This assignment explores the relationship between marine Cetaceans and the trophic level at which they feed within the marine food web.

Marine Life

Students are asked to select three marine cetaceans, and compare the seasonal migration pattern of your three species with the Oregon State University seasonal global primary productions maps. You will be asked to draw some conclusion, based on what you have learned while reading the text and Instructor’s notes, as to how global primary production patterns related (or did not relate to) varying species of cetaceans migration patterns.
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1) What are marine Cetaceans?
2) Go to Oregon State University Seasonal Global Primary Productivity Maps* at:

http://marine.rutgers.edu/opp/Production/Production1.html

scroll down to:

“SEASONAL GLOBAL PRODUCTION for the standard parameterization of the VGPM”

*If you have problems accessing this web pages version of these maps are included at the end of this document

Answer the following questions:

a) How are these seasonal primary production maps constructed (what data is used)?
b) What is seasonal primary productivity?
Note: for more about how the primary production maps are constructed, go to:

http://www.science.oregonstate.edu/ocean.productivity/

Also read the Wikipedia article Ocean Color: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_color
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NEXT:
Choose three marine cetacean species (preferably migrating species) from the list at the NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources web page:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/cetaceans/

Use this webpage and other sources to determine the seasonal migration adaptation (pattern) of your chosen species
Enter the name of the species below, and briefly describe the seasonal migration adaptation for each species.

Compare the seasonal global primary productivity maps with the information you have about each species seasonal migration adaptation.
1) Here is the link again:
Oregon State University Seasonal Global Primary Productivity Maps* at:

http://marine.rutgers.edu/opp/Production/Production1.html

2) Are the migration patterns of your 3 species related to these maps?

3) Complete the chart below and draw some conclusions for each species’ seasonal migration adaptation Do the species migrate to areas of seasonal high productivity? The key here is to understand the species, and at what trophic level they feed.
Marine Species:
1) Name of Species 1:

Seasonal Migration Adaptation:

Relationship to global primary productivity maps:
2) Name of Species 2:
Seasonal Migration Adaptation:
Relationship to global primary productivity maps:

3) Name of Species 3:
Seasonal Migration Adaptation:

Relationship to global primary productivity maps:

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