In preparing to write this story, we found that Dr. David Wiley’s August 15 presentation, hosted by the Marion Institute, covered a wide range of interconnecting topics. From the types of climate events he dubbed as “chaos” to migration habits of Right Whales to feeding and hunting strategies of the whales and of the shearwaters, a type of petrel who prefers temperate seawater, Wiley told a story of survival.

            Wiley, a research ecologist, has written hundreds of technical papers and published articles; his affiliation with such organizations as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is a small sample of his credentials. Add to that, Wiley’s research helped bring about policy changes resulting in the realignment of Boston’s Traffic Separation Scheme, a move that set a precedent for similar changes in the future.

            Wiley has been studying the Gulf of Maine and the Stellwagen Bank for decades in his quest to gather data on the interconnectedness of marine animals, especially the Right Whale and the shearwaters. Uniting these two disparate species in a fight for life is a third animal, the sand lance, a seemingly bit player in the daily battle of survival but in reality, the star of the show. Whales and shearwaters feed on sand lances.

            Wiley told the full house at the Marion Music Hall that sand lances live on the sandy bottom of the now-protected Stellwagen Bank. The large, sand, bank-like ocean bottom feature was created during the last ice age, Wiley explained. It was first noted by mariners in the 1800s, but it wasn’t until November 2, 1992, by President George H.W. Bush that it became fully protected, having the effect of providing some protection to the highly endangered Right Whales.

            The stated mission for protecting these 638 square nautical miles is to, “conserve, protect and enhance the biological diversity, ecological integrity and cultural legacy of the sanctuary.” Today whale-watching trips departing from Boston to Provincetown all head to Stellwagen in the summer to view the animals that migrate to the Stellwagen to feed in cooler waters than those found in southern climes in the summer.

            But, of course, we all know that warming seawater is endangering sea animals and the tiny prey they feed on. Wiley noted that everything from plankton to the sand lances are feeling the impact of global warming.

            Wiley said that test data indicates that even the smallest rise in sea temperatures is threatening sand-lance eggs, rendering them nonviable. The collapse of this primary food source may not survive acidification of the seas.

            In the meantime, there is study meant to build a more complete picture of just what is happening today in our offshore world. Wiley has studied whale behavior that indicates whales cooperate and hunt together for sand lances. By pointing their heads in a downward posture and nose to nose, they ferret out sand lances hiding beneath the sea-bottom soils. Above, as the whales feed, shearwaters take advantage of the action and are also feeding. This plowing activity by the whales creates an “up welling” of nutrients, an added bonus.

            An exciting development in the study of whales has been new tracking technology, Wiley said. He participates in tagging activities that collect a multitude of data points, including feeding habits, travel/migration patterns and even what the whales are hearing beneath the sea.

            And what about the numbers? The increasingly sad truth is that Right Whales may all be gone in our lifetime, Wiley commented. Current estimates indicate some 300 whales in the wild with possibly only 100 breeding females. “Two thirds of all Right Whales in existence are currently in our area.”

            Scientists like Wiley continue to explore new ways to collect data in an effort to find new ways to keep not only Right Whales part of the ecological scene, but to engage with those who have the power to balance human activity against the needs of the natural world.

            To learn more about Stellwagen and about Wiley’s work, visit stellwagen.noaa.gov and sanctuaries.noaa.gov.

By Marilou Newell

            Look up in the sky, it’s the hawk that fishes! One can almost hear the opening bars of Superman, the television series, as we gaze up into the sky and watch our local osprey as they glide above, searching for food.

            The handle “the hawk that fishes” is extremely apropos according to osprey expert Dr. Alan Poole. He has been an associate of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and editor of Birds of North America for over two decades. Poole is also an author of two books (one for children) with osprey as the theme. Poole gave an in-depth presentation at the Marion Natural History Museum on August 16.

            Poole is widely known for his conservation work on behalf of these majestic birds for the last 35 years. They are survivors of the first order, Poole said, going from the brink of population collapse to a return with global expansion. Although he stated that there has been a 30% decline in population overall from the 1950s, today they are doing well globally.

            Poole asked the audience to consider the osprey a master fisherman, with long hook-like talons and eyesight designed to see fish just below the water’s surface. It is totally dependent on fish as a food source and water supply, he noted. Osprey can consume both salt and freshwater fish; thus, their nesting sites can be found in pond and lake areas as well as saltwater marshes.

            And what about those nests. Poole said that many hundreds of individual sticks comprise nests that are improved and repaired season after season, primarily by the males. Nests can be found atop electric utility poles or nestled on maritime channel markers.

