Gammarus Puplex

Crawfish naturally excrete phosphorous as well as nitrogen, and have enabled the lake to have a faster turnover rate within its waters thanks to their large numbers (University of Davis Centers for Water and Wildlife Resources, 1996). Warm-water fish not native to the Lake Tahoe area have also begun to thrive within the near shore environments because of the increase in water temperature, and continue to intrude on native fish. The rise in water temperatures is most likely from an increase in algae production within the near shore areas caused by the production of nutrients by the Asian clams, which in turn then feeds the growing crawfish population.

Our end results only supported to some extent our hypothesis that increasing numbers of brine shrimp would directly cause decreases in algae concentration. Our hypothesis, if applied to only the jars of 3 and 6 brine shrimp, would be highly supported, due to the significant difference in algae concentrations. Evidently, the more shrimp that were present in the ecosystem, the less algae that were available at the end. In an ecosystem with more consumers, the consumers demand a higher amount of nutrients from the environment, or more specifically, the producers. And as the consumers develop and grow, those demands also grow. And thus, when we increased the amount of brine shrimp, more algae were consumed per unit time. Though the rate of consumption from the brine shrimp did not exceed the rate of growth of the algae in any jar, the

Steele, V.J., and Steele, D.H. 1970. The biology of Gammarus (Crustacea, Amphipoda) in the northwestern atlantic. II. Gammarus Setosus Dementieva. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 48(4), 659-671.

The shell of Limulus polyphemus frequently serves as substrate for a large number of epibionts, such as barnacles, mussels, oysters, polychaetes, slipper limpets, algae and other encrusting invertebrates ( Botton, 2009; Botton et al. 2015). The term epibiosis is used to describe a non-symbiotic, facultative association between the substrate organism and sessile animals (epizoans) or epiphytic algae (Botton, 2009). Using horseshoe crabs as a substrate may be advantageous for the epibionts in that it aids in gene dispersal and feeding opportunities (Botton & Shuster, 2003). Because horseshoe crabs are migratory, any of the organisms that live on them must be able to survive the same wide range of temperatures and salinities as their hosts (Botton, 2009).

Decomposition high in slower areas due to insect activity. Estuaries are freshwater and saltwater mix and semi-enclosed bodies of water. Different organisms in each salinity zone such as anadromous fishes, oysters, eelgrass from nursery areas for many species larvae and juveniles Four major feeing groups within the stream community are gougers, grazers, collectors and shredders. Processing the leaves and other particulate matter are bacteria and fungi. Oysters are dominant organism about which life revolves and may be attached to every hard object in the intertidal zone. Organisms that live in isolated temporary freshwater environments must be adapted to a wide range of conditions and be able to disperse between habitats when their conditions change or

Shrimp use anaerobic metabolism when escaping from predators. Shrimp are benthic animals, which means they live on the bottom and normally in shallow waters because it is easier for shrimp to capture food (Smith et al. 2010). However, shrimp can also live in the deep sea. Since shrimp are filter-feeders and eat small organisms, they are constantly moving around on the sea floor (Nguyen, 1998). In order for shrimp to escape from predators, they dive into sediment. Brine shrimp play a major role in the ecosystem (Nguyen 1998).

With this obstacle in their way, shellfish are forced to use what little energy they have to search for the molecules. The shellfish babies cannot handle this very well. They are using most of their energy trying to build a shell. If they needed to defend themselves from danger, it becomes harder for them due to lack of energy. Because of this, many young shellfish die before they can fully grow. The effects on marine species also have effects on the entire marine food chain. When populations of a species decline, the predators of that group become affected. Eventually, the whole food chain has been impacted in some way. Although there are many organisms that are negatively affected, there are a few that can thrive. Specifically among these are photosynthetic types of sea life. They are able to live under these conditions because of their need for carbon dioxide. With so many extra molecules of it, these organisms can thrive. However, there are also a few negative impacts of the thriving photosynthetic beings. Because they grow so quickly, they can dominate an area. This could lead to less biodiversity because the slower growing plants would have less space to grow. With a lack of room, they would

The results of our study were also consistent with the results from a study by Rastrick and Whiteley (2013) on 4 different species of Gammarus, including the G. setosus. Rastrick and Whiteley (2013) found that G. setosus were more comfortable in areas under the influence of colder thermal gradients because at lower temperatures, they acquire an elevated rate of protein synthesis, and are able to maintain constant osmotic pressure. As a result, Rastrick and Whiteley (2013) also determined that there was less movement at the colder temperature. In terms of speed, we found that G. setosus had a lower average speed in the 4⁰C water temperature. This is in agreement with the findings of Rastrick and

6. Nutrient enrichment and eutrophication is needed to algae bloom and that’s where the food cycle supports the ecosystem. This can help in further ecosystem degradation.

