Marine Biology

1
Marine Biology Field Guide
Mammals, Reptiles, and Aves
2

• Until recently the most general taxons were the 5
  kingdoms.
• Animalia
• Plantae
• Fungi
• Protista (algae, slime molds, protozoan)
• Monera (bacteria)

Due to the study of genetics (advances in DNA
technology/testing) scientists recognize the
domain which is even more general than the
kingdom.
3
(No Transcript)
4
Table of Contents
All Life
Prokaryotes
Eukaryotes
DomainEukaryota
DomainArchaea
Domain Eubacteria
KingdomMonera
Kingdom Fungi
KingdomAnimalia
KingdomPlantae
Kingdom Protista
PROKARYOTES NO nucleus!!!
5
Kingdom Animalia

• multicellular
• eukaryotic
• sexual reproduction (involves sperm and egg
  internal OR external fertilization)
• Life Cycle
• adult always diploid (ie. human 46
  chromosomes...TWO sets of
  chromosomes...one from
• mom and one from dad)
• - embryo undergoes stages of development
• heterotrophic
• (other)(one that feeds)
• most mobile via muscle fiber
• grouped into about 30 various phyla

6
Animalia (vertebrates)
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
ClassAmphibia
ClassAves
Class Reptilia
ClassAgnatha
Class Chondrichthyes
Class Osteichthyes
7
Class Mammalia

• approximately 4,600 species
• endotherms and homeotherms (warm-blooded)
• skin has hair/fur
• viviparous embryo receives food and oxygen
  through a
• placenta, which connects
  it to the womb
• newborns are fed milk secreted by the mammary
  glands
• only a few, well-cared-for young are produced
• brain is larger in relation to body size and
  more
• complex than other vertebrates
• they live anywhere there is food to eat and air
  to breathe

8
Description  Grows up to 6.5 feet and weighs
from 120 to 370 pounds. Lengths of
the males are generally longer than
females. They have a thick coat of short hair.
Their coloration varies, with spots
ranging from off- white to black or
brown.
Habitat Harbor seals bask and sleep on coastal
islands, ledges, and beaches sandbars that
are uncovered at low tide. They stay close
enough to water to facilitate feeding and
mating.
Phoca vitulina harbor seal
9
Range Among the world's most wide-ranging
seals, they inhabit the coastal areas of the
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans and
are found in arctic, subarctic, and temperate
regions.
Phoca vitulina harbor seal
10
Comments Harbor seals are agile carnivores with
streamlined bodies and flipper-like
limbs that enable them to swim
with great skill. Their food consists of
crustaceans, mollusks, squid,
and a variety of fish. Harbor seals do
not chew their food they either tear it
into chunks or swallow it
whole. Their molars allow them to crush
hard objects like shells and
crustaceans. Harbor seals are
usually solitary animals, with reproduction and
"haul outs" being the only
exceptions.
Phoca vitulina harbor seal
11
Description Grows up to 12 in length. Coloring
varies from albino to black. A
distinct dark cape is often located on
the head and back. Old females often have spots
on their ventral side. The dorsal fin
is broad based, strongly curved, and
located on the center of the dorsal
side.
Tursiops truncatus bottlenose dolphin
Habitat Inshore waters including estuaries,
bays, waterways, and freshwater rivers.
12
Range In the Atlantic from Nova Scotia to
Venezuela, including the Gulf of Mexico. In
the pacific from south California to the
tropics.
Tursiops truncatus bottlenose dolphin
Comments These dolphins feed on fishes,
shrimps, squids, crabs, and often follow fishing
boats to feed on discarded fish and organisms
stirred up by nets. They use echolocation to
find prey. They often ride the bow waves of
boats and surf waves. They have also been known
to voluntarily approach people close enough to be
touched. Dolphins talk to each other as all
cetaceans probably do.
13
Phocoena phocoena harbor porpoise
Description Grows up to 6 in length. Husky
the back is dark brown or gray fading to light
gray or brown on the sides. Belly is white
especially in front of the pectoral fins.
Habitat Subarctic and cold temperate waters.
Often in bays, harbors, estuaries, and at the
mouth of rivers.
14
Phocoena phocoena harbor porpoise
Range In the Atlantic from the Davis Straights
and S.E. Greenland to North Carolina. In the
Pacific from the Gulf of Alaska and the E.
Aleutian chain to S. California.
Comments The Harbor porpoise is not known to
ride bow waves or go close to vessels. They
swim quietly at the surface. They are known to
feed on octopi, squid, and fishes, including
herrings. They are preyed upon by large sharks
and killer whales. Each female produces a single
offspring about once every year.
15
Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae
Description Grows up to 53 in length. Body
narrows rapidly to the tail. They are mostly
black with a belly that is sometimes white. The
flippers and underside of the fluke is nearly all
white. Fleshy knobs or protuberances are
randomly distributed on the top of the head and
on the jaw.
Habitat Along the coast, usually on the
continental shelf or on island banks.
Range These mammals are migratory. They are
found in the Atlantic from N. Iceland W.
Greenland South to the W. Indies, including the
Gulf of Mexico. They are found in the Pacific
from the Bering Sea to S. Mexico.
16
Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae
Comments Humpback whales migrate seasonally and
feed on krill and small schooling fishes. They
are known to concentrate food by swimming in
circles and forming a bubble curtain. They are
known to sing population specific songs with
repeated phrases. Humpbacks sometimes leap clear
out of the water and may be seen flapping their
flukes or a flipper at the surface.
17
Class Reptilia

