length $4.00 per metre Postage and Handling $10.00 An instruction and maintenance sheet is included. Delivery time is 4-6 weeks. Each hydrophone comes with a one year replacement warranty (cable damage excluded). _______________________________________________________________________ Harald Jurk Marine Mammal Research Unit Hut B-3, Room # 13 Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia 6248 Biological Sciences Road Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6T 1Z4 phone: (604) 822-8181 e-mail: jurk(\)zoology.ubc.ca ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Jun 1997 15:34:31 -0700 From: Daniel Palacios Subject: recent publication Palacios, D.M., F. Felix, L. Florez-Gonzalez, J.J. Capella, D. Chiluiza, and B.J.M. Haase. 1997. Sightings of Galapagos sea lions (Zalophus californianus wollebaeki) on the coasts of Colombia and Ecuador. Mammalia 61(1):114-116. This short note reports eight new sightings of sea lions (Zalophus californianus) on the NW coast of South America: five on Isla Gorgona, Colombia, and three on central Ecuador. The closest population, the Galapagos sea lion (Z. c. wollebaeki), lives some 1,120 km from these localities. Daniel M. Palacios dpalacio(\)oce.orst.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Jun 1997 09:55:00 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: photos needed Marmam subscribers, The next issue of Whalewatcher (journal of the American Cetacean Society) is a tribute to Steve Leatherwood. The journal editor (Maura Leos) is looking for photos of Steve Leatherwood or taken by him. If you are willing to help out, it would be much appreciated, esp. since a time factor is involved. Please contact Maura at: leos(\)mbay.net Maura Leos 922 Syida Drive Pacific Grove, CA 93950 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Jun 1997 15:53:23 +0200 Reply-To: rune(\)highnorth.no From: Rune Frovik Organization: HNA Subject: CITES: NORWEGIAN DNA ADDENDUM AVAILABLE CITES: NORWEGIAN DNA ADDENDUM AVAILABLE Dear Marmamers, For your information, the Norwegian CITES Addendum to the Proposal to downlist minke whale stocks, referred to in the High North Web News on 3 June 1997, "CITES: DNA Register for Whales", is now available at: http://www.highnorth.no/ad-to-pr.htm Also, the High North Alliance publication issued in conjunction with the 1997 CITES meeting in Harare is available at: 1. CITES and the IWC: THE FALL OF CONSERVATION? The Downlisting of Minke Whales in the North Atlantic. http://www.highnorth.no/ci-an-iw.htm 2. La CITES et la CBI: LA CHUTE DE LA CONSERVATION? Le Diclassement des Petits Rorquals dans l'Atlantique Nord http://www.highnorth.no/ci-an-FR.htm 3. La CITES y la CBI:? EL OCASO DE LA CONSERVACION? La Transferencia de las Poblaciones de Rorcual Menor del Atlantico Norte del Apidice I al Apindice II. http://www.highnorth.no/ci-an-sp.htm Yours sincerely Rune Frovik -- High North Alliance, Rune(\)highnorth.no, http://www.highnorth.no P.O. Box 123, N-8390 Reine i Lofoten, Norway ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 17:49:37 +0000 Reply-To: ecomail(\)turk.net From: Metin Akcali Subject: seal attacks to fish farms IN TURKEY; MEDITERRANEAN MONK SEALS GAVE DAMAGE TO FISH-FARMS by Yalcin Savas / AFAG (Mediterranean Seal Research Group) e-mail: ecomail(\)turk.net In Turkey, I am studying the Mediterranean monk seal Monachus monachus and pay effort for its survival on the Turkish coasts. In the last years, we have been faced with a new problem about the monk seals in Turkey: they have attacked to the fish farms in some regions resulting in huge losses to the fish keepers. In some of the fish farms, protection-nets have been applied and seen they were effective. We have studied all the cases and now I am preparing a paper on the subject. Though I have some literature on the seal attacks to fish farms, I d wanted to reach all the published data and any personnel experience to be cited in my paper. I d be grateful if you be so kind to inform me if you know any printed/presented paper on seal attacks to fish farms, or if you have personnel experiences on the subject. Thank you... ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 09:53:28 -0700 From: Harald Jurk Subject: hydrophones - take # two Hi again Due to a momentary lapse of reasoning when I wrote the first posting I forgot to mention how to get in contact with 'Offshore Acoustics" Here now the solution. You can send a Fax to Beverly Ford. Her Fax number is (604) 929-0440, or you can send a regular letter to 5454 Indian River Drive, North Vancouver, B.C., Canada V7G 1L3. You also could get in touch with her by e-mail. The address is jkford(\)interchange.ubc.ca Thank you for your patience. Harald _________________________________________________________________________ Harald Jurk Marine Mammal Research Unit Hut B-3, Room # 13 Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia 6248 Biological Sciences Road Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6T 1Z4 phone: (604) 822-8181 e-mail: jurk(\)zoology.ubc.ca ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 13:39:50 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: MARMAM FAQ ___MARMAM__________________________________________________________ _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/_/ _/ MARMAM FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS and ASPECTS OF NETIQUETTE ___________________________________________________________________ *Please save this message for future reference!* ___________________________________________________________________ **New or updated sections of the FAQ are marked with * for easy identification** TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. What is MARMAM? 2. What types of messages are posted to MARMAM? 3. How do I post messages to the list? 4. How do I reply to individual subscribers? 5. How do I subscribe/unsubscribe/temporarily signoff? 6. How do I receive MARMAM postings as a single daily digest rather than as individual messages? 7. How do I retrieve messages previously sent to MARMAM? 8. How do I find out who subscribes to MARMAM? 9. How do I get help using listserver commands? 10. Why was my message not posted to MARMAM? 11. Why did my MARMAM subscription stop? 12. Who do I contact with my questions or concerns? ___________________________________________________________________ 1. WHAT IS MARMAM? MARMAM is an edited e-mail discussion list devoted to topics in marine mammal research and conservation, established in August 1993. As of March 1997 there were about 2,500 subscribers from 50 different countries. Anyone may subscribe to the list. 2. WHAT TYPES OF MESSAGES ARE POSTED TO MARMAM? A wide spectrum of message types are found on MARMAM, all related to marine mammal research and/or conservation. Commonly seen messages include requests for information regarding current or recent research projects, publications, or research techniques; current or previously unreported unusual news events, meeting announcements, job or volunteer opportunities, abstracts from scientific papers or reports, and books/techniques/products announcements. "Casual" requests for information, news reports of common events (e.g. strandings of common species of cetaceans), requests for volunteer positions/employment, opinion statements offering little or no novel arguments, and humourous anecdotes are examples of messages not posted to the list. 3. HOW DO I POST MESSAGES TO THE LIST? All messages meant for MARMAM subscribers should be sent to marmam(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. Messages should include the sender's name and e-mail address within the body of the text, and a detailed subject heading. 4. HOW DO I REPLY TO INDIVIDUAL SUBSCRIBERS? Messages meant soley for a particular subscriber and not for MARMAM may be sent directly to that subscriber using his or her e-mail address, which will appear in the header of the message and/or in the body of the message. Subscribers are asked to include their e-mail address within the body of their messages, as not all subscribers receive headers including this information with their messages. If your reply is of general interest to the subscribers, please reply to the list, otherwise you should reply directly to the individual posting the original message. *NOTE: Many subscribers will find that use of the 'reply' option will reply to MARMAM, not to the intended recipient. Please check your header when using the 'reply' option.* 5. HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE/TEMPORARILY SIGNOFF? All messages not meant for MARMAM subscribers should be sent to the listserver (listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca). As the list-server is an automated service, it is important that commands be sent without errors or extraneous text. To subscribe, send a message to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca which says: subscribe marmam Yourfirstname Yourlastnamename To unsubscribe, send the message: signoff marmam If you want to temporarily discontinue your subscription without signing off the list, send the message: set marmam nomail to continue it, send the message: set marmam mail 6. HOW DO I RECEIVE MARMAM POSTINGS AS A SINGLE DAILY DIGEST, RATHER THAN AS INDIVIDUAL MESSAGES? To receive marmam messages daily as a single file, send the message: set marmam digests to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. To change this setting to individual messages, send the message: set marmam mail 7. HOW DO I RETRIEVE MESSAGES PREVIOUSLY SENT TO MARMAM? All MARMAM messages are archived and are retrievable by sending the message: get marmam logxxyy to the listserver, where xx = year and yy = month (e.g. get marmam log9601). As of Nov. 28 1996 all MARMAM messages have also been archived on the world-wide web. These can be found at: http://www.reference.com/cgi-bin/pn/listarch?list=MARMAM(\)uvvm.uvic.ca This archive can be searched by keyword or by date. The archive manager is Quyen Lam 8. HOW DO I FIND OUT WHO SUBSCRIBES TO MARMAM? A list, sorted by country, of all current subscribers to the list may be retrieved along with their e-mail address' by sending the command: review marmam country to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. Subscribers not wanting this information available to others can send the command: set marmam conceal to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. The list of subscribers can then be imported into a spreadsheet or wordprocessing package where a "find" command can be used to locate a particular subscriber. 9. HOW DO I GET HELP USING LISTSERVER COMMANDS? A list of common commands for different listserver functions (subscribing, retrieving files, etc.) is obtainable by sending the message: help to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. A more detailed list of listserver commands may be obtained by sending the message: info refcard to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca 10. WHY WAS MY MESSAGE NOT POSTED TO MARMAM? MARMAM is an edited discussion list. Senders of messages are not notified upon rejection of their message nor provided individual reasons why their message was not posted to the list. However, messages not sent to the list typically fall into one or more of the following categories: 1) OFF TOPIC. Messages which do not pertain specifically to marine mammal research or conservation are not posted to the list. 2) 'CASUAL' REQUEST. Messages which request information which is readily available from other sources, such as your average uni- versity library, are not posted to the list. A specific request, with a brief description of what the information is to be used for, is most likely to stimulate feedback from other subscribers. 3) JOB/VOLUNTEER POSITION/INTERNSHIP WANTED. Requests for employment or volunteer opportunities are not posted to the list. Persons seeking such positions are encouraged to monitor MARMAM for opportunities, which they can apply to directly. Students interested in careers in marine mammal science are encouraged to consult the Society for Marine Mammalogy's 'Strategies for Pursuing a Career in Marine Mammal Science', which can be found at the Society for Marine Mammalogy's website: http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/strat.htm 4) BEEN THERE, DONE THAT. Messages of a duplicative nature which do not contribute new information are generally not posted to the list. Exceptions include event-related postings, such as conference information, job openings, and surveys. New subscribers are strongly encouraged to monitor MARMAM for a one week period before submitting messages to the list, or to review recent archived messages, to reduce the number of duplicative submissions. 5) 'FLAMES'. Messages which are derogatory or serve to insult rather than contribute to the discussion at hand are not posted to the list. 6) INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION. Messages which include only an information request without providing any background information justifying the request and demonstrating that available means to obtain this information have been exhausted. 11. WHY DID MY MARMAM SUBSCRIPTION STOP? Your subscription may be cancelled if your email is undeliverable. This can happen, for example, if your in-box is full or if your server is down for a period of time. When this happens the marmamed account will receive error messages, and those whose accounts bounce back are either automatically deleted from the list or manually deleted by the list Editors every once in a while. If you find that you receive no MARMAM messages for a few days, try subscribing to the list again. 12. WHO DO I CONTACT WITH MY QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS? Questions and concerns about MARMAM can be sent to the list editors (Robin Baird, Sascha Hooker, Sara Ellis or Kerry Irish) at marmamed(\)uvic.ca ______________________________________________________________________ ** The MARMAM FAQ can also be found at the website: http://is.dal.ca/~whitelab/marmam.htm ** Updated 16 May 1997. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Jun 1997 13:22:00 -0500 From: "Lightfoot, Kelly" Subject: Hydrodamalis gigas Marmammers, Along the lines of Graham's request earlier this week for pinniped skulls, I am cross-posting the following request. Apologies to those on both lists. Cheers! Kelly Lightfoot 409-772-2464 klightfo(\)utmb.edu **************************************************************************** ******************** A recent request to borrow our Stellar's Sea Cow skull to mold and cast copies has made me curious as to how many of these skulls are out there. If you have any in your collection, or know of any, would you please let me know. It would help in our decision concerning this request. Thanks very much, Maria Rutzmoser ::~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:: } Maria E. Rutzmoser { :: Curatorial Associate :: { Mammal Department } :: Museum of Comparative Zoology :: } 26 Oxford Street { :: Cambridge, MA 02138 :: { m_e_rutz(\)oeb.harvard.edu } :: 617-495-2469 :: ::~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Jun 1997 09:55:02 +0000 Reply-To: dian(\)ecostewards.org From: DIAN HARDY Organization: World Stewardship Institute Subject: NMFS PROPOSED CULL OF SEALS AND SEA LIONS As the author of a recent posting to Marmam charged with having mischaracterized the draft report to Congress prepared by NMFS (in consultation with Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission), I wish to clarify my earlier comments. There are indeed numerous references to "lethal removal" on pages 12-15 of the draft report, under the "Recommendations" heading. Moreover the draft report states, at page 11, "...salmonids need to be given precedence when conflicts arise between these protected species." Perhaps the writer is concerned by my use of the term "cull." According to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, "cull" means ...(1) to select from a group ...(2) to identify and remove..." And that is exactly what is being proposed in this draft report. Certainly, selective culling now can mean population level culling in the future, especially in the absence of habitat restoration as a priority. To me, NMFS position is scapegoating marine mammals. The writer from NOAA gave useful advice when suggesting Marmam subscribers read the draft report for themselves. For a bound copy of the draft report to Congress and the useful technical memorandum, call Joe Scordino at 206.526.6143. End of the public comment period is June 26, so time is of the essence. Dian Hardy for the Committee for Conservation of Seals and Salmon ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 18:21:47 +0200 From: Judith Rosenmeier Subject: Publication: "Guide to the Identification of North Sea Fish Using Premaxillae and Vertebrae" "Guide to the Identification of North Sea Fish Using Premaxillae and Vertebrae" by J. Watt, G. J. Pierce, and P. R. Boyle, University of Aberdeen, has just been published by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea in Copenhagen as ICES Cooperative Research Report No. 220. Using traditional approaches as well as newly developed techniques involving serological detection of prey proteins, the authors analysed the diets of Halichoerus grypus and Phoca vitulina during four years of collaborative work between the University of Aberdeen and the SOAFD Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen. This publication is a practical guide to the identification of some of the skeletal elements likely to be encountered during dietary analyses, concentrated on four main fish groups known to be important in seal diets: herrings and sprats, cod-fishes, sandeels, and flatfishes. Size: 231 pages, including keys, illustrated with numerous line drawings and 300 photographs of bones. Price: 450 Danish kroner plus postage and handling charges. To order, please contact Marie Behn in the ICES Secretariat: marie(\)ices.dk. An invoice will be sent, and the publication(s) will be dispatched about one week after receipt of payment. ----------------------------------------------------- INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE EXPLORATION OF THE SEA (ICES) Judith Rosenmeier Technical Editor Palaegade 2 - 4 DK-1261 Copenhagen K Denmark E-mail: judith(\)ices.dk Phone: (+45) 33 15 42 25 Fax: (+45) 33 93 42 15 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 14:31:21 CET From: Jan Willem Broekema Subject: World Marine Mammal Science Conference (WMMSC) From: Steve Swartz * PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO INTERESTED COLLEAGUES * Dear Colleague: The World Marine Mammal Science Conference (WMMSC), incorporating The Society for Marine Mammalogy's Twelfth Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals and the European Cetacean Society's Twelfth Annual Conference, will be held in Monaco from 20-24 January, 1998. The Program Committee has agreed to include a symposium on "Science to Support Risk Averse Resource Management: Implementation of the Precautionary Principle for Marine Mammals", which I will organize and convene. To this end, I am requesting that individuals wishing to participate in this symposium please contact me by 30 July 1997 with their ideas for papers to be presented. Symposium Focus: Scientists play an increasingly important role in the implementation of the "Precautionary Principle" by providing scientific advice to wildlife conservationists and managers. A unique contribution of scientists in this partnership lies in their ability to identify sources of uncertainty in population estimates, production rates, sustainable removals, population trends and other factors, to place bounds on this uncertainty, and provide information that is understandable and useful to managers and policy makers. By dealing with uncertainty in a systematic and quantitative way, scientists can help living resource managers evaluate the consequences of alternative management decisions and reduce the risks to both exploited and unexploited populations . This symposium will address the scientific issues involved in risk-averse management, provide recent examples of how the scientific method is being applied to deal with these issues, and explore future applications of scientific risk assessment as a conservation and management tool. We have 1.5 hours total for the symposium. I would like to have 4 to 5 good presentations: one overview paper that will introduce the overall topic, issues, and challenges; some case histories and current examples of applications to actual conservation issues; and a forward looking paper - where is all this going with regard to encouraging sustained use of living resources. Ground Rules: * We are not offering travel for speakers. * Submit your abstracts to me by 30 July 1997 (e-mail is preferred). * A all speakers will get only one presentation at the Monaco meeting; if you choose to present at this symposium, you will not be able to give another talk or poster. Please contact me directly with comments, questions, or further information regarding this symposium. Best regards. Steven L. Swartz, Ph.D. Office of Science and Technology National Marine Fisheries Service 1315 Eastwest Highway, Rm. 14317 Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 301-713-2367 301-713-1875 FAX sswartz(\)shark.ssp.nmfs.gov ================================================ WORLD MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE CONFERENCE Sponsored by The Society for Marine Mammalogy and The European Cetacean Society FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT The 12th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals and the 12th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society will be held together as the WORLD MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE CONFERENCE in Monaco from 20 to 25 January 1998. It will be hosted by the Congress Center of Monaco and the adjacent Hotel Loews in Monte-Carlo. The Principality of Monaco (including Monaco-ville and Monte-Carlo) is located on the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by French small cities, and close to the French-Italian border. The closest international airport is in Nice (France) linked to Monaco by a motorway (20 miles of sometimes heavy traffic), train (20 minutes) and helicopter (6 minutes). For the international flights arriving in Paris, there are domestic flights to Nice every half an hour. The current language in Monaco is French but most people speek Italian and many speak English. As usual, the only language of the meeting will be English. The Monagasc currency is the French Franc (FF), US$1 is equivalent to 5 FF. Many hotels are available in the Principality and in the surrounding French cities or villages. Within a walking distance from the Congress Center, hotel rates range from $25 to $120 per person per night, depending on the hotel standard (1 to 4 stars) and the room chosen (single to triple). There is also a small Youth Hostel at $15 per person per night. Detailed information on hotels will be provided in the second announcement. As Monaco is a very touristic area, we suggest the participants to book their hotel room as soon as possible. Preliminary information will be mailed to members of both societies by January 1997 as a component of the newsletters of the respective societies. Registration material and abstract submission forms will be mailed to members in spring 1997. Conference information will also be posted on MARMAM internet discussion, the SMM home page (http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/) and the ECS web site (http://web.inter.NL.net/users/J.W.Broekema/ecs.htm). Go to the section on Biennial Conferences. If you are not a member of either society and do not have a web browser, you may request a hard copy be emailing Dr. Anne Collet, Conference Chair Contact : Anne Collet (Program Committee Chair) World Marine Mammal Science Conference Centre de Recherche sur les Mammiferes Marins Institut de la Mer et du Littoral Port des Minimes 17000 La Rochelle FRANCE ph : +33 546 44 99 10 fax : +33 546 44 99 45 email : crmm(\)univ-lr.fr --------------- forwarded by --- Jan Willem Broekema ECS Computer Support Group http://web.inter.NL.net/users/J.W.Broekema/ecs.htm ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 10 Jun 1997 10:15:38 +0100 From: Lighthouse Subject: Cetacean Entrapement Dear Marmamm Readers This is a request for any information on special cases of entrapement of seals or cetaceans (ie. NOT entanglement or by-catch). Incidents concerning docks, dry docks, harbours, herring weirs, ice etc. are of particular interest. We are looking to review preventitive measures, risks, consequences and rescue procedures. Any information or reference citations would be of great help. Please reply to Catherine DeNardo at: lighthouse(\)abdn.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 10 Jun 1997 17:06:33 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: med. monk seal die-off Update (fwd) Forwarded message: From: manelg(\)porthos.bio.ub.es UPDATE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN MONK SEAL DIE-OFF IN THE CABO BLANCO PENINSULA. The die-off continues afflicting the Cap Blanc colony of Mediterranean monk seals, although the mortality rate appears to have somewhat decreased during the last week. At the beginning of the process about 4-6 new corpses were found each day, but the rate has currently stabilized at about 1-2 per day. The magnitude of the mortality is still to be evaluated but it is known for sure that it has produced a significant impact on the colony. So far, 81 seal corpses have been found washed ashore and, by comparing the counts of seals currently present in the main caves where the seals haul-out with similar counts conducted during the month of May of 1994, 1995 and 1996, it has been estimated that between 130 and 150 seals may have died. If these numbers are confirmed, this would mean that more than 50% of the population, estimated at 270 individuals in 1996, has perished during the event. Four orphaned pups were rescued by the Spanish LIFE-CE research team and handed to the National Parc of the Banc d'Arguin (PNBA). The pups are currently being rehabilitated at the National Center of Oceanographic and Fisheries Investigations (CNROP) of Nouadhibou with the assistance of the Seal Rescue Center of Pieterburen. Following the Action Plan agreed between the PNBA and the CNROP, when the rehabilitation of these pups is completed the PNBA will be in charge of their acclimation and reintroduction in the wild. On 31st May an Emergency Committee of Experts, chaired by Dr. Peter Reijnders, met at the Schiphol (Amsterdam) airport. The committee was composed of the members of the Steering Committee of the Spanish LIFE-CE Project on Mediterranean Monk Seals plus specialists in pinniped biology, virology, biotoxins and oceanography. The main aim of the meeting was to assess available information on the event and to draw the guidelines for a contingency plan to be put into action in the case that the die- off continues and threatens the survival of the colony. The results of the investigation conducted indicated two potential causative agents of the die-off. 1) In the tissues of one seal, two independent researchers found signs that it had been exposed to a virus. However, the identity of such virus remains to be confirmed. Analyses of blood samples from three live seals did not show any alteration in hematological parameters, suggesting that a generalized infectious process is not affecting the population. 2) The analyses of tissues from 5 seals by bioassay and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) by two independent researchers indicated that seals had been exposed to a paralytic shellfish poisoning saxitoxin (PSP) of the type produced by dynoflagellates. Also, both laboratories conducted analyses of sea water samples collected in 3 different days in the proximities of the colony, and in both cases toxic dynoflagelates were detected, particularly Alexandrium spp, a species known to produce PSP toxins. On the other hand, bioassays conducted by a third laboratory was unable to establish the presence of the PSP toxin in seal samples although extracts also produced the death of the mice used in the test. Research on the identity of the causative agent of the die-off continues. The two potential agents so far identified (saxitoxins transmitted via food and virus) may have acted combined. However, the observed symptoms in moribund animals and the lesions observed in the necropsies match those to be expected in an animal affected by PSP toxins. On the other hand, the observed mortality pattern, with the die-off mainly affecting adult seals, does not suggest an infectious process and, conversely, can be reasonably explained by differences in the diet and feeding areas known to exist between young and adult seals. It is remarkable, for example, that the four rescued orphaned pups are in excellent health condition whereas their mothers died in the event. In previous viral epizootics occurred in marine mammals, the mortality of pups and young was massive, contrary to the present situation in which young individuals appear to elude the lethal agent. However, the existence of a virus in the colony must be studied in order to prevent potential infections in a population undoubtedly weakened by the present process. The Experts Committee recommended precautionary vaccination of individuals from the colony against morbillivirus. Such vaccination is not considered urgent, although it is planned to start as soon as the behaviour of the individuals of the colony, at present strongly disturbed, returns to normality. Likewise, with the aim of evaluating the trend of the toxin levels in the region, the Experts Committee recommended the analysis of PSP toxins in fish species that constitute the diet of seals. In a parallel way, a constant vigilance of the colony will be maintained in order to detect the appearance of newly dead seals and the evolution of the survivors. If the population numbers continue to decrease it is not discarded a direct intervention to rescue the seals still alive. Alex Aguilar, Department of Animal Biology,Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, E-08071 Barcelona, SPAIN Three job announcements for positions in the Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are available at http://www.rdc.noaa.gov/~webvas/index.html The specific jobs are found under H/NMF/970052KC, H/NMF/970053KC and N/NMF/970038KC. The complete job descriptions can be accessed by clicking on the numbered items. Please note that the positions 52 and 53 are Foreign Affairs Specialists and require training in international law. It would be appreciated if you could share this information with political science and law departments of your institution. There are several fishery biologist and computer operator announcements also listed at this site with duty stations scattered over the country. United States citizenship is required for all positions. Tom McIntyre Office of Protected Resources National Marine Fisheries Service/NOAA 1315 East West Highway Silver Spring MD 20910-3226 Thomas,Mcintyre(\)noaa.gov ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 11:49:24 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: BEFORE sending a message to MARMAM, read this Before sending a message to MARMAM, please read the following. An increasing number of messages are being sent to the list which require modification by the authors or the Editors. As the Editors moderate the list on a volunteer basis, there is often limited time available to help with or to facilitate such modifications. We ask that before sending a message to the list, the author ensure that: - a detailed subject heading is included - your name and e-mail address is included in the body of the message - requests for information provide details in the body of the message justifying the request or otherwise demonstrating that you have tried available means to obtain the information requested - your replies are meant to go to ALL the subscribers of MARMAM, rather than just to the original author. The MARMAM Editors will NOT forward replies to the original authors of messages. If you feel your submission is of general interest, please send it both to the original author and cc it to MARMAM. For your information we have attached our list of most common reasons why messages are not posted to the list: WHAT TYPES OF MESSAGES ARE POSTED TO MARMAM? A wide spectrum of message types are found on MARMAM, all related to marine mammal research and/or conservation. Commonly seen messages include requests for information regarding current or recent research projects, publications, or research techniques; current or previously unreported unusual news events, meeting announcements, job or volunteer opportunities, abstracts from scientific papers or reports, and books/techniques/products announcements. "Casual" requests for information, news reports of common events (e.g. strandings of common species of cetaceans), requests for volunteer positions/employment, opinion statements offering little or no novel arguments, and humourous anecdotes are examples of messages not posted to the list. REASONS WHY MESSAGES ARE NOT POSTED TO MARMAM Messages not sent to the list typically fall into one or more of the following categories: 1) OFF TOPIC. Messages which do not pertain specifically to marine mammal research or conservation are not posted to the list. 2) 'CASUAL' REQUEST. Messages which request information which is readily available from other sources, such as your average uni- versity library, are not posted to the list. A specific request, with a brief description of what the information is to be used for, is most likely to stimulate feedback from other subscribers. 3) JOB/VOLUNTEER POSITION/INTERNSHIP WANTED. Requests for employment or volunteer opportunities are not posted to the list. Persons seeking such positions are encouraged to monitor MARMAM for opportunities, which they can apply to directly. Students interested in careers in marine mammal science are encouraged to consult the Society for Marine Mammalogy's 'Strategies for Pursuing a Career in Marine Mammal Science', which can be found at the Society for Marine Mammalogy's website: http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/strat.htm 4) BEEN THERE, DONE THAT. Messages of a duplicative nature which do not contribute new information are generally not posted to the list. Exceptions include event-related postings, such as conference information, job openings, and surveys. New subscribers are strongly encouraged to monitor MARMAM for a one week period before submitting messages to the list, or to review recent archived messages, to reduce the number of duplicative submissions. 5) 'FLAMES'. Messages which are derogatory or serve to insult rather than contribute to the discussion at hand are not posted to the list. 6) INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION. Messages which include only an information request without providing any background information justifying the request and demonstrating that available means to obtain this information have been exhausted. If you wish clarification, please reply to the MARMAM editors at marmamed(\)uvic.ca and please include a copy of your original posting. Dear Marmammers, This is an update to a message I sent last fall concerning the release of the newest version of my hydrophones. I am now manufacturing and selling standard versions of my hydrophones. There are two models that I am currently building and another that will be available soon. Both hydrophone models come standard with 10m of cable and NEMA 4X water resistant battery/breakout box. Signal connection is through a 1/4" phone jack that is sealed with a water resistant cover (Conxall watertight connectors are also available). The signal can be run into the mic input of an analog cassette recorder, video camcorder, DAT or DSP board. The hydrophones are powered with a 9V battery but can be operated off a 5 to 15V power supply. Here are some specifications on the hydrophones: The bandwidth is given from the low frequency to the high frequency 3dB points and is flat except for the noted resonance frequencies. The sensitivity is referenced to 1V/(Pa. Model Sensitivity Bandwidth Transducer shape Price C20a -161dB 18Hz - 35kHz cylindrical $307 C50a -161dB 10Hz - 310kHz cylindrical $357 C300a -164dB 10Hz - 310kHz flat plate $493 Both the C20a and C50a have a small (~3dB), narrow resonance at 28kHz. In addition, the C50a has a larger (~12dB), narrow resonance at 54kHz and another very small (<3dB) resonance at 96kHz. It also exhibits a dip in sensitivity beginning at 35kHz and ending at 75kHz, with a minimum at 55kHz that is 15dB below the specified sensitivity. The dip in sensitivity is due to waveform interference between the cylinder walls. The C300a transducer has no significant resonances nor decreases in sensitivity. The sensitivity value includes the gain from the integral preamp. The C300a would be very directional at high frequencies (e.g., ~10( solid angle at 250kHz). This is also true of the C50a, except it's directionality would narrow down to a plane rather than a line. The C20a and C50a are also available with an optional headphone driver for an additional $36. If you do not require the battery/breakout box, then subtract $34. Other custom orders (such as gain or bandwidth modifications, or unique hydrophone encapsulation designs) are gladly taken, with the price dictated by the complexity of your special application. Hydrophones will ship to you within 3 weeks of the time I receive your order. At this point in time I can only accept checks in US funds drawn on US banks or money wire transfers. It may be up to a year before I can accept credit cards. I also make suction cup attachment systems and "eye cups" starting at $25. All suction cups are made from FDA food grade silicone. These suction cups have been used in captivity and in the wild on species ranging from belugas to dugongs. In addition to manufacturing hydrophones and suction cups, I have just been made a dealer for Sound Technology's "Spectra" signal analysis software. This is excellent software that I've been using for the past three years to test and analyze my hydrophones and other instrumentation. The software works with any standard computer sound card so you don't need an expensive DSP board unless you want to analyze signals >20kHz. The suggested retail pricing for the software starts at $295 for the 16 bit Spectra Plus V3.16A, that supports 16 bit AD/DA converters and up to a 48kHz sampling rate. It runs as high as $3495 for their full blown 32 bit Spectra Lab V4.32C that supports 24 bit AD/DA converters and up to a 200kHz sampling rate. There are several options in between, like the 32 bit Spectra Pro V3.32A that retails for $895, or the Spectra Pro V3.32C (which I use) that retails for $1995. All prices listed above are in US$ Please contact me for more information or if you have any comments or questions. Thank you for your patience and support! Sincerely, Joseph R. Olson Cetacean Research Technology 7309 26th Ave. NW Seattle, WA 98117 Phone: 206-706-6989 e-mail: cetacean(\)eskimo.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 07:04:48 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - osteological specimens from Gulf of Mex m.m. The following appears in the latest issue of _Texas Journal of Science_. I've taken the liberty of posting the abstract for the authors, since it is in a regional journal, and is probably of interest to folks on Marmam. Dagmar Fertl (Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov) ********************************* Jefferson, T.A. and G.D. Baumgardner. 1997. Osteological specimens of marine mammals (Cetacea and Sirenia) from the western Gulf of Mexico. Texas Journal of Science 49(2): 97-108. (present address of Dr. Jefferson is Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Ocean Park Corporation, Aberdeen, Hong Kong) This report documents the holdings of marine mammal specimens from the western Gulf of Mexico currently deposited in the Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection at Texas A&M University. These include 124 catalogued specimens of 17 species of cetaceans (nine whales and eight dolphins) and one species of sirenian (manatee). Collection data and relevant information are provided for specimens of each species. ************************************ (The following species are covered: minke whale, Bryde's whale, pygmy killer whale, short-finned pilot whale, Risso's dolphin, pantropical spotted dolphin, Clymene dolphin, striped dolphin, Atlantic spotted dolphin, spinner dolphin, rough-toothed dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, pygmy sperm whale, dwarf sperm whale, Blainville's beaked whale, Gervais' beaked whale, Cuvier's beaked whale, West Indian manatee) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 11:50:41 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Hepatitis C in Tursiops (fwd) Forwarded message: X-Sender: ibss(\)ibss.iuf.net (Unverified) Dear colleques! Our first informatione < Wed. 19. Mar. 1997 . > about the virose Hepatitis C in Black sea Tursiops was mistaken, because we don't display antigen, but we discovered antibody to the antigen virus Hepatitis C in one sample of blood of the Black sea bottlenosed dophin Tursiops truncatus. We used the method ELISA and sampled only three animals. The dolphin with seropositive blood have some clinicl symptoms, but we don't knou any biochemical characteristics in blood in periods of virous Hepatitis C in dolphins. We thank everybody, who sends to us any informations about virose hepatitis problems in marine mammals and we asked you to send us any information about biochemical characteristics in blood in different periods of virose Hepatitis in marine mammals. Olga Stepanova. ------ Dear Marmam and ECS-mailbase subscribers, =20 The following are abstracts/summaries of the papers that appear in t= he=20 latest issue of _Aquatic Mammals_. These are posted as a courtesy t= o=20 the journal editor and the European Association for Aquatic Animal=20 Medicine (EAAM). For information on membership to EAAM or manuscrip= t=20 submission, please contact the editor, Dr. Paul Nachtigall, P.O. Box= =20 1106, Kailua, Hawaii 96734 USA, FAX (800)247-5831, email: =20 nachtig(\)nosc.mil =20 Thank you for your interest in the journal and the presentation of t= he=20 abstracts/summaries. I have provided the address of the author to wh= om=20 correspondence should be directed.=20 =20 =20 Respectfully, =20 Dagmar Fertl =20 Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov fertld(\)juno.com =20 ********************************************************************= **=20 =20 Felix, F. 1997. Organization and social structure of the coastal=20 bottlenose dolphin _Tursiops truncatus_ in the Gulf de Guayaquil,=20 Ecuador. _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(1): 1-16. =20 Fundacion Ecuatoriana para el Estudio de Mamiferos Marinos (FEMM), P= O=20 Box 09-01-11905 Guayaquil, Ecuador =20 Abstract: =20 A study on the coastal bottlenose dolphin was carried out between=20 February 1990 and October 1992 in the inner estuary of the Gulf of=20 Guayaquil, Ecuador (3 S, 80 W). In 143 boat surveys, a total of=20 4021-4351 dolphins in 241 groups were recorded. 441 different=20 dolphins were identified by natural marks of which 1557 resightings=20 were obtained. Based on resightings, it was established that this=20 population of dolphins is organized in communities of around 115=20 animals (S.D.=3D37). Three resident and two non-resident communitie= s=20 were recorded in the study area. Resident communities occurred alon= g=20 20-40 km of coast in overlapping home ranges. There were interactio= ns=20 between groups of different communities in 13.3% of the observations= . =20 Association patterns among individuals of different age and sex=20 classes were analyzed. Females mainly associated with other females= =20 and formed bands. Every band showed preferences to use different=20 sites of the community home range. Subadults associated to a=20 particular adult female band. In contrast, adult males did not show= =20 preference to associate with any band. Several males occurred in=20 high-stable pairs and competed for females in what seems to be a=20 hierarchically structured society, with one pair of dominant males=20 controlling the access to females in the community. These findings=20 suggest a marked polygynous mating behavior in this tropical=20 population that contrasts to what was observed in other temperate an= d=20 subtropical populations. =20 ********************************************************************= ** =20 Mass, A.M. and A.Ya. Supin. 1997. Ocular anatomy, retinal ganglion= =20 cell distribution, and visual resolution in the gray whale,=20 _Eschrichtius gibbosus_. _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(1): 17-28. =20 Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 33=20 Leninsky Prosp., 11701 Moscow, Russia =20 =20 Abstract: =20 The eye optics, size and distribution of ganglion cells in the retin= a=20 of the gray whale were studied. The hemispheric retina is centered = on=20 the quasispherical lens which makes it equally possible to create=20 visual images at any part of the retina. Ganglion cell size varied=20 form 14 to 74 micrometers, mostly 20 to 40 micrometers, mean 31=20 micrometers. Ganglion cells concentrated at two spots of the highes= t=20 density in the nasal and temporal quadrants, 26-28 mm (65-70 degrees= )=20 from the optic disk. Mean peak cell densities were 130 and 183=20 cells/nm ^2 in the nasal and temporal areas respectively. With a=20 posterior nodal distance of 23 mm (under water) this corresponds to = 21=20 and 29 cells/deg^2, which provides retinal resolution of about 13' i= n=20 the latero-caudal visual field (nasal retinal area) and 11' in the=20 rostral visual field (temporal retinal area). =20 ********************************************************************= ** =20 Kastelein, R.A.*, J.L. Dubbeldam, and M.A.G. de Bakker. 1997. the=20 anatomy of the walrus head (_Odobenus rosmarus_). Part 5: The tongu= e=20 and its function in walrus ecology. _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(1): 29-47. =20 * Harderwijk Marine Mammal Park, Strandboulevard-oost 1, AB=20 Harderwijk, The Netherlands =20 =20 Summary: =20 The tongues of several walruses were examined in terms of gross=20 morphology, anatomy and histology. Compared to the tongues of other= =20 pinnipeds, most of which eat fish, the tongue of the walrus is board= ,=20 thick, short and smooth. The tip of the tongue can be rounded or=20 bifid, and tip shape seems to be unrelated to the sub-species, gende= r=20 or age of the walrus, and to whether its living or dead. =20 The tongue almost fills the buccal cavity and consists mainly of=20 muscle. When it is retracted and depressed in the buccal cavity, it= =20 creates a very low pressure, by means of which the edible parts of=20 bivalve molluscs are extracted from their shells. =20 The dermis of the tongue consists of a thick layer of connective=20 tissue with dermal papillae protruding into a clearly cornified=20 epidermis. Lamellated corpuscles are mostly found just below the=20 epidermis; many are found at the tip of the tongue. The ventral hal= f=20 of the epidermal cones at the tip of the tongue are densely=20 innervated. Fourteen circular protrusions, in the median part of th= e=20 tongue, hav more innervation than the surrounding tissue, and=20 lamellated corpuscles are found directly under them. The tip of the= =20 tongue has good tactile sense, and is probably used for identifying=20 objects and for checking the position of bivalve molluscs in the=20 mouth. There are seven circumvallate papillae at the caudal end of=20 the tongue. Compared to many terrestrial mammals, the walrus has=20 relatively few, but large taste buds. Caudal of the circumvallate=20 papillae, fusiform papillae are present in a V-shape, pointing in th= e=20 caudal direction, which are shorter at the rostral end than at the=20 caudal end. The inside of the fusiform papillae consists of serous=20 glands, and the salivary glands under the papillae are also serous. =20 The tongue of the walrus is adapted to the manipulation of its main=20 prey: bivalve molluscs. =20 =20 ********************************************************************= ** =20 Weller, D.W.*, Cockcroft, V.G., W=FCrsig, B., Lynn, S.K., Fertl, D. = =20 1997. Behavioral responses of bottlenose dolphins to remote biopsy=20 sampling and observations of surgical biopsy wound healing. =20 _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(1): 49-58. =20 * Marine Mammal Research Program, Texas A&M University, 4700 Avenue = U,=20 Building 303, Galveston, TX 77551 USA email: DWW3911(\)UNIX.TAMU.EDU= =20 =20 =20 Abstract: =20 Information on reactions of delphinids to biopsy sampling and healin= g=20 of associated biopsy wounds is limited. Results presented here repo= rt=20 on the behavioral responses of free-ranging bottlenose dolphins=20 (Tursiops truncatus) to remote biopsy sampling procedures, and provi= de=20 information on stages of surgical biopsy wound repair. Biopsy sampl= es=20 of free-ranging dolphins were collected between February - May 1992 = in=20 Galveston Bay, Texas, using a sterilized corer-tipped bolt, launched= =20 from a crossbow. A total of eight direct "hits" were documented, fo= ur=20 hits (50%) in which a tissue sample was obtained, two hits (25%) fro= m=20 which no sample was retrieved, and two hits (25%) in which the bolt=20 struck the water (within approximately 30-60 cm) prior to striking t= he=20 animal (no samples). Behavioral reactions were similar for all eight= =20 dolphins directly struck by a bolt, and were best characterized as=20 startle responses. As part of a NMFS sponsored capture effort to=20 assess a 1992 bottlenose dolphin die-off in Matagorda Bay, Texas,=20 surgical biopsy samples were taken from 35 dolphins (Sweeney, 1992).= =20 Biopsies of about one gram of tissue, roughly 3-5 cm in diameter and= 1=20 cm deep, were surgically removed. While surgical biopsy wounds were= =20 not identical to remote biopsy wounds, they were comparable. Sixtee= n=20 of the 35 surgically biopsied individuals were photographically=20 resighted between July 1992 and December 1993. Photographs of=20 biopsies immediately after completion of surgical procedures and up = to=20 476 days post-biopsy were classified into 4 stages of healing.=20 Epidermis appeared to have covered wounds by 40-42 days post-biopsy,= =20 but in some cases possibly as early as 15-26 days. Repigmentation o= f=20 epidermal tissue varied between individual dolphins, but in no cases= =20 occurred prior to 61 days post-biopsy. No indication of infection o= r=20 related pathologies were detected from any of the biopsy wounds=20 monitored during this study. Findings reported here suggest that whe= n=20 adequate care and caution are used, biopsy sampling of bottlenose=20 dolphins is not likely to produce long-term behavioral alterations o= r=20 result in physiological complications during wound healing. =20 ********************************************************************= * =20 Harzen, S. and B.J. Brunnick. 1997. Skin disordes in bottlenose=20 dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_), resident in the Sado estuary,=20 Portugal. _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(1): 59-68. =20 Blue Dolphin Research and Consulting, P.O. Box 9243, Jupiter, FL=20 33458, USA =20 =20 Abstract: =20 Throughout two periods, in 1986/87 and 1992/93, a systematic study w= as=20 conducted of a group of bottlenose dolphins inhabiting the Sado=20 estuary. At the end of the second study period, 85% of the long ter= m=20 residents showed signs of skin disorders. Forty percent of these=20 animals show signs of the skin disorder for 6 or more years. Skin=20 samples were not collected or analysed to date, therefore, it has be= en=20 impossible to determine the cause of the skin disorders. Comparison= =20 with observations in other areas suggest that habitat degradation ma= y=20 play an important role when dolphins become sick and/or entire=20 communities decline and eventually disappear. The appearance of ski= n=20 disorders may indicate depressed or overworked immune systems that=20 would normally counteract the disease. Such immune system=20 deficiencies may be caused by stress, habitat degradation or=20 contamination with pollutants. =20 ********************************************************************= ** =20 Terasawa, F.*, T. Yamagami, M. Kitamura, and A. Fujimoto. 1997. A=20 pygmy killer whale (_Feresa attenuata_) stranded at Sagami Bay, Japa= n.=20 _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(1): 69-72. =20 =20 Enoshima Aquarium 17-25, 2-chome Katase-kaigan, Fujisawa, Kanagawa=20 251, Japan =20 =20 Abstract: =20 A female pygmy killer whale (_Feresa attenuata_) was rescued on the=20 east side of Sagami Bay, Japan, and was treated for two weeks in=20 Enoshima Aquarium. Blood was collected and a blowhole swab was take= n=20 and examined. During the necropsy, osteoarthritis of the scapula an= d=20 humerus in the left was observed. Five different species of parasit= es=20 were found. =20 ********************************************************************= ** =20 =20 =20 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Jun 1997 08:15:40 -0300 From: Carl Haycock Subject: Abstract-Humpback whales-Brier Island, Nova Scotia FYI. Numbers and Seasonal Occurrence of Humpback Whales off Brier Island, Nova Scotia. D. Paquet, C.Haycock and H. Whitehead RR1 Head of Chezzetcook, N.S. B0J 1N0 Brier Island Ocean Study, Westport, N.S. B0V 1H0 Biology Department, Dalhousie University, N.S. B3H 4J1 Canadian Field Naturalist 11(4): Received 25 January 1996 Accepted 3 February 1997 Humpback whales, (Megaptera novaeangliae) were studied using individual photo-identification in the waters off Brier Island, Nova Scotia, during the years 1984 to 1996. Estimates of the number of whales visiting the area were obtained for each year using mark-recapture methods. The population has a variance weighted mean of 80+-5(95%CI) for repeated Petersen estimates. There was consistency between estimates from 1984 to 1993 but a decline was seen in 1994 and 1995. These estimates represent approximately 38% of the estimated total population of Humpback whales of the Gulf of Maine feeding aggregation and appoximately 1.8% of the total Western North Atlantic Ocean population. Off Brier Island, a pattern of seasonal variation in sighting rates for half-month periods was observed for the years 1985 to 1989. The results indicate that Humpback whales arrive slowly in the area during June, reach a population peak around August, the period of greatest plankton abundance, and depart from the area between then and October. (Anyone wanting a reprint of the paper can email me at bioscarl(\)clan.TartanNet.ns.ca or write me at the above address or phone 1-800-952-0225 or 1-902-839-2960.) Thanks Carl Haycock ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 14 Jun 1997 07:18:48 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: weekly CRS marine mammal summary (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments 6/13/97 Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 6/05/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 6/12/97 are in CAPITAL LETTERS. . Marine Mammals . {CITES - IWC WHALING JURISDICTION. ON JUNE 13, 1997, DELEGATES AT THE MEETING OF CITES (CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA) PARTIES IN ZIMBABWE VOTED 27-57 BY SECRET BALLOT TO DEFEAT A JAPANESE PROPOSAL TO SEVER LINKAGE BETWEEN CITES AND THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION, GIVING WHALE CONSERVATION MONITORING TO CITES EXCLUSIVELY.} [ASSOC PRESS] . Hawaiian Whale Sanctuary. June 6, 1997, was the deadline by which HI Governor Ben Cayetano was to have decided how much, if any, of a proposed 1,680 square miles of state waters and submerged lands should be included within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and managed under its federal management plan. [Assoc Press] . Atlantic Large Whale Protection. In late May 1997, U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock ruled that federal agencies were making sufficient progress through proposed regulations to address citizen concerns for better protecting north Atlantic right whales. [Assoc Press] . Tuna-Dolphin Legislation. H.R. 408, amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act relating to the International Dolphin Conservation Program, was approved by the full House on May 21, 1997, by a vote of 262-166. [Federal Register, personal communication] . Norwegian Whaling. On May 20, 1997, 28 Norwegian whalers and 4 whalemeat processing companies argued in an appeal of a lower court denial on a $8.5 million lawsuit against the Norwegian government in Oslo district court, claiming they sustained considerable loss when the Norwegian government failed to support the whaling industry between 1988 and 1993 and did not permit commercial whaling. On May 26, 1997, a Dutch court rejected Paul Watson's petition for release on bail at a hearing on his possible extradition to Norway. The court is to submit its recommendation concerning the Norwegian petition for extradition within two weeks. Lofoten Islands police have announced that legal proceedings in Lofoten County Court are scheduled against Watson in Norway on Sept. 1, 1997, relating to alleged negligent navigation and collision with a Norwegian coast guard vessel in the summer of 1994. Compensation for damages of $120,000 with possible interest is sought by the Norwegian Navy for this collision. On May 28, 1997, the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management wrote a letter to the CITES Secretariat stating that Norway will establish a DNA register for whales to better identify whalemeat from whales taken under proclaimed Norwegian quotas, as an addendum to Norway's proposal to downlist 2 minke whale stocks. {On June 9, 1997, a Dutch court decided not to grant Norway's request for extradition of Paul Watson; Watson was subsequently released. On June 11, 1997, Oslo district court rejected whalers' arguments in a lawsuit against the Norwegian government, and ruled that the government had the right to stop whaling from 1988 to 1992.} [Assoc Press, High North Alliance News, Dow Jones News, personal communication] . Captive Manatees Outside FL? On May 20, 1997, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials reported in the Fort Myers, FL, News-Press that more than 50 manatees are in captivity in FL, and that display facilities are overcrowded. Some manatees that are not candidates for release may be made available to public display facilities outside FL, if appropriate captive maintenance standards can be met. [Assoc Press] . Dolphin Feeding Enforcement. On May 19, 1997, NMFS issued an announcement reminding the public that it is illegal to feed or swim with dolphins in the wild. NMFS personnel are holding news conferences at various locations in FL where dolphin feeding has become popular. NMFS has contracted with the FL Marine Patrol to provide additional enforcement relating to dolphins during 1997 and, in 1998, NMFS expects to fund an additional 6 enforcement officers for protected species enforcement, including dolphin feeding and harassment. [Assoc Press, NMFS press release] . Japanese Scientific Whaling. On May 12-16, 1997, the International Whaling Commission's Scientific Committee is meeting behind closed doors in Tokyo, Japan, to review Japan's scientific whaling program. Results of this review will be presented at the IWC's annual meeting in Monaco in October 1997. [Dow Jones News, Reuters] . The following is in response to the flood of requests that have gone to the American Cetacean Society regarding the posting that I made last week relative to the appearance of the latest issue of the WhaleWatcher. ACS' next issue is a tribute to Dr. Steve Leatherwood. If you think you would like to obtain a copy of the upcoming issue, I would highly recommend membership to ACS since it appears that issues will only be available to members. For more information relative to Whalewatcher, or membership to ACS, please contact ACS directly (the address is provided below). Thanks for your interest, Dagmar Fertl Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov fertld(\)juno.com ***************************************** The latest issue of Whalewatcher (journal of the American Cetacean Society) is now available (vol. 30, no. 1, 1996). The issue covers ACS' conference held in San Pedro, CA in November of last year. The Whalewatcher is a benefit of membership with ACS and not normally available to non-members. However, we may have some issue available for purchase. If you are interested in being put on the mailing list email us with your name and address we will send you information if issues become available. ACS PO Box 1391 San Pedro, CA 90733 USA acs(\)pobox.com http://www.acsonline.org Contents: Too much is never enough: can the whaling industry be trusted? (Phil Clapham) Whalewatching and its effect on the whales (Carole Carlson) Swim-with-dolphin activities in nature: weighing the pros and cons (Bernd Wursig) The tuna-dolphin controversy (Michael D. Scott) 1996 ACS Conference enjoyed by all (Maura Leos) ACS Conference Poster Abstracts ************************************************ ACS National Headquarters PO BOX 1391 San Pedro, CA 90731 Voice: 310/548-6279 Fax: 310/548-6950 Web site: http://www.acsonline.org ************************************************ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 14 Jun 1997 07:21:00 -0700 From: Tim Wyatt Subject: MONK SEALS KILL OFF MAURITANIA >Return-Path: >Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 14:15:07 +0200 >From: Jose Franco >Subject: MONK SEALS KILL OFF MAURITANIA >To: "'Phycotoxins(\)biome.bio.dfo.ca'" >X-Authentication-Warning: turbot: Host [193.146.155.2] claimed to be > OCEANOVIGO.vi.ieo.es >Sender: owner-phycotoxins(\)ecology.bio.dfo.ca >Reply-To: Phycotoxins(\)scotia.dfo.ca >X-Replyto: Send personal replies to Jose Franco >X-To-Signoff: Send text "unsubscribe phycotoxins" to Lists(\)scotia.dfo.ca > > >MONK SEALS KILL OFF MAURITANIA > > After our message to Phycotoxins on May 28, a series samples from >Mauritania, arrived at the laboratory of Instituto Espanol de >Oceanografia in Vigo. HPLC analysis for PSP toxins were run in this >laboratory and AOAC mice bioassays were carried out in the European >Communities Reference Laboratory on Marine Toxins also in Vigo. > Samples of different tissues of monk-seals (liver, muscles, spinal >cord) were analysed by HPLC for the detection of PSP toxins, and only >very small peaks, coincident with the retention time of GTX1, neoSTX and >dcSTX were observed, while mice bioassays were negative or, in same >cases, they died near the detection limit. > Samples of other marine organisms like bivalves, goose barnacles and >some fishes were also analysed giving negative values, except the >viscera of some fishes that showed similar HPLC profiles and bioassay >results than seals tissues. > HPLC analysis on samples from a non clonal culture of Alexandrium >minutum isolated from a water sample off Cabo Blanco shown the typical >toxin profile for this species having, in decreasing importance GTX4, >GTX1, GTX3, GTX2, and perhaps traces of Cx. The presence of this toxic >dinoflagellate is not reflected in the toxin analysis of tissue samples. > As a conclusion, with the data obtained from these analyses we cannot >prove that the monk seals kill was due to PSP. > > Jose M. Franco > CSIC, at Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia. Vigo > > Ana Martinez > European Communities Reference Laboratory on Marine Toxins. Vigo > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Tim Wyatt IIM - CSIC Eduardo Cabello 6 Ph: +34 86 231 930 36208 Vigo (Spain) Fax: +34 86 292 762 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Jun 1997 21:18:58 -0400 From: Phil Clapham Subject: Abstract - humpback whales Mikhalev, Y.A. 1997. Humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae in the Arabian Sea. Marine Ecology Progress Series 149: 13-21. ABSTRACT: The population identity of humpback whales in the Arabian Sea has long been a matter of dispute. New information is presented from this region, based upon whaling and observations conducted by the Soviet Union, primarily in November 1966. In that month, a total of 238 humpbacks were killed off the coasts of Oman, Pakistan and northwestern India; four others were killed in previous years. Biological examination of these whales showed that they differed significantly from Antarctic humpbacks in terms of size, coloration, body scars and pathology. In addition, analysis of the length distribution of 38 foetuses indicates that the reproductive cycle of the Arabian Sea whales was unequivocally that of a northern hemisphere population. Mean lengths were 12.8 m for males (range: 9.5 to 14.9 m, n = 126) and 13.3 m for females (range: 9.5 to 15.2 m, n = 112). All whales 12.5 m or more in length were sexually mature. Among 97 females examined, 12 (12.4%) were immature. Of the 85 mature females, 39 (45.9%) were pregnant, 3 (3.5%) were lactating, and 43 (50.6%) were resting. A more plausible pregnancy rate, adjusted for underrepresentation of lactating females, was estimated at 39%. A majority of stomachs examined contained food, including euphausiids and fish. Overall, the data presented here argue strongly that Arabian Sea humpbacks constitute a discrete population which remains in tropical waters year-round, a situation which is unique for this species. This paper is based upon illegal Soviet whaling catch data. Reprints should be available shortly; please send requests to me, not the author. Phil Clapham Smithsonian Institution claphamp(\)nmnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 17:41:54 EDT From: Michelle K Tatlock Subject: Take records of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins from Biscayne Bay, FL My name is Michelle Tatlock, and I am working on my thesis paper. It is entitled "The Abundance and Distribution of Bottlenose Dolphins in Biscayne Bay, Florida". MY problem is that I have been unable to find historical information on the abundance of these dolphins. Dolphins were taken from the bay from 1950-1972, and I am trying to get some estimate as to how many were removed. I would think that aquariums and dolphinariums kept records as to where their animals came from. Does anyone have any information? I would appreciate any assistance. Sincerely, Michelle Tatlock 1821 N. 17th Ct. #27 Hollywood FL 33020 mdolphin(\)juno.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 14:21:30 +0000 Reply-To: friedmand(\)earthlink.net From: Dana Friedman Subject: Volunteers Wanted MARMAMERS: please spread the word to your southern California friends about the following: Seal & Sea Lion Rehab Facility Seeking Animal Care & Docent Volunteers Laguna Beach, CA-- The Friends of the Sea Lion Marine Mammal Center (FSL MMC) is seeking to expand our volunteer staff. Positions are available for both hands-on animal care workers as well as presentation-leading Docents. Volunteers must be 18 or older, and able to dedicate themselves to one weekly 4-hour shift. Animal Care work includes cleaning pens; assisting with feedings; assisting with medical care; yard work, stuffing envelopes, painting, and interacting with visitors. Docents lead presentations for visitors, host lectures for scheduled groups, manage gift shop operations and more. No experience is necessary shifts are available almost all days of the week. Interested candidates should call FSLMMC at 714/494-3050 and leave their name and number to be contacted by our Volunteer Coordinator. The Friends of the Sea Lion Marine Mammal Center is a non-profit organization providing medical care and rehabilitation to rescued seals and sea lions in Orange County. Founded in 1971, FSL MMC is a non-profit (501c-3) organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release back to the wild sick and injured seals and sea lions that inhabit Orange County beaches. We treat up to 200 seals and sea lions every year. FSL MMC has a volunteer staff of 60 extensively trained Animal Care Specialists, and up to 15 Docents. In addition to our animal rescue & rehabilitation program, FSL MMC hosts educational presentations for classes of all ages at our facility, and also operates an outreach program to provide educational presentations on Orange County's marine wildlife to classrooms throughout Southern California. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 22:24:35 +1100 From: Ray McAllister Subject: Norwegian Whaling Gazette Hi, I am interested in finding the Norge Hval Fangst Tidende which is a Whaling Industry publication, but which does have one small redeeming feature. It publishes a list of the whale marks shot into the blubber by researchers over many years and these give info on longevity, migration, sex, growth rate, etc. Can you help? Ray McAllister, Retired Prof. (Emeritus) of Ocean, mcallist(\)gate.net Engineering, Dept of OE, Fla. Atlantic Univ., Boca Raton, FL 33064 (954) 426-0808 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 11:44:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: QLD: Moreton Bay Whale Watchin QLD: Moreton Bay Whale Watching limited to three operations BRISBANE, June 11 AAP - Whale watching in Moreton Bay, off Brisbane, will be limited to three operators instead of the five a conservation plan had originally allowed, Environment Minister Brian Littleproud said today. But the state Opposition said even three permits were too many and it was foolish to proceed with the permits without appropriate planning. Mr Littleproud said in a statement today that the 1997 permits would be subject to strict conditions and in accordance with the Nature Conservation (Whales and Dolphins) Conservation Plan, now being finalised. The permits would only be issued to those operators who had permits in 1996, which was a more "sensitive" approach, he said. Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island will be granted a three year permit while the other two would be granted permits for two years only, with 1996 being the first year. Mr Littleproud said the Department of Environment had received more than 20 inquiries from people wanting to conduct commercial whale-watching cruises in southern Queensland waters, including Moreton Bay and off the Sunshine and Gold Coasts. "While there are some who will argue that the increasing number of humpback whales would justify more permits, there are others will argue otherwise," he said. Opposition environment and heritage spokesman Rod Welford said the government had issued the permits for watching whales without knowing the impact it would have on their migration habits and before a draft conservation plan for whale-watching was finalised. "How could you possibly know what impact this move will have if you haven't done the research and have a management plan in place?" Mr Welford said. "It is ludicrous to proceed without having done appropriate planning," he said. Mr Welford said the Environment Department budget had already been slashed and it was difficult to know how the strict enforcement of permits would be policed. He said there was a fundamental difference between whale watching in Hervey Bay, about 250 kms north of Brisbane, where the mammals were resting, and whale-watching in Moreton Bay, where they were on the move to and from their breeding locations. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 14:41:27 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: newsclip - rt whales: NMFS may scale back fishing-gear regs from Greenwire, 6/11/97 RIGHT WHALES: NMFS MAY SCALE BACK FISHING-GEAR REGS. Rep. John Baldacci (D-ME) said National Marine Fisheries Service officials may scale back proposed fishing and gear restrictions intended to protect the endangered right whale. Baldacci said officials realize their original proposals are too expensive and would provide little benefit to the remaining 300 right whales. Lobster fishers in northeastern states have protested the new regs, which the NMFS estimates would cost $12,000 per boat to implement (Greenwire, 5/5) (USA Today, 6/11). ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 11:28:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Norway-Whaling Norway-Whaling OSLO, Norway (AP) -- Norwegian whalers lost a legal battle with their own government Wednesday when an Oslo court ruled that the state had the right to stop the hunt from 1988 to 1992. Norway resumed its controversial whale hunts in 1993 after a grudging five-year break in the face of international pressure. The renewed commercial hunt brought protests, boycott threats and attacks on whaling boats. Twenty-eight whalers and four whale-meat processing companies had sued the government for $8.5 million in compensation, saying that the hunt was interrupted illegally. The whalers claimed that since Norway insists that the minke whales it hunts were never endangered, there was no reason to stop the hunt and deprive hunters and coastal villages of badly needed income. Nor was Norway bound by a 1986 commercial hunting ban imposed by the International Whaling Commission, they said. Commission rules allow members to reject its rulings, which Norway did concerning theminke whale hunt. However, the district court in Oslo rejected the whalers' arguments. It said the government was within its rights in determining what hunts would be allowed, the state radio network NRK reported. This year's hunt started on May 2, with a government-set limit of 580 minke whales, an increase of one-third from 1996. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 11:28:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Japan, Norway hint at defeat o Japan, Norway hint at defeat over whale catches By Emelia Sithole HARARE, June 11 (Reuter) - Japan and Norway said on Wednesday they were unlikely to win majority support for at a world convention on endangered species in Harare for their contentious proposal to resume catching minke whales. They accused the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of automatically adopting measures to protect whales taken by the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which they alleged had been hijacked by some leading environmental groups with undue political influence. All great whales, except for the West Greenland stock of minke whale, are listed on CITES' Appendix 1 which bans trade in endangered species. The CITES listing followed the IWC moratorium on commercial whaling which came into effect in 1986. "I don't think we can get this time the two-thirds majority support (from the 139-member CITES). Maybe we can get 10 percent of that," said Masayuki Komatsu, senior deputy director of Japan's Far Seas division and Oceanic Fisheries department. "It's impossible to win resumption of whaling for as long as CITES continues basing its decisions on that of the IWC," Komatsu told Reuters on the sidelines of the 10-day CITES meeting which started on Monday. "We have a dilemma in achieving our goals in the IWC because it's now a body occupied by environmental groups which deny any sustainable use of natural resources," he added. Peter Schei, head of the Norwegian delegation, backing a proposal by Japan to redefine its relationship with the IWC, said CITES needed to develop its own scientific committee to deal with whale trading and reduce its dependence on the IWC. "We shouldn't link ourselves to political actions of another organisation which are not scientifically based," Schei said. The Japanese proposal to delink CITES from the IWC is meeting stiff opposition from some leading environmental groups, notably the U.S.-based International Fund for Animal Welfare, Amsterdam- based Greenpeace and British-based TRAFFIC (Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce). The Japanese and Norwegian proposal to allow commercial whaling is one of the top issues at the CITES meeting at which a bid by three southern African states to allow ivory sales has taken centre stage. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 11:17:16 -0400 From: Phil Clapham Subject: Internship I am looking for a summer intern to work at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC; unpaid, I'm afraid, but good experience and interesting work in a great atmosphere. The internship would focus on large whale biology, and would include some everything from routine work to a specific research project. The period is flexible (can start immediately if possible), but I would need at least two or three days a week. If anyone is interested, please send a c.v. and short letter of intent to me by email (preferably) or snail mail. Phil Clapham claphamp(\)nmnh.si.edu Phillip J. Clapham, Ph.D. Smithsonian Institution NHB 390, MRC 108 Washington DC 20560 claphamp(\)nmnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 10:03:22 +0000 From: Hal Whitehead/Linda Weilgart Subject: ABSTRACT: Analysing animal social structure From: Hal Whitehead (hwhitehe(\)is.dal.ca) Note: This paper describes general procedures for analyzing animal social structures. However, I hope it will be particularly relevant for those working with cetaceans. Whitehead, H. 1997. Analysing animal social structure. Animal Behaviour 53: 1053-1067. Abstract - This paper presents a framework for analyzing the social structure of populations in which interactions between some identified individuals can be observed. Statistics describing the nature, quality and temporal patterning of one or more interaction measures are used to define relationships between pairs of individuals or classes of individual. Multivariate techniques can then be used to display the social structure of the population. These displays indicate the social complexity of the population, and can be used to classify relationships and examine patterns of relationship between classes of animal. They can also be used to define and delineate groups. This framework and these techniques should be particularly useful when analyzing complex fission- fusion societies, as are found among the primates and cetaceans. Correspondence or reprint requests to: H. Whitehead, Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 4J1 (email: HWHITEHE(\)IS.DAL.CA) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 11:59:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Qld: Ban on mesh netting to pr Qld: Ban on mesh netting to protect endangered dugongs CAIRNS, Qld, June 15 AAP - The joint state-federal Great Barrier Reef ministerial council has agree to ban mesh netting by fishermen in parts of north Queensland to protect the region's endangered dugong population. A two-day council meeting in Cairns this weekend, chaired by federal Environment Minister Senator Robert Hill, accepted that mesh netting was a significant cause of the decline in dugong numbers in the southern Great Barrier Reef. Federal Tourism Minister John Moore and Queensland's Environment Minister Brian Littleproud and Tourism Minister Bruce Davidson also attended the meeting. The council agreed to apply speed limits on vessels in dugong areas of the Hinchinbrook area, to ban indigenous hunting of the sea mammals, to review penalties for the illegal catching of dugongs and to replace shark nets with floating drum-lines unless human safety was at risk. The ministers will meet again in twomonths to finalise the boundaries of areas where mesh neeting -- also known as gill netting -- will be banned. Agreement was also reached to pay compensation to individual fishermen affected by the mesh netting ban, and to warn the Great Barrier Reef fishing industry to scale down investment in netting equipment and operations. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 11:58:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Japan Blocks Sea Fishing Scrut Japan Blocks Sea Fishing Scrutiny By ANGUS SHAW Associated Press Writer HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Japan blocked U.S. proposals Friday aimed at increasing conservation of depleted fish stocks, but lost a bid to strip the International Whaling Commission of some of its powers. The fisheries decision at the U.N. Convention on Trade in Endangered Species, the world's largest gathering of conservationists, means huge commercial fishing industries, including Japan's, will not face increased scrutiny for at least two more years. Participants at the biannual conference are gearing up for voting next week on more than 80 other hotly debated proposals. South Africa was using the conference to defend its push to resume selling rhinoceros horn, despite objections from environmentalists. There is a market for rhino horn in Middle Eastern countries that use it to craft traditional dagger handles, and in many Asian countries, where it is believed to have medicinal properties. But Japan was the center of much of the attention Friday. By a 50-49 margin, it won a secret committee vote to stop the convention from creating a U.S.-proposed working group as a first step to drawing up protection measures for certain sea fish. In a second vote, also conducted by secret balloting, 57 countries opposed Japanese demands to transfer control over whale conservation from the International Whaling Commission to the 138-nation gathering. Only 27 countries sided with Japan. The convention has little expertise in whaling and has relied on the commission for its lead, so the resolution was widely seen as an effort to weaken whale conservation. The International Whaling Commission imposed a moratorium on whaling in 1986, but Japan and Norway have resumed hunting. Measures defeated in committee votes cannot be voted on by the full convention next week. The rhino horn will be one of the most controversial issues, with South Africa leading an African push to water down a ban on trading in rhinoceros products. At the last convention two years ago, South Africa won the right to trade in live rhinos, which includes sales to zoos and game parks, while the ban on trading in rhinoceros horn remained intact. On Friday, South Africa began a campaign aimed at gaining the right to sell rhino horn, perhaps at the next convention. It said it did not want to start selling rhino horn now, but wanted approval to begin negotiations with the main consumers on ways to regulate legal trading. South Africa claimed Friday it could satisfy the world demand for rhino horn by selling its existing stock and by harvesting from its rhino population without culling or depleting the numbers. "The only source presently available is illegal trade," said George Hughes, head of the wildlife service in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, where most of Africa's surviving white rhinoceros live. The province has nursed South Africa's white rhino population back from a low of 14 at the turn of the century to more than 7,000 today, Hughes said. But Indian conservation groups seeking to rally opposition to the South African position say their country's rhino population would be devastated by an easing of the ban on horn sales. "As India is home to 70-80 percent of the world's last remaining one-horned rhinos, we view this issue with the gravest concern," said an appeal signed by more than 5,000 Indian conservationists. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 08:45:21 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: questions - humpbk sanctuary and NAFO/ICES Proceedings I'm hoping that someone might have the answer(s) to the following questions. 1) I saw on the CRS marine mammal survey that the HI governor was to have decided how much, if any, of proposed state waters and submerged lands would be included in the humpback sanctuary. Since the decision was to have been made 6 June - what happened. 2) In Sept of '95, there was a special symposium held by NAFO/ICES "The Role of Marine Mammals in the Ecosystem". What ever became of the proposed plan for proceedings (a special issue of the Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science) to result from the conference. I have spoken to some of the other presenters, and we're all curious if anyone knows what the status on the publication is. Thanks in advance for any information. You may reply to me directly at: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov or fertld(\)juno.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 21:40:30 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: CITES REJECTS JAPAN'S CALL FOR GREY WHALE TRADE 17-Jun-97 03:10 pm Regular International CITES REJECTS JAPAN'S CALL FOR GREY whale TRADE Harare, June 16 Kyodo - Japan today failed in its bid at an international conference in Harare, Zimbabwe, on nature protection to have a global ban on trade in grey whales lifted, although it got more support than at the previous conference. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) voted down the Japanese motion 61 to 47. A Japanese delegate praised the outcome of the vote in view of the fact that the Japanese proposal got only 16 votes in the previous CITES conference in 1994. ``It's an unexpected figure. I think there has been a change in the current,'' the delegate said. Japan had proposed that grey whales, minke whales and bryde's whales be included in CITES Appendix II instead of CITES Appendix I as at present, claiming there are an estimated 21,000 grey whales in the eastern Pacific and therefore they are no longer an endangered species. Appendix I lists plants and animals in which international trade is banned, while those listed in Appendix II are subject to regulated international trade. A change in the listing requires a two-thirds majority of the vote. Voting on minke and bryde's whales is expected tomorrow. The 10-day conference is slated to end Friday. KYODO cm Terry Hardie terry(\)bytes.gen.nz ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 11:56:04 -0800 From: Larry Dill Subject: CONSERVATION ECOLOGY: Issue 1 now available Marine mammalogists may be interested in this new, entirely electronic journal published by the Ecological Society of America. I am one of the editors, if you have any questions. Lawrence M. (Larry) Dill, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6 CANADA ________________________________________________________________ > >CONSERVATION ECOLOGY A peer-reviewed, scientific journal > http://www.consecol.org >Editor-in-Chief C. S. Holling >Managing Editor Lee N. Miller >________________________________________________________________ > >ANNOUNCING the FIRST ISSUE and the CALL FOR PAPERS > >Volume 1, Issue 1 of Conservation Ecology, the on-line journal of the >Ecological Society of America, is now available at > > http://www.consecol.org/vol1/iss1 > >The Table of Contents of this inaugural issue is appended below. > >Conservation Ecology now welcomes manuscript submissions for >forthcoming issues. Topics covered in the journal include the >ecological bases for: > > the conservation of ecosystems, landscapes, species, populations > and genetic diversity; > the restoration of ecosystems and habitats; and > the management of resources. > >We encourage papers on the above topics that also integrate the >biological and physical sciences, the natural and social sciences, >science and policy, and those that develop analyses across space and >time scales. Content of the journal ranges from the applied to the >theoretical. The papers considered for publication should present >original research, novel synthesis, or judicious review of current >theory, method, policy or practice. If you wish to submit a manuscript >for consideration, please consult the Instructions to Authors at > > http://www.consecol.org/Journal/submit > >Please note that article submission, review, and publication are >accomplished entirely electronically. > >We welcome your feedback. Questions and comments may be sent to > > questions(\)consecol.org > >________________________________________________________________________ > > TABLE OF CONTENTS > >CALL FOR PAPERS >EDITORIAL > 1. The Inaugural Issue of Conservation Ecology > C.S. Holling, Editor-in-Chief >SYNTHESIS > 2. Resilience and Restoration of Lakes > Stephen R. Carpenter and Kathryn L. Cottingham > 3. The Multifaceted Aspects of Ecosystem Integrity > Giulio A. De Leo and Simon A. Levin >RESEARCH > 4. Detecting Critical Scales in Fragmented Landscapes > Timothy Keitt, Dean L. Urban, and Bruce T. Milne > 5. Automated Techniques for the Qualitative Analysis of > Ecological Models: Continuous Models > Lynn van Coller > 6. The Relation between Threatened Species, Their > Protection, and Taboos > Johan Colding and Carl Folke >INSIGHT > 7. Sustainability, Stability, and Resilience > Don Ludwig, Brian Walker, and C.S. Holling > 8. Using Ants as Bioindicators: Multi-scale Issues in Ant > Community Ecology > Alan Andersen >FORUM Science, Policy, and Advocacy > PERSPECTIVE > 9. Advocacy, Science, Policy, and Life in the Real World > Gordon Baskerville > COMMENTARY > 10. Commentary on Dr. Baskerville's Perspective > Jerry F. Franklin > 11. Commentary on Dr. Baskerville's Perspective > Koichi Fujii > 12. Commentary on Dr. Baskerville's Perspective > Gilberto C. Gallopin > 13. Management and the Problem of Scale > Simon A. Levin > 14. Bridging the Gap between Ecology and Resource Management > Ron Pulliam > 15. Commentary on Dr. Baskerville's Perspective > Brian Walker > 16. Scientific Responsibility and Responsible Ecology > John A. Wiens > YOUNG SCHOLAR DIALOGUE > 17. Ecology, Ethics, and Advocacy > Garry Peterson, Shealagh E. Pope, Giulio Alessandro De > Leo, Marco A. Janssen, Jay R. Malcolm, Jennifer > M. Parody, Greg Hood, and Malcolm North > PUBLIC FORUM Join the discussion. > >_________________________________________________________________ > ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 15:24:07 -0400 From: Lizz Schlansky Subject: Florida student meeting The Florida student chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy (SMM) will hold its second meeting on Thursday 6/19 at 7 PM at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota. This newly formed group is composed of undergraduate and graduate students from colleges and universities across Florida, as well as any other interested parties. This group was formed on the suggestion of Leah Gerber, student liaison to SMM. It is an excellent forum for students to interact with other people in their field and to share ideas. Each meeting is held at a different location to make it more accessible for students in different regions. The agenda includes student presentations on current research, discussing the possibility of having a speaker at a future meeting, planning a trip, and defining the goals of this group. If you would like more information please contact: Lizz Schlansky lizz(\)seas.marine.usf.edu or Jessica Koelsch jkoelsch(\)mote.org Thank you, Lizz Schlansky ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 10:19:47 -0600 From: PEDERNERA ROMANO CECILIA Subject: Looking for: Levels of cortisol Cecilia Pedernera E-mail adress: pedrom(\)servidor.unam.mx Hello! I am a veterinary student at the University of Mexico UNAM and I am working in a research proyect called Stress and Behavior in Captive Bottlenose Dolphinns (Tursiops truncatus) as Indicators od their Welfare. I am going to measure cortisol levels in saliva and unrine using RIA technique. I am looking for any previous measurements in cortisol in captive dolphins in saliva or urine. I would really appreciate to recieve any information. Looking forward to hear about you. Sincerely yours Cecilia Pedernera ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 03:04:22 -1000 From: "DR. KEN MARTEN" Subject: TUNA-PORPOISE INFO WEBPAGE: http://www.earthtrust.org E-MAIL REPLY ADDRESS: porpoise(\)lava.net The international conservation organization Earthtrust in Hawaii has now established a webpage devoted to giving up-to-date information about the Clinton/Gore-backed "Dolphin Death Bill" which has now passed through the House of Representatives and is being considered in the Senate. The bill basically legalizes massive killing of dolphins in the tuna fishery, and removes any legal basis for dolphin-safe labelling or other meaningful monitoring of the fishery. The website is: http://www.earthtrust.org Just click on the blue print that says "DOLPHIN HOTLINE PAGE" at the top of the home page. I personally am an ex-National Marine Fisheries Service porpoise observer on tunaboats, as well as a cetacean research biologist, and am apalled by how poorly the public (and Congress) is being informed, and the consequent apathy and poor decsision-making that is occurring with tens of millions of dolphin lives at stake. The populations of dolphins at risk are already heavily depleted. As someone who has witnessed thousands of dolphin deaths at sea, you can imagine my perspective on this issue compared to debating the life or health of single dolphins or whales. An essential fact to bear in mind is that the new legislation will set an annual quota of 5,000--a number that can (and almost certainly will) be killed in one net set by one tunaboat in one hour. Also, with a quota in place and no realistic way to monitor the kill (as a former porpoise observer myself, I can state with some authority that the proposed observer program would be useless--see my testimony to Congress on the webpage), it is basically open season again on the dolphins. The webpage consists of information to help fill the information gap. Decisions and actions are of course left to the reader. Marmam subscribers are already people who care about marine mammal conservation. There is no question in my mind that this is the weak link in the marine mammal conservation chain. Each reader should also ask himself if the actions of Congress appear to properly represent other consumers/constituents as well. Talk to other people. Spread the word, especially outside the marine mammal community. Finally, why not discuss the issue some on Marmam? It's worth a good rumble! But above all, if you have anything to say, say it to your Senators. Here is a brief summary by my colleague Mark Palmer of Earth Island Institute, which also appears as an introduction and summary at the beginning of the webpage: The Dolphin Death Act, S.39 by Senators Ted Stevens (R-AK) and John Breaux (D-LA), will be coming up for a vote on the Senate floor this summer. S.39 was developed by the government and tuna fishing industry of Mexico, with the support of the Clinton Administration and the Wise-Use Movement. If approved by the Senate, S.39 would virtually REPEAL U.S. dolphin protection laws. The House companion bill, H.R.408, was recently approved by the Republican-dominated House of Representatives. S.39 repeals current embargoes on import and sale of tuna caught by mile-long purse seine nets, which drown thousands of dolphins each year. Furthermore, the legislation would change the definition of "dolphin-safe" tuna to allow chase, injury, netting, harassment, and killing of dolphins, as long as an observer does not report any dolphins dying outright. This false "dolphin-safe" definition constitutes consumer fraud of the highest order, all to placate the tuna fleets of Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela. The legislation would also allow U.S. tuna fleets to again set the deadly nets on schools of dolphins. Over the past four decades, more than 7 million dolphins have been killed in tuna nets, which are used deliberately to target schools of dolphins to catch the tuna that swim beneath. Earth Island Institute and other organizations launched an international boycott of tuna in 1988 to stop the killing of dolphins by the tuna industry. In 1990, the three largest American tuna companies announced that they would no longer accept tuna caught by methods known to harm dolphins. Congress quickly followed up, outlawing the import and sale of tuna caught by netting dolphins. The U.S. market is now 100% "dolphin-safe"; Canada, Europe, and Australia are also almost entirely "dolphin-safe", covering more than 90% of the world's canned tuna markets. Observed deaths of dolphins in the tuna fishery have dropped from more than 100,000 annually in the late 1980's to only 2,574 last year. In addition to undercutting years of progress in dolphin protection efforts, S.39 would unwittingly benefit the drug trade in Latin America. The two largest cocaine busts in maritime history happened aboard two tuna fishing vessels in 1995 and 1996, amounting to tons of cocaine destined for offloading in Mexico for shipment across the U.S. border. Evidence is mounting that major portions of the tuna industry have been bought by the notorious Cali Cartel and Mexican drug gangs, including the Tijuana cartel. The Dolphin Death Act was defeated in Congress last year, through the filibuster threat of Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and thousands of activists like you! Now the bill is back. Why are the Clinton Administration and members of Congress supporting the repeal of U.S. dolphin protection laws and opening a pipeline for the deadly cocaine trade of Colombia and Mexico? Will they sacrifice dolphins on the altar of free trade? IF YOU WANT TO TAKE ACTION What is needed is a flood of phone calls, faxes, and e-mail sent to members of the U.S. Senate, urging them to oppose S.39, the Dolphin Death Act. If you do not know who your Senators are, contact your local Registrar of Voters or City Hall. Information on contacting individual members of Congress is available on the Internet (check the Planet Ark web page, for example, for information on contacting members of Congress on this issue.) The Capitol Switchboard number is (202) 224-3121 -- ask to be connected with your Senator's office. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN. CALL EARTH ISLAND INSTITUTE (415) 788-3666 FOR ADDITIONAL INFO., OR CLICK ON THE E-MAIL ICON TO SEND E-MAIL TO DR. MARTEN AT EARTHRUST IN HAWAII. And, that's it, folks. Have a look at the webpage and see what YOU think. Tell others. Let's at least get informed. Yours sincerely, Ken Marten Dr. Ken Marten Phone: (808) 259-8264 Director of Research FAX: (808) 235-7519 Earthtrust - Project Delphis e-mail: porpoise(\)lava.net 25 Kaneohe Bay Dr. website: http://www.earthtrust.org Kailua, HI 96734 U.S.A. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 07:11:26 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: results of the HI humpback sanctuary question The other day, I posted a request for information concerning the results relative to the Hawaiian humpback whale sanctuary. Per the list editor's request, I am posting the response that was forwarded by Joe Mobley. In reference to the second part of my request, regarding the status of the proceedings of the NAFO/ICES meeting ("The Role of Marine Mammals in the Ecoystem"), I have heard from a few additional presenters that I hadn't talked to about this prior to my posting, and we would ALL like to know what's going on (particularly those of us whose presentations had something to do with graduate research), so if anyone has some info.... Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov **************** At 11:30 am today (Friday, June 6, 1997) Governor Cayetano approved the inclusion of state waters for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary program. The boundary that he selected changes the preferred NOAA alternative, but still leaves a portion of the Sanctuary on each of the main Hawaiian Islands. The Boundary is as follows: Kauai: From Kailiu Pt eastward to just past the Kilauea Lighthouse to Mokolea Pt. Oahu: North Shore: Puaena Pt northward to Mahie Pt (just south of Kahana Bay). and From the Diamond Head side of the Ala Wai Canal eastward to Makapuu Pt. Molokai: From Ilio Pt, south and eastward to Cape Halawa. Lanai: entire state waters Maui: Lipoa Pt, southward through Lahaina to the Hanamanioa Lighthouse. Big Island: Upolu Pt. south to Keahole Pt. A xerox copied map is available from the Sanctuary office at (808) 879-2818. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 12:08:03 +0100 From: Doug Cartlidge Subject: TAIJI ORCA DEATHS The following information is passed to Marmam members concerned over the recent destruction of an Orca pod by the captivity industry. ECO asks that ANYONE who has ANY information on the involvement of North American companies and or personnel involved in this capture operation to PLEASE forward proof to us. We promise that ANY and ALL information sources will remain strictly confidential and that those involved are exposed. Doug Cartlidge European Cetacean Organisation tele/fax: (UK 44) 1903 241 264 email: dougc(\)mistral.co.uk homepage: http://www3.mistral.co.uk/dougc *********************************** On the morning of June 17, the female orca in Shirahama Adventure World died. She had been pregnant and had miscarriage in April. She had been refusing to eat fish so that she became weak and could not even float by herself. The aquarium staff decreased the water in the tank to half. And at the end, she was held up by a canvas sling. Three days before the female's death, on 14th, one of the male orcas in Adventure World had died. He was the youngest among the Taiji Five and the one that was making a crying sound in the video. We, IKAN and JAVA, have sent a protest fax to the parties concerned. We will organize a rally at Ginza on June 21. Please send fax and E-mail to the addresses below : 1. Mr Ryutaro Hashimoto, Prime Minister of Japan Fax: 81 3 5511 8855 2. Mr. Michio Ahimada, Director of the National Fishery Agency Fax: 81 3 3502 0794 Director of Dolphin and Whale Action Network *************************** It is now impossible for Japanese or international activists to get any information on the fate of the remaining three orcas. Their tiny tanks are barred from public view or access and no information is forthcoming from the aquarium or the government. The condition of the remaining three orcas as they suffer loss of their family group, starvation, sensory deprivation and paralysis caused by lack of movement must be dreadful. Letters should be sent directly to the Prime Minister or President of your own country, demanding that formal protests be sent to the Japanese Government . We should also call upon our own governments to immediately institute an international agreement banning the taking of wild orcas for captivity. This is the time to go for an agreement in a big way. We should deluge the Japanese PM with protest again. That address is:- Mr. Ryutaro Hashimoto, Prime Minister of Japan Fax: 81 3 5511 8855 EMAIL MESSAGES to Japanese Prime Minister's official residence: email address: jpm(\)kantei.go.jp homepage: http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/question.html Australians for Animals. Taiji website will be updated tomorrow. http://www.paws.org/activists/taiji Doug Cartlidge European Cetacean Organisation 7 Meadway Court The Boulevard Worthing, BN13 1PN England tele+fax: 44 1903 241 264 email: dougc(\)mistral.co.uk Home page: http://www3.mistral.co.uk/dougc/ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 09:34:22 -0900 From: "Dr. David Duffy" Subject: El Nino/Southern Oscillation 1997-1998 , aliens-l(\)ns.planet.gen.nz, promed(\)usa.healthnet.org please circulate 1997 EL NINO MAY BE SEVERE: FIELD RESEARCH CAUTION Scripps News (18 VI 97 is reporting that the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center now is suggesting that the upcoming El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event may be a big one, approaching the 1982-1983 event in scope. Since a major ENSO can affect rainfall, currents, temperature and winds across most continents and oceans, researchers conducting single-year studies should be aware that this may well not be a 'normal' year. Those conducting long-term studies or working as part of a network may wish to set up additional measurements to 'capture' this event more fully. Those monitoring diseases should consider that rodent and arthropod populations may respond to drought or increased rainfall conditions characteristic of ENSO conditions in their region. A description of some typical effects can be found at . Additional documentation of the 1982 ENSO can be found in Glynn PW 1990. Global ecological consequences of the 1982-83 El Nino-Soputhern oscillation, Elsevier, New York. For more information Climate Prediction Center (see especially Climate Diagnostics Bulletin, click analysis and monitoring) provides all sorts of interesting ENSO climate data in near 'real time'. David Duffy AKNHP/Biology University of Alaska Anchorage Tel: 907-257-2784 Email: afdcd1(\)uaa.alaska.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 13:33:06 -0400 From: Phil Clapham Subject: Tuna-dolphin On the tuna-dolphin issue: The current situation has nothing whatsoever to do with Congress being "poorly informed" and everything to do with agendas and politics. The minority staff on both of the relevant House and Senate committees know the tuna-dolphin issue exceedingly well (they were, after all, the architects of the International Dolphin Conservation Act in 1992); and they have been fighting implementation of the Panama Agreement since it occurred. They succeeded in blocking legislation in the last Congress, and the fate of similar legislation in this one is uncertain. The bill to implement the Panama Agreement passed the House recently, but with a smaller margin than its proponents anticipated. It is now largely up to Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) who has been instrumental in blocking this legislation in the Senate to date. This issue goes far beyond dolphin deaths. It has major ramifications for free trade (viz. allowing another country to dictate one's own environmental and consumer standards because of free trade rules) and also involves a host of other issues, including even drug policy (since foreign tuna boats have been implicated in the shipment of narcotics). There are various interpretations of why the White House is so unwilling to compromise even an inch on its support of the Mexican tuna industry and the Panama Agreement, and it would be inappropriate for me to get into political speculation here. But the Administration's intransigence on this issue speaks volumes for the ramifications beyond the killing of dolphins. It is certainly worthwhile to write to your representatives and senators about this issue if you agree with the opponents of the current legislation. But you should also add a letter to the White House while you have your pen handy... Phil Clapham claphamp(\)nmnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 21 Jun 1997 10:02:46 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly summary 6/20/97 Forwarded message: The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 6/20/97 Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 6/13/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 6/19/97 are in CAPITAL LETTERS. . Marine Mammals . {Captive Orcas Die. In mid-June 1997, two of the 5 orcas captured off Taiji, Japan, on Feb. 7, 1997, died in captivity. On June 14, 1997, the youngest male orca captured died at Nanki Shirahama Adventure World. On June 17, 1997, a female orca at the same facility died; this whale was pregnant when captured, but had a miscarriage in April 1997.} [personal communication] . {Mortality Events. In mid-June 1997, nine dead dolphins washed ashore on Delaware beaches, many of them newborn animals. Cause of the mortality could not be immediately determined. BETWEEN LATE MAY AND MID-JUNE 1997, 17 ADULT HARBOR SEALS HAVE BEEN FOUND DEAD ON BEACHED IN MARIN COUNTY, CA. THE CAUSE OF DEATH IS UNDETERMINED.} [Assoc Press] . {Pirate Whaling? In mid-June 1997, NMFS requested an investigation of reports that as many as 12 sperm whale carcasses were sighted in the central Atlantic, 200 miles west of the Azores Islands, with large orange buoys and radar reflectors/beacons nearby. The Portuguese government is reportedly sending a naval vessel to investigate. Dead whales began to be reported by yachts on May 13, 1997, and two possible whaling vessels operating without lights were reported on May 27-28.} [personal communication] . CITES - Whales. On June 13, 1997, delegates at the meeting of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Parties in Zimbabwe voted 27-51 by secret ballot to defeat a Japanese proposal to sever linkage between CITES and the International Whaling Commission, giving whale conservation monitoring to CITES exclusively. {On June 16, 1997, CITES delegates rejected by a 47 to 64 vote a Japanese proposal to downlist eastern Pacific gray whales. On June 17, 1997, CITES meeting delegates rejected additional proposals by Japan and Norway to downlist several minke whale populations and allow international trade in certain whale products. Norway's request on minke whales failed on a secret ballot vote of 57-51, not having achieved the two-thirds majority required. Delegates voted 45-65 by secret ballot to defeat Japanese proposal on west Pacific minke whales and voted 53-59 by secret ballot to defeat a Japanese proposal on south Pacific minke whales. Subsequently, Japan withdrew a third proposal to downlist Bryde's whales in the northwest Pacific.} [Reuters, Dow Jones News, Assoc Press] . Hawaiian Whale Sanctuary. June 6, 1997, was the deadline by which HI Governor Ben Cayetano was to have decided how much, if any, of a proposed 1,680 square miles of state waters and submerged lands should be included within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and managed under its federal management plan. [Assoc Press] . Norwegian Whaling. On May 26, 1997, a Dutch court rejected Paul Watson's petition for release on bail at a hearing on his possible extradition to Norway. The court is to submit its recommendation concerning the Norwegian petition for extradition within two weeks. Lofoten Islands police have announced that legal proceedings in Lofoten County Court are scheduled against Watson in Norway on Sept. 1, 1997, relating to alleged negligent navigation and collision with a Norwegian coast guard vessel in the summer of 1994. Compensation for damages of $120,000 with possible interest is sought by the Norwegian Navy for this collision. On May 28, 1997, the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management wrote a letter to the CITES Secretariat stating that Norway will establish a DNA register for whales to better identify whalemeat from whales taken under proclaimed Norwegian quotas, as an addendum to Norway's proposal to downlist 2 minke whale stocks. On June 9, 1997, a Dutch court decided not to grant Norway's request for extradition of Paul Watson; Watson was subsequently released. On June 11, 1997, Oslo district court rejected whalers' arguments in a lawsuit against the Norwegian government, and ruled that the government had the right to stop whaling from 1988 to 1992. [Assoc Press, High North Alliance News, Dow Jones News, personal communication] . Atlantic Large Whale Protection. In late May 1997, U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock ruled that federal agencies were making sufficient progress through proposed regulations to address citizen concerns for better protecting north Atlantic right whales. [Assoc Press] . The following information is being posted on behalf of a colleague. Reprints available of: Mills, L.R. and K.R. Rademacher. 1996. Atlantic spotted dolphins (_Stenella frontalis_) in the Gulf of Mexico. Gulf of Mexico Science 14: 114-120. There is no abstract or summary provided within the article. Please do NOT hit reply and send your reprint request to me, but to the author: Lisa R. Mills Mobile Bay National Estuary Program 440 Fairhope Avenue Fairhope, Alabama 36532 USA ***** Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 21 Jun 1997 10:05:27 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Underwater sounds and Ziphius cavirostris (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "A. Frantzis" Dear Marmamers, Last year, we posted a message concerning an atypical mass stranding of Ziphius cavirostris, in the greek coasts. During 36 hours, at least 13 individuals stran ded alive. As we still examine all possible causes of the stranding, we would like to know if someone has scientific information (published papers or reports) or even advices to give, co ncerning underwater acoustical research that could threat beaked whales' life, in any possible way ( loss of echolocating abilities, barotrauma, etc.) and drive them to strand. What could it mean for a beaked whale a loud sound of low frequences (<2KHz)? At which distance from the source, could it be dangerous for an animal, at 50, 1 00 or 200 db? As our knowledge on basic biacoustics is very limited and our library very poor, we would be obliged to anyone who can help us. Thanking you in advance, Alexandros ________________________________________________________ Dr. Alexandros Frantzis Personal address: Zoological Laboratory Terpsichoris 21 Dept. of Biology 16671 VOULIAGMENI University of Athens GREECE Panepistimioupolis tel : ++301 /8962730 GR-157 84 ATHENS GREECE e-mail : afratzis(\)atlas.uoa.ariadne-t.gr tel : ++301 / 7284634 fax : ++301 / 7284604 ________________________________________________________ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Tim Francis In short, I have been collecting information on a pod of Gervais BW, living in an area off Fuerteventura, Canary Islans: The evidence that they habit the waters there come from strandings which occurred in the later 80's/early 90's. I have been gathering specific information now for 5 years, with the intention of promoting/generating a sea observation project into these very rare whales. The information I seek is to make sure that I am not covering the same ground as another research team. My work is non-commercial ... I do not propose to turn any sea studies into a whale watching site ... these whales are too shy and vunerable to tolerate such commercial/tourist activity. Indeed, manovers by the Spanish Navy in the feed grounds cause 8 beaked whales to strand - probably due to sonar equipment being used in the naval exercise. To date, I have requested the crew of a whale/dolphin research catamaran to keep an eye out for beaked whales during their time in the Canaries ... however, most of their sea time was spent off the western islands, where they were working with pilot whales. My research suggests that the Gervais (and goosebeaked whales ) feed in the 1000+ metre deep trenches between Fuerteventura and the African mainland: The distance to Morocco is only 80 miles at that point. This area is rich in squid, the principle diet of beaked whales. If anyone has any relevant information on this area/Gervais whales in general [sonic ranges, diet, etc], then it will be very welcomed. Many regards, Tim Francis. I have recently received marmam message regarding the culling of pinnipeds and I feel the need to address some of the satements that have been made. I am not affiliated with any group, committee, or organization, but I am an relatively informed undergrad in California. First and foremost, I agree with several statesments. Yes, pinnipeds are a part of the ecosystem, in fact they may play a very important role in the ecosystem. However, we are faced now with a dilema, the life of five animals or the extinction of a species! NMFS has NOT proposed lethal taking of animals as a measure to control an increasing pinniped population. They are NOT just going out to a random haul out site and shooting animals! THAT IS NOT WHAT THEY ARE DOING! On 30 April 1994, new amendments to the MMPA were signed to law! These amendments state that a state can apply to the Secretary of Commerce to authorize the intentional lethal taking of pinnipeds having a significant impact on Salmonid fishery stocks. Under section 120 (b)(1), the secretary must idnetify factors determining approval or DENIAL of an application. As you know, NMFS approved the WDW request to lethal remove pinnipeds at the Ballard Locks, with conditions!!!! These conditions are (1) predation exceeds 10% of the available steelhead trout in any consecutive 7 days after Jan 1st, (2) captured sea lions will be euthanized humanely, (3) the corps provides a report to the service on recommendations on improving fish passage, and (4) WDW invesigates the benefits of expanding or modifying ADD's. However, lethal removal can only occur if ALL NON-LETHAL DETERRENT METHODS HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED, AND USED ONLY AS A LAST RESORT! Since 1980, NMFS has implemented a number of investigations on pinniped predation on winter run steelhead that pass through the Ballard Locks. They have tried everything, including seal bombs, ADD's, AHD's, barrier net, Orca vocalizations, an Orca dummy, tactile harassment, and capture and relocation. Unfortunatly these deterrent methods have only short term effects and the pinnipeds continue to return the next year! At this point we have a serious problem with our fishery stocks! As of Feburary 1997, six populations of Pacific Salmonids have been listed as endangered uner the ESA and 12 populations have been proposed for listing. In particular, the winter run steelhead at the Ballard Locks is considered 'critical.' The number of steelhead returning to their spawning streams has declined from a maximum of 3,000 in the early 1980's to an all time low of 70 during the 1993-94 run. That is only 70 total fish! Their decline however, is not a result of sea lion predation. Destruction of habitat, inadequate riverine passage due to hydroelectric power dams and overharvesting are ultimatly responsible. But of immediate concern is the pinniped predation. The Ballard Locks are certainly not going to be torn down in the near future, habitat reconstruction takes time, and commercial fishing on winter run steelhead has already stopped. What we have now, is less then 70 fish and pinnipeds eating up to 65% of those fish. Extinction of this fishery stock is imminent. The proposed lethal removal of predatory sea lions is to save the steelhead. I agree, we shouldn't lethally take any animal. But we must consider the broader implications. Which is more important, five individual lives or the extinction of a species? Sea lion populations have been increasing at an annual rate of 5% since 1972, and Steelhead on the other hand have been decling rapidly since 1980. We do not know at this point is there is a correaltion between Sea lion abundance and declining steelhead. But what we do know is that at the Ballard Locks, sea lion predation IS having a significant impact on returning winter run steelhead! I recommend to everyone who reads this to take the time to fully research the issue before making any judgments. All of the reports regarding this issue are available to the public from the NMFS or WDW. The new ammendments to the MMPC are available via the WWW. It is important that you know what is really going on. NMFS is NOT intending to kill off say 200 pinnipeds at random, they have serious conditions to contend with. If you take the time to read the reports and step back a little to see the broader picture, you may gain a different perspective. Or at the very least, have an informed opinion. Samantha E. Richman cruciger(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 06:30:58 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - skin lesions and physical deformities of Tursiops The following is being posted, per request of the senior author. Please note the contact address that follows the abstract. Wilson, B., Thompson, P.M., & Hammond, P.S. 1997. Skin lesions and physical deformities in bottlenose dolphins in the Moray Firth; population prevalence and age-sex differences. _Ambio_ 26(4): 243- 247. University of Aberdeen, Department of Zoology, Lighthouse Field Station, Cromarty, Ross-shire, IV11 8YJ, UK. Gatty Marine Laboratory, School of Biological and Medical Sciences, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16, 8LB, UK. Abstract: Bottlenose dolphins resident in the Moray Firth, NE Scotland, display a variety of skin lesions and physical deformities which appear to be signs of disease, the cause of which is unknown. The population is isolated and small (around 130 individuals) and it is important to determine the severity of this problem to establish if there is cause for concern. Assessing the health of free-ranging marine mammals is difficult. We used photographs of individuals, taken over a four year period, to provide a full and systematic description of the types of lesions and deformities present and to document the prevalence of each type. Overall, 95% of dolphins sampled showed one or more types of lesion on the back or dorsal fin; 61% had three or more types and 5% had six or seven types. Six percent of animals displayed deformities. Lesions on adult females and calves covered significantly greater areas of skin than on adult males or sub-adults. The results show that visible disease is a prominent feature of this population and is, therefore, a cause for concern. The next step is to establish whether this is a natural feature or is anthropogenically induced and the findings are discussed in this context. Reprint requests should be sent to: Ben Wilson, Lighthouse Field Station, Cromarty Ross-shire, IV11, 8YJ The UK. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 12:22:06 +0900 From: Hiroko Wada Subject: Dioxins affect on cetaceans --Dioxin affects on cetaceans-- Dear Marmam members, The following is an article from a series, "Garbage War--Dioxins", in the Asahi Newspaper (June 22,1997), which some of you may be interested in. "Dioxins affect on dolphins and whales. Found higher concentration around Japan compared to the southen ocean. Research by Ehime Univ." A group led by Prof. Wakimoto, School of Agliculture, Ehime Univercity, Japan, found higher concentrations of dioxins in bodies of Japanese coastal dolphins an d whales than the ones in the southen ocean. The comparison of concentration lev els was made internationally for the first time. Since the type of dioxins foun d in cetacean bodies were the same as those found in burnt garbage, Prof. Wakim oto thinks that dioxin pollution by burnt garbage has increased. As the human bo dy takes up dioxins mostly from foods such as fish, the contamination of Japan ese coastal whales seems to affect the Japanese diet. Since whales and dolphins are located in the higher levels of the food chain, th e whole picture of oceanic pollution can be only understood by examining dioxin levels of cetacean bodies. Prof. Wakimoto's group examined dioxin levels in the blubber of 23 bodies of cet aceans including Baird's beaked whales and Fraser's dolphins off Nagasaki and W akayama, Japan and 16 of Fraser's dolphins and Spinner dolphins around the Phill ipines and the Indian Ocean. When the toxicity of the different dioxins were expressed as those of 2,3,7,8-TC DD, that is one of the most toxic substance, 0.03~1.2 pico gramfrom the bodies o f the southern cetacean were found, while 0.6~18.2 pico gram were found from Ja panese bodies. Strikingly, the dioxin levels of 8~80times higher than those of southern coastal ones were found from three Japanese coastal Finless porpoises. Dioxins are comprised of 75 isomers of dibenzo-para-dioxins and 135 of dibenzofu rans. Isomers from both dibenzo-para-dioxins and dibenzofurans were found in the bodies of Japanese coastal cetaceans but almost no isomers of dibenzo-para-dio xins were found in the southern bodies. Burnt garbage produces both types of isomers and Prof. Wakimoto suspects that 1) Japanese coast has been polluted mostly by garbage burning 2) Southern water h as been polluted by dibenzofurans from PCB products dumped from ships. Prof. Wakimoto warned,"There are many garbage burning facilities in Japan and th e regulations are poor, letting pollution on the land extend to the sea. We ass ume that the dioxin from Japanese land hasn't reached offshore waters, but have to take appropriate mesurements as quick as possible since chemicals in the envi ronment always spread." Hiroko Wada humpback(\)aqu.bekkoame.or.jp ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 14:48:01 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Scientific inquiry and the government? (fwd) Editor's note: The abstract from a Perspectives piece in the most recent edition of the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, as well as a letter regarding a controversy surrounding this article are provided below. --------------------------------------- Hutchings, J.A., C. Walters and R.L. Haedrich. 1997. Is scientific inquiry incompatible with government information control? Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 54:1198-1210. Abstract Government-administered science in Canada, and its potential for bureaucratic and political interference, merits examination in the wake of the biological and socioeconomic catastrophes associated with recent fishery collapses. We cite specific research on Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) habitat to illustrate how nonscience influences can interfere with the dissemination of scientific information and the conduct of science in the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The present framework for linking fisheries science with fisheries management has permitted, intentionally or unintentionally, a suppression of scientific uncertainty and a failure to document comprehensively legitimate differences in scientific opinion. We suggest that the conservation of natural resources is not facilitated by science integrated within a political body. The formation of a politically independent organization of fisheries scientists, or some such reorganization of the link between scientific research and the management of natural resources, merits serious and open debate. -------------------------------------------------- From: Dave Lavigne To whom it may concern, As you may be aware, a bitter controversy has erupted over an editorial and a Perspectives piece in the most recent edition of the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (CJFAS). The attached letter is our suggested response to a highly personal and intemperate letter from Mr. W.A. Rowat, Canadian Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.=20 His letter appears on the DFO web page at http://www.ncr.dfo.ca/new/letter_e.htm/. To get some sense of the tone of the wider DFO response, I also suggest reading a letter to the Canadian Press from DFO Assistant Deputy Minister Scott Parsons which appears on the DFO web page at http://www.ncr.dfo.ca/new/perspect_e.htm/. It is essential, of course, that we respond expeditiously. If you wish to support this statement, please fax us a signed copy, or e-mail us your support and send a signed copy by mail or courier. We will forward the responses we receive, and post the letter and names of signatories on our web site. Our address is included at the bottom of this message. If you know anyone who might support this statement, please forward it to them. Thank you for your consideration. Peter Meisenheimer International Marine Mammal Association Inc. 1474 Gordon St., Guelph, ON Canada. N1L 1C8 phone: (519) 767 1948 fax: (519) 767 0284 pmeisenh(\)imma.org ---------------------------------------------- 24 June, 1997 Dr. Arthur Carty President National Research Council 1200 Montreal Road Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6 Dear Dr. Carty As scientists reliant on the objectivity and fairness of publications such as the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, we wish to take strong exception to the views expressed by W. A. Rowat, Canadian Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, in a letter sent to you and posted on the DFO web page (appended). The Deputy Minister misrepresents the nature of two pieces appearing in the current issue of CJFAS. The Perspectives section of CJFAS, in which the piece by Hutchings et al appeared, is clearly intended as a forum for opinion and has a history of lively debate. It is precisely the appropriate place for a work such as the one Mr. Rowat condemns in such intemperate and ad hominum terms. The editorial is, of course, an editorial. The opinions of the editor are his own business, and any journal requiring editorial clearance from government bureaucrats would not be worth publishing in. The issues raised in these pieces are of importance to all Canadians, not just those in government departments. The views expressed by Hutchings et al, and by Dr. Cook in the editorial are widely held in the Canadian academic community and reflect concerns that have been expressed repeatedly in mainstream media. It is imperative that they be discussed openly, and without filtration by senior bureaucrats with a vested interest in suppressing criticism. With due respect, the Deputy Minister=92s letter betrays exactly the same obsession with controlling and suppressing debate which the publications in question criticise. It must also be clarified that neither of the publications makes the sweeping condemnation of DFO staff which the Deputy Minister alleges.=20 It is precisely their point that highly respectable conclusions of government scientists are not given free expression in an open and collegial work environment. Hutchings et al state, "=85our criticisms are directed at the present system of government-administered science and its facilitation of bureaucratic/political interference, not at individuals." Cook goes further, "Individual DFO scientists, who have provided CJFAS sustained support throughout its history with influential papers, excellent reviews, and invaluable editorial assistance, are deservedly among the most respected fisheries and aquatic workers anywhere in the world..." =09We believe that Dr. Cook should be commended for publishing his editorial, Hutchings et al, and the Perspectives piece by Kerr and Ryder which appeared in the same edition. Taken together these publications represent a solid contribution to a long-overdue debate on how to ensure the integrity of government-administered science. Our colleagues within government departments are not free to make their own case, and it is essential that those outside the reach of politically motivated managers stand by them. We extend Dr. Cook, and by extension the NRC, our gratitude. Sincerely, ------------------------------------------------------- > Deputy Minister's letter to National Research Council - June 1997 >=20 > Dr. Arthur Carty > President > National Research Council > 1200 Montreal Road > Ottawa, Ontario > K1A 0R6 >=20 > Dear Dr. Carty: >=20 > I am writing to express my deep concern about the failure of the NRC to follow due process in publishing a Perspectives article > and an Editorial in the May issue of the Canadian Journal of Fisheries an= d Aquatic Sciences, due out in the next day or so. I have > just seen a preprint of these articles. Frankly, I am appalled that the Editor of this Journal, published by the NRC denied the > Department of Fisheries and Oceans an opportunity to see these articles and provide an opportunity to respond in the same issue > of the Journal in which they appear. >=20 > The Department was first alerted to the existence of these articles by th= e Editor in mid-May and was told that these articles "are > highly critical of certain DFO actions and policies". The Department requested that the Editor provide DFO with copies of the > articles so that the Department might have an opportunity to assess the validity of any allegations made and that space be made > available in the same issue of the Journal where the articles appear to allow DFO to respond. I am alarmed that this reasonable > request was denied by your Editorial officials. I find this particularly disturbing given that, in accordance with Journal practice, in > the April issue there is a Perspectives article with rejoinders from thre= e different authors. Why was DFO denied a similar > opportunity to comment and respond? This smacks of a double standard whic= h one would not normally expect to encounter in > such a scientific publication. >=20 > After reading the article by Hutchings et al and the Editorial by Dr. David Cook, I am appalled at the unprofessional and > unsubstantiated nature of their attacks on DFO, its scientists and its managers. These authors have maligned the reputations of > hundreds of dedicated, hard-working scientists and managers across the country. >=20 > These are not scientific papers. They are tabloid journalism of the sort one would not expect to encounter in a scientific journal. > They are based on innuendo and misrepresentation which have no place in a scientific journal. >=20 > Most of the so-called information in these articles has been in the publi= c domain since the 1980s. As an example, the 1980s > information concerning northern cod was available to the independent panels led, on different occasions, by Dr. Dayton Alverson > and Dr. Leslie Harris. In both instances, these Panels essentially reache= d the same conclusions regarding stock status as had been > earlier advanced by DFO scientists. With respect to the Kemano allegations, the authors have selectively picked from more than > 100,000 pages of documentation made public several years ago, only a few select pieces which could be misrepresented to > support their argument. Federal government scientists were invited and indeed did testify freely, whatever their views, before the > British Columbia Utilities Commission inquiry of 1994. The issues involve= d were thoroughly aired and debated in the public > inquiry. >=20 > I regret that the NRC has allowed two former employees of DFO, namely the departing Editor of the Journal and the senior > author of the Perspectives Paper, to use this Journal as a platform from which to launch a personal vendetta against DFO, its > scientists and its managers. >=20 > Having been denied the opportunity to respond to these false allegations in this issue I demand that adequate space be provided in > the June issue of the Journal for responses by Departmental scientists an= d managers whose reputations have been unjustly > tarnished by this ill-conceived and unfounded attack upon some of the world=92s leading scientists. >=20 > I deeply regret that NRC officials have allowed the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences to be misused by a > privileged few and, at the same time, denied those attacked the opportunity to respond to the false allegations and > misrepresentations which appear in these articles. >=20 > W.A. Rowat >=20 Multiple recipients of l Forwarded request for photographs: E/The Environmental Magazine is searching for photos of gray whale in Baja for an upcoming feature on the species -- our deadline is this week or early next week if that's at all workable. Specifically, we are looking for: * shots with prominent gray whales, possibly with boats or people in the background * baby gray whales with their mothers, whales playing * any photos which incorporate gray whales in Baja, Mexico waters. Any photo contribution would, of course, be credited to the photographer, and the photos would be returned after publication. Color slides are best; transparencies are also good and prints are workable. Because we are a nonprofit, we aren't able to pay for most of our photos, but we may be willing to negotiate a small fee for reproduction costs. Anyone interested please contact Jennifer English at (203) 854-5559, ext. 111. Thanks for your help and your time, Jennifer < emagazine(\)prodigy.com> E/The Environmental Magazine, 28 Knight Street, Norwalk, CT 06851USA, Mail: PO Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881-5098 USA 203-854-5559, Fax: 203-866-0602, < emagazine(\)prodigy.com> ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 24 Jun 1997 12:30:08 -0400 Reply-To: stephanie ann burns From: stephanie ann burns Subject: Marine Mammal Strandings This message is a request for anyone who may have any information, or can head me in the right direction, regarding the pathology of marine mammal strandings or seal sighting data and stranding patterns (preferably in the Northeastern US). As a recent graduate, I am interested in this area of study, and have access to sources at the Wake Forest University library. Being a liberal school, however, periodicals concerning marine mammal science are few and far between, thus, leaving me with limited resources with which to work. I have also researched the libraries of NC State, UNC Chapel Hill, and Duke University, but without much success. Through periodical searches I know that articles discussing this issue do exist, though the problem lies in tracking down the sources which contain them. The following is a list that I have compiled, so if anyone has access to these articles, or knows where they can be found, it would be of great assisstance. Thanks for your time and help. Marine mammal strandings and pathological causes: Webster, W.D., Goley, P.D., Pustis, J, and Gouveia, J.F. 1995. Seasonality in Cetacean strandings along the coast of North Carolina. Brimleyana, 0(23), 41-51. Guinet, C. 1991. Intentional stranding apprenticeship and social play in killer whales(Orcinus orca). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 69(11), 2712-2716. Buck, J.D., Overstrom, N.A., Patton, G.W., Anderson, H.F., and Gorzelany, J.F. 1991. Bacteria associated with stranded cetaceans from the northeast USA and southwest Florida Gulf coast. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 10(2), 147-152. Duigan, P.J., Geraci, J.R., Raga, J.A., Calzada, N. Pathology of morbillivirus infection in striped dolphins(Stenella coeruleoalba) from Valencia and Murcia, Spain. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research, 56(3), 242-246. Raga, J.A., Abril, E., Goodall, R.N.P., and Balbuena, J.A. 1994. Nasitrema sp. (Digena: Nasitrematidae) from the Long-Finned Pilot Whale(Globicephala melas) off Tierra del Fuego: A New Host Record. Report of the International Whaling Commission, 0(44), 371-374. Podesta, M., Marsili, L., Focardi, S., Manfredi, M.T., Mignone, W., and Genchi, C. 1993. Pathology, parasitology, and toxocology in Stenella coeruleoalba stranded along the Western Ligurian coasts, Italy. Atti della Societa Italiana di Scienze Naturali e del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano, 133(9), 101-112. Collet, A. 1994. Marine mammal strandings on the French coast. Recueil de Medecine Veterinaire de l'Ecole d'Alfort, 170(2-3), 93-96. Stede, M. 1994. On the cause of death in whales from the North Sea coast of Lower Saxony: The cause of whale strandings in this area. Drosera, 94(1-2), 7-19. Thanks again. Sincerely, Stephanie A. Burns (burnssa3(\)wfu.edu) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 10:16:50 -0400 From: Marthajane Caldwell Gustin Subject: Volunteers Needed Volunteers Needed for Bottlenose Dolphin Research Project for July and August 1997 I'm a University of Miami Graduate student researching bottlenose dolphins in Jacksonville, FL. Boat-based photo-identification and behavioral surveys are conducted twice weekly. If you are interested in learning how to study free-ranging dolphins and what to do with the data once it is collected please e-mail me. For More Information Please Contact: Marthajane Caldwell University of Miami E-mail: caldwell(\)pop.jaxnet.com Snail-mail: Marthajane Caldwell 4837 Dunn Ave. Jacksonville, FL 32218 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Marthajane Caldwell University of Miami caldwell(\) pop.jaxnet.com If you encounter difficulty, don't change your decision to go. Change your direction to get there. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 24 Jun 1997 20:31:52 -1000 From: "Herbert L. Roitblat" Subject: Potential sponsor looking for expedition I have been asked by a potential sponsor to find whether there are any scientific expeditions that would be interested in taking along a writer/photographer in return for partial support. The sponsor would be interested in exotic locations and/or species. Good science is an essential feature. I don't have too many other details about the sponsor's needs, but I would very much like to hear from anyone planning such a trip for sometime after August, 1997. Please respond by July 5 via email with a short (1 paragraph) description of your project, its dates, and durations. Tentative plans for future trips would also be welcome. Herbert Roitblat, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology roitblat(\)hawaii.edu University of Hawaii (808) 956-6727 (808) 956-4700 fax 2430 Campus Road, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 17:44:05 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Re: H Pylori in Tursiops truncatus (fwd) Forwarded message: As one of the Attending Veterinarians for two local marine mammal exhibits, we have recently come across a number of bottlenose dolphins with either gastric ulcers or gastric erosions on endoscopy. We have defined a urease producing organism as part of our GI surveys. Helobacter pylori, a causitve agent in human ulcers, is one such organism that produces this enzyme and therefore could theoretically could be the causative agent here as well. There are little or no references in marine mammal medicine on this subject and therefore we were interested in polling the scientific community for their insights. I trust this information will broaden the inquiry. Thank you. BP Bryan J. Perry DVM S.U.N.Y. at Buffalo Int. Director Comparative Medicine LAF BEB 116 3435 Main St. Buffalo N.Y. 14214 perry(\)acsu.buffalo.edu ph: (716) 829 2919 fax: (716) 829 3249 Organization: IMMA Subject: Re: Scientific inquiry and the government The earlier posting referred to in the header (Scientific inquiry and the government) contains two URLs for DFO documents. I have received messages from individuals who have been unable to access the sites. The problem can be solved by dropping the last slash and the period at the end of the URL (i.e. it should end .htm). For the convenience of those interested, here they are again: http://www.ncr.dfo.ca/new/letter_e.htm http://www.ncr.dfo.ca/new/perspect_e.htm -- Peter Meisenheimer International Marine Mammal Association 1474 Gordon St., Guelph, Ontario, Canada. N1L 1C8. Telephone 1-519-767-1948 ext 24. Facsimile 1-519-767-0284. pmeisenh(\)imma.org ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 18:52:34 -0200 Reply-To: guara(\)nethall.com.br From: Fabio & Rita Subject: Arctocephalus tropicalis Dear All, We have been monitoring Arctocephalus tropicalis records in the coast of southeastern Brazil for some years and are now in the process to trying to identify patterns, if any, especially with regard to macro processes like El Nino events or current shifts. Seal numbers vary widely among years but it appears to be some clear peaks, when tens of individuals strand in a fairly limited area. We are in need of any info about that species from mainland Africa in order to check against ours. Any input, reference info or suggestion will be most welcome. Thanks Fabio -- Fabio Olmos Av. Senador Casemiro da Rocha 148 apt. 134 04047-000, Sao Paulo, SP guara(\)nethall.com.br +55 (0) 11 2758047 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Jun 1997 12:20:28 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly summary (fwd) Forwarded message: From: Kate Wing Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 6/27/97 Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 6/20/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 6/26/97 are in CAPITAL LETTERS. Marine Mammals . {TUNA-DOLPHIN LEGISLATION. ON JUNE 26, 1997, THE U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION MARKED-UP AND ORDERED S. 39 REPORTED AS AMENDED TO ALLOW THE USE OF THE 'DOLPHIN-SAFE' LABEL IF NO DOLPHINS ARE OBSERVED TO HAVE BEEN KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED DURING TUNA HARVEST.} [REUTERS] . {Japanese Research Whaling. On June 25, 1997, officials of Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research announced the terms of sale for 1,995 tons of meat from 440 minke whales taken in the Southern Ocean between November 1996 and March 1997. This meat is to be sold primarily to processor of canned foods, with projected revenue of 3.5 billion yen. Prime-quality meant for general consumption would be sold wholesale for 3,840 yen per kilogram, with the retail price to be three times the wholesale price.} [Dow Jones News] . Captive Orcas Die. In mid-June 1997, two of the 5 orcas captured off Taiji, Japan, on Feb. 7, 1997, died in captivity. On June 14, 1997, the youngest male orca captured died at Nanki Shirahama Adventure World. On June 17, 1997, a female orca at the same facility died; this whale was pregnant when captured, but had a miscarriage in April 1997. [personal communication] . Mortality Events. In mid-June 1997, nine dead dolphins washed ashore on Delaware beaches, many of them newborn animals. Cause of the mortality could not be immediately determined. Between late May and mid-June 1997, 17 adult harbor seals have been found dead on beaches in Marin County, CA. The cause of death is undetermined. [Assoc Press] . Pirate Whaling? In mid-June 1997, NMFS requested an investigation of reports that as many as 12 sperm whale carcasses were sighted in the central Atlantic, 200 miles west of the Azores Islands, with large orange buoys and radar reflectors/beacons nearby. The Portuguese government is reportedly sending a naval vessel to investigate. Dead whales began to be reported by yachts on May 13, 1997, and two possible whaling vessels operating without lights were reported on May 27-28. [personal communication] . CITES - Whales. On June 13, 1997, delegates at the meeting of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Parties in Zimbabwe voted 27-51 by secret ballot to defeat a Japanese proposal to sever linkage between CITES and the International Whaling Commission, giving whale conservation monitoring to CITES exclusively. On June 16, 1997, CITES delegates rejected by a 47 to 64 vote a Japanese proposal to downlist eastern Pacific gray whales. On June 17, 1997, CITES meeting delegates rejected additional proposals by Japan and Norway to downlist several minke whale populations and allow international trade in certain whale products. Norway's request on minke whales failed on a secret ballot vote of 57-51, not having achieved the two-thirds majority required. Delegates voted 45-65 by secret ballot to defeat Japanese proposal on west Pacific minke whales and voted 53-59 by secret ballot to defeat a Japanese proposal on Southern Ocean minke whales. Subsequently, Japan withdrew a third proposal to downlist Bryde's whales in the northwest Pacific. [Reuters, Dow Jones News, Assoc Press] . Hawaiian Whale Sanctuary. June 6, 1997, was the deadline by which HI Governor Ben Cayetano was to have decided how much, if any, of a proposed 1,680 square miles of state waters and submerged lands should be included within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and managed under its federal management plan. [Assoc Press] . Norwegian Whaling. On June 9, 1997, a Dutch court decided not to grant Norway's request for extradition of Paul Watson; Watson was subsequently released. On June 11, 1997, Oslo district court rejected whalers' arguments in a lawsuit against the Norwegian government, and ruled that the government had the right to stop whaling from 1988 to 1992. [Assoc Press, High North Alliance News, Dow Jones News, personal communication] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. For additional information on items in this summary or their sources, congressional staff may call Gene Buck (CRS-ENR) at 7-7262 or send a fax to 7-7289. This summary is available daily or weekly (each Friday) via e-mail to congressional staff; requests from congressional staff to be added to the daily or weekly distribution lists may be sent to "gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov". ------ The following are the abstracts for the most recent articles found i= n=20 _Marine Mammal Science_, as well as a list of the notes. These are=20 posted as a courtesy to the list editors of Marmam, as well as the=20 journal editor. Please do not contact me regarding reprint requests= =20 or other inquiries related to this posting; I have provided the=20 contact address for the corresponding author. =20 Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov =20 ********************************** Hobson, K.A* and I. Stirling. 1997. Low variation in blood=20 [stable-carbon-13] among Hudson Bay polar bears: implications for=20 metabolism and tracing terrestrial foraging. _Marine Mammal Science_= =20 13(3): 359-367. =20 * Canadian Wildlife Service, 115 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon,=20 Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 0X4 =20 We investigated the use of stable-carbon isotope analysis of serum a= nd=20 cellular fractions of blood to detect the extent of terrestrial=20 feeding in polar bears on land during the ice-free period in western= =20 Hudson Bay. We compared blood in bears that were restricted entirel= y=20 to coastal areas, who showed no evidence of terrestrial feeding, wit= h=20 blood in bears sampled at inland locations and who were known to hav= e=20 fed on berries of _Vaccinium uliginosum_ and _Empetrum nigrum_. =20 Despite a separation of approximately 9 [parts per thousand] values=20 between these two groups of bears. This suggests that (1) carbon=20 pathways associated with feeding on berries result in minor=20 incorporation of terrestrial-based carbon into bulk plasma or cellul= ar=20 fractions of blood, (2) bears feed insignificantly on berries despit= e=20 observational evidence to the contrary, or (3) carbon mobilized form= =20 endogenous lipid reserves overwhelmed the terrestrial signal or coul= d=20 not be segregated isotopically from carbon derived from berry=20 carbohydrates. We discuss evidence for each of these scenarios and=20 suggest that a more effective approach to using stable-carbon isotop= e=20 analysis to delineate the importance or use of terrestrial foods to=20 polar bears on land in Hudson Bay during the ice-free period might b= e=20 through the isotopic analysis of exhaled carbon dioxide rather than=20 blood components. *********************************************** Clapham, P.J.*, S. Leatherwood, I. Szczepaniak, and R.L. Brownell, J= r.=20 1997. Catches of humpback and other whales from shore stations at=20 Moss Landing and Trinidad, California, 1919-1926. Marine Mammal=20 Science 13(3): 368-394. =20 * Smithsonian Institution, NHB 390, MRC 108, Washington, DC 20560, U= SA =20 Logbook data from California shore whaling stations at Moss Landing=20 (1919-1922 and 1924) and Trinidad (1920 and 1922-1926) are analyzed.= =20 The logs for the two stations record the taking of 2,111 whales,=20 including 1,871 humpbacks, 177 fin whales, 26 sei whales, 3 blue=20 whales, 12 sperm whales, 7 gray whales, 1 right whale, 1 Baird's=20 beaked whale, and 13 whales of unspecified type (probably humpbacks)= . =20 Most whales were taken from spring to autumn, but catches were made = in=20 all months of some years. The sex ratios of humpback, fin, and sei=20 whales (the three species with sufficient sample sizes to test) did=20 not differ from parity. Primary prey, determined from stomach=20 contents, included sardines and euphausidds for both humpback and fi= n=20 whales, and "plankton" (probably euphausiids) for sei whales. The=20 prevalence of pregnancy was 0.46 among mature female humpbacks and=20 0.43 among mature female fin whales, although these values are repot= ed=20 with caution. Information on length distribution for all species is= =20 summarized. Analysis of the catch data for this and other areas=20 supports the current view that humpback whales along the west coast = of=20 the continental United States comprise a single feeding stock and al= so=20 suggests that the present population is well below pre-exploitation=20 levels. ******************************************************* Fukui, Y., T. Mogoe, H. Ishikawa, and S. Ohsumi. 1997. _In vitro_=20 fertilization of _in vitro_ matured minke whale (_Balaenoptera=20 acutorostrata_) follicular oocytes. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(3):=20 395-404. =20 * Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Reproduction, Obihiro University= =20 of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080, Japan =20 _In vitro_ fertilization of follicular oocytes harvested from ovarie= s=20 and matured _in vitro_ was attempted for 55 minke whales=20 (_Balaenoptera acutorostrata_) captured for Japanese research purpos= es=20 in the Antarctic Ocean during the period from November 1995 to March= =20 1996. In Experiment 1, effects of culture duration (96 h or 120 h) = on=20 maturation of follicular oocytes and addition of caffeine (5 mM)=20 and/or heparin (100 microgram/ml) on sperm penetration and pronuclea= r=20 formation were investigated. Spermatozoa recovered from the vas=20 deferentia of four mature males were diluted (5-fold) and frozen at=20 -80 degrees Celsius. The post-thawed and pooled spermatozoa wre use= d=20 for _in vitro_ insemination. A higher (P<0.05) and pronuclear=20 formation (P<0.01) were obtained in the oocytes culture for 120 h=20 (55.1% and 40.4%) than in those cultured for 96 h (32.4% and 20.6%).= =20 Adition of caffeine and heparin did not show a significant effect. = In=20 Experiment 2, follicular oocytes matured for 120 h and then=20 inseminated and were cultured to examine the subsequent development = in=20 two culture systems (with and without co-cultured cumulus cells). O= f=20 448 inseminated oocytes, cleaved embryos (2-16 cells) were observed=20 with (5.8%) and without (4.9%) co-cultured systems. No cleavage was= =20 observed in 54 ova without insemination. These results indicate tha= t=20 _in vitro_ fertilization of minke whale _in vitro_ matured follicula= r=20 oocytes with cryopreserved spermatozoa is possible, yielding cleaved= =20 embryos. ************************* Gannon, D.P*., A.J. Read, J.E. Craddock, and J.G. Mead. 1997. =20 Stomach contents of long-finned pilot whales (_Globicephala melas_)=20 stranded on the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast. _Marine Mammal Science_=20 13(3): 405-418. =20 * Dept of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole,= =20 Massachusetts 02543, USA =20 Ten prey taxa were recorded from the stomach contents of eight=20 long-finned pilot whales (_Globicephala melas_) independently strand= ed=20 along the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast. Relative importance of prey=20 species was determined by methods that incorporate prey frequencies = of=20 occurrence, proportions of numerical abundance, and proportions of=20 reconstructed mass. Separate analyses of trace (free, durable body=20 parts representing well-digested prey items) and non-trace (relative= ly=20 intact prey specimens) food material were conducted in order to=20 address biases caused by differential rates of digestion and passage= =20 through the gastrointestinal tract. Different measures of prey=20 importance yielded varying results, but the long-finned squid (_Loli= go=20 pealei_) was the most important prey species regardless of how prey=20 importance was defined. Fishes were relatively unimportant in the=20 diet. Our results indicate that the diets of western North Atlantic= =20 long-finned pilot whales differ substantially from what has been=20 previously reported in the literature and that results from=20 food-habits studies that utilize different techniques may not be=20 comparable. *************************** Romero, A.,* A.I. Agudo, and S.J. Blondell de Agudo. 1997. The=20 scientific discovery of the Amazon river dolphin _Inia geoffrensis_.