Marine+Group+Page

http://drake.marin.k12.ca.us/stuwork/ROCKwater/PLANKTON/Food%20Chain.htm -dakota walker

PLANKTON-SMALL FISH-BIG FISH-SHARK by trevor fuller By sumer kopp ^^ uploaded by katie markley

​Covering about 70 percent of the earth, the marine biome is the largest biome on the planet. It comprises of the Antarctic Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean, plus smaller Bays and Gulfs. Also, the marine biome consists of 80 percent of all the earth’s habitats, making it the largest habitat on our planet. The 36,200 feet deep Mariana Trench, which is deeper than the height of Mt. Everest, is the deepest point of the marine biome. The marine biome can also be divided into oceans, estuaries, and coral reefs, with the oceans representing the most diverse and largest of ecosystems. The water of the oceans evaporates and turns into rain, which nourishes the land where it falls.< by Dakota Walker
 * // Marine Team names! //**

MARINE __ Animals: __====
 * Trevor Fuller,
 * Darren Dreher ,
 * Katie Markley,
 * Alex Croston,
 * Cierra Brown,
 * Sumer Kopp
 * Hunter Carpenter,
 * Cally Roof,Vicky Share ,
 * **Dakota Walker, **
 * Austin Leasure,
 * Derrick Hill

coelacanth
starfish Sea stars are purely marine animals, even using sea water instead of blood to pump nutrients throughout their bodies.by trevor fuller

Shrimp small marine decapod [|crustacean] with 10 jointed legs on the thorax, well-developed swimmerets on the abdominal segments, and a body that is compressed laterally. Shrimp differ from their close relatives, the lobsters and crabs, in that they are primarily swimmers rather than crawlers. As with other crustaceans, the body is covered with a smooth exoskeleton that must be periodically shed and re-formed as the animal grows. However, the shrimp's exoskeleton tends to be thinner than that of most other crustaceans; it is grayish and almost transparent. In some areas of the United States the term prawn is loosely applied to any large shrimp. However, in Europe, only members of the genus //Crangon,// distinguished from other shrimp by a slender body and a depressed abdomen, are considered true shrimp, while decapod crustaceans having toothed beaks (rostrums), long antennae, slender legs, and laterally compressed abdomens are called prawns. Tropical shrimp have bizarre shapes and colors. One of the most unusual shrimp is the pistol shrimp, a burrow dweller whose third right appendage is adapted into a huge claw with a movable finger that can be snapped shut with so much force that the resulting sound waves kill or stun nearby prey.by trevor fuller shellfish dolphins1. Dolphins are mammals; they nurse their young from mammary glands.

2. Dolphins can swim up to 260 m. below the surface of the ocean, although they are mainly shallow divers. by cierra whales sharkby trevor fuller Aipysurus tenius

[[image:http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/resources/Grzimek_herps/Elapidae/Aipysurus_laevis.jpg/badge.jpg width="81" height="42"]]
Astrotia stokesii Disteira kingii Disteira major Emydocephalus schistosa Ephalophis greyi mollusks Hydrelaps darwiniensis Hydrophis atriceps

Hydrophis atriceps Hydrophis belcheri Hydrophis caerulescens Hydrophis coggeri coelacanth Hydrophis elegans Hydrophis gracilis Hydrophis inornatus Hydrophis mcdowelli Hydrophis melanosomaHydrophis ornatuHydrophis pacificusHydrophis vorisiLapemis hardwickii Parahydrophis mertoni Pelamis platurus Sea Otter<trevor uploaded this Seaweed Kelp Shore Pine Salal Nymphaea Alba This plant roots in the mud at the bottom of the lake, the circular floating leaves are dark green on the upper surface, and reddish below.by derrick hill Java Moss (aquamoss.net) uploaded by katie markley Phytoplankton Coral Reefs
 * //__Plants: The food chain by austin leasure__// Diatoms < Zooplankton < Small Fish < Large Fish < Killer Whales **

mussels, worms, and a spider crab at a hydrocarbon seep community in the Gulf of Mexico; a sea fan and brain coral in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary; a school of Atlantic amberjack North Carolina.

(by sumer kopp!!)

//CORAL REEFS by cierra//
 * //__ Pictures: __//**

//Orca Whale by Vicky by alex croston ​ uploaded by hunter carpenter// //**Hydrophis**// is a genus of [|sea snakes] in the family [|Hydrophiidae]. The genus is also sometimes classified as a member of the family [|Elapidae] in some classification schemes. [|Hydrophiidae] in this case, is relegated to subfamily status as [|Hydrophiinae].