• approximately 7,000 species
• Reptiles include lizards, snakes, turtles, and
  crocodiles.
• ectotherms (cold-blooded)
• Metabolic rate and therefore, activity level,
  varies with
• temperature.
• Skin is covered with scales to prevent water
  loss.
• Eggs have a leathery shell to prevent water loss
  so they can be
• laid on land.
• There are few reptiles that live in the marine
  environment.

18
Caretta caretta (loggerhead sea turtle)
Description Loggerheads are the largest hard
shelled turtle in the world. They grow to a
weight from 170-500 pounds (77-227 kilograms) and
are nearly four feet (1.2 meters) in total
length. Loggerheads have a characteristic large
head, with more massive jaws and muscles than
other sea turtles.
Habitat Loggerheads feed in the waters of the
continental shelves, often in water only 30 or
less meters deep. Hatchlings and young juveniles
do not dive, staying near the surface, often in
association with mats of floating seaweed.
Loggerheads are frequently found in bays and
estuaries, and may enter river mouths.
19
Caretta caretta (loggerhead sea turtle)
Range Found as far north as Alaska, eastern
Russia, and Norway, and as far south as Australia
and South Africa.
20
Caretta caretta (loggerhead sea turtle)

• Comments
• Females nest on the same sandy beaches year
  after year.
• In North America nests are known to be on the
  Atlantic
• Coast from New Jersey south to Florida and west
  to Texas
• and south to Tabasco.
• These sea turtles reach sexual maturity when
  their shells
• are no longer than 50 cm.
• The eggs, which are 40-42 mm in diameter, are
  laid during
• spring tides.

21
The eggs are placed in a nest, which is usually
chosen in an undisturbed area ofwell-drained
dunes or grassy vegetation, just above the
average high tide line. The female comes ashore
and climbs up to the high tide line she then
excavates a hole with her flippers. Once the hole
is dug and the eggs are laid, the nest is then
covered by the turtle using her hind flippers.
Incubation lasts for a period of 31-65 days.
There is usually 120 eggs per clutch, and the
female lays two clutches at an interval of
thirteen days. The females come ashore to nest
only at night in the spring and summer. The
females usually nest every other year with 3-4
nests per season. The eggs in the nest usually
hatch around the same time, and the babies
quickly move together to the water leaving behind
their only terrestrial life stage.
22
Dermochelys coriacea leatherback turtle
Description The leatherback sea turtle is the
largest of living turtles. They grow to a weight
of 2,000 lbs. and a length of about 7 feet. They
have a span of 8.5 feet from the tip of one front
flipper to the tip of the other. The leatherback
has no visible shell. The shell is present but it
consists of bones that are buried into its dark
brown or black skin. It has seven pronounced
ridges in its back and five on the underside.
Habitat Very little is known about this pelagic
species. Foods are primarily jellyfish, but
crustaceans, squid, octopus, and small fish are
also eaten. One of the world's deepest diving
air-breathing animals, this species has been
recorded at depths over 1,000 m (3,300 ft). It is
believed that these deep dives are made in search
of species of jellyfish that live at these
depths.
23
Range The Leatherback is the most widely
distributed reptile species in the world, it
occurs in the tropical and temperate waters of
the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, as well
as lesser seas. It is seasonally distributed in
far northern and southern waters, where it can
feed on coldwater jellyfish.
24
Dermochelys coriacea leatherback turtle
25
Dermochelys coriacea leatherback turtle