= =20 _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(3): 419-426. =20 * Department of Biology, University of Miami, P.O. Box 249118, Coral= =20 Gables, Florida 33124, USA =20 Analysis of little-known manuscripts revealed that there have been a= t=20 least two pre-Linnean descriptions of the South American freshwater=20 dolphin _Inia geoffrensis_ (Blainville, 1817). The earliest one tha= t=20 we found was made by Frei Cristovao de Lisboa in a manuscript writte= n=20 around 1627. The second one was Pehr L=F6fling, a disciple of Linna= eus,=20 who wrote a very detailed and accurate description of this mammal in= =20 1755. He used the binomial system to designate this species, and hi= s=20 description was much more complete and sophisticated than the ones=20 used by Linnaeus in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae for other=20 cetaceans. This and other zoological work by L=F6fling remains almo= st=20 completely unexamined to date. Like the outcome of other field work= =20 carried out by many Spanish scientists in America, failure to publis= h=20 the findings of the expeditions resulted in scientific information=20 being largely lost. ************************** Vidal, O.*, J. Barlow, L.A. Hurtado, J. Torre, P. Cendon, and Z.=20 Ojeda. 1997. Distribution and abundance of the Amazon River dolphi= n=20 (_Inia geoffrensis_) and the tucuxi (_Sotalia fluviatilis_) in the=20 upper Amazon River. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(3): 427-445. =20 * c/o Water Branch, United Nations Environment Programme, P.O. Box=20 47074, Nairobi, Kenya =20 A boat survey was conducted from 5 to 26 June 1993 to estimate the=20 abundance of the Amazon river dolphin (_Inia geoffrensis_) and the=20 tucuxi (_Sotalia fluviatilis_) along ca. 120 km of the Amazon River=20 bordering Colombia, Peru, and Brazil. Two survey methods were used:= =20 line transects during 5 d and strip transects during 15 d. The line= =20 transects were used to estimate the abundance of both species in the= =20 main channels of the Amazon at distances greater than 200 m from riv= er=20 banks and isalnds, and strip transects were used to estimate abundan= ce=20 in the remainder of the habitat. A total of 29 sightings was obtain= ed=20 using line transects, including 8 of _Inia _, 15 of _Sotalia_, and 6= =20 with both species present. The total number of sightings made while= =20 using strip transects was 143, using 78 of _Inia _, 51 of _Sotalia_,= =20 and 14 with both species present. The distributions of sightings wi= th=20 respect to distance from the nearest bank were not significantly=20 different between the two species. Based on the results from the tw= o=20 methods, we estimate that there are 346 (CV =3D 0.12) _Inia _ and 40= 9=20 (CV =3D 0.13) _Sotalia_ in the study area. Overall, the mean group = size=20 for _Inia _ was 2.9 individuals and for _Sotalia_ was 3.9 individual= s.=20 _Inia _ density (dolphin/km^2) was highest in tributaries (4.8),=20 followed by areas around islands (2.7) and along main banks (2.0);=20 while _Sotalia_ density was highest in lakes (8.6), followed by area= s=20 along main banks (2.8) and around islands (2.0). These are among th= e=20 highest densities measured to date for any cetacean. ************************* Gulland, F.M.D.*, K. Beckmen, K. Burek, L. Lowestine, L. Werne, T.=20 Spracker, M. Dailey, and E. Harris. 1997. Nematode (_Otostrongylus= =20 circumlitus_) infestation of northern elephant seals (_Mirounga=20 angustirostris_) stranded along the central California coast. _Mari= ne=20 Mammal Science_ 13(3): 446-460. =20 * The Marine Mammal Center, Marin Headlands, Sausalito, California=20 94965, USA =20 Between 1 January 1992 and 31 December 1995, 73 of 487 (15%) juvenil= e=20 northern elephant seals (_Mirounga angustirostris_) that stranded=20 along the central California coastline and wre transported to a=20 rehabilitation centerhad similar clinical signs. Thse signs include= d=20 anorexia, depression, dehydration, and epistaxis, and were accompani= ed=20 by a neutrophilia. Coagulation assays on five of these animals=20 indicated all five were in a state of disseminated intravascular=20 coagulation. Sixty-five of the 73 aniamls died, and post-mortem=20 examination revealed heavy burdens of (_Otostrongylus circumlitus_) = in=20 the right ventricle and atrium of the hearts and pulmonary arteries,= =20 with occasional nematodes in the bronchi and bronchioles. Histologi= c=20 examination of 33 of these seals showed multiple pulmonary thrombose= s=20 associated with a suppurative arteritis and occasionally intravascul= ar=20 nematodes, suggesting disseminated intravascular coagulation trigger= ed=20 by an arteritis may be important in causing mortality of elephant=20 seals infested with _O. circumlitus_. This pathology combined with= =20 the observation that death of juvenile northern elephant seals=20 infected with _O. circumlitus_ usually ocurs prior to the parasite=20 reaching the productive maturity, suggests this is a relatively rece= nt=20 host-parasite association. ************************* Kovacs, K.M.*, C. Lydersen, M.O. Hammill, B.N. White, P.J. Wilson, a= nd=20 S. Malik. 1997. A harp seal X hooded seal hybrid. _Marine Mammal= =20 Science_ 13(3): 460-468. =20 * UNIS, N-9170, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway =20 In this study we report the first documentation of mating between ha= rp=20 (_Phoca groenlandica_) and hooded seals (_Cystophora cristata_). Th= e=20 production of this hybrid was quite unusual, being the result of a=20 cross between parents of different genera which are morphologically=20 dissimilar and have quite different mating behavior and dramatically= =20 different body sizes. The molecular techniques (mtDNA and=20 macrosatellite nuclear DNA banding pattens) used in this study will=20 undoubtedly be applied widely to many different taxa in the near=20 future, allowing us to re-examine many suspected cases of=20 hybridization among marine mammals and, in a larger context, the=20 meaning of the species concept. ********************************************************************= ** ***** NOTES: =20 Matkin, C.O.*, D.R. Matkin, G.M. Ellis, E. Saulitis, and D. McSweene= y.=20 1997. Movements of resident killer whales in southeastern Alaska a= nd=20 Prince William Sound, Alaska. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(3): 469-47= 5. =20 * North Gulf Oceanic Society, P.O. Box 15244, Homer, Alaska 99603, U= SA *********** Wells, R.S.* and M.D. Scott. 1997. Seasonal incidence of boat=20 strikes on bottlenose dolphins near Sarasota, Florida. _Marine Mamm= al=20 Science_ 13(3): 475-480. =20 * Chicago Zoological Society, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600=20 Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, Florida 34236, USA *********** Fiscus, C.H. 1997. Cephalopod beaks in Cuvier's beaked whale=20 (_Ziphius cavirostris_) from Amchitka Island, Alaska. _Marine Mamma= l=20 Science_ 13(3):481-486. =20 * National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center= ,=20 National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way=20 Northeast, Seattle, Washington 98115, USA **************** Henshaw, M.D.*, R.G. LeDuc, S.J. Chivers, and A.E. Dizon. 1997. =20 Identifying beaked whales (Family Ziphiidae) using mtDNA sequences. = =20 _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(3): 487-495. =20 * National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science=20 Center, P.O. Box 271, La Jolla, California 92038-0271, USA *************** Kimura, T.*, T. Ozawa, and L.A. Pastene. 1997. Sample preparation=20 and analysis of mitochondrial DNA from whale baleen plates. _Marine= =20 Mammal Science_ 13(3): 495-498. =20 * Dept of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Graduate School of Science,=20 Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-01, Japan *************** Rossbach, K.A*. and D.L. Herzing. 1997. Underwater observations of= =20 benthic-feeding bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_) near Gran= d=20 Bahama Island, Bahamas. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(3): 498-504. =20 * Oregon State University, Fisheries and Wildlife Science, Hatfield=20 Marine Science Center, Newport, Oregon 97365, USA *************** Stacey, P.J.* and R.W. Baird. 1997. Birth of a "resident" killer=20 whale off Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. _Marine Mammal Scienc= e_=20 13(3): 504-508. =20 * Geography Dept, Augustana University College, 4901-46 Avenue,=20 Camrose, Alberta, Canada T4V 2R3 **************** Notarbartolo-di-Sciara, G.*, G. Barbacia, and A. Azzellino. 1997. =20 Birth at sea of a false killer whale, _Pseudorca crassidens_. _Mari= ne=20 Mammal Science_ 13(3): 508-511. =20 * Tethys Research Institute, Acquario Civico -- viale G.B. Gadio 2,=20 I-20121 Milano, Italy *************** Gemmell, N.J.* and P. Majluf. 1997. Projectile biopsy sampling of=20 fur seals. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(3): 512-516. =20 * Dept of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, Engla= nd **************** Arnould, J.P.Y. 1997. Lactation and the cost of pup-rearing in=20 Antarctic fur seals. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(3): 516-526. =20 * British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Hi= gh=20 Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, United Kingdom *************** Mortenson, J.* And M. Follis. 1997. Northern elephant seal=20 (_Mirounga angustirostris_) aggression on harbor seal (_Phoca=20 vitulina_) pups. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(3):526-530. =20 * Seal Watch, P.O. Box 194, Bodega, California 94922, USA ************ LETTERS: =20 Gygax, L. 1997. Space and behavior in captive dolphins. _Marine=20 Mammal Science_ 13(3): 531-533. =20 * Dept of Applied Mathematics, University of Zurich-Irchel,=20 Winterthurerstr. 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland ********* Bassos-Hull, K.* And R.S. Wells. 1997. Effect of pool features on=20 the behavior of captive dolphins. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(3):=20 533-534. =20 * Chicago Zoological Society, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600=20 Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, Florida 34236, USA ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 09:06:08 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: newsclip - Global warming threatens whale's favorite food 06/25/97 Global warming threatens whale's favorite food LONDON (Reuter) - Global warming could be contributing to killing off krill, the favorite food of whales, penguins and other sea animals, scientists said Wednesday. The tiny, shrimp-like creatures are being undermined by salps, according to Valerie Loeb of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in Moss Landing, Calif. and colleagues. Salps are tunicates -- simple, pouch-like sea creatures that are not eaten by many animals but which create dense blooms that interfere with krill reproduction and kill off their larvae. "Our data suggest that decreased krill availability may affect the levels of their vertebrate predators. Regional warming and reduced krill abundance, therefore, affect the marine food web," they wrote in a report in the science journal Nature. They noticed the salps flourished in years when there was less sea ice, while the krill, the primary food of many sea-going animals, did better in colder years. The salps also seemed to eat up the krill's food in warmer years, they said. "A warming trend has been documented for the Antarctic Peninsula region since the 1940s, and a decreased frequency of extensive winter sea-ice conditions has been associated with this trend," they wrote. The krill population had already become noticeably smaller and predators could already be suffering, they said. Adelie penguins on King George Island had already suffered a 30 percent population decline. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Jun 1997 15:19:28 -0700 From: Carlos Alvarez Subject: TUNA-DOLPHIN LEGISLATION Can anybody precise if this amendment makes referencece only to vessels fishing in the ETP or if it applies to vessels fishing in other areas as well? In other words, does tuna caught outside the ETP qualify as dolphin safe if the operations were not OBSERVED? {TUNA-DOLPHIN LEGISLATION. ON JUNE 26, 1997, THE U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION MARKED-UP AND ORDERED S. 39 REPORTED AS AMENDED TO ALLOW THE USE OF THE 'DOLPHIN-SAFE' LABEL IF NO DOLPHINS ARE OBSERVED TO HAVE BEEN KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED DURING TUNA HARVEST.} [REUTERS] Carlos Alvarez School of Fisheries University of Washington Box 357980 Seattle WA. 98195. Phone (206)543 6475 Fax (206)685 7471 Email alvarez(\)fish.washington.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 28 Jun 1997 12:47:37 +0200 From: Sarah Muscat Subject: Stranding of a Juvenile Striped Dolphin Dear Marmamers, This is to inform you that this morning I was handling a stranding of a juvenile striped dolphin which was found at the South of Malta. The animal was up to approximately two years old according to some of the front teeth which were already worn out. Two points of interest are that after being examined by the vet, this dolphin turned out to have reproductory organs of both sexes, but the male organs were more developed than those of the female organs. Is this normal? Moreover, the right heart was diseased due to a Tuberculotic (Tuberculosis) condition. Is it normal for such a young animal to be suffering from this disease? The stomach was empty and it was dead between 12 - 14 hours. However, just to be clear, this animal was actually harrassed by some local fishermen before it actually died. I am in the process of compiling a report regarding this incident and I would appreciate receiving some information regarding the reproductory organs and whether Tuberculosis is effecting other dolphins in the Mediterranean. If you would like any other details regarding this incident please contact me. Sarah Muscat mlcg(\)waldonet.net.mt ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^ Sarah Muscat Marine Life Care Group c/o 14, Anchor Court Bellavista Road San Gwann SGN 03 Malta FAX: (356) 341595 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^ ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 22 Jun 1997 18:31:41 -0500 From: arkabc(\)arkanimals.com Subject: new articles up....new material sought The electronic magazine, Ark Animal Tracks, has some new articles up. We have only recently received solicitation for a couple of articles on marine mammals; so, we would like to extend an invitation to the participants of marmam to submit articles related to captive marine animals and conservation related issues. Please feel free to contact me directly. Diana Guerrero Ark Animals http://www.arkanimals.com arkabc(\)arkanimals.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 28 Jun 1997 03:26:56 GMT Reply-To: bshall(\)snet.net From: Brent Hall Subject: Re: TUNA-DOLPHIN LEGISLATION In-Reply-To: On Fri, 27 Jun 1997 15:19:28 -0700, Carlos Alvarez wrote: > Can anybody precise if this amendment makes referencece only to vessels >fishing in the ETP or if it applies to vessels fishing in other areas as >well? In other words, does tuna caught outside the ETP qualify as dolphin >safe if the operations were not OBSERVED? Senate bill S.39 (the "International Dolphin Conservation Program Act") deals almost exclusively with the tuna fishery in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Here is the statement of its purposes quoted from the bill: SEC. 2. PURPOSE AND FINDINGS. (a) PURPOSES- The purposes of this Act are-- (1) to give effect to the Declaration of Panama, signed October 4, 1995, by the Governments of Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Spain, the United States of America, Vanuatu, and Venezuela, including the establishment of the International Dolphin Conservation Program, relating to the protection of dolphins and other species, and the conservation and management of tuna in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean; (2) to recognize that nations fishing for tuna in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean have achieved significant reductions in dolphin mortality associated with that fishery; and (3) to eliminate the ban on imports of tuna from those nations that are in compliance with the International Dolphin Conservation Program. Section 4(i) contains one of the references to tuna harvested outside the ETP: (i) Subsection (d) of the Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act (16 U.S.C. 1385(d)) is amended further by adding the following new paragraphs: `(3) For purposes of paragraph (1)(C), tuna or a tuna product that contains tuna harvested outside the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean by a fishing vessel using purse seine nets is dolphin safe if-- `(A) it is accompanied by a written statement executed by the captain of the vessel certifying that no purse seine net was intentionally deployed on or to encircle dolphins during the particular voyage on which the tuna was harvested; or `(B) in any fishing in which the Secretary has determined that a regular and significant association occurs between marine mammals and tuna, it is accompanied by a written statement executed by the captain of the vessel and an observer, certifying that no purse seine net was intentionally deployed on or to encircle marine mammals during the particular voyage on which the tuna was harvested. MARMAM readers who are concerned about the contents of S.39 can obtain a copy of the bill on the Internet at: ftp://ftp.loc.gov/pub/thomas/c105/s39.is.txt Brent Hall Brent Hall Cetacean Society International bshall(\)snet.net 73577.310(\)compuserve.com http://elfi.com/csihome.html ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997 10:49:47 +1000 From: Peter Gill Subject: re accidental human deaths around whales Dear All, I am contributing to a book on cetaceans, and one of the topics I am covering is the potential risks to both cetaceans and humans during interactions between cetaceans and vessels. There was a report several years ago of people being killed (in Alaska?) while zodiacing near a breaching humpback. Can anyone confirm this? Are there any other cautionary incidents of similar nature that are reliable? I am not treating this in a sensational way, but will refer to these incidents in order to highlight the fact that serious risks are present if boaters behave inappropriately around whales. Any replies would be appreciated. Peter Gill Australocetus pcgill(\)ozemail.com.au ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997 13:19:19 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Monk seal mass mortality (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: srrcnl Update with respect to the mass mortality of the monk seal population on the Atlantic coast of the Cap-Blanc Peninsula Nouadhibou 25th. June 1997, Since the middle of May an unknown disease has severely affected the population of monk seals (Monachus monachus) on the west coast of the peninsula of Cap Blanc (Mauri tania). On the 17th. May the first dead seal was reported to the National Center for Oceanografic and Fisheries Research (CNROP) at Cansado, Nouadhibou (Mauritania), by a local fisherman. The CNROP and the National Parc of Banc d'Arguin (PNBA) and their respective partners, the Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre (SRRC), the Netherlands and ISIFER ( Spanish Monk Seal Project/ Life-CE project) have been immediately in full alert with all available means and people. The CNROP has intensively monitored the disaster by daily surveying the coastline and carrying out several necropsies on cadavers and sampling of the fish, water and molluscs in order to find the cause of this disaster. Samples for virological and toxicol ogical research have been send to the Netherlands (RIVM-Bilthoven and the virological department of the Erasmus University in Rotterdam) and to the European Communiti es Reference Laboratory on Marin Toxins in Vigo, Spain. The four baby monk seals that have been taken from the caves by the ISIFER-team, after the confirmation of the lack of any maternal care are presently rehabilitated by the CNROP assisted with the expertize of the SRRC in this field. An international expert meeting was convened concerning the catastrophy. It was taking place the 31st. May in Amsterdam in order to determine the criteria for interven tion eventually necessary to save this monk seal population. Three criteria were defined as following: 1- the number of seals in the caves goes below 12 2- the number of carcasses washing up on the beaches increases 3- the number of moribund animals observed increases. Furthermore it was decided to vaccinate the remaining population in the wild, to continue the monitoring of the die-off in order to decide if any action was needed, as well as to continue with the rehabilitation. The first week of the catastrophy 26 cadavers were found, amongst them mainly adults. In the weeks following more cadavers were found on the beaches south of the caves, finally reaching a number of 63 cadavers (counted by the CNROP), amongst them 3 pups, one juvenile and 9 subadults. Since the 14th. June no new cadaver has been found on these beaches. It is difficult to estimate the real number of dead seals since the percentage of dead animals that is washing to the shoreline is not known. Already in the first week of the disaster, the ISIFER team has put forward the hypothesis that biotoxins produced by dinoflagellates could be responsible for this mortality. This hypothesis has had enormous consequences for the export of Mauritanian fish products to Europe. The other hypothesis is a possible viral cause for which indications were found in the samples that were taken from the dead seals. Laboratory results on the biotoxins so far have not given any confirmation for the biotoxine hypothesis. Analysis of water, fish, molluscs and seal samples have been negative, below detectable level or in very low levels according to the results of the RIVM and the laboratory in Vigo. Viral research by the virological department of the Erasmus University, the Netherlands, and the Veterinary Laboratory in Belfast, Northern Ireland, so far have not been conclusive on the possible viral cause, although some indications have been found for the presence of a virus that could cause a mass mortality amongst seals. The conclusions of the CNROP based on the information that has been gathered in the field, combined with information given by the ISIFER team at the level of the caves, is that about 47% of the total population has died, amongst that about 74% of the adult population. The intervention plan that is currently implemented by ISIFER and which has been accepted by the international expert committee, is not supported by the CNROP. The CNROP concluded that the mortality has drastically declined since the 7th. June and that after the 14th. June no new cadavers have been reported. Conflicting information has not given a clear scientific evidence of the criteria 1 and 3. Moreover the action plan that has been put forward by the ISIFER team is still based on the hypothesis of a biotoxine causing this mortality, an hypothesis that the CNROP is rejecting after the laboratory results of Vigo and the Netherlands have shown that no proof can be found for this hypothesis. During the whole period of the disaster no fish, dolphin or porpoise mortality has been reported in the area. Whatever is the cause of this die-off it seems only to affect the monk seal population. The CNROP is in favour of the vaccination of the seal population only if this can be carried out without deranging the population. Continuation of the rehabilitation of the four baby seals will take place and treatment of any monk seal, sick, wounded or orphaned. Continuation of the monitoring should take place in order to design the best possible protection for the remaining population. Continuation of the sampling should take place in order to find the cause of the mass mortality. For more information: CNROP Dr. Sidi el Moktar Ahmed Taleb, director Tel: +2222 45124 Fax: +2222 45081 B.P. 22 Nouadhibou Mauritanie Forwarded by: srrcnl(\)pi.net Organization: Dalhousie University Subject: northern fur seals in Canada (Abstract) Baird, R.W., and M.B. Hanson. 1997. Status of the northern fur seal, Callorhinus ursinus, in Canada. Canadian Field-Naturalist 111:263-269. Abstract This report reviews the general biology, status, and management of the northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus), with special reference to its status in Canadian waters. While northern fur seals do not breed within Canadian waters, they can be found in large numbers in the waters offshore of British Columbia year-round, and occasional stragglers are found inshore. Generally found only in small groups during the pelagic phase of their life, the largest numbers occur in British Columbia waters from January through June. The eastern North Pacific population has declined significantly over the last 30 years, but the cause is unknown. ========================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Biology Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4J1 Canada Phone (902) 494-3723 Fax (902) 494-3736 e-mail: rwbaird(\)is.dal.ca http://is.dal.ca/~whitelab/index.htm ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 30 Jun 1997 17:54:43 +0100 From: Len Thomas Subject: New list: distance sampling !! New !! Distance Sampling e-mail discussion list ======================================== Announcing a new forum for the sharing of ideas and information among researchers and practitioners interested in distance sampling survey methods: the distance sampling e-mail discussion list. What is distance sampling? ========================== Distance sampling is a widely used technique for estimating the abundance of biological populations. Distance sampling methods include line transects, point transects (variable circular plots), cue counting, trapping webs and migration counts. How does the list work? ======================= Members send e-mail messages to a central location from where they are distributed to everyone else on the list. Topics for discussion include: - questions about survey design and analysis (and answers!) - discussion of new methodological developments - advice on the use of software tools (program DISTANCE and other packages) - news about up-coming meetings, workshops and conferences where distance sampling methods will be discussed - jobs in distance-sampling fields How do I join? ============== Send an e-mail message to the address mailbase(\)mailbase.ac.uk with the following in the message body: join distance-sampling yourfirstname yourlastname stop (e.g., join distance-sampling Joan Smith) How do I find out more? ======================= Mail questions about the list to the list administrator at distance-sampling-request(\)mailbase.ac.uk. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 30 Jun 1997 15:44:52 +0200 From: "Dr. Adriana Vella" Subject: Striped Dolphin Stranding Hi Marmamers, It is now an established policy in Malta for dead cetaceans to be handed over to the Department of Biology, University of Malta for scientific research undertaken by myself or under my supervision. Indeed this is also the case with the dolphin (juvenile striped dolphin of approx. 1.5m) stranded on the southern part of the Island of Malta on Saturday 28th June. This dolphin, as with previously reported stranded cetaceans, had a post-mortem carried out on it by a vet health official, in this case Dr. T. Gruppetta. As scientific researcher of cetaceans on the Island, I was present as well, together with a number of environment officers and inspectors. Obviously, a number of on-lookers were present as well, including local ngos and journalists. As may be noted, by the message sent to marmamers immediately after its post-mortem, by a representative of a local NGO (Marine life care group), the preliminary results were communicated to these interested local parties. More detailed scientific research and reports are being produced by myself and Dr. Gruppetta thus I would appreciate it if any scientific pointers be directed to me (as in the case of the Risso s stranded dolphin). In particular we would like to establish contacts with researchers who have currently diagnosed cetacean lung diseases including Tuberculotic conditions as this is being suspected in this dolphin but still awaits further microscopic analyses results for confirmation. The animal was described as juvenile but I am afraid the exact age cannot be stated until detailed analyses of the teeth will be carried out. Looking forward to your contributions. Dr. Adriana Vella Department of Biology University of Malta Msida, MSD 04 MALTA FAX: (+356) 312110 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 09:05:14 -0700 From: Museo di Storia Naturale Subject: sperm whales bycatches Sperm whales entangled in pelagic drifting nets In a single week two sperm whales still alive have been entangled in drifting nets in the waters of the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy. The first has been found during the night of the 9th of June, about 5 miles off the Calabrian coasts. It was 12 meters long; it had a big portion of the net around the lower jaw and a second one around the tail. The two portions were connected by a string of net along one side of the body. As the specimen was particularly restless, two days of work were necessary to cut the net. The 14th of June a second sperm whale, a male 10 meters long, has been found entangled, about 13 miles offshore, in the same area. The net was around the body and the tail. Even if in this case the specimen was quiet, many hours occurred to release it. The portion of the net around the tail weighed more than 100 kilos. G. Paolillo (representing the Italian stranding network Centro Studi Cetacei) directed the operations to release the sperm whales, with the help of the scuba divers of Italian Finance Police. In this area many striped dolphins, with amputations or clear marks of entanglement in a fishing net, strand every year in these months. In the same period many fishing boats using surface pelagic drifting nets to catch swordfish are working in the area. The legal length of this kind of net in Italy is <2.5 km; we have no certainty of its respect, that in any case is not a safety measure for marine mammals. As the majority of the data that we collect are about cetacean found stranded on the Italian coasts, a lot of bycatches remain probably unknown. We think that the few data we have are enough to produce a big concern on cetacean conservation. In this connection many environmental associations are asking for the total ban of this fishing gear. dr. Michela Podesta' Centro Studi Cetacei Museo di Storia Naturale corso Venezia 55 20121 Milano - Italy fax: 39 2 76022287 e-mail: msnm(\)imiucca.csi.unimi.it Michela Podesta' Museo di Storia Naturale corso Venezia 55 20121 Milano - Italy tel. +39 2 62085405 fax +39 2 76022287 e-mail msnm(\)imiucca.csi.unimi.it ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 07:39:08 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: newsclip - NATO jets too close for comfort for German seal NATO jets too close for comfort for German seal June 29, 1997 FIEDRICHSKOOG, Germany (CNN) -- It's not easy to rest when fighter jets are roaring overhead. And environmentalists say that may be a problem if baby seals are involved. Along the rugged northern coast of Germany, NATO aircraft have been taking part in flight maneuvers for much of June, and the seals below appear to be having a hard time with the earsplitting noise. The low-flying aircraft are disturbing the their breeding process, environmentalists say. Even though seals make a lot of noise, baby seals and their mothers in the North Sea need as much quiet as coast. Environmentalists from the north-German "Nationalpark Wattenmeer," or "shallow coast national park," have found 16 abandoned baby seals in the past few weeks, far more than usual. Seal experts say the aircraft are to blame. Although they cannot prove the connection between the exercises and the abandoned babies, environmentalists think it is obvious that the loud jets have had an effect on the seals. Witnesses say jets flying as low as 150 meters (500 feet) over the ground have caused mother seals to flee from the coastline breeding grounds, leaving their babies behind. The abandoned babies are brought to a "seal station" where they are measured, weighed and then kept for three months. After being nurtured and fed, they are released into the North Sea. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 23:17:31 -0600 From: Pieter Folkens Subject: Re: Sea lion/Steelhead conflict Samantha E. Richman recently forwarded to MARMAMers a number of important observations and logical arguements supporting the sea lion cul. I offer here a thought of my own. She wrote: >lethal removal can only occur if ALL NON-LETHAL DETERRENT METHODS HAVE >BEEN EXHAUSTED, AND USED ONLY AS A LAST RESORT! (no need to yell.) >NMFS ... have tried everything, including ..., an Orca dummy, ... The orca dummy experiment doesn't count. The dummy used looked very little like an orca. The idea was not adequately tested with the wad of fiberglass thrown together by the Seattle radio station. Schusterman's shape recognition studies with Zalophus might suggest those sea K-9s have a sight better ability to recognize the difference between an orca and a poor characture of one. My dog can tell the difference between my car and a friend's same model/different year vehicle in a parking lot. I suspect a sea lion could do as well. A half dozen life-sized full-body animatronic orcas built for the Free Willy movie series sit in a warehouse in Mountain View, California. (In Free Willy II orca screen time was about 80% animatronic, 15% digital, and 5% real time.) The molds used still exist and could be used to make static models. For about the cost of the unsuccessful relocation, full size (and accurate) orcas models could have been made and delivered to the Ballard Locks to really test the notion of an imposter deterrent. If cast with a flexible material and with an adjustable armature, a static model could be adjusted to simulate a swimming orca if pulled by a boat or cable system. With all the cranes on Lake Union the model could be dropped in when ever the Zalophus drop by. (BTW: Free Willy III opens 15 Aug. and is the best of the three, according to the film crew, and is nearly 100% artifical orca.) Or if you'd appreciate a really wild idea, there are those looking for an opportunity to put Keiko into a "half-way house" of sorts. Why not the Ballard Locks? This raises an interesting anscillary question. If a "transient" orca was put into that situation would it eat the sea lions or the salmon or both? She also wrote: >I recommend to everyone who reads this to take the time to fully >research the issue before making any judgments. ... If you take the time >to >read the reports and step back a little to see the broader picture, >you may >gain a different perspective. Or at the very least, have an >informed opinion. YES! ALWAYS! (sorry for yelling) Pieter Folkens \\| \| Y _ ,~------------------------/ \___^___^._ | ~ ~.~ ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.'~`^--^_,''/ | (\) _ ~,~.~'~.~,~'~.~,~.~ ~ ~ ~ ~.~ { \_________ \_l ~,~,~,~,~,~'.~.____'-----'__` \ ~ ~ `----------------------\__'--' ` \ ~ ~ ` ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 13:54:14 -0700 From: Jeff Northam Subject: Whale and Pinniped Lengths I am assembling a chart for a museum exhibit with lengths noted for 30 marine mammals found within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, located off the central California coast. Needless to say, the lengths given in many field guides, and other general books sometimes vary dramatically. Therefore, I would appreciate any input as to the accuracy of the following typical lengths for those populations along the central California coast. Baleen Whales Females Slightly larger than Males California Gray Whale Eschrichtius robustus adult length 39.5 to 46ft.(50 ft.?) Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae adult length 37.75 to 49.25 ft.(52ft.?) Minke Whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata adult length 23 to 33 ft. (36ft.?) Sei Whale Balaenoptera borealis adult length 39.5 to 52.5 ft Fin Whale Balaenoptera physalus adult length 59 to 72.25 ft. Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus adult length 69 to 88.5 ft. (average 82ft.males?, 102ft. females?) TOOTHED WHALES males larger than Females Giant Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus adult length 36 to 59 feet - males are larger than females - Pygmy Sperm Whale Kogia breviceps adult length 9 to 11.25 feet Hubbs' Beaked Whale Mesoplodon carlhubbsi adult length 16.5 to 17.5 feet Blainville's Beaked Whale Mesoplodon densirostris adult length 14.75 to 19.75 feet Baird's Beaked Whale Berardius bairdii adult length 35 to 42 feet Cuvier's Beaked Whale Ziphius cavirostris adult length 18 to 23 feet Dolphins & Porpoises males are larger than females Long-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis adult length 5.75 to 8 feet Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis adult length 5.75 to 8 feet Pacific White-sided Dolphin Lagenorhynchus obliquidens adult length 5.75 to 8 feet Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus variable size, shape and color adult body length 9.5 to 12.75 feet Risso's Dolphin Grampus griseus adult length 8.5 to 12.5 feet Northern Right-whale Dolphin Lissodelphis borealis adult length 6.5 to 9.75 feet Dall's Porpoise Phocenoides dalli adult length 5.75 to 7.25 feet Harbor Porpoise Phocena phocena adult length 4.75 to 6.25 feet Short-finned Pilot Whale Globicephala macrohynchus adult length 12 to 21.5 feet False Killer Whale Pseudorca crassidens adult length 14 to 19.75 feet Orca [Killer Whale] Orcinus orca adult length: male 22 to 26 ft., female 20 to 23 ft. Pinnipeds & Sea Otter pinniped males are larger than females - average lengths - Northern Fur Seal Callorhinus ursinus adult length: male 7 ft., female 4.75 ft. Guadalupe Fur Seal Arctocephalus townsendi adult length: male 5 to 6 ft., female slightly smaller Harbor Seal Phoca vitulina Light and Dark Phases adult length: male 5.25 to 5.5 ft., female 5 ft. Northern Elephant Seal Mirounga angustirostris adult length: male 13.75 ft., female 10.25 ft. California Sea Lion Zalophus californianus adult length: male 7.25 ft., female 6 ft. Northern [Steller's] Sea Lion Eumetopias jubatus adult length: male 9.5 ft., female 8 ft. Sea Otter Enhydra lutris adult length: male 4.5 ft., female 4 ft. Jeff Northam Pouncing Pachyderm Productions Exhibition Design & Fabrication 3875 Whitehouse Creek Road Pescadero, CA 94060-9722 415.879.0031 voice 415.879.1331 voice/fax pouncing-pachy(\)southcoast.net ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 11:10:05 -1000 From: Suchi Psarakos Subject: website for theses? There was some talk a while back about creating a website that could serve as a central storage location for hard to locate items such as university theses on marine mammals. Does such a website exist yet? I have looked and not found one, and so would appreciate any information that could help. Specifically, I am looking for Michael Poole's UCSD dissertation on Spinner dolphins. Thank you, Suchi Psarakos suchi(\)lava.net ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 14:26:34 -0700 From: Michele Sousa Subject: Re: JOB ANNOUNCEMENT (fwd) > >From: Michele Sousa > >POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT > >SEA OTTER PROGRAM MANAGER > >MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM > > >6/2/97 > >The Monterey Bay Aquarium is seeking to fill the position of Sea Otter >Research and Conservation Program Manager. This full-time position will >report to the Director of Life Sciences and will direct all aspects of >the Sea Otter Research and Conservation Program, including developing a >long-range strategic plan and annual goals and budget, supervising >stranding and science staff, integrating the program with other aquarium >programs, and nurturing and developing partnerships with outside >agencies and institutions. The successful candidate must have a >bachelor's degree or higher in the life sciences with broad knowledge of > wildlife rehabilitation, behavioral science and wildlife management. >Additional requirements are well-developed leadership and communication >skills, and demonstrated skills in experimental design, data >interpretation and technical publication. > >Interested applicants please send resume, cover letter and 3 letters of >recommendation to: > >Monterey Bay Aquarium >886 Cannery Row >Monterey, CA 93940 > >Attn: Human Resources > >EOE/Committed to Diversity > >APPLICATION DEADLINE: August 31, 1997 > >------------------------------------------------------------------- >-To submit a message to MARMAM, send it to: marmam(\)uvvm.uvic.ca >-Please include your name and e-mail address in the body of the >text of all submissions, and ensure your message has a subject >heading. >-To subscribe to MARMAM, send a message to: listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca >saying: subscribe marmam Yourfirstname Yourlastname >-To contact the MARMAM editors, write to: marmamed(\)uvic.ca > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 17:19:18 +0100 From: Colin MacLeod Subject: Re: Sea lion/Steelhead conflict Dear Marmammers, Pieter Folkens wrote: >The orca dummy experiment doesn't count. The dummy used looked very little >like an orca. The idea was not adequately tested with the wad of fiberglass >thrown together by the Seattle radio station. Schusterman's shape >recognition studies with Zalophus might suggest those sea K-9s have a sight >better ability to recognize the difference between an orca and a poor >characture of one. My dog can tell the difference between my car and a >friend's same model/different year vehicle in a parking lot. I suspect a >sea lion could do as well. > A few years ago a fish farmer here in Scotland came up with the idea of using a life size, and I am presuming fairly accurate (although I never saw it), fibreglass model of a killer whale to reduce predation on salmon in his nets by seals (Grey seals I think). From the information he sent me on number of fish lost after deploying his killer whale model it seemed to be quite effective. It was never tested scientifically as far as I know, but he was convinced it worked. I believe that this method is well worth someone investigating properly and the sealion/steelhead situation would seem to be the perfect place. >From a behavioural ecology point of view as long as the model had the right cues that the sealions use to identify predators (their search image) the model should work, and as long as the animals are not given the opportunity to become habituated to it, i.e. it is deployed on a random basis and left for random lengths of time. It would take time to work out the thin line between habituation and deploying it too rarely but would probably be worth it. Could someone provide information on how the NMFS experiment with the dummy killer whale was carried out ? Regards, Colin =========================================================================== Colin D. MacLeod, B.Sc. F2/2, 13 Kennoway Drive, "See what everyone has seen Thornwood, and think what no one has thought" Glasgow, - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi G11 7UA. U.K. Tel: 0141 337 2209 International: +44 141 337 2209 Email: macleod_c(\)colloquium.co.uk =========================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 14:20:24 -0400 From: Kate Wing Subject: Rule: CRS Summary - 7/3/97 - Part 1 of 3 Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments-- 7/03/97 Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 6/27/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 7/2/97 are in CAPITAL LETTERS. . Marine Fisheries . {NMFS Oversight Hearing. On July 24 1997, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans has tentatively scheduled an oversight hearing to review the authority and decision-making processes of NMFS's Northwest Region.} [personal communication] . {CITES Hearing. On July 17, 1997, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans has tentatively scheduled an oversight hearing on the results of the recent meeting of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Parties in Zimbabwe.} [personal communication] . {JAPANESE OIL SPILL. ON JULY 2, 1997, THE PANAMANIAN-REGISTERED TANKER DIAMOND GRACE RAN AGROUND ON A SHALLOW REEF 22 MILES SOUTH OF TOKYO, SPILLING ABOUT 390,000 GALLONS OF LIGHT CRUDE OIL. JAPANESE AUTHORITIES FEAR OIL COULD REACH COASTAL FISHING AREAS NORTH AND EAST OF THE SPILL SITE.} [ASSOC PRESS] . Great American Fish Count. From July 1 through July 14, 1997, volunteer divers and snorkelers will participate in a fish survey in four National Marine Sanctuaries -- Flower Garden Banks, TX; FL Keys; Channel Islands, CA; and Monterey Bay, CA. {This activity is jointly coordinated by NOAA's Marine Sanctuary program, the Marine Conservation Network, the American Oceans Campaign, and the Reef Environmental Education Foundation.} [NOAA press release, Assoc Press] . {Purchase of Bumble Bee Seafoods Completed. On July 1, 1997, International Home Foods, Inc. announced completion of the purchase of the canned seafood business of Bumble Bee Seafoods, Inc. for $163 million cash and assumption of certain liabilities.} [Dow Jones News] . {RESEARCH FISH KILL? ON JUNE 30, 1997, NMFS CAPTURED A LARGE SCHOOL OF REDFISH BY PURSE SEINE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST SHIP ISLANDS ON MS'S GULF COAST AS PART OF A RESEARCH PROGRAM TAGGING REDFISH TO ESTIMATE THE SPECIES' POPULATION. ON JULY 1, 1997, RECREATIONAL CHARTER BOATS REPORTED BETWEEN 500 AND 1,000 DEAD REDFISH IN THE AREA. NMFS SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THE MORTALITY OCCURRED WHEN REDFISH WERE HELD FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME IN THE PURSE SEINE.} [ASSOC PRESS] . {Coast Guard Accident Report. On June 30, 1997, the U.S. Coast Guard released a 44-page report on a Sept. 1996 fishing vessel collision with a towed oil barge off Cape Ann, MA, wherein 3 fishermen died. The report faulted the tugboat towing the barge for not slowing down or changing direction as it traveled through an area crowded with tuna fishermen, and faulted the crew of the fishing vessel for failing to post a lookout. Coast Guard recommendations include hearings on revocation of the tugboat mate's license, modification of fishing ground descriptions to include additional cautions, and more stringent licensing for commercial fishermen.} [Assoc Press] . {Norton Sound Crab Fishery. On June 30, 1997, AK Dept. of Fish and Game officials announced that no fishermen had registered to fish in the Norton Sound red king crab fishery beginning July 1, 1997. The quota for the entire fishery was reduced from 340,000 pounds last year to 80,000 pounds this year, based on the small legal crab population found in trawl surveys.} [Assoc Press] . {Regional Council Appointments. On June 30, 1997, Secretary of Commerce William A. Daley announced the appointment of 30 individuals to various Regional Fishery Management Councils, including an Indian Tribal representative to the Pacific Council, as enacted in P.L. 104-297.} [Assoc Press] . {Heinz Acquisition. On June 30, 1997, H.J. Heinz Co. announced that its affiliate, H.J. Heinz Co, Ltd. of London had acquired John West Foods Limited (Liverpool, UK), a brand of canned tuna and fish, from Unilever. Annual sales of John West brand products exceeds $250 million.} [H.J. Heinz Co. press release] . South Korean Fish Import Quotas. On June 30, 1997, South Korea will terminate its fish import quota system, leaving Japan as the only developed nation using quotas to limit fish imports. [Dow Jones News] . {Telephone Cable Lawsuit. On June 27, 1997, defense attorneys filed a motion to delete reference to a Coast Guard report in a lawsuit brought by Pacific Telecom Cable Inc. against an OR commercial seafood company whose trawler was alleged to have severed an underwater telephone cable linking Oregon with Japan on May 23, 1995. The lawsuit seeks damages of more than $2 million.} [Assoc Press] . Atlantic Herring and Mackerel Fishery Hearing. On June 26, 1997, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans held a hearing on H.R. 1855, proposing a moratorium on the use of large fishing vessels in the Atlantic herring and mackerel fisheries. [Federal Register] . Van Camp Seafood Sale. A June 25, 1997, hearing on the proposed sale of Van Camp Seafood Co., Inc. to Tri-Union Seafoods LLC for approx. $92 million has been set by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, San Diego, CA. The Van Camp sale motion states that Tri-Union will pay $8.5 million if, within 3 years of sale closing, Tri-Union merges with more than 50% of the securities or assets of Bumble Bee Seafoods Inc. On June 18, 1997, Mermaid Seafood Inc. filed an objection to the proposed sale, alleging Van Camp with disposing of assets and de facto restructuring of the debtor-creditor relationship without filing a reorganization plan. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court continued the June 25, 1997, hearing on the sale motion until July 9, 1997. [Dow Jones News] . MA Sues Over Scup. In late June 1997, the state of MA filed suit in U.S. District Court against the federal government, charging that a quota system for scup (porgies) unfairly penalizes MA fishermen. Although MA fishermen landed an estimated 3 million pounds of scup in 1996, new quotas for 1997 would limit their harvest to 362,000 pounds. State managers claim that previous landing data are poor and misleading since fishermen were not required to report their catch. [Assoc Press] . {Jamaican Fishing Vessel Interception. On June 23, 1997, the British warship HMS Liverpool, with a detachment of U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement personnel aboard, intercepted and questioned the Jamaican fishing vessel, Silver Dollar, about 1.5 miles inside Jamaican national waters. Although the U.S. and Jamaican governments had signed an agreement on May 7, 1997, allowing U.S. authorities to enter Jamaican waters to board and/or search vessels with Jamaican government approval, the agreement had not yet entered into force. The Jamaican government protested the incident to U.S. diplomats, demanding an apology and compensation.} [Dow Jones News, Assoc Press] . Illegal Russian Seafood Exports. On June 20, 1997, officials of the Russian Federal Border Service reported losses of more than $35 billion in illegal seafood exports, occurring when Russian fishing vessels choose to sell their catch at foreign ports rather than deliver to Russian processors. [Interfax] . Bumble Bee Seafoods Sale. A June 19, 1997, hearing on the proposed sale of Bumble Bee Seafoods Inc. by its parent Thai corporation, Unicord PLC, to Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Inc. (Dallas, TX) through its subsidiary, International Home Foods Inc. for $163 million has been set by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, San Diego, CA. [Dow Jones News] . AK Pollock Allocation. On June 18, 1997, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council heard extensive testimony on Bering Sea pollock allocation, as the current 65%-35% split between offshore and onshore processors expires in 1998, and the Council must decide how to allocate the resource. [Assoc Press] . Oyster Research Funding. On June 18, 1997, the House voted 422-3 to pass H.R. 437, reauthorization of the National Sea Grant College Program Act, including an amendment providing $3 million annually for research on oyster diseases and oyster-related human health risks. [Assoc Press] . Fish and Drugs in Mexico. On June 18, 1997, Baja California Public Magistrate Jorge Rubio reported that Mexican authorities detected more than 5.5 tons of marijuana concealed in shipments of frozen seafood on trucks and ships during the past month, noting that drug traffickers appear to be increasingly using the strong odors of shipments of fish and seafood to mask the characteristic smell of marijuana being smuggled to the United States. [Assoc Press] . CITES - Hawksbill Turtles. On June 18, 1997, delegates to the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) conference in Zimbabwe voted 53-39 on a Cuban proposal to downlist hawksbill sea turtles around Cuba to allow commercial trade in turtle shells with Japan. The measure failed, not having received the two-thirds majority required. [Dow Jones News] . WTO and U.S. Shrimp Sanctions. On June 17, 1997, the World Trade Organization's (WTO's) dispute panel on challenges to U.S. shrimp sanctions heard testimony and received statements on the issue. A panel report is anticipated in December 1997. [Assoc Press] . EU Bans Chinese Fresh Fish Imports. On June 17, 1997, the European Commission banned imports of fresh fish products from China due to detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in some products. In addition, all imports from the Quindao Hongdao Fisheries Group were prohibited. These decisions will be reexamined before Sept. 30, 1997. [Agence Europe via Reuters] . AK Subsistence Halibut. On June 17, 1997, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council approved measures allowing western AK fishermen to keep for personal consumption small halibut caught incidentally when fishing for pollock, but postponed action on creating a statewide subsistence fishery for halibut until February 1998. [Assoc Press] . El Nino Conditions. On June 17, 1997, NOAA reported that strong El Nino conditions are developing in the tropical Pacific Ocean, similar to the strong event of 1982-83. In early June 1997, Canadian scientists reported seeing schools of mackerel riding warmer El Nino currents northward off British Columbia, potentially threatening juvenile salmon survival. [Assoc Press, NOAA press release] . WA Overfishing Report. On June 16, 1997, the WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife released a report concluded that overfishing was the primary cause of declining Puget Sound fish populations, including salmon, cod, rockfish, hake, and pollock. The report recommends creation of a network of underwater refuges where fishing would be prohibited. [Assoc Press] . Sea Turtle Lawsuit. On June 16, 1997, a coalition of environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Dept. of the Interior, charging that the U.S. government was not protecting sea turtles by taking actions that would promote development of important sea turtle nesting beaches on barrier islands adjacent to the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in FL. The lawsuit seeks to block efforts that would make important sea turtle nesting beaches available for development. [Coast Alliance press release] . Scallop Mislabeling. On June 16, 1997, U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson ordered a Gloucester Co., VA, seafood company to pay more than $54,000 in fines to the government plus $15,000 to charity for failure to disclose that scallops were treated with sodium tripolyphosphate. In addition, two company executives were fined $25,000 each, and ordered to perform 150 hours of community service. [Assoc Press] . Bonnet Carre Spillway Study. In mid-June 1997, the MS Dept. of Marine Resources and the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory announced that they had received a $135,000 grant from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study the effects of freshwater from the March-April 1997 opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway (MS River floodwaters) on oysters, finfish, shrimp, and crabs. [Assoc Press] . Canadian DFO Controversy. In mid-June 1997, the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences was reported to have published a controversial 12-page paper by 3 Canadian scientists outlining alleged problems within Canada's Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) on management of Atlantic cod and Pacific salmon. DFO officials deny article contents and accuse the authors of selective use of material. An article in the July 1997 issue of Canadian Geographic is reported to allege that the DFO intervened to prevent Atlantic cod from being considered for listing as an endangered species. [Assoc Press] . Assault and Harassment Lawsuit. On June 13, 1997, U.S. District Judge Jack Tanner ordered a factory trawler company to pay $462,000 to a WA state woman who alleged she was assaulted by a drunken co-worker and harassed by crew on a factory trawler during the 1994 pollock roe fishery off Alaska. Factory trawler company officials announced they planned to appeal the decision. [Assoc Press] . CITES - Marine Fishes Working Group. On June 13, 1997, delegates at the meeting of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Parties in Zimbabwe voted 49-50 by secret ballot to defeat a U.S. proposal to establish a Marine Fishes Working Group to address implementation issues associated with placing marine fish on CITES Appendix II. [Assoc Press] . Bycatch Reduction Device Lawsuit. On June 13, 1997, U.S. District Judge Anthony A. Alaimo continued a preliminary hearing on a lawsuit charging that Georgia state regulations requiring shrimpers to use bycatch reduction devices to protect Atlantic coastal weakfish (yellow trout) are unsupported by science and could reduce shrimp harvest by 38%. A full hearing on this case is scheduled for June 30, 1997. [Assoc Press] . Servac Sale. On June 11, 1997, Ira Food Brokers, Inc. announced that it had completed the purchase of Servac International Inc. of North Carolina, a commercial fishing business with 1996 sales of about $2.2 million. [Dow Jones News] . {MAJURO FISHERIES CONFERENCE. ON JUNE 10-12, 1997, A MULTILATERAL HIGH LEVEL FISHERIES CONFERENCE ON HIGHLY MIGRATORY SPECIES (TUNA) WAS HELD AT MAJURO, MARSHALL ISLANDS, AND A "MAJURO DECLARATION" ON CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN PACIFIC TUNAS WAS ADOPTED.} [U.S. COAST GUARD INFORMATION RELEASE] . Coast Guard Fishing Vessel Safety. On June 10, 1997, the U.S. Coast Guard was scheduled to sink a retired 65-foot trawler 8 miles offshore of Cape Elizabeth, ME, to study a sinking vessel and learn how better to respond to and prevent future fishing vessel accidents. The U.S. Navy and NMFS are also participating in this exercise. [Assoc Press] . New England Seafood Cases. On June 9, 1997, U.S. District Judge Mark L. Wolf sentenced the general manager of a New Bedford, MA, seafood brokerage to six months in prison, six months of home detention, and a fine of $20,000 for threatening a federal grand jury witness in connection with investigation of a multi-million dollar seafood smuggling operation. On June 12, 1997, NOAA officials announced that a final settlement had been reached with a New Bedford, MA, seafood company, including about $1 million in fines for 113 counts of illegally buying, selling, and concealing groundfish and scallops. In addition, the company's dealer permit was permanently revoked, and the company owner's fishing permits for 3 vessels were suspended for as long as 5 years. On June 17, 1997, the U.S. Coast Guard seized two MA fishing vessels that had been caught fishing for scallops in a closed area on Georges Bank on May 3, 1997; Their catch was confiscated. NOAA plans to seek $330,000 in fines and permanent seizure of both vessels and their operating licenses. [U.S. Attorney's Office press release, Assoc Press] . ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 14:20:26 -0400 From: Kate Wing Subject: Rule: CRS Summary -- 7/3/97 -- Part 2 of 3 Illegal Striped Bass Sale. On June 9, 1997, MD Natural Resources Police released details of "Operation Somerset," a multi-year undercover operation investigating violations of federal and state conservation laws. In the course of this investigation, 1 tons of illegally taken striped bass was recovered. [Assoc Press] . {HIGH SEAS DRIFTNET FISHING. ON JUNE 6, 1997, A U.S. MERCHANT VESSEL REPORTED SIGHTING SEVERAL VESSELS SUSPECTED OF FISHING WITH DRIFTNETS ABOUT 900 MILES NORTHEAST OF JAPAN; THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND A JAPANESE FISHERY AGENCY VESSEL WAS DISPATCHED TO INVESTIGATE. ON JUNE 7, 1997, THE U.S. COAST GUARD CONFIRMED A FISHING VESSEL, IDENTIFIED AS PU YU 6026 OF THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA, USING A 4-MILE LONG DRIFTNET ABOUT 750 MILES NORTHWEST OF MIDWAY ISLAND. THE COAST GUARD TRACKED THE CHINESE VESSEL FLEEING WESTWARD UNTIL JUNE 17, AND HAS ASKED CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO TAKE ENFORCEMENT ACTION. ON JUNE 26, 1997, CANADIAN AIR FORCE AIRCRAFT REPORTED SIGHTING A VESSEL USING DRIFTNETS IN THE NORTH PACIFIC. ON JULY 1, 1997, THE GUAM-BASED U.S. COAST GUARD CUTTER BASSWOOD INTERCEPTED A 130-FOOT FISHING VESSEL, REPORTEDLY CLAIMING CHINESE REGISTRY, AND HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE VESSEL WHILE CHECKING TO VERIFY ITS PORT OF REGISTRY.} [ASSOC PRESS, U.S. COAST GUARD INFORMATION RELEASE] . Coral Protection. At a ceremony in Tulum, Mexico, on June 5, 1997, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras signed an agreement to protect Caribbean coral reefs. [Reuters] . Portuguese Fishery Protest. On June 5, 1997, shipping in the harbor at Lisbon, Portugal, was disrupted by a protest of more than 50 fishing vessels against a new law prohibiting fishing further than 12 miles offshore on Sundays. Although fishermen fear this law will hurt their profits and make them less competitive with Spanish fishermen, the new requirement was enacted as a means to help restore depleted fish populations. The blockade was lifted after 12 hours, when the Portuguese government agreed to hold talks on the partial weekend ban on fishing. [Dow Jones News, Reuters] Salmon Along the Pacific Coast . {NMFS Oversight Hearing. On July 24 1997, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans has tentatively scheduled an oversight hearing to review the authority and decision-making processes of NMFS's Northwest Region.} [personal communication] . {AK Subsistence Fishing. On June 26, 1997, the House Committee on Appropriations approved and ordered reported a bill appropriating funds for the Dept. of the Interior for fiscal year 1998, including a one-year moratorium on federal assumption of subsistence fishery management in Alaska.} [Assoc Press] . ID Chinook Salmon Fishery. On June 26, 1997, the ID Fish and Game Commission authorized the first chinook salmon sport fishery since 1964 on the South Fork of the Salmon River due to a surplus return of hatchery fish. Fisherman would be able to fish a 6-mile stretch of the river three days a week from July 10-Aug 2, if NMFS concurs. In addition, the Commission extended the salmon sport fish season on the Little Salmon River through July 13. [Assoc Press] . Russian Allocation of Salmon to Japan. On June 24, 1997, Russian and Japanese fishery associations concluded an agreement providing that Japan be granted a 26,000 metric ton harvest of salmon from Russian coastal waters in exchange for $60 million and a commitment to cease driftnet fishing. The Russian association anticipates using the income to promote fishery science and development of 60 Russian salmon farms. [Interfax] . Salmon Tracking. In the June 19, 1997 issue of Nature, Dartmouth College (NH) scientists reported that salmon could be matched to their spawning drainage by comparing the unique strontium isotope composition "signatures" of fish and drainage water. [Assoc Press] . BPA Salmon Expenditure Cap. On June 19, 1997, eight U.S. Senators from the Pacific Northwest urged the Clinton Administration to open discussions on extending the $435 million limit on salmon restoration expenditures by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) beyond the year 2001, so as to assure rate stability and assist BPA in negotiating power contracts extending beyond 2001. [Assoc Press] . NATURES Project. During June 1997, a collaborative NATURES (NATUral Rearing Enhancement System) project by Long Live the Kings, NMFS, WA state Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, and the Weyerhaeuser Co. released 100,000 juvenile fall chinook salmon in several batches in southwest WA. These fish were specially reared to test if hatchery salmon can be produced with wild-like fish characteristics capable of increasing their survival rate. [Dow Jones News] . USDA Purchases of AK Salmon. On June 12, 1997, AK Governor Tony Knowles announced that the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture will buy as much as $12 million worth of AK pink and chum salmon by competitive bid for use in federal supplemental food programs. [Reuters, Assoc Press] . Russian Salmon Poaching. On June 12, 1997, private sector associations from Russia and Japan signed an agreement to cooperate in fighting poaching of salmon and trout from Russian waters. Russian officials will be stationed in Japanese ports to check permits of Russian fishermen and measure catch against quotas. Poaching has made it difficult for Japanese fishery associations to predict import volumes, causing volatile prices for salmon and trout. {ON JULY 3, 1997, INVESTIGATORS RAIDED A HOKKAIDO COMPANY ON SUSPICION THAT IT WAS SENDING JAPANESE FISHERMEN TO RUSSIA TO CATCH SALMON UNDER RUSSIAN QUOTAS FOR SALE IN JAPAN.} [Dow Jones News] . MT Legal Action. On June 11, 1997, the state of MT filed suit in U.S. District Court against the Bureau of Reclamation and Army Corps of Engineers seeking to have Hungry Horse and Libby Dams in the Flathead and Kootenai drainages operated in compliance with the Northwest Power Planning Council's 1994 Fish and Wildlife Program that would limit drawdowns requested by NMFS for salmon because of concerns that resident fish would be harmed. MT Gov. Racicot also announced that the MT Dept. of Environmental Quality will issue a notice of violation and an administrative order directing the Bureau of Reclamation to operate Hungry Horse Dam so as to minimize downstream effects on the Flathead River. [NW Fishletter #36] . AK Salmon Strike. On June 9, 1997, more than 250 members of the United Seiners Assoc. remained in port in Kodiak, AK, after voting on June 7 to not fish until processors agree in writing in advance on a price for salmon. Many Assoc. members were reported to have not fished last year due to low prices. In mid-June 1997, more than 40 Sand Point seine and gillnet fishermen were reported to have joined Kodiak seiners in deciding not to fish for salmon until they had a contract guaranteeing a market price in advance of fishing. On June 16, 1997, about 65 members of the Chignik Seiners Assoc. voted to join the protest and not fish until a price contract was obtained. On June 22, 1997, the United Seiners Assoc. accepted an offer guaranteeing a base price for delivered salmon, including a percentage of the wholesale price that processors receive for the fish. [Assoc Press] . Klamath Water Agreement. On June 5, 1997, PacifiCorp and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation adopted an agreement with gives the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation control over releases of water from Upper Klamath Lake at Link River Dam to benefit threatened salmon on the lower Klamath River. Subsequently the Klamath Water Users Assoc. filed a lawsuit, asking the Court to issue a temporary restraining order to block the agreement. In mid-June 1997, U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan turned down the Association's request to stop the water releases, but Judge Hogan scheduled a June 30, 1997 hearing to listen to irrigators' concerns. [Assoc Press] ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 14:20:27 -0400 From: Kate Wing Subject: Rule: CRS Summary - 7/3/97 - - Part 3 of 3 Pacific Salmon Treaty. On June 2, 1997, BC fishing groups, reportedly with support of and funding from the BC provincial government, announced the beginning of an advertizing campaign in major U.S. and Canadian newspapers along the Pacific coast, expressing the Canadian view of current salmon problems. On June 3, 1997, Senator Stevens was reported to have stated that he will oppose $100 million in U.S. funding for environmental cleanups at 4 former military facilities in Canada, including Distant Early Warning sites, because of Canada's recent actions to revoke the U.S. Navy lease at Canada's Nanoose Bay facility. BC Premier Clark responded by threatening to cancel export of wolves and grizzly bears to the United States for species restoration programs. On June 5, 1997, Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy indicated that talks between U.S. and Canadian negotiators could resume in mid-June. On June 11, 1997, Canada's new Fisheries Minister, David Anderson, indicated a moderate stance would be taken in an effort to achieve a resumption of Treaty negotiations. On June 13, 1997, U.S. State Dept. officials announced that Canadian and U.S. negotiators were scheduled to resume discussions in Vancouver, BC, on June 18, 1997. Canadian officials announced that a U.S. proposal includes an agreement by the United States to contribute to a conservation fund in compensation for Alaskan overfishing, and an 8-year compromise on Fraser River sockeye salmon. Enforcement of Canadian transit regulations for U.S. fishing vessels will continue. In mid-June 1997, the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fun, acting for the Neskonlith Band near Chase, BC, asked Canadian Federal Court to halt sport fishing for coho salmon on BC's Thompson River, charging that this population was in danger of extinction. On June 17, 1997, Canadian Fisheries Minister David Anderson met with AK Governor Tony Knowles and WA Governor Gary Locke to discuss salmon. Anderson and Knowles held a joint press conference after their talks; they stated their agreement on principles of conservation and fair allocation, and proclaimed the salmon dispute "solvable." Both stated that equity discussions by stakeholders should resume after this year's fishing is completed. On June 18, 1997, U.S. and Canadian negotiators resumed discussions in Vancouver, BC. Negotiations continued June 19, 1997, and were scheduled for June 20. On June 20, 1997, negotiations were reported to have again broken off after negotiations bogged down on issues of U.S. desire for a reduced Canadian coho salmon catch and Canadian desire for a smaller U.S. share of Fraser River sockeye salmon. On June 21, 1997, Canadian negotiator Yves Fortier and associates flew to the G-7 Summit in Denver, Co, for emergency consultations with Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy on salmon. Chretien and President Clinton were reported to have briefly discussed salmon while attending the G-7 Summit. On June 23, 1997, Canadian negotiators were reported to have contacted U.S. negotiators responding to a U.S. offer, with a significant and substantial change in the Canadian position. On June 23, 1997, the AK Dept. of Fish and Game set a quota of more than 277,000 chinook for this year's southeast AK troll fishery. If caught, this quota would nearly double last year's harvest of 140,000 fish. On June 25, 1997, United States negotiators informed their Canadian counterparts that Canada's proposed division of the 1997 salmon harvest was unacceptable. Canada had proposed a U.S. share of 17% for Fraser River sockeye for the next four years with a decreased U.S. share of 15% for the subsequent four years; {the United States desired a 20% share.} In addition, Canada would reduce its coho catch off Vancouver Island to 560,000 fish this year, and 1 million next year; {the United States wanted a limit of no more than 900,000 coho.} U.S. negotiators had proposed creating a regime to rebuild depleted coho salmon, restructuring of the U.S. fishing fleet to reduce Fraser River sockeye catch, establishing a fund to conserve west coast salmon stocks, and reducing the AK interception harvest. On June 26, 1997, Canadian officials proposed binding arbitration to address Pacific Salmon Treaty issues, which the United States believes would require amendment of the treaty and consent by the U.S. Senate. The southeast AK salmon troll fishery is scheduled to begin on July 1, 1997. Despite the lack of a treaty agreement, U.S. And Canadian fishery managers plan to coordinate fishing activity. {On June 27, 1997, Canadian Fisheries Minister David Anderson announced the 1997 unilateral Canadian salmon quota of 23.8 million salmon, including 12 million sockeye, 8 million pink, and 3 million chum, and 85,000 chinook salmon. No commercial fishery for coho salmon is scheduled. The United States requested that the Fraser River panel meet on June 30, 1997, to coordinate management. The first portion of the Fraser River sockeye, the early Stuart River fish), is projected to be a week late in arriving, with no clear indication of whether the fish are less than forecast or merely late. U.S. FISHERMEN AGREED TO POSTPONE HARVEST OF 100,000 EARLY STUART SOCKEYE DUE TO THE APPARENT INITIAL WEAKNESS OF THE RETURNING RUN, UNTIL THE FRASER RIVER PANEL MEETS AGAIN ON JULY 3, 1997.} [Assoc Press, Reuters, Dow Jones News, Wall Street Journal, personal communication] . Aquaculture and Aquaria . Fish as Pollutants. Beginning July 24, 1997, the WA state Pollution Control Hearings Board has scheduled a 5-day hearing in Olympia, to consider whether escaped salmon harm native fish and, if so, what options might be considered. [Assoc Press] . Cormorant Predation Control. On June 23, 1997, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published proposed regulations that would allow the harassment and killing of double-crested cormorants to protect aquaculture stocks. [Federal Register] . BC Salmon Aquaculture. On June 18, 1997, the Sierra Legal Defense Fund on behalf of the David Suzuki Foundation, the Friends of Clayoquot Sound and Greenpeace, is scheduled to release a report entitled "Containing Disaster: Global Lessons on Salmon Aquaculture" that discusses negative aspects of salmon farming. {On June 30, 1997, the BC Salmon Farmers Assoc. petitioned the Advertising Standards Council of BC to consider whether an ad place by the David Suzuki Foundation in the June 24, 1997, issue of the Times Colonist might contravene the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards. The ad, headlined "Is Your Fish Dinner Laced With Drugs?", alleges that antibiotics used in BC salmon farming lead to the development of antibiotic-resistent microbes. An independent 8-month study, the BC Salmon Aquaculture Review, is scheduled to be presented to the provincial Cabinet in July 1997.} [Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund press release, BC Salmon Farmers Assoc. press release] . Chilean Salmon Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Petitions. On June 12, 1997, the Coalition for Fair Atlantic Salmon Trade (FAST) -- salmon farmers from WA and ME -- filed antidumping and countervailing duty petitions with the U.S. Dept. of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) against farmed Chilean salmon, alleging illegal subsidization of salmon exporters and undercutting of U.S. prices by as much as 41.78%. {On July 1, 1997, attorneys for the Assoc. of Chilean Salmon Farmers asked the Dept. of Commerce to reject the petitions, claiming that the petitioners do not represent the industry they seek to protect, that Norwegian and Canadian salmon farmers would benefit most if the duties were granted, and that Chilean boneless salmon fillets do not compete with the petitioners' product. ON JULY 2, 1997, THE DEPT. OF COMMERCE DECIDED TO FORMALLY OPEN AN INVESTIGATION ON CHARGES THAT CHILEAN SALMON IS BEING UNFAIRLY SUBSIDIZED AND DUMPED ON THE U.S. MARKET.} If a case is initiated, an initial ITC hearing on the petitions is tentatively scheduled for July 3, 1997. [A PRELIMINARY DECISION BY THE ITC IS DUE BY JULY 28, 1997. IF THE PRELIMINARY RULING IS POSITIVE, A DEPT. OF COMMERCE DECISION ON SUBSIDIES IS DUE BY SEPT. 5, 1997, AND ON DUMPING BY NOV. 19, 1997.} [Assoc. of Chilean Salmon Farmers press release, Dow Jones News, Assoc Press] . Shrimp Virus. On June 11, 1997, NMFS on behalf of the Joint Subcommittee on Aquaculture announced the release of a report entitled "An Evaluation of Shrimp Virus Impacts on Cultured Shrimp and on Wild Shrimp Populations in the Gulf of Mexico and Southeastern U.S. Atlantic Coastal Waters." Three public hearings will be held (July 15-23, 1997) and public comment will be received to help in the development of plans for an ecological risk assessment on shrimp viruses. [Federal Register] . Norwegian Salmon. On June 1, 1997, the European Commission approved a compromise on Norwegian farmed salmon imports. Instead of imposing antidumping duties, a five-year agreement was negotiated to include a minimum price for the salmon, an increase in the Norwegian export duty on this product from 0.75% to 3%, and a limitation on the growth of exports to the EU of about 10% per year. [Reuters, Agence Europe via Reuters] . Freshwater Fisheries . {Russell Dam Pumpback. On July 1, 1997, the Army Corps of Engineers released a report concluding that, at most, about 8 million fish or 0.5% of the fish in Lake Thurmond could be killed each year by nighttime operation of the pumpback turbines at the Russell Dam hydroelectric plant on the Savannah River, SC. The report concludes that threadfin shad would be the species experiencing the greatest mortality, with possibly 7.6 million killed. The SC Dept. of Natural Resources has 45 days to study the Corps report. The State of SC and the National Wildlife Federation have sued the Corps over proposed pumpback operations; U.S. District Judge Falcon Hawkins will determine whether, and if so, how the pumpback program can operate.} [Assoc Press] . Greenback Cutthroat Trout Restoration. On June 24, 1997, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt announced a $97,000 grant under the "Bring Back the Natives" program to the Uncompaghre-Gunnison National Forest, CO, for fish passage work on Beaver Creek to aid recovery of native greenback cutthroat trout. [Assoc Press] . Flaming Gorge Dam Spill. On June 21, 1997, the spillway at Flaming Gorge Dam on the UT-WY border was used for the first time in more than a decade after an outlet tube failed and the power plant flooded. Biologists expressed concern that the warmer surface water discharge could harm coldwater fish such as trout in the Green River below the Dam. [Assoc Press] . Zebra Mussel Funding. On June 18, 1997, the House voted 422-3 to pass H.R. 437, reauthorization of the National Sea Grant College Program Act, providing $2.8 million annually for zebra mussel research. [Assoc Press] . Chicago Waterways and Aquatic Nuisance Species. On June 18, 1997, the Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species and the federal Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force have scheduled a tour of the Chicago Waterways focusing on the round goby and other nonindigenous species dispersal barrier initiatives to control the movement of aquatic nuisance species between the Great Lakes basin and the Mississippi River drainage. [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announcement] . CITES Proposal - Sturgeons. In mid-June 1997, the delegates to the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) conference in Zimbabwe adopted a joint German and U.S. proposal to list all sturgeons on CITES Appendix II. [Reuters] . Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plans. On June 11, 1997, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced approval of OH's Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan and the awarding of a $25,000 grant to the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources to begin the Plan's implementation. [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service press release, Assoc Press] . Bull Trout. On June 10, 1997, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, under court order, proposed listing Klamath River bull trout as endangered and Columbia River bull trout as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Five public hearings are scheduled on the proposal between July 1 and July 17. Public comments will be taken until Aug. 12, 1997. In late June 1997, the governors of MT and ID, representatives of Native American tribes, and officials of Washington Water Power signed an agreement to coordinate the development of a unified bull trout recovery effort with WA Water Power's hydropower project relicensing on the Lower Clark Fork River. [Assoc Press, Washington Water Power press release] . Pocomoke River fish lesions. On June 10, 1997, MD Dept. of Natural Resources officials expanded their study into the cause of lesions on white perch, croakers, catfish, and carp in the Pocomoke River drainage. The lesions were first reported about 9 months ago. Although some consider the fungus, Actinomyces sp., to be the cause of the lesions, researchers are seeking to understand why these fish seem to be especially susceptible to the fungus. Others at NC State Univ. contend that Pfiesteria piscicida is causing the Pocomoke River lesions. [Assoc Press] . National Fishing Week. June 2-8, 1997 was celebrated across the United States as National Fishing Week. At least 44 states and the District of Columbia scheduled "Free Fishing Days" during this week when residents could fish without having purchased a license. [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service press release] . Marine Mammals . {CITES Hearing. On July 17, 1997, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans has tentatively scheduled an oversight hearing on the results of the recent meeting of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Parties in Zimbabwe.} [personal communication] . {Walrus Lawsuit. On June 27, 1997, the AK Supreme Court ruled against a Native Alaskan couple charged with walrus hunting in the Walrus Islands state game sanctuary during 1993. The Court ruled that state property regulations could not be preempted by the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act; it was unconstitutional to supersede the state's right to regulate access and ban the discharge of firearms, because it would amount to a government taking without compensation.} [Assoc Press] . Tuna-Dolphin Legislation. On June 26, 1997, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation marked-up and ordered S. 39 reported as amended to allow the use of the 'dolphin-safe' label if no dolphins are observed to have been killed or seriously injured during tuna harvest. [Reuters] . Japanese Research Whaling. On June 25, 1997, officials of Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research announced the terms of sale for 1,995 tons of meat from 440 minke whales taken in the Southern Ocean between November 1996 and March 1997. This meat is to be sold primarily to processor of canned foods, with projected revenue of 3.5 billion yen. Prime-quality meant for general consumption would be sold wholesale for 3,840 yen per kilogram, with the retail price to be three times the wholesale price. [Dow Jones News] . Captive Orcas Die. In mid-June 1997, two of the 5 orcas captured off Taiji, Japan, on Feb. 7, 1997, died in captivity. On June 14, 1997, the youngest male orca captured died at Nanki Shirahama Adventure World. On June 17, 1997, a female orca at the same facility died; this whale was pregnant when captured, but had a miscarriage in April 1997. [personal communication] . Mortality Events. In mid-June 1997, nine dead dolphins washed ashore on Delaware beaches, many of them newborn animals. Cause of the mortality could not be immediately determined. Between late May and mid-June 1997, 17 adult harbor seals have been found dead on beaches in Marin County, CA. The cause of death is undetermined. {In late May and early June 1997, more than 25 Dall's and harbor porpoises washed ashore dead in southern BC and northern WA, with the cause of death undetermined.} [Assoc Press, personal communication] . Pirate Whaling? In mid-June 1997, NMFS requested an investigation of reports that as many as 12 sperm whale carcasses were sighted in the central Atlantic, 200 miles west of the Azores Islands, with large orange buoys and radar reflectors/beacons nearby. The Portuguese government is reportedly sending a naval vessel to investigate. Dead whales began to be reported by yachts on May 13, 1997, and two possible whaling vessels operating without lights were reported on May 27-28. [personal communication] . CITES - Whales. On June 13, 1997, delegates at the meeting of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Parties in Zimbabwe voted 27-51 by secret ballot to defeat a Japanese proposal to sever linkage between CITES and the International Whaling Commission, giving whale conservation monitoring to CITES exclusively. On June 16, 1997, CITES delegates rejected by a 47 to 64 vote a Japanese proposal to downlist eastern Pacific gray whales. On June 17, 1997, CITES meeting delegates rejected additional proposals by Japan and Norway to downlist several minke whale populations and allow international trade in certain whale products. Norway's request on minke whales failed on a secret ballot vote of 57-51, not having achieved the two-thirds majority required. Delegates voted 45-65 by secret ballot to defeat Japanese proposal on west Pacific minke whales and voted 53-59 by secret ballot to defeat a Japanese proposal on Southern Ocean minke whales. Subsequently, Japan withdrew a third proposal to downlist Bryde's whales in the northwest Pacific. [Reuters, Dow Jones News, Assoc Press] . Hawaiian Whale Sanctuary. June 6, 1997, was the deadline by which HI Governor Ben Cayetano was to have decided how much, if any, of a proposed 1,680 square miles of state waters and submerged lands should be included within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and managed under its federal management plan. [Assoc Press] . Norwegian Whaling. On June 9, 1997, a Dutch court decided not to grant Norway's request for extradition of Paul Watson; Watson was subsequently released. On June 11, 1997, Oslo district court rejected whalers' arguments in a lawsuit against the Norwegian government, and ruled that the government had the right to stop whaling from 1988 to 1992. [Assoc Press, High North Alliance News, Dow Jones News, personal communication] . ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 6 Jul 1997 17:58:29 UT From: GreenLife Society Subject: 3d Annual International Wildlife Law Conference Animal Rights List , ASIL International Environmental Law Section , Biodiversity Convention Secretariat , CITES Discussion List , Coral Reef Alliance , Dickinson Environmental Law Journal , Ecology & Politics List , Environmental Law List , Environmental Issues List , Fish & Wildlife Management , Fisheries List , Fishfolk , Indonesia Discussion List , Infoterra , Marine Biology List , Marine Sanctuary List , Middle East Sustainable Development , Noel McGough , Ocean Voice International , Ocean Wildlife Campaign , Planetary Coral Reef Foundation , Primate Talk , SE AsianEI , Sea Winds Editor , Southeast Asian Environmental Forum , Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society <100417.1464(\)compuserve.com>, Steven Wolf , Willem Wijnstekers <100446.1630(\)compuserve.com>, World Council of Whalers Call for Speakers: Third Annual International Wildlife Law Conference Co-sponsors: * American Society of International Law's Wildlife Section; * GreenLife Society - North American Chapter; * Detroit College of Law-Michigan State University * American University School of Law * Journal of Wildlife Management Law & Policy; * Department of Law, University of Nottingham The Second Annual International Wildlife Law Conference brought together participants from throughout the world, including the Republic of Georgia, Croatia, Kenya, Greece, Peru, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Greenland, Japan and South Africa. The Third Annual International Wildlife Law Conference (3IWLC) will take place at American University's School of Law in Washington, DC on March 31, 1998. We will utilize the same three panel format as at the first two conferences. The panels for the conference will be as follows: Panel #1: The Interface of the World Trade Organization and International Wildlife Treaty Regimes/National Wildlife Conservation Legislation. We are particularly interested in speakers that will address this issue in the context of a specific dispute, e.g. Shrimp/TEDs, Leghold Traps/EU. Also, we are seeking speakers who will address the issue from a prescriptive standpoint, i.e. how should we reconcile the purview of the WTO and wildlife treaty regimes/national legislation? Panel #2: Sustainable Use of Wildlife: Opportunity or Oxymoron? We are seeking speakers to examine the moral, economic and biological issues related to sustainable use of wildlife as an economic resource. We are particularly interested in the application of the concept in the context of international wildlife treaty regimes, including CITES and regional regimes. Panel #3: Regional Wildlife Treaty Regimes: Problems and Prospects We are seeking speakers to assess the viability of regional wildlife treaty regimes, including agreements entered into under the Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species (e.g. the European Bats Agreement, ASCOBANS), the Lusaka Agreement on Cooperative Enforcement Operations Directed at Illegal Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora, and the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. The focus of the speakers should be on the efficacy of such regimes to date and how the regimes can be strengthened. Speakers will have the option of publishing longer versions of the presentations made at the conference in a special symposium issue of the Journal of Wildlife Management Law & Policy. Individuals interested in participating in the conference should submit 1-2 page abstracts to the address listed below. Limited funds may be available for speakers traveling from outside the United States. Also, if you wish to be placed on our mailing list for program/registration materials, please contact us. Registration information, as well as information about past conferences is available on our web site: http://EELINK.umich.edu/greenlif/index.html Wil Burns, Executive Director GreenLife Society - North American Chapter 700 Cragmont Ave. Berkeley, CA 94708 USA (510) 558-0620 (Phone/Fax) greenlifesociety(\)msn.com (e-mail) Wil Burns Executive Director, GreenLife Society - North American Chapter 700 Cragmont Ave. Berkeley, CA 94708 USA Phone/Fax: (510) 558-0620 E-mail: greenlifesociety(\)msn.com WWW site: http://EELINK.umich.edu/greenlife/index.html -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. -- William James -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 7 Jul 1997 21:20:06 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Update - World Marine Mammal Science Conference Update - World Marine Mammal Science Conference - Monaco - January 1998 Information about all aspects of the WMMSC and all necessary registration and application forms can be found on the WMMSC home page. (URL = http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/wmmsc/wmmsc.htm) The preliminary agenda and detailed information about the symposia and workshops were recently added. The Conference Committee respectfully requests that everyone planning to attend the conference read the registration form and the instructions for completing it VERY carefully. Most of the conference registration forms submitted to date have been incomplete. Our goal is to minimize the amount of time that registrants will have to stand in lines in Monaco. Incomplete registration forms may require that some registrants stand in line in Monaco to complete their registration. Rest assured that those with complete registration forms will spend a minimum amount of time in line to pick up their materials (program, abstract book, name badge, etc). Please be certain to mail/fax forms to the appropriate addresses. Registration, hotel, airline, helicopter, and vendor forms all have different mailing/fax addresses. STUDENTS: In order to register for the WMMSC at the 'student' rate, you MUST be a student member of the European Cetacean Society OR The Society for Marine Mammalogy. Students submitting an SMM membership application MUST INCLUDE a photocopy of their valid student ID WITH the membership application form. Registration Deadlines: Postmark or fax by 1 October 1997 for EARLY registration. Postmark or fax by 15 December 1997 for REGULAR registration. After 15 December 1997, registrations will be processed ONLY at the conference site. for the WMMSC Conference Committee D.K. Odell odell(\)pegasus.cc.ucf.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 9 Jul 1997 14:09:43 -1000 From: Suchi Psarakos Subject: Results: Thesis Website? Hello, I was asked to post the results of my recent marmam inquiry concerning the existence of a central website location for hard to find theses, dissertations, etc. The bad news is, it still doesn't exist. The good news is, human beings are still helpful. I received 7 responses. Several people pointed out that Michael Poole's dissertation is from UCSC, not UCSD. Two people offered to xerox their copy and mail it to me, at cost (probably around $20-$25 US dollars). One person provided Michael Poole's contact address. Andrew Schiro of Texas A&M reiterated that he would be happy to help anyone convert their document into PDF format and store it at his website; he currently has only two people who have supported the concept. Probably the most helpful international option exists through University Microfilm International. Their website is www.umi.com, and their toll-free number is 1-800-521-0600, extension 2786. They store a huge number of hard to find dissertations (amongst other things) on microfilm, and will send you an unbound paper copy for a fee. You can order from them directly, for around $29.50 US if you are affiliated with a university, or $51 US if not. You can also order from UMI through your university's (if you are affiliated with one) Inter-Library-Loan program for slightly less - through the University of Hawaii, for example, it would cost me $24.50. Through the Hawaii State Library it would cost me about $61. The librarian at the state library can also check with the library at the university where the dissertation originated, to see if they will loan a copy free of charge. I hope this information has been helpful, and I hope it encourages people to consider posting their documents on the internet. Thanks to all who responded. Suchi Psarakos suchi(\)lava.net ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1997 11:21:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Cousteau dead at the age of 87 Cousteau dead at the age of 87 PARIS, June 25 (UPI) -- The Cousteau Foundation reports undersea pioneer Jacques Cousteau has died two weeks after he celebrated his 87th birthday. His aides say today he had been ill for sometime. Other details of his death were not immediately available. Cousteau, who turned 87 on June 11, opened the vast undersea world to humanity as co-inventor of the Aqua-Lung and brought its wonders to the living room of millions of others through his television films and best selling books. But his own life story was as absorbing as his award-winning documentaries on whales and sharks and giant turtles. A physical fitness addict who ate no sugar or animal fat, drank no milk or alcohol Cousteau in his 70s was still conducting and preparing expeditions aboard his famous ship, "Calypso," from which he saw as a world of inexhaustible opportunities for adventure. Before his trip to the Amazon in 1982, Cousteau said, "We are encountering as many surprising new facts as we did at the beginning." Cousteau's age could not hinder his fascination with underwater life forms. He said, "Age doesn't count. My experience enables me to out- perform young men who think diving is the privilege of strong young men. After all, my father started diving at 67." Cousteau was preceded in death by his 37-year-old son Philippe, one of his chief collaborators who was killed in 1979 when the expedition plane he was landing on the River Tagus in Portugal struck a submerged object. Cousteau's father, a lawyer, traveled as companion to a wealthy American and Cousteau spent his childhood on the move. He learned English during a year in New York when he was 10. He was a sickly child but despite warnings about exerting himself he learned to swim and spent as much time as possible on beaches. Somewhat undisciplined, he was expelled from one school for breaking windows but he was gifted mechanically and built a 4-foot working model of a giant marine crane at 11. In 1930 he passed the entrance examination for the Ecole Navale, France's naval academy, and three years later graduated second in his class as a second lieutenant. After winning his pilot's wings he was assigned to the naval base of Toulon on the Mediterranean where, having been given the kind of goggles worn by pearl divers in the South Seas, he realized the value of an apparatus that would enable humans to move freely about under water. World War II interrupted his experiments and after the fall of France he joined the Resistance. One of the exploits he always refused to discuss was infiltrating Italian headquarters disguised as an Italian officer and photographing secret documents including the Italian navy code book. He was later decorated with the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre with Palm. The Germans did not interfere with Cousteau's wartime interest in sea diving. When he said his aim was to become a "man-fish" they put him down as a harmless eccentric. The key to a successful aqua-lung came from Emile Gagnon, a Parisian engineer who had invented an automatic gas-feeder valve. In 1943 Cousteau made a historic dive. With such sponsors as the National Geographic Society, the French Academy of Sciences, Texas A&M and NASA and, later on, television producers, Cousteau photographed life and archeology underseas as they had never been seen before. He also took part in many scientific experiments. His activities expanded into many fields and became a kind of industry involving more than a dozen commercial and scientific companies, some of them, such as his diving equipment operation, highly profitable. His first major book on his work, "The Silent World," sold 5 million copies and became a full-length documentary film that won an Academy Award in 1957 after taking the Grand Prize at Cannes. His filmed report on "World Without Sun" -- an underwater colony under the Red Sea inhabited for a month by "oceanauts" -- won an Academy Award in 1964. A whole series of books on adventures on land and sea followed. He was director of the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco and an officer of many other groups in science and ecology. He was honored many times with the gold medals of scientific societies and degrees from universities. He married Simone Melchior in 1937. Their surviving son, Jean-Michel, is also in the Cousteau organization. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1997 11:20:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: NSW: Killer whales attack hump NSW: Killer whales attack humpback pod GOLD COAST, July 8 AAP - More killer whales may be seen along Australia's east coast as the number of humpback whales - one of their major food sources - making the trek northwards increased, a whale expert said today. National Parks and Wildlife Service officer Dave Paton said killer whales had been sighted off the New South Wales far north coast for the past three years but there was no specific evidence of an increase in their numbers. He said that with the 10 to 12 per cent yearly increase in the number of humpback whales migrating north to warmer breeding waters, more killer whales may be seen. Mr Paton made his comments after witnessing three killer whales attack a pod of three humpbacks he had been trailing about six kilometres east of Byron Bay yesterday. "There was a large male eight metres long and two smaller killers, either sub-adults or females," he said. "They came straight at us, made several swift passes at the boat and then circled us several times no more than five metres away. "It was a pretty intimidating sight. "The male, with a two metre dorsal fin, was nearly twice the size of the research boat." He said the killer whales surged at the three humpbacks at about 20 knots. "In the event there was no bloodshed, but while the attack lasted there was an awesome display of power and violent upheavals," he said. "The humpbacks, twice the size of the killer whales, closed ranks thrashing the sea into huge water spouts. "I guess the message was to indicate size and strength." ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 9 Jul 1997 23:22:55 +0000 From: "A. Frantzis" Subject: Common+Striped dolphins hybrids? Ionian Dolphin Project Dear marmamers, The University of Athens just started a new project concerning dolphin "populati ons" of the Korinthiakos Gulf (Greece). Our very preliminary results seem to indicate an int eresting phenomenon. In the above, almost completely closed but quite deep gulf (max. dep th 980 m), common dolphins live in mixed pods with striped dolphins. Common dolphins percen tage in the pods, seem to be always small and lonely common dolphin individuals have been ob served among striped dolphins pods. Although no pure common dolphins pods have been observed up to now, it is to early to say that mixed pods is the only way of social life for common dolphins in the gulf. What was surprising for us, was the encounter of some individuals which present external morphological caracteristics of both species! They have the typical "V" shape of common dolphins but no yellowish area and no white patch in their dorsal fin. Soon we w ill be able to make a more detailed description, based on photos we took. The "uncommon" individuals are found in numbers approx. equal to common dolphins. Although the above represent only very preliminary observations, we will try now to check the hypothesis that the two species interbreed in the wild, producing hybrids. We would like to know if interbreeding and hybrids of the two species have alrea dy been observed around the world. If available, relative references would be of great help. Fina lly, we would be glad to have also your comments or advices. Please don't blame me if I don't answer you immediately, because I am leaving ag ain for Korinthiakos Gulf. Best regards, Alexandros ________________________________________________________ Dr. Alexandros Frantzis Personal address: Zoological Laboratory Terpsichoris 21 Dept. of Biology 16671 VOULIAGMENI University of Athens GREECE Panepistimioupolis tel : ++301 /8962730 GR-157 84 ATHENS GREECE e-mail : afratzis(\)atlas.uoa.ariadne-t.gr tel : ++301 / 7284634 fax : ++301 / 7284604 ________________________________________________________ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 14 Jul 1997 10:47:39 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Job Postings on Listserver (fwd) > ------------ >=20 > JOB ANNOUNCEMENT >=20 > Fisheries Coordinator > LIVING OCEANS PROGRAM, NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY >=20 > Responsibilities: Initiate and manage an array of U.S. fisheries conse= rvation=20 > projects, including implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Act and= =20 > interstate fisheries management for a non-profit conservation organizat= ion. =20 > Develop strategic approaches to achieving improved conservation and res= toration=20 > of fish and fisheries. Build a larger fisheries conservation program a= round the=20 > U.S. coasts. Coordinate with other groups and constituents, educate po= licy=20 > makers, write publishable articles. This is NOT an entry level positio= n. > Qualifications: > =B7 Ability to achieve identifiable policy changes; > =B7 Ability to create high-profile campaigns to bring effective politi= cal,=20 > scientific, grassroots, and media pressure to bear on management agenci= es; > =B7 Excellent communication and inter-personal skills; > =B7 Superior writing; > =B7 Self-starter, able to work independently without close supervision= ; > =B7 Comfortable with media; > =B7 Demonstrable ability to think creatively "outside the box." > Education Requirements: Masters or PhD in relevant area. Several year= s=20 > experience with marine fisheries policy. > Closing Date: August 31, 1997 > Contact: Send resume, a publication list, three references, a writing = sample,=20 > and a short biographical statement of experiences and career goals. Se= nd to: =20 > M. Lee, Living Oceans Program, National Audubon Society, 550 South Bay = Ave.,=20 > Islip, NY 11751. Or via e-mail at: mlee(\)audubon.org. No phone calls= please. >=20 > =0C > JOB ANNOUNCEMENT >=20 > International Seabird Coordinator > LIVING OCEANS PROGRAM, NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY >=20 > Responsibilities: Build a strategic program for seabird conservation a= nd=20 > recovery, emphasizing fisheries conflict resolution and habitat stabili= zation=20 > for a non-profit conservation organization. Bring high-profile, high-e= nergy=20 > efforts to selected seabird conservation issues in the U.S. and other c= ountries. =20 > Ornithological knowledge and good network contacts important. This is = NOT an=20 > entry level position. > Qualifications: > =B7 Ability to achieve identifiable policy changes; > =B7 Ability to create high-profile campaigns to bring effective politi= cal,=20 > scientific, grassroots, and media pressure to bear on management agenci= es; > =B7 Excellent communication and inter-personal skills; > =B7 Superior writing; > =B7 Self-starter, able to work independently without close supervision= ; > =B7 Comfortable with public speaking and the media; > =B7 Demonstrable ability to think creatively "outside the box." > Education Requirements: Masters or Ph.D. in relevant area. Several ye= ars=20 > experience with marine fisheries policy. > Closing Date: August 31, 1997 > Contact: Send resume, a publication list, three references, a writing = sample,=20 > and a short biographical statement of experiences and career goals. Se= nd to: =20 > M. Lee, Living Oceans Program, National Audubon Society, 550 South Bay = Ave.,=20 > Islip, NY 11751. Or via e-mail at: mlee(\)audubon.org. No phone calls= please. > =0C > JOB ANNOUNCEMENT >=20 > Grassroots Coordinator > LIVING OCEANS PROGRAM, NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY >=20 > Responsibilities: Build a large and effective national grassroots cons= tituency=20 > on behalf of improved stewardship and restoration of marine fish and th= eir=20 > habitats for a non-profit conservation organization. Create and use ne= w,=20 > innovative techniques for reaching "outside the choir." Create action = alerts=20 > and other tools to bring people's concerns to bear on policy decisions = that=20 > relate to issues we are working on. This is NOT an entry level positio= n. > Required Skills: =20 > =B7 Ability to create high-profile campaigns to bring effective politi= cal,=20 > scientific, grassroots, and media pressure to bear on management agenci= es; > =B7 Excellent communication and inter-personal skills; > =B7 Superior writing; > =B7 Self-starter, able to work independently without close supervision= ; > =B7 Comfortable with public speaking and the media; > =B7 Demonstrable ability to think creatively "outside the box." > Education Requirement: Masters or PhD in relevant area. Several years= =20 > experience with constituency building/designing political campaigns. > Closing Date: August 31, 1997 > Contact: Send resume, a publication list, three references, a writing = sample,=20 > and a short biographical statement of experiences and career goals. Se= nd to: =20 > M. Lee, Living Oceans Program, National Audubon Society, 550 South Bay = Ave.,=20 > Islip, NY 11751. Or via e-mail at: mlee(\)audubon.org. No phone calls= please. >=20 >=20 >=20 Samantha Richman wrote: >Yes, pinnipeds are a part of the ecosystem, in fact they may play a >very important role in the ecosystem. However, we are faced now with >a dilema, the life of five animals or the extinction of a species! Ms. Richman has confused the most recent west coat pinniped/fishery interaction situation (that is, NMFS' draft report to Congress recommending changes to the MMPA to allow lethal removal of pinnipeds in a number of circumstances) with the specific situation at Ballard Locks, where the most recent NMFS authorization to the state of Washington was to lethally remove five specific, identified individuals under certain conditions. I should also note that the fish in question at the Ballard Locks represent a stock, not an entire species. >NMFS has NOT proposed lethal taking of animals as a measure to control >an increasing pinniped population. They are NOT just going out to a >random haul out site and shooting animals! THAT IS NOT WHAT THEY ARE >DOING! No one that I am aware of, at least of those posting to MARMAM, has made this accusation. The draft report to Congress, however, does recommend rather indiscriminate lethal removal of animals under a variety of circumstances, many of which are directly the result of human activities (for instance, giving state and federal officials the authority to lethally remove pinnipeds that are public nuisances at docks, even though many of these animals have become nuisances because people have been illegally feeding them for several years now). >As you know, NMFS approved the WDW request to lethal remove pinnipeds >at the Ballard Locks, with conditions!!!! These conditions are (1) >predation exceeds 10% of the available steelhead trout in any >consecutive 7 days after Jan 1st, (2) captured sea lions will be >euthanized humanely, (3) the corps provides a report to the service on >recommendations on improving fish passage, and (4) WDW invesigates the >benefits of expanding or modifying ADD's. Ms. Richman appears not to have the latest information. For instance, condition #1 as she presents it above was removed from the most recent authorization NMFS gave to the Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). >However, lethal removal can only occur if ALL NON-LETHAL DETERRENT >METHODS HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED, AND USED ONLY AS A LAST RESORT! While this is true in theory, in practice this is highly problematic. Several members (including several of the scientists) on the NMFS-convened Task Force dealing with the Ballard Locks situation concluded that all non-lethal deterrent methods had NOT been exhausted. In fact, this condition has been interpreted by NMFS and the WDFW to mean that they only had to exhaust those non-lethal methods that they felt were affordable. There are some deterrents that they haven't considered (such as developing a rigid barrier for the sea lions) because they claim they couldn't afford them. As a matter of law and as a matter of practical impact, this is a slippery slope that we all really don't want to start sliding down. This sort of reasoning (only implement the parts of laws that are "reasonably" priced -- although who would determine what is reasonable?) would impact the implementation all kinds of important laws, protecting animals, the environment, AND people. >Since 1980, NMFS has implemented a number of investigations on >pinniped predation on winter run steelhead that pass through the >Ballard Locks. They have tried everything, including seal bombs, >ADD's, AHD's, barrier net, Orca vocalizations, an Orca dummy, tactile >harassment, and capture and relocation. Unfortunatly these deterrent >methods have only short term effects and the pinnipeds continue to >return the next year! Two comments: One, Ms. Richman again is confusing the specific situation at Ballard Locks with the draft report to Congress. Two, NMFS and the WDFW have indeed tried all the above to deter the secondary problem of sea lion predation, but if this much money and effort had been expended trying to address primary causes of the steelhead decline (e.g., fish passage, habitat degradation) over the last decade and a half, maybe the situation at Ballard Locks would not now be so dire. >The number of steelhead returning to their spawning streams has >declined from a maximum of 3,000 in the early 1980's to an all time >low of 70 during the 1993-94 run. That is only 70 total fish! Again, Ms. Richman's information is out-of-date. The most recent data show that the total number of wild steelhead returning in 1996 was 234 (and no sea lion predation was observed, although two of the five identified sea lions were apparently still at large in the area, as were many unidentified or untargeted sea lions). In fact, the number of fish returning through the locks increased from 76 in 1994, to 137 in 1995, to 234 in 1996. The sea lion predation rate was about 8% in 1994 and 1995, and zero in 1996. >Their decline however, is not a result of sea lion predation. >Destruction of habitat, inadequate riverine passage due to >hydroelectric power dams and overharvesting are ultimatly responsible. >But of immediate concern is the pinniped predation. The Ballard Locks >are certainly not going to be torn down in the near future, habitat >reconstruction takes time, and commercial fishing on winter run >steelhead has already stopped. What we have now, is less then 70 fish >and pinnipeds eating up to 65% of those fish. Extinction of this >fishery stock is imminent. Ms. Richman correctly points out the primary causes of the steelhead decline. However, her last information again is not accurate. There are MORE than 70 fish returning as of the last two years for which I have data (I have not received the 1997 numbers yet) and the sea lions were estimated to have eaten only 8% of these fish (and zero in 1996). While the Ballard Locks wild steelhead stock is indeed in danger of extinction, I have stated on several different occasions that killing the sea lions will not save these fish UNLESS such a killing program were part of a comprehensive (and expensive) plan to restore habitat and improve fish passage (and deter any new sea lion predation). Without the whole conservation package, killing sea lions is less than a band-aid and a shameful waste of effort and focus, not to mention animals' lives. >The proposed lethal removal of predatory sea lions is to save the >steelhead. I agree, we shouldn't lethally take any animal. But we >must consider the broader implications. Which is more important, five >individual lives or the extinction of a species? Once again, Ms. Richman is confusing issues here and confusing the scope of the specific issue she is addressing (the five sea lions in question at Ballard Locks are not causing the extinction of an entire species). >We do not know at this point is there is a correaltion between Sea >lion abundance and declining steelhead. Ms. Richman makes a very important point. >I recommend to everyone who reads this to take the time to fully >research the issue before making any judgments. This is very good advice. >NMFS is NOT intending to kill off say 200 pinnipeds at random, they >have serious conditions to contend with. And the minority members of the Task Force and The HSUS, PAWS, and Earth Island Institute, who have sued NMFS on the Ballard Locks situation, have pointed out that NMFS and the WDFW have NOT adequately contended with these serious conditions. >If you take the time to read the reports and step back >a little to see the broader picture, you may gain a different >perspective. Or at the very least, have an informed opinion. Given the complete misunderstanding inherent in the entirety of Ms. Richman's posting, this last comment strikes me as ironic. I agree with her 100% -- please, take the time to wade right through the rhetoric (including my own) and go to the original source material (for Ballard Locks, the EAs, Task Force Reports, and many other technical and legal documents, and for the more general pinniped/fishery situation, the draft report to Congress and the accompanying scientific report from NMFS on the impact of pinnipeds on salmonids and west coast ecosystems). Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States narose(\)ix.netcom.com --------------2102B8251F1-- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 11 Jul 1997 00:07:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: QLD: Concern over Dugong slaug QLD: Concern over Dugong slaughter BRISBANE, July 2 AAP - Queensland fishermen were concerned about reports that 500 adult dugong had been slaughtered for the illegal export of the meat, Queensland Commercial Fishermen's Organisation president Ted Loveday said tonight. Media reports this week claimed an illegal dugong meat operation was based near the remote Lockhart River on the eastern side of Cape York Peninsula. Customs officers last year seized 200 tonnes of dugong meat in the same area. The meat was believed to be ready for shipment to South-East Asia, he said. Mr Loveday said if this week's television reports were accurate the implications could be serious for the survival of dugong which is classified as an endangered species and listed as critically vulnerable. A joint federal-state task force meeting in Cairns last month under Environment Minister Senator Robert Hill banned gill net fishing along stretches of the north Queensland coastline known as dugong feeding grounds. Mr Loveday said: "If the latest allegations are true, hundreds or even thousands of dugong may have been killed for their meat by black market poachers." He called on the federal and Queensland governments to launch an immediate investigation. Mr Loveday said gill net fishermen faced job losses because of the netting ban but the sharp decline in dugong numbers in north Queensland waters may be at least partly due to illegal poaching. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 14 Jul 1997 11:24:50 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS Weekly summary (FWD) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 5/01/97 (available via e-mail; updated daily) New info and changes since 7/03/97 are bracketed {...} New info and changes since 7/10/97 are in CAPITAL LETTERS Marine Mammals . CITES Hearing. On July 17, 1997, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans has tentatively scheduled an oversight hearing on the results of the recent meeting of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Parties in Zimbabwe. [personal communication] . Walrus Lawsuit. On June 27, 1997, the AK Supreme Court ruled against a Native Alaskan couple charged with walrus hunting in the Walrus Islands state game sanctuary during 1993. The Court ruled that state property regulations could not be preempted by the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act; it was unconstitutional to supersede the state's right to regulate access and ban the discharge of firearms, because it would amount to a government taking without compensation. [Assoc Press] . Tuna-Dolphin Legislation. On June 26, 1997, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation marked-up and ordered S. 39 reported as amended to allow the use of the 'dolphin-safe' label if no dolphins are observed to have been killed or seriously injured during tuna harvest. [Reuters] . Japanese Research Whaling. On June 25, 1997, officials of Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research announced the terms of sale for 1,995 tons of meat from 440 minke whales taken in the Southern Ocean between November 1996 and March 1997. This meat is to be sold primarily to processor of canned foods, with projected revenue of 3.5 billion yen. Prime-quality meant for general consumption would be sold wholesale for 3,840 yen per kilogram, with the retail price to be three times the wholesale price. [Dow Jones News] . CITES - Whales. On June 16, 1997, CITES delegates rejected by a 47 to 64 vote a Japanese proposal to downlist eastern Pacific gray whales. On June 17, 1997, CITES meeting delegates rejected additional proposals by Japan and Norway to downlist several minke whale populations and allow international trade in certain whale products. Norway's request on minke whales failed on a secret ballot vote of 57-51, not having achieved the two-thirds majority required. Delegates voted 45-65 by secret ballot to defeat Japanese proposal on west Pacific minke whales and voted 53-59 by secret ballot to defeat a Japanese proposal on Southern Ocean minke whales. Subsequently, Japan withdrew a third proposal to downlist Bryde's whales in the northwest Pacific. [Reuters, Dow Jones News, Assoc Press] . Captive Orcas Die. In mid-June 1997, two of the 5 orcas captured off Taiji, Japan, on Feb. 7, 1997, died in captivity. On June 14, 1997, the youngest male orca captured died at Nanki Shirahama Adventure World. On June 17, 1997, a female orca at the same facility died; this whale was pregnant when captured, but had a miscarriage in April 1997. [personal communication] . Mortality Events. In mid-June 1997, nine dead dolphins washed ashore on Delaware beaches, many of them newborn animals. Cause of the mortality could not be immediately determined. Between late May and mid-June 1997, 17 adult harbor seals have been found dead on beaches in Marin County, CA. The cause of death is undetermined. In late May and early June 1997, more than 25 Dall's and harbor porpoises washed ashore dead in southern BC and northern WA, with the cause of death undetermined. [Assoc Press, personal communication] . Pirate Whaling? In mid-June 1997, NMFS requested an investigation of reports that as many as 12 sperm whale carcasses were sighted in the central Atlantic, 200 miles west of the Azores Islands, with large orange buoys and radar reflectors/beacons nearby. The Portuguese government is reportedly sending a naval vessel to investigate. Dead whales began to be reported by yachts on May 13, 1997, and two possible whaling vessels operating without lights were reported on May 27-28. [personal communication] QLD: Dugong ban won't sffect trawlers - Reef Body BRISBANE, June 25 AAP - Bans on netting along selected parts of the north Queensland coast to protect the critically endangered dugong would not affect trawlers, despite the fears of fishermen, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) said today. GBRMPA chairman Dr Ian McPhail said rumours circulating in some circles that there was an intention to ban trawling operations in proposed dugong protection areas were not true. A joint federal-state Great Barrier Reef ministerial council meeting in Cairns earlier this month agreed to ban mesh netting in known dugong habitats. The meeting, chaired by Environment Minister Senator Robert Hill, agreed mesh netting was contributing to the dugong's decline. The ban, due to come into force soon, did not include fishing trawlers because there was no evidence a dugong had ever been caught in a trawl net, a GBRMPA spokesman said. Dr McPhail said there was a long standing agreement with the commercial fishing industry that trawling should not occur in sea grass areas important to dugong. The GBRMPA spokesman said the ban was aimed at mackeral and barramundi fishermen working closer to shore using gill mesh netting in which dugong had been accidentally trapped in the The Queensland Commercial Fishermen's Organisation has said the livelihood of some operators was threatened. The GBRMPA spokesman said dugong numbers had declined by more than 80 per cent in some areas. In one northern bay, dugong numbers had dropped from 350 to 11 in the past five years. The dugong, or sea cow, feeds on sea grass beds. It lives for between 70 and 80 years and produces one calf after a 13 month gestation. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1997 11:23:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Japan Whaling Association Says Japan Whaling Association Says Majority of Nations NEW YORK, July 1 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The majority of nations at the recent bi-annual meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) supported sustainable use of abundant whale stocks by casting their votes to allow trade in whale products, 57 to 51. By their ballots, they showed that they opposed the idea that whales cannot be used as a food resource, though their votes fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to remove the current trade ban. "This indicates a significant decrease in opposition to whaling," said Ginette Hemley of the World Wildlife Fund, as reported by the Associated Press. "The whole tone of whaling debate has changed." In the past, the debate has been rather one-sided, with western nations such as the U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand, France and Germany proclaiming that all whales were too endangered -- and too special -- to allow them to be hunted, even though some species numbered in the millions. Influenced by the incessant lobbying of powerful animal rights groups, who made the whale the fund-raising symbol of the environmental movement, the western nations and their client states took control of the International Whaling Commission, placing one obstacle after another in the path of nations which used whales as a traditional part of their food cultures. In 1982, the anti-whaling powers in the IWC, against the advice of the IWC's Scientific Committee, imposed a moratorium on commercial whaling. The Scientific Committee maintained that all of the species of whales needing protection were fully protected against whaling and that there was "very small risk" that the low levels of catch quotas allowed from abundant stocks, such as from minke whales, would lead to any further depletion. The lifting of the moratorium, scheduled for 1990, was blocked by the anti-whaling IWC majority, then pre-empted in large part by designating theSouthern Ocean, home of the most abundant stocks of whales, as a commercial whaling sanctuary in 1994. The sanctuary also was adopted against the advice of an overwhelming majority of the IWC's Scientific Committee. The politicalization of the IWC and its repeated failure to follow the advice of its own Scientific Committee, caused the Scientific Committee Chairman, Dr. Philip Hammond of the UK, to resign in protest. During the first week of the CITES meeting, the whaling countries tried unsuccessfully to delink the obstructionist IWC from any CITES obligation to support it, but too many countries thought the IWC was still redeemable. In a statement to the conference, Norway accused the IWC of disregarding scientific findings of its experts which it said supported the view that there were abundant minke whales worldwide and they were not threatened with extinction. "The IWC does not respect its own scientific committee. CITES shouldn't follow this practice and continue to disregard scientific findings," it said. In an e-mail communication to the CITES Internet discussion group, self-avowed "whale hugger," Wil Burns of the Board of Managing Editors, Journal of Wildlife Management Law and Policy at the University of California-Berkeley School of Law admitted "I'm worried about the impact of the decision of parties to CITES to essentially tie its decisions about whether to permit trade in cetacean products to the decisions of the IWC. It's become increasingly clear in recent years that (IWC) nations (such as) Britain and Australia now oppose a resumption of whaling on preservationist rather than conservationist grounds... this basis for maintaining the moratorium in place probably violates both the letter and spirit of the ICRW (International Convention for the Regulation of whaling), undercutting its credibility." By the second week of the CITES conference, it had become clear that CITES could not continue to ban trade in suchabundant species of whales as minke and gray whales without risking loss of its own credibility. The IWC Scientific Committee, on the basis of years of sightings surveys, had estimated that there were over 760,000 minkes in Antarctic waters and 112,000 in the northeast Atlantic. As for the eastern Pacific gray whale, the U.S. itself earlier had declared that the population had recovered to pre-exploitation levels and had removed it from its endangered species list. At this CITES meeting, most of the important votes were cast using a secret ballot procedure, after many members complained that open voting procedures in the past made them vulnerable to intimidation by both environmental groups and large country grant donors. The secret ballot procedure allowed them to vote their own convictions rather than follow the dictates of the power brokers. Two years ago, at the last CITES conference, only 16 of the member nations by a show of hands dared to vote to downlist the minke whales. This time, the secret ballot procedure allowed the majority to vote for downlisting. One telling sidelight to the vote: The chairman had to warn parties to cover their ballots, because members of the militant anti-whaling groups were in the balcony using binoculars and tele-photo cameras to spy on how the delegates marked their ballots. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1997 11:22:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Institute to sell around 2,000 Institute to sell around 2,000 tons of whale meat TOKYO, June 25 (Kyodo) -- An institute commissioned by the Japanese government to undertake "research whaling" has decided on specifics of a sales plan for meat from whales it caught in the Antarctic Ocean between last November and March, institute officials said Wednesday. The plan covers 1,995 tons of meat from 440 minke whales, the largest-ever volume for sale from the whaling program, the officials of the Institute of Cetacean Research said. The meat will be sold mostly to processors of canned foods, they said, with some sold for general consumption as well as school-lunch programs. They said proceeds from the sale, projected at 3.5 billion yen, will be used to finance research. The wholesale price of prime-quality red meat for general consumption will be 3,840 yen per kilogram, unchanged from the previous catch from the North Atlantic in summer 1996, they said. The retail price will be three times as high,they said. Whale meat is fetching high prices due to limited supply because commercial whaling is banned, industry sources said. The institute has been selling meat from whales under what is termed research, which is permitted under an internation treaty. The institute says such research, commissioned by the Fisheries Agency, involves studies on habitat and other matters related to whales. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1997 11:22:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Seal project gets green light Seal project gets green light Windhoek (The Namibian, June 27, 1997) - The controversial seal products industry proposed for Henties Bay received the green light from the coastal town's council on Wednesday evening despite reservations from some council members and residents. The proposal, jointly put together by Namibia Export Services and seal concessionaires, Sea Lion Products, was approved by the council after a recommendation by the management committee. JUNE 27, 1997 (19970627)A councillor Frank Corbett told The Namibian yesterday that the party only agreed with the proposal after several preconditions for the project were approved. Corbett said one of the conditions was that the new industry would not pose a health or environmental hazard through problems such as leaking water and bad smells. The meeting agreed that the developers, Aldred Brink (Sea Lion Products) and Nic Taylor (Namibia Export Services), would first undertake a thorough study on the industry and its impact. "We only approved it in principle. They still need to hand in their building plans and get land on which they can build," Corbett said. The developers are likely to use the approval of the town council to strengthen their argument for an increased quota for the annual seal harvest. Sources in the town also claimed that there was an overseas interest in the development of the industry and potential foreign investors were already in the country meeting high-ranking Government officials to discuss the seal project. The developers have argued that the new industry will boost tourism at the town. However, others at the town feel that the creation of a sealing industry will only bring bad publicity and chase away tourists, as Namibia's annual killing of thousands of seals has been viewed negatively in Europe and North America. Sources at the town also pointed to a possible connection between the project and the proposed construction of 200 houses at the Omdel township for N$4,5 million. Ratepayers are apparently concerned that the N$3 million which the Council had decided to put aside for the Omdel project, together with the N$1,5 million to be donated by the Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing, might be used to build houses for people that will work in the new industry. As a result the new seal products venture, while pledging to provide housing, could end up using the Omdel investment to house their workers at the taxpayers' expense. The prospective developers want to set up an abattoir, a bone meal plant, a fat processing plant with laboratories for the bottling and manufacturing of oils, capsules, creams and cosmetics, a tannery, a shoe factory, a leatherware factory, a canning factory, a research laboratory, a museum and a retail sales outlet. "The above factories and structures will be erected to comply with the highest health standards and all other requirements in terms of the law, by-laws and regulations for each individual sub-process of manufacturing and converting," a communication which accompanied the proposal said. The two companies backing the seal industry want an increased seal quota, with a minimum number of seals to be killed set for at least three years, to ensure there are enough seal carcasses to sustain the industry. "We will be in a position to raise offshore financing for the whole project to start with operations and development as soon as we are assured of Government support by all departments concerned in a venture of this nature," the proposal said. The sealing industry in Namibia has come in for heavy international criticism with animal welfare organisations claiming that the annual seal harvest is cruel and unnecessary. While the proposal suggests a variety of possible seal products will be manufactured, it is believed that the most lucrative part of a seal carcass is the penis which is regarded as a fertility symbol in parts of the Far East. by Christof Maletsky Copyright 1997 The Namibian. Distributed via Africa News Online. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1997 11:21:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Sea Grant News and Notes From Sea Grant News and Notes From Around the Nation WASHINGTON, July 8 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following are excerpts from Sea Grant News and Notes From Around the Nation: HIGH-TECH KAYAK HOLDS PROMISE AS A RELIABLE, LOW-COST TRACKING DEVICE Researchers at MIT Sea Grant are fine-tuning a high-tech robotic boat that will assist biologists studying the behavior patterns of fish, marine mammals and sea turtles. Cliff Goudey, director of MIT Sea Grant's Center for Fisheries Engineering Research and his colleagues designed the vehicle -- a converted 10-foot kayak. By adding batteries, a propeller, rudder, and a keel, the team created a craft that is capable of traveling autonomously or remotely for up to 24 hours and at speeds of up to three knots. With sophisticated electronic equipment such as an acoustic sensor, a Global Positioning System (GPS), and a computer on board, the vehicle can track and log data on the location and depth of fish and other marine animals that have been tagged with an acoustic pinger. Current tracking methods require the use of research vessels, a process which can be time consuming and expensive. "We're trying to develop a low-cost way for scientists to gather data on the behavior patterns of fish," said Goudey. "Large, pelagic (open ocean) fish are an important resource, but very little is known about their migratory patterns because getting information about them is so expensive." This summer, the team is testing the kayak's ability to track blue shark, but hopes to eventually outfit the vehicle so that it can track faster-swimming bluefin tuna. Contact: Cliff Goudey, director of MIT Sea Grant's Center for Fisheries Engineering Research, 617-253-7079; e-mail: cgoudey(\)mit.edu. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1997 11:20:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Whale & Dolphin Conservation S Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society: Orca whales ... JUL 8, 1997, M2 Communications - A 50 ft whale will be beached in Trafalgar Square on Thursday, 17 July 1997 to launch a massive campaign to stop the capture and use of Orca whales in marine parks around the world. Of 134 Orcas taken into captivity in recent years. ninety-eight of them are now dead. In captivity, these majestic animals only survive an average of five years, never reaching the average of 50 for females and 29 years for males in the wild. Every year millions of people flock to see ill, frustrated Orcas in cramped, manufactured seawater tanks, performing sad circus tricks in marine parks around the world unaware of the effects this has on the whales themselves. The ten year-old Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) - the world's biggest charity dedicated to the conservation, welfare and preservation of whales - is now calling for possible release for every Orca whale in captivity and a total ban on the capture of more whales for marine parks around the world. The WDCS is launching a campaign urging people to boycott marine parks and calling on world governments to introduce legislation to ban the capture of Orcas. The launch in Trafalgar Square is expected to draw huge crowds to see the 50ft long, 12ft tall inflatable whale. Supporters of the campaign will be able to step inside this huge beached animal, to learn about the campaign. The WDCS has not only received widespread support from prominent conservationists, but also massive support from UK businesses. In an unprecedented move, the Advertising, Media and Public Relations industry, led by London Bridge based Clark & Taylor, has created, produced, and will air an advertising campaign free of charge during the summer to raise the awareness of the plight of Orcas currently kept in Marine parks. The campaign will feature cinema, television, bill-board and press advertisements across the country, all donated free to support the campaign. Commenting on the plight of the world's 52 captive Orcas, Mr Chris Stroud, Director of Campaigns at WDCS said: "It's not right to keep an Orca in a marine park. These beautiful mammals are taken from their natural habitats and families to suffer in swimming pools in the name of entertainment. We firmly believe that it is cruel to keep whales in captivity. They are animals of the open ocean, unsuited to life in small chlorinated tanks and pools. Captive animals suffer depression, psychological damage, mutilate themselves, and even commit suicide by refusing to breathe. It's not just a prison, it's a death sentence." Simon Clark, Chairman of Clark & Taylor said: "We need to put a stop to this mindless 'entertainment' and keep Orcas out of captivity. Clearly we feel strongly enough about this to donate our time and resources free. We hope our advertising campaign will help raise awareness of the conditions inflicted upon these Orcas and make people think twice about going to see these wild animals perform tricks in Marine parks." Facts & Figures -- At least 134 Orcas were taken into captivity between 1961-1996. Ninety-eight of those whales are now dead. -- The average survival time in captivity is just over five years. -- Most die in captivity before they reach their early twenties. In the wild females live an average of 50 years but can live to the grand old age of 80. Male Orcas live an average of 29 years, but can live to the age of 50. -- Since 1968 there have been 47 known pregnancies in captivity - only 17 calves survived. -- Orcas in parks self mutilate, commit suicide, attack handlers and die. WDCS aims to: -- Prevent the extinction of any population of whale, dolphin or porpoise in the wild. -- Monitor the conservation status of all whales, dolphins and porpoises world- wide. -- Identify and secure adequate conservation measures for the most important sites for whales, dolphins and porpoises around the world. -- Prevent suffering in individual whales, dolphins and porpoises. -- Promote a world-wide interest in whales, dolphins and porpoises. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1997 11:20:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: NZ wants heritage status for s NZ wants heritage status for sub-Antaractic island WELLINGTON, July 4 (Reuter) - New Zealand Conservation Minister Nick Smith said on Friday that Wellington had lodged an application with UNESCO to give World Heritage status to New Zealand's sub-Antarctic islands. "These islands are the country's most remote protected natural areas and include some of the world's least modified sites," Smith said. "They are unique, unspoilt habitats that deserve the level of protection that World Heritage status offers," he said. UNESCO is the Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. The Campbell, Auckland, Antipodes and Bounties and Snares islands, lying between New Zealand's southernmost city of Invercargill and the Antarctic, support a number of rare birds and marine mammals. The 800 islands are the breeding place for more sea birds than all of Europe, Smith said. They are also home to the world's rarest seal, the Hooker sea lion, which has been under threat from accidential catches by fishing trawlers. A number of endangered flightless bird species have also developed on the islands free of predators. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 15 Jul 1997 04:46:35 -0700 From: caryn sullivan Subject: Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) In-Reply-To: <199707101147.LAA16204(\)rockdmz1.geis.com> I have been a subscriber to Marmam for several years; this is my first attempt at a posting. I am a graduate student who is very interested in conservation issues. But as a scientist, I am also concerned with the way facts are presented to the public. I welcome constructive criticism, which is good, because I'm sure some subscribers will 'have at me' for this one. I am NOT a proponent of the continued capturing of cetaceans for public exhibition, and I understand the outrage created by recent capture events, however, I question some of the 'facts' presented in an effort to enrage the public... I am very interested in the following facts from WDCS, and would like to know more. Can anyone, would anyone, comment on the following excerpts, which are followed by my questions? (apparently from: Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) via a posting to Marmam by r.mallon1(\)genie.com, At 11:20 AM 7/10/97 GMT, you wrote:) >> Facts & Figures >> -- At least 134 Orcas were taken into captivity between 1961-1996. How many of these animals were captured for commercial purposes and how many were stranded or injured animals taken into captivity for rehab attempts? Of those captured for commercial purposes, who captured them, when and where were they captured, and to whom were they sold? (1961 was a long time ago and many things have changed since then) >>Ninety-eight of those whales are now dead. Again, when were they captured, and when did they die? How did they die? If any were rehab animals, did they die in captivity or upon release? Were any of these animals injured when they were caught? (i.e. did they die from injuries which occured during capture or did they die because they could not survive in the captive environment?) How old were they when they were caught? How long did they live in captivity? >> -- The average survival time in captivity is just over five years. Does this average include animals that died immediately? What is the range of survival time? >> -- Most die in captivity before they reach their early twenties. In >>the wild females live an average of 50 years but can live to the grand >>old age of 80. Male Orcas live an average of 29 years, but can live to >>the age of 50. >> -- Since 1968 there have been 47 known pregnancies in captivity - >>only 17 calves survived. What are the individual dates? What are the statistics for say the last 3, 5 or even 10 years? Three decades is a long time period from which to present totals and averages considering the dynamic changes that have occured in laws and attitudes since the 60's. >> -- Orcas in parks self mutilate, commit suicide, attack handlers and >>die. All orcas? I'm assuming there are at least 2 cases of each of these events since the plural was used...is this true? Can anyone cite specifics? >> WDCS aims to: >> -- Prevent the extinction of any population of whale, dolphin or >>porpoise in the wild. >> -- Monitor the conservation status of all whales, dolphins and >>porpoises world- wide. >> -- Identify and secure adequate conservation measures for the most >>important sites for whales, dolphins and porpoises around the world. >> -- Prevent suffering in individual whales, dolphins and porpoises. >> -- Promote a world-wide interest in whales, dolphins and porpoises. These are very important goals. I support each one and I am sure they are supported by most humans. Commercial whalers certainly DO NOT WANT extinction; zoos and marine parks have a vested interest in keeping their animals healthy and 'happy'. I understand the purpose for gaining support by the use of these facts; I, too, am appalled at the continued capturing of orcas for profit by sale to marine parks, and as you can tell from my questions and comments, view continued capture as a different issue from cetaceans currently in captivitiy. My point however is that support for conservation organizations is easier to give if the facts they present are not misleading. I am reminded of politicians, telling me what they think I want to hear to get my vote. I do not doubt that the facts stated above are true (although maybe I should), but I question the careful 'wording'. I believe I am somewhat informed and, like many of my peers, have difficulty siding one way or the other with many issues such as commercial whaling by other cultures and cetaceans in captivity. I am always very cautious when 'big brother USA' attempts to impose restrictions on other cultures. I believe we need to make some major changes at home before we can expect other countries to respect our suggestions for conservation. (Especially since we are the ones consuming the largest percent of natural resouces per capita AND producing the largest percent of global pollution per capita, but that's another debate.) Anyway, I would be very interested in the data behind these facts, if anyone can and wants to post it Marmam or respond directly to me at the address below. Cheers, Caryn Self Sullivan Graduate Student URI Ocean Engineering Narragansett, RI 02882 caryn(\)ocean.oce.uri.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 9 Jul 1997 23:21:19 +0000 From: "A. Frantzis" Subject: Mediterranean Tuna-Dolphins association Ionian Dolphin Project Dear marmamers, We recently observed a school of tuna navigating together with a mixed pod of st riped and common dolphins, in Korinthiakos Gulf (Mediterranean Sea). The observation laste d more than 45 minutes, and the distance between dolphins and tuna was smaller than 2-3 meters in some moments, with no apparent interaction. Does anybody know if this phenomenon has already been observed in the Mediterran ean Sea or if it is common in other seas (except the Eastern Tropical Pacific)? Please don't blame me if I don't answer you immediately, because I am leaving ag ain for Korinthiakos Gulf. Best regards, Alexandros ________________________________________________________ Dr. Alexandros Frantzis Personal address: Zoological Laboratory Terpsichoris 21 Dept. of Biology 16671 VOULIAGMENI University of Athens GREECE Panepistimioupolis tel : ++301 /8962730 GR-157 84 ATHENS GREECE e-mail : afratzis(\)atlas.uoa.ariadne-t.gr tel : ++301 / 7284634 fax : ++301 / 7284604 ________________________________________________________ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 9 Jul 1997 07:57:07 +0300 From: "K. Roger Uwate" Subject: Georgia Bycatch Reduction Device Lawsuit In the recent CRS Summary dated 3 July 1997, there was a short note regarding a lawsuit in Georgia state on bycatch reduction devices. The lawsuit charges that BRD to protect weakfish are unsupported by science and could reduce shrimp harvest by 38 percent. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has more complete information about this lawsuit and specific information that the impact of BRDs on this fishery is "unsupported by science". Cheers, Roger K. Roger Uwate, Ph.D. Advisor Directorate of Fisheries P.O. Box 20071 Bahrain phone: (973) 729-595 fax: (973) 728-459 email: rogeru(\)batelco.com.bh ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 06:58:50 +0000 From: Hal Whitehead/Linda Weilgart Subject: ABSTRACT: Sperm whale codas Abstract Weilgart, L. and Whitehead, H. 1997. Group-specific dialects and geographical variation in coda repertoire in South Pacific sperm whales. