CAUSE WHY something happens (1st) A cause always occurs before an effect. It can have many different effects. Humpty fell.

EFFECT WHAT happens (2nd) An effect always occurs after a cause. Effects may cause other effects. Humpty cracked.

Cause: The lizard was scared. Effect: The lizard changed colors.

Cause: The polar bear had an itch. Effect: The polar bear rolled in the sand.

Cause: The flamingo was hungry. Effect: The flamingo gulped a mouthful of mud and shrimp.

Cause: The fox sensed danger. Effect: The fox’s ears stood alert.

Cause: The people tossed food into the water. Effect: The fish swam to the top of the water.

Cause: The moose was hot. Effect: The moose waded in the water.

Cause: The giraffe wanted to eat the leaves. Effect: The giraffe stretched out its neck.

Cause: A hungry skunk walked by the turtle. Effect: The turtle crawled back into his shell.

Cause: The birds wanted to eat tiny insects. Effect: The birds stood on the elephant’s back.

Cause: The seal was tired. Effect: The seal took a nap.

Using Cause & Effect to Unravel The Mystery at Triangle Island 13

Where is Triangle Island? Hi, my name is Dr. Byrd. I’m an ornithologist - a scientist who studies and watches the patterns of behavior of our feathered friends. Come with me on my journey to Triangle Island. I’m investigating the unusual disappearance of the tufted puffin. Triangle Island is a remote, little island in the Pacific Ocean near Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The center of the island is protected by steep sides that help make it a safe home for the tufted puffin and other seabirds. 14 Text adapted from www.exn.ca

What is the seabird mystery? Unfortunately, not all is quiet on the island’s windy shores. Scattered throughout the cliffs, the lifeless bodies of puffin chicks have been appearing for several years. This strange mystery stumped scientists. A tufted puffin is one of 12 different species of puffins. The seabird is marked by a plume of white feathers on the back of its head. The tufted puffin makes its home in the northern areas of the Pacific Ocean. One large colony is found on Triangle Island. Tufted Puffin Photo Source: www.absc.usgs.gov http://www.exn.ca/Stories/2003/07/23/51.asp 15 Text adapted from www.exn.ca

Why is this happening? Mystery Event Tufted puffins arrive on island. Tufted puffins arrive on Triangle Island for the breeding season in April. For five weeks, each pair cares for a single egg. But, every once in a while, after the chicks have hatched, the adult puffins mysteriously leave. Tucked inside their burrows and unable to fetch their own food, the helpless baby chicks soon die. No one knew what caused this unusual pattern of behavior. Was it disease? A mysterious predator? Parental neglect? Poisonous gas? Puffin parents care for egg. Mystery Event Let’s find out what unusual patterns of behavior have been occurring at the Triangle Island colony. Adult puffins leave unexpectedly. Puffin chicks die without food. 16 Text adapted from www.exn.ca

Puffin Cycle Puffins return to the place where they were born to breed. The puffin chick leaves the nest at night and heads for the sea. Puffins dig a shallow burrow and mate with their partner. Source: www.sfu.ca Female puffin lays an egg in the burrow. Puffin chick stays in nest 7-10 more days to grow feathers. To help us understand this problem, let’s take a look at the events that normally occur when a healthy puffin grows up. Puffin Cycle Both parents warm the egg until it hatches about 40 days later. Puffin parents leave the chick and return to the sea. Adult puffins feed small fish to puffin chick for about six weeks.

What is a cause? What is an effect? The puffin warmed the egg. The egg hatched. And then you might ask… To solve the mystery of the disappearing puffins, scientists hunted for clues to help them determine the cause of this puzzling effect. Now you might ask… A cause is an action or event that makes something happen. An effect is what happened as a result of an action or event. 18

What words signal a cause? The egg hatched, because the puffin warmed the egg. The egg will hatch, if the puffin warms the egg. Since the puffin warms the egg, it hatches. When the puffin warms the egg, it hatches. 19

What words signal an effect? The puffin warmed the egg, so it hatched. The puffin warmed the egg. Then it hatched. The puffin warmed the egg. As a result, the egg hatched. The puffin warmed the egg; therefore, it hatched. 20

What did the scientists learn? A team of scientists studied 20 years of research data. Slowly, the clues fell into place, and an unlikely culprit was found – warm water! The scientists noticed a relationship between the sea surface temperature and chick abandonment. When the water temperature was too cold or too warm, fewer puffin chicks survived. But, what did this mean? When the ocean water is too warm or too cold, A team of scientists used what they knew about normal puffin behavior and dug deeper to find out what caused the adults to leave the chicks unexpectedly. it causes a low survival rate among puffin chicks. Text adapted from www.exn.ca 21

