CarlyleCoastalSeas

Elephant Seals (Carnivore, Consumer, Heterotroph):

 Elephant Seals spend a good deal of time in Northern California in the winter. They get their name from their enormous size and because of the long noses on the males. The average male is about 14-16 feet long and weighs around 2 1/2 tons. The females are about 12 feet long and weigh from 1,000 to 2,000 pounds. When the weaned pups are six weeks old they begin to lose their furry coat for a shiny coat. Soon after that they begin to learn to swim in the shallow waters. Elephant seals eat squid, rays, skate, small sharks, and rat fish. The females eat nothing while giving birth, nursing, or mating; the males go without food for up to three months at that time. They are preyed upon by killer whales and sharks. Females have a life expectancy of 3-4 years and males have a life expectancy of 14 years.

Tiger Sharks (Carnivore, Consumer, Heterotroph):

Tiger Sharks have "a broad, flat head with a snout shorter than the width of the mouth, long labial furrows, and a slender body. The caudal fin is long and pointed with reinforcing ridges and its teeth have curved cusps with serrated edges and a deep notch on the outer margin. Juvenile tigers up to 150-180 cm in length have a distinctive mottled pattern on their dorsal surface. Striped tiger-like patterns or bars appearing on adult specimens are from spots fusing together. These bars tend to become faded as the shark ages but remain apparent on the flanks and caudal region. Color can vary from bluish or greenish gray to black above and light gray to dirty yellow or white below" (2). They are found all over the world in mostly warm tropical oceans; in California they are found on the West coast. Tiger Sharks are not picky eaters. Common prey are crabs, shellfish, lobster, squid, bony fish, small sharks, skates, rays, porpoises, turtles, marine birds, and mammals. The tiger shark is considered to be the most dangerous and aggressive of the sharks. Sea Otters (Carnivore, consumer, heterotroph):

Sea otters are found on the Pacific Coast of North America and in Asia. They have webbed feet, water repellant fur, and nostril and eyes that close in the water. The sea otter sleeps, hunts, mates, and gives birth in the water. They are the only otter to give birth in the water. They eat sea urchins, octopus, crab, squid, and fish. Sea otters stay very clean; after they eat they wash themselves in the ocean with their teeth and paws. Keeping themselves clean helps their coats stay water repellant. Early in the 20th century otters nearly reached extinction because they were hunted for their fur. Today many remain because they are protected by law.



Sea Turtles (Carnivore, Consumer, Heterotroph)

Sea Turtles are air breathing reptiles with large flippers. They live in tropical oceans throughout the world. There are six different kinds of sea turtles living in the United States. Although sea turtles spend most of their time in the ocean, females must return to the beaches to lay their eggs. All 7 species of sea turtle are listed as endangered species. Major threats to seat turtles are "destruction and alteration of nesting and foraging habitats, incidental capture in commercial and recreational fisheries, entanglement in marine debris, and vessel strikes" (10).



Marine Diatoms: (Producers, Autotroph)

Marine Diatoms are mostly found at the bottom of the sea. Diatoms are microscopic sea plants (phytoplankton). They are a major source of energy for the marine life. Its chlorophyll converts organic matter out of sunlight, carbon dioxide and water. The diatoms multiply by splitting. Although they are invisible, the outweigh in volume all other sea plants combined. (11)



Phytoplankton: (Producers, Autotroph)

Phytoplankton live in the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, and fresh water. Most of them are too small to be seen by the naked eye. When they are in high enough numbers, they may be seen as a green discoloration in the water due to chlorophyll. They obtain energy through the process of photosynthesis. Phytoplankton account for half of the photosynthetic activity on earth, which also means that they apply much of the oxygen. (12)

Aquatic Factors of Coastal Beaches

<span style="color: #ff00b4; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The interaction between land and sea is influenced by temperature, nutrients, and oxygen. The currents are more nutritionally rich on the coast rather then the deeper ocean.

