Cnidaria

Hi, today I am going to talk about Bioluminescent Plankton. What are they? Well they are small organisms that float in large numbers in either salt or fresh water. They belong to three groups called phytoplankton, zooplankton, and bacterioplankton. Plankton are a significant food source for blue whales, shrimp and jelly fish. Bioluminescent plankton belong to phytoplankton which use sunlight to make its own food, and zooplankton which feeds on phytoplankton and other small organisms.…

Located ten kilometers off the coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, the diminutive Cozumel, also known as the Island of Swallows, is an underwater marine park that protects the delicate balance of its spectacular coral reefs and its diverse marine life. Whether urban legend, historical fact, or still contested “truth”, many believe that a Frenchman and undersea explorer by the name of Jacques Cousteau put Cozumel on the map when he declared the region the most beautiful scuba diving area in the…

Biodiversity Essay How can the great barrier reef be protected for the future generation? The great barrier reef is a stunning 2,600 km stretch of some of the most amazing coral reefs in the world. It is so big it is visible from space. The reef is approximately the same area as Japan, Malaysia or even Germany(Great Barrier Reef). It is a huge part of the world but also a huge part of people's lives. Latest estimates suggests that the great barrier reef makes up to $30 billion each year in…

2. Two areas that are experiencing coral bleaching are Hawaii, and Jamaica. Coral bleaching occurs as a result in increased water temperatures that cause the coral to release the algae that they need for food. The reason it is called bleaching is because when this happens, the coral loses all of its color. In Hawaii, the coral reef plays a significant role in protecting the beaches form erosion. If there is beach erosion, it will cost from 250 million to as much as 6 billion dollars to repair…

Okinawa is the Japanese Prefecture located at 26o 30'N, 128o 00'E. The main island sits in the Pacific Ocean and the East China sea, virtually isolated from major land masses; it is the largest of the 72- island chain. Okinawa is home to over one million people, the most densely populated island of the Ryukyu archipelago, with a vast majority residing in Naha city. Okinawa's islands are comprised of limestone and coral rocks; the limestone formation has resulted in many caves and, because of the…

Horsefield Tortoise is a small species of tortoises that people love. These little reptiles only reach the maximum size of 8 inches and that is for females as males are known to only reach about 6.5 inches. Their shell color can vary from a dark brown to an olive green in color. These neat tiny species of turtles that are a cool pet to have if it is what you’re looking for. Life Expectancy When keeping this animal as a pet, it is important to realize that these tortoises live for a very long…

Sixty genera of coral have a symbiotic relationship with the algae zooxanthellae. Only some deepwater and cold water corals can survive without them. This symbiotic relationship benefits both organisms,the zooxanthellae provides the coral with glycerol, glucose and alanine and the coral provides the zooxanthellae with nitrogen and protection against predators. The degree to which the organisms depend on one another vary between species. The zooxanthellae algae gives the coral a yellow-brown or…

Snails has been around Earth longer than the beginning of man. According to Samford Singer, gastropods appeared about 600 million years ago [2]. Today, there are thousands different species of snails varying from marine, freshwater, and land. All these species plays a huge role in a diverse ecosystem. They provide important food source to many different predator such as birds, fish, rodents, etc. Perhaps the most common snail is the garden snail, Helix aspersa. The body of a snail consist of…

The article “Hidden Battles on the Reefs: How Will Coral Reefs Fare in a Changing Ocean?” was written by Tom DeCarlo and was published in Volume 51, Issue 2 of the journal Oceanus in 2016. I accessed the article through the University of West Florida’s library’s website by searching for the Opposing Viewpoints in Context database under the “A-Z Database List.” Once in the database, one can search the title of the article in the search box to locate it. DeCarlo intended this article to be read by…

The Great Barrier Reef is known as the world’s largest coral reef and is home to a large population of marine life. The reef consists of more than 3000 individual reef systems and coral cays, and contains an abundance of stunning tropical islands in Australia. This is why the Great Barrier Reef has become a well sought after tourist destination, tourists from around the world come every year to personally see the beauty of the reef for themselves. Tourists not only come here for the…