Ecosystem (checkpoint 1) by Mariah C

Shadeus (shadow monster)

kennediyv06_1 — 2024-01-08 16:58:10 UTC

This made up creature has eight legs like an octopus, one giant eye in the middle of its face, and is all black with light spots covering its body. This organism is very dsimilar to an octopus except it needs oxygen to survive. Luckily, it can store enough oxygen to last up to a year.

Tropic levels

kennediyv06_1 — 2024-01-08 17:07:57 UTC

Producer: kelp

Primary Consumer: crab or sea urchin

Secondary Consumer: Dog fish or shadeus (octopus)

Tertiary Consumer: sea otters, great white shark

Decomposer: Hagfish

Producer

mariahcolbert11 — 2024-01-08 17:13:29 UTC

Kelps are characterized by their three main parts: blades, stripes, and holdfast. The blades are similar to the leaves on land plants. They use photosynthesis, which is energy from the sunlight and nutrients from the water, in order to produce food and energy. This energy produced by photosynthesis is gained by the organism that eats the kelp.

Primary Consumer #1

mariahcolbert11 — 2024-01-08 17:14:01 UTC

The crab is a consumer in our food chain. A crab is a crustacean with a broad carapace, stalked eyes, and five pairs of legs, the first pair of which are modified as pincers. Crabs are abundant on many shoes, especially in the tropics, where some become adapted to life on land.

Primary Consumer #2

mariahcolbert11 — 2024-01-08 17:21:27 UTC

Our second primary consumer in our food chain is the sea urchin. They are spiny, round shaped animals called echinoderms, which also includes starfish and sea cucumbers. Sea urchins have a hard outer shell covered in sharp spines for protection. They use their tube feet to move and their mouth, located on the underside, to eat algae, seaweed, kelp, and small organisms .

Secondary Consumer #1

mariahcolbert11 — 2024-01-08 17:34:56 UTC

Our secondary consumer is the dogfish. It's a type of small shark found in oceans around the world. They have a slender body and are known for their sharp teeth. Some things they eat despite crabs and sea urchins are small fish, squid, and other invertebrates.

Decomposer

mariahcolbert11 — 2024-01-09 16:27:22 UTC

The decomposer in our food web is the hagfish. These animals are a type of jawless fish that live in the deep sea. Hagfish are known for their slimy-like eel appearance. They have a unique defense mechanism where they produce slime when threatened. Haggish feed on dead or dying marine animals, using their strong teeth to scavenge for food.

Level definitions

kennediyv06_1 — 2024-01-09 16:48:12 UTC

Producer: Organisms that synthesize their own energy without needing to eat. They form the lowest trophic level, the base of the aquatic food web.

Primary Consumer: Animal-like microscopic organisms that are herbivores meaning they only eat algae or plants.

Secondary Consumer: Larger organisms that eat the primary consumers.

Tertiary Consumer: Organisms that eat the secondary consumers and often represent the top of the food chain.

Decomposer: Organisms that help break down other dead or dying organisms.

What would happen if all of the decomposers were removed?

kennediyv06_1 — 2024-01-09 16:58:17 UTC

If all decomposers were removed there would be a break down in energy levels. Waste and dead organisms would pile up. Producers would not have enough nutrients because, nutrients would not be released back into the ecosystem.

For example, if hagfish were removed, may other fish would die and have no where to go creating excess waste and destroying the ecosystem.

Tertiary consumer

mariahcolbert11 — 2024-01-10 16:53:50 UTC

One of our tertiary consumers is the sea otter. sea otter is a playful marine mammal that lives in the ocean. They have thick fun that keeps them warm, and they enjoy eating dog fish and shadeus's. Despite the otters' cute exterior they have sharp teeth and paws to catch their prey

Tetitary consumer

mariahcolbert11 — 2024-01-12 14:11:39 UTC

Our tertiary consumer is a great white shark. Great white sharks are one of the largest predatory sharks in the world. They have a sleek, torpedo-shaped body with a grayish bluish-color on top and a white underside, which helps them blend in with the ocean when hunting. They have powerful jaws filled with rows of sharp, serrated teeth that they use to catch and eat their prey. They are known for their incredible speed and agility in the water. So although our deep sea monsters inhabit the nightmares of kids near the shore, its nothing scary to this beast.

secondary consumer and our deepsea monster shaedus (shadow monster )

mariahcolbert11 — 2024-01-12 15:44:58 UTC

Our sea monster is named shaedus. These species look similar to the octopus and are commonly mistaken as the smaller, more colorful creature. This deep-sea animal blends in perfectly with the dark, thanks to its dark black scales and small white dots covering its body that glow when it is harmed. It's one huge eye that can see up to 987 feet in front of it and can see perfectly in the dark. The 8 tentacles it has on its body are sturdy and tuff against sharp objects, they also have strong gripping abilities which makes it easy for the creature to capture its prey. The mouth of our creature is filled with three different rows of small razor-sharp teeth and a tongue that can stretch up to 2 feet. Although our creature seems small and cute at first with its species only growing up to 3 feet long, getting on the wrong side of this monster is a mistake. Sahedus species mostly live in the deep sea but frequent the surface in order to get oxygen and hunt their preferred prey. It has been known to go for small children and to attach to the side of decks and surfboards. Multiple horror stories have been heard about this creature. When people see its pitch-black scales and huge white eyes they know to run fast.

Underwater environment description for our deep sea monster

mariahcolbert11 — 2024-01-12 16:13:56 UTC

What is the temperature of shaedus's environment?

Our animal thrives in water with temps between 4 and 6 degrees Celsius or 39 degrees farenheight

What is the average temperature of the environment?

-Average salinity levels shadeus prefers range from 30 to 35 parts per thousand (ppt)

What habitat does your creature stay in?

-These creepy creatures stay in caves and crevices, and even dig out burrows in the sand to hide in and come out to hunt

What sea level does your sea monster inhabit?

shadeus can inhabit depths ranging from a few hundred to several thousand meters below the ocean's surface. But the species have been found as deep as 4,000 to 5,000 meters in the ocean.
Shadeus species are primarily found in the ocean depths where sunlight is limited. They tend to inhabit darker areas and rely more on their other senses like smell and hearing for navigation and hunting.

Our water source

mariahcolbert11 — 2024-01-12 16:15:49 UTC

Our animal lives in saltwater, it inhabits mostly the Atlantic and Pacific oceans

What seasonal changes occur in your ecosystem?

mariahcolbert11 — 2024-01-12 16:37:28 UTC

In the deep sea where most of the shadueus inhabit, seasonal changes are not as pronounced as in shallow, or surface waters. The deep sea is stable regarding temperatures, light, and other environmental factors. However, during different seasons, there might be some variations in food availability and migration patterns of prey and other deep-sea organisms. Since the majority of the food our deep sea monsters eat is in more shallow waters, seasonal changes such as temperature, water level, and currents can affect where their prey is and their diet.

Based on the amount of sunlight it receives a day, what aquatic zone to they live in?

mariahcolbert11 — 2024-01-12 16:41:48 UTC

Shadeus species primarily inhabit the bathyal and abyssal zones, which are the deeper parts of the ocean. These zones can range from a few hundred to several thousand meters below the surface.