Summer
1996
Sanctuary
to Establish Advisory Council
Tidings
Sanctuary Quiz
Banknotes-A Quiet Eye in the Sky
Sanctuary Currents
Blubber--Fat with a Message
Getting to Know the Big-Winged New Englanders
Whale Behavior Guide
Chow Time for Humpbacks
Education Digest
Stellwagen and the Aquanauts
Research Briefs
Sanctuary
to Establish Advisory Council
Fishing
boats and whale watching vessels ply the waters in quest of their prey.
Researchers plumb its depths in the interest of science. Educators and
their charges rediscover its history and observe its present state.
The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary means many things to many
different audiences.
To better
serve these interests and to develop a sounding board for Stellwagen
Bank-related programs and projects, the Sanctuary is developing a 15-member
Advisory Council. Seats on the Council will be allocated to representatives
of major user groups, including commercial interests, research, education
and outreach, environmental and conservation groups, and two at-large
seats. Representatives from federal, state and regional government agencies
as well as regional Congressional offices will serve as ex-officio members
to the Council.
The Sanctuary
has solicited letters of interest from the public and will announce
the names of the Advisory Council by early summer. Membership will include
five representatives of commercial interests, including fixed and mobile-gear
fishing, party and charterboat operations, recreational fishing and
boating, and whalewatching. There will be one seat allocated to research,
three for environmental and conservation groups, four for education
and outreach, and two representatives of the general public. In future
years, the Sanctuary will also seek a representative from the social
science/economics community.
At the
present time, plans call for the Advisory Council to meet twice yearly
to discuss issues relating to the National Marine Sanctuary, including:
- providing
advice on opportunities for funding options for Sanctuary management.
- advising
the Sanctuary Manager on planning for the use, development, and maintenance
of Sanctuary facilities.
- advising
and assisting in building support for the Sanctuary and in the development
of and informed constituency.
- providing
an interface to various segments of the community.
- advising
the Sanctuary Manager and Education Coordinator on means of enhancing
public awareness, understanding, and appropriate use of the marine
environment through educational and interpretive activities.
- advising
the Sanctuary Manager and Research Coordinator on priority research
and monitoring needs, proposals, and reports.
- advising
the Sanctuary Manager and staff on the effectiveness of Sanctuary
regulations in providing adequate resource protection, and providing
management recommendations.
- advising
the Sanctuary Manager on the effectiveness of surveillance and enforcement
efforts.
- providing
information and advice on appropriate permits and proposals, as requested
by the Sanctuary Manager.
- providing
assistance to the Sanctuary Manager in identifying human uses in the
Sanctuary and facilitating those uses consistent with the primary
objective of resource protection.
Advisors
will serve for one, two or three-year terms (based on luck of the draw
during the first year); all subsequent seats will offer a three-year
term. The Sanctuary has determined that, in order to best meet the needs
of the public and to reach the broadest possible public, terms will
be limited to three years (except for first term advisors drawing one
and two-year terms; they will be allowed to serve a second term if so
willing). The first meeting of the Advisory Council will be held in
early summer.
Tidings
What
is a National Marine Sanctuary?
In response to a growing awareness of the intrinsic natural, cultural,
and historical value of our oceanic and coastal waters, Congress passed
the National Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act in 1972.
The goal of National Marine Sanctuaries is to promote comprehensive
management of special ecological, historical, recreational, and aesthetic
marine resources. These Sanctuaries may be designated in coastal and
ocean waters, in submerged lands, and in the Great Lakes and their connecting
waters. Fourteen National Marine Sanctuaries have been designated to
date and include near-shore and open ocean waters ranging in size from
less than 1 to more than 5,000 square miles.
Marine
Sanctuaries Belong to All of Us
Grassroots support is vital to the success of marine sanctuaries. Without
grassroots support in the nomination and designation process, and continued
public involvement in day-to-day operations, they would not exist. National
Marine Sanctuaries are cherished recreational spots for diving, sport
fishing, and wildlife viewing, and support valuable commercial industries
such as fishing, boating, and tourism. These protected waters provide
a secure habitat for species close to extinction, and protect historically
significant shipwrecks and cultural artifacts. Once designated, sanctuaries
belong to all of us, and come with a responsibility to preserve these
special places for our children, and their children.
Ecosystem
Management Works
Marine sanctuaries strive to protect entire ecosystems by balancing
resource protection with commercial, recreational, cultural, scientific,
and educational uses. Marine sanctuaries are where we earn our living
, experience the thrill of a whale watch or a first scuba dive, teach
our children, connect with our cultural past, and research natural and
human processes. Our challenge is to balance these and other important
uses with long-term protection of the marine environment.
Sanctuaries
Are a Good Investment
Sanctuaries are excelling in every phase of marine resource management:
research, education, community involvement, volunteerism, international
relations, state-federal partnerships. One of the most important roles
a sanctuary plays is bringing people together. With a $12 million federal
budget for 14 marine sanctuaries and two more in the designation process,
we look to partners to join us in our resource protection efforts. The
list of partners include local and state governments, large and small
businesses, environmental organizations, other federal agencies, and
thousands of citizens.
Marine
sanctuaries are important for all Americans, not just those living along
the coast.
Protecting
our coasts and oceans is as important for people living in Iowa, Kansas,
or Colorado, as it is for those in Florida, California, or Hawaii. Our
oceans and Great Lakes provide jobs, act as our favorite vacations spots,
serve as natural classrooms for children across the country, hold the
secrets to our past and the promises for the future. They are a national
trust that we all have a responsibility to protect and enjoy.
