Black Oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani, commonly known as the black oystercatcher, is a large costal shorebird. It is about the size of a crow, the average height being about 17 inches tall. Females are usually larger than males. The bird’s feathers are completely black, however, black oystercatchers with all black feathers range only from Alaska to Oregon. Most birds south of Oregon also have white and brown feathers mixed in. Its eyes are yellow encircled by a ring of red skin. Its legs are stout and colored a dull pink to dull orange, making the name “Haematopus” suiting because of its meaning: “blood-foot”. The foot has three “toes” that extend forward but none that extend backward. Its beak is flattened laterally and is a red-orange color, but immature birds may display a black tip. Its beak averages about 9 centimeters. Black oystercatchers have a wide range of habitat stretching from the shores of the Aleutian Islands to the south tip of Baja California. They are coastal birds. They prefer rocky coastlines, usually with high mussel populations. They also inhabit many is...
The bald eagle is a sea eagle with a white head, which is why its scientific name is Haliaeetus leucocephalus. This comes from the Latin words hali, meaning sea, aeetus, meaning eagle, leuco, meaning white and cephalis, meaning head. Adult Haliaeetus leucocephalus’ have a white head and tail, yellow beak and feet and a brown body. Female bodies can be up to 110cm is length, their wingspan can be up to 240cm in width and can weigh anywhere from 3kg to 6.5kg with males being slightly smaller on the whole. Haliaeetus leucocephalus comes from the Eukarya domain, Anamalia kingdom, Chordata phylum, Aves class, Acci...
Isle Royal is located fifty-six miles north of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. It is the largest wilderness area in Michigan (USNPS, 2014). The island is surrounded by Lake Superior, which creates a cooler temperature. This results in arctic plant species growth on the island. There are only eighteen mammal species present on the island because most mammals cannot make the trip across the frozen great lake (USNPS, 2014). The need for an ice bridge is not the only environmental factor that is stopping the migration of animals; there is also the severe cold, and also wind and fog (Vucetich, 2012). Some species such as caribou and coyote have found the island to be too intense and have gone extinct (Vucetich, 2012). Due to the harsh weather and isolation of the island, humans have never regularly lived on the island (Vucetich, 2012). Some of species that are present such as the red squirrel are becoming their own subspecies due to its separation from the mainland (USNPS, 2014). The isolation of Isle Royal is what makes it a great place to conduct research, it has very low human interaction and the species that are on the island will have been and continue to be isolated from the mainland.
Every day many species are slowly becoming either endangered or extinct and recently an endangered bird species called piping plovers, started nesting on Revere Beach. What would seem as a miraculous discovery, many are averse to their new inhabitants on the beach. Many Revere residents are complaining because the piping plovers now occupy parts of “their” beach. But in the article “Revere Beach should welcome the piping plover” The Editorial Board believes that the presence of the piping plover could be greatly beneficial to the city of Revere and I certainly agree. What led me to select this particular article is my concern for the many endangered species in the world like the piping plover. Human hands have led many species to become endangered
The Long Island Sound is an estuary, and is in fact one of the largest in the world. An estuary is a place where salt water from the ocean mixes with fresh water from the rivers that drain from the land. Moreover, like other estuaries, the Long Island Sound has an abundance of fish and other waterfowl that add to the natural balance of the island, as well as one of the most important economic factors (Tedesco). Like other estuaries around the world, the Sound provides breeding, feeding, nesting, and nursery areas for many species that will spend most of their adult lives in the oceans (Long Island Sound Study). Despite these similarities to other estuaries, the Long Island Sound is unique from anywhere else in the world. Unlike other estuaries, the Long Island Sound does not just have one connection to the sea but it has two. It has two major sources of fresh water flowing into the bay that empty into the ocean. It combines this two-...
Black, T., Kennedy, G (2003). Birds of Michigan. (p. 180). Auburn, WA: Lone Pine Publishing.
Varricchio, David J., Frankie Jackson, and Clive N. Trueman. “A Nesting Trace with Eggs for
Before development exploded in California, the state contained about 5 million acres of wetland habitat. Unfortunately, over the years California has been willing to part with 91 percent of its wetlands, Southern California having lost 95 percent. Los Angeles County has only one wetland remaining. This being the Ballona Wetlands located between Marina del Rey and the Westchester bluffs, it was once a major part of California’s natural wetland systems. Before development, Ballona wetlands natural habitat covered 2002 acres. This area, 800 to 1000 acres, referred to as Playa Vista by its owners is made up of salt marsh freshwater marsh and part upland and dune areas. It is considered Los Angeles’ largest ‘wetland ecosystem’. Although degraded over the years it still functions as a normal natural wetland - providing vital services. A major function it provides is that it filters out toxic wastes and pollutants from stormwater runoff before they reach the Santa Monica Bay. It is "a coastal plain, and acts as a flood plain for the surrounding area" (FOBW Information folder 1998: Fact Sheet). Ballona is an integral part of the Pacific flyaway, providing vital feeding and nesting habitat for over 185 species of birds, including some on the federal endangered species list. The southwestern willow flycatcher, an endangered species, was just recently seen by developers in an area cleared for construction. Ballona is no doubt a welcomed refuge to all species, both flora and fauna, from the industrial landscape of Los Angeles. The Friends of Ballona Wetlands have said it is "a spawning ground for commercial and sport fish, and a vital source of nutrients for the entire coastal marine environment" (FOBW Information folder 1998: 20 years of C...
WaldGeorge G., Erin P. Voigt, Heather Bergschneider, Mark A. Green Roger I. E. Newell et al. “Biocalcification in the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) in Relation to Long-term Trends in Chesapeake Bay pH.” Estuaries and Coasts (2011) 34:221–231.
Nelson, R., Stenstorm, J., Audel, H., Coleman, J., Walker, M., Serengeti, S., & Tucker, D. (2003). Estuaries Biome. Retrieved March 12, 2014, from http://thewildclassroom.com/biomes/estuaries.html
Princeton University Press. “The Extreme Life of the Sea.” princeton.edu. Princeton University Press. 11 Feb. 2014 Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
Oysters in the Chesapeake Bay are struggling right now. “Maryland, Virginia, and their federal partners are faced with a historic opportunity. An exhaustive five-year study concluded that importing a foreign oyster is the wrong approach and that restoration of the native oyster should be scaled up and focused.”(cbf 2010). With new plans President Obama put in place, the oyster restoration program is on the right path. “President Barack Obama issued an Executive Order for the Chesapeake Bay in 2009, and in response the federal government set a goal of rebuilding functioning networks of oyster reefs in 20 tributaries by 2025.”(cbf 2010). This type of forward thinking is going to increase the Chesapeake Bay's oyster population.
...emale leatherback turtle and her habits in order to fully understand this critically endangered marine animal.
Burton, R. & Kress, S. W., (2010). Bird profiles: American Crow. Audubon North American birdfeeder guide (Rev. ed., p. 150). New York: DK.
The Black Cat, by Edgar Allen Poe, is a story about a man whose love for animals is overcome by an extreme hatred toward the creatures. What goes around comes around is a saying that would most effectively convey the message of this story because Poe implies that people will inevitably suffer the consequences of their actions. Through the careful construction of plot, the ongoing use of irony, and the rapid development of character, Poe captures the reader’s undivided attention and evokes a wide variety of emotions through this short story
Lotze, Heike K., Marta Coll, Anna M. Magera, Christine Ward-Paige, and Laura Airoldi. "Recovery of Marine Animal Populations and Ecosystems." Trends in Ecology & Evolution 26.11 (2011): 595-605. Print.