Mollusk Analysis

Molluscs, Mollusks, Mollusca

Make your learning a conversation with others!  You have watched the video on mollusks. You have taken notes from the lecture. And you have dissected both a clam and a squid.  Now you must take the information and your studies of the mollusks and write an analysis, a conversation of what you learned. This analysis must be posted on your marine biology blog.

Write your analysis as a discussion or a story. Please do NOT write your analysis as a list of answered questions, even though you have been given a list of questions. The questions below are meant as a GUIDE for your discussion. Insert the answers into a story of your investigation into the world of mollusks.

You will be assessed on 1) knowledge of the subject material; 2) describing the material in your own words and in an interesting manner; and 3) personal contribution to the topic. And please provide illustrations, with citations.

Adaptation and Variation in Mollusks

• What is the morphological feature of molluscs after which the phylum is named?
• What are the biological troubles that molluscs face due to their soft body?
• Into which classes are mollusc divided? What are some representing beings of each class?
• Is there any body symmetry in the animals you dissected? Describe it.
• Describe your notes about any textures, shapes and other observable qualities in the animals you dissected.
• What is the function of the clam’s mantle?
• How does the locomotion of the squid and clam compare?
• Why do you think the squid and the octopus have camouflage, whereas the bivalves and gastropods do not?
• Compare the feeding methods of bivalves and gastropods. Of bivalves and cephalopods.
• What organs are present in both human and mollusc bodies?
• Describe the special adaptation that mussels have for surviving strong wave action along the shore.
• Why is the octopus considered to be so intelligent?
• What are examples of the ecological and economic importance of molluscs?

Be thorough and complete.

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Living and Working Under The Sea

You have been challenged to design a practical underwater laboratory, or habitat, for aquanauts to live and work  for one to two weeks while they conduct marine science research. The considerations you’ve been ask to account for in your design are:

One thing that you are not taking into consideration is the practicality of building your aquapod and assembling it underwater.

A network of focused experimental sites are being constructed in the Northeast Pacific Ocean to serve researchers, students, educators, and policymakers and begin “a new era of scientific discovery and understanding of the oceans”. The research stations are not habitats for living in but rather a series of sites with an array of monitoring equipment for monitoring chemical, physical, biological, and sediment conditions.

Your task today is to:

1. Read the news article describing the observatory.
2. Watch two or three three short videos of the work being undertaken. I suggest Dive 1482 Highlights, Dive 1604, and Dive 1596 Highlights.
3. Read the National Geographic article Huge Molasses Spill Off Hawaii: A Diver’s Report.
4. Write a two to three paragraph blog post that reflects either:  a) your thoughts on the observatory installation (How tricky is it to build an underwater research station? What considerations must be accounted for?); or b) your thoughts on the effects of the molasses spill (How should people respond to this? Could this have been prepared for? What should be done next?).

That’s it: two to three paragraph blog post on one of the above topics (but read both). Make sure you label your post, include cited pictures, and include at least two hyperlinks to further information.

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The Diversity of Earth’s Biomes

I had an idea prior to the biome project in biology class of how different parts of the Earth were from the others, but hearing from classmates on these major biomes was even more enlightening.  I was introduced to many biomes that were more unique than I had guessed.  The biomes also had some similarities with each other as well as differences.  Because I had a prior interest in marine life and ecosystems, the aquatic(especially salt water) biomes really captivated me.  The amazing range of life and unique biodiversity of oceans the world over are truly fascinating.  The fact that so many unique species can live together in one body of water is astounding.  The physical wonders of the ocean are also enthralling.  The enormous underwater mountain ranges, deep sea trenches, and desert-under-the-sea look is beautiful. 

It makes you sad to think that people are so careless about these delicate biomes and do truly stupid things like, say, drill in the Gulf of Mexico and accidentally have their oil rigs blow up, releasing millions of gallons into the water.  It’s hard to imagine the loss of life that will occur due to this BP oil spill.  Hopefully the people that care about the aquatic biomes of the planet will find a way to help.

-Nicole B.

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