A Trip to the Cabrillo Beach Marine Aquarium

 Moon Jellyfish

 Sea Stars, Sea Anenomes, and Sea Urchins

Ocean Plant Life

Mantis Shrimp

Evolution of the Eye.

From Invertebrates

To Fish

To Amphibians

 To Reptiles in the water

and on land

 To Birds

To Mammals

To Humans.

The Grey-Crowned Crane

The Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum) is a bird in the crane family Gruidae. It occurs in dry savannah in Africa south of the Sahara, although it nests in somewhat more humid habitats.

Interesting Facts:

-This bird does not migrate.

- This species and the closely related Black Crowned Crane are the only cranes that can roost in trees, because of a long hind toe that can grasp branches. 

-This habit, amongst other things, is a reason why the relatively small Balearica cranes are believed to closely resemble the ancestral members of the Gruidae.

-It makes a honking sound quite different from the trumpeting of other crane species during its courtship display.

-The Grey Crowned Crane is the national bird of Uganda and features in the country's flag and coat of arms.

 These animals are strikingly beautiful,  Africa is so fortunate to have such an abundance of wildlife found no where else on Earth.

Close Call or Coincidence?

         The strangest thing happened yesterday. A Honey Bee flew directly into my eye and didn't sting me.

Close Call or Coincidence? 

          A Honey Bee that is away from the hive foraging for nectar or pollen will rarely sting, except when stepped on or roughly handled. Honey Bees will actively seek out and sting when they perceive the hive to be threatened, often being alerted to this by the release of attack pheromones.

Honey bees are the only Hymenoptera with a strongly barbed sting.

       A true swarm is not hostile; it has deserted its hive and has no comb or young to defend.

 Guess which gender of  Honey Bees has the ability to sting: Males or Females?

The larger drone bees, the males, do not have stingers.   The female worker bees are the only ones that can sting, and their stinger is a modified ovipositor.

     Close Call or Coincidence? My escape from a painful bee sting was neither- it  was normal for he Honey Bee to not retaliate aggressively based on the circumstances at the current time.

Birds of a Feather Flock Together

         I was drawing a Great Spotted Kiwi Bird this morning when I realized how similar their feet look like those of the Dodo Bird. Although not closely related  to Dodo Birds, a little research led me to determine that these small birds are indeed, the smallest living Ratites, a diverse group of large, flightless birds of Gondwanan origin (most of them now extinct).

        Unlike other flightless birds, the Ratites have no keel on their sternum—hence the name from the Latin ratis (for raft). Without this to anchor their wing muscles, they cannot fly even if they were to develop suitable wings.

        It was long presumed that the Kiwi Bird was closely related to the other New Zealand Ratites, the Moa. However, recent DNA studies indicate that the Ostrich is more closely related to the Moa and the Kiwi is more closely related to the Emu and the Cassowaries. This theory suggests that the ancestors of the Kiwi Bird arrived in New Zealand from elsewhere in Australasia well after the Moa.

      According to British scientists, the kiwi may be an ancient import from Australia. Researchers at Oxford University have found DNA evidence connected to Australia's Emu and the Ostrich of Africa. Upon examining DNA from the Moa, they believe that the Kiwi is more closely related to its Australian cousins.

        Take a look at these three birds' feet. They all  have three toes on each foot in a tridactyl arrangement, which is an adaptation for running (since these birds are flightless).The Ostrich has two toes on each foot, while the Dodo Bird had four, showcasing their further relation to the Kiwi Bird and other Ratites. I find it truly fascinating how such a small bird (Kiwi) could be closer in relation to Emus than Dodo Birds, who look closer in appearance to one another.

Southern (Australian) Cassowary

Great Spotted Kiwi Bird

Australian Emu and its feet

To get a closer view of the Kiwi and its behavior, watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYYpQVAWqRc

SCUBA Diving

 "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." -Albert Einstein 
 

Did you know the word SCUBA stands for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus? 


