Marine Adaptations
Topics
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Exploration Summary
Environmental Group
Marine Pollution In Exploration
Where Pollution Is Most Common
Pollution Impacts To The Ecosystem
Action Steps To Avoid Pollution
Findings Help In Minimizing Pollution
Topics Continued
• Life In The Gulf of Mexico
• Top 10 Marine Animals
• Current & Future Coral Adaptation
• Coral Relationships
• Coral Tides &Currents
• Gulf of Mexico Geological Features
Gulf of Mexico Deep Sea Habitats
 12-Day Mission
 Exploration of deep sea creatures
 Various corals especially in areas used by oil
industries
 Algae, crabs and brittle stars are widely present
along with many light requiring plants.
Mission Statement
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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
“The enduring mission of the program is to
encourage and enable others to act effectively in
protecting and restoring the nation's wetlands
and associated ecosystems, including shallow
open waters and free-flowing streams” (EPA, 2012,
para. 1).
Type
of
Marine
Pollution
• Runoff/Overflow Pollution
▫ When it rains or snowmelts on land, the water
flows towards the rivers and then sea, carrying
and bringing pollutants
 Fertilizers
 Oils
 Bacteria
• Oil Spills
▫ Caused by accidental
leaks or explosions in
drilling sites
Excess of Pollution
 Too much human activities in this area.
 Areas used for the petroleum industry should be
protected properly in the Gulf of Mexico.
 Highly polluted are the areas in deep regions where
mining is done too much and also in the shore areas.
What the Marine Pollution Have
Impacts On The Surrounding
Ecosystem?
 Runoff Pollution
 Bacteria and viruses
 Trash
 Pesticides and chemicals
 Oil Spills
 Toxic to marine animals
 Disturbs feeding, reproduction, development
 Affects all marine life, from birds to mollusks
Protection Against Runoff
• Overall community level
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• Individual level
Protecting strips
▫ Growing plants in bare areas
Ponds preservation
▫ Appropriate dumping of
Developing wetlands
harmful wastes
Porous preventing materials
▫ Careful utilization of
Sediment fences
fertilizers and other
Growing plants
chemicals on lawns
Signs on storm drains
▫ Dumping of trash
appropriately
▫ Organize neighborhood
cleanups
▫ Reprocess and reuse of
recyclable materials
Protection Against Oil Spills
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Different and substitutes of oil, power sources
Use more resources to develop new technology
Laws and Rules by government
Prohibit offshore drilling
Minimizing Reoccurring Incidents
• New procedures and steps to stop
pollution from reoccurring (i.e.
constructed wetlands, recycling)
• Natural resources are needed to be
discovered from the areas other than
the ocean
• Developing a roadmap for alternatives
to minimize water pollution.
Life in the Gulf of Mexico
• Invertebrates
• Mammals
▫ Dolphins
▫ Whales
▫ Manatees
• Reptiles
▫ Sea turtles
▫ Alligators
• Fish
▫ Sharks
▫ Many others
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Shellfish
Shrimp
Snails
Corals
Jellyfish
Worms
• Others
▫ Marine algae
▫ Plants
Top 10 Marine Animals
• Thunnus thynnus- North
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
• Sea Turtles –Caretta
Caretta
• Sharks- Heptranshias perlo
• Marine Mammals
• Brown Pelican- Pelecanus
occidentalis
• Oysters- Crassostrea
virginica
• Shrimp- Penaeus spp.
