Picture this: you're having a nice weekend at the lake with your family, fishing, swimming, and having an all-around great time. But then you notice that your boat isn't running as well as it should, especially considering you just cleaned it and made sure everything was in perfect condition before leaving your house. Puzzled, you take your boat out of the water to notice that the hull and motor is covered in tiny clam-like creatures, making your pristine white boat look like something that was just drug out of the bottom of the lake. What are these animals that ruined your weekend of fun? They are zebra mussels, and are found in lakes, rivers, and other bodies of freshwater across the U.S. Normally found in Eastern Europe, the first group of this invasive species hitched a ride in the ballast tanks of ocean liners in the 1980s, and quickly spread. Regulations are in place to stop the spread, but removing them from places that have already been infested is tricky. Today we will talk about the damages zebra mussels cause, how this problem is managed, and what you can do to help. A single female zebra mussel can produce up to a million eggs a year. Even though only about 20,000 of these survive to adulthood, this quickly adds up, leading to …show more content…
Also, it takes years to replenish the biodiversity of a lake after it has been infested by zebra mussels. Although little can be done to restore a body of water after zebra mussels have moved in, you can help stop the spread of zebra mussels. Proper cleaning of equipment, disposing of unused bait, and letting equipment dry completely dry before placing it in another body of water will effectively remove any traces of adults, larvae, and zebra mussel eggs and stop them from spreading to the next place you take your boat
Underwater shark nets make us feel safer at the beach,but are we? That’s the question. Are we safe? There are lots of possibilities that the shark, with sharp like knife teeth, may outsmart us. Because of shark attacks we use nets, called shark nets. However, that doesn’t mean nets used in the past prevented shark attacks. These nets don’t only trap sharks they trap other sea creatures.
Zebra Mussels also known as Dreissena polymorpha are small freshwater mollusk that have been invading America’s rivers and lakes. They originated from the Balkans, Poland and Soviet Union. In 1988, they were found in a small body of water connecting Lake Huron and Lake Erie, known as Lake St. Clair. Biologists believe that European port in the ballast water of a ship, dis...
Zebra mussels are filter-feeding organisms, They remove particles from sediments on lake bottoms. The zebra mussels process up to one gallon of water...
Known as Pterois Volitans in the animal kingdom, also called the red lionfish, is a sight to behold in the tropical waters as they swim like an underwater butterfly in the sea. In waters not native to their origin, as they are from the Pacific and have predators that will have them for a snack. Invasive to the Caribbean Sea they have rapidly reached the Gulf of Mexico and far south, spreading to parts of South America. The lionfish has become a persistent pest that’s more trouble than what it appears to be, attractive yet deceptive with a striking pattern of white and red stripes. In the New York Times article, A Call to Action… and Even Rodeos, scientists say that, “from 2005 onward, lionfish have become the most numerous nonnative invasive species in the world.” The average pound fish is one of nature’s clever creations, a venomous foe with spines and an infinite appetite that reproduce quickly. Invasive species are notorious because they have no or almost nonexistent natural predators and they are adapt to their new home very well. The biological adaptations of this fish has caused both ecological and economical mayhem, serious measures have been taken up to control their population as well as to protect our coral reefs.
One of the Bays biggest resources is its oysters. Oysters are filter feeders which mean they feed on agley and clean the water. The oysters feed on agley and other pollutants in the bay turning them into food, then they condense the food down to nutrients and sometimes developed pearls. Filtering the water helps the oysters to grow, and also helps clean the Chesapeake Bay. One oyster can filter 50 gallons of water a day, Oysters used to be able to filter the Bay in about a week. However, these creatures are now scarce in the bay. The Chesapeake Bays Oyster (crassostrea virginica) Population has declined severely because of over harvesting, agricultural runoff, and disease. Now the Chesapeake Bay is becoming polluted without the oysters and the water is not nearly as clean as it once was. The Chesapeake Bay was the first estuary in the nation to be targeted for restoration as an integrated watershed and ecosystem. (Chesapeake Bay Program n/d). This report will show the cause and effect of the Chesapeake Bay's Oyster decline on the Bay.
