Two headed sharks looked as if they were just irrational pictures that were photoshopped and trending on Twitter. However, the upcoming phenomenon is not something that was created by someone with an app, but a real, and dangerous threat to the environment. Not too long ago, a Florida fisherman caught a bull sharks whose uterus held two-headed fetus. Then, not too long after, another two-headed shark embryo was discovered in the Indian Ocean. Blue Sharks, however, have been noted to produce the most of this inhuman development, simply because they carry so many - up to fifty at a time. Recently, researchers have developed a cat shark embryo that is the first specimen known from an oviparous shark. As they opened the egg to study it, they did not know if the shark would have survived. Since finding these sharks is so rare, it has become hard to directly find the source of these mutations, however, there have been many assumptions and hypothesis made about the recent discovery. Some researchers believe it is simply a genetic disorder. For example, the two headed cat shark embryo was found in a lab that was not exposed to any infections, chemical, or radiation. But the more wild sharks' could be mutated for reasons involving the environment, infections, and a dwindling gene pool. It is possible that overfishing has become a serious problem for these sharks, too. I don't think we can do much about the two headed sharks. As research has shown, the sharks are nothing new, rather something rare because they are not really able to survive and grow outside of the uterus. The best thing we can do for the environment as a whole is to cut back on fishing and make more fishing laws. Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/11/sharks-two-headed-oceans-mutations/ Photo Source: http:// news.nationalgeographic.com/ 2016/11/sharks-two-headed- oceans-mutations/ On December 9, 2016, our Marine Biology class went to the aquarium. As we walked in, the horseshoe crab display was directly in front of us. The horseshoe crab was very interesting to see in person because we were able to touch and view one of the oldest species in the world. As we walked in through the actual aquarium, they started the display off with fish from springs. It was interesting to see the differences and similarities from those fish from those who live in the salt water. We got the chance to see sharks, many sting rays, and tons of sea horses. My favorite part of the aquarium though, was how we had the opportunity to touch the sting rays and the anemones. The sting rays were extremely slimy and the anemones were sticky. This trip to the aquarium for me was different because I knew what I was looking at. There was a section of the place that held multiple whale sounds and displayed qualities and traits and the North Right Atlantic whale, the whale I did my research on. We also got the chance to see an octopus and an alligator. One of the best fish to see was the Goliath Grouper. This grouper is infamous for its giant size and ability to change its sex. SSea stars across the West Coast of Canada and the U.S are getting attacked by a brutal disease. When the disease is finished with an area of the ocean, all it leaves behind is an abundant amount of white goo that once were sea stars. Sea stars are an important part of the environment, as they control mussels around them. Their impact reduces the algae and sea anemones present in the habitat. Researches are still trying to stop the virus, however it has rendered almost impossible- leaving stars like the ochre star, the purple star, and the sunflower star to die. The virus has been noted to weaken the animal, opening the stars to be susceptible to bacterial infection, which ultimately kills the sea star. Eight to seventeen days into the infection, white lesions appear on the body. There are times, when the animals arms rip themselves off and begin to walk away. This leaves the sea star to die, creating a pile of white slime. But, while the virus seems new, it has actually been around for about 70 years. The virus has also been found in sea urchins and sea cucumbers. I think that there needs to be more research poured into the cause. If these creators start to die off, the entire food chain could be posed to a threat. The scientists have found a key mutation in the virus, named capsid. This helps the virus spread to more species. While scientists have found how this works, they need to poor more energy into finding out how to stop it. Article Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/09/150915-sea-star-wasting-disease-epidemic-update-oceans-animals-science/ My Image: https://www.google.com/search?q=starfish&espv=2&biw=1403&bih=685&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjPkqiIybLQAhURayYKHcnSDi0Q_AUIBigB#imgrc=BYZFRpiKjAdVTM%3A The Great Barrier Reef stretches from north of Australia to south eats Australia. Being the largest reef in the world, it contains about 2,9000 individual reefs and covers an area of about 344,400 square kilometers. A great part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Most recent studies have confirmed that the largest threat to this reef is climate change, however, there are other causes. The other major threats include decreased water quality from run-off on land, and percussion from an increase of fishing.
