Category Archives: Society News

Recording of February 2, 2022 Inter-Conference Members’ Meeting

by

Aloha Everyone.

Thanks to all of our members that were able to join us for the live portion of the member’s meeting.  For those of you that were unable to make it you can know watch the meeting on demand at the link below.  The topics on the agenda were the following:

Welcome and 2021 Year in Review
Budget Update
Conservation Fund Awards Announcement
Update from the Editor
Update from D&I
2022 Conference Updates
Changes to Governing Documents and Dues
Announcement of the Norris Award Winner
SMM Board Plans for 2022
Open Floor for Discussion

If you have any questions or business you want to recommend for the Board you can post it in the comments below or send it to the President, appropriate officer or committee chair.

 

Final Week to Apply for the 2022 Louis M. Herman Research Scholarship

by

Louis M. Herman Research Scholarship 2022

This is the final week to apply for the 2022 cycle of the Louis M. Herman Research Scholarship

Criteria
The Louis M. Herman Research Scholarship supports a research project that contributes to our understanding of either cetacean cognition and sensory perception (laboratory or field studies), or humpback whale behavioral ecology or communication. Work with other marine mammals that especially enhances our understanding of their cognitive abilities will also be considered. Eligible candidates include graduate students and those students who have completed their Masters or PhD within the past three years. The award is for a maximum of USD 5000 (~AUD6900; ~Mexican Peso 100,000; ~Fijian Dollar 10,000; ~EUR 4500). Details can also be found on the SMM website.

The application must include the following materials and be submitted by Monday, 7 February 2022, via the upload link here. (https://forms.gle/LG21rZYPBbiEggGp6)

Materials required

  • Cover Page (form)
    • Applicant Name
    • Email
    • Proposal Title
    • School/Affiliation
    • Degree (include date received or anticipated graduation date)
    • Total Project Budget
    • Project Location/Laboratory
    • Project Start Date
    • Project End Date
    • Project Abstract (300 word limit)

 

  • Project Abstract (300 word limit).  Briefly summarize your project.  (This should be the same as the language you enter in the form).

 

  • Project Proposal. Describe proposed project following the labelled sections below. Proposal should not exceed 3 pages in length (Times font, 12-point type, single-spaced, 1-in margins).
    • Background. Include overarching problem/challenge research will address and literature review
    • Project Importance and Relevance. What contributions or advancements will the proposed research make to marine mammal science?  In addition, what is the role of the proposed work in enhancing our understanding of cetacean (or other marine mammal) cognition and sensory perception or humpback whale behavioral ecology or communication. Please include how your project reflects or builds upon the research and interests of Dr. Herman and/or how your career has been influenced by his work.
    • Goals and Objectives. Statement of overall goals and measurable objectives
    • Methods. Include project design, location, field site or laboratory procedures, equipment, and analysis plan. If you are working in a laboratory setting, provide information on the research subjects, including their research experience (e.g., # of subjects, sex, age, years of research experience, etc.).
    • Outreach Plan. Please describe how you plan to share your research progress and findings (e.g., presentations, publications, social media, etc.)
    • Project Timeline. Include a time frame for all elements of the project.

 

  • References Cited.

 

  • Project Personnel. List each key person(s) conducting the research and their role (e.g., Project PI, Field Leader, etc., and make sure to list yourself).

 

  • Project Budget. A detailed budget, including itemized justification.  Please make sure to include:
    • Budget for the full project if it exceeds the award amount
    • How the award monies will be used specifically for the proposed project
    • Information on other funding applied for or already secured

 

  • Current Curriculum Vitae.

 

  • Letters of Reference. Two (2) professional letters of reference.
    • Letters should include the referee’s email address, phone number, and relationship to the applicant. For students, one of these letters should be from the student’s supervisor.

 

  • Research Permits. Verification of necessary research permits and/or authorizations.

 

  • Degree. Verification that the student is currently enrolled in a university degree program or proof of a graduate degree.

