From left to right: Bruno (univeristy of Laval), Amelie (IML), and Jean-Francois (our team leader from IML)
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| Whale Survey aboard Martha L. Black | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last week of June 2002 | |
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| During the summer of 2002 I participated in a whale survey aboard the arctic II class icebreaker the Martha L. Black. We spent our days on top of the wheel house watching for whales. From 6:00 A.M. to Dusk we where up there rain, fog or shine. The curise lasted two weeks, but I came aboard at the one week mark of the trip. The ship was docked at Chandler to exchange personel. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| The ships primary mission was to gather population data on macqurel. The best method of doing this is to measure the density of macqurel eggs in the water. Since macqurel are relatively warm water species of fish most of their eggs are near the surface in fact the eggs have oil vacuoles to keep them afloat. As you can see in the picture above the crane is supporting "bongos" whitch is the pair of plankton nets that capture the eggs and suspended plankton. The eggs are collected as are the plankton. There are two types of plankton. Phytoplanton which can tell us about the primary production of the ocean (in this case the Gulf of the St-Laurence) and Zooplankton also can tell us about the production of the Gulf as well give scienties an idea how much "food" there is for all species of fish. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| "Les Baleines" From left to right: Bruno (univeristy of Laval), Amelie (IML), and Jean-Francois (our team leader from IML) |
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| On this cruise there where approxmatly 360 sitings. A siting being a record in the log of whales either as an indivudual or as a group. Some of the species observed where minke whales, humpback whales, long finned pilot whales, harbour porpoises, fin whales, atlantic white sidded dolphins, and various species of seals. Possible more I'll add them when I remember or check my notes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Environmentally friendly! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On the way home, going around the Gasp� pennisula. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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