Members of the science team present weekly "Science Talks" for the crew and the rest of the science team. This is a time when members of the team can share their knowledge, and the rest of us can learn more about the range of topics represented by the scientists and students on board Healy. The topic of last week's Science Talk, presented by Dr. Kate Stafford, focused on how wind speed and direction influence beluga whale dive depths in Barrow Canyon. It was immensely interesting to learn about Kate's research and the ways in which different sampling methods can be integrated during research. Kate and colleagues have collected whale data via aerial surveys, acoustics, tagging, and from subsistence hunters. The research provides insight into how changing winds and currents may have potential to influence beluga feeding patterns, and thus geographic distribution, in the Arctic. It was also interesting to hear beluga whale sounds collected from hydrophones deployed in the Beaufort Sea.
Pod of beluga whales Svalbard, Norway. Photo by Missy Holzer, courtesy of ARCUS.
Question and Answer
Question: What is the difference in feeding patterns between beluga whales and bowhead whales?
Mystery Photo: The photo shows a box corer; a tool used to collect sediments from the ocean bottom.