Manatee Migration Update: April 16, 2003

Today's Report Includes:

• Try This! Do You See What the Scientist Does?
• Field Notes from Cathy Beck
• Latest Migration Maps and Data
• You're the Scientist: Comparing Two Seasons of Migrations
• Extension: Comparing Spring Migrations
• More Manatee Math: You Eat How Much Each Day? CQ #30
• More Amazing Manatee Adaptations
• A Conveyor Belt of Teeth and So Much More! CQ's #31 and #32
• Get Ready for the Adaptation Matching Game!
• Endangered Is Too Close to Extinction
• The Perfect Storm: Discussion of CQ #23 & #24
• The Quest for Visuals: Discussion of CQ #25 & #26
• Boat Strikes at Blue Spring: Discussion of CQ #27
• Manatee Math Challenge: Discussion of CQ #28
• Amazing Manatee Adaptations: Discussion of CQ #29
• Instructional Strategy Spotlight: Recognize Cause and Effect Relationships

Hi Students:
As you plot the most recent migrations, you'll see that the manatees are migrating between offshore seagrass beds and inland areas to drink fresh water. This time of year, this is their expected movement pattern. As of last Friday morning when I sent this report (04/11), Santina and Gulliver had both moved into freshwater, just as Anna had done a few days earlier. Here are the most recent sets of Manatee data and maps.

Link to Latest Data and Maps:
(Courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey's Sirenia Project)

• Data & Individual Map for Actual
• Data & Individual Map for Anna
• Data & Individual Map for Chuck
• Data & Individual Map for Gulliver
• Data & Individual Map for Santina
• Data & Individual Map for Thumper
• Data & Individual Map for Tipper
• Data Only for All Manatees--Printer-friendly Format

We're still tracking the manatees' movements, and Jim Reid will be back in the field tracking again during the week of 21 April. Stay tuned! We hope to have some visuals and a report from Jim on the 25th.

Follow the trail and the timing of Santina's and Actual's migrations over the several seasons. Ask yourself these questions about each of these manatees: Did it generally stay in one area? Or migrate widely? Make big movements? Or make small movements? Did it visit any place more than once? Use the Lesson below to guide your inquiry.

• Comparing Spring Migrations Year to Year
  

I'll have a few comments of my own about the comparisons in the next Update, along with the latest data and maps, and some season summary comments too. See you then!

Cathy A. Beck, Wildlife Biologist
Sirenia Project

• Scientist Says: How Scientists Communicate the Results of Their Research

You Eat How Much Each Day?
	Challenge Question #30:
A) If a Manatee eats between 10% to 15% of its body weight each day, how many pounds (or kg) of food would that be for a 1,000 pound Manatee?	(To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below).	B) Now let's talk pizza! An average thin crust frozen pizza weighs about a pound. How much do you weigh? How many pizzas would you have to eat in one day to equal 10% to 15% of your body weight?"

• Lips that work as several separate parts
• Nostrils that close tight like valves
• New Teeth all the time--a lifetime supply of "Marching Molars."

Can you imagine having all these characteristics yourself? Find out more about these adaptations:

• Manatee Adaptations: The Head

• Explore the Eating Habits of Manatees
  
  
  

  Challenge Question #31:
  "What dental problem do Marching Molars solve for Manatees? Do humans have the same problem? How do you solve it?"
  
  

  Challenge Question #32:
  "How does tooth loss and replacement in a manatee's mouth compare to the way your teeth are lost and replaced?"

Why it is so important to save endangered species? Ranger Wayne asked us to think about this:

"I think it was Aldo Leopold who explained:
'If this animal disappeared, this Universe would have to end and another Universe would have to come again before such a being could be again. When they're lost they're gone forever.' "

As Ranger Wayne added,

"Many things have been lost already, but not so many as we are losing now and not so quickly. And it's happening because of us, not because of some other outside climate change. No, it's because of what were doing that Manatees have their biggest problem."

