Protecting the Great Barrier Reef Dugong Essay

The evolutionary path of a whale is a fascinating process of a terrestrial mammal that evolves into a marine mammal. This evolutionary path started with one of the earliest ancestors called “Pakicetus”. A Pakicetus was discovered to be a land animal with four legs that had teeth as carnivores. It skull structure was long, but this organism didn’t look like any marine animal. The scientist then discovered that on the skull’s ear region it was surrounded by a bony wall. This feature on an organism only was distinct from one type of species, scientist discovered that this animal “Pakicetus” was an ancestor of a whale. By comparing the early whales Pakicetus to the next generation of ancestors Ambulocetus, the Ambulocetus whale looks more like

This research will evaluate possible behavioral distinctions of manatees to oncoming water vessels with individual variation, such as manatees raised in captivity opposed to wild, multiple boat scars versus no noticeable boat scars, and age class variation. Geographical comparison of multiple species of manatees will determine behavioral disparity in areas with high watercraft mortality and areas where the threat is less predominant. An array of behaviors will be analyzed including communication, predator response, and feeding. This research will strongly build upon previous research, and has robust conservation implications for capture and release, as well as rehabilitation programs for this endangered marine mammal. The Environmental Science and Policy doctorate program at George Mason University will grant me the expertise needed to excel in this field of

Manatees are a herbivore, or animal that eats only plants and not meat. They feed off of sea grass and algae.

One environmental issues posted on the facebook group on Ecologically Conscious Social is climate change’s effect impacts on Great Barrier Reef where is one of the UNESCO world heritage sites. Great Barrier Reef is located in Queensland, Australia.

dugongs is the “sea cow”. This name is most likely from the fact that manatees

Colloquially known as the sea cow, manatees “feed on seagrass, mangrove leaves, and algae. These herbivores munch on food for almost half the day, eating ten percent of their

Trego works at the Conservation Ecology Lab at San Diego State University in California. She reported her team’s early findings on December 14, at the Society for Marine Mammalogy meeting in San Francisco.

Also known as the sea cow, the manatee has earned the name “Gentle Giants of the Sea” (Prince-Groff 13). Manatees are large marine animals that breathe air. Although they may look like boulders, these blocks of blubber are graceful swimmers. The manatee’s usual diet, behavioral patterns, uncommon habitat, and hair-raising predators make manatees peculiar animals of the ocean.

West Indian manatees have special adaptations that have enabled them to become very comfortable in their water habitat. They have no clavicles, short nails in their flippers, only 3-4 phalanges, a flattened paddle-like tail, valvular nostrils located on top of their snouth, no external pinnae, and their ribs have a deeper arch, amongst other adaptation that will be discussed throughout this paper.

The West Indian manatee or "sea cow" is a manatee, and the largest surviving member of the aquatic mammal order Sirenia. An article published by The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species states, “The number of mature individuals is currently estimated to number less than 10,000 (based on combined population estimates for the Florida and Antillean subspecies) and is expected to decline at a rate of at least 10% over the course of three generations (given a generation time of ~20 years) as a result of both habitat loss and anthropogenic factors (1).” By this, the article means that the population of The West Indian Manatee is far below average. The population is expected to decline by a rate of at least 10% over the next three generations. This is mainly due to human influence and loss of habitat. The same article goes on to state, “Threats to the Florida manatee encompass catastrophic natural events and anthropogenic factors (1).” This means that the decrease in population of The West Indian Manatee is partially caused by disastrous natural occurrences and human factors. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species states, “About half of adult mortality rangewide is attributable to human-related causes, primarily watercraft collisions (1).” This means that half of the deaths of The West Indian Manatee are caused by boating accidents. The article goes on to states, “Other

What is a manatee? According to www.savethemanatee.org/manfcts.htm they are “large, gray aquatic mammals with bodies that taper to a flat, paddle-shaped tail. They have two forelimbs, called flippers, with three to four nails on each flipper. Their head and face are wrinkled with whiskers on the snout.” Buckle in and i'll take you for a ride,as we travel with these amazing,adorable sea creatures.

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most beloved regions of the world but due to recent human activity in surrounding areas and subsequent sediment delivery, coral and seagrass habits within are being negatively impacted. Extending 2000km along the North-eastern Australian coast (Brodie et al., 2007), the Great Barrier Reef is a major source of income for Northern Australia and fuels the growth of local businesses. As industrialization in areas adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon have increased since European settlement (McCulloch et al., 2003), the need for more resources to compensate for human population has led to harmful land practices such as overstocking and deforestation for cattle grazing inland. These are causing a significant

Sea Otter's are members of the weasel family can be found along the coast of North America. A sea otter spends most of its time in the water and the rest of time it comes to land to sleep. Sea Otter floats on its back to the land and sleeps like that also. They have webbed feet. Their fur keeps them warm and it doesn't shed. Sea Otter's is one of the smallest marine mammal. They have a large amount of different adaptations. These different adaptations help them survive in their marine environment. Their long whiskers help the, detect vibrations in water and sensitive forepaws. Their claws helps them groom themselves and capture their prey underwater. The male is bigger than the female. Sea Otters have a high metabolism they eat 25% of their weight in food each day . They are also known for eating a clam and a rock that has been gently caught from the ocean floor. The otters place the rock on their chest and constantly smash the shellfish against it until it breaks. Once its broken they eat it . They also like to eat crabs , squid , octopus, and fish.

The governments new reef plan with help preserve the Great Barrier reefs species and wildlife.

Aborigines are believed to have lived in Australia for between 60,000 and 40,000 years, their early ancestors coming from South-East Asia. Precise population details for the period before European colonisation are unavailable, but it is estimated that there were between 300,000 and 1,000,000 Aborigines in Australia when European settlers first arrived in 1788.