Evaluation Categories and Scoring

  • Importance and Relevance. Is this project likely to make a minor contribution/advancement to the relevant areas or a major one? How well does the project address the criteria of the award (above)? Is the proposal focused on a topic directly related to Dr. Herman’s research and findings and does the proposal specifically describe this relevance in detail?  (15 points)
  • Scientific Quality.  This criterion is meant to address whether the specific aspects of the proposal are appropriate to achieve the stated goals and objectives of the proposal.  Examples of project aspects to consider are the overall project design (is it well thought out and logical?),  field and/or lab methods (best practice? the right ones to use?), equipment and/or facilities or study site (right ones for the job?), study subjects if working in a laboratory setting (are these experienced or naive animals?), analyses (appropriate for the research design, rigorous, state-of-the art?) (15 points)
  • Quality of Writing and Presentation. Is the proposal well-written and clear? Are all required aspects of the proposal present and easy to understand? (5 points)
  • Likelihood of Success.  Considering Scientific Quality, applicant’s CV and other key personnel on the project, methods, timeline, funding, etc., how likely is it that the project will achieve its goals and desired outcomes. (5 points)
  • Outreach Plan.  Is the outreach plan appropriate and meaningful?  What kind of reach will these findings have and is it appropriate to the goals of the research?  (5 points)
  • Budget.  Is the budget appropriate and justified?  Does the funding play a meaningful role in the overall success of the project? (5 points)
  • References. Are the references strong, average, or below average in support of the applicant and the project? (5 points)

Award Recipient Notification
The award recipient will be notified by 16 April 2022 with an expectation that the awardee will submit to present their research project at the subsequent Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. We will award up to $500 to support travel costs contingent on an accepted submission and completed presentation.

Enquiries
Via email to the Awards and Scholarships Chair, Lindsay Porter (awardschair@marinemammalscience.org)

Members’ Meeting Reminder: February 2, 2022 at 18:00 GMT

by

Aloha SMM Members-

This is a reminder that we will be hosting our Members’ Meeting online next week. We will give an update on our budget, explain some changes to our governing documents that will be on the March ballot, announce the winners for our inaugural Conservation Fund grants, and more.  We will also share some of our priorities for the coming year and get your input on where the SMM Board and Committees would focus their effort.  This will be a great opportunity to learn how you can get involved in shaping our Society.

Date:  February 2nd
Time:  18:00 GMT

Please register by following this link.

If you are unable to attend due to scheduling conflict or timezone issues you can watch the replay within 24 hrs.  Please share any questions or comments to president@marinemammalscience.org

Looking forward to seeing many of you online.

Cheers,
Charles

SMM Inter-Conference Members Meeting – February 2nd 1800 GMT

by

Aloha and Happy New Year SMM Members-

The delay of the conference means we are overdue for an update to our members.  We would like to kick off the new year with an inter-conference meeting to give an update on our budget, explain some changes to our governing documents that will be on the March ballot, announce the winners for our inaugural Conservation Fund grants, and more.  We will also share some of our priorities for the coming year and get your input on where the SMM Board and Committees would focus their effort.  This will be a great opportunity to learn how you can get involved in shaping our Society.

Date:  February 2nd
Time:  18:00 GMT

Please register by following this link .

If you are unable to attend due to scheduling conflict or timezone issues you can watch the replay within 24 hrs.  Please share any questions or comments to president@marinemammalscience.org

Looking forward to seeing many of you online.  I hope you all have a happy, safe, and successful 2022.

Cheers,
Charles

SMM Seminar Editors’ Select Series: Friends Through Thick and Thin: How Injuries Disrupt Bottlenose Dolphin Associations

by

The SMM Seminar Editor’s Select Series highlights the latest and most exciting marine mammal science published in the Marine Mammal Science Journal. The SMM created this series to give scientists and citizens around the world a chance to engage with marine mammal scientists, learn and ask questions. All are welcome.

Thursday, 16 December 2021 at 4 PM EDT (1 PM PDT / 9 PM UTC)
SMM Seminar Editors’ Select Series: Friends Through Thick and Thin: How Injuries Disrupt Bottlenose Dolphin Associations

About this talk:
Social connectivity is important for measuring the fitness of common bottlenose dolphins because social relationships can enhance survival, reproduction and foraging success.  Human-related injuries such as boat strikes or fishing gear entanglements can potentially remove an individual from its association network and disrupt these relationships. Using data from the long-term resident dolphin community in Sarasota Bay, Florida, we investigated how these injuries affect the dolphins’ social associations by examining the differences in their social networks before and after injury. We found that while injured dolphins were found in groups of similar size to those prior to their injury, their number of preferential associations (i.e., their best friends) seemed to decline immediately after injury but were often regained within two years following injury. An individual’s strongest associations, namely those between mothers and calves and those between male alliance partners, remained stable before and after injury. Because dolphins rely on these relationships for survival, increased occurrence of injury from boating and fishing may put the animals at greater risk for long-term survival, including making them more vulnerable to predation.

