CORAL REEF

CORAL REEF

Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps belong to a group of animals known as Cnidaria, which also includes sea anemones and jellyfish. Unlike sea anemones, coral polyps secrete hard carbonate exoskeletons which support and protect their bodies. Reefs grow best in warm, shallow, clear, sunny and agitated waters.

Often called "rainforests of the sea", coral reefs form some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. They occupy less than 0.1% of the world's ocean surface, about half the area of France, yet they provide a home for 25% of all marine species, including fish,mollusks, worms, crustaceans, echinoderms, sponges, tunicates and other cnidarians. Paradoxically, coral reefs flourish even though they are surrounded by ocean waters that provide few nutrients. They are most commonly found at shallow depths in tropical waters, but deep water and cold water corals also exist on smaller scales in other areas.

Coral reefs deliver ecosystem services to tourism, fisheries and shoreline protection. The annual global economic value of coral reefs is estimated between US$ 29.8-375 billion. However, coral reefs are fragile ecosystems, partly because they are very sensitive to water temperature. They are under threat from climate change, oceanic acidification, blast fishing, cyanide fishing for aquarium fish, overuse of reef resources, and harmful land-use practices, including urban and agricultural runoff and water pollution, which can harm reefs by encouraging excess algal growth.

CORAL REEFS - VIDEO

CHARACTER !!!

SCHOLASTIC SCIENCE WORLD - MAY 5

SCHOLASTIC SCIENCE WORLD - MAY 5
Read & Notes - p. 2-3; 6; 14-17; 23
DUE:  Friday, 4/25

ANIMALS - INVERTEBRATES

INVERTEBRATES - VIDEO

Invertebrate I.D.

We all know what a dinosaur looks like - it is a vertebrate like us and has a bony skeleton with a backbone. But did you know that invertebrate fossils are far more common than vertebrate fossils?

Your fossil collection is probably made up of invertebrate fossils. At first glance, they may just look like a pile of shells, but with practice, and a little help from our guide, you should be able identify your collection.

Look at the invertebrate wheel. It has 14 different groups laid out around its edge - everything from ammonites to trilobites! Do you recognise any of them?

If you read these pages you should become an expert invertebrate identifier!

The major groups are listed below - 

CLICK on each word to learn more about this type of fossil.

• Sponges
• Brachiopods
• Brachiopods
• Corals
• Molluscs
• Arthropods
• Echinoderms

Add this wheel of INVERTEBRATES IN YOUR NOTES -

INVERTEBRATES - BILL NYE - VIDEO

DRAW A CONCEPT MAP for 

INVERTEBRATE CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS - project  (just like the one you completed for vertebrates

MATERIALS FOR PROJECT

• plain paper
• pencil
• colored pencils
• ruler
• notebook paper

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• plan out size of bubble & keep consistent
• use ruler to draw lines for connecting bubbles
• use notebook paper to do a rough draft
• you must show Mrs. Remis rough draft by 
• Monday, ___4/28__(10 points)
• turn paper landscape position; fold shutter style
•  (Mrs. Remis will give you the paper after rough draft check)
• Start with the first bubble labeled =                                             ANIMAL KINGDOM (all capital letters)
• under each type of invertebrate class; add bubbles for each specific characteristics 
• (2 characteristics)
• neatness is a must!
• color bubbles (use only color pencils!) - color each specific invertebrate class information same color 
• (mollusks - blue/; insects- green)
• End the bubble flow an animal name  (tarantula, lady bug)
• you may use your notes & this site to help you complete a thorough concept map

DUE DATE: Friday, 5/2
 start of class - turn into class drawer

example of concept map (color each classification to identify each group

ANIMAL MIGRATION

ANIMAL MIGRATION

Animals Migrate to:

• Reproduce
• Eat
• Seek warmer climates. 

Those that migrate travel long distances in groups from one part of the world to another, past oceans, over plains, or through the sky on a decided route. Some species must travel thousands of miles every year, while others make the trip just once in their lifetime.

Warmer weather often means a larger or better food source. 

