Sunday, September 27, 2009

What happened to all the posts on MAICETUS?

Some of you may be wondering what has happened with the posting on Maiacetus? It seems my synopses of whale watching trips and research cruises have been neglected and you are right...but I'm back and the blog will soon be up and running with updates on my whale nerd adventures.


Why the neglect? I have been away for the past month working as a marine mammal observer for seismic mitigation for a geophysical research project for scientists with the University of Washington and Oregon and techs from Woods Hole and Scripps. Unfortunately, the RV Langseth, which is operated by Columbia University in New York, does not have ideal internet band width for posting blog entries...so now I am back and will be updating all the past posts and filling you in on the most recent marine mammal adventure.


Thanks for reading my blog...and enjoy!

Big Eyes on the RV Langseth MMO tower






AUGUST 22 to 25 RV Langseth MMO cruise: Transit to Endeavour and OBS drops

We left port the morning of August 22 heading down the Columbia River and then out to sea. It took a day to transit to the site during which time we had a sighting of some short-finned pilot whales, (Globicephalus macrorhynchus) which I missed because I wasn’t on watch, and some Pacific White Sided Dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens).





Above 2 photos: heading to sea down the Columbia River

During our day of transit I helped with some work on the streamer deck, we had an emergency/lifeboat drill, and then the MMOs had an afternoon meeting. Fortunately, I felt pretty good most of the day because I was on deck but during the MMO meeting in the mess I started to feel a little queasy with the smells of the food, looking at computer screens and not seeing the horizon. I was fine during the meeting but when I went down to my cabin, which was small, at the bow and had no porthole, suddenly I was sick! I was lucky though because quite a few of the science crew were already in their bunks with seasickness. After dealing with my first bout of seasickness I made myself go to the mess for dinner and then afterwards, because I was still feeling poor, I sat on deck for a while. Unfortunately, as soon as I went back to my cabin I was sick again! I went to bed at 6:30 and slept through until the next morning.









Releasing the Scripps L-CHEAPO Ocean Bottom Seismometers

Once we arrived on site the Woods Hole and Scripps science crew did release tests on the OBSs (Ocean Bottom Seismometers), which record the seismic data, to ensure that after they were dropped to the seafloor they would later return to the surface when signalled to. After completion of the release tests we spent the next four days dropping the OBSs in various locations around the site. During this time we started our visual rotations and attended the daily meetings with the science crew to discuss and finalize the mitigation measures before the airguns would be turned on. Due to poor sea states, which were mostly between Beaufort 4 and 6, we spent most of this time on the bridge and not on the MMO tower. An exciting sighting for me was a sea spout. I had seen what appeared to be a blow on the horizon but it didn’t look right to be a whale blow; as the ship drew closer and upon better inspection we realized it was a small sea spout! I was quite excited as it was my first seaspout sighting. We got pretty close to it but it dissipated just as it was coming along our port side.






Above 2 photos: Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola) at the study site: Endeavour MPA

August 25 was our last day of OBS deployments and the night before was one of the roughest nights we had during the survey. That morning I woke about every fifteen minutes to the sound of things crashing around the boat. My cabin is at the bow of the boat so every time we went over a big swell I felt the bow drop and my bed come out from under me! Fortunately, the next morning the seas came down quite a bit and we were able to start doing our watches from the MMO tower and we finally had a sighting; one of the MMOs spotted the group of Pacific White Sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) crossing the bow of the ship. We also saw Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola) which was also an interesting sighting for me as the first and only time I’ve seen Mola was in 2005 when I was helping on a survey off the coast of Spain in the Straits of Gibraltar.





Above 2 photos: The MMO tower with our 'office'

AUGUST 19 to 21 RV Langseth MMO role for geophysical survey: pre-departure

On August 18, 2009 I departed Victoria to work as a marine mammal observer (MMO) for seismic mitigation on a geophysical survey. Scientists from the University of Oregon and University of Washington were planning to do seismic surveys to obtain images of the 3-D seismic structure of the crust and topmost mantle along an 80 km long section of the Endeavour ridge (in the Endeavour Marine Protected Area). There was opposition to the survey as the research would involve the use of seismic sound within the marine protected area but attempts to halt the survey in court in Ottawa did not go through (see Further Reading below for media and other info).

