Friday, November 2, 2012 at 7:30 PM
Geological Lecture Hall, Harvard University
24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA
Our guest speaker, Peter Trull, will present "The Symbiotic Relationship Between Humpback Whales and Marine Birds"
Symbiotic relationships occur throughout Nature, some subtle, others compelling! In the open sea, Humpback Whales create bubble columns and bubble clouds that trap and drive small fish to the surface, providing an opportunity for a diversity of marine birds to share in the bounty. Symbiosis occurs in three forms, Mutualism, Commensalism and Parasitism. In "The Symbiotic Relationship Between Humpback Whales and Marine Birds", we’ll see through vivid images how one form, commensalism, occurs in a dynamic display of power and beauty. Learn about the behaviors and adaptations of birds, most notably the Gulls, Shearwaters and Petrels found in our coastal waters, as they coexist with Humpback Whales. A diversity of marine birds and marine mammal species will be shown and described in close-up images.
Peter Trull has been involved in Research and Education for over 35 years. In the 70s an 80s he coordinated Massachusetts Audubon Society's coastal seabird monitoring program, assessing the breeding success and its limiting factors on 4 species of terns as well as piping plovers. He conducted field research in Guyana and Surinam, studying the market trapping of Common Terns and Roseate Terns, working with local bird trappers in coastal villages where he hesitatingly admits he’s eaten Common Terns and 15 to 20 species of the sandpipers and plovers on your year list. As Education Director at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, he developed programs and began studying Eastern Coyotes in 1989. Through the 90's, as a researcher and Education Director at the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, he developed and taught classes related to whales and marine birds and has completed over 2100 whale watching trips related to education and research. He presently teaches 7th grade Science at the Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School in Harwich MA, and holds a Master’s Degree in Education. He has written five books about Cape Cod natural history including, Coyotes In The Neighborhood, and his two newest books, Closer To The Great Whales and An Illustrated Guide To The Common Birds Of Cape Cod, published in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
Members and guests are cordially invited. Admission is free. Parking is free at the 52 Oxford Street garage (opposite Everett St). Tell the guard you are attending the BBC meeting.
Birder's Exchange Program Donations: please bring your used binoculars and other birding equipment. For more information, go to the Birder's Exchange on the web.
