Fall 2012 Print Newsletter - Blue Ocean Society for Marine
Transcription
Fall 2012 Print Newsletter - Blue Ocean Society for Marine
Fall 2012 143 Pleasant Street Portsmouth, NH 03801 (603) 431-0260 www.blueoceansociety.org Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation A 501(c)(3)non-profit organization dedicated to protecting marine mammals in the Gulf of Maine through education, research and conservation. The Best (and Worst) Day of Whale Watching Board of Directors Helen Brewster, Co-Chair Nancy Anderson, Co-Chair & Volunteer Coordinator Julie Myers, Treasurer Sandy Berkenbush Nancy Kaplan Corbett Jody Record Staff Jennifer Kennedy, Co-Founder & Executive Director Dianna Schulte, Co-Founder & Research Coordinator Patty Adell, Development Coordinator Candace Dolan, Hodgson Brook Watershed Coordinator Abby Gronberg, Programs Coordinator Research Associates Beth Bentley Jonathan Gwalthney David MacLaren Katie Murphy Amy Warren Melanie White —— THANK YOU —— Major Sponsors/Funders NOAA Marine Debris Program New Hampshire Coastal Program NH Dept. of Environmental Services Jessie B. Cox CLT-Cox Family Fund SPS New England Blue Ocean Music Hall Waste Management Isles of Shoals Steamship Company Treehouse Toys, LLC All of Our Volunteers! This newsletter was printed with grant funding from NOAA’s Community-based Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Grants Program and under the Coastal Zone Management Act by NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management in conjunction with the New Hampshire Coastal Program. Would you rather receive our newsletters via e-mail? Email us at [email protected] Fin whale and dolphins, August 2012 By Dianna Schulte As a follow-up to my last a r t i c l e , “When’s the Best Time to See Whales?” (Summer 2012, available at blueoceansociety.org), I am happy to report that the best time to see whales during the 2012 season was August 25! But it also may have been the worst. Imagine being alongside 7 enormous fin whales with a pod of friendly At l a nt i c w hi t e - s i de d dolphins surrounding you, all the while seeing breaching and flipperslapping humpback whales in the near distance. And don’t forget about the speedy minke whales darting back and forth in the midst of all (Continued on page 2) The Challenges of Cleaning Offshore Islands By Jennifer Kennedy Look out at the Gulf of Maine on just about any day, and you’ll see fishing activity. Fishing provides food, recreation, and a livelihood for many fishermen, but also has effects on the marine environment, including the risk of entanglement (in fishing line and ropes) or entrapment (e.g., in lost lobster traps). Cleanups White Island are one way we reduce these effects. Cleanup of fishing gear is complicated due to state laws, which protect the gear (even when it appears abandoned on the beach) as the property of its owner. While it’s (Continued on page 3) PAGE 2 S E A NO T E S FA LL 2 0 1 2 Foreground: Perseid; Background: Valley (left) and Fulcrum (right) Photo by Melanie White (Best & Worst Whale Watch, Continued from page 1) this activity! This scenario actually happened - and was by far my favorite day of the season, and very possibly my favorite day of whale watching in years. As we spent time with the fin whales, we quickly recognized several members of the group as old friends. Identifying individual whales by their unique, natural markings is critical to our research and allows us to learn more about the individuals as well as the population. Do the whales know each other? Have they been seen together before? How long do these groups last? Are they feeding Adopt-a-Marine Creature Sightings Humpback Whales: Pinball (and her 6th calf) Owl Satula Fin Whales: Fjord Comet Ladder Shark, Sunfish, Dolphin Gills: 22 sightings (5% of trips) Sunny: 18 sightings (4% of trips) Stripes: 127 sightings (26% of trips) together, courting or socializing? So many questions have yet to be answered in the world of whale research so I was happy to have this chance to see who was in the group and try to solve some mysteries. Ladder, first identified in 1981 and tracked annually by us since 1996, is distinguishable by the small propeller scar he bears on his right side. Zipper was also first seen by us in 1996, and though not seen as frequently as Ladder, is memorable due to the long thin line of propeller scars down its spine. Fin whale #0834 was an exciting find as prior to this sighting, all we