'Ask a Curator Day' on September 1st 2010 will open the door to our curatorial experts with a unique worldwide question and answer session which will let interested members of the public put questions to museum and gallery curators.

We are using the popular website Twitter to host 'Ask a Curator'. You can find a list of participating cultural venues in the 'who to ask?' section of this website, or simply follow the hashtag #askacurator on September 1st to follow the questions other people are asking.

Some answers longer than 140 characters will be posted here.

Are the piping plovers in danger when they migrate to the Gulf of Mexico this winter because of the oil spill?

There is some risk to any migratory shorebird that feeds in the intertidal area. This relates to encountering oil on the foraging areas. You have probably seen some individual "blobs" of oil on beaches - some small, some quite large. With the use of booms, skimmers and dispersants, that does not appear to be as big a potential problem as initially thought - although the impact of dispersants on the whole ecosystem is still not well understood.

Unfortunately the only way will know there may be or may have been an effect is by oiled and dead bird counts in-situ or reduced returns next year.

Suggest the Nature Canada link for specifics. http://www.naturecanada.ca

I work at the Perkins House, would like to know more about the Teaser since it has been confused with the Liverpool Packet.

A good question as there is lots of confusion between these two famous vessels. TEASER (usually spelled TEAZER) was the name of an American privateer schooner captured by the British early in the War of 1812. A second American privateer schooner was named in her honour as YOUNG TEAZER. This schooner was cornered by the British Navy in Mahone Bay in June 30 1813 and blew herself up with considerable loss of life, inspiring many ghost stories. The Americans had recently captured a notable Nova Scotian schooner named LIVERPOOL PACKET so they renamed LIVERPOOL PACKET as YOUNG TEAZERS GHOST after the already famous YOUNG TEAZER. However, the re-named schooner failed to capture any ships for the Americans and was re-named yet again as PORTSMOUTH PACKET but on Oct. 5, 1813, PORTSMOUTH PACKET was recaptured by the British Navy and soon repurchased by her Nova Scotian owners. They restored her original privateer name of LIVERPOOL PACKET under which she sailed until the end of the war capturing even more American ships.

Further reading: Under the Red Jack by C.H.J. Snider