Kennedy Holwadel

4/7/21

Did you know that the hogchoker got its name from farmers who fed their hogs  fish and the hogs would sometimes choke? Well, these animals are very interesting and found along the salt marsh. Hogchokers have an unusual appearance and an interesting habitat.

First, hogchokers have an interesting appearance. Hogchokers have  a flat, round body with black stripes.Imagine a flounder in the sandy bottom of the river, that’s a lot like the hogchoker. This helps a lot with camouflage which is very effective. Their scientific name is Trinectes maculatus. Hogchokers  are usually  1-3 inches but can get up to 6 inches long. They live up to 6 years.

Secondly,  hogchokers have an interesting habitat.  Hogchokers  can live in brackish water but prefer inshore marine waters. These fish are found up the estuaries, bays, and  salt marshes from Massachusetts down to Florida . Hogchokers eat by sifting invertebrates like larvae,insects  out of the sand. They grow slowly and live near the bottom of the sea in the sandy bottom  like other flat fish.

In conclusion, hogchoker got its name from farmers who fed their hogs  fish and the hogs would sometimes choke. These animals are very interesting and found along the salt marsh. Hogchokers have an unusual appearance and an interesting habitat.That’s why these animals are awesome. 

Tyler Gruber

4/7/21

When you think of cool and amazing animals in the salt marsh what do you think of? Probably not a horseshoe crab. But this amazing creature does a huge part in the salt marsh. Have you ever been on a boat? If you have, wherever you go in the water there has been a slimy creature that crawls across your back. Well, that’s a horseshoe crab. Horseshoe crabs have been around for over 300 million years which makes them older than dinosaurs. Horseshoe crabs are interesting animals that have a unique body structure and crazy reproduction.

Horseshoe crabs have interesting body structures that are really cool and interesting. The female horseshoe crabs can get up to 18-19 inches (46cm) fully grown and males can grow up to 14-15 inches (36cm) fully grown. Horseshoe crabs have 7-10 pairs of legs which makes them related to spiders and scorpions. This is cool because it tricks people into thinking that horseshoe crabs are more related to another animal.

Secondly, the reproduction cycle of a horseshoe crab is very unique. Horseshoe crabs are able to make babies after they are 10 years old. This is good because there can be a different set of horseshoe crabs 1 year apart which means more reproduction. Speaking of reproduction, Horseshoe crabs make a single nest, there can be up to 4,000 eggs in that one nest, and each female will make more than one nest. In a single season, one female horseshoe crab might lay 88,000 eggs. Now lastly, baby horseshoe crabs stay in the sand for 2 to 4 weeks. 

After all of the facts that I have proved to you about how the horseshoe crab is interesting and cool do you think that you believe that the horseshoe crab is cool as well. Also when you think of cool and amazing animals in the salt marsh, now will you possibly think of the horseshoe crab? 

Dylan Bright

4/7/21

Sheepsheads have human teeth, amazing agility, beautiful bodies, all…in...one...fish. These fish are really interesting because they have teeth like the ones of a human, and that is because they eat food that humans eat, like shrimp, crabs and other fish. They have an amazing mode of agility to move around the marsh and to move around the marsh grasses. They also have a beautiful black body with yellow stripes to help blend in with the marsh grasses or spartina grass. Sheepsheads have unusual characteristics, amazing agility, and beautiful bodies. 

Sheepsheads have many unusual characteristics. The human teeth are like yours, but for different types of eating. They will take almost anything they know they can eat, and they’ll eat it raw, but not like other fish will, these amazing sheepshead chew their food like us, it's almost like they are sitting down and eating dinner. They bite the prey the same way we do, with their four front teeth and then chew them and swallow them with their back molars while other fish have no teeth and eat things like worms and shrimp but they swallow them whole. These fish prey on shrimp, crabs, and other small things and eat them raw just like all animals.(Diane Rome Peebles, 2020)

They have incredible agility and can move around the marsh grass like a jet. They use this ability to move around the marsh to catch prey that can be really fast like shrimp or Minos or mullets, sometimes If you look hard enough you’ll see them jump out of the water about 3 inches and dive back in, that is because they are trying to catch a crab that might be hiding in the mud, they jump up and then dive down head first into the mud to catch the little crabs.(Becky Crew, 2019)

The fish's body is incredible in color and outstanding in camouflage. They have this large black body with an average of 7 yellowish stripes going down the black body. This is really useful for a mode of camouflage and hiding from things that might eat them like sharks or bigger fish. Now imagine you are out on the boat fishing for anything you can get your hands on. Now out of nowhere you see this small but rather hideous creature jump out of the water and back in, you cast your line out where it was, you get a bite almost immediately and start reeling, you pull the fish in to see a beautiful bodied creature with a not so beautiful face latched on to your hook and you’ll know that you have encountered a sheepshead. (SC DNR, 2016)

To conclude, sheepshead are incredible animals with amazing qualities such as human teeth, amazing agility, and a beautiful black body with yellow stripes.

Works Cited

Becky Crew, scientific American, website. 1/4/21

Diane Rome Peebles, Florida fish and wildlife conservation,website. 1/4/21

Parker, Catherine & Sanger , Denice. “Guide to the Salt Marsh Tidal Creeks of the southeastern  United States” DNR,1/4/21, Book.

