Hi there, big fish!
This evening, we're going to be discussing Dinoflagellates. Living dinoflagellates are one of the most important components in plankton. They are small single-celled organisms, which swim freely in water with a forward spiraling motion. One of the many problems caused by dinoflagellates would be that they cause Harmful Algal Blooms. Consumption of seafood that is contaminated by these algal toxins results in various seafood poisoning syndromes, such as: paralytic shellfish poisoning, neurotoxis shellfish poisoning, amnesic shellfish poisoning, diarrheic shellfish poisoning, cuguatera fish poisoning, and azaspiracid shellfish poisoning. This can be cured by seeing a doctor immediately once these symptoms begin.
Hope this was useful information!
Adios.
~Little Fish Leanne
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Cephalopod
Howdy big fish!
Tonight we're going to discuss my favorite Cephalopod, the squid--scientifically named "Teuthida." You will find squid in just about all the major bodies of water. On account of reproduction, the females ink sac is hidden from view by a pair of white nidamental glands, which lie inside of the gills. There are also red-spotted accessory nidamental glands. Both organs are associated with shells and food production for the eggs. In addition, females also have a large translucent ovary. Squids make up a great deal of the food source for birds, a variety of birds, some sharks, and even sperm whales. The squids themselves feed on small fish, crabs, and shrimp. Three interesting facts about Cephalopods are:
1. The squid as we know it today has evolved from some of the earliest known mollusks on Earth.
2. Squid sometimes feed on other smaller squid.
3. There are more than 300 species of squid.
Hope you learned something about my favorite Cephalopod!
Sea ya next time!
~Little Fish Leanne
Tonight we're going to discuss my favorite Cephalopod, the squid--scientifically named "Teuthida." You will find squid in just about all the major bodies of water. On account of reproduction, the females ink sac is hidden from view by a pair of white nidamental glands, which lie inside of the gills. There are also red-spotted accessory nidamental glands. Both organs are associated with shells and food production for the eggs. In addition, females also have a large translucent ovary. Squids make up a great deal of the food source for birds, a variety of birds, some sharks, and even sperm whales. The squids themselves feed on small fish, crabs, and shrimp. Three interesting facts about Cephalopods are:
1. The squid as we know it today has evolved from some of the earliest known mollusks on Earth.
2. Squid sometimes feed on other smaller squid.
3. There are more than 300 species of squid.
Hope you learned something about my favorite Cephalopod!
Sea ya next time!
~Little Fish Leanne
Monday, November 18, 2013
Plankton
Helloooooo big fish. 
Plankton. Plankton are a very important part of the marine food web. If it wasn't for plankton, some fish would have no food to eat, causing all of the other fish after it to starve due to decreases in population because of lack of food supply. Phytoplankton is microscopic plankton that makes its own food- aka a plant-type plankton. Zooplankton, on the other hand, is an animal-type of plankton that cannot make its own food.
Hope you learned something from me today! Adios.
~Little Fish Leanne
Marine Instrument
Hi big fish!
Today we're going to talk about a marine instrument called a Cruiser Speed and Distance Log. This tool is used by oceanographers associated with navigation. It is used to measure speed range in knot increments along with distance in meters.
Bye!
~Little Fish Leanne 
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Cnidaria
Hi big fish. :)
Tonight we're going to discuss the Cnidaria, otherwise known as the Jellyfish! Most Cniadrias are found near shallow waters due to their dependence on endosymbiotic algae. Prey of cnidarians ranges from plankton to animals several times larger than themselves. These invertebrates sexually reproduce, which involves a complex life cycle, as well as asexually reproduce. Here are 5 additional interesting facts about Cnidarias:
Tonight we're going to discuss the Cnidaria, otherwise known as the Jellyfish! Most Cniadrias are found near shallow waters due to their dependence on endosymbiotic algae. Prey of cnidarians ranges from plankton to animals several times larger than themselves. These invertebrates sexually reproduce, which involves a complex life cycle, as well as asexually reproduce. Here are 5 additional interesting facts about Cnidarias:
1. Jellyfish look like tiny umbrellas.
2. Some are nearly invisible to the human eye.
3. A group of jellyfish are called a "bloom", "swarm", or "smack."
4. Jellyfish don't have brains.
5. Although the word is mentioned in their name, Jellyfish are not actually "fish."
Hopefully you learned something new about this marine invertebrate!
Catch ya on the flip side, big fish!
~Little Fish Leanne
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Boat Design
Good evening, big fish!
