The call for Association for Environmental Studies & Sciences’ 2019 conference is now open!
The theme is “Sustainable Futures” and it will be held at the University of of Central Florida on 26-29 June 2019.
Workshop proposals are due Jan 7 and abstracts for presentations are due by Feb 15.
For Submission details go to: aessconference.org/proposals/
To register please visit: https://www.field-studies-council.org/individuals-and-families/courses/2019/mil/marine-mammals-81596.aspx
This field course is an intensive, comprehensive yet thoroughly enjoyable introduction to studying marine mammals. With dedicated vessel surveys, lab practicals, shore work and lectures that cover the whole spectrum of marine mammal science; this course is a one-of-kind experience into the world of whales, dolphins and seals led by experienced professionals. Their biology, physiology, ecology, conservation and sampling strategies will be detailed over the course by experts in different fields, with specific focus on practical sessions where data will be collected and analysed. These practicals include: a line-transect survey for birds and cetaceans, a seal colony behavioural study, an acoustic workshop, an otter diet analysis and a land-based observation for megafauna. The Clyde is home to a wide variety of marine megafauna and is the perfect setting for observing mammals and birds in the wild. The use of the marine station’s research vessel RV Actinia, state-of-the-art lab facilities, comfortable lecture theatres and specialist equipment are an integral part of this course, along with the specialisms of the teaching staff involved.
Please note this course is aimed at those who are currently undertaking, or have recently undertaken, a degree in a relevant scientific discipline or those pursuing post-graduate studies. The course currently hosts regular undergraduate cohorts from the Universities of Glasgow and Stirling, and is frequently attended by visiting international students.
Extra Nights
If you are interested in staying at the Centre for additional nights, before or after the course, please contact the Centre for availability and costs which start from £25 for B&B, or £40 full board (we can confirm B&B availability 4 weeks prior to the course). Sunday rate £35.
Partner Rate
For those paying the sole occupancy price, we are offering our guests a special rate for those who would like a twin room for them and their partner not enrolled on an FSC course, at £35 per night for dinner, bed and breakfast.
US students
If you are based in the US and wish to take the course and/or wish to take the course for US college (undergraduate or graduate credit; 4.0 credit hours) please contact Dr Chris Parsons (ecm-parsons@earthlink.net) for information on how to get to the field station and/or obtaining US credit.
Tutors
Dr Dominic McCafferty joined the University of Glasgow in 1999 and since then has undertaken a range of studies on vertebrates with a particular interest in physiological ecology. His current research deals with cold adaptation, behavioural thermoregulation and stress-related temperature responses of birds and mammals. Dominic is Editor in Chief of Ibis (https://www.bou.org.uk/ibis/) and an Editorial Board member for the Journal of Thermal Biology (https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-thermal-biology).
Dr Chris Parsons has been involved in whale and dolphin research for over two decades and has been involved in projects on every continent. Chris was Associate Professor at George Mason University as well as the Director of their undergraduate program in environmental science, and is currently a research affilate at Glasgow University. In addition, he has published over 170 scientific papers and book chapters and has written a textbook on marine mammal biology & conservation (the textbook for the course) and co-edited a book on marine wildlife conflict resolution. He’s the Executive Editor of the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, an Associate Editor of Frontiers in Marine Science. and on the editorial board of Tourism in Marine Environments.
Dr Anna McGregor, a lecturer at Glasgow University, with a research background focussed on the use of sound in marine mammals and the potential for anthropogenic noise to cause physiologically relevant disturbance. More recently, Anna’s work has included studying the effects of noise on other animals as well as those in freshwater environments, and the use of acoustics to monitor cryptic animals in a number of habitats.
Jack Lucas is a knowledgeable marine biologist having conducted marine mammal research in four countries, and with a degree in the subject. He is also a qualified Passive Acoustic Monitoring operator and Marine Mammal Observer. He has a passion for birds and marine organisms, and works on Cumbrae as an FSC tutor for much of the year so knows the local sites well.
