Introduction
In an article entitled, Seahorse Power, journalist Andrew Seale states that seahorses have always peaked human curiosity for centuries. The first appearance of the seahorse goes back to Ancient Greece where they appeared on scrolls and in seaside tales from the Victorian age. The hippocampus in the human brain is like that of a seahorse. (Seale, 2012). The common seahorse (Hippocampus kuda) goes by names as estuary; yellow and spotted seahorse.
Seahorses possess horse-like heads, armor-plated bodies, curved trunks, and prehensile tails. It is estimated to be about 35 to 40 seahorse species. Seahorses can be found at local aquariums, pet store, or even a gift shop where they are dead and dried to be sold as souvenirs. The common seahorse is a member of the Syngnathidae family, which also includes pipefish and sea dragons (Tacio, 2010). Helen Scales states that seahorses have “a suite of unusual biological features that include male pregnancy and apparently widespread monogamy (Scales, 2010)."
Conservation Status
The common seahorse is listed as "Vulnerable" on The International Union Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List list.
Range
One can find the common seahorse throughout South East Asia, Australia, Japan and even Hawaii. According to National Geographic, H. kuda inhabits shallow tropical and temperate waters all around the globe (National Geographic, n.d.). They are also found in inshore shallow areas.
Habitat
Common seahorses are typically found in shallow inshore areas with an average depth of zero to eight meters, but seahorses have been found at lower depths of fifty-five meters. They inhabit Mangroves, coastal seagrass beds, estuaries, coastal bays and lagoons, harbors...
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Rosa, I. L., Oliveira, T. P., Osorio, F. M., Moraes, L. E., Castro, A. L., Barros, G. M., & Avles , R. R. (2011). Fisheries and trade of seahorses in Brazil: historical perspective, current trends, and future directions. Biodiversity & Conservation, 20(9), 1951-1971. doi:10.1007/s10531-011-0068-2
Seale, A. (2012). Seahorse Power. Alternatives Journal, 38(5), 36-39.
Scales, H. (2010). Advances in the ecology, biogeography and conservation of seahorses (genus Hippocampus). Progress In Physical Geography, 34(4), 443-458. doi:10.1177/0309133310364928
The Seahorse Trust (2010). Seahorse Facts. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://www.theseahorsetrust.org/seahorse-facts.aspx
- Tacio, H. (2010, May 30). Economic and health benefits of seahorse. Sun Star [Davao], p. 1. Retrieved from http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/economic-and-health-benefits-seahorse
In this entertaining, search into global fish hatcheries, New York Times writer Paul Greenberg investigates our historical connection with the ever changing ocean and the wild fish within it. In the beginning of the book Paul is telling his childhood fishing stories to his friends, that night Paul discovers that that four fish dominate the world’s seafood markets in which are salmon, tuna, cod, and bass. He tries to figure out why this is and the only logical answer he could come up with is that four epochal shifts caused theses wild fish population to diminish. History shows that four epochal shifts happen within fifteen years causing certain fish species populations to diminish. He discovers for each of the four fish why this happened to
One of the most common dolphins that are found in southern California is the bottlenose dolphin (Kelly). The bottlenose dolphin is mainly found in coastal waters between 45 degrees north and 45 degrees south, also in Northern Europe waters. It is believed that there are two types of bottlenose dolphin regional wise: oceanic form and coastal form. This species is studied the most by biologists (Jefferson). The coastal population lives in fairly open groups with twenty or less in a pod, some groups are found to contain more in open ocean. It is not uncommon for these species to interact and breed with other species, as would a human interact with other diverse humans. The dolphins feeding behavior is adapted to the availability of resources. They sometimes are known to work together to catch fish from large schools, they also trail behind large fishing boats to catch what falls behind (Leatherwood).
The manatee has been on the endangered species list since the year. 2001. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' This is caused by pollution in the water, power boats, and slow reproductivity. The symbiosis of the symbiosis. As a result, humans are putting an effort into saving these seas.
There has been a steep decline in sea otter populations due to water pollution and exploitation of furs. This has adversely affected marine ecology. It is therefore suggested that sea otters should be included in the endangered species list to protect them from further exploitation. This study focuses on the community ecology of sea otters and their impact on marine ecology. The need for their inclusion in the Endangered Species list and the implications of such an intervention are also evaluated.
Shirihai, H. and B. Jarrett (2006). Whales, Dolphins and Other Marine Mammals of the World. Princeton, Princeton University Press. p.185-188.
