WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en-US 00:00:01.958 --> 00:00:06.674 Partial funding provided by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 00:00:08.976 --> 00:00:12.079 Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary 00:00:13.927 --> 00:00:16.751 located between Cape Ann and Cape Cod 00:00:16.751 --> 00:00:18.751 off the coast of Massachusetts. 00:00:19.220 --> 00:00:22.056 It spans more than 800 square miles 00:00:22.136 --> 00:00:23.624 and is a premier destination 00:00:23.624 --> 00:00:25.092 for whale watching, 00:00:25.268 --> 00:00:28.896 fishing and significant marine research. 00:00:29.673 --> 00:00:32.767 It is home to a vast array of marine species 00:00:32.767 --> 00:00:35.736 some of which have captured the public's attention. 00:00:36.947 --> 00:00:41.852 While others have not made it into the limelight, all are greatly interconnected 00:00:42.054 --> 00:00:47.574 and essential to maintaining a beautiful balance within this marine ecosystem. 00:00:48.930 --> 00:00:53.721 In this video, we will explore the links among sanctuary species 00:00:54.448 --> 00:00:57.124 by means of another type of connection, 00:00:57.795 --> 00:00:59.160 through music. 00:00:59.664 --> 00:01:02.730 We will explore selected sanctuary species 00:01:02.730 --> 00:01:07.781 first through music that imitates the specific ways in which they move through the water, 00:01:08.688 --> 00:01:10.171 and the sky 00:01:11.256 --> 00:01:13.207 and then through a musical cycle 00:01:13.207 --> 00:01:16.710 that demonstrates the connections between these species. 00:01:18.490 --> 00:01:26.087 Before we dive into the water, let's start in the sky with an important seabird. 00:01:28.226 --> 00:01:31.091 Stellwagen is host to many bird species 00:01:31.091 --> 00:01:33.727 including the great shearwater, 00:01:33.823 --> 00:01:36.327 one of the largest of the shearwaters. 00:01:36.783 --> 00:01:40.434 These birds can be seen flocking over fishing boats 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:44.738 or gliding above feeding humpback whales. 00:01:44.738 --> 00:01:48.709 The shearwater moves in a flap and glide flight pattern 00:01:48.790 --> 00:01:54.870 with frequent dives into the water to catch its prey of small fish and squid. 00:01:57.633 --> 00:02:03.390 Here is a graph showing a melody that flaps and dives like the shear water. 00:02:03.390 --> 00:02:08.495 The melody features an up and down, undulating, flapping motion 00:02:08.818 --> 00:02:10.764 Near the end of the melody 00:02:10.764 --> 00:02:14.535 we hear a sudden descent as the shearwater dives 00:02:14.535 --> 00:02:17.504 into the water to catch its prey. 00:02:18.810 --> 00:02:23.277 Shearwater music playing 00:02:28.109 --> 00:02:34.429 Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is also home to huge humpback whales 00:02:34.429 --> 00:02:39.628 that migrate north from warmer waters to New England during the months of April 00:02:39.628 --> 00:02:41.528 through November. 00:02:41.528 --> 00:02:45.332 Humpback whales feed on small fish near the surface of the water 00:02:45.548 --> 00:02:53.841 and at times they also dive down and roll on their sides to forage along the ocean bottom. 00:02:56.052 --> 00:02:59.652 In this melody graph, we can hear the melody the melody notes 00:02:59.652 --> 00:03:05.819 descend and roll, imitating this humpback whale feeding behavior. 00:03:08.524 --> 00:03:17.197 Humpback whale music playing 00:03:21.390 --> 00:03:28.030 Some of the tiniest species in the sanctuary are phytoplankton which benefit greatly 00:03:28.030 --> 00:03:33.046 from the whales as they absorb nutrients from the whale's feces. 