This week: Pygmy Right Whales

Presenters: Cindy Elliser and Katrina MacIver

Music by Josh Burns

Sources:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123735539002145

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/caperea-marginata

New Research:

2013, Fordyce and Marx. Last of the Cetotheres: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2012.2645

2015, Tsai and Fordyce. Missing link – Ancestor-descendant relationships https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsbl.2014.0875

2017, Tsai et al. Northern pygmy right whales in past https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982217310965

2018, Tsai and Mead. Stranding pygmy right whale in Northern hemisphere https://zoologicalletters.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40851-018-0117-8?fbclid=IwAR3qemUVOE7380cJYpCNbsWkYwpmpWkBTBZzjnCrwFvmFONeIMXkbnwaQUk

2002, Kemper. Distribution in Australasian region https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2002.tb01021.x

2022, Tanaka et al. Feeding by skimming https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsos.221353

2017, Park et al. Inner ear cochlea and phylogeny https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jmor.20674

2018, Werth et al. Filtration area scaling and evolution https://academic.oup.com/biolinnean/article/125/2/264/5085357

Fin whale references:

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.630233/full

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0063396

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2004.tb01161.x

https://animalia.bio/southern-fin-whale

How can you measure a prey item that is being consumed by a sea otter? You can't take it and physically measure it, you are just watching them eat it. But size is an important factor to know about when looking at foraging ecology and how much energy they are deriving from their prey. Well, sea otter researchers have come up with an ingenious way to measure things that can be comparable with any other location - which is very necessary when wanting to compare between regions. They use sea otter paw widths! This is one of the fun new things we learned while reading this study on sea otter foraging ecology. We also learn more about how Washington sea otters are different than California and British Columbia sea otters, and why that is important when discussing and comparing diets, energy intake and population growth between regions. Come and learn about how good Washington sea otters are at eating kelp crabs (compared to the other locations) and what implications that has for differences in foraging ecology and population growth between these regions.

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Paper is available here: https://bioone.org/journals/northwestern-naturalist/volume-104/issue-1/NWN20-07/RAPID-CONSUMPTION-OF-KELP-CRAB--IMPLICATIONS-FOR-SEA-OTTERS/10.1898/NWN20-07.short

Join Pacific Mammal Research (PacMam) scientists to learn about different marine mammals each episode! We discuss a little about the biology, behavior and fun facts about each species. Have fun and learn about marine mammals with PacMam! This week: New Zealand Fur Seals 

Presenters: Cindy Elliser and Katrina MacIver 

Music by Josh Burns 

For a small monhtly fee, subscribe to our podcast and get ad free listening and bonus mini episodes!: https://anchor.fm/pacific-mammal-research/subscribe

Sources: 

Diet and Behavior: 

https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/marine-mammals/seals/nz-fur-seal/facts/ 

https://www.pinnipeds.org/seal-information/species-information-pages/sea-lions-and-fur-seals/new-zealand-fur-seal 

https://australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/new-zealand-fur-seal/ 

New research: 

Lactating females and foraging: https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/z08-055 

Colony specific foraging grounds: https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v361/p279-290/ 

Foraging site fidelity continental shelf vs. oceanic: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00487.x 

Vessel disturbance: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/mms.12171 

Swimming with seals ecotourism: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308597X13002522 

Toxoplasmosis: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304401714004099 

Novel DNA virus: https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/genomeA.00558-13 

Hybrids: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03586.x

In some species males and females look different, this is called sexual dimorphism. Often times it is the males that have the distinct features, but not always. Sometimes the features are VERY different, and sometimes they are more subtle. Being able to know if an individual is male or female is important in understanding their social structure, behavior, mating strategies and can inform conservation measures. It is often hard to know the sex of a whale, dolphin or porpoise as many species don't have distinct sexual dimorphism, and other ways to determine sex are more invasive (like biopsies or necropsies). In this episode we dive into a new technology that allows researchers to determine the sex of individual whales by using photographs. They use a special program, ImageJ, that allows researchers to use pixel measurements to quantify different body parts (like fin height, length, etc.). They can then use combinations of these measurements to create ratios that they can then compare between individuals. Join us and learn how this new technology may allow researchers to be able to predict the sex of individuals, and the implications that has on conservation!

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Paper is available here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/mms.12963

Join Pacific Mammal Research (PacMam) scientists to learn about different marine mammals each episode! We discuss a little about the biology, behavior and fun facts about each species. Have fun and learn about marine mammals with PacMam!  

This week: Weddell Seals 

Presenters: Cindy Elliser and Katrina MacIver  

Music by Josh Burns

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Weddell seal episode Sources:

· https://www.pinnipeds.org/seal-information/species-information-pages/the-phocid-seals/weddell-seal

· http://weddellsealscience.com/about.html (research running since 1968!)

