On the second day, we were introduced to our research projects. These were existing projects that were apart of the non-profit foundation at Ocean Associates, so we were tasked with finding out any additional information that could be useful to these projects. Mine in particular was specifically researching the diet of the Atlantic Mackerel, in the Northwest Atlantic. Mr. Newton explained that this research has a larger significance, which lies with the Right Whales. These are one of the most endangered whale species in the world right now, with fewer than 300 currently living. Since they share their food source with other forage species, researchers have found that this is causing their populations to decline, and also causing them to reduce in physical size. By researching the Atlantic Mackerel diet, we can find out if they could be contributing to the Right Whale’s endangerment. I started my research by getting a general idea of what exactly the Atlantic Mackerel is before I got into any specifics later in my WEP.
Sofia