Shrieks of shock come from the first 5 rows of people as they are doused in water. Tilikum, the 12,000 pound orca who measures in at a whopping 22 feet in length, jumps into the air on command and splashes the crowd who has paid a hefty price to sit and enjoy the show. It was certainly not the first show Tilikum and his trainer, Dawn Brancheau, had done together. To the crowd’s horror though, it would be the last. While going through the routine during their show on February 24, 2010, something seemed to be wrong. Mid-act Tilikum grabbed Dawn’s arm and ponytail and pulled her underneath the water. After having many bones broken and sustaining many life threatening injuries, Dawn was drowned to death by Tilikum in his tank with a live audience
In 1831, Asian carp were brought over as a delicacy. Asian carp are originally from Asia (Barbara A. Somervill 13). They were imported by catfish farmers in 1963 for federal research on controlling aquatic vegetation. In 1966, the first Asian carp had escaped into Arkansas waters. By 1970, grass carp we're being stocked in Arkansas waters to help with over vegetation. In 1972, big head carp were brought in the United States by a fish farmer in Arkansas to improve his water quality and fish production. In 1973, silver carp were introduced for phytoplankton control (Watershed Council 1). Over time, they were brought over for different reasons and made their way into many of the United States waters. The federal government had transported the invasive species to help the waters but, they did not realize the bad effects that the fish would have on the future environment. People need to find a way to stop them before it’s too late. Their rapid breeding has had a great toll on the environment and is still affecting it today. Over population can destroy the environment
Lionfish are not currently listed as threatened in their native range. However, the increase in pollution in coral reefs can negatively affect the lionfish's primary food sources (NOAA, 2011). If lionfish are unable to adapt to declines in their prey species, their numbers will decrease. Although between the increasing reef pollution and the Lionfish’s voracious appetite reef populations will more than likely be damaged beyond repair, they may even be close to elimination by the time the Lionfish population actually declines (Albins, 2013).
From a crab to a barnacle, crustaceans are a diverse group of animals that inhabit much of the world. This lesson will explore what it means to be a crustacean and will also provide some example organisms.
The Chesapeake Bay plays host to an astonishing amount of plant and animal life, providing much of our fish intake for species that aren’t being overfished. For the species that are being overdrawn, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation is working to restore the populations, and it’s going well thus far. Another theme that is endangering the marine life populations as well as the health of the human population is the massive amount of polluti...
As reported by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), Eurasian milfoil, which is native to Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa, was most likely accidentally introduced to the United States through ballast water, which is water from other places that is dumped into another body of water to aid in stabilizing a ship. The aquatic species are oftentimes trapped in these ballast waters and are released with them into new and unknown environments. This can lead to rapid growth of the invasive species and can become an endangerment to other organisms that...
The algal growths in the lake feed on phosphorus mostly caused by fertilizer runoff from farms and local residences. Microcystin, a toxin that causes liver problems, is produced by the growths have caused major health concerns for wildlife and people using the lake. It is our moral obligation to clean up this mess or it will continue to harm the wildlife and environment in and the lake, as we are the one’s solely responsible for it. Organizations such as the Ohio EPA and Buckeye Lake for Tomorrow, have taken a notice to the pollution of Buckeye Lake and are formulating plans to return the lake to its former glory. Our plan is to provide a short term solution for the lake via the process of dredging, while a much larger and permanent solution is put in
“Overfishing occurs when more fish are caught than the population can replace through natural reproduction”. CITATION
"Ocean Pollution." MarineBio Conservation Society ~ Marine Biology, Ocean Life Conservation, Sea Creatures, Biodiversity, Research... Web. 19 May 2014.
...try brings; many fishermen will make it their priority to use the best equipment possible. By limiting what equipment can be used, how many sharks can be caught per year, and what times during the year they can be caught, hopefully shark population numbers will begin to increase. Most sharks’ fins only account for 5% of their actual body, and being that shark fishermen only want that small percentage, the other 95% of the body is thrown back into the ocean. This horrifying statistic really epitomizes this disgusting industry. Obviously a shark without its fins in the ocean will be left stranded away from its family, and death will definitely be inevitable. Overall, shark finning is an extremely devastating practice and there are so many possible solutions to put an end to it, but it’s hard to say if it will ever be completely outlawed, and enforced thoroughly.