The Coastal Area Ecosystem

By: Adam(Mr. Richardson’s Class)

Table of Contents• The Habitat• Habitat Field Notes• Abiotic & Biotic• Plants• Woody• Groundcover• Herbaceous Plants• Water Plants• Animals• Invertebrates• Vertebrates

Table of Contents• Food Web• Symbiotic Relationships• Pyramid of Energy- Water Organisms• Pyramid of Energy- Land Organisms• Yearly Temperature – Summerland Key• Yearly Precipitation- Summerland Key• Water pH• Unique Site Factors• Limiting Factors

Table of Contents

• Ecologically Sensitive/Endangered Organisms

• Human Impact• Levels of Biological Organization• Bibliography• The End

The Habitat

The Habitat

• Coastal Area• Sacarma Bay• Two Square Miles• 8 Visits• Snorkeling, Net,

Camera, Boat, Land• Approximately 15

points of observation

• Snorkeling

Habitat Field NotesDate April 8th

MondayApril 10thWednesday

April 11thThursday

Time 4:45 – 5:30PM

4:30 – 5:20PM 4:00 – 5:00PM

Water 81.7 83.4 80.3

Temperature 84.2 85.6 83.1

Weather Sunny, Calm

Sunny, Breezy Partly Cloudy, Breezy

Habitat Field Notes

Date April 13thSaturday

April 16thTuesday

April 18thThursday

Time 2:00 – 3:50PM

5:00 – 6:00PM

4:00 – 4:20PM

Water 83.4 83.7 82.7

Temperature 86.4 85.0 86

Weather Sunny, Windy

Sunny, Calm

Sunny, Breezy

Habitat Field Notes

Date April 21stSunday

April 23rdTuesday

Time 1:20 – 2:20PM 4:45 – 5:35PM

Water 79.8 82.0

Temperature 82.9 85.6

Weather Partly Cloudy, Breezy

Sunny, Calm

Abiotic & BioticAbiotic

• The non-living physical features of the environment.

Biotic• Living or once-

living organisms in the environment.

Abiotic FactorsSoil Sand, Shells, Exoskeletons,

Fossilized Coral, Minerals

Light 11-12 Hours of Daylight

Water 6 inches – 3 foot depth, 30 ft of visibility, 82.2 degrees average

Temperature 84.8 Average, breezy & sunny

Air Clean, no pollution

Trash Plastic, Metal, Paper, Food Waste, Wood, Cardboard

Biotic Factors

Mammals Humans

Fish Snapper, Grunt, Minnow, Needle Fish

Birds Heron, Vulture, Pelican, Sea Gull

Plants Mangrove, Buttonwood, Sea Grass, Sea Weed

Insects Mosquito, Fly, Beetle, Water Bug

Reptiles Iguana, Anole

Plants

Water Groundcover

Herbaceous Woody

Woody• Green Buttonwood • Sea Grape

Conocarpus erectus1. 3-8 m tall2. 2.5 cm to 9 cm long

leaves3. 1-3 cm wide leaves

Coccoloba uvifera1. Grows up to 40 ft.2. Fruit hangs down in

clusters3. Shiny, leathery

leaves

Groundcover

• Water Sprite(Ceratopteris

thalictroides)– Skinny leaves– All Green– Found around

water

Herbaceous PlantsWater Sprite(Ceratopteris

thalictroides)– Skinny leaves– All green– Found around water

Sargassum Weed(Sargassum hystrix)

– A.k.a. gulfweed– Asexual reproduction– Type of brown algae

Turtle Grass(Thalassia testudinum)

– Found in up to 100’ of water– Average growth is 2-4 mm per day– Will grow in temperatures of 20 to

40 degrees C

Sea Fan(Gorgonia ventalina)

– Flexible– Flat– Spread out to as much as 5’ & as

tall as 6’

Herbaceous Plants

Green Algae(Gunflintia species)

–A.k.a. grass – green algae–First appeared 2 billion years ago–Phylum is cholorophyta

Herbaceous Plants

Black Mangrove(Avicennia germinang)

