Topics in Biology Midterm

steps of the scientific method

question, research, hypothesis, experiment, analysis, conclusion, communication

ecosystem service

benefits people receive from nature

why should we care about the ocean?

1. responsible for half of the earth’s oxygen

2. regulates weather

3. habitats protect coastal communities from storms

4. winds and waves can provide renewable energy

5. provides jobs and powers our economy

bioaccumulation

build up of toxins in a single organism over its lifetime from exposure of environment and food

biomagnification

increasing concentration of a toxin as it moves up successive trophic (food chain) levels

importance of Hudson River

1. historical settlement grounds

2. canals provide transportation

3. factories along the river

4. tourism

5. biodiversity

importance of the Long Island sound

1. historical settlement grounds

2. industrial advancements

3. fisheries/aquaculture

4. important habitat and spawning/feeding grounds

5. biodiversity

6. tourism and recreation

individual

an organism that is physiologically independent from other individuals

population

a group of individuals of the same species

community

a group of two or more potentially interacting populations, each belonging to species all living in the same place

ecosystem

an entire habitat, including abiotic features of land or seascape and all living species within it that interact

biotic factors

living factors that affect another organism or shapes the environment

(predation, food availability, competition, disease)

abiotic factors

non-living factors that affect organisms

(temperature, light intensity, water, soil PH and mineral content, gases)

territoriality

the maintenance of a home range that is defended

( + - or - -)

competition

the rivalry between or among individuals for territory, resources, goods, mates, etc.

( + - or - - )

predation

an interaction where a predator kills and eats another organism

( + - )

commensalism

an interaction that benefits one species and has no effect on the other

mutualism

a symbiotic relationship where all species involved benefit from the interaction

parasitism

occurs when members of one species live at the expense of individuals of another species, without consuming the hosts totally as food and killing them

( + - )

intertidal

• habitat between low and high tide, where land and ocean meet

• species: worms, snails, clams, oysters, mussels, sea stars

mudflats

• muddy habitat near the ocean, formed when silt and mud are brought in by the ocean

• productive breeding grounds

mangroves

• nursing ground habitat

• trees and shrubs perched on the water

estuaries

• habitat with a mixture of salt and freshwater

• serves as nursery areas where fish species can grow and mature

• attracts migratory shorebirds

• biologically productive environment

kelp forests

• forest under the sea, made of kelp (large brown algae)

• provides shelter and food for many different species

seagrass meadows

• habitat for grazers, formed by underwater plants

• important habitat and food source for marine life

• produces oxygen and filters water

salt marshes

• flooded coastal wetlands drained by tides

• composed of mud and peat

• nursing grounds

• protects shorelines from erosion and acts as shelter for young marine species; “ecological guardians of the coast”

tidewater glaciers

• giant, ice-cold habitat

• serves as pupping and molting habitat (harbor seals)

open ocean

• vast and open habitat away from the shore

• comprised of many layers, each with unique marine life

benthic habitat

• habitat of the sea floor of any body of water, including sediment and sub-surface layers

• organisms of benthic habitat are called benthos

oyster reefs

• protects the shore from erosion

• made up of oysters

• provide structure where plants and animals can live

• acts as a vacuum to filter particles from water, improving water quality

coral reefs

vibrant habitat with the greatest biodiversity than any marine ecosystem

threats to coral reefs

• increasing temperatures\

• ocean acidification

• pollution

• predation

• overfishing

• recreational impact

coral restoration

• growing, gardening, and out planting coral

• harvesting gametes of corals to produce new ones

deep-sea gradient

the part of the ocean where shallow-water bottoms with high biomass and productivity shifts to remote, deep-sea bottoms with low biomass and productivity

why is benthic biomass so reduced in the deep sea?

1. low primary productivity (less light=less photosynthesis)

2. slow decomposition rates (reduced nutrients, cold temperatures)

3. slow metabolic rates (require less food)

4. high pressure

marine snow

• organic matter that sinks down from the surface ocean

• consists of dead phytoplankton, fecal pellets, and other debris from upper levels

• consumed by bacteria and other deep-sea organisms

hot (hydrothermal) vents

• sites on oceanic ridges where hot water emerges from vents, associated with volcanic activity

• supports unique biotic life:

  • tube worms

  • yeti crabs

  • shrimp

  • deep-sea mussels

cold seeps

• deep sea escarpments may be sites for leaking high concentrations of hydrocarbons or sulfides; chemicals in the form of fluids or gases escape from cracks or fissures in the ocean floor

• plays a critical role in the carbon cycle

• essential breeding and nursing grounds

whale fails

• fish and whale carcasses on the seafloor are localized in deep-sea environments where species successively colonize and dominate as the carcasses decompose

ephemeral

lasting for a short time; not permanent

difficulties of exploration of deep-sea environments

• technological limitations

• extreme cold

• darkness

• high pressure

importance of deep-sea environments

• climate change (absorbs CO2 and heat from greenhouse effect)

