Bruce's Top 20 Fish Picks of 2007 (Fish of the Marianas assignment)

Common names: Scientific Name: Location:

Tiger Shark Galeocerdo cuvier Outside reefs and sometimes inside Saipan’s lagoon

Manta Ray Manta birostris Often seen in deep waters around TIQ, SPN Lagoon

Giant Moray Gymnothorax javanicus Saipan’s Barrier Reef, Reef Patchs in Tinian and Rota

Estuarine stonefish Synanceia horrida Throughout the beaches of the CNMI

Giant trevally Caranx ignobilis Throughout the deep waters within and outside of the reefs

Pacific Double-saddle butterflyfish Chaetodon ulietensis Throughout the beaches of the CNMI

Emperor angelfish Pormacanthus imperator Throughout the beaches of the CNMI as well as the reefs

Twoband anemonefish Amphiprion bicinctus along the sea anemone on the reefs

Great Barracuda Sphyraena barracuda In and out of Lagoons, deep waters.

Bluebarred parrotfish Scarus ghobban In and around the reefs

Bluespine unicornfish Naso unicornis In, around and around reefs

Pacific Blue Tang Paracanthurus hepatus Around the reef

Forktail rabbitfish Siganus argenteus Around the reef

White-barred triggerfish Rhinecanthus aculeatus Around the reef and in the lagoon

Longhorn cowfish Lactoria cornuta Around the lagoon and reef

Solander’s sharpnose puffer Canthigaster solandri all over the reef and in lagoons

Harlequin snake eel Myrichthys colubrinus Inside of lagoons and around the reefs

Hawaiian lionfish Pterois sphex In holes of reefs

Red bass/ Red Snapper Lutjanus bohar deep waters in lagoons and outside re

Panther flounder Bothus pantherinus sandy beaches depending on their colors for camouflage

Coral Reefs!

1. How is each reef structure formed?

Fringing reefs are formed around a volcanic island that subsides completely.

Barrier reefs form when land masses sink, and fringing reefs become separated from shorelines by wide channels.

If the land mass is a small island, it may eventually disappear below the ocean surface, and the reef becomes an atoll. Atolls are reefs that surround a central lagoon. The result is several low coral islands around a lagoon. An atoll can also be formed when a the volcanoes completely blows up and is no longer visible.

2. Where is each reef structure found?

Fringing reefs border shorelines of continents and islands in tropical seas. (when no body of water is in between/separating the land and the reef)Fringing reefs are commonly found in the South Pacific Hawaiian Islands, and parts of the Caribbean.

Barrier reefs are common in the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific which occurs farther offshore. Here, the reef and island is separated by a body of water (lagoon).

Atolls commonly occur in the Indo- Pacific. They are found mostly as circular

3. Give examples of the types of corals found on reefs.

Hard, Stony, table, staghorn, mushroom, and hermatypic coral. (and many more!)

4. Give examples of competition, predation, and grazing.

Competition: Coral vs. Coral (For Space!)

Predation: A Killerwhale hunting seals

Grazing: Sea urchins eating kelp

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS: CHAPTER 14

1. What factors might account for the fact that the vast majority of atolls occur in the Indian and Pacific oceans and that atolls are rare in the Atlantic?

First, the waters are warm in the Indo-Pacific. therefore, coral reefs could survive. Again, Coral needs warm water. unlike the Atlantic Ocean, the waters there are cold. Next is that the Pacific Ocean is home to the Ring of Fire (chains of vocanic activity) which is one known main factor for making atolls.

2. Scientists predict that the ocean will get warmer and the sea level will rise as a result of an intensified greenhouse effect. How might this affect coral reefs?

The one thing about coral is that its very fragile! cold water would kill it just as water thats too warm or hot. So if the sea becomes warmer, then it would be possible to have coral reefs in the atlantic, but the ones in the pacific would die because the water will be too warm. Now if the sea level rises, then both oceans won't be capable of sustaining a coral reefs because coral would be too deep down in the water that it won't be able to capture sunlight needed for survival.

3. There are only a few reefs off the northeast coast of Brazil, even though it lies in the tropics. How would you explain this?

There are only a few reefs in the northeastern coast of Brazil simply because of erosion. There are numerous rivers that flow in and out of the area, depositing sedmient particles of dirt and rubble as well as human pollution. Also, during storms, it is known that the area gets flooded, dragging in more and more pollution and erosion out into the ocean. Only a few reefs in the area manages to stay alive.

