Comparison of High and Low Water Flow Fates on the Filtering Efficiency of Megaptera novaeangliae Baleen
Project Leader - Cecilia Sydor Estable - August 2008
Flow tank set-up. Red arrow=where rice grains
were released; red square = baleen suspension apparatus; green arrow= where dip
net was inserted to collect rice grains that would fall through the baleen once
the flow had ceased; C=baffling attached to square funnel; D=baffling on floor
of tank used to collect rice grains that had filtered through baleen; E=baleen
attached to opposite side of tank used to collect rice grains that had filtered
through baleen
Photo: Cecelia Sydor Estable
Abstract
The effect of a high and low water flow rate on the filtering efficiency of a baleen filter was tested using the baleen plates of Megaptera novaeanglia. It was predicted that the low flow rate would have an increased filtering efficiency, and a high flow rate would have a decreased filtering efficiency. These predictions arose from the hypothesis that baleen whales use a lower flow rate for feeding, and would thus retain more food particles; and a high flow rate for cleaning, and would want to expel more food particles. The data was analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA. There was no significant correlation found between flow rate and filtering efficiency, but this was most likely due to the small trial size used, which was 5 trials per treatment.
The mean mass of the rice caught at low flow (9.2 g + 5.21) is higher than the mean weight of the rice caught at high flow (6.98 g + 1.29). The mean weight of the rice escaped at low flow (2.02 g + 2.41) is lower than the mean weight of the rice escaped at high flow (6.44 g + 3.79)
Figure: Cecilia Sydor Estable
Major -
Guelph University
Future Plans - .