had to identify this whale was a close-up photo of an exceptional scar on its left side taken in 2008. This large scar was also caused by a boat’s propeller. After collecting images of the other fin whales in the group, we moved on to investigate some of the humpback whales on the periphery. We found a trio of females, Perseid, Valley and Fulcrum. Perseid was a little tricky to identify as she has a nearly all-black tail and nondescript dorsal fin. Valley is pretty easy since she has just a hump for a dorsal fin, and tell-tale scars caused by killer whale teeth on her tail. Fulcrum used to be tough to identify based on her dorsal fin alone, at least until 2003 when she showed up with a new, horrific Our 2012 Research Season (May-October 2012) The Boats & People: 404 Whale Watch Trips 24,974 Whale watch passengers educated 15 Interns and volunteers participating in education and research, donating 3,547 hours The Whales: 131 Individual humpbacks identified (a record year for us!) 45 Fin whales that were also seen in prior seasons (more ID’s coming) Many sightings of sea turtles! (at least 6 leatherbacks, 3 loggerheads and possibly a green turtle) 4 Entanglements documented by BOS researchers 5 Entanglements on Jeffreys Ledge documented by others Sunny: 18 sightings (4% of trips) Stripes: 127 sightings (26% of trips) Breaching Humpback Photo by Abigail Gronberg S E A NO T E S PAGE 3 (Island Cleanups, cont. from page 1) frustrating to see fishing gear on the beach, it must be left alone, although it can be reported to local conservation officers. Successful Gear Cleanups We were, however, able to clean up a significant amount of gear on the Isles of Shoals this summer, thanks to a lot of planning, and the help of marine patrol officers from NH and Maine. The Isles of Shoals are 9 islands located about 5 miles off the coast. Five of the islands are in Maine, 4 are in New Hampshire. The islands and surrounding waters provide important habitat for migratory birds, fish, invertebrates and marine mammals. Due to their rocky terrain, offshore location, and state laws, conducting the cleanups was challenging. One of the most demanding cleanups was at White Island and Seavey Island, which are located in New Hampshire waters and joined by a land bridge only accessible at low tide. These islands provide important nesting habitat for common, roseate and arctic terns, which made cleanup a priority. After quick a survey of White and Seavey Islands on August 3, we scheduled a full cleanup on August 14. We headed out to the islands aboard the 40-foot fishing vessel Yesterday’s Storm, with Rye Harbor fisherman Lee Schatvet at the helm, and a skiff in tow. White Island has a small boat ramp, but no dock, so the boat tied up to a mooring, and then the six of us motored to the island on the skiff. The cleanup involved picking up The F/V Yesterday’s Storm loaded with debris from White Island debris around the islands, plus cleaning-up a large pile of lobster traps that had accumulated on White Island. This pile had basically turned into a large jumble of vinyl-coated wire mesh, ropes and netting, that we separated with bolt cutters, knives, and determination under the watchful eye of a NH Marine Patrol officer. Working with Sue Reynolds, founder of the Lighthouse Kids, and volunteers and staff from the Tern Restoration Project, we hand-loaded all the debris onto the skiff, where it was taken to the Yesterday’s Storm. After a 1-hour trip back to Rye Harbor, the debris was brought to a dumpster in the parking lot, which was later taken to a recycling facility. It was an exhausting day, but showed that a few people, Debris (Pounds) Star Island, NH - August White & Seavey Islands, NH - August (2 trips) Appledore Island, ME - June Appledore Island, ME - September TOTAL Debris (Pieces) 681 480 2,802 795 557 323 76 547 4,116 2,145 Cleanups at the Isles of Shoals, Summer 2012, and the pounds and number of pieces of debris that were removed. working together, can get a lot done – we removed 795 pieces of debris totaling 2,752 pounds. There’s Still More To Do We still have much to do. Due to space and time limitations, we had to leave some traps on the islands. Future cleanups will depend on the availability of Marine Patrol and having an open window of time in which nesting birds will not be disturbed by a cleanup. So, a successful cleanup at the Isles of Shoals requires not only careful planning, but good weather, calm seas, the