Smalltooth Sawfish Research Paper

The alligator, even more than the alligator gar, represents the ultimate of “big game” bowfishing within the confines of the United States. These large, sinister-looking reptiles look exactly like what they are – the ancient, unchanged survivors of a world millions of years dead, still gliding through the muddy waters of the American South after countless other species have perished. Quick-moving when necessary, dangerously aggressive on occasion – especially when provoked – heavily armored with thick, knobby scales, and instantly recognizable, alligators are rapidly becoming a favorite target of sport bowfishermen, who appreciate their unique challenge.

Devilfish. This purple, seven-armed octopoid monstrosity is the size of a horse, with hook-lined tentacles and cold, blue eyes. Devilfish CR 4. XP 1,200.

It’s a beautiful day at the beach, the sun is shining down on you as you float and drift on top of the waves. As you lay there without a care in the world, you are suddenly interrupted by a massive swarm of jellyfish; also known as a bloom. Not only does this send you into sudden terror, it also causes a much bigger threat to the ecosystem below you. The excessive growth of jellyfish swarm drastically lowers the population of fish eggs in the ecosystem. Because of this, fishermen lose millions of dollars. People in local communities are figuring out ways to solve this mass production.

Mayden (1993) used E. zonatum for comparisons in describing the new species E. alabamae. Comparing Cypress Creek to sampled E. zonatum populations in the 1993 Mayden paper show that males in Cypress Creek fell into accepted ranges for known populations but looking at the means for body measurements on average males from Cypress Creek were smaller than those measured by Mayden. Female measurements from Cypress Creek paralleled those seen in Mayden’s comparison. However, females from Bayou de Chien were larger on average than females sampled by Mayden while males were similar in measurements. Walsh and Burr (1984) noted that the maximum length of E. zonatum is usually reported as 32-38mm but lacks definition as to whether those numbers refer to standard or total length. Some variation in size for such a wide-ranging species can be caused by more southern individuals growing larger due to earlier spawning periods and longer growing seasons (Walsh and Burr, 1984). Overall, it appears that individuals found above the fall line in Cypress Creek are of similar measurements to other sampled populations of E. zonatum.

Most people would not appreciate a stranger walking into their home unannounced, taking their food, and making themselves at home. That is exactly what lionfish are doing along the Florida coastline. Lionfish are an invasive species that need to be contained. The reefs that they consistently invade off of the coast of the Florida are not the lionfish's natural habitat. This invasive species takes shelter and resources out of the reef that other species need to survive, and they destroy the environment around them. Humans have complicated the balance of the ecosystem by introducing lionfish, and now they need to help rectify the situation.

An entire new world, different from our own exists beneath the surface of our oceans. This life is full of color, shapes, sizes, wonder, and even darkness. Much of this life has yet to be explored but we still know that beneath the waves exist the most beautiful creatures and the most bizarre. Magical areas such as the coral reef and mysterious areas such as the depths of the ocean are homes to over 700,000 species that live in the ocean. This includes the eighty percent of the ocean that has yet to be explored. Even though there may be separate oceans on this planet, they are still interconnected by a body of salt water. No area of the ocean is the same, which brings us to the wonderful fact that so many different species are able to flourish

The conservation of Udubia is a significant issue that needs to be dealt with promptly. There has been a decline in the marine wildlife surrounding the islands, which leads to a greater question; Why is this happening and what can we do to help? For one, fishing is a major concern. South of Tacominone, and to the east is where many tens and hundreds of tons of lobster and Rockfish accordingly, as well as hundreds of pounds Yelloweye Rockfish are being caught, and simultaneously a decline in the population of seals. There is a correspondence in the increased fishing yield numbers to the decreasing seal population. The dodo observed that 90% of manatees off the coast of Florida have scars on their backs due to the propellers of fishing boats.

