3: Marine Habitats- the Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Page ID
- 164661
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Monterey Bay Habitats
An organism must deal with several outside influences in its daily life and the evolution of its species. We often want to examine these influences and ponder how they affect the characteristics and behaviors of the organism. However, the ocean is a hard place to study! It is usually covered with water, hard to get to, cold, and we can’t hold our breath very long. So today we are going to spend some time looking at artificial, simplified habitats at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Although not “natural” and not filled with all the animal and algal life you would expect if you were to go scuba diving in the bay, they are quite well done on many levels and do have a good representation of many of the species we would see in the wild. We can also look a them without getting cold and wet, which has a lot of obvious benefits. So, using the habitat areas around the aquarium, you will investigate several aspects of biological, physical, and evolutionary forces that impact the organisms you see.
Assignment:
Working with a partner, you will visit 3 different habitats as depicted in the aquarium (such as the open ocean, rocky intertidal, shallow subtidal, estuaries, etc.).
In each of these three habitats, I would like you to do the following:
- Food Web: Identify the significant species (plural, as in many) found in the habitat (these could be specific individual species (like Blue Fin Tuna) or more general higher taxonomic levels (such as “jellyfish”, or “phytoplankton”). You should include several species at the top of the food web (i.e., top consumers/predators), several that are at the bottom of the food web (i.e., algae), and some in the middle that connect the bottom and top. At the bottom of all your webs should be the ultimate source of energy, the Sun! All organisms need to connect to the sun through some path. Draw a rudimentary food web that shows the relationships between your organisms. You can do this by hand or using a computer (Google Slides, etc.)
- Physical Environment: Identify the main physical factors (non-living, such as “rock” or “temperature”) that are important and unique to that particular habitat. We want the habitat’s characteristics, not the animal’s physical characteristics. This is about what makes these environments different from one another.
- Evolutionary Adaptations: Identify some of the defensive strategies available to these organisms. How do they keep from being eaten? What strategies are unique to their particular habitat? Focus on what makes surviving in a particular habitat different from another. Describe how the organisms found in the habitat deal with these unique physical challenges. In other words, how are the organisms specifically adapted to their physical surroundings? Pay attention to both the top and the bottom of the food chain.
Due Next Week: Turn in a typed write-up of the three habitats with each habitat having a food web (#1) and two short paragraphs that address questions #2 & #3 above. So, you will do questions 1, 2, and 3 for each of your three habitats. Turn them in at the beginning of next week’s lab on Canvas.
Thumbnail image:“Monterey Aquarium Window” by Liz Lawley, CC BY-SA 2.0