About the presenter and co-authors:
Michelle Greenfield is a veterinary student at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine (2023). She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from Princeton University where she began her research with the Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. Since then, Michelle has continued her studies of marine mammals working with organizations such as Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute and the United States Navy’s Marine Mammal Program. Her research interests focus on bottlenose dolphin social behavior and regenerative medicine in marine mammals. In addition to her research and clinical work, Michelle is the producer and host of Aquadocs Podcast, a top 50 life sciences podcast and the leading podcast on aquatic veterinary medicine (www.aquadocspodcast.com).

Open access to all Marine Mammal Science papers is available to current SMM members. Open access to this article will be made temporarily available to the public during the week prior to and of the presentation.

Missed a presentation or want to share this series with a friend? All previous Editors’ Select  presentations are recorded and archived on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUc78IynQlubS2DVS1VZoplf_t42-yZOO

 

Draft Proposal for New Dues Structure and Rates for the Society for Marine Mammalogy

by

Like many professional scientific societies, the Society for Marine Mammalogy relies on a vibrant membership to thrive and accomplish our important work.  You are all vital to the science and conservation mission that is core to our community.  Similarly, the registration dues you pay are critical to maintaining the services provided by the SMM.  Many years ago, the SMM provided three primary roles to our members: 1) form a network of marine mammal scientific practitioners; 2) produce a high-quality scientific journal; and 3) host a biennial meeting.  Over the years, the Society has evolved, growing to meet the wants and needs of its diverse membership while maintaining our flagship products.

We continue to expand the support we provide to our global community of students and non-student members from low-income countries to attend and participate in our conferences.  Our Small Grants in Aid of Research program provides funds to help support marine mammal research in countries where scientists have less access to research funds.  2021 saw the launch of our Conservation Fund to invest in research and conservation actions focused on some of the world’s most imperiled marine mammal populations. We offer webinars and podcasts to share your science with the broader marine mammal community and general public and to tackle important diversity and inclusion issues. SMM programs stretch beyond those listed here and we want to do more – like creating a fund that will help young researchers take advantage of internships that might be financially impossible for them to participate in and online training courses/webinars for members. All of these rely on a mix of membership dues, donations, and returns on our financial investments.

As a result of this expansion, our general operating costs have increased.  Our Board of Governors and committee members are voluntary, but we do have some limited support staff that provide vital service to the SMM community.  We have a website that must be maintained.  Costs for everything, including the journal, continue to rise.  We have rarely addressed these rising costs through changing our dues structure.  As a global society, we are the collective voice for marine mammal conservation and science, and we use our voice in presidential letters, meetings and discussions with policy makers, and serve as a hub that keeps marine mammal wellbeing in the global spotlight. We want a long and increasingly impactful life of our Society, so we are now exploring a much needed update to our membership categories and dues

Easing the Cost Burden of Membership Dues for Members Early in Their Careers

We want to make sure that students and people early in their professional careers have access to our community.  We will be doing this in multiple ways with the first being through restructuring membership dues (see below). With the new dues structure tied to income levels, researchers early in their careers beyond school will be paying reduced membership dues until they move into higher income categories. For students, we are proposing to extend the grace period for who is considered a student by one year (to a total of two years after graduation), understanding that finding employment after graduation can be a challenge. This second action requires modifying our governing documents via a vote by members.

Stabilizing Revenue Streams to Support SMM Grants, Awards, and Other Activities

Every two years the SMM has a surge in membership at registration time for the biennial followed by a precipitous drop in membership one year later.  This “boom and bust” membership trend makes SMM financial planning difficult and limits our ability to consistently support the many services we want to provide our membership.  We are currently proposing that the one year option for Full members from high income countries be removed. This would be accompanied with an increase in the rate for non-member (high income country) registration fees for conferences.

