- Are there whales in your area, and have you seen any yet? If
so, what kind? Sunset Elementary, Issaquah, Washington
- Will we be able to view the films being
made by your photographer? (We'll check your video section, too.) Sunset Elementary, Issaquah,
Washington
- What was the reaction of the parent seal(s) when a pup seal was
caught to be tagged? Sunset Elementary, Issaquah, Washington
- Have any of you or others been injured by the wildlife now or
in the past? Sunset Elementary, Issaquah, Washington
- What has the temperature range been? Sunset Elementary, Issaquah,
Washington
- About how many core samples will you take on this trip? Sunset
Elementary, Issaquah, Washington
- How many seals have you tagged? Sunset Elementary, Issaquah,
Washington
- Have you seen any polar bears? Sunset Elementary, Issaquah,
Washington
- During severe weather, is it prudent to leave the ice and head
for open water, or does the ice provide protection or stability
against the high waves? University of Montana Rural Institute
-
Who do you work for? Do you all work? Kodiak
High School
- What kind of education do you need to work
on your ship? Emerson Elementary School, Everett, Washington
- How does the information you gather help
the ecology?
- Why do you risk your life to do this work?
- How long will you be out on the ocean?
- What is the objective for this mission? Universidad
para la Paz, Ciudad Colon, Costa Rica, Central America
- Is there a hypothesis for the expected
results for the chemical, biological and physical measurements? Universidad
para la Paz, Ciudad Colon, Costa Rica, Central America
- How is this trip related to global warming
and the loss of freshwater glaciers from the polar regions? Universidad
para la Paz, Ciudad Colon, Costa Rica, Central America
Are there
whales in your area, and have you seen any yet? If so, what kind?
As of May 7, we have seen a total of 34
whales, including bowhead (3), minke (2), humpback (7), killer (7),
grey (10), and 5 unidentified. The minkes and humpbacks were right
next to the ice edge and the killer whales were traveling north toward
the ice edge (perhaps looking for seals). It is difficult to identify
whales because we often cannot get close to them before they dive.
Thus, we use some clues about their blows (Is it tall and skinny
like a blue whale or short and bushy like a humpback?), and their
backs (Is it uniformly dark with a dorsal fin like a humpback or
bumpy and mottled like a grey whale?). Sometimes we are lucky and
they wave bye-bye with their tail as they dive and vanish from sight. back
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Will we
be able to view the films being made by your photographer?
A Seattle Times reporter and photographer
and a filmmaker have accompanied us on this expedition. They have
been watching and filming us as we work and asking questions about
the research that we are conducting. Their photographs and films
may be used in an article or a movie in the future but until that
time, they will not be available. However, many of the scientists
have been taking photographs and movies and some of these will be
posted on the website. back
to top
What was
the reaction of the parent seal(s) when a pup seal was caught to be
tagged?
We are always trying to capture the mother
as well as the pup so we only see the mother’s reaction if
we miss capturing her. If she escapes capture (usually by going into
the water), the mother always stays close by, keeping an eye on us
as we are working with her pup. She often will haul out onto the
ice floe numerous times, sometimes allowing us another chance at
catching her. After we leave the ice floe, after measuring and tagging
the pup, the mother seal always reunites with her pup. back
to top
Have any
of you or others been injured by the wildlife now or in the past?
We have had one minor wildlife injury on
this expedition. Rachael, a fisheries biologist, was stung on the
forehead by a jellyfish tentacle. The jellyfish in the Bering Sea
have a very mild poison and the sting resulted in a slightly irritating
stinging sensation that went away without treatment in a couple hours.
Seals are carnivores and have sharp teeth.
Working with wild animals always carries the risk of being bitten.
In addition, these seals are large and heavy (1 – 3 times the
weight of a scientist), and they struggle to escape. However, on
this expedition, nobody has been injured by any seals. back
to top
What has
the temperature range been?
Temperatures have been much colder than
we were expecting. The coldest air temperature was about -12°C
(10.4°F) and the warmest has been almost 0°C (32°F).
The wind makes it feel even colder. These cold temperatures have
made it very hard for us to work. Our instruments have been freezing
and we have to thaw them out before we use them. When we pull instruments
or nets out of the water, we get pelted by frozen drops of water. back
to top
About
how many core samples will you take on this trip?
We have had 3 ice core sampling operations
so far and hope to do one more. On each operation, we take 3 ice
cores. The first core is used to measure how much chlorophyll is
in the ice which tells us about phytoplankton or ice algae that might
be growing in the ice. The second core is used to measure salinity,
nutrients, and alkalinity. The third core is used to measure temperature
and to do productivity experiments. back
to top
How many
seals have you tagged?
As of May 7, we have tagged a total of 18
seals, including 12 pups, 1 yearling female spotted, 1 adult male
ribbon, and 4 adult female ribbon seals. Of the 12 pups, half were
spotted seals and half were ribbon seals. The pups will loose their
lanugo (baby fur) soon and therefore must be tagged with flipper
tags. These tags only give location information. The older seals
will not molt for a while so we can use splash tags that are glued
to the fur. In addition to location information, the splash tags
also provide data on water properties (temperature and salinity). back
to top
Have you
seen any polar bears?
