Observation Of Algae In Maunalua Bay

Scientists and researchers began giving a large volume of effort and look into the extremely complex problems that face the Chesapeake Bay. When research for the improving and saving of the Bay’s overall health began it seemed very simple and there were only a couple of problems. The problems included nutrients from agricultural runoff; these nutrients were phosphorus and nitrogen. The combination of the nutrients in the Bay caused a large volume of algae that choked some of the marine life. While bringing in algae the nutrients also killed grasses on the seafloor. These seafloor bed grasses that once covered more than half of the Chesapeake Bay’s floor now only covered a tenth of their original area. Though the estuary was having problems it did not receive the terrible pollution from industries that many large rivers and lakes do in other urban areas (Brown, p. 397).

On March 21st, our class went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The purpose of this trip was not only to explore Earth’s natural habitat’s, but it was also to gather information on our upcoming project and to gather information on how the community of St.Mary, affects the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The answer that we found out is one based off of what we eat. The Monterey Bay Aquarium released an app where it showed which type of seafood were lower in numbers than others. So, if plankton were very low in numbers, it is advised that we not fish for them or not eat as much of it. This shows based just off of what we eat, we can affect the numbers of in the ocean. Also, those plastic bags we buy at Target and Walmart, that we drop outside, drifts itself to the streams, which flow to rivers, which go to oceans, they are floating there, not doing much harm, until sea turtle comes by starts eating it, but gets tangled and choked in it, dies.

In this research paper I will talk about how a large decrease in the algae population in the Chesapeake Bay will cause problems for not just fish and other species but the people who fish and make a living off of it. A large decrease in algae population will have a domino effect on the food chain. Having a major decrease in algae will hurt how others species live and protect themselves.

Algae blooms have been an issue in the Chesapeake Bay, especially in the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Algae is a natural and critical part of the ecosystem, however in large doses it is harmful to the plants and organisms within the ecosystem. Algae blooms can block out sunlight and kill other plants in the water. Algae depends on various factors such as water, nutrients and carbon dioxide to grow. Eutrophication of the Inner Harbor has lead to algae blooms that have caused large fish kills in the past. When there is an over abundance of certain chemical nutrients eutrophication can occur. Runoff from land and farms is the main cause of excess nutrients into the water. The most common nutrients that are related to algae outbreaks are nitrate nitrogen and phosphate. In addition, a lack of dissolved oxygen can also be an indicator for the process of eutrophication and risk of an algae outbreak. A particular type of algae commonly found in Maryland is known as Prorocentrum minimum. Prorocentrum tends to cause “mahogany tides” causing water to be brown and have an odor. There has been a campaign launched by the Healthy Harbor

The size of this algae ranges from microscopic, to macroalage, which is large, visible pieces of algae that form on the bottom of sediments.Certain types of algae can produce dangerous chemicals which are harmful to humans, wildlife, and aquatic creatures. Although these different algae are harmful, there aren’t enough of them to make a dent in the amount of life there is in the Chesapeake Bay. With such little amounts of toxic algae, much of it becomes a vital food source, which could cause an issue if the amount of it were to drop. Without this algae, many of the animals would begin to die off because there would not be be enough food for all of them. If this does happen, there would be many dead animals floating and decomposing in the water. The main animals that feed off the algae are smaller fish. Which, with these smaller fish dying, the larger fish and other animals would also begin dying off since the smaller fish are their food source.

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).

A new approach of management is considering the Bay as complex socio-ecological system where human activities strongly affect the intensity and direction of natural processes. It could be managed by dividing in different manageable and modeled units providing a better understanding of the main natural processes in the Bay. I particularly like this idea, although I would find interesting to explore how to address the interconnections and feedbacks between

Along the coasts of rocky beaches, an intricate ecological community inhabits the ‘rocky intertidal’ areas. The variety of rocks is home to an array of slimy, squishy, and colorful organisms. This intertidal community is comprised of nine species: three different algae, three stationary filter-feeders, and three mobile consumers. The three algae, Nori Seaweed, Black Pine, and Coral Weed, are the community’s producers and inhabit the bottom of the food chain. The next three species are stationary consumers. They are Mussel, Goose Neck Barnacle, and Acorn Barnacle. Because of their consumer status, they are more competitively dominant than algae. The last three components are the mobile consumers: Whelk, Chiton, and Starfish. They

A few year ago, California began the process of establishing a system of MPAs along the north central coast as a part of a statewide marine protected area system as a result of The Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), state legislation passed in 1999, that directs the state to redesign its system of MPAs to increase cohesion and effectiveness of the network, improve ecosystem protection in state waters, and improve recreational, educational and study opportunities provided by marine ecosystems subject to minimal human disturbance (Gleason et al. 2010)

The above mentioned habitats are crucial because it support priority species in the Bay. Although more than 3,600 different species of plants and animals live in the tidal waters of the Bay, there are priority species that shall be protected. The most important keystone species are the Blue Crab, the Oysters, the Bald Eagle and the Black Duck. Keystone species are valuable components at the community scale because they maintain biodiversity and influence critical ecological process (Peck, 1998:34). Blue crabs not only

Didymo is an invasive algae species that is native to the Northern Hemisphere. When this algae grows, it forms a strong wool-like mat that covers the entire bottom of a stream, or lake. Didymo chokes out plant life, and separates the fish from the invertebrates on the stream bed. This algae destroys the natural ecosystem within our streams and lakes, leading to declining fish populations.

Along the Western Coast of North America an underwater forest grows abundant. This forest is unlike those on land with trees and shrubbery, but has large plants and a diversity of marine life. In this underwater world one main species of plant takes hold, kelp. Kelp Forests are an underwater forest of seaweed known as kelp which grow on rocky sea floors (LA, 1994). They are also referred to as kelp beds. Kelp grows in cool coastal waters where sunlight can penetrate to the sea floor. According to the National Marine Sanctuary a kelp forest is “a host to invertebrates, fish, marine mammals and birds that exist in the kelp forest environs. From the holdfasts to the surface mats of kelp fronds, the array of habitats on the kelp itself may support thousands of invertebrate individuals.”

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.

Build on historical ecological data that describes the physical, biological, and chemical variability of Kachemak Bay, a subarctic biodiversity hot spot.

Are you sick of algae in your aquarium? Your saltwater aquarium lighting may be your problem…