American Intercontinental University Unit 1 Individual Project SCIE210 June 16, 2013 According to Briney, Amanda (2013), “A coral reef is a submerged structure made up of many different corals, or small marine invertebrates”. Some people think that coral reefs are a plant or an object like a rock. Coral is actually animals that have a hard exoskeleton. Their exoskeleton is what makes coral reefs look strong and rock like. Coral reefs come in many different sizes and shapes.
The Journey of the Megladon Fish The Megladon fish lives in the epipelagic zone of Jamaica, with the bright blue warm waters and colorful coral reefs. The Megladon is accompanied by beautiful sea turtles, lobsters, sea horses, sponges and many more creatures. The plants in coral reefs consist of flowering plants and algae. Hard and soft corals make up the reefs the Megladon lives in. Therefore the Megladon fish is a laterally compressed fish which allows it to live in dense covers or coral reefs.
Biology Excursion Question Using data collected on field trip and two named animals, explain the relationship between the distribution and abundance of these two organisms and the abiotic features of the rock platform. There is a close relationship between the abundance and the distribution of organisms living amongst the long reef platform. Abiotic features such as temperature range, salinity, Ph. levels, turbidity, water availability effect the distribution and abundance of aquatic sea creatures living in the area. Some of the organisms such as Tesseropora Roseas (Barnacles) and Knobbly Winks have different adaptations, which allow them to survive in these harsh conditions.
However, Lionfish can have negative effects on the overall reef habitat as they can eliminate organisms which serve important ecological roles such as herbivorous fish which keep algae in-check on the reefs. Lionfish usually prefer living in still waters protected from any current, in quieter and darker parts of the reef; they are also known to exist in bays, estuaries and harbors. A female lionfish will release between 4,000 and 30,000 eggs during mating to be fertilized by the male’s sperm. This invasive species is growing and spreading rapidly through the Americas. It is uncertain how the lionfish arrived.
Sea anemones are anchored to the substrate by their muscular pedal disc ("Sea Anemones (Actiniaria) On The Shores Of Singapore"). Some types of sea anemone burrow into the sandy seabed instead of attaching to a stable substrate ("Sea Anemones (Actiniaria) On The Shores Of Singapore"). Feather stars use a claw-like appendage underneath the calyx called the cirri to anchor themselves when filter feeding ("Feather stars (Crinoidea) on the Shores of Singapore"). However, both animals are capable of locomotion. Some species of sea anemone are capable of moving slowly by sliding along the substrate on their pedal discs (Parker, 1916).
It has red or orange antennae, lacks hair, and its claws seem rough or grainy. This hermit crab will pick a shell it can pull its entire body back into. I saw both P. hirsutiusculus and P. granosimanus in the same tidepool at Rosario recently. A third species to watch for is Pagurus beringanus. This species is usually subtidal but may occasionally be seen in very low subtidal areas.
The juvenile Rainbow Parrotfish generally spends its time in "mangrove sanctuaries", areas where the roots of a mangrove tree grow into the ocean and serve as a safe haven for small fish. Unfortunately, due to human interference and other factors, these mangrove populations are waning as well. This is opening these sanctuaries to predators and not allowing the juvenile fish that called them home to survive. The solution essentially narrows itself down to one goal, save the mangroves and, as a result, save the Rainbow Parrotfish. The question that I am asking is: "How much, in detail, does saving the mangroves help the Rainbow Parrotfish?
It gets especially worse during an El Nino year. In 1990 during the El Nino 65% of the coral reef in the Persian Gulf was destroyed. There are many local threats of a coral reef, one of them being fishing. A huge percentage of the world’s population relies on coral reefs for food and income. Local residents fish on the reefs as their livelihood depends on it.
There are many different species of Algae which can range in size from microscopic to a couple meters long. Phytoplankton is at the bottom of the food chain and is eaten by small crustaceans which are called Zooplanktons. Zooplanktons are eaten by fish, invertebrates, mollusks, ducks, and turtles. • Plants: Around fifty species of food and shelter providing plants- Plants along with Algae provide the Rideau River with oxygen. Some of the plants in the Rideau River are carnivorous.
1. Introduction & Hypothesis Introduction: In conducting research I observed stimulation on a tide pool off the Washington State coast in the 1960’s. As the coast became more ecologically populated as the years went on, the competitiveness of species became very tough. (Keystone Predator Workbook) Since I enjoy being on the coast and observing the different kinds of algae and species I thought I would look closer into studying about them. While I was doing research, I identified the species I found.