Wind in Your Sails Challenge

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Wind in Your Sails Challenge Wind in Your Sails Challenge Challenge Name: Whale Identification Difficulty Level: Medium, 5 points Short Description: Research and compare facts about Salish Sea whales, dolphins and porpoises Submission Requirements: Document/Photo submission Full Description & Requirements: Whales, dolphins and porpoises are cetaceans, the order Cetacea. Marine mammals are classified as those that live at sea for part or all their lives. The Salish Sea includes three large bodies of water: Strait of Juan de Fuca, Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound. We have 8 species of cetaceans that inhabit our waters! This challenge is about identifying whales, dolphins and porpoises in the Salish Sea. Select two species from the list provided of whales, dolphins and porpoises living in the Salish Sea below. Then fill in Table 1 answering all questions based only on the whale, dolphin or porpoise chosen. Points will be awarded if Table is complete; no half-points awarded. Submit your document/photo of Table to this Google Form. Whale, dolphin and porpoise species living in the Salish Sea: Orca/Killer Whale Humpback Whale Pacific White-sided Dolphins Gray Whale Fin Whale Dall’s Porpoise Minke Whale Harbor Porpoise Helpful link for resources: http://www.acspugetsound.org/resources/index.php Table 1: Choose two species of whale, dolphin or porpoise from the list above. Fill in the table below comparing the two species. Species #1 Species #2 Name Weight Length Typical color(s) Does the species have baleen or teeth? What in your environment is about the same size as this species? Bonus Point Opportunities*: 1. Create a Cetacean – seven additional points will be awarded if you create a physical representation from the species list of whale, dolphin or porpoise using materials available to you. Submit a picture or short video with your Google Form submission. OR 2. Anatomy Activity – seven additional points will be awarded if you create a poster from the species list of whale, dolphin or porpoise. Include a drawing or picture selected with a diagram of at least five body parts and/or characteristics. Include at least five key facts about this whale/dolphin species. Submit a picture or short video with your Google Form submission *A maximum of 12 points can be earned for each challenge. Therefore, only one bonus point opportunity may be completed. 5 Challenge Points + 7 Bonus Points = 12 total points .
Recommended publications
  • Cetacean Occurrence in the Gulf of Alaska from Long-Term Passive
    Marine Biology (2021) 168:72 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-021-03884-1 ORIGINAL PAPER Cetacean occurrence in the Gulf of Alaska from long‑term passive acoustic monitoring Ally Rice1 · Ana Širović1,2 · Jennifer S. Trickey1 · Amanda J. Debich1,3 · Rachel S. Gottlieb1 · Sean M. Wiggins1 · John A. Hildebrand1 · Simone Baumann‑Pickering1 Received: 23 November 2020 / Accepted: 11 April 2021 © The Author(s) 2021 Abstract The Gulf of Alaska is an important habitat for a diverse array of marine mammals, many of which were severely depleted by historical whaling. To study current cetacean distributions in this region, passive acoustic monitoring was used to detect species-specifc call types between 2011 and 2015 at fve locations spanning the continental shelf, slope, and ofshore sea- mounts. Spatial and temporal detection patterns were examined for nine species to compare diferences in behavior and habitat use. Mysticetes showed seasonal increases in calling that indicated possible behavioral shifts between feeding and breeding in blue (Balaenoptera musculus), fn (B. physalus), and humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) whales, and matched known migration timing of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus). Interannual changes in blue and fn whale calling may relate to the marine heat wave that began in 2013 and lasted through the end of the monitoring period. Odontocete detections revealed unique spatial distributions, with killer whales (Orcinus orca) most common on the continental shelf and sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) most common on the continental slope, where detections occurred year-round. Beaked whales showed both spatial and temporal separation: Baird’s beaked whale (Berardius bairdii) detections were highest at Quinn Seamount in the spring, Cuvier’s (Ziphius cavirostris) at Pratt Seamount in winter, and Stejneger’s (Mesoplodon stejnegeri) on the continental slope in the fall.
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  • The Bowhead Vs. the Gray Whale in Chukotkan Aboriginal Whaling IGOR I
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  • Marine Mammals of British Columbia Current Status, Distribution and Critical Habitats
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  • Rorqual Whale (Balaenopteridae) Surface Lunge-Feeding Behaviors: Standardized Classification, Repertoire Diversity, and Evolutionary Analyses
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  • Humpback Whale
    Whale Conservation and Research related to the OCNMS John Calambokidis Cascadia Research Long-term studies by Cascadia Research Humpback whale Blue whale Gray whale Abundance Abundance Existence of Long-term trends Movements seasonal residents Movements & Tagging work Movements migrations Feeding behavior Abundance N Pacific wide Vocal behavior Site fidelity studies (SPLASH) Strandings Cascadia Photo-ID catalogs and encounters for E N Pacific Start of Photo-ID primary catalog Sightings/I Species effort (unique IDs) Ds Humpback whales 1986 4,663 37,754 Gray whales 1998 1,732 28,433 Blue whales 1986 2,257 14,043 SWFSC/NOAA ship survey June-Sept 2018 transect lines >1,500 IDs & >300 samples collected Small boat effort, sightings, and samples from humpback whales in 2018 Humpback whale Biologically Important Feeding Areas SPLASH multi-strata estimates (Wade et al.) Proportion of humpback whales matching breeding areas Humpback whale trends – California and Oregon Humpback whale trends – Washington – S British Columbia Salish Sea Areas of Columbia River recent expansion of humpback whale occurrence SF Bay S California Bight Increased sighting reports of humpback whales in Salish Sea 600 Sighting reports of humpback whales in the Salish Sea 500 400 300 200 Number of sighitngs 100 0 Year 2018 Effort and humpback sightings 2018 Effort and humpback sightings W N Pacific Population PCFG E N Pacific population Sounders – N Puget Sound Makah whale hunt – May 1999 PCFG abundance 1998-2017 Gray Whale Strandings per Year in Washington Number
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