How
can I help?
National marine sanctuaries need your support. When visiting sanctuary
waters, comply with all rules and regulations, and assist in spreading
the word. Staff are receptive to suggestions and comments from user
groups about sanctuary-related issues and programs. And, or course,
donations of equipment, photography, artwork, and volunteer time are
always welcome. These are your sanctuaries. Enjoy them today, but let's
also work together so that future generations may appreciate these same
resources tomorrow.
Top
National
Marine Sanctuary Quiz
1. Some
of the richest shellfishing grounds in the world are found within this
sanctuary. It also contains the largest bald eagle population in the
continental U.S. The strong cultural history here indicates that the
area has been revered as a sanctuary by Native Americans for centuries.
2. This
sanctuary has such diverse habitats and rich seasonal upwellings that
it supports both warm and cold water species of marine life. It is also
known for its spectacular underwater canyon and significant archaeological
resources.
3. The
northern-most coral reefs on the North American continental shelf are
found in this sanctuary. These vibrantly colored coral reefs, the envy
of any botanical garden, may be as much as 15,000 years old.
4. This
was the very first to be designated as a National Marine Sanctuary.
It is only one nautical mile in diameter, yet it is of great historical
significance -- it protects the wreck of an important Civil War vessel.
5. This
tiny, remote area, the only U.S. National Marine Sanctuary located south
of the equator, protects nearly 200 species of coral that form a fringing
reef around an eroded volcano crater.
6. Not
only is this sanctuary the home of one of the largest limestone (or
hardbottom) reefs, it is also near one of the only known calving grounds
for the endangered Northern Right Whale.
7. This
sanctuary of offshore, nearshore and intertidal habitats completely
surrounds a National Park. Aside from a wealth of wildlife, the sanctuary
also contains significant ancient Indian artifacts and many historical
shipwrecks.
8. This
sanctuary now incorporates two older sanctuaries, with a grand total
of 2,800 square nautical miles of bay waters, mangrove islands, seagrass
meadows and coral reefs that support a rich array of tropical marine
life.
9. Located
on the edge of the western continental shelf, this sanctuary's bank
rises to 115 feet below the surface, while only a few miles away there
are water depths of 6000 feet or more. This small sanctuary shares its
staff and headquarters with another nearby sanctuary.
10. Host
to many marine mammals (including the endangered blue whales, California
sea lions and elephant seals), this sanctuary is also home to the largest
concentration of breeding seabirds in the continental U.S. California's
largest breeding population of harbor seals can be found here, too.
11. This
sanctuary's prominent submarine feature was created by glacial activity
about 15,000 years ago. It is surrounded by a variety of marine habitats
that support a rich diversity of marine life. It is also a popular summer
feeding ground to several species of migrating marine animals and birds,
including the endangered northern right whale.
12. After
feeding in Alaska's food rich waters, humpback whales migrate 3,000
miles to spend their winters in this tropical paradise. Aside from its
beauty, this sanctuary's warm, shallow waters are ideally suited for
the humpback's mating and calving activities.
Answers
to Sanctuary Quiz: 1. Olympic Coast NMS 2. Monterey Bay NMS 3. Flower
Garden Banks NMS 4. Monitor NMS 5. Fagatele Bay NMS 6. Gray's Reef NMS
7. Channel Islands NMS 8. Florida Keys NMS/ including Key Largo NMS
& Looe Key NMS 9. Cordell Bank NMS 10. Gulf of Farallones NMS 11. Stellwagen
Bank NMS 12. Hawaiian Island Humpback Whale NMS
BANKNOTES
-- A Quiet Eye
in the Sky
Stellwagen
Bank National Marine Sanctuary sees its share of unusual creatures.
Take the goosefish, for example. This outlandish denizen of the ocean
bottom calmly sits partially buried in the sand waving its own fishing
lure. Any animal foolish enough to investigate the possible prey, becomes
prey itself. Or, for another example, take any of the annelids –
or sea worms – that together may account for over 15% of the benthic
(ocean bottom) biomass at Stellwagen Bank. Some of these segmented worms
even have gills. Among the birds, the razorbills, who are related to
puffins and murres, seem just as comfortable in the water as the air.
But perhaps
the most unusual "creature" out at Stellwagen Bank, sporadically seen
over the past few years, has been an oversized and seemingly quite ungainly
"bird" of a different color. Two years ago Blimpus gulfus (the Gulf
Oil airship or blimp) circled Stellwagen Bank searching out its prey
– the great whales -- while later that year Blimpus fuji (the Fuji
Film blimp) continued the effort.
James
Hain, a marine mammal researcher for the National Marine Fisheries Service,
has been enlisting the aid of the nation's airship fleet for his whale
research. Slow moving, stable, and, most importantly, quiet, the blimps
provide an ideal platform for studying whale behavior in a non-intrusive
manner. When whales are spotted, the airship, unlike a plane, can hover
in place for continued observations and photography. And unlike helicopters,
the blimps cause no downdrafts or noise, other than the subdued hum
of their directional engines.
In the
summer of 1993 the MetLife blimp flew several tracks over Stellwagen
Bank and the southern portion of Jeffreys Ledge, allowing the scientists
on board to get a "bird's-eye" view of fin whales, humpback whales,
and white-sided dolphins. The next year, the Gulf blimp and the Fuji
blimp were used to study diving behavior of fin whales (a study that
is next to impossible with airplanes or ships due to the inability for
on-board observers to identify individual whales and track their movements)
as well as the feeding behaviors of these and other endangered large
whales. Hain hopes for another visit this year by a member of the airship
fleet.