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 40: 277-285. Codas, which are patterned series of clicks, were recorded from female and immature sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in a number of locations around the South Pacific Ocean and in the Caribbean Sea. Using K-means cluster analysis, 3,644 codas were categorized based on the number of clicks and their patterning. There were 30 resulting types of coda. The numbers of codas of the different types recorded were used to construct repertoires for each recording session, day, group of whales, place, area, and ocean. Strong group-specific dialects, which seem to persist over periods of years, were apparent, overlain on weaker geographical variation. Significant differences in repertoire were found between the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean. Sperm whales now join killer whales (Orcinus orca) as the only cetacean species in which dialects (differences in vocal repertoire among neighboring, potentially interacting groups) have been found. Reprint requests, etc to: hwhitehe(\)is.dal.ca L. Weilgart and H. Whitehead Department of Biology Dalhousie University Halifax Nova Scotia CANADA B3H 4J1 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 15 Jul 1997 09:35:47 -0700 From: Orca Survey Subject: Re: Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) For answers to most of the questions posed in the posting by Caryn Self Sullivan, the publication "The Performing Orca - Why The Show Must Stop," by Erich Hoyt, is the best clearinghouse for relevant information. Contact WDCS for a copy. Basically, the implication that the facts presented by WDCS are somehow misleading indicates that Ms. Sullivan is reluctant to accept the overall picture that emerges from the data. Let me put it in general terms: Orcas almost inevitably die in their youth or early adulthood when captured and confined to marine park tanks. After the first few captures in the mid-1960's they were almost all captured between the ages of 2 and 6. Only four have so far made it into their late twenties or early thirties. (Over fifty were captured and delivered by 1976) Again, the raw data can be found in The Performing Orca. Lolita at the Miami Seaquarium, the last surviving orca from about 45 captured and delivered from Washington State, is the oldest surviving orca in captivity, at the age of 33. >I am very interested in the following facts from WDCS, and would like to >know more. Can anyone, would anyone, comment on the following excerpts, >which are followed by my questions? >>> -- At least 134 Orcas were taken into captivity between 1961-1996. > >How many of these animals were captured for commercial purposes and how >many were stranded or injured animals taken into captivity for rehab >attempts? They were all captured for commercial purposes, except two that were captured for the US Navy. >Of those captured for commercial purposes, who captured them, when and >where were they captured, and to whom were they sold? (1961 was a long >time ago and many things have changed since then) I don't see how the identity of the captors is of particular relevance, but again much of that information is in The Performing Orca. They were sold to perform in marine parks. Contrary to popular belief, survival rates have not improved in recent years. >>>Ninety-eight of those whales are now dead. > >Again, when were they captured, and when did they die? How did they die? >If any were rehab animals, did they die in captivity or upon release? Were >any of these animals injured when they were caught? (i.e. did they die >from injuries which occured during capture or did they die because they >could not survive in the captive environment?) How old were they when they >were caught? How long did they live in captivity? >>> -- The average survival time in captivity is just over five years. > >Does this average include animals that died immediately? What is the range >of survival time? This statistic can be manipulated in various ways. Again, look at The Performing Orca and draw your own conclusions. >>> -- Most die in captivity before they reach their early twenties. In >>>the wild females live an average of 50 years but can live to the grand >>>old age of 80. Male Orcas live an average of 29 years, but can live to >>>the age of 50. >>> -- Since 1968 there have been 47 known pregnancies in captivity - >>>only 17 calves survived. > >What are the individual dates? What are the statistics for say the last 3, >5 or even 10 years? Three decades is a long time period from which to >present totals and averages considering the dynamic changes that have >occured in laws and attitudes since the 60's. I could list the 9 orca females between 12 and 25 who have died in the four Sea World tanks just since 1989, and note that not one single female in that age group has died among a population of around 300 free-ranging whales in Washington and BC since 1973. Look in R.J.Small and D.P.DeMaster (1995), Survival of five species of captive marine mammals. Marine Mammal Science 11(2):209-226. for the statement that orcas' survival rates are lower for captives than for free orcas. I will leave it to others to describe the many indications of depression and untimely death that occur among young orcas in marine parks. Howard Garrett ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Howard Garrett Tokitae Foundation 1357 Smuggler's Cove Road Friday Harbor WA 98250 Ph: 360-378-5835 Fx: 360-378-5954 email: tokitae(\)rockisland.com For a look at Lolita's story and the possibilities for her return, see: http://www.rockisland.com/~tokitae ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 11:41:28 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Requesting info on Navy dolphins My name is Matt Curtis and I am a recent subscriber to Marmam. I am a Biology major at Northeastern University. Currently I am gathering information for a paper on the US Navy's use of dolphins in research. Currently I have been able to locate only two journals containing information: NEW SCIENTIST. v. 150 June 29 '96 and SEA TECHNOLOGY. v. 35 Dec '94. I am also having trouble locating sites on the web containing any information. Any journals, articles, press releases, web sites, books, etc. would be greatly appreciated. My email address is: mcurtis(\)lynx.neu.edu Thank you, Matt Curtis First of all, I would like to congratulate Caryn Self Sullivan on the excellent comment on the WDCS Press release, posted on this forum by Rich Mallon-Day. It raised a number of good questions. By responding to the original post, I will try to give some answers. Since most of the verifiable data is repeated in the "Facts and Figures" section, I'll restrict myself to commenting on that section. > Facts & Figures > -- At least 134 Orcas were taken into captivity between 1961-1996. > Ninety-eight of those whales are now dead. According to Hoyt(1990) in that period 125 killer whales have been captured and kept (a number were caught, but released within days or weeks after capture). (Hoyt(1992) reports (in a WDCS publication) a total of 127 kept, which includes 2 animals that stranded in Argentina and were kept after recovery (Lichter and Goodall, 1989)). In February 1997, there were 49 killer whales in public display facilities (Mooney, 1997, reports 54, which included the 5 whales captured in 1997 in Taiji, Japan). Of these, 17 are captive born. Which leaves 54 - 5 -17 = 32 animals from the pre-1997 captures. Which means that over the period 1961-1997 95 wild captured killer whales have died. Without any information about the distribution of those deaths, this number is virtually meaningless. To put them in perspective, you need a captive-population analysis, like the one performed by Small and DeMaster (1995). Note that prior to the capture of 5 killer whales in Taiji, Japan in February 1997, no killer whales have been captured for public display purposes since 10/89. Also note that from 1986 through 1990, 30 killer whales have been killed in directed fisheries (see the IWC annual reports covering those years). > -- The average survival time in captivity is just over five years. According to Small and DeMaster (1995) the Annual Survival Rate (ASR) for captive killer whales 0.93 (1940-1985) (0.937 for 1988-1992). The life expectancy can be calculated from the ASR using the formula LE=-1/ln(ASR) (see van der Toorn(1997) if you are interested in the mathematical background). This translates to life expectancies of 13.8 (15.4) years. This also shows how sensitive to errors a life expectancy estimate is: an ASR of 0.93 yields a life expectancy of 13.8 years, an ASR of 0.937 (only 0.75% higher!) yields a life expectancy of 15.4 years (11.6% higher). For that reason Small and DeMaster recommend using the ASR for comparisons (and in earlier discussions on this forum, Dr. David Lavigne said the same). > -- Most die in captivity before they reach their early twenties. In > the wild females live an average of 50 years but can live to the grand > old age of 80. Male Orcas live an average of 29 years, but can live to > the age of 50. Mixing longivity (maximum age) and (average) life expectancies is confusing. Based on these numbers the ASR for males is 0.966 and for females 0.980. (data taken from Olesiuk et al, 1990) Note that a life expectancy of 29 years does NOT mean that 50% of the males (in this case) reaches that age. A life expectancy 29.2 years means an ASR of 0.966 and that implies that on average 50% of the animals will not get older than 20 years (50% mortality is at 20.04 years). Some additional trivia about long-term residents in oceanaria: Name Facility captured time in captivity to date ----- ---------------------- -------- ------------------------- Yaka MarineWorld Africa USA 12/69 27.5+ years Corky Sea World 12/69 27.5+ years Lolita Miami Seaquarium 08/70 ~27 years > -- Since 1968 there have been 47 known pregnancies in captivity - > only 17 calves survived. If this is correct (it probably is) than the neonate survival rate is about 0.36 for the captive population. (consequently neonate mortality is 1 - 0.36 = 0.64). Olesiuk et al (1990) estimated the neonate mortality for the BC population at 0.43 (averaging 2 methods which yielded estimates of 37 and 50%). They noted, that the confidence interval for this estimate was so large that it had no real practical value. (Hence comparing it to the captive neonate mortality rate gives no significant outcome). > -- Orcas in parks self mutilate, commit suicide, attack handlers and > die. This statement makes it sound as if all orcas in captivity display these behaviors. As a matter of fact these incidents probable are rare and for that reason draw immediate attention when they occur. I am not aware of any inventory of such incidents. If it exists, please give me a reference. And the last part of the sentence is rather trivial. If living animals are kept at an oceanarium, animals will die at such facilities. Killer whales also die in the wild. > WDCS aims to: > -- Prevent the extinction of any population of whale, dolphin or > porpoise in the wild. > -- Monitor the conservation status of all whales, dolphins and > porpoises world- wide. > -- Identify and secure adequate conservation measures for the most > important sites for whales, dolphins and porpoises around the world. > -- Prevent suffering in individual whales, dolphins and porpoises. > -- Promote a world-wide interest in whales, dolphins and porpoises. Ironically, the majority of the marine mammal display community claims similar aims. A number of them are involved in research and conservation efforts. To name a few: MarineWorld Afica USA (MarineWorld Foundation: David Bain's killer whale research), Sea World (manatee rehab and research in Florida), Chicago Zoological Society (Randy Wells in Sarasota), Dolfinarium Harderwijk (harbor porpoise rehab and research in net entanglement). This is just a sample (my apologies to the facilities I left out). Quite a number of facilities are involved in rehabilitation of stranded cetaceans. And a lot have elaborate educational programs aimed at increasing the public's awareness of cetaceans and the marine environment in general. A look at the Web sites of some facilities can turn up a lot of information about the animals and about hands-on programs at the facilities. In short, quite a number of members of the marine mammal display community are actively pursuing the aims the WDCS claims to pursue as well. IMHO it would be a good idea if these parties join forces instead of bashing each other. They have much more in common than each dares to admit. References: ----------- Hoyt, E. (1990) Orca. The whale called killer. New edition. Robert Hale, London, 291 pp. ISBN 0-7090-4231-0 Hoyt, E. (1992) The performing orca - Why the show must stop Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, Bath, 102pp. ISBN 0 951 9078 08 Lichter, A.A. and Goodall, R.N.P. (1989) Argentina. Progress report on cetacean research, May 1987 to April 1988 In: Thirty-Ninth report of the International Whaling Commission, pp. 169-171 International Whaling Commission, Cambridge. ISBN 0 906975 21 2 Mooney, J. (1997) Current distribution of 54 known captive orcas PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society) Web site at: http://www.paws.org/activists/taiji/taiji14.htm Olesiuk, P.F., Bigg, M.A. and Ellis, G.M. (1990) Life history and population dynamics of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the coastal waters of British Columbia and Washington State. in: Hammonds, P.S., Mizroch, S.A. and Donovan, G.P. (eds): Individual recognition of cetaceans: use of photo-identification and other techniques to estimate population parameters. pp.:209-243 IWC Special Report 12. International Whaling Commission, Cambridge ISBN 0 906975 23 9 Small, R.J. and DeMaster, D.P. (1995) Survival of five species of captive marine mammals Marine Mammal Science 11(2): 209-226 van der Toorn, J.D. (1997, in press) A survival guide to survival rates (draft version available from "Jaap's Marine Mammal Pages" at: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jaap/) Regards, Jaap -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Jaap van der Toorn e-mail: jaap(\)compuserve.com (73064.2662(\)compuserve.com) Home page: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jaap/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 08:08:34 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: newsclip - U.S. offers new plan to protect Atlantic whales U.S. offers new plan to protect Atlantic whales July 15, 1997 PORTLAND, Maine (Reuter) -- Federal regulators, pressured by New England's lobster industry, on Tuesday unveiled a less restrictive proposal to protect endangered Atlantic whales. The rules are designed to protect whales from entanglement in fishing gear by requiring some equipment modifications and prohibiting lobstering in a few areas when whales are known to be present. "I don't think (the rules) are watered down ... I think they're more workable for both the whales and the fishermen," said Andrew Rosenberg, the National Marine Fisheries Service's regional administrator. The new proposal won initial praise from the industry and its political supporters, who had argued that a more extensive plan proposed this year would have cost at least $50 million and forced many lobstermen out of business. "With this announcement we will be all right," said Robin Alden, Maine's Commissioner of Marine Resources, who had threatened to sue the federal government over its original proposal. Alden said the controversy had made lobstermen more aware of the danger some gear poses for whales, in particular the northern right whale, whose population has been reduced to an estimated 300. "(The whales) now have 7,000 friends looking out for them on the ocean," Alden said, citing a proposal to train fishermen to assist special rescue crews that will disentangle the whales. Whales caught in gear can drown or be unable to eat. They can drag a tangle of lines and lobster traps for years. Officials hope to reduce the northern right whale's death rate from entanglement to less than one per year. The fishing industry had complained they were being singled out for regulation. Rosenberg acknowledged whales also face the danger of being hit by ships, but said his agency cannot regulate the shipping industry. "This is not just a problem for the fishing industry, it is a problem for people who live on the East Coast and value the (whale) resource," Rosenberg told reporters. The rules will also restrict the use of gill nets used off New England and drift nets used off Georgia and Florida. The United States also will work with Canada to coordinate whale protection efforts. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 05:33:20 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Seal Satellite Tags/WhaleNet (fwd) Students, teachers and the general public can monitor seal, whale, and turtle movements on WhaleNet at Wheelock College , Boston, Massachusetts. * * * Two Seals, Equipped With Satellite Tracking Tags, Were Released From A Beach In Biddeford, Maine On July 9, 1997. Five research and educational institutions, The New England Aquarium, Northeast Marine Animal Lifeline (University of New England), the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Sea World of Ohio, and WhaleNet at Wheelock College are collaborating to track and research two rehabilitated seals. A HOODED SEAL, "Kiwi", and a HARBOR SEAL, "Balti", were both released on July 9, 1997. Each seal was equipped with satellite tracking tag and the positions are presently posted along with maps and information on WhaleNet. The data, information, and location maps will be updated regularly as the seals move about the North Atlantic Ocean. Preliminary data, background information, pictures, informational links, and maps are available on WhaleNet's Satellite Tagging Observation Program page . The National Aquarium in Baltimore's Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP) rescued the seals, which are both probably in their first year of life. The female harbor seal, "Balti", was rescued from the beach of Ocean City, Md. in January 29, 1997. The animal was severely dehydrated and was suffering from bacterial and parasitic infections. After a period of intensive medical care by the National Aquarium in Baltimore's veterinarians, the harbor seal gained both strength and weight and was successfully treated for heart worm disease. On September 28, 1996, the female hooded seal, "Kiwi", was found on the shores of Chincoteague, VA. The National Aquarium in Baltimore's veterinarians determined the animal was suffering from dehydration and a life-threatening, gastro-intestinal impaction. During its stay at the Aquarium, the animal's condition improved dramatically, but it missed its molt (the period of time when seals grow their fur coat) as a result of the illness. On December 20, 1996, the seal was transported to an outdoor facility at Sea World of Ohio for continued rehabilitation. There, the seal received natural [sun] light exposure, important in facilitating the animal's growth of a new coat of fur. Scientists will follow the seals using small satellite packs attached to the animals' fur. WhaleNet at Wheelock College, Boston, Massachusetts provided the satellite tags to the New England Aquarium for tagging studies of marine mammals. Through the WhaleNet program, students, teachers and the general public can track the seals' path through the Internet as part of a National Science Foundation grant to enhance interest in Science and Math education. Internet users can follow the progress of the seals at http://whale.wheelock.edu. This is the first time that seals rescued by the National Aquarium in Baltimore's MARP will be tracked by satellite. The animal rescues teams of the National Aquarium in Baltimore, New England Aquarium, Sea World and the Northeast Marine Animal Lifeline are dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of stranded marine animals. WhaleNet is also scheduled to post information on: two elephant seals which are scheduled to be released this summer in conjunction with the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur, California; two sea turtles in conjunction with the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary in Georgia; and, two blue whales in conjunction with the Mingan Island Cetacean Study in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Quebec, Canada. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 12:18:04 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: DOLPHINS `USE TOOLS TO FIND FOOD' 17-Jul-97 12:00 pm Regular International DOLPHINS `USE TOOLS TO FIND FOOD' (eds: embargoed until noon thursday july 17) By John von Radowitz of The Press Association London, July 17 PA - Dolphins have been seen for the first time using tools to find food and defend themselves, researchers believe. US scientists studying bottle-nosed dolphins in Shark Bay, Western Australia, observed five females carrying sponges on the tips of their snouts as they searched for food on the seabed. They appeared to use them as protection against the spines and stings of animals like stonefish and stingrays -- and also to rake up prey. The discovery was made by Dr Rachel Smolker from Michigan University in Ann Arbor, one of the world's leading DOLPHIN experts. Her observations, published in the journal Ethology and reported in New Scientist magazine today, are thought to be the first evidence of practical use of tools by dolphins in the wild. Mark Simmonds, marine scientist at the wHALE and dOLPHIN Conservation Society in Bath, said: ``Rachel Smolker is one of the great DOLPHIN researchers. I think her discovery is extremely interesting. ``Dolphins are a very different kind of animal to ourselves and the primates in that they don't have hands, but that doesn't mean they can't manipulate objects.'' He said young dolphins had frequently been seen playing with bits of floating seaweed, plastic or netting. In captivity, dolphins could be taught to balance objects on their noses, push buttons and pull levers. ``We have been running a study around Cornwall and Devon over the last four years and have seen them pulling anchor chains,'' said Simmonds. ``Obviously they can manipulate things. It's not surprising at all to hear that they use tools. ``The important point is that a group of dolphins were seen, obviously it's not play behaviour, and it seems to be serving some useful purpose.'' He said dolphins had been filmed playfully manipulating air bubbles in the same way as a smoker blows smoke rings. They would lie on the seabed, blow a ring-shaped bubble, and then blow a second bubble through the middle of the first. The problem with studying DOLPHIN behaviour was that they were usually only observed on or near the surface of the sea, said Simmonds. He added: ``We can't see what they are doing a lot of the time. For all we know they might be down there stacking shelves and playing chess.'' PA ks ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 00:02:43 +1000 From: gclarke(\)magna.com.au Subject: Publishing papers on the Internet Dear All, Recently, there have been a number of posts relating to the publication of Thesis papers on the internet to which there has been little response. Some months ago I published a series of papers offered to me by Kenneth LaVasseur on "Dolphin Intelligence and the Captivity Issue". He is happy with my presentation and over 700 visitors have viewed his papers over the past 8 months. While this is not an enormous number I dare say none of these people would have read his work through the regular media. Kenneth's paper are at: http://whales.magna.com.au/POLICIES/lavasseur/ Anyone wishing to add their work to my web site can email me with the details. I will take instruction as to the desired layout and impose no restrictions other than that of decency. I will make no financial demands but donations may be accepted. Texts need only be in unformatted text or HTML. This is a casual offer and may be retracted without notice. Regards, Graham Clarke ------------------------------------- Graham_J._Clarke - "WHALES IN DANGER" ------------------------------------------ WWW Home Page - http://whales.magna.com.au/ ------------------------------------------------- Sydney - AUSTRALIA - email: gclarke(\)magna.com.au ----------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 17 Jul 1997 08:49:32 +0100 From: John Dineley Subject: WDCS Press Release On July 8, 1997, the British based Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society issued a press released for it's campaign to stop the capture and use of the killer whale or orca (Orcinus orca) in marine parks around the world. This release was posted on the Marine Mammals Research and Conservation Discussion internet bulletin board (MARMAM) on Thursday 10 July 1997. Below is a critique of some of the information this Press Release contained. In the interests of clarity, and due to the undisclosed sources of the information presented, this response will mainly focus on information maintained on record or published that pertains to animals displayed within the USA. >JULY 8, 1997, M2 Communications - A 50 ft whale will be beached in >Trafalgar Square on Thursday, 17 July 1997 to launch a massive campaign >to stop the capture and use of Orca whales in marine parks around the >world. First, it should be pointed out that the captive welfare of dolphins and whales, and their suitability to be displayed in appropriated captive environments, has been documented in research commissioned by both the British (Klinowska and Brown, 1988; Bone, Vincent, Lockyer, Rothwell, 1988) and Canadian (Anon, 1992) governments. These investigations could not support the often stated opinions by groups, such as WDCS, that animals, such as the killer whale or orca, suffer when maintained in the care of humans. The British research stated: "In general, many of the concerns about the physical and mental welfare of cetaceans were either not well founded, relate to particular cases or would require extensive research to establish...No substantial contra-indications to keeping cetaceans have been found which would not apply equally to the keeping of any other wild-caught animals...This is not to say that there are no problems with cetacean keeping, only that problems are not dissimilar to these encountered in wild-caught animal husbandry in general, and could be solved." (Klinowska and Brown, 1988, page 8) >Of 134 Orcas taken into captivity in recent years. ninety-eight of them >are now dead. In captivity, these majestic animals only survive an >average of five years, never reaching the average of 50 for females and >29 years for males in the wild. As regards the catching of orcas from the wild. The capturing of orcas from North American and Canadian waters ceased since 1976. Iceland has also caught animals for public display since 1975. Such catches were under authorised permits from the Icelandic Ministry of Fisheries based on advice from the Marine Research Institute in Reykjavik. Current comparative data on the lives of wild orcas is almost exclusively derived from the periodic study of groups living for part of the year in and around Pacific Northwest; orcas have a global distribution and the behaviour and biology of orcas in other parts of the world is not fully understood. Whilst a number of orcas were also obtained from Iceland; over half (51%) of total animals displayed in North America zoological establishments have been captive bred. The statement that some animals live to 50 or 29 years is open to question as the groups these animals come from has only been studied using systematic photo ID since the early seventies (Olesiuk, Bigg, and Ellis, 1990). Moreover, the use of generalised averages and extreme age comparisons between captive and wild orcas is clearly misleading. For such comparisons to be of validity all cohorts in both the wild and captive populations understudy would have to be dead to make definitive statements on survivorship. It should be remembered that humans can live to over one-hundred years of age but the average human live expectancy for a human male living in the USA is around 71-years. To date, the most recent peer-review study of the comparative wild and captive survivorship of commonly kept cetaceans has been by Small and DeMaster (1995). This paper used captive data from the US Marine Mammal Inventory Report (MMIR) and research of Olesiuk, et al (1990) using comparative wild data collected between 1973-4 and 1987 on animals resident in the coastal waters of British Columbia and Washington State. Small and DeMaster calculated that non-calf captive orcas have a slightly lower survivorship rate (0.938 captive, 0.979 wild, P<0.001). However, the authors caution that: "..survival in captivity vs. survival in the wild will remain tenuous until additional demographic studies are conducted on wild populations." (Small and DeMaster, 1995, page 225). This is no better illustrated by the fact that currently there appears to have been only three observed wild births of orca in 1948, 1960 (Olesuik, 1990) and 1996 (Best, 1996). Moreover, until orcas were successful bred in zoological establishments field biologists considered these animals had a gestation of only 12-months, rather than 17-months. Finally, a further important point is that the captive data used was a complete record whereas the wild study data cited is incomplete and now ten years old. This makes comparisons inevitably open to error. >Every year millions of people flock to see ill, frustrated Orcas in >cramped, manufactured seawater tanks, performing sad circus tricks in >marine parks around the world unaware of the effects this has on the >whales themselves. The capture and public display of marine mammals in the United States is strictly regulated by laws such as the Animal Welfare Act (subpart E - Specifications for the Humane Handling, Care, Treatment, and Transport of Marine Mammals) and the recently reauthorised Marine Mammal Protection Act. It is illegal for public display facilities to use marine mammals for purely reasons of 'entertainment': a marine mammal permit holder must offer an education or conservation program based on professionally recognised standards. Moreover, the import, display and movement of cetaceans in the USA is strictly monitored by federal agencies such as National Marine Fishers Services (NMFS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS). One of the current US regulation stipulates that: "Anyone selling, purchasing, exporting, or transporting a marine mammal must notify the Secretary (NMFS) at least 15 days before taking action.." All records regarding marine mammals are published in regular NMFS Marine Mammal Inventory Reports. Access to this information is public. As to the issue of training animals, such as orcas, for public display there is a body of scientific opinion that training can play an important part in ensuring both physical and psychological health in animals maintained in wildlife parks and zoos (Kiley-Worthington, 1990; Laule, 1992; Poole, 1990; Hediger, 1959; Hediger, 1970). >The ten year-old Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) - the >world's biggest charity dedicated to the conservation, welfare and >preservation of whales - is now calling for possible release for every >Orca whale in captivity and a total ban on the capture of more whales >for marine parks around the world. The issue of releasing cetaceans back to the wild has been found to be problematic. To date, there has been only two genuine scientifically controlled release projects for dolphins and whales. This has involved bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus); one in the US and the other in Australia. The US project was undertaken by Dr Ken Norris and Dr Randy Wells (Wells, 1990). Two animals were captured and kept for two years study, released, and then monitored. Two of the conclusions of this study were that (due to social grouping) young male dolphins were the best candidates for release, and that animals should always be released into the location of capture. The Australian project was undertaken in 1990 by biologist Dr Nick Gales (Gales and Waples, 1993). This program spanned two years and was developed to release the dolphins held at Atlantis Marine Park near Perth involving adults captured in 1981 and some captive bred calves. This project was partially successful, however, some animals had to be return to a captive environment due to problems with their adjustment to wild living. Since then, on the instruction of the US Congress, the US Navy has undertaken published research into to the re-release of captive animals that included a workshop attended by international experts. The US Navy report states: "...there is no a priori reason to conclude that an animal's health, longevity, and quality of life in the wild will be superior to it's health, longevity, and quality of life in captivity." (Brill and Friedl, 1993) >Commenting on the plight of the world's 52 captive Orcas, Mr Chris >Stroud, Director of Campaigns at WDCS said: "It's not right to keep an >Orca in a marine park. These beautiful mammals are taken from their >natural habitats and families to suffer in swimming pools in the name >of entertainment. As pointed out over 50% of North American orca are captive bred. Of the four orcas in Europe, at Marineland in the south of France, 50% of these are captive bred. >We firmly believe that it is cruel to keep whales in captivity. They >are animals of the open ocean, unsuited to life in small chlorinated >tanks and pools. Captive animals suffer depression, psychological >damage, mutilate themselves, and even commit suicide by refusing to >breathe. It's not just a prison, it's a death sentence." This statement is not supported by the above cited UK and Canadian reports in the captive care of cetaceans. Moreover, allegations that animals suffer depression, mutilate themselves or commit suicide does not seem to be supported by any published scientific research. >Simon Clark, Chairman of Clark & Taylor said: "We need to put a stop to >this mindless 'entertainment' and keep Orcas out of captivity. Clearly >we feel strongly enough about this to donate our time and resources >free. We hope our advertising campaign will help raise awareness of the >conditions inflicted upon these Orcas and make people think twice about >going to see these wild animals perform tricks in Marine parks." As pointed out, these animals can not be displayed in the USA for purely reasons of entertainment. Further, all whales and dolphins are protected as Appendix 1 species under CITES (Convention of the International Trade in Endangered Species) in Europe. This means animals require special permits from both exporting and importing countries and trade must not be primarily for commercial purposes (Klinowska, 1991) Further, reputable zoological parks have an important role to play in wild-life education, research and conservation. Many are actively involved in research and conservation project and have active rescue and rehabilitation programmes for injured marine life. As regards education, recently, Dr Rob Young, Research Co-ordinator, Edinburgh Zoo, noted in an article on his visit to animal collections in Florida the following observations on Sea World of Florida and it's education programmes with orcas: "it is the killer whale shows that are the most entertaining and educational....The killer whale stadium has a massive video screen upon which is shown a film about killer whales in the wild; it explains all about their conservation, ecology and behaviours. The film is interspersed with whales performing in the stadium natural behaviours on command. I personally felt that this mixture of film and the animals performing was the best zoo education I have ever experienced." (Young, 1996). Moreover, it is believed that the current public interest and concern for the fate of wild orcas is due to the publics access to these animals in marine parks and aquaria. Klinowska (1990) reports that two years before the first orca was publicly displayed these animals were shot indiscriminately and the Canadian Department of Fisheries planned to mount machine gun on shore to kill these animals. It is acknowledge that displays of these animals in marine parks and aquaria has enable this species to obtain protected status and prevented then from being classed as a pest species in competition with the fishing industry. >Facts & Figures > >* At least 134 Orcas were taken into captivity between 1961-1996. > Ninety-eight of those whales are now dead. This statement is meaningless and does not take into consideration changes in husbandry and so forth over the span of some 35 years. It should be noted that one of the very first animals to be displayed in captivity "Moby Doll" was caught via a harpoon and destined to become a dead specimen for a museum display. The animal survived and was displayed in a Canadian dry-dock facility (Hoyt, 1990). Moreover, many of the animals cited as dead in captivity would also be dead in the wild. >* The average survival time in captivity is just over five years. > >* Most die in captivity before they reach their early twenties. In > the wild females live an average of 50 years but can live to the > grand old age of 80. Male Orcas live an average of 29 years, but > can live to the age of 50. As pointed out above, the use of generalised averages and extreme age comparisons between captive and wild orcas is clearly misleading. For such comparisons to be of validity all cohorts in both the wild and captive populations understudy would have to be dead. >* Since 1968 there have been 47 known pregnancies in captivity - > only 17 calves survived. Once again, a statement made out of context. For example, this included a female orca called "Corky" who has systematically given birth to 7 non-viable young, the inclusion of such figure skews such data. However, if we except these figure this would give a captive calves' mortality rate of 36%. Olesiuk et al (1990) calculated neonate (0 to 0.5 years) morality rates at between 37% - 50%. However, Duffield, Odell, McBain, and Andrews (1995) detail the breeding programme for orcas at the USA Sea World parks. Between 1985 and September 1993 they report the birth of 9 calves. One calve was still- born and a second died of a congenital failure of the foramen ovale to close. Therefore, this group of captive animals has a mortality rate of 22%, considerable lower that estimated wild mortality (37% - 50%). These calculations also demonstrate how some of the vague and general statement made within this Press Release are subject to such grave errors. >* Orcas in parks self mutilate, commit suicide, attack handlers > and die. As stated, there appear to be no reputable evidence to support such statements. Moreover, it is a fact of life that animal both in the wild and under captive care die. REFERENCES Anon (1992) Capture and Maintenance of Cetaceans in Canada. A report prepared by the Advisory Committee on Marine Mammals. Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Bone, R. M., Vincent, M., Lockyer, C. and Rothwell, V.A. (1988). Dolphinaria Review: Report of the Steering Committee. London: Department of Environment. Brill. R.L. and Friedl. W.A. (1993) Reintroduction to the Wild as an Option for managing Navy Marine Mammals. San Diego: US Navy/NRaD Duffield, D.A., Odell, D.K., McBain, J.F. and Andrews, B. (1995) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) reproduction at Sea World. Zoo Biology, 14. Gales, N. and Waples, K. (1993) The rehabilitation and Release of Bottlenose Dolphins from Atlantis Marine Park, Western Australia. Aquatic Mammals. 19(2) Hediger, H. (1959). Psychology of animal in zoos and circuses. London: Butterworth Hediger, H. (1970). Man and animal in the zoo: Zoo biology. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Hoyt, E. (1990). Orca: The Whale Called Killer. London: Robert Hale. Kiley-Worthington, M. (1990). Animals in circuses and zoos: Chiron's world? Pitsea: Little Eco Farms Publishing. Klinowska, M. (1991) Dolphins, Porpoises and Whales of the World: The IUCN Red data Book. Cambridge: IUCN Klinowska, M. and Brown, S. (1986) A Review of Dolphinaria. London: Department of Environment. Laule, G. (1992). Addressing psychological well-being: Training as enrichment. The Shape of Enrichment, 1, 2, 11-12. Olesuik, P.F., Bigg, M.A. and Ellis, G.M. (1990) Life History and Population Dynamics of Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) in the Coastal Waters of British Columbia and Washington State. Report of the International Whaling Commission (Special Issue 12). Cambridge: International Whale Commission. Poole, T.P. (ed.) (1990). Animal training: A review and commentary on current practice. Potter Bar: Universities Federation for Animal Welfare. Small, R.J. and DeMaster, P.D. (1995) Survival of Five Species of Captive Marine Mammals. Marine Mammal Science. 11(2) 209-226. Wells, R.S. (1990) Return to the Wild: Completion of a "Dolphin Sabbatical". Journal American Cetacean Society: Whalewatcher. (3)5. Young, R. (1996). Zoo Profile: Reflections on Florida: A busman's holiday. Ratel; Journal of the Association of British Wild Animal Keepers. 23, 3. -- ============================================================== John Dineley, BA.Hons Consultant Animal Welfare & Behaviour PO BOX 153 Bedford MK40 2JD United Kingdom Telephone & Fax: 01234-342387 Email: JD(\)zalophus.demon.co.uk ================================================================ ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 20 Jul 1997 04:51:40 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly summary (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 7/11/97 are bracketed {...} New info and changes since 7/17/97 are double bracketed {{...}} Marine Mammals . CITES Hearing. On July 17, 1997, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans has tentatively scheduled an oversight hearing on the results of the recent meeting of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Parties in Zimbabwe. [personal communication] . {Atlantic Large Whale Protection Measures. On July 15, 1997, NMFS announced details of a substantially revised 4-year Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan to reduce large whale entanglement in lobster and gillnet fishing gear along the Atlantic coast. Fishermen will be permitted to choose among a list of options for modifying fishing gear to address entanglement concerns by Jan. 1, 1998. Comments on the plan will be accepted through Oct. 15, 1997, with the rule taking effect on Nov. 15, 1997. Critical whale habitat would be closed to certain gear during times of whale concentration, but gear modifications would not be required for gear fished in inshore coves and harbors.} [NOAA press release, Assoc Press] . Walrus Lawsuit. On June 27, 1997, the AK Supreme Court ruled against a Native Alaskan couple charged with walrus hunting in the Walrus Islands state game sanctuary during 1993. The Court ruled that state property regulations could not be preempted by the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act; it was unconstitutional to supersede the state's right to regulate access and ban the discharge of firearms, because it would amount to a government taking without compensation. [Assoc Press] . Tuna-Dolphin Legislation. On June 26, 1997, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation marked-up and ordered S. 39 reported as amended to allow the use of the 'dolphin-safe' label if no dolphins are observed to have been killed or seriously injured during tuna harvest. [Reuters] . Japanese Research Whaling. On June 25, 1997, officials of Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research announced the terms of sale for 1,995 tons of meat from 440 minke whales taken in the Southern Ocean between November 1996 and March 1997. This meat is to be sold primarily to processor of canned foods, with projected revenue of 3.5 billion yen. Prime-quality meant for general consumption would be sold wholesale for 3,840 yen per kilogram, with the retail price to be three times the wholesale price. [Dow Jones News] . ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 20 Jul 1997 04:58:01 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Job posting DIRECTOR Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur The ideal candidate must have hands-on experience in marine mammal care and rehabilitation as well as business administration, accounting, volunteer management, and fund-raising skills. This person will direct activities of the Care Center and act as liaison with it's 501(c)(3) support organization MAR3INE (Marine Animal Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Release Into the Natural Environment, inc.) The candidate must be a professional possessing a successful track record with an established businesslike private or not-for-profit organization and be able to manage day-to-day facility operations of the Care Center. Requires a minimum of a BA or BS degree in the biological sciences and at least 4 to 5 years experience with the rehabilitation of marine mammals (in particular pinnipeds) covering areas of their behavior, husbandry, rehabilitation, and medical treatment. Must be versed in water chemistry, filtration plant operation, and facility maintenance. Requires computer literacy (Lotus - M.S.Word - Adobe Page Maker - Quickbooks), excellent writing, editorial and speaking skills, and a thorough knowledge of California and Federal marine mammal affairs and regulations. Salary commensurate with experience and education. Please send resume in confidence to: Attn: Donald Zumwalt - Director Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur 3601 S. Gaffey Street San Pedro, CA 90731 E-mail Adress:DONZUM(\)aol.com (no phone calls Please) A query for marine mammalogists, bioacousticians, & anyone else interested in the effects of anthropogenic undersea noise on marine mammals: My colleagues & I at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) are preparing a preliminary list of sonic "hot spots": highly ensonified waters, particularly in coastal areas and shipping channels, known to have biological significance for marine mammal populations. One such "hot spot" might be the Great South Channel off the New England coast, an important summer feeding ground for the N. Atlantic right whale and the site of a major shipping lane. What other sites, U.S. or otherwise, might be added to this list? (To the extent possible, please indicate for each site its location and ecological significance and the nature of the sound source(s) to which it is exposed (e.g., shipping, seismic surveys, etc.).) Thank you in advance (& apologies to those who've already received this query through Cornell's Bioacoustics listserv). -Michael Jasny, NRDC mjasny(\)nrdc.org ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 19:22:38 +0000 From: alexa(\)porthos.bio.ub.es Subject: Update monk seal die-off CURRENT SITUATION OF THE MONK SEAL DIE-OFF IN WESTERN SAHARA- MAURITANIA The die-off that has been affecting the Cap Blanc population of monk seals since mid- May is still producing deaths in the colony although the current levels of mortality appear to be lower. During the second half of June almost no casualties were observed, but since July 5 two freshly dead individuals and three moribunds have been detected. Since the beginning of the event a total of 108 corpses have been examined. However, the mortality is thought to have affected a larger number of individuals. From standardized counts made on the caves and their comparison with comparable counts made the four previous years, it can be calculated that 68% of the population has already disappeared. Thus, the colony, estimated to be originally composed of about 300 seals, is thought to have been reduced now to less than 100 individuals. 98% of the examined corpses were adults and subadults, and 56% of the sexed individuals were males and 44% females. Only 2 juveniles and 2 newborn pups have been found. However, it is likely that the pups indeed died because of malnutrition caused by the death of their mothers and not by the direct effect of the agent causative of the mortality. The four orphaned pups that were rescued by the LIFE-CE team at the beginning of the event continue to be rehabilitated, and the one that remained with its mother inside the caves has already moulted and is in good condition. Another female gave birth on 20 June and is also apparently doing well in the caves. Since the beginning, research to identify the causative agent of the die-off has focused on two main potential agents: a virus and a saxitoxin produced by a dynoflagellate. Regarding the virological analysis, Dr. S. Kennedy (Northern Ireland Agriculture Department, Stormont) has finalised the examination of 10 seals and concluded that there were no indications of viral infection. Only in one individual he find unidentified structures that could either be the result of autolysis or a virus. Tests for morbillivirus infection (IPX staining and PCR) all resulted negative. The histological examination of lung sections showed no evidence of a pneumonic process, as is commonly observed in morbillivirus infection, in any animal. No results on the virological analysis have been so far produced by Dr. A. Osterhaus (Erasmus University, the Netherlands). Regarding saxitoxins, the bioassay and HPLC analysis of tissues from further seals and from a variety of fishes and filtrating organisms have been completed by the three Spanish laboratories involved (Dr. J. Franco from the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences; Dr. E. Costas from the University of Madrid, and Dr. M. Fern=E1ndez from the Community Laboratory on Biotoxins of Vigo). The results from all laboratories have been coincidental in consistently detecting the presence of at least two PSP saxitoxins in the tissues of the seals and in some of the other organisms analysed, particularly in the viscera of phytophagous fishes. Further, sea water examination and cultures carried out by the two former laboratories have consistently shown the presence of toxic dynoflagellates, particularly Alexandrium minutum. Concentrations in seal tissues were, however, low and a cause-effect relationship could not be indisputably established from only the HPLC and bioassay tests. However, Dr. E. Costas has recently applied immunofluorescence techniques to brain tissues of four freshly dead seals and has detected the presence of saxitoxins in all cases. The saxitoxin concentrations found in the brain are associated to brain neuronal disruption capable to produce the death of the seals, therefore producing evidence of the cause of death. A recent message authored by Mr Taleb, director of the Mauritanian Center for Fisheries Research (CNROP), and circulated by the Seal Rescue and Research Center of Pieterburen (SRRC) in MARMAM, has created considerable confusion when informing that the CNROP had sent samples to some of the above laboratories and that the results of the saxitoxin analyses on these samples were negative. The three laboratories have, however, informed that they never received any sample from the CNROP nor have ever sent any report to Mr. Taleb, for which reason this information should be considered incorrect. Overall, the analytical results, the mortality pattern (only affecting adults and with almost absent juvenile mortality) and the clinic diagnosis (paralytic symptoms before death, lung congestion but not pneumonic process), all point out that the cause of the die-off is a saxitoxin of algal origin. The Emergency Action Plan designed by a Committee of Experts that met in the Amsterdam airport at the end of May was approved by all its members with the exception of the representative of the CNROP. The Plan has received a wide support from international organizations (IUCN, WWF, UNEP, IFAW, Bonn Convention, European Nature Heritage Fund, etc) and has also been approved by the Governor of Nouadhibou and the Parc National du Banc d'Arguin (PNBA), the Mauritanian national authority for nature conservation. Funding for the implementation of the Plan has been offered by a number of international organisations. The field team undertaking the Plan is multidisciplinary and multinational, and it is mainly composed of personnel from the University of Barcelona, the University of Las Palmas, the Spanish Ministry of the Environment (all working within the LIFE-CE framework), the Norfolk Wildlife Hospital, the Sea Mammal Research Unit, and the Parc National du Banc d'Arguin. It is soon expected the incorporation to the fieldwork of Greek and Turkish researchers on monk seals. Monitoring of the situation in the caves occupied by the colony and in the surrounding cliffs and beaches has been maintained constant since the beginning of the event by the LIFE-CE team to assess trends in mortality and in population numbers. Necropsies have been performed in over 70 individuals, with detailed sampling in those corpses found fresh. Samples of blood have been obtained from 6 apparently non-diseased seals and analyses carried out on them did not indicate presence of infection or other disease. Capture techniques, both for seals hauled-out on beaches or swimming freely in open waters, have been adapted to the local conditions and the appropriate equipment is now available on the spot. However, until present, treatment of the diseased seals has unfortunately only been possible inside the caves. This represents definite physical risks to the personnel involved and produces sensible disruption to the non-diseased individuals. One of the main objectives of the Emergency Action Plan was the closing of a cave or the construction of an enclosure in the neighbourhood of the caves to temporarily keep seals in captivity. In this way it was expected that the monitoring of the health status of the seals and their safe treatment would be facilitated while avoiding impact on the colony. Nevertheless, attempts to undertake such action have been frustrated to date. The CNROP and its advising institution, the Seal Research and Rescue Center of Pieterburen (SRRC), opposed belligerently to the Action Plan, even when Peter Reijnders, as supervisor of the Plan, travelled to Mauritania to explain its details and urgency of implementation. The situation appeared to be solved when on June 15 the Governor of Nouadhibou informed Dr. Reijnders and the PNBA that the CNROP had changed its position and was willing to participate in the implementation of the Plan. Consequently, a formal letter of invitation to participate in the seal rescue tasks was issued to the CNROP through the Governor. Nevertheless, the CNROP never answered this invitation and continued trying to obstruct the Plan. As a consequence of this opposition, the permission from some of the Mauritanian authorities to carry out these actions has not yet been obtained. The reasons for such opposition to an otherwise widely accepted Action Plan are unclear but do not appear to be scientifically based. In the recent MARMAM message above mentioned, as well as in a number of public declarations, the CNROP director has stated that the disagreement was based on their assumption that the mortality stopped by the end of May (at that time the total number of corpses found was only 67, while today 108 have already been recorded), and that the die-off was of viral origin (an assumption not supported by analytical results and that was, nevertheless, of no significance because the Committee of Experts agreed that the Action Plan should be implemented irrespective of the cause of the die-off). Whatever are the reasons, the CNROP-SSRC opposition to the Emergency Action Plan has prevented the field team to treat the seals, in particular using the antidote against saxitoxins made available by the US Marine Mammal Commission already by the end of May. This has undoubtly had negative consequences on the successful rescue of the diseased seals as well on the research towards the clarification of the causes of the die- off. It is uncertain how many seals could have been saved if the Plan had been implemented more rapidly and efficiently, but it is clear that the contribution of both the CNROP and the SRRC to the conservation of this, the last colony of monk seals, has been profoundly negative. Furthermore, the Emergency Action Plan also considered vaccinating seals against morbillivirus as a preventive measure in the case that the virus appeared in the future. The field team implementing the Action Plan requested on 2 June the vaccines to the personnel of the SSRC in Mauritania. Subsequent requests were made in numerous occasions, two of them by writing (10 June and 10 July). However, the vaccines have not been supplied to the field team to date despite being available in Mauritania since the beginning of the process. Despite the low current levels of mortality, efforts to monitor both live individuals and the appearance of newly dead seals, as well as the undertaking of necropsies and attempts to rescue diseased seals will continue. Material and personnel is ready to build an interim enclosure in only about three days if the authorisation is finally granted. The field team working for the Emergency Action Plan is currently composed of 12 persons, mainly from the University of Barcelona, the University of las Palmas and the Norfolk Wildlife Hospital. It is considered that, given the reduced current population levels, even a small number of deaths may further compromise the future of the colony. Moreover, the mortality has appeared to slow down in a couple of occasions (end of May and second half of June) to re-start again, for which reason the rescue operative will be maintained until the process is definitely over. Alex Aguilar (alexa(\)porthos.bio.ub.es) Coordinator of the Emergency Action Plan 15 July, 1997 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 07:00:12 -0700 From: caryn sullivan Subject: WDCS I wish to thank Howard Garrett for posting his response. I choose to respond to him privately. I received several other private responses (both pro and con) with contact information. I have written to the people suggested for further data and am waiting for responses. If you are interested in what I find, please email me privately, rather than taking up space on marmam. My email address is below. FYI... I have had partial luck in locating the book Mr. Garrett recommended: THE PERFORMING ORCA - WHY THE SHOW MUST STOP by Erich Hoyt The definitive report exposing the dolphinaria industry. A W.D.C.S. publication. SB 102pp (Order no. BK24) It is available from WDCS TRADING LTD. information at: http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/whale/organisation/wdcs/sci.html ordering instructions at: http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/whale/organisation/wdcs/wdcsord.html For those of us in the USA, I tried Amazon Books at: http://www.amazon.com Unfortunately they do not have this particular publication, however they do have 17 books by Erich Hoyt, several of which are about orcas. I do not know if WDCS TRADING LTD. can ship to the USA for a reasonable fee... ...if you know where I might find this publication in the USA, please send the information to me at the email address below. I found a website for WDCS, but there is not an email contact address on it, however, you can join the society online. The WDCS home page is at: http://www.glen.co.uk/wdcs/ It has the following contact information: Contact the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), Alexander House, James St. West, Bath, Avon, BA1 2BT. Tel: (44) 1225 334511, Fax: (44) 1225 480097 My intent was not to offend WDCS. They fund many worthy endeavors. But, I am still interested in the complete facts. Cheers, Caryn Caryn Self Sullivan Graduate Student URI Ocean Engineering Narragansett, RI 02882 caryn(\)ocean.oce.uri.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 19 Jul 1997 07:50:43 +1000 From: gclarke(\)magna.com.au Subject: Publishing papers on the Internet In-Reply-To: Dear All, Please accept my apologies for the second post but there is a typo (typographical error) in Kenneth's URL. For those who are still interested Kenneth LeVasseur's papers on "Dolphin Intelligence and the Captivity Issue" are at: http://whales.magna.com.au/POLICIES/levasseur/ or http://whales.magna.com.au/POLICIES/ for the full menu. Anyone wishing to add their work to this page should email me with their details. I will take instruction as to the desired layout and impose no restrictions other than that of decency. I will make no financial demands but donations may be accepted. Texts need only be in unformatted text or HTML. This is a casual offer and may be retracted without notice. Regards, Graham Clarke ------------------------------------- Graham_J._Clarke - "WHALES IN DANGER" ------------------------------------------ WWW Home Page - http://whales.magna.com.au/ ------------------------------------------------- Sydney - AUSTRALIA - email: gclarke(\)magna.com.au ----------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 07:14:36 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: WDCS response FYI... WDCS has responded to my request for further information and asked that I let MARMAM subscribers know that they replied. They have sent me a report which I am in the process of reading. They are also in the process of putting more information on their web page. Below is an excerpt from the reply which may be of interest: "The posting to MARMAM was not intended to be a general posting... The comments are taken from some info. sent to a media source. I agree with your points about information being supported by evidence and I hope this report goes some way to helping. We have a lot of background material that we are collating to put on a web page and therefore hope to make available to everybody to comment on and send us corrections or updates." My thanks to WDCS for their most professional and courteous response and to the many MARMAM subscribers who have responded to me privately. Cheers, Caryn Caryn Self Sullivan Graduate Student URI Ocean Engineering Narragansett, RI 02882 caryn(\)ocean.oce.uri.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 22 Jul 1997 05:58:46 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: captive orca mortality (fwd) My kudos to Jaap van der Toorn for providing statistical precision and standard methodologies to the questions surrounding orca mortality in captivity. I don't find any great discrepancies between Jaap's analysis and the original WDCS posting. There are gray areas and matters of interpretation, but I have no quibble with Jaap's total number captured and kept, or that have died in captivity. My incredulity, however, follows from the lines: >...over the period 1961-1997 >95 wild captured killer whales have died. Without any information about >the distribution of those deaths, this number is virtually meaningless. >To put them in perspective, you need a captive-population analysis, like >the one performed by Small and DeMaster (1995). To say that the 95 captive orca deaths are meaningless is to assume that such a rate of mortalities is normal in comparison to wild orca mortality rates, not to mention circumstances of death. That contradicts Small and DeMaster (1995), who conclude that there is a significant difference in survival rates between captive and wild orca populations. Most of the 51 orcas caught in the Pacific Northwest and BC and delivered to parks between 1966 and 1976 (plus two to the Navy) were juveniles (3-15 years old) who were born roughly between 1960 and 1970. None were fully adult according to lengths at capture. 27 were males, 24 were females. Of the males, only Hyak and Orky II lived to their mid-twenties before they died. All the other males died before or shortly after reaching their teens. Of the females only Corky, Yaka and Lolita survive today, all three about 32-33 years old. Expected longevity would be 29.2 years for the males and 50.2 years for the females (Olesiuk, et al, 1990). Beginning in 1976 the captures took place off Iceland, and continued until 1989. At least 58 were taken. These were on average much smaller, and therefore younger (adjusting for the smaller size of Atlantic orcas) than the ones captured from the Pacific. Most of them were born between 1972 and 1987, so the oldest would be about 25 years old today if they all lived and some would be in their early teens. But of the 20 males and 38 females caught off Iceland, only 9 of the males and 15 females are still alive. (Mortality rates of those captured off Japan are similar.) Of course some mortalities among young whales can be expected in a natural habitat as well, but not 55% of the males and 60% of the females, as occurred from this recently captured population. If it is necessary to do a captive-population analysis, then someone please do one and let's look at the results, but at some point these greatly increased mortalities should take on some meaning, or are we incapable of empathy for the induced suffering and tragic early deaths of such deeply sensitive, affectionate and intelligent mammals? We have much to learn about orcas. We have only begun to appreciate and understand their highly varied and complex social and family systems. Different orca populations worldwide practice a wide range of solutions to the demands of survival and security in finite habitats, as well as problems of co-existence among dissimilar communities. Any anthropogenic disruption of their normal lives should be seen as problematic. WDCS is trying to instill some sense of awareness of the pain that inevitably accompanies the unconscious abuse inherent in the practice of capture and display of whales and dolphins, in the hopes that as a society we might stop doing it. Howard ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Howard Garrett Tokitae Foundation 1357 Smuggler's Cove Road Friday Harbor WA 98250 Ph: 360-378-5835 Fx: 360-378-5954 email: tokitae(\)rockisland.com For a look at Lolita's story and the possibilities for her return, see: http://www.rockisland.com/~tokitae ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 22 Jul 1997 13:58:48 +0100 From: Peter Haddow Subject: Protocols for Minimising Disturbance + Reference Database v2.4 To all Marmammers The Seal Conservation Society is currently developing a set of protocols to be used for minimising the noise and proximity disturbance caused to pinnipeds by both civilian and military activities. This will cover such activities as acoustic surveying, missile and ship-shock trials, leisure activities, low-flying &c. The physical and behavioural effects of noise and disturbance on pinnipeds seem to be well documented. However the Society has been unable to locate much information on existing disturbance minimisation protocols which are actually being carried out whether on a voluntary or legally enforceable basis. Any information that Marmammers therefore have on specific examples of such protocols, laws or codes of practice would therefore be a great help to the Society with this project. On a separate note the Society has recently released version 2.4 of its Reference Database with almost 12,000 references to pinniped-related research papers, reports, books and other publications. The Reference Database is available from the Society's web page in the form of a Windows CSV text file enclosed in a self-extracting .exe file. Any feedback on the content or structure of the database is most welcome. Cheers Peter Haddow, Chairman Seal Conservation Society The Manse Methlick Aberdeenshire United Kingdom AB41 7DS Tel/Fax: +44-1651-806215 Web: http://www.greenchannel.com/tec/seals.htm E-mail: p.haddow(\)abdn.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 23 Jul 1997 22:25:23 -0200 From: Wildlife Subject: Educational Exhibits The Brazilian Right Whale Project is - at last - in the process of drafting a funding proposal to build the National Right Whale Conservation Center in a donated property in Southern Brazil. The proposed facility will be both a research station and a public education center, with a large space for an exhibit on whales and their environment. As we are having difficulties locating people or firms working with the design a nd building of interpretive, interactive exhibits, we would appreciate if any MARMAM friends could help us on this. We are seeking information on availability and cost estimates on simple things like touch-screen systems and touch-button recorded messages for sound displays, and so on. Thank you very much in advance for any information you may provide.Jose Truda Pa lazzo, Jr. President, International Wildlife Coalition - Brasil Coordinator, Brazilian Right Whale Project Brazilian_wildlife(\)nutecnet.com.br http://www.via-rs.com.br/iwcbr ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 24 Jul 1997 12:49:57 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: VIRUS FOUND IN ENDANGERED FLORIDA MANATEE 24-Jul-97 09:06 am Urgent International VIRUS FOUND IN ENDANGERED FLORIDA MANATEE Miami, July 23 Reuter - A virus that causes benign skin tumours has been found for the first time in Florida manatees and could pose a new threat to the endangered MARINE MAMMAL, a University of Miami researcher said on Wednesday. It was the first time any virus had been found in manatees, which have strong immune systems, UM scientist Dr Gregory Bossart said. The infection, called papillomavirus, was confirmed through DNA molecular testing on tissue from two manatees inhabiting separate areas of Florida's Gulf coast, Bossart said in a statement. ``The fact that we have confirmed that two animals from different locations are infected indicates that this may be a new problem and it has the potential to spread,'' Bossart said. Papillomavirus causes lesions in a variety of mammals including humans. Researchers have seen unusual viral infections, skin lesions and tumours in other marine mammals in recent years, including bottlenose dolphins and killer whales. The tumours rarely are malignant, but can appear above the eyes, on the mouth or genitals, causing functional problems for the creatures, researchers said. Manatees, or sea cows, are gentle, slow-moving vegetarian giants, weighing over 1000 pounds. They are among the most endangered of marine mammals, with only 2500-3000 remaining in warm US coastal waters. More than 400 manatees died last year, the worst mortality record of any year on record. About 150 of those were killed by brevetoxin, a substance produced by red tide, a massive algae bloom. Bossart said the emergence of the virus in manatees may have resulted from environmental degradation. ``We've been using the ocean as our toilet for so long that we may now be seeing the results,'' he said. Reuter skr ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 24 Jul 1997 11:02:07 -0400 From: MAURO HERNANDEZ <106271.41(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Copy of: Monk Seal Die Off and Saxitoxins in Mauritania ------ DETECTION OF SAXITOXINS IN THE CENTRAL NERVIOUS SYSTEM OF MONK SEALS FROM WESTERN SAHARA BY INMUNOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES Since May 17, a unusually high Monk seal (Monachus monachus) mortality was observed by the permanent monitoring field team of the Spanish Monk Seal LIFE/CE Project, which has been studying the population since 1992 in collaboration with the national mauritanian authority in nature conservation (Parc National du Banc d=B4Arguin). Previous analysis (MARMAM 23/May/1997) of water samples revealed the presence of toxic dinoflagellates, mostly Alexandrium minutum all ove= r the coast. Two liver samples from Monk Seals dead on May 21 tested by mic= e bioassays following the methodology of Falconer (In: Falconer IR. (ed.) 1993. Algal Toxins in Seafood and Drinking Water. Academic Press, London. pp:165-167) yielded positive results and a dose of 0.917 plus/minus 0.12 mouse units over 6 mice assayed was detected. An inmunofluorescence technique was employed to detect saxitoxins in brain cryosections from 4 Monk seals. These included 2 adult males (No= s 359 and 366), one sub adult female (No 365) and one pregnant, adult femal= e (No 368). All these were found dead between June 3rd and June 12th in beaches of the Western Sahara. Brain samples were kept frozen at minus 20 =BAC until analysis. Frozen sections 4 microns thick were made from these brain sample= s using a cryotome Leica CM 1500 and mounted Poly-L-Lysine coated microscop= ic slides. Brain sections from unexposed mice and stranded Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) were also analysed as negative controls.=20 Sections were incubated and results obtained following a sandwich technique described by Costas et al (1995. Journal Appl. Phycology 7:407-411) and Costas & Lopez-Rodas (1997. Journal of Phycology 33(3): in press). Two monoclonal mouse antibodies were used as primary antibodies: Industries UVE Inc., Japan and Industries Rouger Inc., Canada. A commercially available FITC-conjugated goat anti-mouse antibody from Sigm= a, Spain, was used as secondary antibody. Sections were examined using a Zei= ss Epifluorescence microscope with a blue filter set (BP 450-490 nm) and a emission cut off for FITC. Fluorescence was measured by microscope photometry. Results of the presence of saxitoxins in brain sections from all four seals were positive. Control sections using unexposed mouse and dolphin brain tissue yielded negative quantitative and quantitative results. Qualitative and quantitative results from the four seals correla= te well with those obtained in mice given experimental doses of saxitoxin (D= r E. Costas, unpubl. data). Positive mouse bioassays indicate that phycotoxins were present i= n both liver assayed. Most Reference Laboratories use the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) mouse bioassays for detection of PSP toxin in seafood (Hollinworth T & Wekell M 1990.In: K. Hellrich (ed). Official Methods of Analysis of the AOAC, 15th Edition, Arlington, USA, p= p: 881-882). The Falconer method differs from AOAC mouse bioassay in pH adjustement and the obtention of 4 extracts with different pHs, thus limiting the influence of pH during extraction on results. Mouse bioassay= s in a non selective method but, is currently the only bioassay reliable fo= r detecting all PSP toxins (Fernandez et al, 1996. In: Yasumoto, T. et al (eds) Harmful and Toxic Algal Blooms. Intergov. Oceanographic Commision o= f UNESCO, pp: 11-14). Inmunological techniques are being successfuly used in the detection of biotoxins in water and foodstuff samples (Costas et al 1995; Usleber et al 1995., Food Addit. Contam. 12:405-413). Results of the inmunological technique indicated that saxitoxins were present in the bra= in sections of all four seals. Although antibodies assayed have high specificity and sensivity for saxitoxins, they do not distinghish between different saxitoxins. Both antibodies cross-react with all toxins from th= e saxitoxin family including, STX, NeoSTX, dcSTX, GTX1-4, B1, C1-4 etc. No brains from unexposed monk seals were available to be included as negative control but, brains from unexposed mice and stranded dolphins were used. No inmunostaning was obtained in neither of the negative controls. Thus, cross-reaction with some of the tissue components is unlikely. Fluorescence results are a strong suggestion that saxitoxin poisoning have played an important role in the monk seal mortalities. Results in this study demosntrate that (1) saxitoxins were presen= t in the four Monk seal brains analysed, (2) fluorescence acitivity correlates well with those obtained in mice given experimental doses of saxitoxin and, (3) the technique can be successfully applied to detect these and other biotoxins in target organs of marine mammals. Prof. Dr Eduardo Costas Department of Genetics, Veterinary Faculty, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain Mr Mauro Hernandez, DVM Laboratorio Forense de Vida Silvestre, P. Conde de los Gaitanes, 145, La Moraleja, 28109 Madrid, Spain. Email: 10271.41(\)compuserve.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 24 Jul 1997 16:18:19 -0400 Reply-To: rwbaird(\)is.dal.ca From: "Robin W. Baird" Organization: Dalhousie University Subject: Behaviour of Mesoplodon bidens We are trying to find anyone who has observed Mesoplodon bidens (Sowerby's beaked whale) at sea. In particular, we are interested in descriptions of surfacing behaviour. Jefferson et al. (1993) note that the long beak of M. grayi is "often stuck up out of the water as the animal surfaces". We recently observed and photographed about eight Mesoplodon (probably M. bidens) off Nova Scotia. If the species is confirmed with the photographs, this should be the first sighting record of this species off Nova Scotia (Lien et al. 1990). All adult-sized individuals showed the beak upon surfacing, usually at a 30-45 degree angle from the surface, and we are wondering whether this trait might be typical of the species. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Robin Baird and Sascha Hooker Jefferson, T.A., S. Leatherwood and M.A. Webber. 1993. Marine mammals of the world. FAO Species Identification Guide, UNEP. Lien, J. and F. Barry. 1990. Status of Sowerby's beaked whale, Mesoplodon bidens, in Canada. Canadian Field-Naturalist 104: 125-130. ========================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Biology Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4J1 Canada Phone (902) 494-3723 Fax (902) 494-3736 e-mail: rwbaird(\)is.dal.ca http://is.dal.ca/~whitelab/index.htm ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 24 Jul 1997 13:45:48 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: WDCS Response (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 23 Jul 97 17:16:55 +0000 From: Chris Stroud Regarding John Dineley=B9s comments I would like to take this opportunity o= f replying to some of his specific expositions.=20 However, I think it appropriate first to establish that both Mr Dinely and myself are campaigners and both are members of campaigning organisations. WDCS is not only a funder of conservation research, (many MARMAM subscribers will hopefully know of our work), but we also actively campaign on issues such as directed takes, fishery interactions and the issue of captive display.=20 Mr Dineley, is not just a consultant, as he signs himself, but he is an active member of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA), specifically serving as regional subcommittee chair for the Legislation, Information, and Policies (LIP) Committee. The LIP (as noted by Randy Brill in Soundings Vol 21, No 1 1st Quarter 1996) was formed =8Cas a means of monitoring both legislative and animal rights issues for the purpose of 1) advising the Board of Directors as to those things which might have and impact on the objectives and interests of IMATA and 2) what, if any, actions or policies should be initiated to accomodate those things.=B9 Mr Dineley=B9s comments must therefore be seen to be emanating from a spokesperson for the captive display industry. This is not to decry his comments, but with whalers, amongst others, using professional PR people to submit information to MARMAM, we should be aware of what interest groups and individuals representing commercial interests such as the captive display industry are being represented in statements promulgated to MARMAM subscribers.=20 As to the specifics of Mr Dineley=B9s comments. >First, it should be pointed out that the captive welfare of dolphins >and whales, and their suitability to be displayed in appropriated >captive environments, has been documented in research commissioned by >both the British (Klinowska and Brown, 1988; Bone, Vincent, Lockyer, >Rothwell, 1988) and Canadian (Anon, 1992) governments. These >investigations could not support the often stated opinions by groups, >such as WDCS, that animals, such as the killer whale or orca, suffer >when maintained in the care of humans. In fact, Klinowska and Brown=B9s draft report: A Review of Dolphinaria, published July 1986 was very critical of the 6 UK marine parks which (then) displayed cetaceans. In its summary of conclusions, the report states amongst other things that =B3the dolphin shows and guidebooks have unanimously been assessed by three education experts as containing little to no educational purpose.=B2 Also =B3the UK history of cetacean keeping is not devoid of accidents, mistakes and errors of judgement which have resulted in stress and moralities.=B2 and =B3although the present knowledge= of cetacean keeping has been obtained at significant cost to the health and welfare of individual animals, there do not appear to be any absolute impediments to future keeping which would not apply equally to the keeping of any other wild-caught animals.=B2 The final report produced by the steering group advocated guidelines which, whilst being less rigorous than the original recommendations, nevertheless represented (and still represent) the strictest standards anywhere in the world on the keeping of captive cetaceans. Sea World has the largest orca pools in the world, yet these pools do not comply with UK standards as regards pool depth. The report also banned the keeping of solitary orcas, which also still occurs elsewhere. >The British research stated: > > "In general, many of the concerns about the physical and mental > welfare of cetaceans were either not well founded, relate to > particular cases or would require extensive research to > establish...No substantial contra-indications to keeping > cetaceans have been found which would not apply equally to the > keeping of any other wild-caught animals...This is not to say > that there are no problems with cetacean keeping, only that > problems are not dissimilar to these encountered in wild-caught > animal husbandry in general, and could be solved." > (Klinowska and Brown, 1988, page 8) The statement explicitly acknowledges husbandry problems of wild-caught animals. It doesn=B9t say that there aren=B9t any problems associated with keeping orcas, only that other w/c species may be equally difficult to keep!=20 >As regards the catching of orcas from the wild. The capturing of orcas >from North American and Canadian waters ceased since 1976. Iceland has >also caught animals for public display since 1975. Such catches were >under authorised permits from the Icelandic Ministry of Fisheries based >on advice from the Marine Research Institute in Reykjavik. In fact several catches have been surplus to permits, for example, in October 1978, Sea World captured 6 Icelandic orcas, despite having permits for only 4. These four were imported directly, the surplus two were laundered via Canada and France. In June 1979, one of those orcas, a young female named Katina, was imported to SW from Marineland, Canada.=20 >Current comparative data on the lives of wild orcas is almost >exclusively derived from the periodic study of groups living for part of >the year in and around Pacific Northwest; orcas have a global >distribution and the behaviour and biology of orcas in other parts of >the world is not fully understood. Orca studies have, in fact, taken place in other parts of the world, including: Alaska, Argentina (Miguel Iniguez), the Crozet Islands and Norway (Tiu Simila; Catherine DeNardo, etc.). WDCS has sponsored a number of these projects to obtain the much needed data from the field.=20 >Whilst a number of orcas were also obtained from Iceland; over half (51%) of total >animals displayed in North America zoological establishments have been captive bred.=20 In fact, between 1976-1989, 64 orcas were captured off Iceland, of which 55 were taken into captivity - no mean number! 31 are now dead.=20 US parks alone have displayed 16 Icelandic-caught orcas. Ten are now dead.= =20 Secondly, a total of 12 calves survive in US parks - all at SW. These are the only survivors of 21 known pregnancies. In addition, SW lost five females during or shortly after pregnancy. SW has also allowed its females to become pregnant at a grossly early age. In the wild, the average female would give birth at around 14-15 years. The youngest wild female observed with a calf was 11 years of age (Ford, J.K.B., G.M. Ellis & K.C. Balcomb. 1994 Killer Whales, UBC Press, Vancouver. p22.)=20 * In June 1995, Kalina gave birth at SW for the second time whilst still under ten years of age.=20 * Captive-bred calves are often hybrids, being the result of matings between Atlantic and Pacific orcas. Equally, problems have been caused by inbreeding and a shrinking gene pool. In the wild, a healthy gene pool is maintained since matings take place outside the immediate pod. In captivity, orcas which are probably related have been allowed to interbreed - e.g. Corky and Orky - 7 pregnancies ended in stillbirth, miscarriage or premature death. E.g. Bjossa and Finna (Vancouver Aq, caught from the same Icelandic waters). Two failed births: one calf died after 96 days, the other after only 10 minutes.=20 All the calves born at SW (whether alive or dead) have been sired by just 5 males - only one of which (Tillikum) is still alive today. SW also imported Ulysses on =B3breeding loan=B2 in 1994. The eldest male calf (Spla= sh) is still only 7 years old.=20 >The statement that some animals live to 50 or 29 years is open to >question as the groups these animals come from has only been studied >using systematic photo ID since the early seventies (Olesiuk, Bigg, and >Ellis, 1990). Olesiuk, P., M. Bigg & G.M. Ellis, 1990. =B3Life history and population dynamics of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the coastal waters of British Columbia and Washington State.=B2 Rept. Int. Whaling Comm. Special Issue 12, pp209-244. This paper cites specific orcas, first observed in 1973 as adults (i.e. at least 15 years of age) and still (at the time of writing) alive and thriving.=20 Additionally, Ken Balcomb at the Center for Whale Research. Friday Harbor carries out an annual census of orcas in Puget Sound. In 1994, he reported that =B3almost 65% of the 94 plus whales ... are over 45 years of age.=20 There is clear evidence of several free-ranging males who are well into their 40s and 50s.=B2 >Moreover, the use of generalised averages and extreme age comparisons >between captive and wild orcas is clearly misleading. For such >comparisons to be of validity all cohorts in both the wild and captive >populations understudy would have to be dead to make definitive >statements on survivorship. It should be remembered that humans can >live to over one-hundred years of age but the average human live >expectancy for a human male living in the USA is around 71-years. Which is precisely why Bigg, Ellis and Olesiuk cite average longevity as well as maximum (c.f. 1990 report cited above)!=20 >To date, the most recent peer-review study of the comparative wild and >captive survivorship of commonly kept cetaceans has been by Small and >DeMaster (1995). This paper used captive data from the US Marine Mammal >Inventory Report (MMIR) and research of Olesiuk, et al (1990) using >comparative wild data collected between 1973-4 and 1987 on animals >resident in the coastal waters of British Columbia and Washington State. Small and DeMaster=B9s 1995 study, and a 1994 study by Woodley, Hannah and Lavigne, both estimated captive orca AMR (annual mortality rate) at 6.2% (excluding calves) - considerably higher than the 2.3% AMR (sometimes quoted as low as 2.1%) for wild orca populations. The Woodley, Hannah and Lavigne study found that captive orca mortality rates were statistically =B3highly significant=B2 compared to an =B3all-animal=B2 captive AMR of 2%.= =20 >This is no better illustrated by the fact that currently there appears >to have been only three observed wild births of orca in 1948, 1960 >(Olesuik, 1990) and 1996 (Best, 1996). Moreover, until orcas were >successful bred in zoological establishments field biologists considered >these animals had a gestation of only 12-months, rather than 17-months. Direct observations of orca births in the wild are, not surprisingly, rare. However, regular photo-id and observational surveys, such as the daily, near year-round monitoring carried out by Dr Paul Spong, and Alex Morton et al, soon picks up on any new births!=20 >Finally, a further important point is that the captive data used was a >complete record whereas the wild study data cited is incomplete and now >ten years old. This makes comparisons inevitably open to error. In fact, an oft-quoted 1988 study on captive orca survival, published by DeMaster and Drevenak not only found a captive AMR of 7% but also based their stats on a sample of only 40 orcas out of the total orcas captured (i.e. an incomplete record).=20 >The capture and public display of marine mammals in the United States is >strictly regulated by laws such as the Animal Welfare Act (subpart E - >Specifications for the Humane Handling, Care, Treatment, and Transport >of Marine Mammals) and the recently reauthorised Marine Mammal >Protection Act. It is illegal for public display facilities to use >marine mammals for purely reasons of 'entertainment': a marine mammal >permit holder must offer an education or conservation program based on >professionally recognised standards. >From 1989, the display industry began a concerted lobbying campaign to =B3restructure=B2 and =B3streamline=B2 the MMPA, culminating in the 1994 amendments which handed over jurisdiction of captive marine mammals from NMFS to the =B3understaffed and underfunded=B2 APHIS responsible for enforc= ing the Animal Welfare Act.=20 The =B3education or conservation program based on professionally recognised standards=B2 sounds very grand, but in fact merely means that the captive display industry polices itself. The 1994 reauthorisation of the MMPA effectively gave the display industry the =B3green light=B2 to self determi= ne what constituted a suitable programme of =B3education=B2 - the AZA and the Alliance of Marine Parks (i.e. both industry bodies) are now allowed to stipulate minimum requirements relating to education.=20 1994 amendments to the MMPA effectively allow any North American facility which complies with APHIS Animal Welfare Act standards to import and export marine mammals at will, without the need to apply for further permits.=20 Check out recent NMFS letter >As to the issue of training animals, such as orcas, for public display >there is a body of scientific opinion that training can play an >important part in ensuring both physical and psychological health in >animals maintained in wildlife parks and zoos >(Kiley-Worthington, 1990; Laule, 1992; Poole, 1990; Hediger, 1959; >Hediger, 1970). The research he cites deals with captive animals generally, rather than orcas/cetaceans specifically. It is not possible to equate psychological and other needs of terrestrial animals - e.g. captive primates - with the needs of large marine mammals such as orcas. Appropriate stimulation is acknowledged to be an important component of the mental and physical health of captives, but WDCS=B9s point is that show routines are not conducted primarily for the orcas benefit, but rather for commercial reasons (let alone the fact that =B3confusing messages=B2 are given out, wi= th razzamatazz and noisy, showy routines taking precedence over piecemeal education/conservation messages). Significantly, most =B3accidents=B2 involving trainers have occurred at facilities which routinely feature trainers performing in-the-water work and stunts such as riding the orcas or balancing upon the orca=B9s head. Graeme Ellis believes that orcas do no= t generally enjoy being ridden and that =B3they may tolerate it when they are young or new to captivity, but later it can lead to problems.=B2 There have also been claims of sensory and food deprivation for orcas which refused to perform (esp Sealand of the Pacific, now closed).=20 >>The ten year-old Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) - the >>world's biggest charity dedicated to the conservation, welfare and >>preservation of whales - is now calling for possible release for every >>Orca whale in captivity and a total ban on the capture of more whales >>for marine parks around the world. > >The issue of releasing cetaceans back to the wild has been found to be >problematic. =B2Reintroduction attempts are most likely to succeed when there is suitabl= e habitat for return; effective techniques to prepare animals for release, including acclimatisation to live prey and temperature; the presence of the same species at the release site; post-release monitoring; government and professional co-operation and public education.=B2 (D.L Kleiman, March 1989, =B3Reintroduction of captive mammals for conservation.=B2 BioScience = vol 39, pp152-161.) All of these conditions could realistically be met when returning specific orcas to their home pods and waters. The display industry presents the release process as an ill-conceived experiment, but conveniently overlooks the fact that the real experiment began when orcas and other cetaceans were first taken from the wild into captivity. They have routinely introduced newly-caught individuals to existing captive groups without much agonising over disease transmission. Release programmes merely reverse this process (etc.).=20 Marine World Africa USA commented in 1995 that =B3experimental (release) programmes with non-endangered species of cetaceans and pinnipeds=B2 should be tried first and that =B3 public display facilities such as Marine World Africa and SW are the only organisations with the means and the expertise to undertake these ambitious programs.=B2 (Bonde, J. March 1995. Comments o= n Assembly Bill 1737 (Katz): position oppose.)=20 >>We firmly believe that it is cruel to keep whales in captivity. They >>are animals of the open ocean, unsuited to life in small chlorinated >>tanks and pools. Captive animals suffer depression, psychological >>damage, mutilate themselves, and even commit suicide by refusing to >>breathe. It's not just a prison, it's a death sentence." We do think it is cruel. Leslie A Dierauf (=B3Stress in Marine Mammals=B2 i= n CRC Handbook of Marine Mammal Medicine: Health, Disease and Rehabilitation (Ed L.A. Dierauf( CRC Press, Florida, pp 295-301.) lists various environmental changes and conditions which must be considered as =B3stressors=B2 of marine mammals: separation, social isolation, movement f= rom an established environment to one with a different social order, poor nutrition, overcrowding and housing with over-aggressive pen mates or in poorly designed enclosures. Dierauf says that any of these may be perceived as a threat from which the animal cannot escape and also lists environmental stressors such as =B3noise, excessive light, transportation and housing conditions.=B2 Ii is possible to measure stress levels by the analysis of respiratory rate, pulse rate and blood and serum chemistry. Stress can also produce changes in behaviour - for example, lethargy or refusal to eat - or can lead to repetitive behaviour or pronounced or unusual aggression. Marine mammal vet Jay C. Sweeney (=B3Marine mammal behavioural diagnostics=B2, in Dierauf, cited above, pp53-72) comments that =B3in captivity ..adult males interact permanently within the social group. Frequently, this interaction results in the establishment of a dominant male individual. In the wild, juveniles rarely have to deal psychologically or behaviourally with adult males....in captivity, this interaction.. represents a very real psychological stress. I believe this stress results in the onset of many medical problems in juveniles that would otherwise not be anticipated [including] physical trauma and psychological intimidation from the dominant animal.. from which the juvenile has no reasonable means of escape.=B2 An excellent example of this is the case of Kanduke (a BC transient) and Kotar (a small Icelandic male) kept together at SW Orlando. Aggression between the two was pronounced: Kotar was often observed deliberately beaching himself and making crying sounds. Kanduke occasionally beat his head against the pool gate until it bled and also made frequent distress calls. In 1987, Kotar reportedly bit Kanduke=B9s penis, turning the pool water red with blood and forcing the cancellation of shows for 2 days. Neither lived beyond the age of 20. Kanduke=B9s autopsy report listed a =B3penile scar 10 cm long.=B2 Also its worth looking at Kandu=B9s attack on Corky; and Samoa=B9s bizarre repetitive behaviour prior to her death in March 1992, when she hurled her body into the air, crashing down again and again upon the hard surface of a shelf at the side of her pool. She died aged only 13 and her near-term foetus died with her.=20 >As pointed out, these animals can not be displayed in the USA for purely >reasons of entertainment. Further, all whales and dolphins are >protected as Appendix 1 species under CITES (Convention of the >International Trade in Endangered Species) in Europe. This means >animals require special permits from both exporting and importing >countries and trade must not be primarily for commercial purposes >(Klinowska, 1991) =B3Breeding loan=B2 seems to be a convenient way round permit problems! >Further, reputable zoological parks have an important role to play in >wild-life education, research and conservation. Many are actively >involved in research and conservation project and have active rescue and >rehabilitation programmes for injured marine life. =B3Displaying captive marine mammals teaches a negative rather than a positive (attitude) because people never get to witness the mammals=B9 natural behaviour.=B2 Jim Phillips, Educational Specialist, (from Lawson J. & P. Parker, October 1990. =B3The Flipper Flap=B2, Florida Environments, pp1-30.)=20 All too often, splashy, showy routines take centre stage and educational messages are, if included at all, tagged on as a afterthought. Show commentaries are full of careful euphemisms - e.g. orcas perform =B3behaviours=B2 rather than tricks. Educational materials and often bland = and dull in format, comparing unfavourably with the lively and colourful souvenir booklets.=20 The most current scientific findings are ignored when they don=B9t happen t= o coincide with the marine parks=B9 agenda - e.g. issues such as longevity or the reason for drooping dorsal fins.=20 Dineley cites Dr Rob Young=B9s comments after viewing the Shamu show at Orl= ando, commenting that video footage of wild orcas on a huge screen is =B3in= terspersed with whales performing in the stadium natural behaviours on com= mand.=B2 This cynical juxtaposition of wild and captive settings encourage= s audiences to believe that the choreographed antics they witness during th= e orca show represent =B3natural behaviour=B2. >Moreover, it is believed that the current public interest and concern >for the fate of wild orcas is due to the publics access to these >animals in marine parks and aquaria. Klinowska (1990) reports that two >years before the first orca was publicly displayed these animals were >shot indiscriminately and the Canadian Department of Fisheries planned >to mount machine gun on shore to kill these animals. It is acknowledge >that displays of these animals in marine parks and aquaria has enable >this species to obtain protected status and prevented then from being >classed as a pest species in competition with the fishing industry. Thirty-six years ago, when the first orca was taken from the wild for the captivity industry, the world was a very different place. Things that we now take for granted - such as colour television, video, car ownership, cheap foreign travel (etc.) - either didn=B9t exist then, or were restricte= d to the wealthy few. It is arguable then, that the captive display of cetaceans and other large mammals did have some educational value in the 60s and 70s. However, given the plethora of opportunities to view orcas and other cetaceans in the wild, or via top-quality documentary and film footage (etc., etc.), this argument becomes considerably weaker when applied to the 90s. We are also far more informed nowadays about the =B3negative =B3 side of captive display - illnesses, premature deaths, miscarriages, accidents, etc.=20 >>* At least 134 Orcas were taken into captivity between 1961-1996. >> Ninety-eight of those whales are now dead. In fact, husbandry of captive orcas has not necessarily improved - more orcas died at SW between 1986-1996 (14 deaths) than between 1965-1985 (11 deaths). Even allowing for the fact that, logically, as time goes by, captives become older and therefore more likely to die in the latter period, the fact is that most captives die before they reach their early 20s, still far lower than even average male lifespan in the wild. A very good example of poor husbandry is the case of the two recent deaths at Shirahama Adventure World (and the ongoing failure to thrive of the remaining 3 Taiji captives). Another example is that of Gudrun, who died after suffering a stillbirth. Her first calf (Taima) is still alive, but her second calf, Nyar, was always sickly and died in April 96 aged under two and a half years.=20 >This statement is meaningless and does not take into consideration >changes in husbandry and so forth over the span of some 35 years. It >should be noted that one of the very first animals to be displayed in >captivity "Moby Doll" was caught via a harpoon and destined to become a >dead specimen for a museum display. The animal survived and was >displayed in a Canadian dry-dock facility (Hoyt, 1990). Moreover, many >of the animals cited as dead in captivity would also be dead in the >wild. See notes above. >As pointed out above, the use of generalised averages and extreme age >comparisons between captive and wild orcas is clearly misleading. For >such comparisons to be of validity all cohorts in both the wild and >captive populations understudy would have to be dead. WDCS clearly qualify the =B3average lifespan in captivity=B2 figure which w= e use. We are not saying that average lifespan in captivity will remain fixed at just over 5 years for all orcas until kingdom come(!) - merely that of the 98 orcas taken from the wild which are now dead, the average survival time in captivity for those individuals was just over 5 years (i.e. they are all now dead, so an average survival in captivity figure can be obtained for these specific individuals).=20 >>* Since 1968 there have been 47 known pregnancies in captivity - >> only 17 calves survived. > >Once again, a statement made out of context. For example, this included >a female orca called "Corky" who has systematically given birth to 7 >non-viable young, the inclusion of such figure skews such data. >However, if we except these figure this would give a captive calves' >mortality rate of 36%. Olesiuk et al (1990) calculated neonate (0 to >0.5 years) morality rates at between 37% - 50%. Why should Corky=B9s failed pregnancies not be included?! Her case is believed by some observers to illustrate the problems of interbreeding, since she and Orky both came from the A5 pod. It would certainly be very convenient to =B3except=B2 Corky from the figures, as Dineley suggests, but surely that would constitute a blatant example of =B3skewing the data=B2 wh= ich Dineley is concerned that WDCS should avoid.=20 >However, Duffield, Odell, McBain, and Andrews (1995) detail the breeding >programme for orcas at the USA Sea World parks. Between 1985 and >September 1993 they report the birth of 9 calves. One calve was still- >born and a second died of a congenital failure of the foramen ovale to >close. Therefore, this group of captive animals has a mortality rate of >22%, considerable lower that estimated wild mortality (37% - 50%). Our stats show that in the period Dineley refers (i.e. Sept 85-Sept 93 at SW parks):=20 8 calves were successfully born, but: 1 calf died shortly after birth (born to Kenau 5/1/86) 1 still-birth (to Kandu V, 31/1/86) 2 miscarriages (to Corky, 8/87; and to Kahana, 6/11/90) 3 orca mothers died whilst pregnant/during labour (15/10/87: Kona II died carrying an early foetus. 6/8/91: Kenau died in 12th month of pregnancy. 14/3/92: Samoa dies during labour of near full-term foetus).=20 >These calculations also demonstrate how some of the vague and general >statement made within this Press Release are subject to such grave >errors. Obviously, WDCS and the captive display industry are in disagreement here.= =20 However, we believe that our research is as accurate as we can make it, despite Mr Dineley=B9s assertions.=20 WDCS will continue to carry out research on orcas and cetaceans in their natural habitat where we may begin to learn the real facts about these creatures. The captive display industry will continue to present their view of the data and =8Cthe facts=B9 in order to defend itself from an increasingly questioning public. A MORI poll conducted in May 1996 indicated that some 85% of the UK public were opposed to whales being kept in captivity, whilst some 81% were opposed to dolphins being kept in captivity. We have no captive cetacea in the UK and long may it remain so. The British public do not wish to see whales and dolphins in tanks (and have not seen them in the UK for some time) but continue to be some of the most fervent defenders of whales and dolphins. It seems that you do not always have to directly see something to actually care about it.=20 Also, the outcry in the UK at the capture of the five oracs in Japan and the previous drive fishery in Futo were in stark contrast to the silence of the captive display industry.=20 If someone can point me to a source where just one of the major captive display institutions in the USA actually spoke out against the deliberate drive for bottlenose dolphins and false killer whales I would be pleased to thank them. I do not believe that any institution publicly questioned the taking of five transient orcas from a pod which was one of the first to be seen off that part of Japan for some ten years or so, possibly destroying the long term viability of that group.=20 To the best of my knowledge there was only deafening silence in response to this incidents. One can only guess at how such silence is interpreted in Japan and other potential capture/slaughter sites.=20 My thanks to MARMAM for allowing such a stimulating debate. I realsie we have been over (and through) these hurdles before, but it is an issue that will not go away.=20 Noting that this E-mail is most probably too long already, I have posted a list of references (some 157) on our web page at http://www.wdcs.org The rest of the web site is under construction so please bear with us as it fills out.=20 Chris Stroud Director of Campaigns WDCS Howard Garrett wrote: > My kudos to Jaap van der Toorn for providing statistical > precision and standard methodologies to the questions > surrounding orca mortality in captivity. Thank you. I wish I did not have to do this, though. IMHO it should be common practice. > I don't find any great > discrepancies between Jaap's analysis and the original WDCS > posting. There is one major one, though. In the original posting, WDCS is quoted as saying: > -- The average survival time in captivity is just over five years. Based on Small and DeMaster's data, though, this is not even close. The life expectancy derived from the calculated ASR is 13.8 years (15.4 for the period 1988-1992). > My incredulity, however, follows from the lines: > >...over the period 1961-1997 >95 wild captured killer whales > have died. Without any information about >the distribution of > those deaths, this number is virtually meaningless. >To put > them in perspective, you need a captive-population analysis, > like >the one performed by Small and DeMaster (1995). > To say that the 95 captive orca deaths are meaningless is to > assume that such a rate of mortalities is normal in comparison > to wild orca mortality rates, not to mention circumstances of > death. That contradicts Small and DeMaster (1995), who conclude > that there is a significant difference in survival rates > between captive and wild orca populations. I think you misread my statement. If I was not clear enough, I apologize. Let me elaborate: without further context information, a number of deaths gives no information about survival rates. At best an upper limit, but no more than that. To be able to get survival rate information you need to know how long those animals survived before they passed away. (In the terms used by Small and DeMaster: the number of animal days). To calculate the survival rate, you need the number of deaths AND the days accumulated. One without the other is virtually meaningless. You need them both. They are both part of the equation. > [snip] > If it is necessary to do a captive-population analysis, then > someone please do one and let's look at the results, The point is: this has been done (DeMaster and Drevenak, 1988, Small and DeMaster, 1995 and Woodley, Hannah and Lavigne, 1994). These studies showed that based on the available data, the ASR for captive killer whales seems to be around 0.93. All authors encourage the use of ASR when comparing populations and discourage the use of other parameters, notably life expectancies, because of the high sensitivity to error (Dr. Lavigne explicitly stated that on this forum about 2 years ago in a similar discussion). > but at > some point these greatly increased mortalities should take on > some meaning, or are we incapable of empathy for the induced > suffering and tragic early deaths of such deeply sensitive, > affectionate and intelligent mammals? This remark underlines the main problem in the discussions. A number of people have emotional, moral and/or ethical objections against keeping killer whales, other cetaceans or animals in general, in captivity. These in themselves are completely valid objections. However, in a number of cases, these ethical questions are avoided (maybe because that may give rise to difficult discussions?). Ethical issues are never easy. So instead, numbers are mentioned (and as I pointed out, occasionally misquoted). This will side-track the discussion and may eventually do the issue one is trying to defend more harm than good. As has happened in this discussion: the main issue in the discussion has become survival/mortality rates. A thought experiment: Just suppose that in a few years from now, we could show that the survival rates of captive killer whales in a number of facilities are better than those in the wild. Will people who now oppose captive display suddenly drop their opposition? Personally, I doubt that. And in that the case, it is not a numbers issue, but an ethical issue. So let's be straightforward about it and call it an ethical issue. >[...] In this context, I would recommend anyone involved in discussions like this to read "The fine art of baloney detection" (Sagan, 1996, chapter 12). It is very enlightening. You'll see that people on both sides of these issues can (and do) easily get trapped in "baloney" arguments. (Everyone will probably recognize an occasional "oops" on their own part). Happy reading. Jaap -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Jaap van der Toorn e-mail: jaap(\)compuserve.com (73064.2662(\)compuserve.com) Home page: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jaap/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- References: DeMaster, D.P. and Drevenak, J.K. (1988) Survivorship patterns in three species of captive cetaceans Marine Mammal Science 4(4): 287-331 Sagan, C. (1996) The demon-haunted world - Science as a candle in the dark Headline Book Publishing, London ISBN 0-7472-7745-1 Small, R.J. and DeMaster, D.P. (1995) Survival of five species of captive marine mammals Marine Mammal Science 11(2): 209-226 Woodley, T.H., Hannah, J.L. and Lavigne, D.M. (1994) A comparison of survival rates for captive and free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), killer whales (Orcinus orca) and beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas). Draft Tech. Rept. No. 93-01 International Marine Mammal Association, Guelph, Canada ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 13:14:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Request for information: Pres To: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Request for information: Presence of Marine Mammals in E. Atlantic and Mediterranean Mr. Mallon: My name is Frank Moore and I work for the Naval Oceanographic Office in Mississippi, USA. I have been requested to furnish information on the Presence of Marine Mammals to the Navy to use for planning purposes to have the least impact. The information that I am seeking is: What species live in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean? What are their populations? Are there areas where they concentrate during feeding, migrating or mating? Can these areas be plotted monthly or seasonally? Of special interest is what water properties are favored by different species (such as temperature and salinity)? I am sending this on my own email address (please respond by email if possible) I can also be contacted at: Naval Oceanographic Office Special Products Branch, Code N232 1002 Balch Blvd. Stennis Space Center, MS 39522 (601) 688-4907/5706 home email--fmoore(\)communique.net Unfortunately I have a deadline of the end of first week in August so any quick information or sources of information on this very important request would be very helpful..Thanks in advance...Frank Moore ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 19:21:36 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly summary (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. Forwarded message: From: Kate Wing Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 7/25/97 Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 7/18/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 7/24/97 are double bracketed {{...}} Marine Mammals . {{Norwegian Whaling. On July 25, 1997, Norway's whaling season concluded with Norwegian whalers in 31 vessels reported to have taken 503 whales of their 580-whale quota. This harvest is estimated to have produced 730 tons of meat valued at about $2.9 million.}} [Assoc Press, Reuters] . {Manatees. On July 22, 1997, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) officials announced increased patrolling of Brevard Co., FL's manatee protection zone. Along with the FL Marine Patrol, the FWS will enforce boating and recreation regulations, since watercraft-related injuries (many of which were reported in Brevard Co.) have contributed to 27 of FL's more than 110 manatee deaths so far in 1997.} {{On July 23, 1997, Univ. of Miami scientists reported that papillomavirus had been found for the first time in two FL manatees from different locations; this virus can cause benign skin tumors.}} [Assoc Press, Reuters] . CITES Hearing. On July 17, 1997, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans held an oversight hearing on the results of the recent meeting of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Parties in Zimbabwe. [Congr. Record] . Atlantic Large Whale Protection Measures. On July 15, 1997, NMFS announced details of a substantially revised 4-year Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan to reduce large whale entanglement in lobster and gillnet fishing gear along the Atlantic coast. Fishermen will be permitted to choose among a list of options for modifying fishing gear to address entanglement concerns by Jan. 1, 1998. Comments on the plan will be accepted through Oct. 15, 1997, with the rule taking effect on Nov. 15, 1997. Critical whale habitat would be closed to certain gear during times of whale concentration, but gear modifications would not be required for gear fished in inshore coves and harbors. [NOAA press release, Assoc Press] . Tuna-Dolphin Legislation. On June 26, 1997, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation marked-up and ordered S. 39 reported as amended to allow the use of the 'dolphin-safe' label if no dolphins are observed to have been killed or seriously injured during tuna harvest. {On July 14, 1997, the Senate Commerce Committee reported S. 39 with an amendment in the nature of a substitute, without a written report; S. 39 was placed on the Senate Calendar under General Orders.} [Reuters, Congr. Record] ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 13:51:08 -0700 From: "Cara M. Gubbins" Subject: volunteer position available In-Reply-To: <199707251342.NAA02765(\)rockdmz1.geis.com> Dear marmamers, Due to unforseen circumstances, I am in a position to accept 1 or 2 part-time, unpaid volunteers begining the first week of August. Assistants will help collect data on the behavioral ecology of bottlenose dolphins in South Carolina, spending at least one day per week on a small boat in inland coastal waters. Volunteers will also assist in data entry and some data analysis. I require a 2 month minimum commitment and may be able to offer university credit in some cases. Applicants should have taken some university classes in biology and have their own transportation. Ability to work outside in many different wether conditions on a small boat is absolutely necessary. I will also have 2 positions available for the next 18 months, begining at various times throughout the year. Those interested in applying or getting more information should contact me at the address below or by email at cara(\)scs.unr.edu. Applicants should include cv/resume, references, and detail their career goals and skills in a cover letter. Thanks! Cara Gubbins 129 Marsh Point Drive Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 26 Jul 1997 10:26:55 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: SENATE REACHES COMPROMISE ON `dolphin-SAFE' TUNA LABELS 26-Jul-97 09:02 am Regular International SENATE REACHES COMPROMISE ON `dolphin-SAFE' TUNA LABELS By Curt Anderson of The Associated Press Washington, July 25 AP - Tuna could once again be caught with huge encircling nets and still be considered ``DOLPHIN-safe'' under a compromise reached today in the US Senate. The deal calls for a government study to determine by March 1999 if the nets, which now include ways for dolphins to escape without death or injury, still cause such trauma to dolphins that they cannot reproduce or cause them to suffer in some other way. If the study found the dolphins were not harmed, imported tuna caught with encircling nets would be permitted into the United States and the US fishing fleet could begin using the nets once again. And cans of tuna caught using them could be declared ``DOLPHIN-safe''. The agreement is expected to be voted on next week. A House-passed bill would re-open the US market to tuna without the net restrictions and allow that tuna to be sold under the safe label. The Senate compromise follows months of negotiation and involves free trade issues between the United States and 11 Latin American countries, including Mexico, which contended the ban was an unfair barrier to the lucrative US market. Senator John McCain said those 11 countries have agreed to support the compromise, which also means those nations will have a new incentive to protect dolphins in their tuna catches. ``I hope now that people recognise that this represents a very strong step toward the preservation and conservation of the species,'' said Senator Olympia Snowe. The United States in 1990 outlawed imports of any tuna caught using huge encircling purse-seine nets, which were blamed for the deaths of millions of dolphins that frequently swim with schools of tuna in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Critics of the law, however, say it is now out of date because of improved netting techniques and that DOLPHIN protection efforts should focus on getting Mexico and other countries to commit to binding agreements to save dolphins, turtles and other sea life. Senator Barbara Boxer helped force the compromise by lining up 44 senators to oppose the House measure and block it from coming to a floor vote. ``I think it's a victory for American consumers,'' Boxer said. The deal was endorsed by environmental groups including Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund and the Environmental Defence Fund, which say an international approach is essential to protect dolphins from adverse effects of tuna fishing. Under the deal, the Commerce Department will revisit the issue by the end of 2002 to determine whether the new approach has depleted DOLPHIN populations. If so, the import ban could go back into effect. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 27 Jul 1997 08:17:58 -1000 From: Ursula Keuper-Bennett Subject: Re: VIRUS FOUND IN ENDANGERED FLORIDA MANATEE In-Reply-To: Hello MARMAM'ers, On July 24th, Terry Hardie offered the following newspaper article to this list: >VIRUS FOUND IN ENDANGERED FLORIDA MANATEE I've been waiting for some kind of response and finding none, I have sufficient interest in tumour/lesion causing viruses to ask some questions. ARTICLE: > It was the first time any virus had been found in manatees, which >have strong immune systems, UM scientist Dr Gregory Bossart said... >...The fact that we have confirmed that two animals from different >locations are infected indicates that this may be a new problem and >it has the potential to spread,'' Bossart said. What measures are presently in place to ensure they don't do the spreading? Are there attempts underway to determine the extent this virus is present in other manatees? ARTICLE: > Papillomavirus causes lesions in a variety of mammals including >humans. Researchers have seen unusual viral infections, skin lesions >and tumours in other marine mammals in recent years, including >bottlenose dolphins and killer whales. Over the past 10-15 years sea turtles have been increasingly infected by fibropapillomas, a disease where tumours can mushroom uncontrollably to preposterous sizes. Of Marine Turtle Fibropapilloma, George Balazs, National Marine Fisheries Service wrote the following: The usual outcome for most affected turtles in Hawaii is debilitation over a protracted period, followed by death. Presently we are diving with Hawaiian green sea turtles and to give you an idea of how tumours can look please see this photo of a turtle we photographed just a few days ago. See: http://www.turtles.org/9742.jpg For more information on sea turtle tumour disease including photos, see: http://www.turtles.org/sickbay.htm Perhaps then you'll understand my concern regarding your gentle giant vegetarians... Now questions of my own. What are the tumours like on dolphins and killer whales? (I am assuming the growths stay at low levels and are relatively rare or there would have been alarm at the posting of this MANATEE VIRUS). Anyone know the impact on dolphins and killer whales? Are the tumours regarded as a threat or merely a nuisance? ARTICLE: > The tumours rarely are malignant, but can appear above the eyes, >on the mouth or genitals, causing functional problems for the >creatures, researchers said. The above is how marine turtle fibropapilloma is described in the scientific literature... ----------------------------------------------- ^ Ursula Keuper-Bennett 0 0 Email: howzit(\)turtles.org /V^\ /^V\ /V Turtle Trax V\ http://www.turtles.org / \ BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the 19th Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 1997, that the Legislature hereby resolves that fibropapilloma is in fact a serious threat to Hawaii's green sea turtle \ / / \ / \ -- Hawaii Senate (April 10, 1997) /__| V |__\ PLEASE SUPPORT Marine Turtle Fibropapilloma RESEARCH ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 09:36:34 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Abstract: organochlorines (fwd) Forwarded message: Dear marmamers, The following has been published in Marine Environmental Research (1997, vol. 44, no. 2, pp. 201-223). Please direct reprint requests to J. M. Gauthier at D=E9partement de Sciences Biologiques, Universit=E9 du Qu=E9b= ec =E0 Montr=E9al, C. P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montr=E9al, Qu=E9bec, H3C 3P8= , Canada, e-mail: c2656(\)er.uqam.ca. Thank you, Julie Gauthier. CHLORINATED ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN BLUBBER BIOPSIES FROM NORTHWESTERN ATLANTIC BALAENOPTERID WHALES SUMMERING IN THE GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE J. M. Gauthier1&3, C. D. Metcalfe1 and R. Sears2 1 Environmental and Resources Studies, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 7B8, Canada. 2 Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS), 285 Gre= en, St. Lambert, Qu=E9bec, J4P 1T3, Canada. 3 Present Address: D=E9partement = de Sciences Biologiques, Universit=E9 du Qu=E9bec =E0 Montr=E9al, C. P. 8888= , Succ. Centre-Ville, Montr=E9al, Qu=E9bec, H3C 3P8, Canada, e-mail: c2656(\)er.uqa= m.ca. ABSTRACT Concentrations and patterns of chlorinated biphenyls (CBs) and other persistent organochlorine compounds (OCs) were determined from small blub= ber biopsy samples collected from northwestern Atlantic minke (Balaenoptera acurostrata), fin (Balaenoptera physalus), blue (Balaenoptera musculus), = and humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) whales summering in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Qu=E9bec. Concentrations of PCB (sum of 19 congeners) in biop= sy samples ranged from 0.2-10 ug/g lipid, and congeners 52, 101, 118, 153, 1= 38, and 180 accounted for 79% of sumPCB. Mean concentration of the sum of non-ortho CB congeners in selected biopsy samples was 2 ng/g lipid, and relative concentrations of these analytes were: 77>126>81>169. Concentrations of sumDDT ranged from 0.6-13 ug/g lipid, and the average proportion of DDE to sumDDT was 72%. All other organochlorine analytes w= ere present at concentrations below 2 ug/g lipid. On average, cis-nonachlor, trans-nonachlor and oxychlordane accounted for 27%, 26% and 23%, respectively, of the chlordane-related analytes, and alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane (a-HCH) comprised 67% of sumHCH. Concentrati= ons of sumDDT were significantly lower and mirex concentrations were significantly higher in minke whales than in the other balaenopterid species. Concentrations of all other analytes were similar in the 4 whal= e species. Ratios of proportions of oxychlordane to trans-nonachlor were highest in fin whales. Blue whales had the lowest proportions of a-HCH b= ut the highest proportions of DDT. Interspecies differences in the concentrations and patterns of certain CB congeners and OC compounds may reflect differences in diet or in metabolic capabilities. Males usually = had higher mean concentrations of CBs and OCs than females, but these differences were significant only for sumDDT, dieldrin, sumHCH and HCB. Higher proportions of lower chlorinated CB congeners were found in calves compared to adult females; indicating selective reproductive transfer. Dear Marmam, Spotted this item: Veterinary Record, (1997) Vol 141 pages 94-98 (July 26 1997) Kirkwood J K, Bennett P M, Jepson P D, Kuiken T, Simpson V R, Baker J R "Entanglement in fishing gear and other causes of death in cetaceans stranded on the coasts of England and Wales" ABSTRACT: Between August 1990 and September 1995 the carcases of 422 cetaceans of 12 species that had died around the coasts of England and Wales were examined. There were 234 harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), 138 common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), and 50 individuals of 10 other species of dolphins and whales. The cause of death was diagnosed in 320 (76 per cent) of them. The most frequent cause of death in the harbour porpoises and common dolphins was entanglement in fishing gear (bycatch). Of the cases in which the cause of death was established, 66 (38 per cent) 176 harbour porpoises, 86 (80 per cent) of 108 common dolphins, and six (19 per cent) of 31 individuals of other species had been bycaught. Neonatal starvation, pneumonia and generalised infections accounted for a further 31 per cent of the diagnosed causes of death in harbour porpoises. The proportion of stranded common dolphins that had been bycaught was consistently high except during 1995, but the proportion of stranded harbour porpoises which had been bycaught increased in each successive year. (39 Refs.) Pete Blathwayt peteb(\)easynet.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 10:52:15 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Manatee virus follow-up I thought some of you might be interested in the ongoing discussion on the sea turtle discussion group. The following are three messages relative to this. ______________________________ Forward Header __________________________________ Subject: Manatee virus follow-up Author: David Arnold TAL 904/922-4330 at ~smtp Date: 7/25/97 2:49 PM I'm glad to see some interest on the List. I posted the original item to help alert those interested in conservation of marine turtles that there may be new allies in the fight to clean up our oceans. Just like marine turtles, some manatees pass through many different areas during the course of their wanderings. That makes isolating a "hot spot" particularly difficult and pinning down one "source" of pollution of little value. Although we don't know much about this new finding, what we do know is that one more creature on the planet appears to be infected because of our collective failure to take care of our world. Manatees had enough problems without this virus. The two animals involved are both still alive. One was last reported in the southwest part of the state (Lee County) and the other was last reported along the upper Gulf of Mexico coastline, still on the Peninsula portion of the state (Citrus County). The Lee County manatee is wearing a satellite tag and is being monitored as a part of the Sirenia Project's captive release program. It is unknown which papillomavirus this is, other than it did cause an obvious lesion (like a wart I think). It is unknown if this is a significant threat to the Florida manatee population or not. It could be that the growths will never be more than small bumps. It could be that these two animals are not atypical and we just finally noticed and have the technology to identify the cause. It could be that we are in the early years of a brand new battle to save this gentle giant. David Arnold Florida Department of Environmental Protection Tallahassee, FL USA ******************************************* The Reuter's article said: > The infection, called papillomavirus, was confirmed through DNA >molecular testing on tissue from two manatees inhabiting separate >areas of Florida's Gulf coast, Bossart said in a statement. Any information on exactly where? And (she just has to ask) what is the tumour rate for green turtles in that area? Reuter's continued: > ``The fact that we have confirmed that two animals from different >locations are infected indicates that this may be a new problem and >it has the potential to spread,'' Bossart said. If Dr. Bossart is right, I hope manatee diseases are funded way better than sea turtles' David, or you're gonna be needin' to sell a whole lot of manatee license plates... Reuter's again: > The tumours rarely are malignant, but can appear above the eyes, >on the mouth or genitals, causing functional problems for the >creatures, researchers said. David, here's what we got written on Turtle Trax regarding turtle tumours: "When papilloma tumours develop predominant fibrous tissue, they are called fibropapillomas. Green sea turtles develop fibropapillomas that appear as lobe-shaped tumours. These tumours can infect all soft portions of a turtle's body. Tumours grow primarily on the skin, but they can also appear between scales and scutes, in the mouth, on the eyes, and on internal organs." Scarily similar huh? Reuters continued: > Bossart said the emergence of the virus in manatees may have >resulted from environmental degradation. > ``We've been using the ocean as our toilet for so long that we >may now be seeing the results,'' he said. Good to see Dr. Bossart making these noises even if that's all they are. They'll remain noises until scientists can prove a direct link between environmental "co-factors" and the disease and that David, is a long way coming. Believe me, I know. I hope these two manatees are just isolated incidents and nothing more. Could be you know. The article said tumours have been seen on dolphins and killer whales and you don't hear much about that. Two sick manatees does not an epidemic make right? Still it's best to assume the lid's been blown off this new Pandora's Pox... I know how you feel about the manatees David, and I sympathize here if this virus goes the way FP did with the turtles we dive with...because if it does you're going to feel one bleak and relentless case of helplessness. I wish I could be more upbeat or reassure you better. I just can't. This disease sounds too close to marine turtle fibropapilloma and I'm just too fresh from the apparitions-that-used-to-be-turtles swimming around this morning. The only other thing I can offer you in way of "direction" is the sig below. I'm really very sorry to hear about your manatees... ------------------------------------------- ^ Ursula Keuper-Bennett 0 0 Email: howzit(\)turtles.org /V^\ /^V\ /V Turtle Trax V\ http://www.turtles.org / \ ******************************* To the best of my understanding GTFP is not caused by a papillomavirus. The search for physical and molecular evidence of papillomavirus has been negative (multiple attempts in several different laboratories). Experimental evidence (transmission experiments) point away from papilloma virus and toward something else, an enveloped virus such as herpesvirus or retrovirus or both. All of these viruses in general tend to be rather species- or family-specific so it is not at all likely that the manatee papillomavirus is related to any that might be found in turtles. Lawrence Herbst DVM MS PhD Clinical Veterinarian / Animal Welfare Officer Albert Einstein College of Medicine 1300 Morris Park Avenue Phone: (718) 430-8553 Bronx, New York 10461 FAX: (718) 430-8556 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 06:24:38 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: newsclip - Norway whaling season ends, quota not fulfilled RTw 07/25/97 0749 Norway whaling season ends, quota not fulfilled Norway whaling season ends, quota not fulfilled By Rolf Soderlind OSLO, July 25 (Reuter) - Norway's controversial whaling season ended on Friday with this year's catch falling short of the government quota by 77 whales, officials said. The quota was 580 minke whales, but only 503 were harpooned because the hunt was hampered by bad weather, Rannveig Boethun, an official of the Directorate of Fisheries in Bergen, said. "Thirtyone whale-hunter boats took part, and they have now all returned to port," Boethun told Reuters. "The season is over." The annual season is between May and July, with each boat allowed to hunt for six weeks. This year whales were killed mostly in the Barents Sea off northern Norway and the North Sea. Norway's whale hunters have fallen short of their quota every year since resuming commercial catches of minke whales in 1993 in defiance of a global moratorium by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). "There are enough minke whales in the sea, but the hunt has to do with the weather and the wind," Boethun said. The hunt, which has deep roots in Norwegian tradition, requires calm waters for whalers to detect minke whales, which surface to breathe for only around four seconds before diving. Norwegian fisheries authorities say the northeast Atlantic minke whale stock is growing and that the species can safely be hunted without any risk of extinction. In London, police on Thursday removed a banner placed outside the Norwegian embassy to protest against the hunt. The environmental group Greenpeace reiterated its opposition to all commercial whaling. "There is a legimate scientific debate from which comes the evidence that unchecked hunt will definitely endanger the whale population. This is why we oppose any human activities which harm or threaten the health and habitat of whale populations," a Greenpeace statement said. "Personally I am satisfied with the result of this year's hunt," said Oeyvind Rasmussen, an expert at the Fisheries Ministry. "We are very concerned that the hunt is commercially viable, that people buy the meat." Norway honours an IWC ban on the export of whalemeat. Harald Dahl, a spokesman for the Norwegian fisheries sales administration in Svolvaer, said this year's catch boiled down to 730 tonnes of dark blue-red whale meat with a value of 22 million crowns ($2.9 million) to the hunters. In Oslo, whale beef costs up to 150 crowns ($20) per kg. ($ - 7. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 22 Jul 1997 13:42:32 -0400 From: William Rossiter Subject: slides requested From: Bradley Stahl, INTERNET:ADIE-STAHL(\)worldnet.att.net RE: Slides Hello. I am interested in putting together a slide presentation on Arctic whales for school children. Specifically, I am looking for slide copies of bowheads, beluga, and/or narwhals. Any suggestion where I can go to purchase slides? Thanks in advance. Brad ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 29 Jul 1997 22:32:39 +0200 From: Famille Reymann-Chapelle Subject: Assymetric minke whales (and fin's) Dear Marmamers this summer some of us saw a minke whale off the Mediterranean French coast at a close distance, which apparently displayed an head assymetry from the same type as usually observed on fin whales. Does anybody knows about assymetric minkes somewhere else in the world ? In the same topic, we have also observed a fin whale with the pale side on the left, instead of the usual right side. Is this one more example of a "left handed" species ? Thanks to all Gauthier CHAPELLE (Association CETUS) Hokl, Judith et Gauthier CHAPELLE-REYMANN 33 rue de la Senne, 1000 Bruxelles tel: 00 32 2 513 93 94 Email: reychap(\)club.innet.be ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 29 Jul 1997 12:55:36 -0500 From: Koen Van Waerebeek Subject: Papillomas in cetaceans Dear Marmamers: I have read with great interest the various messages on papillomas in manatees and sea turtles. As has been correctly commented we are still far from finding out whether or not chemical pollution or other human-related environmental factors are contributing to the spread of such diseases in marine vertebrates. Warts and papillomas consist of localized epithelial hyperplasia with a defined boundary and an intact basement membrane. They are often -but not always- caused by papillomaviruses (Papovaviridae). Here In Peru we have found genital warts to be wide-spread in several small cetaceans. The prevalence of the lesions in 130 small cetaceans was as follows: 66.7% (CI: 57-74%) in Lagenorhynchus obscurus (n=78), 50% in Delphinus capensis (n=10), 33% in Tursiops truncatus (n=9) and 48.5% (CI: 33-64%) in Phocoena spinipinnis (n=33). Lingual tumours were seen in 1 D.capensis. The highest prevalence of genital warts was observed in male dusky dolphins (86%). Interestingly, the mating system of this species has recently been defined as promiscuous (Van Waerebeek, 1992; Van Waerebeek and Read, 1994). Assuming a venereal transmission, such a mating system would favour a high prevalence of genital tumours. In humans, genital papillomas also occur predominantly in promiscuous populations (Oriel, 1971). Results are published in the following paper. It includes a review of other known cases of papilloma in cetaceans. Yet to be published follow-up research has since confirmed a papillomaviral etiology of the warts in Peruvian cetaceans. Van Bressem, M.F., Van Waerebeek, K., Pierard, G.E. and Desaintes, C. 1996. Genital and lingual warts in small cetaceans from coastal Peru. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 26: 1-10. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dr K. Van Waerebeek Director, Peruvian Centre for Cetacean Research kvwaere(\)mail.cosapidata.com.pe Peru: CEPEC, Jorge Chavez 302, Pucusana, Lima 20 ph/fax +51-1-430 9406 and ph 1-430 9174 EU: Coupure 60, 9000 Gent, Belgium ph +32-9-225 5966 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 29 Jul 1997 20:47:41 -1000 From: Ursula Keuper-Bennett Subject: Re: Manatee virus follow-up In a previous message to this list, Dagmar Fertl posted portions of a recent CTURTLE discussion on the Manatee virus. Dagmar included a message from me fussing about the manatees and offering some of my experiences following the course and impact of fibropapilloma on individual turtles over many years (I am currently in Hawaii diving with these animals some we have known since 1990). See: http://www.turtles.org/whoswho.htm Then Dagmar copied Dr. Larry Herbst's message explaining that the sea turtle virus is not the same as the manatee one. Perhaps I am being a tad sensitive here and this is unnecessary but I wish to point out that Dr. Herbst was responding to an intermediate message and I offer it here. >Sender: Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation >From: Jonathan_Gorham_at_USFPL800(\)EMAIL.FPL.COM >Subject: Re: Manatee papillomavirus >To: CTURTLE(\)LISTS.UFL.EDU > > Forgive my ignorance - Isn't "papillomavirus" a fairly broad generic > category of viruses? Any idea if this is the same virus as GTFP? At which point Dr. Herbst offered the following explanation. >To the best of my understanding GTFP is not caused >by a papillomavirus. The search for physical and >molecular evidence of papillomavirus has been >negative (multiple attempts in several different >laboratories). Experimental evidence (transmission >experiments) point away from papilloma virus and >toward something else, an enveloped virus such as >herpesvirus or retrovirus or both. >All of these viruses in general tend to be rather >species- or family-specific so it is not at all >likely that the manatee papillomavirus is related to >any that might be found in turtles. > >Lawrence Herbst DVM MS PhD >Clinical Veterinarian / >Animal Welfare Officer >Albert Einstein College of Medicine >1300 Morris Park Avenue >Phone: (718) 430-8553 Bronx, New York 10461 > FAX: (718) 430-8556 I did not want to leave this list with the impression that I thought the sea turtle fibropapilloma virus was the same one recently found on the manatees. I also figured even as I wrote my original CTURTLE message that mammals might not be as profoundly affected by a lesion-causing virus as sea turtles are. I know some will regard my messages both here and on CTURTLE as presumptuous and even obnoxious (who is a layperson to offer comment on something as baffling and complex as viruses for example...) but if there was the remotest chance that this papillomavirus could spread as quickly as the sea turtle virus has and be so debilitating I just felt I had to express my concern. Again I hope the manatee virus is just an isolated thing --caught early-- the lesions remain small, under control and even disappear on their own like many warts do. If I left the impression I am an alarmist, not really. I've been admonished for viewing life a tad pessimistically but I believe it is merely part of being prepared and an artifact of reading too many Charles Addams cartoons as a kid... All the best -------------------------------------------------- ^ Ursula Keuper-Bennett 0 0 Email: howzit(\)turtles.org /V^\ /^V\ /V Turtle Trax V\ http://www.turtles.org / \ "LOOK EYE!....always..LOOK EYE!" \ / --Mr. Miyagi / \ / \ (movie the Karate Kid) /__| V |__\ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 10:17:56 -0700 From: David Helweg Subject: Call for Abstracts -- upcoming Acoustical Society meeting The 134th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America will meet in San Diego on December 1-5. We are organizing the C. Scott Johnson Session on Marine Mammal Bioacoustics, one of the Animal Bioacoustics Special Sessions. This will be an opportunity to honor one of the innovators in the field of marine mammal bioacoustics through sharing of our accomplishments. We encourage everyone working in the field of marine mammal bioacoustics to submit an abstract to the ASA. Note that the DEADLINE for abstract submission is 18 AUGUST. Details can be found on the ASA's website at: http://asa.aip.org/index.html cheers, David Helweg, Ph.D. NCCOSC, RDT&E Div Code D-351 49650 Acoustic Road Room 108 San Diego, CA 92152-6254 ph (619) 553-5592 fax(619) 553-0899 email 'helweg(\)manta.nosc.mil' ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 06:51:19 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: newsclip - Dolphin death probe prompts pollution fears Dolphin death probe prompts pollution fears July 21, 1997 ADELAIDE, Australia (CNN) -- An investigation into the death of a dolphin here has sparked fears of increasing pollution in waters where the sea creatures continue to swim. "Jock," a well-known resident of Adelaide's Port River, died suddenly four years ago. A study conducted by university student Simone Burzacott has convinced scientists that toxic chemicals were largely responsible for the death of the 12-year-old dolphin. The levels of heavy metal contamination in Jock's body were nine times higher than any ever found before in dolphins in Australia. The discovery could have far-reaching implications nationwide. "(Jock's) death is really just symptomatic of probably what's in the whole ecosystem," says Dr. Michael Bossley of Adelaide University. The source of the contamination was not immediately clear, prompting those responsible for the study to call for further tests. While some recreational fisherman continue to cast their lines into the Port River, others say the investigation into the dolphin's death has confirmed their fears. Citing concerns about water pollution, they say they stopped fishing in the river years ago. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 06:48:29 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: newsclip-U.S. Senate OKs tuna compromise U.S. Senate OKs tuna compromise July 30, 1997 WASHINGTON (AP) -- After seven years of only"dolphin-safe" tuna on grocery shelves, consumers may soon see tuna cans bearing no such promise under a measure the Senate passed Wednesday in a 99-0 vote. The bill would lift the embargo on imports of tuna from the Eastern Pacific, but tuna caught there with huge nets that can encircle dolphins could not carry the dolphin-safe label until that method is proven safe. Under the bipartisan compromise, the Secretary of Commerce would make a preliminary determination in March 1999 on since the embargo was imposed in 1990, protect the mammals sufficiently to warrant the label. Sen. Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat, pressed for the compromise after the House passed a measure in May to lift the embargo and immediately label the new imports "dolphin-safe" without the study the Senate would require. "I feel good today because I know that consumers can continue to rely on the `dolphin-safe' label for at least 18 more months, and that means fewer dolphins will die," Boxer said. The House will likely accept the Senate's version, said Dan Walsh, legislative director for Maryland Republican Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, who sponsored the House bill. "We think the compromise is worse than the House bill, but apparently it's the best we're going to get from the Senate, so we'll take it," Walsh said. Under the Senate version, it would be up to consumers to determine whether to stick with tuna labeled "dolphin-safe" -- the only kind now available, or buy fish without the label. A final decision by the Commerce secretary, either confirming or reversing the March 1999 ruling, is due by December 31, 2002. The close connection between dolphins and schools of tuna occurs mainly in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean. The 1990 embargo was imposed after huge encircling purse-seine nets were blamed for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of dolphins a year. But fishing methods with the nets, including deployment under the dolphins, have vastly improved, said Annie Petsonk of the Environmental Defense Fund. Twelve countries, including the United States, signed the Declaration of Panama in October 1995 that limited total annual dolphin kills through net fishing to 5,000. The other 11 countries, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Spain, Vanuatu and Venezuela, had contended the U.S. embargo was an unfair barrier to the lucrative American market. "I think at the end we are seeing a good result," Carlos Camacho, Mexico's deputy minister of fisheries, said in an interview in Washington. "We needed the United States, which was committed to the Declaration of Panama, to change its legislation." One third of Mexico's tuna fleet already fishes in a dolphin-safe manner, Boxer said. Critics say a designation of dolphin-safe doesn't ensure that all individual dolphins are being protected. "Dolphin-safe for the average consumer means it's safe for each and every dolphin," said John Fitzgerald of Friends of the Earth. "It turns dolphin-safe from a green label to a green lie." However, groups including Greenpeace and the Center for Marine Conservation support changing the dolphin protection policy, arguing the Senate legislation will lead to increased international protection of dolphins by the tuna industry. "This is a victory for dolphin, the marine ecosystem and consumers," said Roger McManus, president of the Center for Marine Conservation. He said by the United States lifting the import ban, countries with large tuna fleets in the eastern Pacific will comply with new international efforts to protect dolphins. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Aug 1997 05:23:27 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Job opening / Marine mammal position (fwd) From: Jenny Theodorou Mammalogist- Sea otter/ Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific Requires Bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, one year's experience with the husbandry/training of sea otters (Enhydra lutris), knowledge of marine mammal life support system design/maintenance, valid driver's license, ability to lift fifty pounds, and SCUBA certification. Responsibilities include caring for/training sea otters, California sea lions and harbor seals; participating in public demonstrations; maintaining exhibits; overseeing volunteers; and record keeping. Mammalogist/ Seals and sea lions Same requirements as above but instead of one year experience with sea otters, one year experience with the husbandry and training of California sea lions/ harbor seals should be substituted. Send cover letter, resume and references to Human Resources Dept., Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific PO Box 20268, Long Beach, Ca. 90801-3268 Fax (562)590-3109 For additional information you may E-mail Jenny Theodorou jennyt(\)deltanet.com Subject: Correction to dolphin death story The CNN newstory headlined "Dolphin death probe prompts pollution fears" contains a number of errors. The dolphin's body was tested for PCBs, not heavy metals. The blubber reading was 18ppm, about 9 times higher than the PCB levels found in other Australian Tursiops. The animal tested was a male about 12 years old. He was a friedly solitary with a small and well documented home range. This home range included the thermal outfall from a power station; storm water discharges; and is adjacent to a land fill site. Smoking guns abound. We are concerned that PCBs may still be entering the system and are currently seeking funding to test for PCB levels in sessile invertebrates and demersal fish in the hope that a concentration gradient may guide us to the site. We have documented the probable death of several calves recently but unfortunately their bodies have not been found. So far as we know this is the first study of toxin loads of a dolphin with a known home range. We see this as an important extension of conventional base line studies. If anyone has any information on comparable studies we would be grateful to hear from you. Bossley has been documenting the behavior and ecology of bottlenose dolphins in the Adelaide area since 1987. Other dead animals recovered whose home ranges are known will be tested as part of the ongoing study. Mike Bossley Simone Burzacott The Australian Dolphin Research Foundation PO Box 572 Magill 5072 South Australia Email: bossley(\)olis.net.au ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 2 Aug 1997 07:06:28 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS Summary 8/1/97 The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service ~ A note to everyone receiving Gene's summaries: Congress will ~ be on its recess schedule during August, and due to various ~ folks taking their vacations, the summaries may not always ~ be right on time. We'll try and keep them as punctual as ~ possible. Thanks, your friendly congressional staffer Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 8/01/97 Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 7/25/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 7/31/97 are double bracketed {{...}} Marine Mammals . Norwegian Whaling. On July 25, 1997, Norway's whaling season concluded with Norwegian whalers in 31 vessels reported to have taken 503 whales of their 580-whale quota. This harvest is estimated to have produced 730 tons of meat valued at about $2.9 million. [Assoc Press, Reuters] . Manatees. On July 22, 1997, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) officials announced increased patrolling of Brevard Co., FL's manatee protection zone. Along with the FL Marine Patrol, the FWS will enforce boating and recreation regulations, since watercraft-related injuries (many of which were reported in Brevard Co.) have contributed to 27 of FL's more than 110 manatee deaths so far in 1997. On July 23, 1997, Univ. of Miami scientists reported that papillomavirus had been found for the first time in two FL manatees from different locations; this virus can cause benign skin tumors. [Assoc Press, Reuters] . CITES Hearing. On July 17, 1997, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans held an oversight hearing on the results of the recent meeting of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Parties in Zimbabwe. [Congr. Record] . Atlantic Large Whale Protection Measures. On July 15, 1997, NMFS announced details of a substantially revised 4-year Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan to reduce large whale entanglement in lobster and gillnet fishing gear along the Atlantic coast. Fishermen will be permitted to choose among a list of options for modifying fishing gear to address entanglement concerns by Jan. 1, 1998. Comments on the plan will be accepted through Oct. 15, 1997, with the rule taking effect on Nov. 15, 1997. Critical whale habitat would be closed to certain gear during times of whale concentration, but gear modifications would not be required for gear fished in inshore coves and harbors. [NOAA press release, Assoc Press] . Tuna-Dolphin Legislation. On July 14, 1997, the Senate Commerce Committee reported S. 39 with an amendment in the nature of a substitute, without a written report; S. 39 was placed on the Senate Calendar under General Orders. {On July 25, 1997, the Senate vitiated a call for a cloture vote on S. 39, and announced a compromise agreement providing for lifting of import sanctions on tuna, and modification of the dolphin-safe labeling if studies of dolphin health and biology, to be completed by March 1999, cannot prove that long-term harm is being done to dolphins by surrounding them with tuna seines. On July 30, 1997, the U.S. Senate voted 99-0 to pass S. 39, incorporating compromise amendments to the International Dolphin Conservation Program. This measure would end import sanctions on non-dolphin-safe tuna, and could allow tuna caught in purse seines where no dolphins are killed or seriously injured to be labeled "dolphin-safe" if research cannot prove by March 1999 that dolphins suffer long-term adverse effects from being chased, herded, and surrounded by purse seines.} {{On July 31, 1997, the U.S. House unanimously agreed to accept the Senate amended S. 39, and this measure was sent to the President.}} [Reuters, Congr. Record, Assoc Press, Dow Jones News, Center for Marine Conservation press release, Defenders of Wildlife press release] . Aloha kakaiaka, Following is information for you about the Animal Bioacoustics sessions, Dr. Whit Au's tutorial on dolphin echolocation, and formats for abstract submission lifted from ASA's web page. You can submit abstracts via snail mail, email, and the World Wide Web. Again, the link to ASA's home page is: http://asa.aip.org/index.html cheers, Dave Helweg >From ASA Web Site: === START OF ASA INFORMATION ============== SPECIAL SESSIONS Subjects and Sponsoring Technical Committees/Groups ANIMAL BIOACOUSTICS *** Acoustics of reptiles and amphibians *** Biologically inspired acoustics models and systems *** Instrumentation in animal bioacoustics *** C. Scott Johnson session: Whale and dolphin acoustics TUTORIAL LECTURE, SHORT COURSES, HOT TOPICS The Tutorials Committee has planned a Tutorial Lecture on "The Dolphin Echolocation System" and three short courses: 1) Inverse Methods in Ocean Acoustics/Acoustical Oceanography; 2) Array Measurements and Nearfield Acoustical Holography; and 3) Basic Digital Signal Processing in Acoustics. See individual sections for each lecture or short course in this call for papers for complete details and registration information. A "Hot Topics" session sponsored by the Tutorials Committeeis also planned. PROGRAM An advance meeting program summary will be published in the October issue of JASA and a complete meeting program will be mailed as Part 2 of the November issue. Abstracts will be available on the ASA Home Page (http://asa.aip.org) in mid-October. ABSTRACT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES ABSTRACT PREPARATION An abstract of not more than 200 words is required for each paper, whether invited or contributed. ABSTRACTS LONGER THAN 200 WORDS WILL BE EDITED OR TRUNCATED. Authors have the option to submit abstracts by postal mail, by electronic mail, or via the World Wide Web. Abstracts must be prepared in accordance with the instructions given for the submission method selected as noted in the instructions at the end of this call for papers. Authors should use only one submission method for each abstract submitted. Electronic abstracts should be submitted to the e-mail address given in the on-line template on the ASA Home Page. Paper-copy abstracts should be submitted to the Technical Program Chair: Dr. Michael J. Buckingham c/o Ms. Elaine Moran Acoustical Society of America 500 Sunnyside Blvd. Woodbury, NY 11797-2999, USA Tel.: 516-576-2360 ALL ABSTRACTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 18 AUGUST 1997. This deadline will be strictly enforced. Authors should allow at least 5 days for delivery of paper-copy abstracts by U.S. or Canadian mail, 2 days for express mail, and 10 days for international air mail. FACSIMILE TRANSMITTED ABSTRACTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Contributors submitting electronic abstracts via the World Wide Web or by e-mail will automatically receive acknowledgment of their abstracts. Contributors submitting abstracts by mail who desire notification of receipt of their abstracts should include self-addressed postcards. Acceptance notices will be mailed in mid-September. ABSTRACT LIMITATIONS A contributor in Speech Communication may be the principal author of only one paper, and, subject to time and space limitations, may be the co-author of only one additional paper. Authors contributing papers in Speech Communication are also encouraged to select poster presentation. Contributed papers in Psychological and Physiological Acoustics and Underwater Acoustics may be scheduled for lecture or poster presentation. While authors may indicate a preference for presentation style, it may not always be possible to honor the request. ACKNOWLEDGMENT RECEIPT OF ABSTRACTS SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY OR ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB Authors who submit abstracts by e-mail following the instructions in this call for papers will receive automatic notification of receipt of their submission. If the submission is incorrect, it will be rejected by the computer program and an error message will be returned to the author. Upon receipt of such message, the submission must be corrected and sent again. For abstracts submitted via the World Wide Web, a resubmission number and PIN will be issued for each submitted abstract which constitutes acknowledgment that the abstract has been received by the Society. If you do not receive acknowledgment as described above, your abstract has not been received by the Society and will not be considered for presentation at the meeting. Please contact the ASA (asa(\)aip.org) immediately if you have submitted an abstract electronically and do not receive acknowledgment of receipt. AUDIO-VISUAL AND SPECIAL EQUIPMENT AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENT Standard overhead transparency projectors and 35 mm slide carousel projectors for 2 x 2 inch (50 x 50 mm) slides will be provided at all sessions. Carousels and viewers will be available in the Slide Preview Room. Authors using 35 mm slides should note that they must present the projectionists in their session with a preloaded carousel. Schedule restrictions will not allow projectionists to load carousels during a session. To ensure that projected material is legible in the rear of a meeting room, lettering should be at least 1/40 the overall height of the projected material, e.g., at least 0.2 inches high on an 8 x 9-inch transparency. Poster boards will be 4 x 8 ft. Poster boards and fastening materials will be provided. No audio-visual equipment will be provided for poster session papers. SPECIAL EQUIPMENT Any other equipment is "special equipment," and must be separately requested at the bottom of the abstract. Dual slide and/or overhead projectors will be provided if a request is submitted with the abstract. Requests for any other special equipment (i.e., VCR's and monitors, audiotape playback equipment, DATs or high fidelity audio systems) must be specified on the abstract. Provision of special equipment will depend upon availability and cost. No computers or computer equipment will be provided by the Society. If you wish to use a computer in your presentation you must bring one with you. Many visual demonstrations that use special equipment can be equally effective if they are prerecorded on videocassette. Authors planning such demonstrations are strongly advised to produce a video. TUTORIAL LECTURE A Tutorial Lecture on The Dolphin Echolocation System will be presented by Whitlow W.L. Au, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, Kailua, Hawaii, at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, 1 December. Tutorial Lecture Abstract The dolphin echolocation system. Whitlow W.L. Au ( Marine Mammal Research Program, Hawaii Inst. of Marine Biology, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, HI 996734) The sonar of dolphins may be the most sophisticated of all sonar systems, biological or man-made, in shallow waters and for short ranges. The Atlantic bottlenose dolphin emit short duration (50--70 microns s), high frequency (120--140 kHz), broadband (40--50 kHz) echolocation signals with peak-to-peak amplitudes up to 228 dB re 1 micron Pa. The type of signals used by dolphins play a significant role in their sonar discrimination capabilities. They have been observed detecting, classifying and retrieving prey that is buried in sandy bottom up to a depth of about 0.3 m. In addition, controlled echolocation experiments have shown that dolphins can discriminate wall thickness, material composition, shape and size of targets. The echolocation system of dolphins will be discussed in three parts. The first part will consider the properties of the receiving system (auditory capabilities). The second part will deal with the characteristics of echolocation signals and the third part will consider several sonar capabilities. Tutorial Lecture Notes Notes summarizing the lecture will be available at the meeting. Those who register by 17 November are guaranteed receipt of a set of notes. Tutorial Lecture Registration To partially defray the cost of the lecture a registration fee is charged. The fee is $15 for registration received by 17 November and $25 thereafter including on-site registration at the meeting. The fee for students with current ID's is $7.00 for registration received by 17 November and $12.00 thereafter, including on-site registration at the meeting. To register send your name, address, telephone, fax and e-mail information to: Acoustical Society of America, Tutorial Session Registration, 500 Sunnyside Blvd., Woodbury, NY 11797. INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF PAPER-COPY ABSTRACTS FOR PAPERS TO BE PRESENTED AT MEETINGS OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 1. For each meeting paper, one copy of a typed or printed abstract should be sent to the Technical Program Chair of the meeting in time to be received by 18 August 1997. Allow at least 5 days for delivery within the U.S., and longer from other countries. The deadline date and Chair's address are given under the "Aubstract Submission Guidelines" section of this Call for Papers and in every issue of The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (JASA) in the section "Acoustical News--USA." If the paper has been invited for a special session, another copy of the abstract should be sent to the session organizer at least a week before the deadline. Telefaxed abstracts cannot be accepted. A cover letter is not necessary. 