Changing Dues Structure for Membership

There are a couple of reasons for moving towards this new scheme for membership dues.  The first, and most important, is to link membership dues to income and, therefore, distribute the financial burden more equitably across the membership.  The second is to reduce the types of membership to simplify membership management.  We propose to eliminate the Associate Membership category which will mean that all dues-paying members have equal rights within the Society to vote and provide input on SMM activities.  It will also close a loophole that allows people to register at a lower “associate” membership rate and take advantage of the reduced conference cost, which was costing the Society thousands of dollars in lost membership fees.

Proposed 2022 Membership Categories and Fee Structure

Below are the proposed fee changes and simplified membership categories.  Please note that for the regular member, the costs are for a 2-year membership.  There will no longer be 1-year memberships in the current proposal.  To aid in converting from USD to your currency you can use this site.

Regular Member (based on annual income in USD)  – 2 years only

❑ $160 (< $40,000 gross annual income) – This would be a decrease of 20% of current membership cost. As a significant number of members could be in this category, the funding loss to the Society will be offset by an increase in dues to wealthier members.

❑ $200 ($40,001 – $60,000).     0% 

❑ $240 ($60,001 – $100,000) –  This would be an increase of 20%. 

❑ $340 ($100,001 – $150,000) – Increase of 70%

❑ $440 (> $150,001) – Increase of 120% 

❑ $500 Supporting Member (members who wish to support the Society’s work by paying a higher fee)

Regular Student Member

❑ $90 Student Member (2 years) / ❑ $55 Student Member (1 year)

Student membership extends 2 years after graduation.

Low-income Country

There is no change here and the 1-year option remains.

❑ $50 Regular (2 years) ❑ $30 Regular (1 years) 

❑ $30 Student (2 years) ❑ $20 Student (1 years) 

Low income country members would get free online conference access in the future to maximize inclusion.  The SMM would pursue additional funding support from sponsors to maintain this benefit.

Lifetime Members

❑ $2,400 Life Membership, one-time payment. This would be the equivalent of about ~20 yrs of Regular Membership in the $60-100k salary bracket.

 

So Let’s Have a Conversation

We know that these are pretty significant changes we are proposing and we would like to receive input from you before we provide the final proposed changes in early January before the membership vote in March.  You can provide input in multiple ways.  First, feel free to comment in the box below.  These are public comments and it does provide an opportunity for other members to build on any points you might make.  We will respond to clarifying questions as quickly as possible, but not comment directly on any suggestions made here.  If you prefer email, you can send a message to our memberchair@marinemammalscience.org and president@marinemammalscience.org.   

Frequently Asked Questions

We will post any regularly occurring questions we receive here to help you in your consideration of these proposed changes.

  1.  How will you confirm an individual’s salary level at the time of their registration?
    A.  We won’t.  This will be based on an honor system.  We are all working towards the same goal of understanding and conserving marine mammals.  In joining our community you are demonstrating your support for that goal and for the many great programs we offer.  We are confident that everyone will register in good faith.
  2. In my country my salary is less but my expenses for medical, education, etc. are less meaning my useable income is more equivalent to a higher salary in USD.  This means I could register at a lower rate but could afford more.  Should I be registering in a different bracket?
    A.  This is a great question.  It is hard to compare salaries and disposable income from one country to the next.  We ask that you consider registering at a level that fits your income.  If you can afford a higher registration rate, know that the funds are going to support students, scientists, and conservation programs around the world.  Your registration dues make amazing things happen.
  3. It is nice to see lower rates for people working at a lower income, but some of the other dues seem like large increases.  Will this result in a significant increase in funds for the Society?
    A.  We realize that these are some significant proposed changes to dues.  As stated above, our first goal with these changes is try to make our dues structure more equitable by linking it to income.  We don’t currently have income data for our membership so it is very difficult to estimate what this would mean in terms of increasing/decreasing revenue from membership.  If we are able to maintain or expand our current number of members then we expect a relatively small increase in revenue from registrations.  Once we have moved through a one or two membership cycles we will assess if any further changes to our dues are needed.
  4. Are there other ways to increase revenues other than changing membership dues?
    A.  Yes and will be exploring those as well.  As stated above, these changes will not likely result in significant changes in revenue.  Rather it will redistribute the burden more equitably and stabilize our income stream from dues.  We will be exploring ways to increase donations, sponsorships, and advertising through our many electronic platforms.  We are also going to explore ways to ensure that all conferences generate some minimal amount of revenue which would be more in line with our professional societies.  When these other income streams are developed we will look at changing dues and shifting them downwards if appropriate.
  5. Even with the reduced rate for the lower income bracket may be too expensive for me.   Is there any consideration for that?A.  Yes.  It is important to remind everyone that the SMM strives to be as inclusive a Society as possible, and it is our policy not to deny membership to the Society due to lack of funds.  Should you wish to become or remain a member of SMM, but are currently faced with extreme financial hardship, or are unsure as to your status, please contact the Membership Chair.

