The Decline Of Californian Giant Kelp Forests

Port of Long Beach is responsible for 1/8 of 30,000 jobs. In a year the customs revenues of long beach/ Los Angeles ports make more than $5 billion. From local port-related trade and general federal taxes about $4.9 billion is made. Direct and indirect sales yearly make more than $47 billion. Annual trade-related wages make nearly $14.5 billion. So all in all the port of Long Beach makes seventy-one billion four hundred million.

Turtles are one of the oldest reptile groups. They are classified as amniotes. They have existed a long time ago, which means they have seen the rise and fall of the dinosaurs and the rise of humanity. Scientists think that turtles have existed for around 157 million years (mosaic 29). Approximately, sea turtles were 65 million years ago (Dobbs 1). This family has survived the passage of time and is threatened by the contamination that humans have created in the ocean. The six sea turtles that occur on the coasts of America are in fact threatened. Sea turtles are very important for the ecosystem, but humans, directly and indirectly, endanger this family. If humans do not stop their destructive habits, we can lose the influence of sea turtles on seafarers. Sea turtles play an important role in the ecology of the ocean, and without turtles, we can see an ecological collapse in the oceans. Sea turtles are one of the few animals in the sea that eat sea grass (Godfrey). Sea turtles act as grazing animals that cut short grass and help maintain the health of the family of seaweed (Godfrey). In recent decades, there has been a decline in the sea grass family. This decrease may be related to the decrease in the number of sea turtles (Godfrey). Sea grass is important because it is a fertile ground for many species of fish, shellfish and crustaceans (Godfrey). The beaches and sand dunes are known for not having many nutrients. When the sea turtles reach

Coral reefs are the most biodiverse ecosystem on the planet. There are more than 25,000 known species of organisms and countless others that have yet to be identified (Helvarg, 2000). Reefs thrive on the shallow edge of tropical seas, most often on the eastern edge of continents along warm water currents that brush the coasts. Reefs cannot live in cold waters and are limited by ocean depth and available sunlight. Coral is the foundation of the reef community, providing a three-dimensional structure where thousands of species of vertebrates and invertebrates live and feed. Some species of coral are hard, while others soft. Some are branched, yet others are compact and rounded. Coral is made up of large

The sandy shores of beaches can be considered as a very harsh environment to live in (Ted Klenk, 1999). Survival in such a habitat requires an organism to withstand strong wave and current action, tidal rise and fall, unstable substrate, heavy predation and wide variations in salinity and temperature (The Otter Island Project). Any organism found in this type of harsh environment is specialized and highly adapted (The Otter Island Project).

The purpose of this research is to apply the knowledge learned about the ecology of the Hawaiian Coral Reef to a real-life situation. The coral reef stretches over 1,000 miles in the Pacific Ocean. In the Pacific Ocean, near the 124 islands of Hawaii, is the Hawaiian Coral Reef, which covers nearly 1,200 miles. Out of all the coral reefs in the world, the Hawaiian reef consists of 85% of all reefs. Coral Reefs are made of organisms, coral, and limestone skeletons. 25% of organisms are not existent anywhere else in the world. Abiotic factors are nonliving things, and abiotic factors of a coral reef are depth, light, wave motion, salinity, and temperature of the ocean. Biotic factors, living factors, is the whole coral reef,

The Natural Communities Conservation Planning (NCCP) Act of 1991 was established by the California Legislature, is directed by the Department of Fish and Game, and is being implemented by the state, and public and private partnerships to protect habitat in California1. As opposed to the single species interpretation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), this act aims at protecting many species using a regional approach to habitat preservation. Douglas Wheeler has written a nice synopsis of the NCCP within the context of the history of conservation of habitat. The NCCP is a program that is meant to have voluntary multi-stakeholder cooperation in planning,

