Explore the delicate balance of ecosystems, biodiversity conservation, and the interplay between organisms and their environment. Join us as we delve into pressing environmental issues and innovative solutions shaping the future of our planet
In nature, many species live the same habitat but perform different functions. A “niche” describes the functional characteristics of a species in its habitat. While a species’ habitat is like its ‘address’ (i.e. where it lives), the niche can be thought of as its ‘occupation’ (i.e. species-specific activities and responses). An ecological niche is a …
When Benjamin Franklin was postmaster in the US colonies in his day, all letters and postal packages were transported across continents by ships and boats. He received numerous complaints in 1769 about the fact that mail ships from North America en route to Europe arrived much faster than the mail ship going in the opposite …
The seas and oceans are dynamic ecosystems. The oceans are very large bodies of water that form an important part of the hydrosphere. Wind blowing across the sea surface has the greatest influence on the movement of surface waters. Sunlight falling on the sea surface has a very significant impact on seawater temperature. These factors …
The primary producers are blue-green algae, zooxanthelle, phytoplankton, seagrass, and brown algae. The primary consumers are zooplankton, corals, sponges, Atlantic blue tang, and queen conch. The intermediate consumers are the sergeant major, flaming tongue snail, bar jack, grouper, Caribbean lobster, bicolor damselfish, polychaete worm, cushion sea star, and southern stingray. The top predator in the coral reef food …
Charles Darwin is most remembered today for his contribution to the theory of evolution through natural selection. The seeds of this theory were sown in Darwin’s mind through observations made during a five-year voyage across the New World on a ship called the Beagle. There he studied fossils and geological records, the geographical distribution of …
Natural selection is the maintenance of a functional advantage that enables a species to compete better in the wild. Natural selection is the naturalistic equivalent of backyard breeding. Over the centuries, human breeders have dramatically changed the pet population by choosing individuals and removing unwanted properties over time. Similarly, natural selection gradually eliminates the species …
