Fascinating Facts About Arctic Bearded Seal

Fascinating Facts About Arctic Bearded Seal The bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) gets its name from its thick, light-colored whiskers, which resemble a beard. These ice seals live in Arctic waters, often on or near floating ice. Bearded seals are 7-8 feet long and weigh 575-800 pounds. Females are larger than males. Bearded seals have a small head, short snout, and square flippers. Their large body has a dark gray or brown coat that may have dark spots or rings. These seals live on or under the ice. They may even sleep in the water, with their heads at the surface so that they can breathe. When under the ice, they breathe through breathing holes, which they may form by pushing their heads through thin ice. Unlike ringed seals, bearded seals dont seem to maintain their breathing holes for long periods. When bearded seals rest on the ice, they lay near the edge, facing down so that they can quickly escape a predator. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: MammaliaOrder: CarnivoraFamily: PhocidaeGenus: ErignathusSpecies: Barbatus Habitat and Distribution Bearded seals live in cold, icy regions in the Arctic, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. They are solitary animals who haul out on ice floes. They may also be found under the ice, but need to come up to the surface and breathe through breathing holes. They live in areas where the water is less than 650 feet deep. Feeding Bearded seals eat fish (e.g., Arctic cod), cephalopods (octopus), and crustaceans (shrimp and crab), and clams. They hunt near the ocean bottom, using their whiskers (vibrissae) to help find food. Reproduction Female bearded seals are sexually mature at around 5 years, while males become sexually mature at 6-7 years. From March to June, males vocalize. When they vocalize, the males dive in a spiral underwater, releasing bubbles as they go, which creates a circle. They surface in the center of the circle. They make a variety of sounds - trills, ascents, sweeps, and moans. Individual males have unique vocalizations, and some males are very territorial, while others may roam. The sounds are thought to be used to advertise their fitness to potential mates and have only been heard during the breeding season. Mating occurs in spring. Females give birth to a pup about 4 feet long in length and 75 pounds in weight the following spring. The total gestation period is about 11 months. Pups are born with a soft fur called lanugo. This fur is grayish-brown and is shed after about a month. Pups nurse their mothers rich, fatty milk for about 2-4 weeks, and then must fend for themselves. The life span of bearded seals is thought to be about 25-30 years. Conservation and Predators Bearded seals are listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List. Natural predators of bearded seals include polar bears (their main natural predators), killer whales (orcas), walruses and Greenland sharks. Human-caused threats include hunting (by native hunters), pollution, oil exploration and (potentially) oil spills, increased human noise, coastal development, and climate change. These seals use the ice for breeding, molting, and resting, so they are a species thought to be very vulnerable to global warming. In December 2012, two population segments (the Beringia and Okhotsk population segments) were listed under the Endangered Species Act. NOAA said that the listing was due to the likelihood of a significant decrease in sea ice later this century. References and Further Reading Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Bearded Seal. Accessed January 31, 2013.ARKive. Bearded Seal. Accessed January 31, 2013.Berta, A.; Churchill, M. 2012. Erignathus barbatus (Erxleben, 1777). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species, January 31, 2013.Discovery of Sound in the Sea. Bearded Seal. Accessed January 31, 2013.Kovacs, K. Lowry, L. (IUCN SSC Pinniped Specialist Group) 2008. Erignathus barbatus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. Accessed January 31, 2013.NOAA Fisheries: Office of Protected Resources. Bearded Seal Accessed January 31, 2013.

