Marine Mammals in Coastal Georgia Teacher Workshop April 22, 2016

The Western North Atlantic Right whale is Georgia’s state marine mammal. Annually, pregnant mothers migrate from the cold, turbulent New England waters to calve in the calmer, warmer winter waters along the se coast from South Carolina and Georgia to Florida. Teams of biologists including those from the New England Aquarium and Georgia Department of Natural Resources(DNR) track their movements and births, disentangle whales from commercial fishing lines, and conduct ongoing research on the most endangered of all the great whales. Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins are one of many dolphin species that take advantage of our estuarine and coastal waters. They are found here year round and many individuals are well known by teams that monitor resident populations of Georgia’s estuaries. Manatees that are found along the Georgia coast, typically in the warmer spring and summer months, are native to Florida and are a subspecies of the West Indian manatee. Primarily relying on Florida’s fresh water springs for habitat, these animals invest considerable energy travelling into Georgia’s estuaries to take advantage of minerals and nutrients found in Georgia’s brackish and salt marsh vegetation.

Join experts in the Marine Mammal field from Georgia DNR, Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve(SINERR), and Savannah State University who will speak on these amazing mammals and their connections to the Georgia coast. Current research, threats, conservation and management strategies, life history, behaviors, and adaptations will be presented along with curriculum and fun classroom activity sessions! This workshop is open to formal and non-formal educators.

LOCATION: Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Brunswick, Georgia

TIME: 8:45-5:00

COST: $25, includes refreshments, lunch, and resource materials

K-12 CURRICULUM AND RESOURCES: provided for all participants

This workshop is open to formal and non-formal educators.