• Menhaden Fish- Brevoortia
patronus
• Beach Nesting and
Migratory Shorebirds
• Migratory Songbirds
Adaptation of Coral
• Live In Scarce Nutrient Warm Water
▫ Live in shallow tropical waters
▫ Hosting symbiotic algae within tissue
▫ Require salt water to live
• Develops Hard Substrate For Attachment
▫ Develop hard skeletons
▫ Development of coral reefs
• Coral & Algae Symbiosis
▫ Hermatypic –mutualism relationship
▫ Algae provides food, coral provides nutrients
Coral Future Adaptation
• Adaptation To Climate Change
▫ Coral bleaching may occur due to
rise in temperature
▫ Can possibly adapt the changing
temperature
▫ May die
• Increased Ocean Acidification
▫ Greenhouse gases creating a
dangerous situation
▫ Change in seawater chemistry
Coral Associations
• Corals as prey
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Fish, such as parrotfish, tangs, butterfly fish
Sea snails and slugs
Marine worms, barnacles, crabs
Sea stars
• Corals as predators
▫ Corals feed passively on plankton
▫ Corals get nutrition from symbiotic relationship
• Symbiotic relationship
▫ Zooxanthellae algae
Coral in Tides and Currents
• Powerful Waves From
Hurricanes and Cyclones
• Feeding
• Long Periods of Low Tides
• Reproduction
▫ Breakage
▫ Overexposure
▫ Bleaching
• Currents Can Bring
Pollution
▫ Plastics and debris
▫ Chemicals and sediment
▫ Carry food to coral
▫ Carry eggs and sperm
▫ Migration
Geological attributes of the Gulf
• A Mediterranean-type Sea
▫ Bordered by
 United States of America to the North
 Mexico by the West
 Cuba to the Southeast
• A Circular Basin Structure
▫ about 1,500 km in diameter
• Water Enters The Gulf Through
▫ Yucatan Strait
 Circulates through what is called a loop current
 Exits the Gulf through the Florida Strait
• Drainage Into The Gulf
▫ Assisted by 20 major river systems
 Covers over 3.8 million sq. km of the Continental U.S.
Conclusion
• 12-Day mission conducted as a channel to
decrease ocean pollution
• Alternatives applied by groups and individuals
• Everyone should strive for reducing pollution
• Eco-friendly resources should be used to
minimize pollution for future.
• Marine Life in the Gulf of Mexico
• Coral
References
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Biello, D. (2011). Scientific American. How did the BP oil spill affect gulf coast wildlife? Retrieved 8 June
2012 from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-did-bp-oil-spill-affect-gulf-ofmexico-wildlife-and-ecosystems&page=2
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Chameides, B. (2010). Can coral reefs adapt to climate change? Retrieved from
http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/thegreengrok/coralreefs-climate
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Environmental Protection Agency. (2012). Retrieved from
http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/about_about.cfm#anchor1093687
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Fredericq, S. (2009). The wonderful world of seaweeds. National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.
Retrieved from
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/03mex/background/seaweeds/seaweeds.html
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Freeman, M. (2012). MacGillivray Freeman’s Coral Reef Adventure. Retrieved 17 June 2012 from
http://www.coralfilm.com/faq.html
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General Facts About the Gulf of Mexico. (1992). Retrieved from http://www.gulfbase.org/facts.php
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Guam Reef Life (n.d.). Crown of Thorns Outbreaks. Retrieved 20 June 2012 from
http://guamreeflife.com/htm/reefcons/threats_acanthaster.htm
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Hickerson, E., & DuPuy, S. (2009). Connecting the dots. National Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration. Retrieved from
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/03mex/background/connectivity/connectivity.html
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Kennedy, J. (n.d.). Marine Life in the Gulf of Mexico: Gulf of Mexico Marine Animals and
Plants. Retrieved 18 June 2012 from
http://marinelife.about.com/od/habitatprofiles/tp/GulfofMexicoMarineLife.htm
References continued
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Klein, K. (2010). Voice of America. President Obama promises changes to prevent future oil spills. Retrieved 8 Jun
2012 from http://www.voanews.com/content/us-attorney-general-to-survey-oil-spill-damage-95319984/118689.html
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NOAA (2012). NOAA Ocean Service Education: Corals. Retrieved 17 June 2012 from
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_corals/coral09_humanthreats.html
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NOAA. (2009). Northern Gulf of Mexico deep sea habitats 2003 . Retrieved from
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/03mex/welcome.html
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NOAA (2012). Nonpoint Source Pollution. Retrieved 8 Jun 2012 from
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/pollution/05areas.html
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NOAA. (2009). Mission plan: “Gulf of Mexico deep sea habitats.” Retrieved from
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/03mex/background/plan/plan.htm
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Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network (2011). The Gulf of Mexico's Marine Mammals. Retrieved 18 June
2012 from http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/tmmsn/29Species/marine.html
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The Nature Conservatory. (2012). Ocean acidification. Retrieved from
http://www.reefresilience.org/Toolkit_Coral/COA_OceanAcidification.html
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United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2012). What is nonpoint source pollution? Retrieved from
http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/whatis.cfm
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Young, S. (2010). Oil spill affecting marine life, top to bottom. Retrieved from the Human Society website on 8 Jun
2012 from http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news/2010/06/oil_spill_affeting_marine_life_062310.html