No, we have not seen any polar bears. At
this time of year, polar bears are farther north. The ice that we
are working with is patchy with lots of open water in between. This
type of ice is not a good place for polar bears. back
to top
During severe
weather, is it prudent to leave the ice and head for open water, or
does the ice provide protection or stability against the high waves?
During severe weather, to stay near ice
or flee from it depends on wind and sea conditions. Being near the
ice dampens or quiets wave action so, generally, conditions can be
calmer at an ice edge. In the stormy times during this cruise, it
was notable to see large swells rolling through the ice, while the
smaller, more chaotic wave action (higher frequency) was greatly
reduced. We felt this effect on board the ship. Another scenario
is when ice surrounds us, and/or the wind speed and direction is
causing ice to move toward the ship from multiple directions. This
could place the ship into a converging ice field. This threatens
the safety of a ship, and would be a situation where leaving distance
between the ship and ice is necessary. Ice Expedition Physicist. back
to top
Who do you
work for? Do you all work?
Everyone affiliated with the ice expedition
is a worker; there are no volunteers. This includes ships' crews
(officers, lookouts, cooks, engineers, technicians, deckhands, etc.),
science crew (professors, technicians, ocean/atmosphere/biology scientists),
shore-side support (web engineers, technicians, shipping personnel,
communications experts, scientists), and commentators (documentary
film crew, newspaper reporters).
We work for a number of different
organizations: Federal government (NOAA), State governments (Universities
of Washington and Alaska), other universities, private contractors,
newspapers. There is one scientist with the Russian Academy of Sciences,
and there are two Native Alaskans. back to top
What kind
of education do you need to work on your ship?
It takes many people to run a ship safely
and effectively, and the amount of education required by her crew
varies widely. Many entry-level positions require only a high-school
education, while heads of departments will have many years of experience
and extensive training. A ship's deck officers and engineers hold
licenses issued by the United States Coast Guard. To obtain these
licenses, a mariner must meet training and experience requirements
and must also pass a written exam. Many are also graduates of one
of America's seven maritime academies. The deck officers on NOAA
research vessels are all officers in the NOAA Commissioned Corps.
Membership in this organization requires a college degree in some
branch of physical or life science, engineering, computer science,
or mathematics. Lower-level deckhands and engineers do not require
a license, but must be experienced and trained to hold higher positions.
With time and training, a mariner may gain a certification for a
position, such as boatswain, able seaman, or qualified member of
the engine department.
Visiting scientists aboard ship also come
from a wide variety of educational and experience backgrounds. Many
project leaders have earned Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees
from graduate educational institutions. Almost all scientific and
technical personnel have earned a Bachelor’s degree from an
accredited college or university. It is possible to become a technical
specialist with no more than a high-school education and a lot of
experience, but that is becoming harder and harder to do. back to top
How does
the information you gather help the ecology?
The information that we gather will help
us understand better how nature works, so that decision makers can
do a better job of managing natural resources. We must respect the
planet that we live on. Everyday, all over the world, people make
decisions that affect our planet. Sometimes the effects are good;
sometimes they are bad. Can you think of some good and bad effects
that people's decisions have had on the ecosystem around you? back to top
Why do you
risk your life to do this work?
Sometimes we forget that we are risking
our lives! We always keep safety at the top of our decision-making
process when we are aboard ship. There are lots of safety measures
that are designed into life at sea. Even with all of that in place,
it can still be dangerous and lives have been lost. My first boss
and the scientist who had the office next to mine disappeared when
their research ship sank near Hawaii about 25 years ago. Do you risk
your life when you cross the street? When you ride your bike? Is
safety always your number one priority? back to top
How long
will you be out on the ocean?
Most oceanography cruises last anywhere
from a few days to a few weeks. This particular expedition will last
about a month, and will be conducted in two 2-week sections. Most
scientists will work just one section, then fly back home. A few
will work both sections. The officers and crew of the ships live
on their vessels all the time. The ship is their home. They will
often work about nine or ten months out of the year with only a few
trips back to their home ports. back to top
What is
the objective for this mission?
Our main objective is to observe the ice-edge
ecosystem of the Bering Sea. The ice edge is a productive zone. Melting
and freezing affect water temperature and freshness (salinity) which
in turn affect the entire habitat and food web. You might be interested
in reading the introduction
to our research and other parts of our
Ice Edge web site. back to top
Is there
a hypothesis for the expected results for the chemical, biological,
physical measurements?
We are working under several general hypotheses
that we state in the form of questions. How do the species of the
phytoplankton bloom under the ice differ from the open water bloom
that occurs in May? How do temperature and salinity vary in relation
to previous ice position? Where do ice seals go after ice melts?
What is the structure of the ice itself? back to top
How is this
trip related to global warming and the loss of freshwater glaciers
from the polar regions?
This trip is not intended to study global
warming or glacial retreat. The Bering Sea is sensitive to decadal
sifts in climate, such as the PDO (Pacific Decadal Oscillation).
The southeastern Bering Sea has warmed markedly (3ºC) over the
past decade, and we have the opportunity to study how the ecosystem
responds to this type of change. The ecosystem work we do across
multiple scientific disciplines can be viewed as a piece of the whole
picture on global dynamic changes. back to top
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