The blimp
flights also offer Sanctuary personnel and scientists a chance to more
closely monitor interactions between protected species and humans, and
to evaluate the effects of close approaches between whales and vessels.
With increased interest in whale watching, an increasing number of vessels
are heading out to Sanctuary waters where whales and humans meet, occasionally
with serious and potentially fatal consequences (usually to the whales).
However, Hain indicates that preliminary analysis seems to indicate
that the nonconfrontational meetings (where whales and humans eye each
other with curiosity or where whales totally disregard the human visitors)
may have little effect on the whales' lifestyles.
So, if
you see an unusual "bird" hovering over the waters of the Stellwagen
Bank National Marine Sanctuary, it may not be something listed in any
of the marine guidebooks. Instead, this migratory, mechanical visitor
to our waters (most commonly seen elsewhere at sporting events) may
be contributing to our storehouse of knowledge about the marine ecosystem.
Top
Sanctuary
Currents
Sanctuary
Boundaries on Electronic Maps
C-MAP, the world's leading designer and manufacturer of electronic charts
and charting systems, is now including sanctuary boundaries in its data
bases. Beginning with Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, which
will be highlighted on all Massachusetts Bay maps, C-MAP/USA has agreed
to incorporate sanctuary boundaries whenever appropriate regional charts
are revised. Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary Manager Brad Barr provided coordinates
for the national network of sanctuaries to the company. Each data cartridge,
in addition to outlining sanctuary boundaries, offers a link to a dialog
box which provides more information about the sanctuary, including address
and phone number. C-MAP received the National Marine Electronics Association's
award for Best Electronic Charts for the second consecutive year this
past fall. The company's chart library includes more than 9,000 digitally
stored electronic charts covering all major areas and ports of interest
worldwide. Its USA subsidiary is based in Mashpee, Mass.; its World
Wide Web site, which provides easy access to quick reference charts
of specific areas of interest, is located at http://www.c-map.com.
Coast
Guard Educates Boaters About Sanctuary
A coordinated boater education effort kicked-off on Memorial Day weekend
and will continue throughout the summer, sponsored by the U.S. Coast
Guard, the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Sanctuary. The program aims
to advise boaters about Sanctuary regulations and proper boating techniques
around whales. The Sanctuary is the summer feeding grounds for several
species of whales, including endangered humpbacks and fin whales, as
well as minkes and the occasional sei, orca, and sperm whales. Another
common visitor is the white-sided dolphin. The northern right whale,
the most endangered great whale, has been spotted in the southern part
of the Sanctuary during the spring when it comes to feed on rich copepod
patches here and in Cape Cod Bay, and has also been seen sporadically
throughout the summer. The joint project with the Coast Guard will provide
on the water education, as well as instruction through Auxiliary-sponsored
courses.
Site
Characterization Study Going On-Line
A newly delivered site characterization for the Stellwagen Bank National
Marine Sanctuary will be available on-line to visitors of the Sanctuary's
home page on the World Wide Web (http://vineyard.er.usgs.gov). The characterization
provides an overview on the environmental, historical, and cultural
conditions that shaped the Sanctuary. The history of whaling, fishing
and vessel traffic (and shipwrecks) are detailed, as well as the physical
oceanography, sediments, water quality, benthic community structure,
marine mammals, fish, and seabird populations. Conservation issues are
discussed, as well as ocean disposal, fisheries management, and mariculture.
A complete bibliography on topics related to Stellwagen Bank is included.
The study was compiled by the Urban Harbors Institute at the University
of Massachusetts/Boston with contributions from the Center for Coastal
Studies.
Sanctuary
Works with Children's Museums
What could be more exciting than taking a voyage underwater or on top
of the water? Not much, or so it seems at several children's museums
in Massachusetts. The Sanctuary is helping to bring the excitement of
ocean exploration to children at the Cape Cod Children's Museum through
a new exhibit that lets children see live fish, view videotapes from
Stellwagen Bank, study photographs of fish and other sea creatures,
map tracks on detailed charts of the Sanctuary, and work with other
hand-on activities. All of these exhibits will be housed in a simulated
"submersible" (actually a small room) with video screen and fish tank.
The Sanctuary has also provided materials to the Boston Children's Museum
which is opening a new ports and harbors exhibit. Sanctuary produced
boating education material will be available there as well as displays
of Sanctuary posters and charts. The Sanctuary hopes to develop cooperative
efforts with other local and regional museums in the future.
Volunteers
Needed; Donations Gladly Accepted
The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is seeking a volunteer
corps of "Stellwageneers" who can assist in our education and outreach
efforts. Of particular need are educators (retired teachers, amateur
naturalists, college and graduate students, and anyone else with a love
for the marine environment) who can staff Sanctuary exhibits at fairs,
conferences, and other public events, and who can travel with the Sanctuary's
right whale education program. Volunteers will receive instruction about
the Sanctuary and its history, the resources at Stellwagen Bank, and
major issues of regional concern. The Sanctuary is also in need of artwork
and photography, computer expertise in graphics and animation, exhibit
design and construction, and, occasionally, clerical assistance. To
volunteer, please contact the Sanctuary at (508) 747-1691 or send in
the response card on the bottom of this page.
Top
Blubber
-- Fat with a Message
Marine
biologists have suspected that pollutants from industry and agriculture
could be hindering the recovery of marine mammals such as humpback and
right whales. But evidence on the extent of the problem has eluded them.