Princeton University Press. “The Extreme Life of the Sea.” princeton.edu. Princeton University Press. 11 Feb. 2014 Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
A big change that has occurred in the oceans all over the world is the Coral Reefs are dying and are predicted to be dead by the end of the century due to the rising acidity of the oceans caused by many different threats to marine ecosystems. Coral reefs cover less than 0.2% of our oceans but they contain 25% of the world’s marine fish species according to Endangered: Biodiversity on the brink, 2010: pg.45). If this is the case that means by the time the end of the century comes around we will have lost close to 25% of the worlds marine ecosystems.
This policy memo addresses the development and expansion of the cattle ranching industry in Brazil, which has contributed to the mass deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon in the last 40 years. It exposes the regional and global consequences to deforestation and provides strategies for the Brazilian government to sustainably manage cattle ranching industries while protecting the future of the Amazon. The rainforest ecosystem is an immense reserve of natural recourses that is far more valuable than the beef produced on Brazilian cattle ranches. Not only does the rainforest create habitat for up to 65% of the world’s biodiversity, but when harvested sustainably, it provides humans with an abundance of spices, foods, oils, medicines and vital research areas (NEWMAN).
he horse, Equus ferus caballus, is a subspecies from the family Equidae. Over the past 50 million years, through survival adaptations, the common horse has evolved from a relatively small, multi-toed animal into the large, single toed animal known today (Wilson,. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore).
Both the snow leopard and the green turtle are classified as endangered under the IUCN red list with decreasing population trends. Both live in very different habita...
The Monterey Bay Sea Otters There are a number of sea otters who are an important part of this world and they form a fairly large population and that is why it is felt that they should be preserved at all costs. They are an important source of earning for the people and they are also important in the sense that they provide an important source of earning to the people and their is an entire group of people who use this field as their source of earning. Besides the population of these otters keeps fluctuating and it has to be maintained because if the number fluctuate exponentially and if they get out of hand they can damage the ecological and the environmental balance of the world. Similarly the fishing and the killing of these otters can cause the damage to the balance because just like the excess of anything can cause a problem similarly the excess supply can cause a lot of major problem as well. These otters vary in sizes and this is an unchartered territory with a number of parasites who do vary in species and sizes and they all have their purposes and pros and cons and they impact our life and the balance of the world in a different manner. As the size varies so does the importance of the otters and the smaller ones might be innocuous while the larger ones can be the source of food as well and some of the larger species can also act as the predators and they act as a deterrent for the other species because they keep the check over the other species. They may pose a hazard of some type in some of the cases but their habitats and their productive cycles are all the things that need to be considered by us as human beings. Similarly their eating habits and appetites can alter and impact our world and our actions and reactions an...
Whale sharks were named Rhincodon typus by Andrew Smith, in 1828. The naming was hard due to the similarities between the family Ginglymostomatidae and the family Orectolobiformes. The closest relatives to the whale shark are nurse and zebra sharks. The whale shark is the only species in their family, Rhincondontidae. Whale sharks...
The Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, is part of the marine mammals group. They are found in oceans all over the world, they live in open waters. Even though they are mammals, they do not live on land (Monterey Bay Aquarium). Humpback whales are known for their magical song that can travel great distances. These gentle giants are omnivores, their main diet is krill. They are mostly found near coastlines feeding on tiny shrimp-like krill, plankton and small fish. Humpbacks migrate annually from summer feeding grounds near the poles to warmer winter breeding water closer to the Equator. Humpback whales are powerful swimmers, and they use their massive tail fin, called a fluke to propel themselves through or even out of the water! Mothers and their young swim close together, often touching one another with their flippers with what appears to be gestures of affection. Even though it takes more than one year for a humpback whale to grow fully, mother whales leave them after one year (National Geographic).
Overfishing is the most major problem related to oceans, but it is also the most overlooked. Fishing has been going on for thousands of years, and fish have always been seen as a renewable resource, that would replenish itself forever for our benefit. But around the world there is evidence that fish are not recove...
Did you know in the world there are more than 90 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises? (WDC) The dolphin is a very important animal to the ocean and there are many different types to discover. In order to learn about dolphins, it is important to discuss where they live, their appearance, and what they eat. Some helpful words to understand are “dorsal fin”, a dorsal fin is the top pointed fin on the dolphins back, “flippers”, a flipper is a flat fin that dolphins use to swim, and “echolocation” is a tool dolphins use to find food by sounds bouncing off of objects (dictionary.com).