Animals, like geese, who spend spring and summer in the cool northern hemisphere, move south for the winter on a seasonal schedule. They follow the same path from year to year, often stopping at the same landmarks. 

Herbivorous mammals, like African antelope, follow green grass depending on precipitation and drought. Their yearly travel patterns might not be along the same path, depending on the weather and their feeding. 

• Those wanderers, called "nomadic migrators," include the behavior of massive plagues like locusts. 

Generally, though, animals travel closer to the warmer equatorial zone and away from the poles during winter.

Another cycle that triggers migration is:

• Mating
• Gestation
• Birth
• Raising young. 

Some animals, like Pacific trout, make one long migration over the course of their lives. From small streams, they travel to open waters to mature, then return to their birthplace when they are ready to spawn. The ideal location for an animal's reproduction might have a special food source, less predators, or a geographical feature necessary for new life. 

Tortoises must have soft, sandy beaches to bury their leathery eggs. Frogs need low, leafy branches to overhang ponds not in danger of drying up too soon.

Migration takes an enormous amount of energy. Leading up to the long trip, animals build up fat for stored energy, or pare down weight for easier movement. Hormonal chemicals trigger these changes. In animals equipped to navigate long distances, the position of the sun and stars in the sky, water currents, temperature, wind conditions, and their "biological clock" help them reach the appropriate destination.

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READ:  MIGRATING ANIMALS

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS IN YOUR NOTES

ANIMAL CAMOUFLAGE

ANIMAL CAMOUFLAGE - PICTURES

ANIMAL CAMOUFLAGE -VIDEO

ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT & RED LIST - ACTIVITY

The Endangered Species Act (ESA for short) was enacted by Congress in 1973. Under the ESA, the federal government has the responsibility to protect:

• Endangered Species - species that are likely to become extinct throughout all or a large portion of their range.
• Threatened Species - species that are likely to become endangered in the near future.
• Critical habitat - vital to the survival of endangered or threatened species.

The Endangered Species Act has lists of protected plant and animal species both nationally and worldwide. When a species is given ESA protection, it is said to be a "listed" species.
As of October 2009, 1,361 plants and animals in the United States were listed as threatened or endangered. There are many additional species that are currently being evaluated for possible protection under the ESA, and they are called “candidate” species.

THE RED LIST

The Red List is the world's most comprehensive inventory on the global conservation status of plants and animals. 

Every 5 years the IUCN (The International Union for the Conservation of Nature) evaluates the population status of each species and the threats to each one's survival. 

The IUCN Red List is set upon precise criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species and subspecies. These criteria are relevant to all species and all regions of the world. The aim is to convey the urgency of conservation issues to the public and policy makers, as well as help the international community to try to reduce species extinction.

According to IUCN (1996), the formally stated goals of the Red List are:

(1) to provide scientifically based information on the status of species and subspecies at a global level

(2) to draw attention to the magnitude and importance of threatened biodiversity

(3) to influence national and international policy and decision-making

(4) to provide information to guide actions to conserve biological diversity.

Based on that information the IUCN (The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)) assigns each species a category. These categories are:

Species are classified by the IUCN Red List into nine groups set through criteria such as rate of decline, population size, area of geographic distribution, and degree of population and distribution fragmentation.

• Extinct (EX) – No known individuals remaining.
• Extinct in the Wild (EW) – Known only to survive in captivity, or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.
• Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
• Endangered (EN) – High risk of extinction in the wild.
• Vulnerable (VU) – High risk of endangerment in the wild.
• Near Threatened (NT) – Likely to become endangered in the near future.
• Least Concern (LC) – Lowest risk. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.
• Data Deficient (DD) – Not enough data to make an assessment of its risk of extinction.
• Not Evaluated (NE) – Has not yet been evaluated against the criteria.

• Conservation Status
  By risk of extinction
  Extinct
  Extinct (list) Extinct in the Wild (list)
  Threatened
  Critically Endangered (list) Endangered (list) Vulnerable (list)
  At lower risk
  Conservation Dependent (list) Near Threatened (list) Least Concern
  Other
  Data Deficient (list) Not Evaluated
  See also IUCN Red List International Union for Conservation of Nature Lists of organisms by population

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ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT ACTIVITY - PART 1

Click on this site to help answer your questions -  ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT -

• Answer the following 5 Questions (in detail).  
•  Use this site  “ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT” to help you with your learning.   
• Write the questions & answers on notebook paper.    
• Due:  Monday, March 24.

