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To conclude this blog, here is a video of my own saltwater aquarium at home. There are only 4 fish in the tank as of right now becuase of nitrate problems :/

Please enjoy

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Population Density

Exponential and Logistic Growth Curves

When resources are unlimited, populations demonstrate exponential growth where there is no limit to their sizes. When resources are scarce, populations show a logistic growth. This is when they begin to grow, but stop when resources become limited and the population hits the carrying capacity. 

Carrying Capacity

In a logistic growth ecosystem, there will come a point where the limited resource has become scarce. This means that the ecosystem cannot support any more of that species - which then halts the increase in population. The limit to the population of a species in a logistic growth ecosystem is called the carrying capacity. 

Age-structure Pyramids

There are three simple types of pyramids to demonstate population growth and decay: expansive, constrictive, and stationary. 

Expansive - this pyramid has a broad base and a rapid population growth. The population of older organisms is small and the population of young organisms is very big.

Constrictive - this pyramid shows a low death rate and a low birth rate. The population is mostly of older organisms.

Stationary - this pyramid shows somewhat equal numbers for almost all ages. The birth and death rate are roughly the same here.

Sources:

Environmental Limits to Population Growth. Boundless Biology. Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com.  

(8 Aug. 2015). Population Pyramid. Geography of India and The World. Retrieved from http://www.drishtiias.com/upsc-exam-gs-resources-Population-Pyramid. 

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r-Selected Species

r-selected species are species that are density-independent, have many offspring for better chance of survival, have low energy investment, and have small young. 

An example of this would be coral itself. Coral is “a colony of polyps which releases millions of young at a time in order to expand the reef.” This trait classifies corals as r-selected species. 

Sources:

(15 Aug. 2014). r-Selected Species. Coral Reefs. Retrieved from https://biomeprojectfaithrodriguez.weebly.com/.

Image is my own photo.

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K-Selected Species

As explained by my homework assignment, K-Selected species are “density-dependent: few offspring for better chance of survival, high energy investment in offspring, large young.” The perfect example of this would be the, you guessed it, WHITETIPPED REEF SHARKS!!!

What a beauty.

Like most sharks, the whitetipped reef shark only gives birth to 1 to 6 pups, and pregnancy lasts for 10 to 13 months. This is a very slow reproduction rate when compared to other organisms, which give birth to hundreds of eggs at once. 

Sources:

Derk, J. (Mar. 2006). Whitetip reef shark. Own work. Retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org. 

Rogers, M. Whitetip Reef Shark. Shark Sider. Retrieved from https://www.sharksider.com/whitetip-reef-shark/. 

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A special treat for my 0 followers - please enjoy 10 Hours of Relaxing Oceanscapes posted by BBC Earth on their Youtube Channel

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Primary and Secondary Succession

Primary and Secondary Succession can easily be demonstrated in a coral reef. Primary succession is the “gradual growth of the plant life in an ecosystem over time where there was previously no vegetation or soil to support that life” (Succession). Secondary succession is the revival of life in an area that had once previously supported life there. 

An example of this is coral growth. Primary succession would be when coral is deposited and begins to grow on top of lava ash. This then develops into secondary succession when new coral grows ontop of the previous coral, thus creating a coral reef and spreading even further. 

Source: 

Succession. Marine Biome. Retrieved from https://marineandthedolphins.weebly.com/succession.html. 

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Keystone Species

A very important species in the coral reef ecosystem is the sharks. The sharks monitor the food chain from the top-down and allow for a controlled ecosystem population. Without them, fish populations woud run wild and resources would rapidly deplete. An example of a shark that does this is the Whitetipped Reef Shark, mentioned earlier in the blog. 

Just so we can all see his/her beautiful, shining face again on this blog.

Source:

NOAA. Whitetip reef shark off the Hawaiian islands. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org.

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Symbiotic Relationships

Now these are interesting. You might ask, “What is a symbiotic relationship?”. Well, it’s a relationship where two organisms interact, with at least one of them benefitting from the relationship. There are three types of symbiotic relationships: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. 

Mutualism

This is where both organisms are benefitting from the relationship. An example of this is between Anemone and Clownfish. The anemone makes an ideal home for the clown fish to hide and protect from predators. The poisonous tentacles provide protection and lets the clownfish eat its leftovers. The clownfish also lures in prey for the anemone to catch and clean the anemone’s surrounding area, as well as eat it’s dead tentacles. 

Commensalism

This is where only one organism benefits and the other is not really affected. An example of this is when a Pearlfish uses a Sea Cucumber as a hide-out for protection from predators. The Sea Cucumber is not affected at all by this, which makes this a commensalism relationship. 

