2. The Coastal Area Ecosystem By: Adam (Mr. Richardson’s Class)

3. Table of Contents The Habitat Habitat Field Notes Abiotic & Biotic Plants Woody Groundcover Herbaceous Plants Water Plants Animals Invertebrates Vertebrates

4. Table of Contents 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

5. Table of Contents Ecologically Sensitive/Endangered Organisms Human Impact Levels of Biological Organization Bibliography The End

6. The Habitat

7. Coastal Area Sacarma Bay Two Square Miles 8 Visits Snorkeling, Net, Camera, Boat, Land Approximately 15 points of observation Snorkeling

8. Habitat Field Notes DateApril 8th Monday April 10th Wednesday April 11th Thursday Time4:45 – 5:30PM 4:30 – 5:20PM4:00 – 5:00PM Water81.783.480.3 Temperature84.285.683.1 WeatherSunny, Calm Sunny, BreezyPartly Cloudy, Breezy

9. Habitat Field Notes DateApril 13th Saturday April 16th Tuesday April 18th Thursday Time2:00 – 3:50PM 5:00 – 6:00PM 4:00 – 4:20PM Water83.483.782.7 Temperature86.485.086 WeatherSunny, Windy Sunny, Calm Sunny, Breezy

10. Habitat Field Notes DateApril 21st Sunday April 23rd Tuesday Time1:20 – 2:20PM4:45 – 5:35PM Water79.882.0 Temperature82.985.6 WeatherPartly Cloudy, Breezy Sunny, Calm

11. Abiotic & Biotic Abiotic The non-living physical features of the environment. Biotic Living or once- living organisms in the environment.

12. Abiotic Factors Soil Sand, Shells, Exoskeletons, Fossilized Coral, Minerals Light 11-12 Hours of Daylight Water 6 inches – 3 foot depth, 30 ft of visibility, 82.2 degrees average Temperature 84.8 Average, breezy & sunny Air Clean, no pollution Trash Plastic, Metal, Paper, Food Waste, Wood, Cardboard

13. Biotic Factors Mammals Humans Fish Snapper, Grunt, Minnow, Needle Fish Birds Heron, Vulture, Pelican, Sea Gull Plants Mangrove, Buttonwood, Sea Grass, Sea Weed Insects Mosquito, Fly, Beetle, Water Bug Reptiles Iguana, Anole

14. Plants Water Groundcover Herbaceous Woody

15. Green ButtonwoodSea Grape Conocarpus erectus 1.3-8 m tall 2.2.5 cm to 9 cm long leaves 3.1-3 cm wide leaves Coccoloba uvifera 1.Grows up to 40 ft. 2.Fruit hangs down in clusters 3.Shiny, leathery leaves

16. Groundcover Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides) –Skinny leaves –All Green –Found around water

17. 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

18. 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

19. Green Algae (Gunflintia species) –A.k.a. grass – green algae –First appeared 2 billion years ago –Phylum is cholorophyta Herbaceous Plants

20. Black Mangrove (Avicennia germinang) 1.Roots shoot up out of ground 2.Member of verbena family 3.Can grow to 70’ Water Plants

21. 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

22. 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

23. Neptune’s Shaving Brush (Penicillus capitatos) 1.3 inches tall 2.Underwater plant 3.All green color Water Plants

24. Sea Fan (Gorgonia ventalina) 1.Flexible 2.Flat 3.Spread out to as much as 5’ & as tall as 6’ Water Plants

25. Sargassum Weed (Sargassum hystrix) 1.a.k.a. Gulfweed 2.Asexual reproduction 3.Type of brown algae Water Plants

26. Animals Animals without backbones are invertebrates. Invertebrate Sea Cucumber

27. Invertebrates Tree SnailSpiny Lobster Sea CucumberUpside Down Jellyfish Hermit CrabGhost Crab Horseshoe CrabPink Shrimp

28. 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

29. Invertebrates Hermit Crab (Pagurus bernhardus) –Large claw is always on right side –Eats scraps and worms –Shells from 1” to 5”

30. Invertebrates Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) –Considered “living fossil” –Spines all over –Light brown color

31. Invertebrates Spiny Lobster (Pamulirus angus) –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

32. Vertebrates Animals with a backbone are called Vertebrates. Great White Heron

33. Vertebrates Great White Heron Brown AnoleTurkey Vulture Marine IguanaFrench GruntLaughing Gull Mangrove Snapper OspreyNeedlefish Brown PelicanPinfish Great BarracudaNurse Shark SchoolmasterGlass Minnow

34. 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

35. 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

36. 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

37. 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”

38. 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

39. Food Web Shark Osprey Barracuda Seagull Pelican Heron Grey Snapper Lobster Horseshoe Crab Schoolmaster Needlefish Snails Pink Shrimp Hermit Crabs Pinfish Sea Cucumber Algae Plankton Seagrape Green Buttonwood

40. Symbiotic Relationships Mutualism Benefits both species. Remora cleans shark and gets food that the shark does not eat, the shark does not eat the Remora. Commensalism Benefits one partner but does not harm or help the other. Fish have protection and food in mangroves but mangroves receive nothing from fish. Parasitism 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.

41. Pyramid of Energy- Water Organisms Algae, Plankton (producer) Fish (consumer) Bigger Fish (predator) Shark (top predator)

42. Pyramid of Energy- Land Organisms Plants (Producer) Bugs (Consumer) Reptiles (Predator) Birds (Top Predator)

43. Yearly Temperature – Summerland Key

44. Yearly Precipitation- Summerland Key

45. 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

46. 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

47. Limiting Factors Nesting sites Drought Rain Sunlight Soil Predation Human –Pollution (land; spill off) –Watercraft Activities –Diving –Fishing Food Water Air Living space Mates

48. Ecologically Sensitive/Endangered Organisms No Sensitive or endangered organisms were noted at the habitat site.

49. 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

50. 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.

51. Levels of Biological Organization MedusaOrganism – 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. Medusa, Hermit Crabs, Pinfish Community – Populations of different species that interact in some way

52. 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.

53. Bibliography 1. www.floridaseagrassecosystem.com-4/8www.floridaseagrassecosystem.com-4/8 2.www.yahoopictures.com-4/10www.yahoopictures.com 3. www.supersiteusa-marinelifeimages.com-4/13www.supersiteusa-marinelifeimages.com-4/13 4. www.kapili.com-4/15www.kapili.com 5. www.mbr.nbs.gov-4/20www.mbr.nbs.gov-4/20 6. www.weather.com-4/29www.weather.com 7. Publication-Science Voyages-4/8-5/3

54. The End