Similarities:

1. All can be found throughout the Indo-Pacific

2. Fringing reefs, barrier reefs, and atolls are all related stages in the sequence of atoll reef formation

3. All could be found in warm waters

4. All were once a volcanoe.

5. All can sustain life.

Differences:

1. Location

2. Fringing reefs are most common

3. Atolls are fully emerged.

4. Barrier reefs have open water in between land and itself.

5. Atolls are much older than barrier and fringing reefs.

Seafloor Spreading

Above: The Worlds Seafloor

Seafloor spreading (This is how the Mariana's Trench was formed)

Post the map and description of the following:

What is sea floor spreading?

occurs at mid-ocean ridges, where new oceanic crust is formed through volcanic activity and then gradually moves away from the ridge. Seafloor spreading helps explain continental drift in the theory of plate tectonics

What are some of the major land forms that are created from plate movement?

The seperation of land (ex. Pangaea into the 7 continents), trenches, mountains, canyons, and more.

How were the Mariana Islands formed?

constant vocanoe activities where the eruption cooled. Thosands of years in-the-making!

What evidence exists today that the plates are still moving and that the islands are ancient volcanoes?

Earthquakes and vocanoes, as well as the samples collected on atolls.

What is an atoll?

An atoll is an island of coral that encircles a lagoon partially or completely (sinking island)

Why are atolls mainly found on the Pacific?

Because of the ring of fire (many vocanoes in one area, gives a bigger chance of atolls), and most importantly, is because coral reefs grow survive on atolls, and in order to do so, they need warm water.

Pillow Star

Pillow Sea Star

Classification Kindom: Echinoderms
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Asteroidea (seastars)
Habitat: Shallow patch, barrier, and fringing reefs.
Food Source: may consume coral polyps, clams, and oysters; or any animal too slow to evade the attack (e.g. dying fish) or algae.
Description of life cycle: As same as a Starfish
How does it move: cannot move quickly. However, like starfish from genus Astropecten and Luidia are capable of rapid, creeping motion: "gliding" across the ocean floor. This motion results from their pointed tube feet adapted specially for excavating patches of sand.
Unique characteristics: Pillow seastar can right itself if rolled over by inflating half of its body until the tube feet can get a grip. As it grows, it loses its arms and becomes spherical. Starfish are capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction

Role in the ecosystem: These bottom dwellers play a crucial role in the ocean ecosystem, as prey when they are free-floating larvae and as predator when they reach adulthood. Few animals eat adult Pillow Stars, which are apparently neither palatable nor nutritious.

Genetics-Cell Cycle Questions

1. What is DNA?

• DNA or Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms. The main role of DNA molecules is the long-term storage of information and is often compared to a set of blueprints, since it contains the instructions needed to construct other components of cells, such as proteins and RNA molecules.

2. What are the 4 bases?

• Guanine
• Cytosine
• Adenine
• Thymine

3. What 2 pieces of information did the scientists need to solve the elusive structure of DNA?

• base-pair interactions
• Genetic engineering

4. What are the specific base pairs?

• Adenine (A) forms a base pair with thymine (T), as does guanine (G) with cytosine (C) in DNA. In RNA, thymine is replaced by uracil (U).

5. How does the pairing rule effect the shape and structure of DNA?

• The sequence of the pairings forms a code which holds genetic information. When the code is paired, each rung in the helix would become equal in length, and the sugar-phosphate backbone will smoothen.

6. What does the DNA do during cell division?

• Cells stop dividing because the telomeres (protective bits of DNA on the end of a chromosome) become shorter with each division and eventually can no longer protect the chromosome.

7. How many base pairs does E. Coli have? How long does it take to replicate? How is the DNA packaged in the cell?

• E. Coli has around 4 or more million base pairs. They can replicate in millions in minutes and billions a day. E. Coli is package tightly to a cell in condensed fashion.

8. How many base pairs does Human DNA have? How long does it take to replicate? How is the DNA packaged in the cell?

• About 3 billion pairs in about a half to a full day. It is packaged in 23 distinct chromosome pairs that’s “Spiral” shaped.

1. What is RNA? How different is it from DNA?

• Ribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid, consisting of many nucleotides that form a polymer. In RNA, each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate

2. How are the RNA messages formed?

• Messenger RNA (mRNA) is single-stranded. Its sequence of nucleotides is called "sense" because it results in a gene product (protein). Normally, its unpaired nucleotides are "read" by transfer RNA anticodons as the ribosome proceeds to translate the message.