Why Is It Important To Save Manatees? Listen to Ranger Wayne to find out: Audio Clip (.aif format) (.wav format)

What Can You Do?
We can all take an active role in trying to save the Manatees no matter if we're students, or teachers or parents. What can you do to help Manatees, even if you don't live in Florida? And how can a piece of paper help save the Manatee? Find out the answers to these questions and more:

• What You Can Do To Help Save The Manatee

What time did the heaviest rainfall pass over Susan and the Ten Thousand Islands area (TTI)?

Micheal and Christopher from Mrs. Sexton's fourth grade class at Highview Elementary School in Nanuet, NY said:

"After looking at the video carefully, we believe it was 20:00."

Nice work you two! From the map's color key and clock, the heaviest rainfall occurred over about four hours, and it looks like it was between about 4:00 PM(16:00 hours) and about 8:00 PM(20:00 hours.) The clouds passing over the Ft. Meyers/TTI area at this time carried yellow, orange and even some red colors on the map, indicating heavier rains as more red showed in the image.

In CQ #24, we asked what do manatees do when they are in severe storms?

Tasha, Chelsea and Michele from Iselin Middle School Grade 7A gave us a real example when they described how Gulliver swam:

"Towards shore and then swam into a channel where it is calmer and safe."

Right you are, Students! Just before the big storm hit, Gulliver was in the channel east of Panther Key, where there was some protection from the storm. In hurricanes, researchers believe that manatees do the same thing. After all, they are well adapted to the environment, and they will seek sheltered waters during rough conditions.

What steps would you follow to locate the manatees in the field? Scientists begin with location coordinates from the Argos satellite system, and travel to that general area in the field. Once there, they use VHF signals to narrow down the location of the manatee. Researchers in boats do this by using antennas and radio receivers tuned to the specific VHF frequency assigned to that specific manatee's transmitter. When the VHF signal is very strong, researchers will then narrow their search even more, and turn to listening for the sonic beacons, using a hydrophone which they lower in the water. When they hear the sonic beacons with the hydrophone, the scientists will now know the direction the Manatee is located. At this point using the sonic beacons, the Manatee is usually within 50 to 100 feet away, and the scientists watch for the Manatee's tag in the water.

Colder weather like we saw in Florida this season can tend to keep the manatees concentrated in warm areas (so they are less dispersed), and keep the number of boaters down, so the risk to manatees from boat strikes is thought to drop a little. In contrast, warm weather is thought to increase the number of boaters, and thus the risk of boat strikes. Last year in a very warm winter, an FMRI press release suggested that an increase in watercraft mortality may have been explained by the combination of warmer than average weather, resulting in dispersion of Manatees and a likely increase in boating activity throughout Florida.

We received some great answers from Group 7A at Iselin Middle School (Michele, Chelsea, Tasha, Helena, Nicole, Peggy, Dana, Nina, Nick, and Hythum) and also from FOUR different groups at St. John Greek Orthodox School (Group 10-Ben and John; Group 1--Peter and Mitchell; Group 6; and also Group 9-Alex and Samuel).

All of you did a great job of calculating the manatee math questions. The specific manatee mortality causes each bear the following percentages of deaths (rounded to the nearest 1/10th of a percent):

Ben and John from St John Greek Orthodox Group 10 took a deep breath themselves and blew out with this great answer:

"The manatee can take a long quick breath because they have a hemi-diaphragm and can take more oxygen in. Humans would need a special mask and oxygen."

And Alex and Samuel also from St John Greek Orthodox Group 9 figured this out too:

"The manatees have more efficient and bigger lungs which make them exchange more air than humans can. If we wanted to stay under water as long as a manatee, we would need scuba gear."

Nice Work Everyone!

• From Twenty Best-Practices Reading Strategies

IMPORTANT: Answer only ONE question in each e-mail message.

1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge-manatee@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question # 30 (OR #31 OR #32)
3. In the body of EACH message, give your answer to ONE of the questions above.

The FINAL Manatee Migration Update Will Be Posted on April 30, 2003