Tinian south beaches declared marine reserve

By Agnes E. Donato
Reporter

Fishing and other activities that may be harmful to marine life are now prohibited in beaches south of Tinian.

Acting Gov. Timothy P. Villagomez signed into law a bill creating a marine reserve area on Tinian, from the Southwest Carolinas Point to Puntan Diablo Point and Tachongna Beach.

“The Commonwealth Legislature finds that there is a need to preserve the marine environment for its natural and pristine beauty, and to regulate the fishing and harvesting of other marine life in [the said] area,” states the legislation authored by Senate President Joseph M. Mendiola.

The new marine reserve spot encompasses all the areas from Tachogna Beach, Taga Beach, YCC Beach, Kammer Beach, Tinian harbor, breakwater area to Leprosarium Beach and Barchinas Bay, from the high-tide mark on shore to one-half mile out to the reef.

Under the law, fishing and other potentially harmful activities to the marine life in the areas will be restricted. Fish, coral, lobster, clams, octopus, and any shellfish in the area may not be removed, disturbed, damaged, or destroyed. The only exemptions are seasonal fish such as atulai, i'i', and ti'ao, which may be harvested during their respective seasons.

Violators will face penalties.

The measure tasks the Division of Fish and Wildlife to assess the marine area to determine whether the fish population and marine habitat has reached a level adequate for sustainable fishing and harvesting. The assessment must be done in 2010.

Depending on the result of the assessment, DFW and the Department of Lands and Natural Resources on Tinian may allow certain activities and impose conditions.

- This is a news article of Saipan and which show that Saipan already knew that fishing activity harmful to the marine life and they should protect the marine life and to limit fishing activity. And the Tachogna Beach, Taga Beach, YCC Beach, Kammer Beach, Tinian harbor, breakwater area to Leprosarium Beach and Barchinas Bay are the place should to protect to avoid fishing. If the people fishing they will get a bill for penality. I think that is a good method to protect fish but I know still a lot of people fishing on the beach with fishing license. Most people knew that Managaha Island is a beautiful place and even local people like to spend weekend of there. The reason is not there has only had lovely beach but also love fished. If you go there, you can see a lot of different kind fishes and some of them follow you when you swim. Also, you can hear that the sound when the bite the rock under the water and which is the most important reason to attract tourist to visit there. I know to protect the fish is a big problem for the government to pursuer, but I hope the people of here can have the sense of how to protect CNMI – a beautiful island. Cheer up ~!!

Turtles Endangered!

News articles are the property on either Marianas Variety or the Saipan Tribune, as noted by authorship.

Turtles Endangered!

By Gemma Q. Casas, Variety News Staff

THE CNMI’s sea turtle population is now less than 200, according to an official of the Division of Fish and Wildlife who spoke to students of Grace Christian Academy yesterday. Joe Ruak, DFW's Public Information Officer and Aquatic Education Specialist, told students that they must do their share in preserving the turtles by not harming them, reporting turtle injuries to authorities and campaigning for their preservation.

The population of sea turtles here is really very low. The estimate is less than 200, Ruak said. He said DFW has no data on how many turtles were in the CNMI prior to the counting made in 1999. We don’t have a baseline data to base that from. But from a survey that was conducted here back in 1999, we found that it was less than 200, he said. Ruak said informing students about the different aquatic species and animals in the CNMI is among the government’s efforts to create environmental awareness in the local community.

Ruak said a turtle is considered a local delicacy, but he urged the students not to continue this because we need to preserve sea turtles so that future generations can see, appreciate, and respect them. Turtles are particularly a good dish. It’s a delicacy here in the CNMI. A lot of locals, especially Chamorro and Carolinian people, talk about eating sea turtles as part of their culture, therefore, they have a cultural right, Ruak said. But we also like to emphasize that sea turtles need to be at least 20 years old to become sexually mature, to start having babies. Many of the sea turtles that are being caught right now are really just juveniles. They are not even ready to lay eggs, he said. He said a female turtle lays about 1,000 eggs. But only 1 percent of them have the chance of maturing. If anybody sees a turtle, we encourage them to leave it alone. If it’s an injured turtle please call the fish and wildlife or call 911. If there are eggs, leave the eggs alone, he said. He added that since sea turtles are considered an endangered species, there is a federal penalty against harming or disturbing sea turtles and their eggs. Sea turtle nests have been seen at Tank Beach, Bird Island Beach, Obyan Beach, Coral Ocean Point, Laulau Beach and Wing Beach.