• biodiversity (holds unique ecosystems)

• resources (contains energy, minerals, and fish stocks)

• bioprospecting (potential for finding organisms for medical and industrial usage)

• hydrothermal vents (natural pumping systems that help regulate ocean chemistry)

threats to deep-sea environments

• climate change

• unsustainable deep-sea fisheries

• deep seabed mining destroying biodiversity

• plastic pollution

• fossil fuel burning

• habitat destruction

deforestation

the temporary or permanent clearance of large expanses of forest for agriculture or other uses

air pollution

air is contaminated by substances that can cause harm to living organisms and the environment

climate change

long term shifts in temperature and weather patterns, primarily caused by human activities that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere

el nino

a climate phenomenon in the tropical Pacific that results in warmer than normal sea surface temperatures

eutrophication

accumulation of nutrients in a body of water that results in the increased growth of microorganisms (algae) and depletes oxygen

plastic pollution

plastic enters the water from garbage dumps, storm impacts on the shore, littering, and other sources

chemicals

excessive toxins/poisons entering ecosystems, causing physiological issues and eutrophication

invasive species

• non-native species introduced into a new habitat, successfully establishing itself

• could cause extinction of native species and plants through competition for resources

• destroys biodiversity and alters habitats

• CAUSES HARM TO ECOSYSTEM

overfishing

• case in which a high degree of fishing results in a decline of a fish population to unsustainable levels

• creates imbalance that can alter food webs

habitat destruction

the elimination or alteration of the conditions necessary for animals and plants to survive

solutions to combat environmental stressors

• mitigate climate change

• environmental conservation policies

• control pollution

• regulate fishing processes

• restrict coastal development

• environmental education

• possible consequences (ecosystems disruption/habitat fragmentation)

sponges vs. corals

• sponges are bioeroders of coral reefs (which could actually benefit corals)

• sponges are expected to be resistant to ocean acidification

• corals are expected to be defeated by climate change and ocean acidification

  • corals have rapid tissue regeneration and stinging abilities

cnidarians

vital to marine life and human economies; they build coral reefs and control food webs

• jellies

• sea anemones

• sea pen

• sea fan

• portugese man-of-war

parts of a scientific paper

1. title

2. abstract

3. introduction

4. methods

5. results

6. discussion

why is scientific communication so important?

translates complex research into clear, relatable information for the public, policymakers, and other non-specialists outside of the science community

jargon

special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand; used for precise and professional signaling among specialists

difference between review and research papers

• a research paper presents original, firsthand data and findings from a study conducted by the authors

• a review paper synthesizes and evaluates existing research published by others without collecting new primary data

fisheries

a place where fish are caught for commercial purposes; the business of catching fish

aquaculture

all techniques by which marine organisms are reared under controlled conditions

important considerations in aquaculture

1. biology

2. ecology

3. nutrition

4. handling and hauling

5. water quality

6. disease

7. marketing

8. culture techniques

desirable characteristics for aquaculture

1. desirability as food

2. uncomplicated reproduction

3. hardiness

4. disease resistance

5. high growth rate per unit area

6. readily met food/habitat requirements

7. monoculture or polyculture

8. marketability

9. minimal ecological side effects

benefits of aquaculture

1. shellfish beds helps restore waterways

2. producing more seafood can alleviate food insecurity

3. creates economic opportunities

4. sustainable aquaculture advances technology

5. wild and farmed seafood is good for your health

6. can preserve cultural history

7. sustainability fosters international collaboration

8. aquaculture is a resource efficient food production method for changing environments

sustainable (stock status)

there are enough fish in the ocean/stock with minimized impact on habitat and ecosystem

overfishing (stock status)

a stock with a harvest rate of higher than the rate that produces the stock’s maximum sustainable yield

overfished (stock status)

a stock with a population size that is too low, jeopardizing its ability to produce maximum sustainable yield

rebuilt (stock status)

a previously overfished stock that increased in abundance to the target population size that supports its maximum sustainable yield

bycatch

unintended catches

how does NOAA manage fisheries?