Researchers believe that unlike oil spills or encounter with ships and
fishing gear, the consequences of toxins are more insidious than dramatic,
and are therefore difficult to measure. Toxic chemicals, such as PCPs
and the pesticide DDT, work their way up the food chain, from zooplankton,
to fish, to whale, and accumulate in the higher predators over many
years. Scientists fear that at high enough concentrations, these toxins
could increase a whale population's susceptibility to stress and disease,
decrease the birth rate, or even lead to birth defects.
In the
past, scientists could only gather information on the bioaccumulation
of pollutants by dissecting dead whales that had washed up on shore.
Now, scientists are taking advantage of a new source of information
-- the hundreds of biopsies extracted from humpback whales in the Gulf
of Maine and throughout the North Atlantic.
Romona
Haebler, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency scientist in Narragansett,
Rhode Island, is analyzing blubber from these biopsies for signs of
toxic chemicals. "There is a wide spectrum of organic chemicals that
we know are in the ocean," said Haebler. "These tests will help us determine
which ones are coming through the food chain."
Haebler
hopes to gather baseline data on the concentrations of toxins in healthy
whales. In the future, scientists will be able to use these data to
study trends in bioaccumulation of toxins. For example, they will be
able to compare chemical concentrations in whales before and after the
extension of the outfall pipe from Boston Harbor into Massachusetts
Bay.
Another
advantage of gathering information from biopsies is that scientists
can correlate the concentrations of pollutants in an individual whale
with the whale's sex and genetic composition. Haebler says that she
will also be able to coordinate with scientists who track humpbacks
to determine whether there is a relationship between bioaccumulation
and the age of the whale and where the whale has been.
"It's
a marvelous opportunity," she said.
Getting
to Know the Big-Winged New Englanders
At first,
only the "footprints" were visible -- evenly-spaced patches of swirling
water, stirred by the pumping massive flukes. Then dark shadows and
neon- green shapes appeared below the surface, gliding towards the whale
watchers. Finally, the shadows took form. The green shapes transformed
into long, wing-like fins. A mother humpback whale and her calf broke
the surface in unison, sharply expelled clouds of mist through their
blow holes, then arched back under. The pair reemerged less than 50
feet from the idling boat, the nursing calf now on the opposite side
of its mother. The whales surfaced several more times before the captain
maneuvered the boat away so that other whale-watch cruises could take
their turn.
More than
any of the other great whales, humpbacks entertain. Seeing these whales
throw their 45-foot, 40-ton bodies out of the water and perform the
ultimate backflop, or roll around slapping their fins and tails on the
water, is an unforgettable experience.
Humpback
whales (Megaptera novaeangliae or "big-winged New Englanders) are found
throughout the world's oceans from Alaska to the Antarctic despite their
regionally-associated scientific name. In the North Atlantic, humpbacks
spend their summers feeding in the Gulf of Maine and off the coasts
of Canada, Greenland, and Iceland. As winter approaches, the whales
migrate thousands of miles south to courtship and calving grounds in
the Caribbean. [See sidebar on Silver Bank.]
At one
time, spotting humpbacks in the productive waters over Stellwagen Bank
was almost a sure thing. Brian Forist, a naturalist for the Hyannis
Whale Watcher Cruises in Barnstable on Cape Cod, and a veteran whale
observer, says that in the late 1980s, whale watch customers typically
saw a dozen humpbacks per trip. But over the past few years, the situation
has changed. Although the number of humpbacks at the bank declined to
much smaller numbers, a few whales still make regular appearances and
occasionally mother-calf pairs may wander by.
But the
humpbacks have not disappeared entirely from the Stellwagen Bank National
Marine Sanctuary and the Gulf of Maine. They have just moved. Last summer,
fishers, whale watchers, and scientists reported seeing dozens of whales
feeding over the Great South Channel southeast of Cape Cod. Smaller
groups of whales have gathered along Jeffrey's Ledge northeast of Gloucester
(part of which is in the Sanctuary) and the along ledges paralleling
the Maine coast. Among these whales, researchers have identified 25
new calves.
Scientists
and other observers agree that the humpbacks have shifted locations
because their prey has shifted. These baleen whales feed on small schooling
fish such as sand lance, herring, and capelin, and on tiny shrimp-like
crustaceans called krill. Mason Weinrich, chief scientist at the Cetacean
Research Unit in Gloucester, says that during the peak of humpback abundance
in the 1980s, the bank was thick with sand lance. Then over the past
several years, sand lance on the bank declined, herring further offshore
multiplied, and humpbacks moved a short distance to where these fish
are flourishing.
Tracking
humpback populations is not only important to the whale-watch industry,
it is also critical to scientists figuring out how best to preserve
them. Although humpbacks are faring better than the beleaguered northern
right whales, numbering in the thousands instead of the hundreds, scientists
don't know whether the population is recovering from centuries of hunting.
During the 1800s, New England supported a small humpback whaling industry.
Extensive commercial whaling continued on in Canadian, Caribbean, and
the Antarctic waters until the International Whaling Commission banned
commercial hunting in the 1960s. Despite 30 years of international protection,
humpbacks are still listed as endangered in the United States.
Humpbacks
also face other dangers. Approximately 40% of the North Atlantic humpbacks
display scars from colliding with ships or entangling themselves in
fishing gear. Nobody knows how many succumb to these encounters. Scientists
also worry that pollutants, particularly organic chlorines, may be sapping
the strength of the remaining whales. (See sidebar story on blubber.)
Scientists
are finally accumulating the information they need to patch together
a profile of the humpback population. David Mattila, a senior scientist
at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, boasts that the North
Atlantic humpback whale population is now one of the most thoroughly
studied groups of marine mammals in the world. "Everybody looks at our
database and drools."