- This is a very nice article and which use the title Turtles Endangered implicated that the turtles are still dangerous here. The reason is that local people used to follow their culture to eat turtles then cause the population of turtles down to less than 200. also, it talk about that a mature six turtle have to live over 20 years then can lay the eggs, but only one percent of the 1,000 eggs can become a small turtles. So, we can see how difficult to continues the turtle population. I remember that since 2003 I first came to Saipan I can see turtle easily swim under the suicide cliff. Yet, it’s hard to see them recently. In China, people also like to eat turtle and they believe that are good for human healthy. But they don’t catch the turtle in the ocean; they feed them in the home and sale to the market. Saipan is a nice and beautiful place. It very pity to lose of the view of turtle swim under the suicide cliff. Also, some tourist heard believe that to see the turtle swim under the suicide cliff that mean lucky and most tourist come to Saipan want to see it. So, Please protect turtle and beatify CNMI.

starfish

Circulatory system

Circulation occurs in three places: the perivisceral coelom (basically, the space inside the body but outside the various organs), the water vascular system (of which the tube feet are the most obvious part), and the hemal system (which actually looks something like a circulatory system). The hemal system is shown below. There are hemal channels forming rings around the central part of the body around the mouth (the oral hemal ring), closer to the upper surface (the aboral hemal ring), and a third ring around the digestive system (the gastric hemal ring). These are connected by the axial sinus. There are also radial hemal channels running down the rays next to the gonads (which are also located in the rays). A dorsal sac attached to the axial sinus pulsates, sort of like a very inefficient heart (inefficient because it lacks a one-way valve system). The hemal system seems mostly organized to distribute nutrients from the digestive tract.The water vascular system uses cilia and the constant contraction of ampulla (to extend and retract the tube feet) also helps keep things moving. There is an ionic imbalance that causes water to flow into the water vascular system through the madreporite, and then the Tiedemann's bodies divert some of it into the perivisceral coelom. Circulation in the perivisceral coelom is mostly by ciliary beating.

Nervous system

Echinoderms have rather complex nervous systems, but lack a true centralized brain. All echinoderms have a network of interlacing nerves called a nerve plexus which lies within as well as below the skin. The esophagus is also surrounded by a number of nerve rings which send radial nerves that are often parallel with the branches of the water vascular system. The ring nerves and radial nerves coordinate the starfish's balance and directional systems. Although the echinoderms do not have many well-defined sensory inputs, they are sensitive to touch, light, temperature, orientation, and the status of water around them. The tube feet, spines, and pedicellariae found on starfish are sensitive to touch, while eyespots on the ends of the rays are light-sensitive.

Integumentary

Most starfish have five arms, but some have more or fewer. Some starfish have shown differing numbers of limbs within a single species. The mouth is located underneath the starfish on the oral or ventral surface, while the anus is located on the top of the animal. The spiny upper surface is called the aboral or dorsal surface. On the aboral surface there is a structure called the madreporite, a small white spot located slightly off-center on the central disc which acts as a water filter and supplies the starfish's water vascular system with water to move. Porcellanasteridae employ additional cribriform organs used to generate current in the burrows made by these infaunal starfish.

Excretory system

A echinoderm has a simple excretory system.

Reproductive system

Starfish are capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction. Individual starfish are male or female. Fertilization takes place externally, both male and female releasing their gametes into the environment. Resulting fertilized embryos form part of the zooplankton. Starfish are developmentally embryologically known as deuterostomes. Their embryo initially develops bilateral symmetry, indicating that starfish probably share a common ancestor with thechordates. Later development takes a very different path however as the developing starfish settles out of the zooplankton and develops the characteristic radial symmetry. Some species reproduce cooperatively, using environmental signals to coordinate the timing of gamete release; in other species, one to one pairing is the norm.

Body Plan

Starfish radiate diversely in shapes and colors, the morphology differing between each species. Starfish have a simple photoreceptor eyespot at the end of each arm. The eye is only able to register differences of light and dark, which are useful in detecting movement.The star fish have two stomachs. One stomach is used for digestion, and the other stomach can be extended outward to engulf and digest prey. This feature allows the starfish to hunt prey that is much larger than its mouth would otherwise allow. Starfish are able to regenerate lost arms. A new starfish may be regenerated from a single arm attached to a portion of the central disk.

