Download The Coastal Area Ecosystem

The Coastal Area Ecosystem
By: Adam
(Mr. Richardson’s Class)
Table of Contents
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The Habitat
Habitat Field Notes
Abiotic & Biotic
Plants
Woody
Groundcover
Herbaceous Plants
Water Plants
Animals
Invertebrates
Vertebrates
Table of Contents
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Food Web
Symbiotic Relationships
Pyramid of Energy- Water Organisms
Pyramid of Energy- Land Organisms
Yearly Temperature – Summerland Key
Yearly Precipitation- Summerland Key
Water pH
Unique Site Factors
Limiting Factors
Table of Contents
• Ecologically Sensitive/Endangered
Organisms
• Human Impact
• Levels of Biological Organization
• Bibliography
• The End
The Habitat
The Habitat
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Coastal Area
Sacarma Bay
Two Square Miles
8 Visits
Snorkeling, Net,
Camera, Boat, Land
• Approximately 15
points of observation
• Snorkeling
Habitat Field Notes
Date
April 8th
Monday
4:45 –
5:30PM
April 10th
Wednesday
4:30 – 5:20PM
April 11th
Thursday
4:00 –
5:00PM
Water
81.7
83.4
80.3
Temperature
84.2
85.6
83.1
Weather
Sunny,
Calm
Sunny, Breezy
Partly
Cloudy,
Breezy
Time
Habitat Field Notes
Date
Water
April 13th
Saturday
2:00 –
3:50PM
83.4
April 16th
Tuesday
5:00 –
6:00PM
83.7
April 18th
Thursday
4:00 –
4:20PM
82.7
Temperature
86.4
85.0
86
Weather
Sunny,
Windy
Sunny,
Calm
Sunny,
Breezy
Time
Habitat Field Notes
Date
Time
April 21st
Sunday
1:20 – 2:20PM
April 23rd
Tuesday
4:45 – 5:35PM
Water
79.8
82.0
Temperature
82.9
85.6
Weather
Partly Cloudy,
Breezy
Sunny, Calm
Abiotic & Biotic
Abiotic
Biotic
• The non-living
• Living or oncephysical features of
living organisms
the environment.
in the
environment.
Abiotic Factors
Soil
Light
Water
Temperature
Air
Trash
Sand, Shells, Exoskeletons,
Fossilized Coral, Minerals
11-12 Hours of Daylight
6 inches – 3 foot depth, 30
ft of visibility, 82.2 degrees
average
84.8 Average, breezy &
sunny
Clean, no pollution
Plastic, Metal, Paper, Food
Waste, Wood, Cardboard
Biotic Factors
Mammals
Fish
Birds
Plants
Insects
Reptiles
Humans
Snapper, Grunt, Minnow,
Needle Fish
Heron, Vulture, Pelican,
Sea Gull
Mangrove, Buttonwood,
Sea Grass, Sea Weed
Mosquito, Fly, Beetle,
Water Bug
Iguana, Anole
Plants
Water
Herbaceous
Groundcover
Woody
Woody
• Green Buttonwood
• Sea Grape
Conocarpus erectus
Coccoloba uvifera
1. 3-8 m tall
1. Grows up to 40 ft.
2. 2.5 cm to 9 cm
long leaves
2. Fruit hangs down
in clusters
3. 1-3 cm wide
leaves
3. Shiny, leathery
leaves
Groundcover
• Water Sprite
(Ceratopteris
thalictroides)
– Skinny leaves
– All Green
– Found around
water
Herbaceous Plants
Water Sprite
(Ceratopteris
thalictroides)
–
–
–
Skinny leaves
All green
Found around water
Sargassum Weed
(Sargassum hystrix)
–
–
–
A.k.a. gulfweed
Asexual
reproduction
Type of brown algae
Herbaceous Plants
Turtle Grass
(Thalassia testudinum)
–
–
–
Found in up to 100’ of water
Average growth is 2-4 mm per
day
Will grow in temperatures of 20
to 40 degrees C
Sea Fan
(Gorgonia ventalina)
–
–
–
Flexible
Flat
Spread out to as much as 5’ &
as tall as 6’
Herbaceous Plants
Green Algae
(Gunflintia species)
–A.k.a. grass –
green algae
–First appeared 2
billion years ago
–Phylum is
cholorophyta
Water Plants
Black Mangrove
(Avicennia germinang)
1. Roots shoot up out
of ground
2. Member of verbena
family
3. Can grow to 70’
Water Plants
Turtle Grass
(Thalassia
testudinum)
 Found in up to 100’
of water
 Average growth is
2-4 mm per day
 Will grow in
temperatures of 20
to 40 degrees C
Water Plants
Red Mangrove
(Rhizophora mangle)
•
12” seeds
•
Cigar shaped seeds
•
Red bark
Green Algae
(Gunflintia species)
•
A.k.a. grass – green
algae
•
First appeared 2
billion years ago
•
Phylum is
cholorophyta
Water Plants
Neptune’s Shaving
Brush
(Penicillus
capitatos)
1. 3 inches tall
2. Underwater
plant
3. All green color
Water Plants
• Sea Fan
(Gorgonia ventalina)
1. Flexible
2. Flat
3. Spread out to as
much as 5’ & as
tall as 6’
Water Plants
• Sargassum Weed
(Sargassum hystrix)
1. a.k.a. Gulfweed
2. Asexual
reproduction
3. Type of brown
algae
Animals
Invertebrate
Sea Cucumber
• Animals without
backbones are
invertebrates.