This week we designed small boats that were to travel across a tub of water by fan. My partner Lauren and I decided to use a thick piece of foam for the base of the boat, a chopstick for the keel, a plastic stick for the rudder, another chopstick for the mast, and a tissue and a small piece of foam for the sail. We had to hold 20 marbles in our boat, so in order to hold them, we added half of an egg carton to the base of our boat! We chose this design because the tissue and foam on the sail allowed room to catch the wind and allow it to travel quicker, the foam and egg carton base was sturdy enough to float on top of the water for multiple runs/held the marbles in nice little compartments, and the chopstick keel and plastic rudder helped the boat to travel in a semi-straight line across the tub of water.
The final results of our boat turned out very well! Our average time was 2.69 seconds, which was the third quickest in our whole class! There is nothing I would have changed about our boat. It did a great job floating and staying upright, as well as traveling quickly across the tub of water. Yay!
Adios fishies.
~Little Fish Leanne
This week we designed small boats that were to travel across a tub of water by fan. My partner Lauren and I decided to use a thick piece of foam for the base of the boat, a chopstick for the keel, a plastic stick for the rudder, another chopstick for the mast, and a tissue and a small piece of foam for the sail. We had to hold 20 marbles in our boat, so in order to hold them, we added half of an egg carton to the base of our boat! We chose this design because the tissue and foam on the sail allowed room to catch the wind and allow it to travel quicker, the foam and egg carton base was sturdy enough to float on top of the water for multiple runs/held the marbles in nice little compartments, and the chopstick keel and plastic rudder helped the boat to travel in a semi-straight line across the tub of water.
The final results of our boat turned out very well! Our average time was 2.69 seconds, which was the third quickest in our whole class! There is nothing I would have changed about our boat. It did a great job floating and staying upright, as well as traveling quickly across the tub of water. Yay!
Adios fishies.
~Little Fish Leanne
Early Ocean Explorer
Hi there big fish!
Tonight I will be discussing Captain James Cook's impact on oceanography. Cook's discovery was important to oceanography because he was the first explorer who had instruments to measure accurately latitude and longitude. Here are 5 interesting facts about this special oceanographer!
1. Cook's explorations increased European knowledge of the world.
2. He filled in many gaps on world maps.
3. His contribution to eighteenth century science helped further exploration and discovery for many generations.
4. He was a skilled cartographer.
5. He was talented at math and navigation.
I hope this helped teach you more about this wonderful early ocean explorer!
Wave-ing goodbye,
~Little Fish Leanne
Tonight I will be discussing Captain James Cook's impact on oceanography. Cook's discovery was important to oceanography because he was the first explorer who had instruments to measure accurately latitude and longitude. Here are 5 interesting facts about this special oceanographer!
1. Cook's explorations increased European knowledge of the world.
2. He filled in many gaps on world maps.
3. His contribution to eighteenth century science helped further exploration and discovery for many generations.
4. He was a skilled cartographer.
5. He was talented at math and navigation.
I hope this helped teach you more about this wonderful early ocean explorer!
Wave-ing goodbye,
~Little Fish Leanne
Sharks sharks sharks!
Hola big fish!
Let's discuss my favorite type of shark: the Bull Shark, also known as Carcharhinus leaucas. The Bull Shark is a coastal dweller which can be found in all tropical and sub tropical oceans. They are solitary hunters that will feed on almost anything, but mostly bony fish. Bull sharks reproduce just like mammals. Their gestation period is about a year, and leads to a litter of 1-13 pups. Some interesting facts about the Bull shark would be that it has an average life span of 14 years, they swim quickly and capably at 11 mph, and they are one of the four most dangerous sharks in the world!
I hope I helped you learn something new today!
Sea you next time.
~Little Fish Leanne
I hope I helped you learn something new today!
Sea you next time.
~Little Fish Leanne
Monday, November 4, 2013
Oceanography: Job of my choice
If I could have a job in oceanography I would probably choose to be a marine biologist. I think it's so interesting to study marine animals and how they fit into their environment. There are so many types of animals in the ocean that are unknown and it would be really neat to discover some of my own! Also, animals are really interesting creatures with personalities of their own and it would be cool to study something like that.
Favorite marine animal
Hello there big fish.
Today let's discuss one of my all time favorite marine animals--the Manatee!! This animal is a large, mostly herbivorous marine mammal that is sometimes known as the sea cow. It's scientific name is Trichechus Linnaeus and it generally lives in warmer waters. Manatees typically breed once every two years bearing only a single calf at a time. Unfortunately manatees are an endangered species. There are many foundations trying to prevent their extinction. Some of the issues causing this would be pollution as well as taxonomy. In conclusion, here are thrree interesting facts about this cute little animal are as follows:
1. Average size is 8-13 feet.
2. It can weigh up to 1300 lbs.
3. The strongest sense they have is hearing.
There we have it! Manatees are adorable and I love them. You should too.