So how did I end up working as MMO for this controversial survey?

During my time on the DFO marine mammal cruise on the CCGS Tully (see posts for July 23 -31, 2009) I was asked if I would be the Canadian MMO for the survey; the US based ship was working in a Canadian Marine Protected Area so DFO wanted a Canadian MMO onboard. I would be working with five other marine mammal observers and our job was to ensure no marine mammals were in the designated exclusion zones, based on received sound levels at specified distances called isopleths, before the seismic airguns were turned on and to ensure none entered the zone while the airguns were firing. For example, this survey would utilize a 7.7 km safety zone (based on a 160 dB isopleth) around the ship for SARA listed species such as the blue whale (most seismic mitigation follows a 500 m safety zone for specified species!). As well, many of these species would not be utilizing these waters at this time of the year as many species of concern are foraging in cold, productive Arctic waters; one of the main deciding factors for the timing of such surveys.

The six of us would be doing visual observations using Big Eye binoculars (25 x 150) to cover the large zone and smaller binoculars (7x50) and naked eye to monitor waters near the ship during all daylight hours. We would also be working in shifts listening to the passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) station 24 hours a day. The group of MMOs would consist of a marine mammal scientist who’d spent 36 years implementing and running marine mammal surveys for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), two MMOs each with many years of marine mammal mitigation experience around the world, a bio-acoustician and MMO who would be in charge of ensuring the PAM was operational during the entire survey and a National Marine Fisheries certified marine mammal observer. Prior to our departure we had daily meetings with the chief scientists, techs on the ship and the office of marine operations at Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory to ensure we would be implementing the correct procedures for marine mammal (and sea turtle) mitigation during this survey (to really understand how the mitigation is implemented check out this document *see note below)



Departing Victoria Harbour on a sunny day on the Clipper, HMCS Malahat with Olympic Mountains, WA in the background





Above 2 photos: the RV Langseth...Columbia University's NSF funded geophysical research ship and my home for the next month. The MMO tower, which has two mounted Big Eye binoculars can be seen located mid-ships and is about 19 meters above sea level (an important number to know for calculating distance of sightings from the ship!)



Hydrophone streamers on deck


The streamer deck



View of the MMO tower from the ex-heli deck



Looking down from the stern of the ship
Further Reading
Statement of Canadian Practice
Endeavour/Toomey Environmental Assessment report*
Endeavour/Toomey IHA document
NOAA fisheries Ocean Acoustics program
Acoustic Ecology Institute blog entries August 17 and 27
CTV news report
Vancouver Sun report
CBC news report


*While reading an IHA it is important to keep in mind that a 'take' means that either of two levels of 'harassment' occurs i.e. the animals are not literally 'taken". For example, the IHA may allow the survey to have 6 'takes' of Humpback whales which means that it is anticipated, based on estimates of species density for the area, that up to 6 humpback whales could be exposed to sound levels greater than 160 dB over the course of the survey. As well, individuals and species react differently; some may avoid the ship, some may not change their behaviour at all or some may approach the ship. Additionally, there are many variables beyond the presence or absence of seismic operation to be considered durings such interactions . 'Takes' are considerd to occur at two levels:

The MMPA defines "Harassment as: any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance which

(i) has the potential to injure a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in thewild [``Level A harassment'']; or

(ii) has the potential to disturb a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild by causing disruption of behavioral patterns, including, but not limited to,migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering[``Level B harassment''].

Also, many other activities have required application to NOAA for IHA including: other types of research, including marine mammal research such as photo-ID and biopsy, dredging operations, wildlife service watercraft use in Manatee sensitive areas, explosive removal of offshore structures and wind energy facilities.