It is a very common photosynthetic dinoflagellate found year round in the Gulf of Mexico. These dinoflagellates have two whip like appendages that enable them to propel themselves through the open water. K. brevis thrive in warm waters with high salinity. The Gulf of Mexico meets these conditions perfectly which is where there is such an abundance of K. brevis in the area. The region where K. brevis blooms the most is along the West Florida Shelf, extending from Key West all the way to the Panhandle coast in the North. In this region, there is discharge from several rivers and coastal upwelling will often occur (Li and Weisberg, 1999). The currents in this area are influenced by win and tides, and the Continental Shelf contributes to the circulation. This zone is a shallow ecosystem that has a wide variety of communities and sections. These include mangroves, seagrass banks, and coral barrier reeds. This area is very diverse and serves the economy in more ways than one. It is important for commercial fishing and for tourism. It is important that the water quality remains in good condition because it is in this area that the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and the Everglades National Park are located. Blooming season in these regions typically begins around August and will last all the way through to early Spring, around March. More than 80% of K. brevis blooms have taken place in

In your mind, imagine you are a fish, surrounded by kelp forests and other organisms.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are located in the southern Sierra Nevada range. These parks are one of the few America's longest mountain range. Kings Canyon has many features to offer such as tall cliffs, green meadows, and waterfalls. These parks contain over two hundred marble caves, with the two parks combined they create the longest cave in California, it's called Liburn Cave. They're small and can be found in isolated sections of the park. These parks are managed by categories such as: rare or sensitive animals that can close entry, research and study, and some are delicate and dangerous. They first opened a cave in 1941 where visitors can walk the trail. They created systems to help the parks from any damage to the cave because

The Ocean is 70 percent of the earth’s surface, humans have explored less than five percent of the ocean, and is home to an innumerable amount of living organisms. One of its oldest inhabitants is the Cheloniidae dates back to the Triassic era, roughly 250 million years ago, (Wang et al., 2013). The Cheloniidae family has several subspecies the Eretmochelys imbricate, Caretta caretta, Dermochelys coriacea, Lepidochelys olivacea, and Chelonia mydas. While there are multiple endangered subspecies of the Cheloniidae; the endangered Chelonia mydas, commonly known as the green turtle, will be the focus of this paper. The paper will discuss the green turtle’s importance to its ecosystem, where they are most commonly found, importance to its ecosystem,

Enjoy the wonder and majesty of California’s coast with this exhibition of prints by artist and author Tom Killion. Highlighted in this visual journey through some of the state’s most memorable locations are Mendocino, Point Reyes, the San Francisco Bay, Carmel, Big Sur, Santa Barbara and Santa Monica.

Kelp forests are “a source of food and habitat for dozens of other coastal species” (qtd. in Soulé et al 1240). Therefore, to maintain the diversity and richness of the coastal marine ecology, kelp forests should be preserved.

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.

Habitat shift is another strategy used by plants to evade climate change. The term evade may be more relevant here owing to the fact that with habitat shift a plant can translocate to a different area. Typically with habitat shift a plant will move to a different habitat, as implied by the name. An example of this can be seen in the California Valley Oak (Quercus lobata), which is very sensitive to climate change. This species when exposed to elevated temperatures shifts itself northward and tends to move from a largely terrestrial habitat to the edges of water sources. This is not foolproof because their new habitat presents a dead end for the species. The rapidly increasing climate will eventually kill the Quercus lobata (McLaughlin and Zavaleta 2012). These shifts can be even more drastic. For example, one paper used computer models to observe climate change in Germany. Based off of predicted models the paper inferred that many species would begin shifting to the Iberian Peninsula in order to avoid climate change (Bergmann et al. 2009). Again, this shift could later become an issue as with the Quercus lobata because of the dead end scenario.

Marine biologist play a key role in understanding climate change and identifying sustainable and profitable ways humans can use the sea and its resources. Marine biologist understand marine organisms needs in their habitats, ultimately helping protect species and reduce human threats. As experts in understanding marine habitats, marine biologist often form essential parts of relief teams. They respond to oil spills and chemical leaks, helping other scientist restore normalcy to local habitats. Sometimes, marine biologists influence other spheres, such as economics and law. They might analyze the effect of sonar on whales and seals, for instance, recommending best practices for reducing harm on those sensitive populations. Marine biologists understand how the ocean supports basic needs, and in turn relay that information to lawmakers, who establish protocols regarding human use of ocean waters and marine organisms. Marine biologist help develop ocean technology too, improving waste elimination, energy sourcing and extraction of key sources. A brief review of components of the marine environment, world food resources, climate control, air and water quality, transportation, and the ecosystem balance are important features that are studied by marine biology. So, understanding why marine biology is important is foundational to integrating a balanced approach toward management of the sea and proper stewardship of organisms,