Digestive System

Starfish have a complete digestive system with a mouth at the center of their underside (the "oral" side) and an anus on their upper surface (the "aboral" side).Food can be brought into the stomach through the mouth or, in many species, the cardiac stomach can be extended out through the mouth to digest food outside the body. Suspension-feeding starfish use their tube feet to pass food to the mouth. The cardiac stomach is connected to a pyloric stomach (located above it), which in turn is connected to both the anus and to the pyloric ducts and pyloric cecum which extend out into each arm.The pyloric ceca (or digestive glands) and the cardiac stomach produce digestive enzymes. Digested material is absorbed through the pyloric ceca for transport to the rest of the body.

Habit

Sea star live in tropical coral reefs, kelp forests to deep-sea floor, although none of them live within the water column; all species of starfish found are living as benthos.

Diet

Starfish eat clams and oysters or any animal too slow to evade the attack (e.g. dying fish). Some species are detritivores, eating decomposed animal and plant material or organic films attached to substrate. The others may consume coral polyps (the best-known example for this is the infamous Acanthaster planci) , sponges or even suspended particles and planktonsp

Distinguishes

Starfish are members of the phylum Echinodermata. This is because the skeleton is not rigid, as in the case of echinoids sea urchins,but is composed of many small plates (or ossicles) which quickly fall apart and are scattered after death and the decay of the soft parts of the creature.

The pictures are found in:

1. http://images.google.com/images
2. http://sps.k12.ar.us/massengale/starfish _dissection.htm

squid

Circulatory system

Squid have three hearts. Two branchial hearts, feeding the gills, each surrounding the larger systemic heart that pumps blood around the body. The hearts have a faint greenish appearance and are surrounded by the renal sacs - the main excretory system of the squid. The kidneys are faint and difficult to identify and stretch from the hearts (located at the posterior side of the ink sac) to the liver. The systemic heart is made of three chambers, a lower ventricle and two upper auricles.

Nervous system

The squid has the most complicated brain of all the invertebrates. The squids brain is estimated to have 300,000,000 neurons. These neurons are arranged in lobes and tracts that are more specialized than simple ganglia. An squid has a "good" memory and can also learn. The eye of the squid is very similar to that of vertebrates in that it has a cornea, lens, iris and retina. It can also focus and form images. However, the squid eye is different from that of vertebrates in that it focuses light by moving the lens closer and further away from the retina. The vertebrate eye focuses by changing the shape of the lens.squid can perceive shape, color intensity and texture. Another difference is that the eye of the squid has NO blind spot because the nerve cells leave from the outside of the eyeball. The squid also has a statocyst located next to the brain. The statocyst is used to detect changes in gravity and respond to acceleration.

Integumentary

The Male body was generated from scans of a live model. With optimized geometric resolution for detailed renderings, and a high level of anatomical accuracy representing an ideal physique. The Integumentary system currently comes with 2 models: Male skin w/ and w/o genitalia.

Excretory system

The kidneys remove wastes form the blood and maintain the body’s water balance, which are the primary oragans of the excretory system. Squid have an excretory organ to expel wastes fro the body .

Reproductive system

In female squid, the ink sac is hidden from view by a pair of white nidamental glands, which lie anterior to the gills. There are also red-spotted accessory nidamental glands. Both of these organs are associated with manufacture of food supplies and shells for the eggs. Females also have a large translucent ovary, situated towards the posterior of the visceral mass.Male squid do not possess these organs, but instead have a large testis in place of the ovary, and a spermatophoric gland and sac. In mature males, this sac may contain spermatophores, which are placed inside the mantle of the female during mating.

Body Plan

Squid has highly complex brains that rival the complexity of vertebrates. All of these species are highly active, agile predators. They possess a beak-like mouth that is used to rip apart captured prey items.

Digestive System

Squid, like all cephalopods, have complex digestive systems. Food is transported into a muscular stomach , found roughly in the midpoint of the visceral mass. The bolus is then transported into the caaecum for digestion. The caecum, a long, white organ, is found next to the ovary or testis. In mature squid, more priority is given to reproduction and so the stomach and caecum often shrivel up during the later stages of life. Finally, food goes to the liver (or digestive gland), found at the siphon end of the squid, for absorption. Solid waste is passed out of the rectum . Beside the rectum is the ink sac, which allows a squid to discharge a black ink into the mantle cavity at short notice.