For the
past 20 years, Mattila, Mason Weinrich, and other scientists, have combed
New England waters aboard research boats and commercial whale-watch
vessels, photographing over 950 whales in the Gulf of Maine alone. The
most intensive effort to gather information came in 1992 and 1993-dubbed
YONAH (Years of the North Atlantic Humpback). Scientists from seven
North Atlantic countries fanned out from Greenland to the Dominican
Republic, photographing over 3,500 whales and taking skin and blubber
samples.
Researchers
keep a file of photos of every whale, each photo marked with the time
and place it was taken. The pictures are equivalent to fingerprints
– helping researchers to distinguish one whale from another. Each
whale has a unique black-and-white pattern on the underside of its flukes
and a distinctive shape to its dorsal fin. The photographic records
enable scientists to keep tabs of an individual from year to year and
determine where and how far it travels each season. They can also discern
important reproductive information by monitoring individuals since calfhood.
For example, researchers have learned that females reach sexual maturity
at five years and give birth every one to two years.
Scientists
also use these records to count whales. Even the most dedicated whale
watchers can't expect to find every humpback in a particular area, so
instead they use a technique called "mark/recapture." Scientists "mark"
(photograph) as many whales as possible one year, then return the next
year to photograph the whales again. Then they compare the number of
"recaptured" whales (individuals photographed both years) to the number
of whales photographed only once. If the percentage of recaptured whales
is high, scientists conclude that they have spotted most of the whales
in the region. If it is low, they conclude that they are only finding
a small proportion of the population. Once analyzed, the mark/recapture
data from the YONAH studies should yield the best estimates yet on the
size of the North Atlantic population.
Cameras
are not the researcher's only tool. Marine biologists have also armed
themselves with crossbows and small, specially-tipped darts. Like the
commercial whalers of old, the scientists in small boats pursue the
whales, and then take aim. Their prize is not the oil or baleen, but
rather a sample of DNA, the whale's genetic material. The dart penetrates
four millimeters into the whale, and extracts a small plug of skin and
blubber. Based on careful observations of the whales' reactions, scientists
have concluded that the whales hardly feel a thing.
Once scientists
decipher the DNA found in the skin, they not only can determine an individual's
gender, they can trace a whale's family history back over many generations.
Researchers have already established the maternity of many whales based
on studies of mitochondrial DNA, and are currently trying to establish
their paternity. Scientists will then be able to determine which whales
mate with which and whether there are discreet breeding populations.
Researchers are especially interested in whether only a few males are
succeeding in mating. If the majority of the humpbacks are descended
from only a few individuals or if there substantial inbreeding, harmful
genes could accumulate, stifling the recovery of the population.
One intriguing
revelation from these studies is that most whales appear to return to
the same summer feeding areas where their mothers brought them as calves,
although they move around within these areas depending on the prey distribution.
Scientists have identified five distinct feeding aggregations, including
a Gulf of Maine group which may, according to Mattila, contain as many
as 1,000 individuals. Other aggregations spend their summers in the
Gulf of St. Lawrence and the waters off of Newfoundland, southwest Greenland,
and Iceland.
In the
winter, whales from all the feeding groups mingle in the Caribbean where
mating occurs. Scientists are currently trying to determine whether
whales from different feeding groups interbreed.
The whales'
affinities to certain feeding areas has important conservation implications,
according to David Mattila. "Because the whales are strongly linked
to certain locations, we can't assume that they will move if the sites
are threatened." Governments therefore will need to pay particular attention
to protecting these regions.
And while
the resident population of whales at Stellwagen Bank may be low at the
present time, scientists are still unsure as to whether or not the herring
and sand lance booms and busts are cyclical natural phenomenon. It may
be that the humpbacks will return in force one day soon. Even if they
don't, other whales, including finbacks, minkes and white-sided dolphins,
continue to make Stellwagen Bank a destination of choice, offering whale
watching passengers a daily treat.
Top
Whale
Behavior Guide
Whale
watching is an exciting and awe-inspiring activity. Whales may demonstrate
a wide range of behaviors that may serve a variety of functions -- some
of which we still do not understand. Here is a key to some of the more
commonly seen behaviors.
Blow
This word refers to both the act of breathing and the cloud of air and
condensed water that the whale releases voluntarily at the surface.
Different species of whales have different shaped blows. Right whales
have distinct v-shaped blows, humpbacks have bushy, medium-height blows
(3 to 5 meters or 10 to 16 feet), fin whales may reach to over 5 meters,
and the blue whales have tall, columnar blows up to 15 meters (49 feet).
The occasional sperm whale has a blow that angles forward and to the
left.
Round
Out/Peduncle Arch
In order to dive, the whale will arch its body while moving forward
at the surface (rounding out). Some whales may arch their bodies more
dramatically than others during this diving sequence. The peduncle is
the area of the body between the flukes and the main body cavity.
Fluke-up/Fluke-down
Dive
After arching its body, the humpback and several other species may bring
their flukes above the surface. If the tail is brought straight up so
that spectators can see the ventral (bottom) side, it's called fluke-up.
At other times the flukes may clear the water but remain turned down.
Pec
Slap or Flipper Slap
Some whales, particularly humpbacks and occasionally rights, will roll
on their sides and slap the water with their pectoral fins. At other
times they may lie on their backs and wave their flippers in the air
before slapping.
Head
Rise or Spyhop
When whales rise vertically out of the water and get their heads (and
eyes) out of the water, it's called spyhopping. The animal may turn
90-180 degrees around before slipping back into the water.