University of Minnesota Duluth UMD Admissions Data

University of Minnesota Duluth UMD Admissions Data Are you exploring what it takes to be admitted to the University of Minnesota Duluth? Learn more about this schools admissions requirements. You can calculate your chances of getting in with this free tool from Cappex. About the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) The University of Minnesota Duluth is one of the five main campuses in the University of Minnesota System. Duluth is Minnesotas fourth largest city, located on the northwestern shore of Lake Superior. Founded in 1895 as the Normal School at Duluth, the university now offers 74 undergraduate degree programs on its 244-acre campus. Professional fields such as business, communications, and criminology are extremely popular. The university has a 20 to 1 student/faculty ratio. In athletics, the UMD Bulldogs compete in the NCAA Division II Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and the Division I Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Admissions Data (2016) UMD, University of Minnesota Duluth Acceptance Rate: 77Â  percentGPA, SAT and ACT Graph for UM-Duluth AdmissionsTest Scores: 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 460 / 600SAT Math: 510 / 610SAT Writing: - Â  / -What these SAT numbers meanACT Composite: 22 / 26ACT English: 20 / 26ACT Math: 22 / 27ACT Writing: - / -What these ACT numbers mean Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 11,018Â  (9,967 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 54Â  percent Male / 46 percent Female88 percent Full-time Costs (2016-17) Tuition and Fees: $13,139 (in-state); $17,485 (out-of-state)Books: $1,200 (why so much?)Room and Board: $7,460Other Expenses: $2,304Total Cost: $24,103 (in-state); $28,449 (out-of-state) University of Minnesota Duluth Financial Aid (2015-16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 88Â  percentPercentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 67 percentLoans: 66Â  percentAverage Amount of AidGrants: $7,498Loans: $7,753 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors: Accounting, Biology, Business Administration, Communication Studies, Criminology, Finance, Marketing, Psychology What major is right for you? Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Retention and Graduation Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 78Â  percentTransfer Out Rate: 30 percent4-Year Graduation Rate: 35 percent6-Year Graduation Rate: 59Â  percent Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports: Track and Field, Football, Ice Hockey, Basketball, BaseballWomens Sports: Ice Hockey, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball, Softball If You Like University of Minnesota Duluth, You May Also Like These Schools St. Cloud State UniversityUM Twin CitiesWinona State UniversityMinnesota State MankatoUniversity of St. ThomasUniversity of Wisconsin MadisonUM CrookstonSouthwest Minnesota State UniversityBemidji State UniversitySt. Olaf College More Minnesota Colleges - Information and Admissions Data Augsburg | Bethel | Carleton | Concordia College Moorhead | Concordia University Saint Paul | Crown | Gustavus Adolphus | Hamline | Macalester | Minnesota State Mankato | North Central | Northwestern College | Saint Benedict | St. Catherine | Saint Johns | Saint Marys | St. Olaf | St. Scholastica | St. Thomas | UM Crookston | UM Duluth | UM Morris | UM Twin Cities | Winona State University of Minnesota Duluth Mission Statement complete mission statement can be found at d.umn.edu/about/mission.html UMD serves northern Minnesota, the state, and the nation as a medium-sized comprehensive university dedicated to excellence in all of its programs and operations. As a university community in which knowledge is sought as well as taught, its faculty recognizes the importance of scholarship and service, the intrinsic value of research, and the significance of a primary commitment to quality instruction. Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics

Community development in social work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Community development in social work - Essay Example These processes include the organization or establishment of services, e.g. for social welfare, health protection, education, improvement of agriculture, development of small scale industries† (cited in UNESCO Working Paper for ACC Working Group on Community Development, 1956, 1). The word social work is made up two words, ‘social’ and ‘work’, and has different meanings when observed from the social perspective of different regions in the world. Thus, social work in India would be different from the social work being carried out in Iraq or Afghanistan, which would again differ in America, or UK, or Australia. Social work concept changes from country to country, varying according to the social and cultural environment, and political culture in the country, where one is conducting the social work. Broadly, social work, which is based on the principles of justice for all and human rights, aims to bring about social changes, develop good human relationship s, and to empower people for their own well being and liberation. Community Development, however, does not stop at just being a part of social work. There are many more implications to the word, and it is extremely broad in its scope. While CD does imply social work, today in the modern era of globalization, it also broadly implies the activities of the various political leaders, various civic activists, and the actions of other responsible and aware citizens, who all get involved in the various works done for the betterment of lives in local communities. So it is much more than just social service. CD means empowering the citizens as individuals, or in groups, so that they can learn the skills (often required to create political power to bring about social consciousness on some common agenda) which can be implemented to bring about positive changes. Thus, one may redefine CD as â€Å"Community development is a set of values embodied in an occupation.   It

