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Yap Jun Da (Questioner)Shaun See (Encourager)
Andrea Koh (Recorder)
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IPW Notes 1
Blacktip reef shark
The blacktip reef shark is the smallest reef shark in the reef shark family which conclude sharks like grey reef sharks, whitetip reef shark and tiger sharks. It is a shark which lives in the tropical and warm temperature seas.
These sharks are one of the most common sharks which can be found in shallow (Sometimes as shallow as 30cm or thirty centimetres) water around the coral reefs of Indo - Pacific waters where is around the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. The temperature of the water they usually swim in is between 20 Celsius and 27 Celsius. They do not venture into tropical lakes and rivers far from the oceans.
As the name suggests, the tips of the shark's pectoral fin and dorsal fin are black with a white underside. Its skin is brownish in colour on the top half of its body. It has been recorded at up to 2m or two metres in length and over 45kg/ forty - five kilograms in weight. Its snout is blunt and rounded.
Its diet consists mainly of reef fish, but they can also feed on other aquatic species like rays, crustaceans, cephalopods and molluscs.
Their reproduction is viviparous which is almost like giving birth in mammals. They give birth to two to four pups in a litter. Before giving birth, the female blacktip reef sharks will incubate their young for sixteen months. The pups' length at birth ranges from thirty - three to
fifty - two centimetres.
This species is not social, but can be found in small groups. Despite their shyness, they often are curious about snorkelers and scuba divers. When threatened, they would bend their bodies into an awkward 'S' shape. They are usually harmless unless provoked. Most incidents occur by mostly hand feeding or spear fishing.
Blacktip reef sharks are often the bycatch from other fisheries and often wasted. Their population are decrasing as well as the population of the many other shark species. Their main factor in the population decline in recent years is their fins used for shark fin soup.
Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacktip_reef_shark
Megalodon
Megalodon was a giant shark that lived in prehistoric times. it became extinxt about 1.5 million years ago. It was an apex predator of its time and the largest carnivorous fish known to have existed. The megalodon could grow up to eighteen metres long and is also possibly the largest shark ever to exist. From fossil evidence. it is revealed that megalodon fed upon large marine animals.
They are known to prey on whales (Examples: Sperm whales and bowhead whales), dolphins, porpoises and giant sea turtles. It said that whales were their main preys.
Although it is unsure how an apex predator like the megalodon suddnely went extinct after millions of years of existence and dominance. The two main factors believed to be the climate upheavals and shortage of food. Though it is offically claimed to be extinct, there is a possibility that it could still exist.
Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalodon
Baiji
Baiji was or is a freshwater dolphin found only in the Yangtze River in China. Its nickname is "Goddess of the Yangtze" in China. It is also called Chinese River Dolphin, Yangtze River Dolphin, Whitefin Dolphin and Yangtze Dolphin. In 2007, Baiji is classified as extinct.
The Baiji population declined drastically in recent decades as China industrialised and made heavy use of the river for transporation and hydroelectricity. Efforts were made to converse the species, but a late 2006 expedition on search for Baiji failed as they could not find any. The organisers of the expedition has declared the Baiji "functionally extinct" which made it the first aquatic mammal species to become extinct since the extinction of the Japanese Sea Lion and Carribean Monk Seal.
Despite being proclamied extinct, in August 2007, someone had videotaped a large white animal swimming in the Yangtze River, so it means that it could still be alive.
Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_bleaching
Coral bleaching
Coral bleaching is the whitening of corals, due to stress - induced expulsion or death of symbotic unicellular algae or due to the loss of pigmentation within the algae.
The corals that form the structure of the great reef ecosystems of tropical sea depend on a symbotic relationship with photosynthesizing unicellular algae called zooxanthellae that live within their tissues.
Zooxanthellae give coral its colouration, depending on the particular clade. Under stress, corals may expel their zooxanthellae, which leads to a lighter or completely white appearance, hence the term "bleached".
Once bleaching begins, it tends to continue even without continuing stress, If the coral colony survives the stress period, zooxanthellae often require weeks to months to return to normal density. Some species of xanthellae and corals are more resistant to stress than other species.
