Transcript Lesson 9 powerpoint (8 MB)

Lesson 9:
Manatees Need Warm Water To Survive
myakkariver.net
Photo credit: Keith Ramos, USFWS
Thermal Regulation
 All mammals are “warm
Photo credit: B. Dunnigan
blooded,” including
manatees. Mammals have
developed different ways to
keep themselves at
comfortable temperatures.
 How do you stay warm in
cold weather?
 How do you stay cool in the
summer?
Florida Sea Grant
Temperature Regulation in Aquatic Mammals
 Animals that live in water usually spend more energy
keeping warm than those on land.
 Heat loss in water is 27 times more than in air
 Can you name some mammals that live in water?
Humpback Whale
Photo credit: E. Green
Walrus
Photo credit: NOAA
Stellar Sea Lion
Photo credit: NOAA
Whales
Photo credit: NOAA
How do these
guys stay warm?
Photo credit: NOAA
• Thick Blubber
• Can be > 1 ft thick!!!
• Circulatory System
• Food
What is blubber?
 Blubber is…
 A thick layer of fat that
provides insulation.
 Like a jacket to keep animals
warm.
 Which animals do not have
blubber?
Which animals have blubber?
 Whales
 Dolphins
 Sea Lions
 Seals
 Manatees
 Walrus
 Sea Otters
 Polar Bears
Sea Otter
Photo by M. McGuire
Polar Bear
NOAA Photo
Humpback Whale
NOAA Photo
What keeps a walrus warm?
• Lots and lots of blubber (1/3 of their body
weight!)
• Move blood away from skin (which helps
keep them warm on the inside)
• “Cuddle” with other walrus (share body
heat)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42706000/jpg/_42706751_3walrus.jpg
Photo credit: Joel Garlich-Miller, USFWS
These seals are warming up…
By laying on the rocks,
and in the sun,
these sea lions can
warm up by getting out
of the water.
The light-colored
animals have dried off.
Photo credit: M. McGuire
…and these are cooling off.
Sea Lions use behavior
to help with thermal
regulation.
Photo credit: M. McGuire
Photo credit: M. McGuire
By lifting their flippers out of the
water, sea lions can cool
themselves.
Blood in the flippers is right
under the skin and cools rapidly
in the cold air.
How about ADORABLE
Sea Otters?
• Like manatees, Sea
Otters have no
blubber
• Unlike manatees,
Sea Otters have
the thickest hair
known
(>1,000,000 hairs
per square inch)
• Sea Otters have a
layer of air that
forms a “dry suit”
to keep their skin
dry and warm
when in the water.
Photo credits:
M. McGuire
So, how do our manatees stay warm?
Photo credit: Jim Reid, USFWS
Photo credit: M. McGuire
Manatees get cold and can
die when water
temperatures drop below
68°F.
 Manatees do not have blubber.
 Manatees must migrate to warm water to stay warm
in the winter.
 Mother manatees teach migration routes to their
calves.
 Natural warm water springs (like Blue Spring State
Park) are very important to help manatees stay
warm.
 Some power plants release warm water.
What is a spring?
 A fresh water pool flowing from
Florida’s aquifer.
 What is the temperature of Blue
Spring?
e
 Does the temperature of the
spring water change throughout
the year?
Photo credits: M. McGuire
Why are power plants important to manatees?
Big Bend Power Plant
Photo credit: Wknight94, Wikimedia Commons
Why are power plants
important to manatees?
 Manatees migrate to the same
Photo credit: Amy the Nurse, Flickr
Photo credit: Amanderson2, Flickr
place each winter.
 Power plants keep water warm
throughout the year.
 Manatees learn to go to power
plants to find warm water, and do
not learn to find natural warm
water refuges (like Blue Spring
State Park).
 Old power plants can get shut
down, then young manatees don’t
know where to go in the winter to
stay warm!
Why do manatees need to stay warm?
Photo credit: M. McGuire
Why do manatees migrate to Florida
springs each winter?
Photo credit: M. McGuire
Review
 What are some ways that marine mammals stay warm
when the weather is cold?
 How are sea otters different from most other marine
mammals?
 How are manatees different from most other marine
mammals?
 Where are the best places in Florida to look for manatees
in the winter?