Tail
Slap
As the name implies, this behavior entails lifting the tail out of the
water and slapping the water, often quite forcefully. The whale may
do this in either a ventral down or dorsal down position. Peduncle Slap
This behavior has a whale swing the rear portion of its body, often
as far as its dorsal fin, out of the water and then drop it down sideways
onto the water (or another whale).
Lunging
This behavior includes a quick, horizontal burst through the water with
open mouth, most often associated with feeding.
Logging
When whales are seen lolling on the surface, with little movement and
widely spaced blows, they are said to be logging. This may be a resting
(semi-sleeping) behavior.
Chow
Time for Humpbacks
The humpback
whale's flamboyant, often bizarre antics are a delight to whale watchers,
but a puzzle to many scientists. For example, researchers aren't sure
why humpbacks propel themselves out of the water, an activity that requires
a huge amount of energy. Scientists speculate that the whales may be
trying to shed barnacles, stun fish, or show off to other whales.
Breaching
is just one example of these whales' complex behaviors. Humpbacks also
display an array of social interactions and feeding methods. In their
wintering grounds, male humpbacks compete fiercely for mates. But in
the summer, whales not only tolerate each other, they appear to cooperate,
especially while feeding. Scientists have observed male-male, female-female,
and male-female pairs dive and surface in unison within a body length
of each other. Most "associations" appear to be temporary, although
researchers have observed some pairings that have lasted several seasons.
Both Mason
Weinrich from the Cetacean Research Unit in Gloucester, and Phillip
Clapham from the Center for Coastal Studies have studied these interactions.
They speculate that the whales are helping each other concentrate prey
for easy feeding. According to Weinrich, the whales have different strategies,
depending on the species of fish on which they are dining and whether
the fish are close to the surface or far below.
Humpbacks
are the only whales to release clouds of bubbles around their prey.
Scientists hypothesize that the bubbles induce schooling fish, such
as sand lance and herring, to clump together so that the whale can engulf
them in a single gulp.
During
the 1980s, Weinrich and other researchers observed a new twist to the
bubble-net strategy spreading among humpbacks dining on sand lance off
the Massachusetts coast and commonly on Stellwagen Bank. As the whales
dove, they slapped their flukes against the water as many as three times,
"creating a pretty good sized splash." The whales then submerged and
released bubble clouds under the spot where they had slapped their flukes.
Then they knifed upward, jaws agape, and emerged with mouthfuls of sand
lance. Weinrich thinks that the tail slapping may stun or confuse the
sand lance, inducing them to clump.
When Weinrich
first observed the population, none of the whales he saw were "lobtail
feeding." But the number of whales slapping their tails increased from
year to year. By the late 1980s, over 50% of the whales he saw were
feeding in this way. Weinrich theorizes that the humpbacks changed their
feeding behavior as the number of herring declined and sand lance increased,
and that whales, especially younger ones, may have learned this behavior
from other whales.
Scientists
may have another example of the introduction and spread of a new feeding
behavior among a humpback population. From 1989 to 1993, researchers
taking aerial surveys of Stellwagen Bank observed abrasions and wounds
around the jaws of a majority of the humpbacks. In an article published
recently in Marine Mammal Science, scientists hypothesized that these
whales obtained these wounds while bottom-feeding. Although nobody has
actually seen the whales doing so, the scientists speculate that the
whales were scuffing against the bottom, flushing out burrowed sand
lance. The scientists further speculate that the whales adopted this
new feeding method in response to the changing prey concentrations on
Stellwagen Bank.
Artwork:
E.P. Oberlander (courtesy of National Marine Fisheries Service) Artwork:
Mark Gilmore (courtesy of Center for Coastal Studies) Artwork: Allan
Parker (courtesy of Channel Islands NMS) Photo: Anne Smrcina Photo:
Center for Coastal Studies
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Education
Digest
Sanctuary
and USGS Share WWW Home Page
In what is proving to be an exciting and rewarding cooperative effort,
the Sanctuary and the U.S. Geological Service, Atlantic and Gulf Branch,
are developing a shared home page on the World Wide Web. The Stellwagen
Bank Information Center (located at http://vineyard.er.usgs.gov) offers
a wealth of information -- from the latest geological map products from
USGS to the Sanctuary's new right whale curriculum and site characterization
study. Also on-line are animated fly-bys of the Bank, photographs, and
links to sources of additional Stellwagen Bank-related information.
Come visit us on the web.
MIMIFest
Returns to Plymouth
Over 1,400 students were treated to tours of the MIMI sailing vessel
in 1995, along with harbor cruises, planetarium shows, and science workshops.
This year, MIMIFest Plymouth, promises to be an even bigger event with
1,800 students signed up for the May 20-24 program which complements
the Voyage of the MIMI curriculum. Students and teachers, through videos,
computer programs and a text, have been following the exploits of a
(fictional) research team and ship's crew as they study whales in the
Gulf of Maine. Not surprisingly, the first whale they spot is located
at Stellwagen Bank -- and thus the Sanctuary's interest in the curriculum.
The 1996 Fest participants include students from as far away as Indianapolis
and Rochester, NY, as well as many schools in eastern Massachusetts.
Scheduled activities include meeting Captain Granville (actually Peter
Marston in real life, an MIT researcher and owner of the MIMI), touring
the MIMI vessel -- a 72-foot sailing ketch, attending a planetarium
show on celestial navigation at the Plymouth Community Intermediate
School, and participating in workshops on marine weather by the National
Weather Service, fishing techniques, and whale identification. The Sanctuary
intends to make MIMIFest Plymouth an annual event, and is presently
making plans for next year's program.