Sea you later!
~Little fish Leanne
Bob Ballard
Hi fish friends! It's been a while. :)
Today I'm going to talk to you a little about some things I learned from my friend, Bob Ballard. To him, exploring the ocean is important because he wants the world to know more about a world unknown and inform people in order for them to take ocean exploration more seriously. We watched a video clip in class of Ballard talking about an ocean exploration he did and there were many things I have never known! Here are 5, to name a few...
1. There are two main exploeation programs in the US: NASA, and NOAA
2. Most of the Southern Hemisphere is unexplored.
3. Most of our planet does not see or feel the warmth of the sun.
4. A lot of discoveries are made by accident.
5. The Boys and Girls club of America have the opportunity to watch certain Explorations live!
Hope you learned a bit today about an interesting topic very near and dear to Bob Ballard's heart.
Until next time!!
~Little Fish Leanne
Monday, October 14, 2013
Giant Salvinia
The Giant Salvinia is an invasive plant in which Lewisville Lake residents do not have to be highly cautious of. But the main problems this plant causes elsewhere are as follows:
-blocks sunlight for plants underneath it
-reduces crop production in certain areas
-prevents natural exchange of gas between water and air
-grows rapidly
In order to prevent the spreading of this plant elsewhere, there are bans on selling, transporting, spreading, and relocating of this plant.
-blocks sunlight for plants underneath it
-reduces crop production in certain areas
-prevents natural exchange of gas between water and air
-grows rapidly
In order to prevent the spreading of this plant elsewhere, there are bans on selling, transporting, spreading, and relocating of this plant.
Dragonflies
Hello big fish!
This evening we're going to be discussing some facts about Dragonflies! Their scientific name is Odonata. They are all predators, mainly feeding on mosquitos. Most adults are generally found near bodies of water because Odonatas are classified as aquatic insects. Their eggs are laid in water or on vegetation near water, which helps carry nutrients to them. Dragonflies are ancient insects that have been around since dinosaur times, with fossils from the Carboniferous period that had wingspans of over a meter! In that period of time, they would be bigger than the modern day hawk.
Thanks for reading, fish friends!
This evening we're going to be discussing some facts about Dragonflies! Their scientific name is Odonata. They are all predators, mainly feeding on mosquitos. Most adults are generally found near bodies of water because Odonatas are classified as aquatic insects. Their eggs are laid in water or on vegetation near water, which helps carry nutrients to them. Dragonflies are ancient insects that have been around since dinosaur times, with fossils from the Carboniferous period that had wingspans of over a meter! In that period of time, they would be bigger than the modern day hawk.
Thanks for reading, fish friends!
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Naegleria fowleri
Hey big fish.
The Naegleria fowleri is a protist that is found in Texas. It causes Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis, which is a very fatal disease. The symptoms of this are nausea, headaches, and stomach aches and a good way to prevent would be to plug your nose whenever you're around it and to immediately see a physician if you think you have it.
Thanks for reading!
The Naegleria fowleri is a protist that is found in Texas. It causes Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis, which is a very fatal disease. The symptoms of this are nausea, headaches, and stomach aches and a good way to prevent would be to plug your nose whenever you're around it and to immediately see a physician if you think you have it.
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Dichotomous Key
Good afternoon, big fish!
Today we're going to dicuss the importance of using a dichotmous key when assessing a water body! These keys are used to separate characteristics of a broad variety of organisms in a water body to very descriptive and precise characteristics of organisms. We separated our key into odor and non-odor to start out with and ended with the specific names of the algae! Here's a picture to show you the other details.
Today we're going to dicuss the importance of using a dichotmous key when assessing a water body! These keys are used to separate characteristics of a broad variety of organisms in a water body to very descriptive and precise characteristics of organisms. We separated our key into odor and non-odor to start out with and ended with the specific names of the algae! Here's a picture to show you the other details.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Dissolved Oxygen
Hi fish friends!
So I'd like to explain a dissolved oxygen demonstration to you that we did in class. You see, dissolved oxygen is a relative measure of the amount of oxygen that is dissolved or carried in a given medium. In our example, we had four 2-liters that were all filled with water, but had other things as well:
-Control bottle: tap water and gravel
-Bottle #1: tap water, gravel, a plant
-Bottle #2: tap water, gravel, a plant, lake water
-Bottle #3: tape water, gravel, a plant, lake water, a fish
We checked the temperature, Conductivity, pH, and Dissolved Oxygen percentage of each bottle, and the results are in the picture below.