<span style="color: #ff00b4; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Effects on Coastal Beaches

<span style="color: #ff00b4; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Pollution's effect on California Coastal Waters:

<span style="color: #ff00b4; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Pollution occurs from the entry of harmful chemicals, particles, industrial, agricultural, and residental waste is disposed in the ocean. When waste is incorporated into the marine ecosystem they can quickly be absorbed into their food webs causing deformations diseases and mutations in the marine life. Waste enters rivers and oceans directly from urban sewage systems. Oil spills, like the one that we are having right now, can be toxic to marine life and they are very difficult to clean up. (1)

<span style="color: #0051ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The current's effect on Coastal Seas:

<span style="color: #0051ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The California Current is a current that moves south along the west coast of North America. The movement of the northern water southward makes the coastal waters cooler. The wind drives the surface water off shore so that it makes the already cool water even cooler. The cool water is very productive because of the upwelling. The upwelling makes the surface nutrient-rich, which is good for whales, seabirds, and fisheries. The Davidson Current which is a weaker current, makes the water warmer in the winter. (9)

<span style="color: #d04239; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Endangered Species: (8)

<span style="color: #d04239; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Leatherback Turtle <span style="color: #d04239; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Blue Whale <span style="color: #d04239; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Loggerhead Sea Turtle <span style="color: #d04239; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Fairy Shrimp <span style="color: #d04239; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Goby <span style="color: #d04239; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Otter <span style="color: #d04239; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Humpback Whale

<span style="color: #9844f8; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Reflection:

<span style="color: #9844f8; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Coastal seas are good for humans because they are right off of the beaches so they are good vacation spots for people. Most of them are very safe for humans to swim and do other beach activities in. Coastal oceans are valuable to the planet because the plants and microorganisms that live there produce oxygen and other good things that are necessary for humans to have. They are also usually very clean, which makes for a cleaner, healthier environment.

Sources: <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">1. Various Authors. "Marine Pollution." Wikipedia.com. Wikimedia, 25 Aug. 2010. <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> Web. 7 Sept. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_pollution>.

<span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">2. Unknown. "Tiger Sharks." Canadian Shark Research Lab. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> 2010. <http://www.marinebiodiversity.ca/shark/english/ <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> tiger_shark.htm>.

<span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">3. Unknown. "Sea Turtles." Sea World/ Busch Gardens Animal Entertainment Database. <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> Busch Entertainment Corporation, 2002. Web. 9 Sept. 2010. <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/seaturtle/stdiet.html>.

<span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">4. Unknown. "Sea Otter." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 1996-2010. <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> Web. 9 Sept. 2010. <http://htt//animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/ <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> mammals/sea-otter.html>.

<span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">5. Unknown. "Pollution in Ocean." wvu.edu. West Virginia University, n.d. Web. 9 <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> Sept. 2010. <http://www.as.wvu.edu/~bio105/pdf/overheads4.pdf>.

<span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">6. Unknown. "Otters Diet & Eating Habits." Sea World/ Busch Gardens Animal <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> Entertainment Database. Bush Gardens Entertainment Corp, n.d. Web. 9 Sept. <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> 2010. <http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/otters/ <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> diet.htm>.

<span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">7. Unknown. "Elephant Seals." California State Parks. California State, 2009. Web. <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> 9 Sept. 2010. <http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1115>.

<span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">8 <span style="color: #e837eb; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">. <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Kurpis, Lauren. "Endangered Species in California." EndangeredSpecies.com. N.p., <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> 1997-2002. Web. 9 Sept. 2010. <http://www.endangeredspecie.com/states/ <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> ca.htm>.

<span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">9. Various Authors. "California Current." Wikipedia. Wikimedia, 8 Aug. 2010. Web. 9 <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> Sept. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Current>.

<span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">10 <span style="color: #e837eb; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">. <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> Unknown. "Marine Turtles." NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources. N.p., <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2010. <http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/ <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> turtles/>.

<span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">11. Unknown <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">. <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> "Science: Ocean Pasturage ." Time. Time Inc., 2010. Web. 9 Sept. 2010. <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,790047,00.html>.

<span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">12. Various Authors. "Phytoplankton." Wikipedia. Wikimedia, 19 Aug. 2010. Web. 9 Sept. 2010. <span style="color: #d723d7; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoplankton>.