i3christopherpan's Journal

There are three types of adaptations that allow species to survive and thrive in an ecosystem. The three types of adaptation are adaptations to accommodate to the environment, adaptations to secure food and avoid being eaten, and adaptations to ensure successful reproduction. An example of an organism that uses all three types of adaptations is the Blue Crab. The Blue Crab adapts to accommodate to the environment by digging in the sand. When it does this, the Crab is changing the environment so that it has shelter. Without this, the Blue Crab would not be protected from the harsh weather and predators such as birds. The second way the Blue Crab uses adaptations is to secure food. To secure food, the Blue Crab stores water inside of its body so that it can travel on land for longer periods of time. Without this, the Blue Crab could not search for food on land and would most likely starve and die. The last type of adaptation is ensuring successful reproduction. The Blue Crab uses its pincers to attract females to mate with. By clicking them, other crabs know this as a sign of reproduction. Without this, the Blue crab would not reproduce.

An example of parasitism would be Sea Lice with a Sun Fish. The Sea Lice will suck the Sun Fish's blood until it dies off as the Sun Fish is the host. This is beneficial to the Sea Lice but very harmful to the Sun Fish. Shrimp and Eels have a mutualistic relationship. This is because the Shrimp cleans the Eels mouth. Both species benefit because the Shrimp gets a meal and the Eel gets its teeth cleaned. The relationship between Clown fish and sea anemones is a great example of commensalism because the Clown fish benefits from the relationship and while the anemone doesn't, it also isn't harmed. The anemone is a home for the fish.

There are two factors that have effects on an ecosystem. Abiotic and Biotic factors. Abiotic factors are non-living things that "live" in an ecosystem that affect both the ecosystem and its surroundings. Some examples of Abiotic factors are the sun, rocks, water, and sand. Biotic factors are living organisms that affect other living organisms. Some examples of Biotic factors are fish, insects, and animals.

The River to Sea Preserve is home to many abiotic and biotic species that are located in central Florida. There are two species that I have chosen to research that live in the River to Sea Preserve are the Soft-Shell Turtle and the Blood Brittle Starfish. Both species have the same abiotic and biotic factors. The abiotic factors of both species are Water, Sand, Shells, Sunlight, and rocks. The biotic factors of both species are Insects, Fish, Plants, and Algae