Habit

Squid inhabit naturally occurring dens on the ocean floor which are in crevices and under rocks for several weeks before they will find a new one. They are nocturnal, solitary creatures that hunt for several hours at night collecting food that is brought back to the den and devoured.

Diet

Adult diet includes mostly crustaceans, mollusks, and fish including small crabs, bivalves, snails and other squids). When eating shelled prey they may use arms to pull it apart, bite it with its beak or use the radula to actually drill through the shell. The mouth is able to secrete enzymes that soften the shell and toxins to paralyze prey and dissolve tissue

Distinguishes as molluscs

Squid have differentiated from their ancestral mollusks in such a way that the body plan has been condensed antero-posteriorly and extended dorso-ventrally. What before may have been the foot of the ancestor is now modified into a complex set of tentacles and highly developed sense organs, including advanced eyes similar to those of vertebrates.

The pictures are found in:

1. http://images.google.com/images
2. http://sps.k12.ar.us/massengale/squid_dissection.htm

clam

Respiratory System

Most species of clam have SEPARATE SEXES. There are both male and female clams.

The GONADS or reproductive organs (TESTES or OVARIES) are located dorsally near the pericardial cavity. Eggs and sperm are released into the mantle cavity. Fertilization in clams depends on the species: MARINE (ocean dwelling) clams – EXTERNAL FERTILIZATION Eggs and sperm are released into the mantle cavity and leave by excurrent siphon FRESHWATER clams- INTERNAL FERTILIZATION Sperm enter mantle cavity through the incurrent siphon; developing larva are discharged through the excurrent siphon and grow to adults.

Circulatory system

Clams have an OPEN circulatory system, meaning that the circulatory fluid (HEMOLYMPH) does not remain in vessels. It is collected from the gills, pumped thorough the heart, and released directly into spaces in the tissues. Open circulation is NOT AS EFFICIENT as a closed system because nutrients and oxygen are not pumped directly to organs. In addition, high oxygen and low oxygen blood can mix allowing fewer nutrients and oxygen to reach the cells.

Nervous system

Clams have NO CEPHALIZATION. There is NO distinct head area. Instead of a pair of cerebral ganglia in the head connected to one ventral nerve cord like an earthworm, a clam’s nervous system consists o 3 PAIRS of GANGLIA throughout the body
connected by TWO PAIRS of long NERVE CORDS. Nerve cells in the ganglia control the muscles involved in locomotion and feeding, and process sensory info about light, touch, and chemicals (food) in the water. Clams follow the same body plan seen in earthworms and other invertebrates with a DORSAL HEART and a VENTRAL NERVE CORD.

Excretory system

The excretory organ in clams is the KIDNEY. This organ collects nitrogen waste produced by body cells from the break down of proteins and excretes it into the mantle cavity where it is removed with water exiting through the excurrent siphon.
The kidney also maintains the balance of water and ions in the body (OSMOREGULATION).

body plan

The first dissection shows a clam which has been opened by cutting the large adductor muscles, which attach to both valves and thus function to close the shell. On the inside of the shell that has been separated, note the places where the adductor muscles attach. A thin sheet of tissue, the mantle (most of which has been cut away) covers the animal's body and secretes the shell. On the separated valve, note the line along which the mantle was attached. The mouth is hidden under a pair of labial palps above the adductor muscle to the left; therefore the anterior end of the animal is to the left. On the ventral (bottom) side is the large muscular foot, which attaches to the shell via smaller retractor muscles. The foot contains portions of the digestive and reproductive organs, and also serves as an appendage for burrowing into the mud. The region dorsal to the foot is called the visceral mass.

Digestive System

The second dissection on display shows a clam that has been cut along the midline of the body. The food particles that are filtered from the water passing through the ctenidia are carried anteriorly by water currents and guided to the mouth by the labial palps. A short esophagus leads to the irregularly-shaped stomach, which is embedded in the greenish digestive gland (1iver). From the stomach, the intestine extends through the pericardial cavity to the rectum, which is located dorsal to the excurrent siphon. The gonads from a yellowish mass among the loops of the intestine. Their ducts, which will not be seen here, open into the suprabranchial chamber.

