>To: Dr. Robert Knox >From: Dan Costa >Re: REVELLE REQUEST > >COURSE DESCRIPTION > >We are planning to continue a four-year sequence of Bioacoustical >Oceanography summer courses held at the University of California, Santa >Cruz. These courses are held to train graduate students and postdoctoral >investigators from around the world in the principles of bioacoustical >oceanography. A primary goal of the courses is to provide students with a >broad understanding of the acoustic tools and techniques required to address >fundamental questions pertaining to the distribution and behavior of marine >mammals, their prey field, and their physical/ chemical environment. By >bringing together many of the top researchers in bioacoustics, bioacoustical >oceanography, and marine mammal biology, much needed cross-disciplinary >exchange is achieved. The students have the unique opportunity to work side >by side with active scientists using state-of-the-art tools and techniques. >The courses also act as a research magnet, attracting scientists to conduct >their own research in a creative teaching environment that will catalyze >future interactions across disciplines. > >Two types of courses are offered in alternate years. The first type serves >as an overall introduction to the field of bioacoustical oceanography. This >type of course was offered in August 1995 and will be offered again in >August 1997. The second type provides more advanced students with an >opportunity to gain additional, first-hand experience in experimental >laboratory and field research. This type of course will be offered in August >1996 and again in August 1998. The format for this latter type of course is >based on teaching units that we call Advanced Training Modules (ATMs). An >ATM is a two-week teaching unit in which students participate in group >projects on a particular research topic. During the two weeks, students will >attend orientation lectures by course faculty members, work with faculty >members to design and execute laboratory and/or field experiments, analyze >experimental results, and prepare short oral and written reports on their >findings. Written reports will be included in the annual report for each >course. The annual report for last year's course can be found on the World >Wide Web at the following URL: http://www.cse.ucsc.edu/~marga/bio.html. > >The course planned for 1997 will follow the same general format as the 1995 >course. During that course, 30 students participated in the first, two-week >session of lectures, seminars, and demonstrations. Of these 30 students, 18 >participated in the second, two-week session of research modules. For the >1997 course, only a single group of 15 students will be invited to >participate for credit in both sessions. The first session will cover the >same lecture subjects, although updated, as were covered during 1995. The >research modules during the second session of 1997 will be similar to those >conducted during 1995 (Table 1). > >Table 1. Research Modules for the 1995 Course. > >1. Experimental studies of acoustic backscattering from Antarctic krill > >2. Passive acoustic localization and tracking of marine mammals > >3. Acoustic studies of cetaceans foraging in their 3-D prey environment > >4. Acoustic modeling explorations of the forward and inverse problems > >The course planned for 1998 will follow the ATM format. We plan to invite 15 >advanced students for a four-week, five credit-hour course. These students >will be expected to have had adequate training in bioacoustical oceanography >prior to the course. This means that they will have either participated in a >previous course (1993, 1995, 1996, 1997) or that they can document a >comparable level of experience in their application materials. Each invited >student will participate in two ATMs of his or her choice. The proposed ATMs >for the 1998 course are listed in Table 2. > >Table 2. Proposed Advanced Training Modules for the 1998 Course > >1. Laboratory experimental studies of acoustic backscattering from > Monterey Bay zooplankton > >2. Passive acoustic localization and tracking of marine mammals > >3. Acoustic studies of cetaceans foraging in their 3-D prey environment > >4. Effects of Monterey Bay Canyon topography on zooplankton sound- > scattering layers > >5. Dolphin biosonar > >The Bioacoustical Oceanography courses planned for 1997 and1998 will have >fifteen core faculty members (Table 3). These faculty members will be >responsible for the lectures as well as the supervision of the research >modules and ATMs. > >Table 3. Faculty Members and Their Areas of Expertise. > >Dr. Chris Clark (Cornell) - Marine mammal bioacoustics >Dr. Dan Costa (UCSC) - Marine mammal physiological ecology >Dr. Don Croll (UCSC) - Marine mammal and seabird ecology >Dr. Adam Frankel (Cornell) - Marine mammal bioacoustics and behavior >Dr. Kurt Fristrup (Cornell) - Marine mammal bioacoustics and behavior >Dr. Chuck Greene (Cornell) - Bioacoustical oceanography >Dr. Jim Harvey (Moss Landing) - Marine mammal behavioral ecology >Dr. Jules Jaffe (SIO) - Acoustical oceanography >Dr. Khosrow Lashkari (MBARI) - Acoustical oceanography >Dr. Duncan McGehee (WHOI) - Acoustical oceanography >Dr. Dave Mellinger (Cornell) - Marine mammal bioacoustics >Dr. Pat Moore (NOSC) - Marine mammal behavior, biosonar >Dr. Tim Stanton (WHOI) - Acoustical oceanography >Dr. Peter Wiebe (WHOI) - Bioacoustical oceanography >Dr. Terrie Williams (UCSC) - Marine mammal physiological ecology > >SHIPTIME JUSTIFICATION > >We are seeking five days of UC shiptime aboard the RV Roger Revelle during >August 1997 and seven days in August 1998. We are going to request an >additional two days on this ship each year through a shiptime allocation >from UNOLS awarded by NSF Ocean Sciences. Historically (1993, 1995, 1996), >our bioacoustical oceanography courses have been supported principally by >ONR with a substantial supplement from NSF. As our field studies in the >courses have become increasingly more ambitious, shiptime support has become >a major issue limiting the training opportunities we can provide for our >students. > >During 1997, we plan to use the RV Revelle in conjunction with the RV John >Martin (Moss Landing) to study blue whales as they move onto their foraging >grounds on the edge of the Monterey Bay submarine canyon. The RV Revelle >will be used 1.) to deploy a moored, multi-frequency, active acoustic spar >buoy (BIOSPAR) over the canyon, 2.) to deploy a moored, passive hydrophone >array adjacent to the canyon, and 3.) to tow a mile-long, passive hydrophone >array in the vicinity of the canyon. The BIOSPAR will be moored in a >location on the edge of the canyon wall where blue whales are known to visit >during their foraging bouts on zooplankton sound-scattering layers (SSL's). >This will enable us to collect a time series of data on the behavior of >these SSL's. Both passive arrays will be used to detect and track blue >whales as they move into the area. The RV Martin will be used to map the >3-dimensional prey field of the foraging blue whales with a hull-mounted, >multi-frequency echo sounder. We also are planning to place acoustic >transponders on the whales to allow us to track their foraging behavior in >the context of their 3-dimensional prey field. > >During 1998, we plan to conduct the same work as in 1997, but we are also >planning to deploy a new instrument called BIOMAPPER aboard the RV Revelle >to help us characterize the composition of the zooplankton SSL's. BIOMAPPER >has five acoustic frequencies and a video plankton recorder mounted on it. >The system has its own control van as well as a fiber-optic cable and winch >assembly. The system will be shipped out from Woods Hole specifically for >this cruise. Its use is our principal justification for seeking additional >shiptime in 1998. >============================================================================ >Daniel P. Costa Ph.D. e-mail: costa@biology.ucsc.edu >Professor and Associate Chair of Biology >Earth & Marine Science Bldg Rm A316 >University of California >Santa Cruz, CA 95064 Voice (408) 459-2786: FAX (408) 459-4882 >