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 

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:

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

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

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

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

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