Line UP When was the last time you went swimming in a lake, pool, or the ocean? What was the temperature of the water? What temperature do you like the water when you go swimming? What are some reasons that water temperature might change in the ocean?

Just like us… Fish and other animals that live in the ocean have their own preferences. Some like it warm…some like it cold, and others don’t care.

Think, Pair, Share.. What is your habitat like? Work on your habitat worksheet and fill out an average day in the life of YOU: Which of the places visited are essential to your survival? Did you visit some places more than once? What would happen if you no longer had one of these habitats to use? Or what if the habitat was unclean or dangerous? What about some essential places that we only use occasionally but are also very essential. (the hospital, dentist, etc.)?

Just like you… Animals that need to find a particular food, must move or migrate to places that support their needs.

Let’s Look at Striped Bass

Striped Bass Life History Fish photographs by D. Flescher, downloaded from Fish illustrations from: Lippson, A. J. and R. L. Moran Manual for identification of early developmental stages of fishes of the Potomac River Estuary. Prepared for MD DNR Power Plant Siting Program. PPSP-MP pp. Larvae Juveniles Adults Eggs

Physical conditions (currents) How much food is available Predation How long they stay in nursery areas Many factors affect the survival of fish eggs and larvae jellieszone.com/ hitchhiker7.htm

Physical conditions affect all life stages Water temperature, salinity, oxygen in the water, and currents influence: survival (heat shock, winter mortality) growth rates location, movement, migration

At each stage, certain factors dominate 1.Adults and juveniles: water temperature and dissolved oxygen 2. Eggs and larvae: salinity and currents

Striped Bass and Water Temperature oCoC Livable Ideal

How to Read a Sea Surface Temperature Map

Instructions Choose a partner. Record the temperature (in degrees Celsius) at the location indicated by your teacher on each map. Input the data on the class data board Once the data is collected on each of the 13 maps, use Excel to make a line graph of our findings

Class Discussion Look at the chart describing livable temperatures for Striped Bass. Do you think ocean temperature is related to the seasons? Describe how Striped Bass might deal with these temperature changes. Over the course of the year, during which months are you most likely to find Striped Bass off North Carolina, New Jersey and Massachusetts?

Let’s Look at Our Results…

Fish Tagging