Southern California Marine Mammal Workshop

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The Southern California Marine Mammal Workshop is organized for and by marine mammal researchers to foster discussion and collaboration within the Southern California research community.

From Social Structure to Species: Applications of Conservation Genetics to Cetaceans

The rapid evolution of genetic technologies and analytical methods results in an ever increasing array of applications of genetics in cetacean research. This workshop teaches by example how genetic data can enhance our understanding of cetaceans. The panel will present examples demonstrating insights into mating structure, number of breeding adults, stock structure, and cetacean taxonomy, and will frame these examples in the larger conservation context, including an overview of what is to come.

Comprehensive Management of Cumulative Impacts on Marine Predators

Human impacts on marine ecosystems are substantial and diverse, yet we lack spatially explicit assessments of the cumulative human impacts to predator populations, despite their importance to marine systems, and means to manage for these impacts on-the-ground. We need to evaluate the cumulative impact of the full suite of stressors and how these impacts vary among species in order to design effective and efficient management strategies. Panel members will describe recent efforts to model cumulative impacts for several marine predator taxa within the California Current and beyond, as well as methods to consider tradeoffs inherent in managing for cumulative impacts. Finally, they will consider tools for managing for cumulative impacts on the ground in order to move towards a more comprehensive approach to ocean management for marine predators.

Pinniped and Sea Otter Ecology in Southern California and Mexican Waters

The panel will present a summary of recent history and current status of pinnipeds and sea otters in the California Current. This will include an overview of demography, movement, foraging ecology, and diet. Transboundary issues and interactions with fisheries will also be discussed.

The Art of Communicating Science

Traditional scientific training doesn't typically prepare scientists to be effective communicators outside their academia circle. The need for effective information-sharing and direct public engagement is becoming increasingly necessary due to the critical and complex environmental issues we now face. More than ever, scientists may be called upon to provide assessments, often to non-scientists, on which management policies are built. The objective of this panel is to present diverse and innovative ways of communicating complicated and technical scientific concepts to the general public. The invited panelists come from different backgrounds and have been chosen to share their different ideas and methods on how scientists can effectively communicate science using diverse media, from popular science books to twitter, from newspapers to documentaries.

Sound Exposure: Science and Management

There is increasing awareness of the potential impacts on ocean ecosystems from the introduction of anthropogenic noise, and a recognition that we must consider the full suite of human sound sources, broader spatial and temporal scales, and realistic scenarios with interacting stressors. This panel will have a two-part focus: 1) newly considered sound sources, including seismic airgun surveys, high-frequency sonars, and explosions off the CA coast, and 2) new experimental and analytical methodologies that are expanding our ability to understand the effects of noise. Participants will discuss recent progress in these areas and how they are influencing ocean science and policy.

Marine Mammal Health and Emerging Diseases

Panel presentations will include the current best practices for live marine mammal health assessments, postmortem pathology investigations, and detection of emerging diseases. An example of a standardized, central database that collects marine mammal health and disease information for routine surveillance will be provided. These presentations will be followed by a group discussion on current Southern California marine mammal health and disease surveillance needs; how health data may be integrated into the Ocean Health Index; and how to best meet identified needs in the next 18 months to 3 years.