Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 07/23/2008 - 08:49
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Ocean Dynamics Beaufort Sea

Good morning,

First, I would like to commend you and your team on taking on such a huge responsibility in trying to discover more information regarding those waters. I am just curious, what, if any, kinds of sea life exist in those waters? Have you seen any mammals there, and if so, do they differ from those in other oceans? Thank you and have a great journey!

 Elizabeth Petito

Thu, 07/24/2008 - 07:02

Gerty Ward

Thank you Elizabeth,
I will pass along your kind words to the chief sceintists.  My job as teacher and reporter is to let them know that people like you are interested in their work and following along.  
 Regarding sea life in the waters, please see my new journal post on the sampling nets: http://www.polartrec.com/node/5031 describing the plankton studies.  We have seen some larger animals: some seals and two polar bear sightings from afar (very far).  As we approach the ice in the coming days, we expect to see more.
Because the Arctic is so cold, mammals living up here must be adapted to keeping warm, even when wet.  They aslo must be able to hunt! 
When we boarded the boat, some of us spent the evening in Cambridge Bay.  There we saw tundra swans, snow geese, plover, kill deer and a very, very large Arctic hare.  At sea, we have not seen many birds: a few terns and gulls.  
I hope to have more *charasmatic megafauna* sightings to report in the days ahead
Mrs. Ward