DOCSLIB.ORG

River Center's Shark Habitats

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
River Center's Shark Habitats Photo by Alan C. Egan RIVER CENTER’S SHARK HABITATS www.lrdrivercenter.org [email protected] | (561) 743-7123 CONTENTS PREVISIT INFORMATION 3 CHECKLIST 4 BACKGROUND 5 VOCABULARY 5 STANDARDS 6 LESSON TARGETS 7 DIFFERENTIATION 7 STRATEGIES 7 TEACHER MATERIALS 7 TEACHER RESOURCES 7 ENGAGE 8 EXPLORE 9 EXPLAIN 9 ELABORATE 10 EVALUATE 10 STEM CONNECTIONS 10 LOXAHATCHEE RIVER DISTRICT 11 RIVER CENTER EXHIBITS 12 POST FIELD TRIP LESSON 15 RIVER CENTER The River Center is a program of the Loxahatchee River District. The Loxahatchee River District, an award-winning wastewater treatment facility established in 1971 to protect the Loxahatchee River from pollutants, is the leading authority on the Loxahatchee River. Its physical plant can treat up to 11 million gallons of wastewater from northern Palm Beach and southern Martin Counties each day, preventing those pollutants from entering our watershed. This special district also provides both scientific and educational programs for the Loxahatchee River and serves as an advisory agency for the many diverse efforts under way. WWW.LOXAHATCHEERIVER.ORG PREVISIT INFORMATION We are delighted that you have chosen to bring your students to the Loxahatchee River District’s River Center for an educational field experience. The River Center staff would like for your visit to be as fun and educational as possible. The goal of this field experience is to instill the students with an understanding and appreciation of the Loxahatchee River watershed through its unique plant and animal habitats as well as a new perspective on water resources and conservation. To make this an enjoyable field trip for teachers, students, and our program presenters, please follow these guidelines. Please Read Please contact the River Center if you will be more than 15 minutes late or for any questions, concerns, or changes at 561-743-7123 ext. 4200 or [email protected]. SCHEDULE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A GOOD TRIP PROGRAM: 10 A.M. - 12 P.M. LUNCH: 12:15 P.M. • Students should wear name tags with their first name. Classes that usually eat lunch between 10:30am • Chaperones: 1:6 ratio for younger and 11:30am should have a snack before or groups (ages 5-9) or 1:10 ratio for during the bus ride to the River Center. Groups older groups (ages 10+). may have lunch after 12:00pm at the River Center’s chiki hut. EXPECTATIONS • Teachers and chaperones will be responsible for discipline of the children. All adults will be active participants in the activities with the children. • Students are expected to be good listeners, respectful to our program presenters, listen carefully and follow directions. • There are live animals on site and in aquaria, so please do not tap or bang on the aquariums or exhibits in order to avoid stressing the animals. • Students should practice classroom behaviors including keeping their hands to themselves, not talking out of turn, and watching for attention clues. • To minimize distractions for students, please remind all chaperones and teachers to switch cell phones to silent. ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS Address: 805 U.S. Highway 1 Jupiter, FL 33477 Directions: • I-95: Exit 87A (Jupiter Exit) East Indiantown Road (Turnpike: Exit 116 Indiantown Road) • Indiantown Road: Travel EAST until you reach U.S. Highway 1 • Turn Left (NORTH) onto U.S. Highway 1 • Travel NORTH through one stoplight, turn right (EAST) at the flashing light into Burt Reynolds Park. • The River Center is the light blue building located by the fire station. PROGRAM: SHARK HABITATS RIVER CENTER GRADE LEVEL: 2 - 3 CHECKLIST MY NOTES BUS RESERVED • PERMISSION SLIPS • PRE-LESSON PLANS TO • TEACHERS COMMUNICATE ANY • 504/IEP/ESOL/ESE/ ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES ☼ STUDENT NAME TAGS ☼ 1:6 RATIO FOR CHAPERONES ☼ PACKED LUNCHES ☼ SNACK BEFORE PROGRAM ☼ DIRECTIONS FOR THE BUS DRIVER □ COMPLETE RIVER CENTER SURVEY □ POST-LESSON PLANS TO TEACHERS SURVEY LINKS In-Person Field Trips: □ POST LESSON https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RCschool EVALUATIONS Virtual Field Trips: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/rcvirtual 4 River Center | lrdrivercenter.org BACKGROUND Habitats are where animals live. They provide the animal with food, water, and shelter. Sharks live in every ocean in the world from shallow coastal waters and estuaries to the open ocean and on coral reefs. Sometimes they can even venture into freshwater. Sharks are vital to a healthy ocean because they are