Adv Marine Sci Midterm 2

(Class lectures, Readings, Guest lectures, Team Phyla Species)

Jesse from Papahanamokuakea Marine Debris Project

  • The national monument is 4x larger than the main islands

  • 1200 monk seals live on the monument, 76.4% of the species

  • 96% of Hawaiian green sea turtles nest at Lalo

  • Most fishing nets are coming from Japan

  • 115,000 pounds of marine debris is accumulated annually

Intro to Echinoderms

  • All echinoderms are marine with radial symmetry

  • Phylum Echinodermata characteristics

    • spiny-skinned

    • planktonic larvae with bilateral symmetry

    • adults= pentaradial symmetry= slow bottom crawlers= most benthic

    • oral/aboral body plan

    • Unique water vascular system: internal fluid-filled canals

    • Tube feet = muscular extension of canal, used for attachment, locomotion, chemical reception

    • Calcareous endoskeleton composed of individual plates= ossicles

  • Different modes of particulate matter feeding

    • suspension feeding: feeding on POM suspended in water

      • filter suspension feeding: water actively pumped or filtering, structures swept through the water

      • passive suspension feeding: no active pumping of water, use of cilia and mucus to move particles to mouth

    • deposit feeding: feeding on POM that settles on the bottom

    • Grazing

    • Prey capture

  • Class Asteroidea= sea stars

    • water vascular system: water circulates and facilitates nutrient exchange, waste removal and respiration

    • medraporite- an aboral sirface, filters water intake

    • also a hydraulic system used for locomotion

    • species example: Fisher’s star, Hawaiian circular star, crown of thorns

    • Crown of thorns starfish: feeds on live coral- issue for health of reefs

  • Class Echinoidea= sea urchins

    • imagine a folded sea star

    • feeding type= grazers

    • medraporite

  • Class Holothuroidea= sea cucumbers

    • imagine stretched out urchins

    • deposit feeders

    • medraporite

  • Class Ophiuroidea= brittle stars

    • spiny brittle stars

    • hawaiian name=pe’a

  • Class Crinoidea= Sea Lillies and Feather stars

    • common in the Indo-Pacific region

    • restricted to very deep water in the Hawaiian islands

    • stalk and holdfast

    • holdfast: root like structure at base of stalk, anchored to seafloor

Corey Yap- stream fish ecology

Ethan Estess- art and marine bio

Ethan originally worked as a marine biologist but later became a sustainable artist who creates educational artwork using marine debris like ropes and nets. I also learned about different shark tagging methods, including acoustic tags that can last 5–7 years and satellite tags that stay on for 6 months to a year before sending location data. It was also interesting to hear about his research in Japan tracking ahi and his work at the Monterey Bay Aquarium using respirometers, which are like fish treadmills used to train and test fish.

Intro to Fishes- ocean ch 4 and extreme ch 7

  • fishes

    • 1st vertebrates to evolve 500 mya

    • most abundant vertebrate, ~33,000 sp=1/2 of all verts

      • 58% are marine

      • 99% of fish are ray finned bony fish

    • backbone= vertebral column=spine=dorsal row of hollow skeletal vertebrae that protect nerve cord

    • most economically important marine organism

  • Jawless fish ~ 30 species

  • Lampreys ~ 30 species

    • feed by suction and rows of teeth

    • suck blood from other fish

    • most are in temperate, freshwater

    • eat benthic invertebrates

  • Hagfishes ~ 76 known species

    • feed by suction and rows of teeth

    • feed mostly on dead/dying fish

    • dig tunnels in muddy sediment

    • shallows to as deep as 5500 feet

    • produce slime

  • Cartilaginous fish: sharks, rays, skates ratfishes

    • skeleton made of cartilage

    • moveable jaw

    • ventral mouth

  • Sharks ~500 sp

    • whale shark is the largest of all fishes- and is the only filter feeding shark

    • most sharks are viviparous but some are oviparous

    • most are active hunters- carbivorous

  • Rays and Skates

    • dorsoventrally falttened bodies

    • gill slits ventrally

    • pectoral fins are flat and extend like wings

  • Bony Fish: Osteichthyes

    • ~31,000 of the 33,000 fish species

    • 20% of Hawaii reef fishes are endemic

  • Ray finned fish

    • majority of fishes ~99%

  • Lobe finned fishes

    • coelecanths omly two current sp

  • Differences of bony fish and shark body structure

    • sharks have placoid scales, bony fish have cycloid scales

    • shark mouth ventrally located, bony fish mouth usually terminal

    • Sharks have a fatty liver, bony fish have swim bladders

    • sharks have high urea concentration, which is an adaptation to high salt content in blood, bony fish have water loss by osmosis through gills and skin

  • Billfish (ray finned) ~ 12 species= sailfish, marlin, and swordfish

  • Cold blooded fish with warm muscles

    • billfish and tunas

    • fastest swimming fish

    • evolved specialized tissues that heat muscle= dark brown tissue= aerobic red muscles

