Marine birds
Pinnepeds
Humpback whales
Killer whales
Fish
100
Name one marine bird we saw during our session 2
Is it cormorants, common murres, gulls, bald eagles...
100
The four species of pinnepeds that live in the Salish Sea
What are: Steller sea lions, California sea lions, Pacific harbour seals and Northern elephant seals.
100
What season do humpback whales mate/socialize?
Winter!
BC Humpback whales make their way to Mexico or Hawaii during the winter months. This is where they will mate, raise calves, and socialize!
100
Name the three different ecotypes of killer whales
Is it: resident killer whales, transient killer whales and offshore killer whales?
100
What are the benefits of small fish gathering together and moving in a school?
Protection from predators, finding food more efficiently (more eyes on the lookout), easier to find a mate.
200
Name one reason why marine birds may migrate as the seasons change:
Is it: looking to find more/better food elsewhere; migrating for mating season...
200
Which of the four species of pinnepeds migrate?
California sea lions and Northern elephant seals
200
What season do humpback whales feed?
Spring/Summer!
Humpbacks will use California, BC, and Alaska as a feeding ground over the spring and summer. However, we are noticing some changes in the Salish Sea where humpbacks are feeding into the fall months!
200
What is the correct match?
1. Transient killer whales eat marine mammals, resident killer whales eat chinook salmon, offshore killer whales eat sharks
2. Transient killer whales eat sharks, resident killer whales eat marine mammals, offshore killer whales eat salmon
3. Transient killer whales eat salmon, resident killer whales eat sharks, offshore killer whales eat marine mammals
Is it 1?
Transient killer whales feed on a variety of marine mammals, but their favorite prey is the Pacific harbor seal!
Resident killer whales eat salmon, specifically chinook salmon!
Offshore killer whales feed on a variety of deep-diving sharks found way offshore in the open ocean!
200
What is the life cycle of a salmon? Where do they go?
300
How do marine birds know when it is time to migrate?
They are able to detect different stimuli such as changes in temperatures, wind direction, changes in their food source...
300
Sea lions go to the ___A___ during the breeding season, and swim back to their favorite ___B___ for the rest of the year.
1. (A) gatherings (B) resting rock
2. (A) rookeries (B) haulouts
3. (A) beaches (B) rocks
2.
Sea lions go to the rookeries during the breeding season, and swim back to their favorite haulouts for the rest of the year.
300
Do humpback whales eat during their mating season? If yes, what food are they eating? If no, how are they surviving?
They do not eat in their breeding grounds! They use their fat deposits to survive over the winter. Humpbacks can lose 1/3 of their body weight during this time!
300
Killer whales have specialized to eat specific species. Name one adaptation that killer whales have to better find their prey
Is it: the ability to echolocate; the ability to work as a team to hunt more efficiently; good eyesight...
300
What season do Salmon spawn?
Fall!
Most salmon spawn in the fall as animals ramp up for their hibernation!
400
During the summertime, bald eagles can be found along the coast while in the wintertime, they can be found inland along the river banks. Can you think of a reason why?
The reason is salmon! It is one of the favorite prey of bald eagles. As the salmons move inland during the fall to run up the rivers to spawn, bald eagles will follow as well!
400
Northern elephant seals spend more than 80% of their lives at sea. They are considered strongly migratory species, returning to land only twice each year.
What are they doing during those two visits to land?
Breeding season and moulting season.
400
How much does a Humpback Whale weigh? What is the benefit of having all that extra weight?
A) 20,000lbs
B) 90,000lbs
C) 70,000lbs
D)40,000lb
B! Benefits include: fat to feed off of during the winter, keeping warm, protection from predators.
400
Transient killer whales are called "transient" because they only pass through the Salish Sea during their annual migration:
1. TRUE
2. FALSE
Is it 2. FALSE?
Transient killer whales do not migrate, they can be found in the Salish Sea all year long
400
What season do Herring Spawn? Why would you choose this season?
In the Spring!
Herring spawn during this time as they get into larger schools of fish. They move closer to shore and start to lay their eggs on seaweed that are growing back as the temperature warms!
500
While on session 2 we saw the common murre, the second deepest diving bird in the world (it can dive to 160 m/ 500 ft), how can it deal with the pressure at those depths?
Deep diving birds like the common murre have the ability to store more oxygen in their tissues, especially in their muscles, they can slow their heart rate down (bradycardia)
500
What are the costs and gains of migration for male California sea lions?
COSTS: high energy demand = loss of weight, higher risk of predation.
GAINS: increased food availability, prey species diversity. If they migrate to areas with a lot of food, they can gain weight very fast, thus increasing their chances of mating the following season. Migration also increases genetic diversity.
500
These are images of prehistoric whales. What is the correct timeline for the evolution of these animals? Why did you choose the order that you did?
1) Pakicetus
2)Ambolocetus
3)Rodhocetus
4) Dorudon
500
In the past, it was common to see the Southern Resident killer whales in the summer and fall during their seasonal migration to the Salish Sea. Now, their migration patterns have changed...why?
Lack of chinook salmon is the number one cause! Chinook numbers are extremely low forcing the souther residents to look for food elsewhere. Now it is a very special treat to see them in the Salish Sea!
500
Name the 5 species of Pacific Salmon
Chinook, Sockeye, Chum, Coho, Pink