apex predators at the top of the marine food chain. Sharks are very adaptable and will migrate or move from place to place. VOCABULARY • Ocean • Freshwater • Habitat • Estuary • Shark • Apex predator • Lagoons • Fish • Adaptation • River • Vertebrate • Food chain • Coral reef • Species • Food web • Mangrove • Ampullae of Lorenzini • Pelagic • Nursery • Lateral line • Migration • Oyster reef • Cartilage • Saltwater • Dermal denticles • Brackish water • Elasmobranch 5 River Center | lrdrivercenter.org STANDARDS SECOND GRADE SCIENCE SC.2.N.1.2: Compare the observations made by different groups using the same tools. SC.2.N.1.6: Explain how scientists alone or in groups are always investigating new ways to solve problems. SC.2.L.17.1: Compare and contrast the basic needs that all living things, including humans, have for survival. SC.2.L.17.2: Recognize that living things are found all over Earth, but each is only able to live in habitats that meet its basic needs. SC.K2.CS-CC.1.4: Provide and accept constructive criticism on a collaborative project. SC.K2.CS.1.2: Describe how models and simulations can be used to solve real-world issues in science and engineering. SC.K2.CS-CC.1.3: Collaborate and cooperate with peers, teachers, and others using technology to solve problems. SC.K2.CS-CC.1.4: Solve questions individually and collaboratively using models. THIRD GRADE SCIENCE SC.3.N.1.4: Recognize the importance of communication among scientists. SC.3.N.1.6: Infer based on observation. SC.3.L.15.1: Classify animals into major groups (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, arthropods, vertebrates, and invertebrates, those having live births and those which lay eggs) according to their physical characteristics and behaviors. SC.3.N.1.1: Raise questions about the natural world, investigate them individually and in teams through free exploration and systematic investigations, and generate appropriate explanations based on those explorations. SC.35.CS-CS.1.2: Describe how models and simulations can be used to solve real-world issues in science and engineering. SC.35.CS-CS.1.1: Identify the concepts illustrated by a simulation (e.g., ecosystem, predator/prey, and invasive species). SC.35.CS-CS.1.4: Create a simple model of a system (e.g., flower or solar system) and explain what the model shows and does not show. MATH LANGUAGE ARTS 2 - MAFS.2.MD.1.1 2 - LAFS.2.SL.1.1, LAFS.2.SL.1.3, LAFS.2.SL.2.4, LAFS.2.RI.1.1 3 - MAFS.3.MD.2.3 3 - LAFS.3.SL.1.1, LAFA.3.SL.1.3, LAFA.3.SL.2.4 6 River Center | lrdrivercenter.org TEACHER MATERIALS • Books about sharks • Videos of sharks • Photographs of sharks TEACHER RESOURCES • https://kids.nationalgeographic.com • https://www.sharks4kids.com/ • http://discoverymindblown.com/ category/sharks/ LESSON TARGETS • I can define and explain what a habitat is. • I can explain the differences in each of the shark habitats. • I can identify which sharks live in each habitat. • I can explain why it is important to protect the habitats. DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES • Use of visuals • Hands on activities • Working in a group setting to explain vocabulary • Offer different stations • Use of open-ended questions • Relate topic to their everyday life Terri Roberts ENGAGE PRE-VISIT LESSON - Complete before visiting the River Center ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Sharks migrate to find new sources of food and they can travel up to hundreds of miles to feed. They have the ability to switch up their living conditions quickly in order to find food. Unlike many other animals, sharks are not territorial by nature. Like other fish, female sharks do not stay to take care of their eggs or newborns. Young sharks are born ready to take care of themselves from the very moment they are born. Because they are so skilled at adapting to new situations and changing environments, sharks have succeeded for 420-450 million years in our oceans. • Open ocean - Over 300 million cubic miles of the ocean are classified as the “pelagic zone”, and sharks that live in this area have adapted to become swift swimmers in order to catch prey. The Short-fin Mako shark is an especially fast-moving species that thrives in the open ocean and has been observed reaching a swimming speed of 50 miles per hour. • Deep ocean - The ocean has an average depth of 2.5 miles, and the deepest parts of the sea are rich with unusual-looking creatures, including the Goblin Shark. • Coral reefs - Reef Sharks and Nurse Sharks tend to live near coral reefs feeding on the diverse marine life found in these communities. • Sandy plains - Tiger Sharks, Great Hammerhead Sharks, and Saw Sharks (Sawfish) thrive in the sandy plains, sniffing out prey like small fish and crustaceans even when they are buried in the mud or sand. • Rocky coastlines - You may not think of a rough, rocky coast as the most hospitable environment for sharks, but a diverse variety of species live beneath the surface, which means a steady food supply. This is why Spiny Dogfish Sharks, White Sharks, and Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks are attracted to these regions. • Estuaries - These bodies of water are found in locations where rivers meet oceans. A variety of sharks can be found in this brackish mix of saltwater and freshwater, including Sandbar Sharks and Lemon Sharks.