00:03:33.247 --> 00:03:39.787 Larger animal plankton, or zooplankton then feed on the tiny phytoplankton 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:42.502 drifting with the currents and wind. 00:03:43.216 --> 00:03:47.361 Although they are capable of swimming independently as well, 00:03:47.511 --> 00:03:53.751 moving up and down in the water often in a spiraling motion to avoid predators. 00:03:56.574 --> 00:04:00.414 In this melody graph we hear the spiral motion of the plankton 00:04:00.414 --> 00:04:04.812 in various musical parts each moving at different speeds. 00:04:08.002 --> 00:04:15.689 Plankton music playing 00:04:18.691 --> 00:04:22.851 While not as well known as some other species in the sanctuary, 00:04:23.457 --> 00:04:26.733 the sand lance is a critically important species 00:04:26.733 --> 00:04:30.704 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. 00:04:31.432 --> 00:04:33.841 The sand lance is a small fish 00:04:34.196 --> 00:04:36.743 only about three to six inches in length, 00:04:36.957 --> 00:04:39.947 and they feed on the plankton during the day, 00:04:40.204 --> 00:04:46.052 then partially bury themselves in the sand at night to hide from predators. 00:04:46.968 --> 00:04:54.161 These little fish are an essential food source providing nutrition for many marine species 00:04:54.161 --> 00:04:57.931 including humpback whales and the great shearwater. 00:05:00.130 --> 00:05:03.537 A healthy sand lance population is crucial 00:05:03.537 --> 00:05:06.506 to maintaining the presence of whales in the sanctuary. 00:05:06.520 --> 00:05:13.054 and with more whales the plankton benefit from the increased food source. 00:05:14.491 --> 00:05:17.050 The quick darting motion of the sand lance 00:05:17.133 --> 00:05:19.133 as it emerges from the sand 00:05:19.133 --> 00:05:21.722 is represented in the musical example 00:05:21.781 --> 00:05:28.395 as an abrupt leap from lower notes to higher notes at the end of its melody. 00:05:31.180 --> 00:05:34.968 Sand Lance music playing 00:05:37.711 --> 00:05:44.111 We have now heard four different melodies each imitating the motion of four species 00:05:44.111 --> 00:05:48.649 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. 00:05:48.649 --> 00:05:54.287 In this image we see the species linked into one connected loop. 00:05:54.789 --> 00:05:59.693 The shearwater, whale and plankton segments are linked 00:05:59.693 --> 00:06:05.365 or joined together by repeated, shorter sand lance segments. 00:06:06.332 --> 00:06:11.405 In the music, we will hear the sand lance melody function as a connector. 00:06:11.696 --> 00:06:15.976 A musical segment that joins together all other musical phrases 00:06:16.009 --> 00:06:18.979 into one cohesive whole. 00:06:18.979 --> 00:06:24.951 Let's listen to these musical phrases combined into one complete cycle. 00:06:26.021 --> 00:07:14.901 Musical Cycle playing 00:07:18.993 --> 00:07:23.953 The composer has created a seamless cycle by overlapping the entrances 00:07:23.953 --> 00:07:26.379 of different musical instrument groups. 00:07:26.906 --> 00:07:32.285 In addition, the composer also starts and ends the musical phrases on the same note 00:07:32.285 --> 00:07:36.756 to create a seamless connection from one species to the next. 00:07:37.101 --> 00:07:42.971 This composing technique takes separate musical ideas and joins them together 00:07:42.971 --> 00:07:50.370 into one connected whole just as our species are joined and connected within the food web. 00:07:52.690 --> 00:07:57.970 There are situations that can result in either a positive or negative impact 00:07:57.970 --> 00:08:01.381 on species' well-being and population. 00:08:02.329 --> 00:08:07.087 For example, the fishing gear used in commercial fishing 00:08:07.136 --> 00:08:10.724 can create problems for whales. 00:08:11.808 --> 00:08:17.968 Some types of traditional fishing gear use vertical lines that anchor floating buoys to 00:08:17.968 --> 00:08:21.768 the traps or nets along the bottom, 00:08:21.768 --> 00:08:26.740 increasing the risk of whales getting entangled in these vertical lines. 