Difference between revisions of "Template:POTD protected"

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The '''[[Backer Islands]]''' are a chain of small islands at the south side of [[Cranton Bay]]. The islands trend northwest for 22 kilometers (12 nmi) from the [[ice shelf]] which forms the southern limit of the bay. They were mapped by the United States Geological Survey from surveys and from [[U.S. Navy]] air photos, 1960–66, and named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names for Walter K. Backer, a U.S. Navy chief construction mechanic at [[Byrd Station]] in 1967.
The '''[[Orca]]''' is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. Killer whales have a diverse diet, although individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey. Some feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals such as seals and dolphins. They have been known to attack baleen whale calves, and even adult whales. Killer whales are apex predators, as there is no animal that preys on them. Killer whales are considered a cosmopolitan species, and can be found in each of the world's oceans in a variety of marine environments, from Arctic and [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] regions to tropical seas.


In 2011, scientists from the POLar Earth-observing NETwork (POLENET) traveled to the Backer Islands via a Twin Otter aircraft and installed a GPS monitoring site. This equipment is used to remotely monitor GPS and seismic data that will help scientists determine trends in ice sheet movement and other geophysical phenomena.
<p><small>Photographer: Joe Stanford</small></p>
 
 
<p><small>Photographer: Ellie Boyce (UNAVCO)</small></p>
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Latest revision as of 05:09, 10 June 2025

ORCAS1.jpg

The Orca is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. Killer whales have a diverse diet, although individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey. Some feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals such as seals and dolphins. They have been known to attack baleen whale calves, and even adult whales. Killer whales are apex predators, as there is no animal that preys on them. Killer whales are considered a cosmopolitan species, and can be found in each of the world's oceans in a variety of marine environments, from Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas.

Photographer: Joe Stanford

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