            People have helped osprey with their homesteading activities, he said, by building platforms above hunting areas. Locally, these nests can be found in marshlands or along cranberry bogs. Wherever water supports fish, colonies of osprey may be found. Wiley estimated that there are now 100 nests along the Westport River.

            On the issue of survival, this bird gets top ratings. When DDT was introduced after World War II as an agent to control insect predation, birds of all types would be horrendously impacted. Beyond killing off adult birds, DDT damaged shells, rendering them unviable. Bird numbers fell dramatically.

            Poole reminded us that author Rachel Carson’s pivotal book “Silent Spring” sounded the alarm bell regarding the use of pesticides, and slowly DDT spraying was stopped. Along with our national icon, the bald eagle and many others, osprey have been able to reestablish their numbers in the wild.

            The osprey in this area make “an epic” migration each year, traveling from the northeast U.S. to east central South America. They can clock in as many as 160,000 miles in a lifetime, it is estimated. They arrive here in the spring for mating and nesting and depart in September for their winter-season feeding areas with mated pairs returning to the same nest year after year.

            Poole said that mated pairs do not travel together on the great migrations, nor do they meet up during the winter. “They take separate vacations.” European osprey migrate to western Africa, even crossing the Sahara Desert. Migration routes vary, but the average trip is approximately three weeks.

            Family units are generally two to three eggs and the mated pair. Mother osprey do not leave the nest to feed while the young are maturing. This results in females sustaining loss of body fat, strength and stamina, Poole explained. But evolution helps these ladies out by providing a supportive male partner.

            The females leave the nest before the young take flight, thusly the male takes over hunting and feeding chores. The females in the meantime are plumping up on fish in preparation for that epic migration south without having to share with very hungry young ones.

            But, make no mistake, ospreys have had a rocky recovery since the 1950s. It was considered a nuisance bird in Great Britain, where recreational sportfishing was and is a thriving tourist industry. The osprey were hunted down and eradicated in the 1880s. It wasn’t until Scotland in the 1950s began reintroducing osprey on large private estates that numbers began to climb.

            So thrilled were people at that time that at one nesting site, as many as 2,000,000 visitors came to see one nest. It’s that old story, “You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.” Osprey have been around for millions of years. Here’s hoping osprey and the ecosystem that supports them continues to thrive for millions more.

            To learn more about Poole’s work and the ospreys’ amazing recovery, visit academy.allaboutbirds.org/person/alan-poole or massaudubon.org/places-to-explore/wildlife-sanctuaries/allens-pond/projects/south-coast-osprey-project.

By Marilou Newell

            The childlike wonder on the faces of old men was unmistakable and, at the same time, a serious outlet of stress management in the form of a fun science experiment.

            Those men, mostly senior citizens, gathered with families and friends on Saturday on Decas Cranberry property at the edge of Mary’s Pond in Rochester to launch model aircraft during the John Nicolaci Memorial Float Fly held by the Bristol County Radio Control Club.

            Their colorful array of radio-controlled seaplanes, flying boats and sport models varied in size, but against a brilliant blue sky geometric perspective was lost, and the planes took on an appearance rivaling a full-scale demonstration.

            One pilot literally hurled his craft into the air, but the rest planted them at the edge of the water, and into a headwind they accelerated to a graceful departure. With their hand-held controls, the pilots alternated between conventional flight patterns and more daring maneuvers, including inverted aircraft, spinning or a steep climb to zero gravity.

            Since age 15, Gary Carreiro has been involved with the Bristol County Radio Control Club, which at age 49, he serves as co-president. Carreiro estimates 40 club members, approximately 10 of which are active flyers. The club is part of a nationwide society of model-airplane pilots numbering 58,000.

            “Obviously, there are rogue flyers,” said Carreiro.

            Carlos Costa, the organization’s vice president, was on hand as well as Safety Officer Gerry Dupont.

            Their event was not only a fun outing but honored the memory of John Nicolaci, an original member of the club whose Navy career involved working on the wing assembly of the Martin PBM Mariner patrol bomber flying boat during World War II. He passed away in 2009 but not before paving the way for the activities enjoyed by the club today.

            According to Carreiro, Nicolaci once flew his own model plane from Martha’s Vineyard to New Bedford. His wife Ruth (Knowles) Nicolaci passed away on July 2, so Saturday’s event was extra special to the local flyers.

            Though not a competition, the Float Fly was sanctioned by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), which also functions as an insurance carrier for the club.

            It takes several hundred dollars to start off in model-airplane flying. Models can be purchased for as little as $300 but go well upward in cost, especially as their owners customize them or adapt existing models to emulate historic aircraft.

            Model flying lessons are available by appointment, said Carreiro. For more information, email the Bristol County Radio Control Club at info@bristolcountyrc.org.

By Mick Colageo