• science: provides fishery managers with the information necessary to manage to the long-term sustainability of US fisheries

• management: the science-based process ensures continuous improvement of fishery management plans in response to new information

• enforcement: oversees compliance with all applicable laws to ensure accountability to the resource, economies, and communities that rely on it

marine mammal protection act (MPA)

responsible for the protection of marine mammals (whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and sea lions)

endangered species act (ESA)

protects all endangered species; conserves the ecosystems in which endangered species and threatened species depend on

national environmental policy act (NEPA)

assesses environmental impacts; requires federal agencies to integrate environmental values in decision-making processes

magnuson-stevens fishery conservation and management act objectives (MSA)

• fisheries regulations

• prevents overfishing

• rebuilding overfished stocks

• ensuring a safe and sustainable supply of seafood

ecological importance of horseshoe crabs (arthrodods/chelicerata- more closely related to spiders than crabs)

• bioturbators

• predators of benthic communities

• prey for large marine life

• eggs feed migratory shorebirds

economic importance of horseshoe crabs

• LAL/TAL production

importance and function of LAL

• amoebocytes are a component in horseshoe crab blood that clumps in the presence of bacteria

  • helps discover the presence of bacterial endotoxins in vaccines, intravenous fluids, and medical equipment

misconceptions regarding horseshoe crab health

1. unaffected by changes in water quality

   1. increased temperature results in decreased amebocyte density in their blood

2. protected from disease

   1. bacteria and fungal species can still impact the crabs; environmental stress reduces the number of hemocytes

impact factors

ways of finding reputable sources; a measure of the average number of a journal’s citations in a two-year period; used to measure the importance (or rank) of a journal

boolean operators

• AND: narrows your search; tells the tool to retrieve results that contain all the specified keywords

• OR: broadens your search; tells the tool to retrieve results containing at least one of the connected terms

• NOT: narrows or filters your search; tells the tool to include the first keyword while explicitly excluding any results that contain the second keyword

classes of phylum mollusca (mollusks)

• aplacophora (worm-like animals with no shell)

• monoplacophora (name that means “bearing one plate” like a shell cap)

• polyplacophora (chitons)

• bivalvia (bivalves- animals with two shells)

• gastropoda (snails)

• cephalopoda (“head-foot";” octopods and relatives; largest invertebrates)

• scaphopoda (“tusk shells” or “tooth shells”)

importance of mollusks

• impact nutrient cycling

• filter water

• important in food chains (some are keystone species)

• fisheries and aquaculture

threats to mollusks

• ocean acidification

• habitat loss

• invasive species

• pollution

• overfishing

• climate change

• increased diseases

importance of salt marshes

• provide natural filtration of debris and impurities

• help absorb stormwater

• reduce erosion and flooding

• help maintain water quality

• provides habitat

classes of malacostraca crustacea (hard exoskeleton)

• crab

• crayfish

• lobster

• shrimp

• barnacles (live on the surface of another living organism)

• copepods

• krill

importance of crustaceans

• vital part of food chain (food source to whales, dolphins, turtles, penguins, etc.)

• help sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

• increases biodiversity

• invasive crabs may impact communities

• important high priced seafood production/farming

threats to crustaceans

• pollution

• harvesting

• habitat loss

• ocean acidification

• cannibalism

classes of echinoderms (spiny skin organisms)

• asteroidea (sea stars)

• echinoiodea (sea urchins and sand dollars)

• ophiuroidea (brittle stars)

• holothuroidea (sea cucumbers)

• crinoidea (crinoids)

importance of echinoderms

• important in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems (and corals/kelp forests)

• help control populations of smaller natural predators

• harvested for decorative or tourism items

• cycling nutrients

• enhances biodiversity and productivity

difference between zooplankton and phytoplankton

phytoplankton: photosynthetic protists and bacteria; plant-like plankton

zooplankton: non-photosynthetic, gain energy by consuming smaller plankton; animal-like plankton

dinoflagellates

• single-celled protists

• phytoplankton (but can be predatory)

• somewhat mobile

• primary production of oxygen

• can rapidly overgrow, resulting in severe biological and economic hazards (red tides)

• harmful algal blooms

coccolithophores

• single-celled protist

• phytoplankton

• responsible for about half of CaCO3 precipitation and plays a primary role in the global carbon cycle; performs photosynthesis

copepods

• zooplankton

• microplankton

• consumer of photoplankton and smaller zooplankton

krill

• zooplankton

• larger than copepods

• important grazers in the surface waters on the world

• feed on smaller zooplankton

• crucial part of the antarctic food web

• luminescent

ciliates

• single-celled

• covered in rows of cilia

• feed on bacteria and photoplankton

• benefits from photosynthetic products

foraminifera

• secrete external CaCO3 skeleton

• capture photoplankton and bacteria

why are plankton so important?

• responsible for half of the oxygen we breath (using CO2 to make O2)

• basis of all marine food webs

• recycles elements needed by other organisms

science communication

the practice of informing, raising awareness of science-related topics, and also getting involved with audiences that include, at least in part, people outside of the science community (verbal, written, non-verbal)

importance of shaping your narrative

• meeting them where they’re at; using their values

• overcoming resistance and misinformation

• building trust with audience to communicate effectively