right tides, available transportation, no nesting birds, enough staff and volunteers, and the availability of marine patrol. Given these odds, I’m so proud of all we accomplished this summer. In addition to the 69 traps removed from White Island, we removed 22 traps from Appledore and Star Island with permission from NH and Maine marine patrol officers. We also removed over 2,000 other pieces of debris. This amounted to a grand total of 4,116 pounds of debris removed from 4 of the islands during the summer. In 2013, we will re-visit the (Continued on page 7 ) PAGE 4 S E A NO T E S FA LL 2 0 1 2 My First Fin Whale Necropsy 50-foot Fin whale on beach in Rockport, MA, surrounded by necropsy staff and volunteers. Photo by Amy Warren By Amy Warren, BOS Educator, Volunteer and 2011 Intern Arriving on a New England beach on a breezy, cold first day of November at 8 A.M. is not usually what one might consider exciting. Even add in the smell of a decomposing animal. However, none of that could diminish my enthusiasm. Walking on the beach was sad at first, seeing a large animal, which I had developed a great amount of respect for over the past couple years, dead on the beach. But the opportunity to get right up next to the second largest species to ever live on the planet is humbling. This whale was a fin whale, an animal I see whale watching all the time. It was estimated to be about 50 feet long, a bit smaller than an average full-grown fin whale. After talking to some of the locals, we found out the whale had been given a nickname, “Gypsy” for its travels from Boston Harbor to multiple places in Rockport MA. As you may be aware, Blue Ocean Society identifies fin whales aboard the whale watching boats and some have even been given names. Since this whale washed up in Boston Harbor initially, it was not likely a whale seen by BOS. As I walked up to the animal, everyone who was there to assist in the necropsy (animal autopsy) was gathered around the whale, waiting for direction. Even with about 20 people from different organizations, the 50 foot whale was an overwhelming task. The first cuts were made, neatly and methodically removing squares of the outer most layers. This was the cleanest job seen all day—it got messier as the day went on. The more people that began to cut, the faster the whale lost its shape. Very quickly it was an indistinguishable pile of remains and large bones. The job was much less methodical than a normal necropsy. Since the whale had been dead for over a month, the bones were the only thing that was to be salvaged from the body. Since this 50 foot whale had jaw bones as long as a car, heavy equipment was needed. Both an excavator and a loader were brought onto the beach to assist. The loader was able to easily lift the large jaw bones. Whenever a large bone was relocated by the machinery, I would find myself stopping to stare in awe of the size that’s just so hard to understand from a boat. The skull was unfortunately broken in multiple pieces but when the large back portion was lifted, it was longer than anyone was tall. The smaller flipper bones were the size of my foot. A single scapula (shoulder blade) was over two feet in diameter, wider than my entire back. The larger vertebrae were bigger around than my body. And remember, this whale was a small individual for its species. The more I cut, the easier it was to forget what I was cutting. But I was quickly reminded when the loader picked up the upper jaw or the top of the head. Unlike most of the whale, which was unrecognizable, it looked just like the head of a surfacing fin whale I’ve seen countless times from the S E A NO T E S PAGE 5 American Cetacean Society Conference Informs & Inspires (Fin whale, continued from page 4) The fin whale’s enormous head. Photo by Amy Warren (Fin whale necropsy, cont. from page 4) boat. I even went to pat it on the “nose” once it was placed down. The incoming tide helped speed things along. The excavator and loader worked together systematically to move the whale ahead of the tide. The bones were loaded onto trucks and trailers while most of the soft tissues were buried in the parking lot at the beach. The bones went to a temporary grave in Fremont NH, where we turned the work over to the dirt and bugs to help clean the bones. The clean bones are then to be dug up next year and will find a final home. This was an unforgettable experience for me. It was the closest I’ve ever been to a