2. Limit abstract to 200 words. Count each word in the body of the abstract but do not count title or authors' names and addresses. Indicate number of words in the abstract at the bottom of the sheet. Displayed equations that are set apart from the text count as 40 words. The Program Organizing Committee has the option to alter abstracts to bring them into compliance with the 200-word limit. 3. Use the format shown in the sample abstract on the facing page. The paper title and author's name, affiliation, and address should be in a heading set apart from the abstract text. The author's affiliation and address should be set within parentheses, and should be sufficiently complete to ensure delivery of the acceptance notice. If there is more than one author, give the complete address for the author who is to receive the notice. For each of the other authors, give one complete address. One e-mail address will be included in the printed program for each abstract. This should appear immediately after the mailing address for the author whose e-mail address is to be listed. 4. The entire abstract, consisting of the heading, text and the information requested in Section 9 below, must fit on one side of an 8 1/2 x 11-in. or A-4 sheet of paper. The heading and text should be typed or printed double spaced (3 lines/inch), with 10 or 12 point or pitch font; but the information requested in Section 9 may be single spaced. 5. Do not use footnotes. References and acknowledgments should be set within square brackets. References should be in standard JASA format, viz., in the sequence: authors, abbreviated journal name, volume number, first and last page numbers, and year. 6. Underline nothing except what is to be italicized. 7. Use passives instead of the pronouns "I" and "we"; e.g., use "It was noted" instead of "We noted." 8. If the letter "I" appears as a symbol, loop the letter by hand to form a long-hand l and write "lc ell" in the margin, so as to distinguish it from the number one. If the letter "O" may be confused with the number zero, write "cap oh" in the margin. Identify phonetic symbols by appropriate marginal notes. 9. Give the following information at the bottom of the abstract, as in the sample on the facing page: a. Indicate the number of words in the body of the abstract (see item 2 above) b. If the paper is intended for a special session listed earlier in this call for papers, indicate the session. If invited, state "Invited." c. Choose and list the Technical Committee/Group most nearly coinciding with the subject matter of the paper. Current Technical Committees/Groups are: Acoustical Oceanography, Animal Bioacoustics, Architectural Acoustics, Bioresponse to Vibration/Biomedical Ultrasound, Engineering Acoustics, Musical Acoustics, Noise, Physical Acoustics, Psychological and Physiological Acoustics, Signal Processing in Acoustics, Speech Communication, Structural Acoustics and Vibration and Underwater Acoustics. d. List one or at most two PACS subject classification numbers and letters under which the abstract should be indexed (see the PACS list in a recent June or December issue of JASA). e. The name, telephone and telefax numbers (with country and city codes if outside the U.S.) and e-mail address of the author to be contacted for information. Notices and other correspondence will be sent to the author who is listed as the first author in the heading unless stated otherwise at the bottom of the abstract. f. Describe special equipment desired for the presentation other than overhead or 35-mm slide projectors. Note that facilities for VCR's and monitors or dual slide and/or overhead projection are considered special equipment. g. If the paper is in the areas Psychological and Physiological Acoustics, Speech Communication, or Underwater Acoustics, indicate a preference (if any) for lecture or poster presentation. If only a lecture presentation is desired, state "Lecture Only," in which case the paper may not be accepted if time is not available. Contributed papers in Speech Communication are encouraged to be submitted for poster presentation. h. If you want to enter your paper in one of the available Best Paper Award competitions follow the instructions given at the end of this call for papers. SAMPLE ABSTRACT Binaural loudness summation for tones and noise. Albert B. Jones, Jr. (Dept. of Psychology, Northeastern Univ., 1600 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA 02115) and Irene J. Knox (Dept. of Psychology, Boston Univ., Boston, MA 02115) The relation between binaural and monaural loudness was measured by magnitude estimation for a 1000-Hz tone and for band-limited white noise. Four types of stimuli--monaural and binaural tone, monaural and binaural noise--were presented frontally at eight sound pressure levels (SPL) in mixed randomly selected sequences. Subjects were instructed to rate the four stimuli according to a single loudness scale. The loudness of the monaural and binaural tones was found to be a power function of the mean square sound pressure, with an exponent near 0.5. The loudness of the noise increased more rapidly at low SPL than loudness of the tone; at high SPL it increased more slowly. The bow shape of the noise function would be predicted from loudness matches between wide-band and narrow-band stimuli. A sound perceived binaurally was 1.3 to 1.7 times louder than sound of the same SPL perceived monaurally. Results of these direct loudness estimations agree almost perfectly with earlier results [D.E. McGee and I.J. Knox, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 57, 55-62 (1975)] from another group of subjects who made loudness matches between binaural and monaural stimuli. [Work supported by NSF.] Number of words in abstract: 187 Suggested for special session on Loudness and Perception Technical Area: Psychological and Physiological Acoustics (PACS) Subject Classification number(s): 43.66Cb, 43.66Pn Telephone Number: 516-576-2360 (I. J. Knox) Send notice to: I. J. Knox Special facility: VCR and 25" color monitor Method of presentation: Prefer lecture but willing to give as poster INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF ELECTRONIC ABSTRACTS 1. An abstract must be submitted for each meeting paper. The deadline date for receipt of abstracts is 18 August 1997. The electronic submission address will be given in the template used for submissions. You will receive e-mail acknowledgment of receipt of your abstract and separate follow-up if there are problems with your submission. 2. Do not transmit duplicate submissions of the same abstract. If you do not receive e-mail acknowledgment, send a message to asa(\)aip.org to determine whether your submission was received. If you wish to submit a revised abstract, enter the number of your original submission (i.e., the asae number) in the braces following \resubmission. 3. The files needed for electronic submission may be obtained via ftp or e-mail as described below. If you have older versions of the files, you should retrieve the latest version. When you get the files, read the file named readme.asa and carefully follow the instructions contained therein. Also included will be an empty template (including the return e-mail submission address), a completed sample, and extra instructions. The completed sample is shown on the next page, with the insertions to be made by authors highlighted in yellow. For further information or questions, e-mail asa(\)aip.org. a. Anonymous ftp. Use ftp to open ftp.aip.org, log in as "anonymous" and give your e-mail address as a password. Move to the directory /ems/tex../macros/asaabs and get all the files in that directory. b. E-mail. Send a message to listserv(\)aip.org with the body of the message consisting of just the line sendme asaabs. The files will be e-mailed back to you with the filename for each message in the first line of the body of the message. Delete the e-mail headers (and the line that tells you the name of the file) and save each message as the correct filename. 4. Avoid the following common errors: a) inserting line breaks in a line after the comment character, i.e., %; b) deleting the third pair of braces in the \author command, putting your full name in the first pair of braces, or using only one \author command for more than one author; c) submitting compressed or encoded abstracts or sending abstracts as an attachment; d) unbalanced braces or unmatched math delimiters; e) leaving blank lines in the abstract or affil input; f) including more than one abstract in a single e-mail submission; g) inputting & or % when meaning to produce the symbols "&" or "%" (\& and \% should be used); h) misspelling \affil as \afill; i) adding header or tailer information to the template; j) not filling in all "REQUIRED" commands. 5. Use passives instead of the pronouns "I" and "we"; e.g., use "It was noted" instead of "We noted." 6. Limit abstract to 200 words. Count each word in the body of the abstract but do not count title or authors' names and addresses. Displayed equations that are set apart from the text count as 40 words. Abstracts exceeding the limit will be returned to the authors or the Program Organizing Committee has the option to alter abstracts to bring them into compliance with the 200-word limit. 7. Do not use footnotes for references or acknowledgments. References or acknowledgments should be set within square brackets in standard JASA format, viz., in the sequence: authors, abbreviated journal name, volume number, first and last page numbers, and year. Only set footnotes for present addresses or email addresses for author contact; use \thanks to set such footnotes and they will appear at the end of the abstract. 8. Provide the following information in the correct places in the template: a. Number of words in the body of the abstract. Indicate number of words in the abstract in the braces following \numberwords. b. If the paper is intended for a special session listed earlier in this call for papers, indicate the session in the braces following \specialsession. If invited, state "Invited." For example, \specialsession{Invited, Loudness and Perception}. c. Choose and list the Technical Committee/Group most nearly coinciding with the subject matter of the paper in the braces following \technicalarea. Current Technical Committees/Groups are: Acoustical Oceanography, Animal Bioacoustics, Architectural Acoustics, Bioresponse to Vibration/Biomedical Ultrasound, Engineering Acoustics, Musical Acoustics, Noise, Physical Acoustics, Psychological and Physiological Acoustics, Signal Processing in Acoustics, Speech Communication, Structural Acoustics and Vibration and Underwater Acoustics. d. List one or at most two PACS subject classification numbers and letters under which the abstract should be indexed in the braces following \pacs (see the PACS list in a recent June or December issue of JASA or use anonymous ftp to look in the /PACS directory on ftp.aip.org). e. Describe special equipment desired for the presentation other than overhead or 35-mm slide projectors. Note that facilities for VCR's and monitors or dual slide and/or overhead projection are considered special equipment. Refer to the section on "Special Equipment"for further guidance. f. If the paper is in the areas Psychological and Physiological Acoustics, Speech Communication, or Underwater Acoustics, indicate a preference (if any) for lecture or poster presentation. If only a lecture presentation is desired, state "Lecture Only," in which case the paper may not be accepted if time is not available. Contributed papers in Speech Communication are encouraged to be submitted for poster presentation. g. If you wish to have your paper included in a paper award competition as described at the end of this call for papers, insert the desired technical area of paper award competition in the braces following \paperaward. You will receive a sample abstract and a sample template when you send your request to the e-mail address WORLD WIDE WEB MEETING ABSTRACT SUBMISSION PROCEDURES Instructions for the preparation and submission of abstracts on the World Wide Web are provided online. It would be helpful if you had the PACS numbers covering the subject matter of your paper before you begin the on-line submission procedure. Acknowledgment that your abstract has been accepted into the database will be issued online automatically in the form of a "Resubmission number" and PIN. Until these have been issued your abstract has not been entered into the database. 1. Web Abstract Submission Procedure is accessed on ASA Home Page at http://asa.aip.org/ 2. Click on "Submit Abstract for the Penn State meeting" from the main page 3. Enter Password: PASA97 4. Next screen will ask you to indicate whether you are submitting a new abstract, wish to view a previously submitted abstract without making any changes or edit a previously submitted abstract. 5. When "New Abstract" is selected, the next screen will contain instructions for selecting format in which to prepare your abstract, i.e., either straight text or LaTeX. Straight text should be used for abstracts that do not contain any special characters or fonts such as bold, italics, etc. LaTeX should be used for abstracts that contain boldface, italics, speech symbols or mathematical expressions. Select format and click Continue. 6. The next screen will contain a blank template for entering abstract text, author information and other data needed to submit abstract, e.g., PACS numbers, Technical Area, presentation format, etc. Online help and an example of a completed template are available from this screen. 7. After completing all REQUIRED and OPTIONAL sections of the template, click Continue. Your abstract will then be processed by a program to detect errors. 8. If the abstract is free of errors, the next screen titled "Good Abstract" will confirm the absence of errors and will display the abstract as it will appear in the printed program. Also shown will be the author contact information. You will be asked to either submit the abstract as it appears or whether you wish to make changes before final submission. If you wish to make changes prior to final abstract submission, the template containing your abstract will be returned to the screen. 9. If the abstract contains errors, a screen is displayed describing the error and giving the approximate line number where the error appears in the LaTeX source file for your abstract. You can either return immediately to the template and fix the error if you know its location or view the LaTeX source document to locate the line on which the error appears. Each line in the source document is numbered for easy location of errors. After locating the errors return to the template to make corrections and resume submission process. 10. When you are ready for final submission of the abstract, the next screen will contain the Resubmission number and PIN for your submission. This is your acknowledgment that the abstract has been entered into the database. Please retain this number should you wish to edit this abstract at a later time (prior to the deadline date). Note that a Resubmission Number and PIN will be issued for each new abstract or resubmission of a previously submitted abstract. 11. If you wish to view a previously submitted abstract without making any changes, select "view only." The next screen will ask for the Resubmission Number and PIN issued at the time you submitted the abstract originally. When these numbers are entered, the template containing your abstract will be provided. If you do not have the Resubmission and PIN numbers, instructions on how to obtain them are given online. After viewing abstract click exit. You will not receive a new PIN and Resubmission number since you did not make any changes to your original submission. 12. If you wish to revise and resubmit your abstract, select "Resubmission." The next screen will ask for the Resubmission Number and PIN issued at the time you submitted the abstract originally. When these numbers are entered, the template containing your abstract will be provided. If you do not have the Resubmission and PIN numbers, instructions on how to obtain them are given online. === END OF ASA INFO ============================== David Helweg, Ph.D. NCCOSC, RDT&E Div Code D-351 49650 Acoustic Road Room 108 San Diego, CA 92152-6254 ph (619) 553-5592 fax(619) 553-0899 email 'helweg(\)manta.nosc.mil' ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Aug 1997 10:23:03 -0500 From: Jenny Theodorou Organization: Aquarium of the Pacific Subject: Looking for harbor seals/Ca. sea lions/sea otters The Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific is a new 156,000 sg ft aquarium that will be opening June 1998 and will house marine mammals (4 harbor seals, 4 California sea lions and 3 sea otters). I am looking for a female harbor seal, 3 female California sea lions or 2 female California sea otters to exhibit. If you are a rehabilitation center or another zoo/aquarium and need to find a home for any of these animals, please contact Jenny Theodorou at: jennyt(\)deltanet.com or (562)590-3104 x 227. Thanks. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Aug 1997 07:18:00 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Three dolphin species association (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 00:18:55 +0000 From: "A. Frantzis" Dear marmamers, Ten days ago, I posted two messages to marmam, concerning Striped+Common dolphins (and tuna) association in Korinthiakos Gulf (Greece). I would like to thank all of you, who sent me advices, suggestions and references. Within next week I will reply individually, to all who asked or kindly offered informations. Right now, I would like to inform you that the Korinthiakos situation is more interesting and complicated than have been thought before! During a new 10 days survey, we made two more interesting observations. Concerning the possible "hybrids", we observed a gradation of pigmentation patterns, from the "classical" striped form to the "striped/common" type. Although these forms could represent the variation of Stenella coeruleoalba morphs (as some of you proposed), we also observed "atypical" common dolphins pigmentation patterns (some of you offered Perrin's remarks on common dolphin morphs). Most of them have a very reduced yellow area, limited close to the "V shaped area" of their body. We already have videos of some of the above forms and we hope that good photos have been taken. What makes me believe that interbreeding is a hypothesis that must be checked, is that all the above morphs have not been observed up to now in the adjacent waters of the Ionian Sea. There, mixed striped+common pods have never been observed. The possible isolation of Korinthiakos dolphin societies could be a good explanation of the observed phenomenae (high variation or interbreeding). Anyway, we hope that biopsis and genetic analysis which will probably start next year, will give us the definite answers concerning the possibility of hybridization. Our second interesting observation concerns the central, more "pelagic" area of the Korinthiakos Gulf. Three of the five sightings we made in the above area, were composed by mixed pods. In two of them we observed a strange three species association!!! A lonly Grampus griseus (a different individual in each one of the sightings) was associated with a small number of common dolphins and "striped/common" forms and quite a few striped dolphins! We observed no pure Grampus or Delphinus pods up to now, within the 20 sightings made during our survey which covered all areas of Korinthiakos Gulf. Does anybody know if the above three species association have already been obser ved around the world? All best, Alexandros ________________________________________________________ Dr. Alexandros Frantzis Personal address: Zoological Laboratory Terpsichoris 21 Dept. of Biology 16671 VOULIAGMENI University of Athens GREECE Panepistimioupolis tel : ++301 /8962730 GR-157 84 ATHENS fax : ++301 /8960108 GREECE e-mail : afratzis(\)atlas.uoa.ariadne-t.gr tel : ++301 / 7284634 fax : ++301 / 7284604 ________________________________________________________ From: Lien-Siang Chou August 4, 1997 Three pygmy sperm whales just stranded in Keelung harbor , north of Taiwan yesterday. The police officers has tried to chase them out. However, it failed after several hours. These animals ended up hanging around at few corners. Because their body surface showed some wound and the harbor water is full of waste oil, the Taiwan Cetacean Stranding Network ( TCSA, established formally last fall) requested a fishing boat , two rubber boats, one small police patrol ling boat and about 6 divers in cooperation to catch them and would like to release them back to open sea. However, after the driftnet was used for the first run, one animal was caught. The boats and divers tried their fastest speed and took the animal out within 3-5 min. However, it died within 30 min lying a rubber boat. This is the first time my team has tried on catching technique. We means well and tried our best under very limited resource. All members (about 30 people today) are very sad. Dr. Toshio Kasuya is happened visiting here. However, the other two pygmy sperm whales still hanging around in the harbor. If they won't find their way out within the next few days, is there any better idea you could suggest and help my team? We will appreciate your help very much. Even your suggestion may not be used in this stranding, it will be a good reference for our future process in similar stranding situation. Dr. Lien-Siang Chou Director of TCSN Professor Dep. Zoology, NTU Taipei, Taiwan, R. O. C. Tel: 886+2+366-1331 FAX:886+2+363-9902 e-mail:chouls(\)ccms.ntu.edu.tw In-Reply-To: <199708051137.EAA26366(\)uvaix2e1.comp.UVic.CA> OPERATIONS COORDINATOR - TEXAS MARINE MAMMAL STRANDING NETWORK The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network is advertising for a new Operations Coordinator. The ideal candidate should have some experience in marine mammal care and rehabilitation, business administration, accounting, volunteer management and fund-raising. This person will oversee the day-to-day operations of the TMMSN (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization) and report directly to the State Director. This position is paid through Texas A&M University at Galveston. This individual is responsible for the timely reporting of all marine mammal stranding information collected along the Texas coast, maintenance of data and tissue archives, and overseeing the care of live-stranded cetaceans. This position requires a minimum of a BA or BSc degree in the biological sciences and at least some experience in the rehabilitation of cetaceans, including husbandry and medical treatment. Experience with pool maintenance is also desirable. This position requires compuer literacy (WordPerfect, Word, Excel, Paradox), excellent writing, editorial and speaking skills, and a thorough knowledge of the Texas coast. Salary is $15,680/yr and will start September 1. Texas A&M University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For application information, please contact: Betty Thompson Department of Human Resources, Texas A&M University (409) 740 4532 (voice) (409) 740-5005 (fax) thompsonb(\)tamug.tamu.edu or Dr. Graham Worthy State Director, TMMSN worthyg(\)tamug.tamu.edu _______________________________________________________ Graham A.J. Worthy, Ph.D. worthyg(\)arctic.tamug.tamu.edu Director, Physiological Ecology and Bioenergetics Lab and Director, Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network Texas A&M University, 4700 Avenue U, Bldg 303, Galveston, TX 77551 USA (409) 740-4721 voice, (409) 740-4717 fax _______________________________________________________ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Aug 1997 14:22:16 -0700 From: Jim Moore Subject: Breeding ages in baleen whales A colleague of mine is working on menopause in primates and 1) came across a statement in an encyclopedia that some baleen whales continue breeding at > 90 years of age; could anyone confirm & suggest where the original observation comes from? NB, this is not longevity per se, but actual breeding... 2) wanted to know if there is any evidence for post-reproductive females in orcas (analogous to Kasuya & Marsh's findings for pilot whales)? She's offline, please reply to me at jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu Many thanks for your help! Jim -------------------------------------------------------------- Jim Moore Anthro 0532, UCSD Statistics is never having La Jolla CA 92093 to say you're sure... fax 619 534-5946 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu or is it? ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Aug 1997 14:25:09 -0400 From: Dan Walker Subject: public input requested My apologies for any cross postings. DW The Impact of Major Oceanographic Research Programs: Community Input Requested In June 1996, the National Research Council (NRC) formed the Committee on Major U.S. Oceanographic Research Programs to foster corrdination among the large programs (e.g., GLOBEC, JGOFS, WOCE, CoOP, ODP, CLIVAR, RIDGE, MESH) and examine their role in ocean research. In particular, the committee is charged with (1) enhancing information sharing and the coordinated implementation of the research plans of the major ongoing and future programs; (2) assisting the federal agencies and ocean sciences community in identifying gaps, as well as appropriate follow-on activities to existing programs; (3) making recommendations on how future major ocean programs should be planned, structured and organized; and (4) evaluating the impact of major ocean programs on the understanding of the oceans, development of research facilities, education, and collegiality in the academic community. The activity was initiated at the request of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Ocean Sciences, is overseen by the NRC's Ocean Studies Board (OSB), and is funded by both NSF and the Office of Naval Research. The Committee is currently gathering information from members of Scientific Steering Committees (SSCs) of several of the ongoing major ocean programs. We would also like to obtain input from past members of SSCs or others who have been involved with major programs. Because of the influence these programs have on ocean science funding, we are very interested in hearing the perspectives of ocean scientists who have not been involved with any of the major ocean programs. To facilitate obtaining input from such a broad cross-section of the ocean science community, we have posted a brief questionnaire on an Internet site. The questionaire can be accessed as of August 1, 1997, via the OSB web page (http://www2.nas.edu/OSB/). We encourage you to provide specific, constructive responses to the questions. Your input, as well as a broad range of other information, will be used by the committee to formulate its findings and recommendations regarding the role and impact of major programs. The committee's report will be released in 1998. We encourage all members of the community to participate in this important discussion. Rana A. Fine, Chair NRC Committee on Major U.S. Oceanographic Research Programs Dan Walker, Study Director NRC Committee on Major U.S. Oceanographic Research Programs ******************************************** Dan Walker, Ph.D. Program Officer National Research Council 2101 Constitution Ave., NW Washington, DC 20418 dwalker(\)nas.edu ******************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 17:08:20 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Re: Breeding ages in baleen whales (fwd) Forwarded message: From: Dale Rice Regarding breeding in fin whales of advanced age, Nishiwaki et al. (1958) reported a pregnant female with 68 ear plug laminations, an ovulating female with 80 laminations, and a lactating female with 100 laminations. Apparently ca. 1 lamination is laid down per year, at least after sexual maturity is attained (Ohsumi 1964). Nishiwaki, M., Ichihara, T., and Ohsumi, S. 1958. Age studies of fin whale based on ear plug. Scientific Reports of the Whales Research Institute 13:155-169. Ohsumi, S. 1964. Examination of age determination of the fin whale. Scientific Reports of the Whales Research Institute 18:49-88. Dale W. Rice dale.rice(\)noaa.gov ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Breeding ages in baleen whales Author: jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu at EXTERNAL Date: 06/08/1997 8:01 PM A colleague of mine is working on menopause in primates and 1) came across a statement in an encyclopedia that some baleen whales continue breeding at > 90 years of age; could anyone confirm & suggest where the original observation comes from? NB, this is not longevity per se, but actual breeding... 2) wanted to know if there is any evidence for post-reproductive females in orcas (analogous to Kasuya & Marsh's findings for pilot whales)? She's offline, please reply to me at jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu Many thanks for your help! Jim Hi all - In response to an inquiry, the following provides information about NMFS Office of Protected Resources home page and instructions for retreiving Federal Register notices from the WWW: -------------------------- NMFS Protected Resources Homepage: The home page for the National Marine Fisheries Service's Office of Protected Resources is at http://kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov/tmcintyr/prot_res.html Both overviews and detailed information on the Office's three divisions (Marine Mammal Conservation, Endangered Species, and Permits) can be found through this home page. Topics covered include. . . . - Marine mammal-fishery interactions - How to apply for a marine mammal scientific research permit - Status of anadromous and marine fish under the ESA Information on NMFS marine mammal science and management can be found by navigating through NMFS Regional Office and Science Center pages; a jump-off point to these offices is located at: http://kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov/ -------------------------------------------- Accessing Federal Register notices: We frequently receive requests for Federal Register notices related to marine mammals (e.g., the reclassification of the western stock of Steller sea lions as endangered, proposed regulations for the protection of right whales, notices for permit applications issued under the MMPA, protective regulations for sea turtles). All notices published in the Federal Register between 1995-1997 can now be accessed via the World Wide Web at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html using the following instructions: - Navigate to the above WWW address - Select the year of the notice you are looking for (you can select all three years if you are not certain what year you want) - Enter a date range or a specific date - Enter a search term - Click on "Submit" You will be given a list of Federal Register notices that fit the criteria you entered. You can view the summary of the FR notice, a text file, or the .PDF file, which is identical to what is published in the Federal Register. To view the .PDF file, you will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat - which you can download from the Adobe website at http://www.adobe.com/software/acrobat/ Hope you find this information useful! Cheers! Robyn ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 9 Aug 1997 17:55:08 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS Weekly summary (fwd) Forwarded message: From: Kate Wing Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 8/08/97 (available via e-mail; updated daily) Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 8/1/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 8/7/97 are double bracketed {{...}} Marine Mammals . {{Porpoise Entanglement. In the Aug. 6, 1997 issue of Nature, U.S. scientists reported the successful results of 1994 tests of acoustic alarms on sink gillnets in the Gulf of Maine. While 2 porpoises became entangled in nets fitted with alarms, 25 porpoises were caught in nets carrying similar but silent devices. Cod and pollock catch was unaffected by the alarms, but herring appeared to avoid nets with the alarms.}} [Reuters] . Norwegian Whaling. On July 25, 1997, Norway's whaling season concluded with Norwegian whalers in 31 vessels reported to have taken 503 whales of their 580-whale quota. This harvest is estimated to have produced 730 tons of meat valued at about $2.9 million. [Assoc Press, Reuters] . Manatees. On July 22, 1997, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) officials announced increased patrolling of Brevard Co., FL's manatee protection zone. Along with the FL Marine Patrol, the FWS will enforce boating and recreation regulations, since watercraft-related injuries (many of which were reported in Brevard Co.) have contributed to 27 of FL's more than 110 manatee deaths so far in 1997. On July 23, 1997, Univ. of Miami scientists reported that a papillomavirus had been {identified} for the first time in two FL manatees from different locations; this virus can cause benign skin tumors. [Assoc Press, Reuters] . CITES Hearing. On July 17, 1997, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans held an oversight hearing on the results of the recent meeting of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Parties in Zimbabwe. [Congr. Record] . Atlantic Large Whale Protection Measures. On July 15, 1997, NMFS announced details of a substantially revised 4-year Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan to reduce large whale entanglement in lobster and gillnet fishing gear along the Atlantic coast. Fishermen will be permitted to choose among a list of options for modifying fishing gear to address entanglement concerns by Jan. 1, 1998. Comments on the plan will be accepted through Oct. 15, 1997, with the rule taking effect on Nov. 15, 1997. Critical whale habitat would be closed to certain gear during times of whale concentration, but gear modifications would not be required for gear fished in inshore coves and harbors. [NOAA press release, Assoc Press] . Tuna-Dolphin Legislation. On July 14, 1997, the Senate Commerce Committee reported S. 39 with an amendment in the nature of a substitute, without a written report; S. 39 was placed on the Senate Calendar under General Orders. On July 25, 1997, the Senate vitiated a call for a cloture vote on S. 39, and announced a compromise agreement providing for lifting of import sanctions on tuna, and modification of the dolphin-safe labeling if studies of dolphin health and biology, to be completed by March 1999, cannot prove that long-term harm is being done to dolphins by surrounding them with tuna seines. On July 30, 1997, the U.S. Senate voted 99-0 to pass S. 39, incorporating compromise amendments to the International Dolphin Conservation Program. This measure would end import sanctions on non-dolphin-safe tuna, and could allow tuna caught in purse seines where no dolphins are killed or seriously injured to be labeled "dolphin-safe" if research cannot prove by March 1999 that dolphins suffer long-term adverse effects from being chased, herded, and surrounded by purse seines. On July 31, 1997, the U.S. House unanimously agreed to accept the Senate amended S. 39, and this measure was sent to the President. [Reuters, Congr. Record, Assoc Press, Dow Jones News, Center for Marine Conservation press release, Defenders of Wildlife press release] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. For additional information on items in this summary or their sources, congressional staff may call Gene Buck (CRS-ENR) at 7-7262 or send a fax to 7-7289. This summary is available daily or weekly (each Friday) via e-mail to congressional staff; requests from congressional staff to be added to the daily or weekly distribution lists may be sent to "gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov". Marmam: I am putting together a panel of about 6 reviewers (3 U.S. and 3 Canadian, hopefully) to take a look at a brief 2-page summary of U.S.-Canadian marine mammal issues/concerns. Nothing very challenging, but I need a fast turnaround on it. I will be e-mailing out the material on Aug. 13 and need comments back by Aug. 25. Any volunteers? -- send me a few sentences that I can use to justify selecting you over others. I will notify all who resp ond as to whether I am using you on the panel or not. Thanks for your assistance on this. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 9 Aug 1997 21:17:52 GMT From: Sonia Mendes Subject: pseudorca feeding habits ------ Dear Marmammers, I=B4m a marine biologist that is studying cetaceans in Azores aboard a=20 whale-watching boat, continuing a project began by IFAW in 1987.=20 This year we observed pseudorcas feeding on other marine mammals and we a= re=20 thinking to publish our sighting. We have here limited library resources = and=20 so any information, references or other observations on this subject woul= d=20 be of help. Thank you so much in advance. Yours sincerely, Lisa ----------------------------------------- Lisa Steiner A/c S=F3nia Mendes Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas Cais de St=AA Cruz 9900 Horta-A=E7ores Portugal Email: sonia(\)dop.uac.pt ----------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 23:58:32 -0400 From: CLiongirl(\)aol.com Subject: The Search for Balance: Sea Lions, Salmon and People The Search for Balance: Sea Lions, Salmon and People A forum about California sea lions, salmonids, other coastal fisheries and people Thursday, August 28, 1997 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm Steinbeck Forum, Monterey Conference Center Monterey, California USA Along the West Coast, growing populations of California Sea Lions and humans are coming into conflict in their quest for our coastal fish populations. Also, sea lions are interacting with other humans involved in water related activities, and the National Marine Fisheries Service has determined that sea lions could be affecting endangered salmon and steelhead populations. This moderated session is a forum for dialogue: a chance for experts and audience to explore the many perspectives on the issues, and to begin to understand how to resolve these conflicts. Formal presentations by panelists will be brief, leaving ample time for audience members to share their concerns, question the experts and open dialogue. Moderator: Dr. Steven Webster - Marine Science Advisor, Monterey Bay Aquarium Assisted by Gregory Stone - Associate Director, New England Aquarium and Brad Matsen - Editor at large, National Fisherman Magazine Panelists: Zeke Grader - Executive Director, Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman's Associations Dr. William Hogarth - Acting Regional Director, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Region Dr. Doyle Hanan - Senior Marine Biologis, California Department of Fish and Game Margaret Burks - Executive Director, The Marine Mammal Center Vicki Nichols - Executive Director, Save Our Shores Dr. Jim Harvey - Associate Professor, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories Michael Stiller - President, Santa Cruz Commercial Fisherman's Marketing Association and representatives of the American Fisheries Society Presented by: American Fisheries Society, Fisherman's Alliance of Monterey Bay, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Region, Save Our Shores Information: Call (408) 373-3720 ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 10 Aug 1997 00:46:04 -0400 From: DolphRider(\)aol.com Subject: Job Openings/Marine Mammal Trainers Entry Level Training Positions. Positions require a bachelor degree, Scuba certification desired, Announcing skills, Volunteer/Internship work. Training Positions. Positions requirements same as above as well as One year hands on experience with California sea lions/Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, and basic knowledge of water quality. Responsibilities for both positions include care for/training of both California sea lions and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, Announcing presentations, Diving and Basic water quality. Send Cover Letter and Resume to: Marine Life c/o Timothy Hoffland P/\.O. Box 4078 Gulfport, MS 39501 Fax: 601-863-39501 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 11:08:49 -0700 From: Jim Moore Subject: Female whale aging & repro -- summary Many thanks to the MARMAMers who responded to my queries about reproduction in aged cetaceans. A quick summary of comments I've gotten: I asked about > a statement in an encyclopedia that some baleen whales >continue breeding at > 90 years of age; could anyone confirm & suggest >where the original observation comes from? NB, this is not longevity per >se, but actual breeding... The only data seems to be on fin whales, and it seems a little unclear; some people have estimated age using corpora and others using ear laminae, and with the later there's evident ambiguity in early reports whether a layer meant a pair of alternating bands or each band; on a quick reading of responses, I get the feeling the problem has not been clearly hammered out with respect to interpreting early accounts of old females (to the degree biggest whales were taken first and size correlates with age, _only_ early accounts _could_ discuss old females. Are any of the original "100 laminae" earplugs sitting in museum drawers available for recounting with clearly-defined terms?). Conservatively, it seems secure that [at least some] fin whales continue breeding past age 50, there seems reasonable concensus at > 60, and I've received varying [definitive!] opinions on >70 years; females _aged_ to 75 or 80 seems secure. Nobody seems to have _data_ on a 90-year old, so that seems like speculation/error, BUT worth noting that if one assumes the biggest/oldest whales were killed early, and not all were sampled thoroughly, then the odds that scientists would've gotten _the_ oldest are slim indeed -- so while 90+ is speculative, it's not a bad speculation. It was noted that there's the bowhead estimates of 100 year age (stone harpoon point found in 1993 etc), and Chittleborough (1965) reported a 48-year old humpback (though in a depleted stock, again, older ones likely already gone). There was an interesting comment that >Alex Aguilar also had a 60+ year-old pregnant female fin whale, and >notes that the contaminant burdens of female fin whales dont ever seem >to rise after sexual maturity, which you'd expect them to after repro >senescence had set in and they stopped dumping their contaminants >through lactation. I wonder though whether there's a problem with the life stage at which contaminants start to be accumulated; the older whales were presumably mature before ocean dumping of many organics became serious problem, could that affect contaminant dynamics? Anyhow, that's less direct than the ear laminae/corpora data... ========== AND >if there is any evidence for post-reproductive females >in orcas (analogous to Kasuya & Marsh's findings for pilot whales)? In the wild, first births have been recorded at between 10-20 years (that's known range, not approximation). Some ("about 17") adult-sized females in the 1970s had not given birth as of 1993 and this presumably represents either a long postreproductive career or an alarmingly high rate of unexplained pathological sterility (there _is_ evidence for baren females, but at a lower rate). Best guess based on Puget Sound demographics is that females typically bear last calves at ca. 40 years old, and may live for 20+ years more after that. Note I am guessing that if age of 1st birth varies over a 10-year span, that "ca. 40" is bound to be pretty loose. Summed nicely in Sara and James Heimlich-Boran's _Killer Whales_, in which they write: "Using a variety of estimates, it appears that half of all killer whale females older than 39 have stopped giving birth and by the age of 55, all females are post-reproductive. Although there is no direct proof that ovulation has ceased, biological studies on short-finned pilot whales, a closely related species, have shown a lack of ovulation in females over the age of 40. This strongly supports the existence of this later life stage in female killer whales. It has been estimated that one-third of all adult females in the Pacific Northwest resident communities are post-reproductive." ============= Also got a note that some female grey seals are pupping away at age 34+! Thanks to Robin Baird, Trisha Lamb Feuerstein, Jeff Jacobsen, Christina Lockyer, Lori Marino, Peter Olesiuk, Paddy Pomeroy, Dale Rice, and anyone I forgot... Relevant refs: Alex Aguilar and Christina Lockyer (1987 in Can J Zool) Baird, R.W. In press. The killer whale - foraging specializatons and group hunting. In: Dolphins and Whales: Field Studies of Behavior. Edited by P. Tyack, R. Connor, J. Mann and H. Whitehead. University of Chicago Press. Christensen, I. 1984. Growth and reproduction of killer whales, Orcinus orca, in Norwegian coastal waters. REPORT OF THE INTERNAL. WHALING COMM (Special issue 6). Laws (1961) Reproduction, growth and age of southern fin whales "Discovery" Reports vol.31, pp.327-486. Olesuik, Bigg, & Ellis.1990. Life history and pop. dynamics of resident killer whales... REP. OF THE INT. WHALING COMM. (Special issue 12). Kirkevold, B.C. & J.S. Lockhard. 1986. BEHAVIORAL BIOLOGY OF KILLER WHALES. Liss: NY. Nishiwaki, M., Ichihara, T., and Ohsumi, S. 1958. Age studies of fin whale based on ear plug. Scientific Reports of the Whales Research Institute 13:155-169. Ohsumi, S. 1964. Examination of age determination of the fin whale. Scientific Reports of the Whales Research Institute 18:49-88. Pryor, K. & Norris, K. S. (1991). Dolphin Societies: Discoveries and Puzzles. Berkeley: University of California Press. ======================== Some primate menopause refs, for context: Leidy, L. E. (1994). Biological aspects of menopause: across the lifespan. Ann. Rev. Anthropol. 23: 231-253. Pavelka, M. S. M. & Fedigan, L. M. (1991). Menopause: a comparative life history perspective. Yrbk. Phys. Anthropol. 34: 13-38. Rogers, A. R. (1993). Why menopause? Evol. Ecol. 7: 406-420. Walker, M. L. (1995). Menopause in female rhesus monkeys. Am. J. Primatol. 35: 59-71. THANKS AGAIN! Jim -------------------------------------------------------------- Jim Moore Anthro 0532, UCSD Statistics is never having La Jolla CA 92093 to say you're sure... fax 619 534-5946 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu or is it? ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 12 Aug 1997 05:58:18 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: GER Mailbase discussion list (fwd) Dear All, I am forwarding details recently sent to me regarding a new discussion list on Global Climate Change. This may be of interest to at least some ECS/MARMAM subscribers. John Goold -------------- John C. Goold PRIME Project Manager University of Wales Bangor School of Ocean Sciences Menai Bridge Anglesey. LL59 5EY. UK Tel. (0)1248 383752 Fax. (0)1248 716367 Email: oss123(\)sos.bangor.ac.uk Web: http://www.sos.bangor.ac.uk/prime/intro.html ***************************************************** PRIME (Plankton Reactivity in the Marine Environment) NERC THEMATIC RESEARCH PROGRAMME Chairman: D H Cushing FRS Scientific Coordinator: P J leB Williams Project Manager: J C Goold Project Secretary: C E Thomas ***************************************************** ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 11 Aug 1997 12:03:47 +0000 From: Ian Simpson To: PRIME(\)sos.bangor.ac.uk Subject: GER Mailbase discussion list I would like to inform you of a new service being offered by the UK Global Environmental Research Office. A multidisciplinary e-mail discussion list (ger-info-exchange) has been set up as a forum for the exchange of ideas and information on all aspects of global environmental change. It can be used, for example, for advertising events, finding collaborators, seeking opinions and discussing current issues. The success of the list will depend on your participation. Anyone with e-mail access is free to join the list, contribute to discussions and view archived messages. It may take a little while to build up a reasonable membership but please do not be put off from joining simply because the current membership is low, we?ve got to start somewhere. I will use the list to distribute important and timely information to the global change community and once we have a sufficient membership I will try to stimulate discussion about current issues. The list is unmoderated, which means that messages sent to the list are posted automatically to other members without screening. Please adopt a common sense approach to the nature and content of your contributions. Anyone found misusing the list will be removed and prevented from rejoining. To join the list send an e-mail message to mailbase(\)mailbase.ac.uk (a program) with the command below in the body of your message. join listname firstname lastname stop eg. Join ger-info-exchange ian simpson stop Further information about this and other relevant Mailbase lists is available on the UK GER Office Website at: http://www.nerc.ac.uk/ukgeroff/mailbase.htm More information about Mailbase is available from their World Wide Web service at: http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/. If you don't have access to the Web, you can obtain an e-mail copy of a quick guide to using Mailbase by sending the text ?send mailbase user-card? in the body of a message to: mailbase(\)mailbase.ac.uk I look forward to participating in this new venture with you and hope that you will come to value the service. Best regards Ian Simpson Dr Ian C Simpson Head, UK GER Office Polaris House North Star Avenue Swindon SN2 1EU Tel: +44 (0)1793 411734 Fax: +44 (0)1793 444513 http://www.nerc.ac.uk/ukgeroff/welcome.htm ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 12 Aug 1997 06:03:09 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: effect of pop. size on pod size in humpbacks We're currently preparing a manuscript based on earlier aerial survey results which suggests that the Hawaiian wintering population of humpback whales has increased across a ten-year period. We've also noted some differences in average pod size across this period. Are any of the readers aware of literature along these lines--i.e., noting changes in average pod size and/or pod composition with changes in pop. size among humpbacks or any other mysticete species? We would appreciate any help along these lines. Sincerely, Joe Mobley Professor Univ. of Hawaii-West Oahu jmobley(\)uhunix2 ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 10 Aug 1997 10:30:39 -0400 From: Phil Clapham Subject: Reproduction in old whales ** High Priority ** If I am reading the paper correctly, Dale Rice's message concerning age data on old fin whales, taken from Nishiwaki et al (1958), is misleading. Dr Rice quotes a figure of 100 laminations for a lactating female and links this to Ohsumi's estimate that 1 lamination per year is laid down. This implies that a 100-year-old female was lactating. The Nishiwaki paper, however, states the following (page 155): "It is considered in our studies that 2 laminations are deposited in one year in the ear plug." This is repeated later on in the paper, and echoes current opinion that the growth rate is one Growth Layer Group (one light, one dark lamina) per year. Consequently, all of the figures in this paper (given in the Appendix) should be divided by two, not one, to get an approximate age of the animal in question. Alex Aguilar and Christina Lockyer (1987 in Can J Zool) looked at animals in the Spanish catch and found fin whales with up to 80 GLG's (i.e. 80 pairs of laminae, implying an age of around 80 years). If I recall correctly, Alex also had an animal that was pregnant in her 60's, but to my knowledge there is no record of a greater age for active reproduction in baleen whales. Phil Clapham Smithsonian Institution claphamp(\)nmnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 12 Aug 1997 14:02:31 -0400 From: Dale Rice Subject: Re: Reproduction in old whales I regret to say that Phil Clapham's conclusions concerning the data in the paper by Nishiwaki (1958) are incorrect. Many readers have become confused by the sloppy terminology used in the late 50s and early 60s when "lamination" and "growth layer" were used more or less interchangeably. It was not until the IWC Scientific Committee held a special meeting on age determination in Oslo in 1968 that it was decided that two "laminations" (a light OR a dark layer) equaled one "growth layer" (a light AND a dark layer). Nishiwaki (1958) did indeed suggest that two "laminations" (=growth layers) were laid down each year. That was the prevailing idea in those days, as first suggested by Laws and Purves in 1956 (although there were virtually no data to support it). However, data from many later studies,such as that by Ohsumi (1964) which I cited, showed that the accumulation rate could not possibly be two growth layers per year, but was consistent with a rate of one growth layer per year (although the rate in sexually immature animals is debatable). In summary, the "laminations" in Nishiwaki (1958) are what are now called "growth layers" (or "growth layer groups"), and the weight of evidence is that they are laid down ca. annually. Following are some of my own data on female baleen whales taken off California (gl=growth layers): FIN WHALES: Oldest lactating 43 gl; Oldest pregnant 42 gl; Oldest in sample 48gl.; N=375. SEI WHALES: Oldest lactating 48 gl; Oldest pregnant 48 gl; Oldest in sample 48 gl.; N=183. HUMPBACK WHALES: Oldest lactating 53 gl; Oldest pregnant 47 gl; Oldest in sample 62; N=118. BLUE WHALES: Oldest pregnant 33 gl; Oldest in sample 46 gl; N=13. Dale W. Rice dale.rice(\)noaa.gov ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Reproduction in old whales Author: CLAPHAMP(\)NMNH.SI.EDU at EXTERNAL Date: 12/08/1997 9:19 AM ** High Priority ** If I am reading the paper correctly, Dale Rice's message concerning age data on old fin whales, taken from Nishiwaki et al (1958), is misleading. Dr Rice quotes a figure of 100 laminations for a lactating female and links this to Ohsumi's estimate that 1 lamination per year is laid down. This implies that a 100-year-old female was lactating. The Nishiwaki paper, however, states the following (page 155): "It is considered in our studies that 2 laminations are deposited in one year in the ear plug." This is repeated later on in the paper, and echoes current opinion that the growth rate is one Growth Layer Group (one light, one dark lamina) per year. Consequently, all of the figures in this paper (given in the Appendix) should be divided by two, not one, to get an approximate age of the animal in question. Alex Aguilar and Christina Lockyer (1987 in Can J Zool) looked at animals in the Spanish catch and found fin whales with up to 80 GLG's (i.e. 80 pairs of laminae, implying an age of around 80 years). If I recall correctly, Alex also had an animal that was pregnant in her 60's, but to my knowledge there is no record of a greater age for active reproduction in baleen whales. Phil Clapham Smithsonian Institution claphamp(\)nmnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 12 Aug 1997 15:35:57 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Re: Reproduction in old whales (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: 12 Aug 1997 15:00:25 -0400 From: Sally Mizroch Ages ago, I wrote a paper called "Analyses of some biological parameters of the Antarctic fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), in the 1981 issue of the Reports of the International Whaling Commission 31:425-434. I looked at ovulation rate (number of corpora albicantia) by age, and found some evidence of decline in ovulation rate with age. However, there wasn't any evidence of a decline in pregnancy rate with age. I cited and agreed with Laurie (1937), Wheeler (1930) and Laws (1961) that there was no evidence of reproductive senescence in these whales. Based on earplug data, there were a couple of pregnant fin whales in their 70s and 80s, and the oldest whale in the dataset was 111. Because there was no evidence of a climacteric, and no measurable decline in pregnancy rate with age, it could be assumed that a female that lives to be 90 is as likely to be pregnant as not. Hope this helps, Sally Mizroch Sally.Mizroch(\)noaa.gov Dear Marmamers, During my work with bottlenose dolphins in the outer Moray Firth, Scotland, I have, on many occasions, observed large numbers of calves (commonly in groups of 3 or 4 animals) frequenting my study site often for several hours in the absence of any adult dolphins. Whilst sub-adult dolphins are frequently seen in the company of other sub-adults, the calves I am referring to are animals which still have their foetal folds. I understand that mothers may often leave their young in the company of other adults ("nurse maids") or may allow them to explore some distance from theirselves, but in the aforementioned cases, the parents have been seen to travel in excess of 3 miles from their offspring. The longest recorded separation observed in the study area was 14 hours!; the school leaving the young animals to play and forage in a secluded bay whilst they completely left the area. I am unaware of any such behaviour in this or any other delphinid species and would therefore very much like to hear from other marmamers of any published or unpublished observations to the contrary. Is this a unique behavioural adaptation by the animals frequenting this area? I look forward to hearing from you Dr Kevin Robinson Cetacean Research Unit The Moray Firth Wildlife Centre Tugnet, Spey Bay, Fochabers. Moray. IV32 7PJ. email: Mfwc(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Aug 1997 19:26:32 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: RESEARCHER RECORDS UNUSUAL ACTIVITIES OF NZ KILLER WHALES 15-Aug-97 12:39 pm Regular National RESEARCHER RECORDS UNUSUAL ACTIVITIES OF NZ KILLER WHALES (Eds: photos available from Focus Photo Library, in Auckland, 09-3580797, although none shows ``frisbee'' tossing.) By Robert Lowe of NZPA Auckland, Aug 15 - Killer whales in New Zealand waters often dig in the seafloor for stingray before surfacing and tossing their catch around ``like a frisbee'', according to an Auckland University researcher. Whangarei-based Ingrid Visser, some of whose results have been published in the latest issue of the British magazine New Scientist, said New Zealand ORCA whales appeared to be unique on at least two counts. While there had been reports of the whales elsewhere catching stingray, the New Zealand population specialised in preying on ray fish as part of their diet, she said. ``And they are digging for the stingray, which no other population of ORCA in the world has been reported to do,'' she told NZPA today. Miss Visser has been doing research on the species in New Zealand waters for the past six years and is writing her doctorate thesis. On the whales' feeding habits, she said they at times had mud stuck on their faces as far back as the blowhole, suggesting they had dug more than a metre deep during their ``benthic [seafloor] foraging''. ``They bring the stingray up to the surface and they'll flick their heads and toss it in the air -- not always, but it's fairly common,'' she said. ``It's quite incredible to watch and sometimes they'll toss the stingray 10m from one animal to another.'' Miss Visser said the process could last from moments to half-an-hour but, while she had witnessed it, she was still trying to confirm the reasons behind it. ``It may be a case of repositioning the stingray, because it does have a sting, and it may have something to do with teaching their young,'' she said. ``It may just be for display, or maybe they're taking turns to carry the food around. At this stage, I really don't know.'' During her research, Miss Visser began the first catalogue of orcas in New Zealand waters, and has recorded 125 in photographs. There had been no previous population count and therefore no accurate indication of how many there were, where they went or what they fed on. Miss Visser said it was important to know more about orcas because of their position in the marine hierarchy. ``They are the top predator and are at the apex of the ecology of the ocean,'' she said. ``So they're a key indicator species and we need to get basic information about them before we can monitor whether their numbers are increasing or declining.'' # Page 2 NZPA AKL rl ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Aug 1997 13:42:53 +0200 From: "Vongraven, Dag" Subject: Whalewatcher back issues Dear listmembers, I been trying to get some back issues of Whalewatcher, and it is incredible that the very same issues I most want, are those that are out of stock. If anyone has spare copies of the Whalewatcher issues from fall 1990 and fall 1991, I'm more than eager to buy it from you. Please respond by email. Regards, ------------------------------------------ Dag Vongraven Norwegian Polar Institute N-9005 Tromso Norway Tel +47 77 60 67 47 Fax +47 77 60 67 01 e-mail: dag(\)tromso.npolar.no ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 13 Aug 1997 17:06:50 +0200 From: Kari Lavalli Subject: Death of dolphin calf Shalom Fellow Marmamers, On January 1, 1997 we posted a message to Marmam about Holly, the solitary dolphin in Nuweiba, Sinai, giving birth to a male calf, named Jimmy el Atrash. The calf was progressing well and Holly was socializing him to her human companions. At 8:30 a.m. on the morning of 22 July 1997, Jimmy was found dead in shallow water. He seemed to be in excellent condition, from both an external viewing and a later autopsy (histological samples show nothing was wrong). One hour before his death, he was playing games with the local Bedouin children, who have been his almost constant companions since his birth. At his death, Jimmy was 6 months, 25 days old at his death, weighed 44 kg, and was 164.5 cm long. His blubber was was 17 mm thick and he seemed to be in a very healthy condition. There was no evidence that he had been injured in any way and no internal bleeding. He was still suckling and had not yet started on solid food. One hour prior to his death, a young Bedouin boy said he saw Jimmy vomitting a white fluid (possibly milk) for approximately 2 minutes. At 8:30 a.m. the Bedouins returned from fishing for Holly (bringing her an octopus) and she directed them to the place where Jimmy was lying. Abdallah, the owner of the Dolphin Observatory in Nuweiba is asking if anyone has noticed calves vomitting before, and if so, to describe the conditions under which this occurred. So if anyone out there has seen this behavior in calves before, please let us know. Furthermore, if there are any marine mammal veterinarians out there who have seen this kind of "sudden death" in calves before, please let us know. Holly frequently displays a behavior of smacking her beak on the sand substrate repeatedly over a period of minutes to hours and then vomiting up fish bones and squid pens; however, Jimmy was not eating solid food and in his stomach there was no sign of fish bones. We would also be interested in knowing how quickly females dolphins are able to reproduce again after losing their calf. The local Bedouins took the death of Jimmy very hard. But they say that "Allah gives and Allah takes." Now they are supporting Holly and restricting the swimmers more carefully to reduce any potential stress to Holly. Oz Goffman, Director, IMMRAC Dr. Kari Lavalli, Marine Biologist, IMMRAC Dr. Dani Kerem, President, IMMRAC Abdallah Mekeitan, Owner, Dolphin Observatory, Nuweiba, Sinai Mira Roditi, Education Program Director & Researcher on Polluntants in Cetaceans, IMMRAC *************************************************************************** Dr. Kari Lavalli Center for Maritime Studies University of Haifa Mt. Carmel, Haifa 31905 Israel FAX: 972-4-824-0493 TEL: 972-4-862-3726 Email: kari(\)research.haifa.ac.il or rhss101(\)uvm.haifa.ac.il **************************************************************************** ** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Aug 1997 11:30:37 -0700 From: pawsinfo Subject: Dallas World Aquarium Inia Import Permit - Comment Period Posted by Bob Chorush *********** The Dallas World Aquarium has filed for a permit with NMFS to capture and import four amazon river dolphins from South America to Dallas. Listed below is the summary from the Federal Register. There is a 30 day comment period. As noted in the summary, "Historically, study results conclude that due to a number of factors this species has fared poorly in captivity in the United States, with an average longevity of 32.6 months for the 35 animals for which data was available." Inia will very likely be listed as endangered in the near future. Since the Dallas World Aquarium has not demonstrated any intent to study the return to the wild of this species, it must be assumed, that if captured, these four animals will die at the aquarium, probably in short order, thereby diminishing the native population. The native population is relatively unstudied and no cencus has been taken. This capture, if allowed, would do nothing to improve habitat or chances for survival of the remaining members of this population nor would it likely provide information or individuals from captivity to restock this population. Despite differing opinions on the keeping of dolphins in captivity, granting of this permit would appear to negatively impact the native population while adversely affecting the health and longevity of the captured animals. The Progresive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) will be filing comments to oppose this capture and import. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [I.D. 080797A] Marine Mammals; Public Display Permit (PHF# 852-1356) AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Receipt of application. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that The Dallas World Aquarium, Inc., 1801 North Griffin, Dallas, TX 75202, has applied in due form for a permit to import Amazon River dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), for purposes of public display. DATES: Written comments must be received on or before September 15, 1997. ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for review upon written request or by appointment in the following offices: Permits Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13130, Silver Spring, MD 20910, (301/713-2289); and Regional Administrator, Southeast Region, NMFS, 9731 Executive Center Drive North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702, (206/526-6150). Written data or views, or requests for a public hearing on this application, should be submitted to the Chief, Permits Division, F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those individuals requesting a hearing should set forth the specific reasons why a hearing on this particular application would be appropriate. The holding of such a hearing is at the discretion of the Director, Office of Protected Resources. Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of this application to the Marine Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and the Regulations Governing the Taking and Importing of Marine Mammals (50 CFR part 216). The applicant requests authorization to import four Amazon River dolphins (Inia geoffrensis). The Venezuelan Service Agency for the Protection, Restoration, Promotion and Rational Utilization of the Wildlife and Aquatic life of the Country has issued a capture license to the applicant. The dolphins would be collected from the Apure River near San Fernando, Venezuela, and maintained at the J.V. Seijas Aquarium in Valencia, Venezuela, until the public display facility at the Dallas World Aquarium receives final approval from the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). As any issues relating to the care and maintenance of captive marine mammals are within the purview of APHIS, under the Animal Welfare Act, copies of the application are also being sent to APHIS for review. The Dallas World Aquarium is open to the public on a regularly scheduled basis with access that is not limited or restricted other than by charging an admission fee; and offers an educational program based upon the educational standards of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has included this species in the 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals under the category ``vulnerable'', i.e., taxa believed likely to move into the Endangered category in the near future if causal factors continue operating. Population data concerning Inia geoffrensis in Venezuela is limited and the application states that no census has been taken of the subject wild population/stock. Therefore, NMFS has concerns about the status and conservation of the dolphins in the Orinoco river system and the potential [[Page 43517]] impacts of the permanent removal of four sub-adults from this population/stock. Additionally, NMFS is concerned that holding this species in captivity may involve a significant risk to the health and welfare of the animals held. Historically, study results conclude that due to a number of factors this species has fared poorly in captivity in the United States, with an average longevity of 32.6 months for the 35 animals for which data was available. (See Inia geofffensis in Captivity in the United States, Melba C. Caldwell, David K. Caldwell and Randall L. Brill. 1989. Proc. Workshop on Biology and Conservation of the Platanistoid Dolphins, Wuhan, People's Republic of China. The World Conservation Union (IUCN), Occasional Papers of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, Number 3. 35-41.) The applicant has addressed, in part, some of the survivability factors raised in the Caldwell study, citing successful behavioral experiences with this species at the J.V. Seijas Aquarium in Valencia, Venezuela. The applicant submitted additional information on August 4, 1997, to address the concerns cited above; however, several aspects of these concerns persist. As a result, before decision is made to issue or deny issuance of a permit, NMFS is soliciting information that will assist the agency in determining whether: (1) The applicant meets the three public display criteria; (2) the proposed activity is humane and does not present any unnecessary risks to the health and welfare of the marine mammals; (3) the proposed activity by itself or in combination with other activities, will not likely have a significant adverse impact on the species or stock; and (4) the applicant's expertise, facilities, and resources are adequate to accomplish successfully the objectives and activities stated in the application. Dated: August 8, 1997. Ann D. Terbush, Chief, Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 97-21464 Filed 8-13-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-F Bob Chorush Web Administrator, Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) 15305 44th Ave West (P.O. Box 1037)Lynnwood, WA 98046 (425) 787-2500 ext 862, (425) 742-5711 fax email bchorush(\)paws.org http://www.paws.org ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 09:58:08 -0000 From: mignucci Subject: Inia and parasites Dear Marmamers: A group of us is working on revising the parasitic fauna of Inia geoffrensis, specially of Anisakis spp. We would be very interested in contacting colleages which have worked with Inia and have collected endoparasites from post-mortem examinations. Thank you, Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni Eric P. Hoberg Fernando Trujillo [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Dr. Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni Scientific Coordinator-Caribbean Stranding Network Assistant Professor-University of Puerto Rico PO Box 38030 San Juan PR 00937 USA Tel 787-766-0000 x4878, 787-767-8009 Fax 787-764-2610, 787-767-8009 Emergencies 787-399-8432, 787-402-2337 (unite 990-0440) Email mignucci(\)caribe.net Webpage http://netdial.caribe.net/~mignucci/ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 19:40:50 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: SMM Newsletter The Fall, 1997, issue of the Society for Marine Mammalogy newsletter is now available on the SMM homepage. URL=pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/ This issue contains new information on the Monaco conference and on the Mediterranean monk seal dieoff. Daniel K. Odell Society for Marine Mammalogy odell(\)pegasus.cc.ucf.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 15:38:03 +0000 From: Marni Sims Subject: Position Vacancy Notice Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 ------ World Wildlife Fund Canada is currently looking to fill the position of Senior Manager, Marine Protected Areas. Application information is provided below. Please note the application deadline of September 5, 1997. Position Vacancy Notice Title: Senior Manager, Marine Protected Areas World Wildlife Fund Canada Program: Endangered Spaces Campaign Reporting to: Vice President, Endangered Spaces and North American Programs Supervises: Marine regional coordinators, marine component of terrestrial coordinators, contract research assistants, volunteers Primary responsibilities: To ensure the marine component of the Endangered Spaces Campaign goal is achieved by developing and implementing a strategy and supporting scientific basis for establishing a representative system of marine protected areas in Canada by the year 2010, including advocacy, research communications, and inter-agency liaison; to identify and coordinate the roles of the Endangered Spaces Campaign team members in implementing this strategy. Skills, knowledge, abilities required: Marine science, including conservation biology and basic oceanography; knowledge of marine protected areas planning and coastal zone planning; some familiarity with marine conservation issues, including fisheries policy issues; policy analysis; strategic communications and government relations; preparing briefs, reports, proposals and publicity materials; public speaking; understanding of Canadian conservation agencies and programs (government and private); knowledge of coalition building. Qualifications: Preferably Ph.D. in marine conservation field (e.g. marine biology, biogeography, fisheries management) or equivalent combination of training and experience. Interdisciplinary training an asset. Four to five years experience in conservation program delivery, preferably in relation to marine protected areas or coastal resource management. Living experience in rural or coastal communities an asset. Application deadline: September 5, 1997 Salary: Of interest to those earning about $40,000 per year (Cdn.). WWF Canada offers a standard benefits package. Submit current resum=E9 to: =09 Arlin Hackman, VP Endangered Spaces and North American Programs World Wildlife Fund Canada 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 504 Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Z7 Canada Fax: (416) 489-3611 For more information please contact Arlin Hackman, VP Endangered Spaces and North American Programs, or Marni Sims, Endangered Spaces Campaign Assistant: Tel. (416) 489-8800 Fax (416) 489-3611 Email: ahackman(\)wwfcanada.org; msims(\)wwfcanada.org ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 10:27:48 -0700 From: "William F. Perrin" Subject: Aquatic Mammals In trying to fill out a run of Aquatic Mammals, I find that volume 20 (1994) is out of print and not available from any of the past or present editors. The run lacks numbers 1 and 2 from that volume. Also missing are vol. 3(3) from 1975 and vol. 4(3) from 1976. If anyone has spares of any of these four issues, I would be very interested in purchase or trade. I can offer in exchange vol. 3(1 and 2), vol. 7(1, 2, and 3), vol. 10(3), and vol. 21(1). Bill Perrin, wperrin(\)ucsd.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------ William F. Perrin, Ph.D. Tel.(619) 546-7096 (office) Senior Scientist (619) 535-0840 (home) Editor, Marine Mammal Science FAX (619) 546-7003 Adjunct Professor, SIO/UCSD Southwest Fisheries Science Center Email wperrin(\)ucsd.edu (office) P.O. Box 271, La Jolla, CA 92038, USA dolarperri(\)aol.com (home) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Aug 1997 10:11:05 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: digestive anatomy of dolphins From: "Henri De jager" Date: Tue, 19 Aug 97 09:10:43 PDT To the reader My name is Frieda Boshoff (Email: Henfri(\)netactive.co.za), I am a veterinary student at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, Onderstepoort (University of Pretoria), South Africa. I am conducting research on the digestive anatomy, with emphasis on the stomachs, of Delphinus delphis, Sousa chinensis and Tursiops truncatus. The study is being conducted to establish differences, if any, in digestive tract anatomy since these different dolphin species feed on different kinds of fish with varied distribution along our coastline. Findings could be used to motivate the conservation of the breeding grounds and habitat of these fish needed by these dolphins. The research is done in collaboration with my Anatomy lecturer, Prof. Herman Groenewald and Dr. Vic Paddemors from the Natal Sharks Board. I need any literature relevant ot the subject and have conducted searches on CAB abstracts, Nisc Disc, Wildlife Review and Wildlife information services, but none came up with any information on this spesific topic. Thus I need litterature on the macroscopic and microscopic anatomy of the three species mentioned. It is essential that I find information for my litterature study and any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Best regards Frieda Boshoff How marine mammals use senses By LIDIA WASOWICZ UPI Science Writer SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Years of studying marine mammals have yielded unprecedented understanding of how they see, hear and think about the world around them. The unique research by University of California, Santa Cruz, scientists also points to how humans might hinder their abilities to identify family or foe, communicate, navigate and generally go on with their daily business. The stars of this scientific show -- which is pushing the frontiers of animal psychobiology -- are four trained pinnipeds, the four-flippered, amphibious carnivores that include elephant seals, sea lions and harbor seals. Field pioneer Ronald Schusterman and his team have gotten to know quite a bit about the two female California sea lions Rocky, who has mastered sign language, and Rio; Sprouts, a male Pacific harbor seal, and Burnyce, the world's only trained northern elephant seal. Says Schusterman, "Animals don't have language, they don't code the world around them in symbols, as humans do. Yet they do so many intricate things. Our animals aren't thinking verbally, but we know they're thinking." In one experiment, Rocky and Rio play the game "Concentration," matching pairs of pictures. Other studies show the animals' hearing abilities reflect their evolutionary histories. The California sea lions -- which interact mostly on land -- hear well in air but not in water. The harbor seal -- the most truly amphibious of the three species -- hears equally well in air and water. Burnyce hears far better in water. No big surprise: elephant seals spend lots of time in water up to a mile deep. Just like in humans, exposure to loud sounds can induce temporary hearing losses in the animals. As for vision, the researchers have found the deeper diving animals have more sensitive eyesight since they need to forage at lower levels of light. Burnyce, whose species routinely plummets from the bright ocean surfaceto the shadowy depths below, proved the most dark- adaptable of the three. A better grasp of the animals' visual abilities, Schusterman notes, could lead to better conservation management plans. Oil spills, pollution and sedimentation that increase water opacity might cut the animals' odds of finding a meal. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 02:23:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Whales, hippos, cows share anc Whales, hippos, cows share ancestor-Japan research TOKYO, Aug 14 (Reuter) - Although there might not be much of a family resemblance, the whale, hippopotamus and common cow share a common ancestor from about 60 million years ago, Japanese researchers said on Thursday. In an article in the August 14 issue of the British publication Nature, a team of scientists led by Tokyo Institute of Technology faculty members say genetic evidence indicates the three animals belong to the same common ancestoral form, known as a monophyletic group. "Our data provide evidence that whales, ruminants (grass chewers) and hippopotamuses form a monophyletic group," it said. According to research team member Norihiro Okada, the common ancestor was probably a terrestrial herbivore. Okada told Reuters the team looked at retroposons, a genetic element that does not change as evolution progresses, to link the three to the common ancestor. "The team used a novel and original approach toproduce these highly significant results," Okada said of the research that has given a number of species new ancestoral mothers and fathers. The team said that about 100 million years ago, the three were in a grouping that included pigs and camels, but whales, cows and hippos derived from a separate ancestor some 60 million years ago. "Whales are clearly related to cows and hippopotamuses, but pigs and camels have different genetic elements," Okada said. The researchers said their findings contradict current paleontological and morphological studies that indicate whales first appeared as primitive aquatic creatures. The team also argues their findings should lead scientists to reexamine fossil records because the discovery pushes back the era when mammals diversified. While most research holds that mammals and birds diversified after the extinction of dinosaurs about 65 million years ago, that by the Japanese team indicates the change may have started as early as 100 million years ago. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 02:22:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Chinese River Dolphin on Exhib Chinese River Dolphin on Exhibition BEIJING (Aug. 9) XINHUA - The Chinese river dolphin, an endangered rare species, is on exhibition which opened Friday in Beijing Natural History Museum. According to today's China Daily, the exhibition offers visitors through samples, photos, articles and lectures information about the dolphin, knowns as baiji, which is considered one of the rarest and most endangered species in the world. Once numbering in the thousands, there may now be less than 50 baiji in the world, all living in the Yangtze River. Considered the "living fossil," baiji is believed to have lived in the world for more than 25 million years, much older than another precious and endangered animal -- the giant panda. Owing to rapid development of the Yangtze, the water pollution and overfishing, the rare animal's living environment and food sources are threatened. In order to heighten public awareness and protect the creature, the China Wildlife Protection Association and Green Earth Volunteers, with four other wildlife and environmental protection groups, began "Save Endangered Wild Animals" in June and suggested designating 1997 "The Year of Baiji." In a campaign to protect baiji, Chinese scientists will search for the dolphin, which measures 2-2.5 meters long and weighs about 150 kilograms,, trying to catch at least 20 of them, moving them to semi-natural protection areas. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 19:27:19 -0400 From: SealResrch(\)aol.com Subject: Dedicated Volunteers Needed Laguna Beach, California - The Friends of the Sea Lion Marine Mammal Center (FSLMMC) is seeking to expand our volunteer staff. Positions are available for both hands-on animal care workers as well as presentation leading docents. Volunteers must be 18 or older, and able to dedicate themselves to a minimum of one weekly 4 hour shift. Animal care work includes cleaning pens; assisting with feedings; assisting with medical care; pinniped rescues & releases; yard work, stuffing envelopes, painting, and interacting with the visitors. Docents lead presentations for visitors, host lectures for scheduled groups, manage gift shop operations and more..... No experience is necessary. Shifts are available almost all days of the week. Interested volunteers may call FSLMMC at (714) 494-3050 and leave their name and number to be contacted by our volunteer coordinator. The Friends of the Sea Lion Marine Mammal Center is a non-profit organization providing medical care and rehabilitation to rescued pinnipeds in Orange County. Founded in 1971, FSLMMC has been dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release back to the wild of once sick or injured pinnipeds that inhabit Orange County beaches. We treat up to 200 pinnipeds annually. FSLMMC has a volunteer staff of 60 extensively trained Animal Care Specialists, and up to 15 docents. In addition to our animal rescue & rehabilitation program, FSLMMC hosts educational presentations for classes of all ages at our facility, and operates an outreach program to provide educational presentations about Orange County's marine wildlife to classrooms throughout Southern California. Thanks, Sherri Key SealResrch(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 13:31:19 +0000 Reply-To: manatee(\)america.com From: Patti Thompson Subject: manatee research Save the Manatee Club (SMC) is interested in sponsoring research projects involving the West Indian manatee, especially projects prioritized in the Florida Manatee Recovery Plan as important for the recovery of the Florida manatee in the wild. The deadline for receipt of proposals for funding in 1998 is 15 October 1997, but proposals involving unforeseen, critical events may be submitted any time. Interested individuals should submit a letter of inquiry (no more than two pages) stating explicitly how the proposed research project relates to the goals of the Florida Manatee Recovery Plan and an estimate of cost. (Note: SMC does not pay overhead or similar charges.) The average cost of research projects funded in recent years is approximately $6,000 in the U.S. and about $1550 out of country. Investigators should determine whether an Endangered Species Permit is required for the proposed work. Contact Patti Thompson, Save the Manatee Club, 500 N. Maitland Ave., Suite 210, Maitland, FL 32751 for further information and instructions for submitting full proposals. Phone: 1-800-432-5646, Fax: 407 539-0871, E-mail: manatee(\)america.com. ********************************** Patti Thompson, Staff Biologist Save the Manatee Club 500 N. Maitland Ave. Maitland, FL 32751 phone: 407-539-0990 fax: 407-539-0871 http://www.objectlinks.com/manatee ********************************** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Aug 1997 09:31:52 +0800 From: hemcc Subject: Grampus griseus > Hi everybody, I have a question of the behaviors of Grampus griseus. A lot of Grampus griseus have been sighted by our surveys along Taiwan's eastern coastal region. Lately, a variety of behaviors have been observed including leaping, breaching, spy-hoping, frequent body-contacting, flipper-slapping, lunging quickly under water then stop abruptly, etc. I assume I just did not find right references. Could anybody give me the list of papers and books on their behaviors. Also, acoustic function under natural environment is my focus. I would appreciate your help very much if there is any suggestion of the references. Ann Ann Chen, hemcc(\)ms12.hinet.net Grice Marine Biological Lab 205 Ft. Johnson Rd., Charleston, SC 29412 phone: 886-3-380-2149 #3 Ming-te New Village Yuan-shu Lin Tashi, Tao-yuan 33508 Taiwan ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 17:05:53 -0800 From: "Richard A. Caulfield" Subject: New book on Greenlandic whales & whaling Marmam subscribers may be interested in this book, recently published by the University Press of New England. Title: Greenlanders, whales, and whaling: Sustainability and self-determination in the Arctic Author: R. A. Caulfield ISBN: 0-87451-810-5 Publisher: University Press of New England 23 S. Main Street Hanover, NH 03755 1-800-421-1561 Price: $35.00 plus $2.50 postage ============== Richard A. Caulfield Department of Alaska Native & Rural Development University of Alaska Fairbanks P.O. Box 756500 Fairbanks, Alaska 99775 USA (907) 474-5573; fax (907) 474-5451 ffrac(\)uaf.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 02:21:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Alarms help stop nets catching Alarms help stop nets catching porpoises LONDON, Aug 6 (Reuter) - Acoustic alarms attached to fishing nets can prevent porpoises from getting caught in them and drowning, experts reported on Wednesday. In one of the first field tests of warning devices designed to protect marine mammals, U.S. researchers said they greatly reduced the number of porpoises caught in fishing nets. Scott Kraus of the New England Aquarium in Boston and a team of marine scientists said the effect was enormous. "The most serious danger to dolphins and porpoises around the world is the threat from various forms of gill-net fishing," they wrote in a letter to the science journal Nature. "More than 80,000 small cetaceans (dolphins, porpoises and small whales) are killed annually in coastal waters around the world, and at least two species are in imminent danger of extinction because of fishing activities," they added. Scientists have thought that alarms on fishing nets might help save dolphins and porpoises, which use sound to navigate and hunt. But the theory has not been widely tested. Kraus's team recruited fishermen to test their alarms. "Between 18 October and 15 December 1994, 15 commercial sink gill-net fishers from the coasts of New Hampshire and southern Maine took part in our experiment," they wrote. Some of the nets were equipped with acoustic alarms that sounded as soon as they hit salt water while others were fitted with devices that looked exactly the same but emitted no sound. Two porpoises were caught in the nets using the alarms while 25 were caught in nets carrying silent devices. The same number of cod and pollock, which is what the boats were after, were caught in nets using either kind of alarm. "At present we do not understand why the use of alarms produced such a dramatic reduction in porpoise catches," they said. The obvious inference is that the animals heard and avoided the alarms. But herring -- the main preyof the porpoises -- also seemed to respond to the alarms. "It is possible that herring reacted to the alarms by avoiding the nets, thus reducing the number of porpoises becoming entangled while attempting to capture prey," they wrote. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 13:09:04 +0000 From: Marni Sims Subject: Position Vacany Notice - correction Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 ------ The information below was posted on Monday, August 18, 1997 by World Wildlife Fund Canada regarding the vacant position of Senior Manager, Marine Protected Areas. Please note the update regarding applications from outside Canada. Thank you. Position Vacancy Notice Title: Senior Manager, Marine Protected Areas World Wildlife Fund Canada Program: Endangered Spaces Campaign Reporting to: Vice President, Endangered Spaces and North American Programs Supervises: Marine regional coordinators, marine component of terrestrial coordinators, contract research assistants, volunteers Primary responsibilities: To ensure the marine component of the Endangered Spaces Campaign goal is achieved by developing and implementing a strategy and supporting scientific basis for establishing a representative system of marine protected areas in Canada by the year 2010, including advocacy, research communications, and inter-agency liaison; to identify and coordinate the roles of the Endangered Spaces Campaign team members in implementing this strategy. Skills, knowledge, abilities required: Marine science, including conservation biology and basic oceanography; knowledge of marine protected areas planning and coastal zone planning; some familiarity with marine conservation issues, including fisheries policy issues; policy analysis; strategic communications and government relations; preparing briefs, reports, proposals and publicity materials; public speaking; understanding of Canadian conservation agencies and programs (government and private); knowledge of coalition building. Qualifications: Preferably Ph.D. in marine conservation field (e.g. marine biology, biogeography, fisheries management) or equivalent combination of training and experience. Interdisciplinary training an asset. Four to five years experience in conservation program delivery, preferably in relation to marine protected areas or coastal resource management. Living experience in rural or coastal communities an asset. Application deadline: September 5, 1997 Salary: Of interest to those earning about $40,000 per year (Cdn.). WWF Canada offers a standard benefits package. ** Preference will be given to candidates who are Canadian citizens, landed immigrants or who are otherwise immediately eligible for work status in Canada. Submit current resum=E9 to: =09 Arlin Hackman, VP Endangered Spaces and North American Programs World Wildlife Fund Canada 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 504 Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Z7 Canada Fax: (416) 489-3611 For more information please contact Arlin Hackman, VP Endangered Spaces and North American Programs, or Marni Sims, Endangered Spaces Campaign Assistant: Tel. (416) 489-8800 Fax (416) 489-3611 Email: ahackman(\)wwfcanada.org; msims(\)wwfcanada.org ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 07:33:09 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Gulf of Mexico Use and Conservation Conference 1998 Joseph Christopher , Robert Avent , Bill Lang ** Please forgive me if this double posts, I tried posting it yesterday, and have seen no sign of it. ** This conference may be of interest to anyone concerned about fishery resources and fish stocks, endangered marine mammals and turtles, pollution, industry and our effect on the Gulf of Mexico. Please see the Sea Grant web page for more information. ******************************************************************* Your ideas will be challenged... You may be tempted to punch your neighbor... You might even leave with a new perspective... SHARING OUR GULF a conference with daring dialog Bush Presidential Conference Center College Station, Texas - June 10-12, 1998 sponsered by the Texas Sea Grant College Program SHARING OUR GULF - A CHALLENGE FOR US ALL is the theme, spirit and title of the June 1998 conference to be held at the George Bush Presidential Library and Conference Center on the Texas A&M University campu in College Station, Texas. The conference, sponsored by the Texas Sea Grant College Program, will bring together the diverse groups and individuals who live, work and play in the Gulf of Mexico to address some of today's most important and challenging questions about the way the Gulf's resources should be used and preserved. Sharing Our Gulf is a different kind of conference. Your input is a vital part of the agenda. The organizers have provided ample time for questions and answers and are looking forward to a productive event where ideas are shared, debated and expanded. A tentative list of sessions include: o TEDs, BRDs and the Fisheries o Mexico's Ban on the Turtle Fisheries and Exploitation o Strandings, Trash and Beaches o Pollution and Hypoxia Areas o Fish For Everyone? o Marine Education - What Works? ACCOMODATIONS The College Station Hilton, the host hotel for Sharing Our Gulf, offers single rooms at a rate of $55/night and doubles at $75/night. For your convenience, there are also rooms available at the Best Western at a rate of $55/night for a single and $62/night for a double and at the Hampton Inn at a rate of $55/night for a single and $65/night for a double. Buses will run between hotels and the George Bush Conference Center. Specift Sahring Our Gulf conference when making reservations. Rooms are on reserve from June 9 through 12, and rates are subject to the current state per diem. The rates quoted are good until May 26, 1998. Reservations made after that date are on a space or rate available basis. Contact the Hilton at 1-800-HILTONS; the Best Western at 1-800-267-7750 and the Hampton Inn at 1-800-426-7866. POSTER SESSION Posters will be on display throughout the conference and a formal poster session will be held in conjunction with a reception on the evening of June 10. Participants will be invited to submit one-page abstracts for posters on any of the general topics mentioned in the session descriptions (or others related to the Gulf of Mexico). Abstract forms will be available in the registration packet. Please check out the Sea Grant homepage at (http://texas-sea-grant.tamu.edu) to submit a request for registration materials. Kathryn Stephenson Department of Biology Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843 (409)845-7784 kstephenson(\)bio.tamu.edu "What is to give light must endure the burning"- V. Frankyl "Bite the wax tadpole" ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 10:25:51 +0000 From: seaworld(\)neptune.dbn.lia.net Subject: (Fwd) Re: Anti-spasmodic Tursiops >Has anyone had occasion to use and antipersitalic (anti-spasmolytic) > drug on Tursiops tunicatus? I am attempting to remove a foreign body > from a dolphins' stomach and found the visual interference of > peristaltic movements causing interference when securing the object > once visualised. The drug I intend to use is Buscopan > (Hyoscine-N-Butyl bromide) used in human gasterscopy routinely. Any > comments on dosages or previous experiences with it? We also have a > problem with the same male dolphin that is very agressive and > wondered if anyone has used any anti-agressive drugs like Ovarid > (Megace) (megaestrol acetate) used in seals and dogs? Months of > conventional training and desensitisation has been to no avail. > > Corinna Pieterse > Vet: SEA WORLD Durban, South Africa > seaworld(\)neptune.lia.co.za > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 13:53:37 MET-1METDST From: "A.D.M.E. OSTERHAUS (\) VIRO" Organization: Erasmus University Rotterdam Subject: virus found in Mediterranean monk seals 28 Aug 97 VIRUS FOUND IN MEDITERRANEAN MONK SEALS Today we have published in the scientific journal Nature, that we have identified a not previously found morbillivirus in Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus monachus) which had died during the mass mortality killing the majority of the 270 monk seals inhabiting the western Saharan coast of Africa. We assume that the virus has been the primary cause of the outbreak amongst this highly endangered species. We were not able to confirm the presence of paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) in seal carcasses and in a composite mussel sample from the area. Ref.: Morbillivirus in monk seal mortality. Nature 388 (6645), 838 (1997) Albert Osterhaus , Jan Groen, Hubert Niesters Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands Marco van de Bildt, Byron Martina, Lies Vedder Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre, Pieterburen, The Netherlands Joseph Vos, Hans van Egmond National Institute of Public Health and The Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands Ba Abou Sidi, Mohamed Ely Ould Barham Centre National de Recherches Oceanographiques et des Peches, Nouadhibou, Mauritania ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 12:12:54 +0200 From: "V.G. Cockcroft" Subject: Dugongs Marmam Subscribers Dugongs are one of the most ignored of marine mammals, yet their numbers off the east coast of Africa are declining steadily. So much so that there are probably only between 2 and 5 000 left off the African continent. Conservation of these animals is desperately needed, as are the research and public, local and international, awareness campaigns that go with conservation. But, research requires money and awareness campaigns require a focus. To try and 'kill two birds' with one effort, a well known Kenyan wildlife sculptor, Lorn Mathews, was commissioned to produce a dugong bronze. Lorn recently completed the work and has produced an original and a number of other bronze casts that are truly outstanding, a magnificent tribute to a most sculpturegenic animal. On behalf of all those involved in dugong conservation in the Western Indian Ocean region, I would like to ask your, Marmam subscribers, help in our efforts to raise money and international awareness. In essence, what we would like to do is raffle / sell one, two or more of these bronze casts internationally, over the www even, in an effort to raise funding and awareness. Does anyone know of an NGO, or any other organisation, that may be willing to undertake something like this? Or, perhaps even a single benefactor that may want one of the few dugong bronzes that Lorn has cast? Are there any NGO subscribers to Marmam that are willing to take this on? Does anyone have any other ideas? I have scanned pictures of the casts, in *.jpg format, and other details that I can e-mail to anyone who can help, or who wants information. Thanks. pemvgc(\)zoo.upe.ac.za Dr V.G. Cockcroft Centre for Dolphin Studies Port Elizabeth Museum & Universityof Port Elizabeth PO Box 13147, Humewood. 6013 South Africa Telephone: 27 + 41 + 561051 (w) 27 + 83 655 6903 (h) Telefax: 27 + 41 + 562175 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 11:53:50 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Re: Polar Bears (fwd) I'm forwarding this for those interested in Arctic marine mammals. Gail Osherenko Institute of Arctic Studies Dartmouth College From: "the greenbase" Subject: Polar Bears' Ice Habitat Threatened by Global Warming POLAR BEARS' ICE HABITAT THREATENED BY GLOBAL WARMING BEAUFORT SEA, Alaska, August 26, 1997 -- Shrinking sea ice in the Arctic due to rising temperatures will cause reductions in ice algae crucial to the entire Arctic food chain: from fish to seals and polar bears, scientists have told a Greenpeace expedition. The Western Arctic is one of the fastest warming regions in the world, warming at a rate of 0.75 degrees C per decade for the past three decades, several times the average global rate. Norwegian studies have found the area of the Arctic Ocean covered by sea ice has declined 5.5 per cent since 1978. The Arctic is seen as an early indicator of the impacts of global climate change, caused primarily by the burning of oil, coal and gas. Dr. Vera Alexander of the Fisheries and Ocean Science Department at the University of Alaska, an expert on ice-edge ecology, has been observing dramatic changes in temperature and ice-edge extent for the past 20 years. Alexander stated that the continued decline of the sea ice will affect the production of algae, which live beneath the ice, and form the very base of the arctic food chain. "Without the ice algae", Alexander noted, "there would be no possibility of a food chain as we know it". The resulting impacts would ripple up the food web affecting fish, seals, whales and polar bears. World renowned polar bear biologist Jack Lentfer (retired, formerly with the Marine Mammal Commission and US Fish and Wildlife Service) also expressed concerns about the impacts of global warming. Noting that bears give birth in snow dens, Lentfer stated that rising temperatures and earlier spring melts could expose bear cubs too early in their development to the harsh arctic environment. Amidst the increasing signs of human-induced climate change, the oil industry in the Alaskan Arctic is rapidly expanding towards the Russian and Canadian borders, seeking to develop and open up several major new oil fields. "We can't afford to burn the oil we have already found," said Steve Sawyer, Greenpeace Arctic Expedition leader. "Burning more than about one quarter of the world's existing reserves of oil, coal and gas risks causing catastrophic climate change. It's completely irresponsible to spend billions exploring for more." Lentfer has also predicted serious direct impacts for polar bears resulting from Arco's off-shore oil development in the area of Camden Bay, off the coast of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Lentfer told Greenpeace the area has the highest number of polar bear dens in Alaska. ARCO Oil plans exploratory drilling there in November, 1997. In December nations of the world will meet in Kyoto, Japan to agree on carbon dioxide emission limitations and reductions. Greenpeace is calling for an end to all new oil exploration as a first step in the necessary phase out of fossil fuels. Just a little over a week ago, one of the posted newsclips was about alarms helping stop nets from catching porpoises. The actual scientific article appears in the 7 August issue of _Nature_ (v. 388, i. 6642, p. 525) entitled "Acoustic alarms reduce porpoise mortality" by Kraus, Read, Solow, Baldwin, Spradlin, Anderson, and Williamson, and might be of interest to Marmam subscribers. Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 02:20:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: New Canadian radio to play orc New Canadian radio to play orca music VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- It's all orca, all the time. A Vancouver whale researcher has proposed a new radio station that will broadcast the sounds of killer whales live from their ocean home on Canada's West Coast. It's part of a new project underway at the Vancouver Aquarium, where technology links researchers to underwater microphones hundreds of miles (km) up the British Columbia coast. Special hardware and software use a cellular phone to transmit the whale whistles, yelps and squeaks to the aquarium from Robson Bight, a spot on the British Columbia coast that's favored by killer whales. Researcher John Ford has applied to Canada's broadcast regulator for an FM radio license for the new station, which would be the world's first to have an all-whale format. It would broadcast only around Robson Bight. A direct link to the aquarium would give visitors a real glimpse into killer whale life on the Pacific coast. Said Ford, "You'd be able to listen in live to whales hunting or socializing. You can tell their mood by how they make their calls." Once regulators approve, the new station could be on the air this fall. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 20:35:12 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Emily B. Shane Award recipients EMILY B. SHANE AWARD Three recipients have been selected to share the first Emily B. Shane Award issued by the Society for Marine Mammalogy. This year the Award will be divided between three projects, because each embodies some of the important values that the Award was established to support. The three projects being supported by the 1997 Emily B.Shane Award are: 1) Rochelle Constantine- "The behavioral ecology of the bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) of Northland, New Zealand, A Population Targeted by Tourism"; 2) Michael R. Heithaus- "Foraging Ecology of bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay,Western Australia: Implications for the Conservation of Nearshore Odontocetes"; and 3)Colin D. MacLeod- "Proposal for Examining Habitat Requirements of the Dense Beaked Whale, Mesoplodon densirostris, in the Waters Around the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas". All of the projects selected will contribute to the conservation of Odontocetes. Constantine's work addresses the effects of ecotourism, specifically swim-with-wild-dolphin cruises, on bottlenose dolphins. Heithaus's research seeks to quantify bottlenose dolphin prey abundance and movement patterns in order to better define the resources needing protection, if this cetacean species is to be adequately protected. MacLeod's study of a little-known beaked whale's habitat requirements will provide data necessary for protecting this important, but virtually unknown, group of Odontocetes. While all three studies were deemed equally worthy of receiving the Emily B. Shane Award, the judging committee decided to apportion the value of theaward based upon the financial need of each recipient as outlined in his or her application. Therefore, MacLeod is receiving a grant of $6000, and Constantine and Heithaus are each receiving grants of $2000. For details about the Shane Award, see the Society for Marine Mammalogy's home page Daniel K. Odell Society for Marine Mammalogy ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 29 Aug 1997 20:31:58 -0400 From: NikSchnall(\)aol.com Subject: Lactating Tursiops I am looking for any information on a tursiops that has spontaneously lactated, even though progesterone levels do not indicate pregnancy. This female is only with another male (no other females or calves). Ultrasound results were inconclusive (did not appear to have penetrated past the blubber layer). She is approx. 13 years old, 8' long, weighing currently +/- 400 pounds. She has never been pregnant before. A progesterone level at the end of April was at 21, but subsequent results have all been less than 1.0. We are awaiting the results of our last sample taken on 8/27. She did have a progesterone level of 15 at the end of October '96. I would appreciate any help. Dominique Schnall HersheyPark Aquatheater 717-534-3850 NikSchnall(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 02:21:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: NZ moves to protect sea lion e NZ moves to protect sea lion endangered by fishing By Andrew Huddart WELLINGTON, Aug 5 (Reuter) - New Zealand has raised the protection given to its unique sea lion species, which is increasingly threatened by drowning in squid trawler nets. Minister of Conservation Nick Smith announced on Monday that he had approved classification of the New Zealand, or Hooker's, sea lion as a "threatened species" under national legislation. "These magnificent creatures are only found in New Zealand and are probably the world's rarest sea lion," Smith said. Marine biologists believe they are also the friendliest of the world's five sea lion species. Previously the mammals had been designated as "vulnerable." Unfortunately for the sea lions, the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands where most of their estimated 11,000 to 15,000 number live are the centre of a lucrative squid fishing ground. Typically, more than over 40 large boats fish the waters from January until May or June each year, chasing a quota of 30,000 tonnes of squid with an estimated value of US$32 million. However, the government can stop the fishing if the so-called "bycatch" of sea lions in the trawl nets is too high. By late March this year more than 100 sea lions were estimated to have died, well in excess of the season's limit of 73, so the fishing ground was closed early. A spokeswoman for Smith's office said on Tuesday that in response to the problem, and studies into the ability to sustain current population levels, a new management plan was being drawn up in negotiation with fisheries officials and industry. The industry has in the past disputed aspects of the ministry's population data, such as its growth projections. "A central feature of the strategy will be the establishment of a maximum annual catch level for sea lions, that will allow for a continuation of fishing without significantly affecting the population recovery of sea lion," she said. Meanwhile on Tuesday a second study from the Auckland Islands, this time by the World Wide Fund for Nature, supported efforts by New Zealand to seek World Heritage Status from UNESCO for its Sub-Antarctic Islands, partly as a whale sanctuary. In a statement issued after the return of a field trip to study the Southern Right whale colony in the Auckland Islands, the WWF said it would recommend Smith's ministry consider a population management plan for the whales, and the establishment of a whale sanctuary along the islands' northeast coast. The whales share the same ocean territory as the sea lions, which are the natural companions of many species of whale around the world. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 11:34:13 -0400 From: "Dennis L. Kelly" <73042.1163(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Observations - Bottlenose Dolphin Birthing To ALL: I am looking for corroborative sightings of birthing behavior of bottlenose dolphin in the wild or any "new" scientific references anyone knows of reporting such behavior in the wild. Nine times now since 1983 I have personally witnessed a group behavior, that I have referred to as "nursery" behavior, at two coastal locations in Orange County, California (U.S.A.) - Crystal Cove State Park and South San Onofre State Beach. It always occurs very near shore (less than 20 meters from the beach), in shallow water (less than 5 meters deep), mornings and afternoons, usually in very calm sea conditions, usually on a high tide, and, in both locations, in sheltered coastal areas with cliffs adjacent. Every time I have observed it there have been between eight and ten dolphin involved. The other dolphin have formed a fairly tight oval around a pregnant female and hover close to her - at times touching her - with their beaks pointed into the center of the oval. When I have observed this they have often drifted in this configuration for up to two hours. At the end of this there is always a flurry of activity - diving, turning, rolling, and chuffing - followed by the surfacing of a neonate with its mother. Very often the group will remain very tightly together, though not in the oval configuration, for another hour moving slowly down or up the beach, again still very near shore. I have observed nursering by the calf. Then they swim off. I have recently obtained two additional sightings of this behavior - one at White's Point, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Los Angeles, and a second at Three Arch Bay, South Laguna Beach, California. The second sighting at Three Arch Bay was accompanied by a remarkable video taken by Patty Neuman from a balcony on the cliffs above the bay and shows the dolphin group quite clearly. If any of you have observed or read about similar behavior in bottlenose dolphin, or for that matter any other species, please let me know. I am currently preparing a paper for publication on this and would be happy to include and acknowledge your sightings. Thanks in advance. Dennis Kelly, Director Coastal Dolphin Survey Project Marine Science Department Orange Coast College 2701 Fairview Rd. Costa Mesa, CA. 92626 phone: (714)432-5564 email: 73042,1163(\)compuserve.com fax: (714)432-5960 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 11:30:19 -0400 From: William Rossiter Subject: Copy of: student request Dear Marmamers, Susie Oswald is doing a scientific research projecton "Computer Analysis of _Tursiops truncatus_ Communication". This continues her last year's analysis of 30" samples using _Sound Edit Pro_ software. She requests: Information on Tt communication; sound analysis projects that you are working with or are aware of; samples of wild and captive Tt vocalizations, with basic notes; suggestions of people she can contact; suggestions for her project; and posters or pictures of bottlenose dolpins. No email contact given. Please write her at Susie Oswald, 394 Harbor Drive, Cape Canaveral ,FL 32920 USA. Thank you, Bill Rossiter Cetacean Society International william_rossiter(\)compuserve.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 21:05:48 -0400 From: Phil Clapham Subject: Abstract: genetics/humpback whales Palsboll, P.J., Allen, J., Berube, M., Clapham, P.J., Feddersen, T.P., Hammond, P.S., Hudson, R.R., Jorgensen, H., Katona, S., Larsen, A.H., Larsen, F., Lien, J., Mattila, D.K., Sigurjonsson, J., Sears, R., Smith, T., Sponer, R., Stevick, P. & Oien, N. 1997. Genetic tagging of humpback whales. Nature 388: 767-769. SUMMARY The ability to recognize individual animals has substantially increased our knowledge of the biology and behaviour of many taxa. However, not all species lend themselves to this approach, either because of insufficient phenotypic variation or because tag attachment is not feasible. The use of genetic markers ("tags") represents a viable alternative to traditional methods of individual recogition, as they are permanent and exist in all individuals. We tested the use of genetic markers as the primary means of identifying individuals in a study of humpback whales in the North Atlantic. Analysis of six microsatellite loci among 3,060 skin samples collected throughout this ocean allowed the unequivocal identification of individuals. Analysis of 692 "recaptures", identified by their genotype, revealed individual local and migratory movements of up to 10,000 km, limited exchange amongst summer feeding grounds, and mixing in winter breeding areas, and also enabled the first estimates of animal abundance based solely on genotypic data. Our study demonstrates that genetic tagging is not only feasible, but generates data (for example, on sex) that can be valuable when interpreting the results of tagging experiments. Phil Clapham claphamp(\)nmnh.si.edu (reprint requests to the senior author, please: pjpalsbo(\)uci.edu) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 18:33:10 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: World Marine Mammal Science Conference - update >From the Registration Coordinator: READ and FOLLOW all directions for printing from the web and submitting registration forms. Forms should be submitted on a single sheet of standard 8 1/2 x 11 or A-4 paper; set ALL your printer margins to 0.25 inches (top, bottom, left and right) and the registration form should print on one page. OR: use the Adobe Acrobat files if you cannot adjust your printer's margins. Pay attention to the registration category: if you are a member, you should be CIRCLING the name of the organization to which you belong. If you are ordering banquet tickets, fill in the NUMBER of tickets you want. Be sure you have filled in the TOTAL DUE COLUMN, especially if you are authorizing use of a credit card. If you are joining either SMM or ECS, or renewing an expired membership, be sure to INCLUDE society membership forms WITH your application. DO NOT SEND THEM TO THE ECS OR SMM MEMBERSHIP OFFICES. Doing so will only delay your conference registration and could result in the fee increase if the deadline is not met. Remember, to register at the student rate, you must be a STUDENT MEMBER of either SMM or ECS. Graduate students who chose to join SMM as full members should submit proof of student status with their conference registration materials. SMM requires that proof of student status be submitted along with application for membership. The first DEADLINE for early registration is 1 October (postmark or fax date). Forms must be complete and correct by this date to avoid the increased fees. ------------------- URL = pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/wmmsc/wmmsc.htm ---------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel K. Odell, Ph.D. phone: +407-363-2662 Research Biologist fax: +407-345-5397 Sea World, Inc. 7007 Sea World Drive Orlando, Florida 32821-8097 USA http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~odell/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 Sep 1997 09:05:12 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly summary (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most recent developments -- 8/29/97 Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Reseach Service New info and changes since 8/8/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 8/28/97 are double bracketed {{...}}. Marine Mammals {Greenpeace Challenges ARCO Drilling. In mid-August 1997, Greenpeace asked the U.S. District Court to prevent Atlantic Richfield Co. (ARCO) from setting up a new drill site at its Warthog prospect in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska, claiming the activity would disturb polar bears, seals, and whales. On Aug. 21, 1997, U.S. District Court Judge Paul Friedman ruled that ARCO did not need to have a marine mammal permit issued before setting up its new drill site since ARCO was assuming the risk of penalty if marine mammals were actually disturbed. ARCO applied for a marine mammal permit in May 1997, but NMFS has not yet issued the permit.} [Reuters] . {Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan. On Aug. 15, 1997, NMFS announced that it was seeking comment on a proposed comprehensive take reduction plan to reduce harbor porpoise serious injury and mortality by the New England sink gillnet fishery. The proposed plan is estimated to reduce mortality and serious injury by 80%. Comments are to be received through Oct. 14, 1997.} [NOAA press release] . {Illegal Whalemeat? On Aug. 9, 1997, officials of the International Fund for Animal Welfare reported that a spring 1997 study by researchers from Auckland Univ, New Zealand, of whalemeat on sale in Japan used DNA analysis to identify meat from humpback, finback, and orca whales on the market. Killing of humpback and finback whales currently is not permitted by the International Whaling Commission, however Japanese officials suggest that meat from these species probably came from frozen inventories of whalemeat taken before the IWC's moratorium on commercial whaling went into effect.} [Dow Jones News, Assoc Press] . Porpoise Entanglement. In the Aug. 7, 1997 issue of Nature, U.S. scientists reported the successful results of 1994 tests of acoustic alarms on sink gillnets in the Gulf of Maine. While 2 porpoises became entangled in nets fitted with alarms, 25 porpoises were caught in nets carrying similar but silent devices. Cod and pollock catch was unaffected by the alarms, but herring appeared to avoid nets with the alarms. [Reuters] . Norwegian Whaling. On July 25, 1997, Norway's whaling season concluded with Norwegian whalers in 31 vessels reported to have taken 503 whales of their 580-whale quota. This harvest is estimated to have produced 730 tons of meat valued at about $2.9 million. [Assoc Press, Reuters] . Tuna-Dolphin Legislation. On July 25, 1997, the Senate vitiated a call for a cloture vote on S. 39, and announced a compromise agreement providing for lifting of import sanctions on tuna, and modification of the dolphin-safe labeling if studies of dolphin health and biology, to be completed by March 1999, cannot prove that long-term harm is being done to dolphins by surrounding them with tuna seines. On July 30, 1997, the U.S. Senate voted 99-0 to pass S. 39, incorporating compromise amendments to the International Dolphin Conservation Program. This measure would end import sanctions on non-dolphin-safe tuna, and could allow tuna caught in purse seines where no dolphins are killed or seriously injured to be labeled "dolphin-safe" if research cannot prove by March 1999 that dolphins suffer long-term adverse effects from being chased, herded, and surrounded by purse seines. On July 31, 1997, the U.S. House unanimously agreed to accept the Senate amended S. 39, and this measure was sent to the President. [Reuters, Congr. Record, Assoc Press, Dow Jones News, Center for Marine Conservation press release, Defenders of Wildlife press release] . Manatees. On July 22, 1997, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) officials announced increased patrolling of Brevard Co., FL's manatee protection zone. Along with the FL Marine Patrol, the FWS will enforce boating and recreation regulations, since watercraft-related injuries (many of which were reported in Brevard Co.) have contributed to 27 of FL's more than 110 manatee deaths so far in 1997. On July 23, 1997, Univ. of Miami scientists reported that a papillomavirus had been identified for the first time in two FL manatees from different locations; this virus can cause benign skin tumors. [Assoc Press, Reuters] . {Sea Otter Contaminants. An article by Univ. of CA Santa Cruz scientists in the July 1997 issue of the Marine Pollution Bulletin was reported to note that sea otters from Adak in Alaska's remote Aleutian Islands were discovered to have higher levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in their livers than did sea otters taken from the coast of California. PCB contamination may have arisen from leakage at former military sites. Additional research was scheduled to test halibut and Pacific cod.} [Assoc Press] Dear Marmamers, We were intrigued to read a report by Dr Kevin Robinson on MARMAM of long-term separations between mother and calf bottlenose dolphins in the Moray Firth, Scotland. In nine years, our combined research groups have conducted over 500 hours of shore-based sea level and cliff top observations and 309 days of boat-based photo-identification effort on bottlenose dolphins throughout the Moray Firth (including areas from Aberdeen to Wick as well as the Spey Bay from which these long separations have been reported). But despite this effort, we have never observed separations like those described in the MARMAM report of 12/Aug/97. The longest so far encountered (for a calf <4 years of age) was for a 1 year old left alone for 44 minutes. The next longest, occurred when two calves left their accompanying adults, to spend 10 minutes at an approximate distance of 100 meters. Of the other more than 700 groups examined none were composed solely of calves. The original report by Robinson gave very few details. As researchers working on the same population, we wonder what methodologies were used to collect these results. We would be interest to know how individual calves were followed for periods of 14 hours, how individuals were aged, mothers of calves identified and tracked 3 miles apart and how bottlenose dolphin calves were distinguished from harbour porpoises that are frequently seen in this area. If the observations can be substantiated they suggest that the described study site, and the sub-set of the population that frequents it, is quite unlike that of the wider Moray Firth. The leaving of calves could suggest that this small sub-site is used as a safe nursery area for these animals. Alternatively, these observations may be of one or more abandoned calves. In recent years, carcases of several emaciated calves have been recovered from this area and we find it difficult to imagine that leaving a suckling calf for periods of 14 hours or more could be beneficial. All previous observations of mother calf separations in the Moray Firth have, so far, been consistent with those described for other areas (e.g. Smolker et al. (1993)). But if those described in the MARMAM report of 12/Aug/97 can be substantiated, and are consistent over time (i.e. for more than one year), then these results are extraordinary and could warrant alteration of current management boundaries. However, the lack of such observations in other studies of the same population is puzzling and begs confirmation of the initial report. Dr Ben Wilson, Kate Grellier and Vincent Janik University of Aberdeen, Lighthouse Field Station, Cromarty, Ross-shire, UK and School of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, University of St Andrews, Fife, UK emails: b.wilson(\)abdn.ac.uk k.grellier(\)abdn.ac.uk vj(\)st-and.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 Sep 1997 17:53:32 -0400 From: DolphRider(\)aol.com Subject: Job Announcment/Position Opening Supervising Trainer - Applicant must have 5 years training experience with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins/California Sealions. Must be knowledgable in water quality, training and supervision of staff, public speaking, dealing with management and all aspects of running a facility. Duties include all training of both Husbandry and show behaviors, daily presentations for the public and day to day operations of a facility. Please send resume to: Timothy Hoffland P.O. Box 4078 Gulfport, MS 39501 Fax: 601-863-3673 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 Sep 1997 13:42:27 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Abstracts from lastest issue of _Aquatic Mammals_ The following are abstracts/summaries for articles published in the most recent issue of _Aquatic Mammals_, the journal of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals. These are posted as a courtesy to the editor of the journal, as well as the list editors of Marmam. Please direct any inquiries or reprint requests to the corresponding author; I have provided their addresses. For information on subscribing to _Aquatic Mammals_ or manuscript submission, contact: Dr. Paul Nachtigall, European Association for Aquatic Mammals, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, Hawaii 96734, or nachtig(\)nosc.mil Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov ****************************************************************** Baldwin, R. and V.G. Cockcroft*. 1997. Are dugongs, _Dugon dugon_, in the Arabian Gulf safe? _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(2): 73-74. * Centre for Dolphin Studies, P.O. Box 13147, Humewood 6013, South Africa no summary/abstract was provided. The following is a synopsis of the article's contents: On 11 and 12 March 1995, 28 dugong carcasses were found on the islands of Murawah and Fiyyah, off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, approximately 150 kilometres west of Abu Dhabi. There was no indication of the exact cause of death in any instance, other than the fact that most animals were found in fish dumps along with a catch of numerous sharks, batoids and other fishes, turtles and cetaceans. Catches by 'artisanal" fishermen are unrecorded, and the extent of this catch alone is cause for concern, especially since the estimated number of dugongs harvested annually is conservative; fishermen obviously attempt to hide evidence of dugong catches; female dugongs appear to account for the majority of those harvested. ******************************************************************** Pfeiffer, C.J. 1997. Renal cellular and tissue specializations in the bottlenose dolphin (_Tursiops truncatus_) and beluga whale (_Delphinapterus leucas_). _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(2): 75-84. Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061-0442, USA Abstract: In this report selected examples of subcellular specializations and tissue structures of the bottlenose dolphin and beluga whale kidney are presented which illustrate some unique renal adaptations of cetaceans, and other subcellular structures are depicted here for the first time by electron microscopy. Large reservoirs of glycogen in the cortical proximal convoluted tubules, some unique bundles of medullary blood vessels, and the well-known sporta perimedullaris muscolosa of the reniculi are considered to be specialized adaptations in the kidney which may facilitate cetacean diving behavior. ******************************************************************** Herzing, D.L.* and C.M. Johnson. 1997. Interspecific interactions between Atlantic spotted dolphins (_Stenella frontalis_) and bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_) in the Bahamas, 1985-1995. _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(2): 85-99. * P.O. Box 8436, Jupiter, FL 33488, USA Abstract: Free-ranging Atlantic spotted dolphins, _Stenella frontalis_, and bottlenose dolphins, _Tursiops truncatus_, were observed in Bahamian waters from 1985-1995. Interspecific interactions between these two species were documented and are reported here. Of 1246 encounters with dolphins, over 15% were mixed species activity. Of these encounters, 60% were affiliative, 34.9% were aggressive, and 4.8% involved foraging activity. Compared to single species, mixed species encounters were (1) longer in duration and (2) larger in group size. Mixed species encounters that were affiliative in nature were sigificantly shorter in duration and smaller in group size than aggressive encounters. The ratio of spotted dolphins to bottlenose dolphins was signficantly less during foraging activity than it was in other behaviors. Mating, with penile intromission, was seen between adult male bottlenose dolphins and juvenile spotted dolphins of both sexes. Young adult males of both species engage in interspecific high-energy bouts of sexual play and aggression. The antagonists in these encounters were often conspecific coalitions of spotted dolphins and solitary or small groups of bottlenose dolphins. Mixed-sex, mixed-species adult groups (including pregnant females) were seen foraging together and traveling together. Interspecific coalitions of males were observed during intraspecific and interindividual (intraspecific) conflicts. Alloparental behavior, between a young adult female spotted dolphin and an emaciated bottlenose dolphin calf was also observed. The costs and benefits of interspecific associations - including predator protection, competitive and cooperative foraging strategies, shared repertoire of vocal and gestural signals, and the question of species divisions and hybridization are discussed. ********************************************************************** Marino, L. and J. Stowe. 1997. Lateralized behavior in a captive beluga whale (_Delphinapterus leucas_). _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(2): 101-103. Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA No abstract or summary was provided. The following is a synopsis of the article: There have been systematic studies of behavioral laterality in cetaceans. Lateralized behavior (i.e. a consistent preference or bias for one movement direction or one side of the body) exists in a number of nonhuman species. Those studies on cetacean laterality that do exist point compellingly to the possibility that the level of behavioural asymmentry in some cetaceans is on a par with that in humans and other primates. Assessments of behavioral laterality in captive odontocetes though limited, are consistent with a right eye viewing preference under certain conditions and a bias towards a counterclockwise swimming direction. The results of the present study provide evidence for a consistent clockwise swimming direction in a captive beluga whale. Furthermore, this study shows that there is a significant relationship between overall swimming direction and the direction of spins and turns. Finally, these studies support the findings of other studies which have suggested that a novel situation or stimulus is associated with a temporary change in swimming direction. ******************************************************************** Zerbini, A.N.* and M. Cesar de Oliveira Santos. 1997. First record of a pygmy killer whale _Feresa attenuata_ (Gray, 1874) for the Brazilian coast. _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(2): 105-109. * R. Prof. Miguel Calmon, 32, Sao Paulo - SP, 05655-060, Brazil No abstract or summary was provided. The following is a synopsis of the article: This paper reports on the first record of a pygmy killer whale for the Brazilian coast on 4 April 1994 and provides information on osteological characters, food habits, and parasites of the specimen in question. ******************************************************************* Fertl, D.*, A.J. Schiro, and D. Peake. 1997. Coordinated feeding by Clymene dolphins (_Stenella clymene_) in the Gulf of Mexico. _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(2): 111-112. * Minerals Management Service, U.S. Dept of Interior, 1201 Elmwood Park Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70123, USA No abstract or summary was provided. The following is a synopsis of the article: Little is known of the natural history of the Clymene dolphin. Available information on feeding habits is limited to stomach contents of two individuals. This report provides an account of Clymene dolphins feeding in a coordinated manner on schooling fish in the Gulf of Mexico. ********************************************************************** Fertl, D.* and B. Wilson. 1997. Bubble use during prey capture by a lone bottlenose dolphin (_Tursiops truncatus_). _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(2): 113-114. * Minerals Management Service, U.S. Dept of Interior, 1201 Elmwood Park Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70123, USA No abstract or summary was provided. The following is a synopsis of the article: There are only three cetacean species that have been previously documented to use bubbles to corral fish: humpback whale, killer whale, and Atlantic spotted dolphin. A lone bottlenose dolphin was observed blowing bubbles while feeding on a school of striped mullet (_Mugil cephalus_). This account is the first to date for the use of bubbles by bottlenose dolphins for prey containment. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 Sep 1997 07:04:24 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Re: bottlenose dolphin mother/calf separations (fwd) Date: Fri, 5 Sep 1997 04:35:14 -0400 (EDT) From: Mfwc(\)aol.com Firstly, I would like to thank everybody for their interest and replies to my posting to MARMAM on 14/08/97. In response to the generated interest and requests for follow-up information, I hope the following summation is befitting: The observations referred to in the earlier posting detailed small groups of calves, still displaying foetal folds, which had been left in a secluded coastal site by the accompanying adults for periods in excess of several hours. These observations were made whilst conducting an intensive boat-based photo-identification programme in combination with extensive systematic shore watches in a area of the outer southern Moray Firth which has perhaps received less attention than other areas in the inner firth during the excellent preceding studies by AU and SMRU. It is evident from the responses to the aforementioned posting that such behaviour has not previously been observed in bottlenose dolphins in the firth by these authorities. It appears that the animals may indeed be using this sub-site as a "nursery area" or "kindergarten", as suggested by corresponding research groups, yet it remains to be seen whether there are actually higher numbers of calves and/or sub-adults using this site. However, the calf-adult separations observed are not the focus of the present investigation, and the posting was submitted out of curiosity as I have never read of such behaviour in this or any other delphinid species; which in view of the response appears to be the general consensus. However, Sherri Key from FSLMMC in Southern California informs me of coves at Laguna Beach where dolphins and grey whales are commonly seen to leave their calves unattended for up to 2 hours at a time. Apparently, concerned beachgoers have called upon Sherri's centre to go and 'rescue' these calves. This may be a further unique case which might be explained by the geography/topography of the area in terms of the protection afforded by it, or by minimal disturbance factors. Indeed, the site of my own investigation appears to be a location with minimal noise pollution, in terms of boat traffic for example. Further studies substantiating such casual observations would be particularly important in view of future management proposals for the outer Moray Firth... Thank you again for the interesting exchange Dr Kevin Robinson (Mfwc(\)aol.com) The Moray Firth Wildlife Centre Tugnet, Spey Bay, Fochabers. Moray. IV32 7PJ. SCOTLAND For those of you interested in this subject, the latest issue of _Wildlife Conservation_ (October 1997; vol 100, no. 5) has an article by C.J. Chivers "The hunt is on" (pp. 36-43). Chivers describes the complex and often volatile interactions between Newfoundland seal hunters trying to make a living and keep their traditions alive and animal rights groups championing the value of all animal life. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 Sep 1997 10:30:28 -0600 From: Omega Subject: Dolphin and Whale Career Guide Hi everyone! I'm a long-time lurker on the MARMAM list, and in fact have been using the information posted here for three years to supplement my research for a cetacean-related career guide. I started writing this guide while I was a trainer at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, and after having travelled pretty much the entire country, as well as a fair bit of Canada, it's finally time to announce the book's publication. I know MARMAM isn't a vehicle for commercial advertising, but if you'll just allow a small bit of hype, I'll point interested people in the right direction and be on my way. _The Dolphin and Whale Career Guide_ is more than a career guide for people wishing to work in oceanaria as dolphin trainers. It is a comprehensive sourcebook for anyone interested in cetaceans on any level, and contains complete descriptions of the more than 150 dolphin and whale-related organizations in the U.S. and Canada, including zoos and aquariums, stranding centers, research groups, government organizations, conservation groups, swim-with programs, dolphin-human therapy groups, schools, professional organizations, and interest groups. The book covers the history, purpose, resources, programs, memberships, publications, location, and volunteer, intern, and job opportunities for each organization. The book lists for $19.95, and will be available October 25th from the publisher (Omega), and January 15th in national bookstore chains. Orders are being taken now - for more information, visit the Omega website at www.omegaland.com, or contact them via phone, fax, or mail: Phone: (312) 409-8891 Fax: (312) 663-5254 Email: questions(\)omegaland.com Address: Omega 429 W. Ohio #123 Chicago, IL 60610 Thanks! - Thomas Glen (questions for me can be sent to macaid(\)interaccess.com - ordering questions should go to the above addresses.) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 Sep 1997 13:08:58 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly marine mammal summary to US congress (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 9/05/97 Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 8/29/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 9/4/97 are in double brackets {{...}} . Marine Mammals . {{Round Island Subsistence Walrus Hunt. On Sept. 20, 1997, the Qayssiq (Round Island) Walrus Commission will open a month-long subsistence walrus hunt on Round Island in Bristol Bay, AK, with approval from the AK Dept. of Fish and Game. The quota was doubled this year to 20 animals.}} [Assoc Press] . {{Canadian Sealing. On Sept. 4, 1997, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) released the results of an Angus Reid Group poll on Canadian opinions on sealing and announced a nationwide Canadian campaign to mobilize public opinion against commercial seal hunting. The survey was reported to show that 85% of Canadians support full protection for young seals and that 75% (including 54% of those surveyed in Newfoundland) oppose federal subsidization of sealing. About 41% of all Canadians surveyed did not know that commercial seal hunting occurred in Canada.}} [IFAW press release] . {1997 Norwegian Seal Hunt. In early September 1997, the Norwegian company that buys seal skins reported that the total 1997 harvest was about 9,820 seals from the total quota of 27,100 seals -- almost 7,000 fewer seals than were harvested in 1996. Only two vessels hunted seals in the vicinity of Jan Mayen and in the White Sea, taking about 2,780 hooded seal pups, 1,950 weaned harp seal pup, about 90 adult hooded seals, and about 5,000 adult harp seals.} [High North Alliance Web News] . Greenpeace Challenges ARCO Drilling. In mid-August 1997, Greenpeace asked the U.S. District Court to prevent Atlantic Richfield Co. (ARCO) from setting up a new drill site at its Warthog prospect in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska, claiming the activity would disturb polar bears, seals, and whales. On Aug. 21, 1997, U.S. District Court Judge Paul Friedman ruled that ARCO did not need to have a marine mammal permit issued before setting up its new drill site since ARCO was assuming the risk of penalty if marine mammals were actually disturbed. ARCO applied for a marine mammal permit in May 1997, but NMFS has not yet issued the permit. [Reuters] . Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan. On Aug. 15, 1997, NMFS announced that it was seeking comment on a proposed comprehensive take reduction plan to reduce harbor porpoise serious injury and mortality by the New England sink gillnet fishery. The proposed plan is estimated to reduce mortality and serious injury by 80%. Comments are to be received through Oct. 14, 1997. [NOAA press release] . Illegal Whalemeat? On Aug. 9, 1997, officials of the International Fund for Animal Welfare reported that a spring 1997 study by researchers from Auckland Univ, New Zealand, of whalemeat on sale in Japan used DNA analysis to identify meat from humpback, finback, and orca whales on the market. Killing of humpback and finback whales currently is not permitted by the International Whaling Commission; however, Japanese officials suggest that meat from these species probably came from frozen inventories of whalemeat taken before the IWC's moratorium on commercial whaling went into effect. [Dow Jones News, Assoc Press] . Porpoise Entanglement. In the Aug. 7, 1997 issue of Nature, U.S. scientists reported the successful results of 1994 tests of acoustic alarms on sink gillnets in the Gulf of Maine. While 2 porpoises became entangled in nets fitted with alarms, 25 porpoises were caught in nets carrying similar but silent devices. Cod and pollock catch was unaffected by the alarms, but herring appeared to avoid nets with the alarms. [Reuters] . Tuna-Dolphin Legislation. On July 30, 1997, the U.S. Senate voted 99-0 to pass H.R. 408, incorporating compromise amendments to the International Dolphin Conservation Program. This measure would end import sanctions on non-dolphin-safe tuna; it could allow tuna caught in purse seines where no dolphins are killed or seriously injured to be labeled "dolphin-safe" if research cannot prove by March 1999 that dolphins suffer long-term adverse effects from being chased, herded, and surrounded by purse seines. On July 31, 1997, the U.S. House unanimously agreed to accept the Senate-amended H.R. 408, and this measure was sent to the President. On Aug. 15, 1997, President Clinton signed this measure as Pub.L. 105-42. [Reuters, Congr. Record, Assoc Press, Dow Jones News, Center for Marine Conservation press release, Defenders of Wildlife press release] . Sea Otter Contaminants. An article by Univ. of CA Santa Cruz scientists in the July 1997 issue of the Marine Pollution Bulletin was reported to note that sea otters from Adak in Alaska's remote Aleutian Islands were discovered to have higher levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in their livers than did sea otters taken from the coast of California. PCB contamination may have arisen from leakage at former military sites. Additional research was scheduled to test halibut and Pacific cod. [Assoc Press] ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 6 Sep 1997 08:41:16 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: New web site for Cetacean Research Technology (fwd) From: "Joseph R. Olson" Hello Marmammers, I'd like to let you all know that I have established a fledgling web site for Cetacean Research Technology. It shows a couple photos of my hydrophones, pricing and specifications, as well as information on signal analysis software and suction cups. The address is in the last line of my signature below. You may notice that I've added a new hydrophone (model C20b). It is 4dB more sensitive than the C20a and has a bandwidth of 22kHz. This model, with additional headphone driver, will soon be available in retail marine supply stores. The price should be in the US$425 range. As demands on my time increase with more hydrophone orders, I have less time to work at my consulting job. Earnings from consulting have subsidized the cost of building hydrophones. Consequently, the hydrophone prices will increase slightly beginning 1 November 1997. Nonetheless, I will continue to offer discounts to research, educational, and nonprofit organizations. The only exception could be with the "C20b with headphone driver." It will be considered a recreational hydrophone (though still well suited for research) and go by some catchy trade name. I need to keep the retail dealers happy. Thanks again for all of your encouragement. Please contact me if you have any questions or comments. I will reply to all messages when I return home from my honeymoon on 24 September! Best wishes to all, Joe Joseph R. Olson Cetacean Research Technology 7309 26th Ave. NW Seattle, WA 98117 Tel: 206-706-6989 e-mail: cetacean(\)eskimo.com Web: http://www.eskimo.com/~cetacean Dear Marmammers, There is a report in this weeks Nature (Vol 389, pp57 - 60; commentary on pp20 - 21) that uses whaling data to show that the limit of the ice edge in Antarctic in summer moved south over a fifteen year period between the 1950's and thw 1970's, reducing the total sea ice cover by 25%. This presumably means that the area of ice edge habitat has been reduced in size. It also mentions that whalers generally hunted along the ice edge as this is where species such as the blue whale congregate as it is an area of high productivity. If the ice edge is a part of the summer feeding grounds of blue whales and other species and there is less of this habitat (possibly substancially less ?) around than previously this would presumably affect the chances of recovery for southern hemisphere species. I would be interested to hear peoples opinions on what effect this ice loss could have on marine mammals, particularly the great whales, and whether it could affect the recovery from exploitation of species such as the blue whales ? Regards, Colin. P.S. whether the ice loss was natural or human induced is unknown. =========================================================================== Colin D. MacLeod, B.Sc. F2/2, 13 Kennoway Drive, "See what everyone has seen Thornwood, and think what no one has thought" Glasgow, - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi G11 7UA. U.K. Tel: 0141 337 2209 International: +44 141 337 2209 Email: macleod_c(\)colloquium.co.uk =========================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 8 Sep 1997 04:57:27 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: NMFS draft EA re: Makah Whaling Proposal (fwd) Posted on behalf of D.J. Schubert of Meyer & Glitzenstein, Washington D.C.: NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE ISSUES DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ON GRAY WHALE QUOTA FOR THE MAKAH TRIBE: On August 22, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued a Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) analyzing the environmental impacts associated with a proposal to seek a gray whale quota from the International Whaling Commission to permit the Makah Tribe to resume aboriginal subsistence whaling. Scientists and others who are interested in whale management and conservation are strongly encouraged to submit comments to the NMFS in response to the DEA. The comment deadline is September 22, 1997. A copy of the DEA can be obtained by calling the NMFS, Office of Protected Resources, at (301) 713-2319 or by contacting D.J. Schubert, Meyer & Glitzenstein at (202) 588-5206 or at djschubert(\)aol.com. Subject: elephant seal On May 20,1997 a male elephant seal was discovered surfacing in Kyuquot Channel (Vancouver Island, British Columbia). This animal had adhered to the backside of its head an underwater housing which more then likely contained a time depth recorder and a satellite transmitter. The following information was collected; Date May 20,1997 Time 1815hr Location Kyuquot Channel 50 degrees 03.38 North 127 degrees 14.12 West directly south of Whitely Island Depth 675 feet (bottom) Surface temp. 15 degrees C (average of three measurements) Beaufort 2 Photographs were taken, however, a brief surface interval and long distance prevented quality pictures. I can be reached at; Stephen Wischniowski Nanaimo, B.C. Canada stephen(\)pbs.dfo.ca stephen_wischniowski(\)bc.sympatico.ca ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 04:26:46 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: blue whales and antarctic ice edge From: "Dave Mellinger" Colin D. MacLeod (macleod_c(\)colloquium.co.uk) wrote: > the limit of the ice edge in Antarctic in summer moved south over a > fifteen year period between the 1950's and thw 1970's, reducing the > total sea ice cover by 25%. This presumably means that the area of > ice edge habitat has been reduced in size.... If the ice edge is a > part of the summer feeding grounds of blue whales and other species > and there is less of this habitat (possibly substancially less ?) > around than previously this would presumably affect the chances of > recovery for southern hemisphere species. [Disclaimer: I'm shooting from the hip here -- I can't remotely claim to be an expert on the subject.] The whales probably aren't attracted to the ice edge per se, but more likely to the krill (in this case, Euphausia superba) that live there. Whether krill biomass has gone up or down most likely depends on the productivity of the ocean; there would also be secondary factors, like whether the conditions at highly productive sites were better for krill or for other species. The productivity in turn probably depends mainly on the nutrients available (also on sunlight exposure); nutrients come either from upwelling of deep, nutrient-rich water, or from runoff from Antarctica and adjacent islands. If they are from upwelling, the retreat of the ice edge may not affect the productivity. In fact, the retreat may actually allow whales access to MORE of the krill-laden ocean, since less water is covered by ice. Or perhaps the ice-edge change has altered the current and upwelling patterns in some complex way, affecting surface water by changing both nutrient load and sunlight exposure. As for runoff, it's not clear whether the ice-edge retreat would affect the total nutrient load, though it may well affect the nutrient distribution. The short story is that the situation is probably a little more complicated than what you described. Whales feed along the ice edge, but a smaller ice edge does not directly imply fewer whales. It's a complex system, ripe for study.... ======================================================================= David K. Mellinger, Postdoctoral Fellow Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute email dave(\)mbari.org 7700 Sandholdt Road phone +1-408-775-1805 Moss Landing, CA 95039-0628 fax +1-408-775-1620 Dear All; We have recieved a very high number of reprint requests for the paper by Palsboll et al. in Nature 388: 767-769 entitled "Genetic tagging of humpback whales". Unfortunately we're unable to honor all requests, and thus ask that only researchers with no access to Nature (e.g., cannot access the journal at the local science library) or librarians at local marine mammal institutions ask for reprints directly. We hope that you understand and appreciate our prioritizing. Yours sincerely Per J. Palsboll ================================================================ Per J. Palsboll, Ph.D. Danish NSRC Postdoctorate Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Phone +1 714 824 8680 University of California, Irvine Fax +1 714 824 2181 321 Steinhaus Hall E-mail pjpalsbo(\)uci.edu Irvine, CA 92697-2525, USA ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 04:28:52 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Copy of: need film; honoring V. Scheffer (fwd) From: William Rossiter "Seeking 30 seconds or less of sperm-whale-leaping-into-the-sky footage for cable TV Outdoor Life Network mini-profile honoring Dr. Victor B. Scheffer, author of _The Year of the Whale_. Please contact David Powell at <"William Powell, , or call 202-387-1680", (Forwarded by Cetacean Society International, because we too honor Dr. Scheffer, and know that some of you have such footage in your closets.) 