Mussel, Goose Neck Barnacle, And Acorn Candle

Although it supports a number of different organisms, Nudgee Beach lacks many of the fundamentals that make up a healthy and successful ecosystem. The first indicator of this is from the lack of birds present in the area. Although it has been noted for terrestrial bird species – such as kingfishers, pelicans, ibis, egrets, jabiru, stilts and heron – and wading bird species – such as golden plovers, curlews, tattlers and godwits – to have been spotted at Nudgee Beach and surrounding areas in the past; after a day’s worth of extensive observation and research, it was found that the birds observed were limited to magpie, ibis, great knot and eastern curlew species. To intensify this factor, at the time by which this lack of species was recorded, Nudgee Beach was expected to have started seeing tens of thousands of birds arrive for the migratory season [21]. This blatant lack of bird species diversity and quantity may have been due to the lack of small organisms within the ecosystem. The restricted number of small organisms at Nudgee Beach is detrimental to the entire ecosystem as these organisms make up the bottom levels of the food web and provide higher-level organisms with adequate amounts of food to consume. The smaller organisms expected to be observed – including; crustacean, shell, mollusc, lizard, frog, fish, worm, arachnid and insect species – was limited to the infrequent observation of crustacean, shell,

The barnacles were tested using a small cup filled with water which has a small rock with barnacles on it. Before the experiment was conducted, the barnacles were fed food. The change in cirri beats over one minute was determined. The average decrease of cirri beats per minute was 12.6. Although the manipulated trial was inconsistent, it is still logical to conclude that the

Kelp forests are seen as the ultimate ecological engineer in coastal areas. They exist in marine environments spanning in southern California, Aleutian Islands, and the western north Atlantic. Light, latitude, and water temperature and nutrients all play a role in facilitating the growth of kelp forests all around the world, (Bolton). Kelp specifically dominates the shallow rocky coasts of the world‘s cold water marine habitats. Although they look as a free-growing plant, they are in fact primarily of brown algae. These structures provide food and shelter to a huge mix of biota, including crabs, sea urchins, mollusks, and other marine organisms (Steneck). The fronds, or large leaves of the kelp are the distinctive feature that can represent where a specific kelp may be found. The sizes of these organisms can range from the smallest found near California and Alaska at 5m to giant kelp up to 45m in length found on the west coasts of North and South America (Hamilton).

The organisms in the Tampa Bay Food web are either producers or consumers. The producers such as plants in the water convert energy from the sun into carbon energy. Because these producers convert sunlight to food energy via chemosynthesis they are called primary producers. Microscopic Algae is a primary producer similar to sea grass (an aquatic plant) another primary producer. The terminology, primary producers and the term autotroph are synonymous. Primary consumers are also called hetertrouphs. Heterotroughs are categorized into four groups or types: Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores and Detrivores. Herbivores are organisms that eat primary producers, Carnivores are organisms that eat herbivores and are considered secondary consumers. The omnivore eats both the herbivore and the carnivore and is considered to be a tertiary

The ecosystem with which the simulation is being done is an aquatic ecosystem. This specific ecosystem is home to producers such as: black pine, coral weed, and nori seaweed. Stationary consumers like acorn barnacles, gooseneck barnacles, and mussels are also present. Mobile consumers such as chitin, starfish, and whelk. The invasive mobile consumer is the green crab. Animals such as starfish compete with others like green crabs for mussels. Starfish and whelk prey on and also compete for the gooseneck barnacle. Whelk and green crab also compete for the acorn barnacles. The competition between starfish and green crab over mussels is what led me to my hypothesis as the mussel is one of the largest secondary consumers in terms

In my ecology project the invasive species that interested me the most was the zebra mussel. In this report, I will be addressing the negative impacts that zebra mussels have on an ecosystem and the positive impacts of human actions on those ecosystems.

Rocky Shores are found where the sea meets the land which supports a diverse mix of plants and animals that have adapted to survive in the unique conditions of constant wave action as well as the fall of tides (Ehp.qld. 2016). Most of the ecosystems flora and fauna live in the intertidal zone, between high and low tide (Ehp.qld. 2016). They are exposed to two environments, being crushed by waves and swamped by the sea water, extreme temperatures and salinity, and left unprotected

In Order to analyse the Distribution of C.brunneas and L.scobina, Year twelve Biology classes had to go down to the “ Sirens’ Rock” on the south coast of wellington. The Habitat is mainly rock but there are rock pools from when the high tide went down the water couldn’t get out. Chamapsipho brunnea or Brown Barnacle are a type of barnacle found in the mid-high tides parts of rocky shores. Brown Barnacle are also known as filter feeders so they feed off of algae and plankton. Brown Barnacle are not found in the low tide zones for this reason their shells can close off meaning that they can survive out of water longer by keeping water locked in their shells. Lepsiella Scobina or oyster borer are a predatory sea snail species. they feed off of barnacle and other prey they are found in the mid-high tide zones of rocky shores and not low tide. Oyster borer are frequently hidding in crevices to hide from predators. Oyster borer are not found in high tide but mid-low tides as they can not close their shells off completely