Integumentary system

A hard outer shell and a soft body. It uses a muscular foot for movement. The skin is the largest organ in the body: 12-15% of body weight, with a surface area of 1-2 meters. Skin is continuous with, but structurally distinct from mucous membranes that line the mouth, anus, urethra, anv vagina. Two distinct layers occur in the skin: the dermis, and epidermis. The basic cell type of the epidermis is the keratinocyte, which contain keratin, a fibrous protein. Basal cells are the innermost layer of the epidermis. melanocyte produce the pigment melanin, and are also in the inner layer of the epidermis. The dermis is a connective tissue layer under the epidermis, and contains nerve endings, sensory receptors, capiliaries, and elastic fibers.

Habit, diet, life cycle distinguishes and reproduction:

• The life cycle of the hard clam includes a pelagic larval phase and relatively sedentary benthic juvenile and adult phases.
• Hard clams begin their adult lives as males, often become females with greater maturity, and require individuals of both sexes for reproduction.
• Clams develop functional male gonads during the first or second year of life.
• Spawning cycles are affected mainly by water temperature and the availability of food, and thus vary according to latitude. Spawning often occurs in "pulses" and may continue for months, but usually there are one or more distinct spawning peaks.
• In the Chesapeake Bay region, spawning usually commences when temperatures rise above 20-23 degrees C (68-73 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Female fecundity is high, and individuals can release 16 million to 24 million eggs per spawn, although laboratory studies often have recorded values of only 1-3 million eggs, and only a few will reach maturity.
• Individuals may release as many as 60 million eggs during one season.
• Eggs are 70 to 73 microns in diameter and are surrounded by a gelatinous membrane. Eggs and sperm of adults are expelled in the water current and fertilization occurs externally in the water column.
• In the Bay area, the most significant growth occurs in spring and fall, when abundant food and optimum water temperatures coincide. Growth decreases in summer and stops altogether in winter. Growth rate also decreases with age, and when this happens, clams become thicker, rather than increasing in shell length.
• Most larval stages of the hard clam swim toward light (or opposite force of gravity), so most are concentrated in the surface waters and are dispersed by wind, waves, and current.
• The pediveliger stage is the final larval stage before settlement and metamorphosis to juveniles. At this stage the organism has a foot that extends from its shell.
• Once the hard clam settles to Bay bottom, it uses its foot to dig into the mud, and secretes a calcium carbonate shell that increases in size as the clam’s internal organs grow.
• The most growth takes place in temperatures between 10 C (50 F) and 25 C (77 F). A cross-section of a hard clam’s shell usually reveals a clam’s age. Hard clams may live for more than 30 years, and occasionally reach 50 years.
• Clam is distinguished as mollusk. Because it has an outer shell and has a soft body. It has a muscular foot that it uses for movement.
• Calm eat small plants and animas called plankton.

The pictures are found in:

1. http://images.google.com/images
2. http://sps.k12.ar.us/massengale/crayfish_dissection.htm

Excretory: it is also called the antennal glands because they are located at the base of the second antenna. They exrete the waste products of blood filtration; ammonia is the primary waste product Ammonia is also excreted across the gill surfaces and by diffusion across thin parts of the exoskeleton

Circulatory System: The circlatory system of the crayfish is centred around a muscular heart with dorsal, anterior, and posterior arteries leading away from it .Branches of these vessels empty into the sinuses of the hemocoel (the large tissue spaces containing blood). The ventral sinus collects the blood, the blood travels through the gills, and then returns to the pericardial sinus surrounding ther heart .

Nervous System: The crayfish nervous system is composed of a ventral nerve cord fused with segmental ganglia, and the supresophageal and subesophageal ganglia. Giant neurons in the ventral nerve cord function in escape responses . The supraesophageal and subesophageal ganglia control the head appendages in response to sesory input recieved from receptors .

Reproductive system: Crayfish have separate male and female sexes (dioecious) and the gonads are located in the dorsal portion of the thorax. Mating occurs just after the female has molted, usually in the spring. The male deposits sperm near the openings of the female gonoducts (at the base of the 3rd periopods) and uses the two modified pleopods to guide the sperm into the female sperm receptacle.

