After studying plankton in class and reading the excerpts from our packets, I now truly understand how great of an impact plankton have on the world. First and foremost, their photosynthesis accounts for up to 80% of all the atmosphere's oxygen. Aside from that they are a pivotal stepping stone in most marine ecosystems, and without them many other organisms would cease to exist. For these reasons it is important to keep the plankton. Global warming, pollution, and other blunders of mankind are greatly affecting their ecosystem and in turn killing them. How could the well-being of something so small be so crucial in deciding our fare as a species? Well without the microscopic algae in the ocean, we'd surely die out. After reading the article on man's impact I will certainly start picking up my trash at the beach, and discourage overfishing and chemical dumping. After all, we only have one planet.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
"Plankton: The Root of All Life"
After studying plankton in class and reading the excerpts from our packets, I now truly understand how great of an impact plankton have on the world. First and foremost, their photosynthesis accounts for up to 80% of all the atmosphere's oxygen. Aside from that they are a pivotal stepping stone in most marine ecosystems, and without them many other organisms would cease to exist. For these reasons it is important to keep the plankton. Global warming, pollution, and other blunders of mankind are greatly affecting their ecosystem and in turn killing them. How could the well-being of something so small be so crucial in deciding our fare as a species? Well without the microscopic algae in the ocean, we'd surely die out. After reading the article on man's impact I will certainly start picking up my trash at the beach, and discourage overfishing and chemical dumping. After all, we only have one planet.
After studying plankton in class and reading the excerpts from our packets, I now truly understand how great of an impact plankton have on the world. First and foremost, their photosynthesis accounts for up to 80% of all the atmosphere's oxygen. Aside from that they are a pivotal stepping stone in most marine ecosystems, and without them many other organisms would cease to exist. For these reasons it is important to keep the plankton. Global warming, pollution, and other blunders of mankind are greatly affecting their ecosystem and in turn killing them. How could the well-being of something so small be so crucial in deciding our fare as a species? Well without the microscopic algae in the ocean, we'd surely die out. After reading the article on man's impact I will certainly start picking up my trash at the beach, and discourage overfishing and chemical dumping. After all, we only have one planet.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
"Marine Food Web"
In the food web activity my organism was plankton. I played a key role in the energy distribution for my entire ecosystem. Though I did not eat any of the other organisms (because plankton photosynthesize) I was eaten by plenty of things. My main predator was the whale. However, essentially all of the food started with me! how about that. Plankton are not only an essential piece in the food web, but they also create and account for much of our earths gassious oxygen. If one species was to become endangered or extinct it would throw off the entire web. For example if shrimp/krill ceased to exist, then the small fish would have no food, then the seals and larger animals wouldn't have food, then the even larger species would be without an energy source. Below is an enlarge picture of a plankton, that's me!!!
Phytoplankton
Another activity we did (after learning about phytoplankton) was observing and scetching a phytoplankton that we had under a microscope. Phytoplankton are so important in every food web. They cover roughly 70% of the ocean's surface and are completely essential towards the well-being of marine organisms everywhere. They, at the bottom of the food chain, are a key factor. They also account for the production of oxygen, and they create energy through photosynthesis. Needless to say, without them we'd all be shoot out of luck!
"Energy Flow"
At the bottom of the food chain you have species int he plantae kingdom. They create energy for all. Then a small consumer (in opposition to a producer) will eat a plankton or other producer and will acquire the energy created by the organism. Another consumer will then eat this animal, gaining the energy that was acquired by this being. So on and so forth the cycle continues, and eventually the energy is sparse, and animals at the top of the chain need to eat loads of other species to gain energy. The closer to the source the more fortifying.
"Human Impacts"
Humans can greatly affect the flow of a marine ecosystem. For one, the waste that we release into the ocean alonekillsorganisms and can change the quality of the water and underwater life as a whole. Another major problem is over-development on the shores. This disrupts sanctuaries, and shallow water ecosystems where many of our most important species reside. Lastly over fishing by man eliminates some of the fish fro the web, and completely messes up ecosystems.
In the food web activity my organism was plankton. I played a key role in the energy distribution for my entire ecosystem. Though I did not eat any of the other organisms (because plankton photosynthesize) I was eaten by plenty of things. My main predator was the whale. However, essentially all of the food started with me! how about that. Plankton are not only an essential piece in the food web, but they also create and account for much of our earths gassious oxygen. If one species was to become endangered or extinct it would throw off the entire web. For example if shrimp/krill ceased to exist, then the small fish would have no food, then the seals and larger animals wouldn't have food, then the even larger species would be without an energy source. Below is an enlarge picture of a plankton, that's me!!!
Phytoplankton
Another activity we did (after learning about phytoplankton) was observing and scetching a phytoplankton that we had under a microscope. Phytoplankton are so important in every food web. They cover roughly 70% of the ocean's surface and are completely essential towards the well-being of marine organisms everywhere. They, at the bottom of the food chain, are a key factor. They also account for the production of oxygen, and they create energy through photosynthesis. Needless to say, without them we'd all be shoot out of luck!
"Energy Flow"
At the bottom of the food chain you have species int he plantae kingdom. They create energy for all. Then a small consumer (in opposition to a producer) will eat a plankton or other producer and will acquire the energy created by the organism. Another consumer will then eat this animal, gaining the energy that was acquired by this being. So on and so forth the cycle continues, and eventually the energy is sparse, and animals at the top of the chain need to eat loads of other species to gain energy. The closer to the source the more fortifying.
"Human Impacts"
Humans can greatly affect the flow of a marine ecosystem. For one, the waste that we release into the ocean alonekillsorganisms and can change the quality of the water and underwater life as a whole. Another major problem is over-development on the shores. This disrupts sanctuaries, and shallow water ecosystems where many of our most important species reside. Lastly over fishing by man eliminates some of the fish fro the web, and completely messes up ecosystems.
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