Mud Fiddler Crab (Uca Pugnax)

Mud Fiddler Crab is found in the Brachyura infraorder, the most advanced of decapods (10 legged crustaceans) (Wenner, 1). Fiddler Crabs are easily recognizable for their large claw that only the males of their species possess. This large claw changes from 2% to 65% of their body weight as they grow from larvae to a mature adult (Wenner, 1). There is a 50/50% chance that either claw will be their notorious large claw (Wenner, 1). Mud Fiddler crabs can be found from Marshes to deep within the Subtidal Soft Bottom. Mud Fiddler Crab is easily distinguishable from other Fiddler Crabs by their long and thin eyestalks (usually blue) and an H-like depression in their carapace (Wenner, 2).

Geological Oceanography: Mud Fiddler Crabs are known for their extensive burrowing (Wenner, 1). This extensive burrowing is a common cause for the erosion of coast lines and marshes along the Eastern Seaboard (Wenner, 1). Fiddler Crabs are found extensively from Cape Cod in Massachusetts to the Florida Keys (Wenner, 1). Sediment of the Subtidal Soft Bottom is the perfect environment for them to thrive in because it’s muddy and has a lot of sediment for burrowing.

Chemical Oceanography: Fiddler Crabs are known to feed off of organic material extracted from mud (Wenner, 2). This makes the Fiddler Crab extremely sensitive to pesticides from runoff, because many pesticides sink to the bottom of Subtidal Soft Bottom floor, making them highly susceptible to consumption by them (Wenner, 2). This problem is very common within Sounds and Estuaries, the common location of the Subtidal Soft Bottom (Wenner, 2) Much like Oil sinking to the bottom of the Gulf following the Deep Water Horizon spill, pesticides can sink to the Sub-tidal Soft Bottom, contaminating the mud and silt that Mud Fiddler Crabs live in.

Physical Oceanography: Once again, Mud Fiddler Crabs LOVE to burrow! This has strongly influenced the erosion in the Mississippi River Delta and Chesapeake Bay.

All information including the picture is obtained from the following source:

Wenner, Elizabeth. "Fiddler Crabs." Http://www.dnr.sc.gov/. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Web. 5 May 2011. .

Red Algae (Rhodophyta)!!!!!!!!

Rhodophyta otherwise known as red algae falls under the category of Phytoplankton. There are about 6000 species of Red Algae known today.(aquaticcommunity.com) They come in the form of both single celled organism and multi cellular plantlike organisms.
Red Algae exsists in every habitat of the ocean and it can attach itself to almost anything likes rocks, ships, docks, etc. It also is an important structural part of coral reefs.
Red Algae depends on photosynthesis which is why it only exsists in the epipelagic and in some cases the mesopelagic zones of the ocean. These two layers make up the top two layers of the ocean. They can exist in deeper waters than other algae because they absorb blue light which has a greater wavelength than most other colors. This means that the greater the wave length, the further something can travel.
Red Algae contains a much lower count of chlorophyll which is what usually absorbs light in other algae. Red algae contain a high amount phycobilins which take the place of the chlorophyll and can absorb more light which is why red algae can exist in deeper waters.
Red algae is red because of the pigment phycoerythrin which reflects the red light back. This pigment also helps absorb the blue light rays which penetrate deeper into the ocean.
Red Algae is a very important part of both the ocean and atmosphere. This is because Red Algae produce a very large amount of oxygen. Calcium carbonate helps red algae to form coral reef structures. Red Algae can be harmful when they spawn in huge blooms because they release a large amount of toxins which can poison both fish and humans.(serc.carleton.edu) Red Algae can take the form of and even completely make up a coral reef.They can form a carbonate shell similar to that of a regular coral reef and are extremely wave resistant. Dead Red Algae make up a significant part of semiment in the warmer coastal areas.
Red Algae makes up the bottom starting point of the food chain for marine organisms. Some say that the oxygen that Red Algae produces is so important that without Red Algae the skies wouldn’t be blue.

Citations
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/algae-control/red.php
http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/redtide/

Winter Flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus)

The winter flounder is a flat fish that has both its eyes and mounth on one side of its body. It is called the winter flounder because it moves to shallow waters during the winter. Gma.org describes it as "a small-mouthed, right-handed species"(Winter Flounder). Flounder tend to have a darker color so when it is swimming near the seafloor it will not be seen by other organisms. Flounder can grow up to 20in long and weight about 5 pounds. It is one of many vertebrates that can be found in the subtidal soft bottom. They are mainly found in the north atlantic coast, but they can also be found as far south as North Carolina. During the winter they will be in shallow water, and during the summer they will migrate away from the shore into deeper waters.

Chemical Oceanography: Contamination of ocean water has had lethal affects on the flounder in the contaminated areas. Some of the waters around Boston have been contaminated by sewage leaking into the ocean. This has caused a lot of the flounder in the area to develop tumors on their livers. Areas around the Chesapeake, and Newark Bays are contaminated with anthropogenic compounds. These compounds include PAHs, and pesticides. These compounds severly affect the flounders ability to swim therefore making it harder for then to catch their prey.

Geological Oceanography: The winter flounder tends to rest within the sediments on the seafloor. They will rest in the soft clay and gravel on the bottom of the ocean. When they are not swimming they will bury themselves in the seafloor in order to hide from other marine organisms. The loose sediments on the seafloor allow them to bury themselves.

Physical Oceanography: Flounder will generally lie on the seafloor during low tide, and wait for high tide to move and look for food. Because the flounder lies on the seafloor it is not usually affected by waves or current.

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Sources:

http://www.gma.org/fogm/P_americanus.htm

http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/linhart_davi/Adaptations.htm

http://www.cptdave.com/winter-flounder.html

https://darchive.mblwhoilibrary.org/handle/1912/1816

http://acs.confex.com/acs/marm08/techprogram/P55846.HTM

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://endurancecharters.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/winter-flounder.jpg&imgrefurl

The Awesome Power of an ALGAE BLOOM!!!!!

This video shows a few clips of an recent algae bloom in the Baltic Sea. Check it out!

Fiddler Crab Fight!!!

An interesting video of two fiddler crabs fighting. Taken at a US Naval Base in Panama in '92, this video shows how dangerous their large claws can be!



Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPAA9y7CRqo

Subtidal Soft Bottoms

Subtidal soft bottoms are made up of sediments and are almost always unvegetated ("Subtidal"). Subtidal soft bottoms tend to be found along coasts; examples of subtidal soft bottoms are the outer banks of North Carolina and Long Island Sound ("2005", 1). What makes these areas subtidal soft bottoms is the flat nature of them along with the build up of sediments such as sand and silt ("Subtidal").

"2005 Coastal Habitat Protection Plan." Http://www.ncfisheries.net/. North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. Web. http://www.ncfisheries.net/habitat/chppdocs/G_Soft%20Bottom.pdf.


"Subtidal Soft Bottom Overview." San Diego Nearshore Program. University of California-San Diego. Web. http://nearshore.ucsd.edu/habitatclass/subtidal-over.html.