09-Sep-97 04:46 am Regular International STAY-AT-HOME WHALES ARE SECRET TRAVELLERS Leeds, England, Sept 8 Reuter - Beluga whales, long thought to be huge stay-at-homes who hardly left the Arctic coast, are secret travellers with astonishing powers of navigation and dive to great depths, scientists said on Monday. The discovery follows the development of new tracking techniques using the latest in radio technology. Scientists from the Sea Mammal Research Unit of the University of St Andrews in Scotland tracked North American populations of the beluga, or white WHALE. The unit's Tony Martin told Britain's main annual science festival that the research had overturned accepted wisdom about the mammals, which can grow up to five metres long and weigh up to two tonnes. ``The Eskimos who hunt belugas saw our findings and said they were rubbish... at first,'' Martin said. Instead of hugging the shoreline of the High Arctic, male belugas raced thousands of kilometres to a deep marine trench to gorge themselves on polar cod, he said. To do so, they swim under apparently unbroken ice, using previously unsuspected skills to navigate their way over thousands of kilometres and to find isolated breathing holes in the ice cover. The secrets of how the whales navigate have yet to be deciphered but the scientists believe they might find airholes by listening for faint sounds of water swirling around them. Once at the marine trench, the whales then dived up to 550 metres to catch fish, said Martin, who said the new discovery showed the belugas were in fact ``able to exploit the entire Arctic''. Female belugas do not accompany the males but travel with their young -- both male and female -- to a shallower trench closer to home. Martin told The British Association festival that the new findings could help in devising conservation strategies -- and could also force scientists to revise their estimates of the beluga WHALE population. Official estimates of the numbers of the 18 kinds of beluga WHALE around the Arctic range from 40,000 to 80,000. Martin said this might now have to be revised to 200,000. Reuter pm ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 10:24:15 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Re: blue whales and antarctic ice edge (fwd) Message-Id: From: Paul Wade Dave Mellinger wrote regarding blue whales in the Antarctic: >The productivity in turn probably depends mainly on the nutrients >available (also on sunlight exposure); nutrients come either from >upwelling of deep, nutrient-rich water, or from runoff from Antarctica >and adjacent islands. As he points out, this is a complex system which may not be able to be reduced to a simplified story, but I thought I would point out that Antarctic oceanography is a little different that most temperate oceanography we are familiar with (which tends to be nutrient limited). The Antarctic is generally NOT nutrient limited -- the entire system overturns as surface water sinks to form Antarctic Bottom Water. Generally, it is thought that phytoplankton blooms cannot form because individual cells are circulated out of the light to great depths. Any process that retains phytoplankton in the surface layer can produce a bloom. I have not kept up with the most recent literature, but I believe it has become fairly accepted that one such mechanism that is important is the annual retreat of the seasonal ice. Salts are extruded when water freezes, so the ice that melts is water that is fresher (and thus lighter), and so the retreating sea-ice edge can produce a shallow, fresh water "lens" that creates a stratification and thus can allow a phytoplanton bloom to form (as there a tons of nutrients and light available). An early paper describing this phenomenon is Smith and Nelson, 1985, Phytoplankton bloom produced by receding ice edge in the Ross Sea, Science 227:163-166. See also Smith and Nelson 1986 Importance of ice edge phytoplankton production in the southern ocean, Bioscience 36(4):251-257. I know there is more recent lit, but I do not have it close at hand. I know less about the dominant krill, Euphausia superba, but the krill have a fairly complex life history with some association with the ice, also. It is fairly plausible that these ice-edge blooms are important to krill productivity. Large krill swarms have been found associated with ice-edge phytoplankton blooms. I am sure that there are many oceanographers with more detailed knowledge about these things, but I thought I would at least point out the basics here. I can't comment on the recent Nature article, but I believe that many oceanographers do recognize the retreat of the seasonal ice-edge as being very important to the productivity of much of the Antarctic. Therefore, it is plausible that changes in the extent of the seasonal sea-ice could effect the overall productivity of the system. Paul Wade paul.wade(\)noaa.gov Hi All, I am currently putting together a database on marine mammals. I have however run into a small problem which I'm sure most of you could solve. It involves my confusion between the West Indian Manatee and the Florida Manatee. The first being identified as (Trichechus manatus) and the latter being identified as (Trichechus manatus latirostris). Should I place both of these in my database as separate species with separate records, or should I combine them both into one being (T. manatus). The reason I ask is because in MARINE MAMMALS OF THE WORLD, written by Jefferson, Leatherwood and Webber, there is no mention of the Florida manatee, only the West Indian manatee. However the Florida manatee is dealt with separately in other places such as an article by Reynolds and Wilcox that appeared in Marine Mammal Science 10(2):163-177 (April 1994). Could someone please email me and inform me of the proper way to classify these and whether or not I should just drop the (latirostris) part of the classification to eliminate confusion. Thanks for your help. Steve Trice email: Trice_Steve(\)smtpgate.dt.navy.mil ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 9 Sep 1997 11:43:19 -0700 From: Alan Macnow Subject: FORMER US IWC HEAD ON WHALING FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant Japan Whaling Association E-Mail: amacnow(\)igc.apc.org The following article appeared September 9, 1997 on the Editorial Page of the Wall Street Journal. It was written by the former U.S. Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) William Aron. SAVE THE WHALERS By WILLIAM ARON The campaign to "save the whales," perhaps the most successful animal-protection movement ever, had its origin in a problem de- scribed in Garrett Hardin's classic 1968 essay "The Tragedy of the Commons": Like many natural resources, whales aren't owned by any- one but are held in common by all. In such situations, resources can be exploited by a few individuals, harming all other current and future users. This can lead to truly tragic consequences, and indeed most natural-resource managers are aware, through experi- ence, of the accuracy of Mr. Hardin's analysis. We are even more painfully aware, however, of the problems associ- ated with attempting to avoid such tragedies. This is especially true with whales. Relatively few people have any direct involve- ment with these marine mammals, whether directly in the whaling in- dustry or indirectly as fishermen competing for fish in the same waters. These professionals, however, must contend with policies determined by the rest of the world which knows little about whales, but which can be awfully emotional about these majestic animals. The U.S. delegation to the International Whaling Commission which gathers today to plot strategy for next month's IWC meeting in Monaco has a chance to help right some of the wrongs of interna- tional whaling regulation. Perhaps most importantly, it can defend Japan's and Norway's annual harvest of several hundred minke whales each against claims by Sea Shepherd, Greenpeace, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and other environmental extremists who would end whaling altogether. And the U.S. can also press the claims of the Makah Indian tribe to resume traditional whale hunts off the coast of Washington state. The U.S. commissioner to the IWC, D. James Baker, has a respon- sibility to act decisively, for it was the U.S. that took the lead in calling for a moratorium on whaling at the 1972 U.N. Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm. The IWC, which began in 1947 as a whalers' cartel, at first refused to implement the moratorium. But environmentalists and animal-rights activists ex- erted immense pressure on the IWC and its member nations, and by 1983 the IWC had adopted a "moratorium" on commercial whaling: In order to hunt whales, member countries must receive specific exemp- tions from the commission. This extreme policy was supported by the U.S., whose politicians had discovered that by supporting whale protection efforts, they could demonstrate their environmentalist credentials without losing the support of labor unions, property developers or other con- stituents. Animal-protection activists had persuaded the public that all whales are endangered, that whales are uniquely in- telligent, and that more attractive alternatives are readily avail- able to those businesses arid communities that derive their livelihoods from whaling. The problem is that none of these widely held beliefs is true. First, it is true that some whale species are endangered. But besides the bowhead whale, which is harvested by indigenous peoples of the U.S., Canada and perhaps Russia, and some fin whales that may be taken by the indigenous people of Greenland, no IWC members are proposing to harvest any endangered whales. The minke whale, which has never been endangered, has a world pop- ulation of more than one million, according to the IWC's Scientific Committee. It is this species that whalers of Japan, Greenland and Norway are harvesting. The gray whale, which was removed from the endangered species list in 1994, has a population of more than 20,000. The sperm whale is on the U.S. endangered species list, but its exploitable world-wide population (all males older than 13 years and females older than 10) is more than one million, accord- ing to the IWC and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The to- tal sperm whale population is probably twice that number. Endangered? Hardly. Second, whales are unquestionably extraordinary animals. While they possess a certain intelligence, however, there are no data to support the belief that they are at or even near the top of the animal intelligence scale. Bees, wasps, ants, birds, mammals and many other animal groups also demonstrate complex social behavior, communicate with one another and exhibit learning skills, yet no one seriously proposes that we protect them from any and all human activities. Third, the people in Japan, Greenland, Norway and Iceland who make their livings from whaling have no ready, cost-effective alterna- tives. Given the abundant world-wide whale populations, there is no reason to penalize the many in these countries who choose to toil skillfully and at high risk to hunt a few thousand whales per year. Closer to home, the Makah tribe is seeking to resume its harvest of gray whales, using traditional methods, now that the species is no longer endangered. The tribe pledges to take only five whales per year, and not to sell any of the whale meat or blubber. Yet many environmental activist groups are opposed even to this level of whaling even though the IWC allows Russia's aboriginal peoples to hunt 169 gray whales each year. There's another important aspect of environmental management that whale-protection activists overlook: Selective protection of one element of an ecosystem inevitably changes the entire system. In recent years evidence has appeared that even though the endangered blue whale has not been hunted for many decades, its populations haven't recovered in the Antarctic. Rather, it seems likely that seals, minke whales and other species have filled the biological niche that the blue whales once occupied. Some harvesting of the blue whales' competitors may well be needed if that endangered species is to recover. Similarly significant unintended con- sequences can follow any attempt to "protect" an ecosystem. Officials from the State, Commerce and Interior departments, the Marine Mammal Commission and other agencies planning U.S. policy ahead of next month's IWC meeting need to remember that whales and whalers can coexist and indeed they must. ********* Mr. Aron is a former U.S. commissioner of the International Whaling Commission and a former member of its Scientific Committee. -end- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 12 Sep 1997 10:33:53 EDT From: Robert Kenney Subject: Re[2]: blue whales and antarctic ice edge (fwd) Regarding the original post from Dave Mellinger and the response from Paul Wade concerning blue whales in the Antarctic, ice, krill, productivity, and nutrients: Here's what I remember from several presentations at the IWC symposium on whales and climate change last year (sorry, without references - though I could go digging through the pile of papers in the corner of my office). Antarctic krill are dependent on phytoplankton (diatoms, if my memory serves me right) production which occurs on the undersurface of the shelf ice itself rather than in the water column. (Re: Paul's post - Perhaps this is a adaptive strategy of the phytoplankters to avoid being mixed out of the photic zone.) Therefore there is a direct correlation between the extent of sea ice and krill abundance, with the potential for cascading effects on krill predators - blue whales, other cetaceans, pinnipeds, penguins, etc. Cheers, Bob =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Robert D. Kenney, Ph.D. rkenney(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu | | University of Rhode Island ('gsosunONE' not 'gsosunELL') | | Graduate School of Oceanography | | Box 41, Bay Campus TEL: (401) 874-6664 | | Narragansett, RI 02882-1197, U.S.A. FAX: (401) 874-6497 | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | "But why would people so woefully lacking in the basic facts of | | an issue think they were the best informed? Social scientists | | call the phenomenon 'pseudo-certainty.' I call it 'being a | | f***ing moron.'" (Franken, Al. 1996. Rush Limbaugh Is A | | Big Fat Idiot. Delacorte Press, New York, NY. p. 12.) | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 12 Sep 1997 18:46:31 -0400 From: David Hofmann Subject: Re: FORMER US IWC HEAD ON WHALING Usually I'm a silent reader of the MARMAM list, but the article from William Aron posted on this list cannot be left without a comment. It contains so much missinformation combined with propaganda for whale hunting. >> Relatively few people have any direct involve- ment with these marine mammals, whether directly in the whaling in- dustry or indirectly as fishermen competing for fish in the same waters. These professionals, however, must contend with policies determined by the rest of the world which knows little about whales, but which can be awfully emotional about these majestic animals. << Not fishermen are the professionals when it comes to understand marine biology, the sea eco system and whales. Marine biologist and whale researchers in general not only have a better education and background, but they also don't depend on fishing. Their conclusion and recommendations to political decisions don't affent them directly, so their view is much more objective than those people who have to make a living from the sea. >> ... it can defend Japan's and Norway's annual harvest of several hundred minke whales each against claims by Sea Shepherd, Greenpeace, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and other environmental extremists who would end whaling altogether. << Putting these three organisations in the same leage and, even worse, calling them all extremists is pretty ignorant. It shows how little some parties are open to good arguments and discussions. >> ... no IWC members are proposing to harvest any endangered whales. << Why must a species be endangered to get protection? We still don't know too much about whales today thus it's difficult to say what the minimum number is to ensure a species can survive. It's also very questionable why a species must be reduced to it's minimum before it is protected. >> While they possess a certain intelligence, however, there are no data to support the belief that they are at or even near the top of the animal intelligence scale. << Inteligence is not a measure for how much it is worth to protect an animal or not. >> Bees, wasps, ants, birds, mammals and many other animal groups also demonstrate complex social behavior, communicate with one another and exhibit learning skills, yet no one seriously proposes that we protect them from any and all human activities. << This is simply wrong. Other endangered species get the same protection. Bees, ants, wasps are a bad comparsion since their numbers go in the billions. Most other animals also reprocuce much faster than whales and are more resistant. >> Third, the people in Japan, Greenland, Norway and Iceland who make their livings from whaling have no ready, cost-effective alterna- tives. << This is not true. In many countries they already found alternatives. >> ... no reason to penalize the many in these countries who choose to toil skillfully and at high risk to hunt a few thousand whales per year. << Whether it's skilful or not doesn't matter at all. It's also an old myth that whaling is "high risk". Giving the impression that whaling is more or less a hard, riskful job that hardly pays for the poor whales is completely nonsense. This might be true for some very small groups of traditional tribes. What happens in Norway and Japan this is not true. The truth is that Whale meat is a delicatesse in some countries and high prices are payed for it. So whaling is not the little income of poor hard workers, it's plain luxury for rich people mostly in the far east. >> In recent years evidence has appeared that even though the endangered blue whale has not been hunted for many decades, its populations haven't recovered in the Antarctic. << The blue whale has been radically reduced during the time it was hunted. It's naive to expect that it can recover in such a short period of time, especially considering that the total number of blue whales is still very small compared to what is was 150 year ago. A few decades are hardly enough to recover. >> Some harvesting of the blue whales' competitors may well be needed if that endangered species is to recover. << Even more naive it is to conclude that "it's competitors" have to be reduced to help the blue whale recover. -David Hofmann /DavidHofmann(\)compuserve.com/ (wildlife photographer) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 13 Sep 1997 09:30:24 -0400 From: Phil Clapham Subject: Competition in baleen whales Regarding the contention (made in the WSJ op-ed on whaling) that species such as minkes need to be taken in order to permit supposedly disadvantaged competitors (such as blue whales) to recover: I would direct interested readers to a review that we wrote on this topic: Clapham, P.J. & Brownell, R.L., Jr. 1996. Potential for interspecific competition in baleen whales. Reports of the International Whaling Commission 46: 361-367. For convenience, I reproduce here the abstract: Purported changes in the abundance and reproduction of baleen whales following large-scale commercial exploitation have been linked to interspecific competition, and this phenomenon has been implicated by some observers in the apparent failure of some species to recover. Here, we examine the evidence for competition among mysticetes from an ecological perspective, both generally and in two cases (blue and northern right whales) for which competition has been cited as an inhibitory factor. We find little direct evidence of either of the two generally recognized types of competition (exploitative and interference). That interference competition is rare is suggested by the lack of territoriality in most species and the apparent absence of agonistic interspecific interactions. This is further supported by ecological considerations of likely resource partitioning based upon feeding apparatus and body size. The hypothesis that changes in biological and demographic parameters in Southern Ocean populations reflect the occurrence of "competitive release" is intuitively reasonable, but sufficient data on levels of prey biomass and predator consumption are currently lacking, and the validity of many of the purported changes is in question. In addition, information on the status of many populations is insufficient to confidently assess whether or not recovery is occurring. Although the potential for exploitative competition exists, the influence of any form of competition on recovery is currently impossible to determine: the range of alternative explanations is too wide, and existing data are too poor to allow us to discriminate among them. Filling the many gaps in our knowledge of this issue will be difficult, but such an effort should be attempted if competition is to be considered or excluded as a major factor affecting recovery of exploited populations. Phil Clapham Phillip J. Clapham, Ph.D. Smithsonian Instiitution NHB 390, MRC 108 Washington, DC 20560 claphamp(\)nmnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997 05:01:34 -0700 From: Oz Goffman Subject: Dolphin Entanglement Shalom Fellow Marmamers, Last weekend we found, with the help of a fisherman, a Tursiops truncatus entangled in a lazy line. The fisherman was fishing with his trawler from 7:00 - 11:30AM, in a depth of 45 meters, in a northern direction off the coast of the Med. sea of Israel. After rolling in the net onto the boat, five miles from the shore, he found a young male Tursiops, 2.2 cm. long, 150 kg., which had entangled itself in the lazy line (the safety line used to draw in the net in case of emergency) and drowned. This incident is common in the Med. coast of Israel. We often find dolphins which have entangled themselves, and it doesn't seem to be limited to the young and inexperienced, or to the sex of the dolphin. Thirty percent of the dolphins caught by fishermen trawl boats are found dead due to drowning from entanglement in the lazy line and not from being caught in the net itself. (The lazy line simply floats above the net, from the otter board to the cod end.) Has anyone ever encountered the same problems? Can anyone suggest a solution to the entanglement problem? If someone can suggest a solution, we would greatly appreciate an answer! (The fisherman will not stop using the lazy line but any suggestions of improvement are welcome!) For additional information, please see the abstract submitted to the eleventh biennial conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Dec.95, Orlando, Florida, by Goffman, et al, p.45. Thanks and Lehitraot, Oz Goffman ********************************************************* Oz Goffman, Director Israel Marine Mammal Research & Assistance Center 57 HaKongress Street Kiriat Haim, Haifa 26222 Israel Tel: 972-4-867-5838 FAX: 972-4-867-5838 or 972-4-841-3033 Cellular: 972-52-269-2477 Pager, 24-hours per day: 972-4-830-6666 (#43696) email: kari(\)research.haifa.ac.il ******************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 13 Sep 1997 08:56:15 -0400 From: Phil Clapham Subject: Krill and climate Further to the discussion on krill, sea ice and climate, the work Bob Kenney was referring to has recently been published in Nature. Here's the citation: Loeb et al. 1997. Effects of sea-ice extent and krill or salp dominance on the Antarctic food web. Nature 387: 897-900. Phil Clapham Phillip J. Clapham, Ph.D. Smithsonian Institution NHB 390, MRC 108 Washington, DC 20560 claphamp(\)nmnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 Sep 1997 04:54:13 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly marine mammal summary to US congress (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Sorry about the delay this week, we had technical difficulties...Kate Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 9/12/97 Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 9/05/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 9/11/97 are double bracketed {{...}} Marine Mammals . Round Island Subsistence Walrus Hunt. On Sept. 20, 1997, the Qayssiq (Round Island) Walrus Commission will open a month-long subsistence walrus hunt on Round Island in Bristol Bay, AK, with approval from the AK Dept. of Fish and Game. The quota was doubled this year to 20 animals. [Assoc Press] . {{Makah Whaling. On Sept. 11, 1997, leaders of the Makah Tribe held a press conference on their WA reservation to answer questions about their proposal to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) that the Makah kill 5 eastern Pacific gray whales annually for subsistence. The IWC would likely consider the Makah proposal at its annual meeting in Monaco in October 1997.}} [Assoc Press] . {{Global Whaling Moratorium? On Sept. 9, 1997, Ireland's Heritage Minister Sile de Valera proposed that all the world's oceans be designated as a global whale sanctuary and that, if and when the present moratorium on commercial whaling is terminated, no international trade in whalemeat be permitted. On Sept. 12, 1997, Australia's National Taskforce on Whaling released a report, recommending that Australia support an effort to establish a global whale sanctuary or a 50-year international moratorium on commercial whaling. The Taskforce also recommended a more precise definition of aboriginal subsistence whaling and the prohibition of special permit (scientific) whaling.}} [Reuters] . Canadian Sealing. On Sept. 4, 1997, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) released the results of an Angus Reid Group poll on Canadian opinions on sealing and announced a nationwide Canadian campaign to mobilize public opinion against commercial seal hunting. The survey was reported to show that 85% of Canadians support full protection for young seals and that 75% (including 54% of those surveyed in Newfoundland) oppose federal subsidization of sealing. About 41% of all Canadians surveyed did not know that commercial seal hunting occurred in Canada. [IFAW press release] . 1997 Norwegian Seal Hunt. In early September 1997, the Norwegian company that buys seal skins reported that the total 1997 harvest was about 9,820 seals from the total quota of 27,100 seals -- almost 7,000 fewer seals than were harvested in 1996. Only two vessels hunted seals in the vicinity of Jan Mayen and in the White Sea, taking about 2,780 hooded seal pups, 1,950 weaned harp seal pup, about 90 adult hooded seals, and about 5,000 adult harp seals. [High North Alliance Web News] . {Makah Whaling. On Aug. 22, 1997, NMFS released a draft environmental assessment on the Makah Tribe's proposal to seek a gray whale quota from the International Whaling Commission. Comments will be accepted by NMFS through Sept. 22, 1997.} [personal communication] . Greenpeace Challenges ARCO Drilling. In mid-August 1997, Greenpeace asked the U.S. District Court to prevent Atlantic Richfield Co. (ARCO) from setting up a new drill site at its Warthog prospect in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska, claiming the activity would disturb polar bears, seals, and whales. On Aug. 21, 1997, U.S. District Court Judge Paul Friedman ruled that ARCO did not need to have a marine mammal permit issued before setting up its new drill site since ARCO was assuming the risk of penalty if marine mammals were actually disturbed. ARCO applied for a marine mammal permit in May 1997, but NMFS has not yet issued the permit. [Reuters] . Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan. On Aug. 15, 1997, NMFS announced that it was seeking comment on a proposed comprehensive take reduction plan to reduce harbor porpoise serious injury and mortality by the New England sink gillnet fishery. The proposed plan is estimated to reduce mortality and serious injury by 80%. Comments are to be received through Oct. 14, 1997. [NOAA press release] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 Sep 1997 10:25:17 +1200 From: Corey Bradshaw Subject: Call for Volunteers Call for Volunteers - New Zealand Fur Seals I will again require the assistance of volunteers for the 1997-98 season. Volunteers will help catch, weigh, measure and count New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) at numerous breeding colonies around South Island, New Zealand. Transportation around South Island will be provided, but food and accommodation costs are the responsibility of each volunteer. I will need people from 12 December 1997 to 7 March 1998 (summer), and then from 25 May to 5 July 1998 (winter). Volunteers are requested to stay at least a fortnight. Please indicate your interest by 5 October 1997 for the summer session, or by 15 April 1998 for the winter session. Contact Corey Bradshaw if you are interested: University of Otago, Department of Zoology P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand 64 3 479 7665 / 64 3 479 7584 (fax) corey.bradshaw(\)stonebow.otago.ac.nz ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 09:41:38 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Symposium on Marine Mammal Strandings, Japan Symposium on Marine Mammal Strandings, Japan To be held on November 28-29 and December 1, 1997 at the National Science Museum in Tokyo and Otsuchi Marine Research Center. Contact: Dr. Tadasu K. Yamada, national Science Museum, Tokyo (3-23-1 Hyakunin-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169, Japan; fax +81-3-5332-7268; email yamada(\)kahaku.go.jp) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 09:39:29 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Tatsuo Tanaka Memorial Biological Station Dear Marmam readers, I am forwarding the following upon request by a colleague. ********************************************************************** The Tatsuo Tanaka Memorial Biological Station is pleased to announce that it has reopened with Dr. Kathleen Dudzinski as Managing Director and Dr. Jack Moyer continuing as Director. The station was formally known for Ichthyology behavior and ecological research. Although Ichthyologists are still welcome, the current thrust is in cetacean science. Also, as in the past, ornithologists and invertebrate biologists are also welcome to use this station. Researchers/scientists wishing to use the station should contact the Managing Director for specific details. The contact information is: Dr. Kathleen Dudzinski Tatsuo Tanaka Memorial Biological Station 919 Ako, Miyake-mura, Miyake-jima, Izu Islands Tokyo Prefecture 100-12, Japan email: dudzinsk(\)bio.mie-u.ac.jp phone/fax: (81) 4994-5-053 As many as ten species of dolphins occur in local waters. These include bottlenose dolphins, pantropical spotted dolphins, striped dolphins, spinner dolphins, risso's dolphins, common dolphins, rough-toothed dolphins, false killer whales, short-finned pilot whales and melon-headed whales. In addition, from December to early April, occasional sightings are made of orca, isolated individuals of the Ogasawara/Kemara humpback whales, and very rarely individuals of the western Pacific gray whale population. Large groups of sperm whales, numbering roughly 20-30 per group and up to 50 total, are sighted in winter annually. A large, human-habituated population of bottlenose dolphins resides most of the year in the vicinity of Mikura-jima nearby to Miyake, permitting opportunities for research from boats, underwater, and from land. A wide array of dolphin watching and swim programs are offered from both islands, including familiar positive and negative controversies typical of similar programs in other geographical locations. A general introduction to this population is presented in The Mikura-jima Dolphins by Dr. Jack Moyer. Currently only in Japanese, this book is being translated into English. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 Sep 1997 10:43:00 -0500 From: Jim Wysor Subject: Marine Mammal Data Hi everyone, I am currently trying to locate data sources for a marine mammal database. The purpose of the database is to minimize the impact of navy test activities on marine mammals. Test planners need to know the locations of marine mammal habitats at various times of the year so that tests can be planned that avoid these areas. We are looking for data along the West Coast of Florida and for the offshore mid-Atlantic region. Data types we need to acquire are sightings data, habitat data, feeding/breeding areas, migration routes, ocean temperatures, and salinities. Any information, data or contacts that could be provided would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the help. Jim Wysor ************************************************************ Database Administrator MRJ Technology Solutions email: wysor_james%pax5(\)mr.nawcad.navy.mil phone: (301) 863-4664 fax: (301) 863-4668 ************************************************************ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 Sep 1997 00:02:39 -0400 From: HugeRhino(\)aol.com Subject: satellite track elephant seals Orange County Register Sunday, July 27, 1997 Metro Section ELEPHANT SEALS TO SIGNAL WHEREABOUTS SCIENCE: As two 'dive bombers of the sea' move about off Southern California, they'll be monitored by satellite. By Gary Robbins Fullerton naturalist Hugh Ryono and a cadre of scientists are poised to answer a pair of nagging questions about the remarkable elephant seals, which sometimes was ashore on Southern California beaches: Exactly where do these "dive bombers of the sea" come from? And where do they go when they are returned to the ocean after being nursed back to health from illnesses common to the species? At Ryono's suggestion, scientists in San Pedro today will glue painless satellite tracking tags on two young elephant seals, then release them three miles off Santa Catalina Island. The tags will transmit data to orbiting satellites, which will then relay the information to scientists who'll use it to calculate the seals' approximate location, and the length and depth of their dives. The data also will be placed on the Internet so educators such as Ryono's wife, Pam, can teach their students about the migratory habits of these creatures, capable of diving almost a mile deep. The tagging exercise will be the first carried out in Southern California waters by WhaleNet, a federally funded, Boston-based program that uses improving satellite technology to study whales, turtles, seals and sea lions. Scientists say the tags could be especially useful in the study of elephant seals, which are rarely seen in open waters because they spend up to an hour at a time on deep dives, using eyes the size of hockey pucks to find food in near total darkness. "The seals stay submerged so long that we're not sure whether they arrive here from Mexico or Northern California---or where they go when they leave, " says Hugh Ryono, who helps care for the animals at the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro. "And we need to figure this out. If lots of seals started showing up here with strange diseases, we'd want to track it back to the source. And if a major oil spill occurred, say, off Northern California, we'd want to know if the seals here would likely migrate up there during the year:" Ryono got the idea for tagging elephant seals, whose numbers are growing rapidly, by examining WhaleNet's Web page. The page has become a popular teaching tool over the past three years by successfully tracking several marine animals on the East Coast. It costs about $5,000 to build a single satellite tag, which is also known as a time-depth recorder. But WhaleNet's director, biologist Mike Williamson of Boston's Wheelock College, was receptive to Ryono's idea to tag two elephant seals that ended up at the Marine Mammal Care Center during the winter. "There's enormous interest in marine mammals on the West Coast, so it's a natural thing for us to tag animals out there," said Williamson, interviewed in Boston. "And there is so much more we would like to know about elephant seals, which are remarkable animals." Similar tagging has been performed the past several years by researchers working off Ano Nuevo State Reserve, north of Santa Cruz, yielding a bounty of information about the deepest diving of all seal species. "We now have a much clearer idea of how fast and how far some of these seals swim, and how much energy it takes to migrate," said Burney LeBoeuf, a University of California, Santa Cruz researcher. "The tagging program helps us see certain patterns of behavior." Ryono's wife can't wait for such information to be relayed from the San Pedro seals. "Fullerton isn't very far from the ocean. But a lot of students have no idea that elephant seals live in our waters," said Pam Ryono, who teaches fourth grade at Richman Elementary School in Fullerton. "Tracking these animals on the Internet will help them understand that these are real, living creatures." Hugh Ryono agrees, but adds a note of caution: "Elephant seals feed on squid. But some sharks feed on elephant seals. We should do well---provided that the seals can avoid those sharks." # # # For MARMAM------Hugh Ryono hugerhino(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 Sep 1997 12:14:50 +1200 From: P J Duignan Subject: Memorial Lecture, Symposium & Workshop Dear Marmam subscribers, Massey University Cetacean Investigation Centre (MUCIC) will host a Memorial Lecture in honor of Prof. David Blackmore on November 27th at the Turitea Campus of Massey University, Palmerston North. The lecture will be delivered by Dr. Joseph R. Geraci, Senior Director of Biological Programs at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Dr. Blackmore was instrumental in establishing MUCIC and the New Zealand Foundation for the Study and Welfare of Whales. His research included the study of humane euthanasia for large whales and aspects of the pastho-physiology of stranded cetaceans. The Memorial Lecture will be preceeded by papers focusing on marine mammals in New Zealand. The symposium will be chaired by Martin Cawthorn and include presentations by Mr. Hori Parata, representing the Ngatiwai Resource Management Unit, who will talk about the Maori cultural perspective. The role of the Department of Conservation in the management of New Zealand's marine mammals will be defined by Dr. Mike Donoghue. Dr. Scott Baker will present a paper on genetic studies on New Zealand cetaceans. The central role of the Museum of New Zealand in the New Zealand Marine Mammal Stranding Network will be described by Anton van Helden, Marine Mammal Collections Manager for the museum. Dr. Liz Slooten of Dr. Steve Dawson, University of Otago, will outline their research programs on cetacean and pinniped ecology and population dynamics. There will be short presentations by researchers at Massey including Dr. Geoff Barnes, Per Madie, Lynda Mellor, Nadine Gibbs, Janine Collier, Dr. Jane Hunter and Dr. Padraig Duignan. The Symposium will be preceeded on Wednesday Nov. 26th by a Necropsy Workshop that will allow the participants hands-on experience in conducting a necropsy on a cetacean. The aim of the workshop is to instruct the participants in correct necropsy technique and sampling procedures for pathology, bacteriology, vorology, toxicology and genetics. There will be a registration fee of $50. Those interested in participating should contact Dr. Padraig Duignan at (Phone)06 3504163, (Fax) 06 350 5636, e-mail P.J.Duignan(\)massey.ac.nz ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- Dr. Padraig J. Duignan Massey University Cetacean Investigation Centre Department of Veterinary Pathology & Public Health Massey University Private Bag 11-222 Palmerston North New Zealand. Tel. 06-350-4163 Fax. 06-350-5636 e-mail. P.J.Duignan(\)massey.ac.nz ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 Sep 1997 20:57:07 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Job Opening (fwd) From: Gabrielle Merritt JOB OPENING: THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER The Marine Mammal Center has the following open position: Assistant Stranding Coordinator: This is a support position for 2 full-time stranding coordinators. Duties include answering & responding to calls from the public, coordinating volunteers, data entry & report generation and general administrative tasks. Requirements include abililty to work well with people, excellent communication skills, computer literate, attention to detail and flexible. This is a full-time position w/benefits. Hours will vary. EOE. If you are interested, please send cover letter, salary requirements and resume to: The Marine Mammal Center, attn. HR Director, Marin Headlands, GGNRA, Sausalito, Ca. 94965 or fax to (415) 289-7333. No phone calls please. Posting date: 9/18/97 Deadline: Open until filled EDITOR'S NOTE: some aspects of the following message relate to the impact of whale watching as ecotourism. International Symposium on Island Birds and Ecotourism The Miyake-jima Nature Center (Akakokko Station) 4118 Tsubota, Miyake-mura, Miyake-jima, Tokyo 100-12, Japan tel: 81-4994-6-0410 fax: 81-4994-6-0458 email: INET: RXR13202(\)niftyserve.or.jp or email: dudzinsk(\)bio.mie-u.ac.jp We are proud to announce that the government of Miyake-mura and the Miyake-jima Nature Center will be hosting an international symposium of extreme global significance, as follows: Title: Island Birds and Ecotourism Dates: May 13 - 16, 1998 Purpose: Miyake-jima is situated merely one hour by air from Tokyo. A nature-focused tourism, including bird watching and dolphin watching, including swimming with wild dolphins, brings several thousand tourists to the island annually, with an obvious impact on our wildlife. Because similar human pressures are threatening island ecosystems world-wide, and because a well-planned ecotourism may offer a means to protect such wildlife while contributing immensely to local economies, the government of Miyake has decided to sponsor a symposium in which both the delicate nature of island ecosystems and their vulnerability to human impact could be discussed by leading scientists from the international community. The symposium, therefore, has two purposes: island biology/biogeography and ecotourism. Each will be featured separately, with three sessions in each category. Location: Miyake-jima is an island in the northern portion of the Izu, Ogasawara, Mariana Arc. It is roughly 180 km south of Tokyo and accessible by ferry or small plane. Call for papers: Contact the Nature Center for details and deadlines. Posters and spoken presentations are considered. Dear all, Some time ago, there was a discussion in Marmam about the resident populations of spinner dolphins in the world. As I am now reviewing the references about the places were we can find resident populations of this species spending daytime hours resting in shalow waters, I wonder if someone could complement my findings below: 1- Pacific: Hawaian Islands (Hawai, Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molohai, Oahu, Kauai and Nihau), Christmans Islands, Marshall Islands, Marquesas Islands, Moorea and Thaiti Islands. 2- ? Red Sea: Sha'b Rumi (Sudan) __ Can anyone confirm this information???__ 3- Atlantic: Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (Brazil) Thanks for your attention. Liliane Lodi Projeto Golfinhos Caixa Postal 14521 Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil 22412-970 phone/fax: 55 21 512-4810 e-mail: biahetze(\)uninet.com.br ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 19 Sep 1997 08:49:37 -1000 From: Adam Pack Subject: dolphin research internship opportunities Semester-long and summer internships are available at the Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory (KBMML) in Honolulu. The internships are on a full-time basis and are at no cost to the intern. However, the intern must provide for his or her own living and travel expenses. The work entails participation in ongoing studies of sensory processes, cognitive characteristics, and communication in bottlenosed dolphins housed at KBMML. Interns also participate in analyses of KBMML's large database on the North Pacific humpback whale. Through a carefully designed hands-on apprenticeship training program, and through lectures on various marine mammal topics, interns become familiar with and gain proficiency in the development of research questions, research planning and methods, data processing, training techniques, dolphin husbandry, and much more. With over a 12-year history, KBMMLs internship program is well established, challenging, and highly rewarding. The program is open to students at both U.S. and foreign Universities at the Junior level or above, including graduates. Internships are currently being considered for the Spring semester 1998. For more information and to receive an application please either write to the Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory, 1129 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, HI, call 808-591-2121, or send Email to pack(\)hawaii.edu. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 21 Sep 1997 15:10:25 +0200 From: monica(\)arago.obs-banyuls.fr Subject: solitary dolphins in Japon Dear all, Writing my thesis about solitary and sociable dolphins, I would be very glad if somebody could help me with information on lone individuals in Japanese waters or in any other Asian country. I am looking for incidents of wild dolphin-human encounters in Japan and any swim with dolphin projects. Thank you for any information, Monica Muller Observatoire Oceanologique de Banyuls Laboratoire Arago 66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer/France monica(\)arago.obs-banyuls.fr G.Cauwet Observatoire Oceanologique Laboratoire Arago BP 44 66651 Banyuls sur mer (France) tel. (33) [0]4 68 88 73 56 (lab) 0611358570 (portable) fax. (33) [0]4 68 88 59 46 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 20 Sep 1997 07:31:23 -0700 From: David Scheel Subject: Composition of blubber I am interersted in the composition of whale blubber - how much collagen does this tissue contain? Also, what happens to whale blubber when it decomposes under water? Are there enough oils etc. in it that it is rapidly devoured or is it tough enough that it might take a long time to decompose. Is it likely that the oils etc could decompose and leave collagen behind? The MARMAM editors have requested I provide some background on my interested in the topic. My question is sparked by a debate that has smoldered at the fringes of cephalopod biology for 100 years. In 1897, a several-ton carcass washed ashore in St. Augustine Florida. It was examined by Dr. Wood and written about by A.E. Verrill in several 1897 issues of the Am J Sci (4th Series 3:79; 3:162 3:355) as well as in Science (1897 5(114):392, 5(116):476) in which Verrill first identified the carcass as the first specimen of new species of octopus, Octopus giganteus, and later reversed himself declaring it was not an octopus but might be whale blubber. The carcass consisted entirely of collagen, was notable in its size and that it did not rot when exposed to the elements, and is not a unique occurance. Similar carcasses have washed ashore in New Zealand and as recently as 1988 in the Bahamas. In 1995, Pierce, Smith, Maugel & Clark (Biol Bull 188:219-230) published a histological examination of the tissues of the St. Augustine and the Bermuda carcasses and declared they were from 'vertebrate skin', in the first case a homiotherm (e.g. a whale) and in the second a poikilotherm (e.g. a large shark). They conclude that "there is no evidence to support the existance of Octopus giganteus." This conclusion led Mangiacorpra et al. (1996. 19:1,45-50) to write a rebuttal which appeared in Of Sea & Shore. I reviewed the debate with interest and was struck by the fact that first, the sceptics of the whale theory argue the it could not have been whale blubber because it did not have fat in it; while the proponents of this theory wrote only very briefly of the general composition of blubber and how it may be expected to decompose in the ocean. Hence my question. Thanks for your help! Please reply directly to my e-mail: dsc2(\)music.stlawu.edu Cheers, David David Scheel PWS Science Center and Biology Department P.O. Box 705 St. Lawrence University Cordova, AK 99574 Canton, N.Y. 13617 e-mail: dsc2(\)music.stlawu.edu Web page: http://www.pwssc.gen.ak.us/~dls ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 21 Sep 1997 20:41:50 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly marine mammal summaries to US congress (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 9/19/97 Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 9/12/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 9/18/97 are double bracketed {{...}} Marine Mammals . Round Island Subsistence Walrus Hunt. On Sept. 20, 1997, the Qayssiq (Round Island) Walrus Commission will open a month-long subsistence walrus hunt on Round Island in Bristol Bay, AK, with approval from the AK Dept. of Fish and Game. The quota was doubled this year to 20 animals. [Assoc Press] . Makah Whaling. On Sept. 11, 1997, leaders of the Makah Tribe held a press conference on their WA reservation to answer questions about their proposal to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) that the Makah kill 5 eastern Pacific gray whales annually for subsistence. The IWC would likely consider the Makah proposal at its annual meeting in Monaco in October 1997. [Assoc Press] . {Russian Border Violations. The command of Russia's North Eastern frontier guard district notified the U.S. Coast Guard that hunters in motorboats had twice violated Russia's maritime boundary near Ratmanov (Big Diomede) Island on Sept. 9-10, 1997.} [Moscow ITAR-TASS via Foreign Broadcast Information Service] . Global Whaling Moratorium? On Sept. 9, 1997, Ireland's Heritage Minister Sile de Valera proposed that all the world's oceans be designated as a global whale sanctuary and that, if and when the present moratorium on commercial whaling is terminated, no international trade in whalemeat be permitted. On Sept. 12, 1997, Australia's National Taskforce on Whaling released a report, recommending that Australia support an effort to establish a global whale sanctuary or a 50-year international moratorium on commercial whaling. The Taskforce also recommended a more precise definition of aboriginal subsistence whaling and the prohibition of special permit (scientific) whaling. [Reuters] . Canadian Sealing. On Sept. 4, 1997, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) released the results of an Angus Reid Group poll on Canadian opinions on sealing and announced a nationwide Canadian campaign to mobilize public opinion against commercial seal hunting. The survey was reported to show that 85% of Canadians support full protection for young seals and that 75% (including 54% of those surveyed in Newfoundland) oppose federal subsidization of sealing. About 41% of all Canadians surveyed did not know that commercial seal hunting occurred in Canada. [IFAW press release] . 1997 Norwegian Seal Hunt. In early September 1997, the Norwegian company that buys seal skins reported that the total 1997 harvest was about 9,820 seals from the total quota of 27,100 seals -- almost 7,000 fewer seals than were harvested in 1996. Only two vessels hunted seals in the vicinity of Jan Mayen and in the White Sea, taking about 2,780 hooded seal pups, 1,950 weaned harp seal pup, about 90 adult hooded seals, and about 5,000 adult harp seals. [High North Alliance Web News] . Makah Whaling. On Aug. 22, 1997, NMFS released a draft environmental assessment on the Makah Tribe's proposal to seek a gray whale quota from the International Whaling Commission. Comments will be accepted by NMFS through Sept. 22, 1997. [personal communication] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 21 Sep 1997 17:49:00 +1300 From: "Jones, Paul" Subject: Global Cooperation Dear All, I and colleagues (Massey University Veterinary Pathology Department) in New Zealand are currently preparing an application for funding to conduct marine mammal research. Our particular focus will be on the concentrations of chemical contaminants in stranded and by-catch animals as related to the health Status of those animals. To determine health status we are seeking funding to conduct detailed pathological, histopathological, bacteriology and virology on the samples. One of our working tenets is that contaminant concentrations are as low in New Zealand as it is possible to get (in some species that is). Therefore we feel we will be collecting baseline data to evaluate the "normal" condition of marine mammals. The funding agency we are applying to will be very interested in how our proposed research will be used. We will propose to them that our research is part of a global effort to determine the effects of chemical contaminants on marine mammals. In our part of the world we are at one end of the dose/response curve while in the northern hemisphere higher levels of contamination represent additional points of this response curve. We are of some programs looking at the health status of marine mammals but would like to include reference to as many as possible Therefore, we would be interested in hearing of any similar marine mammal health status programs being conducted elsewhere. If you know of or are involved in such programs please contact me directly and I can provide further explanation and details. Sincerely Paul Jones Paul D Jones (PhD.) ESR P O Box 30 547 Lower Hutt NEW ZEALAND Tel: +64 4 570 1555 Fax: +64 4 560 5573 E-mail: paul.jones(\)esr.cri.nz ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 12:04:11 +0000 Reply-To: dian(\)ecostewards.org From: Hardy Dian Organization: World Stewardship Institute Subject: Seals and Sealing Emboldened by the recent reference to the Wildlife Conservation article on sealers and animal rights activists, I want to suggest another reference on the same subject. This time, rather than "hardcopy," a website: www.animalpepl.org. There is a useful table of contents and under "Marine Mammals, April 1997," the story: "Catch-22 and Canadian sealing." A good supplement to the Wildlife Conservation article, with an degree of rigor not apparent in the magazine article. Comments would be appreciated to the address below. Dian Hardy dian(\)ecostewards.org ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 14:39:38 -0400 From: "Arthur H. Kopelman, Ph. D." Subject: Copy of Mitchell 1975 paper needed Dear colleagues, I, and the interlibrary loan folks here at FIT have been unable to get a copy of the following: Mitchell, E. 1975. Trophic relationships and competition for food in Northwest Atlantic whales. Pages 123-133 in M. D. B. Burt, ed. Proceedings of the Canadian Society of Zoologists Annual Meeting, 2-5 June. Can someone point me to a library that has a copy of the proceedings, or send a copy of the paper to me. Thanks, Artie -- Arthur H. Kopelman, Ph. D. Professor of Science Department of Science and Mathematics, FIT - SUNY 7th Avenue at 27th Street New York, NY 10001 "When the last individual of a race of living things breaths no more, another heaven and another earth must pass before such a one can be again." William Beebe ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 23:30:09 -0400 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Mesoplodon bahamondi I am (after a hiatus) getting back to finishing off a children's book on newly-described animal species. Since the first draft I have learned that a new species of beaked whale has been described, from, I believe, a skull, as Mesoplodon bahamondi. What I would like to know is (a) have we any information on this species in life and (b) in particular, can this species be identified as the Mesoplodon "species A" that has been seen a number of times in the western Pacific? I would appreciate any help on these points. Many thanks. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 1825 Shady Creek Court Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 mailto:ornstn(\)inforamp.net ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 26 Sep 1997 09:22:48 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract: Hector's dolphins and pingers Close on the heels of the postings about pingers reducing harbor porpoise mortality, the following might be of interest to folks following this issue. ***************************** Stone, G; Kraus, S; Hutt, A; Martin, S; Yoshinaga, A; Joy, L. 1997. Reducing by-catch: Can acoustic pingers keep Hector's dolphins out of fishing nets? MARINE TECHNOLOGY SOCIETY JOURNAL, Summer 1997 v31 i2 pp 3-7. Stone, G, NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM, CENT WHARF, BOSTON, MA 02110 USA Underwater acoustic pingers, emitting a 10 kHz sound (with harmonics up to 110 kHz), were tested in New Zealand to evaluate their potential effectiveness in preventing entanglement and death of Hector's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori) in gillnets. A 1996 study site was established in Akaroa Harbour, an area known for high concentrations of Hector's dolphins. A remote controlled device was installed which would raise and lower either active or passive acoustic pingers via a radio link from shore. Observations of dolphin movement and distribution were made from a land-based station using a theodolite and logged directly into a computer. Observers did not know if the pinger in the water was active or passive. This ''blind'' experiment was designed to measure the spatial difference in dolphin distributions between active or passive pinger use. Two data subsets were used in the analysis, representing the distance between sighted dolphins and an active pinger and the distance between sighted dolphins and a passive pinger. The distribution of the distance data was significantly non-normal (p<0.001), so the non-parametric Mann-Whitney rank sum test was used to compare dolphin distributions from the two subsets. In this analysis, all sightings data were included; the median distance value for the passive pinger trials was 299m (n=492) and the median distance value for the active or insonified trials was 372m (n=552). Results indicate that Hector's dolphin distributions were affected by the 10 kHz pingers and that dolphins avoided the immediate area where the pingers were active, but did not avoid the larger area of Akaroa Harbour. All dolphin sightings made during active pinger trials were distributed significantly farther from the sound source (p<0.001) than were sightings during passive trials. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 27 Sep 1997 04:22:24 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly marine mammal summaries to US Congress (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 9/26/97 Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 9/19/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 9/25/97 are double bracketed {{...}} Marine Mammals . {{WA State's Sea Lion Authorization. On Sept. 25, 1997, NMFS officials announced that they had extended, for four years, WA state's authorization to kill sea lions that gather at Ballard Locks to feed on migrating steelhead trout. The state can remove only predatory sea lions that have been observed killing fish between Jan. 1 and May 31, and only after non-lethal deterrence methods have been tried.}} [Assoc Press] . Round Island Subsistence Walrus Hunt. On Sept. 20, 1997, the Qayssiq (Round Island) Walrus Commission will open a month-long subsistence walrus hunt on Round Island in Bristol Bay, AK, with approval from the AK Dept. of Fish and Game. The quota was doubled this year to 20 animals. [Assoc Press] . Makah Whaling. On Sept. 11, 1997, leaders of the Makah Tribe held a press conference on their WA reservation to answer questions about their proposal to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) that the Makah kill 5 eastern Pacific gray whales annually for subsistence. The IWC would likely consider the Makah proposal at its annual meeting in Monaco in October 1997. [Assoc Press] . Russian Border Violations. The command of Russia's North Eastern frontier guard district notified the U.S. Coast Guard that hunters in motorboats had twice violated Russia's maritime boundary near Ratmanov (Big Diomede) Island on Sept. 9-10, 1997. [Moscow ITAR-TASS via Foreign Broadcast Information Service] . October IWC Meeting. On Sept. 9, 1997, Ireland's Heritage Minister Sile de Valera proposed that all the world's oceans be designated as a global whale sanctuary and that, if and when the present moratorium on commercial whaling is terminated, no international trade in whalemeat be permitted; {whaling would continue to be allowed within the exclusive economic zones of individual nations.} On Sept. 12, 1997, Australia's National Taskforce on Whaling released a report, recommending that Australia support an effort to establish a global whale sanctuary or a 50-year international moratorium on commercial whaling. The Taskforce also recommended a more precise definition of aboriginal subsistence whaling and the prohibition of special permit (scientific) whaling. {On Sept. 25, 1997, Japanese officials announced that Ireland will propose a ban on research whaling at the October 1997 IWC meeting.} [Reuters, Dow Jones News] . Canadian Sealing. On Sept. 4, 1997, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) released the results of an Angus Reid Group poll on Canadian opinions on sealing and announced a nationwide Canadian campaign to mobilize public opinion against commercial seal hunting. The survey was reported to show that 85% of Canadians support full protection for young seals and that 75% (including 54% of those surveyed in Newfoundland) oppose federal subsidization of sealing. About 41% of all Canadians surveyed did not know that commercial seal hunting occurred in Canada. [IFAW press release] . 1997 Norwegian Seal Hunt. In early September 1997, the Norwegian company that buys seal skins reported that the total 1997 harvest was about 9,820 seals from the total quota of 27,100 seals -- almost 7,000 fewer seals than were harvested in 1996. Only two vessels hunted seals in the vicinity of Jan Mayen and in the White Sea, taking about 2,780 hooded seal pups, 1,950 weaned harp seal pup, about 90 adult hooded seals, and about 5,000 adult harp seals. [High North Alliance Web News] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. I have tried the usual channels of out-of-print book dealers and have had no success in finding copies of : The Handbook of Marine Mammals Vol. 2 by Sam Ridgway and Sir Richard Harrison The Handbook of Marine Mammals Vol. 3 by Sam Ridgway and Sir Richard Harrison The Sei Whale: Population Biology, Ecology and Management by Joseph Horwood If anyone has any spare copies or knows where I can obtain them at any price, please contact me. I would be very appreciative to have these titles for my reference library. Thank you, Douglas David Seifert Senior Contributing Editor, Dive International (U.K.) Contributor, Ocean Realm (USA) Chairman, Tiny Bubbles Expeditions Bayside Building 1001 Alternate A1A Jupiter, Florida 33477 USA tel: 561 744 7884 fax:561 746 7896 email: SEIWOLF(\)aol.com web: www.tinybubblesexpeditions.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 26 Sep 1997 10:37:04 -0900 From: "Dr. David Duffy" Subject: Arctic Ocean Acoustic Tomometry project Has anyone run across something called the Arctic Ocean Acoustic Tomometry Project? It is apparently a Murmansk to Barrow acoustic experiment. I am interested in tracking down the EIS and especially any information on effect of acoustic signals on bowheads, rights and belugas in shallow water and ice conditions. The Native Peoples of Northern Alaska have a traditional harvest of marine mammal species and there is concern about the effects of such an experiment. The local agency librarians here are not familiar with the EIS or the project, although we can't really get into their collections right now as they are boxed for a consolidation. If there isn't much on AOATP, can anyone steer me to a most recent objective review of the discussions over the Hawaii experiments? Many thanks Dave Duffy Alaska Natural Heritage Program University of Alaska Anchorage Phone 907-257-2784 Fax 907-257-2789 email: afdcd1(\)uaa.alaska.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 28 Sep 1997 18:59:53 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: MARMAM FAQ ___MARMAM__________________________________________________________ _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/_/ _/ MARMAM FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS and ASPECTS OF NETIQUETTE ___________________________________________________________________ *Please save this message for future reference!* ___________________________________________________________________ **New or updated sections of the FAQ are marked with * for easy identification** TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. What is MARMAM? 2. What types of messages are posted to MARMAM? 3. How do I post messages to the list? 4. How do I reply to individual subscribers? 5. How do I subscribe/unsubscribe/temporarily signoff? 6. How do I receive MARMAM postings as a single daily digest rather than as individual messages? 7. How do I retrieve messages previously sent to MARMAM? 8. How do I find out who subscribes to MARMAM? 9. How do I get help using listserver commands? 10. Why was my message not posted to MARMAM? * 11. Why did my MARMAM subscription stop? 12. Who do I contact with my questions or concerns? ___________________________________________________________________ 1. WHAT IS MARMAM? MARMAM is an edited e-mail discussion list devoted to topics in marine mammal research and conservation, established in August 1993. As of March 1997 there were about 2,500 subscribers from 50 different countries. Anyone may subscribe to the list. 2. WHAT TYPES OF MESSAGES ARE POSTED TO MARMAM? A wide spectrum of message types are found on MARMAM, all related to marine mammal research and/or conservation. Commonly seen messages include requests for information regarding current or recent research projects, publications, or research techniques; current or previously unreported unusual news events, meeting announcements, job or volunteer opportunities, abstracts from scientific papers or reports, and books/techniques/products announcements. "Casual" requests for information, news reports of common events (e.g. strandings of common species of cetaceans), requests for volunteer positions/employment, opinion statements offering little or no novel arguments, and humourous anecdotes are examples of messages not posted to the list. 3. HOW DO I POST MESSAGES TO THE LIST? All messages meant for MARMAM subscribers should be sent to marmam(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. Messages should include the sender's name and e-mail address within the body of the text, and a detailed subject heading. 4. HOW DO I REPLY TO INDIVIDUAL SUBSCRIBERS? Messages meant soley for a particular subscriber and not for MARMAM may be sent directly to that subscriber using his or her e-mail address, which will appear in the header of the message and/or in the body of the message. Subscribers are asked to include their e-mail address within the body of their messages, as not all subscribers receive headers including this information with their messages. If your reply is of general interest to the subscribers, please reply to the list, otherwise you should reply directly to the individual posting the original message. NOTE: Many subscribers will find that use of the 'reply' option will reply to MARMAM, not to the intended recipient. Please check your header when using the 'reply' option. 5. HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE/TEMPORARILY SIGNOFF? All messages not meant for MARMAM subscribers should be sent to the listserver (listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca). As the list-server is an automated service, it is important that commands be sent without errors or extraneous text. To subscribe, send a message to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca which says: subscribe marmam Yourfirstname Yourlastnamename To unsubscribe, send the message: signoff marmam If you want to temporarily discontinue your subscription without signing off the list, send the message: set marmam nomail to continue it, send the message: set marmam mail 6. HOW DO I RECEIVE MARMAM POSTINGS AS A SINGLE DAILY DIGEST, RATHER THAN AS INDIVIDUAL MESSAGES? To receive marmam messages daily as a single file, send the message: set marmam digests to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. To change this setting to individual messages, send the message: set marmam mail 7. HOW DO I RETRIEVE MESSAGES PREVIOUSLY SENT TO MARMAM? All MARMAM messages are archived and are retrievable by sending the message: get marmam logxxyy to the listserver, where xx = year and yy = month (e.g. get marmam log9601). As of Nov. 28 1996 all MARMAM messages have also been archived on the world-wide web. These can be found at: http://www.reference.com/cgi-bin/pn/listarch?list=MARMAM(\)uvvm.uvic.ca This archive can be searched by keyword or by date. The archive manager is Quyen Lam 8. HOW DO I FIND OUT WHO SUBSCRIBES TO MARMAM? A list, sorted by country, of all current subscribers to the list may be retrieved along with their e-mail address' by sending the command: review marmam country to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. Subscribers not wanting this information available to others can send the command: set marmam conceal to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. The list of subscribers can then be imported into a spreadsheet or wordprocessing package where a "find" command can be used to locate a particular subscriber. 9. HOW DO I GET HELP USING LISTSERVER COMMANDS? A list of common commands for different listserver functions (subscribing, retrieving files, etc.) is obtainable by sending the message: help to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. A more detailed list of listserver commands may be obtained by sending the message: info refcard to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca 10. WHY WAS MY MESSAGE NOT POSTED TO MARMAM? MARMAM is an edited discussion list. Senders of messages are not notified upon rejection of their message nor provided individual reasons why their message was not posted to the list. However, messages not sent to the list typically fall into one or more of the following categories: **1) OFF TOPIC. Messages which do not pertain specifically to marine mammal research or conservation are not posted to the list. Topics which are not considered appropriate for this list include communication between humans and other animals, and animal rights issues. 2) 'CASUAL' REQUEST. Messages which request information which is readily available from other sources, such as your average university library, are not posted to the list. A specific request, with a brief description of what the information is to be used for, is most likely to stimulate feedback from other subscribers. 3) JOB/VOLUNTEER POSITION/INTERNSHIP WANTED. Requests for employment or volunteer opportunities are not posted to the list. Persons seeking such positions are encouraged to monitor MARMAM for opportunities, which they can apply to directly. Students interested in careers in marine mammal science are encouraged to consult the Society for Marine Mammalogy's 'Strategies for Pursuing a Career in Marine Mammal Science', which can be found at the Society for Marine Mammalogy's website: http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/strat.htm 4) BEEN THERE, DONE THAT. Messages of a duplicative nature which do not contribute new information are generally not posted to the list. Exceptions include event-related postings, such as conference information, job openings, and surveys. New subscribers are strongly encouraged to monitor MARMAM for a one week period before submitting messages to the list, or to review recent archived messages, to reduce the number of duplicative submissions. 5) 'FLAMES'. Messages which are derogatory or serve to insult rather than contribute to the discussion at hand are not posted to the list. 6) INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION. Messages which include only an information request without providing any background information justifying the request and demonstrating that available means to obtain this information have been exhausted. **7) INPROPERLY FORMATTED OR FULL OF TYPOS. As editing the list is a volunteer job and there are often too many messages to easily deal with, messages which are inproperly formatted (e.g., missing a subject heading, missing the senders name and e-mail address in the body of the message, or formatted too wide for a computer screen) or those full of typos may not be sent to the list. In most cases the author will be contacted regarding resubmitting their message, but at times of high volume, this may not always be done. 11. WHY DID MY MARMAM SUBSCRIPTION STOP? Your subscription may be cancelled if your email is undeliverable. This can happen, for example, if your in-box is full or if your server is down for a period of time. When this happens the marmamed account will receive error messages, and those whose accounts bounce back are either automatically deleted from the list or manually deleted by the list Editors every once in a while. If you find that you receive no MARMAM messages for a few days, try subscribing to the list again. 12. WHO DO I CONTACT WITH MY QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS? Questions and concerns about MARMAM can be sent to the list editors (Robin Baird, Sascha Hooker, Sara Ellis or Kerry Irish) at marmamed(\)uvic.ca ______________________________________________________________________ The MARMAM FAQ can also be found at the website: http://is.dal.ca/~whitelab/marmam.htm Updated September, 1997 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 08:19:24 -0400 From: William Rossiter Subject: Import of travelling display to Puerto Rico denied In a letter dated 25 September the National Marine Fisheries Service notified the M&M Amusement Park of Caguas, Puerto Rico, USA, that their public display permit to import two bottlenose dolphins, _Tursiops truncatus_, and three South American sea lions, _Otaria flavescens_ from Venezuela was denied. The marine mammals were to be displayed in a travelling exhibit through several cities, and had already toured in the Caribbean region. Reasons stated for the denial included: 1) A lack of an Exhibitor's license issued by the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and APHIS's concern for the "inherently stressful nature and risk of harm to the animals, particularly the dolphins, of the multiple planned transports." 2) The dolphins were Cuban, and current U.S. laws prohibit the importation of Cuban "merchandise". 3) The submitted paperwork for the seal lions presented an incomplete and inconsistent record of capture dates, birth dates, medical records, and CITES permits. 4) The educational program was not based on professionally recognized standards of the public display community. Cetacean Society International commends and thanks the many MARMAM and ECS members who commented on this permit application. NMFS needed, and responded to, the objective and factual statements given in large numbers by professionals concerned with the conditions under which this and many other travelling marine mammal displays exist. Cetacean Society International POB 953, Georgetown, CT 06829 USA ph/fx 203-544-8617 http://elfi.com/csihome.html ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 07:49:35 -0400 From: William Rossiter Subject: Inia Display Permit Application Withdrawn PRESS RELEASE: "Dallas Texas...On Thursday, September 25, 1997, The Dallas World Aquarium officially notified the National Marine Fisheries Service of their intent to withdraw a pending permit application for the importation of four (4) Punk River Dolphins, _Inia geoffrenses_. The decision was made based on the fact that no reliable scientific cencus data exists for these animals in the wild. The impact on the wild population of the permanent removal of four (4) sub-adults could not be determined." The press release further stated that "Continued field work for the conservation of this species will be a priority, with census data at the top of the list," said John Carlyle, general curator." Cetacean Society International wishes to thank the large number of ECS and MARMAM subscibers who had commented to NMFS on this permit application, expressing expert and concerned opinion about the unknown population, among other aspects of the permit application. NMFS was reportedly inundated with an overwhelming number of public comments from scientists on the issue. The Dallas World Aquarium became aware of the accumulating arguements from professionals and responded accordingly. CSI commends the Aquarium for their decision. Cetacean Society International POB 953, Georgetown, CT 06829 USA Ph/fx 203-544-8617 http://elfi.com/csihome.html ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 13:50:52 +0200 From: NAMMCO Secretary Subject: NAMMCO Sealing Conference ------ TO MARMAM SUBSCRIBERS The following is the text of the progamme for the forthcoming NAMMCO=20 International Conference and Exhibition - Sealing the Future - as printed= in=20 early September.=20 All enquiries and requests for registration and booking forms should be=20 addressed to the NAMMCO Secretariat in Troms=F8, Norway:=20 E-mail: nammco-sec(\)nammco.no=20 Tel: +47 776 45908=20 Fax: +47 776 45905=20 ............... Sealing The Future International Conference & Exhibition 25-27 November 1997 Delta St. John's Hotel & Conference Centre, St. John's, Newfoundland, Can= ada=20 Arranged by=20 the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission in cooperation with Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC)=20 Nordic Council of Ministers (NMR) Nordic-Atlantic Cooperation (NORA) High North Alliance Hosted by the Government of Newfoundland & Labrador ------------ Seals have long been an important resource for coastal communities,=20 providing food, clothing and other products for local use and for nationa= l=20 and international trade. Sealing continues to contribute to the cultures = and=20 economies of many communities around the world today.=20 The NAMMCO International Conference and Exhibition - Sealing the Future -= =20 will focus on seals and sealing worldwide, involving people from all sect= ors=20 with an interest in the conservation and management of seals - from=20 communities, industry, research and management authorities. The Conferenc= e=20 is designed as a forum for the exchange of information and experiences. I= t=20 will provide an opportunity to enhance communication and understanding=20 between all relevant sectors and between different regions and interest=20 groups, as well as to explore the potential for greater cooperation on th= e=20 conservation and management of seals and trade in seal products across=20 political, geographical and cultural borders. EXHIBITION The special Conference Exhibition will give participants the chance to=20 relate the specific focuses of the Conference programme to the facts and=20 realities of seals, sealing and the people and products involved. It will= =20 consist of information and product displays, supplemented by film screenings and=20 product sampling. Producers, sealing communities, researchers and relevan= t=20 national and international institutions and organisations are encouraged = to=20 make use of this unique opportunity to inform an international audience o= f=20 their activities and views. Requests for exhibition space should be submitted to the NAMMCO Secretari= at=20 on the enclosed application form together with a clear description of the= =20 intended display no later than 15 October. Exhibitors will be contacted = on an individual basis to discuss their specific needs prior to the Conferen= ce.=20 Programme Monday 24 November 1400 - 1900 Registration and setting up of exhibition 1900 - 2030 Reception for Conference participants hosted by=20 NAMMCO, Delta St. John's Tuesday 25 November =20 0800 - 0900 Registration CONFERENCE OPENING =20 0900 Opening remarks NAMMCO 0905 Welcome addresses =20 The Hon. John Efford, Minister of Fisheries & Aquaculture, Government of=20 Newfoundland and Labrador=20 The Hon. David Anderson, Minister of Fisheries & Oceans, Canada - tbc 0925 Guest speaker The Hon. Lars Emil Johansen, Prime Minister of Green= land=20 1000 Coffee break =20 SEALING PAST & PRESENT Chair: Milton M.R. Freeman, H.M.Tory Professor of Anthropology, Universi= ty=20 of Alberta, Canada Session 1. Sealing in context =20 1100 The Origins of Newfoundland Commercial Sealing: Shannon Ryan, Profes= sor=20 of History, Memorial University, St John's=20 1130 Collapse of the Arctic Sealskin Market: Aqqaluk Lynge, President of = ICC 1200 Questions & discussion 1215 Lunch Session 2. Sealing around the world today 1400 - 1700 A series of brief presentations from sealers and community= =20 representatives Alaska - Carl Jack, RurAL CAP, Anchorage; Larry Merculieff, Pribilof=20 Islands (tbc); Arctic Canada - Mary Sillett, Inuit Tapirisat of Canada;=20 Eastern Canada - Mark Small, Canadian Sealers' Association; sealer from=20 Quebec (tbc); Greenland - Hunters' and Fishermen's Organisation (KNAPK);=20 Namibia - Aldert Brink, SeaLion Products; Russian Federation - Y. Ponomar= ev,=20 Magadan Board of Fish and Game; representative from the White Sea region= ;=20 Norway - Bj=F8rne Kvernmo, Norwegian Sealer's Association=20 1900 for 1945 International Chefs' Showcase Seal Dinner, Newfoundland=20 Hotel, St. John's (separate arrangement)=20 Wednesday 26 November PRODUCTS & MARKETS=20 Session 1. Seal oil and meat Chair Kjartan Hoydal, Secretary, Nordic Atlantic Cooperation=20 0900 Seal meat, oil and carcass components - potential and problems = for=20 product development: Fereidoon Shahidi, Professor of Food Biochemistry, Memorial=20 University of Newfoundland 0930 The Orsoq seal oil research project: Jens C. Hansen/Eva Bonefel= d=20 J=F8rgensen, Centre for Arctic Environmental Medicine, University of =C5r= hus,=20 Denmark. 1015 Coffee Seal oil 1030 - 1100 Case studies: Aldert Brink, SeaLion Products, Namibia; Mar= it=20 Eriksen, Davinor, Norway; David Hiscock, Gateway Maritime, Newfoundland; Sulisa, Greenland 1100 - 1130 Discussion Seal meat 1130 -1200 Case Studies: John Ackerman, India Bay Frozen Food,=20 Newfoundland; J=F8rn Hodal, Sisimiut Food, Greenland; Wilhelm Burger, Nam= ibia=20 Venison=20 1200-1230 Discussion 1230-1400 Lunch Session 2. Seal Skin =20 Chair Alison Beal, Executive Director, Fur Institute of Canada 1400 The international market situation for fur: Leif Boe Hansen,=20 President & CEO, Saga Furs of Scandinavia & Chairman of the Board of the=20 International Fur Trade Federation 1430- 1530 Case studies: Jens Groot, Great Greenland; Knut Nyg=E5rd,=20 Rieber Skinn, Norway; Carl Sullivan, Terra Nova Fishery, Newfoundland;=20 Representative from the Government of the Northwest Territories, Canada;=20 Monica Riedel, Alaska; Eggert Johannson, Iceland 1530 - 1600 Discussion 1600 Coffee Session 3. Overcoming barriers to international trade in seal product= s=20 1615 Nordic Council of Ministers - Report from the reference group o= n=20 indigenous peoples - Product development and trade barriers (speaker to b= e=20 announced) 1630 - 1730 Panel discussion on trade barriers (Chair and panellists t= o=20 be announced) 1930 for 2000 Conference Host Dinner and International Fashion Show, Del= ta=20 St. John's =20 Thursday 27 November MANAGING SEALS & SEALING FOR THE FUTURE Chair Jean-Eudes Hache, former Assistant Deputy Minister,=20 Department of Fisheries & Oceans, Canada Session 1. Seal management in practice =20 0900 - 1030 15 minute presentations on sealing management policies: Canada - Jaque Robichaud, Director General, Resource Management,=20 Department of Fisheries & Oceans Namibia - Burger Oelofsen, Director, Ministry of Fisheries=20 Norway - Halvard P. Johansen, Assistant Director General, Ministry of=20 Fisheries=20 Peru - Milena Arias-Schreiber, Deputy Director of Marine Mammal=20 Research, IMARPE - tbc Questions & discussion 1030 Coffee 1100-1230 15 minute presentations on sealing management policies: Russian Federation - Representative from the Fisheries Committee, Moscow=20 (speaker to be announced) Greenland - Amalie Jessen, Head of Office, Department of Fisheries,=20 Hunting & Agriculture Uruguay - Alberto Ponce de Leon, Marine Mammal Department, National=20 Institute of Fisheries Alaska - to be confirmed Questions and discussion 1200 Lunch Session 2. Perspectives on management 1330 The harp seal - The challenge of managing a valued resource and= =20 formidable predator: Rob Coombs, resource planning supervisor, Department= of=20 Fisheries and Aquaculture, Government of Newfoundland & Labrador 1350 Do more seals mean lower TAC's?: Doug Butterworth, Department o= f=20 Applied Mathematics, University of Capetown, South Africa: =20 1410 Fish, turnips and conservation: Seals and the human ecology of=20 North Atlantic coastal communities: Niels Einarsson, Department of Fisher= ies=20 Studies, University of Akureyri, Iceland 1430 Questions 1445 Coffee 1515 The socio-economic basis of subsistence sealing in Canada and=20 Greenland: George Wenzel,McGill University Montreal & Grete Hovelsrud-Bro= da,=20 Brandeis University, USA=20 1535 Concepts and standards for the killing of animals: Egil Ole =D8= en,=20 Norwegian College of Veterinary Science, Oslo 1555 The need for consistency and cooperation in seal management: Ru= ne=20 Fr=F8vik, Secretary, High North Alliance 1615 Questions /coffee 1630-1730 Sealing the Future - concluding panel discussion chaired b= y=20 Jean Eudes Hache =20 tbc =3D to be confirmed ..................... REGISTRATION=20 All matters pertaining to registration and payment of conference and=20 exhibition fees should be addressed to the NAMMCO Secretariat in Troms=F8= ,=20 Norway (details below). The final deadline for full registration and paym= ent=20 of Conference and Exhibition fees is 15 October. Registration details sho= uld=20 be sent to the Secretariat on the enclosed registration form.=20 Upon receipt of your final registration form and Conference fee, you will= be=20 sent a letter of confirmation which must be shown as your proof of =20 registration in St John's. FEES Conference fee - NOK (Norwegian kroner) 1,000 (NOK 500 for students &=20 unemployed) provides Conference documents and access to all Conference=20 proceedings, Conference reception and host dinner (see below). Group fee - NOK 2,500 for three participants from the same organisation=20 provides Conference documents and access to all Conference proceedings,=20 Conference reception and host dinner, as well as one standard exhibition=20 space (see below). =20 Exhibition fee - NOK 500 covers standard display space only (see enclosed= =20 application form for details). Exhibitors wishing to attend the proceedin= gs=20 must pay the full Conference feein addition. Please note that as of 1 September 1997, NOK 1000 =3D c. CA 185 and c. U= S 135. CONFERENCE RECEPTION Monday, 24 November - 1900-2030 - Informal reception for Conference=20 participants hosted by NAMMCO at the Delta St. John's Hotel. INTERNATIONAL CHEFS' SHOWCASE SEAL DINNER=20 Tuesday, 25 November, 1900 -Newfoundland Hotel, St. John's To coincide with the Sealing the Future Conference in St John's, the=20 Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Government of Newfoundland and=20 Labrador and the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Chefs and Cooks are arranging a special evening of fine dining featuring a five-course se= al=20 dinner at the Hotel Newfoundland in St. John's. Chefs representing Norway= ,=20 Iceland, China, Canada and Newfoundland will showcase seal recipes=20 especially developed for this unique culinary experience.=20 Tickets are available for Conference participants at the cost of CA 100= =20 per person. Tickets must be paid for in advance directly to the Departmen= t=20 of Fisheries and Aquaculture by 7 November. Please use the enclosed=20 information and booking form for this special event. You are advised to b= ook=20 early as numbers are limited. CONFERENCE HOST DINNER & INTERNATIONAL SEAL FASHION SHOW Wednesday, 26 November - 1930 for 2000 - Delta St. John's Hotel All registered Conference participants are invited to a special Conferenc= e=20 dinner, hosted by the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Government= of=20 Newfoundland and Labrador. This gala evening will include dinner and an=20 international fashion show featuring designers from Canada, Alaska,=20 Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Namibia who will present their latest=20 collections of seal fur, leather and suede fashions. The Master of Ceremonies for the dinner will be the Hon. John=20 Efford,Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture of Newfoundland and Labrador= ,=20 and dinner speaker will be the Hon. Brian Tobin, Premier of Newfoundland = and=20 Labrador. In order to provide the Conference hosts with a clear idea of=20 numbers for the Conference dinner and fashion show, you are kindly reques= ted=20 to indicate on the registration form whether you wish to attend. NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR / ST. JOHN'S In 1997, Newfoundland and Labrador celebrates the 500th Anniversary of Jo= hn=20 Cabot's voyage to Newfoundland which marked the beginning of European=20 settlement in North America. St. John's, the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador (200,000 inhabitants) is the oldest city in North America, and h= as=20 a strong cultural connection to the sea and the sealing industry in Canad= a.=20 The city offers a modern harbour, international airport, business and=20 telecommunications infrastructure. The charming downtown area has many=20 excellent pubs and restaurants, and there are several significant histori= cal=20 sites and spectacular ocean scenery in the surrounding area. All participants registered by the deadline of 15 October will receive a=20 full information package on St John's and the Province of Newfoundland an= d=20 Labrador courtesy of the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, Newfoundland. Should you require further information regarding your trave= l=20 to and stay in St. John's, contact: City of St. John's, Department of=20 Economic Development & Tourism, Box 908, St. John's, Newfoundland, Tel.:+= 1=20 709 576 8106, Fax: +1 709 576 8246, E-mail: cityedev(\) nfld.com.=20 GETTING TO ST. JOHN'S St. John's International Airport functions 24 hours per day, providing a=20 number of regular daily flight connections to Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa a= nd=20 Toronto. There are also several direct flights a week between St. John's = and London, UK. Air services are provided year-round by Air Canada and Canada= =20 3000. =20 ARRIVING IN ST. JOHN'S St. John's International Airport is 6 km from downtown St. John's. There= =20 are no public bus routes serving the airport, but taxis are plentiful and= =20 affordable (c. CA 12 to downtown hotels). =20 WEATHER IN ST. JOHN'S The weather in St John's in late November is unpredictable. Temperatures=20 range from +5 C during the day to -1 C at night. Snow is not uncommon at=20 this time of the year. Warm, water-proof outer clothing is advised. STAYING IN ST. JOHN'S=20 A block reservation has been made for Conference participants at the Delt= a=20 St. John's Hotel & Conference Centre, 120 New Gower St., St. John's=20 Newfoundland, Canada, Tel.: +1 709 739 6404, Fax: +1 709 570 1622.=20 The hotel is offering the following special Conference rates: Single roo= m -=20 CA 115.00, Double room - CA 115.00, Business class - CA 130.00 (plus sa= les=20 tax) per night. Please note that breakfast is not included in the room rate. Participants are responsible for the booking and payment of their=20 accommodation. Bookings at the Conference Hotel must be made directly wit= h=20 the Delta St. John's (please use the enclosed booking form) by 15 Octob= er=20 in order to ensure a room at the special Conference rate. =20 ------------- NAMMCO - the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission - is an=20 intergovernmental body established in 1992 by an Agreement between Norwa= y,=20 Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands with the objective of contributi= ng through regional consultation and cooperation to the conservation, ration= al=20 management and study of marine mammals in the North Atlantic. =20 CONFERENCE PARTNERS INUIT CIRCUMPOLAR CONFERENCE (ICC) represents the 125,000 Inuit of Chukot= ka=20 (Russia), Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. The ICC has NGO status in the=20 United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and represents the=20 Inuit in the international arena of environmental and social initiatives.= =20 ICC's recent report: Collapse of the Arctic Sealskin Market: A Retrospect= ive=20 Analysis and Sustainable Options was prepared for the Arctic Environmenta= l=20 Protection Strategy. NORDIC COUNCIL OF MINISTERS (NMR) is an intergovernmental ministerial=20 cooperation between the Nordic countries - Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Nor= way=20 and Sweden as well as Greenland, the Faroe Islands and the =C5land Island= s.=20 Its counterpart on the parliamentary level is the Nordic Council. The NMR= 's=20 Programme on Cooperation in the Arctic Region has as one of its goals to=20 ensure that both indigenous and other peoples of the Arctic region can=20 develop modern societies on nature's premises and on a sustainable basis. NORDIC ATLANTIC COOPERATION (NORA) was established in 1995 by the Nordic=20 Council of Ministers as a project and funding programme aimed at improvi= ng=20 the framework and conditions for industry, trade and development in the W= est=20 Nordic region (Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Islands & Norway). HIGH NORTH ALLIANCE (HNA) represents major fishing, sealing and whaling=20 organisations in Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Norway, as wel= l=20 as the Canadian Sealer's Association. The objective of HNA is to protect the rights of whalers, sealers and fishermen to harvest renewable marine=20 resources in accordance with the principles of sustainable management. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: NAMMCO - North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission =20 c/- University of Troms=F8, N-9037 Troms=F8, Norway Tel.: +47 776 45908 - Fax. +47 776 45905 E-mail: nammco-sec(\)nammco.no NAMMCO gratefully acknowledges the economic support of the Government of=20 Newfoundland and Labrador, the Nordic Atlantic Cooperation, Nordic Counci= l=20 of Ministers and Indigenous Survival International, Greenland for the=20 arrangement of this Conference. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 02:22:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Ultrasonic noise can save a fi Ultrasonic noise can save a fish's life By LIDIA WASOWICZ UPI Science Writer SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Researchers say their latest studies show the American Shad, a member of the herring family, can detect high frequency sounds -- an ability that may save its life. This adaptation, they say, may allow the fish to escape their principal predator -- dolphins. Reporting Thursday in the British journal Nature, the investigators from the University of Maryland in College Park say they found the American Shad has two ranges of hearing. It can detect the range typically detected by most other fish and much higher frequency sounds in ranges nine times greater than those humans can hear. The scientists speculate this ability to hear such high pitched sounds enables the fish to detect the ultrasonic clicking employed by dolphins, and, thus, escape their predator. The ability may also be present in other shad and herring. Study co-author David Mann says, "Prior to our study, scientists suspected shad and herring could detect some ultrasonic noises, but it had never been confirmed." The results may improve efforts to use sound to protect shad and related species from being sucked into cooling water intakes of power plants. Ultrasonic sounds already are used to keep fish away from such intakes. Mann says, "Knowledge of the range of sound that shad can hear may make it possible to use this protective technique far more effectively." ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 30 Sep 1997 12:47:55 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: fish and ultrasound - where to find the article This morning, a newsclip was posted regarding clupeid fish responses to ultrasound. For those of you interested in obtaining the actual scientific article: Mann, D.A., Z Lu & A N Popper. 1997. A clupeid fish can detect ultrasound. Nature, Vol 389, No 6649 (25 September), pp. 341-343. Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Oct 1997 14:51:26 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Proceedings of NAFO/ICES Symposium on Role of Marine Mammals Dear readers, Many, many weeks ago, I posted a question asking if anyone knew the status for publishing of the proceedings from the NAFO/ICES Symposium on the Role of Marine Mammals in the Ecosystem which was held in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in Sept 1995. I now have word from Johann Sigurjonsson, one of the symposium organizers, as well as one of the editors of the proceedings. The year of publication is 1997 (as best as he understands) and all papers are ready for publication this month. The reference will be J. Northwest Atl. Fish. Sci., vol.21. I hope this information is useful to you. Sincerely Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 30 Sep 1997 13:18:01 -0400 From: TRACY GIORGIO - COMPUTER CTR SECRETARY X7229 <"LUCY::TRACYG"(\)JOE.ALB.EDU> Subject: Ocean Mammal Institute Marine Mammal Research Internships From: LUCY::TRACYG "TRACY GIORGIO - COMPUTER CTR SECRETARY X7229" 30-SEP-1 997 12:53:16.82 To: JOE::SMTP%"marmam(\)uvic.ca" CC: TRACYG Subj: Ocean Mammal Institute Marine Mammal Research Internships The field of animal studies has reached a turning point. We no longer have the luxury of studying animals just to learn more about them. Now we must learn more about them to help protect them. Their survival and the health of our environment depends on our ability to understand the interdependence between humans and the natural world. The Ocean Mammal Institute is dedicated to doing ecologically-sensitive research on marine mammals and their interactions with humans. As a research intern with OMI you will: *Study the biology and behavior of whales and dolphins while you observe and record their spectacular behaviors from a shore station and from boats. *Learn and apply the principles of field research designs as you participate in our ongoing field study on the impact of boats on the behavior of the humpback whale. *Gain a personal understanding of the politics of protecting endangered species. *Work shoulder to shoulder with dedicated and knowledgeable scientists in a team effort to gather data to be used by government agencies around the world as they develop whale and dolphin protection plans. *Learn about current research on whales and dolphins around the world and related conservation issues. *Be introduced to the field of Ecopsychology which studies the relationship between humans and the natural world. FIELD RESEARCH ON THE HAWAIIAN/HUMPBACK WHALE - JANUARY 1998 Two thirds of the North Pacific population of humpback whales come to Maui each winter to mate and give birth. Help us with our pioneering vessel impact research in this critical whale habitat for one, two, or three weeks in January 1998. If you participate in this ongoing field research project in January for three weeks, college course credit is available. There are lectures, readings, videos, discussions and, of course, data collection in the field. Shore-based data collection involves tracking whales and boats and recording whale behaviors. Boat-based tasks include recording social sounds of the whales with a hydrophone and recording their surface behaviors. This is a rare opportunity to help collect scientific data that will have a direct impact on the protection of the endangered humpback whale. January 5-26, 1998 Cost: $1200 for 3 weeks, $799 per week includes tuition and accommodations* (*Accommodations are 4 people in an apartment with 1 bedroom and 1 sofa bed.)\ FIELD RESEARCH ON THE HAWAIIAN SPINNER DOLPHIN - JUNE 1998 In this pioneering research we will study the impact of swimmers on the dolphins in a beautiful, untouched area in Hawaii. These dolphins feed at night and rest during the day. As the popularity of swimming with dolphins increases, we must be sure that in our enthusiasm to be with the dolphins, we are not creating stress for them. The results of this study will help us address this important issue. Contact us for dates and more information Cost: $1200 for 3 weeks, $799 per week includes tuition and accommodations* (*Accommodations are in a house with communal cooking.) ECOEXPEDITIONS If you prefer to join us on an ecoexpedition instead of a research project, OMI scientists and naturalists lead ecologically-sensitive trips worldwide where you can be in the company of whales and dolphins in restorative natural settings. In 1998 we have a trip to Baja, Mexico to see blue whales and grey whales and a trip to the Azores to see blue whales and sperm whales. Write or call for our ecoexpedition brochure. OCEAN MAMMAL INSTITUTE P.O. BOX 14422 READING, PA 19612 Phone & Fax: (610) 670-7386 800-226-8216 Marsha Green, founder and President of the Ocean Mammal Institute can be reached by e-mail at marshag(\)joe.alb.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 11:24:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Race against clock to save rar Race against clock to save rare seals By Amanda Brown, Environment Correspondent, PA News Vets are working against the clock to find out what is killing Europe's rarest mammal. The Mediterranean Monk Seal faces extinction unless a desperate gamble is taken with the lives of the remaining few specimens, an Edinburgh meeting of the British Veterinary Association was told. Only around 500 seals remain, living mostly in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey where pressure from mass tourism is forcing them off the quiet sandy beaches they need to rear their pups. There is also a small colony in the Atlantic and they breed along a small stretch of the Moroccan coast. Professor John Harwood Head of the Sea Mammal Research Unit in St Andrews, said a mysterious epidemic killed at least 120 seals earlier this year. Vets are now trying to find the cause and prevent a recurrence wiping out the surviving population. The seals were either poisoned by toxic algae or hit by a virus similar to the one which killed thousands of common seals in the North Sea during the 1980s. But there is still no agreement on which was responsible - most of the seals washed up on the North African coast were too badly decomposed to give definitive answers. Algal blooms occur roughly every 10 years in that area and if they were the cause, the next time could finish off the remaining population, said Prof Harwood. The only solution may be to try to establish a new colony around the Canary Islands where the algae does not occur. But this strategy is very risky as the seals might die as a result of capturing and transporting them. Taking them away would further reduce the survival chances of the remaining group. Adult seals would probably try to swim back to their original home and so the best bet would be to try to capture young seals. However, young animals are more likely to die of other causes and so scientists would have to take a larger group to guarantee that enough animals survive to adulthood. If scientists think the gamble is worth taking, it could be five or six years before they know whether it has paid off, Prof Harwood said. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 26 Sep 1997 12:03:02 -0700 From: "Joan M. Goddard" Subject: whaling book Dear marmam subscribers: Last June I queried the list about the possible usefulness of a small book on the whaling history of British Columbia. The response was very encouraging, and I want to thank those who commented. I proceeded, winding up with more than I had originally planned, including, you will be glad to hear, an index. The book, entitled A WINDOW ON WHALING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, is in press now, and will be in hand by mid-October. It is in square (8-1/2 by 9-inch) format, with soft cover bearing a water colour by acclaimed marine artist Harry Heine of a whaling scene. It's 112 pages include not only anecdotes portraying the human aspect of whaling, but an overview that outlines the growth of technology that brought whales to commercial extinction. A BC fisherman's lament over the loss of a humpback friend is reproduced in a chapter on the hunt for humpback whales. The book has 45 black-and-white illustrations, many of them from old whalers' albums and not previously published. Two maps identify whaling sites; one of them showing areas of the North Pacific and Arctic Ocean utilized in different eras of commercial whaling. A graphic illustration entitled "Man against whale: and increasingly uneven match" contrasts, for four different eras of whaling, the size of the largest whales hunted against the size of the pursuing craft: native dugout canoe, nineteenth-century whaleboat, steam whaler, and modern diesel whaler. The contrasts are startling! An extensive appendix describes whale species hunted in the North Pacific and the products obtained. It also provides a glossary of terms used in the whaling industry, and a chronology of BC whaling in the context of world whaling. While this is a short book, written for a general audience, it should also be useful as a reference for researchers. It was critiqued by whale biologists and whaling history authorities. Some of the material is new to the literature, stemming from my 15 years of research. The book lends itself to a discussion of natural resource management through its reference to the survival strategies of whaling companies as compared to those of tribal peoples who hunted whales in earlier times. When whale hunting was no longer an indigenous enterprise, community-based and managed, the consequences of over-kill were easily ignored. Technology simply moved the hunters to new fields, new species, and new and more efficient techniques in order to keep the companies solvent. My goal was to produce a readable, accurate, easily-carried and affordable book on a subject that has been largely ignored. The price will be $16.95 Canadian; $12.95 US. Anyone interested in obtaining a copy can e-mail me at: jgoddard(\)tnet.net Thanks for encouraging me to go ahead! Joan Goddard ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Oct 1997 12:09:08 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Re: Papillomas in cetaceans (fwd) From: "Richard H. Lambertsen" Dear Dr. Van Waerebeek: With respect to your highly interesting posting of 7/29/97, MARMAM readers might appreciate learning that the earliest known virus-associated papillomatosis in cetaceans was reported in sperm whale bulls landed in Icelandic commercial whaling operations. Original References: Lambertsen, R.H., Kohn, B. Buergelt, C.D. and Sundberg, J. Genital papillomatosis in sperm whale bulls. J. Wildlife Diseases 23: 510-514, l987. Lambertsen, R.H. and Kohn, B. Unusual multisystemic disease in a sperm whale bull. J. Wildlife Diseases 23: 361-387, l987. Lambertsen, R.H. Disease biomarkers in large whales of the North Atlantic and other Oceans. In: J.McCarthy and L. Shugart, Eds. Biomarkers of Environmental Contamination. Lewis Publishers. Chelsea, MI. pp. 395-417, l990. Approximately 10% of male sperm whales examined in l981-1982 (N=33) were affected with clinically detectible lesions. These and other epidemiologic data on morbidity led to early (1986) international warnings that infectious disease was not being sufficiently accounted for by managers of cetacean populations. Also, with respect to the possibility of malignant transformation (as can occur in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer in humans infected with papillomaviruses), Berzin (l971) reported the gross anatomic finding of a tumor 40 cm in diameter on the cervix of a (female) sperm whale, but unfortunately gave no histopathological/electron microscopic details. Such a tumor might well have been caused by papillomavirus infection -- although other causes are quite easily conceivable. R.H. Lambertsen, Ph.D., V.M.D. Research Associate Ecosystems Technology Transfer, Inc. P.O. Box 6788, Titusville, FL 32782 and Member, Veterinary Specialists Group International Union for the Conservation of Nature Koen Van Waerebeek wrote: > > Dear Marmamers: > > I have read with great interest the various messages on > papillomas in manatees and sea turtles. As has been correctly > commented we are still far from finding out whether or not > chemical pollution or other human-related environmental > factors are contributing to the spread of such diseases in > marine vertebrates. > > Warts and papillomas consist of localized epithelial > hyperplasia with a defined boundary and an intact basement > membrane. They are often -but not always- caused by > papillomaviruses (Papovaviridae). Here In Peru we have found genital > warts to be wide-spread in several small cetaceans. The prevalence > of the lesions in 130 small cetaceans was as follows: > 66.7% (CI: 57-74%) in Lagenorhynchus obscurus (n=78), 50% in > Delphinus capensis (n=10), 33% in Tursiops truncatus (n=9) and > 48.5% (CI: 33-64%) in Phocoena spinipinnis (n=33). > Lingual tumours were seen in 1 D.capensis. > The highest prevalence of genital warts was observed in male > dusky dolphins (86%). Interestingly, the mating system of this > species has recently been defined as promiscuous (Van > Waerebeek, 1992; Van Waerebeek and Read, 1994). Assuming a > venereal transmission, such a mating system would favour a > high prevalence of genital tumours. In humans, genital > papillomas also occur predominantly in promiscuous populations > (Oriel, 1971). > > Results are published in the following paper. It includes a > review of other known cases of papilloma in cetaceans. Yet to > be published follow-up research has since confirmed a > papillomaviral etiology of the warts in Peruvian cetaceans. > > Van Bressem, M.F., Van Waerebeek, K., Pierard, G.E. and > Desaintes, C. 1996. Genital and lingual warts in small > cetaceans from coastal Peru. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 26: > 1-10. > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Dr K. Van Waerebeek > Director, Peruvian Centre for Cetacean Research > kvwaere(\)mail.cosapidata.com.pe > > Peru: CEPEC, Jorge Chavez 302, Pucusana, Lima 20 > ph/fax +51-1-430 9406 and ph 1-430 9174 > EU: Coupure 60, 9000 Gent, Belgium > ph +32-9-225 5966 > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Marmammers, I am looking for three of pieces of information. Firstly, soft barncales are often observed on the erupted teeth of male Mesoplodon densirostris. Does anyone who deals with stranded specimens anyone know what species or genera these are ? Is it one or several species that can be found here ? The second piece of information that I need is conformation, or not, that the following species have been recorded in the following areas: Mesoplodon densirostris in the Azores. M. densirostris in the Lesser Antilles. Mesoplodon mirus in the Canaries. Thirdly, is there anyone out there who could send me a copy of the following paper: Anon. 1981. Three beaked whale skulls found. Cetus, 3. page 11. The first query is out of curiosity, the second two questions are for some work I am doing on factors affecting distribution of Mesoplodons in the NOrth Atlantic. Thanks for any help you can give. Regards, Colin. =========================================================================== Colin D. MacLeod, B.Sc. F2/2, 13 Kennoway Drive, "See what everyone has seen Thornwood, and think what no one has thought" Glasgow, - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi G11 7UA. U.K. Tel: 0141 337 2209 International: +44 141 337 2209 Email: macleod_c(\)colloquium.co.uk =========================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Oct 1997 10:12:28 -0700 Reply-To: MARMAM Editors From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Training dolphins (fwd) Dear Colleagues, We are planning a research proposal to train dolphins to discriminate between two balls. We would like to train some individuals in a cuing free protocol. We want to use plastic balls colored (e.g. one white and another red). We will measure time to reach the object, correctness over trials, and so on. I am looking for specific references on how to train dolphins to visually discriminate between two objects that differ only in brightness. In addition, I am interested in any experiments that have been done on determining a general learning curve for dolphins. For example, what is the retention period and/or the rate of habituation. These results will be used to develop a comparison study between the learning abilities of octopi and dolphins. I thank you for any input or suggestions you may have in advance. Regards Dr. Graziano Fiorito Laboratorio di Neurobiologia Stazione Zoologica "A. Dohrn" di Napoli Villa Comunale 80121 Napoli, Italy +39-81-5833232 (office) +39-81-7641355 (fax) e-mail: e058gf01(\)area.ba.cnr.it The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 10/03/97 Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 9/26/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 10/01/97 are double bracketed {{...}} . Marine Mammals . {{Keiko. In early October 1997, the Associated Press reported increasing discord between the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation over Keiko's care, health, and rehabilitation techniques.}} [Assoc Press] . {{Canadian Seal Cull. As of Oct. 1, 1997, Canadian fisheries officers had killed 17 seals in the Puntledge River on Vancouver Island near Courtenay, BC, in Canada's first seal cull aimed at protecting vulnerable salmon and trout populations. Another 23 seals are expected to be killed during the next week.}} [Assoc Press] . {Greenland Whaling. In late September 1997, Greenland's Organization of Fishermen and Hunters submitted a demand to Greenland Home Rule authorities that they be allowed an increased annual catch of 10 humpback whales, 21 fin whales, and 275 minke whales. This exceeds the current aboriginal subsistence allocation by the International Whaling Commission of 19 fin whales and 167 minke whales.} [High North Alliance News] . {Amazon River Dolphins. On Sept. 25, 1997, the Dallas World Aquarium notified NMFS that it was withdrawing its application to import four Amazon river dolphins from Venezuela for captive exhibition.} [Assoc Press] . WA State's Sea Lion Authorization. On Sept. 25, 1997, NMFS officials announced that they had extended, for four years, WA state's authorization to kill CA sea lions that gather at Ballard Locks to feed on migrating steelhead trout. The state can remove only predatory sea lions that have been observed killing fish between Jan. 1 and May 31, and only after non-lethal deterrence methods have been tried. [Assoc Press] . Round Island Subsistence Walrus Hunt. On Sept. 20, 1997, the Qayssiq (Round Island) Walrus Commission will open a month-long subsistence walrus hunt on Round Island in Bristol Bay, AK, with approval from the AK Dept. of Fish and Game. The quota was doubled this year to 20 animals. [Assoc Press] . Makah Whaling. On Sept. 11, 1997, leaders of the Makah Tribe held a press conference on their WA reservation to answer questions about their proposal to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) that the Makah kill 5 eastern Pacific gray whales annually for subsistence. The IWC would likely consider the Makah proposal at its annual meeting in Monaco in October 1997. [Assoc Press] . {{Russian Bowhead Whale Harvest. On Sept. 10, 1997, Russia notified the International Whaling Commission that it will permit five bowhead whales to be taken in 1997 for aboriginal subsistence by communities in northeast Siberia. Russian gave these communities permits to kill two bowhead whales in 1996.}} [High North Alliance News] . Russian Border Violations. The command of Russia's North Eastern frontier guard district notified the U.S. Coast Guard that hunters in motorboats had twice violated Russia's maritime boundary near Ratmanov (Big Diomede) Island on Sept. 9-10, 1997. [Moscow ITAR-TASS via Foreign Broadcast Information Service] . October IWC Meeting. On Sept. 9, 1997, Ireland's Heritage Minister Sile de Valera proposed that all the world's oceans be designated as a global whale sanctuary and that, if and when the present moratorium on commercial whaling is terminated, no international trade in whalemeat be permitted; whaling would continue to be allowed within the exclusive economic zones of individual nations. On Sept. 12, 1997, Australia's National Taskforce on Whaling released a report, recommending that Australia support an effort to establish a global whale sanctuary or a 50-year international moratorium on commercial whaling. The Taskforce also recommended a more precise definition of aboriginal subsistence whaling and the prohibition of special permit (scientific) whaling. On Sept. 25, 1997, Japanese officials announced that Ireland will propose a ban on research whaling at the October 1997 IWC meeting. [Reuters, Dow Jones News] . Canadian Sealing. On Sept. 4, 1997, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) released the results of an Angus Reid Group poll on Canadian opinions on sealing and announced a nationwide Canadian campaign to mobilize public opinion against commercial seal hunting. The survey was reported to show that 85% of Canadians support full protection for young seals and that 75% (including 54% of those surveyed in Newfoundland) oppose federal subsidization of sealing. About 41% of all Canadians surveyed did not know that commercial seal hunting occurred in Canada. [IFAW press release] . 1997 Norwegian Seal Hunt. In early September 1997, the Norwegian company that buys seal skins reported that the total 1997 harvest was about 9,820 seals from the total quota of 27,100 seals -- almost 7,000 fewer seals than were harvested in 1996. Only two vessels hunted seals in the vicinity of Jan Mayen and in the White Sea, taking about 2,780 hooded seal pups, 1,950 weaned harp seal pup, about 90 adult hooded seals, and about 5,000 adult harp seals. [High North Alliance Web News] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. Subject: RUSSIA ASKS FOR 5 BOWHEAD WHALES On September 10, 1997, the Russian government informed the IWC that it will allow Chukotski Autonomous Region natives in the far north-east of Siberia, to kill 5 bowheads from the Chukchi/Bering Sea stocks circa (8,150 animals). The Russian government gave that region permission to take 2 bowheads in 1996, but as of last week's trip to the region, I was unable to ascertain whether that take actually occured. I did document 6 bowhead carcassess in the Lorino/Providenya region, but 3 were older that 3-5 years and the age of the other three where undeterminable, but did not look quite that old. Russia initially made such a request to the IWC in 1996, but withdrew their petition when it was determined they would not gain the necessary 3/4 support. The most concerning aspect of this allocation request involves the issue that, all the Chuckchi/Yupik people I talked with indicate that the gray whales they are currently permitted to take are not being made entirely available to the natives (used instead primarily for fox food), and that if it was strickly 'subsistence, there would be excess meat from the current 140 (ending this year) quota. From their estimate, 2 gray whales would feed a village of 1200 for an entire year (very relevent to the Makah Tribal request in the US.)..... there are not enough villages existing to justify the current quota allocation, so there is good reason to question why an additional 5 bowheads should be allocated to Russia. It should be noted that the present fox farming operations are in decline, with at least 2 farms scheduled for closure in the coming months. There is a strong possibility that the Russian quota is being made to delay the closure of these fox farms, which profit the government-run 'Collective Farms' business. The Collective Farms include salmon harvesting and Reindeer harvesting operations, in conjunction with local gray whale and walrus hunting, under the guise of 'subsistence. As far as the argument about alternative meat not being avaliable in the region, I encountered relatively large sources of pork, processed canned meats, salmon, char and very large amounts of reindeer meat in the regions I travelled in. From my recent experience in this corner of Russia, I am convinced this request is being made to delay the closure of the remaining government Collective Farms-run fox farms in the Chokotski region. Michael Kundu, Pacific Northwest Coordinator Sea Shepherd Conservation Society arcturus(\)seanet.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Oct 1997 12:53:11 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Temporary capture of a Mesoplodon (fwd) From: Awashima Marine park Aloha! Here I would like to share this rare occasion of temporary capture and release of Methoplodon in Japan. It happened late afternoon of 29th September about 14:45. A local fisherman reported the stranding of a dolphin to Awashima Marine Park. Later staffs of the park identified one Methoplodon was swimming inside a small harbor. Approximate location was 138 degrees 53 minutes of east longitude and latitude 35 degrees 02 minutes north of Japan. Body length was about 5m and 50 cm. The animal had minor cuts on its lower jaw and dorsal and there was no significant sign of sickness. The staffs of Mito Sea Paradise were joind rescue attempt. Despite efforts( keep the animal out of the harbor by a net), the animal insisted to come back towards the bank of harbor. Quick dicision was made and the animal was captured by a net and towed by a boat to the far out side of the harbor. Then the animal was released from the net. The animal started to swim by itself immediately and disappeared. The attempt ended approximately 17:15. Since then, we have not heard any restranding of the animal. We could not identify the sex of the animal precisely, however we assume it was a male. We are the under the process of precise identification of the species of the animal, meanwhile at this moment we presume the animal was Methoplodon carlhubbsi based on the previos records. We got some pictures and a video taping. We appreciate if anyone know information of stranding and capturing of Mesoplodons. Mahalo! Satoru Yamamoto University of Hawaii Awashima Marine Park I am interested in obtaining pictures of several cetacean species for a publication: Phocoena phocoena P. sinus P. spinipinnis Mesoplodon bowdonii Berardius bairdii Tasmacetus Ziphius cavirostris I know that some of these are difficult species to deal with at sea as a photographer, but if any one has pictures available, and is interested in publishing them (prices to be discussed with the editor), you can contact me at: forcada(\)porthos.bio.ub.es Thanks indeed, Jaume Forcada ************************************************** Jaume Forcada Department of Animal Biology Faculty of Biology University of Barcelona Diagonal 645, E-08021 Barcelona, SPAIN e-mail: forcada(\)porthos.bio.ub.es fax: 34-3-3198959 phone:34-3-3198021 / 34-3-3198959 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 17:30:18 +0100 From: ".Unecia" Subject: Marine Mammals expert required for Black Sea Tender Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 ------ Subject: Marine Mammals expert required for Black Sea Tender UNECIA is an academic consultancy (web pages http:\\www.shef.ac.uk\~unecia) based in Sheffield, UK and has been invited to tender for a major environment programme within the Black Sea Region. As part of this project a long term advisor is required; to be based in Batumi, Georgia for 12 months and assist with marine mammals and public participation issues. The intended start date for project is January 1998, however a more realistic estimate is mid-late 1998. The general background of the advisor should be; EU national; approx. 5 years relevant experience; and, ideally, knowledge of the Black Sea region. Suitable candidates who are interested in being included within UNECIA=92s tender are encouraged to contact Matthew Foster and/or send a CV to UNECIA (UNECIA(\)Sheffield.ac.uk) before the 17 October and preferably as soon as possible due to an imminent deadline. Detailed job descriptions and the financial package will be discussed with suitable candidates. _________________________ UNECIA 4, Claremont Place, Sheffield, S10 2TB t: 0114 2726661 UoS Internal: 24114 f: 0114 2788226 e: UNECIA(\)sheffield.ac.uk http://www.shef.ac.uk/~unecia ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 06:20:45 -0700 From: David Scheel Subject: Blubber & octopus giganteus oliver(\)biology.ucsc.edu, ptaylor(\)islandsmag.com, yoko(\)pop.fish.hokudai.ac.jp To all who responded to my inquiry on the composition of whale blubber in relation to an carcass found in St. Augustine, FL in 1897: Thank you for your replies. I found them very useful. Several people have been interested in what I found out, so below is an (edited) compilation of what you all said. In short (details below): 1) Regarding composition of blubber, it does indeed contain collagen and can be very tough. Furthermore, in animals in poor condition (low fat reserves) the blubber can be nearly devoid of fat. 2) Other parts of decaying whales may leave remains of large masses of tough material, e.g. spermaceti organ of sperm whale or tail stock. 3) As whales rot the carcasses often float and the bones (especially skull and spine), being heavy, can tear loose from the buoyant tissue, and sink. I sent my original query because the published debate over the St. Augustine carcass has so far contained very little information on what happens to dead whales and what those remains look like. At the same time, some who feel that the remains were a giant octopus have argued that it must be so because there was no fat in the tissue. From all your replies, and my own review of the published debate, I have no doubt that the St. Augustine carcass and similar blobsters were decayed remains of whales or sharks. David Scheel PWS Science Center and Biology Department P.O. Box 705 St. Lawrence University Cordova, AK 99574 Canton, N.Y. 13617 e-mail: dsc2(\)music.stlawu.edu Edited replies: 1) From: Christina Lockyer Firstly an analysis of fin whale blubber using biochemical analysis and SEM examination, indicated that collagen fibres constituted 10-44% of the total protein content (wet weight) according to the position of the blubber, and protein comprised about 3.5 - 24% by wet weight of blubber, depending again on position. Therefore the most fibrous region - the ventral groove probably comprises a maximum of 10-11% collagen (Lockyer et al, 1984. Can.J.Zool. 62:2553-62). In an analysis of sperm whale blubber, protein content comprised up to 30% by wet weight (Lockyer, 1991.Rit. Fiskideildar 12 (2): 1-21). Of this one might argue that about half could be collagen. As to the leaching rates of lipid, I cannot advise you. However, I can imagine that ventral groove blubber could end up looking a bit like cephalopod tissue in texture. But the whole idea seems a bit unlikely. Christina Lockyer. Hi, David. Whale flesh, from my experience, is indeed tough and the blubber is fibrous. I actually had bowhead muktuk for the first time recently and once the oil is gone, you could chew on the fibers forever. The remains of a kw we found this summer was also very fibrous, resembling a woven mat...that was stuff that was very decomposed. So, indeed it could be whale flesh. Eva Saulitis Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 09:22:23 -0600 From: Daniel_Mulcahy(\)nbs.gov (Daniel Mulcahy) I thought that you might be interested in a casual observation I made a couple of years ago in the dump (!) at Barrow, Alaska. I observed seagulls standing around about a half-dozen pieces of what I took to be very dirty, off-white, long shag carpet. On closer inspection, the "carpet" pieces turned out to be square pieces of bowhead whale blubber discarded by locals. The seagulls had made short work of the softer tissues, but apparently had not been able to cut the collagen strands. This was a testimonial to the strength of the connective tissues. Hope this anecdote is of interest. Daniel M. Mulcahy, Ph.D., D.V.M. Wildlife Veterinarian US Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division Alaska Biological Sciences Center 1011 East Tudor Road Anchorage, AK 99503 EMAIL: daniel_mulcahy(\)nbs.gov From: Kent Osborn With regard to the collagen composition of cetacean blubber, the best I can do for you is provide some anecdotal information. I had the opportunity to assist people from Sea World (San Diego, California) as they performed a necropsy on a stranded grey whale calf in the early 1980's (1984 - 1985?). The animal appeared to be a yearling calf, whose primary problem was scoliosis. The animal actually died as Sea World was transporting it to their facilities from San Diego Harbor, where it had been observed weakly swimming for the previous 24 or so hours. Thus, we had the opportunity to obtain fresh tissues. Though the carcass was fresh, the animal was in very poor body condition, probably due to it's inability to efficiently swim and feed. The punch line here, is that it is my impression that the adipose reserves in the blubber were essentially absent, leaving primarily the dermal collagenous matrix. This proved to make dissection, even with a good set of very sharp knives, very difficult and tedious. So....I would find it quite believable that this material, under the right conditions, might take quite some time to decompose, compared to other tissues and viscera. Kent Osborn Kent Osborn, DVM, PhD INTERNET: kgosb(\)scripps.edu Department of Animal Resources, MB-18 The Scripps Research Institute 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd. La Jolla, CA 92037 2) From: Peter Arnold I saw your query on MARMAM. I have no direct information to offer but suggest that you look not only at structure of blubber but at the structure of the spermaceti organ of the sperm whale. It is a massive structure, with a tough connective tissue sheath around the case. I do not know what the collagen content of this structure is. The whole facial structure of the sperm whale sits within a concave skull 'basin' and could easily lift off as the animal decomposes. The case has a high oil content, so could float far from the rest of the whale carcase. There are detailed descriptions of the structure in the literature, e.g. by M.R. Clarke. Hope this is of interest. Peter Arnold From: Angst McLeyle Have you considered that the "octopus " was the severed tail stock of a large cetacean. The tendons of the tail stock would resemble 'tentacles' if the retinacular bundle had broken down . The tissue is almost pure collagen. blubber has some connective tissue but nothing that resembles thick cords. Blubber has an extremely high saturated fat content. It does not have any great physical integrity . I have never seen a study of blubber degradation underwater but it could not last long. Go with the tail stock, it best fits the cases. Tom Ford From: Angst McLeyle The spermaceti organ is essentially a thick membrane enclosing a volume of waxy oils. that organ is supported by a denser mass of connective tissue called the "junk" . The spermaceti organ would indeed be collapsed bag after some time in the water. However it would be still firmly attached to the junk if it had not been artificially pulled away from the junk. Tom Ford 3) From: Peter Arnold The most complete accounts by M.R. Clarke are in 3 papers published in vol 58(1) of J. mar. biol. Assoc. United Kingdom (1978). The first discusses anatomy, the others physical properties of spermaceti oil and Clarke's theory that the organ is a buoyancy device. Dr K. Norris has also looked at structure of the head; he doesn't believe the Clarke theory and has an alternative theory associated with sound production. Another bias comes from an experience several years ago when three dead sperm whales were photographed floating off the coast here. Several weeks later a large blob, not unlike the pictures of the St Augustine specimen (but without the structures which were initially interpreted as tentacle bases) washed up on one of the islands. I can not say for sure that it was the head of one of the sperm whales since no samples were taken, but I still consider it the most likely possibility. In that case, it had been initially reported as a strange whale because the observer saw what he thought were tail flukes. But the photos showed that these were diverging strands of what appeared to be connective tissue, inconsistent with the structure of flukes but consistent with strands of tissue attached to a skull. Again there is a fair amount of speculation contained in my account, but I still think the spermaceti organ is a good candidate for at least some of the reports of O. giganteus. Peter Arnold From: sisle(\)island.net (Rod Palm) In response to your query in MARMAM. The following is an excerpt from our (Strawberry Isle Research Society) news letter. On April 2nd '97, we got a call on an unidentified marine mammal on the beach near Escalante. Doug Banks is on days off and offers to fly us up with his wheel plane. It never ceases to amaze me, the tiny bits of beach that these guys are able to drop down onto, but it's the weaving through the jutting rocks that makes you gulp. Our dead mammal was that all right. No bones, no distinguishing features, just a large mattress of blubber. These masses have, over the years been variously reported as Globs, Blobs and sea monsters. In fact, what it often is, are the remains of some long dead whale. What happens is, as the dead whale drifts for months on the open ocean currents, it starts to break down from scavenger predation and plain old rot. Being very buoyant, the blubber floats while the heavier bones want to detach themselves and fall out of the decaying carcass. On top of this, perhaps, the heavy skull pulling down against the buoyancy of the blubber may cause the remains to slowly rip apart. We saw an example of this scenario with the Baird's Beaked Whale (see Feb. '97 Scuttle Butt). All but three of the whale's ribs had already fallen out of the cadaver and some of the vertebrae could easily be extracted by hand. Last week we were visiting a friend (Jim Borrowman ), he had the cadaver of a long dead Sperm Whale tied up and the skull fall right out of the carcass. Rod Palm, principal researcher Rod & Kechura Palm Strawberry Island, Box 213, Tofino, B.C., V0R-2Z0 e-mail sisle(\)island.net From: Barbara B Piel I also wanted to share with you my experiences with decomposing whale carcasses. I dealt with at least 10 dead cetaceans washed ashore from the Gulf of Mexico. The standard procedure at Mote Marine Lab/Dolphin Biology Research Institute is to collect the animal if it is relatively "fresh" and perform necropsy at MML to determine cause of death. If the animal is too badly decomposed, we remove the head (DBRI has a cetacean skull collection) and bury the body on the beach. There was one stranding in particular where the animal was so badly decomposed that it looked like melting mozzarella. It was creamy yellow and kind of crusty brown in spots, from sun baking. When we picked up the animal (this one was dragged up the beach for burial), I noticed that the tail area looked as if it had a soft white rope tangled around it (the tail was still floating in the water.) I asked our vet tech if that was indeed what I was seeing. No. It was decomposed tail flukes. (Collagen?) Your giant octopus mystery is intriguing. I'm taking the side of those who believe that a huge hunk of great whale collagen could wash ashore. I envision the carcass floating along, being fed upon by birds, fishes, microbes, rotting away until the skeleton falls out, the oils wash away, leaving only a great white mass of collagen. I hope you will submit the responses you receive from Marmamers to the list, I am curious to know what you find out! Barbara B. Piel University of New Hampshire Computing and Information Services 603 862-3240 Barbara.Piel(\)unh.edu My original query: Date: Sat, 20 Sep 1997 06:30:15 -0800 To: MARMAM(\)UVVM.UVIC.CA Subject: Composition of blubber I am interested in the composition of whale blubber - how much collagen does this tissue contain? Also, what happens to whale blubber when it decomposes under water? Are there enough oils etc. in it that it is rapidly devoured or is it tough enough that it might take a long time to decompose. Is it likely that the oils etc could decompose and leave collagen behind? The MARMAM editors have requested I provide some background on my interested in the topic. My question is sparked by a debate that has smoldered at the fringes of cephalopod biology for 100 years. In 1897, a several-ton carcass washed ashore in St. Augustine Florida. It was examined by Dr. Wood and written about by A.E. Verrill in several 1897 issues of the Am J Sci (4th Series 3:79; 3:162 3:355) as well as in Science (1897 5(114):392, 5(116):476) in which Verrill first identified the carcass as the first specimen of new species of octopus, Octopus giganteus, and later reversed himself declaring it was not an octopus but might be whale blubber. The carcass consisted entirely of collagen, was notable in its size and that it did not rot when exposed to the elements, and is not a unique occurrence. Similar carcasses have washed ashore in New Zealand and as recently as 1988 in the Bahamas. In 1995, Pierce, Smith, Maugel & Clark (Biol Bull 188:219-230) published a histological examination of the tissues of the St. Augustine and the Bermuda carcasses and declared they were from 'vertebrate skin', in the first case a homiotherm (e.g. a whale) and in the second a poikilotherm (e.g. a large shark). They conclude that "there is no evidence to support the existance of Octopus giganteus." This conclusion led Mangiacorpra et al. (1996. 19:1,45-50) to write a rebuttal which appeared in Of Sea & Shore. I reviewed the debate with interest and was struck by the fact that first, the sceptics of the whale theory argue the it could not have been whale blubber because it did not have fat in it; while the proponents of this theory wrote only very briefly of the general composition of blubber and how it may be expected to decompose in the ocean. Hence my question. Thanks for your help! Please reply directly to my e-mail: dsc2(\)music.stlawu.edu Cheers, David ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 20:39:54 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Barnacles on Beaked Whales (fwd) From: "Richard H. Lambertsen" Mssr. MacCleod - With respect to your question about "soft barnacles," I can say that in sperm whales the goosenecked barnacles seen on the teeth and periodontal membrane (often when there is pathological retraction of the gum) fall into the genus Conchoderma: C. virgatum C. cuvier C. auritum __Conchoderma auritum___ has also been reported, at least, in the following other cetacean species Species Reference Northern bottlenosed whale Beneden (1870) (Hyperoodon ampullatus) Broch (1924) Nansen (1925) Cuvier's beaked whale Gauthier (1938) (Ziphius cavirostris) Monod (1938) Baird's beaked whale Omura, Fujino and Kimura (1955) (Barardius bairdi) Rice (1963) Gervais' beaked whale Beneden (1870) (Mesoplodon gervaisi) Sowerby's whale Sergeant and Fisher (1957) (Mesoplodon bidens) North Atlantic pilot whale Benenden (1870) (Globicephala melaena) Wolff (1960) Sergeant (1962) Hawaiian spinner dolphin Morris and Mowbray (1966) You might therefore find useful information in the context of your own study in the following references: Freund, L. Die Tierwelt der Nord - und Ostsee -- Cetacea XXVII, 12 Leipzig. 1932. Clarke, R. 1966. The stalked barnacle Conchoderma, ectoparasite of whales. Norsk Hvalfangst-tidende 8: 153-168. Beneden, P. - J.V. 1870. Les cetaces, leurs commensaux et leurs parasites. Bull. Acad. r. Belg. Cl. Sci, Second Series, 29:347-368. Gauthier, H. 1938. Observations sur un Cetace du genre Ziphius mort au large d'Alger. Bull. Stn. Aquie. Pech Castiglionc, I. 181-204. Monod, T. 1938. Conchoderma auritum (L. 1767) Olfers 1814 sur un Ziphius cf cavirostris (?) G. Cuvier 1923. Bull. Stn Aquic. Pech Castigione, I. 205-210. Omura, H., Fujino, K. and Kimura, S. 1955. Beaked whale Berardius bairdii of Japan with notes on Ziphius cavirostris. Rice, D.W. 1963. Progress report on bioloigcal studies of the larger Cetacea in the waters off California. Norsk Hvalfangstitid, 7: 181-187. Sergeant, D.E. and Fisher, H.D. l957. The smaller Cetacea of eastern Canadian waters. J. Fish. Res. Bd. Can, 14: 83-115. Regards, R.H. Lambertsen, Ph.D., V.M.D. Ecosystems Technology Transfer, Inc. P.O. Box 6788 Titusville, FL 32782 I am hoping someone here can help me find the answer to a question I have had for some time. As their name implies, Rough-toothed dolphins, Steno bredanensis, have vertical grooves on their teeth making them "rough". This is the only cetacean with such a trait. A friend was telling me about orangutans and mentioned that they had grooved teeth also (unlike other primates). That only one species of cetacean and one primate have such a trait, when other closely related species don't, is rather intriguing. I have access to a very large collection of marine mammal references but have not been able to find any information. Does anyone know if these grooves serve a purpose? Andrew Schiro Marine Mammal Research Program Texas A&M University 4700 Avenue U, Bldg 303 Galveston TX 77551 schiroa(\)tamug.tamu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 23:03:02 -0400 From: Dr Antonio A Mignucci-Giannoni Subject: Pilot whale parasites Dear Marmaners: We are completing a paper on the parasites of cetaceans from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and have completed the literature review of previous occurrence of the parasites on all, except one of the species studied. We have encountered difficulties finding literature detailing the reported helminth of Globicephala macrorhynchus. We were able to find plenty references or lists of the parasites of the longfin pilot whale (G. melas), but the only references we found specifically of the shortfin pilot whale were of Dailey and Brownell (1972) and Morales and Olivera (1983). A literature search in biological abstracts from 1992 to 1997 did not yield any results for parasites of G. macrorhynchus. We are in need of help if anybody out there knows of any occurrence or any literature detailing the finding of the following helminths in the shortfin pilot whale: Bolbosoma capitatum, Crassicauda sp., Stenurus globicephalae, and Monorygma grimaldii. We would appreciate anybody's assistance on this matter, by contacting us directly at mignucci(\)caribe.net Gracias, Antonio [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Dr. Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni Scientific Coordinator-Caribbean Stranding Network Assistant Professor-University of Puerto Rico PO Box 38030 San Juan PR 00937 USA Tel 787-766-0000 x4878, 787-767-8009 Fax 787-764-2610, 787-767-8009 Emergencies 787-399-8432, 787-402-2337 (unit 990-0440) Email mignucci(\)caribe.net Webpage http://netdial.caribe.net/~mignucci/ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 14:36:46 -0500 From: Andrew Schiro Subject: online bibliographic searching Hello Marmamers! As you know, references of interest to marine mammal researchers are published in a wide variety of journals. Keeping up with the current publications as well as finding older items is quite troublesome and time-consuming. I have access to many of the indexing services as well as a database containing approximately 30,000 records, covering marine mammals or other related articles. I have taken a small sample of this and have designed a demonstration page designed to generate interest in an online searchable bibliography for marine mammals. It is available at: http://finscan.tamug.tamu.edu/ There are several hundred references (will grow to about 500 this week) and instructions are available online.\ Please excuse the simplicity of the search page and report forms (this is a demo copy of the software and I wasn't given a book). Andy Andrew Schiro Marine Mammal Research Program Texas A&M University 4700 Avenue U, Bldg 303 Galveston TX 77551 schiroa(\)tamug.tamu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 05:45:28 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Seal Rehabilitation Volunteers Required SEAL REHABILITATION VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED ======================================= The Orkney Seal Rescue Centre, a long-established seal rescue and rehabilitation centre based in South Ronaldsay, Orkney Islands, Scotland is looking for two volunteers, preferably experienced, to help during the coming grey seal pupping season, October - December 1997. Activities will include the rescue of sick and injured seals, preparation of food, feeding (including tube feeding) and cleaning of seals, cleaning and maintenance of the rehabilitation unit, liaising with veterinary support and the release of rehabilitated seals. Training is provided for those with lesser experience of any of these activities. Food and accommodation are provided but the Centre is not able to pay expenses or provide insurance cover. Volunteers are expected to be available over 24 hours as they can be called out at any time to rescue seals. Occasionally volunteers may also assist in the rescue of stranded cetaceans around the waters of Orkney. This is an ideal opportunity for those who want to gain hands-on experience in seal rescue and rehabilitation in one of the most scenic areas of the United Kingdom. For those who are interested, please contact: Ross Flett (Chairman) Orkney Seal Rescue Dyke End South Ronaldsay Orkney United Kingdom KW17 2TJ Tel/Fax: +44:(0)1856-831463 Mobile: +44:(0)421-073868 Email: SelkieSave(\)aol.com ------------------ Message posted by: Peter Haddow Seal Conservation Society The Manse, Methlick, Aberdeenshire United Kingdom AB41 7DS Tel/Fax: +44-1651-806215 Web: http://www.greenchannel.com/tec/seals.htm E-mail: p.haddow(\)abdn.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 16:58:43 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: World Marine Mammal Science Conference - Update World Marine Mammal Science Conference update 8 October 1997 1. To date we have received almost 500 registrations for the WMMSC. 2. Many people printing registration forms from the web site are not following the instructions to set printer margins for 0.25 inches on all sides. Failure to set printer margins results in the form being on multiple pages. If you are unable to set printer margins, download the Adobe Acrobat reader and use the Acrobat PDF files that are provided on the web site. 3. DO NOT alter the conference registration form if you download it from the web site. Altered forms WILL NOT be processed and you will be asked to resubmit the proper forms. 4. PLEASE read ALL of the instructions on the registration form. 5. Revised information on pre-conference workshops and conference symposia have been posted on the conference web page and to MARMAM as a separate posting. In order to attend a workshop you MUST be registered for the WMMSC. Please contact the workshop organizers if you are interested in attending. DO NOT contact the conference chair or the registration coordinator. http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/wmmsc/wmmsc.htm 6. Individuals charging WMMSC registration fees to a credit card will see a line on their billing statements that contains 'CRMM-WMMSC' . All credit card billings are done in French Francs and then converted to your local currency by your credit card company. The actual amount billed may appear 'strange' due to currency conversions. Please DO NOT call your credit card bank and cancel the CRMM-WMMSC charges. This will only result in confusion for everyone. Daniel K. Odell Member, WMMSC Conference Committee odell(\)pegasus.cc.ucf.