These sharks have an interesting habitat. Sharpnose sharks live on the coast of the Atlantic Gulf of Mexico and Brazil. This shark is known as a “nearshore shark.” it's usually found in water thirty five feet deep, but it will go deeper if needed.  They live in coastal waters and near surf zones at the beach edge.  Be careful when swimming or surfing at a beach!

The body of these animals is designed for movement. The average size of the full grown shark is three and a half feet. A pup is eleven to twelve inches.The shark has a  pencil like body, also called a streamlined body. It looks like this because it has a pointed nose. The dorsal fin starts slightly in front of the second dorsal fin. When The sharp nose shark is young, they have black edges on their caudal and dorsal fins. These sharks have twenty four or twenty five rows of teeth on the top and bottom jaws. Pretty disturbing right? 

The life cycle of an Atlantic sharp nose shark makes it different from other animals. A shark can have four to seven pups. Some large fish and sharks eat the sharp nose shark. The average Sharpnose shark lives up to 18 years! In their long life, they have many opportunities to eat and explore the ocean.  They eat worms, crabs, fish, shrimp, menhaden, eels, silverfish, jacks, toadfish, filefish, and more!

In conclusion, atlantic sharpnose sharks are fascinating  because of their interesting habitat, unusual body structure, and life cycle.   This shark has no bones, which means that it is a cartilaginous fish. This means if you were to eat one, you will not get bones stuck in your throat. Next time you are out of the water, look for this shark. You should be able to recognize it from my second body paragraph. Good luck!

Claire Hovest

4/7/21

Imagine you are just cruising through the brackish water on your boat and you see a pale pink bird that looks like a flamingo, but you are wondering why is there a flamingo in the brackish water? Well it turns out it’s a Roseate Spoonbill diving for small fish. There are a bunch of unique facts about the Roseate spoonbill. For example they have a unique body structure, they have a cool way that they make their nest, and they also have a unique diet.

The first unique characteristic about the Roseate spoonbill is their body structure. The Roseate Spoonbill are pale pink birds with a football shaped body. They also have black tall-long legs. The Roseate Spoonbill has a spoon shaped bill that’s probably how they got their name spoonbill.

The second unique characteristic I found about the Roseate Spoonbill is how they make their nest. Roseate Spoonbills nest in colonies with herons, egrets, and ibises. They typically nest over standing water or on islands. Roseate Spoonbill usually nest in the shadiest part of a shrub or tree, up to about 16 feet high. The males usually collet sticks so the females can make a big platform bordered with plant material like strips of bark or moss. When the nest is done it is probably about 22 inches wide and 4.5 inches deep. 

The last but not least thing I found that was unique to the Roseate Spoonbill was their diet. Now what they eat isn’t really that interesting to me it’s how they find and get the food. They sweep their partly opened spoon-shaped bill through the water to look for shrimp, fish, and aquatic insects. Once they feel their prey they will snap their bill really fast and will often swallow their prey whole. One cool interesting fact I found is that they get their pink feathers from the food they eat like the crustaceans and other aquatic insects.

In conclusion these are the things I think makes a Roseate Spoonbill unique. Their unique body structure, the cool way they build their nest, and their unique diet. Now it’s your turn to go out on an adventure to any of these places, freshwater, saltwater wetlands, mangroves, forested swamps, rivers, bays, estuaries, mudflats, and lagoons to find the amazing Roseate Spoonbill.

Works Cited 

Parker, Catharine & Sanger, Denise. “Guide to the salt marshes and Tidal Creeks of the Southeastern United States.” DNR. 2016. Book. 

Axelson, Gustave, et al. “Roseate Spoonbill Identification.” August 12, 2010. Website.

Axelson, Gustave, et al. “Roseate Spoonbill Life History.” August 12, 2010. Website.

Luke Strebe

4/7/21

Picture walking through the salt marsh one day and you saw a little furry creature, you might think it’s a small otter at first glance. But this is a creature called the mink. Did you know that the mink can run up to thirteen kilometers per hour? It is also a nocturnal animal even though you would think it’s not and they live from three to four years in the wild. But when they are raised in captivity, they live from eight to ten years. The mink is specialized to live in extreme weather conditions and it has unusual characteristics. 

    The mink has been able to adapt to live over a large geographical area. The mink is mostly found in North America. The mink is a semi-aquatic animal meaning that they partly live in the water. The mink’s body is waterproof thanks to the guard hairs that cover their fur. The feet on the mink are partially webbed but not all the way, though the mink is a very skilled swimmer. Imagine walking through the marsh one day and you see something zipping through the water. The ripples in the water come and go as something with a long and slender body is gliding through the water. The creature stops behind a clump of seaweed. Then it shoots back into view. As it is zooming past you, you try to get a closer look. Then the little furry mink hops up on shore, as you wonder how it was going so fast. The mink definitely needs their webbed feet as they’re living in an aquatic environment. 

         The mink has interesting characteristics The mink is a small, furry creature that is usually between 30 and 50 centimeters in length. Though they have short legs, their tails are very long. The tips of their tails are actually darker than the rest of their body. They like to make their homes close to the water so salt marshes are the perfect place. They usually like to live by themselves. They’re solitary, until they eventually mate. Female minks are actually smaller than male minks with the males being 0.9 and 1.6 kilograms and females being between 0.9 and 1.1 kilograms. These creatures have really soft, brown or black, oily fur that covers their body and are pretty small little animals. Their face is mostly flat with the exception of their pointy nose.

