My Favorite Aquatic Critters

Coccolithophores are a type of phytoplankton. They are partly responsible for the release of large amounts of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) into the atmosphere. DMS is converted to sulfate. These sulfate molecules act as cloud condensation nuclei, which increases general cloud cover. Therefore, these tiny phytoplanktons are, to a large degree, responsible for the increase in the number of clouds produced.

Portuguese man o' wars  are metazoan zooplanktons that are made up of many minute individuals called zooids.  Their only means of transportation is travel by wind. Their large bladders act as a sail while their tentacles discourage predators.  Their tentacles carry poisonous venom that often attracts fish, such as clownfish, that are immune to the venom and use the tentacles as shelter. 

The aquatic macrophyte I selected is the red and blue water lily, Nymphaea nouchali. It flourishes in static or slow flowing freshwater environments. It originated in the Indian subcontinent and is prized as an ornamental plant for gardens.

I chose the stoplight parrotfish as my fish species. The stoplight parrotfish is a sex changing species of fish. They are born as females and change into males in their terminal stage. They feed on coral and various other reef organisms, and are aided by their teeth which form a parrot-like beak. They inhabit coral reefs in Florida, Bahamas, the Caribbean, eastern Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda, and Brazil.

I picked the yellow clawed fiddler crab for my crustacean. They are found in salt marshes, and on the sandy or muddy beaches of West Africa, the Western Atlantic, Eastern Pacific and Indo-Pacific. Fiddler crabs communicate by a sequence of gestures and waves. Males have an over-sized claw used during violent courtship over a female.

The beluga whale is a near threatened species of cetacean easily identifiable by its all white appearance and protrusion of the head.  They are found in the arctic and sub arctic regions of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.  Belugas live in pods and feed mainly on fish but also on squid, octopi, and crustaceans. They are one of only a few whale species that are capable of swimming backwards.

My Favorite Biome: Boreal Forest

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Boreal Forests

             Boreal forests, also known as taiga, can be found about 50 degrees and 60 degrees north and are mostly made up of conifers. They lie south of the tundra and north of the deciduous foresets and grasslands. They are made up of slow growing plants due to the cold temperatures and short growing season. Prominent tree species found within boreal forests include: birch, hemlocks, maples, pines, spruce, alder and ceder.

Ecological Niche of My Favorite Organism

The Gray Wolf (canis lupus)

         Gray wolves can survive in many biomes as long as food is plentiful and the climate is relatively cold. However, they are best suited to a northern conifer rain forest or tiaga biome. Their coats are made up of woolly fur to provide insulation from the cold and long guard hairs to keep out moisture. Their diet consists solely of meat. They are known to eat moose, caribou, and rodents when food is scarce.  The gray wolf is also the largest wild canine. They are around 3 feet tall at the shoulder and are about 3 to 5 feet in length from nose to tail. Due to poaching the number of wild gray wolves in America is dwindling. Though the gray wolf has been accused of posing a threat to humans, no humans have ever been killed by healthy wolves in North America.

        

       In Canada and Alaska, the gray wolf population is stable. In most of North America, however, they are an endangered species. In Europe, Asia, and Africa, the remaining wolf populations are tiny. The largest wolf population in Europe and Asia can be found in Russia.