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 17:04:26 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: WMMSC Workshops and Symposia Workshops and Symposia to be held at WMMSC Conference in Monaco, January 1998. WORKSHOPS Eight workshops will precede the regular conference. They are not sponsored by the WMMSC. You MUST be registered for the WMMSC in order to attend any of the workshops. Therefore, fees in addition to the regular conference registration fee will be charged to attend them. The Student Affairs Workshop is free. Fees for the other workshops will range from U.S. $10 to $25. These fees cover the cost of video equipment rental, and other incidentals. Workshop fees are payable at the ONSITE conference registration area. Please notify WORKSHOP ORGANIZERS as soon as possible if you plan to attend so that space will be made for you. Please DO NOT contact the WMMSC conference chair or the WMMSC registration coordinator. Below are the titles and descriptions of workshops that were received as of 1 October. All dates and times are provisional. Marine Mammal Reproduction: Morphology and Physiology Organized by Christina Lockyer and Thomas Buus-Srensen This workshop welcomes participation by researchers (both established in the field and also students) who would like to make an informal contribution on their studies on any marine mammal (cetaceans, seals, otters, sirenians, polar bears) that focuses on morphology and physiology. However, it will not be restricted to just these aspects should there be new information of a more general nature on any little known or poorly studied species. This workshop is for informal presentation of research (including ongoing PhD. or MSc. research) and while submission of an abstract or presentation outline is desirable (no deadline but early notifications are encouraged) there will be no formal publication or compilation of the proceedings of the workshop. Please contact Christina Lockyer on E-mail "chl(\)dfu.min.dk" or fax to +45 33 96 33 33 for more information, draft agenda and request for participation. Time: Sunday 18 January, 1330-1800, and Monday 20 January, 800-2000. Assessing Behavioral Impacts of Human Activities on Marine Mammals. Organized by Kelly Allman. This workshop will examine protocols used to assess behavioral impacts on marine mammals of human activities. The capability to distinguish natural behaviors exhibited by marine mammals from those which result from human activities is a critical component to most behavioral studies. Participants of this workshop are invited to share protocols, research techniques and ideas used to measure effects on marine mammals. Participants will examine how marine mammal reactions from research activities, boat traffic, noise and other sources are recognized and quantified. We will discuss paradigms used to gauge what is considered a significant impact versus a subtle one. Terminology used to describe different degrees of impact will be reviewed. Discussion topics will include the assessment of a reaction during distribution and abundance sightings, and the use of indicators such as swimming direction and speed, surface and diving behaviors, and patterns of group associations. Acoustic, visual and physiological techniques used to monitor behavioral responses will be discussed. Contact Kelly Allman, "kallman(\)dnai.com" telephone (510)527-1879, FAX (510)527-1970. Time: Monday 19 January, 800-1800. Reducing Cetacean Bycatches: Progress with Acoustic Deterrents Organized by Simon Northridge, Andy Read, and Greg Donovan This Workshop is intended for workers active in this field. It is not intended to produce an overview of the problem but rather to review results from recent fieldwork and theoretical advances and to discuss ways in which to move forward. Brief presentations of recent results will take place on the first evening. The following day will be a round-table workshop, following a predetermined agenda. A major aim of the workshop will be to agree to a standard protocol for testing the efficacy of modifications to fishing gear, with the focus on obtaining statistically meaningful results. The Workshop will be limited to a maximum of 30 people. If you wish to attend, please contact Simon Northridge on E-mail "spn1(\)st-andrews.ac.uk" or fax to +44-1224-734246, giving a brief outline of your potential contribution. Alternatively, contact Andy Read at "aread(\)mail.duke.edu" or Greg Donovan at "10145.1360(\)Compuserve.com." Time: Monday 19 January, 1800-2300 and Tuesday 20 January, 800-1800. Discussion on the Biology and Conservation of the World's Endangered Monk Seals. Organized by Alex Aguilar and Bill Gilmartin Monk seals remain one of the most threatened and poorly known groups of pinnipeds. Of the three modern species of the genus, one is considered to be extinct and the other two are highly endangered. This workshop aims at gathering experts and interested scientists, students and managers to present information and participate in discussion of the current status, biology and conservation of the genus worldwide. The workshop will develop in two parts: I) presentation of communications and ii) discussion of main topics: population status and trends, general biology and behaviour, and management. Submit abstracts of communications (verbal or posters) by 10 October. Verbal communications will be limited to one per presenter, but more than one poster may be presented per person. The format for abstracts is the same as for the main Conference. Fax or e-mail versions may be sent to meet the deadline, but a good quality hard-copy is required. Abstracts will be distributed to attendants. Please contact Dr. Alex Aguilar (e-mail: alexa(\)porthos.bio.ub.es, fax:+34-3-319 89 59), or Mr. William Gilmartin (e-mail: william.gilmartin(\)noaa.gov, fax: +1-808 293 9558). Time: Monday 19 January, 800-2000 and Tuesday 20 January, 800-1200. Whalewatch Research Organized by Christopher D. Malcolm. Following the 1995 workshop, "Scientific Aspects of Managing Whale Watching", in Montecastello, Italy, development of a scientific framework was determined to be a primary issue with respect to management. This workshop will provide an opportunity to present recent advances, in a formal session, and revisit and discuss research directions in a subsequent informal session. For further details, contact Christopher D. Malcolm, Dept. of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada; E-mail: cmalcolm(\)office.geog.uvic.ca. Time: Monday 19 January, 800-2000. Bio-acoustic Signal Processing: Directions for Future Research Organized by Michael Andre and Cees Kamminga. This workshop is organized for active researchers in the field of marine mammal bioacoustics. It is intended to debate the future issues of research and not to review previous results. Signal Processing includes the theoretical aspects of how marine mammals process and use acoustic information as well as the scientific interpretation and understanding of marine mammals bio-acoustic signals, incorporating recent advances in technology for signal acquisition and analysis as well as software dedicated to bio-acoustics. Short presentations based on very recent results will open the discussion following a determined program centered upon finding common strategies of research and in defining immediate issues to be applied to marine mammal biology. The workshop will have a limited number of participants and will be conducted over a period of one day. People interested in attending should contact Michael Andre or Cees Kamminga, sending a short outline of their presentation. Michael Andre (E-mail mandre(\)infovia.ulpgc.es; alternative mandre(\)cmmc.ext.ulpge.es, FAX 34-28-55-1555); Cees Kamminga (E-mail kamminga(\)it.et.tudelft.nl; fax 31-15-278-1843). Time: Tuesday 20 January, 800-1800. WMMSC Student Affairs Workshop Organized by Leah Gerber and Paula Moreno The objective of the student workshop is to provide students with career planning tools and to give them contact with professionals and other students. Presentations will be made by senior scientists from Europe and the U.S. about programs that they supervise, graduate positions, and volunteer positions. Journals that accept papers related to marine mammals, available marine mammal bibliographies and grant writing for marine mammal research will also be summarized and discussed. Senior scientists representing various disciplines will be available for informal discussion with students. A separate session for students only will focus on student issues relevant to SMM and ECS. A social gathering will follow. Contact Leah Gerber at "leah(\)fish.washington.edu," FAX (206)526-6615, or Paula Moreno at "nop48929(\)telepac.pt." Time: Tuesday 20 January 1330-1800 The following workshop has been organized, but no formal description is available as of 1 October. "Epidemiological and Biological Significance of Diseases in Cetaceans. " Organized by Manuel Hartmann (E-mail ha005ha(\)unidui.uni-duisberg.de; FAX 49-203-305-5922) Time: Monday 19 January, 0800-2000 Fee: US$25.00 (includes proceedings) ------------------------------------------------------------ SYMPOSIA Scale Issues in Marine Mammals: Concepts and Applications. Organized by Jonathan Stern This symposium has two focuses, one on the scale at which humans sample or observe natural patterns, the other on how animals sample their environment. The pattern that we see depends on the scale at which we observe. Changing that scale, from the population to the individual or vice versa, changes our interpretation of the pattern. Thus our perception of the pattern is scale-dependent. The ways animals use habitat also depends on the scale at which they interact with the environment. Animals may sample their environment at different scales simultaneously, including physiological, allometric, behavioural, and environmental. The sampling design of field studies needs to take these scale differences into account. The correlation of marine mammals with oceanographic features, resource distribution, resource competition, and management issues are all scale-dependent. This symposium focuses on the theoretical and practical applications of spatial and temporal scales in relation to marine mammal studies. (E-mail sternj(\)tamug.tamu.edu). Time: Thursday 22 January 1600-1730. Mysticetes: why migrate? Organized by Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara and Phil Clapham Mysticetes are known to be among the greatest migrants, and theories exist to explain both the functions and the evolution of such migrations. However, many exceptions to the general mysticete migratory pattern are known, and the more that is learned, the more exceptions are found. The aims of the symposium - which will also discuss whale populations living in enclosed or semi-enclosed seas - will be to explore the function of mysticete migration and the factors which might influence individual decisions on whether or where to migrate. Contact Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara at E-mail "gnstri(\)imiucca.csi.unimi.it," FAX 39-2-29-40-1987, or Phil Clapham at "claphamp(\)nmnh.si.edu". Time: Thursday 22 January 1600-1730. Marine Mammals and Oceanographic Processes Organized by Cynthia Tynan This symposium welcomes presentations which define linkages between marine mammal ecology and oceanographic processes and features. Oceanographers, climatologists, and ecologists are encouraged to submit abstracts of their interdisciplinary research which demonstrates the ecological importance of oceanographic or climatologic processes to marine mammals. Several oceanographers will be invited to provide overviews of general circulation patterns, and processes, which can set the stage for more specific papers examining the distributions and behaviour of marine mammals relative to circulation, frontal zones, water masses, eddies, ice edges, and topographic features. Analyses which show the coupling between oceanographic features and the availability of prey are especially welcome. Submission of an abstract is required for all presentations. Relevant abstracts that have already been submitted for the conference may be resubmitted to the symposium on request. Please send a hard copy of the abstract to Cynthia Tynan, Joint Inst. for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean, U. Washington, c/o NOAA/AFSC/NMML, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115-0070. E-mail "tynan(\)afsc.noaa.gov," Telephone (206)526-4033, FAX (206)526-6615. Please provide author's name, address and affiliation, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail address with the abstract. Time: Friday 23 January, 1600-1730. Recent advances in marine mammal acoustics; noise pollution, habitat degradation, and policy making. Organized by Ronald Schusterman and David Kastak. The past quarter century has seen rapid progress in our understanding of the importance of sound to marine mammals. Unfortunately, during the same period of time there has been an equally rapid influx of anthropogenic noise in the marine environment. In 1995, the publication of Richardson's "Marine Mammals and Noise" made accessible 30 years of research on marine mammal auditory functioning, including absolute thresholds, masked thresholds, frequency discrimination, and directional hearing in pinnipeds and cetaceans. Recently, much more extensive work has been performed on anatomical, physiological, and behavioural acoustics, with a new found emphasis on the legal implications of low frequency hearing and the effects of noise. This symposium will present advances in these areas, with special emphasis on a) the relations between ear anatomy and function; b) amphibious hearing; c) low-frequency absolute and masked thresholds; d) noise-induced temporary threshold shift; and e) anthropogenic noise and public policy. These papers will address the general topic of marine mammal vulnerability to noise pollution and habitat degradation both in air and underwater. Contact Ron Schusterman at (E-mail rjschust(\)cats.ucsc.edu). Time: Friday 23 January 1600-1730. Managing Marine Mammals in an Uncertain World: Application of the Precautionary Principle. Organized by Steve Swartz Scientists play an increasingly important role in the implementation of the "Precautionary Principle" by providing scientific advice to wildlife conservationists and managers. A unique contribution of scientists in this partnership lies in their ability to identify sources of uncertainty in population estimates (production rates, sustainable removals, population trends and other factors) to place bounds on this uncertainty, and provide information that is understandable and useful to managers and policy makers. By dealing with uncertainty in a systematic and quantitative way, scientists can help living resource managers evaluate the consequences of alternative management decisions and reduce the risks to both exploited and unexploited populations . This symposium will address the scientific issues involved in risk-averse management, provide recent examples of how the scientific method is being applied to deal with these issues, and explore future applications of scientific risk assessment as a conservation and management tool. Contact Steve Swartz; E-mail "Steven.Swartz(\)NOAA.GOV," FAX 1-301-713-1875. Time: Saturday 24 January 1600-1730. ----------------- submitted by: Daniel K. Odell Member, WMMSC Conference Committee odell(\)pegasus.cc.ucf.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Oct 1997 17:23:42 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Mediterranean Harbour Porpoise: still alive! (fwd) From: "A. Frantzis" Dear Marmamers, The existance of a harbour porpoise population in the Black Sea (Phocoena phocoena relicta?) indicates that once the species was also present in the Mediterranean Sea. Most references consider harbour porpoise as an extinct species from the Mediterranean Sea, at least since the beginning of our century. Although some sightings made close to the North-West African coasts have been attributed to harbour porpoises, as far as we know, the species presence in the above area has not been confirmed. Although no cetological data exist from the North-Eastern part of the Aegean Sea , a greek ornithologist's sighting in 1992, was our first serious indication that harbour porpoises could be still present, at least in this part of the Mediterranean. Familiar with harbour porpoise caracteristics from sightings in the U.K., the ornithologist described a school of approximately 10-12 individuals swimming close to the coast. The observation was made through a telescope, while counting sea birds and no photographic documents were taken. Last July, Dr. Anastasia Komnenou, DVM, PhD, Lecturer in the Veterinary School o f the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, was informed by the port-police, about a s mall cetacean which stranded in the area of the North-East Chalkidiki peninsula (40 13' 45" N - 023 44' 00" E). Dr. Komninou and the rescue team she is leading, took care of the stranded animal which was undoubtedly identified as a harbour porpoise (good quality photos and Video are available). The animal was seriously injured and its right eye was missing. After 5 days of intensive care, the animal left the coast alive. The above stranding definetely prooves that harbour porpoises still exist in the Mediterranean Sea. Of course, we still don't know if they are occasionally visiting the North Aegean Sea, coming out of the Black Sea or if they are present with an independent, local and more or less geographically limited population. If the latter is true, then this population could be endagered. Obviously, an urgent study-survey is needed. As the stranded animal presented a pigmentation pattern slightly different from the one that appears in most books (the "grey and white areas" were limited and did not exist laterally under the jaws) we would be interested to know if this is a special caracteristic of the Black Sea population (subspecies relicta?) or just a result of the species variation. ________________________________________________________ Dr. Alexandros Frantzis Personal address: Zoological Laboratory Terpsichoris 21 Dept. of Biology 16671 VOULIAGMENI University of Athens GREECE Panepistimioupolis tel : ++301 /8962730 GR-157 84 ATHENS fax : ++301 /8960108 GREECE e-mail : afratzis(\)atlas.uoa.ariadne-t.gr tel : ++301 / 7284634 fax : ++301 / 7284604 ________________________________________________________ From: Balazs Buzas I am looking for a copy of Forsten and Youngman's 1982 species account of Hydrodamalis gigas (Mammalian Species, No. 165: 1-3, American Society of Mammalogists), which is unavailable in Hungary. All published material on this species would be extremely welcome. In addition, I would be most grateful for an email address to the Leningrad Natural History Museum. We have recently discovered two museum specimens of H. gigas not listed by Pilleri (1988. Recent Sirenia in Swiss collections. Brain Anatomy Institute, Ostermundingen), and intend to publish a note about them. One of the specimens was donated by the Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) Natural History Museum earlier this century, hence the request for an email address of this institution. Balazs Buzas ********** Hungarian Natural History Museum Department of Zoology Baross u. 13 H-1088 Budapest Hungary email: buzas(\)zoo.zoo.nhmus.hu Shalom Marmmamers, We are in the process of aging stranded and trawler-net entangled dolphins which we have collected in the Israeli Mediterranean coast in the last few years. Most are T. truncatus and S. coeruleoalba. In order to comment on local conditions, we need baseline data on age distribution of dead animals from both categories i.e. known bycatch (preferably from trawlers) and strandings in an area where "contamination" of natural death by discarded bycatch is not likely to occure. Anybody who has a large data base on any of the above,especially but not necessarily on the same species,or knows of references describing such data- please ontact us. Thank you in advance. Mira Roditi, Director of education & Pollutant level of cetacean IMMRAC Oz Goffman, Director IMMRAC Dr' Dan Kerem, President IMMRAC IMMRAC - Israel Marine Mammal Research & Assistance Center The Recanati center For Maritime Studies Mount Carmel Haifa, 31905 Israel e-mail: roditimi(\)inter.net.il ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Oct 1997 10:37:30 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - hypothermia The following is an abstract of an article that appeared this summer in _Nature_ that is about penguins primarily, but talks about diving ability also in marine mammals, and thus might be of interest to some of you. Handrich, Y., R.M. Bevan, J.-B. Charrassin, P.J. Butler, K Putz, A.J. Woakes, J. Lage, and Y.Le. Maho. 1997. Hypothermia in foraging king penguins. Nature 388: 64-67. The ability to dive for long periods increases with body size, but relative to the best human divers, marine birds and mammals of similar or even smaller sizes are outstanding performers. Most trained human divers can reach a little over 100 m in a single-breath dive lasting for 4 min, but king and emperor penguins (weighing about 12 and 30 kg, respectively) can dive to depths of 304 and 534 m for as long as 7.5 and 15.8 min, respectively. On the basis of their assumed metabolic rates, up to half of the dive durations were believed to exceed the aerobic dive limit, which is the time of submergence before all the oxygen stored in the body has been used up. But in penguins and many diving mammals, the short surface intervals between dives are not consistent with the recovery times associated with a switch to anaerobic metabolism. We show here that the abdominal temperature of king penguins may fall to as low as 11 degrees Celsius during sustained deep diving. As these temperatures may be 10 to 20 degrees Celsius below stomach temperature, cold ingested food cannot be the only cause of abdominal cooling. Thus, the slower metabolism of cooler tissues resulting from physiological adjustments associated with diving _per se_, could at least partially explain why penguins and possibly marine mammals can dive for such long durations. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 14:43:46 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly summary (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 10/10/97 (available via e-mail; updated daily) Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 10/03/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 10/09/97 are double bracketed {{...}} Marine Mammals . Keiko. In early October 1997, the Associated Press reported increasing discord between the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation over Keiko's care, health, and rehabilitation techniques. {On Oct. 1, 1997, the Board of the Oregon Coast Aquarium requested an independent evaluation of Keiko's health, claiming that the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation has not regularly shared medical and rehabilitation information with the Aquarium. On Oct. 3, 1997, officials of the OR Veterinary Medical Examining Board announced that the Board was initiating an investigation of Keiko's care and the legality of current arrangements for such care. On Oct. 7, 1997, the OR Veterinary Medical Association recommended that an independent team composed of NMFS, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, and International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine personnel be formed to render an unbiased opinion on Keiko's health and fitness for possible release.} [Assoc Press, Oregon Coast Aquarium press release, Free Willy-Keiko Foundation press release, OR Veterinary Medical Association press release] . Canadian Seal Cull. As of Oct. 1, 1997, Canadian fisheries officers had killed 17 seals in the Puntledge River on Vancouver Island near Courtenay, BC, in Canada's first seal cull aimed at protecting vulnerable salmon and trout populations. Another 23 seals are expected to be killed during the next week. [Assoc Press] . Greenland Whaling. In late September 1997, Greenland's Organization of Fishermen and Hunters submitted a demand to Greenland Home Rule authorities that they be allowed an increased annual catch of 10 humpback whales, 21 fin whales, and 275 minke whales. This exceeds the current aboriginal subsistence allocation by the International Whaling Commission of 19 fin whales and 167 minke whales. [High North Alliance News] . Amazon River Dolphins. On Sept. 25, 1997, the Dallas World Aquarium notified NMFS that it was withdrawing its application to import four Amazon river dolphins from Venezuela for captive exhibition. [Assoc Press] . WA State's Sea Lion Authorization. On Sept. 25, 1997, NMFS officials announced that they had extended, for four years, WA state's authorization to kill CA sea lions that gather at Ballard Locks to feed on migrating steelhead trout. The state can remove only predatory sea lions that have been observed killing fish between Jan. 1 and May 31, and only after non-lethal deterrence methods have been tried. [Assoc Press] . October IWC Meeting. On Sept. 25, 1997, Japanese officials announced that Ireland will propose a ban on research whaling at the October 1997 IWC meeting. [Reuters, Dow Jones News] . Round Island Subsistence Walrus Hunt. On Sept. 20, 1997, the Qayssiq (Round Island) Walrus Commission will open a month-long subsistence walrus hunt on Round Island in Bristol Bay, AK, with approval from the AK Dept. of Fish and Game. The quota was doubled this year to 20 animals. [Assoc Press] . Russian Bowhead Whale Harvest. On Sept. 10, 1997, Russia notified the International Whaling Commission that it will permit five bowhead whales to be taken in 1997 for aboriginal subsistence by communities in northeast Siberia. Russian gave these communities permits to kill two bowhead whales in 1996. [High North Alliance News] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com MarmamNews can be found at http://members.aol.com/marmamnews The following articles were uploaded to MarmamNews in June 1997. 06/01/1997 Bostonian Moves To Protect Whales 06/02/1997 Dolphin refuses any aid while trying to revive calf Be aware and help save the turtle Fish Crisis Offshore Fishing Ban Conserving Resources Uruguay-Conservation: Sea lions targeted by andry fishermen 06/03/1997 Exotic Taste CMC Urges Continued Global Ban on Trade in endangered species 06/04/1997 Fed: Aust to oppose lifting ivory ban 06/05/1997 NSW: Humpback whales spotted off Sydney's coast Damaged wheat ship raises Sri Lanka pollution fear NMFS - Correction and extension of fishery closure U.S. FWS - reclassifying Steller sea lions 06/06/1997 BRF--Keiko Weighed Disaster aid bill could send Georgia hunter... 06/07/1997 VIC: Fish Biologist wins Corporate Environment Awards 06/08/1997 Issues at Zimbabwe CITES conference Elephantsto dominate endangered species meeting 06/09/1997 Whale-hunting protest outside London office CITES endangered species meeting begins in Zimbabwe Japan opposes double standards on environment Environment-Cites: It's also about whales 06/10/1997 Animal lobby backs possible debt-for-ivory swap 06/11/1997 QLD: Moreton Bay Whale Watching limited to three operations NSW: Harbour hosts a whale of a time Chinese pink dolphin Norway-Whaling Japan, Norway hint at defeat over whale catches Zimbabwe hits out against environment campaigners Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Introduces New Polar Bear Cubs to Juveni= le Nanuyaaq 06/13/1997 World Smuggling of Animals Rife Japan loses endangered species vote on whale link Cites-Tourism Cites Delegates Eager To See Wild ... Japan Blocks Sea Fishing Scrutiny Japan a winner, loser at CITES meeting >Nujoma accused on seal saga 06/15/1997 QLD: Minister could be signing whales' death warrantsQld: Ban on mesh netting to protect endangered dugongs 06/16/1997 Roundup: Verbal Battle Over Endangered Animal Dugong 3 Brisbane (reopens) 06/17/1997 Japan, Norway lose bid to ease ban on whale trade Campaign to Downlist Minke Whale Loses Out Seal plant proposed for Henties Bay Scientists urge WTO to back U.S. shrimp import law Bardot opposes Mexican salt plant Australia's plea for Elephants, Whales 06/18/1997 Two Killer Whales die in Japan Environment-Cites: No change on rhinos, whales ... 06/19/1997 CITES conference results 06/20/1997 Croatia's wildlife at risk from pollution, farming QLD: Professor "Grandstanding" on dugong DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and ... U.N.-Environment: A lot is riding on Earth Summit II 06/21/1997 Environmentalists Leave Zimbabwe 06/23/1997 The State Duma adopted the second reading of the ... 06/25/1997 Cousteau dead at the age of 87 Kyodo economic news summary Global warming threatens whale's favourite= food Institute to sell around 2,000 tons of whale meat 06/26/1997 Beijing To Move "Closer" to Sea Senate panel passes tuna catch bill QLD: Dugong ban won't sffect trawlers - Reef Body 06/27/1997 NSW: Whales and Watchers converge on Byron Bay 06/30/1997 Seal project gets green light FED: Fed Govt gives $500,000 for Shark Bay species The following articles were uploaded to MarmamNews in July 1997. 07/01/1997 Threatened species souvenirs go on display Japan Whaling Association Says Majority of Nations QLD: Hinchinbrook a political problem - Williams FED: Artists paint to protest against Hinchinbrook 07/02/1997 Dolphin gives birth to baby soon after show in ... HM Customs & Excise: Don't buy souvenirs that ... QLD: Concern over Dugong slaughter 07/04/1997 NZ wants heritage status for sub-Antaractic island Bell Atlantic, Earthwatch ... 07/07/1997 Love threat to Dingle's Dolphin attraction 07/08/1997 NSW: Killer whales attack humpback pod Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society: Orca whales ... Sea Grant News and Notes From Around the Nation 07/09/1997 Dugong 2 Brisbane (reopens) 07/10/1997 Eskimos Worry About Oil Drilling 07/11/1997 QLD: Marine Park Authority denies overstating dugong threat 07/13/1997 Oil spill threatens UAE water supplies QLD: Fishermen launch dugong investigation 07/14/1997 FED: Seal playing, not injured, says NPWS 07/15/1997 QLD: Commercial fishermen happy with outcome of meeting U.S. unveils new plan to protect Atlantic whales New fishing rules to protect whales SA: New whale watching facilities opened Gov't Moves To Protect Some Whales U.S. unveils new plan to protect Atlantic whales Campaign to free captive orca whales 07/16/1997 Blue Whale Aground At Beach in South China Whaling Activist Heads To Big Screen 07/17/1997 Dolphins use sponges to fish, researchers say 07/18/1997 Rare Baby Whale Washes Up on Beach 07/20/1997 QLD: fishing lobby conducts its own studies into dugong... 07/21/1997 Australia launches A$125 million ocean clean-up 07/22/1997 NSW: Humpback gives birth in waters off Coffs Harbour DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and ... 07/23/1997 Virusfound in endangered Florida manatee Norway Whale Hunt Quiet This Year 07/24/1997 Greenpeace launches court action against Britain DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and ... Un sous-marin japonais permet de d=E9couvrir de petites 07/25/1997 Norway whaling season ends, quota not fulfilled U.S. Senators agree on tuna-dolphin bill Senate Compromises on Tuna Labels Center for Marine Conservation Applauds Compromise ... 07/27/1997 Iran to Form Task Force for Marine Environment 07/29/1997 Far-off otters, eagles polluted 07/30/1997 Senate OKs Tuna Compromise Senate votes to lift U.S. tuna embargo Defenders of Wildlife Statement on Senate Passage ... 07/31/1997 Congress clears bill to lift U.S. tuna embargo Tuna-Dolphin Bill Sent to Clinton The following articles were uploaded to MarmamNews in August 1997. 08/01/1997 First Virus Found in Manatees 08/03/1997 Fishermen vs. sea lions: Can both survive in seas of shrinking fish? New Canadian radio to play orca music 08/04/1997 Fisheries: Mexico dissatisfied with end of U.S. tuna embargo 08/05/1997 NZ moves to protect sea lion endangered by fishing How marine mammals use senses 08/06/1997 Alarms help stop nets catching porpoises Acoustic warnings save porpoises Turning back the red tides FED: NQCC says campaign against resort to go on NSW: Fur seal appears to have been deliberately killed 08/08/1997 Chinese River Dolphin on Exhibition DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and ... 08/09/1997 Meat of protected whales on sale in Japan, study says 08/10/1997 Fears for whales as Norway doubles North Sea kill Study: Japan Flouts Whale Meat Ban 08/13/1997 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 50 CFR Part 229 Operations; ... Killer Whales take up frisbee 08/14/1997 Whales, hippos, cows share ancestor-Japan research 08/15/1997 Clinton Signs Tuna-Dolphin Bill Clinton signs bill to lift U.S. tuna embargo Valdez otter dies after delivery QLD: ACF blasted for attacking dugong protection measures 08/18/1997 Clinton Signs Bill to Lift U.S. Tuna Embargo Protesters arrested after dangling from bridge Eden Under Fire BP sues Greenpeace for #1.4 million Whales Cause Chaos in Marseille 08/19/1997 Clinton Statement on Dolphin Conservation Act Rare Whale Killed in Ship Collision 08/20/1997 Greenpeace renews bid to stop ARCO rig off Alaska QLD: Dugong sanctuaries to be in place by end of year 08/21/1997 Sea World Property says depreciation impacts result NSW: Stranded whale dies Ship collision blamed for whale death U.S. judge denies new Greenpeace bid to block ARCO IPC MAGAZINES: In this week's New Scientist 08/22/1997 Dominica's leader to visit Japan from Tues. Fishing Charters Go High-Tech 08/25/1997 Protest starts against Hinchinbrook project 08/26/1997 FED: Orca 08/28/1997 Hundreds of stranded whales die in Falklands Argentines say rubbish-fed seagulls attack whales The following articles were uploaded to MarmamNews in September 1997. 09/02/1997 Whales to Beach at Science Museum of Minnesota's Omnitheater Oct. 3 Latam-Fishing: Region seeks to avoid repeat of... Tuna Producers to Boycott U.S. Tuna Embargo 09/06/1997 NSW: Whale freed after being tangled in fishing nets 09/08/1997 Whales and seals leave scientists in the dark Stay-at-home whales are secret travellers FED: Scientists leave Hobart for Southern Ocean 09/10/1997 Thieves rob dolphins of 20 kilo of fish. Awards go to environmental groups 15 Dolphins Dead off Uruguayan Coasts 09/11/1997 Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Welcomes 'Nuvuk' 09/12/1997 Australian task force wants world whaling ban Irish suggest world-wide whale sanctuary FED: Whaling report calls for OZ to work for ban FED: Govt overwhelmingly supports whale report HSUS Awards 1997 Krutch Medal to Dodge Foundation ... 09/14/1997 Williams says Hinchinbrook violence not his fault 09/16/1997 QLD: Hinchinbrook CJC complaint planned 09/18/1997 Study urges new management to protect Bering Sea QLD: NQCC lodges formal complaint over Hinchinbrook TAS: Scarface the seal stumps government 09/20/1997 NSW: Carr helps rescue injured seal at Coogee 09/21/1997 Ireland to urge ban on whaling in int'l waters Problems Plague the St. Johns River 09/22/1997 Motorway for whales' under threat - Greenpeace 09/23/1997 Greenpeace launches legal battle over oil exploitation Senate bill: Alaska friendly National Aquarium in Baltimore to Receive ... 09/24/1997 Environment: Fast-track is wrong track say ... U.S. FWS: Celebrate wildlife during National ... 09/25/1997 Ireland to urge ban on research whaling Ultrasonic noise can save a fish's life U.S. agents recover illegally dug Aleut artifacts 09/28/1997 Race against clock to save rare seals 09/30/1997 QLD: Shark nets, a menace for marine animals Dear Marmamers: Within the past two months the New England Aquarium in Boston has responded to stranding events on Cape Cod involving three cetacean species uncommon to Massachusetts inshore waters: 1. August 13 - an adult female false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) at Osterville, Ma 2. September 22 - a sub-adult male beaked whale (Mesoplodon europaeus?) at Barnstable, Ma 3. October 1 - an adult striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) in Dennis, Ma Each of these strandings represents an anomalous occurrence of otherwise pelagic cetaceans. _______________________________________________ Jim Rice Marine Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Program New England Aquarium Central Wharf Boston, MA 02110 (617) 973-6551 (617) 720-5098 fax jrice(\)neaq.org ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 03:33:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: On Tape: Killer Whale Kills Sh On Tape: Killer Whale Kills Shark SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Killer whales are kings of the sea -- and now there's videotape to prove it. A clash between a killer whale and a great white shark last weekend was captured on video. The taping, apparently the first ever, has electrified researchers around the world. "Nothing like this has been known to happen before," said Mary Jane Schramm, a naturalist who witnessed the attack. Before the encounter Saturday off the Farallon Islands, 20 miles west of San Francisco, marine biologists assumed that killer whales and great white sharks -- the ocean's two boss predators -- avoided each other. Wildlife enthusiasts on a cruise sponsored by the Oceanic Society received a radio transmission from a fisherman who'd seen two orcas in the area. When the boat arrived, the two orcas -- a 20-foot-long female and a youngster about half her length -- were swimming idly about. "Then we noticed this dark shape moving in the water, giving the orcas a wide berth," Schramm said. Soon, the female orca veered toward the dark shape, and then surged to the surface with a 10-foot-long great white shark in her jaws. "We were stunned," Schramm said. The whale eventually swam away from the boat and began thrashing the shark on the surface of the water, a practice orcas typically employ with their prey. About this time, Peter Pyle, a great white shark expert with the Point Reyes Bird Observatory stationed on Southeast Farallon Island, raced to the scene. With a special underwater camera, he got within five feet of the orcas and began shooting the attack. "The female apparently killed the shark, but she didn't eat it -- she was encouraging the calf to feed," Schramm said. "(The calf) especially liked the liver. You know how hard it can be to get kids to eat. Not him, though." ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 14:17:12 -0400 Reply-To: "Stuart A. Sandin" From: "Stuart A. Sandin" Subject: Use of Population Viability Analysis One valuable tool used widely in terrestrial wildlife conservation is the population viability analysis. This technique incorporates the estimated population, then projects the probable demographic futures of the species. These models can give managers and conservationists a predicted probability of the long-term viability of a species. Admittedly, estimating the populations of marine species, especially marine mammals, is daunting. I am looking to see if anybody knows of demographers taking this next step toward population prediction using population viability analyses on marine mammal species. Any input will be highly appreciated. Aloha, Stuart Sandin ------------------------------------------------ Stuart Sandin Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton, NJ 08544 sasandin(\)princeton.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 14:22:37 +1300 From: Caren.Schroeder(\)vuw.ac.nz Subject: Help! Reading of dentinal/cemental growth layer groups Help! Can anyone offer help or refer me to literature which deals with the actual problems of reading dentinal/cemental growth layer groups in decalcified and stained longitudinal sections ? As part of a study on long-finned pilot whales and organochlorines in New Zealand, I have prepared numerous tooth sections. Here a quich run down on histological preparation. Tooth halves were decalcified in formic acid, 25 micron sections cut on freeze microtome, sections stained in haematoxylin, bluend in ammonia and mounted under alcohol. Layering in the dentine is clearly visible, but my major problem lies in identifying an overall pattern of growth layer groups, re which of the apparent layers might be interpreted as intermittend layers rather than annual growth layers. Whereas layers in the dentine are well contasted, cementum layering shows hardly any contrast at all (for weak as well as for heavily stained sections) and seems thus nearly unidentifiable. Literature I am aware of does discuss problems involved in the reading of growth layer groups rather superficially and I have not found it much helpfull regarding the interpretation of growth layer groups in the tooth sections I have got. For people with a background in age readings, I would be happy to supply colour photographs of some sections. Just being able to compare readings would help a great deal in getting on the right track, I believe. I am looking forward to hearing from you! Thanks for your input! So long, good bye Caren Schroeder PS: Please send any replies directly to my e-mail address! Caren Schroeder Zoology Department Victoria University PO Box 600 Wellington ph. 0064-4-4721000x8103 e-mail: Caren.Schroeder(\)vuw.ac.nz ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Oct 1997 09:37:55 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Re: Unusual cetacean strandings in Massachusetts (fwd) From: Robert Kenney I would like to inject a note of caution about applying the term "anomalous" to occurrences of rare/unusual species. A dead or injured or sick and weakened cetacean is more or less a passive current tracer, so strandings of otherwise pelagic species do not represent distributional anomalies in that regard. Two of the three specimens reported do represent rare species. I don't know enough about the specifics of Atlantic Mesoplodon species to comment, but the Pseudorca stranding may be a real anomaly and is significantly north of its typical range. During the three years of CETAP surveys, Pseudorca was sighted only once - on the shelf break near Hatteras. Striped dolphins, however, are common and abundant offshore of New England, and are probably one of the three most abundant delphinids off the northeast U.S. (along with common dolphins and white-sided dolphins). Even tiny little Rhode Island has had three strandings in the last 20 or so years. Cheers, Bob =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Robert D. Kenney, Ph.D. rkenney(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu | | University of Rhode Island ('gsosunONE' not 'gsosunELL') | | Graduate School of Oceanography | | Box 41, Bay Campus TEL: (401) 874-6664 | | Narragansett, RI 02882-1197, U.S.A. FAX: (401) 874-6497 | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ------ Dear Marmamers: Some hours, days or months ago (sorry, but don't remember), there was a posting to Marmam news archive on the web () regarding the issue of sea lion-fishery interactions in Brazil, written by Todd Lewan (Associate Pre= ss Writer) entitled "Fishermen vs. sea lions: Can both survive in seas of shrinking fish?".=20 In the article, he plainly describes what is also happening in ma= ny areas of southern South America...... the killing of southern sea lions _Otaria flavescens_ (or _O. byronia_) by fishermen. They kill them becaus= e they destroy nets in order to obtain the 'easy food' inside (or is it the only food left?). I'd like this message to be the starting point of a discussion fo= rum here at MARMAM, and I would like to raise a few questions in order to sta= rt this: 1.- Education:=20 Could information provided to fishemen through the aid of an educating program be succesful in diminishing the killing? 2.- Scientific culling:=20 Could some populations of southern sea lions be considered big enough for scientific removal of some individuals in order to lower the negative interactions? (some economic benefits could arise from this by means of selling fat, pelt, and even the os penis (baculum)) 3.- Marine reserves:=20 Are marine reserves of any significant purpose in marine mammal conservation, if outside them _res nulis_ is a law, and very little protection and surveylance is available in South America? 4.- Deterrent methods: Is any investigation currently addressing the deterrence of sea lions?, because it is supposed to be much more difficult than with dolphins. 5.- Fishing techniques and gear:=20 Could any modifications to fishing techniques and/or gear be employed in diminishing this problem? This issue is not an easy one to solve and we have'nt got to thin= k only for the animals' welfare, but I hope that with the help of many mind= s and experiences together, a solution could come to light. If anyone would like to read the original article, please e-mail me and I will e-mail you back with the text. I hope this message arises many doubts and many new ideas.=20 Have my best regards, Rodrigo Hucke-Gaete E-mail: rhuckeg(\)uach.cl Web page: _________________________ Instituto de Zoolog=EDa Universidad Austral de Chile Casilla 567, Valdivia, CHILE Fax: 56 63 221315 Tel=E9fono/Phone: 56 63 221408 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 04:53:44 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: ill-advised dolphin release program in Japan (fwd) From: masao amano Dear all, I would like to inform you of an ill-advised release program going on in Jap an. Dolphin Base, a dolphin-swimming facility in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture is planning to release a captive bottlenose dolphin in Zamami Island, Okinaw a, 1,200 kilometers away from where the dolphin was captured. TV-Asahi is i nvolved in this program and will broadcast the release in a live program sch eduled for November 8 through 9. The candidate is a female bottlenose dolph in which was captured off Taiji by the drive fishery in January 1996 and had been kept in the facility. The animal sent to Zamami Island on September 28 and is waiting for the release in a pen. It is generally recognized that releasing captive dolphins involves problems such as adapting the animal to the wild environment before the release and a voiding introduction of disease new to the wild population. Although I do n ot know whether they are carrying out sufficient preconditioning program, it is evident that they will violate an important rule; the animal should relea se within its original home range. Population structure of bottlenose dolph ins off Japan has not known, but it is highly probable that dolphins off Oki nawa and those off Taiji belong to different populations. I believe this pr ogram is opposed to the animal's welfare and can not be justified. If you would like to get more information or send your opinion, contact: Dolphin Base 686-17 Taiji, Wakayama 649-51, Japan phone: +81-7355-9-3514, fax: +81-7355-9-2810 TV-Asahi 1-1-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105, Japan phone: +81-3-3587-5757 e-mail: www-adm(\)tv-asahi.co.jp Best regards, masao Masao Amano Otsuchi Marine Research Center Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo Akahama, Otsuchi, Iwate 028-11, Japan phone:+81-193-42-5611, fax:+81-193-42-3715 e-mail: amano(\)wakame.ori.u-tokyo.ac.jp The Florida Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy will be holding its third meeting on November 6 at 7pm at University of Central Florida in Orlando. This group is made up of students at all levels in their career from a variety of institutions throughout Florida. Meetings are open to all interested parties, and are held at a different location each time. The group is an excellent source for networking, meeting other students, and getting ideas and input from ones peers. The agenda for this meeting includes: discussion of upcoming events, including the Monaco workshop informal presentations by students joining professional organizations sharing ideas about grad. school/research ideas about group organization For questions or directions, please contact: Lizz Singh lizz(\)marine.usf.edu or Megan Stolen mks41832(\)pegasus.cc.ucf.edu Thank you, Lizz Singh University of South Florida lizz(\)marine.usf.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 01:48:40 +0100 From: Fabio Ausenda Subject: Call for projects GREEN VOLUNTEERS The World Guide to Voluntary Work in Nature Conservation REF: FREE LISTING OF YOUR ORGANIZATION IN THE GUIDE GREEN VOLUNTEERS. VOLUNTEERS ARE AN EXCELLENT WAY TO SUPPORT PROJECTS!!! Dear MARMAM friends, We have started to work on the 1998 edition of GREEN VOLUNTEERS, the World Guide to Voluntary Work in Nature Conservation. The guide is published in December 1997. We forecast a circulation of 3,000 copies in 1988. Considering that the publication is aimed at a very specialized readership we consider this figure quite satisfactory. Inquiries from people purchasing the guide will increase gradually. Our potential readership has still to be reached, and it will take another couple years to build a more capillary distribution. In 1997 sales have been mostly in the UK and Italy, with only a few hundred copies sold in the US. In 1998 we plan to considerably increase our advertisement in US environmental magazines in order to allow our potential readers to be informed about our toll-free number in the US and our Web Page. In the UK people already can make orders by mail to our mailbox, and through our phone line. We have increased our advertisement in the UK to better inform the British public. Germany, where the potential is considerable, is our next challenge. In the Netherlands we will have a distributor. As you can see, also to your advantage, we are doing our best to increase our sales. Once again we offer your organization the opportunity to be present free of charge in our guide. Simply fill the Form for Projects to be Included in the Guide enclosed below. Please send back as soon as possible the attached form. Please retype the form (without including the explanations in parenthesis) and send it by fax, or (better) E-mail (greenvol(\)iol.it), or regular mail. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Fabio Ausenda Editor and publisher. Green Volunteers Via Valenza 5 - 20144 MILANO, Italy Tel./Fax ++39(2)8940.6813 E-mail : greenvol(\)iol.it FORM FOR PROJECTS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE GUIDE (Please send back this form Via E-mail (take out the explanations in parentheses) retype or print; feel free to add additional pages or to adapt the form to your case). NAME OF THE PROJECT: NAME OF ORGANIZATION OR INSTITUTION: ADDRESS: (complete of zip code and country) TEL : FAX: (both complete of international codes) EMAIL: (if any) (WWW: ) DESCRIPTION: (a general description of the project, max. 8-10 lines) SPECIES: (a simple list of the species studied, with Latin name, when not common; if many, put the main ones or groups such as: marine mammals, etc.) HABITAT: (Habitats involved such as: Rainforest, Desert, Savannah, Tropical Coasts, Tropical Seas, etc.) GEOGRAFIC LOCATION: Country (you can be more specific, such as: North East of Australia, etc.) TRAVEL INFO: (a short description on how to get to the project, you will give more details directly to prospective volunteers) DURATION: (2-3 weeks, six months, etc.) PERIOD: (When the volunteers are needed: ex. year round, July, etc.) AGE.: (Min. and Max. age of volunteers) QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS: (A short description of skills, such as: no particular skills needed, or, photography welcome, only people with previous field experience in marine mammal research, SCUBA diving certification, or only students in primatology, etc. You can put as many limits as you want.) VOLUNTEERS WORK: (Describe the work of volunteers) LANGUAGE: (Languages needed for the project) ACCOMMODATION: ( Describe the type of accommodation: in a house in bunk beds, sheets or sleeping bags required, in tents, etc. ). COST: (min. and max. costs of participation, if any, in US dollars, specify if room and accommodation are included, or volunteers must pay for it, specify if volunteers must provide for their own transportation) LONG TERM ?: (Specify if volunteers can join a project for a long period, from one month to one year; for short term projects specify if volunteers can stay for a long term with project leaders approval after regular period.) AGENTS, CORRESPONDENTS: (Do you have any organization or agency, in other countries, to which prospective volunteers can write, or do they have to contact you directly?) APPLICATION: (specify application procedures, whether or not you have a standard form to fill, etc., or deadlines, specify if there is any membership requirement for participation, etc.) NOTES: (Anything particular you want to add, such as particular limitations or other) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 04:16:27 -0600 Reply-To: Sea Shepherd Mailing List From: Nick Voth Subject: Volunteer for Sea Shepherd ****VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY**** The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is a non-profit marine conservation organization involved in the investigation and documentation of violations of international laws, regulations and treaties protecting marine wildlife species and ecosystems. The Society, founded by Captain Paul Watson (one of the original founding fathers of Greenpeace), is a "direct action" organization that is also involved in the enforcement of these international laws, regulations and treaties when there is no other enforcement in effect, and also uses many other innovative approaches to marine conservation. The Society is seeking responsible volunteers with strong communication and organizational skills for office work at the international headquarters in Marina del Rey. Volunteers will participate in a variety of projects and general office activities, while gaining valuable knowledge and "real world" experience in a fast-paced professional environment. Volunteering at SSCS offers a unique opportunity to be part of an organization devoted to protecting the citizens of the oceans. Volunteer work can include: * Participating in public outreach programs (assisting with action alerts, preparing information material & correspondence and tabling at expositions) * Assisting in the archiving of photographs and articles * Preparing media information and press packets * Participating in support-related work during campaigns (from helping to prepare the vessel & crew for their expedition through assisting with media releases, contacting media & political sources and then assisting with follow-up) * Assisting with in-house and library research projects * Membership support: answering calls, letters, sending receipts, etc... * All usual office work including: copying, filing, typing, mailings, etc... The position is volunteer, and anyone in school is encouraged to earn course credits through their school's intern programs. Previous media, computer or office experience is beneficial but not required. Work days and hours can be arranged around your schedule, but we do ask that you try to give us the most consistent schedule as possible (i.e., every Mon. and Wed. from 9:00am-2:00pm) ****Benefits of being a Sea Shepherd supporter include receiving the quarterly newsletter as well as being eligible to apply for crew and volunteer work. If you are not already a supporter, please send you donation with a request for a Volunteer Application to: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society P.O. Box 628 Venice, CA. 90294 USA e-mail: seashepherd(\)seashepherd.org Web Site: http://www.seashepherd.org Tel: 310-301-SEAL(7325) Canada: 604-688-7325 Fax: 310-574-3161 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 13:53:55 +1000 From: Peter Gill Subject: Antarctic Group 1 humpback migration Dear all, I need to confirm some information for a book shortly to go to the printers. Can someone confirm or deny that some of the population of southern hemisphere humpback whales that summer on the Antarctic Peninsula, and winter off Colombia, also winter as far north as the Mexican coast? I think I read it in Marine Mammal Science, but don't currently have access to back issues. Is this the longest mammalian migration, or have gray whales been confirmed to be longer? If someone has this information at hand, could you kindly send a message to the book's editor, Helen Bateman, at the following email address: helenb(\)weldonowen.com.au With thanks, Peter Gill ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 22:19:29 +1000 From: Graham Clarke Subject: IWC Preview 1997 Preview of the Major Issues 49th Annual General Meeting of the INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION Monaco 20th to 24th October 1997 Japan Scientific Permits During the 48th AGM a resolution was passed requesting Japan to "refrain from issuing a special permit for the take of Southern Hemisphere Minke whales, particularly in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary. Japan has yet to officially confirm their take of Minke whales during this past season but are expected to have killed 440 whales within the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. More than 1,000 tonnes of whale meat flensed from these whales has already made its way into the Japanese whale meat market. An additional 100 Minkes have been taken again this year from the Northwestern North Pacific. Japans unwillingness to cease issuing permits will certainly be discussed again this meeting. Small-Type whaling For the tenth successive year, Japan will request an allocation of Minke whales for four of its coastal villages to "relieve the hardship" experienced in these communities since the Moratorium. The proposal for an interim relief quota" of 50 Minke whales was defeated last year. Japan did succeed in having the commercial, socio-economic and cultural needs of these communities reviewed for discussion at this year's meeting. Norway Commercial Whaling Like Japan, Norway paid no heed to Resolutions made last year. In particular, to the Resolution calling on Norway to "reconsider its objection to the moratorium and to halt immediately all whaling activities under its jurisdiction". The Resolution also called on Norway to "maintain its policy against the export of whale meat and products" in light of evidence of illegal trading. As expected the Norwegian government issued an increased quota (580 Minke whales) over last year. A stronger stance on Norway's actions seems appropriate for this years meeting but it remains to be seen. Humane Killing It is expected that the contentious "electric lance" a secondary killing method will again be a topic of discussion. As in previous years the lance's effectiveness will be a hot topic. The whaling nations insisting that the electric lance is the most effective secondary killing method available while recent research concluding that rather than being effective, the lance "is likely to cause extra pain and suffering to an already distressed animal". The Commission may reconvene the Working Group on Humane Killing. Whale Watching The Commission is likely to continue its interest in the growth and development of whale watching internationally. The Commission has endorsed the Scientific Committee's recommended priorities for further work in the area of approach distances, activity limitations and platforms, and also that the educational, economic and social development aspects of whale watching should be discussed further at this year's meeting. Small Cetaceans Debate over the Commission's "competence" concerning small cetaceans will probably punctuate the discussion again this year. Many of the countries that question the IWC's involvement are also those who have contentious small cetacean fisheries or have poor cetacean management track records. Current schedule for small cetacean work includes: 1997 - review the small cetaceans in African coastal waters; further consider criteria for assessing the status of Harbour porpoise populations; review the Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) globally. 1998 - review the Beluga and Narwhal globally; review bycatch mitigating measures. 1999 - review the genera Tursiops (Bottlenose dolphins) and Lissodelphis (Rightwhale dolphins) globally. Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling Subsistence whaling quotas remained unchanged following the 1996 meeting, with the exception of an extension of the current quota for St Vincent and the Grenadines. Four aboriginal Subsistence quotas fall due for review this year: the eastern North Pacific Gray whales, east Greenland Minke whales, west Greenland Minke whales, west Greenland Fin whales. Last year the Russian Federation argued strongly for an additional five Bowhead whales for the Chukotka natives. It was pointed out that the Chukotka were not presently utilising their full Gray whale quota and that Bowheads were the most endangered whale species. A new application for a quota of five Gray whales for the Mukah Indian Tribe in the north-western United States was withdrawn last year after much debate. The proposal is expected to be put again this year. Other Issues The Revised Management Scheme (RMS) Is likely to be as contentious and as laborious as in previous years. Whale Stock Assessment, the Southern Ocean Sanctuary and Scientific Research are other major issues on this year's agenda. Written by Paul Hodda - Australian Whale Conservation Society Edited by Graham Clarke ------------------------------------- Graham_J._Clarke - "WHALES IN DANGER" ------------------------------------------ WWW Home Page - http://whales.magna.com.au/ ------------------------------------------------- Sydney - AUSTRALIA - email: gclarke(\)magna.com.au ----------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Oct 1997 09:30:00 -0430 From: Jean Christophe VIE Subject: Killer whales in French Guiana ------ Dear Marmamers: Two killer whales (Orcinus orca) have been observed on sept 20, 1997 at 11.00 AM a few miles away from the cost in French Guiana between the city of Kourou and the Iles du Salut, approximately 05=B0 16' N and 52=B0 25' = W (2 nautical miles south of the islands). Yachtmen saw one of the two animals very well and were quite confident about their identification of these popular animals as one animal jumped out of the water. The ocean was 7 m deep and apparently the animals were feeding as many fish were jumping above the surface prior to the sighting. The animals were swimming toward= s the islands and contact was quickly lost. To my knowledge, this is the first observation of this species in the are= a though the dark water is not very favorable to marine mammals sightings. As director of a wildlife research program in French Guiana and president of a NGO dedicated to wildlife study and conservation (association Kwata)= I am compiling a list of mammals of French Guiana. To date, tucuxis (Sotali= a fluviatilis) and manatees (Trichechus manatus) are the only marine mammal species that have been collected and thus identified with certainty. Manatees observations have increased over the last years and (Pseudorca crassidens) have been observed two years ago. Unidentified "large size dolphins" have also been reported a few months ago along the cost. I would appreciate to get informations about marine mammals in the area (Guianas, Carribean, Brazilian costs). Have killer whales, false killer whales been recorded? Is there a possibility of misidentification of kill= er whales with another black and white species? What species have been collected or identified in the neighboring countries that could be expect= ed to occur in French Guiana Thank you by advance for your help. Jean-Christophe Vie --------------oo--------------- Jean-Christophe Vie, DVM Responsable Faune Sauvage (EDF/CNEH) C/O CIRAD - BP701 97387 Kourou Cedex Guyane Francaise (French Guiana - France) tel: (594) 32-73-53 fax: (594) 32-73-51 --------------oo--------------- email (1) vie.j(\)kourou.cirad.fr ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Oct 1997 17:25:06 -0400 From: NAMMACETA(\)aol.com Subject: Newsletter of The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Association The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Association (NAMMA) is an organization with a current membership of approximately 260 scientists, educators, naturalists, whale watch company owners, and others interested in marine mammal research, conservation, and related issues. Membership is open to any interested person, regardless of geographic location. Current participation spans from Canada to the Caribbean and Greenland to Hawaii. Founded in 1980, the Association has sponsored a series of meetings and symposia that have focused on such issues as entanglements, whale watching regulations, pelagic ecosystems, and the ecology of humpback whales in the North Atlantic. NAMMA has provided members with a newsletter as a means of posting announcements, sharing and seeking information and ideas, and announcing research plans and results. The editors of the Newsletters of The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Association are seeking written contributions for the forthcoming issue, now in preparation. News of current work, published papers, new books, proposed projects, current issues, educational ideas and news, upcoming events (conferences, symposiums, meetings), reports on past gatherings, personal milestones, personal news: births, marriages, adoptions, memoriums are all welcome. Announcements of special or extended cruises, notice of items wanted or items for sale are also accepted. News of activities from beyond the North Atlantic is encouraged. Contributions can be faxed to (207) 361-2823, e-mailed directly to nammaceta(\)aol.com or mailed to NAMMA at Post Office Box 255, Cape Neddick, Maine 03902 USA. Telephone (207) 361-1605. A mid-November deadline is anticipated. Contributors new to NAMMA should include the following where applicable: affiliation, a full and permanent mailing address, e-mail address, a fax number and telephone number. Veteran members: Please update all addresses and numbers for the mailing list AND the NAMMA ListServe. Thanks...Scott Mercer and Cynthia Bierman, Editors ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 03:35:58 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: MARMAM editorial policy and FAQ ====================================================== MARMAM EDITORIAL POLICY AND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ====================================================== *Please save this message for future reference!* Topics: EDITORIAL POLICY 1. The MARMAM list 2. Messages posted on MARMAM 3. Messages not posted on MARMAM 4. Reasons for rejection of messages FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 5. How do I post messages to the list? 6. How do I reply to individual subscribers? 7. How do I subscribe/unsubscribe/temporarily signoff? 8. How do I receive MARMAM postings as a single daily digest rather than as individual messages? 9. How do I retrieve old postings to MARMAM? 10. How do I find out who subscribes to MARMAM? 11. How do I get help using listserver commands? 12. Why did my MARMAM subscription stop? 13. How do I get more information on marine mammal research and conservation? 14. Who do I contact with my questions or concerns? ===================================================== MARMAM EDITORIAL POLICY 1. The MARMAM list MARMAM is an edited e-mail discussion list devoted to topics in marine mammal research and conservation, established in August 1993. As of October 1997 there were almost 3,000 subscribers from 55 different countries. Anyone may subscribe to the list. Editors of the MARMAM list work on a volunteer basis. At any one time there may be between three and five editors. We have endeavoured to make the editorial policy as uniform as possible (detailed below) but there may be some individual editor variation in the standard of messages sent to the list. _______________________________________________________________ 2. Messages posted on MARMAM A wide spectrum of message types are found on MARMAM, all related to marine mammal research and/or conservation. Commonly seen messages include: - requests for information regarding current or recent research projects, publications, or research techniques - current or previously unreported unusual news events - meeting announcements - job or volunteer opportunities - abstracts from scientific papers or reports - books/techniques/products announcements - requests for products (eg. slides, photographs) which will benefit marmam subscribers (ie. they will receive payment) Before sending a message to MARMAM, please read the following. An increasing number of messages are being sent to the list which require modification by the authors or the Editors. As the Editors moderate the list on a volunteer basis, there is often limited time available to help with or to facilitate such modifications. We ask that before sending a message to the list, the author ensure that: - A detailed subject heading is included - Your name and e-mail address are included in the body of the message - Your message is interesting enough to go to 3000 list members. - Your replies are meant to go to ALL the subscribers of MARMAM, rather than just to the original author. If you feel your submission is of general interest, please send it both to the original author and cc it to MARMAM. (In many cases we ask that summaries of responses to questions are later posted to the list so individual responses to the list are often unneccessary.) - Requests for information provide details in the body of the message justifying the request (providing background information or details on why the information is needed). Such requests should also demonstrate that available means to obtain the information requested have been exhausted. Please do not use the list merely because you have not checked your library. A follow up of responses to any such request should later be posted to the list. _______________________________________________________________ 3. Messages not posted on MARMAM Examples of messages not posted to the MARMAM list include: - information not related to marine mammal research or conservation - animal rights issues - communication between humans and other animals - 'casual' requests for information that is easily available elsewhere - information requests without details as to why this is being requested - news reports of common events (e.g. strandings of common species of marine mammals, deaths of captive animals, etc) - requests for volunteer positions/employment - requests for small numbers of specific items (eg. slides, photographs) that would be better directed to individuals working on the species in question. - opinion statements offering little or no novel arguments - humourous anecdotes _______________________________________________________________ 4. More detail on reasons for rejection of messages. 'CASUAL' REQUEST. Messages which request information which is readily available from other sources, such as your average university library, are not posted to the list. A specific request, with a brief description of what the information is to be used for, is most likely to stimulate feedback from other subscribers. If the author lives in a country where limited library resources are available and is conducting original research, exceptions to this rule may be made (though the message author must state that they have no easy access to library resources). INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION. Messages which include only an information request without providing any background information justifying the request and demonstrating that available means to obtain this information have been exhausted, will not be posted. JOB/ VOLUNTEER POSITION/ INTERNSHIP WANTED. Requests for employment or volunteer opportunities are not posted to the list. Persons seeking such positions are encouraged to monitor MARMAM for opportunities, which they can apply to directly. Students interested in careers in marine mammal science are encouraged to consult the Society for Marine Mammalogy's 'Strategies for Pursuing a Career in Marine Mammal Science', which can be found at the Society for Marine Mammalogy's website: http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/strat.htm BEEN THERE, DONE THAT. Messages of a duplicative nature which do not contribute new information are generally not posted to the list. Exceptions include event-related postings, such as conference information, job openings, and surveys. New subscribers are strongly encouraged to monitor MARMAM for a period before submitting messages to the list, or to review recent archived messages, to reduce the number of duplicative submissions. 'FLAMES'. Messages which are derogatory or serve to insult rather than contribute to the discussion at hand are not posted to the list. INPROPERLY FORMATTED OR FULL OF TYPOS. As editing the list is a volunteer job and there are often too many messages to easily deal with, messages which are inproperly formatted (e.g., missing a subject heading, missing the senders name and e-mail address in the body of the message, or formatted too wide for a computer screen) or those full of typos may not be sent to the list. In most cases the author will be contacted regarding resubmitting their message, but at times of high volume, this may not always be done. ===================================================== MARMAM FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 5. How do I post messages to the list? All messages meant for MARMAM subscribers should be sent to marmam(\)uvvm.uvic.ca Messages should include the sender's name and e-mail address within the body of the text, and a detailed subject heading. ______________________________________________________________ 6. How do I reply to individual messages? Messages meant soley for a particular subscriber and not for MARMAM may be sent directly to that subscriber using his or her e-mail address, which will appear in the header of the message and/or in the body of the message. Subscribers are asked to include their e-mail address within the body of their messages, as not all subscribers receive headers including this information with their messages. If your reply is of general interest to the subscribers, please reply to the list, otherwise you should reply directly to the individual posting the original message. NOTE: Many subscribers will find that use of the 'reply' option will reply to MARMAM, not to the intended recipient. Please check your header when using the 'reply' option. ______________________________________________________________ 7. How do I subscribe/ unsubscribe/ temporarily signoff? All messages not meant for MARMAM subscribers should be sent to the listserver (listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca). As the list-server is an automated service, it is important that commands be sent without errors or extraneous text. To subscribe, send a message to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca which says: subscribe marmam Yourfirstname Yourlastnamename To unsubscribe, send the message: signoff marmam If you want to temporarily discontinue your subscription without signing off the list, send the message: set marmam nomail to continue it, send the message: set marmam mail NOTE: If your email address is going to change and you will lose access to your old address please unsubscribe that address from marmam, and then subscribe under your new address. If you no longer have access to the email account from which you subscribed, send a brief message to mamamed(\)uvic.ca, providing the email addess that you no longer have access to, and the editors will delete this address from the list. You can then subscribe from your new address. _______________________________________________________________ 8. How do I receive MARMAM postings as a single daily digest rather than as individual messages? To receive marmam messages daily as a single file, send a message to "listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca", saying set marmam digests To change this setting to individual messages, send the message: set marmam mail _______________________________________________________________ 9. How do I retrieve messages previously sent to MARMAM? All MARMAM messages since 1995 are archived and are retrievable by sending the message: get marmam logxxyy to the listserver (listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca), where xx = year and yy = month (e.g. get marmam log9601). As of Nov. 28 1996 all MARMAM messages have also been archived on the world-wide web. These can be found at: http://www.reference.com/cgi-bin/pn/listarch?list=MARMAM(\)uvvm.uvic.ca This archive can be searched by keyword or by date. The archive manager is Quyen Lam ______________________________________________________________ 10. How do I find out who subscribes to MARMAM? A list, sorted by country, of all current subscribers to the list may be retrieved along with their e-mail address' by sending the command: review marmam country to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca Subscribers not wanting this information available to others can send the command: set marmam conceal to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca The list of subscribers can then be imported into a spreadsheet or wordprocessing package where a "find" command can be used to locate a particular subscriber. _______________________________________________________________ 11. How do I get help using listserver commands? A list of common commands for different listserver functions (subscribing, retrieving files, etc.) is obtainable by sending the message: help to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. A more detailed list of listserver commands may be obtained by sending the message: info refcard to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca _______________________________________________________________ 12. Why did my MARMAM subscription stop? Your subscription may be cancelled if your email is undeliverable. This can happen, for example, if your in-box is full or if your server is down for a period of time. When this happens the marmamed account will receive error messages, and those whose accounts bounce back are either automatically deleted from the list or manually deleted by the list Editors every once in a while. If you find that you receive no MARMAM messages for a few days, try subscribing to the list again. ______________________________________________________________ 13. More Information on Marine Mammal Research and Conservation Detailed below are a few World Wide Web Marine Mammal related links. Many of these contain further links to other sites. The Society for Marine Mammalogy: "http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/" The National Marine Mammal Laboratory Homepage: "http://nmml01.afsc.noaa.gov/" The Acoustical Society of America: "http://asa.aip.org/" The European Cetacean Society: "http://web.inter.NL.net/users/J.W.Broekema/ecs.htm" International Whaling Commission: "http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/iwcoffice" _______________________________________________________________ 14. Who do I contact with my questions and concerns? Questions and concerns about MARMAM can be sent to the list editors (Robin Baird, Kerry Irish, Sascha Hooker, Sara Ellis or Shannon Gowans) at marmamed(\)uvic.ca _______________________________________________________________ The MARMAM FAQ can also be found at the website: http://is.dal.ca/~whitelab/marmam.htm Updated October, 1997 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 11:48:31 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly marine mammal summary to US congress (fwd) communication, Congr. Record, U.S. Geological Survey press release] The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 10/17/97 Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 10/10/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 10/16/97 are double bracketed {{...}} . Marine Mammals . Keiko. In early October 1997, the Associated Press reported increasing discord between the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation over Keiko's care, health, and rehabilitation techniques. On Oct. 1, 1997, the Board of the Oregon Coast Aquarium requested an independent evaluation of Keiko's health, claiming that the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation has not regularly shared medical and rehabilitation information with the Aquarium. On Oct. 3, 1997, officials of the OR Veterinary Medical Examining Board announced that the Board was initiating an investigation of Keiko's care and the legality of current arrangements for such care. On Oct. 7, 1997, the OR Veterinary Medical Association recommended that an independent team composed of NMFS, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, and International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine personnel be formed to render an unbiased opinion on Keiko's health and fitness for possible release. {On Oct. 14, 1997, officials of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced that Keiko's pool as well as logs of his feeding, medication, and veterinary care passed a surprise inspection conducted on Oct. 8, 1997. On Oct. 14, 1997, the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation announced that it was discussing the possibility of moving Keiko from the Oregon Coast Aquarium to a pen in Depoe Bay, OR.} [Assoc Press, Oregon Coast Aquarium press release, Free Willy-Keiko Foundation press release, OR Veterinary Medical Association press release] . Canadian Seal Cull. As of Oct. 1, 1997, Canadian fisheries officers had killed 17 seals in the Puntledge River on Vancouver Island near Courtenay, BC, in Canada's first seal cull aimed at protecting vulnerable salmon and trout populations. Another 23 seals are expected to be killed during the next week. [Assoc Press] . Greenland Whaling. In late September 1997, Greenland's Organization of Fishermen and Hunters submitted a demand to Greenland Home Rule authorities that they be allowed an increased annual catch of 10 humpback whales, 21 fin whales, and 275 minke whales. This exceeds the current aboriginal subsistence allocation by the International Whaling Commission of 19 fin whales and 167 minke whales. [High North Alliance News] . Amazon River Dolphins. On Sept. 25, 1997, the Dallas World Aquarium notified NMFS that it was withdrawing its application to import four Amazon river dolphins from Venezuela for captive exhibition. [Assoc Press] . WA State's Sea Lion Authorization. On Sept. 25, 1997, NMFS officials announced that they had extended, for four years, WA state's authorization to kill CA sea lions that gather at Ballard Locks to feed on migrating steelhead trout. The state can remove only predatory sea lions that have been observed killing fish between Jan. 1 and May 31, and only after non-lethal deterrence methods have been tried. [Assoc Press] . IWC Meeting. On Sept. 25, 1997, Japanese officials announced that Ireland will propose a ban on research whaling at the October 1997 IWC meeting. {In early October 1997, Britain's Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Elliot Morley wrote a letter to members of Parliament expressing support for an Irish proposal allowing a limited resumption of commercial whaling in which Japan, Norway, {{and possibly other nations}} would be permitted to kill certain whales in their coastal waters in exchange for establishing a global whale sanctuary {{in all international waters, banning international trade in whale products,}} and prohibiting research whaling.} {{On Oct. 15, 1997, Britain's Agriculture and Fisheries Minister reconsidered his earlier position and suggested that flaws in the Irish proposal would prevent the British government from supporting it.}} [Reuters, Dow Jones News] . Round Island Subsistence Walrus Hunt. On Sept. 20, 1997, the Qayssiq (Round Island) Walrus Commission will open a month-long subsistence walrus hunt on Round Island in Bristol Bay, AK, with approval from the AK Dept. of Fish and Game. The quota was doubled this year to 20 animals. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov (Dagmar Fertl) Marmam readers - I ran across the following in one of my book catalogs: Roger Payne's _Among Whales_ instead of $27.50, it is available for $5.95 (plus $3.00 shipping) The book is not used, but new. To order (no billing or credit cards): Edward R. Hamilton Bookseller Falls Village, CT 06031-5000 CT residents need to add sales tax Subject: Abstract Humpback Whales Shift Their Distribution in Response to Prey in the Southern Gulf of Maine Mason Weinrich, Malcolm Martin, Rachel Griffiths, Jennifer Bove, and Mark Schilling Fishery Bulletin 95: 826-836. Abstract From the mid-1970's to the mid-80's, Stellwagen Bank was an important humpback whale feeding area with sand lance (Ammodytes spp.) as the major prey. Between 1988 and 1994, however, the number of humpback whales we identified each year on Stellwagen declined from a high of 258 (1990) to seven (1994), and the mean number of whales identified per day from 17.7 (1988) to 0.9 (1994). Adult whales decreased steadily after 1988; juveniles decreased rapidly after 1991. Echo-sounder data from Stellwagen showed that prey trace levels declined from 19.1% of the vertical water column containing prey in 1990 to 2.8% in 1992 (no readings were taken in 1988-1989, or 1993-1994). Simultaneously, the number of whales identified on Jeffreys Ledge, north of Stellwagen Bank, increased dramatically beginning in 1992. Sixty-four percent of the whales identified on Jeffreys in 1992-1994 were seen on Stellwagen Bank in 1988 and 1989. We hypothesize that humpback whales shifted their distribution in order to prey upon recovering herring populations, their primary source of food. Please send reprint requests to Mason Weinrich at mason(\)cetacean.org. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Oct 1997 20:23:58 -0700 From: Daniel Palacios Subject: Antarctic humpbacks Group I With regards to the question on the distribution of the Antarctic humpback whales - Group I in their breeding grounds, and the extent of their migration: Based on the locations of the whaling grounds, Mackintosh (1965:85) hypothesized that the probable winter grounds for the humpback whales that feed in Antarctic Area I in the summer extend "between Peru and Panama (mainly Ecuador)." Clarke (1962) remarked that whaling expeditions in the late 1800's, and in 1914 and 1926 caught a considerable number of animals in waters of Ecuador and Colombia, from July to November (Clarke, 1962). More recent research has demonstrated that this group indeed crosses the equator, since their wintering/breeding grounds comprise, AT THE VERY LEAST, the coastal waters of Colombia (e.g. Florez-Gonzalez et al., 1994; Capella et al., 1995) and Ecuador (e.g. Felix and Haase, 1996). Some humpbacks are also seen off the Galapagos Islands (~1,000 km directly west of mainland Ecuador), during the austral winter (e.g. McFarland; Leatherwood and Reeves, 1982, Jackson, 1993; Day, 1994), and presumably would belong to the same group. The northernmost confirmed record of Antarctic humpback whales Group I is in waters of Panama, based on photoidentification (Florez-Gonzalez et al., 1995; Florez-Gonzalez et al., in press). Acevedo and Smultea (1995) reported sightings of humpback whales off coastal Costa Rica and the offshore Isla del Coco. Based on the whales' seasonality and pigmentation, they suggested these whales were southern hemisphere humpbacks. Since the waters of Costa Rica are also used by some eastern North Pacific humpbacks, Acevedo and Smultea's observations support Stone et al.'s (1990) hypothesis for geographic overlap of northern and southern hemisphere populations in these waters, and the potential occasional for gene flow between these populations. With regard to extent of the migration: according to Stone et al. (1990), the documented migration (through photographic matches of flukes) of one whale between the Antarctic Peninsula and Isla Gorgona (Colombia) comprises over 8,334 km and is the longest known migration of any mammal (other than humans). Of course, if a match occurred between photos of whales in the Antarctic and Costa Rica, this distance would increase by at least 1,000 km. In conclusion, no records (that I am aware of) even suggest that the stock of humpback whales in question might occur as far north as Mexican waters. REFERENCES Acevedo, A. and M.A. Smultea. 1995. First records of humpback whales including calves at Golfo Dulce and Isla del Coco, suggesting geographical overlap of northern and southern hemisphere populations. Marine Mammal Science 11(4):554-559. Capella, J.J., L. Florez-Gonzalez and G.A. Bravo. 1995. Site fidelity and seasonal residence of humpback whales around Isla Gorgona, a breeding ground in the Colombian Pacific. p. 20. Abstracts of the eleventh biennial conference on the biology of marine mammals. Orlando FL. Clarke, R. 1962. Whale observation and whale marking off the coast of Chile in 1958 and from Ecuador towards and beyond the Galapagos Islands in 1959. Norsk Hvalfangst-Tidende 51(7):265-287. Day, D. 1994. List of cetaceans seen in Galapagos. Noticias de Galapagos 53:5-6. Felix, F. and B. Haase. 1996. La ballena jorobada (Megaptera novaeangliae) alrededor de la Isla de La Plata, Ecuador: resultados de ;a temporada 1995. p. 27 (abstract). Programa y Resumenes, 7a Reunion de Trabajo de Especialistas en Mamiferos Acuaticos de America del Sur y 1er Congreso de la Sociedad Latinoamericana de Especialistas en Mamiferos Acuaticos, 22-25 Ocotber 1996, Vina del Mar, Chile. Florez-Gonzalez, L., J.J. Capella and H.C. Rosenbaum. 1994. Attack of killer whales (Orcinus orca) on humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) on a south American Pacific breeding ground. Marine Mammal Science 10(2):218-222. Florez-Gonzalez, L., J.J. Capella, B. Haase, G.A. Bravo, F. Felix, and T. Gerrodette. 1995. Movements of southern hemisphere humpback whales within eastern tropical Pacific waters - winters 1986-1993. p. 38. Abstracts of the eleventh biennial conference on the biology of marine mammals. Orlando FL. Florez-Gonzalez, L., J.J. Capella, F. Felix, B. Haase, G.A. Bravo, T. Lyrholm, and T. Gerrodette. In press. Changes in migratory destinations of south east Pacific humpback whales. Marine Mammal Science. [the title and order of auhtors will probably be slightly different; I don't have the exact citation with me at the moment]. Jackson, M.H. 1993. Galapagos, a natural history. University of Calgary Press, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Leatherwood, S. and R.R. Reeves. 1983. The Sierra Club handbook of whales and dolphins. Sierra Club Books, San Francisco. Mackintosh, N.A. 1965. The stocks of whales. Fishing News (Books) Ltd. London. McFarland, J. 1977. Whales in Galapagos: a personal view point. Noticias de Galapagos 26:19-21. Stone, G., L. Florez-Gonzalez and S. Katona. 1990. Whale migration record. Nature 346:6286. ----------------------------- Daniel Palacios ************************************************* * Daniel M. Palacios * * College of Oceanic & Atmospheric Sciences * * Oregon State University * * 104 Oceanography Admin. Bdlg. * * Corvallis, OR 97331-5503 * * U.S.A. * * Phone: (541) 737-2492 * * Fax: (541) 737-2064 * * E-Mail: dpalacio(\)oce.orst.edu * ************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Oct 1997 09:06:26 -0400 From: CYNDIVER(\)aol.com Subject: Re: pygmy killer whales I am looking for any information available on the behavior, family units, eating habits or references on pygmy killer whales for a research project. Please post or send e-mail to: CYNDIVER(\)aol.com (Dr. Cynthia Bailey) I volunteer at a marine rehab facility and we are confronted with various types of marine animals, and in reviewing the literature I found very few references to pygmy killer whales. We have had them strand here in the past, and so I would like to have more information. My particular interest is in the behaviors, as the available references indicate they are a very aggressive species. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 22:01:24 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Air fares to Monaco from North America Flight Coordinators, the official WMMSC air travel agent for flights from North America to Monaco, has just released a list of reduced air fares. To obtain these fares tickets must be purchased by 29 October 1997. The full set of air travel information is given on the WMMSC web page. http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/wmmsc/wmmsc.html The following list contains air fares from major North American cities to Nice, France, round trip. Listed fares do not include taxes. Los Angeles US$540.00 San Francisco US$540.00 Seattle US$558.00 New York US$390.00 Chicago US$450.00 Montreal US$550.00 Toronto US$550.00 Remember, these prices EXPIRE after 29 October 1997. Contact FLIGHT COORDINATORS at 800-544-3644 or globaltc(\)gte.net Dan Odell odell(\)pegasus.cc.ucf.edu WMMSC Conference Committee ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 06:14:31 -0700 Reply-To: MARMAM Editors From: MARMAM Editors Subject: course of marine mammals in Uruguay (fwd) From: Hermanos Fallabrino COURSE OF MARINE MAMMALS IN URUGUAY VIDA SILVESTRE is an ONG Uruguayan that does several courses in the year. In this opportunity this offering to all I publish in general , either national like international a course of learning on the marine mammals. Date: 5,6,7 of November of 1997 Place: National institute of the Youth (INJU) 18 de julio 1877 Montevideo Uruguay Cost : Aprox 15 U$S If you require additional information on the course write to: VIDA SILVESTRE Colonia 1884/903 CP 11200 tel. 00 5982 481142 fax 00 5982 495887 email : vida-silvestre(\)geocities.com sutu(\)adinet.com.uy web: http:// www.geocities.com/Rainforest/8235 "EL DIA EN QUE SE TALO EL PRIMER ARBOL, FUE EL COMIENZO DE LA CIVILIZACION HUMANA. EL DIA EN QUE SE TALE EL ULTIMO, SERA EL FIN." -------------------------------------------------------- > CURSO DE MAMIFEROS MARINOS EN URUGUAY > Vida Silvestre es una ONG uruguaya que hace cursos periodicamente.En esta > oportunidad esta ofreciendo a todo el publico en general > ya sea nacional como internacional un curso de aprendizaje sobre los > mamiferos marinos. > Fecha: 5,6,7 de Noviembre de 1997 > Lugar: Instituto Nacional de la Juventud (INJU) > 18 de julio 1877 > Montevideo > Uruguay > Costo: Aprox 15 U$S > Si desea mas informacion sobre el curso dirijirse a: > VIDA SILVESTRE > Colonia 1884/903 > CP 11200 > tel. 00 5982 481142 > fax 00 5982 495887 > email : vida-silvestre(\)geocities.com > web: http:// www.geocities.com/Rainforest/8235 > > "EL DIA EN QUE SE TALO EL PRIMER ARBOL, > FUE EL COMIENZO DE LA CIVILIZACION HUMANA. > EL DIA EN QUE SE TALE EL ULTIMO, SERA EL FIN." > From: Nick Voth FROM NOAA info -Ron Huber Constituent Contact: Susan A. Weaver 10/23/97 Susan.A.Weaver(\)NOAA.gov 202-482-2610 WHALING COMMISSION APPROVES COMBINED RUSSIAN - MAKAH GRAY WHALE QUOTA RUSSIAN - ALASKAN NATIVE BOWHEAD QUOTA ALSO APPROVED MONACO -- The International Whaling Commission today adopted a quota that allows a five-year aboriginal subsistence hunt of an average of four non-endangered gray whales a year for the Makah Indian Tribe, combined with an average annual harvest of 120 gray whales by Russian natives of the Chukotka region. A combined quota accommodates the needs of the two aboriginal groups hunting whales from a single stock. The commission adopted the combined quota by consensus, thereby indicating its acceptance of the United States' position that the Makah Tribe's cultural and subsistence needs are consistent with those historically recognized by the IWC. The Makah Tribe, located on the remote northwest tip of Washington state, expects to start its subsistence hunt in the fall of 1998 under government supervision. The Makah quota will not involve commercial whaling. "The United States has fulfilled its moral and legal obligation to honor the Makah's treaty rights. The right to conduct whaling was specifically reserved in the 1855 U.S.-Makah Treaty of Neah Bay," said Will Martin, alternate U.S. commissioner to the International Whaling Commission, and deputy assistant secretary for international affairs for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The two countries agreed to submit a joint request for an average of 124 gray whales a year, of which 120 are for Russia's Chukotka people, and four are for the Makah Tribe. The United States and Russia tabled the joint resolution after many countries suggested that the two nations work together to address the needs of both native groups while reducing the overall quota. In preliminary proceedings, the Russian government had outlined its need for 140 gray whales a year and the Makah Tribe had outlined its need for up to five gray whales a year. Over a five-year period, the joint quota will reduce the number of whales taken by 80 from the existing Russian 140-whale annual quota. The Commission's Scientific Committee will conduct an annual review of the gray whale stock and can recommend changes to the quota. "The approval of this joint gray whale quota reduces the overall number of whales taken while addressing the needs of native groups," said Martin. The Makah request is unique among native peoples, in that the tribe's 1855 Treaty of Neah Bay is the only Indian treaty in the United States that expressly reserves a tribal right to go whaling. "We are pleased that the commission has recognized the cultural and subsistence need of the Makah Tribe," said Marcy Parker, Makah Tribal Council member, and member of the U.S. delegation. "We will now develop a management plan and are committed to being a responsible co-manager of the gray whale resource in our usual and accustomed whaling grounds." The Makah have a 1,500-year whaling tradition. Tribal whaling ceased in the early 1900's after commercial whalers had decimated whale stocks and government assimilation programs forced tribal members to abandon their intricate whaling rituals and pursue an agrarian lifestyle. Today, almost half of the Makah people live below the poverty line, unemployment is nearly 50 percent, and their subsistence fish and shellfish resources are dwindling to all-time lows. "We appreciate the support and dedication the United States government has shown the Makah Tribe in our request to resume our centuries-old whaling heritage. The Makah tribal members will now be able to again perform important whaling rituals and receive sustenance from this important and traditional marine resource. Today will mark one of the most significant events in our history with western civilization that will now be passed on through our oral traditions as a positive move toward cultural revival of vital missing links once thought lost to our people," said Parker. The Makah Tribe will not use commercial whaling equipment, but will combine humane hunting methods with continued traditional hunting rituals, including using hand-crafted canoes. The U.S. government's environmental assessment of the hunt found it will not adversely affect the gray whale stock's healthy status, which is currently at more than 22,000. The gray whale was taken off the U.S. Endangered Species Act list in 1994. In a related action, the commission approved on Wednesday a combined quota of bowhead whales to meet the needs of the Eskimos in Alaska and Russia. The combined quota allows an average of 56 bowhead whales to be landed each year. The Alaska Eskimos have been conducting aboriginal subsistence hunts with approval of the International Whaling Commission since the commission began regulating such hunts in the 1970's. "We are pleased that the commission continues to recognize the importance of the bowhead whale hunt to Alaskan Eskimos," said Martin. "The central focus of the bowhead hunt in the culture of the Eskimos is well known." The 39-member International Whaling Commission is the sole international body with authority to regulate all forms of whaling. Under the commission' whaling regulations, native communities are allowed quotas for subsistence and cultural purposes. Such quotas prohibit the sale of any edible whale products from aboriginal subsistence hunts. Sent from Nick Voth President E Street Communications mailto://nvoth(\)estreet.com http://www.estreet.com/ ------------------------------- From: david(\)cetacean.org (David Morin) Internship Announcement The Cetacean Research Unit is a non-profit research organization, comprised of approximately 10 people involved with the study of behavior, ecology, and natural history of the whales and dolphins found in the waters off Cape Ann, MA. Primary concentration is on an individually identified population of some several hundred humpback whales that spend portions of the spring, summer, and fall in these waters. We are currently looking to fill 1 opening for the spring semester of 1998 (January 24 - May 30). Interns are responsible for collecting, organizing, transcribing, and analyzing data dealing with the behavior and identification of N. Atlantic cetaceans. This will involve extensive dark room or computer work (training provided), plus field data collection aboard commercial whale watching vessels and our research boat Silver II. A common apartment is used, and interns live together and share cooking and cleaning duties. Rooms are shared with one other person. A living arrangement such as this is conducive to open discussion and interaction between peers and home life is often a continuation of the day in the field. Therefore, it is essential that candidates can combine these two areas. A special one-time fee of $500 for the period will be charged to cover housing. In the past, applicants for these positions have been primarily undergraduate college students. Although we do not limit these positions to that group, the internship is tailored to their needs, and they are given priority. College credit may be arranged by the student through their department or as an independent research program at their college or university. The Cetacean Research Unit encourages this, and will take whatever steps are required to facilitate such efforts. An applicant for an internship should have the following: * A background in biology * Some knowledge of research methods and design * An ability to work, live and communicate well with others * Enthusiasm and dedication to work long days in the field or lab (sometimes 12 hours or more) In order to formally apply for an internship, please send us a curriculum vitae or resume, a cover letter detailing your reason for applying, one letter of reference, and a transcript. An in-person (preferred) interview or phone interview will then be arranged Internships are open to those students having just completed their sophomore, junior, or senior year and to recent graduates. The position will be filled on a rolling basis with an absolute deadline of December 1st. Application materials should be sent to: Cetacean Research Unit P.O. Box 159 Gloucester MA 01930-0159 ATTN. David Morin/Intern Coordinator Please contact ASAP: David Morin david(\)cetacean.org 508-281-6351 From: Kate Wing A Note to People Who Receive this Summary: As most of you know, this is an in-house summary that Congressional Staff receive to keep us updated on fish issues. I've forwarded it on to various discussion lists because people have requested it and, in many cases, it's one of the few ways folks have of getting such updates. I greatly appreciate all the thanks I've gotten and I pass them on the the author. With this in mind, I need to reiterate that I am not a clippings service. If you're asking about an issue the Committee is working on, then I'll gladly provide what information I can. Recently I have gotten a great number of requests such as "send me all news about marine mammals". I cannot accommodate such requests, no matter how nice or how rude you choose to be about it. Please do not send them to me. Thanks, Kate Wing Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries --------------------------------------------------------------------- Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 10/24/97 Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 10/17/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 10/23/97 are double bracketed {{...}} . Marine Mammals . {Sealing Conference. The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission has scheduled an international conference on "Sealing the Future" for Nov. 25-27, 1997, in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.} [Conference brochure] . {Japanese Whalemeat Sale. On Oct. 23, 1997, the Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research announced that 298 tons of meat taken from 100 minke whales killed in the northwestern Pacific Ocean during May-July 1997 would be placed on the domestic market on Oct. 24, 1997; 31 tons for school lunches, 156 tons for canning, and 111 tons for direct markets. The wholesale price was set at 49,000 yen per 15 kilogram block of meat.} [Dow Jones News] . {Canadian Right Whale Meeting. On Oct. 21, 1997, Canadian scientists, environmentalists, and government managers met in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to discuss ways to increase protection for northern right whales. Participants agreed to word together to develop a plan to better protect this species in Canadian waters.} [Assoc Press] . {Makah Whaling Lawsuit. On Oct. 17, 1997, U.S. Representative Jack Metcalf (R-WA), animal protection advocates, and a Makah tribal elder filed suit in U.S. District Court (Washington, DC) against Commerce Secretary William Daley, seeking to prohibit federal assistance for the WA state's Makah Tribe's efforts to begin killing five gray whales annually for cultural and subsistence purposes. The lawsuit charges that such whaling would violate the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, and the Whaling Convention Act.} [Assoc Press] . {Polar Bear Fund. On Oct. 17, 1997, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced the creation of a fund to promote polar bear conservation research and management programs in Alaska and Russia. Initial funding of the project was derived from fees collected by the FWS for permits to import polar bear trophies from Canada. Activities to be funded include harvest monitoring management, aerial den or population surveys, and technical assistance for enforcement efforts.} [FWS press release] . Keiko. In early October 1997, the Associated Press reported increasing discord between the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation over Keiko's care, health, and rehabilitation techniques. On Oct. 1, 1997, the Board of the Oregon Coast Aquarium requested an independent evaluation of Keiko's health, claiming that the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation has not regularly shared medical and rehabilitation information with the Aquarium. On Oct. 3, 1997, officials of the OR Veterinary Medical Examining Board announced that the Board was initiating an investigation of Keiko's care and the legality of current arrangements for such care. On Oct. 7, 1997, the OR Veterinary Medical Association recommended that an independent team composed of NMFS, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, and International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine personnel be formed to render an unbiased opinion on Keiko's health and fitness for possible release. On Oct. 14, 1997, officials of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced that Keiko's pool as well as logs of his feeding, medication, and veterinary care passed a surprise inspection conducted on Oct. 8, 1997. On Oct. 14, 1997, the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation announced that it was discussing the possibility of moving Keiko from the Oregon Coast Aquarium to a pen in Depoe Bay, OR. {On Oct. 17, 1997, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service provided recommended procedures for creating an independent panel to review Keiko's health to the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation.} [Assoc Press, Oregon Coast Aquarium press release, Free Willy-Keiko Foundation press release, OR Veterinary Medical Association press release] . {Passamaquoddy Porpoise Hunting. In early October 1997, Passamaquoddy leaders met with federal officials to discuss exercising what the tribe considers a sacred right to hunt porpoise in waters offshore of ME.} [Assoc Press] . IWC Meeting. In early October 1997, Britain's Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Elliot Morley wrote a letter to members of Parliament expressing support for an Irish proposal allowing a limited resumption of commercial whaling in which Japan, Norway, and possibly other nations would be permitted to kill certain whales in their coastal waters in exchange for establishing a global whale sanctuary in all international waters, banning international trade in whale products, and prohibiting research whaling. On Oct. 15, 1997, Britain's Agriculture and Fisheries Minister reconsidered his earlier position and suggested that flaws in the Irish proposal would prevent the British government from supporting it. {On Oct. 20, 1997, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) opened its 49th annual meeting in Monte Carlo, Monaco. On Oct. 21, 1997, voting on a Japanese proposal that IWC decisions be made by secret ballot was postponed. On Oct. 22, 1997, Japan was reportedly ready to offer a compromise limiting the use of the electric lance in favor of using rifles to kill whales that do not die immediately from explosive harpoons. On Oct. 22, 1997, the United States and Russia presented a joint request for a five-year aboriginal whaling quota of 280 bowhead and 620 gray whales in the North Pacific. The IWC approved a joint U.S.-Russia bowhead quota for an average 56 whales landed annually, but postponed a decision on the gray whale quota. On Oct. 22, 1997, relating to the proposed Makah whaling, Russia's Chukchi people proposed exchanging four gray whales from their annual quota of 140 gray whales in return for receiving five bowhead whales from AK's Inuit annual quota of 67 bowhead whales. Such an exchange would be formalized by bilateral agreement between Russia and the United States.} {{On Oct. 23, 1997, the IWC adopted the joint U.S.-Russian quota proposed for gray whales, with a five-year aboriginal subsistence hunt averaging four gray whales a year for WA state's Makah tribe and an average annual harvest of 120 gray whales for Russia's Chukchi people. The Makah will develop a managment plan for their subsistence whaling and anticipate their first hunt in fall 1998. On Oct. 23, 1997, the IWC agreed that whalers, when whales are not immediately killed by an exploding harpoon, must try to kill whales by rifle and use electric lances only in extreme cases. On Oct. 23, 1997, the IWC voted 12-16 (with 4 abstentions) on a Japanese request for an annual quota of 50 minke whales for four coastal villages, failing to reach the required three-fourths majortiy necessary for approval. On Oct. 24, 1997, the IWC approved a non-binding resolution calling upon Japan to practice self-restraint with respect to research whaling in the Antarctic.}} [Reuters, Dow Jones News, NOAA press release] . Canadian Seal Cull. As of Oct. 1, 1997, Canadian fisheries officers had killed 17 seals in the Puntledge River on Vancouver Island near Courtenay, BC, in Canada's first seal cull aimed at protecting vulnerable salmon and trout populations. Another 23 seals are expected to be killed during the next week. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 15:13:17 -0400 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Abstracts/contents: Marine Mammal Science, Oct 1997 The following are abstracts for the latest issue of _Marine Mammal Science_. This posting is done as a favor to the Marmam list editors, as well as the editor of _Marine Mammal Science_. Please direct reprint inquiries to the corresponding author, whose address I have indicated; do not send such requests to me. Thank you to those of you who have told me that you appreciate postings such as these. Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov ********************************************************************** Fay, F.H., L.L. Eberhardt**, B.P. Kelly, J.J. Burns, and L.T. Quakenbush. 1997. Status of the Pacific walrus population, 1950-1989. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(4): 537-565. ** 2528 W. Klamath Ave., Kennewick, Washington 99336, USA The Pacific walrus (_Odobenus rosmarus divergens_) population is an important ecological and economic resource of the Bering Sea region. We describe population change, beginning with a low in 1950, through a high in about 1980, and ending in 1989. Estimates of abundance for the years after 1989 were not attempted due to the lack of harvest data and other population parameters. Selective hunting practices resulted in biased data regarding population composition and reproductive performance. Rates of reproduction had to be estimated from ovarian data, which indicated a dramatic drop in the 1980s. High harvests in the 1980s likely contributed to a decline in the population, but uncertainties as to accuracy of population estimates and other data raise reasonable doubts, especially with respect to the number of males, for which the most recent (1985) population estimate suggests a sharp decline. Past population estimates were revised upwards to compensate for walruses underwater and not seen in aerial surveys. The weaknesses in the available data make it clear that effective management of the population will require many improvements in collection of data regarding harvests, population structure, reproduction, and population trend. ********************************************************************** Nowicki, S.N.**, I. Stirling, and B. Sjare. 1997. Duration of stereotyped underwater vocal displays by male Atlantic walruses in relation to aerobic dive limit. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(4): 566-575. ** Canadian Wildlife Service, 5320 122 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6H 3S5 During the breeding season from January to mid-April, adult male Atlantic walruses (_Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus_) dive repeatedly for an average duration of 4-6 min and give stereotyped underwater vocal displays. Between dives, they surface for 1-2 min, take 4-6 breaths, and give stereotyped vocalizations between breaths. Male walruses vocalize in the presence of groups of females and calves, young adult males, or by themselves as lone singers. This pattern is repeated throughout the breeding season and can be maintained for extended periods, sometimes exceeding 48 h. The prolonged underwater vocal displays of male walruses seem possible because the animals do not exceed the aerobic dive limit (ADL), estimated to be 9.8 min for a 1,1000-kg animal, nor do they exceed the behavioral ADL of 7.9 min, determined from the histogram of dives for males singing alone. The number of breaths taken after dives and the postdive surface times remained fairly constant despite dive duration, suggesting that the walruses remained within their aerobic dive limits. The duration of most dives made by displaying males vocalizing alone during the breeding season, and dive duration of walruses feeding for protracted periods outside the breeding season, are both roughly half the estimated ADL. ********************************************************************** Herzing, D.L. 1997. The life history of free-ranging Atlantic spotted dolphins (_Stenella frontalis_): Age classes, color phases and female reproduction. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(4): 576-595. Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431 Atlantic spotted dolphins (_Stenella frontalis_) were observed underwater and from the surface from 1985 to 1996 and photographed through successive years. Individuals were categorized into age classes by their degree of spotting and color phases. Dolphins spent an average of 3 yr in the two-tone color phase, 5 yr in the speckled phase, 7 yr in the mottled phase and up to 10 yr or more in the fused phase. Sex ratios were close to parity, with old adults skewed towards females and juveniles and young adults skewed towards males. The average calving interval for 24 females was 2.96 years with a range of 1-5 yr. Females whose calves survived the first year had a significantly longer calving interval (3.56 years). The ages of first parturition for five females were estimated to be 10-12 yr. The age at sexual maturation was estimated to range from 8 to 15 yr. Pregnancy rate fluctuated annually, with an average rate of 0.25 (range 0.07-0.57). Annual average birth rate was 0.08 (range 0.06-0.14), average calf production was 0.33 (range 0.06-0.52), average fecundity was 0.23 (range 0.13-0.30), and average recruitment was 0.06 (range 0.13-0.30), and average recruitment was 0.06 (range 0.03-0.08). Most females who lost a calf conceived the same or following year. Lactation lasted up to 5 yr, and 45% of visibly pregnant females were also lactating. Age of first parturition was associated with the mottled color phase. Average first-year mortality rate of calves was 0.24. ********************************************************************** Heyning, J.E. 1997. Sperm whale phylogeny revisited: Analysis of the morphological evidence. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(4): 596-613. Section of Vertebrates, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90007, USA Some recent analyses of three mitochondrial DNA regions suggest that sperm whales are the sister group to baleen whales and, therefore, the suborder Odontoceti (toothed whales) constitutes a paraphyletic group. I cladistically analyzed the available morphological data, including that from relevant fossil taxa, for all families of extant cetaceans to test this hypothesis. The results of this analysis unambiguously support a monophyletic Odontoceti including the sperm whales. All synapomorphies that support the Odontoceti node are decisive, not related to the evolution of highly correlated characters, and provide the same result regardless of what order mammals is used as an outgroup. These numerous, anatomically diverse, and unambiguous characters make this clade one of the best-supported higher-level groupings among mammals. In addition, the fossil evidence refutes a sperm whale/baleen whale clade. Both the molecular and morphological produce the same unrooted tree. The improper rooting of the molecular tree appears to be producing these seemingly incongruent phylogenies. ********************************************************************** Baumgartner, M.F. 1997. The distribution of Risso's dolphin (_Grampus griseus_) with respect to the physiography of the northern Gulf of Mexico. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(4): 614-638. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA The distribution of Risso's dolphin (_Grampus griseus_) was examined with respect to two physiographic variables, water depth and depth gradient (sea floor slope), in the northern Gulf of Mexico, using shipboard and aerial survey data collected from 1992 to 1994. Univariate chi-square analyses demonstrated that Risso's dolphins are distributed non-uniformly with respect to both depth and depth gradient. A bivariate analysis of the shipboard data indicated that Risso's dolphins utilize the steep sections of the upper continental slope in the northern Gulf of Mexico. This narrow core habitat is in waters bounded by the 350-m and 975-m isobaths with depth gradients greater than 24 m per 1.1 km and consists of only 2% of the surface area of the entire Gulf of Mexico. Sighting rates inside this region were nearly 5 and 6 times the average for the shipboard and aerial surveys, respectively. Of the groups sighted outside this region, 40% (shipboard) and 73% (aerial) were encountered within 5 km of it. Since it is unlikely that the physiography alone can attract dolphins, oceanographic mechanisms that may concentrate prey along the steep upper continental slope are discussed. The implications of this distribution, including potential prey species, foraging strategies, and impacts of proposed mineral exploration and development, are also considered. ********************************************************************** Nakahara, F.**, T. Akira, T. Koido, and H. Hiruda. 1997. Target discrimination by an echolocating finless porpoise, _Neophocaena phocaenoides_. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(4): 639-649. ** Otsuchi Marine Research Center, Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Akahama, Otsuchi, Iwate 028-11, Japan The ability of a finless porpoise (_Neophocaena phocaenoides_) to discriminate the material and size of a target by echolocation was investigated. The porpoise was required to choose a standard target of a 15-mm diameter solid steel cylinder from two stimuli, a standard and a comparison target, presented simultaneously. The porpoise could distinguish a standard cylinder from acrylic resin and brass targets, but had difficulties distinguishing it from an aluminum cylinder. In size discrimination, the porpoise could distinguish the standard from 12-, 18-, and 20-mm diameter cylinders, but had difficulties distinguishing it from a 14-mm diameter cylinder. Echo measurements suggest that the porpoise is able to detect: (1) time difference between two echo highlights to within approximately 1 microsecond, (2) frequency shifts of approximately 7 kHz in a broadband echo having a peak frequency of nearly 140 kHz, (3) time-separation pitch of approximately 30 kHz, and (4) target strength differences of approximately 1 dB. ********************************************************************** Bearzi, G., G. Notarbartolo-di-Sciara, and E. Politi. 1997. Social ecology of bottlenose dolphins in the Kvarneric (northern Adriatic Sea). _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(4): 650-668. Tethys Research Institute, viale G.B. Gadio 2, 20121 Milano, Italy A bottlenose dolphin community was studied from small inflatable craft from 1987 to 1994 in a relatively large area (about 800 km^2) east of the islands of Losinj and Cres, northern Adriatic Sea. A total of 106 individuals were photoidentified based on natural permanent marks on their dorsal fins. Most of the dolphins were resighted on a regular basis, indicating a high level of year-round site fidelity, although their range was evidently greater than the chosen study area. Dolphin density was highly variable and considerably lower than for most well-known bottlenose dolphin communities. Groups averaged seven individuals, with a mode of two. Groups entirely composed of adults were the smallest, groups with calves the largest. Group fluidity was high, seasonal and yearly changes in mean group size being also considerable. Summer was the peak calving season, with a striking variation in the number of births on alternate years. Poor evidence of shark predation was found. The social organization of this dolphin community seemed to be highly flexible, possibly as an adaptation to cope with environmental changes as well as with a limited and variable availability of prey. ********************************************************************** Bell, C.M.**, M.A. Hindell, and H.R. Burton. 1997. Estimation of body mass in the southern elephant seal, _Mirounga leonina_, by photogrammetry and morphometrics. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(4): 669-682. ** Kingston Animal Hospital, 1 Freeman Street, Kingston, Tasmania, 7050, Australia A simple photographic technique was developed to indirectly estimate body mass data for southern elephant eal (_Mirounga leonina_) cows (postlaction), yearlings, and immature males and females. Regressions of mass on both photographic and morphometric variables (together and separately) yielded useful, predictable models. Using such variables, the best estimation of the actual mass for postlactation cows, with a 95% confidence interval of +- 2.66% of the predicted body mass. Although combining photographic and morphometric variables produced the most reliable models specifically for cows and yearlings, the most practical model contained only the morphometric variables length and girth squared. Side areas was the best correlated single photographic variable and this corresponded with other studies. Photogrammetry could be useful when animals cannot be sedated and are located on a flat surface, but it does require animals to be motionless when approached. Thus, the procedure may be more suited to bulls rather than the other age classes and could have a role in studies where large numbers of mass estimations are rapidly required. If sedation is utilized in smaller animals, then the use of body length and girth is the most suitable indirect mass estimation technique to avoid the use of heavy weighing equipment. ********************************************************************** Oosthuizen, W.H. 1997. Evaluation of an effective method to estimate age of Cape fur seals using ground tooth sections. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(4): 683-693. Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Private Bag X2, Rogge Bay, 8012, Cape Town, South Africa Teeth of known-age Cape fur seals _Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus_ were used to validate age estimated from ground sections. In the canines, dentine growth layer groups (GLGs) reflected age accurately but no reliable readings could be obtained from GLGs in the cementum. Upper canines were the most suitable for age estimation. By contrast, in the postcanines where the cementum is thicker, only GLGs in the cementum could be used for age determination, but not with the same accuracy as for dentine in the canines. Therefore, it is recommended that GLGs in the dentine be used to determine age in the Cape fur seal. However, pulp cavities in canines closed at about 13 yr and consequently GLGs in the cementum of the postcanines should be used where the pulp cavities of canines are closed. Accurate estimation of age is not possible from the dentine of older animals. ********************************************************************** LIST OF NOTES **************************************** N. Garrett Logan and T. Smith. 1997. A hand-held, pen-based computer system for marine mammal sighting surveys. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(4): 694-700. National Marine Fisheries Service, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA ********************************************************************** McAlpine, D.F**., L.D. Murison, and E.P. Hoberg. 1997. New records for the pygmy sperm whale, _Kogia breviceps_ (Physeteridae) from Atlantic Canada with notes on diet and parasites. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(4): 701-704. **Natural Sciences Dept., New Brunswick Museum, 277 Douglas Avenue, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada E2K 1E5 ********************************************************************** Laerm, J., F**. Wenzel, J.E. Craddock, D. Weinand, J. McGurk, M.J. Harris, G.A. Early, J.G. Mead, C.W. Potter, and N.B. Barros. 1997. New prey species for northwestern Atlantic humpback whales. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(4): 705-711. ** University of Georgia Museum of Natural History, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA ********************************************************************** Silvers, L.E.**, S. Atkinson, M. Iwasa, C. Combelles, and D.R. Salden. 1997. A large placenta encountered in the Hawaiian winter grounds of the humpback whale, _Megaptera novaeangliae_. _Marine Mammal Science_ 13(4): 711-716. ** P.O. Box 34889, Bethesda, Maryland 20827, USA ********************************************************************** REVIEWS Reviewed by I. Stirling, pp. 717-718: _Whales, Seals, Fish, and Man_ , written by A.S. Blix, L. Walloe and O. Ultang, eds. Proceedings of the International Symposium on the Biology of Marine Mammals in the North East Atlantic. Tromso, Norway, 29 November-1 December 1994. ************************************ MEMORIES Age Jonsgard, written by A. Bjorge and T. Oritsland, pp. 719-720. James Stephen Leatherwood, written by R.R. Reeves, W.F. Perrin, and T.A. Jefferson, pp. 721-725. ************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 17:02:57 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: FWD: Postdoctoral Positions in Evolution, Ecology, Behavior (fwd) Forwarded From: Robert Kenney >From: "Kara J. Paintner" >To: ECOLOG-L(\)UMDD.UMD.EDU > >Please bring this notice to the attention of anyone whom you think >might be interested. > >Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research on the Biology of Small >Populations at the University of Maryland and Smithsonian Institution > >The Research Training Group in the Biology of Small Populations at >the University of Maryland and the Smithsonian Institution is a >collaborative enterprise to explore the implications of rarity in >organisms. It was established by a grant from the National Science >Foundation in 1996 to support research and training in the biological >implications of small population size. The underlying philosophy is >that a broad, basic science approach is required if we are to >understand the factors that influence whether rare species persist or >go extinct. The program provides fellowships for postdoctoral and >graduate study leading to a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. >Participants have access to facilities at the Smithsonian >Environmental Research Center on the Chesapeake Bay, the National >Zoological Park, and the Laboratory of Molecular Systematics at the >National Museum of Natural History. A graduate seminar and short >technical training sessions are offered annually on different topics >related to the biology of small populations. Each year a spring >symposium features presentations by invited experts and trainees. > >Research on an endangered or threatened species is not required. In >fact, the implications of population size are often better studied >in species that are not themselves threatened. Any project that >investigates the behavioral, ecological, or evolutionary >consequences of small or reduced population sizes is eligible for >support. We encourage fellows to develop independent research >projects. However, fellows are required to have a faculty sponsor. >Therefore, if you are applying for a fellowship you should contact a >potential mentor from the list of participating faculty below before >submitting applications. > >Participating Faculty - University of Maryland >Peter Abrams - Ecological & Evolutionary Theory - abrams(\)zool.umd.edu >Gerry Borgia - Evolution of Social Systems - borgia(\)zool.umd.edu >Lin Chao - Theory and Microbial Evolution - chao(\)zool.umd.edu >Jim Dietz - Primate Ecology and Conservation - dietz(\)zool.umd.edu >Michelle Dudash - Plant Population Biology - md59(\)umail.umd.edu >Charles Fenster - Evolution and Ecological Genetics - cf25(\)umail.umd.edu >Doug Gill - Evolutionary Ecology - gill(\)zool.umd.edu >David Inouye - Pollination Biology - di5(\)umail.umd.edu >Ulrich Mueller - Behavioral Evolution - mueller(\)zool.umd.edu >Margaret Palmer - Aquatic Community Ecology - mp3(\)umail.umd.edu >Gerald Wilkinson-Behavioral Ecology/Evolution-wilkinson(\)zool.umd.edu >Robert Denno - Insect-Plant Ecology - rd12(\)umail.umd.edu >Dave Hawthorne - Insect Population Genetics - dh176(\)umail.umd.edu >Smithsonian Institution >Jon Ballou - Conservation Biology - NZPDZR01(\)sivm.si.edu >Rob Fleischer - Evolutionary Genetics - NZPGL100(\)sivm.si.edu >Devra Kleiman - Convservation Biology - NZPEM029(\)sivm.si.edu >Mike Braun - Molecular Systematics - braun(\)onyx.si.edu >Anson `Tuck' Hines - Marine Ecology - hines(\)serc.si.edu > >Fellowships provide a $25,000 stipend for one or two years and >include health insurance as well as a $4,000 annual research >allowance. Two year fellowship recipients will be required to >participate in a teaching internship program which will involve >working with a faculty member in an undergraduate course. >Fellowship activities should begin between March 1998 and January >1999. Fellowship recipients must be US citizens or permanent >residents. The program encourages the submission of applications >from minorities underrepresented in science, including women. > >APPLICATION DEADLINE: Postmarked by December 15,1997 >Fellowship recipients must be US citizens or permanent residents. > >Applications will consist of >1. A cover letter. The letter should include the name of your >faculty sponsor from the above list. >2. A Curriculum Vita. (5 copies) >3. A research proposal. This should consist of 4-6 pages of single >spaced text (figures, tables, and bibliography do not count in the 6 >page limit. The text should explain how the proposed research will >contribute to understanding the biological implications of small >population sizes. (5 copies) >4. Copies of 2 publications if available. >5. Three letters of recommendation sent to the address below. >Send the above materials to RTG Coordinator, Kara Paintner, >Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, >MD 20742. > >For more details send a request to our email address, >bsp-rtg(\)zool.umd.edu >or call (301) 405-4552 or check out our web page >http://www.life.umd.edu/bsprtg/index.html >------------------------------------------------------ >Kara J. Paintner, Coordinator >Behavior, Evolution, Ecology, and Systematics >Biology of Small Populations Research Training Program > >301-405-4552 >paintner(\)zool.umd.edu >http://www.life.umd.edu/bsprtg/index.html > > Greetings all, For those with an interest in dolphin systematics, what follows is the abstract from my thesis. I am currently adding to the dataset and the analyses to make it more comprehensive for submission for publication. Although I don't have the resources to make copies of the thesis, I will be happy to receive any comments or queries regarding the research. The thesis will be archived at University Microfilm. Keep in mind that the suggested revisions are provisional until corroborated with indepedent lines of evidence (e.g., cladistic analysis of nuclear genetic data or morphological characters). Thanks for your time, Rick ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION A Systematic Study of the Delphinidae (Mammalia: Cetacea) using Cytochrome B Sequences by Richard Gene LeDuc Evolutionary relationships among delphinids are, at present, poorly understood. Previous systematic studies and published classifications were based on insufficient morphological data and/or outdated analytical methods. With the advent of genetic data and cladistic methodologies of phylogenetic inference, there are now opportunities for reexamining patterns of dolphin evolution. Using standard protocols, the entire cytochrome B gene was sequenced from all genera, all but two species of the delphinids and from four outgroup species. The data were analyzed using a variety of methods for inferring phylogenies, including weighted and unweighted parsimony, maximum likelihood, and neighbor-joining analyses. The results strongly indicate the need for a systematic revision of the family, and a provisional classification is presented. Among the well-supported findings that conflict with current classifications are the removal of Orcinus from the Globicephalinae, placement of Grampus within the Globicephalinae, the removal of all Lagenorhynchus spp. from the Delphininae, and the placement of Sousa in the Delphininae. Within the currently recognized genus Lagenorhynchus, L. albirostris and L. acutus are not closely related to each other or to the other species in that genus. L. acutus is therefore assigned to the genus Leucopleurus. The remaining species of Lagenorhynchus are closely related to Lissodelphis and Cephalorhynchus and are placed in the genus Sagmatias. These three genera constitute the revised subfamily Lissodelphinae. Within the Delphininae, a clade well-supported by the data includes the two species of Delphinus, Stenella clymene, S. frontalis, S. coeruleoalba, and the aduncus form of Tursiops truncatus. Accepting the monophyly of this group renders the genera Stenella and Tursiops polyphyletic. Apart from this finding, phylogenetic resolution within the Delphininae was poor. Taxonomic revision of this group awaits further study. Distant sister taxa relationships were found between Orcinus and Orcaella, and between Steno and Sotalia. Although support for these species pairs was low, they are provisionally placed in Orcininae and Stenoninae, respectively. The present results were compared to previous morphological studies, which suffered more from analytical shortcomings than from inadequate data. Rick LeDuc SWFSC PO Box 271 La Jolla, CA 92038 Ph:: 619-546-7072 FAX: 619-546-7003 e-mail: rleduc(\)ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 25 Oct 1997 05:25:27 -0700 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Job Opportunity, Florida DEP (fwd) Submitted by Bruce Ackerman, FDEP/FMRI ackerman_b(\)harpo.dep.state.fl.us JOA #: 97-622 Posting Date: October 13, 1997 24-Hour Job Line 850-487-0436 OPEN COMPETITIVE TITLE: Research Administrator II - FMRI(5068) POSITION # 20364 LOCATION: St. Petersburg, Florida (PINELLAS) PAY GRADE: 029 PAY RANGE: $3,770.24 to 6,465.96 MONTHLY APPLY TO: Personnel Office Florida Department of Environmental Protection Florida Marine Research Institute 100 8th Avenue, Southeast Mail Station # J2N-PRS St Petersburg, FL 33701-5095 (813)896-8626 SunCom 523-1011 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF JOB DUTIES: Direct and supervise the research activities of the state-wide manatee research and recovery program and supervise assigned staf f. Participate in the development of long-term goals and strategies for the Endange red and Threatened Species Program. Recommend cooperative research programs with other governmental agencies and private labs. Review all program reports and manuscripts; conduct program research and design and write up research results f or publication. Develop and monitor the program budget ensuring expenditures do not exceed spending authority. Assist in the preparation of Legislative Budget Reque st and budget amendments. Represent Florida and the FDEP at conferences and serve on related committees at the state, federal and regional level, as assigned. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: A bachelors degree from an accredited college or university with major course of study in one of the physical or natural sciences or mathematics and five years of professional experience in one of the physical or natural sciences or mathematics, two years of which must have been in a supervisory capacity; or A master's degree from an accredited college or university with maj or course of study in one of the physical or natural sciences or mathematics and fo ur years of professional experience as described above, two years of which must hav e been in a supervisory capacity; or A doctorate from an accredited college or uni versity with a major course of study in one of the physical or natural sciences or mathe matics and two years of professional supervisory experience as described above. NOTE: The following are preferred: professional experience in wildlife or marine mammal research; and demonstrated experience in the ability to build and lead research teams. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Ability to work in excess of 40 hours per week and maintain a valid drivers license. REQUIRED ENTRY-LEVEL KNOWLEDGE, SKILL(s) & ABILITIES: Knowledge of management and supervisory principles, practices and procedures; and the terminology, principles and techniques used in scientific research, analysis or testing. Ability to: write technical reports and scientific manuscripts; communicate effe ctively both verbally and in writing; plan, manage, and coordinate a program of scientif ic research; supervise people and establish and maintain effective working relation ships; assess budgetary needs and prepare, and monitor budgets; work in excess of 40 hours per week; and maintain a valid driver's license. ************************************************************* NOTE: Males 18-26 years of age who are or were required to register with the U. S. Selective Service and have not done so are ineligible for employment or promotio n. NOTE: New hires are normally at base of salary range. To apply, submit a State of Florida Employment Application to the address above by the application deadline date of: NOVEMBER 10, 1997 (No Email applications) Reasonable accommodation in applying and competing for employment are available by contacting the Bureau of Personnel Services. For more job information for th e hearing impaired call 1(800) 995-8771 Federal law requires that we hire only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized ali ens who can provide proof of their identity and employment eligibility. Preference will be given (for Career Service Positions) to certain veterans and spouses of veterans as ou tlined by Chapter 295, Florida Statutes. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER Job Line (904)487-0436 Computer Bulletin Board: (800)217-2934 INTERNET State Job Listings: http://fcn.state.fl.us/fcn In response to NOAA's press release posted on MARMAM, here are excerpts from the Australian Delegation's "Statement on Aboriginal Whaling" -- *********************************************************************** "At its meeting on 23 October 1997, the International Whaling Commission adopted, by consensus, an amendment...of the Schedule to the Convention dealing with the taking of gray whales from the Eastern stock in the North Pacific by certain aboriginal communities... ..The schedule amendment was proposed initially by the Russian Federation and the United States of America. Australia objected to the schedule amendment in its original form and moved a further amendment to clarify the meaning of the schedule amendment and to qualify its operation. As a consequence, an amendment was accepted by the Commission to the schedule amendment. This now provides that the only aboriginal people who are authorised to take gray whales are those 'whose traditional aboriginal subsistence and cultural needs have been recognised'. ..The Australian delegation made it clear that it accepted that the Chukotka Natives' request and claim clearly met the requirements of the successful amendment to the schedule amendment in relation to the recognition of both traditional subsistence and cultural needs; whereas the request and claim of the Makah people did not. This view was endorsed explicitly by a clear majority of the delegations participating in the debate of record referred to by the Chair. ..The Australian delegation has noted a News Release issued by the United States delegation which claims, inter alia, that the Commission has: *'adopted a quota that allows a five year aboriginal subsistence hunt' by the Makah people; *indicated 'its acceptance of the United States' position that the Makah Tribe's cultural and subsistence needs are consistent with those historically recognised by the IWC', and *'recognised the cultural and subsistence need of the Makah Tribe'. The Australian delegation explicitly rejects each of these claims as false and as giving an entirely erroneous interpretation of both the schedule amendment as passed (with the Australian further amendment) and the decision of the Commission itself. Claims that the passage of the schedule amendment (as further amended by the Australian initiative) constitute an acceptance or recognition by the Commission of the validity of the Makah claims are false. They are supported neither by the terms of the schedule amendment itself nor by the record of the Commission debate. The Australian delegation has made this point in an explicit intervention in the Commission's proceedings as part of the Commission's formal record during the course of the Commission's further proceedings. Clearly the Commission, as the only competent authority in the matter, has recognised the claims of the Chukotka Natives but not those of the Makah people. The Australian delegation wishes its position, as the movers of the successful amendment to the schedule amendment..., to be understood without qualification." *********************************************************************** Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States narose(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 00:41:16 -0800 From: "Dr. David Duffy" Subject: El Nino Bulletin 8: 40 K seabird(\)uct.ac.za, FISH1IFR(\)aol.com, ECOLOG-L(\)UMDD.UMD.EDU, consbio(\)u.washington.edu, KOL-CHAI(\)JTSA.EDU, TWS-L(\)LISTSERV.VT.EDU, ens(\)envirolink.org *********ENSO 97-98: CURRENT REPORTS ON EVENTS************** Report 8, 25 October 1997, is available at http://darwin.bio.uci.edu/~sustain/ENSO.html or by request from: afdcd1(\)uaa.alaska.edu (warning: these files can be large, the current one is 40 K) Reports in the current report include: 2 OCTOBER. BRAZIL: AMAZON FIRES 13 OCTOBER 1997. WORLD: HISTORICAL IMPACTS 13 OCTOBER. NORTH PACIFIC: CLIMATE 15 OCTOBER 1997. MEXICO: CHOLERA 18 OCTOBER 1997. CALIFORNIA: SEABIRDS 20 OCTOBER. PANAMA: CLIMATE 20 OCTOBER CZECH REPUBLIC: FLOODS 20 OCTOBER. LOUISIANA: LIVESTOCK 21 OCTOBER 1997. CALIFORNIA: WHALES 22 OCTOBER 1977. INDONESIA: FIRE 23 OCTOBER 1997. CALIFORNIA: ECONOMIC IMPACT 24 OCTOBER 1997. ALASKA: CLIMATE & OCEANOGRAPHY **********************We would appreciate additional reports as El Nino will soon be beginning the period when its normal effects can be expected. Casual observations of unusual climatic, biological, meteorological or human effects (even if their links to the current ENSO event are tenuous) may be extremely useful as we have never had an opprtunity to observe an ENSO so closely before. Reports of epidemic disease outbreaks (human or livestock) should also be sent to ProMED-mail .************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997 07:53:57 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - arterial system of sperm whale Melnikov, V.V. 1997. The arterial system of the sperm whale (_Physeter macrocephalus_). Journal of Morphology 234: 37-50. The angioarchitecture of the sperm whale is basically similar to that of other mammals, but it has specific attributes associated with the aquatic environment of this animal and its tolerance for deep and long diving. Specialized features include an expansive aortic arch, unusually far anterior localization of the arch, symmetrical branching of common carotid and subclavian arteries from the aorta, the absence of direct connection between internal carotid arteries and brain arteries, the absence of a costocervical artery, and the presence of a well-developed occipital artery. The sperm whale has extraordinarily well-developed retia mirabilia, distributed in the cranial cavity, vertebral canal, neck and thoracic cavity, around the optic nerve, and in the walls of the uterus. These retia are more extensively developed in the sperm whale than in any other cetacean previously studied. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Oct 1997 03:59:56 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Pelagic searches and video of marine mamals (fwd) From: "Dan Benesch" Greetings: I am with a company that is in the final prototype development stage of a high-speed diver tow device. It is called a "Tow Sub" and it allows a diver to fly underwater at 5 MPH while being towed by a boat. It will not be for sale for several months. We believe it could be of considerable use in filming wild dolphins and other pelagic animals in their free swimming habitat. Obviously it is for only very skilled divers. It weighs 80 pounds, floats, can be launched or retrieved by one person, and the diver will experience little turbulence while underway. Voice and video link to the tow boat is optional. I am here to ask who you think could use such a device. This is NOT an offer to sell, we are looking for your feedback and insight. The unit will retail for around $5,500. Please contact me at in-flight(\)juno.com Dan The Smithsonian Institution is advertising a position for a Museum Technician (zoology) at a GS-5/7. The person selected will work part- time as a research assistant for Dick Thorington and part-time in the management of the Marine mammal collection under Charlie Potter. The closing date is 7 November. I can fax the advertisement to anyone who is interested. Please be sure to reply to me, not to mammal-l. Richard W. Thorington, Jr. MNHVZ049(\)SIVM.SI.EDU Department of Vertebrate Zoology THORINGT(\)NMNH.SI.EDU NHB-390, Smithsonian Institution Voice: 202-357-2150 Washington D.C. 20560 Fax: 202-786-2979 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Oct 1997 03:48:01 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Baiji (Lipotes vexillifer) update (fwd) From: HGENTHE(\)aol.com Henry Genthe, Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Baiji (Lipotes vexillifer) - Chinese River Dolphin update: October 28, 1997 1) The world's first major museum exhibition on the Chinese River Dolphin: "Baiji: Treasure in the Yangtze River" opened August 8, 1997 and recently completed a successful three month run at Beijing Natural History Museum. The exhibit was co-sponsored by the Museum; Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong; Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan Baiji Conservation Foundation; and Green Earth Volunteers; and was covered extensively by all major media in China. The exhibition focused attention on the baiji and the deterioting condition of the Yangtze River; and educated the public through accompanying slide programs, puppet shows and media news stories on the plight of the baiji. The exhibition is scheduled to travel to museums in Wuhan, Shanghai and Dalian over the coming year. 2) Official estimates in China put the remaining population of the world's most endangered dolphin at fewer than 100 individuals. Entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with ships continue to be the main threats. The Three Gorges Dam will alter the ecology of the river dramatically and if any baiji remain after the dam is completed, they will be impacted by the changes in the riverine ecosystem. 3) In a broader sense, the museum exhibition was designed to use the demise of the baiji to focus China's emerging environmental movement and assist new environmental conservation organizations with public exposure; and to create a new level of environmental awareness in China. Media broadcasts, hands-on education activities, and information booths at the opening helped inform the public and demonstrate ways that they can become involved in action to conserve and protect China's endangered environments and species. 4) The exhibition will be the first in a yearly series of endangered species exhibits sponsored by the museum. (In 98 and 99 the tiger and golden monkey will be subjects). 5) For several years, Ocean Park Conservation Foundation has taken a very active role in supporting baiji research and education, and will continue to assist with the development of marine mammal conservation programs in China. 6) Wuhan Baiji Conservation Foundation is a newly forming organization with the main goal of conducting public education campaigns to increase environmental awareness. In two major fund raising programs they have secured sufficient funding to apply to the government for official status as a 'foundation' and will soon commence on an active education campaign. 7) Following the exhibition opening, Green Earth Volunteers mounted an environmental campaign focused on the baiji and the protection of the Yangtze River. 50 school childrend raised money to make a field trip south to the Yangtze River and Wuhan, where they were joined by more students in placing "Together We Can Save the Baiji" posters on boats and businesses along the river. 8) The Ministry of Agriculture, Bureau of Fisheries (Aquatic Wildlife Protection Division) in conjunction with the Institute of Hydrobiology, Department of River Dolphin Research, will conduct a river-wide one week survey/census expedition in early November, 1997. 52 boats and several hundred fisheries observers will simultaneously survey the Yangtze River from the Three Gorges to Shanghai for baiji. This unprecidented and unified effort should provide reliable estimates of the number of surviving baiji. 9) Chinese scientists at the Institute of Hydrobiology, Wuhan are currently analyzing data from baiji census surveys made between 1978 and the present, and will submit comprehensive scientific reports to western journals for publication in the near future. 10) Qi Qi, the world's only captive baiji continues to do well at the Institute of Hydrobiology, River Dolphin Research Department Dolphinarium on East Lake in Wuhan. Yesterday I forwarded a message that appeared on the mammal discussion group about a position with the Smithsonian. Since then, I have been swamped with requests for info on this posting. I do not have any information past what I have forwarded. I merely thought it would be of interest to some folks, which appears it is, but replies were never meant to come to me. *Please* no more messages to me, this is why the person of contact's information was provided with the original message. On Tue, 28 Oct 1997, Dagmar Fertl wrote: The Smithsonian Institution is advertising a position for a Museum Technician (zoology) at a GS-5/7. The person selected will work part- time as a research assistant for Dick Thorington and part-time in the management of the Marine mammal collection under Charlie Potter. The closing date is 7 November. I can fax the advertisement to anyone who is interested. Please be sure to reply to me, not to mammal-l. Richard W. Thorington, Jr. MNHVZ049(\)SIVM.SI.EDU Department of Vertebrate Zoology THORINGT(\)NMNH.SI.EDU NHB-390, Smithsonian Institution Voice: 202-357-2150 Washington D.C. 20560 Fax: 202-786-2979 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Oct 1997 09:28:11 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract - CA sea lion predation on chicks of Common Murre Long, DJ; Gilbert. 1997. L California sea lion predation on chicks of the Common Murre. Journal of Field Ornithology 68: 152-154. Current knowledge of predation on Common Murres is largely confined to several species of terrestrial predators, and little is known of the role of aquatic predators on murre life history. Our field observations demonstrate that the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) is a predator on Common Murre (Uria aalgae) chicks. We present the first record of pinniped predation on murres along the west coast of North America, and the first record of California sea lion predation on seabirds. Long, DJ CALIF ACAD SCI DEPT ICHTHYOL, GOLDEN GATE PK SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118 USA ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 04:12:38 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Lactation in cetacea: a review (fwd) Forwarded message: The following citation is of an interesting recent paper in a journal unlikely to be seen by many marine mammal researchers: Lactation in whales and dolphins: evidence of divergence between baleen- and toothed-species. 1997. O.T. Oftedal, J. Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia 2(3) pp 205-230. The author has reprints - Olav T. Oftedal, Dept Zool. Research, National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Instition Inst., Washington DC 20008. Please do not ask the sender of this msg. for reprints. -- Michael Moore - mmoore(\)whoi.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Oct 1997 06:47:13 -0300 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr." Subject: Re: sea lions-fishermen ------ >------ Hi folks, As I live and work in the region mentioned in the AP story - and it seems I've been mentioned somewhere in it too - here are some tentative replies= to the questions raised: >Dear Marmamers: > > Some hours, days or months ago (sorry, but don't remember), ther= e >was a posting to Marmam news archive on the web >() regarding the issue of sea >lion-fishery interactions in Brazil, written by Todd Lewan (Associate Pr= ess >Writer) entitled "Fishermen vs. sea lions: Can both survive in seas of >shrinking fish?".=20 > In the article, he plainly describes what is also happening in m= any >areas of southern South America...... the killing of southern sea lions >_Otaria flavescens_ (or _O. byronia_) by fishermen. They kill them becau= se >they destroy nets in order to obtain the 'easy food' inside (or is it th= e >only food left?). > I'd like this message to be the starting point of a discussion f= orum >here at MARMAM, and I would like to raise a few questions in order to st= art >this: > >1.- Education:=20 >Could information provided to fishemen through the aid of an educating >program be succesful in diminishing the killing? Not entirely. An efficient enforcement scheme would be essential to assur= e at least that the impunity of criminally slaughtering the animals would n= ot continue. >2.- Scientific culling:=20 >Could some populations of southern sea lions be considered big enough fo= r >scientific removal of some individuals in order to lower the negative >interactions? (some economic benefits could arise from this by means of >selling fat, pelt, and even the os penis (baculum)) No. Sea lions may be considered abundant somewhere else, but in Southern Brazil they are only present locally and as such constitute an important component of the nation's biological diversity. Besides, what is "scienti= fic culling" with a view of selling penises for idiots? Just one more disguis= e as "scientific whaling"? >3.- Marine reserves:=20 >Are marine reserves of any significant purpose in marine mammal >conservation, if outside them _res nulis_ is a law, and very little >protection and surveylance is available in South America? Yes they are, and your statement is not correct from a legal standpoint. = The enforcement problem is one thing, but there is no res_nullius as regards marine mammals in South America, as countries do have specific legal frameworks to deal with them. It is a pity that most international NGOs supposedly concerned with their conservation do very little to help upgra= de both the enforcement of marine reserves AND general conservation law enforcement in South American waters. >4.- Deterrent methods: >Is any investigation currently addressing the deterrence of sea lions?, >because it is supposed to be much more difficult than with dolphins. Good question; around here several primitive methods such as firecrackers and the like have been tried, but the animals learn fast not to apy attention to it. >5.- Fishing techniques and gear:=20 >Could any modifications to fishing techniques and/or gear be employed in >diminishing this problem? In the specific case mentioned in the AP article, if fishermen obeyed the no-fishing zone around the island reserve itself, the problems could be greatly diminshed. > > This issue is not an easy one to solve and we have'nt got to thi= nk >only for the animals' welfare, but I hope that with the help of many min= ds >and experiences together, a solution could come to light. If anyone woul= d >like to read the original article, please e-mail me and I will e-mail yo= u >back with the text. Well, maybe we don't have to care for the animals only, but I'm afraid to= o many politicians already think about the welfare of fishermen only, at le= ast in my country. It is time that pinnipeds be given some support, especiall= y as most cases of conflict and anger are due to overfishing by humans, not seals or sea lions. These animals are being abused worldwide as scapegoat= s for criminally ignorant fishing regimes and regulations, therefore it is only fair that they be given the benefit of some protection. > I hope this message arises many doubts and many new ideas.