Essential Question # 5

We have been studying dolphins in the Amvrakikos coast to understand the ecology of their habitat and the impacts of human activities in order to protect them and preserve their populations. Write a persuasive paragraph explaining why it is important to protect the dolphins and the Amvarakikos coast.

These photographs are provided courtesy of the Tethys Institute

Travel Log

I want to thank the eight students for doing such an awesome job during our teleconference. Joan told me he was very impressed with the quality and thoughtfulness of your questions.

Today we saw many groups of dolphins all around us. The sun was out and the seas were very calm, perfect weather for observing dolphins. They were feeding, breaching and interacting with each other in fascinating ways. Joan was kept very busy photo-identifying them and our team had to keep pace collecting data and recording it on the net pad computer. The dolphins are so beautiful and graceful. We have been visiting several nearby villages on the Mediterranean sea to observe the local fishing fleet and to learn about how they fish. These coastal villages are spectacularly beautiful with clear turquoise waters, big mountains and beaches and the unique architecture of the buildings and ally ways. Tomorrow is my last day in Vonitsa. It is very sad to be leaving such a great place. I want to thank Earthwatch and the Kelly family for providing my students and I such a fabulous opportunity to learn about these amazing animals. I especially want to thank Joan and Ania for making this such a positive learning experience.

I have had difficulties with setting the dates on my camera. All of the photographs taken on this blog have been taken in the early part of May 2009. I apologize for this mistake.

Essential Question # 4

The Amvarakikos Coast has the highest density of fish farms in the Mediterranean Sea. What impact does this have on the dolphins? How does this effect the physical characteristics of the sea water?



Sun sparkles on the Mediterranean




A coastal town

A Fish Farm on the Amvarakikos coast.

Another fish farm on the Amvarakikos Coast

A coastal village on the Mediterranean Sea

Essential Question # 3

Fishing is an important part of Greek culture. Historically fishing was done on small boats by individuals on a small scale. In modern times there are large ships using huge nets to catch massive amounts of fish per boat. This change has had a dramatic impact on the ecology of the Mediterranean Sea. What impact has this change had on the dolphins? How do the dolphins effect the fisherman and their gear?



Greece countryside

. Mr Worrall on a swim in the Mediterranean

Joan The lead scientist

Fish at the local market

A port with some of the large fishingboats.

A traditional small fishing boat

Our team out on a tour of the coast.

Joan preparing our boat for another day.

Essential Question for Tuesday 5/5/09.

The sea we are studying dolphins in is called the Amvarakikos coast. It is called a closed basin in that it is shallow and has a very small opening to the open sea. This has both positive and negative implications for the dolphins. Write as many positive and negative effects as you can about how this closed basin might impact the dolphins. Take only ten to fifteen minutes to do this. Hint: Think about humans impact on this sea.




Dalmation Pelican An endangered animal with the largest wing span of all sea birds.



Vonitsa - Our home base

Looking for dolphins on a chilly day

Learning how to use the net pad, a computer used to record data about the dolphins.

Travel Log

4/30 I landed in the ancient city of Athens. It was challenging to get around with the signs in Greek and not speaking the language. I did manage to get around pretty well and walked up the hill to the Acropolis and saw the impressive structure of the Parthenon with great views overlooking the city. The next day I went to the museum of archeology and observed amazing works of art that were thousands of years old. I went down to the sea front and took my first swim in the Mediterranean. Later in the afternoon I walked past the presidential palace and through peaceful gardens.

5/1 I took a bus five hours across Greece to our research site. The scenery was spectacular with large mountains, rocky peaks and views of the Mediterranean Sea. I arrived at the charming village of Vonitsa to start my participation in the study of dolphins. I met the people I will be working with: Mike and Jill, a couple from England, Richard from Seattle and the main scientist Joan from Spain and Aina his assistant also from Spain. We have been out working on the Amvrikikos Coast for two days now. We have seen many dolphins breaching and feeding right up close to our boat. To see these beautiful animals in their natural habitat is an awe inspiring experience. We have been recording their behaviors and using photo-identification to monitor their populations. There are many mountains all around the sea and it has been sunny and calm, perfect weather for studying these amazing animals.

For additional information check the project's blog

These pictures were taken on 5/2/09 and belong to the Tethys Research Institute