More to come.  Please comment below!

Louis M. Herman Research Scholarship 2022 now accepting applications

by

Louis M. Herman Research Scholarship 2022

Application OPEN NOW

Louis M. Herman, Ph.D. and Emeritus Professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, will always be remembered for his innovative, creative, and scientifically rigorous approach to the study of the marine mammals he so loved, and for the future generations of marine mammal researchers he and his work continue to inspire.

Criteria
The Louis M. Herman Research Scholarship supports a research project that contributes to our understanding of either cetacean cognition and sensory perception (laboratory or field studies), or humpback whale behavioral ecology or communication. Work with other marine mammals that especially enhances our understanding of their cognitive abilities will also be considered. Eligible candidates include graduate students and those students who have completed their Masters or PhD within the past three years. The award is for a maximum of USD 5000 (~AUD6900; ~Mexican Peso 100,000; ~Fijian Dollar 10,000; ~EUR 4500). Details can also be found on the SMM website.

The application must include the following materials and be submitted by Monday, 7 February 2022, via the upload link here. (https://forms.gle/LG21rZYPBbiEggGp6)

Materials required

  • Cover Page (form)
    • Applicant Name
    • Email
    • Proposal Title
    • School/Affiliation
    • Degree (include date received or anticipated graduation date)
    • Total Project Budget
    • Project Location/Laboratory
    • Project Start Date
    • Project End Date
    • Project Abstract (300 word limit)

 

  • Project Proposal. Describe proposed project following the labelled sections below. Proposal should not exceed 3 pages in length (Times font, 12-point type, single-spaced, 1-in margins).
    • Background. Include overarching problem/challenge research will address and literature review
    • Project Importance and Relevance. What contributions or advancements will the proposed research make to marine mammal science?  In addition, what is the role of the proposed work in enhancing our understanding of cetacean (or other marine mammal) cognition and sensory perception or humpback whale behavioral ecology or communication. Please include how your project reflects or builds upon the research and interests of Dr. Herman and/or how your career has been influenced by his work.
    • Goals and Objectives. Statement of overall goals and measurable objectives
    • Methods. Include project design, location, field site or laboratory procedures, equipment, and analysis plan. If you are working in a laboratory setting, provide information on the research subjects, including their research experience (e.g., # of subjects, sex, age, years of research experience, etc.).
    • Outreach Plan. Please describe how you plan to share your research progress and findings (e.g., presentations, publications, social media, etc.)
    • Project Timeline. Include a time frame for all elements of the project.

 

  • References Cited.

 

  • Project Personnel. List each key person(s) conducting the research and their role (e.g., Project PI, Field Leader, etc., and make sure to list yourself).

 

  • Project Budget. A detailed budget, including itemized justification.  Please make sure to include:
    • Budget for the full project if it exceeds the award amount
    • How the award monies will be used specifically for the proposed project
    • Information on other funding applied for or already secured

 

  • Current Curriculum Vitae.

 

  • Letters of Reference. Two (2) professional letters of reference.
    • Letters should include the referee’s email address, phone number, and relationship to the applicant. For students, one of these letters should be from the student’s supervisor.

 

  • Research Permits. Verification of necessary research permits and/or authorizations.

 

  • Degree. Verification that the student is currently enrolled in a university degree program or proof of a graduate degree.