Mytilus Californianus are known as California mussels that form dense mussel beds and considered one of the most abundant intertidal organisms. They are found clustered together in the upper-middle zone on the open coast. Mytilus Californianus attach themselves to rocks by byssal threads. They have geographic range from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to northern Mexico of Baja California (Morris et al. 1980). “It provides habitat, refuge, and provides food for over 300 other species” including human (rust, 2011). For long period of time, human use these mussels as a food source. These mussels can grow up to 130 to 150mm in size but the process usually is attained in three years. Scientists

The overall ecology of Mona Vale Beach Rock Pool is that the rock pool is linked to other ecosystems. This is evident in the structure of two tides every day, which change the seawater in the rock pool and bring in different and new organisms from the ocean but also allowing other organisms escape back into the ocean. The tides of the rock pool change the physical characteristics of the pool and its surroundings. When it is low tide, the rock pool becomes a collection of organisms living together in a clearly define place. When it is high tide, the rock pool becomes no more than a small imprint on the rocky seabed.

Foveaux Strait contains unique biogenic habitats that supports an important commercial oyster fishery. Regular surveys recorded stock abundance of target oyster species and bycatch, however little is known about the algae community within this region (Michael et al., 2013). Algae can be an important habitat forming organism. In particular calcifying coralline algae has been demonstrated to facilitate the settlement of many invertebrate larvae, inhibit settlement and growth of other seaweed species and enhance local biodiversity (Nelson, 2009; McCoy & Kamenos, 2015). Coralline algae can survive in conditions not typical of other fleshy algae species such as low light and high sand scouring conditions within the Strait (McCoy & Kamenos, 2015).

The intertidal rocky shore of Caloundra Beach is inhabited by diverse range of biodiversity of animals and plants, many of which have developed high levels of adaptations throughout their existence. The very boundary of marine and terrestrial ecosystem, this environment is subjected to extremes of the physical environment such as temperature, desiccation, wave turbulence as well the ecological interactions that commonly occur in biotic communities (e.g. competition, predation). However Rocky intertidal shores are easily accessible by humans and provide an enjoyable opportunity for passive recreation and for science and environmental education as well.

I would expect that the sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus spp.) would spend more time hiding in refuges at intertidal site 2. The abiotic conditions and biotic interactions at site 2 are more optimal for sea urchins to spend more time hiding in refuges. Sea urchins spend more time hiding in crevices and depressions in the rocks due to strong water movement as it protects them. The water velocity is much higher at site 2 (0 m/s – 25 m/s) than at site 1 (0 m/s-25 m/s). This forces the sea star to find refuges as the water velocity has a fifty percent chance of dislodging them and it is above the expected tolerance range. The density of attached macroalgae at site 2 (1.8 individuals/m^2) is higher than at site 2 (0.3 individuals/m^2), this higher

The organism I removed from the food web is phytoplankton. The producers will be affected because giant clam would begin to eat more marine algae causing marine algae to decrease in population. Primary consumers will be affected because zooplankton rely on phytoplankton as their food source so without phytoplankton zooplankton will eventually die off. Giant clams and krill rely on marine algae as their food source so when Phytoplankton is taken away they both have to eat marine algae. Eventually there won’t be any marine algae left for the two to eat so they too will become nonexistent. Secondary consumers will be affected because there would not be giant clam for box jellyfish,clownfish, and whale sharks to eat so they would either die or

Coral reefs are one of the most diverse habitats in the world today and it this diversity that makes them so important to the overall health of the oceans and thus the overall health of the oceans as a whole. Coral reefs take up only a very small percentage of the entire surface of the ocean's surface. However, despite this, they provide a home to about one-quarter of all of the species that live in the oceans. (Mulhall, 2007, p. 321). Among the other life forms that live in the world's coral reefs are fish, worms, echinoderms (such as sea urchins), sponges, and the evolutionary ancient classes of tunicates and cnidarians. One of the most striking aspects of the diversity of coral reefs is that they can exist (and support this florescence of life) in places where few other animals can flourish: Cold and deep waters (Smithers & Woodroffe, 2000, p. 4). However, most corals live in tropical waters; it is on these types of corals that this paper focuses, looking in particular at the reef fishes that make their homes in the world's coral reefs.