Narwhals: Arctic Whales in a Melting World

Join author Todd McLeish in a multimedia presentation as he recounts his adventures studying the elusive narwhal, the rare Arctic whale with the spiral tusk. He will take you high above the Arctic Circle with teams of narwhal researchers seeking to solve the mysteries of the animal's migrations and debating the purpose of its tusk.

He will also share insights about the importance of narwhals in Inuit culture and how climate change is affecting the species. Along the way you'll hear about the many other unique animals living in the narwhal's frozen world, from walruses and polar bears to bowhead and beluga whales.

Copies of Todd's new narwhal book will be available for purchase and signing. Please bring cash or check if interested in purchasing a copy of Todd's book. Book sales and a signing with the author will immediately follow the presentation.

Todd McLeish is a Rhode Island-based science writer who has been writing about wildlife and environmental issues for more than 20 years. In more than 100 magazine articles he has highlighted numerous threatened species, profiled biologists and wildlife artists, and described encounters with a wide variety of backyard wildlife. His latest book, Narwhals: Arctic Whales in a Melting World, will be released in March 2013. His previous books have examined the lives of some of New England's rarest creatures, from right whales and basking sharks to roseate terns and burying beetles.

New England Fish ID course

In preparation for the GAFC, Bob Michelson will give a presentation on identifying local fish species, and reporting survey information to REEF. Participants of this workshop will learn how to use the REEF Environmental Education Foundation's Northeast Fish Identification Program. This photography based curriculum teaches how to identify common species of local finfish by using photography as the teaching tool. The program shows how to identify these creatures by using body shape, size, fin structure and location, body markings, coloration and habitat as identification keys. Memory clues are used in aiding to make this learning experience fun for SCUBA divers and snorkelers of all skill levels.

Robert Michelson of Braintree, Massachusetts has been a professional photographer/videographer and owner of Photography By Michelson, Inc. since 1974. Bob's underwater footage and edited programs of anadromous fish species are now on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoological Park as part of the Amazonia Science Center's Earth Situation Room. During 2003, Bob produced Humpback Whale behavior and aerial footage for the History Channel Production "Deep Sea Detectives: SS Portland." New Hampshire Public Television used underwater stock material on several episodes of the series New Hampshire Wildlife Journal. During 2006, Bob's whale behavior footage was used by Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Adventures television series American Adventures.

LOCATION CHANGE: 7pm – Simons IMAX Theatre This is a joint program with the Lowell Lecture. Please register so that they have a headcount. Club business will be conducted after the presentation

With widths reaching over 20 feet from wingtip to wingtip, and weighing in at up to two tons, the graceful and mysterious manta is the largest of the ray species. Sadly, manta rays and their relatives, the mobula rays, are threatened by overfishing due to a growing demand for their gills for use in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Daniel Fernando, a scientist with the Manta Trust, has been documenting the grave impact of this fishery in Sri Lanka and India, which are among the world’s major exporters of dried manta and mobula gills. Daniel’s study, which was supported in part by the Aquarium’s Marine Conservation Action Fund, contributed to a major victory for manta and mobula rays in March, 2013 when the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) voted to strengthen trade regulations for these species. Daniel will speak about his research and the race to ensure the survival of these magnificent and highly vulnerable species.

• NEAq blog post on this project's connection to the CITES victory: http://news.neaq.org/2013/03/making-brighter-future-for-manta-rays.html
• Profile of Daniel's project on the MCAF webpage: http://explorers.neaq.org/2012/12/tackling-growing-threat-to-manta-rays.html
• Link to an Aljazeera documentary on the manta ray fishery that featuring Daniel's Sri Lanka project. Daniel appears in the first few minutes of the film and then again starting at approximately 17 minutes. http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/101east/2013/03/201332715299451455.html

Lobster regulations for divers

More info coming soon!