The practical exercises on this course will be based on those in the recently published GIS For Biologists: A Practical Introduction For Undergraduates by Dr MacLeod, and a free copy of this book will be provided to all participants.
Attendance will be limited to a maximum of 16 people, and the course will cost £295 per person (£200 for students, the unwaged and those working for registered charities). To book a place, or for more information, visit http://gisinecology.com/an-introduction-to-using-gis-in-biological-research/ or email info@GISinEcology.com.
Glasgow has great transport links and is within half a days travel by car or by fast train links from most cities in the UK. For example, it can be reached in as little as 4h 30mins from London by train. It can also be reached by direct flights from many European cities and the flight time is generally under four hours.
The exact venue for the course will be confirmed closer to the time of the course, but it will be held in Glasgow city centre.
Attendees will be responsible for their own accommodation. However, Glasgow provides a wide range of accommodation options to fit most budgets.
Web: www.GISinEcology.com Email: info@GISinEcology.com
Seiche Training will be launching a PAM Level 2 course on the 18th to 21st Feb 2019, Devon, UK.
This will be a new three and a half day course that builds on Seiche’ s PAM Level 1 course to develop operators’ skills for advanced PAMGuard configuration and troubleshooting hardware and software, as well as exploring more methods and settings for marine mammal identification. The course finishes with a practical session on analysing data using various software programmes, such as PAMGuard Viewer and Raven Lite.
The course is aimed at delegates with PAM experience and have completed PAM Level 1. A scientific background is preferred, ideally in biology and marine sciences. The skills developed on the course can be applied to all PAM equipment currently in the marketplace. Delegates will have a mix of interactive sessions, lectures and hands-on access to equipment.
If you require further information or wish to book, please contact info@seichetraining.com
This is the first call for attendees for our upcoming introductory training course for those who wish to learn how to use GIS in biological research, and it will provide an introduction to using GIS in a wide variety of biological research situations, including marine mammal research, and the course includes two marine-mammal-specific practical exercises (one based around calculating the observed abundance per unit survey effort of dolphins using a grid-based approach, and one based around mapping species richness for North Atlantic beaked whales). It is primarily based around a GIS software package called QGIS, which is free to use. As a result, it is one of the best options for doing GIS for self-employed MMOs, small environmental consultancies, NGOs, those working on small marine mammal research projects with limited budgets for purchasing software licences and students working at universities who do not have access to commercial GIS software packages.
The course will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, on the 18th and 19th of March 2019, and it will be taught by Dr Colin D. MacLeod, who has more than 15 years experience in using GIS for a wide variety of biological purposes. For those who cannot attend this course in person, a shorter online course based on the same materials is available from our sister site www.GISforBiologists.com.
The course will primarily be based around QGIS (also known as Quantum GIS), which provides a user-friendly, open-source, free alternative to commercial GIS software packages, and it is becoming increasingly widely used in both academic and commercial organisations As a result, it is aimed at both those with no GIS experience, but wish to learn how to do GIS with QGIS, and also those who are familiar with using commercial GIS software, such as ArcGIS, but who wish to learn how to use QGIS as an alternative. However, this course is taught using software-independent approach, and it is also open to those who wish to learn how to use ArcGIS to do biological GIS.
The practical exercises on this course will be based on those in the recently published GIS For Biologists: A Practical Introduction For Undergraduates by Dr MacLeod, and a free copy of this book will be provided to all participants.
Attendance will be limited to a maximum of 16 people, and the course will cost £295 per person (£200 for students, the unwaged and those working for registered charities). To book a place, or for more information, visit http://gisinecology.com/an-introduction-to-using-gis-in-biological-research/ or email info@GISinEcology.com.
Glasgow has great transport links and is within half a days travel by car or by fast train links from most cities in the UK. For example, it can be reached in as little as 4h 30mins from London by train. It can also be reached by direct flights from many European cities and the flight time is generally under four hours.
