Coming Soon...
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Up-coming WhaleNet Programs
1. Satellite Tagging Observation Program (STOP)
WhaleNet plans to display data, beginning in January 1997, of the movements of two North Atlantic Right Whales. They are scheduled to be tagged in the Georgia-Florida area by the research teams from the New England Aquarium as part of their long-term Right Whale Research Program.
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WhaleNet is coordinating the Satellite Tagging Observation Program (STOP) to enable students to participate with scientists in unique research using advanced technologies. We have scheduled the use of data from up to 12 satellite tags each year.
Students and educators can work in conjunction with international research organizations such as the Mingan Island Cetacean Study in Longue Pointe de Mingan, Quebec; the New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts; and Allied Whale at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, in a unique program using advanced satellite technology and telecommunications to monitor and research the actual migration patterns and movements of selected species of whales blue whales, right whales, fin whales, bowhead whales, and humpback whales throughout the oceans of the world.
2. Pollution and Remote Research Platform
WhaleNet is beginning to compile data on toxins in the world's oceans with WCI, watersheds that influence the coastal areas, and also the accumulation of toxins in the blubber of cetacea from different areas and species. This process takes time, but it is scheduled to be up in 1997 with associated teaching units.
WhaleNet will establish satellite links with the Whale Conservation Institute's vessel Odyssey to transfer data, information, and images from their whale research, ECOTOX program, and WhaleCAM project to WhaleNet. ECOTOX is a program to monitor the water quality of the oceans, and WhaleCAM is a WCI research project to observe first-hand the movements and behaviors of sperm whales by mounting a video camera on the body of a whale. There are plans to use WhaleCAM images to capture a whale's eye view of its activities and to relay some of the images to WhaleNet for students access and use. As part of the project, we are investigating the feasibility of including the ship Odyssey, which now has satellite telecommunications capabilities, and students on board the Tabor Boy, in a live interaction component of the WhaleNet program.
3. Habitat Wednesday
WhaleNet's "Habitat Wednesday" project will continue to be incorporated into the program. "Habitat Wednesday" is a phase of the project where participating researchers working with whale watches and/or other research programs will up-load the sighting records from each Wednesday trip into the computer network. The goal of this program is to give participants continuity of data and the opportunity to access and collect data over a longer period. This will also give participants a weekly "snapshot" of the movements of marine mammal species from the Canadian Maritimes to the mid-Atlantic states throughout the season. Initial contacts have been made on the west coast of the United States to establish a similar program with the Monterey Bay Whale Watch, the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History, and the Friday Harbor Whale Museum.
4. Allied Whale and the Humpback Whale Catalogue
WhaleNet is continuing its development of a CD-ROM which will contain the Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale Catalogue along with information on identifying species and individuals within a species. Educational materials will also be included. This is due out in 1997.
WhaleNet's collaboration with Allied Whale (Judy Allen, Nancy Stevick, and Dr. Steve Katona) at the College of the Atlantic will offer new research and educational activities along with technological options, specifically:
- electronic access to portions of the Humpback Whale Catalogue at the College of the Atlantic to allow for student identification of sighted humpback whales and/or study of the history of a particular whale. With this resource, students will be able to study a specific whale in detail over time or distance. The plan is to make the electronic data access of the catalogue database simple and user friendly for all, but with detail sufficient to answer the queries of advanced or upper level students, educators, and researchers.
-use of flatbed scanners at COA and other locations and telecommunications to record students' whale photographs for inclusion in the existing database as a researcher and for a source of scientific feedback; and,
-development of educational interactive CD-ROM materials based on the data from the COA Catalog, existing information, and WhaleNet resources.
5. Instructional Materials
Check in on the WhaleNet Curriculum listserv for ideas and activities to use in your classroom. More activities will be coming from a wide range of great sources..
Interdisciplinary K-12 curriculum units, interactive CD-ROM materials, instructional videos, and telecommunications applications developed through WhaleNet will provide developmental support to participating students and educators. These materials are designed to enhance activities, support, and skills that will expand educators' resources and knowledge, and students' learning and field experiences. Organizations and individuals affiliated with WhaleNet (mentioned above) have formulated basic scripts and themes for interactive educational CD-ROM materials. Research and development of this project will continue throughout the remainder of the planning grant period.
6. Primary and Elementary Grade Level Story Lines
WhaleNet is working with Karen Smyth, author of "Crystal- The Story of a Real Baby Whale" , to make interactive reading activities based on actual research cruises available online. Check back!!
7. WhaleNet Information Packet
The WhaleNet Information Packet is up-dated and provides students and educators with information, login instructions, start-up activities, procedures, and guidelines to standardize data collection methodologies during their field and whale watch experiences. The data entry is formatted so that data entry is consistent and participants can customize their study. For example, participants can do a longitudinal study by selecting data from a single boat, a single area over a time period, or a single WhaleNet project. They can select one specific area to study, or they can select a specific date over a wide geographic area.
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