          In conclusion, the mink is really cool and interesting because of its specialized characteristics that help it to survive in the salt marsh habitat like the partially webbed feet that it uses to help it swim because of the fact that it is semi-aquatic. It also has certain characteristics that help it survive in a little more extreme weather conditions. The mink isn’t just amazingly adorable but also a very unique creature. Now you know that it is a lot more than a tiny otter-looking thing.

          

        

Riley Kennedy

4/6/21

If you ever head down to a tidal creek or the salt marsh  for an adventure or just a little time away you may see a gorgeous sight of the weasel family! If you look in any direction you might catch a wonderful view of the playful North American river otter sliding in the mud! Sounds fun right? Or you may see the fearless mink swimming through the water like a torpedo. But these animals may be a part of the weasel family, but are they the same or are they different? The North  American  river  otter and the Mink  are both adapted to survive in the salt marsh and the tidal creek and many more places. With their special characteristics and their very skilled hunting and swimming skills.

The North American river otter , an amazing playful  creature lives in a variety of places or habitats. Lakes, freshwater wetlands, salt marshes, tidal creeks are all places where you can find this animal. Just like the variety of places the North American river otter lives, they also have a diverse diet. These animals eat foods such as fish, crayfish, crabs, frogs, birds eggs, birds and reptiles such as turtles. These animals have also been known  to eat plants close to water and hunt and feed on small mammals for example muskrats or rabbits. You might be thinking  wow that’s a lot of food well these animals have a high metabolism, meaning they need to eat frequently. To communicate with others people usually will talk, text, or call, but the North American river otter has a more interesting way to communicate with others. For example they communicate with whistles, yelps, growls, and screams, they also communicate with touch and body posture. But in my opinion the coolest way they communicate is they leave a scent mark using scent glands near the underside of their tails that produce a strong, musky odor. Now if you think that’s cool, get this: the North American river otters strengthen social bonds and let young otters practice hunting techniques by snow and mud sliding, tail chasing, water play, and snow burrowing activities. 

If you go down to tidal creeks, swamps, rivers, ponds, or the salt marsh you might hear fast swooshes through the water and/or see something zooming through the water well if you're lucky you may lay eyes on the mink. The mink has short legs and long tail; brown fur with white markings under the chin; tip of tail is darker than the rest of the body. This animal is about 19- 28in (48-71cm.)But don’t be fooled by their size these fearless animals can hunt. The mink has slightly webbed feet, and are excellent swimmers and can  over take and kill muskrats and many types of fish. But the mink is not just good in the water they can hunt in the woods, catching cottontails, chipmunks, voles, salamanders and birds. They even hunt in trees. The minks are very quiet when it comes to communication but  they communicate by using odors, visual signals, and sounds. They rely on communication heavily because odors send off territorial boundaries and for finding mates.  Did you know that t  minks are rough when they are mating?

Now that you know lots about the North American river otter and the mink, what are their similarities, what are their differences? Which one is better? Well let’s find out… the North American river otter as we learned before is very playful. They go snow sliding  and mud sliding, sounds fun right, and that is a learning experience for young ones, and for them to practice their skills. That sounds AWESOME. While the mink are very independent they don’t teach and practice skills with young. They go solo! As we know they are very good hunters and their size does not matter. The mink can catch things as big as a  bird and the North American river otters can also catch things as big as a bird. As we know the North American river otter is a very loud communicator but the mink is a quiet communicator,  but they both have an interesting way of communicating. They leave an odor. There are some similarities between the two and there are some differences between the two. 

In conclusion, the mink and The North American river otter are both adapted to survive in the salt marsh and the tidal creek and many more places. With their special characteristics and their very skilled hunting and swimming skills. So now it’s your turn to go out into the salt marsh and check out these amazing animals now that you're an expert. Have fun!

                                                         Works Cited

Parker, Catharine and Sanger, Denise.“Guide to the salt Marshes and Tidal Creeks of the Southeastern United States.” DNR, 2016. Book.

Parker, Catharine and Sanger, Denise.“Guide to the salt Marshes and Tidal Creeks of the Southeastern United States.” DNR, 2016. Book.

O'Mara, Collin. “The National Wildlife Federation. Retrieved March 29, 2021. Website.

Jessob Paris

4/6/21

There you are having a nice day at the beach, you are feeling the soft sand between your toes, you slide your feet on the sand and out of nowhere the sand colored, camouflaged stingray Boltz out of the sand and zooms away. Stingrays play important roles in marine ecosystems around the world by balancing the food chain with the higher level predators, and allowing other animals to find their prey of choice by moving and mixing up sand. This is very important to the environment and food chain. Atlantic stingrays have a unique body structure, interesting reproductive habits, and a wide habitat.

The way that the Atlantic stingray is built is very unique. Todd Ballantine states, “Atlantic Stingrays have skeletons of cartilage,”  like the soft stuff on the end of your nose. This is also one of the reasons that stingrays are diligent and fast. They also grow to be 5ft long, and 5lbs, but they are known to weigh up to 600lbs! Spiracles on the top of the stingrays are often mistaken for another set of eyes but actually used to take in water. Mature male stingrays can have sharp teeth that curve inwards, this feature helps them to eat their prey. I think the most common feature of the Atlantic stingray is their sharp sieraddid tail or stinger that can cause severe injury and pain. This is one of the stingrays most common and best defensive quality.

Stingrays reproduce sexually with a mating partner. This is how the stingrays species grow so fast. In a mating season , male stingrays might rely on their ampullae of Lorenzini to sense certain electrical signals given off by mature females before matting. When a male is approaching a female, he follows her closely, biting at her pectoral disc.They can have 4-6 stingrays born at one time.