Digestive System: The digestive tract consists of the foregut, which includes an enlarged stomach, part of which is specialized for grinding; the midgut, which extends from the foregut; and the hindgut, which leads to the anus and functions in water and salt regulation .The digestive gland secretes digestive enzymes and aids in the absorption of the products of digestion

Integumentary system: crayfish has hard exoskeleton that covers its body. its body is divided into two main parts, the cephalothorax and the abdomen. The cephalothorax consists of the cephalic (or head) region and the thoracic region. The part of the exoskeleton that covers the cephalothorax is called the carapace. The abdomen is located behind the cephalothorax and consists of six clearly divided segments. The cephalothorax consists of 13 segments. Each segment of both the cephalothorax and the abdomen contains a pair of appendages. The head (or cephalic) region has five pairs of appendages. The antennules are organs of balance, touch, and taste. Long antennae are organs for touch, taste, and smell. The mandibles, or jaws, crush food by moving from side to side. Two pairs of maxillae hold solid food, tear it, and pass it to the mouth. The second pair of maxillae also helps to draw water over the gills. Of the eight pairs of appendages on the cephalothorax, the first three are maxillipeds, which hold food during eating. The chelipeds are the large claws that the crayfish uses for defense and to capture prey. Each of the four remaining segments contains a pair of walking legs. In the abdomen, the first five segments each have a pair of swimmerets, which create water currents and function in reproduction. The sixth segment contains a modified pair of uropods. In the middle of the uropods is a structure called the telson, which bears the anus. The uropod and telson together make up the tail fan. The crayfish moves backward by forcing water forward with its tail fan.

Body plan: A crayfish has a lot of body parts. The most important parts of a crayfishes body are the carapace, tail, legs, heart, claws, brain, egg pores, long antenna, short antenna, stomach, digestive gland, bladder,intestines, modified swimmerets, and swimmerets.

Habitat and diet: A crayfish`s habitat is a lake near shallow water under rocks. The pond or lake is were you would probably find one. Crayfish eat many things. In there natural habitat they will eat fish, earth worms, tadpoles, snails, plants, and small fish. To distinguishes crayfish, you have to look at its body just as legs, tail, out surface of the body, claws and its activities.

The pictures are find in:

1. http://images.google.com/images

2.http://sps.k12.ar.us/massengale/crayfish_dissection.htm

Amphipods

Scientific classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Subphylum: Crustacean

Class: Malacostraca

Order: Amphipoda

Species: Mutualistic

Family: glacial reliscts

Genus: phronima
Habitat: living in living on the ocean bottom in mud or sand association with jellyfish and salps.

Food source: bacteria on the surface of particles, or scavengers on dead animals or plants
Description of life cycle (egg to death): The reproductive period started in October, and hatchlings were released from November until July. Four cohorts were present in November. Some one-year-old females appeared to reproduce more than once. Ontogenetic niche segregation occurred from June to September, when juveniles were found in shallow water and adults were found in deep water where temperatures were below 10°C.
How does it move (if it moves): Amphipods move depends on the arrangement of their legs. Most walk upright using most of the thoracic legs but this is very slow. Swimming using the three pairs of pleopods is much faster. The speciality of amphipods is the tail-flip, a rapid escape response where the abdomen flicks the animal away after the uropods are dug into the ground.

Unique characteristics: long and skinny and flattened from side to side, but more accurately they are defined by the presence of three pairs of uropods (tail-limbs) and usually by having the first two pairs of legs modified to help with grasping food. There is no carapace; seven thoracic and six abdominal segments are visible. The head carries two pairs of antennae, the eyes which are not on stalks, and the mouthparts. Amphipods have seven pairs of walking legs of which the first four reach forward, and the fifth to seventh reach backwards. The abdomen is divided into two parts, three segments with brush-like limbs and three with short immobile rod-like uropods.
Role in the ecosystem: some of them live their lives attached to marine mammals. These whale-lice are ectoparasites which cling firmly to, and feed on, the skin of whales. Unlike other amphipods, whale-lice cannot swim so once the juveniles leave the brood chamber of the female they attach themselves close by. In addition, the amphipods were infested by several parasites, including larvae of Cystidicola sp., a swimbladder nematode that infects fish.

Organism - Sea Star

Sea stars also called starfish, which are spiny, hard-skinned animals that live on the rocky sea floor. These invertebrates are NOT fish but they are echinoderms. Sea stars move very slowly along the sea bed, using hundreds of tiny tube feet. There are over 2,000 different species of sea stars worldwide.

