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April 23, 2007
Episode #16: Marine Ecosystems
Over seventy percent of the Earth's surface is covered with water and clean water is essential to life. Today we highlight some of the vastly different ecosystems that thrive beneath the water, both fresh and salty, by taking a little trip through some of the exhibits at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Click Here To Download: Episode #16: Marine Ecosystems.
Show Notes
Album Art
Segment: Marine Ecosystems
Freshwater
Upsidedown fish, I think it's an upsidedown catfish but I heard someone call it Butterfly (although there is a tropic fish called Butterflyfish, so I'm not sure).
Ocean Shoreline
This is one of the touch tanks at the aquarium, where you can feel starfish, urchins, and sea cucumbers (my favorite!).
Tropical Reef
All the kids love this exhibit because it has the fish species from Finding Nemo. Every kid points at says Dory! Lots of different coral species in here, too.
Pelagic
Pelagic fish live deep, open water habitat. The aquarium has a fantastic exhibit called Outer Bay which features all sorts of marine species that live way out there in a gigantic 1 million gallon tank. Schools of Pacific bluefin and Yellowfin tuna cruise by while Dolphinfish and California barracuda, along with a Black Sea Turtle, hang out towards the top of the exhibit. Several smaller sharks like Scalloped hammerheads patrol the tank, and there is occasionally a young Great White Shark in the tank. They recently released the latest one though, and now there is a monstrous Ocean Sunfish.
Sandy Bottom
Tube Anemones wait for something to hit its tentacles and then quickly bring it to their mouth as you can see if you watch closely. I'm pretty sure that's a Spiny King Crab shoveling food into its mouth.
Learn More
For now, you can check out some of my other blog postings and such on this topic here:
More on Marine Biology: Hawaiian Honu: The Green Sea Turtle and other posts on Our Oceans
Marine Ecosystems: Isolated Ecosystems: The Farallons Are California’s Galapagos
Special Assignment: California Sea Otters of Monterey Bay
Special Assignment: Elephant Seals of Año Nuevo
Our Take on the Aquarium: The Zoo Report Card
More Photos & Info: The Monterey Bay Aquarium
If you have any problems with this video, please email me at the address listed below in the housekeeping section.
Housekeeping Stuffage
All video footage taken with: Canon PowerShot SD900
Music By: 2012, Liberta
Music Provided By: PodShow Podsafe Music Network
Email Comments & Questions: led AT perlgurl DOT org
Posted by sorsha at April 23, 2007 8:10 AM