Atlantic stingrays are found from the range of New York  to the Gulf of Mexico. This means that they can spread their species far distances. They mainly live in small estuaries and tidal creeks. But they have been known to travel long distances. Their environment is usually close to the shore, and would not thrive as well anywhere else.

In conclusion, Atlantic stingrays help to balance out the food chain. These creatures with unique abilities that help the stingrays survive and are very important to the ecosystem and food chain. 

 Works Cited

Pete’s aquariums.com

Published: 2019

Author: Peter Alvaro 

Tideline Treasure 

Published:2013

Author: Todd Ballantine

guide to the salt marshes and tidal creeks of the southeastern United States.

Date Published: 2016

Author:Denise Sanger, and cathrine  parker

 

First, bottlenose dolphins are incredibly smart.  Look closely you might see splashing waves as you get closer you see a fin poking out of the water you might assume it is a shark! No it’s a herd of dolphins! As you approach them you see them throw their bodies up into the air to dive back in and catch their  prey. Bottlenose Dolphin habitat is in the deep estuaries which is smart because they can sneak up on prey. Their method of finding food uses a lot of cooperation, for example dolphins take turns charging through the school to feed. They also do this practice called strand feeding. It is when a group of dolphins herd a school of fish or shrimp onto a sandbar or beach. Then the dolphin will launch themselves on shore to feed. Which is very heavy because dolphins can weigh up to 500 pounds. They also do this technique called  pinwheeling. First their tail flukes and forcing them to bunch in a tighter and tighter group until the dolphins turn to grab a quick meal on the go. Bottlenose Dolphins have a great way of communicating with their young. 

Dolphins communicate in interesting ways. Every dolphin has their own way of communicating with each other. When a baby dolphin/calf is born their mother whistles to her calf  several times for days after giving birth. This imprinting helps the calf learn to identify its mother. Soon after that the young calf will develop its own signature whistle to communicate with the other dolphins. Bottlenose Dolphins use their signature whistle to do that. For example they use it to communicate, identity, location, and to show how they feel emotionally. They also use their whistles to cooperate with one another, which is very important. 

In Conclusion the Bottlenose Dolphins are special in their own ways. They have several different ways of communicating, and cooperating with one another to survive and hunt around their habitat. This is important because if they did not have good communication and cooperation it would be crazy in the ocean, just think about how it would look if five different Dolphins were going for the same prey and then they end up fighting over it. Their signature whistle is also a good resource in the ocean because it identifies the dolphin. So next time you go on a walk by the ocean or by brackish waters and see a Bottlenose Dolphin you know a little bit about them. 

Madi Kave

4/7/21

Have you ever thought of what it would be like to live in the salt marsh water? Well, here you go. The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark has a streamlined body, and they grow about 6ft. These species of sharks got their name from their pointy nose. The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark adapts to life in the salt marsh by hunting there for food, having a specialized body and an interesting appearance.

   The Atlantic sharpnose shark has a very interesting choice of place. Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks’s live in the surf zone of sandy beaches and into estuaries. They also love being in the salt marsh. They find lots of food there like, small fish, worms, shrimp, crabs and mollusks. You can usually find them near sandy beaches and swimming around through the salt marshes looking for small fish and crabs. Imagine, you are finishing in the salt marsh. The waves slowly hit  your ankles then run   back out. You find yourself slowly dozing off to the calming sounds of the sloshing waves. Then, you see your line getting tugged, you quickly real it in and there it is, the shining, slicked, grey Atlantic sharpnose shark.

  Atlantic Sharpnose sharks have a streamlined body and a nose that goes to a point. They also have a gray dorsally and white ventrally nose. The cool thing is that females grow bigger than the males. Female Alantic  sharpnose sharks can grow up to between 6-8.5 feet. Males only grow up to 6ft. Atlantic sharpnose shark juveniles have black edges on their dorsal and their caudal fins. Imagine, you are driving around on your boat through the misty waves. Suddenly you see a sharp fin come breaking through the water. Could it be the Atlantic sharpnose shark? It’s like it’s breaking the waves out of its path.

  If you want to know more about how Atlantic Sharpnose Shark adapts to life in the salt marsh by hunting there for food, having a specialized body and an interesting appearance, just come and talk to me. Hope you liked learning about the Atlantic sharpnose Shark and their pointy nose.

Works Cited

Parker, Catharine & Sanger, Denise. “Guide to the Salt Marshes and Tidal Creeks of the Southeastern United States.” DNR. Book. 2016.

Site editor. Marine Bio, Atlantic sharpnose Shark.

2021.“https://marinebio.org/species/atlantic-sharpnose-sharks/rhizoprionodon-terraenovae/.” Website. 1 April

Site editor. Atlantic sharpnose Shark.

“https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/saltwater/sharks/atlantic-sharpnose-shark/.” Website.April 3 2021. 

Anila Caruso

4/7/21

Grass Shrimp are the most neat thing in the salt marsh. They help the salt marsh by being detritivores which means they eat dead organic matter, like dead spartina grass that gets washed away.  Grass shrimp can be found everywhere in the marsh; they reproduce in interesting ways, have an interesting diet and adapt to living in their habitat.