So I'd like to explain a dissolved oxygen demonstration to you that we did in class. You see, dissolved oxygen is a relative measure of the amount of oxygen that is dissolved or carried in a given medium. In our example, we had four 2-liters that were all filled with water, but had other things as well:
-Control bottle: tap water and gravel
-Bottle #1: tap water, gravel, a plant
-Bottle #2: tap water, gravel, a plant, lake water
-Bottle #3: tape water, gravel, a plant, lake water, a fish
We checked the temperature, Conductivity, pH, and Dissolved Oxygen percentage of each bottle, and the results are in the picture below.
Algae and Invertabrates
Evening, big fish!
I'd like to talk tonight about Algae and Invertebrates and how they can be used to monitor an ecosystem. Algae plays an important role in an ecosystem because it utilizes light energy in the process of reducing CO2. It is a primary producer, which benefits other organisms in the ecosystem and it produces large amounts of nutrients as well. The role of invertebrates is very important too--they make up a great majority of all macroscopic life in the sea. They provide nutrients for other organisms in an aquatic system, which in turn allows them to supply energy to the organisms as a food source.
I'd like to talk tonight about Algae and Invertebrates and how they can be used to monitor an ecosystem. Algae plays an important role in an ecosystem because it utilizes light energy in the process of reducing CO2. It is a primary producer, which benefits other organisms in the ecosystem and it produces large amounts of nutrients as well. The role of invertebrates is very important too--they make up a great majority of all macroscopic life in the sea. They provide nutrients for other organisms in an aquatic system, which in turn allows them to supply energy to the organisms as a food source.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Aquarium lab report
I. Purpose: To monitor a FW Ecosystem over time and collect and interpret data.
II. Materials: (20) Tank, water, gravel, colleseum toy, plant, fake plant, shell toy, rock, swordtail fish, albino corycatfish (2), Molly fish, filter, bacteria supplement, albino catfish, bubbler, fish food, turtle toy, pipette, scrubber, sifter, pitcher
III. Procedure:
1. Clean the empty fish tank with scrubber.
2. Clean gravel with sifter.
3. Clean until water is clear.
4. Place the cleanly rinsed gravel in tank.
5. Using a pitcher, fill tank with new water.
6. Pick and clean toys thoroughly.
7. Place clean toys in desired area of tank.
8. Repeat steps 6&7 using fake plants.
9. Using nitrite and ammonia test, test water until they match the safe colors.
10. Repeat testing until colors match the chart.
11. Add bubbler to tank
12. Add filter. (Repeat steps 6&7)
13. Buy desired fish at local pet store, look at the size tank they need, who they get along with and what they eat.
14. Soon after purchase, bring fish to tank.
15. Place fish (inside bag from pet store) in the water for 10 minutes to let them adjust to the temperature.
16. After 10 minutes get a fish net, and remove the bags from the water.
17. Cut small (big enough for fish to get out) hole in the corner of the plastic bags.
IV. Data:
A: Quantitative (water quality chart)
B: Qualitative (observations)
Day 1-
•Picked out a tank today!
•empty gravel and cleaned it in water
•scrubbed the tank's walls and floor
•didn't get to completely finish
Day 2-
•finished the last minute cleaning duties
•picked out plants for aquarium
•picked out toys for aquarium
Day 3-
•filled up our tank with water
•added a filter
•put de-chlorinator in the water
•going to get our fishies tomorrow!!!
Day 4-
•picked out all of our fish!!
•placed them in our tank to get them adjusted to the water before taking them out of their plastic bags
•took the fish out of their bags after about 10 minutes
•fish seemed to love the tank! :)
Day 5-
•fish seem to be liking the tank
•one of my fish, Laverne, has already left us :( rest in peace.
•doesn't seem to be much conflict between the fish. Yay!
Day 6-
•added bacopia to our tank
•water quality levels are average
Day 7-
•fish seem to be doing just fine
•ammonia level is higher than usual…
•emptied then refilled some water to see if that would help
•added daily bacteria supplement
Day 8-
Day 9-
Day 10-
•Picked out a tank today!
•empty gravel and cleaned it in water
•scrubbed the tank's walls and floor
•didn't get to completely finish
Day 2-
•finished the last minute cleaning duties
•picked out plants for aquarium
•picked out toys for aquarium
Day 3-
•filled up our tank with water
•added a filter
•put de-chlorinator in the water
•going to get our fishies tomorrow!!!
Day 4-
•picked out all of our fish!!
•placed them in our tank to get them adjusted to the water before taking them out of their plastic bags
•took the fish out of their bags after about 10 minutes
•fish seemed to love the tank! :)
Day 5-
•fish seem to be liking the tank
•one of my fish, Laverne, has already left us :( rest in peace.
•doesn't seem to be much conflict between the fish. Yay!
