Lecture 1

Question 1

Define a marine mammal in a broad sense and how many species

Answer 1

Any aquatic mammal that spends all or most of life in water (126 species)

Question 2

Which sub-order do seals, sea lions, and walrus? How many species in that sub-order?

Answer 2

Pinniped (36 species)

Question 3

Which order do Whales, Dolphins, and porpoise come from? How many species in that order?

Answer 3

Cetacean (84 species)

Question 4

Which order are Manatee and Dugong from?

Answer 4

Sirenian (4 species)

Question 5

How many species of manatee from the Sirenian sub-order are there?

Answer 5

3 different species

Question 6

What are the two individual orders that only contain one species each?

Answer 6

Sea/marine otter and Polar Bear

Question 7

In 2015 How many endangered and threatened species were there?

Answer 7

20 endangered, 7 threatened

Question 8

In 2017 How many endangered and threatened species were there?

Answer 8

24 endangered, 9 threatened

Question 9

Which two factors can the definition of a species be based on?

Answer 9

Morphology and DNA

Question 10

What is morphology?

Answer 10

The study of form or structure without considering function

Question 11

What is DNA?

Answer 11

Nucleic Acids carrying fundamental information determining characteristics (genetic make-up)

Question 12

Is Pinnipedia an order, sub-order, kingdom?

Answer 12

Sub-order

Question 13

What are the three families within the suborder of Pinnipedia and give examples.

Answer 13

• Phocidae (“TRUE” earless, harbor seals)
• Otariidae (eared, sea lions)
• Odobenidae (walrus)

Question 14

Is Cetacea a order, sub-order, kingdom?

Answer 14

Order

Question 15

What are the two sub orders for Cetaceans and provide examples of each and describe the physical features.

Answer 15

• Odontoceti (Toothed whales, ONE blow hole, Beluga whale)
• Mysticeti (No Teeth, TWO blow holes, Baleen whales/humpback whales)

Question 16

Is Sirenia a order, sub-order, kingdom?

Answer 16

Order

Question 17

What are the two families within the order Sirenia and examples?

Answer 17

• Trichechidae (Manatee, 3 species)
• Dugongidae (Dugong, 1 species)

Question 18

What are the two families within the order Carnivora?

Answer 18

• Mustilidae (sea/marine otter)
• Ursidae (polar bear)

Question 19

What is the fastest marine mammal?

Answer 19

Killer Whales (about 55 miles per hour)

Question 20

Which mammal has the longest migration and where do they go?

Answer 20

Gray whales
- 10,000 miles
- Mexico (birthing ground, warmer water)
- Alaska (feeding ground)

Question 21

What mammal has the deepest and longest dive for a cetacean?

Answer 21

Cuvier’s beaked whale
- 1.9 miles/2,992 meters
- over 2 hours

Question 22

Which marine mammal live the longest?

Answer 22

• Bowhead whales live for more than 200 years
• Killer whales live for more than 100 years

Question 23

What are the features of the class mammalia? (6 things)

Answer 23

• body covered in hair that molts
• skin covered in various glands
• mouth with teeth
• 4 limbs (may be visually absent)
• feet with toes adapted for climbing/swimming
• 4 chambered hear

Question 24

Why are beavers not mammalia?

Answer 24

• Reside in Order of Rodentia (gnawing mammals)
• No canines
• incisors that CONTINUALLY grow
• similar to squirrel, mice, rat…
• No adaptations that marine mammals have evolved

Question 25

What are general adaptations of Marine Mammals in terms of oxygen capacity? (4 things)

Answer 25

1. Lungs which can compress/expand 2. More hemoglobin (transport more O2) 3. Plexis (storage of blood) 4. Excessive myoglobin (O2 storage in muscles)

Question 26

Why study marine mammals?

Answer 26

Centuries ago - Strange - difficult to find or see - superstition - Cultural aspects Early 1700s to 20th century - Commercial applications or products - Whale meat sold as a substitute for protein Modern times - special appeal - emotional response - high interest in welfare

Question 27

what are four aspects that make marine mammals similar to human's behavior

Answer 27

- highly intelligent - complex behavior - curious - playful

Question 28

What are three aspects of their unique marine environment?

Answer 28

- exposed to various pressures - various temperatures - variations in light conditions

Question 29

Why have marine mammals adapted to their environment? (5 things)

Answer 29

- live - eat - reproduce - hunt - breath

Question 30

What is the food source of seal species and some large whales?

Answer 30

Tiny Krill

Question 31

What is the food source of seals, dolphins, whales, otters...

Answer 31

Small to large fish

Question 32

What is the food source of dolphins and some whales?

Answer 32

Small to large squid

Question 33

What is the food source of polar bears, orcas, and walrus?

Answer 33

Other seals

Question 34

List the environmental dangers of marine mammals

Answer 34

- pollutants - Noise polution (ships) - Habitat destruction - Climate change - Human interaction

Question 35

What areas caused an upsurge of interest in marine mammal science?

Answer 35

- Their environment/habitat - Interaction with fisheries - Population and behavioral studies - Reproduction - Pollution - Climate change - Underwater noise

Question 36

How do human interactions specifically affect marine mammal life?

Answer 36

- Boats negatively affect feeding efficiency/hunting - Dolphin reproduction decrease despite decreasing dolphin bycatch

Question 37

How do environmental dangers affect humans?

Answer 37

- Contaminants from seals when ingested by humans causes serious medical problems - Mercury levels in whale meat causes sickness

Question 38

How does captivity differ from in the wild

Answer 38

Captivity -> easier to study, breathing patterns, social activity Wild -> More complicated, causes stress, requires more equipment/people

Question 39

What are the conservation measures that must be taken into account to protect marine mammalian life?

Answer 39

- physiology - specialized adaptations - Environment - traditional/cultural resources - conservation policies - Economic value

Question 40

What are the pollutants that affect marine life (6 things)

Answer 40

- Heavy metals (Mercury, lead, cadmium) - Organochlorines (DDTs) - Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) - Perflurooctane sulfonates (PFOS - Teflon) - Oil (various products) - Radioactive materials (various products)

Question 41

What are the pollutants that affect the corresponding organ systems?

Answer 41

Brain - Mercury Reproductive organs - PBCs Kidney - Lead Skin - Oil

Question 42

How do pollutants impact species? What are some specific examples?

Answer 42

- Impaired reproduction (seals) - Impaired development in young (Polar bears) - Indirect mortality (Dolphin - ingestion) - Direct mortality (Sea otter -thermoregulation)

Question 43

What threat does mercury pose on the human population?

Answer 43

- Mercury can bioaccumulate and biomagnify up the food chain - concern for humans primarily pregnant females, breast feeding and young children