A grass shrimps reproduction. The female shrimp carries the eggs in her offspring pouch, and you can see it through their nearly transparent body. After 12-20 days the baby grass shrimp hatches its egg it goes through like a larvae stage. The baby shrimp goes through many maturing phases over a course of 1-2 months of its life. Grass shrimp usually live up to 1 year.

The grass shrimps interesting diet. Since it’s an omnivore it will eat almost anything! What it eats is dead spartina, tiny crabs, worms, phytoplankton, algae, other small invertebrates, and its own exoskeleton. Grass shrimp can also be cannibalistic.what they also eat is small polychaetes, oligochaetes, and nematodes (which are marine worms) in the wild.

Grass shrimps habitat. Grass shrimp are usually found in the salt marsh, seaweed, and eelgrass beds along the coast. Using their fully developed  sense organs, they can easily move and swim in the water because that’s where they have to stay or they will die. But people keep finding them crawling on the bottom of the salt marsh all the time.

In conclusion, grass shrimp can be found everywhere in the marsh; they have an interesting reproduction system, a cool diet, and have adapted to living in their habitats. So if you ever have a field trip or a new job that involves the salt marsh look out for the amazing grass shrimp.

Jacob Horton

4/7/21

 Do you think that fiddler crabs and hermit crabs are really different, because they’re actually more similar than you think? There are two similar crabs, the Mud fiddler crab and the Thinstripe hermit crab. They both live in or near the marsh, they both mainly eat the same things, and they're both very intelligent.  Mud fiddler crabs and Thinstripe hermit crabs are very similar, but they are also very different. 

Mud fiddler crabs live in marshes or near them from the Gulf of Mexico to South America. If you ever go to a marsh, you may see some small crabs, most with a big claw on the left of them. They run quickly into their home inside the marsh. They are about 1 and a half inches in size, and can quickly run away from predators. They are very intelligent, and males have a big claw that they use to fight other organisms, or attract female fiddler crabs. They prefer to live in muddy areas and they also eat the mud (pluff mud) for nutrients inside it. Another thing that they eat is zooplankton. One weird fact about these crabs is that they have no teeth.

Thinstripe hermit crabs live in marshes or near them, and are found in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean. If you’ve ever gone to the Gulf of Mexico, you’d probably have seen one of these small critters crawling in the sand. They are about 1 inch and a fourth inches in size, but aren’t that quick (because of their shell. They are very intelligent, and live in a shell for their whole life. Later on, they move into a bigger shell. They are one of the only species that lives in a seashell. They prefer to live in muddy or sandy areas, and if they live in a muddy area, they eat the mud for nutrients, like how fiddler crabs do too. These crabs also don’t have any teeth, and weigh about as much as their shell that’s on their back.

Now, you know about how the Mud fiddler crab and the Thinstripe hermit crab are similar and different, like how they both have no teeth, they both like to live in muddy areas, and they both eat pluff mud for nutrients, and how they’re different, like how one has a shell, and the other doesn’t. Mud fiddler crab and Thinstripe hermit crab are very similar, but they are also very different. Go see it for yourself sometime if you want to learn more about their similarities and differences.

Works Cited

Parker, Catherine & Sanger, Denise. “Guide to the Salt Marshes and Tidal Creeks of the Southeastern United States” DNR, 2016 Book.

Boyles, Robert. “South Carolina Department of Resources” SCDNR, Website 2003-2019.    Link Here

Heard, Richard. “Fiddler Crabs of the Northern Gulf Coast” Website 2021.

 Salt Marsh Essay Final Draft 

 Samuel Castillo 

 4/8/21

 Have you ever wanted to know how the life of a salt marsh grasshopper is like? 

They are a main source of food for other animals. They are some like the garden grasshopper. 

Now I will tell you about salt marsh grasshoppers appearances, unusual diet, and adaptation.

 You’re walking through the grass then you see a little green insect. You think it’s a prey mantis but you it isn’t it’s a salt marsh grasshopper.

The salt marsh grasshopper has a funny appearance. Salt marsh grasshoppers have a long antenna. They have a long antenna because it helps them with touch, smell, and sometimes hearing. Their eyes have a dark line going through it. Their hind legs have bluish tibias. They can be either green or brownish. 

Salt marsh grasshoppers are herbivores. Small insects like the salt marsh grasshopper eat grass. To be more specific they enjoy eating spartina grass. Also that insects play an important part of the food chain because they are food for other larger animals.

One way they have adapted is camouflage. Salt marsh grasshoppers are green so they can camouflage with spartina grass. They can also be brown so instead of using spartina grass they use mud. Also if they stay too long on the mud they can get buried in the mud. 

In conclusion, now you know more about salt marsh grasshoppers. They are pretty cool right and sometimes it’s bad.

Worked cited

Rathert, Jim. Missouri department of conservation .website 

Parker, Catherine & Sanger, Denise. “Guide to the Salt Marshes and Tidal Creeks of the Southeastern United States. “DNR” 2016. Book

Site Editors. Ecori.org. September 13 2018

Dominique Greenwood 4/7/2021

 Wait what?! Can you believe the Northern river otter and the mink are not the exact same animal? They’re both creatures that thrive in the marsh, and they may have a similar unusual appearance, same appetite, and live in the same area, but they are definitely not the same animal. But how aren’t they? That's a question you can’t “Pop out of!” Get it? Because they’re both in the weasel family? Probably not. The Otter and Mink may be almost exactly the same animal, but they have some key differences that make it so you can tell them both apart.