Day 6-
•added bacopia to our tank
•water quality levels are average
Day 7-
•fish seem to be doing just fine
•ammonia level is higher than usual…
•emptied then refilled some water to see if that would help
•added daily bacteria supplement
Day 8-
•water quality has started to become poor
•not sure how exactly to fix this reoccurring problem
Day 9-
•tried to refill our tank with fresh water to change the water quality
•added the daily bacteria supplement and de-chlorinator
Day 10-
•water quality was very poor= it was purple and green.
• Fish begin acting a little funny.
• added bacteria and dechlorinator to the tank, as well as fed the fish.
Day 11-
• added clams to the tank
• change half of water out/filled it back up
• water quality was still poor
Day 12-
• one Cory catfish died- it was Stan. :(
• water levels were still not that great
• clams burrowed underneath the gravel
Day 13-
• The other Cory catfish died- Dorthy. :(
• fish began to show signs of ick
• White furry things started to grow on our fish
• Molly Fish (Shirley) began to become vertical in the water
• Fish were barely moving
Day 14-
•Ick got the best of our fish. They were all gone. :(
• there was a cocoon of fungus around the fish
•water quality was awful/water continued to de-color
Day 15-
•Began cleaning out the tank
•Poured the water out, scrubbed the inside walls, cleaned the gravel with warm water. Ran out out of time to completely finish cleaning.
Day 16-
•Finished cleaning out the tank
•added de-chlorinator and bacteria supplements
Day 17-
•Mrs. Wood let us have two small fish to put in the cleaned tank
•acted pretty normal
•didn't seem sick and adjusted to the water pretty well
Day 18-
•the new fish were dead….and I have NO IDEA WHY.
2: Nitrogen cycle-
5: Our aquarium definitely struggled a lot more with this project because of the series of unfortunate events that transpired all throughout these past 8 weeks: such as the ick, and the deaths. The only way that we possibly could have solved these issues, was by completely starting all over again with the cleansing of the tank and things like that.
Day 15-
•Began cleaning out the tank
•Poured the water out, scrubbed the inside walls, cleaned the gravel with warm water. Ran out out of time to completely finish cleaning.
Day 16-
•Finished cleaning out the tank
•added de-chlorinator and bacteria supplements
Day 17-
•Mrs. Wood let us have two small fish to put in the cleaned tank
•acted pretty normal
•didn't seem sick and adjusted to the water pretty well
Day 18-
•the new fish were dead….and I have NO IDEA WHY.
Day 19:
•added clams and more plants.
•nitrites are high today and ammonia is medium.
•still no fish
Day 20:
•after all of the fish we have put in our tank, every one of them has died. It's safe to say we just gave up on it. Not sure exactly why everything kept dying, but I will definitely not be owning any more fish any time soon… Warn your upcoming classes not to get too attached--it only leads you to heartbreak!
V. Conclusion
1. There are many different variables that one must pay attention to when taking care of an aquarium. Let's start out with the key components in the nitrogen cycle. It starts with the ammonia that comes from fish food and fish waste, then nitrosonomas turns the ammonia into nitrites, which in turn changes the nitrites to nitrates through nitrobacter, and the cycle continues. The temperature is important because it must be kept around the same level each day, so that the fish don't have a shock of cold water or hot water, which disrupts their internal balance, and could kill them. Now let's discuss pH, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen. The pH level must be monitored because it is what determines if water is neutral, or if it is leaning towards an acid or a base. The conductivity is the amount of current that is going through the water. If these components are too high or too low, they will also harm your fish's health.
a. Feed fish. The food not eaten by the fish will then create ammonia.
b. Fish eat and digest the food, which creates waste in the water, as well as ammonia.
c. A bacteria in the water called nitrosinomus changes ammonia into nitrites.
d. The plants then absorb the nitrites.
e. After the plants absorb the nitrites, they release them into the water, and nitrobacter changes the nitrites into nitrates so it is safe for the fish to swim around in.
f. The nitrates help the fish flourish, and the cycle continues.
3: Our water quality varied all throughout this process. It started normal, with the ammonia around one and the nitrites around zero. Then the nitrites started to increase while the ammonia stayed the same. But as the nitrites rose continuously, the ammonia started to go up too, which told us that something was off. Our water quality was all over the chart because of the ick that our tank had towards the middle and end of this project. When we thoroughly cleaned our tank again and refilled it with fresh water, the water quality started all over again with nitrites at zero and ammonia at .25 or 1.