Journey
North with the Whales
Did you know that right whales and humpback whales migrate -- moving
south in the winter and north in the spring just like many other species
of animals? This year the annual treks are being followed through an
Internet-based education program called "Journey North." The Stellwagen
Bank National Marine Sanctuary's education coordinator, Anne Smrcina,
is the field correspondent -- relaying information to Journey North
on the whales' progress northward from February (Groundhog's Day) through
June. "Although they label me the 'whale expert' for the project, I
see myself as an educator," notes Anne. "I, in turn, rely on a group
of technical experts from such places as the Center for Coastal Studies,
the New England Aquarium, and other research institutions to give me
the latest information on whale sightings and scientific insight." The
Journey North Project, which also tracks peregrine falcons, bald eagles,
monarch butterflies, caribou, and several other species besides whales,
has been awarded an Annenberg Grant from the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting as a significant effort in math and science education.
The Sanctuary is pleased to be a part of this innovative and exciting
education effort.
"Lefty"
and Curriculum Book Educate About Right Whales
It's 50-feet long, fills a school gymnasium, and generates excitement
wherever it goes. It's the sanctuary's traveling, inflatable right whale,
nicknamed "Lefty," constructed out of plastic sheeting by the sanctuary
staff and a Hingham High School marine science class. The life-size,
walk-in model of a right whale has made appearances at several sites
including the Cape Cod Children's Museum and the Otis Air National Guard
YMCA (where second graders from Bourne "toured" the whale). In addition,
the sanctuary offers a new curriculum book, geared for middle school
teachers but adaptable to all grades, on the right whale and its history
entitled "From Whaling to Watching." The book also comes with a five-foot
long poster that shows the migration route of the right whale, a cut-away
view of its anatomy, and an external view with comparisons to humans.
The curriculum book and poster was a joint project between the Stellwagen
Bank Sanctuary and the Gray's Reef Sanctuary in Georgia. [The right
whale is the state marine mammal of both Massachusetts and Georgia,
and appears on a special Massachusetts environmental license plate.]
Teachers are invited to contact the Sanctuary to obtain a copies of
the book and poster for their classes.
Biodiversity
-- A Wealth of Resources at the Bank
More than 3/4 of the species recorded to date are terrestrial, but if
one looks at the higher taxonomic groups, diversity in the oceans may
be considerably greater. In the seas, there are more phyla and orders
-- the big groupings in the classificiation system. Whereas on land
there may be dozens of closely related species (such as ants in a section
of rain forest), in the ocean there are often several species from a
widely diverse assemblage of phyla, such as sponges (Phylum Porifera),
comb jellies (Phylum Ctenophora), sea urchins and sea stars (Phylum
Echinodermata), lobsters, crabs, shrimp and tiny copepods (Phylum Arthropoda),
bivalves such as clams and scallops (Phylum Molluska), marine worms
(Phyla Annelida and Nemertea), anemones (Phylum Cnidaria), and marine
fish (Phylum Chordata) all within a small, discrete area. Rather than
the splintering at the ends of the twigs, the marine environment provides
support for the many branches of the taxonomic tree. Due to its high
productivity and wealth of resources, the Stellwagen Bank National Marine
Sanctuary serves as an ideal location to study local marine biodiversity.
To that end, Stellwagen Bank NMS's education coordinator Anne Smrcina
led a three-week marine strand in a Cape Cod Biodiversity course offered
at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History this spring (co-sponsored
by the Museum, the Sanctuary, and the Association for the Preservation
of Cape Cod). Assisting in the three-week effort were biologists focusing
on invertebrates and fisheries science from the National Marine Fisheries
Service (Northeast Fisheries Center in Woods Hole) and a marine mammals
specialist. The Sanctuary hopes to continue education efforts in the
area of marine biodiversity in the future.
Stellwagen
and the Aquanauts
The bow
of the ship dipped down as the crane plucked the small yellow submersible
from the ocean. The submarine settled on deck. Water streamed off the
lights, scoops, and probes that bristled from the front. The hatch opened.
First the pilot, then the two researchers -- Monica Foster and Julie
Brittain emerged.
They talked
about the fish that they saw along the bottom, and about the "horrible"
spectacle of fish, lobsters, and small sharks caught in an abandoned
drift net. They reported that they had accomplished the most important
mission of their dive. Using one of the submarine's arms, they had plucked
a dozen sea scallops and sand dollars from the sand.
The ship
was now alive with activity. Foster and Brittain climbed above to plot
the course that the submarine had taken. Other researchers collected
water samples and analyzed them for nutrients in the lab. Two more took
the scallops that Foster and Brittain had collected into one of the
ship's labs to measure and dissect them. Once back on shore, the different
organs would be tested for traces of metals such as cadmium, magnesium,
and silver. This project was part of a multi-year study to determine
extent to which scallops accumulating these toxic metals.
For Foster,
Brittain, and the others, this cruise aboard a research vessel culminated
a year of intense study and preparation. They are not veteran scientists.
They are high school students from the Prout School in Wakefield, R.I.,
getting their first taste of marine research.
These
students were taking part in the Aquanaut Program. Directed by the National
Undersea Research Center at the University of Connecticut, the Aquanaut
Program pairs selected classes of motivated students with marine scientists
to conduct research on important environmental problems. The students
and their teachers start preparing up to a year in advance. They learn
basic marine biology, how to design and analyze an experiment, and how
to present and publish their results.