Otters and minks have many differences in their appearances. Both have what looks like light brown fur, but minks actually have a blackish brown colored fur while the river otters just have a normal dark brown. Their tails are usually different as well. Otters have a long, think based tail. But minks have a fairly long, kind of short tail that is also bushy. Picture yourself taking a stroll in a Tidal creek during the day and you see a large area of vegetation flattened out. That’s a sign of a Northern river otter that has been rolling around there. It’s a chance that it could still be there.  

That’s not all though, you can tell the difference between the minks and otter by their diet. Both animals eat fish and frogs. But the mink diet also consists of some birds, small rodents and frogs. River otters have an appetite for turtles and muskrats as well. But wait, have you ever thought about who eats them? Every animal has to always have a prey and predator, it’s part of the food chain. And in this case, the predators of the river otter include the bobcat, alligator, coyote, raptor and other big predators. As for the mink it’s natural predators include the coyotes, bobcats and other carnivores.

Northern river otters and minks thrive in different areas as well. They are both marsh animals and both also can be found in tidal creeks. But some others inhabit lakes and freshwater wetlands, as well. Time is also a key factor in finding the difference between an otter and a mink. River otters are usually active during the day and during the night all year round. Minks on the other hand, are more active in the late afternoon to early morning. Can you imagine going on a ride on a boat and seeing a little head pop out of the water, and it’s a mink? That’d be a really cool experience. It’s mostly common to see one in the water because these animals like to swim high in it. 

So what have we learned by all counts, there is no skepticism that the northern river otter and mink are no doubt very interesting creatures  

Works Cited:

Parker, Catherine & Sanger, Denise. “Guide to the Salt Marsh and Tidal Creeks of the Southeastern United States.” DNR. 2016. Book. 

Site Editors. “What is a Mink?” Fur Commission USA. https://furcommission.com/mink-biology/. Website. 1994 

Site Editors. “ North American River Otter” The National Wildlife Federation https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/North-American-River-Otter. Website. 1936

DiamondBack Terrapins are beautiful animals with fascinating patterns on their body. These animals live in our salt marshes. Did you know that Diamondback Terrapins mate underwater isn’t it cool right. Another thing is DiamondBack terrapins lay a dozen eggs.  THESIS: Diamondback terrapin diet and special adaptations that help them survive in the marsh. 

The DiamondBack Terrapin has an interesting diet. A diet is something that animal Diamondback is a spotted  shell animal that only eats crabs, snails, and cracked up periwinkle. They eat a lot of them and that can help population control. Imagine seeing a rock coming up from the water. But not what you see. After you see the diamond like pattern now you know what it’s a DiamondBack Terrapin. But you wonder what it’s doing. It takes a second but you find out it’s eating.

The DiamondBack Terrapin has some cool special adaptations . Adaptations are something that makes an animal stand out or  Blend in like spots on a DiamondBack Terrapin. The reason it has spots is because it’s a praetor and it’s telling you to stay back. Another adaptation is a huge stomach so they can store food. The last adaptation is that they lay up to a dozen eggs so if some of them do hatch.

Isn’t it fascinating how DiamondBack Terrapins Reproduces ? Reproduction something an animal does to not go extinct and here’s how it goes. So first they mate underwater. Then after that they scoop out a hole at a sandy area or bushy area. Then they lay 5-12 pinkish eggs. Finally in about 2 month they will hatch.finally they grow up and do it angin.

And this is where we talk about  all the things we have talked about. In conclusion it wraps up everything. So we talked about Their diet and their adaptation. Another thing we talked about is reproduction in order.

Works Cited

Parker,Catherine &  Sanger, Denise. “Guide to the Salt Marshes and Tidal Creeks of the 

Southeastern United States.” DNR. 2016. Book

Ballantine Todd. “Tideland Treasure.” DNR.  Book. 1983, 

Butler, .A  Carol & Weis .S Judith. “Salt Marshes”. DNR, Book. 1962

Maxwell Gibbons

4/7/21

You’ve seen them, you’ve heard them! You just might not know it! Ospreys are large birds that live in the salt Marsh. They are predators  that means they are hunters. They put their nests in dead trees. You see a bird silhouette in the sky and think it’s just any old seagull. But wait! Seagulls aren’t black and white and seagulls don’t dive! That’s no seagull, it's an osprey! Ospreys are fascinating animals because they have multiple adaptations that make it easier to live in the salt marsh,They are incredible hunters, have super cool adaptations and are apex predators.

Ospreys are incredible hunters. For example they score a hit 1 out of 3 attempts when diving into the water to get food. Ospreys also have barbed talons for extra grip on prey. The osprey has a strictly sea food diet which consists of fish only. This makes hunting a bit easier for the osprey because there are so many fish in salt marshes. 

The osprey has many adaptations to help it survive in the salt marsh. For example it has crooked wings so when it dives down into the water it can get rid of water on its wings. Since the osprey takes deep dives into the water to catch prey, it has adapted to close its nostrils in order to keep saltwater out of its system. It has evolved to carry its prey head first for a decrease in wind resistance.

Pandion haliaetus is an apex predator. This means that it is an animal at the top of the food chain and nothing preys on them. The osprey’s nemesis is the bald eagle(another apex predator). Although the eagle is a predatory bird, the osprey is a better hunter. So in result the eagle offen tries to steal the osprey’s catch and take it for themselves. 