Reproduction: Most species of starfish expel enormous numbers of eggs and sperm into the ocean; fertilization is external. After fertilization, the tiny, transparent, bilaterally-symmetrical larvae (baby sea stars) travel many miles as they are swept along by ocean currents for about two months. As they develop, the tiny larvae swim in the sea, eat phytoplankton, and are a component of zooplankton.

Diet: Sea stars are carnivores (meat-eaters). They eat clans, oysters, coral, fish, and other animals. They push their stomach out through their mouth (located on the underside of the sea star) and digest the prey.

Anatomy: Most sea stars have five arms (or a multiple of five) that radiate from a central disk. Sea stars do not have a brain; they have a simple ring of nerve cells that moves information around the body. Eyespots (primitive light sensors) are at the tip of each arm. If a sea star's arm is cut off, it will regenerate (regrow).

Classification: Kingdom Animalia (animals), Phylum Echinodermata echinoderms, Class Asteroidea (sea stars), about 2,000 species.

Role in the ecosystem: Sea stars are one of the best known invertebrates. They are also ecologically important because they can be important predators of other invertebrates like clams, barnacles and other attached marine life. They can be brightly colored and, in many species, show considerable variability in color within one species.

Unique characteristics: with a flattened, star-shaped body, have 5 arms or multiples of 5 arms , Spines or reduced spines on outer surface , walk using many tube feet that have suckers on their ends, a mouth on bottom (oral) surface and anus on the upper (aboral) surface of your body and eat both plants and animals (an omnivore).

chapter 6-Critical thinking

Only very few flowering plants have invaded the ocean,but those that have are very successful.What are some posible reasons for the small number of marine flowring plants? How do those that have taken the step manage to thrive in some environments?

- flowering plants live submerged by seawater,rearely exposed at low tide. Salt-marsh grasses and mangroves inhabit estuaries and shores protected from wave action. Their roots are usually covered by water at hight tide. They adapted to colonize coastal areas exposed to salt-laden winds and occasional sea spray,though they do not tolerate immersion in seawater. They can live on the sand dunes or living along the edges of salt marshes.

chapter 5 -Critical thinking

An autotrophic protist, such as a diatom or a dinoflagellate, can evolve into a heterotrophic protist (and therefore a protozoan) simply by losing its chloroplasts.Under what conditions might this take place?

-It is when photosynthesis takes place on folded membranes within the bacterial cell rather than in chloroplasts as in algae and plants.

chapter 1 -Critical thinking

In Chapter 1 it was explained that the statement "There are mermaids in the ocean" is not a valid scientific hypothesis. Can the same be be said of the statement "There are no mermaids in the ocean"? why ?

- In my opinion, Yes, you can say that there are no mermaids in the ocean . although we read the children's books to know about mermaids or watched the movie to know what mermaid looks but there has still not exactly statement to show the mermaids is live in the ocean ....no valid scientific hypothesis to show that was alive in the world. So , i can say without any hypothesis , the mermaids is mean nothing ....!!

chapter 7 - critical thinking

New Zealand sea daisy

Sea daisies were first discovered in sunken wood off the coast of New Zealand in 1983. They are
tiny animals, about the diameter of a pencil, and live 1 kilometre below the surface of the sea.
Scientists gave them a separate classification as they were unlike any other echinoderms (the
group to which tube-footed animals belong). The upper surface, seen here, is made up of
numerous perforated scales and is fringed with spines. It is assumed they get their food by
absorbing nutrients from decomposing logs of wood, for they have no mouth, guts or anus. Some of the specimens hauled up contained fully developed embryos within their reproductive organs, indicating they give birth to live young.I think they are not classified into a new phylum, because the scientists don't have exact proof to find the same kind animal on the earth. on the
other hand, they have some same characteristics Echinodermata does. For me, i think daisy's
body has different function than other animals do. maybe they don't need any food but without
water to wet their body to be alive or they just absorbing by their spines. For they moving
problem, i think maybe they are the kind of animal do not like to move all the life. If they get
move, that maybe caused by the water force. Of course, everything thing only is a guess.Also,
maybe we will find the same kind of animal like daisy and we will classified them to a new group
someday, who knows!!

DNA ,RNA and Cell

1. What is DNA?

-. The blueprint of life, a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organism.

2. What are the 4 bases?

-The four bases are adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine.

3. What 2 pieces of information did the scientists need to solve the elusive structure of DNA?

-. Phosphate backbone was on the outside with bases on the inside but another that the molecule was a double helix.

