Sea Floor

What is sea floor spreading?

The process by which new sea floor is formed as it moves away from spreading centers in mid-ocean ridges.

What are some of the major land forms that are created from plate movement?

Mountains, volcanoes, trenches, and the 7 continents were all formed from plate movement.

How were the Mariana Islands formed?

The Marianas were formed by volcanoes. Nowadays they are most dormant, but occasionally one will erupt, spreading sulfur up into the atmosphere and over the other islands.

What evidence exists today that the plates are still moving and that the islands are ancient volcanoes?

As I mentioned earlier, there are still active volcanoes in Micronesia, and which the continous earthquakes, we know that the plates are still in motion.

What is an atoll?

A product of a reef; often islands or sand cays surrounding a central lagoon.

Why are atolls mainly found on the Pacific?

Atolls grow on coral reefs, which are found mainly in the Pacific Ocean because of the warm climate.

Fishes of the CNMI

biology and adaptation

Reptilia
The saltwater crocodile has adapted to live in fresh water, salt water, or both (brackish or mixed water). Kidneys are crucial to help this remarkable feat, but they aren't the only way the croc accomplishes this; saltwater crocodile tongues have special glands that excrete salt. Another adaptation of saltwater crocodiles is that their eyes and nose are high on its head so that it can remain mostly underwater, hiding from its prey. Their broad tails and specially webbed feet help them swim and maneuver quickly. Like all crocodiles, saltwater crocs eat a variety of meat, anything they can get their hands on. Their powerful jaws are built to close quickly and tightly. With amazing jaw muscles, crocodiles hang on to their prey and perform the "death roll" to kill their victims. Like Steve Irwin always said, "Crikey!"

Alligator, large aquatic reptile of the genus Alligator,

in the same order as the crocodile. There are two

species–a large type found in the United States

and a small type found in China. Alligators differ

from crocodiles in several ways. They have broader,

blunter snouts, which give their heads a triangular

appearance; also, the lower fourth tooth does not

protrude when the mouth is closed, as it does in

the crocodile.

The American alligator, Alligator mississipiensis, is

found in swamps and sluggish streams from North

Carolina to Florida and along the Gulf Coast. When

young, it is dark brown or black with yellow transverse bands. The bands fade as the animal grows, and the adult is black. Males commonly reach a length of 9 ft (2.7 m) and a weight of 250 lbs (110 kg); females are smaller. Males 18 ft (5.4 m) long were once fairly common, but intensive hunting for alligator leather eliminated larger individuals (a specimen over 10 ft/3 m long is now unusual) and threatened the species as a whole. The wild American alligator is now protected by law, but it is also raised on farms for commercial uses.

Alligators spend the day floating just below the surface of the water or resting on the bank, lying in holes in hot weather. They hunt by night, in the water and on the bank. Young alligators feed on water insects, crustaceans, frogs, and fish; as they grow they catch proportionally larger animals. Large alligators may occasionally capture deer and cows as they come to drink; they do not commonly attack humans. Alligators hibernate from October to March. In summer the female builds a nest of rotting vegetation on the bank and deposits in it 20 to 70 eggs, which she guards for 9 to 10 weeks until they hatch.

The Chinese alligator, A. sinensis, which grows to about 6 ft (1.8 m) long, is found in the Chang (Yangtze) River valley near Shanghai. This species is nearly extinct. Caimans are similar, but distinct members of the Alligatoridae family found in Central and South America. There are several species, classified in three genera. The largest grow up to 15 ft (4.8 m) long. Unlike alligators, caimans have bony overlapping scales on their bellies. Baby caimans are often sold in the United States as baby alligators.

Alligators and caimans are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Reptilia, order Crocodilia, family Alligatoridae.

Coral Reefs

Saipan is surrounded by irregular fringing reefs and a barrier reef off the lagoon. The fringing reefs are pink and the barrier reef isn't on the map, but it does exist in real life.

