Mangroves
What "stage of life" or age group are animals that live in the mangroves in?
"Juvenile" phase or babies.
Name one type of coral
Brain, finger, sea fan, elkhorn, staghorn etc.
How many types of seagrasses are there in The Bahamas?
Three
Name one very important species for the fishing industry in The Bahamas that grows up in the mangroves
- Nassau Grouper
- Crawfish
- Queen Conch
True or false : it is bad for the coral reef ecosystem if mangroves are destroyed
True
What is the chant we say to remember WHITE mangroves?
"White, white, screw on tight!"
-Stepping on them/breaking off pieces
-Overfishing
-Using sunscreen with harmful substances
-Runoff / pollution from land
-Climate change (warming of the ocean)
Name two animals that live in the seagrass beds
- Queen Conch
- Manatee
- Turtle
- Seahorses
Name one animal that lives in the mangrove and coral reef ecosystem that has a closed season
- Nassau Grouper
- Crawfish
What do mangroves, coral reefs and seagrass beds have in common?
- They all have saltwater in their ecosystems (all connected to the ocean)
- They all need sunlight
What are the roots of a black mangrove called?
Corals are made up of thousands of tiny animals. What are they called?
Coral polyps
Name one type of seagrass found in The Bahamas
- Turtle grass
- Shoal grass
- Manatee grass
Name an animal that lives in the seagrass or coral reef ecosystem that is protected by law. Meaning, you cannot fish for it or any of its by-products.
- Sea Turtles
Where do baby fish hide in the mangroves?
Within the roots - usually roots of a red mangrove
What is the seedling of a red mangrove called?
A propagule
What is coral bleaching?
When water becomes too warm and the coral gets stressed out and expels its zooxanthellae. This causes it to lose its color and the skeleton becomes white
Name one importance of seagrass beds
- help stabilize the sediment (keep it in place)
- help to trap sediment in the water column, keeping the water clean and clear!
- habitat for a lot of important species
Explain how parrotfish produce sand
Parrotfish feed on algae on the coral reef. Sometimes because of their strong jaw, they mistakenly eat pieces of coral. They can't digest coral, so they pass it out as sand!
Name three types of fish found on coral reefs
Parrotfish, red snapper, queen angelfish, Nassau Grouper, bluehead wrasse, fairy basslet, grey angelfish, butterflyfish etc etc.
What are the two types of roots on a red mangrove?
Prop and drop roots
What is the tiny plant that lives inside of the coral that provides it with it's colour, food and carbon dioxide?
Zoonxanthellae
Name the two ways that seagrasses can reproduce
Sexually and asexually
Name two animals that live on land that can be found in the mangrove ecosystem
- Lizard
- Crab
- Heron (bird)
- insects (ants, butterflies etc.)
When animals live in the open ocean floating in the water column, what is this stage of life called?
The pelagic stage