(by hunter carpenter) The mollusks or molluscs are the large and diverse phylum Mollusca, which includes a variety of familiar creatures well-known for their decorative shells or as seafood. These range from tiny snails and clams to the octopus and squid (which are considered the most intelligent invertebrates). The giant squid is the largest invertebrate, and, except for their larvae and some recently captured juveniles, has never been observed alive, although the Colossal Squid is likely to be even larger.

Possibly the most notorious creature of the marine biome is the shark. There are many different kinds of sharks. The shark is the largest type of mammal in the marine biome. The Whale Shark can weigh up to 45 tons, which is 90,000 lbs. It can grow to be about 40 feet long. A shark will have approximately 4,000 teeth in its lifetime, going through 1,000 sets of teeth. Shark teeth are razor sharp, but are less than 1/8th of an inch long. A shark can swim fairly quick. The fastest shark ever recorded was a Mako Shark, at 60 mph.

(uploaded by hunter carpenter) **Hydrophis Belcheri-This extremely venomous snake is also commonly called Faint-banded Sea Snake - it is the most toxic snake in the world. It has a friendly temperament and would normally have to be subjected to severe mis-treatment before biting. Because of its docile nature, it is generally not regarded as very dangerous. They can be found in the waters of Visayan and Panay areas in the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, Solomon Islands, Gulf of Thailand and Timor Sea**

by austin leasure

These strange-looking blobs in Shark Bay, Australia, are called stromatolite reefs. They were common 3.5 billion years ago, but they are very rare today (nationalgeographic.com) uploaded by katie markley

The word pinniped means fin-footed, and refers to the marine mammals that have front and hind flippers. These include the seals, sea lions, and walruses. Most of these animals live in the ocean but are able to come on land for long periods of time. Millions of years ago, the ancestors of pinnipeds lived on land. These were probably weasel or bear-like animals that spent more and more time in the ocean, and eventually adapted to this marine environment.



There are three families of pinnipeds: phocids, otariids, and odobenids, and each of them is a little different. One family is the true seals (phocids). There are many different kinds of true seals, but you can always recognize them by looking at their ears and flippers. True seals have ear holes, but no external ear flaps. They also have small flippers and move on land by flopping along on their bellies. At sea, they move their rear flippers back and forth like a fish's tail to power themselves along.

Two of the true seal species that live in the Pacific Ocean are the [|Pacific harbor seal] and the [|northern elephant seal]. Even though they are both true seals, they are very different. Harbor seals have spotted fur and tend to stay near shore. Males and females are about the same size, reaching a maximum of 300 pounds (140 kg). Northern elephant seals are grayish and tan in color, only come onshore to mate, give birth, and molt (shed) their fur. Males and females are very different in size and appearance. Female elephant seals reach up to 1,500 pounds (600 kg). Males can grow up to 4,500 pounds (2,000 kg) and they develop a large nose or proboscis that looks like an elephant's trunk. Scientists have found that elephant seals can dive to over 5,000 feet (1,524 m) below the ocean's surface and stay under water for two hours!

Another group of pinnipeds includes sea lions and fur seals (otariids). You can also recognize these animals by their flippers and ears. Unlike true seals, they have external ear flaps. Their flippers are large, and on land, they are able to bring all four flippers underneath their bodies, and walk on them. In the water, they swim using their front flippers like oars. Fur seals have longer flippers and thicker coats than sea lions.

Two sea lion species live along the California coast: the [|California sea lion] and the [|Steller sea lion]. California sea lions have brown fur, act playful, like to stay together in large groups, and sound like barking dogs. You can often see them hauled out on offshore rocks or floating together in large groups. Males can weigh up to 850 pounds (390 kg), while females may weigh up to 220 pounds (110 kg).

Steller sea lions have light brown or auburn fur. The Steller sea lion is the largest otariid species, and males can weigh over 2,000 pounds (1,120 kg). Most Steller sea lions live in Alaskan waters, but about 500 live in California. The population is dropping, and they are on the endangered species list. Scientists are not sure why their numbers are dropping, but think it could be due to a change in the ocean ecosystem and competition from commercial fishing.

Another type of otariid found in California is the fur seal. The fur seal species most commonly seen in California is the [|northern fur seal]. They tend to stay far offshore and are often seen floating on their backs with their flippers sticking out of the water, a behavior called "jughandling." As their name implies, they are very furry. With over 300,000 hairs per square inch, they spend a lot of time grooming themselves. Years ago, people made fur coats from their fur. The northern fur seal population is now considered depleted, and thousands of them are caught each year in plastic trash and nets. Another fur seal, the [|Guadalupe fur seal], is found in Mexico and sometimes off the California coast. Once there were many of them in California, but they almost became extinct due to over hunting for their fur. With protection from the Mexican and U.S. governments, there are now 7,400 Guadalupe fur seals.