1. Roots shoot up out of ground

2. Member of verbena family

3. Can grow to 70’

Water Plants

Water Plants

Turtle Grass(Thalassia testudinum) Found in up to 100’

of water Average growth is 2-

4 mm per day Will grow in

temperatures of 20 to 40 degrees C

Water PlantsRed Mangrove(Rhizophora mangle)• 12” seeds• Cigar shaped seeds• Red barkGreen Algae(Gunflintia species)• A.k.a. grass – green

algae• First appeared 2 billion

years ago• Phylum is cholorophyta

Neptune’s Shaving Brush

(Penicillus capitatos)1. 3 inches tall2. Underwater plant3. All green color

Water Plants

• Sea Fan(Gorgonia ventalina)

1. Flexible2. Flat3. Spread out to as

much as 5’ & as tall as 6’

Water Plants

• Sargassum Weed(Sargassum hystrix)

1. a.k.a. Gulfweed2. Asexual

reproduction3. Type of brown

algae

Water Plants

Animals

• Animals without backbones are invertebrates.

Invertebrate

Sea Cucumber

Invertebrates

Tree Snail Spiny Lobster

Sea Cucumber Upside Down Jellyfish

Hermit Crab Ghost Crab

Horseshoe Crab Pink Shrimp

Invertebrates•Tree Snail•(Apple snail)

–Move by gliding on mucus–Omnivores–Plants above and below water are its food

•Brown Sea Cucumber•(Thyrone briareus)

–Related to starfish and sea urchin–13 cm long–4 cm thick

Invertebrates

• Hermit Crab• (Pagurus bernhardus)

– Large claw is always on right side– Eats scraps and worms– Shells from 1” to 5”

Invertebrates

• Horseshoe Crab• (Limulus polyphemus)

– Considered “living fossil”– Spines all over– Light brown color

Invertebrates•Spiny Lobster•(Pamulirus angus)

–10 appendages on thorax–Closely related to crayfish–Brownish reddish color

•Upside Down Jellyfish•(Cassiopea medusa)

–12” diameter–Lays on ocean floor upside down–Purple or light brown top

•Ghost Crab•(Ocypode quadrata)

–50mm carapaces for adults–Live in burrows–Can make 3 sounds

•Pink Shrimp•(Pandalus bornlis)

–4-7” in length–Pink color–invertebrate

Vertebrates

• Animals with a backbone are called Vertebrates.

Great White Heron

Vertebrates•Great White Heron •Brown Anole •Turkey Vulture

•Marine Iguana •French Grunt •Laughing Gull

•Mangrove Snapper

•Osprey •Needlefish

•Brown Pelican •Pinfish

•Great Barracuda •Nurse Shark

•Schoolmaster •Glass Minnow

Vertebrates•Great White Heron•(Ardea herodias)

–Long sharp bill–6 ft. wing span–46” Long

•Marine Iguana•(Amblyrhynchus cristatus)

–Can swim–From 2-6 ft. in length–Teeth joined to inner edge of jaw

•Mangrove Snapper•(Lutjanus griseus)

24 inches in lengthAverage weight of about 2 lbs.A.k.a. gray snapper

Vertebrates•Brown Pelican•(Pelecanus occidentalis)

–42-54” in length–State bird of Louisiana–Dives from as high as 20 meters into water for food.

•Great Barracuda•(sphyraena barracuda)

–Fanglike teeth–Forked tail–5-15 pound average

•Schoolmaster•(Lutjanus apodus)

–Average weight is 1 lb. In shallow waters–Adult ones are mistaken for dog snappers–Mostly yellow fins

Vertebrates•Brown Anole•(Anolis sagrei)

–Brown color–Darker brown stripes and spots–Red skin flap under head

French Grunt(Haemulon flavolineatom)

–Adults are almost 1’–30 cm in length–Makes grunt sounds

•Osprey•(Pandioin Halioetus)

–6’ wingspan–Diet is fish–2’ in length

Vertebrates•Pinfish•(lagodon rhomboides)

–3-6 “ in length–Spines on dorsal and anal fin–Dark spot behind gill cover

•Nurse Shark•(Gynglymostoma cirratum)

–Brown color –5-50 lbs–Barbells at the nostrils

•Glass Minnow•(anchoa mitchilli)

