Common Cuttlefish

Common Cuttlefish

Scientific Name: Sepia officinalis

Reproduction: Males and Females travel to warm waters to mate. Males preform beautiful displays to attract females. Fighting over a female is common among cuttlefish

Habitat: Cuttlefish like tropical/ temperate waters and found on sandy sea floors

Predator/Prey: Monkfish, Swordfish, and some whales, eat cuttlefish. Common Cuttlefish eat fish, crabs, and shrimps

What makes this animal special? These guys are masters of camouflage, they're able to blend in with their surroundings from rocky sea floors and corals to patches of seaweed in a matter of seconds. 

3 Interesting Facts:

1. This species of Cuttlefish is the largest and best known
2. Produces and ink cloud when frightened, like many other cephalopods
3. Cuttlefish are actually colorblind

http://beheer.elementa.com/sys_files/websites/DEJONGMARINELIFE/images/stock/fish/algemeen_vis_/sepia_officinalis_041073_product_zoom_thumb.jpg
http://www.arkive.org/common-cuttlefish/sepia-officinalis/video-00.html
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaUS5VctIsZlkFnJ8DjrxcfM_OLhTVK6YjOMtSZ2JobaiOGAs-xy1qvkOuomLV8Ue6mdiRyZlIMO7EfN0FFcJWXn3TBJncZVDKBRTi3jKMHDKRxNRA78A2_Vus5jk8LbCGWixBt44_WeA/s1600/sepia.jpg
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/AnimalDetails.aspx?enc=n3f4wmcSJaO9NjM39kga4w==
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Cuttlefish

Plankton

http://visindavefur.hi.is/myndir/phytoplankton_070305.jpg

Plankton are important because almost every ocean animal depends on them as a source of food. Some plankton like Phytoplankton need to be near the surface of the water, where light is, to photosynthesize. They have unique adaptions like air and oil pockets, to keep them floating near the top.

A copepod, a type of zooplankton

Then there are Zooplankton, which are different from phytoplankton. Phytoplankton photosynthesize to eat. Zooplankton on the other hand, use the phytoplankton as a food source. For zooplankton to stay floating near the top where their food source is they have special adaptions also. Zooplankton have spikes and projections to keep it from sinking to quickly.

http://tigrepelvar2.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/translucent-zooplankton-arndt-1151396-ga.jpg

Life in the sea wksheet.

Marine Invertebrate: Pacific Sea Nettle

Pacific Sea Nettle

http://ih1.redbubble.net/image.3415081.8396/flat,550x550,075,f.jpg

Scientific Name: Chrysaora fuscescens

Habitat: These guys live off the west coast of the U.S., as far south as Mexico and as far north as British Colombia. There have even been sightings around Japan.

Reproduction: Sea Nettles reproduce from eggs and spread by polyps.

http://www.aqua.org/explore/animals/jellyfish-pacific-sea-nettle

Predator/Prey: The Sea Nettle eats plankton, zooplankton, crustaceans, snails, small fish, and sometimes other jellyfish. Sea Turtles, and Spiny Dogfish eat these jellies.

5 Interesting Facts: 

1. Jellyfish ar 90% water
2. Pacific Sea Nettles can have tentacles as long as 16 feet
3. Their Bell can be up to 30 in wide
4.  They have light sensing organs that they use to move to deeper or more sunlit water.
5. Sea Nettles spread their toxic tentacles out like a net to catch food.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysaora_fuscescens

http://www.aqua.org/explore/animals/jellyfish-pacific-sea-nettle

Underwater Camera

   Underwater Cameras are specifically designed to take pictures and photographs in underwater conditions. These cameras are used by all kinds of people from amateurs, and tourists taking pictures of family and friends to divers and professionals like Underwater Filmmakers documenting marine life and their habitats. 

http://www.thedigitalcamerapro.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/003-lg.jpg

Hammerhead Shark

Hammerhead Shark

http://cdn.zmescience.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/hammerhead.jpg

Scientific Name: Sphyrna lewini

Found: In warm and tropical waters around the world. They usually stalk their pray along the bottom of the ocean.

Yellow Indicates where
Hammerheads tend to live

Reproduction: Reproduce every year with the female giving live births. After the babies are born, the parents do not protect or take care of them.

Predator/prey: These sharks are predictors and eat almost anything from fish, squid crustaceans and on occasion, other sharks. However stingrays are a favorite for them.

Endangered?Why?: yes, Shark fins are sometimes served and eaten world wide. When fisherman catch the shark and cut off their fins, the shark is sent back to the ocean without it's fins and eventually dies.

Interesting facts:

1. With their wide-set eyes they can see more than most sharks
2. Sometimes they travel in schools
3. They can grow up to 20ft long and weigh up to 1,000 pounds

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/hammerhead-shark/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammerhead_shark

Boat Design

The design we chose was a:

• Styrofoam egg carton top, cut to our needs
• square black fabric kept up by a popsicle stick
• 2 rudders made from left over styrofoam
• 3 keels made from 3 popsicle sticks

Our fastest test time was 2.30 seconds, If we had to change anything we would have fixed the keels on the bottom. The boat went a little crooked when we tested it.

Ocean Career

• If you decided to chose a career in oceanography - what would you choose? Discuss 5 reasons why you find this career interesting.

Career: Marine Biologist

5 reasons why you find this career interesting:

1. I love to learn about the ocean and aquatic life
2. One of the TV shows I like to watch is about marine biologists exploring the ocean, learning about and protecting the animals that live there 
3. It sounded like an interesting career
4. Fish live in a world completly diffrent from air breathers and that fascinates me
5. It's good to learn about the ocean

Favorite Marine Animal

Blue Chromis

Scientific name: Chrom viridisis 

Habitat: They live in the Indian and Pacific Oceans among coral reefs

Reproduction: They have their babies in sand and pebbles/ rocks. Male guards the eggs. Eggs hatch in 2-3 days.

Predator/Prey: They eat plankton and unhatched offspring

Endangered/Threatened: No

Issues Affected by: pollution, disappearing reefs

Interesting facts: 

• colors range from cyan to blue green
• Schooling fish
• great for saltwater aquariums
• peaceful aquarium fish

http://www.tfhmagazine.com/details/fish-of-the-month/chromis-viridis.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromis_viridis

The Ocean

• Bob Ballard - 5 things you didn't know about the ocean, 
• Why does he think exploring the ocean is important? 
• What is the main message in his talk?

My 5 facts of the ocean:

• Many discoveries are made on accident
• 50% of the U.S. is under the ocean
• Volcanoes of methane have been found on the ocean floor
• only 10% of the ocean has been explored
• The Mariana Trench is the deepest trench found in the ocean

Why is exploring the ocean important?

• Exploring the ocean is important because most of the ocean has not been explored, there is a whole 90% of the ocean undiscovered.

What is the main message in his talk?

• the main message is to inspire people, young and old, to take up an interest in the ocean to learn and explore more about the ocean.