whale of that size, and an opportunity to learn so much more about this species. Seeing an animal in that state is always upsetting, especially since it is an endangered species. But when the unfortunate happens, it is important to use it as learning opportunity. Thanks to our friends from the Seacoast Science Center for inviting us to help with this necropsy! By Jennifer Kennedy Just prior to finishing this newsletter, I and a small contingent of New England colleagues attended the American Cetacean Society conference in San Diego, CA. The conference is held every other year, and provides an opportunity to learn about cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), discuss marine conservation topics, showcase our work, and network with colleagues. We were excited to share our work via two posters—one which I presented on our web site, designed by staff at UNH Cooperative Extension, that maps sightings of whales and marine debris. The other showcased a study done by 2012 summer interns Leah Danny, Katie Conroy, and Dominique Weilermann about the potential entanglement risk for humpback and fin whales in the Gulf of Maine. The conference included information on the movements of humpback and gray whales, the chemical pollutants in killer whales, and discussions of cetaceans in captivity, among many other topics. It finished with an inspiring discussion on what humans can do to help whales—and the consensus seemed to be that simple actions can make all the difference. As Bruce Mate of Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute said, “reuse, recycle, and be low key. Just clean up the beach!” I couldn’t agree more. Summer 2012 Interns Leah Danny and Katie Conroy with their poster at the American Cetacean Society conference. Photo by Jen Kennedy PAGE 6 S E A NO T E S FA LL 2 0 1 2 Atlantic White-Sided Dolphins. Photo by Dianna Schulte (Whale Watch, cont. from page 2) injury from a boat, leaving her dorsal fin sliced like a loaf of bread. So by now you are seeing a trend. Three fin whales and at least one humpback whale seen on this incredible day of whale activity had been hit by a boat at some point in their life and their most obvious identifying markings were not natural. I began thinking this might not be the best day of whale watching after all. Even though the water was calm and seemed peaceful, the scars on these whales are all sad reminders of the human- caused threats they face every day. What can we do? Shipping lanes into Boston have been shifted to redirect large ship traffic to areas less-frequented by whales. Educational signs to educate recreational boaters have been posted at marinas and boat ramps throughout southern New England and programs. Still, we need to do more. We all need to be a part of the solution by raising awareness of this issue. Tell your friends and family. Ask them to spread the word, too. We will do our part as well by continuing to speak about these issues at our public presentations, through our blog, on our website and in newsletters. My hope is that by increasing awareness, captains of vessels both large and small will think twice before speeding past a whale watching boat, or simply give the whales they see the comfortable space they deserve. With fewer boat/whale collisions, we will certainly have more whales to watch and hopefully more “best days of whale watching”. For more information on responsible whale watching, visit http:// www.nero.noaa.gov/prot_res/mmv/ Special Thanks to Our Affiliated Whale Watch Companies, and our 2012 Interns and Volunteers! Whale Watch Companies: Atlantic Whale Watch Granite State Whale Watch Newburyport Whale Watch Al Gauron Fishing & Whale Watching Interns: Alicia Franklin Christie Hilliard Devon Robinson Dominique Weilermann Erich Dietterle Katie Conroy Kelsi O'Neil Leah Danny Lindsey Myers Nathan Alba Whale Watch Volunteers: Alexis D'Amour Alyssa Bell Kathryn Carlsen Catherine Correnti Cyncy Smith Diane Kablik Dick and Katy Fralick Jennifer James Jessica Rich John Crockett Whale Watch Volunteers, cont. Rebecca Potter Sue Murphy Kim Donoghue Madison Moran Melanie Yates Melissa Allen Michelle Olsen Nancy Anderson Rebecca Linder Summer 2012 interns Dominique Weilermann and Christie Hilliard Photo by Patty Adell S E A NO T E S PAGE 7 2013 Beach Cleanups All of the following cleanups are at Jenness Beach in Rye, NH. All supplies provided. Please signup by emailing [email protected] or calling (603) 431-0260. Tern