Invertebrates
Tree Snail
Spiny Lobster
Sea Cucumber
Upside Down
Jellyfish
Hermit Crab
Ghost Crab
Horseshoe Crab
Pink Shrimp
Invertebrates
•Tree Snail
•(Apple snail)
–Move by gliding on mucus
–Omnivores
–Plants above and below
water are its food
•Brown Sea Cucumber
•(Thyrone briareus)
–Related to starfish and sea
urchin
–13 cm long
–4 cm thick
Invertebrates
• Hermit Crab
• (Pagurus bernhardus)
– Large claw is always on right side
– Eats scraps and worms
– Shells from 1” to 5”
Invertebrates
• Horseshoe Crab
• (Limulus polyphemus)
– Considered “living fossil”
– Spines all over
– Light brown color
•Spiny Lobster
•(Pamulirus angus)
Invertebrates
–10 appendages on thorax
–Closely related to crayfish
–Brownish reddish color
•Upside Down Jellyfish
•(Cassiopea medusa)
–12” diameter
–Lays on ocean floor upside down
–Purple or light brown top
•Ghost Crab
•(Ocypode quadrata)
–50mm carapaces for adults
–Live in burrows
–Can make 3 sounds
•Pink Shrimp
•(Pandalus bornlis)
–4-7” in length
–Pink color
–invertebrate
Vertebrates
• Animals with a
backbone are called
Vertebrates.
Great White Heron
Vertebrates
•Great White
Heron
•Brown Anole
•Turkey Vulture
•Marine Iguana
•French Grunt
•Laughing Gull
•Mangrove
Snapper
•Osprey
•Needlefish
•Brown Pelican
•Pinfish
•Great Barracuda
•Nurse Shark
•Schoolmaster
•Glass Minnow
Vertebrates
•Great White Heron
•(Ardea herodias)
–Long sharp bill
–6 ft. wing span
–46” Long
•Marine Iguana
•(Amblyrhynchus cristatus)
–Can swim
–From 2-6 ft. in length
–Teeth joined to inner edge of jaw
•Mangrove Snapper
•(Lutjanus griseus)
24 inches in length
Average weight of about 2 lbs.
A.k.a. gray snapper
Vertebrates
•Brown Pelican
•(Pelecanus occidentalis)
–42-54” in length
–State bird of Louisiana
–Dives from as high as 20 meters into water for
food.
•Great Barracuda
•(sphyraena barracuda)
–Fanglike teeth
–Forked tail
–5-15 pound average
•Schoolmaster
•(Lutjanus apodus)
–Average weight is 1 lb. In shallow waters
–Adult ones are mistaken for dog snappers
–Mostly yellow fins
Vertebrates
•Brown Anole
•(Anolis sagrei)
–Brown color
–Darker brown stripes and spots
–Red skin flap under head
French Grunt
(Haemulon flavolineatom)
–Adults are almost 1’
–30 cm in length
–Makes grunt sounds
•Osprey
•(Pandioin Halioetus)
–6’ wingspan
–Diet is fish
–2’ in length
Vertebrates
•Pinfish
•(lagodon rhomboides)
–3-6 “ in length
–Spines on dorsal and anal fin
–Dark spot behind gill cover
•Nurse Shark
•(Gynglymostoma cirratum)
–Brown color
–5-50 lbs
–Barbells at the nostrils
•Glass Minnow
•(anchoa mitchilli)
–Under slung mouth
–1-2 inches in length
–Won’t exceed 4”
Vertebrates
•Turkey Vulture
•(Cathartes aura)
–75 cm long
–6 feet wing span
–a.k.a. Turkey Buzzard
•Laughing Gull
•(Larus atricilla)
–13 inches long
–41 inch wingspan
–Black head
•Needlefish
•(Strongylura marina)
–Slender long bodies
–1’ or less in size
–Thin bill
Food Web
Shark
Osprey Barracuda
Seagull Pelican
Grey Snapper Lobster Horseshoe Crab
Snails
Algae
Pink Shrimp
Plankton
Hermit Crabs
Seagrape
Heron
Schoolmaster Needlefish
Pinfish
Sea Cucumber
Green Buttonwood
Symbiotic Relationships
Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism
•Benefits both
species.