4. What are the specific base pairs?

-A.T.G and C. The amount of adenine always equals the amount of thymine. The same goes for the pair guanine and cytosine. For example, human DNA contains about 30 percent each of adenine and thymine, and 20 percent each of guanine and cytosine.

- 5. How does the pairing rule effect the shape and structure of DNA?

- Adenine-thymine pair that make a 2 hydrogen bond and cytosine-guanine pair that make a 3-hydrogen bond. if the bases were paired when the adenine-thymine bond was exactly as long as the cytosine-guanine bond, each rung of the twisted ladder in the helix would be of equal length, and the sugar-phosphate backbone would be smooth..

6. What does the DNA do during cell division?

-during the cell division, the DNA molecule is able to “unzip” into two pieces.

7. How many base pairs does E. Coli have? How long does it take to replicate? How is the DNA packaged in the cell?

-it has about 4,639,221 base pairs and takes about 40 minutes to replicate. E. coli is package in the DNA as eukaryotic chromosomes are into the nucleus cell.

8. How many base pairs does Human DNA have? How long does it take to replicate? How is the DNA packaged in the cell?

- human has 3 billion base pairs DNA, it making up a total of almost 12 to 24hours of DNA in every cell in our body , and human DNA is packaged in 23 distinct chromosome pairs nucleus cell.

1. What is RNA? How different is it from DNA?

- It is a nucleic acid polymer consisting of nucleotide monomers.

Difference: RNA - a single strand, contain ribose sugar, uses predominantly uracil.

DNA - double helix , contain deoxyribose ,uses hymine.

2. How are the RNA messages formed?

-It is formed by the grouping together of 3 of the letters to create a triplet or codon then the triplet or codon line up and form a chain of codes to create a message.

3. How are the RNA messages interpreted?

-. First, the ribosome have read the messages, and then it have to attach the amino acids together then can make up of a protein.

1. Describe cell cycle.

- The cycle of cell growth, replication of the genetic material and nuclear and cytoplasm division. The cell cycle is dived into a G1 (G for gap) phase in which the cell grows; an S (S for synthesis) phase where the DNA is replicated, a second gap phase called G2 and an M phase (for Mitosis) in which the replicated DNA (organized into chromosomes) is separated and the cell divides into 2 daughter cells. Mitosis is dived into Prophase, Prometaphase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase, and cytokinesis.

­- The cell cycle is an ordered set of events, culminating in cell growth and division into two daughter cells.

2. What is nuclear division?

-The process of nuclear division of diploid (2N) or haploid (N) eukaryotic cell whereby two daughter nuclei are produced those are genetically identical to the parent nucleus. Mitosis usually results in the production of two progeny cells that are genetically identical to the parent cell.

3. What is interphase.

- The cell cycle stage between nuclear divisions, when chromosomes are extended and functionally active and the metabolically active non-diving stage of the cell cycle.

4. Cytokinesis.

-it is the process whereby the cytoplasm of a single cell is divided to spawn two daughter cells.

5. Homologous chromosomes.

- . A pair of chromosomes made up of two homologs. Homologous chromosomes have corresponding DNA sequences and come from separate parents; one homolog comes from the mother and the other comes from the father. Homologous chromosomes line up and synapse during meiosis

6. Phases of mitosis (5 of them).

-Cytokinesis

-Telophase

-Preprophase

-Prophase

-Metaphase

7. Phases of meiosis and how it is different from mitosis.

- Leptotene

- Zygotene

- Pachytene

-Diplotene

-Diakinesis

-Synchronour processes

-Metaphase

- Anaphase

-Telophase

-Mitosis has eight phases but meiosis has nine prophases and which has six is different than mitosis but three are Metaphase I ,Anaphase I and Telophases I are the same . The difference between the separation in mitosis and metaphase II (meiosis) is that halfing of the number of chromosomes has preceded meiosis II, in contrast to mitosis. Also the meiotic products are genetically diverse with respect to their parent and among each other. This is not the case in mitosis!

8. Describe the process and purpose of crossing over.

- Cross over is a process in which homologous chromosomes exchange parts normally reciprocally but sometimes unequally. The exchange of corresponding chromosome parts between homologues by breakage and reunion of DNA molecules normally during prophase I of meiosis but also occasionally during mitosis.