4: The Oxygen and Carbon dioxide is very important because it moderates the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in water all throughout the day. It relates to local ponds and creeks because during the night, oxygen levels are lower and carbon dioxide levels are higher because the sun is not there, which prevents plants from going through photosynthesis. When the sun rises, the level of carbon dioxide decreases and the level of oxygen increases, until noon, when they are opposite of the levels they were at at dawn. When the sun begins to set, the levels begin to change again--oxygen goes down, and carbon dioxide goes up, similar to what happens during the night.
6: I learned-
-that adding a lot of plants to our aquarium helps decrease levels of ammonia
-that it is crucial to be adding bacteria supplements to the water every day in order to keep your nitrite and ammonia levels balanced.
-that ick medicine is something that needs to be obtained immediately after you can see the ick on your face. If not, you end up with dead fish and broken hearts.
-the importance of the nitrogen cycle to the lives of the fish.
7: The most interesting thing that happened during this project was seeing the end result to the ick infestation of our fish. They were incased in a strange and abnormal-looking fungus type material that ended up suffocating them.
8. My favorite part of this project would have to be the anxious feeling I got everyday to come to fourth period and see how my fish were doing. Though we didn't have them for very long, it was interesting to learn about their ecosystem and what helps them flourish and what doesn't.
9. Pay very close attention to your water levels. If you don't see the ammonia levels going down when your nitrites start going up, don't ever hesitate to ask for help or it could cause major damage to your fish. Also, do NOT buy expensive fish!! I would change this project by taking a grade on the number of observations taken each week. That way it's easier to write up the lab report at the end. It makes that a lot easier.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Watersheds
Good evening to my favorite big fish!
Let's discuss watersheds, shall we? Because believe it or not, we are living in one!
A watershed is an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas. I live in the Elm fork of the Trinity River with my address being 12030103. Some benefits of my watershed are that it helps provide habitats for fish, birds and insects, as well as preserving recreation opportunities such as fishing and water-related recreation like boating. However, there are problems concerning the watershed as well. Bacterias and pollution can negatively affect our watershed because they get into the water and cause it to become less fresh and in turn destroy the habitats that reside in it.
I hope this gave each of you some insight on watersheds!
Sea you realllllll soon!
~Little Fish Leanne
Let's discuss watersheds, shall we? Because believe it or not, we are living in one!
A watershed is an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas. I live in the Elm fork of the Trinity River with my address being 12030103. Some benefits of my watershed are that it helps provide habitats for fish, birds and insects, as well as preserving recreation opportunities such as fishing and water-related recreation like boating. However, there are problems concerning the watershed as well. Bacterias and pollution can negatively affect our watershed because they get into the water and cause it to become less fresh and in turn destroy the habitats that reside in it.
I hope this gave each of you some insight on watersheds!
Sea you realllllll soon!
~Little Fish Leanne
Guadalupe Bass
Hi big fish friends!
Today I'm going to introduce you to the Texas State fish, the Guadalupe Bass, also known as the Micropterus treculii. This fish is typically located in flowing waters throughout Texas such as the San Antonio River, the Guadalupe River above Gonzales, the Colorado River north of Austin, and portions of the Brazos River drainage. Both males and females become sexually mature when they are one year olds and the females can lay 400 to 9000 eggs at a time. Guadalupe bass build gravel nests for spawning, preferably in shallow water. After the females lay their eggs, the female is then chased away and the male stands guard over the eggs. These fish feed on invertebrates, and other fish, and have little to no predators. Here are some interesting facts about the Guadalupe Bass:
1. They are generally small in size because they are adapted to small streams.
2. It is actually not a member of the bass family at all, but of the Centrarchidae of the sunfish family.
3. It is considered apart of the "sport fish" species because of their ability to utilize fast water to their advantage when hooked.
I hope you've all learned something today about a fish that is near and dear to Texas!
Sea you next time.
~Little Fish Leanne
Today I'm going to introduce you to the Texas State fish, the Guadalupe Bass, also known as the Micropterus treculii. This fish is typically located in flowing waters throughout Texas such as the San Antonio River, the Guadalupe River above Gonzales, the Colorado River north of Austin, and portions of the Brazos River drainage. Both males and females become sexually mature when they are one year olds and the females can lay 400 to 9000 eggs at a time. Guadalupe bass build gravel nests for spawning, preferably in shallow water. After the females lay their eggs, the female is then chased away and the male stands guard over the eggs. These fish feed on invertebrates, and other fish, and have little to no predators. Here are some interesting facts about the Guadalupe Bass:
1. They are generally small in size because they are adapted to small streams.
2. It is actually not a member of the bass family at all, but of the Centrarchidae of the sunfish family.
3. It is considered apart of the "sport fish" species because of their ability to utilize fast water to their advantage when hooked.
I hope you've all learned something today about a fish that is near and dear to Texas!
Sea you next time.
~Little Fish Leanne
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Algae!