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Snohomish Estuary Wetland Integration Plan
    Snohomish Estuary Wetland Integration Plan April 1997 City of Everett Environmental Protection Agency Puget Sound Water Quality Authority Washington State Department of Ecology Snohomish Estuary Wetlands Integration Plan April 1997 Prepared by: City of Everett Department of Planning and Community Development Paul Roberts, Director Project Team City of Everett Department of Planning and Community Development Stephen Stanley, Project Manager Roland Behee, Geographic Information System Analyst Becky Herbig, Wildlife Biologist Dave Koenig, Manager, Long Range Planning and Community Development Bob Landles, Manager, Land Use Planning Jan Meston, Plan Production Washington State Department of Ecology Tom Hruby, Wetland Ecologist Rick Huey, Environmental Scientist Joanne Polayes-Wien, Environmental Scientist Gail Colburn, Environmental Scientist Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 Duane Karna, Fisheries Biologist Linda Storm, Environmental Protection Specialist Funded by EPA Grant Agreement No. G9400112 Between the Washington State Department of Ecology and the City of Everett EPA Grant Agreement No. 05/94/PSEPA Between Department of Ecology and Puget Sound Water Quality Authority Cover Photo: South Spencer Island - Joanne Polayes Wien Acknowledgments The development of the Snohomish Estuary Wetland Integration Plan would not have been possible without an unusual level of support and cooperation between resource agencies and local governments. Due to the foresight of many individuals, this process became a partnership in which jurisdictional politics were set aside so that true land use planning based on the ecosystem rather than political boundaries could take place. We are grateful to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Ecology (DOE) and Puget Sound Water Quality Authority for funding this planning effort, and to Linda Storm of the EPA and Lynn Beaton (formerly of DOE) for their guidance and encouragement during the grant application process and development of the Wetland Integration Plan.
    [Show full text]
  • Elkhorn Slough Estuary
    A RICH NATURAL RESOURCE YOU CAN HELP! Elkhorn Slough Estuary WATER QUALITY REPORT CARD Located on Monterey Bay, Elkhorn Slough and surround- There are several ways we can all help improve water 2015 ing wetlands comprise a network of estuarine habitats that quality in our communities: include salt and brackish marshes, mudflats, and tidal • Limit the use of fertilizers in your garden. channels. • Maintain septic systems to avoid leakages. • Dispose of pharmaceuticals properly, and prevent Estuarine wetlands harsh soaps and other contaminants from running are rare in California, into storm drains. and provide important • Buy produce from local farmers applying habitat for many spe- sustainable management practices. cies. Elkhorn Slough • Vote for the environment by supporting candidates provides special refuge and bills favoring clean water and habitat for a large number of restoration. sea otters, which rest, • Let your elected representatives and district forage and raise pups officials know you care about water quality in in the shallow waters, Elkhorn Slough and support efforts to reduce question: How is the water in Elkhorn Slough? and nap on the salt marshes. Migratory shorebirds by the polluted run-off and to restore wetlands. thousands stop here to rest and feed on tiny creatures in • Attend meetings of the Central Coast Regional answer: It could be a lot better… the mud. Leopard sharks by the hundreds come into the Water Quality Control Board to share your estuary to give birth. concerns and support for action. Elkhorn Slough estuary hosts diverse wetland habitats, wildlife and recreational activities. Such diversity depends Thousands of people come to Elkhorn Slough each year JOIN OUR EFFORT! to a great extent on the quality of the water.