• Comments
• The only recorded observation of mating in this
  turtle was in
• the month of April.
• Females return to nest only every 2 - 4 years.
• They come ashore at night and dig a flask-shaped
  cavity in
• moist sand, into which they lay an average of
  80 - 90 eggs.
• The eggs generally hatch within 60 - 65 days and
  the young
• emerge from the nest at night to make their
  way to the sea.
• Leatherbacks nest from April to July in the
  western Atlantic,
• nesting on beaches of Central and South
  America, islands of
• the Caribbean in the Gulf of Mexico and as far
  north as
• Georgia along the Atlantic Ocean.

26
Class Aves

• approximately 10,000 species
• birds
• endotherms (more specifically homeotherms
  /warm-blooded)
• horny beak
• hollow bones for flight
• feathers
• large yolked, hard-shelled eggs the parent bird
  provides
• extensive care of the young until it is grown,
  or gets some other
• bird to look after the young
• marine birds are covered with waterproof
  feathers, nest on
• land, have webbed feet, and feed on fish,
  squid, and benthic
• invertebrates

27
Larus argentatus herring gulls
Description This familiar gull can be
distinguished from other gulls by its large size
and grey upperparts. Adult reach a height of 22-
26 inches and a weight of 28- 44 ounces. During
summer, adults have white heads, but in autumn
they become streaked with brown. They have
bright yellow bills with a red tip, and pink
legs. Juveniles are grayish-brown the grey
upperparts do not develop until after the second
winter. A number of vocalizations are produced,
including the well-known raucous 'laughing' call.
28
Larus argentatus herring gulls
Habitat This versatile species breeds in a
range of habitats, including cliffs, beaches,
small islands, inland sites and even buildings.
They also exploit rubbish dumps, particularly
during winter.
29
Range Summer Range Breeds across Alaska and
northern Canada, southward to the Great Lakes and
along the Atlantic Coast to North Carolina.
Herring Gull or closely related species breed
across Eurasia. Winter Range Winters from
southern Alaska southward to Mexico, and from the
Great Lakes and Massachusetts southward into the
Caribbean and Central America.
Larus argentatus
Comments Feed on fish and marine invertebrates,
insects, birds, eggs, carrion, garbage. Captures
prey while walking or swimming, dips food from
surface of water. Steals food from other birds.
Drops large, hard food items on rock or sand to
break them open. Nest is a scrape in sand or
dirt. Lined with vegetation, feathers, plastic,
or nothing. Eggs are light olive with dark brown
speckles.
30
Larus argentatus herring gulls
31
Pandion haliaetus osprey
Description Ospreys are large birds of prey (55
to 58 cm long), with a wingspan ranging from 145
to 170 cm. Their long wings have a characteristic
bend at the carpal ("wrist") joints. They are
bright white underneath, with dark brown patches
at the carpal joints and a mottled dark brown
necklace. Other identifying markings include a
dark stripe through each eye, and a dark brown
back.
32
Habitat Anywhere where there are safe nest
sites and shallow water with abundant fish. Nests
are generally found within 3 to 5 km of a water
body such as a salt marsh, mangrove swamp,
cypress swamp, lake, bog, reservoir or river.
Pandion haliaetus osprey
Range Ospreys have a worldwide distribution,
wintering or breeding on every continent except
Antarctica.
33
Pandion haliaetus osprey
34
Pandion haliaetus osprey
Comments With the introduction and widespread
use of the pesticide DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichl
oroethane), osprey populations in many areas
declined sharply from the 1950s through the
1970s. During this period, 90 of breeding pairs
disappeared from the Atlantic coast between New
York City and Boston. DDT was banned in the U.S.
around 1970, but continues to be used in some
countries that serve as wintering grounds for
ospreys. Populations of ospreys largely rebounded
after the banning of DDT and are now reaching
historic levels. Installation of artificial nest
structures, hacking projects and new habitat
created by reservoirs have allowed osprey
populations to increase and expand their range.
35
Double Crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
Description  Cormorants grow up to 90 cm (35
