Lauren Henderson

January 29, 2017

Period 2.

Chapter Six Culminating Project

The Chapter six culminating project shows that red algae, green algae, and brown algae

are very important algae to know about. That seagrass, coastal wetlands, and mangroves are a

very important part of our world's existence. And finally that the kelp forest are very important to

sea otters and other animals for their food source and protectant.

Green Algae is a large, informal grouping of algae consisting of the Chlorophyte

and Charophyte algae, which are now placed in

separate divisions. Green Algae is founded in fresh

waters, streams, ponds, and brackish water

ecosystems. They can produce toxins that can

affect people, livestock and pets that swim in and

drink from the algae-contaminated water. (Pet Poison Helpline) Green algae is

very dangerous to people and animals. It will poison you with toxins that is not good for

you.

Red Algae is the oldest algae you will find. Red Algae contains over seven

thousand micro organisms. Red Algae is the most common algae you will find. Red

algae can be found anywhere around the world, as it thrives in conditions ranging from

polar to tropical waters. Red algae is commonly found in tide pools and coral reefs. Red

Algae is no harm what so ever. Its a very safe algae to be around. The coralline

algae, which secrete calcium carbonate and play a major role in building coral
reefs, belong here. (Red Algae) Red algae is a big part of our ocean because it helps

make coral reefs where bunch of animals live.

Brown Algae is also called

Sargassum, which creates unique

habitats in the tropical waters of the

Sargasso Sea. Brown Algae can be

found on the bottom of seashores. Brown algae is mostly found in

rocky places on the seashore. Brown Algae can also be found in

seaweed. Some members of the class, such as kelp, are used as food for

humans. (Where Can Brown Algae Be Found) People can use brown algae to help

cure cancer. If these algaes die out so can the cure for cancer.

Seagrass is a grasslike plant that lives in or close to the sea, especially eelgrass.

You would think seagrass would only be on the seafloor.

Seagrass lives in salt water. You can not find seagrass in

fresh water. Seagrasses have flowers, roots, and

specialized cells to transport nutrients within a plant,

which makes them similar to land plants and different

from algae or seaweeds. (Seagrass-Learn about-Teach Ocean Science) Seagrass

often gets confused as seaweed. Seagrass has evolved over one hundred million years

ago. There are over seventy two different types of seagrasses in the world today.

Seagrass bunches can be large enough to be seen from space.

Coastal wetlands cover about forty million acres and make up thirty eight percent

of the wetlands in the United States. Wetland types found in coastal watersheds
include salt marshes, bottomland hardwood swamps, fresh marshes, mangrove

swamps, and shrubby depressions known in the

southeast United States as "pocosins." (Coastal

Wetlands) There are four different types of wetlands.

(marsh, swamp, bog, and fen) The wetland area that is

saturated with water. Wetlands at the margins of lakes,

rivers, bays, and the ocean protect shorelines and streambanks against erosion.

A mangrove is a tree or shrub that grows in chiefly tropical coastal swamps that

are flooded at high tide. Mangroves typically have numerous tangled roots above

ground and form dense thickets. There are 15.9 million

hectares (over 60,000 square miles) of mangrove forests

in the warm waters of tropical oceans all over the

world. (Mangrove Forest: Shorelines) Mangroves are

found on the Atlantic coast, they are founded from Florida all the way down to Argentina.

Mangroves grow on the eastern and the western side of Africa.

Sea otters have many threats. A couple threats the sea otter have are sharks,

sea lions, humans, oil spills, etc. There use to be over one million sea otters in the

1700s thru the early 1800s. The sea otters started to get hunted so their numbers

dropped tremendously and there is now seven thousand if were lucky. Sharks are

attacking the sea otters because they look so much like sea lions and theyre the sharks

most common food source. There has been many oil spills and that is very dangerous

to the otters. When humans throw there trash on the floor and the ground and the rain
takes it to the ocean the otters will think its food and eat

it and it will be very harmful to them.

The kelp forest is very important to the Sea

Otters. Sea otter mothers wrap

up there sea otter pups in the

kelp so they wont float away. They eat sea urchins and

other animals that graze on giant kelp, keeping them in

check so the kelp forests can thrive and support a rich

community of plants and animals. (Southern sea otter; Monterey Bay Aquarium)

The sea otters get their food from the kelp. They eat the urchins and animals that hide

in the kelp. They keep the kelp healthy and not overgrown.

The kelp forest is very important to sea otters and

other sea urchins. Sea otters are a keystone species,

because they play an extremely important role in

maintaining the structure of the ecological community.

(Ecology Of Seaweed And Its Environmental

Significance | CCBER) The kelp forest is very important to sea otters and other

animals because they use it as their food source.

In conclusion the kelp forest is very important to this ocean and environment.

There are many algies in this world and some of them are very harmful and some help

us cure things like cancer.

Website: Ecology Of Seaweed And Its Environmental Significance CCBER

Article Title: Ecology Of Seaweed And Its Environmental Significance CCBER

Date Accessed: January 31, 2017

Website Title: Wikipedia

Article Title: Mangrove

Publisher: Wikimedia Foundation

Date Accessed: January 31, 2017

Website Title:Defenders of WIldlife

Article Titles: Threats to Sea Otters

Electronically Published: September 19, 2016

Date Accessed: January 31, 2017

https://pixabay.com/en/pond-green-alga-algae-environment-864600/

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red_Algae_on_bleached_coral.JPG

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kelp-forest-Monterey.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seagrass_Halodule_uninervis_(5777808662).jp

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coastal_wetlands.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangrove

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_otter_conservation

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Four_sea_otters.JPG