Manatee Migration Update: February 18, 2004

Today's Report Includes:

• Manatees on the Move! Latest Data & CQ # 7
• Video Clip: The Mechanics of Manatee Movement
• The Road Less Traveled
• Turn Left? Turn Right? No, Write!
• Raise Your Flipper When Your Name is Called
• You're the Scientist: Ready to Take Roll Call?
• Mystery Photo Identified!: Hungry for Geography?
• Why Does the Daily Count Change? Challenge Question #8
• "Got Questions?" Ask the Expert Opens Soon!
• What's This? Looking Ahead

Dear Students,

The latest manatee migration data are in, and now you have the latest news on their latest moves. One of the manatees is REALLY on the move, having first swam a substantial distance away from its starting location, and now having made what's looking to be a return trip.

Who's the marathon manatee, and how fast was it swimming? Take a look at the latest data and tracking 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 Leslie
• Data & Individual Map for Belvedere
• Data & Individual Map for Giffer
• Data Only for All Manatees--Printer-friendly Format

Then see if you can answer:

Challenge Question #7:
"After plotting and mapping today's migration data, tell us which manatee is the marathon swimmer described above? In latitude, calculate the distance it traveled between February 11 and February 13.

" Then, assume there were 48 hours between these locations, and calculate the hourly rate of travel between the locations, in degrees. What is the hourly rate of travel in miles? "

(To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.

I'll be back again soon with more information! Which manatee will be the big mover next time?

Susan Butler
Sirenia Project
Gainesville, FL

Link to Video Clip & Lesson: Manatee Movement--"I Like the Way You Move"

In the lesson below, watch an animation to two manatees taking totally diffferent courses, and see if you can uncover the reasons why individual manatees go where they go. Then try the Journaling Questions to think a little deeper about this:

Link to Animation & Lesson: The Road Less Traveled

• More about Journaling Questions: A Central Tool for Student Learning

Try This! Write your own masterpiece on manatee migration--go to the lesson:

• The Road Less Traveled: Write a "Moving" Poem

Then mail us your Masterpiece! Send us your poems, as we may try to share a few of them in the next report. E-mail to: our feedback form

Each day during the winter, Ranger Wayne conducts a manatee "Roll Call" in the Blue Spring Run. His observations are very important, because they offer a rare opportunity to regularly observe the condition and health of individual manatees up close over the winter, and for some manatees over several years.

From his canoe, Ranger Wayne identifies the manatees, records their behaviors and any physical changes, and he counts the total manatees present. He also records temperature readings for the River water, Run water and the Air, as well as noting how far the dark water from the St. John's River comes up into the Run. Ranger records the daily information in his journal, and then later he transfers that data to his daily Attendance Sheets (many times even working on his day off to do all of this).

You're the Scientist: Ready to Take Roll Call?
In an upcoming report, Ranger Wayne will ask you to "ride along" in his canoe to help him identify manatees. To get ready for the ride, familiarize yourselves with the "key" features of the "Run" and take a look at some of the actual data Attendance Sheets that Ranger Wayne prepared. If you look closely, you might just find out why many canoeists got "upset" in the river!:

• Are You Roll Call Ready?

In the last report, we gave you a mystery photo. What did it show? It's an edible cookie map of the Blue Spring Run! To get a detailed (and tasty) understanding of the layout of the Run and the Boil at Blue Spring, make and bake this cookie map. You'll really get your hands, eyes and teeth in to this project:

• Try This! Blue Spring Cookie Map

Remember, we'd love to see your prize-winning cookie map--e-mail us a picture! Mail it to: our feedback form

Challenge Question #8:
"Why do you think the number of manatees in the Blue Spring Run changes each day? Can you see any patterns or trends in the data below that explain the reason(s) for the changing number of manatees?"

2003-2004 Data
Date	Air Temp Low(C)	Air Temp High(C	River Temp (C)	Run Temp. (C)	# of Manatees
11/14	10	31.5	22.4	22.4	0
11/28	14	28	21.2	22.4	6
11/30	03	16	18.9	22.6	36
12/12	05	15	15.8	22.6	101
12/22	09	14	12.5	22.6	125

*(All temperatures are in degrees Celcius; "nt" = temperature not taken)

(To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.)

• Ask the Expert Opens February 27

Do you know what Ranger Wayne is doing in this picture? Next time we'll tell you more about it.

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 #7, (OR #8)

3. In the body of EACH message, give your answer to ONE of the questions above.

The Next Manatee Migration Update Will Be Posted on February 25, 2004.

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