=20 Me too, especially as MARMAM has recently drifted into a state of academi= c alienation, withy all due respect to those who think this list is just fo= r scientific reference... :-) [Hope this survives editorial censorship!] > =20 > Jos=E9 Truda Palazzo, Jr., President International Wildlife Coalition/Brasil - Brazilian Right Whale Project Brazilian_wildlife(\)nutecnet.com.br http://www.via-rs.com.br/iwcbr ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Nov 1997 04:33:00 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: (fwd) Documentary re. aquarium killer whales From: tokitae(\)rockisland.com A WHALE OF A BUSINESS PBS airdate: Tuesday, November 11, 9 P.M., 60 minutes Despite three Hollywood feature films and a six-year, multimillion dollar grassroots campaign, the killer whale who starred in Free Willy remains in captivity. Keiko, who played Willy in the Warner Bros. movie, is the focus of a worldwide movement to returned him to the wild-a move which was opposed by many in the $1-billion-a-year marine park industry. On January 7, 1996, a team of veterinarians, airline workers, crane operators, and animal advocates worked together to carry out a plan that had been in the works for two years: moving the five-ton whale, Keiko, from a Mexican theme park to a newly built rehabilitation tank in the United States. Now being cared for in Oregon, Keiko is in a unique position. The only whale in captivity not required to perform, he is being prepared for life in the wild. While his eventual freedom is not yet a certainty, much is at stake in the future of this eighteen-year-old whale. On Tuesday, November 11, at 9 p.m., on PBS (check local listings), FRONTLINE examines the money, power, and politics behind the captive marine mammal industry. Through the story of Keiko's eighteen years in captivity, the program explores the capture, shipment, and treatment of marine mammals, the laws governing those activities, as well as human understanding of and relationship with these large creatures. FRONTLINE looks at all sides of this controversial issue, interviewing Sea World executives, marine mammal experts, and advocates who believe the animals should be freed. Immediately following the broadcast, Straight Talk with Derek McGinty presents "Animals in Captivity," airing at 10 p.m. (check local listings). The program features a discussion by a panel of experts and questions from a studio audience about the ethical dilemmas of keeping wild animals in captivity. "Ever since Flipper leaped onto our TVs in the sixties, audiences have been captivated by dolphins and whales," says FRONTLINE producer Renata Simone. "We take a hard look at the industry behind the spectacle and find a bitter war between activists who fervently believe these animals should be free and corporations like Sea World where entertainment, image, and sales are the objective. In the middle of this balancing act is an 10,000 pound whale named Keiko." "A Whale of a Business" includes interviews with the key players in Keiko's saga: his current veterinarian; those responsible for his transfer to the new rehabilitation pool, including Craig McCaw, the billionaire entrepreneur who underwrote much of Keiko's rehabilitation project; the producers of Free Willy, Lauren Schuler-Donner and Jenny Lew Tugen; and government ministers in Iceland, who must give permission for Keiko to be returned home. "There was no question that the moral imperative was created by the movie," Craig McCaw tells FRONTLINE. "If you convince several billion children that the whale got free...and then you don't fulfill that dream, you have broken a promise to children all over the world." The marine amusement industry had its start in 1965 when Ted Griffin, the owner of a small Seattle aquarium, heard that an orca had been caught by local fishermen and bought the whale from them for $8,000. Today, the United States is the largest player in this global industry. In the U.S. alone, the twelve largest aquariums took in more than $700 million in 1995. The marine parks' managers confirm that performing dolphins and whales are their star attractions and their largest audience draw. Susan Davis, associate professor of communications at the University of California, San Diego, and an expert on theme parks, calls the layout at the flagship Sea World, "a landscape that tells you, on the one hand, if you come here you'll be doing something good for the oceans and consume, consume, consume. That's a contradiction." "A Whale of a Business" takes viewers to two recent fish drives in Japan where, using underwater sound to disorient the animals, fishermen drive 100 bottlenose dolphins, 50 false killer whales, and 50 pilot whales into a harbor. Buyers select the best looking animals for purchase by aquariums; the rest of the animals are slaughtered for the expanding Japanese "whalemeat" market. Marine mammal advocates use accepted research in their arguments for releasing the animals. In addition to complaints about the size and shape of the animals' pools (which they say do not take into account the mammals' needs for acoustic stimulation), advocates also point to data showing that sea mammals' life expectancy in captivity is little more than one-third of the expectancy in the wild. FRONTLINE looks at marine park industry representatives' argument that the animals have a good, secure life in captivity and that the educational value for children justifies any loneliness these animals may experience. Jim Antrim, a Sea World spokesperson, says their aim is "to make people aware of how remarkable whales and dolphins are so that people will endorse measures to protect them in the wild." Advocates counter that marine parks teach the wrong lessons. "This model teaches that man is in charge and has the right to destroy any other animal's natural life," says Ken Balcomb, who is director of the Whale Research Center in Washington State. "Is that what we really want our kids to learn?" But is releasing Keiko and other dolphins and whales a realistic solution? Some of those involved in moving Keiko to his rehabilitation tank in Oregon have left in frustration over delays in his release. Some blame the delay on the influence of marine park insiders working with Keiko. But after years of being held in a relatively small tank, Keiko must overcome a number of obstacles before he will be able to survive in the wild, including being retrained to hunt fish. "It's an amazing spectacle to see Keiko nuzzling live fish like bath toys, instead of treating them like prey," says producer Neil Docherty. "It shows how much has been taken away from these animals when they are removed from the wild. While it may be a noble idea to release these magnificent creatures, we are left wondering if it is even possible." "Keiko is not a good candidate. He's been dependent upon humans for his food, his interaction. He's an animal that's adapted to living in an oceanarium environment and done so successfully for many years," says chief veterinarian for Sea World Jim McBain. Another hurdle for Keiko is the skin virus he developed in captivity. Some say if he is set free now, he could spread the virus to populations of wild orcas. But critics say many whales in the open ocean have the virus and that it is being used to delay Keiko's release. But the greatest difficulty is the unknown. No other captive killer whale has ever been released, and it is difficult to predict Keiko's success. "We're not going to release any of the animals in our collection because they've been in our collection for long periods of time, and we're not going to put them at risk where they can die," Brad Andrews, corporate director for Sea World, tells FRONTLINE. The question of whether parks should be required to free their marine mammal collections raises a loud debate. Like any other industry, the marine parks say they should be allowed to make money from these popular attractions. But there is a ground swell of voices saying man's interaction with animals has to evolve into a new form. "A Whale of a Business" is produced by Renata Simone and Neil Docherty. FRONTLINE is produced by a consortium of public television stations: WGBH Boston, WTVS Detroit, WPBT Miami, WNET New York, KCTS Seattle. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers. FRONTLINE is closed-captioned for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers. The executive producer for FRONTLINE is Michael Sullivan. The senior executive producer for FRONTLINE is David Fanning. Access FRONTLINE ONLINE at www.pbs.org/frontline for: o The Debate-marine mammal experts on the pros and cons of releasing Keiko; o Details of the U.S. Navy's use of dolphins and beluga whales for underwater surveillance and recovery missions; o Audio recordings of Keiko's songs; o Video of the violent Japanese drive fisheries, where hundreds of dolphins and whales are rounded up to be sold to marine parks or slaughtered; o A marine biologist's first person account of an attempted release of nine dolphins from an Australian marine park; o The story of Ted Griffin, the first person to capture a killer whale in 1965. A pioneer in the marine mammal capture business, he once captured the entire Washington-Southern Vancouver Island resident orca population-80 animals-at one time. Now he's had a change of heart. Press contacts: Jim Bracciale [jim_bracciale(\)wgbh.org] Rick Byrne [rick_byrne(\)wgbh.org] Chris Kelly [chris_kelly(\)wgbh.org] Press and PBS station inquiries: (617) 783-3500 Viewer comments and inquiries: (617) 492-2777 X5355 ************************* Howard Garrett Lolita campaign PAWS HoBox 1037 Lynnwood WA 98046 425-787-2500, Ext. 842 Fax: 425-742-5711 hgarrett(\)paws.org or tokitae(\)rockisland.com To see more about Lolita, visit: http://www.paws.org/lolita The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 10/31/97 (updated daily) New info and changes since 10/24/97 are bracketed {...}. New info and changes since 10/30/97 are double bracketed {{...}} . Marine Mammals . Sealing Conference. The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission has scheduled an international conference on "Sealing the Future" for Nov. 25-27, 1997, in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. [Conference brochure] . Japanese Whalemeat Sale. On Oct. 23, 1997, the Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research announced that 298 tons of meat taken from 100 minke whales killed in the northwestern Pacific Ocean during May-July 1997 would be placed on the domestic market on Oct. 24, 1997; 31 tons for school lunches, 156 tons for canning, and 111 tons for direct markets. The wholesale price was set at 49,000 yen per 15 kilogram block of meat. [Dow Jones News] . Canadian Right Whale Meeting. On Oct. 21, 1997, Canadian scientists, environmentalists, and government managers met in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to discuss ways to increase protection for northern right whales. Participants agreed to word together to develop a plan to better protect this species in Canadian waters. [Assoc Press] . Makah Whaling Lawsuit. On Oct. 17, 1997, U.S. Representative Jack Metcalf (R-WA), animal protection advocates, and a Makah tribal elder filed suit in U.S. District Court (Washington, DC) against Commerce Secretary William Daley, seeking to prohibit federal assistance for the WA state's Makah Tribe's efforts to begin killing five gray whales annually for cultural and subsistence purposes. The lawsuit charges that such whaling would violate the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, and the Whaling Convention Act. [Assoc Press] . Polar Bear Fund. On Oct. 17, 1997, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced the creation of a fund to promote polar bear conservation research and management programs in Alaska and Russia. Initial funding of the project was derived from fees collected by the FWS for permits to import polar bear trophies from Canada. Activities to be funded include harvest monitoring management, aerial den or population surveys, and technical assistance for enforcement efforts. [FWS press release] . Keiko. In early October 1997, the Associated Press reported increasing discord between the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation over Keiko's care, health, and rehabilitation techniques. On Oct. 1, 1997, the Board of the Oregon Coast Aquarium requested an independent evaluation of Keiko's health, claiming that the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation has not regularly shared medical and rehabilitation information with the Aquarium. On Oct. 3, 1997, officials of the OR Veterinary Medical Examining Board announced that the Board was initiating an investigation of Keiko's care and the legality of current arrangements for such care. On Oct. 7, 1997, the OR Veterinary Medical Association recommended that an independent team composed of NMFS, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, and International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine personnel be formed to render an unbiased opinion on Keiko's health and fitness for possible release. On Oct. 14, 1997, officials of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced that Keiko's pool as well as logs of his feeding, medication, and veterinary care passed a surprise inspection conducted on Oct. 8, 1997. On Oct. 14, 1997, the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation announced that it was discussing the possibility of moving Keiko from the Oregon Coast Aquarium to a pen in Depoe Bay, OR. On Oct. 17, 1997, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service provided recommended procedures for creating an independent panel to review Keiko's health to the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation. [Assoc Press, Oregon Coast Aquarium press release, Free Willy-Keiko Foundation press release, OR Veterinary Medical Association press release] . Passamaquoddy Porpoise Hunting. In early October 1997, Passamaquoddy leaders met with federal officials to discuss exercising what the tribe considers a sacred right to hunt porpoise in waters offshore of ME. [Assoc Press] . IWC Meeting. In early October 1997, Britain's Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Elliot Morley wrote a letter to members of Parliament expressing support for an Irish proposal allowing a limited resumption of commercial whaling in which Japan, Norway, and possibly other nations would be permitted to kill certain whales in their coastal waters in exchange for establishing a global whale sanctuary in all international waters, banning international trade in whale products, and prohibiting research whaling. On Oct. 15, 1997, Britain's Agriculture and Fisheries Minister reconsidered his earlier position and suggested that flaws in the Irish proposal would prevent the British government from supporting it. On Oct. 20, 1997, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) opened its 49th annual meeting in Monte Carlo, Monaco. On Oct. 21, 1997, voting on a Japanese proposal that IWC decisions be made by secret ballot was postponed. On Oct. 22, 1997, Japan was reportedly ready to offer a compromise limiting the use of the electric lance in favor of using rifles to kill whales that do not die immediately from explosive harpoons. On Oct. 22, 1997, the United States and Russia presented a joint request for a five-year aboriginal whaling quota of 280 bowhead and 620 gray whales in the North Pacific. The IWC unanimously approved a joint U.S.-Russia bowhead quota for an average 56 whales landed annually (51 for Alaska; 5 for Russia), but postponed a decision on the gray whale quota. On Oct. 22, 1997, relating to the proposed Makah whaling, Russia's Chukchi people proposed exchanging four gray whales from their annual quota of 140 gray whales in return for receiving five bowhead whales from AK's Inuit annual quota of 67 bowhead whales. Such an exchange would be formalized by bilateral agreement between Russia and the United States. On Oct. 23, 1997, the IWC adopted, by consensus, the joint U.S.-Russian quota proposed for gray whales, with a five-year aboriginal subsistence hunt averaging four gray whales a year for WA state's Makah tribe and an average annual harvest of 120 gray whales for Russia's Chukchi people. The Makah will develop a management plan for their subsistence whaling and anticipate their first hunt in fall 1998. {However, some IWC members, including Australia, contend that an amendment to this IWC resolution limited gray whale harvest to those where "traditional aboriginal subsistence and cultural needs have been recognized." They claim the Makah's need has not been recognized, and thus the Makah are not yet able to hunt gray whales.} On Oct. 23, 1997, the IWC agreed that whalers, when whales are not immediately killed by an exploding harpoon, must try to kill whales by rifle and use electric lances only in extreme cases. On Oct. 23, 1997, the IWC voted 12-16 (with 4 abstentions) on a Japanese request for an annual quota of 50 minke whales for four coastal villages, failing to reach the required three-fourths majority necessary for approval. On Oct. 24, 1997, the IWC approved two non-binding resolutions calling upon Japan to practice self-restraint with respect to research whaling in the Antarctic and North Pacific. {On Oct. 24, 1997, the IWC voted 17-10 (with 3 abstentions) to condemn Norway's commercial whaling. On Oct. 24, 1997, the IWC authorized Ireland to draft a compromise proposal to lift the moratorium on commercial whaling in exchange for limiting whaling to coastal waters for local consumption or aboriginal subsistence only. Whaling in international waters or for scientific research would be prohibited. This proposal is tentatively scheduled to be discussed at the IWC's May 1998 meeting in Oman.} [Reuters, Dow Jones News, NOAA press release, High North Alliance News] . Canadian Seal Cull. As of Oct. 1, 1997, Canadian fisheries officers had killed 17 seals in the Puntledge River on Vancouver Island near Courtenay, BC, in Canada's first seal cull aimed at protecting vulnerable salmon and trout populations. Another 23 seals are expected to be killed during the next week. [Assoc Press] I found this article on today's HeraldLink (Miami Herald's Paper on line - out of Miami, Florida http://www.herald.com/index.html). I thought you might find it interesting. I have pasted the entire article below. - Holli *****************************Begin Forwarded Message************************ JACK WHEAT RESEARCH ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Malignant tumors found in 5 dolphins Malignant tumors, next to unheard of in dolphins, were found in five dolphins around South Florida within two years. University of Miami veterinarian Gregory Bossart and seven colleagues described the first cases of immunoblastic lymphoma in dolphins in the October issue of the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. ``To see five cases of this type of malignancy over this short a time is very worrisome,'' Bossart said of the 1994-96 findings. One of the sick dolphins had been killed by a shark, another was caught in a fishing net and two had beached. The free-ranging dolphins were discovered on both sides of the peninsula. The fifth was diagnosed while in captivity. Researchers are trying to determine whether the rapidly spreading tumors were caused by pollution or other environmental changes in the ocean, contagious disease or genetic flaws, Bossart said. Immunoblastic lymphoma has long been found in humans, dogs, cats, sheep, horses and cows, researchers wrote, and in those creatures it spreads rapidly. Researchers know that in dolphins it spreads to the same organs -- commonly the liver and spleen -- as in other species. Researchers hope to chart the rate of progression if they find other dolphins with the disease. ******************************End Forwarded Message*********************** ********************************************* Holli M. Brandt Department of Community Affairs Division of Emergency Management GIS Section 2555 Schumard Oak Blvd. Tallahassee, FL 32399-2100 (850) 413-9979 holli. brandt(\)dca.state.fl.us ********************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Nov 1997 22:25:06 -0500 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Sirenews No. 28 Sirenews (No. 28, October 1997) has been posted on the Society for Marine Mammalogy's home page. Sirenews is the official newsletter of the IUCN/SSC Sirenian Specialist Group. It is edited by Daryl P. Domning, Howard University Dan Odell Education Committee Society for Marine Mammalogy odell(\)pegasus.cc.ucf.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 04:22:34 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: JOB ANNOUNCEMENT (fwd) From: Delphinus(\)aol.com JOB ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE: Marine Mammal Biologist 12 months, full-time contract position SALARY: Commensurate with experience General Function Oceanic Society is seeking an enthusiastic individual to implement the So= ciety's Midway Spinner dolphin research project and assist graduate stude= nts to implement field research projects. The Oceanic Society funds field research through its Expedition program u= tilizing short-term volunteers to support cost and labor of research. The biologist will be responsible for: 1) implementing the Oceanic Societ= y research goals and objectives; 2) conducting field research utilizing s= hort-term volunteers to perform basic research tasks; 3) producing approp= riate reports; 4) supervising graduate students in the field as assigned,= by the Executive Director. Qualifications Commitment to environmental education and volunteer supported field resea= rch as a tool for environmental protection. Applicant should have most or= all of the following qualifications: 1. Advanced degree in biology, preferably marine mammal science. 2 Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 3. Goal oriented with proven ability to establish priorities and meet project deadlines. 4. Must be self-directed and self-motivated. 5. Proven leadership skills and ability to supervise staff. 6. Ability to work in remote research sites 9 months/year. 7. Ability to detail as well as the larger picture imperative. Applicants are requested to submit a detailed letter on how their skills = and experience meet the qualifications listed above, along with a cover l= etter, complete resume, salary history and references to: Oceanic Society= , Fort Mason Center, Building E, San Francisco, CA 94123, Attention: Exec= utive Director. Applications must be received by 21 November 1997. Fax: 4= 15 474-3395. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Nov 1997 18:19:32 PST From: Chris Johnson Subject: Commersons refs Hello all! We are currently doing research on the behavior of Commerson's dolphins at the San Diego Sea World. We would like to share the references we have found so far on these fascinating but little-known animals and ask if any of you know of any others not yet in our list. If so, could you kindly send them to us at the email address below? Thanks! Chris Bastida, R., V. Lechtschein, and R.N.P. Goodall.1988.Food habits of Cephalorynchus commersonii off Tierra del Fuego. Pages 143-161 in R. Brownell, Jr. and G.P. Donovan, eds. Biology of the genus Cephalorynchus. Reports of the International Whaling Commission (Special Issue 9). Collet, A. and D. Robineau. 1988. Data on the genital tract and reproduction of Commerson's dolphin, Cephalorynchus commersonii (Lacepede, 1804), from the Kergulen Islands. Pages 119-141 in R. Brownell, Jr. and G.P. Donovan, eds. Biology of the genus Cephalorynchus. Reports of the International Whaling Commission (Special Issue 9). Cornell, L.H., J.E. Antrim, E.D. Asper, and B.J. Pincheira. 1988. Commerson's dolphins (Cephalorynchus commersonii) live-captured from the Strait of Magellan, Chile. Pages 183-194 in R. Brownell, Jr. and G.P. Donovan, eds. Biology of the genus Cephalorynchus. Reports of the International Whaling Commission (Special Issue 9). Evans, W.E., F.T. Awbrey and H. Hackbarth. 1988. High frequency pulses produced by free-ranging Commerson's dolphin (Cephalorynchus commersonii) compared to those of Phocoenids. Pages 173- 183 in R. Brownell, Jr. and G.P. Donovan, eds. Biology of the genus Cephalorynchus. Report of the International Whaling Commerssion (Special Issue 9). Gewalt, W. 1979. The Commerson's dolphin (Cephalorynchus commersonii)- capture and first experiences. Aquatic Mammals 7: 37-40. Gewalt, W. 1985. Further experiences in observing, catching and acclimating Jacobitas (Cephalorynchus commersonii)- slides from Magellanstrait/Chile. Aquatic Mammals 11: 41-42. Gewalt, W. 1990. The Jacobita, or Commerson's dolphin (Cephalorynchus commersonii): observations and live capture in Argentinian and Chilean waters 1978, 1980 and 1984. First steps in maintaining and training the species in the Walarium of Duisburg Zoo. Aquatic Mammals 16.2: 53-64. Goodall, R.N.P., A.R. Galeazzi, S. Leatherwood, K.W. Miller, I.S. Cameron, R.K. Kastelein, and A.P. Sobral. 1988. Studies of Commerson's Dolphins, Cephalorynchus commersonii, off Tierra del Fuego, 1976-1984, with a review of information on the species in the South Atlantic. Pages 3-70 in R. Brownell, Jr. and G.P. Donovan, eds. Biology of the genus Cephalorynchus.Report of the International Whaling Commission (Special Issue 9). Goodall, R.N.P., A.R. Galeazzi, A.P. Sobral and I.S. Cameron. 1988. Flipper serration in Cephalorynchus commersonii. Pages 161- 171 in R. Brownell, Jr. and G.P. Donovan, eds. Biology of the genus Cephalorynchus. Reports of the International Whaling Commission (Special Issue 9). Goodall, R.N.P. 1994. Commerson's dolphin (Cephalorynchus commersonii, Lacepede 1804). Handbook of Marine Mammals, vol. 3. Academic Press Ltd. Joseph, B. E., J. E. Antrim and L. H. Cornell. 1987. Commerson's dolphin (Cephalorynchus commersonii): A discussion of the first live birth within a marine zoological park. Zoo Biology, 6: 69-77. Kastelein, R. 1984. Commerson's dolphin Cephalorynchus commersonii (Lacepede, 1804).Review of published information and report on field research in the Strait of Magellan, Chile January- February, 1984 (62). Kastelein, R., J. McBain and B. Neurohr. 1993. Information on the biology of Commerson's dolphins (Cephalorynchus commersonii).Aquatic Mammals 19.1: 13-19. Kastelein, R., J. McBain, B. Neurohr, M. Mohr, S. Saijo, I. Wakabayashi, & P.R. Wiepkema. 1993. The food consumption of Commerson's dolphins (Cephalorynchus commersonii). Aquatic Mammals 19.2: 99- 121. Leatherwood, S., R.A. Kastelein, and K.W. Miller. 1988. Observations of Commerson's dolphin and other cetaceans in southern Chile, January- February 1984. Pages 71- 83 in R. Brownell, Jr. and G.P. Donovan, eds. Biology of the genus Cephalorynchus. Reports of the International Whaling Commission (Special Issue 9). Lockyer, C., R.N.P. Goodall and A.R. Galeazzi. 1988. Age and body lenth characteristics of Cephalorynchus commersonii from incidentally- caught specimens off Tierra del Fuego. Pages 103-118 in R. Brownell, Jr. and G.P. Donovan, eds. The biology of the genus Cephalorynchus. Reports of the International Whaling Commission (Special Issue 9). Mermoz, Jorge, F. 1980. A brief report on the behavior of Commerson's dolphins, Cephalorynchus commersonii, in Patagonian shores. Sci. Rpt. Whales Res. Inst. 32: 149-153. Spotte, S., C. Radcliffe, and J.L. Dunn. 1979. Notes on Commerson's dolphins in captivity. Cetology 35: 1-9. Watkins, W. and W. Schevill. 1980. Characteristic features of the underwater sounds of Cephalorynchus commersonii. Journal of Mammalogy, vol. 61 #4: 738-739. Dr. Christine M. Johnson Department of Cognitive Science Ph (619) 534-9854 Univeristy of California at San Diego FAX (619) 534-1128 La Jolla, CA 92093-0515 email: johnson(\)cogsci.ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Nov 1997 20:02:56 -0500 From: Terry Hardie Subject: SCIENTISTS AT A LOSS TO EXPLAIN SEAL ARRIVALS 05-Nov-97 10:46 am Regular National SCIENTISTS AT A LOSS TO EXPLAIN SEAL ARRIVALS Palmerston North, Nov 5 - Massey University marine scientists are hard put to explain the arrival of two Antarctic seal species that have not been commonly seen on New Zealand coastlines before. Cetacean Investigation Centre pathologist Padriag Duignan (corr) said there was no obvious reason why a leopard fur seal and a Southern Antarctic fur seal had come ashore at New Plymouth and Hawke's Bay beaches, respectively, in recent weeks. Neither species had colonies in New Zealand. Both must have travelled from either the Antarctic or sub-Antarctic islands. The seals were in weak and emaciated conditions, and both were put down and taken to Massey University for post-mortem investigations. ``We can speculate and say it is something to do with the El Nino weather pattern, perhaps a warming of certain ocean currents, but nobody knows for sure.'' Dr Duignan said the leopard seal stranded south of New Plymouth for the first time last Tuesday, then again on Saturday. It had severe skin disease and evidence of shark attack. Conservation officer Bryan Williams had put the animal down on humanitarian grounds. Dr Duignan said the leopard seal was a predator species in the Antarctic, which fed mainly on penguins and other seals. It was a rare visitor to these waters. The other seal was even rarer. The Southern Antarctic fur seal had never before been recorded on the New Zealand mainland. The juvenile found in Hawke's Bay was blind in one eye and very emaciated. It was put down by a local vet. NZPA PMS jpm ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Nov 1997 22:18:35 +1100 From: Graham Clarke Subject: IWC AGM 1997 - Final Press release ------ International Whaling Commission The Red House, 135 Station Road, Histon, Cambridge, UK CB4 4NP Tel: +44 (0)1223 233971 : Fax: +44 (0)1223 232876 e-mail: iwcoffice(\)compuserve.com FINAL PRESS RELEASE 24 October 1997 1997 Annual Meeting, Monte Carlo, Monaco The 49th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was held from 20-24 October 1997 in Monaco. The proceedings were conducted by the Chairman, Dr. Peter Bridgewater (Australia) and the Vice-Chairman, Mr Michael Canny (Ireland). Catch limits for commercial whaling In 1982 the Commission took a decision, which came into force from the 19= 86 and 1985/86 seasons, that catch limits for all commercial whaling would b= e set to zero. As in previous years, the Commission did not adopt a proposal by Japan fo= r an interim relief allocation of 50 minke whales to be taken by coastal community-based whaling. Norway has lodged objections to the ban and has exercised its right to se= t national catch limits for its coastal whaling operations for minke whales. The Commission passed a Resolution calling on Norway to halt all whaling activities under its jurisdiction. Revised Management Scheme Although the Commission has accepted and endorsed the Revised Management Procedure for commercial whaling, it has noted that work on a number of issues, including specification of an inspection and observer system must be completed before the Commission will consider establishing catch limit= s other than zero. This work is ongoing. The Commission adopted Resolution= s encouraging improved monitoring of whale product stockpiles, and the reporting and reduction of cetacean bycatches. The Irish Commissioner introduced a proposal intended to break the deadlo= ck between the governments opposed to a resumption of commercial whaling and those in favour. It would complete and adopt the Revised Management Scheme; designate a global sanctuary for whales; allow closely regulated and monitored coastal whaling within 200 mile zones by communities with a long tradition for such activity; but allow no international trade in wha= le products; and end scientific research catches. Reaching consensus on suc= h a package of measures will not be easy, but Commissioners expressed their interest on continuing discussions, including bi-lateral contacts, and Mr. Canny will prepare a paper for discussion at the next Annual Meeting. Catch limits for aboriginal subsistence whaling This year the Commission agreed to catch limits for several stocks subjec= t to aboriginal subsistence whaling: Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Seas stock of bowhead whales (taken by Alaskan Eskimos and native peoples of Chukotka) - The total number of landed whales for the years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 shall not exceed 280 whales, with no more than 67 whales struck in any year (up to 15 unused strikes may be carried over each year). Eastern North Pacific gray whales (taken by those whose "traditional, aboriginal and subsistence needs have been recognised") - A total catch = of 620 whales is allowed for the years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 with = a maximum of 140 in any one year. West Greenland fin whales (taken by Greenlanders) - An annual catch of = 19 whales is allowed for the years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. West Greenland minke whales (taken by Greenlanders) - The annual number = of whales struck for the years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002, shall not exceed 175 (up to 15 unused strikes may be carried over each year). East Greenland minke whales (taken by Greenlanders) - An annual catch of 12 whales is allowed for the years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 (up to= 3 unused strikes may be carried over each year). Humpback whales (taken by St Vincent and The Grenadines) - for the seasons 1996/97 to 1998/99, the annual catch shall not exceed two whales. The Scientific Committee continued its investigation of potential new management regimes for aboriginal subsistence whaling. Scientific permit catches Two proposed permits by Japan were considered. One is an extension of its continuing programme in the Southern Hemisphere (now 400=B110% minke whal= es from the Antarctic). The second is for the continuing programme to take 1= 00 minke whales in the western North Pacific. The issuance of such permits i= s a sovereign right under the Convention. The Commission adopted a Resoluti= on calling on the Government of Japan to refrain from issuing these permits. Humane killing of whales The Commission this year considered information on the use of the electri= c lance as a secondary killing method, and killing methods used in aborigin= al subsistence hunts. Japan announced that while it maintains the view that the electric lance is still an effective secondary killing method, it intends to use rifles as the principal secondary killing method from the next season. The Commission adopted a Resolution on improving the humaness of aborigin= al subsistence whaling, and agreed to hold a Workshop of Whale Killing Metho= ds in 1999. Small cetaceans Notwithstanding the different views of member countries over the legal competence of the IWC to manage small cetaceans, the Contracting Governments continue to co-operate in consideration of small cetaceans, particularly with respect to the work of the Scientific Committee. The Commission passed a Resolution encouraging all members to undertake relevant research and continue to provide information to the Scientific Committee. The environment and whale stocks The Scientific Committee has examined this issue in the context of the Revised Management Procedure and agreed the RMP adequately addressed such concerns. However, it has noted that the most vulnerable species to such threats might well be those reduced to levels at which the RMP, even if applied, would result in zero catches. The Committee has held Workshops o= n the effects of chemical pollutants on cetaceans and on the effects of climate change and cetaceans. The Commission has endorsed the Committee's work on these issues and agreed to fund work to be carried out by the Scientific Committee in the coming year to take forward the recommendatio= ns of these Workshops and specifically to design multi-disciplinary and multinational research programmes in co-operation with other relevant organisations. Whalewatching The Commission continues to address this issue. Last year it adopted general principles for the management of whalewatching and drew these to the attention of coastal states, and this year it took note of the educational value of whalewatching. Southern Ocean The Commission is providing financial support for two cruises in the Southern Hemisphere as part of the newly designated IWC-SOWER programme (Southern Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research). One is aimed at providing information on blue whales and the other at providing information on mink= e, blue and other whales in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary. Japan is generousl= y providing the vessels for these cruises. The Scientific Committee will continue to address matters relating to research in the Sanctuary. Date and place of next meeting : The Commission has been invited to hold its 50th Annual Meeting in Muscat, Oman in May 1998. ------------------------------------- Graham_J._Clarke - "WHALES IN DANGER" ------------------------------------------ WWW Home Page - http://whales.magna.com.au/ ------------------------------------------------- Sydney - AUSTRALIA - email: gclarke(\)magna.com.au ----------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Nov 1997 11:25:57 -0500 From: Helen Nearing Subject: Duke Marine Lab marmam course Duke University Marine Lab course (Marine Mammals) 1998 Summer Term II, July 13 - August 14 Submit completed application and updated transcript. For application see the Marine Lab's web site or send complete mailing address to hnearing(\)mail.duke.edu. A core course ENV 209 (Conservation Biology and Policy) may be taken with Marine Mammals. Students are encouraged (but not required) to take both courses. See http://www.env.duke/edu/marinelab/consbio.html for more information about ENV 209. MARINE MAMMALS. (Biology 126L/Environment 226L.) An intensive examination of ecology, social organization, behavior, communication, anatomy, and management/conservation issues. Laboratory and field exercises consider social organization, communication, and life history parameters. Prerequisite: college level courses in introductory biology. Team taught by: Drs. Andrew Read (Duke Univ), Daniel Rubenstein (Princeton), Laela Sayigh (UNC, Wilmington), Randall Wells (UC Santa Cruz), and course coordinator John Reynolds (Eckerd College). The biology and management of marine mammals attract considerable interest worldwide and raise ecological, evolutionary, economic, and ethical questions. This course uses a comparative approach to illustrate key concepts in biology and conservation biology. It provides a rigorous, systematic overview of marine mammals, especially those species found in the southeastern United States. Course space is limited and admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Room and board will be available for course participants at the Marine Laboratory. TUITION AND FEES......Summer 1998 Nonrefundable (but is applied towards tuition) course deposit of $150/course to reserve your place Rm & bd deposit $100 to reserve your place Residential license fee (returned if no damage to room) $100 Tuition for 4-unit Marine Mammals $2080 Tuition for Marine Mammals plus 3-unit core class ENV 209 $3640 Rm and Bd $1100 Health fee $63 nonDuke student transcript fee $15 key deposit $10 long distance privilege phone deposit $20 The $100 room & board deposit is refundable if the student gives written notification PRIOR to the beginning of the term that he or she is withdrawing from the course. TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS.... Summer 1998 ..Eligibility... Duke Univ Marine Lab Summer Tuition Scholarships are available to any applicant who meets the following preconditions for review of a scholarship application: 1.admission to a specific summer course and 2.submission of the $150 (per course) deposit. Admission to courses does not automatically imply award of a scholarship; separate reviews are conducted. Awards are based on merit and need. ...application form... There is no separate scholarship application form. Intent to apply for a scholarship should be made known on the reverse of the summer course application found at the back of the Marine Lab Bulletin or on the web. ...required credentials... In addition to the summer application for courses, each scholarship applicant is required to submit (1) college or professional school transcript(s), (2) a letter of recommendation from academic faculty, and (3) a brief statement of purpose, i.e., the reason for taking the particular course. ...due date... All scholarship credentials must be received no later than 1 March by the admissions office of the Marine Laboratory. All scholarship applicants will be notified by mail concerning their award status shortly after the deadline date. Helen Nearing, Coordinator, Academic Programs Duke Univ Marine Laboratory; 135 Duke Marine Lab Rd Beaufort NC 28516; 919/504-7502; fax 504-7648 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Nov 1997 15:02:30 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly marine mammal summary to US congress (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 11/07/97 New info and changes since 10/31/97 are bracketed {...} New info and changes since 11/06/97 are double bracketed {{...}} Marine Mammals . Sealing Conference. The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission has scheduled an international conference on "Sealing the Future" for Nov. 25-27, 1997, in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. [Conference brochure] . {Right Whale Protection. On Nov. 3, 1997, NMFS proposed to close the Atlantic pelagic drift gillnet fishery for swordfish, tuna, and sharks through July 31, 1998, in order to develop and implement regulatory measures that will avoid jeopardy to right whale survival. Public comment will be accepted on this proposed rule through Nov. 18, 1997. In addition, NMFS has prepared an Environmental Assessment of 4 alternatives being considered for implementing the Atlantic Offshore Cetacean Take Reduction Plan.} [Fed. Register] . Japanese Whalemeat Sale. On Oct. 23, 1997, the Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research announced that 298 tons of meat taken from 100 minke whales killed in the northwestern Pacific Ocean during May-July 1997 would be placed on the domestic market on Oct. 24, 1997; 31 tons for school lunches, 156 tons for canning, and 111 tons for direct markets. The wholesale price was set at 49,000 yen per 15 kilogram block of meat. [Dow Jones News] . Canadian Right Whale Meeting. On Oct. 21, 1997, Canadian scientists, environmentalists, and government managers met in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to discuss ways to increase protection for northern right whales. Participants agreed to word together to develop a plan to better protect this species in Canadian waters. [Assoc Press] . Makah Whaling Lawsuit. On Oct. 17, 1997, U.S. Representative Jack Metcalf (R-WA), animal protection advocates, and a Makah tribal elder filed suit in U.S. District Court (Washington, DC) against Commerce Secretary William Daley, seeking to prohibit federal assistance for the WA state's Makah Tribe's efforts to begin killing five gray whales annually for cultural and subsistence purposes. The lawsuit charges that such whaling would violate the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, and the Whaling Convention Act. [Assoc Press] . Polar Bear Fund. On Oct. 17, 1997, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced the creation of a fund to promote polar bear conservation research and management programs in Alaska and Russia. Initial funding of the project was derived from fees collected by the FWS for permits to import polar bear trophies from Canada. Activities to be funded include harvest monitoring management, aerial den or population surveys, and technical assistance for enforcement efforts. [FWS press release] . Keiko. In early October 1997, the Associated Press reported increasing discord between the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation over Keiko's care, health, and rehabilitation techniques. On Oct. 1, 1997, the Board of the Oregon Coast Aquarium requested an independent evaluation of Keiko's health, claiming that the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation has not regularly shared medical and rehabilitation information with the Aquarium. On Oct. 3, 1997, officials of the OR Veterinary Medical Examining Board announced that the Board was initiating an investigation of Keiko's care and the legality of current arrangements for such care. On Oct. 7, 1997, the OR Veterinary Medical Association recommended that an independent team composed of NMFS, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, and International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine personnel be formed to render an unbiased opinion on Keiko's health and fitness for possible release. On Oct. 14, 1997, officials of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced that Keiko's pool as well as logs of his feeding, medication, and veterinary care passed a surprise inspection conducted on Oct. 8, 1997. On Oct. 14, 1997, the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation announced that it was discussing the possibility of moving Keiko from the Oregon Coast Aquarium to a pen in Depoe Bay, OR. On Oct. 17, 1997, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service provided recommended procedures for creating an independent panel to review Keiko's health to the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation. {On Oct. 31, 1997, officials of the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation announced that Keiko would undergo testing and examination by an independent panel of veterinary and marine mammal experts to be convened by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture in late November 1997. Preliminary blood samples were taken on Nov. 1, 1997.} [Assoc Press, Oregon Coast Aquarium press release, Free Willy-Keiko Foundation press release, OR Veterinary Medical Association press release] . Passamaquoddy Porpoise Hunting. In early October 1997, Passamaquoddy leaders met with federal officials to discuss exercising what the tribe considers a sacred right to hunt porpoise in waters offshore of ME. [Assoc Press] . IWC Meeting. In early October 1997, Britain's Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Elliot Morley wrote a letter to members of Parliament expressing support for an Irish proposal allowing a limited resumption of commercial whaling in which Japan, Norway, and possibly other nations would be permitted to kill certain whales in their coastal waters in exchange for establishing a global whale sanctuary in all international waters, banning international trade in whale products, and prohibiting research whaling. On Oct. 15, 1997, Britain's Agriculture and Fisheries Minister reconsidered his earlier position and suggested that flaws in the Irish proposal would prevent the British government from supporting it. On Oct. 20, 1997, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) opened its 49th annual meeting in Monte Carlo, Monaco. On Oct. 21, 1997, voting on a Japanese proposal that IWC decisions be made by secret ballot was postponed. On Oct. 22, 1997, Japan was reportedly ready to offer a compromise limiting the use of the electric lance in favor of using rifles to kill whales that do not die immediately from explosive harpoons. On Oct. 22, 1997, the United States and Russia presented a joint request for a five-year aboriginal whaling quota of 280 bowhead and 620 gray whales in the North Pacific. The IWC unanimously approved a joint U.S.-Russia bowhead quota for an average 56 whales landed annually (51 for Alaska; 5 for Russia), but postponed a decision on the gray whale quota. On Oct. 22, 1997, relating to the proposed Makah whaling, Russia's Chukchi people proposed exchanging four gray whales from their annual quota of 140 gray whales in return for receiving five bowhead whales from AK's Inuit annual quota of 67 bowhead whales. Such an exchange would be formalized by bilateral agreement between Russia and the United States. On Oct. 23, 1997, the IWC adopted, by consensus, the joint U.S.-Russian quota proposed for gray whales, with a five-year aboriginal subsistence hunt averaging four gray whales a year for WA state's Makah tribe and an average annual harvest of 120 gray whales for Russia's Chukchi people. The Makah will develop a management plan for their subsistence whaling and anticipate their first hunt in fall 1998. However, some IWC members, including Australia, contend that an amendment to this IWC resolution limited gray whale harvest to those where "traditional aboriginal subsistence and cultural needs have been recognized." They claim the Makah's need has not been recognized, and thus the Makah are not yet able to hunt gray whales. On Oct. 23, 1997, the IWC agreed that whalers, when whales are not immediately killed by an exploding harpoon, must try to kill whales by rifle and use electric lances only in extreme cases. On Oct. 23, 1997, the IWC voted 12-16 (with 4 abstentions) on a Japanese request for an annual quota of 50 minke whales for four coastal villages, failing to reach the required three-fourths majority necessary for approval. On Oct. 24, 1997, the IWC approved two non-binding resolutions calling upon Japan to practice self-restraint with respect to research whaling in the Antarctic and North Pacific. On Oct. 24, 1997, the IWC voted 17-10 (with 3 abstentions) to condemn Norway's commercial whaling. On Oct. 24, 1997, the IWC authorized Ireland to draft a compromise proposal to lift the moratorium on commercial whaling in exchange for limiting whaling to coastal waters for local consumption or aboriginal subsistence only. Whaling in international waters or for scientific research would be prohibited. This proposal is tentatively scheduled to be discussed at the IWC's May 1998 meeting in Oman. [Reuters, Dow Jones News, NOAA press release, High North Alliance News] . Canadian Seal Cull. As of Oct. 1, 1997, Canadian fisheries officers had killed 17 seals in the Puntledge River on Vancouver Island near Courtenay, BC, in Canada's first seal cull aimed at protecting vulnerable salmon and trout populations. Another 23 seals are expected to be killed during the next week. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. Subject: Berzin,Vlasova, whale-lice 06 November 1997 Dear MARMAM subscribers, As a graduate student at the University of Charleston, South Carolina, I am completing a phylogenetic analysis of the whale-lice (Amphipoda: Cyamidae). To date, I have been able to examine material for all but one species of this amphipod family, Cyamus antarcticensis Vlasova in Berzin and Vlasova, 1982. This material was presumably deposited in the collections of Moscow State University; however, members of the university's invertebrate zoology section have not been able to locate them. If anyone could provide the regular or electronic address for Drs. A. A. Berzin or L. P. Vlasova so that I may contact the authors directly, I would be grateful. Sincerely yours, Todd Todd A. Haney University of Charleston Grice Marine Biological Laboratory 205 Fort Johnson Charleston, South Carolina 29412 haneyt(\)folly.cofc.edu (803) 406-4000 ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Nov 1997 07:12:22 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Job Opportunity - PVA Modelling of Bottlenose Dolphins From: Paul Thompson ************************************************************************** Job Opportunity - PVA Modelling of Bottlenose Dolphins We are looking for a postgraduate or post-doctoral Research Assistant to carry out population viability analyses for the Moray Firth bottlenose dolphin population in NE Scotland. The project will last 10 months, from early in 1998, and is funded by Scottish Natural Heritage. It will be supervised by Dr Paul Thompson (University of Aberdeen) and Dr Phil Hammond (University of St Andrews). Applicants will require a solid understanding of population ecology and practical experience of computer based population modelling. A working knowledge of mark-recapture programs such as CAPTURE and SURGE, and PVA programs such as RAMAS or VORTEX would be desirable. An ability to programme in a Windows environment using, for example, Visual Basic or C would also be an advantage. A formal advertisment will issued in due course. In the meantime, we attach further background details and welcome advance enquiries from any suitably qualified candidates. Additional information on the research interests of staff in Aberdeen and St Andrews can be found at http://www.abdn.ac.uk, http://www.st-and.ac.uk and http://medialab.st-and.ac.uk/smru Dr Paul Thompson University of Aberdeen, Department of Zoology, Lighthouse Field Station, George Street, Cromarty, Ross-shire, IV11 8YJ, UK. Phone & Fax: (+44) (0)1381 600 548 Email: lighthouse(\)abdn.ac.uk Dr Phil Hammond Sea Mammal Research Unit, Gatty Marine Laboratory University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, U.K. Telephone (+44) (0)1334 462630 Fax (+44) (0)1334 462632 Email psh2(\)st-andrews.ac.uk ***************************************************************** Further Details The Moray Firth contains one of only two or three resident groups of bottlenose dolphins in UK waters, and the only one in the North Sea. The population is both small (an estimated 130 individuals) and isolated, making it vulnerable to extinction. Furthermore, there is a range of human activities occurring within this area, several of which could potentially impact this population. The national and international importance of this population has resulted in parts of the Moray Firth being proposed as a Special Area of Conservation (pSAC) under the European Union's Habitats Directive. However, the development of a suitable management plan for the pSAC is constrained by a lack of data on the potential impacts of different human activities. Furthermore, the life-history characteristics of this species, and the limited power of the techniques available to identify impacts, mean that adverse effects may not be identified until it is too late to take mitigating management measures. Since 1989, Aberdeen University and the NERC Sea Mammal Research Unit (now at the University of St Andrews) have been studying the behaviour and ecology of this population of bottlenose dolphins using photography to identify (and re-identify) individuals. The objective of this project is to develop a framework whereby these data can be used in population viability analyses (PVA) to estimate the viability of this population under different environmental conditions and management regimes. The project will involve: exploring the suitability of existing PVA models (eg. RAMAS, VORTEX) for use with the Moray Firth dolphin population; parameterization of models using literature values and, where necesssary, conducting analyses of Moray Firth photo-identification data to estimate population parameters (eg. carrying out survival analyses using SURGE); and working closely with SNH staff to use the models to assess the viability of the dolphin population under a range of management scenarios. **************************************************************************** Dr Paul Thompson University of Aberdeen, Department of Zoology, Lighthouse Field Station, George Street, Cromarty, Ross-shire, IV11 8YJ, UK. Phone & Fax: 01381 600 548 Email: lighthouse(\)abdn.ac.uk seabird(\)uct.ac.za, FISH1IFR(\)aol.com, ECOLOG-L(\)UMDD.UMD.EDU, consbio(\)u.washington.edu, KOL-CHAI(\)JTSA.EDU, TWS-L(\)LISTSERV.VT.EDU, ens(\)envirolink.org *********ENSO 97-98: CURRENT REPORTS ON EVENTS************** Report 9, 7 November 1997, is available at http://darwin.bio.uci.edu/~sustain/ENSO.html or by request from: afdcd1(\)uaa.alaska.edu Reports in the current report include: AUGUST 1997. ALASKA: FISHERY SEPTEMBER 1997. ALASKA: FISHERY 12 OCTOBER. VIRGIN ISLANDS: WEATHER 27 OCTOBER. COLORAO: WEATHER OCTOBER 1997. GULF OF ALASKA: OCEANOGRAPHY & FISHERY OCTOBER 1997. CALIFORNIA: MARINE MAMMALS 24 OCTOBER. GREAT LAKES: CLIMATE 27 October 1997. TENNESSEE. CLIMATE X OCTOBER. ALASKA: CLIMATE x OCTOBER. CANADA: FISH 29 OCTOBER 1997. OREGON: SEABIRDS 30 OCTOBER. TENNESSEE: CLIMATE 30 OCTOBER. CALIFORNIA: CLIMATE 31 OCTOBER. BRITISH COLUMBIA: SEABIRDS 31 OCTOBER. NORTH PACIFIC: FISHERY 31 OCTOBER. BRAZIL: EROSION 4 NOVEMBER 1997. SOMALIA, ETHIOPIA, AND KENYA: FLOODS 4 NOVEMBER. UNITED NATIONS: RESPONSE NOVEMBER 1997. ALASKA: MARINE MAMMALS 6 NOVEMBER. ALASKA: SEABIRDS 5 NOVEMBER 1997. NEW ZEALAND: MARINE MAMMALS ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 18:19:43 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Medicinal use of marine species (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 20:07:50 +0000 (GMT) From: Peter Haddow Dear Marmamers I've forwarded the following from Allison Perry in Canada who is carrying out a "Global Survey of Marine and Estuarine Species Used for Traditional Medicines and/or Tonic Foods".=20 If anyone has any relevant information that they can send Allison or=20 can pass the enclosed survey form on to others who may be interested=20 then I would be most grateful. The Seal Conservation Society would naturally be interested in any=20 information on the trade and use of pinniped parts for medicinal=20 purposes so any information on this subject that can be copied to the=20 Society would be most welcome. Many thanks. Peter Haddow ------------------------- Seal Conservation Society The Manse Methlick Aberdeenshire United Kingdom AB41 7DS Tel/Fax: +44-(0)1651-806215 E-mail: p.haddow(\)abdn.ac.uk --------------------------- =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Global Survey of Marine and Estuarine Species Used for=20 Traditional Medicines and/or Tonic Foods =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D =09 According to the World Health organization, in developing=20 countries, an estimated eighty percent of people use traditional=20 medicines, for either economic or cultural reasons. While=20 traditional healing practices are highly varied, measures in=20 many cultures involve the use of plant and/or animal species for=20 medicinal purposes. As a result, harvest and trade of species=20 for traditional medicines may pose a threat to their survival. =20 While the case of large, terrestrial mammals threatened by trade=20 for traditional medicine, especially traditional Chinese=20 medicine, is well-known, the use of marine species has not been=20 equally studied; accounts tend to outline uses by only one=20 culture, and even then are not necessarily complete. Moreover,=20 present-day uses often involve species which were not=20 historically part of traditional materia medica; the use of=20 technologies such as deep sea trawling has presented traditional=20 medicine with marine resources which were previously=20 unattainable or unknown. Likewise, people are turning to=20 alternative species as the availability of those which have been=20 over-exploited declines. Marine medicinals represent a potentially enormous and=20 economically important activity with serious implications for=20 conservation. An analysis of the use of seahorses and pipefish=20 for traditional Chinese medicine revealed an extensive=20 international market, rising demand, and declining seahorse=20 populations. There is no reason to expect that a similar=20 situation of exploitation for wholesale trade does not exist for=20 other marine species. However, as the extent and range of marine=20 medicinal use has not been determined, the conservation status of marine species cannot be properly assessed, and thus management=20 strategies cannot be undertaken. In collaboration with Dr. Amanda Vincent of McGill University, I=20 am conducting a study of the global use of marine species for=20 traditional medicines and tonic foods. The main focus is to=20 determine the taxonomic distribution of use. However,=20 information is being collected on all of the following=20 variables: (i) which species are used and by whom, (ii) history=20 of use, (iii) which parts are used in what quantities, (iv)=20 which conditions and/or illnesses are treated with marine=20 medicinals, (v) rationale for use (i.e. therapeutic value,=20 folklore, etc.), (vi) within-species preferences (i.e. colour,=20 size, gender, stage of development, etc.), and (vii) sources of=20 supply. In addition, I am gathering information regarding the=20 basic biological characteristics of species which are used, such=20 as population range, habitat requirements, and reproduction. Any=20 additional anecdotal information regarding such factors as=20 market value, harvesting techniques, and trade dynamics is also=20 valuable; these may prove useful for future investigations. Ideally, this study will allow for the prediction of trends=20 within the marine medicinal market, with respect to future=20 demand, and those potential sources of supply which are likely=20 to be exploited. This information could eventually be used to=20 help determine the need for marine conservation initiatives for=20 species used for traditional medicine. Because an analysis such as this has not previously been=20 attempted, it is essential that information be gathered from as=20 broad a base as possible. Therefore, I am depending heavily on=20 information which people can provide me, based on their own=20 knowledge and experience. Please find attached a questionnaire -=20 I will be very grateful for any information which you can=20 contribute, and for any copies made available to others who=20 might also be able to assist. --------------------------------------------------------------- INFORMATION ON TRADITIONAL MEDICINE AND TONIC FOOD SOURCES FROM=20 SEAS AND OCEANS --------------------------------------------------------------- Please fill in any information possible, even if it is only the=20 name of a species used. =20 NAME: =20 DATE: =20 CONTACT ADDRESS:=20 1. TYPE OF ORGANISM: [e.g. algae / plant / mammal / fish / bird / reptile / crustacean / mollusk / other invertebrate / other (please specify)] 2. SPECIES: local name (if known) scientific name (if known)=20 =09=09=09=09=09=09=09=09=09=09 =20 =09 Western name (if known)=20 Any photographs or drawings would be very appreciated. 3. GEOGRAPHICAL REGION OF USE: Name the area as specifically as you can (e.g. country, province or region, etc.)=20 4. TYPICAL USE: What conditions or illness is it typically used to treat? = =20 Are these conditions or illnesses acute or chronic? =20 5. HISTORY OF USE: For how many years has this method of treatment been practiced? (e.g. within the past 10 years, within the past 10-100 years, longer than 100 years, etc.)=20 6. FREQUENCY OF USE: How often would the average individual use this treatment (e.g. how many times per day, per week, or per year)=20 7. PREPARATION OF TREATMENT: How is the treatment prepared? (e.g. dried, ground, etc.)=20 =09 =20 Is the whole organism used, or only part? (be as specific as possible) =20 What quantity is needed for one treatment? (e.g. #, mass, length) =20 8. RATIONALE FOR USE: Why is this treatment used? (e.g. therapeutic value, folkloric belief)=20 9. SOURCE OF SUPPLY: Where is the organism caught, purchased, or traded? [e.g. locally, other (please specify)] 10. NATURAL HABITAT: Where does the organism live in the wild? (e.g. open ocean, rocky bottom, sandy bottom, coral reef, etc.)=20 11. HARVEST: How is the organism captured or harvested? =20 At what time of year is the organism caught or harvested? =20 12. SPECIES REPRODUCTION: At what time(s) of year does the organism reproduce?=20 13. PREFERRED CHARACTERISTICS: Are there any preferences with respect to stage of development, sex, colour, size, etc.? (Please be as specific as possible)=20 14. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION I would be very grateful for any other information regarding the use of marine species for traditional medicines or tonic foods.=20 THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND SHARING THIS VALUABLE INFORMATION Please return questionnaire and any other information to: Allison Perry, c/o Dr. Amanda Vincent, Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Ave. Dr. Penfield, Montr=E9al H3A 1B1, Qu=E9bec, Canada Tel: 1 (514) 398 5112 Fax: 1 (514) 398 5069 E-mail: aperry(\)po-box.mcgill.ca Subject: Looking for harbor seals and California sea lions The Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific is a new 156,000 sg ft aquarium that will be opening June 1998 and will house marine mammals (4 harbor seals, 4 California sea lions and 3 sea otters). I am looking for two female harbor seal, 2 female California sea lions or 1 female California sea otters to exhibit. If you are a rehabilitation center or another zoo/aquarium and need to find a home for any of these animals, please contact Jenny Theodorou at: jennyt(\)deltanet.com or (562)590-3104 x 227. Thanks. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 12:34:47 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: position opening (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 11:41:15 +0000 From: FSO staffperson Please advertise the following position from Friends of the Sea Otter. Science Position Opening: TITLE: Marine Mammal Biologist 12 months, full-time contract position with benefits SALARY: Commensurate with experience In General: Friends of the Sea Otter is seeking an enthusiastic individual to implement sea otter research projects and assist in other marine mammal research projects. The science director will be responsible for: 1) implementing the Friends of the Sea Otter mission, research goals and objectives; 2) conducting field research utilizing short-term volunteers to perform basic research tasks; 3) producing appropriate reports; 4) supervising research in the field and office and accepti ng supervision in the office and field as assigned by the Executive Director. Qualifications Commitment to environmental education and volunteer supported field research as a tool for environmental protection. Applicant should have most or all of the following qualifications: 1. Advanced degree in biology, preferably marine mammal science. 2 Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 3. Goal oriented with proven ability to establish priorities and meet project deadlines. 4. Must be self-directed and self-motivated. 5. Proven leadership skills and ability to supervise staff and volunteers Applicants are requested to submit a detailed letter on how their skills and experience meet the qualifications listed above, along with a cover letter, complete resume, salary history and references to: Friends of the Sea Otter, 2150 Garden Road, Suite B-4, Monterey, CA 93940 Attention: Executive Director Fax: 408-373-2749 , arctic-info(\)polarnet.com, marmamed(\)UVIC.CA, wcw(\)island.net, IASSA.Net(\)galileo.admin.uaf.edu, native-l(\)gnosys.svle.ma.us, GreenLifeSociety(\)classic.msn.com Arctic Visions has recently released two new books: one tells the story of Alaska Natives and their land; the other, the story of Greenland whalers and sustainability. The new books are: Sold American: The Story of Alaska Natives and Their Land, 1867-1959 -- The Army to Statehood Donald Craig Mitchell Greenlanders, Whales, and Whaling Sustainability and Self-Determination in the Arctic Richard A. Caulfield Arctic Visions is published by Dartmouth College/University Press of New England. Descriptions of the 2 books follows. To order, contact University Press of New England. University Press of New England 23 South Main St., Hanover, NH 03755 Fax: 603-643-1540 / Email: university.press(\)dartmouth.edu http://www.dartmouth.edu/acad-inst/upne/ Sold American: The Story of Alaska Natives and Their Land, 1867-1959 -- The Army to Statehood Donald Craig Mitchell "...splendidly researched and wonderfully written .. a major intellectual triumph." Stewart L. Udall, Former Secretary of the Interior " SOLD AMERICAN is a provocative account of the history of Alaska.... While I suspect this book will engender some controversy, this story has been repeated on all continents. The plight of the indigenous or aboriginal people may differ, but only in degree." Senator Daniel K. Inouye, Committee on Indian Affairs When Alaska's vast wilderness and untouched natural resources first attracted white settlers, life for Alaska's Native peoples changed forever. Gold rush stampeders, commercial fishermen, entrepreneurs, and fortune hunters who converged on this previously unspoiled land brought not only their dreams but also disease and greed and ways of thinking about the world that created cultural, economic, and territorial conflicts with the indigenous population that continue to the present. "A thoroughly researched history of the U.S. government's relationship with Alaska's Natives, presented as a well-written, provocative narrative"--Anchorage Daily News. DONALD CRAIG MITCHELL is a former vice-president and general counsel of the Alaska Federation of Natives, organized by Alaska Natives in 1967 to fight for their historic land claims settlement. For more than two decades he has been intimately involved, both before Congress and in the courts, in the development and implementation of federal Native policy. 490 pp. Illus. Cloth, ISBN 0-87451-800-8. $55.00 Paper, ISBN 0-87451-748-6. $24.95 Greenlanders, Whales, and Whaling Sustainability and Self-Determination in the Arctic Richard A. Caulfield Whaling has been central to the life of Greenland's Inuit peoples for at least 4000 years, but political, economic, technological, and regulatory changes have altered this ancient practice. Caulfield's research connects traditions of indigenous peoples, the promises and pitfalls of co-management, international whaling policies, the complexities of sustainability, and the power of culturally determined views shaping relationships between humans and their environment. He finds that controversy over whaling often arises from conflicting idea systems, rather than disagreement over biological resource management. RICHARD A. CAULFIELD, Assistant Professor of Rural Development at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, is currently writing a second book on indigenous knowledge and management of renewable resources in West Greenland. 220 pp. Illus. Cloth, 0-87451-810-5. $35.00 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 16:18:43 -0400 From: "Stobo, Wayne" Subject: Harbor seal tagging Content-type: text/plain Hi: I am in the process of writing a paper on Sable Island (Nova Scotia, Canada) harbor seal movements based on flipper tagging recoveries. We have observed, and received, numerous instances of harbor seals with evidence of tag loss, but of course can't be certain they were animals tagged by us on Sable Island. I would be highly appreciative if anyone who has tagged harbor seals along the northeast coast of the US or in eastern Canada would respond to my email address below with the tagging information, or provide me with contact information if you know of others who have tagged them. The information that I need is the time frame over which the tagging was conducted (ie what years), the life history stage tagged (ie. pups, juveniles or adults), the number of animals tagged in each year/category, and the geographic area in which the tagging was conducted. With that information at least we can qualitatively judge the chance that animals we have recovered exhibiting tag loss may come from sources other than Sable. Thanks in advance to anyone who has information which they can provide. Cheers, Wayne Dr. W.T. Stobo Marine Fish Division Bedford Institute of Oceanography P.O. Box 1006 Dartmouth, N.S. Canada B2Y 4A2 phone: (902) 426-3316 FAX: (902) 426-1506 email: StoboW(\)mar-mpo.gc.ca ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 09:36:09 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: swimming with dolphins and manatees There's an article in the Sept/Oct 1997 (vol. 99, no. 5) of _Audubon_ "Swimming with trouble" by D. Seideman that might be of interest to some folks. The article's lead in: You too can romp with dolphins and other wild sea mammals. It's dangerous, it's destructive, and in Florida at least, it's a cottage industry. The article talks about swimming with and feeding dolphins, as well as swimming with manatees. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 23:41:36 -0500 From: Terry Hardie Subject: BIOLOGISTS BLAME SICKLY FUR SEALS ON EL NINO 13-Nov-97 03:35 pm Regular International BIOLOGISTS BLAME SICKLY FUR SEALS ON EL NINO San Francisco, Nov 12 Reuters - Marine biologists on Wednesday blamed the El Nino weather phenomenon for causing an unusually high number of dying seals to wash up on California beaches in recent weeks. The Marine Mammal Centre, a non-profit animal welfare group based in the rugged Marin Headlands north of San Francisco, said it had responded to 21 reports of stranded northern fur seals over the last month. On average, the centre responds to no more than five such calls a year. Susan Andres, a spokeswoman for the centre, said most of the stranded seals were severely underweight, dehydrated and near death. All were aged between three and six months -- a vulnerable age when the pups are weaned from their mothers. Andres said seals were stranding themselves because El Nino, the warm-water phenomenon brewing in the Pacific Ocean, had reduced food supplies in their normal habitats, forcing the pups' mothers to venture further afield in search of food. ``We think they didn't receive enough nourishment from their mothers, (who) are spending too much time looking for food and not enough time nursing their pups,'' Andres said. The presence of northern fur seals on the California mainland is highly unusual because the species normally stays off the continental shelf, preferring to live on and around offshore islands, Andres said. The term ``northern'' distinguishes the seals from another species, the guadalupe fur seal, which live further to the south on Guadalupe island about 193km west of Baja California in Mexico. She said researchers think the young seals have approached the shore either to look for food or because they have become too weak to navigate correctly. So far, only eight of the 21 seals found stranded in the last month have survived. The centre hopes to rehabilitate the animals over the next three months and release them by boat near established seal colonies. When the presence of El Nino was last felt off the California coast in 1992, the centre responded to 22 northern fur seal rescue calls. Of those, only 11 survived. Reuters am ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 09:18:30 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: whale carcasses and 'whale falls' (fwd) Forwarded message: From: Jim Hain Requesting the assistance of marmammers: I am looking for authors and publications on the subject of whale carcasses that fall to the sea floor. I have a Scientific American and a Discover article from 1990 talking about gray whales ... that includes the phrase "researchers estimate that 90% of the carcasses sink to the bottom." I also have the 1995 articles by Butman et al. from Conservation Biology; which in turn reference the Smith and Squires reports. I also seem to remember a talk at a Biennial Meeting on this topic. Are there other scientific publications out there on this topic? Can I get a source for the "90% statement" ? If you are working on, or have worked on, this topic, please let me know. The specific focus of my interest is any information on what percentage of whale mortalities end up unreported and sinking to the sea floor rather than being sighted when they drift inshore or are beach cast; and any estimates as to how common these whale falls are. Any assistance will be appreciated. Thank you Jim Hain NEFSC/NMFS Woods Hole, MA 02543 (508) 495-2210 jim.hain(\)noaa.gov "Calkins, Don" , "Swain, Una" Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Request for Proposals, ASPS #98-0061 (Veterinary Pathology) and ASPS #98-0062 (Veterinary Anesthesiology) The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is soliciting proposals for the following professional services: 1) board certified veterinary anesthesiologist with experience in marine mammal anesthesia; and 2) veterinary pathologist with experience in marine mammal pathology, toxicology, serology, and virology. Veterinarians with extensive marine mammal experience are being sought for Steller sea lion research in Alaska. The deadline for receipt of proposals is January 5, 1998. ADF&G anticipates that the first field work in Alaska will occur in early-mid February 1998. Contact Jean Fults, Project Assistant, for further information or to request a copy of the RFP. Phone: (907) 267-2192; Fax: (907) 267-2433; Email: jeanful(\)fishgame.state.ak.us Or snail mail: ADF&G, 333 Raspberry Road, Anchorage, AK 99518-1599 U.S.A. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 13:34:51 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Seeking participants in the development of a marine mammal program survey (fwd) This message is in MIME format. The first part should be readable text, while the remaining parts are likely unreadable without MIME-aware tools. Send mail to mime(\)docserver.cac.washington.edu for more info. ------ =_NextPart_000_01BCF03A.0C88E9C0 ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Richard Wallace Greetings to All: I am currently preparing a survey of professionals in marine mammal-related positions and organizations in the United States. I am looking for volunteers in the U.S. who are willing to pretest the survey by (1) taking it, (2) critiquing it, and (3) providing me with comments on the survey with the goal of improving its utility before it is implemented. The survey takes about 20 minutes to complete, and I am seeking written or oral comments on the survey's language, format, scope, readability, and pertinence to peoples' work. Your participation at this stage of the survey development will provide substantial help in furthering the goals of the entire study: to provide useful information to professionals in marine mammal-related fields in the United States toward improving future marine mammal program implementation. This survey is the last phase of a two-year review of marine mammal programs in the United States, conducted at Yale University's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. A number of you have met with me over the past 18 months, as I traveled to the locations of several recovery programs. People with whom I've already met are, unfortunately, ineligible to pretest or take the survey. If you are interested in pretesting the survey, please send me e-mail directly (please DO NOT respond to the list) at . Please include your name, address, and telephone number. I will be sending the survey out to you by mail. If you have questions or would otherwise like to talk about the survey or the overall study, please call me at (540) 463-7330. Thank you very much for considering this request. Sincerely, Richard L. Wallace School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Yale University Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 04:14:59 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Marine mammal WBC counts. (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ----------=20 Date: Fri, 14 Nov 97 09:25:46 Frode Skarstein Hi MARMAMers!=20 I'm working on collecting data on differential white bloodcell counts in as many as possible marine mammals for a comparative study. I've been browsing through the litterature and am beginning to gain a foothold there. However, I suspect there is a lot of unpublished data lying around in people's file drawers. If anyone has any such unpublished data, I would be grateful in recieveing it. Of course, references to published work is equally interesting.=20 Sincerely, Frode Skarstein Department of Ecology/Zoology, University of Troms=F8 Frode betyr klok - klok, men ikke av skade. Han er f=F8dt slik heldiggrisen= =2E=20 - Stor - i ord og handling - et orakel for de mange som s=F8ker hans velfunderte synspunkter p=E5 alt mellom himmel og jord.=20 The latest issue of the Society for Marine Mammalogy's newsletter (Volume 5, Number 4) is now available on the SMM web page. http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/ It contains the latest information on the World Marine Mammal Science Conference that will be held in Monaco, 20-24 January 1998. The conference information on the web page also has some of the cheapest air fares from North America to Monaco. Dan Odell Education Committee Society for Marine Mammalogy ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 07:41:05 -0600 From: Jenny Theodorou Organization: Aquarium of the Pacific Subject: Blind harbor seal housed with California sea lion The Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific is considering placing a blind harbor seal pup in a brand new exhibit. This exhibit will include 1 male and three female California sea lions and an additional three female harbor seals. We are concerned about the social dynamics of having all new tankmates interacting with the blind pup. Does anyone have any information concerning this problem, or experience training blind harbor seals? Thanks Jenny Theodorou jennyt(\)deltanet.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Nov 1997 05:07:49 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly marine mammal summary to US congress (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 11/14/97 Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 11/07/97 are bracketed {...} New info and changes since 11/13/97 are double bracketed {{...}} Marine Mammals . Sealing Conference. The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission has scheduled an international conference on "Sealing the Future" for Nov. 25-27, 1997, in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. [Conference brochure] . {{Fur Seal Mortalities. On Nov. 12, 1997, biologists with the Marine Mammal Center, a CA non-profit animal welfare group, reported that El Nino conditions may be responsible for the higher-than-normal strandings of 21 underweight and dehydrated juvenile northern fur seals along the CA coast since Sept. 29, 1997. Eight of the 21 stranded seals have survived and are being rehabilitated. A federal biologist reported that 1,500 fur seal pups died in September 1997 on San Miguel Island in CA's Channel Islands, due to their mothers' poor nutrition.}} [Reuters, Assoc Press] . {Mercury from Whale Meat. On Nov. 10, 1997, the U.S. National Institutes of Health officials released the results of a study of children born to Faroe Islands mothers, concluding that women who ate seafood and, in particular, whalemeat may have damaged their children with mercury poisoning. These findings were reported in the journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology.} [Reuters] . {Manatees and Red Tide. Since Nov. 6, 1997, a total {{of 9 manatee deaths have been reported near the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River}} in Lee County, FL, where a red tide is suspected. Although red tide organisms were abundant in water samples from Tarpon Bay on Nov. 7, levels were much lower on Nov. 10.} [Assoc Press, Reuters] . Right Whale Protection. On Nov. 3, 1997, NMFS proposed to close the Atlantic pelagic drift gillnet fishery for swordfish, tuna, and sharks through July 31, 1998, in order to develop and implement regulatory measures that will avoid jeopardy to right whale survival. Public comment will be accepted on this proposed rule through Nov. 18, 1997. In addition, NMFS has prepared an Environmental Assessment of 4 alternatives being considered for implementing the Atlantic Offshore Cetacean Take Reduction Plan. [Fed. Register] . Japanese Whalemeat Sale. On Oct. 23, 1997, the Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research announced that 298 tons of meat taken from 100 minke whales killed in the northwestern Pacific Ocean during May-July 1997 would be placed on the domestic market on Oct. 24, 1997; 31 tons for school lunches, 156 tons for canning, and 111 tons for direct markets. The wholesale price was set at 49,000 yen per 15 kilogram block of meat. [Dow Jones News] . Canadian Right Whale Meeting. On Oct. 21, 1997, Canadian scientists, environmentalists, and government managers met in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to discuss ways to increase protection for northern right whales. Participants agreed to word together to develop a plan to better protect this species in Canadian waters. [Assoc Press] . IWC Meeting. On Oct. 20, 1997, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) opened its 49th annual meeting in Monte Carlo, Monaco. On Oct. 21, 1997, voting on a Japanese proposal that IWC decisions be made by secret ballot was postponed. On Oct. 22, 1997, Japan was reportedly ready to offer a compromise limiting the use of the electric lance in favor of using rifles to kill whales that do not die immediately from explosive harpoons. On Oct. 22, 1997, the United States and Russia presented a joint request for a five-year aboriginal whaling quota of 280 bowhead and 620 gray whales in the North Pacific. The IWC unanimously approved a joint U.S.-Russia bowhead quota for an average 56 whales landed annually (51 for Alaska; 5 for Russia), but postponed a decision on the gray whale quota. On Oct. 22, 1997, relating to the proposed Makah whaling, Russia's Chukchi people proposed exchanging four gray whales from their annual quota of 140 gray whales in return for receiving five bowhead whales from AK's Inuit annual quota of 67 bowhead whales. Such an exchange would be formalized by bilateral agreement between Russia and the United States. On Oct. 23, 1997, the IWC adopted, by consensus, the joint U.S.-Russian quota proposed for gray whales, with a five-year aboriginal subsistence hunt averaging four gray whales a year for WA state's Makah tribe and an average annual harvest of 120 gray whales for Russia's Chukchi people. The Makah will develop a management plan for their subsistence whaling and anticipate their first hunt in fall 1998. However, some IWC members, including Australia, contend that an amendment to this IWC resolution limited gray whale harvest to those where "traditional aboriginal subsistence and cultural needs have been recognized." They claim the Makah's need has not been recognized, and thus the Makah are not yet able to hunt gray whales. On Oct. 23, 1997, the IWC agreed that whalers, when whales are not immediately killed by an exploding harpoon, must try to kill whales by rifle and use electric lances only in extreme cases. On Oct. 23, 1997, the IWC voted 12-16 (with 4 abstentions) on a Japanese request for an annual quota of 50 minke whales for four coastal villages, failing to reach the required three-fourths majority necessary for approval. On Oct. 24, 1997, the IWC approved two non-binding resolutions calling upon Japan to practice self-restraint with respect to research whaling in the Antarctic and North Pacific. On Oct. 24, 1997, the IWC voted 17-10 (with 3 abstentions) to condemn Norway's commercial whaling. On Oct. 24, 1997, the IWC authorized Ireland to draft a compromise proposal to lift the moratorium on commercial whaling in exchange for limiting whaling to coastal waters for local consumption or aboriginal subsistence only. Whaling in international waters or for scientific research would be prohibited. This proposal is tentatively scheduled to be discussed at the IWC's May 1998 meeting in Oman. [Reuters, Dow Jones News, NOAA press release, High North Alliance News] . Makah Whaling Lawsuit. On Oct. 17, 1997, U.S. Representative Jack Metcalf (R-WA), animal protection advocates, and a Makah tribal elder filed suit in U.S. District Court (Washington, DC) against Commerce Secretary William Daley, seeking to prohibit federal assistance for the WA state's Makah Tribe's efforts to begin killing five gray whales annually for cultural and subsistence purposes. The lawsuit charges that such whaling would violate the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, and the Whaling Convention Act. [Assoc Press] . Polar Bear Fund. On Oct. 17, 1997, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced the creation of a fund to promote polar bear conservation research and management programs in Alaska and Russia. Initial funding of the project was derived from fees collected by the FWS for permits to import polar bear trophies from Canada. Activities to be funded include harvest monitoring management, aerial den or population surveys, and technical assistance for enforcement efforts. [FWS press release] . Keiko. On Oct. 17, 1997, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service provided recommended procedures for creating an independent panel to review Keiko's health to the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation. On Oct. 31, 1997, officials of the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation announced that Keiko would undergo testing and examination by an independent panel of veterinary and marine mammal experts to be convened by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture in late November 1997. Preliminary blood samples were taken on Nov. 1, 1997. [Assoc Press, Oregon Coast Aquarium press release, Free Willy-Keiko Foundation press release, OR Veterinary Medical Association press release] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. Editor's note: if anyone has detailed information regarding this request, could you please send it to the MARMAM list as this may be of interest to many subscribers. This message is from Aafke Verkade, The Netherlands E-mail address: averkade(\)dds.nl Dear Marmamanians, A couple of years ago I spoke with some people about the International Trainers Association of Aquatic Mammals (IMATA), which is based in the USA. As a Marine Mammal Trainer, it is quite easy to get into contact with IMATA, but since I am not a trainer but just a student , I don't know where to look for information concerning the (possible) Website or other information-sources of IMATA. I would like to obtain some more information about IMATA; especially regarding contact-addresses (E-mail), and literature published in the IMATA-journals. Can anyone help me out? Thank you in advance, Aafke Verkade Please reply to: Aafke Verkade The Netherlands E-mail-adresses: averkade(\)dds.nl U.S. HHS: 7-year-olds' neurological development NOV 11, 1997, M2 Communications - Extensive tests of 917 seven-year-old children in the Faroe Islands have shown statistical relationships between some of the results of a battery of neurological tests and the extent of maternal methylmercury exposure among mothers who frequently consumed whale meat, as well as other seafood, during pregnancy. Due to concerns about the influence of methylmercury exposure on the developing fetus, the study examined a number of measures of development. Impacts on several measures of children's attention spans, memory, language and other brain functions were associated with the methylmercury exposure. The study was reported today by an international team of scientists in the November-December issue of the journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology. The project was carried out in the Faroe Islands, in the North Atlantic north of Shetland, where dietary mercury exposure mainly originates fromeating pilot whale meat. Although whale concentrates PCBs as well as mercury, the scientists said they had compensated for the effects of this additional pollutant, which is also a potential neurotoxin. Worldwide, mercury causes contamination of seafood and fresh-water fish. Coal burning is a major source of environmental mercury. The study was supported by the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a part of the National Institutes of Health, and by the European Commission under its Environment and Climate Research Programme. The study is the only one to date to report these associations at these exposure levels. The researchers interviewed mothers who were giving birth at the three Faroes hospitals in 1986-1987. Under the leadership of Dr. Pal Weihe, Medical Director of the Faroes Hospitals, a blood sample from the umbilical cord was collected for mercury analysis, and the mother's hair was also analyzed. A detailed examination of the children had to wait until the children were old enough to participate in detailed neurological tests. Professor Philippe Grandjean of Odense University in Denmark, who led the international research team, said: "The brain is extremely susceptible to toxic chemicals during fetal development, but we waited until the children were seven years old so that we could examine the effects in sufficient detail." The study utilized sophisticated neuropsychological and neurophysiological techniques, and the Danish-Faroe research team was helped by colleagues from the USA and Japan. In one of the largest and most intensive studies ever in this field, each child went through five hours of detailed examinations, and the clinical team spent almost six months in the Faroes. Professor Roberta F. White of Boston University, who evaluated the neuropsychological results, said: "Several domains of brain function may be affected by prenatal methylmercury exposure. "Most of the results remained within normal ranges," she continued, "but any developmental delay in young school children may be a concern." Professor Grandjean said: "Although most European and American diets do not include whale meat, the study is relevant to general concerns about mercury pollution. The study from the Faroe Islands suggests that increased vigilance is needed regarding pollution with this neurotoxicant." NIEHS Director Kenneth Olden, Ph.D., said: "The study was carried out with apparent care and with very sophisticated testing, and its long-anticipated publication will permit others to review its methodology and the strength and persuasiveness of its data. The significance of effects identified in this study will need to be evaluated in the context of other studies of fish-eating populations including another large NIEHS-sponsored study in the Seychelles Islands." The latter study found no evidence of developmental problems but has not followed children as long as has the Faroe Islands study. An interagency working group, Olden noted, is currently reviewing a Congressionally-mandated report on the effects of mercury. The group is looking at a number of peer-reviewed scientific studies. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 10:16:18 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: mercury in Faroe Islanders (fwd) From: Andrew Schiro There was a note in the CRS marine mammal summary about the effects of mercur on children of Faroe Islands mothers who ate seafood whalemeat. There is a 1995 article about the effects of methylmercury on Faroe Islands infants which might be of interest. The reference is: Grandjean, P., Weihe, P., White, R.F. 1995. Milestone development in infants exposed to methylmercury from human milk. Neurotoxicology 16(1):27-34. Breastfeeding seems to confer an advantage to the infant with regard to neurobehavioral development, possibly in part due to essential nutrients in human milk. However, human milk may be contaminated by environmental neurotoxicants, such as methylmercury. At the Faroe Islands where maternal consumption of pilot whale meat and blubber may well cause a considerable transfer of these neurotoxicants into human milk, 583 infants were followed by district health nurses during the first 12 months after birth. Three developmental milestones that are usually reached between 5 and 12 months of age, i.e., sitting, creeping and standing, were examined. Infants who reached milestone criteria early had significantly higher mercury concentrations in the hair at 12 months of age. This association is contrary to what would be expected from possible neurotoxic effects of mercury. However, early milestone development was clearly associated with breastfeeding which was again related to increased hair-mercury levels. Milestone development was not associated with indicators of prenatal methylmercury exposure, such as the maternal hair-mercury concentration at parturition. The relationship between early milestone development and high hair-mercury levels in the infant therefore seems to be due to confounding caused by the duration of breastfeeding. No other potential confounder played any role in this regard. This study therefore suggests that, if methylmercury exposure from human milk had any adverse effect on milestone development in these infants, the effect was compensated for or overruled by advantages associated with nursing. Whatever the specific causes of beneficial effects of breastfeeding, the developmental advantages associated with nursing must be taken into consideration when evaluating the health implications of human milk contamination by neurotoxicants. The following is a vacancy announcement for the position of Steller Sea Lion Task Leader at the National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle, Washington. Closing date is Wednesday November 26, 1996. For further information contact: NOAA,WASC, HRD, WC24 (206) 526-6067 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., BIN C15700 (206) 526-6673 FAX Seattle, WA 98115-0070 (206) 526-6105 TDD ATTN: W/NMF/AFSC/97493.LN or check it out on NOAA's web site: http://www.rdc.noaa.gov Please DO NOT respond to me. Thanks, Dave Withrow dave.withrow(\)noaa.gov ----------------------------------------------------------------- U. S. Department of Commerce VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Opening Date: 11/05/97 Closing Date: 11/26/97 Position Title: Interdisciplinary: Zoologist or Research Fishery Biologist or Research Wildlife Biologist Series & Grade: GS-0410-12/13 or GS-0482-12/13 or GS-0486-12/13Duty Station: Seattle, WA Vacancy Number: W/NMF/AFSC/97493.LN ----------------------------------------------------------------- Organization: National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Fisheries Science Center National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Area of Consideration: Any U.S. citizenWork Schedule: Full-time Type of Appointment: PermanentNumber of Vacancies: One Service: CompetitivePromotion Potential: GS-13 Starting Salary Range: GS-12: $45,729 to $59,451 per year GS-13: $54,379 to $70,692 per year ----------------------------------------------------------------- THIS IS A COMBINED MERIT ASSIGNMENT PROGRAM AND COMPETITIVE EXAMINING ANNOUNCEMENT Notes: Status candidates who wish to be considered under both Merit Assignment and Delegated Examining must submit two separate application packages. If only one is received, it will be considered under the Merit Assignment Program only. Payment of travel and moving expenses is authorized. DOC applicants may be considered before other applicants. Position will be filled at one of the three disciplines listed above and at either GS-12 or GS-13 level depending upon qualifications of applicants. Duties: The person selected for this vacancy will direct the Steller Sea Lion Task in the NMML's Alaska Ecosystem Program as well as investigations into marine mammal/fisheries interactions and ecosystem relationships in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. Performs field research at various times throughout the year, including direction of data and biological sample collection and sea lion tagging. In the remainder of the year, prepares reports, designs experiments for subsequent field research, directs staff for data entry and analysis, and assists the Alaska Ecosystem program leader in determining the magnitude and nature of marine mammal/fishery interaction issues. Major duties include performing aerial, ship, and land-based surveys of Steller sea lion abundance; handling, marking, and instrumentation of sea lions and other pinnipeds, and collecting data on foraging behavior, physiology, reproduction/survival, and feeding habits; preparing data and written reports for publication; supervising activities of staff and contractors; and advising various entities on sea lion and other marine mammalrelated issues. Qualifications:Zoologist: Basic Requirement: A: bachelor's or higher degree in zoology or a related discipline or field of science that included at least 20 semester hours in zoology and related animal sciences OR B: courses equivalent to a major in zoology or in a related discipline that included course work as shown above plus appropriate experience or additional education. Research Fishery Biologist: Basic Requirement: must have a degree with major study in biology, zoology, or biological oceanography that included at least 30 semester hours in biological and aquatic science and 15 semester hours in the physical and mathematical sciences. The course work must have included: at least 15 semester hours of preparatory training in zoology beyond introductory biology/zoology; and at least 6 semester hours applicable to fishery biology; and at least 15 semester hours in any combination of two or more of the following: chemistry, physics, mathematics, or statistics. Research Wildlife Biologist: Basic Requirement: must have a degree with major in wildlife biology, zoology, or botany that included at least 30 semester hours of course work in biological science and 15 semester hours in the physical, mathematical, and earth sciences. The course work must have included: at least 9 semester hours of training applicable to wildlife biology; and at least 12 semester hours in zoological subjects; and at least 9 semester hours in the field of botany and related plant science; and at least 15 semester hours in any combination of two or more of the following: chemistry, physics, mathematics, statistics, soils, and/or geology. Additionally, applicants for any of the above disciplines must have a minimum of one year of specialized experience** in that field which was equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-11 for GS-12; GS-12 for GS-13) in the federal service. **Specialized experience is that which equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties outlined above, and that is typically in or related to the work. Quality Ranking Factors (* = critical): (1) * Ability to conduct field research on pinnipeds; (2) * Skill in the application of computers for storing data and solving scientific problems/questions; (3) Skill in applying new technology to gathering pinniped data in the field; (4) Knowledge of regulations, laws, and legislation pertinent to declining pinniped populations, including the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the Fisheries Conservation andManagement Act APPLICANTS MUST PROVIDE RESPONSES TO THE ABOVE QUALITY RANKING FACTORS ON A SEPARATE SHEET ATTACHED TO THEIR APPLICATIONS. SHOW HOW EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION, AND/OR TRAINING RELATES TO EACHFACTOR. Application Address: Contact: W/NMF/AFSC/97493.LN WASC, HRD, WC24 (206) 526-6067 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., BIN C15700 (206) 526-6673 FAX Seattle, WA 98115-0070 (206) 526-6105 TDD ATTN: W/NMF/AFSC/97493.LN Internet Information Address: http://www.rdc.noaa.gov For information on the outcome of this vacancy, please call our Notice-of-Results line (updated monthly) at 206-526-6047. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 09:22:22 +0900 From: Lauren DOUAZE Subject: Re: IMATA In-Reply-To: Hi Afke, dear fellow Marmarers, The IMATA (International Marine Animal Trainers Association) address is: 1200 South Lake Shore Drive Chicago, Illinois 60605, USA You can apply for membership by requesting a form at this address indicating: Secretary IMATA To my knowledge, there is no web page for the IMATA nor any e-mail address to write to. IMATA has a quaterly newsletter called "Soundings" with articles on training and marine mammal behaviour, regional reports, a training and a conservation forums. This newsletter is sent to all members. The IMATA organizes an international conference every year and publishes conference proceedings, also distributed to members. Several regional conferences are organized within the US as well. A journal called "Marine Mammals: Public Display and Research" is also published but not on a regular basis. This one has to be ordered by the merchandise committee. I hope this helps. Cheers, Lauren Douaze akild(\)leonis.nus.sg ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 17:18:01 -0800 From: Tom Moritz Subject: 250 Year Old Green Algae Mystery (fwd) FORWARDED MESSAGE, PLEASE RESPOND TO: Chris Orrick corrick(\)concentric.net ********************************************************************** Dear MAR-FACIL subscribers, Perhaps one of you can help me solve a 250 year old zoological mystery. All the animals and plants described by famed 18th century naturalist, Georg Steller, have been identified with one notable exception-the "Sea Monkey." I believe Steller saw a stray Hawaiian Monk Seal. An unusual reddish color described by Steller has always puzzled zoologists, but I think I may have found a solution involving dead or dying green marine algae. I need the expertise of someone in this group to verify if this theory is possible. I'll get right to the point: "So much time may be spent at sea that monk seals, when seen on beaches, appear to have green fur. This green color is actually a type of marine algae which has grown into their fur." Even the head of the National Marine Fisheries Service monk seal recovery program doesn't know the exact scientific name of this specific green alga. It is a tropical variety and clings so tightly to their fur, monk seals have to rub it off on abrasive surfaces. I believe it's a "filamentous algae," but I could be wrong. The sighting took place in August, with an estimated 56 degree water temperature, 20-25 degrees colder than Hawaiian water. Given that info, would the alga have died as the animal swam slowly north into gradually colder water? Would the alga have remained attached to the seal's fur? What color or colors would the green alga turn as it was dying? And finally, what would be its color when it was completely dead? I apologize if these questions or this e-mail are inappropriate. This group was recommended to me as a place I might find expert opinion. Thank you for your time. Chris Orrick corrick(\)concentric.net ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 11:57:01 -0500 From: Dale Rice Subject: Re: 250 Year Old Green Algae Mystery (fwd) The green alga that grows on the Hawaiian monk seal is Pringsheimiella scutata. It was first reported on monk seals by Karl Kenyon and me (Kenyon and Rice 1959:248-249). As for Steller's "sea ape," it is generally conceded that it was a northern fur-seal (see Stejneger 1936:278-281; Scheffer 1958:82). References: Kenyon, K. W., and Rice, D. W. 1959. Life history of the Hawaiian monk seal. Pacific Science 13:215-252. Scheffer, V. B. 1958. Seals, sea lions, and walruses: a review of the Pinnipedia. Stanford University Press, Stanford. 179p. Stejneger, L. 1936. Georg Wilhelm Steller: the pioneer of Alaskan natural history. Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA. 623 p. Dale W. Rice dale.rice(\)noaa.gov ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: 250 Year Old Green Algae Mystery (fwd) Author: tmoritz(\)CAS.calacademy.org at EXTERNAL Date: 19/11/1997 7:38 AM FORWARDED MESSAGE, PLEASE RESPOND TO: Chris Orrick corrick(\)concentric.net ********************************************************************** Dear MAR-FACIL subscribers, Perhaps one of you can help me solve a 250 year old zoological mystery. All the animals and plants described by famed 18th century naturalist, Georg Steller, have been identified with one notable exception-the "Sea Monkey." I believe Steller saw a stray Hawaiian Monk Seal. An unusual reddish color described by Steller has always puzzled zoologists, but I think I may have found a solution involving dead or dying green marine algae. I need the expertise of someone in this group to verify if this theory is possible. I'll get right to the point: "So much time may be spent at sea that monk seals, when seen on beaches, appear to have green fur. This green color is actually a type of marine algae which has grown into their fur." Even the head of the National Marine Fisheries Service monk seal recovery program doesn't know the exact scientific name of this specific green alga. It is a tropical variety and clings so tightly to their fur, monk seals have to rub it off on abrasive surfaces. I believe it's a "filamentous algae," but I could be wrong. The sighting took place in August, with an estimated 56 degree water temperature, 20-25 degrees colder than Hawaiian water. Given that info, would the alga have died as the animal swam slowly north into gradually colder water? Would the alga have remained attached to the seal's fur? What color or colors would the green alga turn as it was dying? And finally, what would be its color when it was completely dead? I apologize if these questions or this e-mail are inappropriate. This group was recommended to me as a place I might find expert opinion. Thank you for your time. Chris Orrick corrick(\)concentric.net ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 11:05:01 -0500 From: "Rybak, Jennifer L" Subject: dolphin video Hello! I am currently a graduate student studying animal behavior at James Madison University. I am preparing to work in the field with Spinner dolphins this summer and was wondering if anyone could help. Since I do not have access to dolphins in my area, I would like to spend time watching their natural behaviors on video. I am hoping to become familiar with their natural behavior so that I can develop an ethogram, or use an already existing one, in order to increase my data collection reliability. If anyone has access to 1) an ethogram for spinner dolphins or 2) a video of them in the wild for observational practice, please let me know. It would be of extreme use to me. Thank you in advance for any information you can pass along. Jennifer Rybak -- Rybak, Jennifer L rybakjl(\)jmu.edu (540) 568-6284 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 04:44:47 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: hydrophones To MARMAM subscribers, Any requests for hydrophones which are submitted to MARMAM are sent the following reply, rather than being sent to the MARMAM subscribers. If anyone knows of other hydrophone manufacturers, or other information that we should include in such a message, please let us know at "marmamed(\)uvic.ca" Thanks, MARMAM Editors marmamed(\)uvic.ca Current hydrophone information: ------------------------------------------------ The following two messages have been sent to the MARMAM list over the last few months. Both contain information on hydrophones. MARMAM editors ------------------------------ From: "Joseph R. Olson" I'd like to let you all know that I have established a fledgling web site for Cetacean Research Technology. It shows a couple photos of my hydrophones, pricing and specifications, as well as information on signal analysis software and suction cups. The address is in the last line of my signature below. You may notice that I've added a new hydrophone (model C20b). It is 4dB more sensitive than the C20a and has a bandwidth of 22kHz. This model, with additional headphone driver, will soon be available in retail marine supply stores. The price should be in the US$425 range. As demands on my time increase with more hydrophone orders, I have less time to work at my consulting job. Earnings from consulting have subsidized the cost of building hydrophones. Consequently, the hydrophone prices will increase slightly beginning 1 November 1997. Nonetheless, I will continue to offer discounts to research, educational, and nonprofit organizations. The only exception could be with the "C20b with headphone driver." It will be considered a recreational hydrophone (though still well suited for research) and go by some catchy trade name. I need to keep the retail dealers happy. Thanks again for all of your encouragement. Please contact me if you have any questions or comments. I will reply to all messages when I return home from my honeymoon on 24 September! Best wishes to all, Joe Joseph R. Olson Cetacean Research Technology 7309 26th Ave. NW Seattle, WA 98117 Tel: 206-706-6989 e-mail: cetacean(\)eskimo.com Web: http://www.eskimo.com/~cetacean ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 5 Jun 1997 17:27:17 -0700 From: Harald Jurk Hi Everybody Due to a number of requests for affordable hydrophones that are suitable for fieldwork I thought I post the information about the hydrophones we use for killer whale research. The hydrophones are build by Berverly Ford's one person company called Offshore Acoustics. Just to keep everybody happy I want to give a disclaimer first. I do not receive any finacial or other benefit from the proceeds of this company. The information posted is taken from the company's brochure. ______________________________________________________________________ Offshore Acoustics hydrophones offer high performance, field durability, and low cost. Their broad frequency response and high sensitivity make them well suited for a wide range of underwater monitoring applications, from basic listening with an amplified loudspeaker to recording using audio cassette, DAT, or video cam-corders. Standard hydrophones come with 10 meters of rubber-encased coaxial cable, which is optimal for use from a drifting boat. Longer cable lengths for use in fixed shore-based systems are also available. Each hydrophone is supplied with a plastic power supply box (12 x 6.5 x 3.5 cm) containing a 9 volt battery that drives the hydrophoneUs internal preamplifier. This is fitted with a standard 3.5 mm mini-plug for connection of the unit to an amplified speaker or recorder. Specifications: Nominal sensitivity -154 dBV/uPa +/- 4 dB at 100 Hz Directional characteristics Omnidirectional Maximum operating pressure 500 psi Operating temperature range 0 Celisius to +35 Celsius Storage temperature range -40 Celsius to +71 Celsius Dimensions, hydrophone element 3.5 cm x 7 cm Total weight 1 kg (including cable & power supply box) Frequency response curve 6 Hz to 14 kHz 1 3dB, 5 Hz to 40 kHz 1 10dB 1996 Prices (Canadian dollars): Standard hydrophone system with 10m cable and power supply box $460.00 Optional mini speaker amplifier (with battery) $27.00 Extra cable length $4.00 per metre Postage and Handling $10.00 An instruction and maintenance sheet is included. Delivery time is 4-6 weeks. Each hydrophone comes with a one year replacement warranty (cable damage excluded). _______________________________________________________________________ Harald Jurk Marine Mammal Research Unit Hut B-3, Room # 13 Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia 6248 Biological Sciences Road Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6T 1Z4 phone: (604) 822-8181 e-mail: jurk(\)zoology.ubc.ca Hi again Due to a momentary lapse of reasoning when I wrote the first posting I forgot to mention how to get in contact with 'Offshore Acoustics" Here now the solution. You can send a Fax to Beverly Ford. Her Fax number is (604) 929-0440, or you can send a regular letter to 5454 Indian River Drive, North Vancouver, B.C., Canada V7G 1L3. You also could get in touch with her by e-mail. The address is jkford(\)interchange.ubc.ca Thank you for your patience. Harald Dear Friends, We found a metal (alminum?) flipper tag from a pinniped. We are interested in data kept by those who applied this tag to the individual. Recently, our Ichthyology section gave me a heap of organic compound consisted of mammal hair and decalcified skeletal pieces both mammalian and piscine. They told me it is stomach content of a great white shark caught somewhere around Australia. While looking through this slimy components with lungful of aroma we found skeletal elemennts of at least two pinniped individuals. We guess the animal could be a southern fur seal or southern sea lion. Among them we found a tag. It is a flipper tag made of metal band, bent tall U-shape with one of the arms longer than the other and the long one is bent so that it closes the U-shape. I can read "V9611 on one side, whereas two or three lines of characters on the other side are aroded and hard to read. I guess the line at the bottom is 'MELBOURNE", the second from the bottom the line contains "E? & U? DEPT" and the "E" and the "U" are our pure guess and is very likely to be wrong. Is it possible for anyone to give us some information especially species, and locality? We are looking forward to hearing from someone, Tadasu ********** Tadasu K. YAMADA, DMSc. Curator in Chief Division of Mammals and Birds Department of Zoology National Science Museum, Tokyo 3-23-1 Hyakunin-cho Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 169 JAPAN Phone : +81-3-3364-2311 ext. 7168 / +81-3-5332-7168 Fax : +81-3-3364-7104 E-Mail : yamada(\)kahaku.go.jp Does anyone know of a source for photographs of any Soviet whaling factory ship or whale catchers, particularly those operating at anytime between 1948 and 1980? This is for an article on illegal Soviet whaling. Many thanks. Phil Clapham claphamp(\)nmnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 05:16:58 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS weekly marine mammal summary to US congress (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 11/21/97 Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 11/14/97 are bracketed {...} New info and changes since 11/20/97 are double bracketed {{...}} Marine Mammals . Sealing Conference. The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission has scheduled an international conference on "Sealing the Future" for Nov. 25-27, 1997, in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. [Conference brochure] . {European Whaling Hearing. On Nov. 24-25, 1997, the European Parliament's Committee on Fisheries, meeting in Brussels, has tentatively scheduled a hearing on whaling management systems and lessons from whaling that might be drawn for fisheries.} [High North Alliance News] . Fur Seal Mortalities. On Nov. 12, 1997, biologists with the Marine Mammal Center, a CA non-profit animal welfare group, reported that El Nino conditions may be responsible for the higher-than-normal strandings of 21 underweight and dehydrated juvenile northern fur seals along the CA coast since Sept. 29, 1997. Eight of the 21 stranded seals have survived and are being rehabilitated. A federal biologist reported that 1,500 fur seal pups died in September 1997 on San Miguel Island in CA's Channel Islands, due to their mothers' poor nutrition. [Reuters, Assoc Press] . Mercury from Whale Meat. On Nov. 10, 1997, the U.S. National Institutes of Health officials released the results of a study of children born to Faroe Islands mothers, concluding that women who ate seafood and, in particular, whalemeat may have damaged their children with mercury poisoning. These findings were reported in the journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology. [Reuters] . Manatees and Red Tide. Since Nov. 6, 1997, a total of 9 manatee deaths have been reported near the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River in Lee County, FL, where a red tide is suspected. Although red tide organisms were abundant in water samples from Tarpon Bay on Nov. 7, levels were much lower on Nov. 10. [Assoc Press, Reuters] . Right Whale Protection. On Nov. 3, 1997, NMFS proposed to close the Atlantic pelagic drift gillnet fishery for swordfish, tuna, and sharks through July 31, 1998, in order to develop and implement regulatory measures that will avoid jeopardy to right whale survival. Public comment will be accepted on this proposed rule through Nov. 18, 1997. In addition, NMFS has prepared an Environmental Assessment of 4 alternatives being considered for implementing the Atlantic Offshore Cetacean Take Reduction Plan. [Fed. Register] . Keiko. On Oct. 31, 1997, officials of the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation announced that Keiko would undergo testing and examination by an independent panel of veterinary and marine mammal experts to be convened by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture in late November 1997. Preliminary blood samples were taken on Nov. 1, 1997. [Assoc Press, Oregon Coast Aquarium press release, Free Willy-Keiko Foundation press release, OR Veterinary Medical Association press release] . IWC Meeting. On Oct. 24, 1997, the IWC approved two non-binding resolutions calling upon Japan to practice self-restraint with respect to research whaling in the Antarctic and North Pacific. On Oct. 24, 1997, the IWC voted 17-10 (with 3 abstentions) to condemn Norway's commercial whaling. On Oct. 24, 1997, the IWC authorized Ireland to draft a compromise proposal to lift the moratorium on commercial whaling in exchange for limiting whaling to coastal waters for local consumption or aboriginal subsistence only. Whaling in international waters or for scientific research would be prohibited. This proposal is tentatively scheduled to be discussed at the IWC's May 1998 meeting in Oman. [Reuters, Dow Jones News, NOAA press release, High North Alliance News] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. From: Jonathan Ali Khan As a recent subscriber to the MARMAM list, I am pleased to inform you of our forthcoming expedition (the Arabian Seas Expedition (ASE) Voyage of Discovery) to South Oman's Arabian Sea coast, the Island of Socotra (70 days), and the Yemeni Gulf of Aden coast, south Red Sea and Sudan's Suakin Archipelago. Our primary objective is filming of a series of TV documentaries on Arabia's underwater world as part of an environmental awareness project. Whilst in the Arabian Sea waters of Oman (Hallaniyah Islands and Mughsayl Cliffs) we are interested to undertake observation and filming of Humpback whale populations in relation to up-wellings along the continental shelf drop-offs (which fall very close inshore in this region). The gradually entertained notion that humpbacks may in fact be present year round would make them the only resident population in the world (?). We would like to correspond and exchange information with whale specialists on this possibility. We would also like advice and research methodology guidelines. Can this be of help to anyone in relation to ongoing studies? Please let us know asap. Space for a whale specialist is still available on board our vessel, and anyone interested should contact us immediately.Our full expedition will be featured on a dedicated web-site currently under construction. Web site details will follow within a few days. Thankyou, Jonathan Ali Khan, ASE Project Director P.O.Box 27419 Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel & Fax: 00971.4.366901 Has anybody heard of a jawless sperm whale? Few days ago a 12.3m male sperm whale stranded on the NW coast of Iceland, which is not so unusual. The animal was, however malformed in a peculiar way, it had no lower jaw. It had only a small protrusion, perhaps 20-30cm long below the opening of the mouth, and the pigmentation pattern was continous with the surrounding area. If the animal was not born like this, the jaw was broken off a long time ago. There were no "tooth holes" in the gum of the upper jaw. Further examinations and dissection of the animal will take place tomorrow (25 Nov.). I would appreciate very much to hear of any similar observations on sperm whales or other toothed whales. Please send your responses directly to me to avoid unnecessary postings to all marmammers. All the best -- Gisli A. Vikingsson Internet: gisli(\)hafro.is Hafrannsoknastofnunin Telephone: +354 552 0240 (Marine Research Institute Fax: +354 562 3790 Skulagotu 4, Reykjavik, Iceland Home phone: +354 551 8407 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 12:59:00 GMT0 Reply-To: rodpenrose(\)cix.compulink.co.uk From: Rod Penrose MEM Subject: Kogia breviceps To MARMAM subscribers, Following a recent stranding of a female Pygmy Sperm Whale on the Welsh coast I was wondering if anybody, working on Kogia breviceps has any information on "decoy ink" in relation to above. On retrieval of the carcass several (5-7)litres of a reddish brown tarry fluid was exuded from the genital slit followed by several more litres on transportation. On post mortem examination this fluid was found to emanate from the bladder. I have only found one reference (Whales Dolphins and Porpoises, Mark Carwardine 1995 Dorling Kindersley Ltd) stating that "When startled may evacuate a reddish brown intestinal fluid which may function as a decoy like the ink of a squid" I was not aware of this ability in this species and would appreciate further information or confirmation. Thanks Rod Penrose Strandings Co-ordinator (Wales) Marine Environmental Monitoring Collaborative UK & Celtic Marine Mammal Project tel: 01348 875000 email: rodpenrose(\)cix.compulink.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 04:35:03 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Position Available (fwd) From: Mel Cote Postion Available Teaching Vertebrate Biology/Marine Mammals- Position responsibilities include:=20 (1) teaching field oriented courses in marine and general mammology and marine conservation biology; (2) team teaching general biology courses (3) facilitation of student involvement in regional field research projects, direct senior projects, and advising students in an interdisciplinary self-directed degree program; (4)willingness to develop other interdisciplinary courses with science and non-science faculty. Other areas of expertise may include:population biology, fisheries, freshwater biology or oceanography.Teaching experience and Ph.D. are preferred.=20 Send a letter, a teaching statement addressing the above specifications, a vita, and three references to: Biology Search Committee, College of the Atlantic, 105 Eden St., Bar Harbor, ME 04609. Review will begin the last week of December and continue until the position is filled.=20 College of the Atlantic is a small, selective private college located on Mount Desert Island adjacent to Acadia National Park offering a B.A. and M.Phil. in Human Ecology. Faculty organization is non-departmental and teaching includes interdisciplinary study, team teaching and use of undergraduates in field research. COA is and AA/EEO employer and strongly encourage applications from women and minority candidates.=20 Sent by: Melville Cot=E9, Administrative Dean, mpcote(\)ecology.coa.edu Organization: Animal Protection Institute Subject: Dolphin Therary Research ------ Please Post: DOLPHIN THERAPY RESEARCH The Home Box Office (HBO) has contacted the Animal Protection Institute for support of a documentary about a dolphin therapy research program. The objective of the research, to be conducted at three sites in Honduras, Hawaii, and Florida, is to measure the neurological effects of dolphin-child interaction on abused children. The research study, a project of Elissa Faye for her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, is to begin in February at a resort on the island of Roatan, in Honduras. The Institute for Marine Sciences, which offers "swim/dive with the dolphins" adventures to resort guests, will be donating its facilities, trainers and access to their captive dolphins. The recent popularity of dolphin-interaction programs is a concern to the National Marine Fisheries Service which is responsible for enforcing laws against harassment of wild dolphins, and to the USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) which regulates the care of captive dolphins. People who swim with dolphins are in danger of harming the dolphins and themselves =97 and those who feed or harass wild dolphins risk being fined for violating federal laws protecting dolphins. =20 Last year, an example of the danger to captive dolphins from interaction programs occurred at the same resort facility in Honduras. Eight dolphins escaped from their pool during a storm and were never found.=20 The dolphins had been shipped to the resort 16 months earlier from Ocean World in Fort Lauderdale, Florida when it was shut down. These captive dolphins, who did not know how to look for food, probably weren't able to survive in the wild. The Animal Protection Institute (API) is concerned that HBO will be perpetuating unrealistic expectations of dolphins. More importantly, its documentary has the potential to promote human- animal interactions that put both parties at risk. Despite the Flipper myth that dolphins are docile, playful and harmless, they are wild animals and even in captivity they retain their wild instincts.=20 API has informed HBO that, although we are sympathetic to children who are victims of abuse, we can not support any therapy program that exploits animals. Marmam subscribers can voice your concerns to HBO and The Dolphin Therapy Research Team..=20 You may want to include some of these points in your letter: Danger to humans: There have been dozens of reports in the last several years of serious injury to humans from captive dolphins. In a NMFS-sponsored 1994 behavioral study of dolphins involved with Swim-With-Dolphin Programs, aggressive and sexual interactions were observed that put humans at risk. Risk to Captive Dolphins: In the 1994 NMFS study, researchers observed submissive behavior of dolphins in response to swimmer actions. Danger to Wild Dolphins: The captive dolphins used in the research program may transfer disease or breed with the wild dolphin stock of the Honduran area. Along with the swim-with-dolphin program, resort guests have the opportunity to dive with dolphins who have been trained to follow a boat into the open water. These free ranging dolphins can easily intermingle with wild dolphins. Biased Presentation: A documentary should present opinions and reliable data, including potential risks, from organizations and agencies which are scientifically or ethically opposed to the research featured in the program. Send your letters to: Lisa Rueff, Associate Producer Home Box Office, A Time Warner Entertainment Company 2049 Centruy Park East, Suite 4100 Los Angeles, CA 90067-3215 You may also wish to write the Dolphin Therapy Research Program and express your disapproval of this research project: Dolphin Therapy Research 3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd. Suite 354 Studio City, CA 91604 For more information, contact Fran Stricker, Animal Protection Institute, at (800) 348-7387, . ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 03:57:03 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: thermoregulation in gray whales (fwd) From: "John E. Heyning" The following papaer may be of interest to MARMAM subscribers: Heyning, J.E. and J.G. Mead. 1997. Thermoregulation in the mouths of feeding gray whales. Science 278:1138-1139. Abstract Vascular structures for heat conservation in the tongue of the gray whale (Eschrichtius robutus) are reported here. Numerous individual countercurrent heat exchangers are found throughout the massive tongue. These converge at the base of the tongue to form a bilateral pair of retia. Temperature measurements from the oral cavity of a live gray whale indicate that more heat may be lost through the blubber layer over the body than through the tongue, despite the fact that the tongue is far more vascularized and has much less insulation. These heat exchangers substantially reduce heat loss when these whales feed in cold waters. Reprints available soon. Cheers, John E. Heyning, Ph.D. Curator of Mammals Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007 213 763 3404 FAX 213 746 2999 Ross Guy , Alison Scarff , Jeff Andrews 27-Nov-97 11:33 am Regular National RESCUERS NEED TO LEARN WHEN TO LET WHALES DIE - SCIENTIST Palmerston North, Nov 27 - Rescuers of stranded whales on New Zealand beaches should spend more time learning when it was best to leave the animal to die, says American expert Joe Geraci. Dr Geraci, the senior director of biological programmes at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, delivered the David K Blackmore Memorial Lecture at a Massey University mARINE mAMMAL Symposium, in Palmerston North today. He said scientists were continuing to more closely define when that point of no return was reached. ``But that can easily be over-ridden, and often is, by the compassion that people on the beach have to these animals, and their determination to rescue them at all costs.'' Dr Geraci said scientists had a responsibility to educate people as to when their efforts could lead to unwarranted pain and suffering. While New Zealand already had codes in place for slaughtering animals for food production, a distinction appeared to exist in people's minds between that and wildlife. ``Maybe we feel these strandings are in some way due to our own excesses, the way we sloppily handle the ocean. From that comes an obligation to work with these animals, to rescue them wherever possible. Whales always seem to ignite the most sensitive response.'' Dr Geraci said small, young whales which were least stressed were the prime candidates for rescue. Measurements of heart rate, temperature and blood should be taken quickly, and the Conservation Department team, in conjunction with the university scientists, should make early, informed decisions. Many theories for WHALE strandings had been put forward, but no one could account for every scenario. Whales often made repeat strandings because of earlier injuries. Their immense weight meant they injured themselves just by being out of the water. ``We believe that when injured whales return to sea, they may well elect to beach themselves again, and in so doing, lead more healthy whales to their deaths. So we need to make that early distinction.'' Dr Geraci said there was no indication whales today were stranding in greater numbers than in decades past. It was true entanglement in fishing gear was on the increase, and more whales were being killed with boat strikes. ``We can also show most stranded animals carry burdens of contaminants of all kinds -- much more than they ever did before the days of industrial pesticides. But we cannot make the link between the presence of those contaminants and strandings.'' Dr Geraci said few countries had as much public interest and activity as New Zealand when it came to WHALE strandings. ``Your country could well be the leader in understanding the reasons behind the strandings and in establishing firm criteria for handling them on the beach.'' NZPA PMS ks ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 21:50:42 -0500 From: william rossiter Subject: NEED WHALE/SEA TURTLE FILM ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- From: Roberta Bucher, INTERNET:rbucher(\)dandp.com DATE: 11/20/97 9:22 AM RE: SEARCH FOR WHALE/SEA TURTLE FILM FOR TRAINING U.S. NAVY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DIVISION OF DESIGNERS & PLANNERS, INC. HAS BEEN ASKED TO PRODUCE AN AWARENESS/TRAINING VIDEOTAPE FOR THE UNITED STATES NAVY. THE PRODUCTION WILL BE DESIGNED TO MAKE CREWS OF NAVY SHIPS, SUBMARINES, AND AIRCRAFT AWARE OF THREATENED AND ENDANGERED MARINE MAMMAL AND SEA TURTLE SPECIES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. THE PRODUCTION WILL EMPHASIZE THE NEED TO PROTECT THESE SPECIES AND THEIR HABITATS. IT WILL ACQUAINT VIEWERS WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS AND HABITS OF VARIOUS WHALES AND SEA TURTLES AND INSTRUCT AUDIENCES ON PROPER PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW TO AVOID HARMING THEM OR THEIR HABITATS. WE ARE LOOKING FOR STOCK FOOTAGE ON BETACAM SP (M2 IF AVAILABLE), HIGH 8, OR 3/4" TAPE SHOWING NORTHERN RIGHT, HUMPBACK, SPERM, BLUE, FIN, AND SEI WHALES AND LOGGERHEAD, LEATHERBACK, HAWKSBILL, KEMP'S RIDLEY AND GREEN SEA TURTLES. PLEASE CONTACT ROBERTA BUCHER WITH ANYTHING YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THIS VALUABLE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORT AND ANY TERMS AND CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH LOAN OF MASTER TAPES (ANY USE OF THIS PRODUCTION WILL BE STRICTLY NON-PROFIT AND WILL INCLUDE DISTRIBUTION TO NAVY SHIPS AND SHORE FACILITIES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. FOR TRAINING PURPOSES. THE POSSIBILITY THAT BROADCAST TELEVISION MAY WANT TO FEATURE U.S.NAVY ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS COULD ENTAIL USING CLIPS FROM THE VIDEO AS WELL). PHONE: (703) 920-7070 FAX: (703) 920-7177 E-MAIL rbucher(\)dandp.com (Forwarded by William Rossiter, Cetacean Society International, <71322.1637(\)compuserve.com>, because there is a need to train naval personnel to know what to look for at sea if they are to reduce impacts.) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 12:36:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: FEATURE - Mozambique campaigns FEATURE - Mozambique campaigns to keep dugong off the menu By Iain Christie MAPUTO, Nov 23 (Reuters) - When Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano visited the holiday resort of Vilankulo last month, a local coastguard offered a novel item for the presidential menu -- a dugong. But somebody pointed out that the rare sea mammal was a protected species, and serving it to the head of state might be, well, politically incorrect. The dish was hastily knocked off the menu. This story was told by a respected Mozambican environmental journalist, Teresa Sa Nogueira, in the Maputo daily Mediafax earlier this month. Even though Chissano did not get the chance to eat dugong meat other people do. The dugong, which is about the size of a cow and said to be just as tasty when properly cooked, is in trouble in Mozambique, where the press has been campaigning strongly on its behalf in recent weeks. DWINDLING NUMBERS The U.N.-supported Environmental Working Group, a Mozambican non-governmental organisation has staff in Inhassoro district, 800 km (500 miles) north of Maputo city and not far from the Vilankulo resort. In conjunction with the Bazaruto National Park, an archipelago off Inhassoro, they work with the local community on the management and conservation of natural resources. Angela McIntyre, a Canadian U.N. volunteer working with the group, said the dugong count in the Inhassoro area two years ago was estimated at between 90 and 120. "Dugongs are still being killed by small-scale fishermen, using gill nets. The last I've heard is that the dugong population is somewhere around 25 but we're not absolutely sure because they're difficult to count," she said. The dugong has a body similar to a seal and is not particularly beautiful. But legend has it that it is the origin of the mermaid myth. "They're similar to the Florida manatee. They're about two to three metres (between six and 10 feet) long, about 400 kg (880 lb). They have a lot of meat on them, and they have breasts on the front of their bodies like human females and that's possibly why the mermaid legends have been created," McIntyre said. "Dugongs prefer sheltered areas and the habitat between the Bazaruto islands and the mainland has a lot of sea-grass beds and that's where they tend to stay. In that area they tend to be concentrated within a 30 km range of the coastline of Inhassoro district." Inhassoro is not the only part of the Mozambican coastline with dugongs, but Mozambican biologist Almeida Guissamulo said in a recent article that there are only between 500 and 1,000 of the creatures left along the entire coast. WHO'S TO BLAME? McIntyre avoids dumping all the blame on fishermen. "It's difficult to define it as accidental or deliberate. The problem is not so much the intention to kill dugong but the fact that the fishermen don't have alternatives. "If a fisherman owns one gill net and that's basically his only means of production, whether he sets out to catch dugongs or not is irrelevant because he's going to catch them anyway. "The fishermen usually find the dugongs dead because they are mammals, they breathe air and they drown in the nets. They take them ashore and they butcher them and they distribute the meat among their families," she said. "I've heard of dugong meat being sold but I've never actually seen it and I doubt that very much of the dugong meat actually makes it to the market." TOURISM COULD HELP "We have to offer concrete incentives to the fishermen to not kill dugongs," says McIntyre. "In terms of negative incentives the law has to be enforced because there are laws protecting dugongs. "The maritime authority in Inhassoro has very poor capacity at the moment. They have two staff members. They don't have a boat, so they just don't have the possibility of seeing what people pull in." Mozambican dugongs have been a protected species since the 1950s but the problem is in enforcing the law and offering people alternatives. "Some day in the future when there is a more developed eco-tourism industry in Mozambique we can offer alternatives. We can say, look, conserve these animals because they can benefit your community because people are coming to see them," McIntyre says. But she added that tourist traffic in the area was not yet sufficient to support this. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 07:33:01 -0800 From: Sarah Courbis Subject: North Pacific Marine Mammals: Recent Literature I am writing a general review of north Pacific marine mammals as a reference for a researcher at Oregon State University, and I'm having some trouble finding information published within the last year. Most indices of bibliographies only go through 1996. The most up to date information is necessary since my work may be used for reference for grant proposals and papers and as a bibliography for locating marine mammal sources. I am particularly interested in new information that cannot yet be found in a collective work e.g. range extensions, populations and abundances (!), diseases and parasites (especially newly discovered in particular marine mammals), prey studies (especially newly discovered prey species), mortality, and new reproduction information. Population and abundance estimates (particularly range-wide estimates) subsequent to 1989 would be very helpful! If you know of any references, updated reference lists, or people who have unpublished information they can share, I would be most appreciative. Thank you very much! Sarah Courbis Hatfield Marine Science Center courbiss(\)ccmail.orst.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 22:04:22 -0500 From: "Pamela M. Willis" Subject: Kogia ink Dear Rod, In response to your inquiry on MARMAM regarding Kogia ink, below follows some information from our paper in press on Kogia simus: "A structure apparently unique to Kogia is a sac which expands from the lower intestine near the anus, filled with a dense, dark, reddish-brown fluid resembling chocolate syrup (Benham 1901; Caldwell and Caldwell 1989). Kogia appear to release the fluid, which produces a dense red cloud in the water, when stressed (Yamada 1954; Scott and Cordaro 1987; Caldwell and Caldwell 1989)...." "As noted, Kogia expel a reddish-brown cloud of fluid from the anus when apparently disturbed or threatened (Yamada 1954; Scott and Cordaro 1987; Caldwell and Caldwell 1989; Aurioles et al. 1993). Both stranded animals and Kogia caught in fishery operations have been observed to engage in this behaviour, often termed a "startle response", which may serve to temporarily conceal the animals or operate as a decoy (Scott and Cordaro 1987). The cloud produced may cover an area of 100 square meters (Scott and Cordaro 1987), and is often interpreted as feces or blood (Yamada 1954; Caldwell and Caldwell 1989)." (Willis, P.M., and Baird, R.W. In press. Status of the Dwarf sperm whale, Kogia simus, with special reference to Canada. Can. Field-Nat 112(1)) The references for the above follow: Aurioles-G., D., J. Urban-R., and L. Enriquez-P. 1993. Dwarf sperm whale strandings and sightings on the southwest coast of the Gulf of California, Mexico. Page 24 in Abstracts of the Tenth Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, November 11-15, Galveston, Texas. Benham, W.B. 1901. On the anatomy of Cogia breviceps. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 2:107-134. Caldwell, D.K., and M.C. Caldwell. 1989. Pygmy sperm whale Kogia breviceps (de Blainville, 1838): dwarf sperm whale Kogia simus (Owen, 1866). Pages 235-260 in Handbook of Marine Mammals Volume 4. River Dolphins and the Larger Toothed Whales. Edited by S.H. Ridgway and Sir R. Harrison. Academic Press, London. Scott, M.D., and J.G. Cordaro. 1987. Behavioral observations of the dwarf sperm whale, Kogia simus. Marine Mammal Science 3:353-354. Yamada, M. 1954. Some remarks on the pygmy sperm whale, Kogia. Scientific Reports of the Whales Research Institute 9:33-58. Cheers, Pam Pamela Willis Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 e-mail: pmwillis(\)sfu.ca > > Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 12:59:00 GMT0 > From: Rod Penrose MEM > Subject: Kogia breviceps > > To MARMAM subscribers, > > Following a recent stranding of a female Pygmy Sperm Whale on the Welsh > coast I was wondering if anybody, working on Kogia breviceps has any > information on "decoy ink" in relation to above. > > On retrieval of the carcass several (5-7)litres of a reddish brown tarry > fluid was exuded from the genital slit followed by several more litres on > transportation. > > On post mortem examination this fluid was found to emanate from the > bladder. > > I have only found one reference (Whales Dolphins and Porpoises, Mark > Carwardine 1995 Dorling Kindersley Ltd) stating that "When startled may > evacuate a reddish brown intestinal fluid which may function as a decoy > like the ink of a squid" I was not aware of this ability in this species > and would appreciate further information or confirmation. > > Thanks > > Rod Penrose > Strandings Co-ordinator (Wales) > Marine Environmental Monitoring > Collaborative UK & Celtic Marine Mammal Project > tel: 01348 875000 > email: rodpenrose(\)cix.compulink.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 14:02:00 +0000 From: John Dineley Subject: Dolphin Therapy Research In-Reply-To: <880617637.054264.0(\)uvvm.uvic.ca> >Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 13:47:11 -0800 >From: Fran Stricker >Subject: Dolphin Therary Research (Snip) >DOLPHIN THERAPY RESEARCH (Snip) >In a >NMFS-sponsored 1994 behavioral study of dolphins involved with >Swim-With-Dolphin Programs, aggressive and sexual interactions were >observed that put humans at risk. I assume the above refers to the report: "Quantitative Behavioural Study of Bottlenose Dolphins in Swim Programs" by Amy Samuels and Trevor Spradlin. If so, the above quote is selective. Here follows the abstract of this paper as published in the proceedings of the 1994 International Marine Animal Trainers Association Conference. "As apart of a National Marine Fisheries Service evaluation, behavioural observations of dolphins in Swim programs were conducted using identical quantitative sampling techniques at each facility. Dolphin behaviour was compared by Swim type which was defined by presence ("controlled") or absence ("not- controlled") of explicit trainer regulation of dolphin- swimmer interactions. Interactions involving aggressive, submissive, or sexual behaviour were regarded as "high-risk" in a Swim context. High risk activity comprised a substantial portion of dolphin-swimmer during Not-Control Swims. In contrast, trainers virtually eliminated high risk activity during Controlled Swims even though agonistic and sexual behaviours were normal components of the dolphin' free-time social repertoire. Direct trainer control in Swim programs diminished the potential for dolphin distress, swimmer injury, or rejection of dolphins from these programs due to swimmer injury. This study illustrates effective use of quantitative behavioural sampling techniques for evaluation of captive management concerns." This paper only addressed the issues of swimming with dolphins in captive care. For an overview of wild dolphin interactions I would refer Marmamers the following as a useful introduction to this subject: Lockyer, C. (1990). Review of incidents involving wild, sociable dolphins, world-wide in S. Leatherwood and R.R. Reeves (eds.) The Bottlenose Dolphin. San Diego: Academic Press. The whole issue of dolphin assisted theory is controversial and little work appears to have been published. Therefore, a properly conducted study, if it can be undertaken safely, could be useful in determining whether such therapies have legitimate therapeutic merit. To date, the following appears the only papers to have been published on the subject: Nathanson, D.E. 1989. Using Atlantic bottlenose dolphins to increase cognition of mentally retarded children. Pages 233-242 in P. Lovibond and P. Wilson, eds. Clinical and Abnormal Psychology. Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., North Holland. Nathanson, D.A. and Faria, S.D. 1993. Cognitive improvement of Children in water with and without dolphins. Anthrozoos 6(1):17-29. Smith, B. 1983. 'Project Inreach: A program to explore the ability of Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins to elicit communication responses from autistic children'. New Perspectives on Our Lives with Companion Animals. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia. Smith, B. 1987. Dolphins Plus and autistic children. Psychological Perspectives 18(2):386-393. Smith, B.A. 1987. Using dolphins to elicit communication from an autistic child. Pages 154-161 in R.K. Anderson, B.L. Hart, and L.A. Hart, eds. The Pet Connection: It's Influence on Our Health and Quality of Life. Center to Study Human-Animal Relationships and Environments, Minneapolis, MN. Smith, B.A. 1988. The autistic person experiences Atlantic bottlenose dolphins as therapy. National Aquatics Journal 4(1):5-7. -- John Dineley, BA. Hons Zoological Consultant PO BOX 153 Bedford MK40 2JD United Kingdom Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 1234 342387 Email: JD(\)zalophus.demon.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 1 Dec 1997 03:48:39 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: editorial policy and FAQ ====================================================== MARMAM EDITORIAL POLICY AND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ====================================================== This message will be sent out monthly - new additions are marked + *Please save this message for future reference!* Topics: EDITORIAL POLICY 1. The MARMAM list + 2. Messages posted on MARMAM + 3. Messages not posted on MARMAM 4. Reasons for rejection of messages FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 5. How do I post messages to the list? 6. How do I reply to individual subscribers? 7. How do I subscribe/unsubscribe/temporarily signoff? 8. How do I receive MARMAM postings as a single daily digest rather than as individual messages? 9. How do I retrieve old postings to MARMAM? 10. How do I find out who subscribes to MARMAM? 11. How do I get help using listserver commands? 12. Why did my MARMAM subscription stop? + 13. How do I get other information on marine mammals? 14. Who do I contact with my questions or concerns? ===================================================== MARMAM EDITORIAL POLICY 1. The MARMAM list MARMAM is an edited e-mail discussion list which focuses on marine mammal research and conservation. The list was established in August 1993 and as of October 1997 there were almost 3,000 subscribers from 55 different countries. Anyone may subscribe to the list. Editors of the MARMAM list work on a volunteer basis. At any one time there may be between three and five editors. We have endeavoured to make the editorial policy as uniform as possible (detailed below) but there may be some individual editor variation in the standard of messages sent to the list. _______________________________________________________________ + 2. Messages posted on MARMAM + A wide spectrum of message types are found on MARMAM, all related to marine mammal research and/or conservation. MARMAM endeavours to provide unbiased information these issues (ie. is not anti-whaling or anti-hunting per se). Commonly seen messages include: - requests for information regarding current or recent research projects, publications, or research techniques - current or previously unreported unusual news events - meeting announcements - job or volunteer opportunities - abstracts from scientific papers or reports - books/techniques/products announcements - requests for products (eg. slides, photographs) which will benefit marmam subscribers (eg. slides that will be of widespread use or for payment) Before sending a message to MARMAM, please read the following. An increasing number of messages are being sent to the list which require modification by the authors or the Editors. As the Editors moderate the list on a volunteer basis, there is often limited time available to help with or to facilitate such modifications. We ask that before sending a message to the list, the author ensure that: - A detailed subject heading is included - Your name and e-mail address are included in the body of the message - Your message is interesting enough to go to 3000 list members. - Your replies are meant to go to ALL the subscribers of MARMAM, rather than just to the original author. If you feel your submission is of general interest, please send it both to the original author and cc it to MARMAM. (In many cases we ask that summaries of responses to questions are later posted to the list so individual responses to the list are often unneccessary.) - Requests for information provide details in the body of the message justifying the request (providing background information or details on why the information is needed). Such requests should also demonstrate that available means to obtain the information requested have been exhausted. Please do not use the list merely because you have not checked your library. A follow up of responses to any such request should later be posted to the list. + - Messages in another language provide an english translation + Note. MARMAM cannot receive attachments - please submit messages as text only. _______________________________________________________________ 3. Messages not posted on MARMAM Examples of messages not posted to the MARMAM list include: - information not related to marine mammal research or conservation - animal rights issues - communication between humans and other animals - 'casual' requests for information that is easily available elsewhere - information requests without details as to why this is being requested - news reports of common events (e.g. strandings of common species of marine mammals, deaths of captive animals, etc) - requests for volunteer positions/employment - requests for small numbers of specific items (eg. slides, photographs) that would be better directed to individuals working on the species in question. - opinion statements offering little or no novel arguments + - messages with some substance surrounded by a lot of rhetoric - humourous anecdotes _______________________________________________________________ 4. More detail on reasons for rejection of messages. 'CASUAL' REQUEST. Messages which request information which is readily available from other sources, such as your average university library, are not posted to the list. A specific request, with a brief description of what the information is to be used for, is most likely to stimulate feedback from other subscribers. If the author lives in a country where limited library resources are available and is conducting original research, exceptions to this rule may be made (though the message author must state that they have no easy access to library resources). INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION. Messages which include only an information request without providing any background information justifying the request and demonstrating that available means to obtain this information have been exhausted, will not be posted. JOB/ VOLUNTEER POSITION/ INTERNSHIP WANTED. Requests for employment or volunteer opportunities are not posted to the list. Persons seeking such positions are encouraged to monitor MARMAM for opportunities, which they can apply to directly. Students interested in careers in marine mammal science are encouraged to consult the Society for Marine Mammalogy's 'Strategies for Pursuing a Career in Marine Mammal Science', which can be found at the Society for Marine Mammalogy's website: http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/strat.htm BEEN THERE, DONE THAT. Messages of a duplicative nature which do not contribute new information are generally not posted to the list. Exceptions include event-related postings, such as conference information, job openings, and surveys. New subscribers are strongly encouraged to monitor MARMAM for a period before submitting messages to the list, or to review recent archived messages, to reduce the number of duplicative submissions. 