3. How are the RNA messages interpreted?

• Codons, in groups of three nucleotides.

1. Describe cell cycle.

• Cell’s chromosomes are divided between the two daughter cells, and cytokinesis, in which the cell's cytoplasm divides forming distinct cells. From here, the cells continue to divide by two in a repeated process.

2. What is nuclear division.

• When the nucleus divides and engage with subphases

3. What is interphase.

• Interphase is a phase of the cell cycle when the cells obtain nutrients.

4. Cytokinesis.

• is the process when the cytoplasm of a single cell is divided to spawn two daughter cells

5. Homologous chromosomes.

• Are chromosomes in a biological cell that pair synapse during meiosis, or non-identical chromosomes that contain information for the same biological features and contain the same genes at the same loci but maybe different genetic information.

6. Phases of mitosis (5 of them).

• Interphase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase, Cytokinesis

7. Phases of meiosis and how it is different from mitosis.

• Prophase I , Metaphase I, Anaphase I, Telophase I, Prophase II , Metaphase II, Anaphase II, and Telophase II. Meiosis may start out the same as with mitosis, but then they eventually split once again after the first cytokinesis to form more chromosome 8.

8. Describe the process and purpose of crossing over.

• Crossing over is a process when two chromosomes are paired up during prophase 1 of meiosis, and then the exchange of some portion of their DNA. Crossing over is mainly initiated in pachytene, before the synaptonemal complex develops, and is not completed until near the end of prophase 1. Crossover usually occurs when matching regions on matching chromosomes break and then reconnect to the other chromosome. The result of this process is an exchange of genes, called genetic recombination.

Exotic creatures found in the coral triangle of the Philippines

Check out these photos of the newly discovery species found in the deep waters of the Philippines. The expedition included over two dozen U.S. and Philippine scientists and a group from National Geographic — including underwater photographer Emory Kristof, who teamed with noted underwater explorer Robert Ballard of WHOI in 1985 to find the wreckage of the Titanic.

Animal Cells

animal cell are forms of eukaryotic cells which make up many tissues in animals. they actually have small vacuoles. Due to the lack of a rigid cell wall, animal cells can adopt a variety of shapes.

Post your answer the questions below:

1. What are ribosomes?
2. does an animal cell contain a cell wall?
3. Where are where ribosomes constructed?

"Chicken Soup for the Beer Drinkers Soul"

" ......Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, "It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver! "

Currents Of Our World!

Earths Main Currents

Ocean currents are continous directed movements of ocean water that flows in any of the earth's ocean. Currents are also forms of rivers of cold or hot water in the ocean. these currents are caused by the forces of the water in the earth's rotation, wind, temperature, and salinity differences and the gravity of the moon. other currents (such as the shoreline and depth contours) are influenced by the current's strength and direction. Currents contribute to the distribution of marine organisms around the earth. Currents stir the nutrients needed for marine life that have settled in deep waters. Currents also help move these organisms move around the ocean. If global warming increases, the ocean currents can become deadly. Warm currents will target icebergs and melt them. Scientists believe the disruption of these currents could actually bring the next ice age! The movement of ocean currents is influenced by changes in water density. Differences in water density associated with temperature and salinity play an important role in in shaping ocean currents.

Pacific Cool "Rhythm of The Islands"

Weird Sea Creatures!

Fact: One in a million of lobsters are blueDead Giant Squid

Giant Squid caught on Camera

Another Pic

Leafy Sea Dragon

A Basketwork & SquidChimaera fish

Chimaera pup

Prickly shark

Sour Food

Introduction

What makes food sour? Foods become sour when they receive a high concentration of loose hydrogen atoms. Atoms are tiny particles that make up just about everything we see. They also link to make molecules. Different food have different taste, and every taste has its own amount of hydrogen atoms.

Hypothesis

In this experiment, I will see which foods are most sour.

Materials

The materials I used in the experiment were five different foods, (Lemon juice, vinegar, orange juice, milk, and water), five regular plastic (clear) cups, five bottles, 5 blank food labels, a pen, a cup of dye, and a microscope.

Procedures

First, I emptied each of the five foods into five bottles and labeled each bottle by numbers one to five. Next, I lined up the empty cups right in front of them. Then, I poured five drops of each food from the bottles in each of the empty cups. After that, I identified the cups of what foods I implemented by numbering them matching that to their number bottle they came from. Then, I added a drop of dye to each of the cups. Doing so, each of the foods in the cups changed colors. Next I used a microscope to look into each of the cups too see the hydrogen atoms. Finally I rearranged each cup into in order of highest concentration of loose hydrogen to its lowest.

