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.
CORAL REEF – WHERE CAN YOU FIND THE CORAL REEF BIOME? Coral reefs are found internationally in warm waters. Types of Corals: There are two types of coral, hard coral and soft coral. Hard corals (similar brain coral and elkhorn coral) have hard, limestone skeletons, which form the basis of coral reefs. Soft corals (like sea fingers and sea whips) do not build reefs.
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 feeds on ectoparasites or dead tissue that it picks from the body and oral cavities/gills of these fish (e.g. ; Tangs or Groupers) in the wild or in the aquarium. This also helps to protect the fish from contracting diseases and infections. Many fish value its services so highly that they will allow it to clean the inside of their mouths, and not harm it. Some fish, though, such as Hawkfish, Lionfish, and some predatory shrimp and crabs may eat the Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp.
Habitat loss, and other smaller factors, are driving this remarkable specimen extinct. This fish plays a fairly important role in a Coral Reef ecosystem. It, to put the task in simple terms, converts coral to sand, providing a home for countless crustaceans, microorganisms, and predators. Very few species of fish exhibit this behavior and, thus, makes the Rainbow Parrotfish a vital asset for this ecosystem. 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.
• Fish: The Rideau River has a variety of cool-water fish. Sunfish are the most predominate but there is also a wealth of minnows, pike, catfish and other bottom feeders. The rarest species of fish in the Rideau River are the mottled sculpin and emerald shiner. • Native Mussels: Mussels are an important part of the Rideau Rivers ecosystem by filtering around 8 gallons of water in a single day. They accomplish this by feeding on algae and bacteria.
The discovery of the sea urchins’ genetics might open up a new era or medications and treatments. Scientist need to focus on finding the DNA map to solve the cure for cancer and the other diseases. In this article I learned that sea urchins are one of the few invertebrates that share thousands of te same genes as humans. I also learned that sea urchins have 7,000 of the same gens humans have. Sea urchins and humans share more than 7,000 genes, and biologists are now using these sea creatures to unlock the mysteries of human diseases.