    [Show full text]
  • Delaware Bay Estuary Project Supporting the Conservation and Restoration Of
    U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – Coastal Program Delaware Bay Estuary Project Supporting the conservation and restoration of the salt marshes of Delaware Bay People have altered the expansive salt marshes of Delaware Bay for centuries to farm salt hay, try to control mosquitoes, create channels for boats, to increase developable land, and other reasons all resulting in restricted tidal flow, disrupted sediment balances, or increasing erosion. Sea level rise and coastal storms threaten to further negatively impact the integrity of these salt marshes. As we alter or lose the marshes we lose the valuable habitats and ecological services they provide. tidal creek - Katherine Whittemore Addressing the all-important sediment balance of salt marshes is critical for preserving their resilience. A healthy resilient marsh may be able to keep pace with erosion and sea level rise through sediment accretion and growth Downe Twsp, NJ - Brian Marsh of vegetation. However, the delicate sediment balance of salt marshes is DBEP works to support efforts to learn more about the techniques often disrupted by barriers to tidal influence and altered drainage onto and to conserve and restore salt marshes and support the populations of fish and wildlife that rely on them. We support new and off the marsh resulting in sediment ongoing coastal resiliency initiatives and coastal planning as they starved systems, excessive mudflats, or pertain to habitat restoration and conservation. We are interested increased erosion. in finding effective tools and mechanisms for conserving and restoring salt marsh integrity on a meaningful scale and support efforts that bring partners together to approach this challenge.
    [Show full text]
  • Estuarine Wetlands
    ESTUARINE WETLANDS • An estuary occurs where a river meets the sea. • Wetlands connected with this environment are known as estuarine wetlands. • The water has a mix of the saltwater tides coming in from the ocean and the freshwater from the river. • They include tidal marshes, salt marshes, mangrove swamps, river deltas and mudflats. • They are very important for birds, fish, crabs, mammals, insects. • They provide important nursery grounds, breeding habitat and a productive food supply. • They provide nursery habitat for many species of fish that are critical to Australia’s commercial and recreational fishing industries. • They provide summer habitat for migratory wading birds as they travel between the northern and southern hemispheres. Estuarine wetlands in Australia Did you know? Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory: Jabiru build large, two-metre wide • Kakadu has four large river systems, the platform nests high in trees. The East, West and South Alligator rivers nests are made up of sticks, branches and the Wildman river. Most of Kakadu’s and lined with rushes, water-plants wetlands are a freshwater system, but there and mud. are many estuarine wetlands around the mouths of these rivers and other seasonal creeks. Moreton Bay, Queensland: • Kakadu is famous for the large numbers of birds present in its wetlands in the dry • Moreton Bay has significant mangrove season. habitat. • Many wetlands in Kakadu have a large • The estuary supports fish, birds and other population of saltwater crocodiles. wildlife for feeding and breeding. • Seagrasses in Moreton Bay provide food and habitat for dugong, turtles, fish and crustaceans. www.environment.gov.au/wetlands Plants and animals • Saltwater crocodiles live in estuarine and • Dugongs, which are also known as sea freshwater wetlands of northern Australia.
