The Environment Of Aquatic Habitats

Some plants and animals have to adapt to the amount of oxygen and visibility underwater. For example, plants have adapted to the amount of sunlight they receive in certain environments, and cattails and water lilies have adapted to be able to survive humid climates. For animals, certain fish like trout have adapted to clear and cool water with a large amount of oxygen. On the other hand, other types of fish, like catfish, are able to survive in an area with a low oxygen level and gloomy visibility. Since otters live on the land surrounding the water, they have adapted to be able to swim to catch their food. Frogs and alligators have adapted to their environment by being able to live on the land after coming from underwater as an egg. Lastly, beavers have adapted to use their teeth to create the dams they live

Aquatic environments require different methods for adaptation. The pressure in water increases as depth increases and aquatic organisms have to deal with it. Mobility of small animals versus larger ones help the ones with greater SA:V flow or be moved by currents, which is a disadvantage for bigger animals that have to constantly move. Light limitations also affect living things in water, mostly plants because they have to photosynthesize to grow, and the attenuation of light increases in depth, they have to take advantage of other resources to get the light they need and the nutrients to survive. Salt tolerance is vital; the process of osmosis moves water from high concentration of solutes to low concentration of solutes, if an organism doesn’t have enough salt contents starts losing water and dehydrates

There are several major trends that developed in the vertebrate group that has allowed the transition from aquatic to terrestrial life. Some of these trends are improved respiration, protective body covering, and more efficient ways to reproduce. The adaptations that have allowed the transition from aquatic to terrestrial life are: Jaws, lungs, jointed vertebrate limbs, water tight skin, amniotic egg for reproduction. In birds and mammals another adaptation that has evolved is that they are endothermic meaning they generate internal heat.

John (44) and Mary (43) Winchester were high school sweethearts and have been married for 18 years. They have two teenage boys; Dean (17) and Sam (15). The Winchester family has come to therapy seeing assistance for various issues. Since his return, John has been distant and with drawn. He has is verbally abusive toward Mary and the boys and has developed a drinking problem. His behavior has started to have a serious impact on his relationship with Dean, Sam, and Mary. They have expressed a fear for their safety as well as John’s.

Part III Directions: Describe and answer the questions for each image on your gallery walk.

The two groups of organisms that I choose that live in the same habitat were a shark and a tuna. Sharks live in oceans and seas while only a few live in freshwater. They are usually found in shallow, coastal regions, deep waters, on the ocean floor and in the open ocean (“Basic Facts About Sharks”, 2012). Tunas live in saltwater or marine habitats that include the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Indian Ocean (“Albacore Tuna”, 2011). They both have similar and different adaptations when it comes surviving in the oceans.

Organisms residing here must be able to adapt to the environment. Factors include major temperature fluctuations both in the water and on land. In New England we experience four distinct seasons, so organisms must be able to adapt to that. They must also be able to withstand the daily water level changes caused by the tides. While in the marsh. My group saw a lot of dead fish in a dried up pool, while only a foot or so away there were more of the same species of fish thriving in the muddy water. Organisms living in the water must also adjust to different concentrations of salt in the water, depending on the ratio of salt and fresh water. Organisms must be hardy to live in a New England Salt

Coehsive forces between water molecules are responsible for surface tension. This makes it harder to move through a surface. Surface tension also forms water

Organisms without back bones are Macro Invertebrate species (Seminole.Wateratlas.Usf.Edu ,2012) . These organisms are small but can be seen without a magnifying glass (Waitakere.Govt.Nz , 2002) . Size ranges from 3-20mm long (Waitakere.Govt.Nz , 2002) .Insects, crustaceans, mollusks, worms, leeches, and anemones are classified a Macro invertebrate species (Waitakere.Govt.Nz , 2002). Streams that are free from pollution will contain a variety of these animals. Streams that have higher pollution levels will less of these animals.

detected. These trends are important in in determining the quality of water such the mineral

This disadvantage of living underwater is the oxygen level in water is around 1% which is very little, this means fish must have a very efficient gas exchange system and key

Freshwater biomes have fish that are high in amino acids but they also have wild rice and Spirulina algae for people in less developed areas. Fish can differ in different rivers because some fish prefer cleaner waters than others like trout, which live in only the top of rivers, where it is most clean. As the river flows, it becomes more unclean and when it reaches the bottom, only fish like carp and catfish are found(fish that do not need much oxygen to survive. About 41.2% of fish are found in freshwater. Standing water is found in wetlands. Reptiles and amphibians are found in these areas. Freshwater turtles are one of the reptiles that live in freshwater.

Specifically speaking of transitions from aquatic to terrestrial life, the major evolutionary trends involve developing survival instincts and functions to survive on land. Frogs are a perfect example. After going through a number of embryonic stages, a tadpole is created. Due to their specialized organs, muscular system, and nervous system, tadpoles are able to swim. As the larva matures and goes through metamorphosis, it becomes a frog capable of both swimming and hopping.

Plants and animals evolved to improve themselves for a better chance of survival on land. Both are similar in the fact that they had to evolve from a single cellular environment to a multicellular environment and both faced many challenges of adapting to a new harsh land atmosphere. Plants evolved from freshwater algae and are classified into two separate groups of plants. Bryophytes are non-vascular plants and the tracheophytes that are vascular plants. As for animals there are invertebrates, which are animals that that don’t have a backbone, and there are vertebrates, animals that do have a backbone such as the Chordates. Four challenges these plants and animals had to face were avoiding desiccation, retaining water, a way to get nutrients and finally the challenge of reproduction. These were all very important aspects plants animals had adapt to, to ensure their chances of survival.

1. Compare and contrast the main types of freshwater ecosystems. Name and describe the major zones or a typical pond or lake.