The exact venue for the course will be confirmed closer to the time of the course, but it will be held in Glasgow city centre.
Attendees will be responsible for their own accommodation. However, Glasgow provides a wide range of accommodation options to fit most budgets.
The committee of the UK and Ireland Regional Student Chapter (UKIRSC) of the Society for Marine Mammalogy are pleased to announce our 13th annual conference. This year our meeting will be held on the 24th–26th January 2019 at Swansea University, Wales.
This is a free conference which aims to bring together students from all across the United Kingdom and Ireland who are interested in and study marine mammals. Students are encouraged to present and discuss their work with colleagues, and have the opportunity to attend workshops and talks given by experienced scientists and specialists.
Deadline for registration and submission of presentation abstracts is 5th January 2019.
For more information and to register for the conference, please visit our website: https://synergy.st-andrews.ac.uk/ukrsc/conference-2019/
When: March 29-31, 2019
Where: Georgetown University
As a special treat, the Smithsonian’s “Whale Warehouse” will be open all day (9-5pm) Friday for free tours! This is one of the largest collections of marine mammals in the world, read about it here and here. Make sure you arrive early enough to visit the Warehouse before registration and the Ice Breaker in the evening. The Warehouse is located in Suitland, MD which is approximately 25 min to 1 hour Southeast of DC (depending on traffic). We recommend visiting the Warehouse before you check into your hotel/airbnb. See the ‘Whale Warehouse’ tab for more information!
We are pleased to announce the course ” Métodos de estudios acústicos y visuales para la conservación de cetáceos ”
To be held in Lima, Peru. This course will be taught Spanish.
More details are provided in Spanish for potential attendees:
Taller: Métodos de estudios acústicos y visuales para la conservación de cetáceos
Si eres estudiante, egresado y te gustaría investigar sobre la ecología comportamental y poblacional de cetáceos aplicando métodos visuales y acústicos.
Te invitamos a participar en el presente taller que se impartirá en colaboración con las siguientes instituciones:
– Laboratorio de Ecología Acústica e Comportamiento Anima, Universidade Federal do Reconcavo da Bahia, Brasil
– Fundación MERI, Santiago de Chile.
– Madre Agua Ecoturismo e Investigación, Colombia.
– Proyecto CETACEA Ecuador, USFQ.
¡Te esperamos el sábado 03 de Noviembre en Lima, Solamac 2018!
Inscripciones en: http://solamac2018.com/xii-congreso-y-xviii-reunion-de-trabajo-de-la-sociedad-latinoamericana-de-especialistas-en-mamiferos-acuaticos-solamac/
The fourth Australia/New Zealand Student Chapter Meeting of the Society for Marine Mammalogy will take place on November 29th and 30th, 2018, starting at 9 AM at Griffith University (Queensland). There will be an optional half-day R workshop on Wednesday afternoon, November 28th, which will be run by our colleagues at Griffth. This opportunity will be free, suitable for all levels of R users, and open to all interested conference participants.
The Chapter has funding to provide meals during the two days of the conference, as well as the opportunity to cover most, if not all, accommodation costs for those travelling from outside of Brisbane (3 nights; depending upon need). We would, therefore, like to reiterate that all university students (undergraduates to postdocs) from Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, and Southeast Asia are welcome to attend.
We encourage attendees to give an oral presentation (15 minutes) or to present a poster about their current (or planned) work on marine mammals. The deadline to submit an abstract (max. 300 words) has been extended to Friday, November 9th. Please send an email as soon as possible to anzscsmm@gmail.com with the subject ‘ANZSCSMM Abstract’, along with your name, affiliation, presentation preference, abstract, the state/country you’ll be travelling from, any dietary requirements, and a request for accommodation (if applicable). We will make decisions about travel grants based on the final number of participants. Those chosen to receive a travel grant will be notified the week after the deadline and will be reimbursed at the conference.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact anzscsmm@gmail.com
A schedule and an abstract book will be sent out two weeks prior to the conference.