When Spring rain starts, land crabs know that the signal for mating season. Land crabs mate in underground burrows. Millions of female crabs hurry toward the ocean to drop off their fertilized eggs in the water and return to the swamp. Mullet and other fish eat the little crabs that hatch from the eggs. The baby crabs that survive the first few weeks of their lives, will join the adults in nearby forests. Unfortunately, crossing a road is part of the journey to the ocean. Therefore, many drivers find that their tires have been punctured and many crabs have been run over. The crabmeat is toxic to people, but animals seem to love it. Especially the endangered Cuban crocodile. Cuba's land crab population doesn't seem to be in danger. Officials
T. californicus is found from Alaska to Baja in small, shallow tidepools and tidal flats in the upper spray zone where they cannot avoid the full effect of visible and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Individuals assemble in areas of lower radiation at midday, yet have no preference to the intensity of light at dawn and dusk (Hartline and Macmillan 1995). These tiny arthropods inhabit all types of marine sediments from sand to fine mud and ooze. Along with plankton, T. californicus eats microscopic algae, protists, bacteria, diatoms, algae and microbes (McGroarty 1958). When the concentrations of the species in their habitats are high, T. californicus will turn to cannibalism for a food source. The nautilus eye present in the species is rich with fatty acids and provides a good food source for the animal.
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.
Television commercials, print ads, and billboards in the Washington, DC, area are asking residents to connect two things many might find unrelated: lawn care and seafood. In one commercial, a man stuffs a big plateful of grass in his mouth after a voice-over says, “Spring rains carry excess lawn fertilizers through our sewers and rivers and into the Chesapeake Bay, where the blue crab harvest has been extremely low. So skip the fertilizer until fall, because once they’re gone, what’s left to enjoy?”(Environment, p. 7)
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.
The Sacculina carsini, or parasitic barnacle, makes it’s host a green crab, also known as the Carcinus maenas. The parasite in this relationship changes the host’s behavior. It also enables itself to survive, spread and continue this cycle. As talked about in “The Parasitic Sacculina That Bends Its Host to Its Own Will”, when a female barnacle is still in its larval stage, it finds a crab host, and it locates a certain joint in the host’s shell. When there, the parasitic barnacle sheds her outer shell and puts herself inside the crab. Once she is inside, she is in a slug-like form. She creates a root system of tendrils, which extend throughout the abdomen of the crab. The root system takes over the crab’s intestine, diverticulae and surrounds the stomach. This
The location is one of the most critical factors to analyze thoroughly because it helps predict whether the sales of the choosing location will be good or not? Although the Boiling Crab is in the growth stage, it still has to focus on new locations that the owner plan to extend to these areas. As I mentioned in the introduction, the owner plans to open the Boiling Crab in four new locations soon.
The Maryland Blue Crab is an essential part of the Chesapeake Bay; from the food chain of the creatures in the water, to the business side of the thriving demand for the crab during the hot summer months, but there is no denying the fact that the crab is just as important alive as it is when it is being harvested by local fisherman. By becoming more informed of the impact the crab has on Maryland’s bay and on the people who live around it, people can take bigger steps in making sure the crab will always be around for decades to come.
The sessile consumers are those that are stationary and all feed off small plankton creating competition for their food source which allows some sessile consumers to be more dominant than others. Mussels are the most dominant between the sessile consumer with the Starfish as its predator, followed by Goose Neck Barnacles whose predators are Whelk and Starfish, and Acorn Barnacles whose predators is Whelk. The mobile consumers consist of Whelk(Nucella), Chiton(Katharina), and Starfish(pisaster). The mobile consumers, which are the the species that have a possibility to be the Keystone species are predators and compete for food. The Starfish preys on Mussels and Goose Neck Particles, the Whelk generally prey on Acorn Barnacles and Goose Neck Barnacles, and the Chiton prey on Nori Seaweed, Black Pine, and occasionally Coral Weed. Between the Mobile Consumers the only competition for food is between the Whelk and Starfish who both prey on Goose Neck Barnacles. Lastly, there is the invasive species known as the Green Crab (Carcinus) which has invaded the environment. The Green crab invades the area and is a predator to all
The bay's harvest and many of its other attractions bring tourists and in turn revenue for the area. Oysters and blue crab are a big part of the culture in the bay area. However, these organisms are in danger and need help. Description of the problem Eutrophication is a concern in the Chesapeake Bay. Eutrophication is caused by excessive amounts of nutrients.
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 for them, then they condense the food down to nutrient and developed things like pearls.Filtering the water also helps the oyster to grow. 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.
Many of the Chesapeake Bay’s inhabitants are unaware of the destruction they are triggering. The Chesapeake Bay is a local estuary in the watershed near our home in Loudoun County Virginia. With its monumental size, various problems occurring are anticipated. Pollution is the leading factor in this great body of water’s downfall. Without proper control being taken, this neighboring site of leisure, food resource, and tourist income will suffer and continue to decline. The cleanliness of the Chesapeake Bay is declining over time causing harm to many species that call the Bay their home.
Species such as the blue crab, oyster, and atlantic menhaden are three main commercial fishing outputs in the Chesapeake bay, but the recent algae blooms are devastating the harvest numbers of several different species. According to the oyster company of Virginia, over 20 million bushels of oysters were harvested every year during the peak of the oyster rush of the mid 1880’s. These numbers
To start off, the horseshoe crab lived 200 million years before dinosaurs. What’s astounding is that while dinosaurs have become extinct, the horseshoe crab is still alive and well today (Horseshoe Crab:Saint Louis Zoo). Next is that it might not seem like it, but this critter is actually a predator. The crab likes to feed on things such as small clams, crustaceans, worms, algae, and other animals (Steel). Furthermore this animal is also known as the king crab. Finally the male horseshoe crab is actually shorter than the female the crab. The male is about 14-15 inches long from head to tail, while the female is measures in to be 18-19 inches long (Horseshoe Crab
Pea crabs, from the family Pinnotheres pisum, are kleptoparasites found around the world's oceans in different Bivalve mollusks species, specifically oysters and mussels. These soft-shell crabs are natural occurring pests, they were not brought or transported by humans around the world but rather evolved to infest mollusk species for food and protection. Their life cycles start at being birthed in areas where oysters or mussels are born in the previous or same year. The timing of the two species is offset to give the mollusks time to grow big enough to hold the crab juvenile. Once inside, the crab sits right next to the feeding filters of the mollusks and eats. If there is enough food being filtered, the mollusk is hardly affected by the presence of the pea crab, but with less food, the mollusk's health starts to decline, though they won't die, because the crab must eat first. The carbs cause damage to the mollusk's gills and the mollusk
Sure, they call it “imitation crab”, but I construe that “If it isn’t crab, it’s never crab.” Pointing out that fake crab does authentic sushi an unfathomable disservice, people frequently accept that it has a role in the culinary world. Sometimes, restaurants will even attempt to give you fake crab while claiming it actually is a genuine crab. Do not relent to them; keep insisting that you prefer real crab. Not only is fake crab a tool for deception, it is not natural nor is it healthy for you. To put it differently, a high percentage of fake or “imitation” crab contains high amounts of salt-up to 735 mg of sodium per serving-which is undoubtedly brings along consequences to your health. The daily dose of sodium is 1900 mg per day, and eating too much may cause health issues relating to the liver, heart, and increases the risk of stroke and other cardiovascular