How have urbanization processes impacted the geomorphology of the D’Olive Creek Watershed? This project will explore the known environmental impacts of the urbanization process and compare this to the impacts of urbanization in the D’Olive Creek Watershed, with specific emphasis on the temporal geomorphology of the area. The D’Olive Creek Watershed is located in Baldwin County, Alabama and is part of Mobile Bay, which is classified as one of the largest and most ecologically significant estuaries in the United States – it is also a member of the National Estuary Program (Stout et al. 1998, p. xv). There are many anthropogenic factors associated with urban development that could detrimentally impact the local environment: impervious surfaces,

After reading and analyzing the environmental in Sanibel Florida, I am impressed that Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation is dedicated to the conservation of its aquatic resources and coastal habitats on their island Sanibel (SCCF, 2013). We all could learn a lot from this city through their hardships and through their Comprehensive Land Use Plan. We cloud learn from their mistakes of other coastal communities that had developed so intensively they sacrificed the very thing that was the foundation of a tourism-based economy. Not to be deterred, a small group of citizens began the movement for home rule and the right to determine the future of the island. The city is head of its time back in the 70s and still to this day when it come the environmental friendly and dedicated in conservation through acquisitions and land management. The city if Sanibel is a role model for other cities to follow when it comes to wildlife habitat and environment protection program and plans (Duerksen & Snyder, 2005).

Furthermore, extraction of building materials such as sand affects coral reefs, mangroves, and hinterland forests, leading to erosion and destruction of habitats. Overbuilding and extensive paving of shorelines can result in destruction of habitats and disruption of land-sea connections such as sea-turtle nesting spots. Coral reefs are especially fragile marine ecosystems and are suffering worldwide from reef-based tourism developments. Evidence suggests a variety of impacts to coastline ecosystems result from shoreline development, increased sediments in the water, trampling by tourists and divers, ship groundings, pollution from sewage, overfishing, and fishing with poisons and explosives that destroy coral

The Impact Lionfish is quite dangerous because they damage marine aquatic ecosystems by decimating life on reefs. The way lionfish causes the damage is by eating small fish who keep the reefs healthy. Lionfishes can live a while without eating. While being 3 months or longer that they don’t really have to eat. Which can help them live while unlike the food they eat can’t survive that long without eating.

With The Gulf of Mexico being the ninth largest body of water in the world, it is obvious that there may be a few environmental problems. The estuaries of The Gulf of Mexico are being destroyed and there is no one to point fingers at except ourselves. Estuaries provide humans with many uses and benefits such as a water supply, trading ports, agricultural support, sport and commercial fisheries, and even recreational uses for swimming or jet skiing. People from all over the world come to our city of Pensacola just to enjoy our beautiful gulf that we take for granted and treat horribly. Tourism in the gulf generates around $20 billion per year, while the waters yield about 1.51 billion pounds of fish and shellfish in 1996. In 1996, the Gulf of Mexico also contributed 57% of the entire oyster production in the United States.

In the past few years there has been a rise in the sea level surrounding the state. According to a new study by Lead author ,Benjamin Strauss, “Miami and Hollywood are two of the dozens of coastal cities in the U.S. predicted to be washed away by rising sea levels this century.” This means that half of the immensely populated cities in South Florida such as: Miami, Hollywood, and many more will be feet under water. This will cause hundreds of thousands of residents to migrate else where to find new areas and homes to accommodate their needs. It has even been mentioned that other places such as New Orleans are too late to save. The only logical causes behind these discoveries would be the pending disasters of climate change. The rising temperatures from the atmosphere are melting down the massive chunks of ice in Antarctica causing world wide flooding. Major continents such as Asia will suffer massive losses of land as well as population wise. From what we know deforestation is not the leading probable cause of this. As stated before the plankton in our oceans are being lost at a much more alarming rate than any land plant specie. When humanly causes such as dead zones occur from excessive sewage pollution along with other factors that prohibit the required amount of oxygen to be produced to support most marine life in bottom of the ocean, the effects are

Sea-level rise will cause many issues among human development as well as different species. The article established many regions in Flagler and St. Johns County which presents future trends on outcomes from species degradation or housing development/population. The maps range from St. Augustine Shores to Palm Coast. It tells about the areas which would be either highly migrated species (as they lost their habitat due to 1m of sea level rise) or the areas which would be inhabited by developers as the sea level rises. The article later discusses ways which they can focus on areas less vulnerable as the sea level begins to rise.

By the early 1900s there were scattered houses and farms. From the 1940-1970s rapid urban development led to high runoff and siltation - the lagoon declined in depth, water quality, seagrasses, fish life and water-sports. Several major storms and floods also occurred. Allowing urban development to replace the bushland surrounding the lagoon causes erosion in catchment zones by replacing the bushland with hard surfaces.