Evaluation Categories and Scoring

  • Importance and Relevance. Is this project likely to make a minor contribution/advancement to the relevant areas or a major one? How well does the project address the criteria of the award (above)? Is the proposal focused on a topic directly related to Dr. Herman’s research and findings and does the proposal specifically describe this relevance in detail?  (15 points)
  • Scientific Quality.  This criterion is meant to address whether the specific aspects of the proposal are appropriate to achieve the stated goals and objectives of the proposal.  Examples of project aspects to consider are the overall project design (is it well thought out and logical?),  field and/or lab methods (best practice? the right ones to use?), equipment and/or facilities or study site (right ones for the job?), study subjects if working in a laboratory setting (are these experienced or naive animals?), analyses (appropriate for the research design, rigorous, state-of-the art?) (15 points)
  • Quality of Writing and Presentation. Is the proposal well-written and clear? Are all required aspects of the proposal present and easy to understand? (5 points)
  • Likelihood of Success.  Considering Scientific Quality, applicant’s CV and other key personnel on the project, methods, timeline, funding, etc., how likely is it that the project will achieve its goals and desired outcomes. (5 points)
  • Outreach Plan.  Is the outreach plan appropriate and meaningful?  What kind of reach will these findings have and is it appropriate to the goals of the research?  (5 points)
  • Budget.  Is the budget appropriate and justified?  Does the funding play a meaningful role in the overall success of the project? (5 points)
  • References. Are the references strong, average, or below average in support of the applicant and the project? (5 points)

Award Recipient Notification
The award recipient will be notified by 16 April 2022 with an expectation that the awardee will submit to present their research project at the subsequent Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. We will award up to $500 to support travel costs contingent on an accepted submission and completed presentation.

Enquiries
Via email to the Awards and Scholarships Chair, Lindsay Porter (awardschair@marinemammalscience.org)

SMM Editors’ Select Series: Patterns of mortality in endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales with Dr. Tamara McGuire

by

The SMM Seminar Editor’s Select Series highlights the latest and most exciting marine mammal science published in the Marine Mammal Science Journal. The SMM created this series to give scientists and citizens around the world a chance to engage with marine mammal scientists, learn and ask questions. All are welcome.

Tuesday, 16 November 2021 at 2 PM AKST (3 PM PDT / 10 PM UTC)
SMM Seminar Editors’ Select Series:
Patterns of mortality in endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales:
Insights from pairing a long-term photo-identification study with stranding records with Dr. Tamara McGuire of the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Photo-ID Project.

About this talk:
To understand why endangered beluga whales in Cook Inlet Alaska are not recovering despite over a decade of legal protections, we need to understand recent demographic patterns and sources of the population’s mortality. We used photographic records of individually identified live belugas collected over 13 years and combined them with stranding data from belugas found dead during the same period to assess mortality patterns.  Dead females and males were evenly represented. For both males and females, mortality rates were greatest in reproductive-aged adults, and there were no very-old adults. Live stranding was the most commonly assigned cause of death, but did not account for the majority of deaths. The cause(s) of most deaths and live strandings were undetermined. Our analysis advances the current understanding of mortality patterns in CIBWs, but linking a greater proportion of carcasses to photo-ID individuals and collecting more data from stranded carcasses would further improve our understanding of the causes of mortality in this population; we conclude with recommendations for achieving this.

About the presenter and co-authors:
Dr. Tamara McGuire is the Principal Investigator for the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Photo-ID project. She has studied marine mammals for over 25 years and is interested in habitat use, life history, behavior, and the effects of human activities on endangered and threatened aquatic species and their habitats. She has studied marine mammals in Alaska since 2006, and before that on the Oregon Coast and in the Orinoco and Amazon River Basins. She has worked with Federal, Tribal, and State agencies, NGOs, and private industry. She led the Cook Inlet Beluga Recovery Team and is an advocate for collaborative research. Kim Shelden is a marine biologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration based at the Marine Mammal Laboratory of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. She has worked for the Cetacean Assessment and Ecology Program since 1990 studying species present seasonally and year-round in Alaska waters including Cook Inlet belugas, North Pacific right whales, bowhead whales, gray whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, and harbor porpoise. Dr. Gina Himes Boor is Assistant Research Professor in the Ecology Department Montana State University. Her research focuses on developing models to better understand the demographic and spatial-use patterns that contribute to the decline and recovery of imperiled species. Amber Stephens has studied marine mammals since 1998, including beluga whales, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, narwhals, and Pacific walrus.  A CI on the CIBW Photo-ID Project, her responsibilities include cataloging, field work, public outreach, and website management. John McClung joined the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Photo-ID Project in 2017 and has over ten years of photo-identification experience of cetaceans including humpback whales, melon-headed whales, and belugas. Prior to receiving his MS in wildlife science from Oregon State University, he served 26 years in the U.S. Air Force. Christopher Garner is a biologist for the Department of Defense at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.  He has studied beluga and harbor porpoise in upper Cook Inlet since 2001 with emphasis on beluga ecology within rivers emptying into a hypertidal region as well as the effects of military activity on marine mammals and their prey. Dr. Carrie Goertz is the Director of Animal Health at the Alaska SeaLife Center where she oversees veterinary care for animals in the aquarium and out in the field, working with sea birds, fish, invertebrates, sea otters, seals, sea lions, beluga, and other marine animals. Dr. Kathy Burek Huntington has been the pathologist for the Alaska stranding program and in particular for the Cook Inlet belugas for 23 years and works collaboratively with the rest of the stranding network throughout Alaska. She is particularly interested in emerging pathogens, harmful algal bloom toxins, pathology, the intersections of these topics with climate change, and mentoring young scientists in pathology. Dr. Greg O’Corry-Crowe is a behavioral ecologist and geneticist focused on marine mammals and conservation. He runs the Wildlife Evolution and Behavior (WEB) program at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and is a research professor at Florida Atlantic University. Bruce Wright is an ecologist with the Knik Tribe whose work focuses on Alaska marine and terrestrial top predators.