Remora cleans
shark and gets food
that the shark does
not eat, the shark
does not eat the
Remora.
•Benefits one
Fish have protection
partner but does not and food in
harm or help the
mangroves but
other.
mangroves receive
nothing from fish.
•Benefits one
species but does
definite harm to the
other.
Parasites make
home and take
nutrients from other
animals, the host
loses nutrients to
the parasite.
Pyramid of Energy- Water
Organisms
Shark (top
predator)
Bigger Fish (predator)
Fish (consumer)
Algae, Plankton (producer)
Pyramid of Energy- Land
Organisms
Birds (Top Predator)
Reptiles (Predator)
Bugs (Consumer)
Plants (Producer)
Yearly Temperature –
Summerland Key
85
83
84
84
83
81
80
80
77
75
76
74
Temp
70 70
72
71
65
60
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May June July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Yearly PrecipitationSummerland Key
6
5.9
5.1
5
5
4.4
4
3.5
3.6
Inches 3
2
2.8
2
2
1.8 1.7 1.8
1
0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May June
Jul
Months
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Water pH
• The pH of a substance is based on the basic
or acidic level.
• The pH scale ranges from 0 – 14. 7 is neutral,
any anything below is acidic, anything above
is basic.
• The higher the number the more basic the
substance is, the lower the number the more
acidic.
• The habitat’s pH remained constant at
8.4
Unique Site Factors
• Diversity of plants and animals
• Hardly any pollution in the air or water
(pollution exists on land)
• Various organisms in the site (not
apparent at first glance)
• Accessible by water or land
• The Upside Down Jelly Fish (Cassiopea
medusa) is most abundant organism
Limiting Factors
•Human
–Pollution (land;
spill off)
–Watercraft
Activities
–Diving
–Fishing
•Food
•Water
•Air
•Living space
•Mates
•Nesting sites
•Drought
•Rain
•Sunlight
•Soil
•Predation
Ecologically Sensitive/Endangered
Organisms
• No Sensitive or
endangered organisms
were noted at the habitat
site.
Human Impact
• Trash – Negative Impact
– It can kill animals; i.e. plastic can be
swallowed or entangle species
• Motor props - Negative Impact
– Kill organisms on sea floor
• Mangroves – Positive Impact
– Under protection by law
• Diving/snorkeling – Negative & Positive Impact
– May interfere with the sensitive species due
to touching, gathering specimen, etc.
– Humans increase their knowledge and
awareness of sensitive environment
• Fishing – Negative Impact
– May over fish and deplete species, interfering
with food web cycle
Human Impact
•At Habitat Site: I found lots of dead fish. These provided
food for other animals, making it a positive impact for
them, but too many were killed for no apparent reason and
would lay there and rot. This is a negative impact.
Levels of Biological
Organization
Medusa
Organism – Single
individual from a
population.
Several
Medusas
Population – All of the
individuals of one species
that live and reproduce in
the same area and at the
same time.
Community – Populations of
different species that
interact in some way
Medusa, Hermit Crabs,
Pinfish
Levels of Biological
Organization
Air, Water, Soil, Sun
Ecosystem – Communities
and the abiotic factors that
affect them
Biosphere – highest level of
biological organization
which includes the earth’s
crust, the waters and a
portion of the atmosphere.
Bibliography
1. www.floridaseagrassecosystem.com-4/8
2.www.yahoopictures.com-4/10
3. www.supersiteusa-marinelifeimages.com-4/13
4. www.kapili.com-4/15
5. www.mbr.nbs.gov-4/20
6. www.weather.com-4/29
7. Publication-Science Voyages-4/8-5/3
The End