       SCUBA Diving is a form of underwater diving n which a diver uses a SCUBA Set to breathe underwater. SCUBA Divers carry their own source of breathing gas (usually compressed air), allowing them greater freedom of movement than with an air line. Both surface supplied and SCUBA Diving allow divers to stay underwater significantly longer than with breath-holding techniques as used in snorkelling and free-diving. Depending on the purpose of the dive, a diver usually moves underwater by swimfins attached to the feet, but external propulsion can come from an underwater vehicle, or a sled pulled from the surface.

There are so many risks involved with SCUBA Diving, including:

- Decompression Sickness

-Nitrogen Narcosis

-Oxygen Toxicity

- Skin Cuts and Grazes

-Loss of Body Heat

-Barotrauma,

-Loss of Breathing Gas Supply

 -Inhalation of Salt Spray

-Carbon Monoxide Contamination of Breathing Gas

-Hydrocarbon (oil) Contamination of Air Supply

 -Excessive Carbon Dioxide in Breathing Gas

-Breathing the Wrong Gas

-Displacement of Demand Valve From the Diver's Mouth

-Oxygen Partial Pressure in the Breathing Gas

-Vertigo

-Burst or Stretched Eardrum

-Sinus, Mask, Lung, Suit, Helmet, or Tooth Squeeze

 -Suit Compression

-Entrapment/ Drowning

-Environmental Hazards

-Injuries from Working Closely with Wildlife

Despite these risks, I will still be receiving my SCUBA Diving certification this year.

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." -Albert Einstein

 

Newport Beach Bay Marine Life Inventory Event

       Being near the beach has always been a favorite location of mine. Last week I decided to do a volunteer Marine Life Inventory event at Newport Beach Bay in Newport, CA. Absolutely beautiful, changed my life forever. It gave me an inside look on how the world destructs our oceans, the help required to preserve the diversity of the organisms beneath the sea, and what a day in the life of a marine biologist is like.

       We completed a marine life inventory count, which means to basically determine how many thriving populations there are in the area. We checked all wild forms of life found within Newport Beach Bay's waters- such as baby Sting Rays, Halibut, Anchovies, and Sponges. It was so exciting to pet wild Sting Rays- not the tame ones found in zoos with no stingers. These were the real thing- alive and breathing, with venomous stingers that had the ability to strike as we measured the animals carefully. They're so soft! String Rays are definitely one of my favorite ocean organisms, they're very cute and surprisingly docile.

         The Halibut had fish parasites on their bodies-that was the only animal I did not touch- even if the parasites were non-transferable to humans.  Then of course, there are starfish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and other smaller forms of life to interact with. I thought sea urchins would be soft because I confused them with sea anemones- and I poked my finger as I attempted to touch the tip of its spiny needles haha.

      It feels so free, being by the sea: I felt like there was no need for technology and other human behaviors deemed normal nowadays. It was rather relaxing, for working with animals is stress-free and truly rewarding. One of the items collected was a Heineken bottle that had been tossed into the bay, in which it had multiple sea snails attached to it as an anchor. It made me realize how much trash finds its way into our water. It's not fair that humans get to enjoy man-made products then dispose of the evidence and let the ocean life deal with the harmful effects. Luckily the bay was remotely clean, in thanks to the amount of beach cleanups being done of a daily basis.

      The effects of chemicals on ocean life is devastating as well. Before the ban of DDT, animals would digest the mosquito-repellent through consuming other organisms (worked through the food chain) and all the oceanic predatory birds were producing  eggs with thin eggshells that would crack prematurely and cause the chicks to succumb to death. I have further changed my outlook on the use of chemicals due to learning of the negative results of DDT use- what is deemed FDA-approved can still wreck havoc within our oceans and in habitats elsewhere.It was a life-changing experience, interacting with animals found below the sea. I hope to return soon.