–Under slung mouth–1-2 inches in length–Won’t exceed 4”

Vertebrates•Turkey Vulture•(Cathartes aura)

–75 cm long–6 feet wing span–a.k.a. Turkey Buzzard

•Laughing Gull•(Larus atricilla)

–13 inches long–41 inch wingspan–Black head

•Needlefish•(Strongylura marina)

–Slender long bodies–1’ or less in size–Thin bill

Food Web Shark

Osprey Barracuda Seagull Pelican Heron

Grey Snapper Lobster Horseshoe Crab Schoolmaster Needlefish

Snails Pink Shrimp Hermit Crabs Pinfish Sea Cucumber

Algae Plankton Seagrape Green Buttonwood

Symbiotic RelationshipsMutualism •Benefits both

species.Remora cleans shark and gets food that the shark does not eat, the shark does not eat the Remora.

Commensalism •Benefits one partner but does not harm or help the other.

Fish have protection and food in mangroves but mangroves receive nothing from fish.

Parasitism •Benefits one species but does definite harm to the other.

Parasites make home and take nutrients from other animals, the host loses nutrients to the parasite.

Pyramid of Energy- Water Organisms

Algae, Plankton (producer)

Fish (consumer)

Bigger Fish (predator)

Shark (top predator)

Pyramid of Energy- Land Organisms

Plants (Producer)

Bugs (Consumer)

Reptiles (Predator)

Birds (Top Predator)

Yearly Temperature – Summerland Key

70 71

74

77

8183 84 84 83

80

76

72

60

65

70

75

80

85

Temp

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Yearly Precipitation- Summerland Key

2 1.8 1.7 1.8

3.5

5.1

3.6

5

5.9

4.4

2.82

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Inches

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Months

Water pH• The pH of a substance is based on the basic or

acidic level.

• The pH scale ranges from 0 – 14. 7 is neutral, any anything below is acidic, anything above is basic.

• The higher the number the more basic the substance is, the lower the number the more acidic.

• The habitat’s pH remained constant at 8.4

Unique Site Factors• Diversity of plants and animals

• Hardly any pollution in the air or water (pollution exists on land)

• Various organisms in the site (not apparent at first glance)

• Accessible by water or land

• The Upside Down Jelly Fish (Cassiopea medusa) is most abundant organism

Limiting Factors•Nesting sites •Drought •Rain •Sunlight •Soil •Predation

•Human–Pollution (land; spill off)–Watercraft Activities–Diving–Fishing

•Food•Water•Air•Living space•Mates

Ecologically Sensitive/Endangered Organisms

•No Sensitive or endangered organisms were noted at the habitat site.

Human Impact• Trash – Negative Impact

– It can kill animals; i.e. plastic can be swallowed or entangle species

• Motor props - Negative Impact– Kill organisms on sea floor

• Mangroves – Positive Impact– Under protection by law

• Diving/snorkeling – Negative & Positive Impact– May interfere with the sensitive species due to

touching, gathering specimen, etc. – Humans increase their knowledge and awareness

of sensitive environment• Fishing – Negative Impact

– May over fish and deplete species, interfering with food web cycle

Human Impact•At Habitat Site: I found lots of dead fish. These provided food for other animals, making it a positive impact for them, but too many were killed for no apparent reason and would lay there and rot. This is a negative impact.

Levels of Biological Organization

Medusa Organism – Single individual from a population.

SeveralMedusas

Population – All of the individuals of one species that live and reproduce in the same area and at the same time.

Medusa, Hermit Crabs, Pinfish

Community – Populations of different species that interact in some way

Levels of Biological Organization

Air, Water, Soil, Sun Ecosystem – Communities and the abiotic factors that affect them

Biosphere – highest level of biological organization which includes the earth’s crust, the waters and a portion of the atmosphere.

Bibliography1. www.floridaseagrassecosystem.com-4/8

2.www.yahoopictures.com-4/10

3. www.supersiteusa-marinelifeimages.com-4/13

4. www.kapili.com-4/15

5. www.mbr.nbs.gov-4/20

6. www.weather.com-4/29

7. Publication-Science Voyages-4/8-5/3

The End