00:08:26.940 --> 00:08:31.144 Here we see a whale that has become entangled in fishing lines 00:08:31.608 --> 00:08:37.083 with the heartbreaking footage of her calf swimming closely by her side. 00:08:37.921 --> 00:08:41.254 Buoy-less gear is a new and innovative solution 00:08:41.536 --> 00:08:47.327 where the gear remains submerged without vertical lines connected to a floating buoy. 00:08:48.671 --> 00:08:51.898 When the vessel sends an acoustic signal to the gear, 00:08:51.898 --> 00:08:55.835 a pop-up buoy or a floating spool is released 00:08:55.871 --> 00:08:58.271 to lift the traps to the surface. 00:08:59.825 --> 00:09:04.144 Buoy-less gear allows for undisrupted commercial fishing 00:09:04.266 --> 00:09:07.781 while greatly reducing the risk of entanglements for the whales. 00:09:08.871 --> 00:09:11.971 Fishermen, regulators, and the industry 00:09:11.971 --> 00:09:18.158 are teaming up to make the challenge of transitioning to buoy-less gear feasible. 00:09:19.212 --> 00:09:21.928 From cargo ships to recreational motor boats, 00:09:21.624 --> 00:09:26.128 vessel traffic poses other risks to whales. 00:09:26.298 --> 00:09:31.905 It is estimated that vessel strikes kill thousands of whales each year. 00:09:32.107 --> 00:09:35.108 Since a whale strike may go unnoticed by the vessel operator 00:09:35.530 --> 00:09:39.412 and most deceased whales sink to the ocean bottom, 00:09:39.495 --> 00:09:42.348 it is difficult to know the true extent of these incidents. 00:09:43.098 --> 00:09:47.253 Additionally, engine noise from vessel traffic can also interfere with 00:09:47.253 --> 00:09:52.258 whale communication and cause interruptions to their normal feeding behaviors. 00:09:53.146 --> 00:09:57.397 Lowering vessel speed can help to reduce noise and air pollution. 00:09:58.067 --> 00:10:03.269 Vessels traveling below 10 knots are less likely to cause a whale fatality 00:10:03.614 --> 00:10:05.972 even when a strike occurs. 00:10:07.163 --> 00:10:11.797 Alterations to shipping routes can help to minimize whale strikes 00:10:11.797 --> 00:10:19.637 especially on routes that travel through whale migration, calving, and feeding areas. 00:10:22.071 --> 00:10:25.751 There are some human actions that can have a catastrophic 00:10:25.751 --> 00:10:29.996 impact on marine life within the sanctuary. 00:10:29.996 --> 00:10:33.967 For example, the burning of fossil fuels 00:10:33.967 --> 00:10:37.770 increases co2 levels in the atmosphere of our planet. 00:10:38.497 --> 00:10:41.307 A significant amount of that increased co2 00:10:41.412 --> 00:10:44.277 is subsequently absorbed into our oceans 00:10:44.693 --> 00:10:48.681 greatly increasing the acidity of the ocean's water. 00:10:49.140 --> 00:10:57.168 Warmer, more acidic oceans negatively affect species habitats, migration patterns, 00:10:57.168 --> 00:11:00.460 available food sources, and population. 00:11:02.014 --> 00:11:05.999 While it is not possible to reverse the world's co2 levels, 00:11:06.722 --> 00:11:09.068 it is possible to stabilize it 00:11:09.568 --> 00:11:12.038 through a range of human interventions 00:11:12.878 --> 00:11:16.415 that reduce our carbon footprint. 00:11:16.592 --> 00:11:21.881 Now it's your turn to experience the beauty and connectivity 00:11:22.381 --> 00:11:24.851 of Stellwagen Bank marine species 00:11:25.760 --> 00:11:28.655 in an interactive musical game 00:11:29.064 --> 00:11:33.059 where you can observe both positive and negative consequences 00:11:33.617 --> 00:11:38.464 of various human impacts represented through music. 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:42.101 Thank you for watching. 00:11:42.547 --> 00:11:45.238 Thank you for caring.