in.) in length, 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) with dark brown
or black plumage that has a dull greenish or
bronze sheen. They have lean bodies, long necks
and relatively short wings. They have long beaks
with a hooked upper mandible and bright
orange-yellow skin that covers the face, throat
and base of the bill. Their black feet are webbed
feet and found on short legs, and their tails are
wedge-shaped. Two crests appear on top of their
heads when looking for a mate.
36
Habitat Found in a variety of marine and inland
aquatic habitats. They require water for feeding
and nearby perches, such as rocks, sandbars,
pilings, shipwrecks, wires, trees or docks for
resting on and drying out during the day. (Hatch
and Weseloh, 1999)
Range Double-crested cormorants breed across
North America, as far north as southern Alaska.
They winter in North America as far south as
Sinaloa, Mexico, and are common on marine and
inland waters throughout their range.
Comments Double-crested cormorants feed
primarily on fish, but also eat insects,
crustaceans and amphibians. They generally feed
in shallow water (less than 8 m deep) within 5 km
of shore, diving underwater to catch their prey.
They may swallow small fish while underwater, but
bring larger prey up to the surface to shake,
clean or hammer on the water before consuming
them. After diving, cormorants look for an
elevated spot to perch with their wings
outspread. This is most likely done to dry out
the feathers.
37
Great Egret Ardea alba
38
Great Egret Ardea alba
Description Great Egrets grow up to 1 meter
tall, have a wingspan of 1.5 meters, and weigh
about 912 to 1140 g. On average, males are larger
than females. They are completely white with a
long yellow bill and dark gray legs.
Habitat Great Egrets will live near any form of
water. Streams, lakes, ponds, mud flats,
saltwater and freshwater marshes are inhabited by
this beautiful bird. Wooded swamps and wetlands
are the preferred location for Great Egrets.
Range Found as far south as Texas, the Gulf
coast states, and Florida up theAtlantic coast
to Maine and southern Canada, and west to the
Great Lakes.
Comments As opportunistic predators, great
egrets usually feed on smaller aquatic and
terrestrial insects and vertebrates and are
considered to be heterotrophs. Wadingslowly
through the water, they are extremely successful
at striking and catchingfish or insects. Both
male and female great egrets participate in
incubating and feeding the semi-altricial young.
Nestlings are initially fed by regurgitation,
followed by bill-grabbing, where the parent holds
prey over the nestling to grab at as it eats.
(Connecticut Department of Environmental
Protection, 2000 Illinois Departmentof Natural
Resources, 1998)
39
Physical Features
Piping Plover Charadrius melodus
40
DESCRIPTION

• The piping plover is a small shorebird about 7
  inches long with a wingspan of about 15 inches.
• They weigh on average from1.5 to 1.7 ounces.
• Adult piping plovers have sand-colored backs and
  white undersides. In mating season, piping
  plovers have a dark band around their neck during
  the breeding season and a black band across the
  forehead from eye to eye.
• Piping plovers can be distinguished from other
  similar species by their bright orange legs.

41
Habitat

• Piping Plovers usually live most of their life on
  open sandy beaches or rocky shores, away from the
  water in dry sandy areas. A Piping Plover living
  anywhere outside of sand in beaches or rocky
  shores is very rare to see, unless it is
  migrating.

42
RANGE

• Piping plovers are only found in North America in
  three geographic regions the Atlantic Coast, the
  Northern Great Plains, and the Great Lakes. In
  the winter piping plovers from all three
  populations migrate to the South Atlantic, Gulf
  Coast, and Caribbean beaches.

43
Comments

• The eggs of piping plovers and plovers themselves
  act as a camouflage, blending in very well with
  the sand as a protective mechanism against
  predators. In many areas, they are endangered.
  Males court females by diving to the ground and
  flying over them. Females usually lay four eggs,
  which hatch in about 25 days. Instead of being
  fed by the parents, the chicks must exit the nest
  and find food for themselves. If a predator
  threatens a chick, the parent may pretend to have
  a broken wing, as a method to lure the predator
  away.

44
THE END