Mollusk Discovery:)

Chiton!!

Chiton means "many plates" (as you can see in the above picture). They come in many different colors, they have no eyes and no tentacles but they do consist of eight overlapping shells over a muscular foot. These plates protect the Chiton from any predators that cross their path. They use their radula, a ribbon like toothed structure or tounge, to scrape off algae from rocks.Their shells are very hard and when frightened by a predator, they will roll up into a ball (see below picture).

Taxonomy:

Kingdom:  Animalia

Phylum:  Mollusca

Class:  Polyplacophora

Order:  Neoloricata

Family: Chitonidae

Genus: Chiton

Species: Chiton Squamosus

VIDEO!!!

http://s701.photobucket.com/albums/ww14/LamboAM/Album%202/?action=view&current=StomaVid.mp4

Crustaceans and Echinoderms

       *The similarities between Crustaceans and Echinoderms are: they both have bilateral symmetry. The Echinoderm larvae are usually have bilateral symmetry while the Crustaceans always have bilateral symmetry.
     
      * The differences between Crustaceans and Echinoderms are: Echinoderms have an endoskeleton v. Crustaceans who have exoskeletons, Crustaceans molt and Echinoderms do not, Echinoderms have no body segments and Crustacenas do, Echinoderms have "spiky skin" and Crustaceans do not.

  Echinoderms:



http://kentsimmons.uwinnipeg.ca/16cm05/1116/33-37-EchinodermsCollage.jpg

1. The top left is a picture of a Star Fish. The Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Echinodermata,

Class: Asteroidea, Order: Forcipulata, Genus - Asterias, Species - Rubens.
      2. The bottom left is a picture of a Purple Sea Urchin. The Kingdom of a Sea Urchin is: Animalia, Phylum: Echinodermata, Class: Echinoidea, Order: Arbaciodia, Family: Arbaciidae, Genus: Arbacia, Species: Arbacia punctulata.
      3. The top right is a picture of a Brittle Star. The taxonomy for the Brittle Star is, Kingdom:  Animalia, Phylum: Echinodermata, Class: Ophiuroidea, Order: Ophiurida, Family: Ophiodermatidae, Genus: Ophiothrix, Species: spiculata.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://environmentmaldivesmv.co.cc/wild%

 This is a cute little picture of a Hermit crab. A Hermit Crab's taxonomy is, Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Arthropoda, Class: Malacostraca, Order: Decapoda, Family: Paguridae, Genus: Paguristes, Species: P. cadenati.

http://www.nevillecoleman.com.au/media/226055/hymenoceridae%20hymenocera%20picta%20harlequin%20shrimp.jpg

 This is a picture of a Shrimp. The taxonomy of a Shrip is, Kingdom: Animilia, Phylum: Arthropoda, Class: Malacostraca, Order: Decapoda, Family: Penaeidae, Genus: Penaeus, Species: monodon, japonicus,indicus, merguiensis, chinensis.



https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWjcBQNTgidxTmimL7Wwvu6ahKCT9Av4x-FDjQaGbxIqPQMTdzAZAL3NgnYyX540lS45Gt75qFZ-nvKvUyK6X04T8Y5k9D9U1NTDLR6tFPDP_wfPtcVOaoEU46DTXvbZleqzdkZiFCk0/s1600/cooked+lobsters.jpg+web+size.jpg

   This is a picture of a delicious looking Lobster! The taxonomy of a Lobster is, Kingdom: Animilia, Phylum: Arthropoda, Class: Malacostraca, Order: Decapoda, Family: Nephropidae, Genus: Homarus, Species: americanus.

To learn more about Echinoderms and Crustaceans and to view more photos, check out this cool video:

http://www.zaneeducation.com/Videos/Biology/Study_of_The_Animal_Kingdom/Noninsect_Arthropods_and_Echinoderms/Noninsect_Arthropods_and_Echinoderms_Part_1.php

Biofilm Simulation at the G.C. Marine Reserve

Biofilm Simulation at the G.C. Marine Reserve

On Friday the class did a lab. We took a paper towel, which simulated the ocean, and we took a gram cracker, which simulated the biofilm plate, and placed it on top. Then we spread icing all over the gram cracker, which represented slime, and placed a gummy lifesaver, which was to represent the gram cracker staying place. After that, we then sprinkled red sprinkles which simulated Red coralline algae, Brown ling johns which simulated Diatoms, rainbow sprinkles and marshmallows which simulated Barnacles, rainbow long john which simulated Coral, and blue or green dots which simulate Oysters. Then after we sprinkled all these "organisms" on the gram cracker, we counted how much we had of each. We looked at pictures of Biofilm plates on the Internet and it showed this one experiment of how a person set biofilm plates in the ocean. The biofilm plates showed different organisms on each. It taught is that at different depths different organisms live and float around. It was really neat to see how many organisms can attain on a Biofilm plate, and it was delicious! Thanks Mrs. Richardson! 

Signs of Spring: Site One

SIGNS OF SPRING!!!