Good evening to all of my big fish out there!
Tonight I'm going to tell you about some organisms that have been added to my cute little aquarium!
In order to find these organisms, we searched through a container full of algae and found them all in there! The container consisted of some leeches, scud, mayfly larva, snails, along with many others. However, the only ones we were able to catch were mayfly larva and snails! We put some of those into our tank and the Molly fish immediately went for the snails and ate them right up! The mayfly larva was able to hide itself underneath the gravel for a little while, but eventually, the Albino Corey Catfish was able to find him and eat him as well! All in all, none of the organisms survived being eaten for very long. Our fish must have been hungry for something other than fish flakes! ;)
Whale, until next time big fish of mine.
Tonight I'm going to tell you about some organisms that have been added to my cute little aquarium!
In order to find these organisms, we searched through a container full of algae and found them all in there! The container consisted of some leeches, scud, mayfly larva, snails, along with many others. However, the only ones we were able to catch were mayfly larva and snails! We put some of those into our tank and the Molly fish immediately went for the snails and ate them right up! The mayfly larva was able to hide itself underneath the gravel for a little while, but eventually, the Albino Corey Catfish was able to find him and eat him as well! All in all, none of the organisms survived being eaten for very long. Our fish must have been hungry for something other than fish flakes! ;)
~Little Fish Leanne
Nitrogen Cycle
Bonjour big fish!
Today let's talk about the Nitrogen Cycle, shall we?
The definition of this cycle is: the series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment and in living organisms, including nitrogen fixation and decomposition.
Here are the steps to the Nitrogen Cycle in our aquarium:
1. Food gets poured into the tank.
2. Fish eat the food, which eventually becomes waste.
3. Their waste turns ammonia.
4. Ammonia turns into nitrate by nitrosonoma bacteria.
5. Nitrite turns to nitrate by nitrobacter bacteria.
6. The plants absorb the nitrate like a plant fertilizer.
7. The plants clean the water.
8. The cycle repeats!
Wave-ing bye for now!
~Little Fish Leanne
Today let's talk about the Nitrogen Cycle, shall we?
The definition of this cycle is: the series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment and in living organisms, including nitrogen fixation and decomposition.
Here are the steps to the Nitrogen Cycle in our aquarium:
1. Food gets poured into the tank.
2. Fish eat the food, which eventually becomes waste.
3. Their waste turns ammonia.
4. Ammonia turns into nitrate by nitrosonoma bacteria.
5. Nitrite turns to nitrate by nitrobacter bacteria.
6. The plants absorb the nitrate like a plant fertilizer.
7. The plants clean the water.
8. The cycle repeats!
Wave-ing bye for now!
~Little Fish Leanne
Sunday, September 8, 2013
River Model
Good afternoon, big fish.
Today we will discuss the River Model used in my classroom.
It is set up into four different pools. Originally, this is how each pool was set up: Pool 1 had nothing in it. Pool 2 had rocks, and 2 brown minnows. Pool 3 had sand, pea gravel, rocks, plants, and 20 ghost shrimp. And Pool 4 had sand, pea gravel, plants, 1 orange and 1 brown minnow, and a cray fish. After a while, we discovered that the cray fish had moved from Pool 3 to Pool 4, and that a brown minnow got caught in a pump and died. :(
Today we will discuss the River Model used in my classroom.
It is set up into four different pools. Originally, this is how each pool was set up: Pool 1 had nothing in it. Pool 2 had rocks, and 2 brown minnows. Pool 3 had sand, pea gravel, rocks, plants, and 20 ghost shrimp. And Pool 4 had sand, pea gravel, plants, 1 orange and 1 brown minnow, and a cray fish. After a while, we discovered that the cray fish had moved from Pool 3 to Pool 4, and that a brown minnow got caught in a pump and died. :(
Hopefully this picture will help represent what the river model is like!
Hasta la vista, fishies.
~Little Fish Leanne
Temperature and Density
Hello to you, big fish!
Let's talk temperature and density today.
In the demonstration you see at the bottom, we've placed a jar filled with warm, red water over a jar filled with cold, blue water--the other jars, vice versa. In between the lip of the two jars, there is a piece of cloth preventing the liquids from colliding.
Let's talk temperature and density today.
In the demonstration you see at the bottom, we've placed a jar filled with warm, red water over a jar filled with cold, blue water--the other jars, vice versa. In between the lip of the two jars, there is a piece of cloth preventing the liquids from colliding.
When we removed the cloths from in between the jars, the set with the red water on top stayed separate. This is because warm water is less dense than cold water, causing the red water to float above the blue. But when the cloth between the jars with the blue on top was removed, the two colors flipped and mixed together forming a dark purple color. This was because the cold water dropped and sank because it is denser than the warm water.