    [Show full text]
  • Estuary Bird Cards
    TEACHER MASTER Estuary Bird Cards Great Blue Heron Osprey Willet Roseate Spoonbill Great Egret Glossy Ibis Marsh Wren Tern Brown Pelican Whooping Crane Sandpiper Avocet Woodstork Snowy Egret Black Skimmer Crested Comorant Activity 9: Bountiful Birds 10 TEACHER MASTER Estuary Habitats Salt marsh Mangrove swamp Mudflats Lagoon low tide Seagrass beds Activity 9: Bountiful Birds 11 STUDENT MASTER Great Birds of the Estuaries Estuaries actually contain a number of different habitats, each better or worse suited for different species of birds, as well as other estuary animals and plants. Here are five of the main estuary habitats: 1. A lagoon is an area of shallow, open water, separated from the open ocean by some sort of barrier, such as a barrier island. The water in a lagoon can either be as salty as the ocean or brackish. 2. A salt marsh has non-tree plants (grasses, shrubs, etc.) whose roots grow in soil acted upon by tides, but the plants are mostly never submerged. 3. The woody trees that grow in a mangrove swamp grow in soil affected by tides. Mangrove trees only grow in estuaries that never freeze. 4. Seagrass beds are always submerged underwater. Seagrass is photosynthetic, so it grows in water that is shallow and clear enough for the grass to get sunlight. Seagrass is anchored to the muddy or sandy bottom. 5. Mudflats are sometimes also called tidal flats. They are broad, flat areas of extremely fine sediment (mud) that become exposed at low tide. There are other estuary habitats. A beach or rocky shore can be part of the estuary.
    [Show full text]
  • Coral Reef Algae
    Coral Reef Algae Peggy Fong and Valerie J. Paul Abstract Benthic macroalgae, or “seaweeds,” are key mem- 1 Importance of Coral Reef Algae bers of coral reef communities that provide vital ecological functions such as stabilization of reef structure, production Coral reefs are one of the most diverse and productive eco- of tropical sands, nutrient retention and recycling, primary systems on the planet, forming heterogeneous habitats that production, and trophic support. Macroalgae of an astonish- serve as important sources of primary production within ing range of diversity, abundance, and morphological form provide these equally diverse ecological functions. Marine tropical marine environments (Odum and Odum 1955; macroalgae are a functional rather than phylogenetic group Connell 1978). Coral reefs are located along the coastlines of comprised of members from two Kingdoms and at least over 100 countries and provide a variety of ecosystem goods four major Phyla. Structurally, coral reef macroalgae range and services. Reefs serve as a major food source for many from simple chains of prokaryotic cells to upright vine-like developing nations, provide barriers to high wave action that rockweeds with complex internal structures analogous to buffer coastlines and beaches from erosion, and supply an vascular plants. There is abundant evidence that the his- important revenue base for local economies through fishing torical state of coral reef algal communities was dominance and recreational activities (Odgen 1997). by encrusting and turf-forming macroalgae, yet over the Benthic algae are key members of coral reef communities last few decades upright and more fleshy macroalgae have (Fig. 1) that provide vital ecological functions such as stabili- proliferated across all areas and zones of reefs with increas- zation of reef structure, production of tropical sands, nutrient ing frequency and abundance.