Cultural eutrophication is the process by which abnormally high levels of limiting nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus) are carried, by runoff, into a naturally occurring body of water, causing the out of control growth of algae. The unruly growth of algae, caused by the abundance of nitrogen and phosphorus, leads to harmful algal blooms on the water’s surface that have negative effects on the surrounding environment. This creates an area where there is no life, known as a “dead zone. All plants require the nutrient phosphorus to live and grow, therefore the algae thrives on the high levels of the nutrient phosphorus. As the runoff carries phosphorus, from fertilizers and other sources, into the body of water (in this case, the Maumee River into Lake Erie), an excessive amount of phosphorus is accessible and the algae begins to rapidly grow in a large quantity. This rapid growth causes the formation of harmful algal blooms on the surface of the water that restrict the amount of sunlight that can enter the water. The restriction of sunlight reduces the rate of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis captures sunlight turning it into chemical energy, and a product of this process is oxygen. Although there are organisms that do feed on algae, the growth becomes so rapid that an abundance of excess algae builds up, dies and decomposes. This process of decomposing the excess algae requires a large quantity of oxygen. Both factors, the reduction of photosynthesis and excessive

Rivers form parts of aquatic ecosystems which provide ecosystem services that utilized mostly by humans and other organisms. The ecosystem services that are provided for by aquatic ecosystems that are utilized by humans include agricultural food crops, recreational purposes, biological control and management of insects and weeds (FAO, 2003). It is estimated that approximately 12% of living organisms i.e. animals and plants are dependent on freshwater ecosystems for their survival, and though the importance of freshwater activities is recognized, anthropogenic activities are on the increase and are depleting the water quality (Abramovitz, 1996; Mason (1996). The water quality of streams and rivers is influenced by anthropogenic activities that require large volumes of water such as industrial and agricultural activities (Kasiarová and Feszterova, 2009). Agricultural activities and utilization of artificial nitrogen fertilisers are known to have

Life and death are themselves opposites; then again in our oceans, life sometimes causes death. Over the past few decades, the demand for edible seafood has sky rocketed, resulting in the formation of aquacultures and overfishing. As of now, the two greatest threats to our marine resources result from overfishing and water pollution. Commercial fishing targets key fish species, resulting in an imbalance of the marine ecosystem. In response to the near elimination of these species, an industry has developed to raise these species in farm communities. It was the initial belief of many that aquacultures would help offset the demand for more seafood. However, the result of fish

Cultural eutrophication involves the artificial influx of nutrients into an aquatic ecosystem and can have severe effects on the organisms that live within the ecosystem (Anders and Ashley 2007). The most common source of these influxes of nutrients comes in the form of surrounding terrestrial runoff and atmospheric input, thus being very sensitive to seasonal inputs (Guildford and Hecky 2000). Within the last few decades there has been a new process arise from the other end of the spectrum, termed cultural oligotrophication, which is actually the opposite of eutrophication; it is the result of a human induced reduction of the naturally occurring nutrients that occur in an aquatic system (Anders and Ashley 2007). Waters affected by this type of oligotrophication tend to be very clear and lack the nutrients that they would have had they not been altered to be aesthetically pleasing to the human eye, thus having poor biological productivity (Anders and Ashley 2007).

Eutrophication is a serious concern for lakes as it can turn an oligotrophic body of water into a eutrophic body of water, which is dangerous to the ecological diversity.

The aquatic ecosystem is a vital part of the Earth’s vigorous process and is indispensable for a sustainable Earth and its inhabitants. There are different types of aquatic ecosystems 1) fresh water ecosystems, such as rivers, lakes and ponds 2) Saltwater ecosystems, such as oceans, inlets and bays, and 3) wetlands (both fresh and saltwater), which serve as a filtration systems between dry land and bodies of water. Because wetlands serve as filtration systems, they help by diminishing pollution and providing nutrients to plants and wildlife, as well as a providing a safe haven. Living organisms that inhabit these aquatic ecosystems fully rely on the viability and health of the ecosystems.