Open access to all Marine Mammal Science papers is available to current SMM members. Open access to this article will be made temporarily available to the public during the week prior to and of the presentation.

Missed a presentation or want to share this series with a friend? All previous Editors’ Select  presentations are recorded and archived on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUc78IynQlubS2DVS1VZoplf_t42-yZOO

Welcome to our new Ethics Committee Chair,  Dr. Karen Stockin and Aloha to Dr. Paul Nachtigall

by

Aloha,

Dr. Paul Nachtigall will be stepping down after five years of guiding the SMM Ethics Committee.  His legacy of commitment to the SMM is worth mentioning again.  He presented his doctoral work at Ken Norris’ meeting in Santa Cruz in 1975, setting in motion  his strong involvement at the founding meeting in San Francisco in 1981. He has been to all but one biennial meeting and led our Society as President. In Paul’s own words, “SMM has been my home scientific society though I have been active in others. I am retired now, 75 years old, and have been Ethics Chair for over six years. I have recently worked with an outstanding group of people on the Ethics committee and with three dedicated and wonderful boards.” Paul has given much to the Society over these many decades and for that, we should all be grateful.  

At the same time as announcing Paul’s departure we solicited expressions of interest from any member interested in taking over the role of Ethics Committee Chair. Thank you to those of you who reached out with interest. It was a small but esteemed group of colleagues willing to take on this important responsibility. After discussion and deliberation we selected Dr. Karen Stockin for the position. Many of you are familiar with Karen, but if you are not, she has extensive experience in marine mammal science, ethics and welfare. Karen is based at New Zealand’s Massey University where she is the leader of the Cetacean Ecology Research Group. Her research sits at the nexus of marine biology, behavioural ecology, vet pathology and animal welfare science with a particular focus on anthropogenic impacts which affect individuals as well as populations. These impacts include toxicology, vessel impacts (direct/indirect) and human-wildlife interactions. She is currently a Rutherford Discovery Fellow, which is supporting her exciting work assessing how AI and Animal Welfare Science can increase the effectiveness of human intervention efforts during mass stranding events. Her other experience includes serving as the inaugural Strandings Coordinator (2018-2020) for the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and she is currently a specialist on the IWC Strandings Initiative Expert Panel.  We are very excited to welcome her to the Board of Governors and see where she leads the Society on the many complex ethics and welfare discussions and issues within our field.  

Welcome Karen and mahalo and aloha Paul.

Emily B. Shane Award Now Accepting Proposals

by

Greetings, members!

The EBS Award 2021-22 is now looking for proposals. This fund is open to all Society members for projects that focus on free-ranging odontocete and sirenian species.

Projects with clear conservation priorities for populations or habitat critical to these species will be scored highly. Research that also positively impacts local communities will also be given special consideration.

The award is for USD 10,000 (eqv. ~Colombian Pesos (COP) 38,000,000, ~Euro 8,500, ~Indian Rupees (INR) 735,500, ~ Chinese Yuan (RMB) 64,500, Australian Dollar (AUD) 13,500).

Please submit your proposal before 12 November 2021

Find out about eligibility and how to apply here. 

Thank you,
Lindsay Porter
Chair, Awards and Scholarships Committee
Society for Marine Mammalogy