The cause of coral bleaching - increased (Most commonly) or reduced water temperatures
- increased solar irradiance
- starvation caused by a decline in zooplankton
- wind
- low tide air exposure
Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_bleaching
The blacktip reef shark is the smallest reef shark in the reef shark family which conclude sharks like grey reef sharks, whitetip reef shark and tiger sharks. It is a shark which lives in the tropical and warm temperature seas.
These sharks are one of the most common sharks which can be found in shallow (Sometimes as shallow as 30cm or thirty centimetres) water around the coral reefs of Indo - Pacific waters where is around the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. The temperature of the water they usually swim in is between 20 Celsius and 27 Celsius. They do not venture into tropical lakes and rivers far from the oceans.
As the name suggests, the tips of the shark's pectoral fin and dorsal fin are black with a white underside. Its skin is brownish in colour on the top half of its body. It has been recorded at up to 2m or two metres in length and over 45kg/ forty - five kilograms in weight. Its snout is blunt and rounded.
Its diet consists mainly of reef fish, but they can also feed on other aquatic species like rays, crustaceans, cephalopods and molluscs.
Their reproduction is viviparous which is almost like giving birth in mammals. They give birth to two to four pups in a litter. Before giving birth, the female blacktip reef sharks will incubate their young for sixteen months. The pups' length at birth ranges from thirty - three to
fifty - two centimetres.
This species is not social, but can be found in small groups. Despite their shyness, they often are curious about snorkelers and scuba divers. When threatened, they would bend their bodies into an awkward 'S' shape. They are usually harmless unless provoked. Most incidents occur by mostly hand feeding or spear fishing.
Blacktip reef sharks are often the bycatch from other fisheries and often wasted. Their population are decrasing as well as the population of the many other shark species. Their main factor in the population decline in recent years is their fins used for shark fin soup.
Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacktip_reef_shark
Megalodon
Megalodon was a giant shark that lived in prehistoric times. it became extinxt about 1.5 million years ago. It was an apex predator of its time and the largest carnivorous fish known to have existed. The megalodon could grow up to eighteen metres long and is also possibly the largest shark ever to exist. From fossil evidence. it is revealed that megalodon fed upon large marine animals.
They are known to prey on whales (Examples: Sperm whales and bowhead whales), dolphins, porpoises and giant sea turtles. It said that whales were their main preys.
Although it is unsure how an apex predator like the megalodon suddnely went extinct after millions of years of existence and dominance. The two main factors believed to be the climate upheavals and shortage of food. Though it is offically claimed to be extinct, there is a possibility that it could still exist.
Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalodon
Baiji
Baiji was or is a freshwater dolphin found only in the Yangtze River in China. Its nickname is "Goddess of the Yangtze" in China. It is also called Chinese River Dolphin, Yangtze River Dolphin, Whitefin Dolphin and Yangtze Dolphin. In 2007, Baiji is classified as extinct.
The Baiji population declined drastically in recent decades as China industrialised and made heavy use of the river for transporation and hydroelectricity. Efforts were made to converse the species, but a late 2006 expedition on search for Baiji failed as they could not find any. The organisers of the expedition has declared the Baiji "functionally extinct" which made it the first aquatic mammal species to become extinct since the extinction of the Japanese Sea Lion and Carribean Monk Seal.
Despite being proclamied extinct, in August 2007, someone had videotaped a large white animal swimming in the Yangtze River, so it means that it could still be alive.
Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_bleaching
Coral bleaching
Coral bleaching is the whitening of corals, due to stress - induced expulsion or death of symbotic unicellular algae or due to the loss of pigmentation within the algae.
The corals that form the structure of the great reef ecosystems of tropical sea depend on a symbotic relationship with photosynthesizing unicellular algae called zooxanthellae that live within their tissues.
Zooxanthellae give coral its colouration, depending on the particular clade. Under stress, corals may expel their zooxanthellae, which leads to a lighter or completely white appearance, hence the term "bleached".
Once bleaching begins, it tends to continue even without continuing stress, If the coral colony survives the stress period, zooxanthellae often require weeks to months to return to normal density. Some species of xanthellae and corals are more resistant to stress than other species.
The cause of coral bleaching - increased (Most commonly) or reduced water temperatures
- increased solar irradiance
- starvation caused by a decline in zooplankton
- wind
- low tide air exposure
Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_bleaching
By: Andrea Koh
Sunday, August 23, 2009 - 6:06 AM
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