Site One:)

 If you look close enough, you are able to see a green flower and that is a flower of a blackberry bush. Pretty much any type of berry bush, before they bud berries, they bloom flowers. So this means that there should be blackberries budding soon. While I was observing the blackberry bush, I heard my fellow classmates and the chirping of far away birds. The wind wasn't blowing at that time so I felt the heat of the warm sun on my face.

 My camera on my phone isn't good enough to zoom in close enough to see the buds, but at the top of all these branches are little pink buds; the buds for Spring leaves. I heard birds all around, in all distances, and people chattering.

I know that this might look like Poison Ivy, but it is actually Honeysuckle leaves! This is one of my favorite pictures because I love Honeysuckles! They smell so good and taste so sweet! You couldn't smell honeysuckles yet because they haven't bloomed quite yet, but I heard the wind blowing through the trees and birds singing.

SIGNS OF SPRING!!

SITE TWO:)!

While the class and I was walking round the pond, I came upon these long dankly things(above picture); they are alder catkins! They produce pollen, but the pollen has not yet formed on them. They provide food for insects and bees and they distribute seeds. The weather was 43 degrees but it felt like it was 35. I heard the trees blowing in the winds and some of my classmates talking.



SIGNS OF SPRING!!

Site Three:)

 It is a little blurry, but this is a picture of a green bud. I took this picture while I was walking around the other side of the pond. I don't know how long it has been a bud, but I am just so Excited to see that Spring is literally in the air! I cannot wait until it is officially Spring! I heard the crunching of leaves around me and I could feel the sun and a cool light breeze.

Sorry if this picture is really blurry, I tried; but anyways this is a picture of red buds. There is something unique about this red bud and it is that you can actually see the Springs growth. If you look you can see the brown stem, that is last years growth, and the long red stems is this years! It's growing so quickly! I thought it was really neat to be able to see the new growth. While I was observing this, I heard the smashing of leaves and I felt the light cool breeze and sun.

SITE FOUR!

This is a picture of a really pretty unique flower buds. I took this picture right next to the creek, walking on my way back to the school. These are my favorite of all the buds that I saw because they actually looked like flowers. I could feel the sun and hear the patter of feel, passing cars and buses, and people talking.

Plankton Wars & Algae in the Cupboard!!

 P l a n k t o n   W a r s!!

This is a picture of me and my Plankton. I made his top wave-like so that he could float in the water, then stuck a toothpick in the middle and on the end I covered a button with clay and stuck it on the bottom. We used clay because it is buoyant in water. I did this so that it would add more weight. Then I added toothpicks for his arms and ribbons (for style;). The object was to get your plankton in the middle of the water, not floating and not sinking. Well ours was unsuccessful because it floated; it needed more weight. When we put the button on the bottom, covered in clay, it balanced out the top, so we didn't make any progress. But it was fun because I learned that every plankton is unique (made by GOD of course) and fit in the environment that it lives in.

Bird Observations, Day 5

Bird Watching

When we were picking up logs and looking for insects, fellow classmates of mine spotted this black/brown salamander. First we all thought it was a snake so nobody touched it, but when we saw that it had legs we knew it was then a salamander. I head screeching and the crunching of sticks and leaves from classmates finding insects.

This is a picture of a Warbler taken by Mrs. Richardson while we were bird watching. First off, it is hard to go bird watching because you have to be extremely quiet and I am not a quiet person, but Mrs. Richardson managed to get this shot. When we were silent we hear an intercom, bus horns, and birds chirpping.

On the top right corner is a picture, taken by Mrs. Richardson, of a Downey Woodpecker. If you look close enough you are able to see it's many colors consisting of: black, blue and white. Its actually a pretty bird, and really neat to watch. I felt the warm breeze and heard the birds and squirrels in the woods.

This picture is of, what looks like to me, some sort of orange funus. Hali Goad and I found this while we were looking for insects under and on logs when we fumbled upson this.

Observation Site 4

Observation Site 4:)

 This is a pictute of algae on a stick. I saw some green algae in the creek so i got a stick and scooped it up. It is slimy and ofcourse wet. While I was in that certain spot, I also saw geese nearby in the pond, and I could hear the sound of rushing water.

 This is a picture of an algae basin. As you can see there is nothing but brown in the water, and that is your algea. There are also photoplankton in the pond but their too tiny to see without a microscope.

This picture was taken on the pond. This is a picture of a HUGE clump of brown algae. I could see the geese, and fell the warm breeze on my face:) I love how Spring is in the air.

 This is anther picture of brown algae, and it too was also taken in the pond. There is SO much algae in the pond!

 When I was walking i walked by this Cattail and the cool thing about it is that it is "shedding". I felt the white stuff that looks like cotton and it feels like wool. Most all the Cattails were doing this.

This is a really neat picture, you can't see it very close but it is actually a Turtle Shell! I thought it was a curled up leaf but in fact it was a Turtle Shell. How cool is it to see! Mrs. Richardson found it and showed the class:)