chick on Seavey Island. Photo by Gabriela Bradt (Shoals Cleanups, cont. from page 3) islands for another survey and clean-up so we can learn about debris accumulation patterns, and further protect the wildlife that live on and around them. We also heard recently from the local stranding organization Marine Mammals of Maine that about seals on Duck Island, another one of the Isles, that have been entangled in marine debris. A cleanup here will be challenging—not only is the island Want to hear (and see) more? Check out some videos from our cleanups on our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ blueoceansociety, and more reports and photos at http:// nhmarinedebris.blogspot.com. Dr. Gabriela Bradt, NH Sea Grant & UNH Cooperative Extension Lee Schatvet, Owner/Captain of the F/V Yesterday's Storm NH Fish and Game NH Marine Patrol NH Port Authority Shoals Marine Lab Sue Reynolds Maine Marine Patrol Star Island Corporation LOAS I Conference Dan Hayward and Lara from the Tern Restoration Project Waste Management The Prospect Mountain High School Outing Club-Alumni Michael Toepfer Amy Warren Isles of Shoals Steamship Co. Pete Reynolds Thank you especially to NOAA and the Fishing for Energy Project for funding that enabled us to plan and conduct these cleanups. Sat., January 5, 10:30 AM Sat., February 2, 10:30 AM Sat., March 2, 10:30 AM Sat., March 30, 10:30 AM Sat., April 27, 10:30 AM Sat., May 25, 10:30 AM Wed., June 26, 6:30 PM Wed., July 24, 6:30 PM Wed., August 21, 6:30 PM Sat., September 21, 10:30 AM Sat., October 19, 10:30 AM Sat., November 16, 10:30 AM Sat., December 14, 10:30 AM Other Cleanups: Earth Day Cleanup dates TBA International Coastal Cleanup: Saturday, September 21 the former site of a World War II bombing target, but landing a boat there would be difficult. We definitely have our work cut out for us, but are up for the challenge. Thank you to all who were involved in this year’s cleanups at the Isles of Shoals, including: Additional cleanups at other sites will be posted on our web site at www.blueoceansociety.org/ Research/schedule.html. Cleanup Volunteers Wanted! Beach cleanups open to the public, listed on our web site. Individuals, families and groups welcome! Gather a group of 10 or more and we’ll host you at a local cleanup site at a time that works for you! All supplies provided. This is a great teambuilding and community service exercise that lets you make an immediate impact on the health of the environment! Want a more solid commitment? Join our Adopta-Beach program! Sites available in York, ME, and Portsmouth, Rye, Newington, Hampton, and Seabrook, NH, and Salisbury Beach, MA. NON PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID Portsmouth NH Permit No. 43 Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation Gov. Langdon House 143 Pleasant Street Portsmouth, NH 03801 Phone: 603-431-0260 E-mail: [email protected] Visit us online! www.blueoceansociety.org Printed on recycled paper. Please recycle! Upcoming Events Sat., Dec. 1, 10:30 AM: Beach Cleanup at Jenness Beach, Rye, NH Dec. 4-6: WSPA’s global symposium, Entanglement in Marine Debris – Regional and Global Impacts on Animal Welfare: Seeking Solutions. We will be presenting results of our marine debris work. Thurs., Dec. 6, 4-7 PM: Holiday Sale & Open House. Enjoy free refreshments and a great selection of gifts from Blue Ocean Society, Historic New England, The White Starfish and local artist Matthew Smith. Gov. Langdon House (parlor, enter at front door), 143 Pleasant Street, Portsmouth, NH. Sat., Dec. 8, 12-4 PM: Holiday Sale & Open House. Enjoy free refreshments and a great selection of gifts from Blue Ocean Society, Historic New England and The White Starfish. Gov. Langdon House (parlor, enter at front door), 143 Pleasant Street, Portsmouth, NH. Wed., Dec. 12, 5-7 PM: Volunteer Night at our office. Help with office projects—no special skills needed. Free refreshments! Wed., Dec. 12, 7-8 PM: Volunteering Information Session. Info & RSVP: [email protected] Sat., Dec. 15, 9:00 AM: Beach Cleanup at North Hampton State Beach, North Hampton, NH See page 7 for our 2013 beach cleanup schedule! For More Information: Visit www.blueoceansociety.org or www.facebook.com/BlueOceanSociety or call 603-431-0260 “New Day” An Art-Inspired Fundraiser Stunning Matthew Smith artwork now available, and 25% of your purchase will benefit our marine conservation efforts! Visit www.blueoceansociety.org for details!