In conclusion, ospreys are top avian predators in the salt marsh and have a fish only diet. They are highly adapted to life in the salt marsh. They close their nostrils when catching fish and have barbed talons. Although the bald eagle is a symbol of America, the osprey is a more capable predatory bird. If you look closely you could see this breathtaking bird everyday around our local salt marshes.

Thanks to:

University of Toronto  

And 17 year kayak guide 

Works Cited

Parker, Katherine & ,Sanger Denice. Guide to Salt Marshes and Total Creeks of the Southeastern United States, DNR. 2016. Book.

site editors TheCornellLab.com.2019. Website 

Ballantine, Todd. Tideland treasure.Book. 2013.

First, these daisies have many adaptations that help them live in the marsh. Like how there yellow flowers start to bloom in September -October. They also have gray- green leaves on them. They can reach up to four feet high.  They also can grow in very salty water and live. 

Second, sea oxeye daisies how their habitat is and how they live. They live in very very salty water. They live in sunny areas where they have to live. They live in sandy soils on low dunes. They are also being spread north which is weird because they live in the south.  

     Works Cited

Parker, Catherine& Sanger,Denise. “Guide to the Salt Marshes and Tidal Creeks of the Southeastern United States. ” DNR. 2016. Book. 

Salt marsh wrens are 10-14 cm in length. They are slightly smaller than the house wren and smaller than the song sparrow. The global breeding population is about 9.4 million. (Allabotbirds.com). They can be easily found in the southeastern salt marshes. And males build several nests in their territory.

They also have a unusual behavior. Salt marsh wrens would bounce around with their tails in the cattails and rushes. (All about birds.com). They would also climb onto stalks with their feet wrapped around each stalk. Males would usually climb onto the top of tall cattails and sing. They would also flap their wings very rapidly and take a short flight around the marsh.

The salt marsh wrens color is a crucial characteristic of them. It’s important because it helps them blend in with the dead grass to hide from predators. It is also important because it could help them hunt for food without being noticed. This is crucial so they can keep their species alive. There are also many different types of salt marsh wrens that have darker or lighter colors to blend in with their environment(according to all about birds.com).

In conclusion, salt marsh wrens are one of the animals that are lurking in the salt marsh. They are small so they can’t be seen by bigger birds that will eat it. They have unique behaviors that make them different from other salt marsh birds. Their color helps them hide from predators and hunt prey. In conclusion, salt marsh wrens have all of these characteristics for different types of reasons

   Saylor- Rae Waldorf

    4/7/21 

Have you ever eaten a Sheepshead?  They are delicious. It’s not an actual head of a sheep, you should never eat that. The Sheepshead is a very interesting and unusual fish,  they have a hard mouth with several rows of teeth, the front ones resemble human teeth, the sharp strong stubby teeth help crush the shells of barnacles and oysters and other hard shelled sea creatures.  Even though they are called Sheep’s Head, they do not resemble sheep and they are not part of the sheep family.  They get their name from their original home which was Sheepshead Bay New York, they almost became extinct there, but they are making a comeback lately.  Their small mouth and sharp teeth require a small hook to fish for them, they are very difficult to catch, 

But delicious to eat.  

The Sheepshead is an interesting looking fish, it looks something like an angel fish but has scrunchie little hard teeth that look like human teeth.  They have stripes like a zebra going down their back, they don’t have very wide bodies, they are more slender then wide, this is why their habitat is almost perfect for them. 

  Their habitat consists of mangroves and pilings, and docks.  Their flattish bodies allow them to move in and out of pilings and tight spaces. They like to have shelters by structures, so they can find food quickly. There are a lot of similar fish like the sheepshead, for instance the black drum, spadefish, and even the Queen Trigger resembles the Sheep’s Head.  Just imagine, you’re at a marina and you see something eating barnacles off a pole. For a second you think it’s a zebra, but in reality you know it couldn’t be a zebra because they don’t live in South Carolina and definitely don’t swim under the water and eat barnacles. Then you realize it has a striped body, and scrunched up teeth it’s a sheepshead!

In conclusion, this essay has stated 2 key ideas. It stated their habitat, and what their bodies look like.

Asher Howard

4/7/21

The black needlerush is a common plant found on the coast of some 

areas but what makes the black needlerush, “the” black needlerush?

Black needlerush come from places like South Carolina, upland of the border, Florida and North Carolina. It grows up to 5 to 6 feet, and has brown, green and grayish color in it. The plant has a unique root system that helps the marsh live and survive, it can also handle little to no oxygen that how adapted it is. Black needlerush has interesting characteristics and adaptations.

Black needlerush has great characteristics. The black needlerush is pretty tall and easy to spot. Look out over any marsh and you will see the long thin, Tall plant with bunches and bunches of their own together, just blowing in the wind. To measure how tall it is, it’s roughly 5 - 6 feet tall, and has a stiff and firm body which has the color scheme of black, gray and green tint to them. They also have sharp tips which either can be used to help the marsh or it could be a defense mechanism.

The adaptations of the black needle rush are interesting. The dense stands of the plant actually have a root system, the root system helps the marsh by giving it good shoreline protection. It can filter out solids or big pieces of trash which can help animals out as well. It has a good range of salt in it which means it can survive more without getting wiped out in any type of climate or environment, that’s also why you can find them on deserted islands.

In conclusion, the Black Needlerush has many uses, for example water animals such as nutria, muskrats, rice rats and other waterfowl uses the black needlerush for shelter. So if you’re going fishing or inspecting the forest make sure not to step in the black needlerush plants too much because you could be stepping on an animal's home.