Decartes argument on the existence of God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Decartes argument on the existence of God - Essay Example Descartes thought the only way to attain true knowledge was to depend only on human reasoning while disregarding the role of the senses, if any. â€Å"His philosophy refused to accept the Aristotelian and Scholastic traditions that had dominated philosophical thought throughout the Medieval period; it attempted to fully integrate philosophy with the ‘new sciences’; and Descartes changed the relationship between philosophy and theology. Such new directions of philosophy made Descartes into a revolutionary figure† (Baillet 1693). For this revelation, he is now universally celebrated as the father of modern philosophy. Through this works regarding the development in thought, he was also known as the founder of modern day mathematics and scientific method. In forming his ideas, Descartes wrote many books, including his most well-known, â€Å"Discourse on Method†, first published in 1637, concerning the nature of knowledge and human existence. â€Å"Discourse o n Method† is divided into three sections Descartes described and named ‘meditations.’ It is in the third of these meditations that Descartes reflected upon the true nature of God and determined that He is indeed real and exists more than just in people’s minds. ... â€Å"In this item of first knowledge, there is simply a clear and distinct perception of what I am asserting; this would not be enough to make me certain of the truth of the matter if it could ever turn out that something which I perceived with such clarity and distinctness was false. So I now seem to be able to lay it down as a general rule that whatever I perceived very clearly and distinctly is true† (Descartes, 1637). One of the first notions that he professed in this line of thinking was that he had a fundamental idea that God exists. Descartes’ reasoning that God did indeed exist outside just the mind of man he had to have had a causation of some type because he had previously proven that nothing comes from nothing. Descartes rationalized that this cause must be based at least as much in reality as the idea. However, since he did not think himself infinitely perfect, of course, Descartes rationalized he could not have thought of this idea all on his own therefore there must be an remote cause that is infinitely perfect. Only God is infinitely perfect so God must indeed exist. â€Å"Descartes assumes that we have an idea of God as an actually infinite being, not just a being that is as great as we can imagine by extending the finite perfections of a human being. For this reason, it is impossible for us to have constructed our idea of God through an extension of the idea we have of ourselves or any other finite creature† (Rutherford, 2006). The second argument Descartes’ used to prove God’s existence emanates from his own ability to envision something perfect despite himself being imperfect. This second argument starts with the understanding that he exists – again, â€Å"I

Political films Essay Example for Free

Political films Essay The research paper â€Å"The Timing of Presidential Cinema† discusses and analyzes social meaning of political films. Little research is done in this filed, although many films contain political and economic meaning. Interestingly, the release of presidential cinema is associated with the controlling party and with the ideology that the party has in the White House. Republican and Democratic administrations are characterized by the largest amount of political films. Moreover, more films are released during the second presidential term. Releases are more acute during presidential elections. The stronger the economies, the more films about presidents are released. The article â€Å"Quantitative analysis of Motion Picture Content† tends to measure the influence of films on American population. In particular, the emphasis is paid to providing an instrument to measure with scientific precision the content of each film. The cinema has long been accepted and the author argues that more than fifty million of American moviegoers are influenced by desire to seek entertainment when going to the cinema. Therefore, motion picture has become a profound influence on people and it is rather difficult to measure those influence. The role of Hollywood films in American society has not been yet questioned as researchers lack methods to summarize and analyze what the public is presented. The article â€Å"The Image of the Scientist in Science Fiction: A Content Analysis† reviews the social role of the scientists which is conveyed through the cinema. Scientists has undergone both criticism and appraisal, they has been presented as heroes and villains science-fiction magazines, stories and films. Of course, many scientists have been negligible. The social role of the scientist is addressed in terms of saving humanity, but after World War II such measurement has become problematic. Science fiction, therefore, is claimed to serve as vehicle to construct social utopias and to dethrone them. The article is of practical relevance as the USA experience shortage of scientists and engineers.