In the
summer, the students gather at Gordon College in Wenham, Mass. They
then depart from Gloucester aboard research vessels for day-long cruises
to Stellwagen Bank, Pigeon Hill, or Jeffreys Ledge off the Massachusetts
coast to gather data. In November, all the school groups come together
at the University of Connecticut at Avery Point to present their findings.
Last summer,
groups of students from six schools in southern New England participated.
Students from Lyman Memorial High School in Lebanon, Conn. deployed
and underwater robot equipped with a video camera to examine the relationship
between the abundance of different species on fish and the different
types of habitat on the ocean bottom. Students from Montville High School
in Oakdale, Conn. studied whether pingers attached to gill nets would
deter dolphins from entangling themselves. And for the first time, the
Aquanauts included students from the American School for the Deaf. These
students gathered measurements of noise levels at Stellwagen Bank by
lowering microphones in the water. The information gathered will help
scientists determine whether sounds from ships could alter the behavior
of whales.
Peter
Scheifele, director of Marine Education Programs at the National Undersea
Research Center, said that the Aquanaut Program was founded in 1988
"in response to declining interest in science by high school students."
The founders of the program hoped that by studying problems facing the
undersea environments, high school students would be enticed to pursue
science in college and beyond.
During
the initial years of the program, students took experiential rides in
the submersibles, but did not participate in the research. Then the
teachers started to push to get the students involved in the investigations.
Today, the students experience first hand how scientists work. Not only
do they have a chance to work directly with the scientists, top students
can return the following year to conduct their own independent research.
These "Phase II" students often receive college credit for their work.
So far, 88% of past Aquanaut students have become college science majors.
For the
students, the chance to go out on a research vessel, ride in submersibles,
and operate underwater robots was a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
But for students such as Aletha Holmes of Ponagansett High School in
Ponagansett, R.I., working closely with scientists was one of the most
valuable parts of the experience. Holmes and her classmates collected
plankton samples from different, tested water samples for nutrients,
temperature, and conductivity, helped guide a remote operated vehicle
along the ocean floor, and watched for whales. They were looking for
correlations between plankton densities, the composition of the water,
and the presence of whales.
"Not many
people have that type of chance," she said. Added Holmes's classmate
Kristy Simeone, "the scientists treated us like we had brains in our
heads."
Once again
high school student Aquanauts will be visiting Stellwagen Bank National
Marine Sanctuary sites, including Stellwagen Bank and southern Jeffreys
Ledge, during the summer of 1996. And, as was done last year, Stellwagen
Bank Sanctuary interns from the Boston University Graduate Program in
Science Journalism will offer mini-courses in science writing and science
journalism to the high school students. "We all gain from this program,"
notes Sanctuary Education Coordinator Anne Smrcina. "The high school
students get hands-on introductions to science and science communication,
the graduate students practice their writing and teaching skills, the
National Undersea Research Center continues important research programs,
and we here at the Sanctuary are able to collect and disseminate important
information about Sanctuary resources."
Research
Briefs
Underwater
Landscapes at Stellwagen Bank
Peter Auster (NOAA's National Undersea Research Center at the University
of Connecticut), Page Valentine (U.S. Geological Survey), and Richard
Malatesta (Sea Education Association) are continuing a study to understand
how variations in the underwater landscape affect the distribution and
abundance of fishes and related species. High resolution side-scan sonar
and multibeam bathymetric maps, produced by the USGS, are being used
to plan underwater surveys using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that
holds video and still cameras, sensors, and a manipulator arm for collecting
samples. Video surveys are used to census fishes, crabs, scallops, and
other mobile species, as well as record characteristics of seafloor
habitats. Data collected in 1994 and 1995 indicate that there are four
relatively distinct fish communities within the Stellwagen Bank National
Marine Sanctuary. A cruise during May 1996, on the MV Diane G, will
survey communities which occur during the winter-spring period on the
bank. Other interesting results from the project reveal that some habitat
types may be of equivalent value to fishes, such as cobble and shell
bottom types. Both contain complex interstices for small fish and crustaceans
to seek shelter. The ROV surveys have also allowed investigators to
identify "sensitive" habitats on the seafloor, such as areas where sponge
"forests" are abundant. Other ongoing studies are addressing the need
to use remotely sensed data to classify seafloor habitats and predict
fish communities which occur there. Stay tuned... more to come.
Sanctuary
Program Provides Matching Funds for Whale Research
The Center for Coastal Studies recently completed its 1996 field season
for the North Atlantic Right Whale Habitat Use Project, funded in part
by NOAA/Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary through the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The researchers are particularly interested
in why this endangered species, with approximately 350 animals in the
entire population, spends time in Cape Cod Bay and the southern section
of Stellwagen Bank during late winter and early spring. Plankton tows
show that the whales are feeding on a rich mixture of zooplankton, particularly
copepods (small shrimp-like creatures each smaller than a grain of rice).
Studies have been looking at these biological characteristics as well
as the physical oceanography of the area. In late spring and early summer,
the whales move to the Great South Channel and western section of Georges
Bank. Both the western (Cape Cod Bay-Stellwagen Bank) and eastern (Great
South Channel) areas were federally designated as the Northeastern Critical
Habitat in recognition of their importance as feeding and nursery grounds
for the right whale. Over the past 10 years, researchers have photographed
nearly two-thirds of the right whales of the North Atlantic Ocean in
Cape Cod Bay. In addition to continuing the photographic documentation,
researchers have been able to observe feeding and socializing behaviors.
The goal of this research is to provide important baseline data that
can be used in the creation of a management and conservation plan for
right whales and their habitats.
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