    [Show full text]
  • The Economics of Dead Zones: Causes, Impacts, Policy Challenges, and a Model of the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone S
    58 The Economics of Dead Zones: Causes, Impacts, Policy Challenges, and a Model of the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone S. S. Rabotyagov*, C. L. Klingy, P. W. Gassmanz, N. N. Rabalais§ ô and R. E. Turner Downloaded from Introduction The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 increased public awareness and http://reep.oxfordjournals.org/ concern about long-term damage to ecosystems, and casual readers of the news headlines may have concluded that the spill and its aftermath represented the most significant and enduring environmental threat to the region. However, the region faces other equally challenging threats including the large seasonal hypoxic, or “dead,” zone that occurs annually off the coast of Louisiana and Texas. Even more concerning is the fact that such dead zones have been appearing worldwide at proliferating rates (Conley et al. 2011; Diaz and Rosenberg 2008). Nutrient over- enrichment is the main cause of these dead zones, and nutrient-fed hypoxia is now widely at Iowa State University on January 27, 2014 considered an important threat to the health of aquatic ecosystems (Doney 2010). The rather alarming term dead zone is surprisingly appropriate: hypoxic regions exhibit oxygen levels that are too low to support many aquatic organisms including commercially desirable species. While some dead zones are naturally occurring, their number, size, and *School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; e-mail: [email protected] yCenter for Agricultural and Rural Development,
    [Show full text]
  • The Physical Environment in Coral Reefs of the Tayrona National Natural Park (Colombian Caribbean) in Response to Seasonal Upwelling*
    Bol. Invest. Mar. Cost. 43 (1) 137-157 ISSN 0122-9761 Santa Marta, Colombia, 2014 THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT IN CORAL REEFS OF THE TAYRONA NATIONAL NATURAL PARK (COLOMBIAN CARIBBEAN) IN RESPONSE TO SEASONAL UPWELLING* Elisa Bayraktarov1, 2, Martha L. Bastidas-Salamanca3 and Christian Wild1,4 1 Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology (ZMT), Coral Reef Ecology Group (CORE), Fahrenheitstraße 6, D-28359 Bremen, Germany. [email protected], [email protected] 2 Present address: The University of Queensland, Global Change Institute, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia 3 Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (Invemar), Calle 25 No. 2-55 Playa Salguero, Santa Marta, Colombia. [email protected] 4 University of Bremen, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry (FB2), D-28359 Bremen, Germany ABSTRACT Coral reefs are subjected to physical changes in their surroundings including wind velocity, water temperature, and water currents that can affect ecological processes on different spatial and temporal scales. However, the dynamics of these physical variables in coral reef ecosystems are poorly understood. In this context, Tayrona National Natural Park (TNNP) in the Colombian Caribbean is an ideal study location because it contains coral reefs and is exposed to seasonal upwelling that strongly changes all key physical factors mentioned above. This study therefore investigated wind velocity and water temperature over two years, as well as water current velocity and direction for representative months of each season at a wind- and wave-exposed and a sheltered coral reef site in one exemplary bay of TNNP using meteorological data, temperature loggers, and an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) in order to describe the spatiotemporal variations of the physical environment.
    [Show full text]
  • Responses of Tidal Freshwater and Brackish Marsh Macrophytes to Pulses of Saline Water Simulating Sea Level Rise and Reduced Discharge
    Wetlands (2018) 38:885–891 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-018-1037-2 ORIGINAL RESEARCH Responses of Tidal Freshwater and Brackish Marsh Macrophytes to Pulses of Saline Water Simulating Sea Level Rise and Reduced Discharge Fan Li1 & Steven C. Pennings1 Received: 7 June 2017 /Accepted: 16 April 2018 /Published online: 25 April 2018 # Society of Wetland Scientists 2018 Abstract Coastal low-salinity marshes are increasingly experiencing periodic to extended periods of elevated salinities due to the com- bined effects of sea level rise and altered hydrological and climatic conditions. However, we lack the ability to predict detailed vegetation responses, especially for saline pulses that are more realistic in nature than permanent saline presses. In this study, we exposed common freshwater and brackish plants to different durations (1–31 days per month for 3 months) of saline water (salinity of 5). We found that Zizaniopsis miliacea was more tolerant to salinity than the other two freshwater species, Polygonum hydropiperoides and Pontederia cordata. We also found that Zizaniopsis miliacea belowground and total biomass appeared to increase with salinity pulses up to 16 days in length, although this relationship was quite variable. Brackish plants, Spartina cynosuroides, Schoenoplectus americanus and Juncus roemerianus, were unaffected by the experimental treatments. Our ex- periment did not evaluate how competitive interactions would further affect responses to salinity but our results suggest the hypothesis that short pulses of saline water will increase the cover of Zizaniopsis miliacea and decrease the cover of Polygonum hydropiperoides and Pontederia cordata in tidal freshwater marshes, thereby reducing diversity without necessarily affecting total plant biomass.
