Algae

Coral reefs and how chemical substances can affect these living organisms is what I decided to base my investigation on. We tend to have a genuine love for coral reefs whenever we view someone’s scuba diving photos. You see the fishes swimming around those coral reefs, but many do not know their purpose. However, it comes down to learning the importance of coral reefs and how to protect these species that are very much a part of our ocean. A coral reef is very important, coral reefs have many…

The marine mammal that I selected is the Hawaiian Monk Seal. It’s Hawaiian name is ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua or na mea hulu (NOAA, n.d.). Also, the scientific name of the Hawaiian monk seal is Monachus schauinslandi (The Marine Mammal Center, n.d.). The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most endangered marine mammal. Due to the fact that it’s endangered, they are now protected by the Marine mammal protection Act, the Endangered species Act, and also protected by Hawaii’s state law (The Marine Mammal…

Biscayne National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southern Florida, south of Miami. The park preserves Biscayne Bay and its offshore barrier reefs. Ninety-five percent of the park is water, and the shore of the bay is the location of an extensive mangrove forest. The park covers 172,971 acres (69,999 ha) and includes Elliott Key, the park's largest island and first of the true Florida Keys, formed from fossilized coral reef. The islands farther north in the park are transitional islands…

Snorkeling Islamorada, Florida Keys, USA Florida Keys barrier reef is one of the longest and holding the 3rd place on our planet. Islamorada snorkeling is an excellent way to enjoy a wonderful undersea world of this live coral reef. Despite Key West and Key Largo are the most advertised, the Middle Keys including Islamorada possess the healthiest snorkeling locations. Treat Of Islamorada Snorkeling All the best Islamorada snorkeling spots are located several miles offshore, hence, the most…

The animal I observe is living in an ecosystem that is made up of plants and other animals. It is living in an kelp ecosystem. The animal has other organisms living with it in the kelp ecosystem. It has fish and kelp and some sharks. The fish gets food from the kelp. It also uses the kelp to hide in. It also chased off some smaller fish from it’s own territory. When the fish was hiding, it was interacting with the kelp and not interacting with other fish. Also, all ecosystems must have a…

Robert Johannes, a marine biologist, once said, “We’ve got a big environmental murder going on and no one is doing anything about it.” (Hinrichsen 3) Funding is crucial in order to maintain and ensure the survival of coral reefs all around the world. Without the reefs, there will be significant consequences. According to the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, “Approximately five hundred million people depend on the coral reefs.” This dependence varies from things such as a source of food,…

Giant Barrel Sponges are very unique animals. They are found in tropical areas in the Caribbean. They are benthic animals, living at depths from 10-30 m. They have the highest density cover and greatest volume of any organism living in their environment. If they are left undisturbed they can grow to massive sizes. Giant Barrel Sponges can come in many different colors also. Sponges don't move around they are stationary and stay in one place there whole life. Except when the sponges reproduce…

The crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) , a large multiple-armed starfish that prays on hard coral polyps, can be found in and throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Some predators of these species are Giant Triton snail, the stars and stripes pufferfish, titan triggerfish and the humphead maori wrasse. 2.2 What causes COTS outbreaks: The cause of Cots outbreaks are not 100% certain but one of the most widely accepted hypothesis is that the outbreaks of COTS are caused and…

According to “Scitable”, over “1 billion people depend on food from coral reefs, and reefs as a whole might be worth around $172 billion for every year they continue to provide essential services to humans, like food.” Humans get these food sources from coral reefs through fishing. Another physical thing that we can get from coral reefs is medicine. Because coral reefs contain lots of good chemicals and fungi that can be turned into medicine, they are a great source for many diseases. Examples…

Coral reefs aren't only beautiful, they're also extremely important to our ecosystem. Yet we hardly hear about their benefits, or even the fact that the worst coral bleaching event ever recorded on the Great Barrier Reef started in 2014 and officially lasted until about 6 months ago. Only about 7% of the reef just on the southern side was left unbleached & alive at it's worst point.(ABC) Overall about 12% of the worlds reefs were affected by this massive bleaching event. These recent events have…