Reefs

Sand dune erosion is occurring on the Cronulla coastline due to the coupling of human and natural impacts and is gradually resulting in the beach being less able to be protect itself from natural implications. The constant sand dune erosion is creating a steeper slope this is allowing waves and winds to rapidly remove sand from the dunes. The sand dune erosion is destroying habitats from plants and animals, this is substantially decreasing the biodiversity on the coastal environment. Sand dune…

Hairy Chested Yeti Crab The hairy chested yeti crab and sometimes known as the Hoff crab after David Hasselhoff, Kiwa tyleri, (Bittel) belong to a group called squat crabs are extraordinary creatures for different reasons. Some including their outer appearance and the way they live in the climates where most other crabs or lobsters couldn’t survive. The white hair body and the spikes on its legs have been due to it adapting to its habitat and climate. (Palermo) Its living conditions are very…

A type of brightly colored sea slug has a taste for microscopic marine creatures called zooplankton, and it feeds on them using a method that's never been seen before: It captures quantities in a gulp by using a middleman. The sea slug's unsuspecting helpers are hydroid polyps — tiny, coral-like animals that live in colonies and gorge on zooplankton. And the sea slug, known as a nudibranch, treats the polyps as living fishing nets, avidly scooping them up and swallowing them down as soon as the…

Velellas, a genus of cnidarians, are more on the odd looking side. These common jellyfish- like creatures are found on the North American West Coast. Though they don’t have a traditional “medusa” or “polyp” looking form, their body shapes are more of a flat, disk- like colony of specialized personal polyps and are about 6- 7cm in diameter.. They generally live in warm to warm- temperate waters and oceans and live off shore. Due to them mostly floating above water, they have a vibrant blue color…

Crabs are a type of crustacean that occur within mangrove ecosystems and can be found from high tide through to low tide levels. Crabs shelter underneath logs and in cool places to avoid drying out and many create burrows for refuge from larger prey, it can also be the site of mating and incubation. Other crabs use burrows to store their food as the water tide rises or lowers. Red fingered marsh crabs and fiddler crabs are commonly active at low tides where they are often out looking for food,…

Research Proposal Ocean pH Levels and Shellfish Survivability Josh Lewis Abstract: Ocean acidification is a growing issue that is causing young shellfish to die, which is hurting marine ecosystems. Research has been done on the topics involved (pH levels, effects of ocean acidification on shellfish, etc.) many times, and though it’s a slow moving issue, it is evident. As I stated, this is an extremely important topic to know about because thriving marine ecosystems are being damaged. As…

Common snook (Centropomus undecimalis) The common snook (Centropomus undecimalis) is a marine species in the family Centropomidae. The species is also known as the sergeant fish, linesiders, or robalo. The species is also known as soap fish. The common snook is one of the largest snooks that can grow to an average length of about 50 cm. The species possesses drab coloration except for a distinctive black lateral line. It can also possess bright yellow pelvic and caudal fins, especially during…

The first tip to avoiding an alligator attack is to avoid the animal’s territory. This may seem obvious, but it is surprising how many people ignore clear signs of alligators such as: nests, eggs, or even adult alligators. If, by happenstance, a person falls into a body of water containing the carnivores, remain calm. If he or she begins to thrash in the water, the splashing will attract the alligators toward them. While the animals tend to avoid larger prey, they may attempt to grab a limb from…

Abbylyn Sessions Professor Livingston Geology 1100 28 August 2016 Fantasy Field Trip Just outside of Custer, South Dakota is a hidden geological treasure: Jewel Cave. Jewel Cave has over 181.89 miles in mapped passageways making it the third longest cave in the world (United States. National Park Service). The formation is lined with calcite crystals creating a beautiful view inside. Jewel cave is a geologic wonder that would make a great field trip. A field trip to Jewel cave would allow the…

Lionfish Waves crashing on the beach throwing you you about. Having trouble breathing you wonder is it possible for something to live here. Then you see a fish swim by. The only way they can survive in this ecosystem is if they have adaptations. An ecosystem is all the living and nonliving things in an environment. Neritic zone is like the goldilocks zone. The most ocean organisms live here because of the constant temperature, low pressure, and the sunlight. Also here there are some crazy fish…