The third family of pinnipeds is the walruses (odobenids). They have a combination of the traits found in seals and sea lions; like seals they have no external ears, but like sea lions they can rotate their hind flippers forward. Both males and females have tusks, vacuum-like mouths for sucking up shellfish from the ocean floor. Males have air sacs in their neck that they can inflate to allow them to float as if they were wearing life preservers. They have a bell-like call. Walruses are one of the largest pinnipeds, with males reaching over 3,000 pounds (1,500 kg). They live in the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, in the arctic region. Walruses are protected under U.S. and Canadian laws, but limited hunting by the Inuit people is allowed. <by Dakota Walker, read at The Marine Mammal Center.


 * The Various Zones of the Marine Biome**


 * The Inter-Tidal Zone:** The oceans are connected to the land through the inter-tidal zone. The coastal areas of the marine biome are in a constant state of change due to the rise and fall of the tides, with a variety of marine plants and animals inhabiting the seashore and the bottom. Coastal areas that are rocky have fewer species of animals and plants since only the highest of tides can reach the top of the steep rocks. Coral reefs form barriers in the shallow, warm waters of the marine biome, which border the continents and the islands. Coral is an organism that consists of algae and animal tissues. They can provide themselves with nutrition like plants via photosynthesis as well as like animals by catching micro-organisms with their tentacles. Other species of the marine biome also inhabit the coral reefs, such as octopi, starfish, and various other mollusks.


 * The Pelagic and Benthic Zones:** The pelagic zone is located in the open ocean. This area of the marine biome is home to several species of marine mammals and fish, some types of floating seaweed, and plankton. The region beneath the pelagic zone is known as the benthic zone, or the deep sea. This consists of gradually decomposing organisms, sand and silt. Since very little sunlight reaches this region of the marine biome, because of its depth, it is very cold. Also, at this depth there are very few plant species, and the marine animals here are generally organisms that feed at the bottom such as sponges, anemones, starfish, and so on, along with different micro-organisms.


 * The Abyssal Zone:** The deepest region of the marine biome, going down to a depth of 2000 meters or more, is known as the abyssal zone. It is home to various species of fish and invertebrates, including peculiar creatures like the coelacanth, which is a prehistoric kind of fish that was thought to be extinct, but was found in the Indian Ocean. Then there are other specially adapted fish that also inhabit this dark part of the marine biome which glow due to a process known as photoluminescence. The abyssal zone of the marine biome is highly pressurized and also extremely cold, since no sunlight reaches here. The floor of the ocean here have vents which form due to the tectonic plates spreading apart, which results in releasing hydrogen sulfide and various other minerals, which the bacteria that exist here feed upon, which are then eaten by various other micro-organisms, which in turn become the food of the fish, and so forth.


 * The Plants of the Marine Biome**

More than a million species of animals and plants have been discovered in the marine biome, and according to marine biologists, there are up to 9 million species that have still to be discovered, which inhabit this unique habitat. One of the main reasons the marine biome is very important is due to the algae that exist in it. Algae in the oceans generate the major portion of the oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere. Algae also absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Due to this, it may play a major role in reducing the harmful effects of climate change.

Phytoplankton is another important plant in the marine biome. These are largely unicellular algae that most marine creatures feed on, from large whales to the tiniest of fish. According to scientists, phytoplankton is responsible for about half of the oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere.

Kelp is another kind of marine plant that is very important. It provides food and shelter to many kinds of creatures that inhabit the marine biome. Humans use kelp to make various kinds of products ranging from ice cream to cosmetics to toothpaste. Kelp also helps in buffering the coastal areas by absorbing the energy of the waves before they hit the shoreline. The plants in the marine biome exist in the euphotic zone, the region that gets sunlight, since they require the sun’s energy for photosynthesis.


 * The Animals of the Marine Biome**

The marine biome is home to the greatest biodiversity of the earth. This region has sea anemones, fungi, bacteria, crustaceans, whales, fish, mollusks and various other types of animals. Many of these animals are specially adapted to the various conditions that exist in this environment. For example, marine mammals generally have blubber in order to withstand the extremely cold temperatures of the water, however, the sea otter deals with this condition by having dense fur instead, with about a million hairs in each square inch.

The marine biome is also home to some of the largest creatures on earth, like the blue whale, which can be more than 100 feet in length. These are some of the reasons why marine biology is so fascinating and is being studied with increasing interest by scientists. <by Dakota Walker



Plankton--Small fish---Dolphin > trevor fuller algae--->small fish--->large fish--->shark!>by cierra

Baleen Whales - - - Krill - - - Phytoplankton - By Darren Dreher.



scooter blenny uploaded by katie markley

meyers butterfly fish uploaded by katie markley