i3haylieshi's Journal

Plenty of marine creatures have had to adapt to the ever-changing environment at the Matanzas River to Sea Preserve. One of those is the Sea Turtle. The Sea Turtle has had to make many adaptations in order to survive.

An adaptation that helps the Sea Turtle adapt to accommodate the environment is how they know the coast. As coastlines change, sea turtle have to find new places on their chosen beach to nest. Not only do sea turtles manage to come back to the same beach every time to lay their eggs but they can also tell how far back along the coast that they need to do it.

Sea turtles also had to adapt in order to secure their favorite food source. Sea turtles have a leathery lining on their throat that protects them from the sting of a jellyfish’s tentacles. Though sea turtles eat things other than jellyfish, that is their main food source so the lining is important.

Sea turtles even had to adapt in order to successfully reproduce. Because sea turtles leave their nests and return to the ocean, they have to find some way to protect their eggs. Female sea turtles will go onto land and dig a hole with their back flippers. Then they lay their eggs in the hole and fill it back up with sand. This hides the eggs from most predators and gives the eggs a better chance of surviving till it is time to hatch.

Sea turtles have found many ways to survive over the years and continue to thrive as the other marine creatures at the Matanzas River to Sea Preserve do.

A good example of parasitism is the Fish Doctor and fish. The Fish Doctor is a type of isopod crustacean. It tends to attach itself under the fins and gills of a fish. The Fish Doctor then sucks the blood of the host fish until it dies. This is beneficial for the Fish Doctor but harmful for the fish. Shrimps have a mutualistic relationship because they are near coral reefs where fish go to have dead skin and mucuous removed from their bodies. Both species benefit. 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 components that have effects on an environment, biotic and abiotic influences. Biotic factors are living organisms that affect other living organisms. Some examples include things such as animals, fish, and insects. Abiotic factors are nonliving components residing in the environment that affect both the environment and its organisms. Rocks, sand, water, and the sun are all examples of abiotic factors.

The River to Sea Preserve, located in the warm humid peninsula of Florida, is home to many biotic and abiotic factors that are studied by the people in the MatBio Project. One of those biotic factors is the Green Sea Turtle. One of the biotic Factors is the Green Sea Turtle. The Green Sea Turtle is found in nearly all ocean area near the equator. It can be found in the River to Sea Preserve when it is in the season for laying eggs. On the beach, it can run into abiotic factors, such as compactness of the sand when digging. Or, they can run into biotic factors, such as small fishes near the coast line to eat. Another species found in the River to Sea Preserve is the Dayflower. This pretty blue flower grows in a bush and will attract insects like bees, ants, and aphids. This plant can also be eaten by humans, interestingly enough.

The River to Sea Preserve is home to many different types of biotic and abiotic components. With just a quick look around the park, hundreds of different species could be identified, and hundreds of factors affecting those species could also be identified.