El Azufre's Milky

“Everything in Australia is trying to kill you, haven’t you heard?” (Rosalind James). Physalia, or Portuguese Man of War, is a salt water species of hydrozoa that thrives in dead zones of tropical and subtropical waters. The animal is often confused with a jellyfish, but it actually is a siphonophore. Blue Bottle, Physalia, is not just a multicellular creatures called zooids. The zooids work together to provide defense, help with feeding, to produce offspring, find a safe habitat, and use all the tools necessary to live a full life. While movement and shape are uncontrollable, they play a vital role in the creature living. The Portuguese Man of War is a beautiful creature that plays in an important role in the ecosystem

I will say that as much as the expression “Canary in the coal mine” implies an early warning of danger in mines so does it in water too. In this case the fish directly helps us know the extent to which our ecological sphere is damaged, and helps humans to take the necessary precautions to save the environment.

Studies have repeatedly shown that as oxygen concentrations decrease, the abundance and diversity of fish decrease (Breitburg). Fish kills, in which large numbers of dead and dying fish float to the surface or wash onto shore, are probably the most dramatic and publicly visible manifestation of hypoxia and nutrient over-enrichment of coastal waters(Breitburg). In addition to mass mortalities that are easily observed, high mortality of fish lacking a swim bladder can occur leaving little or no visible evidence of fish at the surface or littering beaches (Breitburg). With no fish, shrimp, or crabs the Louisiana fishing market takes a huge hit that the economy feels in a major way. The gulf accounts for almost one-fifth of the countries fishing landings, which total to be three billion dollars (Petrolia). Fishing is not only a major part of Louisiana’s economy but also its culture. Without wildlife in our waters microorganism are given more opportunity to grow leading to bacteria infected waters. These bacteria infected waters could cause major health risks for those who come in contact with

In the article, “Rapid Evolution Saved This Fish From Pollution, Study Says” written by Joanna Klein she investigates the evolution of Atlantic Killifish in New Jersey. The people of New Jersey are restricted from eating any fish, especially the killifish, from the Lower Passaic River and Newark Bay. This is because of the obsessive dumping of chemical waste and toxins into the waterways. This waste is affecting the local ecosystems located in that area, but drawing attention to the Atlantic Killifish. In the 1990’s researchers discovered that the Killifish were “tolerant of the toxic waters.” In areas along the Atlantic coastline researchers found out that the Killifish located in different highly toxic areas had already rapidly adapted genetically

While the Animas disaster avoided immediate and catastrophic results, the ultimate ecological price tag will take longer to figure. The river moves so fast that it swept obvious toxins downstream quickly. Yet the long-term toxicity reached hundreds and, in some cases, thousands of times over what is considered safe for the life beneath the river’s surface. That price will be silently calculated over months and years—by the trout.

Beginning with the simplest one-celled organism, an extraordinary animal rose in the murky waters entitled to a non-comparable killing-eating machine. This organism has become nature’s most genuine and most successful creature that it has remained unchanged for over 250 million years. Nature finally invented the perfect king of the sea. This animal has given the sea it’s “living” adjective; in turn, it was entitled—the “great white shark.”

The 59-year-old author, Sy Montgomery, has written 20 books, each based on a specific research or expedition she has taken part in. Her studies, which she descriptively incorporates into her novels, have warranted her various book awards and acclaims. She plunges herself into the lives and mysteries of Earth’s wildlife in order to gain a further understanding of how particular organisms thrive in their wild, dangerous environments. Although Montgomery was no expert in the field of cephalopods, she quickly learned all she could about the intriguing invertebrates through fellow researcher, experts, aquarists, divers, and colleagues encountered throughout her studies about octopuses. Through diligent research via articles, studies, field

Biologists, suited in wetsuits and snorkels, gently lift a large rock underwater before poking a dive light into the crevice. Two small eyes peek out at them, a wide grin and a flattened wrinkled body floating and bobbing with the current. The Eastern Hellbender, ancient giant salamanders that have roamed the Earth for millions of years, living dinosaurs that roam the bottom of non-polluted streams and shallow rivers preying on crawfish and earthworms.

In the past several decades years, human activities - particularly polluting the environment, have quickly revolutionized the complex life-forms. Atlantic Tomcod, for example, are now resistant to toxic PCBs (polychlorinated biphenuls) dumped in lake, rivers, and coastal waters during the 20th century. In addition, yellow perch, a type of Canadian fish, also managed to be adapt to 80 years of heavy metal. As you can see, these problems are now growing, where brown trout (Salmo trutta) living in England, are also facing the same problem. Areas where brown trout lives, have history of mining, “Dating back to the bronze age, and zinc, copper, tin, arsenic and other heavy metals, continue to get washed into the watercourse.” In fact, certain rivers

1. It is a common belief in certain cultures that shark fins have health benefits, when in reality that’s not true. With increasing levels of pollution entering into the oceans it’s known that sharks absorb the pollution which create an unsafe level of mercury for humans to consume. Scientists at the University of Miami recently conducted a study to test the concentrations of two toxins- mercury and β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) – in 10 different sharks species located in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (“Study Finds High Level of Neurotoxins,” 2016). Deborah Mash, the senior author of the study and a Professor of Neurology stated, “Recent studies have linked BMAA to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),” Contrary to cultures that believe shark fins contain health benefits, it’s been proven that there’s a direct link between consumption of shark meat to neurodegenerative diseases. The evidence provided above proves to the earlier statement that there are no health benefits, and that in fact, it may cause a increase damage to human health.

Everyone’s heard the saying “curiosity killed the cat.” Except this “cat” is fifteen to twenty two hundred pounds, and it kills. Even humans. This animal is known as the king of the ocean and many scientists think that because of the animals curiosity and pure aggressiveness. The shark has deserved the name, “the most dangerous.”

The source of primary productivity in hydrothermal vent regions is the breakdown of hydrogen sulfide by chemoautotrophic bacteria. It differs from coral reefs and epipelagic zones because those zones use photosynthesis.

Humanity has always been curious about the world around them, and many have searched the world, looking for the origin of life. They have travelled all over the world and even to the moon. Yet, the ocean remains largely unexplored or studied. Scientists are still discovering new species in the depths of the ocean. With all these species of fish and other animals in the ocean comes the question, “where did they all come from?” Some believe that these fish evolved from a single organism over billions of years ago, but the ingenuity and complexity of their design reveal the evidence of a creator, and that creator is the Lord God, creator of heaven and earth. In fact, one of the most feared predators of the ocean, sharks, have many attributes that prove they were designed by a creator. One way sharks show intelligent design is in their hunting skills, both their natural hunting abilities and their unique hunting strategies, which proclaims the undeniable evidence that sharks were designed by a creator.

“Dolphin are on the brink of extinction due to entanglement in fishing gear” (“Dolphin Threats”).

There are currently over 440 species of sharks in our Earth’s oceans, but despite roaming our ocean’s waters for millions of years, sharks are constantly at risk of