From alazor ÎÁ rambler.ru Fri Jan 23 20:28:56 2009 From: alazor ÎÁ rambler.ru (olga filatova) Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:28:56 -0800 Subject: [Marmam_rus] PhD opportunity - seal behaviour Message-ID: <42184993.20090123092856@rambler.ru> äÌÑ ÓÔÕÄÅÎÔÏ× - ÁÓÐÉÒÁÎÔÕÒÁ × áÎÇÌÉÉ ÐÏ ÐÏ×ÅÄÅÎÉÀ ÓÅÒÏÇÏ ÔÀÌÅÎÑ. We wish to announce the following PhD studentship opportunity. PROJECT TITLE: The ontogeny of personality in grey seals (Halichoerus grypus). SUPERVISORS: Dr. Sean Twiss (Durham University) Dr. Patrick Pomeroy (SMRU, University of St. Andrews) FUNDING: This project is in competition for funding from various sources (UK research councils, Durham Doctoral Fellowships, charitable trusts). Success will depend on the quality of applications received, relative to those for competing projects. APPLICATION DEADLINE: 15th of February 2009 APPLICATION PROCEDURE: see below, or via the following link: http://www.dur.ac.uk/biological.sciences/research/groups/eco_env/studentship_opp rtunities/#funding PROJECT BACKGROUND: It is now widely recognised that non-human animals have personalities, defined as individual behavioural differences that are consistent over time and/or across contexts. Recent studies have demonstrated the existence of personalities in a remarkably broad range of taxa from mammals to molluscs. Such personality traits have been shown to be heritable and therefore subject to selection, with potentially significant impacts on individual fitness. However, as yet the vast majority of studies of personality in non-human species have been restricted to laboratory studies, and there have been many recent calls for research that examines the ecological relevance of personality in natural systems. This studentship will capitalise upon an existing long term study of individual variation in behaviour and reproductive performance in the grey seal to ask if maternal and offspring (pup) behavioural types (personalities) are correlated, and to examine the role of early personality type on social relationships in weaned pups. The main objectives of this studentship will be: (1) To test for correlations between maternal and offspring indices of behavioural type. (2) To test whether offspring behavioural type is predicted by maternal behavioural type or maternal and/or pup state (body condition) and whether this differs for male and female pups. (3) To examine ontogenetic changes in pup behavioural types during lactation and beyond weaning. (4) To examine the impact of behavioural type on the social behaviour of male and female weaned pups within the breeding colony. The project will involve extensive field based behavioural observations of individually identified grey seals at breeding colonies around the UK combined with novel in-field quantitative experimental tests of individual personality. Candidates will require the ability to conduct prolonged field work in isolated and harsh conditions as part of a small field research team. Candidates should demonstrate a capability for planning and implementing structured field observations and behavioural experiments. An understanding and appreciation of behavioural and evolutionary ecology is essential, and experience in multivariate statistics is desirable. TRAINING: The student will gain extensive training in field behavioural observation, compilation and maintenance of photo-ID database, spatial data manipulation and analyses within a GIS, statistical analyses (including quantifying ?personality? and social associations), organisation of fieldwork logistics and safety in remote, isolated locations. The student will present work at national and international conferences. APPLICATION PROCEDURE: To take advantage of all funding possibilities, applications must be received by (or on) the 15th of February. All applications for postgraduate study must be made online via the Graduate School at http://www.dur.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/. In addition, a full CV and covering letter (detailing your reasons for applying for the project) should be emailed to Dr Sean Twiss at s.d.twiss ÎÁ durham.ac.uk If you have any further questions about the School, the University or the application process you should, in the first instance, contact Ashley Graven, Research Administrator in the School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. Email: ashley.graven ÎÁ durham.ac.uk Telephone: +44 (0)191 334 1200 Ashley Graven Research Administrator School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences Durham University South Road Durham DH1 3LE UK STUDYING IN DURHAM: Information about the School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences can be found on our website http://www.dur.ac.uk/biological.sciences/ Information about the postgraduate community and the University as a whole can be found on the web pages http://www.dur.ac.uk/postgraduate/ and http://www.dur.ac.uk/about/. ====================================== --------------------------------- Dr. Sean Twiss, Lecturer in Behavioural Ecology, Zoology Degree Route Coordinator, School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, South Road, The University of Durham, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK. E-mail: s.d.twiss ÎÁ durham.ac.uk Web-site: http://www.dur.ac.uk/s.d.twiss/ Tel: +44 (0)191 334 1350 (office) Tel: +44 (0)191 334 1247 (lab) Fax: +44 (0)191 334 1201 From alazor ÎÁ rambler.ru Fri Jan 30 01:11:55 2009 From: alazor ÎÁ rambler.ru (olga filatova) Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:11:55 -0800 Subject: [Marmam_rus] =?windows-1251?b?6u7t9OXw5e326P8g7+4g7O7w8ero7CDs?= =?windows-1251?b?6+Xq7u/o8uD++ejsIC0gMjAwOQ==?= Message-ID: <1451702990.20090129141155@rambler.ru> The 18th biennial conference will be held at the Quebec Conference Centre (http://www.convention.qc.ca) during 12a??16 October 2009 in Quebec City, Canada. Quebec City is the only walled city in North America and is just winding down its 400th Anniversary celebrations (http://www.quebecregion.com). The Conference will open on the 11th October by the usual evening icebreaker and will end on the evening of 16th October by a banquet and dance. Materials for pre-registered participants and on-site registration will be available Sunday, 11 October 2009. A conference website is now operational and will serve as the primary resource for all of the deadlines and information related to the conference. To learn more, go to the Society for Marine Mammalogy website (http://www.marinemammalogy.org/) and click on a??Learn morea?? under 18th Biennial Conference-QuA¿bec.A CALL FOR ABSTRACTS AND WORKSHOP PROPOSALS The conference this year is almost two months earlier than the conference dates in recent years. This means that the deadlines for abstract submissions and workshop ideas are also approximately two months earlier. Workshop proposals will be due on 15 March 2009, whereas abstracts for both oral and poster presentations will be due on 19 April 2009 to allow sufficient time for peer review and notification prior to the meeting. There will be three concurrent sessions of oral presentations, and two hours per day exclusively dedicated to posters to allow sufficient time for viewing the anticipated large volume of poster presentations. Meeting space for a number of pre-conference symposia and workshops has been arranged with the convention Center for the 10th and 11th of October 2009, and will be available free of charge to organisers. Any refreshments or audio-visual equipment will be at the expense of organisers. Selection of pre-conference workshops and symposia will be made by the scientific committee based on merit. A formal call for abstracts and further announcements will be made soon. In the meantime, if you are interested in organizing a pre-conference workshop or symposium, we invite you to fill an application through the Society website and conference webpage. The scientific committee is being co-chaired by VA¿ronique Lesage and Robert Michaud. Do not hesitate to contact them with your ideas at congres_smm2009 ÎÁ dfo-mpo.gc.ca. Video Night As in past conferences, we hope to continue with the traditional video night. Janie Giard and Jean Lemire are helping to organize this event. More information will be provided soon. TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION Experient is negotiating room rates for Biennial participants at the Hilton and Delta hotels. Both hotels are right beside the conference centre. International flights will arrive via Toronto or Montreal or direct to Quebec City International Airport. Major international carriers include Air Canada, Continental, Northwestern, and United airlines, while WestJet and Porter are national carriers. Details of visa requirements will be posted on the website, but all delegates are recommended to confirm these with their local travel agent or embassy.A STUDENT TRAVEL AND GRANTS The Society for Marine Mammalogy encourages student participation in the 18th Biennial Conference and has committed funds in the form of Student Travel Grants to help defray travel expenses. Students must be members of the Society and have an abstract that has been reviewed and accepted (either oral or poster) for the meeting to be considered for a travel grant. More information on applying for these grants will be available on the conference web site.