1)  Who decides which species get Endangered Species Act protection?

2)  How does a species get on the Endangered Species List?

3) When deciding whether a species should be added to the       Endangered Species List, the following criteria are evaluated:

4)  What does Endangered Species Act protection mean?

5)  Why should we protect Threatened and Endangered species? 

Endangered Species Act Activity - Part II

• Choose three (3) of the ENDANGERED SPECIES SUCCESS STORIES
• 
  
• Click on a state from the map - 
• Read & take notes to share with your class mates
• DUE:  Wednesday, March 26

Endangered Species Day

Endangered Species Day is a day to celebrate endangered species success stories and learn about species still in danger.  Endangered Species Day is held on the 3rd Friday of each May. You can support Endangered Species Day by raising awareness in your community about a local threatened species or by helping to clean up a wildlife refuge or park. Events will be happening around the country, so be on the lookout this coming May!

ANIMAL - DIET

Every living organism needs to find some way of nourishing itself, and animals are no exception. 

• The exact diet of different animal species is extremely dependent on the animal and the area in which it lives.

Animals must eat other living organisms in order to survive including both plants and other animals, as well as having access to water. Animals have adapted to their surroundings and so will make the most of what is there. 

• Camels for example, inhabit dry and baron deserts where there is little water, so they have evolved the ability to store large amounts of water in their bodies.

Although the exact diets of individual animal species are very varied, the diet of animals is usually split into three groups, which are herbivores, omnivores and carnivores.

REVIEW:

Herbivores

Herbivorous animals are vegetarians meaning that they only eat plants. Many animals are unable to eat large amounts of vegetation as their digestive systems are unable to break it down. 
Herbivorous animals have evolved to be able to consume and digest large quantities of plants, many of which have more than one stomach. 

• Elephants, rabbits, manatees and deer are all herbivorous animals.

Omnivores

Animals that are said to be omnivorous, are animals that eat pretty much anything. 

• An omnivorous diet is made up from both plant matter and other animals, as lots of animals need to eat a high amount of protein which other animals contain. 
• Humans, bears, lemurs, raccoons and numerous birds are all omnivorous animals.

Carnivores

Carnivorous animals are meat-eaters, meaning that they only eat other animals in order to get their nutrition. 

• Carnivores usually have sharp teeth and strong jaws, which they need to successfully catch and eat their prey. 
• Lions, crocodiles, sharks, otters and weasels are all carnivorous animals.

Food Chains
Regardless of their lifestyle, all animals, ultimately provide food for other animals. Animals are connected to one another by food chains, which involves the passing of food from one animal species to another. Animal food chains rarely contain more than 5 or 6 animals, mainly due to the fact that animals pass on only a tenth of their energy as they use the rest of it.

• Typically food chains start with a plant which is known as the producer. The producer in a food chain gains the energy it needs from the sun and is the only link in the food chain which does not consume organic matter. The producer is consumed by a herbivore known as a primary consumer, which is then consumed by the secondary consumer, generally a small, omnivorous animal. The tertiary consumer, usually a smaller carnivore, then eats the small omnivorous mammal. The tertiary consumer is also sometimes eaten by a larger carnivore which would be the quaternary consumer.

Food chains differ from one another all over the world, and are largely dependent on the habitat and the species which live there. Food chains for marine species work in the same way, although the producers in marine food chains are usually small aquatic plants and phytoplankton.

Tools

Animals have adapted in order to more easily obtain food and animals from all around the world are known to use tools both to eat their food and to obtain it. 

• All animals have developed strong jaws, teeth and tongues in order to make the most of their meals and some animals such as 
• apes, use tools such as rocks and sticks in order to get their food.

ANIMAL DIET - CLICK ON HIGHLIGHTED AREA

Look over the different types of diets