Data

An illustration of the foods in different numbered cups.

Results

During the dye procedure, I noticed the colors of the foods changed. Looking through the microscope (magnified millions of times), I saw each food’s estimated quantity of hydrogen atoms. Here I found out the most to least sour foods. Most sour was the lemon juice, followed by vinegar, orange juice, milk, and the least was water. The reason why these foods resulted in that order is because of their high concentration. That means the higher amount loose hydrogen atoms with high concentration, the more sour. Oranges and apples are sour because they have an intermediate concentration, while milk and bananas have too few, making it almost not sour at all.

Explanation

1. What are acids and bases?

· Acids are basically substances that donate protons (hydrogen ions, H⁺) to bases. An acid also produces H30⁺ when dissolved in water. Basis is the substances that accept the protons from the acids. They also produce OH- when dissolve in water.

2. What is a molecule?

· A molecule is a combination of two or more atoms.

3. Why is pH important in the ocean?

· pH is important in the ocean because aquatic life needs it. The lower the pH (which can be caused by metals) can be more toxic because they are more soluble.

Holes in Bread

Introduction

Have you ever noticed the holes in bread? If you look at some bread really closely, you will find holes in it. A molecule actually makes these holes. Molecules are tiny particles that make everything around us. How do these molecules make the holes in bread?

Hypothesis

In this experiment, I will see what really makes these

Materials

The materials I used in the experiment were a clear (science) tube, spoon, a small cup of yeast, a small cup of sugar, a glass of warm water, a Popsicle stick, timer and flashlight.

Procedures

First, using the spoon, I added three scoops of yeast into the science tube. Second, I added three scoops of sugar to the tube. (Yeast is an ingredient of bread, and sugar is food for yeast). Then carefully, I filled the tube but only to make it three fourths of warm water. After, I start and continued to stir the ingredients together using a Popsicle stick until the water turns the same color as the yeast. (I used a timer, but it isn’t necessary). Next, when the same color revealed itself, I took the flashlight and shine almost directly (very closely) to the tube. Finally, you should be able to see the bubbles.

Data

An illustration of what would be going on in the tube if you were using a microscope.

Results

Molecules are tiny particles that make everything around us. One of the ingredients for making bread is yeast. Yeast is a living thing that feeds on the sugar molecules. It breaks the sugar molecules apart into new molecules. Sugar is food for the yeast. The reaction in the tube took a little time but turn out successful. When I looked closely with a flashlight, it revealed the bubbles which bubbled up the tube. It looked as if it was boiling. When the sugar molecules broke up, it became carbon dioxide gas molecules (and alcohol molecules). These carbon dioxide gas molecules were the cause of the bubbles I saw in the tube and also bread. The chemical reaction also in the tube also happens with bread. When yeast is added to bread dough, it breaks apart the sugar molecules in flour. When the carbon dioxide gas bubbles are trapped in the bread dough, it leaves holes when the bread is baked.

Explanation

Holes in Bread:
1. What gas causes the bubbles?

• Carbon dioxide gas molecules make tiny bubbles
  2. How was the gas produced?
• The bubbles are made by a chemical reaction. Yeast is a living thing, so when the yeast feeds on the sugar molecues, it breaks them apart into carbon dioxide molecues and then the carbon dioxide molecues make the gas bubbles.
  3. How does CO2 get in the ocean?
• The ocean absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere, but it’s a very long process. The oceans also holds most of the carbon because CO2 more soluble in water than a lot of different gases.

Tides

A. What is tidal range
* Tidal range is the difference in water between successive high and low tides.

B. What causes high and low tides?
* The tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun and by the rotation of the earth, moon, and the sun.

C. What causes Spring and Neap tides?
* When the sun and moon are in line with one another, (which happens at the full and new moons), their effects add together making spring tides. Neap tides are caused when the sun and moon are directly right angles. their effects partially cancel each other. During neap tides, the tidal range are small. They happen when the moon is in the first and third quarters.

D. How does tidal range effect the types of organisms and the shape and size of the organisms?
* Tides have always effected different types of organisms. During and low tides, organisms are washed up to shore. Tidal range has also always drove the circulation of bays, seas, and the ocean.