· https://www.marinebio.org/species/weddell-seals/leptonychotes-weddellii/

Sound files:

· https://dosits.org/galleries/audio-gallery/marine-mammals/pinnipeds/weddell-seal/(sound file)

· https://ocr.org/sounds/weddell-seal/(sound file)

· https://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/animals/seals/weddell-seal/(lots of sound files)

New research:

LaRue et al 2020 - crowd sourcing and remote sensing: https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/rse2.124

LaRue et al 2021 - new global population estimate with crowd sourcing and remote sensing: https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/rse2.124

Popular science article of that publication: https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2022/02/04/weddell-seal-population-may-be-much-lower-than-previously-thought/

Davis et al 2003 - 3D dive movments: https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v264/p109-122/

Williams et al 2004 - metabolic costs of foraging: o https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/207/6/973/15049/The-cost-of-foraging-by-a-marine-predator-the

Heerah et al 2013 - ecology of seals during winter (foraging): o https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0967064512001658

Wheatley et al 2006 - influence of maternal mass: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3838384 

Hadley et al 2006 - variation in probability of first reproduction: https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2656.2006.01118.x

We often talk about the Salish Sea on our podcast, but many of you may not know exactly where or what that is. It is an urban sea, with high biodiversity and productivity - making it a great place for many organisms, including humans. However, the extenisve development by humans often comes at a cost, which is paid for by the ecosystem, usually resulting in negative effects that can combine, accumulate and interact in very complex ways, reducing the health of both the ecosystem and those that call it home. But the Salish Sea has shown resiliency, it still boasts thriving populations of plants, animals and humans; but it is also a cautionary tale. There are many parts of the Sea, and animals within it, that are in danger - showing us that we are testing that resiliency. So what can be done? Join us as we review this article that showcases how the Salish Sea as an urban sea can be a model for understanding the complex threats to urban seas around the world, and most importantly provides ideas and hope for what we can do now to help protect and conserve these important waterways, so that we don't pass the point of no return. 

For a small monhtly fee, subscribe to our podcast and get ad free listening and bonus mini episodes!: https://anchor.fm/pacific-mammal-research/subscribe

Paper is open access: https://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/article/10/1/00055/195015/Urban-seas-as-hotspots-of-stress-in-the

Governance article mentioned in the podcast: https://cedar.wwu.edu/salish_pubs/33/

We wanted to end the year with a look back at the favorite things we covered and learned in the podcast, what was the most exciting field session and what we are looking forward to next year! Join us for a look back and a look forward, and have a wonderful holiday!

There is still time to donate to our end of year fundraiser: https://donorbox.org/pacmam2022

Thank you for your support!

This episode we are covering two short notes on some pretty fantastic behaviors! Drones can give us perspectives that we can't otherwise get when viewing wildelife, and these two papers are great examples of this. The first paper reviews an apparent expulsion of placental material in a group of pilot whales that also contained a neonate calf (likely born within the past 12 hours).  It is very rare to see a cetacean birth in the wild, or anything like this relating to a recent birth, so this is a very interesting and important documentation. Join us as we review the video and the interesting behaviors that the other pilot whales in the group showed during the event.  The second paper is a bit lighter, and seems like two animals having some interspecies playtime. Here they document a river otter and harbor seal seemingly playing hide and seek or tag. Now, we don't know exactly what they are doing or why, but they are definitely interacting together on purpose, chasing after each other at times, and looking for each other when one runs off. Join us as we review the playful video and discuss what may be happening and why. Both papers provide unique and important insights in the lives of these marine mammals.

Papers and videos freely available

Long finned pilot whales: paper and video

Otter and seal interaction: paper and video

Join Pacific Mammal Research (PacMam) scientists to learn about different marine mammals each episode! We discuss a little about the biology, behavior and fun facts about each species. Have fun and learn about marine mammals with PacMam! 

This week: The Bowhead Whale  

Presenters: Cindy Elliser and Katrina MacIver  

Music by Josh Burns

Sources

General:

NOAA

International Whaling commission

American Cetacean Society

Papers in the new research section:

Seasonal habitat selection and here

Killer whale predation and landscape of fear

Genome and positive selection for gene mutations linked to cancer and aging

Olfaction – they have sense of smell

They sing!

Unmanned aerial systems for photo-ID

Hormones, stress and reproduction

Effects of airgun sounds

Marine ecotourism provides economic benefits for humans, and is a good alternative for marine species that migh otherwise be hunted, like many dolphin and whale species. However, there are still negative effects that can have long-term consequences for a species' survival. Increased vessel traffic creates a noisy enviornment, increases risk of vessel strike, and can cause changes to behavior and activity budgets.  These can directly hurt the animals, but can also cause indirect effects (like reduced time foraging, or reduced reproduction) that can accumulate and negatively impact the long-term survival. It is important that we understand where the balance lies between what we need/want to do, and the needs of the animals. This paper is a great example of using long-term data to show what the problem is and articulate what we should be doing into the future to strike that balance so that both humans and dolphins can coexist. This paper looks at changes in the number of cruise ships and people going into a harbor in New Zealand and correlates that with changes observed in Hector's dolphins sighting rates and distribution pattern.  It is an excellent example of how long-term monitoring is vital to being able to identify when changes occur, why the are occurring, and gives us the tools we need to be able to act in real-time for the health of the ecosystem that the humans and dolphins rely on. 

Paper is freely available: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.3881