Child By Tiger :: essays research papers

The opening stanzas from William Blake’s poem â€Å"The Tiger† in â€Å"The Child By Tiger† by Thomas Wolfe help accentuate the theme of the story. They further relate to the passage in which Dick Prosser’s bible was left open to. The stanzas incorporated in the story reveal that with every good is evil. â€Å"The Child By Tiger† inlays a sense of good with evil tailing it as its shadow. In the beginning, Blake’s stanza questions â€Å"†¦who could frame thy fearful symmetry?† Dick Prosser appears to be kind and moral, but later reveals his vengeful side as he chaotically kills people. His conflicts with society inspire the evil to spring forward and divulge himself. The reference to â€Å"tiger!† in Blake’s stanza indirectly relates to the fact that Prosser is referred to as a cat through Wolfe’s story. Prosser’s evil self is illustrated as stealthily and smartly stalking his prey; pretending to be the same amongst the others. This evil, Prosser himself, exhibits tendencies of moral goodness as he tries to suppress his situational conflict. Evil stalks a prey smartly; it takes notice of every slight move, and every attempt to through it off fails because it always lands back on its feet. Prosser was a very religious man; he had a bible that he constantly read and was worn from use. The last passage marked as read insinuates that Prosser’s death was destined. He was made to â€Å"lie down† in wait, and see what he could spread his â€Å"dread grasp† on. His role was to act as everyone else because his evil self was stalking the others. Prosser was the â€Å"deadly terrors† everyone ran from, for he was on â€Å"the path of righteousness for his name’s sake.† He was meant for the town to see the evil that it can create. Child By Tiger :: essays research papers The opening stanzas from William Blake’s poem â€Å"The Tiger† in â€Å"The Child By Tiger† by Thomas Wolfe help accentuate the theme of the story. They further relate to the passage in which Dick Prosser’s bible was left open to. The stanzas incorporated in the story reveal that with every good is evil. â€Å"The Child By Tiger† inlays a sense of good with evil tailing it as its shadow. In the beginning, Blake’s stanza questions â€Å"†¦who could frame thy fearful symmetry?† Dick Prosser appears to be kind and moral, but later reveals his vengeful side as he chaotically kills people. His conflicts with society inspire the evil to spring forward and divulge himself. The reference to â€Å"tiger!† in Blake’s stanza indirectly relates to the fact that Prosser is referred to as a cat through Wolfe’s story. Prosser’s evil self is illustrated as stealthily and smartly stalking his prey; pretending to be the same amongst the others. This evil, Prosser himself, exhibits tendencies of moral goodness as he tries to suppress his situational conflict. Evil stalks a prey smartly; it takes notice of every slight move, and every attempt to through it off fails because it always lands back on its feet. Prosser was a very religious man; he had a bible that he constantly read and was worn from use. The last passage marked as read insinuates that Prosser’s death was destined. He was made to â€Å"lie down† in wait, and see what he could spread his â€Å"dread grasp† on. His role was to act as everyone else because his evil self was stalking the others. Prosser was the â€Å"deadly terrors† everyone ran from, for he was on â€Å"the path of righteousness for his name’s sake.† He was meant for the town to see the evil that it can create.

Different types of farming Essay

Farming has contributed to communities by being a source of income and food. As stated in the Oxford Dictionary â€Å"farming is the activity or business of growing crops and raising livestock.† Different communities use different types of farming to suit their way of living. They either use commercial or subsistence farming. Commercial farming is farming that is done by companies and raising of crops and livestock for sale in outside markets. Subsistence farming is self-sufficiency farming which means farmers focus on growing enough food to feed their families. Farming has been depended on to sustain a good economy in many societies. The term economy is defined as â€Å"the wealth and resources of a country or region, especially in terms of the production and consumption of goods and services,† in the Oxford Dictionary. There are three types of economies planned economy, mixed economy and free economy, and in The Bahamas the mixed economy is practiced. A mixed economy is an economic system that includes a mixture of capitalism and socialism. This type of economic system that includes a combination of private economic freedom and centralized economic planning and government regulation. The Bahamas is heavily dependent on the tourism, banking and construction industries. The Bahamas is mainly dependent on tourism but the tourism rates have and are declining. Tourism is the practice of traveling for recreation for business and leisure purposes. There are many different jobs that are in the tourism industry. Some are construction workers, hotel managers and other positions that are available and taxi drivers. Since the recession is global less people have travelled and visitor arrivals have fallen. This has forced businesses to close and as a result people have lost their jobs. The tourism industry has provided work for half of the Bahamian workforce. With contributions from other industries such as farming the effects of this recession can be minimized. Contribution means the act of giving in common with others for a common purpose. If the farming industry is used then less jobs will be lost and more jobs will be provided, and decrease our dependence on imported foods. One contribution that farming can make is creating jabs. Jobs in the country are important because it provides the necessary items for families. A Job is â€Å"to carry on public business for private gain,† according to the Webster dictionary. Jobs provide money to circulate around the country to improve the country and to help with the welfare of families in the country.