'FLAMES'. Messages which are derogatory or serve to insult rather than contribute to the discussion at hand are not posted to the list. 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As the list-server is an automated service, it is important that commands be sent without errors or extraneous text. To subscribe, send a message to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca which says: subscribe marmam Yourfirstname Yourlastnamename To unsubscribe, send the message: signoff marmam If you want to temporarily discontinue your subscription without signing off the list, send the message: set marmam nomail to continue it, send the message: set marmam mail NOTE: If your email address is going to change and you will lose access to your old address please unsubscribe that address from marmam, and then subscribe under your new address. If you no longer have access to the email account from which you subscribed, send a brief message to mamamed(\)uvic.ca, providing the email addess that you no longer have access to, and the editors will delete this address from the list. You can then subscribe from your new address. _______________________________________________________________ 8. How do I receive MARMAM postings as a single daily digest rather than as individual messages? To receive marmam messages daily as a single file, send a message to "listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca", saying set marmam digests To change this setting to individual messages, send the message: set marmam mail _______________________________________________________________ 9. How do I retrieve messages previously sent to MARMAM? All MARMAM messages since 1995 are archived and are retrievable by sending the message: get marmam logxxyy to the listserver (listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca), where xx = year and yy = month (e.g. get marmam log9601). As of Nov. 28 1996 all MARMAM messages have also been archived on the world-wide web. These can be found at: http://www.reference.com/cgi-bin/pn/listarch?list=MARMAM(\)uvvm.uvic.ca This archive can be searched by keyword or by date. The archive manager is Quyen Lam ______________________________________________________________ 10. How do I find out who subscribes to MARMAM? A list, sorted by country, of all current subscribers to the list may be retrieved along with their e-mail address' by sending the command: review marmam country to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca Subscribers not wanting this information available to others can send the command: set marmam conceal to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca The list of subscribers can then be imported into a spreadsheet or wordprocessing package where a "find" command can be used to locate a particular subscriber. _______________________________________________________________ 11. How do I get help using listserver commands? A list of common commands for different listserver functions (subscribing, retrieving files, etc.) is obtainable by sending the message: help to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. A more detailed list of listserver commands may be obtained by sending the message: info refcard to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca _______________________________________________________________ 12. Why did my MARMAM subscription stop? Your subscription may be cancelled if your email is undeliverable. This can happen, for example, if your in-box is full or if your server is down for a period of time. When this happens the marmamed account will receive error messages, and those whose accounts bounce back are either automatically deleted from the list or manually deleted by the list Editors every once in a while. If you find that you receive no MARMAM messages for a few days, try subscribing to the list again. ______________________________________________________________ + 13. More Information on Marine Mammals WORLD-WIDE WEB LINKS Detailed below are some World Wide Web Marine Mammal related links. Many of these contain further links to other sites. The Society for Marine Mammalogy: "http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/" The National Marine Mammal Laboratory Homepage: "http://nmml01.afsc.noaa.gov/" The Acoustical Society of America: "http://asa.aip.org/" The European Cetacean Society: "http://web.inter.NL.net/users/J.W.Broekema/ecs.htm" International Whaling Commission: "http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/iwcoffice" + WhaleNet + "http://whale.wheelock.edu/" + OTHER EMAIL DISCUSSION LISTS Some other email lists that may be relevent to marine mammals include the following. (Lists on a variety of topics which may vary in relevence are included - the editors take no responsibility for the content of these and are included here for reference only.) Lists are shown as topic, listserver and mailing list name. To subscribe send a message to the appropriate listserver with the message "subscribe " Bioacoustics: listproc(\)cornell.edu, Bioacoustics-L Biotelemetry: LISTSERV(\)BGUVM.BGU.AC.IL, biotelem Fish and Wildlife Information Management: listserv(\)listserv.vt.edu, FWIM-L Mammal: LISTSERV(\)SIVM.SI.EDU, Mammal-l (please let the editors know of other lists to include here) ______________________________________________________________ 14. Who do I contact with my questions and concerns? Questions and concerns about MARMAM can be sent to the list editors (Robin Baird, Sascha Hooker, Kerry Irish, or Shannon Gowans) at marmamed(\)uvic.ca _______________________________________________________________ The MARMAM FAQ can also be found at the website: http://is.dal.ca/~whitelab/marmam.htm Updated November, 1997 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 1 Dec 1997 12:39:00 GMT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: ORBIMAGE Begins SeaStar Fisher ORBIMAGE Begins SeaStar Fisheries Information Services High-Seas Fishing Vessels Benefit From Fish Finding Maps Derived From OrbView-2 Satellite Imagery DULLES, Va., Nov. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Orbital Imaging Corporation (ORBIMAGE), the Earth-imaging subsidiary of Orbital Sciences Corporation (Nasdaq: ORBI), today announced the inauguration of its SeaStar Fisheries Information Service, which offers daily Fish Finding Maps, derived from satellite images of the world's oceans, to high-seas fishing fleets and to other fishing organizations. ORBIMAGE is currently a trial demonstration of its unique service, with full commercial operations set to begin on January 15, 1998. ORBIMAGE's SeaStar Fisheries Information Service is the first of its kind in the world. It uses imagery gathered from ORBIMAGE's OrbView-2 satellite to create Fish Finding Maps that display the ocean's changing surface color. These subtle variations in ocean color, stretching for hundredsof miles, indicate the boundary between phytoplankton-rich water and deep, clear-water areas where surface dwelling fish such as tuna, mackerel, and swordfish normally feed. Using the daily Fish Finding Map, a fishing vessel's search time for productive fishing areas is minimized, thereby reducing fleet costs and improving operating efficiency. Currently, a fleet of 50 fishing vessels are receiving SeaStar Fish Finding Maps. Each day, by 6:00 a.m. local time, the Fish Finding Maps are transmitted directly to the fishing vessels' on-board personal computers via the INMARSAT global satellite communications network. Using display software provided by ORBIMAGE, the fishing vessel captain is provided with the most up-to-date imagery of the Atlantic, Pacific or Indian Oceans. In addition, ORBIMAGE's oceanographers provide recommendations for the most productive fishing areas. The maps are also available via facsimile transmission or over the Internet at http://www.orbimage.com. The OrbView-2 satellite was launched aboard Orbital's Pegasus(R) rocket on August 1, 1997. Since it was placed into service in mid-August, the spacecraft has performed a virtually flawless mission. It is providing never-before-seen color images of the Earth's ocean and land surfaces using the on-board Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor. These images not only have commercial applications, but are being used by scientific researchers around the world to study global warming and the Earth's biosphere. ORBIMAGE is leading Orbital's entry into the expanding market for satellite-based Earth imaging services. ORBIMAGE will employ a uniquely integrated global system of imaging satellites, ground stations and Internet-based sales channels to collect, process and distribute its imagery products. During the next several years, ORBIMAGE plans to operate a fleet of four satellites. ORBIMAGE currently operates OrbView-1, a commercial atmospheric monitoring satellite launched in 1995, and OrbView-2. Initial phases of construction for OrbView-3A, the third in ORBIMAGE's satellite family, have already begun, with an expected in-service date of approximately two years from now. OrbView-3A is designed to provide high-quality one-meter resolution and hyperspectral digital images of the Earth's land surfaces. OrbView-3B is another planned high-resolution digital imaging satellite with an in-service date yet to be determined. Note: To learn more about ORBIMAGE, visit the Internet site at http://www.orbimage.com. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 Dec 1997 04:42:59 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Research in the South Atlantic (fwd) From: The Brazilian Right Whale Research and Conservation Project is initiating= a compilation of current research on large cetaceans undertaken in the Sout= h Atlantic Ocean, with a view of producing a catalogue of researchers, institutions and ongoing activities. We feel that this could be a useful tool for people willing to coordinate efforts on a regional basis. We would very much appreciate receiving from fellow researchers a brief description of ongoing works in the South Atlantic, with mail and e-mail addresses. These briefings would allow us to evaluate the volume of research activity in the South Atlantic and decide on whether or not to proceed with building the catalogue. Please reply directly to us and not to this list. Thank you! Jos=E9 Truda Palazzo, Jr., President International Wildlife Coalition - IWC/BRASIL - Brazilian Right Whale Pro= ject Brazilian_Wildlife(\)nutecnet.com.br =20 http://www.via-rs.com.br/iwcbr The next deadline for WMMSC registration is 15 December 1997. All subsequent registration will be onsite in Monaco. Registration material received after the deadline can not be processed and the registrant will be advised that he/she will must complete the process in Monaco. Remember, onsite registration fees are higher than regular registration fees. Registrations sent in the mail MUST be postmarked on or before 15 December. Registrations sent by fax MUST be received on or before 15 December. The deadline of 15 December is necessary so that the Registration Coordinator can prepare badges and other items necessary to ensure a rapid and smooth check-in in Monaco for all who have pre-registered. Dan Odell WMMSC Conference Committee odell(\)pegasus.cc.ucf.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 3 Dec 1997 04:35:13 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Coastal Institute Position Offered (fwd) DIRECTOR OF THE COASTAL INSTITUTE University of Rhode Island POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT The Coastal Institute is a new University of Rhode Island initiative to bring natural and social sciences to bear on critical science and public policy issues related to the coastal and marine environment. The Institute will comprise internal faculty and external partners who will work as a multi-disciplinary organization to address complex and multi-faceted problems of coastal zones. The Institute builds on the University s long-standing excellence in marine and environmental studies, and is housed in three new buildings with state-of-the-art facilities. The Director of the Coastal Institute will lead this initiative. Working with University and non-University partners, the Director will identify issues and problems for investigation and action, formulate the Institute s research agenda, and develop proposals. S/he will also rigorously maintain the Institute as a neutral location in which controversial issues can be discussed and researched. The Director will report to the Vice-Provost for Marine Programs, will directly supervise a small Institute staff, and will represent the Institute within and outside the University. The Director will have outstanding qualifications in the fields of science or public policy, and administrative and facilitative skills to effectively coordinate the diverse interests and abilities of faculty and partners in the Institute. A Ph.D. or equivalent degree or experience is required, as are demonstrated abilities to obtain funding, to manage interdisciplinary projects, and to study coastal issues. Also required are leadership abilities and entrepreneurial spirit necessary to establish and maintain the Institute as an internationally prominent organization. The position may include a tenure-track appointment within an academic department of the University. For more information on the required and preferred qualifications, visit the Coastal Institute s Web site at http://www.oce.uri.edu/~grilli/coastal_i.html or contact Dr. Margaret Leinen, Vice Provost for Marine Programs, by email at mleinen(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu, or mail at the University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA. Submit a letter of application and resume to: Margaret Leinen, Search Committee Chair (Log #091219), University of Rhode Island, P.O. Box 6, Kingston, RI 02881. Applications will be evaluated starting January 5, 1998, and until the position is filled. The University of Rhode Island is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty, staff and students. Persons from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. __________________________________________________________________ Maggie Ford, Dean's Office Phone: 401-874-2957 College of Resource Development FAX: 401-874-4017 University of Rhode Island mcford(\)uriacc.uri.edu 113 Woodward Hall 9 East Alumni Avenue Kingston, RI 02881 __________________________________________________________________ ------ =20 Great Australian Bight Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters) =20 On October 29 1997 under section 7(12) of the National Parks and=20 Wildlife Conservation Act 1975 the Director of National Parks and=20 Wildlife indicated his intention to submit to the Executive Council = a=20 report recommending that a marine park be proclaimed in the=20 Commonwealth waters of the Great Australian Bight. The proposal=20 complements the marine park declared by the South Australian=20 Government in inshore waters in September 1996. =20 The proposed park of 2,290,989 hectares has two areas where the majo= r=20 management objectives are =B7 in the marine mammal protection area, to provide protection to t= he=20 breeding areas of the Southern Right Whale and the Australian Sea Li= on=20 and=20 =B7 in the benthic protection area (a 20 nautical mile wide strip=20 stretching out to 200 nautical miles), to provide protection for a=20 sample of the highly diverse and highly endemic benthic fauna and=20 flora of the region. =20 The full details of the proposal are available from me at=20 hilary.sullivan(\)dest.gov.au=20 =20 The proposal is open for public comment until 30 January 1998 after=20 which the Australian Government will decide whether to proceed to=20 declaration of the Park. All comments would be welcomed. Replies c= an=20 be emailed to me at the address below but if possible could you prin= t=20 off any replies, sign them and post to: =20 The Director National Parks and Wildlife Attention H Sullivan GPO Box 636=20 Canberra ACT 2601 Australia =20 thanks Hilary Sullivan, Department of the Environment, Australia email hilary.sullivan(\)dest.gov.au=20 voice 61 2 62500350 fax 61 2 62507522 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 Dec 1997 19:06:38 -0800 From: Carlos Alvarez Subject: SURVEY FOR STUDENT ADVISORS If you are a professional working with marine mammal issues and currently have students/interns of any level, or could have them in the future, please take some time to fill in the spaces that are pertinent to your particular profile, either that you work for an academic institution, the goverment, the private sector, if you work for an NGO or are an independent researcher. The objective of this survey is to gather information for students interested on institutions that offer courses on marine mammal related topics and/or on opportunitities to participate in active research. The results of this survey will be presented at the student meeting that will be held during the World Conference in Monaco. It is OK to leave blank answers if the question doesn't fit your possibilities or interests. We also ask you to distribute the survey to researchers that you consider important to participate and that may not get it through MARMAM. We will appreciate if you can send your answers within the next two weeks. Please reply to Carlos Alvarez, email alvarez(\)fish.washington.edu. DO NOT SEND IT BACK TO MARMAM. Thank you very much for your collaboration. Carlos Alvarez School of Fisheries University of Washington Box 357980 Seattle WA. 98195. Phone (206)543 6475 Fax (206)685 7471 Email alvarez(\)fish.washington.edu **************************************************************** - Name__________________________________________________________ - Title(PhD, M.S., other)_______________________________________ - Position(Associate Professor, Biometrician, etc.)_____________ ______________________________________________________________ - Affiliation(The name of your institution)_____________________ ______________________________________________________________ - How many students do you have? Undergraduate____________ Masters_________________ PhD.____________________ Interns_________________ None but could have them in the future________ - What are your research interests? Pinipeds( ) Otters ( ) Cetacea ( ) Sirenians ( ) Other taxonomic group( ) ................................................................. Natural history( ) Anatomy/Physiology( ) Paleontology( ) Behavior( ) Population biology( ) Ecology( ) Management( ) Molecular biology/Genetics( ) Veterinary( ) Other( )_____________________________________ - Please mention one or two references that you consider representatives of your work. - Do you teach any university course on marine mammal topics? Undergraduate_________________________________________________ Graduate______________________________________________________ Other_________________________________________________________ - In your institution, is there any academic program specifically focused on the biology of marine mammals (with a series of courses intended to train students in marine mammal science? - Will you be accepting new students in 1999? Please explain, under what conditions, Undergrad, Interns, Masters or PhD. How many of each? - If a student is able to get his own funding for tuition/stipend and/or research, would it increase his/her chances of being accepted? - Do you have any general advice or comment you would like to add? ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 3 Dec 1997 13:42:47 -0800 From: Carlos Alvarez Subject: To students interested in the results of the advisors suvey. Fellow Students Thank you very much for your interest in the the results of the survey that was recently sent to student advisors with the purpose to collect information about academic programs and research opportunities. Your emails are a confirmation of the relevance that this survey has for students all over the world. HOWEVER, we have to ask you to wait until all the responses have arrived, we have analized them and the results have been presented at the Conference in Monaco. WE DO UNDERSTAND that most of you will not be able to attend the Conference and for this reason we will try work out a way to make the information available to as many of you as possible. Right now we have to ask you, PLEASE DO NOT SEND MORE EMAILS requesting information. When pertinent, we will post directions on how to get the information. Again, thanks a lot for your interest. Carlos Alvarez School of Fisheries University of Washington Box 357980 Seattle WA. 98195. Phone (206)543 6475 Fax (206)685 7471 Email alvarez(\)fish.washington.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 3 Dec 1997 16:24:33 -1000 From: Andrew Wood Subject: NOTICE OF PAID INTERNSHIP POSITION NOTICE OF PAID INTERNSHIP POSITION Respected whale watch tour company on Maui seeks research / public relations/education coordinator for PAID position to be filled until May of 1998. Primary responsibilities are to act as a public relations liaison & disseminate information to members of the press, local businesses, educational, research and other organizations. The successful candidate will be willing to relocate to Maui immediately, have excellent communication skills, both oral and written. This is not just for biology majors; those with training, or education in writing, speaking, journalism, marketing, education or similar backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Compensation negotiable according to qualifications. Send resume to: ismarine(\)maui.net or Fax to 808.661.5792. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 08:46:05 -0600 From: Andrew Schiro Subject: [SEABIRD:673] eastern Aleutian oil spill - link (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 16:16:59 +0200 From: "Ian L. Jones" To: schiroa(\)tamug.tamu.edu Subject: [SEABIRD:673] eastern Aleutian oil spill - link Information on the recent grounding of the Japanese tanker Kuroshima on Unalaska in the eastern Aleutian Islands can be found on the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation's web page (thanks to Gus van Vliet for this info): http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/ENV.CONSERV/home.htm Ian L. Jones Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's, NF A1B 3X9 CANADA ph. (709) 737-7666, fax (709) 737-2430 e-mail: ijones(\)morgan.ucs.mun.ca internet: http://www.mun.ca/acwern/index.html "We live at the mercy of a malevolent word. A sound, a mere disturbance of the air, sinks into our very soul sometimes." Conrad ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 Dec 1997 11:14:28 +0000 From: "J.C.Goold" Subject: Whales & El Nino Recent events in the South Pacific have been very much in the news lately (i.e. El Nino). The effects of this on oceanographic features, such as the Peruvian upwelling are a matter of record, and I also understand that the event is linked to a crash in Antarctic Krill abundance. If, as some climatologists predict, global warming causes El Nino to become a more regular event - and possibly a permanent feature instead of a glitch on decadal time scales - what are the likely implications for large whales which rely on the Antarctic Food Web? -------------- John C. Goold PRIME Project Manager University of Wales Bangor School of Ocean Sciences Menai Bridge Anglesey. LL59 5EY. UK Tel. (0)1248 383752 Fax. (0)1248 716367 Email: oss123(\)sos.bangor.ac.uk Web: http://www.sos.bangor.ac.uk/prime/intro.html ***************************************************** PRIME (Plankton Reactivity in the Marine Environment) NERC THEMATIC RESEARCH PROGRAMME Chairman: D H Cushing FRS Scientific Coordinator: P J leB Williams Project Manager: J C Goold ***************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 07:35:23 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Remoras and cetaceans ------ I would be interested in hearing from someone with access to: =20 L=FCtken, C. 1875. Ichthyographiske Bidrag. V. Museets Sugefiske= =20 (Echeneidae). Videnskabelige Meddelselser fra den naturhistoriske=20 Forening I Kjobenhavn, 1875: 26-43; French summary, 4-5. =20 Krefft, G. 1953. Ichthyologische Mitteilungen aus dem Institut f=FC= r=20 Seefischerei der Bundesanstalt f=FCr Fischerei. I. Zoologischer=20 Anzeiger 150: 275-282. (Not seen, cited in Follett and Dempster,=20 1960) =20 =20 These were cited in a paper by Follett and Dempster (1960). I have=20 been unsuccessful in my attempts to interlibrary loan those two=20 documents. I would like to have someone verify information for me f= or=20 a manuscript about remora associations with cetaceans on which I'm=20 working. =20 =20 I would also like to ask that anyone who didn't respond to my reques= t=20 about a year ago asking for observations of remoras associated with=20 cetaceans (whether they were remote visual observations or actual=20 specimens taken from a cetacean) please contact me at this time. If= =20 it's a published account, I most probably have it included in my=20 review, but welcome any information that you are available to provid= e. =20 With thanks, =20 Dagmar Fertl =20 =20 Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov or fertld(\)juno.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 22:18:30 -0500 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: WMMSC Monaco - additional housing Additional Housing for WMMSC in Monaco CLAJ-PACA (youth hostel) The following address is for reservations only. The actual address of the youth hostel will be provided to those who book a room) : Clairvallon 26 avenue Scuderi 06100 Nice FRANCE phone : +33 493 81 27 63 fax : +33 493 53 35 88 - Price : FF70 per person per night INCLUDING breakfast in rooms of 6 to 12 persons (+ youth hostel card required) - Reservations must be made before 31 December DIRECTLY to the CLAJ-PACA. No reservations will be taken by AMM or the CRMM. - Payment of one night required for reservation, payments accepted ONLY in French Francs by CHECK, EUROCHECK, BANK TRANSFER. No credit card payment available. The CLAJ-PACA is a large house by the sea, very close to the train station in Cap d'Ail (2 minutes walking). The train takes 3 minutes to reach Monaco's station which is at 10-12 minutes of walking distance to the Congress Center. -------------- Dan Odell Conference Committee member odell(\)pegasus.cc.ucf.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 14:07:02 -0800 From: Paul Nachtigall Subject: Subscription to Aquatic Mammals Aquatic Mammals is the peer reviewed journal of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals. Three issues are produced within each annual volume. The journal has subscribers in 29 countries and more than 60 libraries subscribe. The issue currently in the mail, volume 23 issue 3, contains a book review by Sam Ridgway, sonar observations of killer whales feeding on herring schools by Tiu Simila, descriptions of the behavior of wild humpback dolphins in South Africa by Karczmarski et al, a survey of captive odontocetes in Japan by Nakahara and Takemura, a description of the variations in external appearance of Fraser's dolphins by Jefferson et al, association indices of reproductively active female Atlantic spotted dolphins by Herzing and Brunnick, and habitat use by bottlenose dolphins by Grigg and Markowitz. Subscription to the journal may be independent of membership in the Association. The annual subscription rate is $95.00 and we have recently procured the ability to accept subscriptions via Master Card or VISA. If you, or your institution's library, would care to subscribe Please contact: Aquatic Mammals P.O. Box 1106 Kailua, Hawaii 96734 USA or nachtig(\)nosc.mil Credit card orders should be sent by regular mail including: credit card type, date of expiration, amount, and an authorized signature. Paul Nachtigall Editor ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 12:04:18 -0300 Reply-To: jubarte(\)nuxnet.com.br From: Instituto Baleia Jubarte Organization: Projeto Baleia Jubarte Subject: humpbacks from brazil I m working with humpback whales in Brazil, from a land based observatory point with a theodolite. I m specially interested in observing the humpback whales behavior when a whale-watching boat is approuching them. There is no one in Brazil working with theodolite and with these subject, so I would like to get in touch with some researchers that have already work with theodolite to give me some informations. There s a list of some authors of scientific publications that I have read, if someone could inform me the e-mail of some of them, or others that I haven t mencioned, I would appreciate *A.S. Frankel, *C.W. Clark, *L.M. Herman, *C.M. Gabriele, *K.P. Findlay, *P.B. Best, * J.R. Mobley, * M.A. Smultea, * P. Forestell, * G.D. Kaufman. Thank you very much, Maria E. Morete Projeto Baleia Jubarte Caravelas, Bahia CEP: 45900-000 Brazil e-mail: jubarte(\)nuxnet.com.br ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 09:26:19 -0500 From: Thomas Peschak <106064.775(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Impact of Pinnipeds on rocky and sandy shores I am currently in the process of writing a research proposal for a PhD application, the research topic being : The impact of Pinnipeds on Rocky and Sandy shore Flora and Fauna. Having undertaken a literature search I have come up with only one paper on this topic: Boal.J, 1980 Pacific Harbour Seal hault out impact on the Rocky Midtidal Zone. Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol.2:265-269 I can't believe that this is the only bit of information out there, and would like to know weather anybody knows of other such studies. ( Published, unpublished, grey literature, personal observations, etc. ) Thanks for all responses in advance E-mail: 106064.775(\)compuserve.com Thomas P. Peschak University of Plymouth U.K ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 10:12:31 -0700 From: Pieter Folkens Subject: Whales & El Nino To John Goold's question: "If, as some climatologists predict, global warming causes El Nino to become a more regular event - . . . - what are the likely implications for large whales which rely on the Antarctic Food Web?" I offer this perspective: Whales have remained pretty much unchanged (morphologically) for at least the past half million years. During that time the earth's mean temperature has fluctuated widely between much cooler and much warmer than now. The large whales will likely survive the present warming just fine (providing we don't start shooting at them again). Taking a wide-view, the warming trend which began 14,000 years ago has added about 135 meters to the mean sea level from then to about 4500 ybp. Several times during the ensuing 4 millenia the earth has been warmer with the mean sea level as much as 3.25 meters higher than it is now. Looking at the most recent 700 years we are presently coming out of a cool period and headed towards the average temperature of the past 4000 years (as expressed by mean sea level). For the really wide view consider that the cetacea evolved out of Mesonychidae at a time of warm seas with no evidence of ice at the poles. (The North American southeast was underwater.) Major cooling happened in the early Oligocene killing off the Archaeoetes and giving a boost to the Odontocetes and Mysticetes. In the middle Early Miocene earth reached a thermal maximum with very high sea levels. (California's Central Valley was under about a thousand feet of water.) During this period the early deep diving Odontocetes developed along with the early balaenid skim feeders. Cooling got underway again at the end of the Early Miocene, increasing markedly in the Late Miocene. It was into this cooling that the archaic delphinids died off giving way to the first species in many extant families, including the Balaenopterids (rorquals), [and bipedalism in Hominids]. Major buildup of Arctic ice and terrestrial glaciation happened about 2.4 million years ago leading to the modern species assemblage of Cetaceans, [and brain expansion in Hominids]. For the really narrow view it is interesting to note that the "historical" Adam and Eve flourished in a particularly warm post-glacial period with sea levels over 2 meters higher than now. Their "removal" from Eden correlates with a rapid cooling which put enough water into the polar ice to drop the mean sea level to 1.5 meters below the present level. This was followed by a dramatic rapid warming which took the mean sea level to over 3 meters higher than the present and brought us . . . (you guessed it!) Noah. It is important to note that 1) the earth is in a definite warming trend, though intermediate cooling moments are quite possible, if not expected; 2) the warming was not caused (though possibly and minutely exacerbated) by human activity; and 3) there's nothing we can do to alter its course. The recommendation? Don't buy coastal property; and go skiing while we've got snow. data sources: Milliman & Emery 1968 Sea levels during the past 35,000 years, in Science 162:1121-1123; Fordyce, RE, LG Barnes. 1994 The Evolutionary History of Whales and Dolphins Pieter Folkens animalbytes(\)earthlink.net \\| \| Y _ ,~------------------------/ \___^___^._ | ~ ~.~ ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.'~`^--^_,''/ | (\) _ ~,~.~'~.~,~'~.~,~.~ ~ ~ ~ ~.~ { \_________ \_l ~,~,~,~,~,~'.~.____'-----'__` \ ~ ~ `----------------------\__'--' ` \ ~ ~ ` ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 10:38:19 -0500 From: Megan K Stolen Subject: Student Career Survey The following survey is being conducted by students from the Society for Marine Mammalogy. The purpose of this survey is to provide career information to students as part of a student workshop to be held in Monaco at the joint conference of the Society for Marine Mammalogy and the European Cetacean Society.Your survey responses will be summarized and given to students at the conference during a career discussion and presentation. It will be presented graphically during the workshop and hopefully be made available at a later date to students that cannot attend the conference. We ask that anyone involved in marine mammalogy and students that are interested in it as a career take a minute to respond to the survey via e-mail to one of the 2 addresses listed below. DO NOT respond back to MARMAM. Your input in greatly appreciated! Please respond to one of the students below: Megan Stolen: mks41832(\)pegasus.cc.ucf.edu Rachel Witcher: rew62521(\)pegasus.cc.ucf.edu Professionals -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.In what field are you employed(government agency,conservation,academia)? PLEASE specify as much as possible. 2.Do you hold any specialized degree(s)? Please specify if yes. 3.Did you work with marine mammals while attending school? 4.In what state, country do you work? 5.(OPTIONAL) What is your approximate salary range in US dollars? volunteer-no salary less than $30,000/yr. $30,000-40,000/yr. $40,000-50,000/yr. more than $50,000/yr. Students ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.What degree are you currently pursuing? 2.What is the highest degree that you plan to complete? 3.Are you currently working on a marine mammal preject(senior thesis, master's thesis,dissertation)? 4.Do you currently work, intern, or volunteer in the field of marine mammalogy? 5.In what state, country do you live? 6.What school do you attend? THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP! ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 14:48:29 -0330 From: Chris Hendry Subject: Re: Impact of pinnipeds on sandy and rocky shores I'm not sure if these will help, but it's all I could find in my database. Cheers. Chris Smith,RIL (1988): Destruction of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems by a rapidly increasing fur seal population. Biological Conservation 45(1), 55-72. Dadswell,MJ; Rulifson,RA (1994): Macrotidal estuaries: A region of collision between migratory marine animals and tidal power development. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 51(1-2), 93-113. -----Original Message----- From: Thomas Peschak <106064.775(\)compuserve.com> To: MARMAM(\)UVVM.UVIC.CA Date: Friday, December 05, 1997 2:28 PM Subject: Impact of Pinnipeds on rocky and sandy shores > >I am currently in the process of writing a research proposal for a PhD >application, >the research topic being : The impact of Pinnipeds on Rocky and Sandy shore >Flora and Fauna. > >Having undertaken a literature search I have come up with only one paper on >this topic: > >Boal.J, 1980 Pacific Harbour Seal hault out impact on the Rocky Midtidal >Zone. >Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol.2:265-269 > >I can't believe that this is the only bit of information out there, and >would like to know weather anybody >knows of other such studies. ( Published, unpublished, grey literature, >personal observations, etc. ) > >Thanks for all responses in advance > >E-mail: 106064.775(\)compuserve.com >Thomas P. Peschak >University of Plymouth >U.K > ______________________________________________________________________________ ____ _ _ ___ _ ___ _ / __) | |_| | | \ | | / __) / / "If sponges didn't live in the | (__ | _ | | () / | | \__ \ / / ocean, imagine how much more water \____) |_| |_| |_|\_\ |_| (___/ /_/ there'd be." - Stephen Wright ______________________________________________________________________________ Chris Hendry chendry(\)plato.ucs.mun.ca MUN Biology Society (BIOS) chendry(\)nostoc.biol.mun.ca Department of Biology bios(\)nostoc.biol.mun.ca Memorial University of Newfoundland http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~chendry ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 6 Dec 1997 10:15:23 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS Summary - 12/5/97 (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 12/05/97 Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 11/21/97 are bracketed {...} New info and changes since 12/04/97 are double bracketed {{...}} Marine Mammals . {Dutch Harbor Oil Spill. On Nov. 26, 1997, the Japanese bulk freighter Kuroshima ran aground near Dutch Harbor, AK. By Dec. 3, 1997, an estimated 41,000 gallons of heavy (bunker) fuel oil had been spilled from damaged fuel tanks. Damage to wildlife and fisheries appears minimal, with 9 oiled birds reported dead. Sea otters and seals in the area appear not to be oiled.} [Assoc Press] . Sealing Conference. The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission held an international conference on "Sealing the Future" on Nov. 25-27, 1997, in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. {At these meetings, an 8-member panel of sealers, aboriginal subsistence users, industry, government, and trade experts requested governments to abolish barriers to international trade in seal products that they claim are inconsistent with World Trade Organization principles.} [Conference brochure, High North Alliance News] . European Whaling Hearing. On Nov. 24-25, 1997, the European Parliament's Committee on Fisheries, meeting in Brussels, has tentatively scheduled a hearing on whaling management systems and lessons from whaling that might be drawn for fisheries. [High North Alliance News] . Fur Seal Mortalities. On Nov. 12, 1997, biologists with the Marine Mammal Center, a CA non-profit animal welfare group, reported that El Nino conditions may be responsible for the higher-than-normal strandings of 21 underweight and dehydrated juvenile northern fur seals along the CA coast since Sept. 29, 1997. Eight of the 21 stranded seals have survived and are being rehabilitated. A federal biologist reported that 1,500 fur seal pups died in September 1997 on San Miguel Island in CA's Channel Islands, due to their mothers' poor nutrition. [Reuters, Assoc Press] . Mercury from Whale Meat. On Nov. 10, 1997, the U.S. National Institutes of Health officials released the results of a study of children born to Faroe Islands mothers, concluding that women who ate seafood and, in particular, whalemeat may have damaged their children with mercury poisoning. These findings were reported in the journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology. [Reuters] . Manatees and Red Tide. Since Nov. 6, 1997, a total of 9 manatee deaths have been reported near the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River in Lee County, FL, where a red tide is suspected. Although red tide organisms were abundant in water samples from Tarpon Bay on Nov. 7, levels were much lower on Nov. 10. [Assoc Press, Reuters] . Right Whale Protection. On Nov. 3, 1997, NMFS proposed to close the Atlantic pelagic drift gillnet fishery for swordfish, tuna, and sharks through July 31, 1998, in order to develop and implement regulatory measures that will avoid jeopardy to right whale survival. Public comments were accepted on this proposed rule through Nov. 18, 1997. In addition, NMFS has prepared an Environmental Assessment of 4 alternatives being considered for implementing the Atlantic Offshore Cetacean Take Reduction Plan. [Fed. Register] . Keiko. As part of testing and examination by an independent panel of veterinary and marine mammal experts to be convened by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture in late November 1997, preliminary blood samples were taken from Keiko on Nov. 1, 1997. {On Nov. 24, 1997, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (APHIS - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) officials announced the members of its independent inspection team that will evaluate Keiko's health and welfare. Team members include individuals from Sea World, OR State Univ., Univ. of CA (Davis), APHIS, Dolphin Quest, and the National Aquarium in Baltimore. The evaluation will be completed by Dec. 15, 1997, with the results released soon afterward.} [Assoc Press, Reuters] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. From: Kate Sanderson FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE * * November 28, 1997 International panel calls for elimination of barriers to international trade in seal products ST. JOHN'S An urgent call was made for the elimination of trade barriers that have constrained the international trade in seal products and impeded the sustainable development of sealing communities around the world at the first ever international forum on sealing, held in St. John's, Newfoundland from November 25th to 27th. Sealing the Future, a three-day conference and exhibition which concluded here yesterday, drew more than 200 participants from across the circumpolar north including North America, northern Europe, and the Russian Federation and from Latin America and southern Africa. The event was organized by the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) and was hosted by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. NAMMCO's spokesperson and General Secretary, Kate Sanderson said "Seals are major components of the marine ecosystem in the North Atlantic and in many other parts of the world. Seal stocks constitute an important source of meat, oil and skin and have the potential to become the basis of economic activity and employment where few or no other opportunities are available. The Conference heard that sealers all over the world - be they subsistence hunters in the Arctic, or operators of small crafts or larger vessels - are exploring outlets for the full utilization of seals to secure a cash flow necessary to make their living." On Wednesday afternoon, a discussion on international trade barriers concluded with a unanimous statement from a panel of sealers and Aboriginal groups, industry, government and trade experts calling for an end to trade barriers that are inconsistent with the principles of the World Trade Organization (WTO). "WTO-inconsistent trade barriers continue to hamper the economic development of communities around the world that rely on the sustainable use of seals and other wildlife resources," the panel members stated in a joint conclusion. "Governments do not always pursue trade interests in a manner consistent with the rights and interests of the people of coastal communities to maintain their livelihoods from the sustainable harvest of seals and other wildlife resources." The eight-member panel requested governments to abolish WTO inconsistent barriers to trade in seal products, and urged governments with sealing communities to promote the seal trade interests of these communities without delay. The panel also recommended that the WTO establish a special unit to service the legitimate trade interests of indigenous people, in accordance with Agenda 21's recognition of the trading interests of indigenous people. The wide range of possibilities for the total utilization of seals was clearly indicated in presentations from researchers and product developers at the Conference. Papers were presented on the nutritional value and product possibilties of seal oil and meat, including preliminary results from recent medical research on seal oil which clearly indicate its potential to enhance human health. Emphasizing the need to pursue research into the further development of seal products, Kate Sanderson noted, "Conference attendees also concluded that international cooperation and funding for applied research is crucial in ensuring that seal resources continue to be developed in a sustainable and cost effective manner. Participants called for cooperation on generic marketing of seal products and general information countering the misinformation of the protest industry on sealing." Already the information available is being put to use and there is a growing interest in several countries in using seal meat and oil in a number of commercial products, many examples of which were on display during the Conference. The use of seal in the fur industry has been increasing in recent years, and an international seal fashion show Wednesday evening in St. John's hosted by the Provincial Government of Newfoundland and Labrador demonstrated the exciting variety and ingenuity of designers in countries all over the world. The upward trend in sealing and processing and marketing of seal products is, however, being hampered, not only by arbitrarily imposed import restrictions in some countries, but also by the general problems of introducing new products into the market place, and the negative public perceptions of sealing created by multi-million dollar campaigns by the international protest industry. .............. The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) is an international intergovernmental body for the conservation, management and study of marine mammals. NAMMCO members are Norway, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. -30- For further information please contact: Kate Sanderson NAMMCO c/- University of Tromso Tromso, Norway Tel: +47 776 45908 Fax: +47 776 45905 E-mail: nammco-sec(\)nammco.no From: Tokitae Date: Mon., 8 Dec 1997 00:01:59 +0200 Subject: FWD: KEIKO & Icelandic issues; Dr. Ole Lindquist M E M O From: Ole Lindquist, Reykjavik, Iceland. For: 'Finns for Whales' for general information and use. Date: 7 December 1997. Subject: Icelandic whale watching and whaling; Return of Keiko from US to Iceland; Environmental issues, in general. 1 WHALE WATCHING AND WHALING You will know that the public awareness about environmental issues has developed rapidly here in Iceland during especially the past two years or so. In fact, the momentum continues. Whale watching is booming (1996, 11 operators and ca. 9,700 whale watchers; 1997, 13 operators with ca. 20,500 whale watchers). Because whale watching has gained such an importance, a draft motion was tabled in Parliament in mid November urging the government to establish proper rules for the operation of whale watching vessels at sea and as safeguarding the quality of guiding and other services related to the industry. This is a noticeable change compared to probably all other years since 1990 as we usually in spring and autumn saw draft motions tabled calling on the government to resume whaling. Now the whaling lobby wishes to jump on the whale watching in various ways. The Icelandic State TV on 18 November arranged a debate about whether whale watching could/should be conducted alongside whaling. Everything was designed to lead the 'argument' in the direction of 'yes', and a phone-in pool of some 4000 participants also yielded 80 per cent 'yes', with 20 per cent saying that whale watching was incompatible with whaling. This is in itself no surprise. But I think we have a new trend when the president of the Minke Whalers' Association, Konrad Eggertsson, stressed that there was no contrast between whaling and whale watching, each one in fact supported the other, and that whalers and whale watch operators 'should cooperate'. Jon Gunnarsson, Executive Director and President of 'Sjavarnytjir' ('Sea Use', an Icelandic 'wise use' organization, allied with the 'High North Alliance'), in an article in 'Morgunbladid', 2 Dec, also took this line. Moreover, 'as some years back' seeing the flensing of whales, for example, at the whaling station in Hvalfjoerdur, could be an additional tourist attraction. On the other hand, he strongly attacked the Icelandic tourist and fish export industries for being outspoken against the resumption of whaling ('allying themselves with those terrorist organizations which fight against our economic interests'). We have here two new aspects in the Icelandic whaling debate: (1) For the first time since the whaling issue became topical 1978-1979 the main actors in the debate are domestic ones, i.e., the debate has become primarily an Icelandic-Icelandic one, and the whaling lobby no longer thrives on stirring up nationalistic moods against international NGOs and the IWC. (2) Furthermore, we also see the whalers changing tactics by which they probably hope to come back into the public debate and political process, e.g., reopening the dialogue with the Icelandic Tourist Council and 'Icelandair' and others who have come out firmly against the resumption of Icelandic whaling and get attention in due course. Some (minke) whalers are already active in whale watching on a small scale in certain places. This is a matter of course as long as it stays at the business level and within the ethical compass of benign utilization. However, as things are now laid out, the whalers clearly aim at undermining the ethical aspect of whale watching while, at the same time, trying to make it an indirect or direct vehicle for whaling. 2 RETURN OF KEIKO FROM THE US TO ICELAND Representatives from the US 'Free Willy Keiko Foundation' visited Iceland last week in order to explore the possibility of repatriating the orca Keiko (c.f. the film 'Free Willy'), captured in Iceland probably 1979. The proposal for putting Keiko into a sea pen near the small town Eskifjoerdur in the Eastfjords and possibly release it from there into the ocean has generally received much more positive response than any informed person would have expected compared with earlier reactions to suggestions of this kind. This may also be taken as a rapidly changing attitude to public awareness of the benefits which Iceland may gain from a high international profile in environmental issues. Prime Minister David Oddsson publicly ('Morgunbladid', 3 Dec; private radio station 'Bylgjan' main noon news, 3 Dec.) expressed the opinion that the proposal should be considered with an mind. All preparations would be made before next summer and all health aspects seem to be dealt properly with. The return of Keiko could be a positive advertisement for Iceland abroad. On the other hand, it could have a negative effect on the image of Iceland if the proposed return would be rejected out of hand. The chairman of the Eskifjoerdur town council was ('Bylgjan', 4 Dec.) quoted as saying that the town council approved of it under the condition that conditions by the authorities be met. Then it mentioned that Keiko was held at a special facility in Oregon where one million people came to see him. The tourist industry also supporting the return of Keiko. On 5 Dec, 'Morgunbladid' ran an editorial under the heading 'Keiko home' which concludes: 'The return of Keiko would be a delightful adventure while it would be interesting to see how he would fare in his home tracts. Hard arguments against it have not been put forward. If this does not change, Keiko should be allowed to return home.' On the other hand, not unexpectedly, Mr. Johann Sigurjonsson, senior cetologist at the Marine Research Institute and currently ambassador for fisheries and whaling negotiations, is against (according to internal information). Similarly, Konrad Eggertsson (president of the Minke Whalers' Association, c.f. above) comments to the newspaper 'Dagur' (5 Dec) with insults as he usually thinks fits when speaking of NGOs critically of whaling. However, as Prime Minister David Oddsson has spoken out, hardly anyone of prominence will speak loudly against it so the tone and direction seem set, which the 'Morgunbladid' editorial also confirms. 3 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, IN GENERAL During the last months we have here in Iceland also seen an interesting development in the public debate on environmental issues, in general. The Icelandic Nature Conservation Association (INCA), formed half a year ago, has gained a strong and respected foothold in the public debate, especially concerning land utilization, energy policy and utilization, discharges into the atmosphere and into the sea, marine pollution, and Iceland's international obligations in these respects. Arni Finnsson Hilmar Malmquist have, in the capacity of being a board members and spokesmen of INCA, been very prominent in advancing the Association's views both publicly and with the administration. For thefirst time the authorities are really being challenged on a variety of grounds, i.e., lack of public consultation, breach of statutes and legally required procedures and international obligations. In an analysis of Foreign Minister Halldor Asgrimsson's speech at the UN General Assembly, 26 September 1997, Arni Finnsson (in 'Morgunbladid', 23 Oct.) drew attention to the untenable situation for Iceland with its foreign minister acknowledging the necessity of combating, e.g., marine pollution, and demanding international cooperation and action in this respect while, on the other hand, urging the ousting of the NGOs (without qualification) as being 'irresponsible'. Arni outlined the stands of 'Greenpeace International' and 'WWF International' as the two most prominent NGOs as acting exactly in the way the foreign minister is calling for, i.e., to increase public awareness about the need for a global treaty on POPs (and referred the readers to the respective home pages on the Internet for further information). As a result Arni drew a fierce and actually libelous attack on Arni personally by the lawyer of the Association of Icelandic Fishing Vessel Owners (Jonas Haraldsson, in 'Morgunbladid', 7 Nov.) and the Icelandic Nature Conservation Society as being a Trojan horse. It resulted in a number of fine responses in the national newspapers 'Morgunbladid' and 'Dagur' in which the stand of INCA was further outlined and well elaborated on. This swift reaction by a couple of respected persons and Mr. Snorri Baldursson, head of the Conservation of Arctic Fauna and Flora Office in Akuryeri, was very important for several reasons: Firstly, it was demonstrated that Arni Finnsson's activities could not be reduced to a Greenpeace conspiracy and, secondly, that even a figurehead of the very strong Association of Icelandic Fishing Vessel Owners can no longer get away with the old tactics as he was told to stick to the actual issues. It is clear that it was the Nature Conservation Association which benefited from this misguided attack by the lawyer of the Fishing Vessel Owners' Association. It is also symptomatic that the general conference of the whole fishing industry ('Fiskithing') is considering the environmental issues to become perhaps its most prominent topic in the future. Furthermore, in the run up to the current Kyoto Meeting it has become clear that the big-scale energy intensive industrial policy by the Icelandic government is incompatible with any reduction in greenhouse gas emissions here. The related construction of reservoirs, hydro-electric plant and power lines also mean that this policy clashes with great national - and, in fact, international - interests in preserving as much as possible of the comparatively untouched interior of Iceland because of its recreation value. The main media (State Broadcasting Service, 'Morgunbladid', 'Dagur') now, during the Kyoto Meeting itself offer considerable space to critical voices about the Icelandic government's lack of policy and preparation for that Meeting. Furthermore, the debate on climatic change is no longer abstract as many people suddenly realize that the greenhouse effect could change ocean currents and that the Gulf Current could, as a result disappear from Iceland, rendering the country uninhabitable. The attitude of Icelanders of self-congratulation with regard to the uniqueness and relatively unpolluted state of Icelandic nature seems to be in the changing towards increased awareness of the very delicate state of the environment on which Icelanders depend. It is interesting to notice how all the above aspects are reinforcing the process of Icelanders shedding old attitudes in environmental issues in the widest sense and of them beginning to see themselves and Icelandic issues as part of global issues and processes. Each of these aspects are playing with the others, indirectly supporting them. Furthermore, Icelanders are beginning to understand that cetaceans can be utilized without being hunted. Hitherto, the power industry has been unchecked in all respects: now the tourist industry and the general public in Iceland, on the one hand, and the international development in emission and pollution issues, on the other, forces the Icelandic authorities to respond with positive actions. All rhetoric about Iceland reserving its position in this and that respect is of course untenable and the Icelandic public is increasingly being made aware of this by Icelanders (with the Nature Conservation Association at the forefront), which makes a very big difference. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Ole Lindquist Reynimelur 47 kj IS-107 Reykjavik Iceland Tel: +354-5623856 (not fax) E-mail: olel(\)rhi.hi.is Honorary Research Fellow St. John's House Centre for Advanced Historical Studies University of St. Andrews Scotland Authorized tourist guide (Danish, English, German, Icelandic) - graduate of the Iceland Tourist Guide School - member of the Iceland Tourist Guides' Association. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- :;:. : .; ;:" ;,: ~~~~~^~^^~~~~^~~~~ Howard Garrett Lolita campaign PAWS 425-787-2500, Ext. 810 pawsinfo(\)paws.org NEW EMAIL ADDRESS: tokitae(\)bellsouth.net Miami phone: 305-672-4039 To see more about Lolita, visit: http://www.paws.org/lolita and: http://www.rockisland.com/~tokitae/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You know I've been to sea before Crown and anchor me Or let me sail away -Joni Mitchell, 1971 "Blue" Subject: Position Available Below is an announcement for a position within the Marine Mammal Research Program of the NMFS Honolulu Laboratory. Details on qualifications and instructions for applying for this (and other NOAA positions) can be found at www.rdc.noaa.gov/~webvas/index.html or by contacting Cheryl Morisaki (contact information at end of announcement). Please do NOT send inquiries about this position to me, the MARMAM list, or the list owners. Thank you John R. Henderson Marine Mammal Research Program John.R.Henderson(\)noaa.gov U. S. Department of Commerce VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Opening Date: 11/26/97 Closing Date: 12/17/97 Position Title: Research Fishery Biologist Series & Grade: GS-0482-12/13 Duty Station: Honolulu, Hawaii Vacancy Number: W/NMF/97527.CM ----------------------------------------------------------------- Organization: National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Honolulu Laboratory, Protected Species Investigation ----------------------------------------------------------------- Area of Consideration: Any U.S. Citizen. DOC applicants may be considered before other applicants. Work Schedule: Full-time Type of Appointment: Permanent Number of Vacancies: One Service: Competitive Promotion Potential: GS-13 Salary Range: GS-12: $42,890 to $55,760 per year + 22.5% cost-of-living allowance GS-13: $51,003 to $66,303 per year + 22.5% cost-of-living allowance ----------------------------------------------------------------- Duties: Conducts population research and assessment activities for the Hawaiian monk seal. Identifies and prioritizes research problems, develops research plans, supervises research, and analyzes results. Prepares analyses for Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Team for their review, including maintaining annual indices of reproduction, size, and survival of weaned pups; maitaining index of disturbance of seals due to research activities; investigating increasing beach counts in specific areas; and analyzing the relationship between beach counts and total population estimates. Oversees management of program databases. Oversees procurement and logistics of field camp research activities; consults with chief investigators on matters related to rehabilitation and research on captive seals; and oversees field activities responsible for population assessment, database management, and foraging ecology. [snip--more details provided at website given above] Application Address: Contact: Cheryl A. Morisaki WASC, HRD, WC24 (206) 526-6067 ATTN: W/NMF/97527.CM (206) 526-6673 FAX 7600 Sand Point Way NE, BIN C15700 (206) 526-6105 TDD Seattle, WA 98115-0070 Internet Address: http://www.rdc.noaa.gov e-mail: Cheryl.A.Morisaki(\)noaa.gov For information on the outcome of this vacancy, please call our Notice-of-Results line (updated monthly) at 206-526-6047. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 8 Dec 1997 12:40:15 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: used books schiroa(\)tamug.tamu.edu, cschroed(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu The following books are listed in catalog 54 from Donald Hahn Natural History Books. To order, call 520-634-5016, FAX 520-634-1217. You'll need to provide the catalog number (54), as well as credit card (VISA/Mastercard) numbers and expiration date. You will also need to refer to the item number and title. Please do not direct inquiries directly to me. 1550. Agarkov, G.B. et al. 1974. Morphology of dolphins (in Russian) $25 1555. Allen, A.J. 1978(1988). A whaler & trader in the Arctic 1895-1994. My life with the bowhead. $17 1557. Andersen, H.T (ed). 1969. The biology of marine mammals. $45 1568. Bartholomew, G.A. 1952. Reproductive and social behaviour of the northern elephant seal. autographed. $15 1569. Belkovich. V.M. (ed) Behavior and bioacoustics of cetaceans. (in Russian) $22 1575. Bonner, W.N. 1980. Whales. $27 1622. Evans, W. and A.V. Yablokov. 1983. Variation of coloration of cetaceans: a new approach to the study of coloration of mammals. (in Russian) $14 1635. Gaskin, D.E. 1982 (1985) The ecology of whales and dolphins. $26 1658. Herman, L.M (ed) 1980. Cetacean behavior: mechanisms and functions. $55 1696. Kooyman, G.L. 1981. Weddell seal, consummate diver. $27 1678. Howland, C.S. 1957. Whale hunters aboard the "Grey Gold." $24 1680. Jackson, G. 1978. The British Whaling Trade. $24 1687. Jones, M.L. et al. (eds) 1984. The gray whale: Eschichtius robustus. $65 1691. Kirkevold, B.C. and J.S. Lockard. (eds 1986. Behavioral biology of killer wahles. $90 1725. Melteff, B.R. and D.H. Rosenberg. 1984. Proceedings of the workshop on biological interactions among marine mammals and commercial fisheries in the southeastern Bering Sea. $22 1760. Reynolds-Dewalt Printing, Inc. 1968. Whale fishery of New England. An account. $6 1773. Slijper, E.J. 1976. Whales and dolphins. $9 1788. Tomilin, A.G. 1957. Cetacea, Animals of the USSR and adjacent countries. Vol IX. (in Russian) $55 1789. Tomilin, A.G. 1962. Cetacea of the fauna of the seas of the USSR. (in Russian) $21 1803. Yablokov, A.V. et al. 1972. Whales and dolphins: a monographic essay. (in Russian) $35 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 18:02:45 -0800 From: Graziano Fiorito Subject: Dolphin training Dear Colleagues, we finished our first run of visual discrimination (brightness) training in dolphins. The results we got are interesting and we summarize as follows: - one animal learned in less than 10 trials of presentation of stimuli without making errors; this animal was 100% correct and its score was 5/5; we did not record any no-attacks (NA=0) - another animal did not reach the criterion to touch the ball after having received the signal to go; its score was 4/14 - the last animal received 50 trials and did not reach the criterion for discriminating positively between the two objects; we feel that this animal had a problem with one eye and we therefore feel that discrimination was on the basis of its first observable object: its score was 10/40 We have videorecorded all trials and we are now making a more precise analysis of their behaviors and trajectories. We would very much like to enlarge our sample group and would like to know if anyone might be interested in working on an "international joint experiment" using the protocols that we are currently establishing. Dr. Graziano Fiorito Laboratorio di Neurobiologia Stazione Zoologica "A. Dohrn" di Napoli Villa Comunale 80121 Napoli, Italy +39-81-5833232 (office) +39-81-7641355 (fax) e-mail: g.fiorito(\)area.ba.cnr.it Dr. Graziano Fiorito Laboratorio di Neurobiologia Stazione Zoologica "A. Dohrn" di Napoli Villa Comunale 80121 Napoli, Italy +39-81-5833232 (office) +39-81-7641355 (fax) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 10:51:43 +0100 From: Andreas Boldt Subject: Seabird Whale Interactions To all subscribers of the "seabird" and the "marmam" listservers. In 1997 I conducted a pilot study in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Quebec, Canada, to sample background information for a planned Ph.D. study on the associations between seabirds and marine mammals. The work is done in collaboration with Ned Lynas (ORES Centre for Coastal Field Studies, Grandes-Bergeronnes, Quebec) and David Senn (Vertebrate Lab, Basel University, Switzerland). For the further planning of the project I am looking for the following information: 1. Personal experiences or observations, unpublished data or reports, publications. I am particularly interested in papers reporting more than single accidental observations (there are quiet a lot of them), or in papers published after the overview of Peter Evans (1982, Mammal Review) and the book edited by Joanna Burger (1988: "Seabirds and other marine vertebrates"). 2. I am looking for institutions, research groups or persons that may be interested in a collaboration in the field work of my project. I am thinking about working in other study areas than the St. Lawrence River to include other bird and whale species, to include areas with large (breeding) bird aggregations, to try other possibilities of on-sea observations and to work together with other specialists. Since I am based in Switzerland right now, my opportunities to do marine research are quiet restricted. I am open for any suggestions about a cooperation. Please contact me if you have any information of potential use or forward this message to other people that may be interested. If you want to have more details about the project, I can send you some internal reports (there is nothing published yet). Thank you very much Andy Boldt +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Andreas Boldt Phone ++41 56 441 96 32 Swiss Ornithological Institute Fax ++41 41 462 97 10 CH-6204 Sempach aboldt(\)anatomie.unizh.ch Switzerland +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 11:02:56 -0600 From: wendy jackson Subject: Call for Applications: Training for Conservationists from Developing Countries Comments: To: fish-ecology(\)searn.sunset.se, fishfolk(\)mitvma.mit.edu, cichlids-l(\)uh.edu, aqua-l(\)killick.ifmt.mt.nf.ca, tilapia(\)lists.unh.edu, susaqua-list(\)Magnolia.CFR.MsState.Edu, coastnet(\)uriacc.uri.edu, conslink(\)sivm.si.edu, ecolog-l(\)umdd.umd.edu, fisheries(\)ecology.bio.dfo.ca, iamslic(\)ucsd.edu, nia-net(\)mail.orst.edu, FFResearch-Contents(\)segate.sunet.se, icam-l%irmfao01.bitnet(\)listserv.net, marine-l(\)ccgc.tc.gc.ca, lakes-l(\)badger.state.wi.us, uneprolac(\)igc.org, elan(\)csf.colorado.edu, infoterra(\)iisdpost.iisd.ca, e-PRODDER(\)zeus.hsrc.ac.za PLEASE DISTRIBUTE Call for Applications: Conservation Training Sessions for Developing-Country Professionals Offered by the Conservation Training Consortium: A Consortium of The Field Museum, Chicago Zoological Society, University of Illinois at Chicago, John G. Shedd Aquarium and The University of Chicago. * 1998 Aquatic Conservation Training Session (20 June to 29 August) * 1998 Terrestrial Conservation Training Session (22 August to 12 December) The purpose of these Chicago-based sessions is to provide intensive training in conservation biology for young professionals from developing countries. By acquiring the tools necessary for assessing, analyzing and managing biological diversity, the participants will be better equipped to help establish conservation programs and direct biodiversity policies in their own countries. The Curriculum: The curriculum in both the aquatic and the terrestrial sessions is designed to provide the participants with a general understanding of the theoretical principles of conservation biology and to illustrate how these principles can be applied in on-the-ground or in-the-water conservation programs. The aquatic session will focus on conservation issues pertaining to marine, freshwater, and wetland species and ecosystems; the terrestrial session will focus on land-based species and ecosystems. Participants incorporate what they learn into individual conservation-related activities that are pertinent to their particular situations. Participants also gain experience in grant writing and fund-raising, public speaking, and using computers and the World Wide Web. Participants spend approximately half their time attending lectures, taking part in seminars, and engaging in discussions of relevant publications. Sessions will be divided into three sections of approximately equal length. In the first section (Natural Processes and Species Diversity), we will address the geological, evolutionary and ecological principles that affect the diversity, distribution and abundance of natural resources. In the second section (Human Impact on the Natural Environment) we will discuss how people have destroyed or degraded their environment, including both direct and indirect exploitation, and we will describe models of successful management based on the principles from the first section. In the last section (The Human Environment and Conservation), we will focus on the sociopolitical and economic systems that work against conservation, and suggest solutions to these problems. During the remainder of their time, participants develop a conservation-related activity with their individual advisor at one of the five institutions. Examples of such activities include: analysis of patterns of endemism; population viability analysis; ecological risk assessment; ecology of fragmented populations and communities; design of national park systems; and management of economically important species. We will also arrange a series of field trips to local natural areas to illustrate local conservation issues and programs. The Participants: Participants for CTC training sessions will be selected from a pool of applicants committed to using what they learn to help guide conservation programs in their own countries, and in a position that will allow them to put their knowledge to immediate, effective use in their home country. Such persons might work for universities, museums, parks, non-governmental conservation organizations, or governmental wildlife offices. Ideally, participants will have a Master's degree or the equivalent in a field such as biology, ecology, zoology or botany, but will have had limited opportunity to study conservation biology. Lower priority will be given to currently enrolled graduate students with little experience, and to persons who have received graduate degrees in biology from institutions in developed countries. All expenses for travel, food and housing will be covered by the Consortium. Participants will also receive a small stipend and book allowance. We will accept six participants for each training session. The Consortium: The consortium was formed in response to the need for immediate action to curtail the speed and scale with which natural habitats are being degraded and destroyed, particularly in developing countries. It comprises five premier research and education institutions: **The Field Museum is one of the world's foremost natural history museums, with prominent research programs on the evolution, ecology and biogeography of nearly all living groups of plants and animals, and with an active conservation program. **The Chicago Zoological Society supports one of the largest, most modern and research-oriented zoos in the world, the Brookfield Zoo. Captive management of endangered species, genetics of small populations, and animal behavior and ecology are its strengths. **The University of Illinois at Chicago is Chicago's largest university. UIC provides a modern university environment with a large and active group of faculty and graduate students working in the area of local, national and international conservation biology. **John G. Shedd Aquarium is the world's largest indoor aquarium, housing over 6,000 aquatic animals. A prominent component of the aquarium's mission is to promote the conservation of aquatic life and its environments through education and research. **The University of Chicago is one of the nation's premier research universities, with a reputation as a teacher of teachers. UC is internationally renowned, and ranked first in the nation for its graduate programs in ecology, behavior, and evolution. Each of these institutions brings special resources to the program, and their collective faculties and facilities provide an experience no one institution can replicate. The participants in this program have the unique opportunity to experience and acquire expertise of five major institutions dedicated to advancing conservation biology throughout the world. To Apply: Submit the following items (please note it is not necessary to submit diplomas or certificates): **A three-page curriculum vitae, which should include a description of your current and past positions, relevant professional experience, and educational background (be sure to include your e-mail address and/or FAX number.) Also include the names, addresses, telephone and FAX numbers, and e-mail addresses of three references. **A two-page statement of interest, discussing why you would like to attend the program, what aspects of conservation biology are of interest to you, and how you would implement your training when you return home after the program. Applications for the 1998 Aquatic Session must be received by 1 February 1998. Applications for the 1998 Terrestrial Session must be received by 1 March 1998. We encourage submissions by e-mail or FAX when possible. Submit applications to: Dr. Wendy M. Jackson, Director Conservation Training Consortium c/o University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Biological Sciences M/C 066 845 W. Taylor St. Chicago, Illinois 60607-7060 USA Tel. & FAX: (312) 355-0990 e-mail: wjackson(\)uic.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 09:27:00 -0900 From: "Dr. David Duffy" Subject: El Nino Bulletin 12 now available , seabird(\)uct.ac.za, FISH1IFR(\)aol.com, consbio(\)u.washington.edu, KOL-CHAI(\)JTSA.EDU, TWS-L(\)LISTSERV.VT.EDU, ens(\)envirolink.org *********ENSO 97-98: CURRENT REPORTS ON EVENTS************** Field reports and abstracts of news items on the ongoing El Nino/Southern Oscillation event are collated in a semiweekly bulletin. Report 12, 8 December 1997, is now available at http://darwin.bio.uci.edu/~sustain/ENSO.html (previous reports are archived in searchable form) Subscriptions to this bulletin are also available by contacting --------------------------------------- Reports in the current report include: 28 NOVEMBER. CALIFORNIA: CLIMATE 1 DECEMBER 1997. CHINA: DROUGHT & CROPS 1 DECEMBER. COOK ISLANDS: TYPHOON 1 DECEMBER. VIETNAM: TYPHOON 1 DECEMBER 1997. MASSACHUSETTS: SALPS 1 DECEMBER 1997. BERING SEA: CLIMATE 30 NOVEMBER 1997. ATLANTIC: HURRICANES 5 DECEMBER 1997. BRAZIL: CLIMATE 5 DECEMBER. MEXICO: AQUACULTURE 5 DECEMBER 1997. CALIFORNIA: FISH 6 - 8 DECEMBER 1997. CALIFORNIA: RAINFALL 8 DECEMBER 1997. LATIN AMERICA: RAINFALL 8 DECEMBER. CALIFORNIA: MARINE MAMMAL ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 05:09:46 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: hydrophones Thanks to all who offered suggestions of where to find hydrophone information. We have compiled the following from various websites and messages that we received, and will send this in response to=20 any hydrophone inquiries to the MARMAM list. =20 Please send any comments to marmamed(\)uvic.ca MARMAM editors marmamed(\)uvic.ca The following is a compilation of hydrophone manufacturers or providers. MARMAM editors --------------------------------------------------------------------- Web-sites - compilations and reviews http://tursiops.nus.edu.sg/datahy.html http://members.aol.com/jblue46498/hydrphns.htm --------------------------------------------------------------------- (from http://tursiops.nus.edu.sg/datahy.html - the National=20 University of Singapore's Dolphin Study Group website..) Utility-Grade Hydrophone Manufacturers: BIOACOUSTICS 3 noyes Avenue, Mattapoisett, MA 02739, USA. Phone: (508) 758-4270 BURNS ELECTRONICS: Email: duncan(\)prodata.com.au URL: http://www.fastlink.com.au/subscrib/roblin/catalog1.html CETACEAN RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY Joseph R. Olson 7309 26th Ave. NW, Seattle, WA 98117, USA. Tel: (206) 706 6989 Email: cetacean(\)eskimo.com URL: http://www.eskimo.com/~cetacean/ OFFSHORE ACOUSTICS 5454 Indian River Drive, North Vancouver, B.C., Canada V7G IL3 Phone: (604) 929 0440; Fax: (604) 983 0691 Email: jkford(\)interchange.ubc.ca SEA SYSTEMS CORPS. PO Box 1759 Friday Harbor, WA 98 250, USA. Fax: (360) 378 38 64 Email: seasys(\)pacificrim.net SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES P. O. Box 97, Collingwood, Ontario, Canada L9Y 3Z4 Phone: (705) 444 1440; Fax: (705) 444 6787 SONATECH, Inc. 879 Ward Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93111-2920, USA. Phone: (805) 683 1431 ext. 353; Fax: (805) 683 4862 Email: norris(\)sona8.sonatech.com SPECIALTY ENGINEERING: 3155 North Porter St., Soquel, CA 95073-2217 USA. Phone: (408) 465 9000; Fax: (408) 465 9001 Email: selfridge(\)ultrasonic.com URL: http://www.ultrasonic.com/Products/hydros.htm VEMCO 100 Osprey Drive, Shad Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada B3T 2C1 Phone: (902) 852 3047; Fax: (902) 852 4000 E-mail: support(\)vemco.com URL: http://www.vemco.com =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Professional hydrophone manufacturers: BENTHOS 49, Edgerton Drive, North Falmouth, MA 02556-2826, USA. Phone: (508) 563 1000 / 1 800 446 1222; Fax: (508) 563-6444 Email: info(\)benthos.com URL: http://www.benthos.com BRUEL & KJAER Head-office: Br=FCel & Kj=E6r Danmark A/S, Skodsborgvej 307, DK-2850 N=E6rum Phone: +45 4580 0500; Fax: +45 4580 1405 Email: info(\)bk.dk URL: http://www.bk.dk USA: Phone: 1 800 332 2040; Fax: (770) 808 7818; E-mail: info(\)bk.dk; URL: http://www.bk.dk EDO ACOUSTIC PRODUCTS: 2645 South 300 West, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115-2968, USA. Phone: (801) 486 7481; Fax: (801) 484 3301 E-Mail: sales(\)edoipd.com URL: http://www.edocorp.com/indust/acoustic/products/acouprod.html ENGINEERING ACOUSTICS Engineering Acoustics, Inc., 1490 Gene Street, Winter Park, FL 32789, USA Phone: (407) 645 5444; Fax: (407) 645 4910=20 E-mail: ensign(\)eaiinfo.com=20 URL: http://www.eaiinfo.com GEC MARCONI Faraday Park, Railway Road, Meadowbank NSW, 2114 Australia Sonar and Underwater Division Sensors Unit: Phone: 612 809 9777; Fax: 612 809 9751 Email: ajdeac(\)gecms.com.au GEO SPACE 7334 N. Gessner, Houston, Texas 77040, USA. Phone: (713) 939 7093; Fax: (713) 937 8012 Email: geospace(\)worldnet.att.net GRAS Scan Tec: Phone: (301) 495 7738; Fax: (301) 495 7739 HIGH TECH, INC.: 1390 29th Avenue, Gulfport, Mississippi 39501 Phone: (601) 868-6632; Fax: (601) 868-6645 Email: hightechinc(\)worldnet.att.net ITC 869 Ward Drive, Santa Barbara, California 93111, USA. Phone: (805) 683 2575; Fax: (805) 967 8199 RESON Reson, Inc., 601, Firestone Road, Goleta, CA 93117, USA. Phone: (805) 964 6260; Fax: (805) 964 7537 E-mail: sales(\)reson.com URL: http://www.reson.com SONIC TECHNOLOGIES 2935 Byberry Rd., Hatboro, Pa. 19040, USA. Phone: (215) 957 2352 / 1 800 761 2828; Fax: (215) 957 2355 E-Mail: sonic(\)sonictech.com URL: http://www.sonictech.com/sonictech.html USRD (Underwater Sound Reference Division) Underwater Sound Reference Division (USRD) of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Newport, Rhode Island Phone: (401) 841 43 36 Fax: (401) 841 49 89=20 Email: jenneke(\)am.npt.nuwc.navy.mil =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D The following are some comments from MARMAM subscribers: CETACEAN RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY From: "Joseph R. Olson" ..You may notice that I've added a new hydrophone (model C20b). It is 4d= B more sensitive than the C20a and has a bandwidth of 22kHz. This model, with additional headphone driver, will soon be available in retail marine supply stores. The price should be in the US$425 range.=20 As demands on my time increase with more hydrophone orders, I have less time to work at my consulting job. Earnings from consulting have subsidized the cost of building hydrophones. Consequently, the hydrophon= e prices will increase slightly beginning 1 November 1997. Nonetheless, I will continue to offer discounts to research, educational, and nonprofit organizations. The only exception could be with the "C20b with headphone driver." It will be considered a recreational hydrophone (though still well suited for research) and go by some catchy trade name. I need to keep the retail dealers happy.=20 Thanks again for all of your encouragement. Please contact me if you hav= e any questions or comments. I will reply to all messages when I return home from my honeymoon on 24 September!=20 Best wishes to all, Joe -------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 5 Jun 1997 17:27:17 -0700 From: Harald Jurk Due to a number of requests for affordable hydrophones that are suitable for fieldwork I thought I post the information about the hydrophones we use for killer whale research. The hydrophones are build by Berverly Ford's one person company called Offshore Acoustics. The information posted is taken from the company's brochure: Offshore Acoustics hydrophones offer high performance, field durability, and low cost. Their broad frequency response and high sensitivity make them well suited for a wide range of underwater monitoring applications, from basic listening with an amplified loudspeaker to recording using audio cassette, DAT, or video cam-corders. Standard hydrophones come with 10 meters of rubber-encased coaxial cable, which is optimal for use from a drifting boat. Longer cable lengths for use in fixed shore-based systems are also available. Each hydrophone is supplied with a plastic power supply box (12 x 6.5 x 3.5 cm) containing a 9 volt battery that drives the hydrophoneUs internal preamplifier. This is fitted with a standard 3.5 mm mini-plug for connection of the unit to an amplified speaker or recorder. Specifications: Nominal sensitivity -154 dBV/uPa +/- 4 dB at 100 Hz Directional characteristics Omnidirectional Maximum operating pressure 500 psi Operating temperature range 0 Celisius to +35 Celsius Storage temperature range -40 Celsius to +71 Celsius Dimensions, hydrophone element 3.5 cm x 7 cm Total weight 1 kg (including cable & power supply box) Frequency response curve 6 Hz to 14 kHz 1 3dB, 5 Hz to 40 kHz 1 10= dB 1996 Prices (Canadian dollars): Standard hydrophone system with 10m cable and power supply box $460.00 Optional mini speaker amplifier (with battery) $27.00 Extra cable length $4.00 per= metre Postage and Handling $10.00 An instruction and maintenance sheet is included. Delivery time is 4-6 weeks. Each hydrophone comes with a one year replacement warranty (cable damage excluded). You can send a Fax to Beverly Ford. Her Fax number is (604) 929-0440, or you can send a regular letter to 5454 Indian River Drive, North Vancouver, B.C., Canada V7G 1L3. You also could get in touch with her by e-mail. The address is jkford(\)interchange.ubc.ca ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: zbinden(\)wild.unizh.ch (Dani Zbinden) A manufacturer who builds affordable high-quality hydrophones is Sonatech, Inc. Wide band hydrophone model 8178: Piezoceramic spherical sensor with a preamplifier on a 75 foot waterblocked cable. Specifications: Nominal sensitivity -170 dB re 1V/uPa +/- 3 dB Directional characteristics omnidirectional in the horizontal plane wide toroidal in the vertical plane above= 30 kHz Maximum operating pressure 35 bar Dimensions, hydrophone element 2 in x 7 in (including pream) Total weight 8 kg (including 75 feet cable) Frequency response 10Hz - 190kHz +/- 3 dB, 5Hz - 200kHz +/- = 6dB Pream noise level 2 nv/(HZ)1/2 Price (1997) 500 US$ A different hydrophone from Sonatech, model 8185, goes to about 45kHz with a very uniform frequency response. However, this hydrophone picks up every movement of its cable, so is awkward to use in conditions other than flat calm.The high-frequency hydrophone (model 8178), while its response is a bit more lumpy, is much more usable since it is very resistant to acceleration noise. This wide-band hydrophone is also available in a towed body shape or in a full ocean depth capable configuration. The cable is a neoprene jacketed water blocked twisted shielded pair and can be anything from 20 to 350 feet. Cable length above 75 feet requires = a line driver power amplifier and will increase the costs of the hydrophone. Don will tailor the hydrophone to your particular needs without including any design or tooling costs. In addition, he will recalibrate the unit periodically for the cost of freight and provide calibration data about receiving sensitivity and beam patterns. ------------------------------------------------------- From: norris(\)sonatech.com (Don Norris) BIOMON in Santa Barbara, CA. will tailor hydrophones for a specific need without non recurring engineering charges and for a low overall cost on t= he unit. Additionally, BIOMON will consult on the net for free or for short periods of time on the phone or FAX for free. These hydrophones include towed wideband and narrowband hydrophones, overside or suspended hydrophones, hull mounted hydrophones, hydrophones for further mounting, directional hydrophones, some line arrays, and projectors. Biomon address is: BIOMON 718 C West Victoria Street Santa Barbara, CA. 93101 Phone: (805) 683-1431 EXT 353 email: norris(\)sona8.sonatech.com Very Resp. Don Norris Don Norris Senior Transducer Engineer Sonatech, Inc. 879 Ward Drive Santa Barbara, CA 93111-2920 (805) 683-1431 ext 353 Phone (805) 683-4862 FAX -------------------------------------------------------------- -Please include your name and e-mail address in the body of the text of all submissions, and ensure your message has a subject heading. -To subscribe to MARMAM, send a message to: listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca=20 saying: subscribe marmam Yourfirstname Yourlastname -To contact the MARMAM editors, write to: marmamed(\)uvic.ca ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 20:28:00 -0500 From: JMCousteau(\)aol.com Subject: Jean-Michel Cousteau Appears on CNN IMPACT wighty(\)questadventures.com, ailgcm(\)candw.ky, panchitasb(\)juno.com, scombs(\)islandsmag.com, bmorris(\)islandsmag.com, info(\)asiandiver.com, bkramer(\)ccgate.hac.com, motpub(\)r150.aone.net.au, seer(\)catalinas.net, Margraf(\)aol.com, rlschesva(\)juno.com, boipb(\)ix.netcom.com, cardoneb(\)petersenpub.com, azerrudo(\)bozellpr.com, wilsonadvertising(\)lava.net, BRIANC(\)civco.com, BKOLWECK(\)aol.com, CAROLINE_PECQUET(\)yr.com, Cfweiss(\)aol.com, cbabiar(\)netcom.ca, cdtms(\)ozemail.com.au, Vinick(\)aol.com, chaughn1(\)rodalepress.com, tcsva(\)igc.apc.org, colleena(\)rain.org, CoralReefA(\)aol.com, cousteau(\)infi.net, dj(\)hifrontier.com, 103162.2335(\)compuserve.com, DAVESUSD(\)aol.com, DonSantee(\)aol.com, rginsburg(\)rsmas.miami.edu, ecoffice(\)earthlink.net, ecotsocy(\)igc.apc.org, edc(\)rain.org, fiji(\)primenet.com, frb(\)internetpassport.com, fdewulf(\)microsoft.com, nahasG01(\)mchip00.med.nyu.edu, divepics(\)pacbell.net, gkelly(\)edelman.com, LEMIEUXG(\)scdnan-am.pac.dfo.ca, gaphoto(\)earthlink.net, lwebber(\)honolulu.gannett.com, Hdusa(\)aol.com, concepts(\)hevanet.com, JSGImages(\)aol.com, JCHITWO(\)mail.arco.com, jcc(\)presscom.com, MCMANUS1(\)apple.com, Cteno4(\)aol.com, caselle(\)lifesci.lscf.ucsb.edu, jennifer_sears(\)wdi.disney.com, accent(\)premier1.premier.net, JMCFIR(\)aol.com, fiji4fun(\)is.com.fj, JMCPFrance(\)aol.com, jusibell(\)sprynet.com, AlexProd(\)aol.com, 74223.1672(\)compuserve.com, JBurrud(\)aol.com, JohnDive(\)aol.com, johnk(\)padi.com, morrow(\)biospherical.com, JMWick(\)aol.com, gentravl(\)ozemail.com.au, Juliette_Riedl(\)pub.mademoiselle.com, kfield(\)nbc.com, kelster(\)silcom.com, Kim.Vallely(\)smtp.gammalink.com, Kimberly.McConnell(\)amd.com, laventurefiji(\)is.com.fj, SIRHOG(\)aol.com, LPMcCarthy(\)aol.com, currently(\)span.ch, Lori.A.Arguelles(\)noaa.gov, Prezelin(\)aol.com, lucy_flint_at_wcti(\)ccm.frontiercorp.com, mlazcano(\)mail.internet.com.mx, battbla(\)earthlink.net, stack(\)silcom.com, tardifm(\)mgh.com, marine-education-L(\)rain.org, MRAlford(\)aol.com, Msf11(\)aol.com, Zmikee(\)aol.com, MoseRich(\)aol.com, NanandJMC(\)aol.com, NealWatson(\)aol.com, mjt(\)netilus.com, oceanica(\)eden.com, 74427.501(\)compuserve.com, pat.mitchell(\)turner.com, pchereau(\)imaginet.fr, PKRONLUND(\)aol.com, PAULHUMANN(\)mindspring.com, RMurphy000(\)aol.com, RitaSheese(\)compuserve.com, RHalpern22(\)aol.com, strong(\)lifesci.lscf.ucsb.edu, taylorvr(\)ozemail.com.au, SBond57079(\)aol.com, marquispr(\)earthlink.net, sos(\)aloha.net, sgaren(\)earthlink.net, SJCom(\)aol.com, Shelley.Sullivan(\)gecapital.com, waterman(\)nerc.com, snho(\)ucsd.edu, skrolak(\)earthlink.net, smink(\)ca.com.au, sullyk(\)cadvision.com, browns(\)petersenpub.com, tim(\)trabon-paris.com, UWfotoguy(\)aol.com, treyna(\)microsoft.com, vspruill(\)seaweb.org CONTACT: Laura Sullivan Phone: 805/899-8899 FAX: 805/899-8898 e-mail: JMCousteau(\)aol.com December 11, 1997 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE COUSTEAU SPEAKS OUT FOR WHALES OF BAJA SANTA BARBARA, CA, -- Jean-Michel Cousteau, renowned ocean explorer and environmentalist, highlights threats to California gray whales on IMPACT, CNN and TIME magazine's prime-time television newsmagazine. The special segment airs on CNN on Sunday, December 14, at 6:00PM and again at 9:00PM (PST). In the 20-minute segment, IMPACT takes viewers to San Ignacio Lagoon on Mexico's rugged Baja California coast, the calving and nursing grounds of the California gray whale. Here, the Mexican Government and Mitsubishi Corp. plan to build the world's largest salt factory. Cousteau and other environmentalists foresee grave consequences to the whale's habitat. Earlier this year, the Natural Resources Defense Council invited Cousteau and his film crew on a high-profile trip to the Lagoon, where activist Robert Kennedy Jr., actors Pierce Brosnan and Glenn Close, and international dignitaries voiced their concerns and met with residents of local communities caught in the middle of the brewing controversy. Footage from this trip will be featured in the IMPACT program. To Cousteau, the situation symbolizes the fate of all whales: "The example of San Ignacio Lagoon represents a preview of what could await whales as we move into a new millennium. While hunting continues to threaten certain species of whales, the ultimate coup de gras may be the accumulated effects of human activities upon their habitat. Whales, once the target of direct cruelty, are now subject to the indirectly cruel consequences of purely economic considerations." For over 50 years, the Cousteau name has been a symbol of environmental concern. Jacques-Yves Cousteau brought an awareness of the oceans into living rooms around the world via television. Jean-Michel Cousteau, his eldest son, is a prolific film producer in his own right, and has carried his father's legacy into the Information Age with critically-acclaimed work in film and multimedia programming. The Jean-Michel Cousteau Institute, based in Santa Barbara, California, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building cooperative partnerships in the search for solutions to environmental challenges. For more information contact Laura Sullivan at 805/899-8899. ### ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 13:55:08 -0500 From: Mike Williamson Subject: WhaleNet Humpback Whale Catalogue CD-ROM In-Reply-To: <3.0.1.32.19971107112557.006a2768(\)mail.duke.edu> December 12, 1997 WhaleNet CD-ROM Field Guide to the Humpbacks and other Marine Mammals in the Gulf of Maine. We wish to announce the WhaleNet CD-ROM which will be available for wholesale and retail sales for this coming whale watch season. Release date is expected by March 1998. The WhaleNet CD-ROM will include: 1. Over 1,000 individual fluke images of the current Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale Catalogue. 2. Sighting Histories of the catalogued Humpbacks 3. Interactive search on the CD-ROM will allow users to search the catalogue for images and sighting histories by: - name of individual whale - College of the Atlantic (COA) Humpback Whale catalogue number - characterisitc markings of the fluke patterns. 4. Keys and images to identify the common marine mammals in the Gulf of Maine. 5. MAC and PC compatibility. Naturalists with laptops on board can log in fluke characteristics and download sighting histories and fluke images while on the whale watch vessel. Teachers and students can use this inconjunction with WhaleNet, the Voyage of the Mimi materials, and other curriculum units. These can be sold on board whale watch vessels and in book shops as educational souvenirs. Suggested retail price is expected to be $24.95. Wholesale information available upon request. ---------------------------------------------------- The CD-ROM is being produced by WhaleNet in conjunction with Allied Whale of the Colege of the Atlantic. WhaleNet's goal is to enhance interest in Science and Math education. WhaleNet For information contact Michael Williamson, WhaleNet at pita(\)whale.wheelock.edu. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 14:25:09 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Abstract: whale mating strategies (fwd) Forwarded message: From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov (Dagmar Fertl) Thought the following might be of interest to some folks (please don't send reprint requests to me though). ******************* Magnusson, KG; Kasuya, T. 1997. Mating strategies in whale populations: searching strategy vs. harem strategy. Ecological modelling 102: 225-242. This work develops a probability model for comparing two different male mating strategies in whale populations where females group together in pods and are only receptive for a fraction of the breeding season. A searching strategy and a harem strategy are modelled and the probabilities that a given female becomes pregnant derived for the two strategies and compared. The advantage one strategy has over the other in terms of pregnancy rates depends on four key parameters: the number of oestrus cycles in a breeding season (m), fraction of time in the season when a female is in oestrus (q), ratio of number of males to number of female pods (r), and the expected number of pods found by a male in a breeding season (alpha). Situations in which a searching strategy is best are intuitively reasonable, i.e. a high value of q and/or a high value of alpha. The theory is then applied to two species of social cetaceans: short-finned pilot whales and sperm whales. Non-reproductive matings are practised by short-finned pilot whales and it is hypothesized that this behaviour entices males to stay with the pod, i.e. to adopt a harem strategy. The benefits females derive from this behaviour in terms of increased pregnancy rates are then evaluated. Very limited information exists concerning the value of the relevant parameters for the two species, but what little there is, suggests that sperm whales are in the region of parameter space where the searching strategy is better, but that short-finned pilot whales are in the harem region. Subject: Scammons Lagoon, Baja (fwd) From: "S.R. Cramer" <"srcramer(\)cirl.meei.harvard.edu (or) scramer"(\)whoi.edu (or)> I am inquiring about cetacean species (mysticetes only) that are indigenous to the Scammons Lagoon region and or have migratory paths through that area. If anyone has first hand knowledge of this or can lead me to literature that may have this information, and can pass it on to me I would be greatful. Thanks very much. My reasons for the inquiry are as follows: 1) to establish background information re: what species are likely to be found there. 2) for purposes of using the above information (as well as other information) to identify or confirm what is believed to be a Gray Whale bulla found in the Scammons Lagoon region (exact coordinates unknown) The format of the analysis is to establish background information on indigenous or migratory species; compile a listing of those species and obtain further background on the biology of the individual species; consult literature on established bulla ID's; begin morphometric analysis on the bulla itself from which data can be used to establish comparisons to other species; and to make an evaluation based on all data as to what species the bulla might belong. If I can offer additional information please contact me at either of the below e-mail addresses. Thanks very much. S.R. Cramer Research Assistant (Level II) Mass Eye & Ear Infirmary/Harvard Medical School/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 11 School Street Mailstop 36 Woods Hole, MA 02543 srcramer(\)cirl.meei.harvard.edu scramer(\)whoi.edu Subject: newsclip - El Niqo takes toll on seals ------ El Ni=F1o takes toll on seals and sea lions: Dying animals present dilemma for animal activists =20 December 11, 1997 =20 LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Starving seals and sea lions are waddling ashore= =20 along California's coast, their skin sagging off their gaunt bodies=20 like oversized coats. Already, thousands have died since summer.=20 =20 Warmer water from this year's El Ni=F1o weather pattern has driven away fish and squid the mammals eat to survive, forcing them to leave their island habitats for the mainland to find food.=20 =20 On islands from San Francisco to San Diego, beaches are littered ith carcasses of California sea lions and northern fur seals. Sea gulls pick at some bodies. Others lay dying, barely moving.=20 =20 Seal Samaritans are rescuing some of the emaciated animals as they flounder on beaches and nursing them back to health. But researchers say it's part of the natural cycle of life and are maki= ng no effort to save the seals.=20 =20 "Yeah, it's hard to see these pups dying, but it's just a blip on th= e long-term population," said Bob DeLong, a marine biology expert with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Seattle, a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.=20 =20 Mother seals have been forced to dive deeper and travel farther for food, exhausting more energy and spending more time away from their pups. The milk they use to feed their young becomes undernourished, as do the pups that drink it. Sometimes the mothers have little or no milk to give.=20 =20 Of 2,000 northern fur seals born at one research facility on San Miguel Island since July, 1,500 died by October 1, DeLong said.=20 =20 Among 23,000 California sea lions born on the island since July, 1,200 died by September, DeLong said. Their death rate is expected to accelerate during the so-called weaning period, when pups become accustomed to hunting for their own food.=20 =20 Experts point out that the populations of both species have soared since 1972. DeLong said the sea lion population since then has increased by 5 percent, with between 85,000 to 180,000 breeding on the Channel Islands, 50 miles off the Ventura County coast.=20 =20 The northern fur seal population has jumped 20 percent over the same time. One million live in U.S. waters, including 11,000 on San Miguel.=20 =20 "Even when major El Ni=F1os occur, like (in 1983) ... they did not arrest the growth of the population," DeLong said.=20 =20 Mortality rate three times the norm On the seals' offshore breeding areas, such as San Miguel and others in the Channel Islands chain, the mortality rate will be at least 66 percent -- three times the no= rm=20 in the first year after birth, DeLong said.=20 =20 The lucky ones venture away looking for food and wash up on Californ= ia=20 beaches to be saved by environmental groups.=20 =20 "We get animals sick and starving even when it's not El Ni=F1o," sai= d wildlife biologist Joe Cordaro, who coordinates a statewide network that rescues stranded sea life from beaches for the fisheries service.=20 =20 "These are animals that aren't as fit," he said. "It's something we have to go through periodically. But nobody likes to see sick and starving animals dying in front of you."=20 =20 Last year, 1,400 sea lions and seals became stranded on the California coast. During the last El Ni=F1o, in 1992, 2,600 washed ashore. Only 8 percent of those were alive.=20 =20 In the last massive El Ni=F1o, in 1982, 2,200 were beached, Cordaro said.=20 =20 The mounting death toll creates a dilemma for animal activists: How much should they interfere with natural selection?=20 =20 The 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits people from going to natural habitats such as San Miguel and plucking a dying pup off the beach.=20 =20 "We don't want people going there, rescuing one animal and scaring away and perhaps harming 50 or 60 animals that are healthy," Cordaro said. "You'll be separating mothers from pups. It's just not a good situation."=20 =20 Instead, rescuers stand waiting for strays to appear on beaches.=20 The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, for example, has rescued 27 northern fur seals since September 30 on beaches between San Luis Obispo and Mendocino counties. In a normal year for that area, fewer than five become stranded, center spokeswoman Susan Andres said.=20 =20 Biologists believe more sea lions and seals will become stranded on California beaches by spring, when pups mature to adults and become strong enough to leave and look for food on their own.=20 =20 Even if some activists wanted to ignore federal law to try to rescue some sea lions or seals, chartering a boat to one of the islands and feeding all the starving animals would be too expensive. Besides, Andres said, the animals are often picky eaters and do not eat dead fish.=20 =20 "It's a natural habitat out there," Cordaro said. "This happens ever= y day."=20 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 12:05:02 -0600 From: "Naomi A. Rose" Subject: IWC news The High North News, the newsletter of the High North Alliance (HNA), reported on December 8 that the IWC chairman, Michael Canny, will be convening an inter-sessional meeting of the International Whaling Commission, somewhere in the Caribbean, for early February. This meeting will supposedly attempt to reach agreement on a compromise proposal regarding the current moratorium on commercial whaling. Apparently the source of this information was the Norwegian News Agency (NTB), which reported this on December 5. **This December 8 report from HNA (and the December 5 announcement from the NTB) is inaccurate. According to the IWC Secretariat, no such inter-sessional meeting has been called for or scheduled.** However, the pro-whaling nations are pushing for such an inter- sessional meeting. Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States narose(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 11:29:56 -0500 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Steno mass stranding in Florida I am posting the following information at the request of Blair Mase, NMFS, Miami, FL, USA. Please direct any questions to her. ------------- As most of you have heard, 35 Steno bredanensis dolphins stranded on Cape San Blas near Apalachicola, FL on Sunday, December 14. All of the dolphins were moved to the bay side of the cape due to severe weather conditions. Plans were made to tag and release the dolphins the following day, however, the high winds and seas remained and the Coast Guard was not able to transport the animals offshore. Over half of the animals died overnight and early the following day and the 16 remaining live animals were taken to rehabilitation facilities (Mote Marine Lab. Marineland, and Gulfarium). The status of these animals is currently unknown. The dolphins that died were necropsied on-site by Stranding Network Volunteers, A NMFS veterinarian/pathologist and a special team from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Mass dissections were performed on all of the animals in hopes of finding out the cause of this mass stranding. We would like to extend special appreciation to ALL agencies involved, including the Florida Marine Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard, Gulf World, NMFS, local rescue groups, fire departments, veterinarians and neighbors. Blair Mase NOAA/NMFS/SEFC ---------------- end of message ------------ Dan Odell odell(\)pegasus.cc.ucf.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 16:07:36 -0500 From: Dennis Hansford Subject: Re[2]: Observer job annoucement National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center Fisheries and Ecosystem Monitoring and Analysis Division Fisheries Sampling Branch FISHERY OBSERVER PROGRAM Job Announcement The Northeast Fisheries Science Center, NMFS is seeking individuals to serve as Certified Observers on board commercial fishing vessels from Maine to North Carolina. Observer duties will include, but not be limited to, collection of trip, vessel and gear characteristics, catch (kept and discarded), environmental conditions, marine mammal sightings and biological information. Observers will be required to conduct at-sea fish and marine mammal dissections for the collection of biological samples. Observer candidates will be selected based on education, work experience and knowledge of fish, marine mammals and sea turtles. Candidates must attend a 3 week training course to be held near Woods Hole, MA starting in mid January, 1998. Candidates will be tested and certified if successful. Certified Observers will be hired by contractors providing observer services to the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Current CPR/First Aid certification is required prior to attending training. Contact: Professional and Technical Services, Inc. 18 Koger Center, Suite 203 Norfolk, VA 23502 Phone: (757) 461-6447 Fax: (757) 466-8721 For further information contact Dennis C. Hansford: dennis.hansford(\)noaa.gov (508) 495-2383 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 19 Dec 1997 19:18:33 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: CRS Weekly Summary (fwd) The following is the weekly CRS marine mammal summary provided to the U.S. congress, sent to MARMAM courtesy of Kate Wing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kate Wing Eugene H. Buck, Senior Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 12/19/97 Congressional Research Service New info and changes since 12/12/97 are bracketed {...} New info and changes since 12/18/97 are double bracketed {{...}} Marine Mammals . {{Walrus Waste. In mid-December 1997, a federal grand jury indicted 6 walrus hunters from Little Diomede Island, AK, on allegations of wasteful taking of a marine mammal -- the hunters were accused of taking only the heads and tusks of about 10 walrus. Arraignment has not been scheduled.}} [Assoc Press] . {Whalemeat for Lunch? In mid-December 1997, officials of Shimonoseki, Japan, announced that whalemeat would be placed on the local school lunch menu for a single day in early 1998 for 25,000 students, to stimulate pride in the port's historical role in Antarctic whaling. Shimonoseki would be the second Japanese community to place whalemeat on the school lunch menu.} [Assoc Press] . Manatees and Red Tide. On Dec. 10, 1997, FL Dept. of Environmental Protection officials announced that 16 dead manatees found from Nov. 6-26, 1997, mostly in Lee and Collier Counties, were victims of red tide toxins. [Assoc Press] . Norwegian Whaling. On Dec. 6, 1997, the Norwegian Minister of Fisheries announced that the 1998 quota for minke whales would be 671 animals. The 1998 quota includes an annual harvest of 621 minke whales plus 50 unharvested minke whales carried over from previous years. However, Norwegian whalers were disappointed when the Norwegian government announced that it would continue to prohibit the exporting of whale products. [Assoc Press, High North Alliance News, Reuters] . IWC Intersessional Meeting. On Dec. 5, 1997, the Norwegian News Agency reported that newly elected International Whaling Commission (IWC) chairman, Michael Canny, will convene an intersessional meeting of the IWC in early February 1998 to discuss a compromise proposal to allow a limited resumption of commercial whaling in coastal waters. {However, IWC sources deny that any such meeting has been scheduled.} [High North Alliance News, personal communication] . Dutch Harbor Oil Spill. On Nov. 26, 1997, the Japanese bulk freighter Kuroshima ran aground near Dutch Harbor, AK. By Dec. 3, 1997, an estimated 41,000 gallons of heavy (bunker) fuel oil had been spilled from damaged fuel tanks. Damage to wildlife and fisheries appears minimal, with 9 oiled birds reported dead. Sea otters and seals in the area appear not to be oiled. [Assoc Press] . Sealing Conference. The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission held an international conference on "Sealing the Future" on Nov. 25-27, 1997, in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. At these meetings, an 8-member panel of sealers, aboriginal subsistence users, industry, government, and trade experts requested governments to abolish barriers to international trade in seal products that they claim are inconsistent with World Trade Organization principles. [Conference brochure, High North Alliance News] . European Whaling Hearing. On Nov. 24-25, 1997, the European Parliament's Committee on Fisheries, meeting in Brussels, has tentatively scheduled a hearing on whaling management systems and lessons from whaling that might be drawn for fisheries. [High North Alliance News] . Keiko. On Nov. 24, 1997, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (APHIS - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) officials announced the members of its independent inspection team that will evaluate Keiko's health and welfare. Team members include individuals from Sea World, OR State Univ., Univ. of CA (Davis), APHIS, Dolphin Quest, and the National Aquarium in Baltimore. The evaluation will be completed by Dec. 15, 1997, with the results released soon by the end of December 1997. {As of Dec. 15, 1997, all the tests on Keiko had not been completed, and the release of the results of the evaluation was postponed until mid-January 1998.} [Assoc Press, Reuters] . Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. Subject: American Society of Mammalogists Annual Meeting The Marine Mammals Committee of the American Society of Mammalogists is working to encourage marine mammalogists to participate in the ASM annual meetings. The 1998 ASM meeting will be held on the campus of Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University, Blacksburg Virginia, June 19th-25th. There will be a session specifically set aside for spoken contributions in marine mammalogy. Marine mammalogists are welcome to submit papers for this session, or to submit spoken or poster contributions to sessions under other headings (e.g. ecology, anatomy, behavior). Abstracts should be submitted to Dr. Jack Cranford, ASM Program Chair, Biology Department, VPI and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia USA 24061-0408, postmarked no later than 1 March 1998. Those intended for the marine mammalogy session should be clearly marked "For Marine Mammal Session". For further information contact Dr. Jack Cranford at the above address, by e-mail (cranford(\)vt.edu), phone (540-231-5371) or fax (540-231-9307). Paul K. Anderson, Chair ASM Marine Mammals Committee ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 04:13:16 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: Harbour Regulations and cetaceans (fwd) From: "Marcel Kroese" I am looking for information concerning port facilities and cetaceans. Feasibility studies are at present evaluating South African port facilities. These include expanding existing facilities and construction of new harbours. Several marine mammal species, such as bottle nose and humpback dolphins, utilize the inshore and near shore areas where constrution of harbours are planned. I would like to obtain more information , possibly case studies and references, to investigate what the options are for insuring minimum intrusion levels on marine mammals that are found in close proximity to the harbours. Basic regulations such as "no-wake" speeds, noise pollution, ect and where they have been implemented. I feel this issue is different from regulations such as for whale watching, which is why I am apporaching the list. Could you please consider this request for discussion on MARMAM. Yours sincerely Marcel Kroese Sea Fisheries Research Institute , Cape Town. mkroese(\)sfri.wcape.gov.za Subject: free/shareware for plotting whale distributions >From cb(\)global.net.au (Chris Burton) I am looking for some free or low-cost GIS/plotting software (for a PowerMac computer) to plot whale distribution data. I have been studying the humpback group IV population migrating along the west coast of Australia for some years, and am interested in the near-shore distribution within several bays along the west coast.I have collected several years location data within these bays and wish to plot it in relation to environmental parameters. I have spent many hours searching the internet for appropriate plotting/GIS software including the shareware sites, but without success. At the moment I cant afford software such as Arc view, or pay for an institution to do the job, so I am approaching the list to see if someone has experience with this type of situation, or can direct me to someone who has. Yours Sincerely Chris Burton cb(\)global.net.au ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 04:14:31 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: New Caribbean publication (fwd) From: "Dr Antonio A.Mignucci-Giannoni" The following new publication may be of interest to Marmamers: Mignucci-Giannoni AA, Toyos-Gonzalez GM, Perez-Padilla J, Montoya-Ospina R and Williams EH. 1997. FIRST OSTEOLOGICAL COLLECTION OF MARINE MAMMALS FOR PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS. Caribbean Journal of Science 33 (3=AD4), 288=AD292.=20 An summary of the contribution follows: An osteological collection of marine mammals provides a source of valuable information for researchers and is often used for academic teaching and education. Skeletal remains are used in systematics, to determine the physical maturity of specimens, and in documenting injuries, illnesses and abnormalities. This contribution notifies the scientific and academic community of the establishment of such a collection at the University of Puerto Rico Biology Museum, Rio Piedras Campus. To create the collection, the Caribbean Stranding Network (CSN) collected between 1989 and 1995 skeletal remains from animals stranded in waters of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Additionally, location and catalog numbers of previously collected specimens were requested from oth-er museums and collections to prepare a list of skeletal voucher material available from the Northeastern Caribbean. We collected 79 marine mammal specimens and found a total of 25 specimens from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands catalogued in collections throughout the world, including 32 West Indian manatees, 71 cetaceans, and one phocid. Of the specimens listed, 32 are complete skeletons, 72 are partial skeletons or skeletal parts, and 77 are skulls. In the University of Puerto Rico collection, 18 species and 74 specimens are catalogued, including 25 West Indian manatees, 53 cetaceans, and 1 phocid. Of the specimens listed, 29 are complete skeletons, 50 are partial skeletons or skeletal parts, and 58 are skulls. The collection at the University of Puerto Rico is the first dedicated and curated marine mammal collection for the Caribbean. It will help researchers and the scientific community, both local and international, to study and better understand this protected and endangered Caribbean fauna.=20 Reprints may be obtained electronically by visiting http://mayaweb.upr.clu.edu/artssciences/cjs/ and going into "The CJS Online!" to download an Acrobat Reader copy of the publication. Otherwise, reprints may be obtained by contacting the first author.=20 Dr. Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Scientific Coordinator-Caribbean Stranding Network Assistant Professor-University of Puerto Rico PO Box 38030 San Juan PR 00937 USA Tel 787-766-0000 x4878, 787-767-8009, Fax 787-764-2610, 787-767-8009 Emergencies 787-399-8432, 787-402-2337 (unit 990-0440) Email mignucci(\)caribe.net Webpage http://netdial.caribe.net/~mignucci/ Subject: Underwater Video In-Reply-To: <97Nov12.112053hwt.501535(9)(\)nfs1.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> Dear subscribers, I am a graduate student at Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Lab in Hawaii. We currently use a Sony HI8 video camera with an Amphibico Dive Buddy I for our underwater recording of humpback whale behavior. I am starting a new study and would like to maximize the quality of the images obtained with underwater video. I am considering a conversion to a digital camera and housing to improve the quality of the captured images. It is very important that the images not be distorted. I would greatly appreciate any advice on which camera/housing combination might be appropriate and where to purchase the equipment at a fair price. Thanks in advance for your help. Please reply directly to me at spitz(\)hawaii.edu. Sincerely, Scott Spitz Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Lab ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 24 Dec 1997 07:40:37 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: deadline for student award (fwd) Forwarded message: THE EMILY B. SHANE AWARD The Emily B. Shane Award has been established to support conservation-oriented, non-harmful research on free-ranging odontocetes and sirenians. The award honors Emily B. Shane (1924-1995), a fine amateur naturalist and dedicated conservationist. The award, to be given annually, will total approximately $10,000, which may be divided if there is more than one equally deserving applicant. Although awards will be made for no more than one year at a time, applicants may apply more than once for the same project. Applications are due by 1 May 1998 (applicants from outside the U.S. must take responsibilityfor insuring the timely delivery of their applications). Submissions sent by fax or email will not be accepted. The award recipient(s) will be announced by 1 September 1998. Eligibility: The award is available to students and other researchers who meet the evaluation criteria. The application should be submitted by the person conducting the research. A student's professor should send a cover letter of support if his/her involvement is essential to the completion of the project. Evaluation Criteria: Applicants should send five (5) copies of the following to the Society for Marine Mammalogy (Attention: 'Emily B. Shane Award): a) proposal, not exceeding 3 pages (use Times font, 12 point, single space, 2 cm margins) in length, which outlines the proposed research, detailing objectives, methods, role of the proposed work in conservation, time period for research, persons conducting field research and roles of each and literature cited. In addition to the 3 page proposal, applicants must include: b) a budget including other funding applied for or held for the proposed research (special attention will be given to those applicants with the greatest demonstrable financial need); c) current CV/resume of the applicant (in addition to the traditional information included in a CV, provide a demonstration of the applicant's ability to convey scientific information to both general and professional audiences via writing and speaking; an applicant's age and level of schooling will be taken into consideration); d) 3 references, each with phone number, email address and relationship to applicant. General: Successful applicants must obtain the authorization and permits required for the region in which they propose to conduct their research prior to initiating field work. Non-harmful research is that which poses proven minimal reisk to the health and life of an individual animal and to other species within the ecosystem. Research which involves handling animals or invasive techniques is acceptable only if carried out by competent, experienced personnel and provides clear benefits in terms of conservation and scientific knowledge. A report summarizing the research completed with support from the Emily B. Shane Award must be submitted at the end of the year of funding. This report should include relevant conservation recommendations, plans for publication of the results and ongoing research plans. Applications should be mailed, for receipt by 1 May 1998, to: Carol Fairfield Chair, Awards/Scholarship Committee Society for Marine Mammalogy NOAA/NMFS/SWFSC c/o University of California EMS Building, Room A319 Santa Cruz, California 95064 USA Subject: Re: free/shareware for plotting whale distributions In-Reply-To: Hi Chris and All: You will find free mapping software, Arc View 3.0a, at http://www.esri.com. At 07:43 23-12-97 +0800, you wrote: >>From cb(\)global.net.au (Chris Burton) > >I am looking for some free or low-cost GIS/plotting software (for a >PowerMac computer) to plot whale distribution data. > >Chris Burton >cb(\)global.net.au > > ################################### June Woodward, Ph.d. Voice/Fax: (770) 393-9990 EMail: Woodward(\)avana.net ################################### ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 30 Dec 1997 10:03:01 -0500 From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstracts - Aquatic Mammals ------ Dear Marmam Subscribers, =20 The following are summaries/abstracts of articles in the recently=20 published issue of _Aquatic Mammals_ and are posted as a courtesy to= =20 the journal's editor and the European Association for Aquatic Mammal= s.=20 I have included a mailing address of the author to whom=20 inquiries/reprints should be directed; please do not direct inquirie= s=20 to me. For information on joining EAAM to receive the journal, or=20 regarding manuscript submission, please direct inquiries to the=20 editor, Dr. Paul Nachtigall who can be reached at: nachtig(\)nosc.mil.= =20 =20 Happy holidays, and special thanks to those of you who've taken the=20 time throughout the year to express your appreciation for these=20 postings. =20 Dagmar_Fertl(\)mms.gov ********************************************************************= ** ******* Ridgway, S.H. 1997. Book review: _Biology of the Phocoenids_, edit= ed=20 by A. Borge and G.P. Donovan. _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(3): 115-117. ********************** Errata. "Southward range extension of _Steno bredanensis_ in the=20 southwest Atlantic and new records of _Stenella coeruleoalba_ for=20 Brazilian waters by P.H. Ott and D. Danilewicz in volume 22 issue 3,= =20 1996. Table 2, page 186. The distances from the coast for the seco= nd=20 and third sightings should be changed to 2 miles off of Tramadai (no= t=20 1 mile as published), and 3 miles off of Tramadai (not 1.5 miles as=20 published). *********************** Simil=E4, T. 1997. Sonar observations of killer whales (_Orcinus=20 orca_) feeding on herring schools. _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(3): 119-126. =20 Norwegian College of Fisheries Science, University of Tromso, N-9037= =20 Tromso, Norway =20 Behavior of killer whales feeding on herring schools was recorded wi= th=20 a high frequency (455 kHz) sonar and recorded on a SVHS tape. =20 Synchronization of surfacing behavior of killer whales was analyzed=20 from 8 mm videotapes recorded between 1990-92. Two different feedin= g=20 techniques, carousel feeding, where killer whales cooperatively herd= =20 herring schools into a tight ball towards the surface and feed on=20 herring which have been stunned by tailslaps, and subsurface feeding= =20 were observed and compared. Subsurface feeding killer whales showed= =20 less coordination and spent less time around the herring schools tha= n=20 carousel feeding killer whales. Both feeding techniques were employ= ed=20 mainly in the upper 20 m of water but only carousel feeding killer=20 whales brought the herring schools down to 98 m, but no feeding coul= d=20 be verified when the whales were deeper than 20 m. The possible=20 causes for different techniques employed by killer whales feeding on= =20 herring are discussed as well as the apparent similarity of=20 predator-antipredator behavior between schooling fish and their=20 predators regardless of the species in question. *********************************************** Karczmarski, L*., M. Thornton, and V.G. Cockcroft. 1997. Descripti= on=20 of selected behaviours of humpback dolphins _Sousa chinensis_. =20 _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(3): 127-133. =20 * Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Private Bag X2, Rogge Bay 8012,=20 South Africa =20 No abstract or summary was provided. This paper describes several=20 behaviours of humpback dolphins observed in the Algoa Bay region=20 throughout the three year period between May 1991 and May 1994 and=20 discusses their probable ecological determinants. Behaviours=20 described include feeding, respiratory and aerial behaviour, courtsh= ip=20 and mating, allomaternal alliances, interactions with bottlenose=20 dolphins, and boat avoidance. *************************************************** Nakahara, F.* And A. Takemura. 1997. A survey on the behavior of=20 captive odontocetes in Japan. _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(3): 135-143. =20 * Otsuchi Marine Research Center, Ocean Research Institute, Universi= ty=20 of Tokyo, Akahama, Otsuchi, Iwate 028-11, Japan =20 The behaviors of the eleven odontocete species in captivity in=20 Japanese aquariums were surveyed by questionnaires. The survey=20 results include the behavior of some little-known species. The=20 behavioral rating differences among species have been correlated wit= h=20 the social structure and taxonomic relation. Species with close=20 taxonomic relation have similar ratings and are clustered in the clo= se=20 distance. Socialized members of the family Delphinidae have been=20 rated high in the affiliative/social/contact behavior, the aggressio= n,=20 and the curiosity/manipulation/play. Phocoenidae species have been=20 rated low in most behavior categories, except the sexual behavior, a= s=20 compared with the Delphinidae and the Monodontidae species. *************************************************** Jefferson, T.A.*, R.L. Pitman, S. Leatherwood, and M.L.L. Dolar. =20 1997. Developmental and sexual variation in the external appearance= =20 of Fraser's dolphins (_Lagenodelphis hosei_). _Aquatic Mammals_=20 23(3): 145-153. =20 *Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Ocean Park Corporation, Aberdee= n,=20 Hong Kong =20 Sexual and age-related patterns in the coloration and external=20 morphology of Fraser's dolphins (_Lagenodelphis hosei_) were examine= d,=20 based on a sample of 50 specimens from throughout the range. Althou= gh=20 sample sizes were small, there appears to be significant variation=20 among different age and sex classes. The dorsal fin becomes more=20 erect in older animals, especially males, and most mature males=20 develop a moderate to large post-anal hump. The intensity and=20 thickness of the eye-to-anus stripe also becomes more exaggerated in= =20 adult males. The set of facial stripe referred to as the `bridle'=20 reaches its greatest development in adults of both sexes, and in som= e=20 animals the various stripes merge to form a `bandit mask' in the=20 facial area. The patterns of variation seen in this species are=20 similar to those reported earlier for a number of other small cetace= an=20 species. ***************************************************** Herzing, D.L.* and B.J. Brunnick. 1997. Coefficients of associatio= n=20 of reproductively active female Atlantic spotted dolphins, _Stenella= =20 frontalis_. _Aquatic Mammals_ 23(3): 155-162. =20 *P.O. Box 8346, Jupiter, Florida 33468 USA =20 From 1985-1986, a resident pod of Atlantic spotted dolphins has been= =20 extensively observed and studied off Little Bahama Bank, Bahamas. = Of=20 157 identified individuals, 16 females of reproductive age, and 35 o= f=20 their offspring, were chosen for analysis. Coefficients of=20 association (COA) among these 35 mother/calf pairs, and the identifi= ed=20 population, were determined using a half-weight index. Values were=20 compared between years and through changes in reproductive status. =20 Mother/infant pairs showed high COA's (means ranging from 0.96 to=20 0.85) from birth through the first three years. COA's remained high= =20 until the year of the birth of subsequent siblings. At that time, a= =20 significant decrease in association values between the calf and the=20 mother occurred. Juvenile females displayed strong associations=20 (values ranging from 0.43 to 0.67) with other females in the same ag= e=20 class. These values dropped significantly upon sexual maturity and=20 between years of changing reproductive condition. Pregnant females=20 formed significant associations (values ranging from 0.10 to 0.89)=20 with previously unassociated females who also gave birth the same=20 year. Ten of the nineteen new associations continued at a stable=20 level for two or more years. =20 =20 Changes in reproductive state in female Atlantic spotted dolphins ha= d=20 a significant impact on female/female association patterns. The=20 effects were specifically profound for first parturition females and= =20 less so for experienced females. ********************************************************** Grigg, E. And H. Markowitz. 1997. Habitat use by bottlenose dolphi= ns=20 (_Tursiops truncatus_) at Turneffe Atoll, Belize. _Aquatic Mammals_= =20 23(3): 163-170. =20 San Francisco State University, Department of Biology, 1600 Holloway= =20 Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA =20 Site preference and habitat use by bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops=20 truncatus_) at Turneffe Atoll, Belize were investigated using survey= =20 routes and counts of animals seen. Ten sites were the focus of this= =20 study, covering a range of locations throughout the southern=20 two-thirds of Turneffe Atoll and encompassing four key habitat types= . =20 Data were collected from Fall 1995 through Spring 1996; counts and a= =20 variety of environmental and behavioral observations were made from=20 small boats. It was found that dolphin group size is dependent on=20 location, and further, that dolphin group size is dependent on habit= at=20 type. The data indicate that some areas of the atoll are favored by= =20 groups of a certain size; this relationship, combined with the=20 relationship between habitat type and group size suggests that certa= in=20 areas of the atoll are used by the dolphins preferentially for=20 specific activities. This finding is comparable to that of other=20 studies on coastal _T. truncatus_ that have noted a relationship=20 between environmental variables, group size, and behavior. Average=20 group size and sighting rates by season are also given. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 31 Dec 1997 02:17:43 -0800 From: MARMAM Editors Subject: monk seal release (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 27 Dec 1997 19:45:11 -0500 From: MAURO HERNANDEZ <106271.41(\)compuserve.com> REPORT ON THE RELEASE OF TWO JUVENILE MONK SEALS IN CAPE BLANC PENINSULA (WESTERN SAHARA - MAURITANIA). Last December 23rd afternoon, two juvenile monk seals, a male (Alexandrie) and a female (Fatima) were released at an area known as Barco de Azucar. The release took place on a beach, 2 km to the south of the breeding caves. Neither ISIFER (Spanish Monk Seal Team) nor the PNBA, both responsible for the post-release monitoring, were told about this event as it had been agreed beforehand. These two seals, together with two other orphaned pups, had been rescued at the end of May by the Spanish Monk Seal Team (SMST), during the die-off that affected the Cape Blanc Monk seal colony. The four orphans were handed over the CNROP-Pieterburen team for their rehabilitation in captivity. In a beginning, the release of Fatima and Alexandrie had been planned to occur last December 18th. However, the release was postponed due to bad sea conditions. Previously, ISIFER and PNBA representatives had insisted, at several meetings with the CNROP-Pieterburen team, on the need of tagging both seals on the hindflippers as well as putting a satellite-linked transmitter on the top of their heads, to facilitate the post-release monitoring. The placement of the transmitters on the head of the seals was dismissed time and again by the rehabilitation team , stating that this procedure causes an unnecessary stress to the animals and may disrupt their normal behavior, reducing the chance of a succesful reintroduction into the wild. Nonethless, both seals were doubled-tagged on the hindlimbs last december 20th. The SMST and the PNBA expressed their willingness to take over the responsability for both the completion of the rehabilitation and the release of these animals. But this proposal was also rejected. The release was put off for five days till sea state turned better. The release must have taken place between 15:00 and 15.30 last Tuesday, since the seals were already in the water by the time of our arrival at the site. Some members of the rehabilitation team were observing the seals. Actually, we realized by chance that the release was occurring when making a phone call to the Rehabilitation Facility to ask for latest news. Environmental conditions were reasonably good: sea state calm, light E-NE wind and 25 celsius degrees. The release site is adjacent to a shooting range. There were some military vehicles close to the release site. Shortly after, the army started a shooting training with large-gauge munitions. Some shots hit the sea just few hundreds meters far from one of the seals. The shooting training stopped at 17:30. At our arrival, one of the seals was swimming close to the seaside, by Barco de Azucar wreck. This seal (Fatima) was filmed for several minutes, till it headed north, being, subsequently, sighted about 300 m from the release site. Apart from the blue Temple-tags, she also showed a green spot on the posterior region of her head. She was last sighted at 16:30. At that moment, the other seal (Alexandrie) was sighted resting on the beach for a while, 400 m to the south of Barco de Azucar wreck. But he rapidly returned to the water. He began moving southward, being last sighted at 17:30, about 1.5 km to the south of the release site and 300 m offshore. His head had been marked with a blue spot. At 18:00, none of the seals had been sighted again. Moreover, the glare of the sunset impeded a good visibility. Finally, the SMST would like to let everybody know about the following facts: 1) At present, these two seals may represent 2% of the Cape Blanc Monk seal population. The Mediterranean monk seal is one of the most highly endangered species . No more than 400-500 individual are expected to be left worldwide. 2) Telemetry tracking is usually the technique of choice to assess post-release survival and the success of a reintroduction program. 3) Experiences with Hawaiian monk seals have demostrated that an acclimation period of the animals before being released appears to be an important factor that might enhance the survival of the animals in the wild. On the contrary, these two seals have been subject of a long rehabilitation phase in an indoor facility. 4) The environmental conditions occurring during the stormy season (late October to April) are rather harsh . Particularly, with respect to those animals that have not been given the chance of learning how to deal with the conditions prevalent in their habitat. 5) The release in the afternoon limited the time of observation of the seals to a few hours before dusk 6) Release criteria for highly endangered species should be approach in a scientific manner.. 7) The two seals released last September 20th (both having a satellite-linked transmitter on the top of their heads) as well as the one released last year (without either tags or transmitter) have not been sighted in the colony yet. One of the seals released in September (Ambrigue) could be monitored for almost two months. He finally appeared to have developed some tenacity for and area located 60 km to the south of the breeding caves. The other seal released in September (Willie) disappeared soon after her reintroduction into the wild (no satellite positions, no sightings). The results of Monk seal rehabilitation-reintroduction programs implemented in Mauritania are, so far, more than questionable. Luis Mariano Gonzalez, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Gran Via de San Francisco 4, 28005 Madrid, Spain. Phone: 34-1-597.55.52, Fax: 34-1-597.55.66 Luis Felipe Lopez-Jurado & Pedro Lopez, Departamento de Biologia, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Islas Canarias, Spain. Phone: 34-28-38.52.06 Fax: 34-28-37.36.34 Subject: MARMAM Editorial Policy and FAQ ====================================================== MARMAM EDITORIAL POLICY AND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ====================================================== This message will be sent out monthly - new additions or recent changes are marked + *Please save this message for future reference!* Topics: EDITORIAL POLICY 1. The MARMAM list + 2. Messages posted on MARMAM + 3. Messages not posted on MARMAM 4. Reasons for rejection of messages FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 5. How do I post messages to the list? 6. How do I reply to individual subscribers? 7. How do I subscribe/unsubscribe/temporarily signoff? 8. How do I receive MARMAM postings as a single daily digest rather than as individual messages? 9. How do I retrieve old postings to MARMAM? 10. How do I find out who subscribes to MARMAM? 11. How do I get help using listserver commands? 12. Why did my MARMAM subscription stop? + 13. How do I get other information on marine mammals? 14. Who do I contact with my questions or concerns? ===================================================== MARMAM EDITORIAL POLICY 1. The MARMAM list MARMAM is an edited e-mail discussion list which focuses on marine mammal research and conservation. The list was established in August 1993 and as of December 1997 there were over 3,000 subscribers from 55 different countries. Anyone may subscribe to the list. Editors of the MARMAM list work on a volunteer basis. At any one time there may be between three and five editors. We have endeavoured to make the editorial policy as uniform as possible (detailed below) but there may be some individual editor variation in the standard of messages sent to the list. _______________________________________________________________ + 2. Messages posted on MARMAM + A wide spectrum of message types are found on MARMAM, all related to marine mammal research and/or conservation. MARMAM endeavours to provide unbiased information these issues (ie. is not anti-whaling or anti-hunting per se). Commonly seen messages include: - requests for information regarding current or recent research projects, publications, or research techniques - current or previously unreported unusual news events - meeting announcements - job or volunteer opportunities - abstracts from scientific papers or reports - books/techniques/products announcements - requests for products (eg. slides, photographs) which will benefit marmam subscribers (eg. slides that will be of widespread use or for payment) Before sending a message to MARMAM, please read the following. An increasing number of messages are being sent to the list which require modification by the authors or the Editors. As the Editors moderate the list on a volunteer basis, there is often limited time available to help with or to facilitate such modifications. We ask that before sending a message to the list, the author ensure that: - A detailed subject heading is included - Your name and e-mail address are included in the body of the message - Your message is interesting enough to go to 3000 list members. - Your replies are meant to go to ALL the subscribers of MARMAM, rather than just to the original author. If you feel your submission is of general interest, please send it both to the original author and cc it to MARMAM. (In many cases we ask that summaries of responses to questions are later posted to the list so individual responses to the list are often unneccessary.) - Requests for information provide details in the body of the message justifying the request (providing background information or details on why the information is needed). Such requests should also demonstrate that available means to obtain the information requested have been exhausted. Please do not use the list merely because you have not checked your library. A follow up of responses to any such request should later be posted to the list. + - Messages in another language provide an english translation + Note. MARMAM cannot receive attachments - please submit messages as text only. _______________________________________________________________ 3. Messages not posted on MARMAM Examples of messages not posted to the MARMAM list include: - information not related to marine mammal research or conservation - animal rights issues - communication between humans and other animals - 'casual' requests for information that is easily available elsewhere - information requests without details as to why this is being requested - news reports of common events (e.g. strandings of common species of marine mammals, deaths of captive animals, etc) - requests for volunteer positions/employment - requests for small numbers of specific items (eg. slides, photographs) that would be better directed to individuals working on the species in question. - opinion statements offering little or no novel arguments + - messages with some substance surrounded by a lot of rhetoric - humourous anecdotes _______________________________________________________________ 4. More detail on reasons for rejection of messages. 'CASUAL' REQUEST. Messages which request information which is readily available from other sources, such as your average university library, are not posted to the list. A specific request, with a brief description of what the information is to be used for, is most likely to stimulate feedback from other subscribers. If the author lives in a country where limited library resources are available and is conducting original research, exceptions to this rule may be made (though the message author must state that they have no easy access to library resources). INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION. Messages which include only an information request without providing any background information justifying the request and demonstrating that available means to obtain this information have been exhausted, will not be posted. JOB/ VOLUNTEER POSITION/ INTERNSHIP WANTED. Requests for employment or volunteer opportunities are not posted to the list. Persons seeking such positions are encouraged to monitor MARMAM for opportunities, which they can apply to directly. Students interested in careers in marine mammal science are encouraged to consult the Society for Marine Mammalogy's 'Strategies for Pursuing a Career in Marine Mammal Science', which can be found at the Society for Marine Mammalogy's website: http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/strat.htm BEEN THERE, DONE THAT. Messages of a duplicative nature which do not contribute new information are generally not posted to the list. Exceptions include event-related postings, such as conference information, job openings, and surveys. New subscribers are strongly encouraged to monitor MARMAM for a period before submitting messages to the list, or to review recent archived messages, to reduce the number of duplicative submissions. 'FLAMES'. Messages which are derogatory or serve to insult rather than contribute to the discussion at hand are not posted to the list. INPROPERLY FORMATTED OR FULL OF TYPOS. As editing the list is a volunteer job and there are often too many messages to easily deal with, messages which are inproperly formatted (e.g., missing a subject heading, missing the senders name and e-mail address in the body of the message, or formatted too wide for a computer screen) or those full of typos may not be sent to the list. In most cases the author will be contacted regarding resubmitting their message, but at times of high volume, this may not always be done. ===================================================== MARMAM FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 5. How do I post messages to the list? All messages meant for MARMAM subscribers should be sent to marmam(\)uvvm.uvic.ca Messages should include the sender's name and e-mail address within the body of the text, and a detailed subject heading. ______________________________________________________________ 6. How do I reply to individual messages? Messages meant soley for a particular subscriber and not for MARMAM may be sent directly to that subscriber using his or her e-mail address, which will appear in the header of the message and/or in the body of the message. Subscribers are asked to include their e-mail address within the body of their messages, as not all subscribers receive headers including this information with their messages. If your reply is of general interest to the subscribers, please reply to the list, otherwise you should reply directly to the individual posting the original message. NOTE: Many subscribers will find that use of the 'reply' option will reply to MARMAM, not to the intended recipient. Please check your header when using the 'reply' option. ______________________________________________________________ 7. How do I subscribe/ unsubscribe/ temporarily signoff? All messages not meant for MARMAM subscribers should be sent to the listserver (listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca). As the list-server is an automated service, it is important that commands be sent without errors or extraneous text. To subscribe, send a message to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca which says: subscribe marmam Yourfirstname Yourlastnamename To unsubscribe, send the message: signoff marmam If you want to temporarily discontinue your subscription without signing off the list, send the message: set marmam nomail to continue it, send the message: set marmam mail NOTE: If your email address is going to change and you will lose access to your old address please unsubscribe that address from marmam, and then subscribe under your new address. If you no longer have access to the email account from which you subscribed, send a brief message to mamamed(\)uvic.ca, providing the email addess that you no longer have access to, and the editors will delete this address from the list. You can then subscribe from your new address. _______________________________________________________________ 8. How do I receive MARMAM postings as a single daily digest rather than as individual messages? To receive marmam messages daily as a single file, send a message to "listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca", saying set marmam digests To change this setting to individual messages, send the message: set marmam mail _______________________________________________________________ 9. How do I retrieve messages previously sent to MARMAM? All MARMAM messages since 1995 are archived and are retrievable by sending the message: get marmam logxxyy to the listserver (listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca), where xx = year and yy = month (e.g. get marmam log9601). As of Nov. 28 1996 all MARMAM messages have also been archived on the world-wide web. These can be found at: http://www.reference.com/cgi-bin/pn/listarch?list=MARMAM(\)uvvm.uvic.ca This archive can be searched by keyword or by date. The archive manager is Quyen Lam ______________________________________________________________ 10. How do I find out who subscribes to MARMAM? A list, sorted by country, of all current subscribers to the list may be retrieved along with their e-mail address' by sending the command: review marmam country to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca Subscribers not wanting this information available to others can send the command: set marmam conceal to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca The list of subscribers can then be imported into a spreadsheet or wordprocessing package where a "find" command can be used to locate a particular subscriber. _______________________________________________________________ 11. How do I get help using listserver commands? A list of common commands for different listserver functions (subscribing, retrieving files, etc.) is obtainable by sending the message: help to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca. A more detailed list of listserver commands may be obtained by sending the message: info refcard to listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca _______________________________________________________________ 12. Why did my MARMAM subscription stop? Your subscription may be cancelled if your email is undeliverable. This can happen, for example, if your in-box is full or if your server is down for a period of time. When this happens the marmamed account will receive error messages, and those whose accounts bounce back are either automatically deleted from the list or manually deleted by the list Editors every once in a while. If you find that you receive no MARMAM messages for a few days, try subscribing to the list again. ______________________________________________________________ + 13. More Information on Marine Mammals WORLD-WIDE WEB LINKS Detailed below are some World Wide Web Marine Mammal related links. Many of these contain further links to other sites. The Society for Marine Mammalogy: "http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~smm/" The National Marine Mammal Laboratory Homepage: "http://nmml01.afsc.noaa.gov/" The Acoustical Society of America: "http://asa.aip.org/" The European Cetacean Society: "http://web.inter.NL.net/users/J.W.Broekema/ecs.htm" International Whaling Commission: "http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/iwcoffice" + WhaleNet + "http://whale.wheelock.edu/" + OTHER EMAIL DISCUSSION LISTS Some other email lists that may be relevent to marine mammals include the following. (Lists on a variety of topics which may vary in relevence are included - the editors take no responsibility for the content of these and are included here for reference only.) Lists are shown as topic, listserver and mailing list name. To subscribe send a message to the appropriate listserver with the message "subscribe " Bioacoustics: listproc(\)cornell.edu, Bioacoustics-L Biotelemetry: LISTSERV(\)BGUVM.BGU.AC.IL, biotelem Fish and Wildlife Information Management: listserv(\)listserv.vt.edu, FWIM-L Mammal: LISTSERV(\)SIVM.SI.EDU, Mammal-l (please let the editors know of other lists to include here) ______________________________________________________________ 14. Who do I contact with my questions and concerns? Questions and concerns about MARMAM can be sent to the list editors (Robin Baird, Sascha Hooker, Kerry Irish, or Shannon Gowans) at marmamed(\)uvic.ca _______________________________________________________________ The MARMAM FAQ can also be found at the website: http://is.dal.ca/~whitelab/marmam.htm Updated December, 1997 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 31 Dec 1997 12:25:33 -1000 From: Alison Craig Subject: Abstract: Humpback Whales Craig, A.S. & Herman, L.M. 1997. Sex differences in site fidelity and migration of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) to the Hawaiian Islands. Canadian Journal of Zoology 75: 1923-1933. Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) perform extensive seasonal migrations between high-latitude summer feeding grounds and low-latitude winter reproductive grounds. To investigate gender-related site fidelity to the Hawaiian Islands, an important wintering area for North Pacific humpback whales, photographically based resight histories of 224 females and 416 males observed in Hawai'i from 1976 through 1991 were compiled. Results indicated that the mean number of years in which they were seen was higher for males than for females, that the probability of an individual being resighted across years was higher for males than for females, and that more males than females were seen in consecutive years. Potential sources of bias favoring the photographic capture of males were considered, but none were judged to be significant contributors to the results obtained. It was proposed instead that not all females undertake or complete the migration to the winter grounds each year. Because of the high energy costs of migration and reproduction, some females may overwinter in high latitudes, while others may become pregnant en route to the area traditionally associated with breeding and return to the feeding grounds before arriving at the terminal winter destination. Reprint requests to: Alison S. Craig Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory 1129 Ala Moana Blvd. Honolulu, HI 96814 USA. acraig(\)hawaii.edu