    • muscle heaters near eyes and braincase

    • Warm retinas see better in low light; can be up to 4 degrees C warmer than water

  • Complex social behaviors in fish

    • collaboration: groupers hunting with moraay eel or octopus

    • courtship: manta rays

    • parental care

    • use of tools

    • problem solving: use of water as a took (using tail to waft bait)

    • learned behavior

    • learned pathways of migration

    • hunting in packs

    • pair for life: 70 species of monogamous fish, including seahorses and butterflyfish

  • Pair for life ~monogamous fish

    • at least 70 species

    • seahorses and butterflyfish

  • Diverse reproductive strategies

    • male seahorse gives birth

    • fish that change sex with age

    • Why are angler fish reproductively interesting?

      • extreme sexual parasitism

Ocean CH 4 part 2

  • The Secret Life of Fish – 3 Unique Behaviors

    • Fish can use tools and problem-solve (e.g., groupers manipulating bait, wrasses cracking prey).

    • Some fish show complex social behavior, including forming long-term bonds, hunting in groups, and recognizing individuals.

    • Certain species can change sex based on social hierarchy, helping maintain reproduction in their groups.

  • Family Life Under the Sea – 3 Reproduction Examples

    • Seahorses: males carry fertilized eggs in a brood pouch until they hatch.

    • Octopus: mothers guard eggs carefully, but hatchlings are independent after birth.

    • Anglerfish: tiny males attach permanently to females, becoming a sperm source.

  • Locomotion in the Ocean – Comparison

    • Tuna: use tail-powered (thunniform) swimming → fast and energy-efficient for long distances.

    • Octopus: use jet propulsion → quick bursts of speed but less energy-efficient.

    • Shows how body structure determines movement and survival strategies.

  • Traveling Far, Wide & Deep – Dr. Barbara Block

    • Barbara Block uses electronic tagging to track large fish.

    • Her research showed species like tuna and sharks migrate across entire oceans and dive deeper than expected.

    • This work helps improve scientific understanding and conservation efforts.

  • Synergies in the Sea – 2 Partnerships

    • Mutualism: both species benefit

      • Example: cleaner fish remove parasites from larger fish and get food.

    • Commensalism: one benefits, the other is unaffected

      • Example: barnacles on whales or remoras riding sharks.

Extreme Ch 7: The fastest sprints and longest journeys

  • Sailfish

    • Extremely fast (up to ~80 mph burst)

    • Herd & slash prey with bill

    • Grow very fast early in life

  • Flying Fish

    • Launch out of water to escape predators

    • Glide using wing-like fins

    • Tail beats at surface for takeoff speed

  • Humpback Whale Flipper

    • Long fins with tubercles (bumps)

    • Reduce drag + increase lift

    • Inspired wind turbine design

  • Snapping Shrimp

    • Claw creates cavitation bubble

    • Bubble collapse stuns/kills prey

    • Produces heat, light, and loud snap

  • Albatross

    • Uses dynamic soaring (wind + waves)

    • Glides long distances with little energy

    • Can travel hundreds of miles daily

  • Cold-Blooded Fish w/ Warm Muscles

    • Examples: tuna, billfish

    • Use special muscles + blood flow to retain heat

    • Warmer muscles/eyes = faster swimming + better vision

Team Phyla Projects

  • Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)

    • Giant manta ray: unique underside patterns, very large, long lifespan.

    • Largetooth sawfish: gives live birth and moves between freshwater (young) and ocean (adult).

  • Mollusca

    • Blue sea dragon: floats upside down using air bubbles; has finger-like cerata.

    • Spanish dancer: nudibranch with external gills; hermaphroditic and lays ribbon-like eggs.

  • Porifera & Arthropoda

    • Venus flower basket sponge: silica structure protects from predators; filter feeder.

    • Yellow tube sponge: improves water quality; can live ~100 years.

    • Sea spider: lives from surface to deep ocean; feeds near its food source.

    • Peacock mantis shrimp: burrows in sediment; internal fertilization, often monogamous.

  • Cephalopods & Cnidarians

    • Flapjack octopus: deep-sea species; eats benthic organisms.

    • Hawaiian bobtail squid: born without symbiosis; reproduces once, lays many eggs.

    • Fried egg jellyfish: captures plankton and small prey with stinging cells.

    • Barrel jellyfish: surface to ~200 m depth; long polyp stage.

  • Mammals & Hydrozoans

    • Narwhal: tusk is a sensory organ (detects salinity, pressure, etc.); multi-chambered stomach; calves born tail-first.

    • Immortal jellyfish: ~5 mm; can revert to polyp stage instead of dying.

    • Harp seal: pups have insulating white fur (no blubber); adults rely on thick blubber + dense fur.

    • By-the-wind sailor (Velella velella): colonial organism made of specialized polyps; forms seasonal swarms.