At the moment, the reef is extremely vulnerable. One main cause of the slow extinction of the Great Barrier Reef is known as coral bleaching. This activity takes place when miners are burning fossil fuels such as coal. This results in the heating of our water, making it too hot for the coral to survive, resulting in bleaching of the coral. Next, is farm pollution. Farm pollution begins to smother coral, leaving them without sunlight. Nitrogen run-off from farms further leads to algae bloom. I think that the results of farm pollution is inexcusable. This is a simple problem that we as humans should address, that is as simple as being cautious of the environment. Following is industrialization. It has been heard that there are plans to extend ports along the coastline of the Great Barrier Reef. As part of being human includes the feeling of constant expansions, we need to be aware that in most ways we are just guests on a planet, and the fish are also part of this place as well. Lastly, fishing and poor management of fishing has increased a threat to many species in the Great Barrier Reef. This is a simple fix because people just need to be cautious of what the are catching and fishing management needs to be invested in. Http://www.wwf.org.au/what-we-do/oceans/great-barrier-reef http://theday.co.uk/environment/emergency-the-great-barrier-reef-is-dying (picture) 100 million sharks are killed by human hands a year. People are constantly using shark fins for soup, shark teeth for jewelry, and shark skin for leather wallets. However, most sharks are killed for shark fin soup, which sells up to $100.00 per bowl in parts of Asia. The men killing sharks are known as Longlines; professional fisher men. The killing process goes as follows: hook the shark, place it on the boat, cut off the fins while the shark is still alive, and then drop the finless shark in the water, leaving it to die. Due to Longlines, sharks are slowly becoming a dying breed. As 90% of sharks are wiped out, it is becoming difficult for them to reproduce. I think the concept of sharks dying is much more complicated than people realize. To humans, sharks may just be a reason people are afraid to swim in the ocean, but in the ocean, sharks are critical element in the food chain. As they have been part of the ocean for 400 million years, their extinction would be a huge threat to the environment. Researchers discovered that only 4.9% of sharks can die a year to maintain population stability. I think that as a community, we need to cut down on these laws. The death of sharks will not only affect them, but many other fish in the sea. I believe there are many other solutions. People could make more money if shark teeth were simply something someone could find walking on the beach. This would make the teeth more rare, escalating the value. Shark fin soup should be banned, as it is only a delicacy, and is not crucial to human life. Sharks need a break. As humans, we should respect that. Sources: http://www.seashepherd.org/sharks/?gclid=CJnx852_0c8CFckfhgodSBgH_A http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/03/01/100-million-sharks-killed-every-year-study-shows-on-eve-of-international-conference-on-shark-protection/ https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Vandenberg.jpg
In Key West, Florida there is a ship 524 feet and 10 inches long sitting 100 feet deep in the ocean. This ship is known as the Vandenberg. The Vandenberg acts as an artificial reef for hundreds of fish. The ship was sunk on May 27, 2009 and took about 75,000 hours for men to prep for the sea. As the vessel was not originally equipped marine life, mechanics changed things such as opening holes in the lower deck. If artificial reefs are prepared correctly, they prevent humans from interacting with natural coral reefs. Also, they allow scuba divers to see a new form of marine life, and seek new adventures. As a normal ship could potentially be wasted and could hurt the environment, placing the ships in the water actually help animals in numerous ways. The animals have new places to hide, new algae, and a better place for people to conduct research. While the artificial reefs create many advantages to the ecosystem, the idea has some flaws. For instance, while they fund a distraction to natural reefs, they also pose a threat; divers still could visit both, creating even more visitation to the ocean. Also, if reefs are not planned or have flaws, they can damage natural habitats. Also, artificial reefs are attracting the invasive species called orange-cup coral. Although the reefs could pose a threat, humans already do that to the oceans everyday. We fish and poke at animals for knowledge purposes only. We should have these artificial reefs to push our environment forward, and help the fish. Article Source: http://www.fla-keys.com/diving/vandenberg.cfm http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/artificialreefs/effects.html |
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