How was the puzzle solved? The scientists discovered that puffins are picky eaters. They will only eat a small anchovy-like fish named a sand lance. Sand lances don’t like warm water. When the temperature becomes too warm, the sand lances leave the area around Triangle Island in search of cooler water. As a result, the tufted puffins follow the sea lance. Then the chicks are left behind to fend for themselves. Since they have no food, the puffin chicks do not survive. Sand Lance Source: www.panix.com The temperature of the ocean water alone did not cause the puffin adults to leave their chicks, so the scientists continued to search for the cause of this puzzling effect. 22 Text adapted from www.exn.ca

What will happen in the future? Fortunately, puffins live a long time and do not have to breed successfully every season. They will survive as long as there are years cool enough to raise their young. However, scientists have noted a warming trend in ocean temperatures. If the trend – thought to be caused by global warming – continues, Canada may see the last of these colorful birds on Triangle Island. For now, puffins are safe. However, another menace threatens their future existence. Text adapted from www.exn.ca 23

Operation: Puffin Patrol Rescuing Puffin Chicks in Iceland

The Atlantic Puffin Photo Source: wikipedia.org The Atlantic Puffin is a small, pigeon-sized seabird which spends most of the year flying, swimming, or riding the ocean surface. Puffins are excellent swimmers. They use their wings to fly underwater while using their feet to control the direction. 

Two Different Puffins Lives in northern Pacific Bold white “face-mask” and golden head plumes in breeding season Larger than other puffins; adult height is about 14-16 inches and weight is about 18 – 35 ounces Nests in deep burrows that can be more than 5 feet deep Can capture and hold 5 to 20 small fish in its beak at a time Lives in northern Atlantic Stocky, large-headed black-and-white bird with triangular bill colored red, blue, and yellow in summer Adult height is about 10-13 inches and weight is about 17-20 ounces May live to be more than 30 years old in wild Boat tours to see puffins are popular near their colonies Photo Source: www.birds.cornell.edu

Icelandic Kids Save Befuddled Puffins Peter Standring of National Geographic Today August 12, 2002 - Iceland is home to one of the world's largest colonies of puffins, and every August millions of newborn puffins leave their burrows in the cliffs of Heimaey—the main island in the Westmann Islands chain off the south coast of Iceland—to fly off over the north Atlantic. They leave at night, using the moon to navigate. But the streetlights of Heimaey seem to throw off some of the young birds' flight plans. August 12, 2002 - Iceland is home to one of the world's largest colonies of puffins, and every August millions of newborn puffins leave their burrows in the cliffs of Heimaey—the main island in the Westmann Islands chain off the south coast of Iceland—to fly off over the north Atlantic. They leave at night, using the moon to navigate. But the streetlights of Heimaey seem to throw off some of the young birds' flight plans. August 12, 2002 - Iceland is home to one of the world's largest colonies of puffins, and every August millions of newborn puffins leave their burrows in the cliffs of Heimaey—the main island in the Westmann Islands chain off the south coast of Iceland—to fly off over the north Atlantic. They leave at night, using the moon to navigate. But the streetlights of Heimaey seem to throw off some of the young birds' flight plans. 1 Text Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/08/0812_020812_TVpuffin_2.html

Launching Puffin Patrol When that happens, it's time for the children of Heimaey to launch the Puffin Patrol—basically a search and rescue operation for the befuddled birds, which, instead of flying out to sea, fly into town where they crash-land and end up on the streets. “They don't survive if they stay in the town; cats and dogs eat them, or they just die. It's really good to save them," said Einar Karason, a young Icelandic boy. 2 3

Rescuing Stranded Pufflings Each night during the month of August, moms and dads lead troops of kids through town looking for stranded pufflings. They use flashlights to search the ground near buildings and streetlights. When a bird is spotted, children rush to scoop it up and bring it in off the "mean streets" of Heimaey for the night. 4 5

Flying Orders The following day all the birds that landed in "friendly hands" are transported to the seashore, pointed in the right direction, and given their flying orders. The kids seem to have a great time. Holding the birds, with wings free and flapping, the idea is to cock your arm like a quarterback and throw the bird like a football, launching it into the air. 6 7

Taking Flight Some birds take flight immediately, while others land in the salty waters and take off from there. 8 .

Why do puffins crash-land on the streets of Heimaey Island? The puffins are afraid to fly over the ocean. The puffins prefer walking to the seashore. The wings of the puffins are too weak for flying. The streetlights confuse the young puffins.

Each August, people search for puffins, because they – want to save them from danger. hope to take them home as pets. like playing games with them. need the bird meat for food.

The puffins are carried to the seashore during the day, because – they are unable to fly. their legs broke when they crashed. it helps them find the ocean. they see best in daylight.