SIMILARITIES:

-all types of coral reefs
-need hard surface to grow
-all have reef slopes and reef flats
-variety of coral grow on reef slopes
-fish live in all the reefs

DIFFERENCES:
-barrier reefs and atolls have spur and grooves
-fringing reefs grow close to shore
-barrier reefs are separate by a lagoon and atolls surround lagoons
-fringing reefs can extend all the way to shore
-atolls are built on sunked volcanic islands

Critical Thinking Questions:

Chapter 1 Critical thinking

2.) In Chapter 1 it was expalined that the statement "There are mermaids in the ocean" is not a valid scientific hypothesis. Can the same be said of the statment "There are no mermaids in the ocean"? Why?

-->The statement, "There are no mermaids in the ocean", is not a valid scientific hypothesis, because it is not testable. This statement cannot be potentially proven to be false. Even if an army of marine biologists were to spend their entire career looking for a mermaid, the ocean is far too large for such a study. There may be some comments on individuals seeing a mermaid...then again people say things to noticed or known...proof would be the first step to proving the statement, "There are no mermaids in the ocean" or "there are mermaids in the ocean". As for now no hard core evidence to prove both these statements.

Chapter 3 Critcal Thinking

4.) Most tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean, as indicated by the map in the "Waves that Kill" boxed reading. How would you explain this?-->Tsunamis are caused from earthquakes, landslides, volcanoes, and other seismic disturbances of the sea floor. Unfortunately, 85% of all tsunamis occured in the Pacific Ocean. Around the rim of the Pacific Ocean are many volcanoes. This is known as the Pacific Rim of Fire. These eruptions are one of the main causes of the seismic activity in the Pacific Ocean.

Chapter 5 Critical Thinking

1.) Scientists use the particular structure of nucleic acids and other chemical differences to separate the archaea from the bacteria. Can you think of other characteristics that could be used to distinguish not only between these two domains but also between them and Protists?
Ancestral Organism
1)Prokaryotes
a. Archae
b. Bacteria
2)Eukaryotes
a. Fungi
b. plants
c. animals
The two prokaryotic domains, Bacteria and Archaea, have important differences, including the chemistry of their cell walls and plasma membranes, and the cellular machinery that manufactures proteins. They are the simpliest and most primitive form of life that we know. Protists are mostly aquatic primary producers that lack the specialized tissues of plants. They range in size and compllexity from single cells to large multicellular seaweeds.

Chapter 6 Critical Thinking

2.) Only very few flowering plants have invaded the oceans, but those that have are very successful. What are some possible reasons for the small number of marine flowering plants? How do those that have taken the step manage to thrive in some environments?
-An example is the Seagrass flowers, whose closest relatives seem to be members of the lily family, which shows that seagrasses evolved from land plants. But they have very well adapted to life in the marine environment. Instead of attracting insect for pollination, the pollen is carried by the water currents. Tiny seeds result from successful fertilization. These seeds are dispersed by water currents and perhaps in the feces of the fish and other animals that browse on the plants.

Chapter 9 Critical Thinking

Sea turtles have disappeared from many regions, and one way of trying to save them is to reintroduce them to areas where they have been wiped out. This is done by reburying eggs or by releasing newborn baby turtles on beaches. Why are eggs reburied or baby turtles released instead of fully grown individuals?

Maybe because new born and/or eggs would be more effective to reproduce again...the old turtles may be more relaxed and unable to reproduce. The only thing about reburying eggs is that other species may eat the egg which leads to no baby turtles.

Chapter 14 Critical Thinking

1)What factors might account for the fact that the vast majority of atolls occur in the INdian and Pacific oceans and that atolls are rare in the Atlantic?
-Atolls are strongly influenced by these winds called the trade winds blow from latitudes of about 30 degrees toward the equator. And there are more warm surface currents in the Indian and Pacific Ocean than in the Atlantic Ocean.