Project Team: Argentina Oceans Team
Team Location: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
A stack of several environmental parameters; whale deaths are shown as blue points. AåÊ2003 time series for chlorophyll is shown below. Image Credit: Argentina Oceans Team.
Authors:
Emily Voelker, Project Lead (University of Maryland, College Park)
James Morrow (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
Talia Smith (University of West Florida)
Mentors/Advisors:
Dr. Cara Wilson (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
Dr. Victoria Rowntree (University of Utah)
Dr. Clarissa Anderson (University of California, Santa Cruz)
Dr. Sandric Chee Yew (National University of Singapore)
Frederick Policelli (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)
Gerasimos Michalitsianos (Science Systems and Applications, Inc.)
Katherine Melocik (Science Systems and Applications, Inc.)
Dr. Jeremy Werdell (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)
Dr. Carlos Del Castillo (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)
Abstract:
Peninsula ValdÌ©s, Argentina, acts as the largest southern hemisphere nursing ground for theåÊAtlantic Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis), with an estimated 300-400 calves taking refuge in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site each south Atlantic Spring. However, over the past decade (2003-2013), the Southern Right Whale has experienced a spike in mortality, jumping from 4.7 deaths a year (1971-2002), to 59.3 deaths a year (2003-2012). Local conservationists such as Ocean Alliance suspect toxins from Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) are a contributing factor. However, the topic remains understudied, impeding conservation efforts. This project conducted a time-series analysis to examine the environmental variables that affect HABs in the peninsula, and assess water quality characteristics before, during, and after bloom events and beachings. Environmental factors studied include Sea Surface Temperature, Chlorophyll-a, Fluorescence Line Height, and Sea Surface Wind. The time period for these factors spanned 11 years from 2003-2013 and focused on late winter to spring (Aug. 1-Dec. 15). All environmental factors were then analyzed and ranked by statistical correlation with whale deaths. The project also utilized a remote sensing model developed at the University of California, Santa Cruz to create probability maps of Pseudo-nitzschia, a toxin-producing plankton found in HABs. By comparing remote sensing analysis with ground data in the region, the study gives conservationists a better picture of the state of the peninsula’s bays, and an understanding of the usefulness of several NASA satellites when assessing HABs. The results and methodology will be incorporated into the conservation research and decision-making of Ocean Alliance and its partners, as they work to inform policymakers and protect these threatened whales.