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Shoreline Invertebrates Asad Ilyas Introduction/Background • The Bio Blitz is an intense period of biological surveying in an attempt to record all the living species within a designated area. • Groups of scientists, naturalists and volunteers conduct an intensive field study over a continuous time period (e.g., usually 24 hours). • This allowed scientists to collect and gain access to a large data sample through which they can improve their research. • This data may help researchers to identify new invasive species that are invading the local population (e.g. green crabs, blue crabs). Fun Facts • When hermit crabs want another shell they attack other crabs to steel there shells. • Blood worms are used as bait for fishing. • The eel’s backbone is made up of over 100 vertebrae which makes it very flexible. • When crabs are caught they release the leg they have been caught by as a defense mechanism and run away. LOCATION PROCEDURE • Nets, jars, hand shovels, and strainers were used to collect the specimen. • Some students also used waders to go a little further out of the shoreline and capture specimen. • These specimen were then identified, observed and recorded into a data sheet and then reported on the “inaturalist app” OBSERVATIONS FOR INATURALIST BLUE MUSCLE GREEN CRAB BLOOD WORM OBSERVATIONS FOR INATURALIST CONT. BROWN RIDGED MUSCLE MUD CRAB AMERICAN EEL IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIES • Informational guide manuals were used in the identification of the species. • The crabs were distinguished through the patterns, color and most importantly the shape of the pincers and the body. • Hermit crabs were unique and easy to identify because they were encapsulated in shells. • The Mud crabs were brown with stripes on the legs and body. • The green crabs had ridges and dark spots on the pincers. Data (SHORE-LINE PIER 4) SPECIES NUMBER RECORDED HERMIT CRABS 37 GREEN CRABS 15 MUD CRABS 17 BLUE CRABS 2 AMERICAN EEL 1 BLOOD WORMS 2 BLUE AND BROWN RIDGED MUSCLES 11 Results • As suggested by the data in the slide above the hermit crabs are the most, whereas the blue crabs are the least, prevalent among the species listed above. • Only the common names are written in the data because the scientific names were reported on the inaturalist app. • Even though eels are not invertebrates we still recorded the one we observed because there was on one specimen which imply that it may have been invasive to that particular ecosystem (small scale). DISCUSSION • Natural ecosystems in modern society have been disturbed by the human factor (introduction of invasive species) • Studies have been conducted in the past about the dangers of invasive species to the local population. • The data that we collected and posted to the “i-naturalist” app helps the scientific community to prove their point; ultimately, appealing to the government to raise it’s focus on this issue. CONCLUSION • Invasive species (certain shore line invertebrates in this case) endanger the local populations, thus actions should be taken to insure the survival of these native ecosystem. • Public awareness, regarding these issues, should be raised by the introduction of government programs and seminars. • Regular surveys should be conducted to after the removal of the invasive species to prevent them from re emerging.