The connection that this demonstration provides is that in a lake during the summer time, warmer water sits on top of the colder water that is underneath due to the rising temperatures during that season. (red on top of blue) But when the weather gets cooler, the lake's temperatures mix together and the cooler water rises to the top causing the water to become denser while oxygen and nutrients float up with the cooler water. (blue on top of red)
I hope we've all learned something today, big fish!
Sea you soon!
~Little Fish Leanne
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Water issues?
Greetings, big fish!
My group and I are conducting a survey on local citizens' awareness of the issues impacting our local water systems. The two issues we've chosen to focus on are the construction of a new lake named Lake Ralph Hall, located in Fannin County, and the water restrictions that have been enacted throughout the community. We chose these issues in order to inquire about how many locals actually have a clue about them, as well as to discover many different points of views on each issue.
We've chosen to conduct our interview at Valley Creek Church. I can't wait for you to see more!
Wave-ing goodbye,
~Little Fish Leanne
My group and I are conducting a survey on local citizens' awareness of the issues impacting our local water systems. The two issues we've chosen to focus on are the construction of a new lake named Lake Ralph Hall, located in Fannin County, and the water restrictions that have been enacted throughout the community. We chose these issues in order to inquire about how many locals actually have a clue about them, as well as to discover many different points of views on each issue.
We've chosen to conduct our interview at Valley Creek Church. I can't wait for you to see more!
Wave-ing goodbye,
~Little Fish Leanne
Let's talk Specific Heat
Hi again, big fish!
I'd like to discuss a certain water property that plays a role in our aquatic ecosystem: Specific Heat.
The definition of Specific Heat is the amount of heat per unit mass required to raise the temperature by 1 degrees Celsius. In order to demonstrate this, my friends and I filled up two balloons--one with air and one with water. We held each one over an open flame and found out that the balloon filled with air was the one that popped, while the one filled with water did not. This happened because the heat was distributed much slower inside of the balloon filled with water than the balloon filled with air, which is why it did not pop. In order to relate this to the aquatic ecosystem, we discussed how it affects the climate as well as the temperature of the water. Through specific heat, the water cools off and heats up slower than the land, which reflects the way the climate is around bodies of water and how that climate differs from a climate further inland.
Overall, the experiment taught us more about the ways specific heat affects the aquatic ecosystem without us even recognizing it!
Sea you later!
~Little Fish Leanne
I'd like to discuss a certain water property that plays a role in our aquatic ecosystem: Specific Heat.
The definition of Specific Heat is the amount of heat per unit mass required to raise the temperature by 1 degrees Celsius. In order to demonstrate this, my friends and I filled up two balloons--one with air and one with water. We held each one over an open flame and found out that the balloon filled with air was the one that popped, while the one filled with water did not. This happened because the heat was distributed much slower inside of the balloon filled with water than the balloon filled with air, which is why it did not pop. In order to relate this to the aquatic ecosystem, we discussed how it affects the climate as well as the temperature of the water. Through specific heat, the water cools off and heats up slower than the land, which reflects the way the climate is around bodies of water and how that climate differs from a climate further inland.
Overall, the experiment taught us more about the ways specific heat affects the aquatic ecosystem without us even recognizing it!
Sea you later!
~Little Fish Leanne
A little bit about a little fish.
Hello to all of you big fish out there! My name is Leanne, and I've created this blog to share with you the wonderful world of aquatic science. Though I am quite a small person, I have big dreams and I attribute all of that to the life I have lived so far! Let's learn more about that, shall we?
I was born in California and moved here when I was 6. I live with my fabulous mother as well as my adorable brother, and I am very blessed to call them my family! I could sing before I could talk, so without music, I would be nothing. Choir has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I hope to continue with it even through college! Though I have a passion for music, I also have a passion for childhood education, which I would love to major in at the University of Arkansas next fall! I am very strong in my faith and I am so very happy to be able to say that I have a relationship with God.
I've been blessed with this beautiful life and I cannot wait to share more about it with you, aquatic science version. ;)
Until next time!
~Little Fish Leanne
I was born in California and moved here when I was 6. I live with my fabulous mother as well as my adorable brother, and I am very blessed to call them my family! I could sing before I could talk, so without music, I would be nothing. Choir has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I hope to continue with it even through college! Though I have a passion for music, I also have a passion for childhood education, which I would love to major in at the University of Arkansas next fall! I am very strong in my faith and I am so very happy to be able to say that I have a relationship with God.
I've been blessed with this beautiful life and I cannot wait to share more about it with you, aquatic science version. ;)
Until next time!
~Little Fish Leanne
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