California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is in San Francisco and it
provides shows, exhibits and live animals for public viewing and scientists do
research and conduct presentations about the animals. I selected the location
after a brief discussion with my teacher regarding the appropriate location. I
was happy to go there, since it is sentimental to me and my family. My mom had
wanted a membership, so she went with me. I enjoy it because the presentations
are always very good and the scientists always give good presentations and
information. They recently have put in new exhibits and new technology so it
provided me an opportunity to see their new advancements.
As an abiotic factor examined, I would have to mention
temperature, since it was important to the maintenance of the creatures. Some
of the beings are very sensitive, while others, such as purple sea urchins may
be more resistant to temperature fluctuations. Some species adapt to their
environment, some adapt over a period of time, while others adapt quickly.
Temperature needs to be optimal for each member of the trophic system to
survive. Temperatures that are too high or too low may limit or eliminate the
growth of specific species. It may also encourage others to grow more
effectively. This could cause them to out-grow another species and create an
imbalance in the ecosystem.
I saw a variety of sections that gave some very good information
that corresponded with what we were learning in class. There were a variety of
fish that swam in the displays. I was able to see them interacting with each
other. I viewed their eating habits, and watched cnidarians feeding through
their delicate tentacles. Looking through an aquarium glass, I was able to have
the opportunity to see many creatures in their environment.
The common Bat star (Asterina miniata) is hungry and has been
monitored in labs and found to be consuming 1 week gametophytes and also older.
It affected how fast the kelp grew, especially on the short term. They would
graze, and sometimes the blades would not make it after they had been grazed
on. It may not harm enough of them to truly harm the population, but it helps
keep the species in check. It seemed to readily consume Macrocytis pyrifera C.
Agardh in experiments done by scientists and they found larger ones that were
1-3 cm could be more resistant and that was primarily because it grew fast.
Although it doesn’t put the Macrocytis pyrifera C. Agardh at risk, it does make
small areas where the biodiversity is able to change. The Bat star consumes a
variety of food, however, and was found to consume moving animals and
creatures, as well as sessile organisms. Many of them were in different trophic
levels. It may eat things with little selection. The bat fish uses its arms to
sense prey, light and other bat stars. They are omnivores, consuming deceased
animals, dead algae, colonial tunicates and surfgrass. The bat star moves in
search of food. It can live as far down as 300 meters. It has been seen in many
colors like orange, red, yellow and purple. It encourages biodiversity by
creating room for other species.
Purple sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) possesses
a variety of qualities included how long it lives, how far it lives laterally
and the traits of the anima’s history. Environmental conditions appear to be
more important to their responses than what has happened to them in the past.
They may resist direct changes in their environment including temperature. It
is often used to its location and in addition adapts well. The travel through
the kelp forests, often in groups, feeding off algae, plankton, decaying matter
and kelp which helps other animals find room in the scarce space.
Walleye surfperch (Hyperprosopon argenteum). Walleye females
tend to be larger than males. Among the
family of fish, the coastal species tend to produce large groups of live spawn
when they create their young. However, in deep water areas, they tend to make
smaller groups of young. Possessing
large eyes that reflect light, they hunt for their prey, small crustaceans when
light is not very strong. They help keep crustacean numbers in check. This fish
is often caught by fishers.
Watching each of the creatures as they lived with each other,
interacting and surviving off each other was important for this class. In the
water, toxins spread. The ocean covers most of our world, there is a deep
importance to preserve the ocean. Creatures consume each other, live with each
other, and take shelter from each other. Coral reefs provide a beautiful home
to a variety of creatures. The oceans provide a way for our world to receive
oxygen. The ocean absorbs carbon, and now we are seeing the composition of the ocean
change. We have to preserve the ocean, and seeing how everything was
interconnected and survived around each other was very important, The tendency
for each being to have its niche is poetic and practical.
Bibliography
Asteroidea of the North Pacific and Adjacent Waters:
Phanerozonia and Spinulosa. By Walter Kenrick Fisher.
California Academy of Sciences. http://www.calacademy.org/
Effect of the bat star Asterina miniata (Brandt) on
recruitment of the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera C. Agardh.George H. Leonard.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022098194900183
Population structure and feeding ecology of the bat star
Asterina stellifera (Möbius, 1859): Omnivory on subtidal rocky bottoms of
temperate seas. Nahuel E. Fariasa, Pablo E. Merettab, Maximiliano Cledónb.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1385110112000172
Life history traits and resource allocation in the purple sea
urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Stimpson). Michael P. Russell. Volume
108, Issue 3, 23 June 1987, Pages 199–216.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022098187900852
Age and Growth of Three Surfperches (Embiotocidae) from
Humboldt Bay, California. Robert D. Andersona & Charles F. Bryana. pages
475-482. 09 Jan 2011. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1577/1548-8659(1970)99%3C475%3AAAGOTS%3E2.0.CO%3B2
Life history variation among female surfperches (Perciformes:
Embiotocidae) Donald M. Baltz. April 1984, Volume 10, Issue 3, pp 159-171.
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00001123
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