Data by Design: Engineering Solutions for Sea Lion Research

Lisa Mulcahy, MarEPOsa

Dr. William Hanshumaker, OSU

Dr. Markus Horning, OSU

a marine science and engineering curriculum for 5th – 12th grades

Seguam Island, Aleutian Islands, AK July 1970

Stellersea lions

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Steller sea lionThe largest of the ‘eared seals’ – otariids

• Males: - 2,500 lbs defend territories June - August• Females: up to - 600 lbs

Seguam Island, Aleutian Islands, AK July 2007

2007

170,000

1970

Steller sea lion population 1970’s to 2007

Steller sea lions countsin Western Alaska 1970’s: > 170,000 2007: 45,000 endangered

Source: NMFS

Endangered Species Act listing & unexplained decline

has led to severe restrictions on largest commercial fishery in US (Alaskan groundfish)

Scientists at OSU are using telemetry to learn how Steller sea lions are dying.

Telemetry is the science and technology of measuring things remotely that allows information to be obtained by a wire, radio, satellite, data recorder or other device such as a tag.

Satellite Telemetry in Steller Sea Lions

Curriculum: Marine Science & Engineering

http://www.sealtag.org

How can this curriculum & website address your needs?

• Website: visual learners, reading material & teacher background

• Curriculum:

Common Core Standards:Literacy in Science and Technical

Subjects Mathematics

Ocean Literacy PrinciplesNational Science StandardsOregon Science Engineering Standards

Lessons

• 5th – 8th

• Buoyancy• Temperature• Populations

• 9th – 12th

• Engineering Tradeoffs• Thermal Transfer• Electromagnetic

shielding

Electromagnetic Shielding

NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS • Content Standard A: Science as Inquiry• Content Standard B: Physical Science • Content Standard E: Science and Technology

OCEAN LITERACY PRINCIPLES• The Earth supports a great diversity of life and

ecosystems.• The ocean is largely unexplored.

Electromagnetic Shielding 9th-12th

Test the principles of electromagnetic shielding using a cell phone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Faraday_cage.gif

•external electrical field causes the charges to rearrange, which cancels the field inside

Faraday’s Cage

Picture of Faraday’s Cage Setup

Learning Procedure

1. Introduce electromagnetic radiation, how cell phones work, and Faraday’s cage.

2. Ask if radio waves can travel through tissue. Ask students how they would test this.

3. Ask students to predict what will happen to the signal strength (number of bars) of a transmitter in air, in a Faraday’s cage, and under saltwater.

4. Challenge students to think about how they would design a room that would prevent cell phone signals.

Buoyancy

NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS 

• Content Standard B: Physical Science

• Content Standard E: Science and Technology

• Content Standard F: Science in Personal and Social

Perspectives

• Content Standard G: History and Nature of Science

OCEAN LITERACY PRINCIPLES

• Principle 5 & 7

ENGINEERING IN THE OREGON SCIENCE STNDS.

Included with your materials

How many batteries? 5th-8th

Apply the principles of buoyancy to design their own “transmitter”.

•is a force exerted by a fluid, that opposes an object's weight

Buoyancy :

Picture of Buoyancy Setup

Learning Procedure

Students use the formula for the volume of a cylinder to calculate the water displacement due to buoyancy.

Students use the water displacement weight to calculate the number of batteries (pennies) to put in the “tag” for a given amount of floatation.

Teachers and students engage in a discussion of tradeoffs.

Activity Adjusts to Grade Level

5th – experiment with how flotation changes with # of batteries

6th – As above, with a discussion introducing tradeoffs

7th – Calculate how many batteries for a specific flotation based on volume, introduce tradeoffs

8th – Calculate how many batteries for a specific flotation based on volume; Discuss tradeoff between battery & floatation

9th-12th – Calculate optimal battery size based on # of transmissions/battery and # of transmissions satellite receives, which decreases with floatation

Formulas/Information

• Volume of cylinder (V) = Pi r2 x height

• Mass, m = pV

• p = density of water 1g/cm3

• Weight of tube = 22.1g

• Weight of battery 2.5g

Jo-Ann Mellish (Alaska Sea Life Center), Roger Hill (Wildlife Computers)

Photo credits: Alaska Dept. Fish & Game, Jason Waite

Funding through:

• North Pacific Marine Research Program• The National Science Foundation

NMFS Permits # 1034-1685, 881-1668

Acknowledgements, Permits

Thank You!

For more information contact Lisa Mulcahy at

science.writer@mareposa.com

Visit our table during the break!

Extra Information for Questions

Pinnipeds:• Seals true seals• Sea lions, fur seals eared seals• Walrus

• 35+ species globally Galápagos fur seal (40 – 140 lbs)

Southern elephant seal (800 – 8,000 lbs)

• Shore-, ice-based breeding resident / migrating

• Diet: fish, shellfish, squid, birdsSteller sea lion - Prince William Sound, AK

Fin-footed facts:• Dives to 1,700 m depth Northern elephant seals

• Dives of 1 ½ hours Weddell seals

• Bi-annual migrations Northern elephant seals swim 20 – 40,000 km / yr

• Highly variable suckling period (lactation) 1-3 years - Galápagos fur seal 30-40 % milk fat 4-8 days - Harp seal up to 60% milk fat Weddell seal sleeping in ice hole

Ross Sea, Antarctica

Pinnipeds in Oregon:•Harbor seals •Northern elephant seals• Steller sea lions•California sea lions males outside of breeding season

Very rare visitors:• Northern fur seals• Guadalupe fur seals

2007

170,000

1970

Eastern Steller sea lions countsincluding Oregon, CA, WA, BC, SE-AK 1970: 20,000 2002: 46,000 threatened

Steller sea lion population 1970’s to 2007

Steller sea lions countsin Western Alaska 1970’s: > 170,000 2007: 45,000 endangered

Source: NMFS

Mortality

• Using temperature and light we can infer how the animal died.

Non-traumatic death (e.g. disease, starvation)

What LHX tags tell us

Predation

Traumatic death - predation

What LHX tags tell usDramatic rapid cooling infers that the tag has been released

From earlier research: • 70% of weaned animals die before the age of 5

Results since 2005:• 36 young sea lions released with LHX tags in Prince William Sound• 11 animals died

How did they die?

What have we learned?

Conclusion since 2005:

• At least 10 of 11 died by predation• Transient killer whales are likely responsible for the majority of deaths in young Steller sea lions

What have we learned?

Mortality

Prod

uctiv

ity

Temperature can be used to detect births.

Temperature and Dive Pattern in A Sea Otter

Mortality

Prod

uctiv

ityThe Life History Transmitter

LHX2 Tag

•Half the size of the old LHX1 tag• Can detect births using the animal’s body temperature