    [Show full text]
  • Fisheries Research 213 (2019) 219–225
    Fisheries Research 213 (2019) 219–225 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Fisheries Research journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/fishres Contrasting river migrations of Common Snook between two Florida rivers using acoustic telemetry T ⁎ R.E Bouceka, , A.A. Trotterb, D.A. Blewettc, J.L. Ritchb, R. Santosd, P.W. Stevensb, J.A. Massied, J. Rehaged a Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, Florida Keys Initiative Marathon Florida, 33050, United States b Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 100 8th Ave. Southeast, St Petersburg, FL, 33701, United States c Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Charlotte Harbor Field Laboratory, 585 Prineville Street, Port Charlotte, FL, 33954, United States d Earth and Environmental Sciences, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th street, AHC5 389, Miami, Florida, 33199, United States ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Handled by George A. Rose The widespread use of electronic tags allows us to ask new questions regarding how and why animal movements Keywords: vary across ecosystems. Common Snook (Centropomus undecimalis) is a tropical estuarine sportfish that have been Spawning migration well studied throughout the state of Florida, including multiple acoustic telemetry studies. Here, we ask; do the Common snook spawning behaviors of Common Snook vary across two Florida coastal rivers that differ considerably along a Everglades national park gradient of anthropogenic change? We tracked Common Snook migrations toward and away from spawning sites Caloosahatchee river using acoustic telemetry in the Shark River (U.S.), and compared those migrations with results from a previously Acoustic telemetry, published Common Snook tracking study in the Caloosahatchee River.
    [Show full text]
  • Upwelling As a Source of Nutrients for the Great Barrier Reef Ecosystems: a Solution to Darwin's Question?
    Vol. 8: 257-269, 1982 MARINE ECOLOGY - PROGRESS SERIES Published May 28 Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. / I Upwelling as a Source of Nutrients for the Great Barrier Reef Ecosystems: A Solution to Darwin's Question? John C. Andrews and Patrick Gentien Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville 4810, Queensland, Australia ABSTRACT: The Great Barrier Reef shelf ecosystem is examined for nutrient enrichment from within the seasonal thermocline of the adjacent Coral Sea using moored current and temperature recorders and chemical data from a year of hydrology cruises at 3 to 5 wk intervals. The East Australian Current is found to pulsate in strength over the continental slope with a period near 90 d and to pump cold, saline, nutrient rich water up the slope to the shelf break. The nutrients are then pumped inshore in a bottom Ekman layer forced by periodic reversals in the longshore wind component. The period of this cycle is 12 to 25 d in summer (30 d year round average) and the bottom surges have an alternating onshore- offshore speed up to 10 cm S-'. Upwelling intrusions tend to be confined near the bottom and phytoplankton development quickly takes place inshore of the shelf break. There are return surface flows which preserve the mass budget and carry silicate rich Lagoon water offshore while nitrogen rich shelf break water is carried onshore. Upwelling intrusions penetrate across the entire zone of reefs, but rarely into the Lagoon. Nutrition is del~veredout of the shelf thermocline to the living coral of reefs by localised upwelling induced by the reefs.
    [Show full text]
  • Life on the Coral Reef
    Coral Reef Teacher’s Guide Life on the Coral Reef Life on the Coral Reef THE CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM The muddy silt drifts out to sea, covering the nearby Coral reefs provide the basis for the most productive coral reefs. Some corals can remove the silt, but many shallow water ecosystem in the world. An ecosystem cannot. If the silt is not washed off within a short pe- is a group of living things, such as coral, algae and riod of time by the current, the polyps suffocate and fishes, along with their non-living environment, such die. Not only the rainforest is destroyed, but also the as rocks, water, and sand. Each influences the other, neighboring coral reef. and both are necessary for the successful maintenance of life. If one is thrown out of balance by either natural Reef Zones or human-made causes, then the survival of the other Coral reefs are not uniform, but are shaped by the is seriously threatened. forces of the sea and the structure of the sea floor into DID YOU KNOW? All of the Earth’s ecosystems are a series of different parts or reef zones. Understand- interrelated, forming a shell of life that covers the ing these zones is useful in understanding the ecol- entire planet – the biosphere. For instance, if too many ogy of coral reefs. Keep in mind that these zones can trees are cut down in the rainforest, soil from the for- blend gradually into one another, and that sometimes est is washed by rain into rivers that run to the ocean.
    [Show full text]