August 14, 2009 AFTERNOON L pod off San Juan Island

Departure time: 1402
Vessel:
Five Star Charter's Supercat

Sighting #1: 'Resident' fish eating killer whales (Orcinus orca)
Time: 1505
Start location: North of Hein Bank, Strait of Juan De Fuca
End location: North of Hein Bank, Strait of Juan De Fuca
Behaviour: tight groups travelling slowly north
Pods and Individuals identified: L - L22, L79, L89, L72, L105, L95, L86, L112, L2, L78, L88

Cool killer whale fact:
Orcas can swim up to 30 mph and can travel 75-100 miles or more per day.

Links
Center for Whale Research killer whale fact page, photo ID and matrilines
Orca Adoption Program at Friday Harbour Whale Museum
Orcasound online hydrophone network
Orca Sightings Network
American Cetacean Society fact sheet

Breach!



L92, Crewser, a 15 year old 'sprouting'or maturing male


Above 2 photos: Probably L105 doing pectoral fin slaps

Photographs like this one can be used to sex young killer whales...We can tell L105 is a male by zooming into the photo and looking for the mammary slits (absent on males) and the longer white middle part of the white 'trident' marking near the whales tail (check out the Center for Whale Research Q and A page to see what to look for...scroll down to the section "Can you tell male calves from females?")


...and some inverted tail lobs...


...and another tail lob!




Very surface active! More inverted tail lobs!

August 14, 2009 MORNING L pod off San Juan Island

Departure time: 0958
Vessel: Five Star Charter's Supercat

Sighting #1: 'Resident' fish eating killer whales (Orcinus orca)
Time: 1050
Start location: Haro Strait, off False Bay, San Juan Island, WA
End location: 2.5 miles south of False Bay

Behaviour: travelling in tight groups southbound
Pods and Individuals identified: L - L25, L12, L85, L87?, L22, L89, L79, L41, L94, L77, L26, L90, L922, L72, L105, L100?, L83, L110,

Cool killer whale fact: Orcas are found throughout the world’s oceans, but tend to prefer the cooler, more productive polar and temperate waters.

Links
Orcasound online hydrophone network
American Cetacean Society fact sheet

L41, Mega, a 32 year old male Resident killer whale


L26, Grace, a female estimated to be born in 1956


L83, Moonlight, an 18 year old female with her 3 year old L110, Midnight

L72, Racer, a 23 year old female


Breach!


And another!

and the landing!

August 12, 2009 MORNING J pod in the Strait of Juan De Fuca

Departure time: 0958
Vessel:
Five Star Charter's Supercat

Sighting #1: 'Resident' fish eating killer whales (Orcinus orca)
Time: 1122
Start location: mid Strait of Juan De Fuca, 3.5 miles south of Sheringham Point, Vancouver Island
End location: mid Strait of Juan De Fuca, 3.5 miles southwest of Sheringham Point, Vancouver
Behaviour: groups spread, travelling fast westbound
Pods and Individuals identified: J, K and L - J1, J8, J14, J30, J37, J40, J44, J16, J26, J36, J42 (we didn't ID any Ks or Ls but other vessels reported seeing them)

Cool killer whale fact: Like all dolphins, orcas use sophisticated biological sonar, called echolocation (Au et al, 2003 paper on Resident killer whale echolocation).

Links
Center for Whale Research killer whale fact page, photo ID and matrilines
Orca Adoption Program at Friday Harbour Whale Museum
Orcasound online hydrophone network
Orca Sightings Network
American Cetacean Society
fact sheet

J42, Echo , two year old female travelling with her mother J16, Slick, a female estimated to be born in 1972


J16, Slick

J19, Schachi, a 30 year old female killer whale


J14, Samish, a female estiated to be born in 1974 travelling with her newest calf J45, 8 months old, and J30, Riptide, her 14 year old son


J37, Hysquah, the 8 year old younger sister of J30


Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, the most southerly point on the Pacific coast of Canada. The lighthouse has been getting refurbished over this past summer as can be seen by the mesh covering to protect it.

male Steller sea lion (Eumatopia jubatus) at Race Rocks...they are just starting to return from their northerly summer breeding grounds

Dilapidated house onshore near Sooke Harbour