Help needed this is due tomorrow. i need the paragraph Write a paragraph that explains the flow of energy and matter through the food web. Include the role of the sun, producers, consumers, and decomposers.
Assignment:
On the right is a picture of an aquatic
ecosystem. A scientist was observing the
animals that live in this ecosystem. She took
field notes that are shown below.
Please use the biologist’s field notes to create
a food web showing the flow of energy in this
aquatic ecosystem.
Nodq at en. wikipedi
Field Notes
Picture Organism Observations and Notes
Phytoplankton
● Producers that receive their energy from the Sun
● Most are too small to be seen with the naked eye
● When high numbers are present water may look green due to the
chlorophyll contained in the phytoplankton
● Obtain mass from carbon dioxide dissolved in the ocean
Crustacean
(Copepod)
● Have an exoskeleton (hard shell on the outside of its body)
● Most are between 1 and 2 mm long
● Feeds on single cells of Phytoplankton
● Exoskeleton is so thin that you can see through it and observe the inner
organs
Crustacean
(Amphipod)
● Has an exoskeleton (hard shell on the outside of its body)
● Body is made of segments
● Many different kinds
● Most were less than 10 mm long
● Feeds on Phytoplankton and dead animals or plants
Crustacean
(Krill)
● Feeds on producers filtered from the water
● Used as bait for Opah, Squid and Whale Sharks
● Has an exoskeleton (hard shell on the outside of its body)
● Exoskeleton is transparent and made of calcium carbonate
Whale Shark
● Largest living non-mammal vertebrate
● Feeds by filtering Krill and Amphipods from the water
● Breeding or birth of sharks has never been observed
● Approaches research divers but does not harm them
Flying Fish
● Escapes predators such as the Mahi Mahi, and Albatross by leaping out
of the water and gliding down to a new spot
● Glides are usually close to 50 meters
● Consumers receiving energy from Amphipods & Copepods
● Often found ensnared in the Man-O-War Jelly’s tentacles
Picture Organism Observations and Notes
Squid
● Only a few of these organisms were spotted due to their ability to
change color and become camouflaged
● Moves by squirting a jet of water from its body
● Eats crustaceans such as krill and copepods
Anchovy
● Swim in large schools
● Feeds on Crustaceans (Copepods)
● Frequently found ensnared in the Man-O-War Jelly’s tentacles
Opah
● Sometimes called Moonfish
● Fins are bright red, body is orange on top, pink on the bottom
● Feeds on Squid and Crustaceans (Krill)
● Preyed on by Marlin
Mahi Mahi
● Another name for it is the Dorado
● Gold and blue colored scales
● Commonly found next to floating brown algae
● Feeds on Squid and Flying Fish
Sunfish
● Appears to have only “half” a body
● Observed being “cleaned” by smaller fish
● Food source appears to be Man-O-War Jellies and Man-O-War Slugs
● Observed warming itself on the surface of the ocean
Man-o-War Jelly
● Floats on the surface of the ocean using an inflated air bladder
● Many long tentacles dangle underneath the jelly
● Captures Flying fish and Anchovy by paralyzing them with stinging
tentacles
● Preyed on by Man-O-War Slugs, Sunfish and Loggerhead Turtles
Loggerhead Turtle
● Average size is 300 pounds and 90 cm long
● Can live to be between 47 and 67 years old
● Considered an endangered species
● Can stay underwater for up to 4 hours
● Plastic and fishing lines cause survival problems
● Feeds on Man-O-War Slugs and Man-O-War Jellies
Man-o-War Slug
● Preyed on by Loggerhead Turtles and Sunfish
● Feeds on the Man-O-War Jelly and uses its stinging cells for protection
● Swims upside down on the surface of the ocean
● Gas filled sac in the stomach allows it to float on the surface
Picture Organism Observations and Notes
Albatross
● Large birds soaring on air currents above the ocean
● Seen scavenging on dead fish and chum thrown from fishing boats
● Observed feeding on squid and flying fish
● Dissection of a dead bird revealed plastic and fishing hook attached to a
line in the gizzard of the bird
Marlin
● Can swim up at speeds up to 50 miles per hour
● Uses rostrum to slash at schools of fish
● Often migrate long distances in search of food
● Receives energy from small fish, Mahi Mahi and Opah
● Only predator is the Mako Shark
Mako Shark
● Fishermen donated a specimen caught in a fishing net
● Weight: 200 pounds
● Length: 10 feet
● Stomach contents: Sunfish, Albatross, Marlin, and Loggerhead Turtles
Sun
● Provides Energy for the Earth
● 109 times larger than Earth
● A star in the middle of our solar system
● Sunrise is observed at different times each day
● Drives Earth’s weather and climate