Virtual Visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium
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| Leafy Sea Dragon Phycodurus eques |
These sea dragons eat small shrimp-like animals known as mysid shrimp. They can be found in South and Western Australia and have an average size of 11.8 inches but have been known to reach up to 19.6 inches. This animal eats in a unique way, it uses its tube-like mouth like a drinking straw by slurping up prey once they come near. Sea dragons can eat thousands of mysid shrimp in one day. The conservation concern for these animals is that the seagrass and seaweed beds where these animals live in Western Australia are threatened by pollution and excessive fertilizer runoff. In effort to help this population grow, The Australian government allows for one brooding male to be collected each year. The hatchlings are then to different places around the world for education and research programs. Male sea dragons carry the females eggs until they hatch just like male seahorses do. The main difference though is that sea dragons do not have a pouch but instead a brood patch on the underside of its tail.
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| Horn Shark Heterodontus francisci |
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| Rosy rockfish Sebastes rosaceus
The rosy rockfish can be found in reefs and pilings from California to central Baja California. Their diet consists of small fish and crustaceans and they grow to 11 inches in length. Despite the fact that these fish are a bright red color, in the deep reefs where they live red colors can not reach allowing them to look grey and blend into the shadows. These fish are also known as rock cod or Pacific red snapper and are a popular seafood. The rockfish was once a very plentiful fish, because they are heavily fished though the population are not able to keep up. To help rebuild their population, underwater habitats would need to be set aside for refugees or reserves so spawning rockfish would be protected from fishing. These fish hide under dark ledges during the day.
Life in the Kelp Forest
Some of the species that can be found within this habitat include bull kelp and giant kelp, California sheephead, Sea otter and Red octopus. The kelp forest has a great variety and a high density of plants and animals, almost more than any other ocean community. It has many different homes types of homes compared to habitats with less variation such as a beach. Kelp is a continuous food source for all of the animals, kelp that drifts to the bottom uneaten decomposes into food for filter-feeder or goes into the sediment. The small filter-feeders are then eaten by predators such as crabs, rockfish and sea stars. Giant kelp has no true roots, stems, leaves or flowers. One kelp frond can live for more than six months. The grow best in areas with a lots of sunlight, a sufficient amount of water circulation for moving nutrients, and rocky bottoms. Kelp have to with other organisms, plants and animals, in order to settle in the proper place and grow. They have to grow to the surface to get enough sunlight and also deal with constantly being grazed on by invertebrates like sea urchins and some fish. In the water, storm waves and wind can damage these forests by ripping them apart. In ideal conditions, kelp can grow two feet a day. Kelp forests can be eaten away completely by a herd of urchins creating what is called an urchin barren. This habitat can be protected in three different ways; reducing runoff, use less plastic and support sea otter conservation. One can easily reduce runoff by making sure oil from vehicles don't leak into the street as well as keeping fertilizers, trash, pesticides and pet waste out of yards so they don't run into storm drains. Properly disposing of any single plastic items and reducing the overall use of plastic. Sea otters are vital contributors to the health of this habitat by eating sea urchins that can overgraze on kelp.
Life in Open Waters
Animal species that can be found within this habitat are blue whales, laysan albatross, cownose ray, elephant seals and long-beaked common dolphin. There are two main groups that live in open waters; drifters and swimmers. Plankton are carried by the currents. Neckton, which are animals such as fishes, whales, sea turtles and squid, travel great distances to find food. Plants and plankton eaters have to stay at the surface where lots of sunlight and food can be found. Some fish have air-filled swim bladders to keep them afloat while others, such as the sunfish and whales, rely on layers of fat to keep them buoyant. There aren't many places for small fish like sardines to hide from predators, so they stay in schools in order to look like a larger creature. For camouflage, jellyfishes bodies look almost invisible while animals like tuna, sharks and dolphins rely on countershading. This means they have light bottoms and dark tops this way when viewed from below they blend in with the bright surface and when viewed from above they blend in with the depths. Ocean circulation and changes in water temperatures significantly affect phytoplankton which is the basis of the food chain and a primary food source for many animals. When the water gets warmer, phytoplankton will either die or migrate to cooler areas. Animals who rely on phytoplankton adapted by changing where they migration to as well as breeding patterns which also affects other animals in the food web. Overfishing can cause an imbalance and change the overall habitat. Commercial fishing also results in bycatch which causes animals that were not meant to be caught to become trapped and die. We can help keep the oceans clean by supporting environmental legislation, respecting and obeying fishing regulations, keeping trash off beaches and safely disposing of toxic chemicals. Buy and eating seafood that is fished or farmed in a way that isn't negatively impacting the ocean. Reducing overall plastic use by having reusable bags, reusing plastic bags and picking up plastic trash outdoors.
Why Aquariums are Important
Aquariums are often non profit organizations, they are full of hundreds of species of aquatic life. Aquariums are able to give people the experience of seeing species of marine life that they likely wouldn't see otherwise. By giving people access to these animals, aquariums are able to educate the public about them in a much easier way. It allows exhibit guides and educators to shed light on animals they may have not seemed important or had negative connotations behind them. Some people may think that having animals in captivity is a bad thing when in reality it is not. For one, captivity is a word that is not used by exhibit guides at aquariums due to the negative connotation behind it; the phrase "in human care" is used instead. Any animals found within aquariums were either born and raised in human care or were injured in some way that they are no longer able to survive in the wild. By allowing people to see these animals in person, possibly getting the chance to touch them and learning what is so important about them can give people an emotional connection to animals they may have never thought about. Aquariums are also able to provide this emotional connection by going through the process of rehabilitating animals. Rehabilitation is very important because it gives animals a second chance at survival that they wouldn't get without programs like these. Aquariums strive to do what they can to help the survival of aquatic animals through these processes of rehabilitation and education. By properly educating the public about these animals and the dangers that they face, we as a community can help protect and save these animals before it's too late.
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