Parasitism

This is where one organism, the parasite, benefits while a second organism, the host, is harmed. An example of this is Sea spiders using coral. The spider will lay its eggs on the coral, which leads to the larvae piercing the individual polyps and living inside of them. 

Source:

Great Barrier Reef. Canisius Ambassadors for Conservation. Retrieved from http://www.conservenature.org/.

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Here’s another great food web!

Source: 

Great Barrier Reef Food Web. Great Barrier Reef. Retrieved from https://greatbarrierreef.com.au/information/great-barrier-reef-food-web/. 

Food Webs for the Hungry Bloggers!

This food web illustrates an example of a food chain in a coral reef. At the bottom of the chain are the Phytoplankton, which are primary consumers. As you go up the web, the predators grow bigger and bigger, resulting in the Reef Shark or Puffer fish, which are tertiary consumers! It is super interesting to see the interactions between these amazing creatures!

Source:

Food Webs in A Coral Reef Ecosystem. The Coral Reef. Retrieved from https://discoverthecoralreef.weebly.com/food-web.html. 

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Predators and Prey

It is a natural part of life everywhere to encounter predator and prey relaitonships. In coral reefs, there are many examples of this. One example is the relationship between the Whitetipped Reef Shark and lots of fish, like the squirrelfish. These two exist in a predator/prey relationship as the shark hunts the squirrelfish. There are millions of these relationships throughout the ocean and coral reefs. 

Image Sources: 

NOAA. Whitetip reef shark off the Hawaiian islands. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org.

Southwood, P. (2005). Crown squirrelfish, Aliwal Shoal. Own work. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org.

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Food Webs for the Hungry Bloggers!

This food web illustrates an example of a food chain in a coral reef. At the bottom of the chain are the Phytoplankton, which are primary consumers. As you go up the web, the predators grow bigger and bigger, resulting in the Reef Shark or Puffer fish, which are tertiary consumers! It is super interesting to see the interactions between these amazing creatures!

Source:

Food Webs in A Coral Reef Ecosystem. The Coral Reef. Retrieved from https://discoverthecoralreef.weebly.com/food-web.html. 

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SO MANY FISH

THERE IS SO MUCH DIVERSITY IN A CORAL REEF IT IS CRAZY!!! There are all sorts of fish, ranging from clown fish to big eels! It seems as if everything there is alive, even down to the live rock. There are hundreds of coral that exists, and they’re all different. The corals reefs in Autralia are SO DIFFERENT from the ones in New Zealand! There are hundreds of bright, colorful fish, such as Fox Faces to Yellow Tang, from Angel fish to Gobies! There are even sharks that are friendly in coral reefs, like the hammerhead shark. Other organisms include anemones and dangerous eels and poisonous fish. 

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Carbon Cycles are Cool

Coral reefs take part in the carbon cycle, which is awesome! This is where Carbon, in the form of CO2, comes from the atmosphere and is assimilated by a plant or algae containing chlorophyll. From here, the carbon will usually get converted into carbohydrates using energy from the sun (which is really convienent because coral reefs are typically shallow in tropical regions, where there is a lot of sunlight).

The carbohydrates are there in the ocean until the plant gets eaten by some organism. This next part of the cycle can take a while to complete. If the organism is eaten by another one (predator and prey), then the carbon just transfers over. Eventually, the carbon will either be dissolved into the ocean water to be assimilated by another plant OR the carbon makes its way back into the atmosphere. And the cycle will begin again and again and again. 

Image Source: Maragos, J (27 Mar. 2011). Coral Reef at Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org. 

Source: Jury, C. The Nutrient Dynamics of Coral Reefs: Part I, Biogeochemical Cycles. Reefkeeping. Retrieved from http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-08/cj/index.php. 

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Just a picture of a beautiful coral reef. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons

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Coral Reefs? Yes.

Coral reefs are super fun and interesting! There are so many different types of life and it’s so colorful and beautiful! It is one of the most diverse ecosystems to exist on Earth! Although they are a small percentage of the ocean, they account for so much life and species! Coral reefs are usually found in shallow waters in tropical areas. There are biotic factors in coral reefs, such as the colorful fish, exotic corals, and all sorts of other fun creatures. But there are also abiotic factors in a coral reef. Some of these factors are the water, light, wind, pH of the water, current, and sediment in the oceans. All these affect what life forms can live in certain areas of the ocean. 

Sources:

(2018). Enviornmental Conditions. Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation. Retrieved from  https://www.livingoceansfoundation.org/education/portal/course/environmental-conditions/#environmental-conditions

(2018). Coral Reef Ecosystems. Reef Relief. Retrieved from https://www.reefrelief.org/learn/coral-reef-ecosystem/

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Hello

I love the ocean and coral reefs. It is far superior to other biomes