Works Cited:

Parker, Cathrine and Sanger, Denise” guide to the salt marshes and tidal creeks of the southeastern United States book

William skaravek

United States Department Of Agriculture Natural resources conservation service website

Date published: 2007

Tybee island marine science center … a authentic costal experience. Website

Date published: 2021

Salt Marsh Essay Finale Draft

Clover Atha

4/7/21

Have you ever wondered what a River otter is or where it lives ? Well, North American River otters are playful little creatures that live in our local salt marshes! They have webbed feet like a duck to help them swim. The North American river otter is amazing because they have to have special adaptations, a unique lifecycle, and an interesting diet.

First, North American river otters have  special adaptations that help them live in the marsh.In the winter, River otters grow and under coat to keep them warm in cold conditions. They later shed it in the spring. They have flexible bodies  so they can make sharp turns in order to catch fish. If a river otter is fleeing from prey, it has easy access tunnels to its burrow under water. Another adaptation is their scent glands. They use it to mark territory, find mates, or even communicate with other otters.

Next, North American River otters have a bit different life cycle than sea otters. When a female river otter gives birth, the pups are very vulnerable. They are blind at birth and helpless. A sea otter usually lives with its parents for the first year or so or until the mom has more pups. Then, when the pups grow up, after another year on their own and after it finds a mate, it can have a family of its own.

Finally, the River otter diet is very interesting. Not so much the diet but what comes after they eat. A river otter eats fish,shellfish,crayfish,fish, frogs, bird eggs, birds and small reptiles like turtles . The river otter hunts in the morning. They eat a lot of food and even put some in their burrow for later. Then for the rest of the day, They Play! Image you are out on a boat In The marsh. As you cast out your fishing rod you see something moving on the bank. You real in your your line so you don't hurt it. Turns out, It s a river otter pup! All it wants to do is play! You throw out some of your catch to the little guy and sail off.

In conclusion,this essay has stated 3 key ideas about the the North American River otter . They are special adaptations, a unique life cycle , and an interesting diet. There for , The North Americans river otters are important to our salt marshes and people love seeing them.

Jamario Walker

4/7/21

Sea lettuce is known as Ulva lactuca and is a light green sea veggie, it looks like the lettuce that we eat in salads and this type is edible too. Some things that are interesting about sea lettuce is they are a sea vegetable, they can be used for food and they are in the 600 species of seaweed. Sea lettuce is unique and it is adapted to survive in the salt marsh because it has special characteristics, a varied diet, and a special appearance.

Sea lettuce has special characteristics. Sea lettuce is a bright green algae that is made of wrinkly leaves. The leaves can be flat, thin and often either round, or oval-shaped. Its size can go up to 3 feet wide and grow in large masses. Sea lettuce has reproduced in interesting ways. First, adults make multiple spores by splitting cells that settle and grow forming male and female plants. Sea lettuce lives for 3 months.  Sea lettuce uses sunlight. When sea lettuce dies it sinks to the bottom of the marsh where it is eaten by bacteria. Think about all of these characteristics, when you go to a salt marsh and when you see some sea lettuce, you will know all of these things, and you will be amazed about this plant, just like I am, if you like lettuce.

Sea lettuce has an interesting diet. Sea lettuce’s diet comes from the sun’s light and water. Picture yourself in a salt marsh, you might see some sea lettuce dancing with the movement of the water and you will wonder why it’s eaten by polychaete worms, amphipods, crabs, snails, sea urchins, and humans. It has lots of protein and vitamins like A, B, and C. 

Sea lettuce has a special appearance. Sea lettuce is a type of light green seaweed that is found on rocks or on rock pools when it’s separated. Imagine yourself going to a salt marsh and see a rock pool, take a look and you may find some sea lettuce and see how it grows. Separated leaves never stop growing and it can also create large floating colonies. Ruffled leaves are unique leaves being green and translucent, having 2 cells thick. 

Sea lettuce has many special characteristics, has green leaves that can be flat, thin, even round or oval-shaped. It can grow up to 3 feet wide and grows on rocks. It has an interesting diet, needs sunlight and water to become green, healthy and beautiful + have Vitamins A, B, and C. They have a special appearance. They are seaweed and have 2 cells thick. People tend to eat it for salads and soups. I would like to try it since I love green vegetables.

Works Cited

Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Britannica.com” 2021, Website, April 1, 2021.

Nash, Pat. “Sound Water Stewards.org” 2006, Website, April 1, 2021.

Parker, Catharine and Sanger, Denise. “Guide to the Salt Marshes and Tidal Creeks of the Southeastern United States.” DNR, 2016, Book.

Jayden Sowell

April 8, 2021

Did you know that a raccoon once lived in the White House? They were named after their hands; they are also called ringtails after their tails.  Raccoons are really smart, whenever they get food they will wash it in a river or in a water source. Raccoons are interesting due to their intelligence and ability to adapt to almost anything. 

Raccoons are very intelligent. You may think that raccoons are a pest and irritating but they are very smart for something that eats trash, it is said that they have an IQ higher than cats and dogs. Imagine you go outside to take out the trash it’s night time and you just see something brightish yellow in the trash can you go over to see it and bam, right in your face you’re being scratched and scratching you in the face by something that resembles a robber because of the mask you get it off of you and when go to look at it it’s gone. Raccoons have great problem solving skills. An example is that once a female raccoon ripped off rooftop ventilators to make a nest in the attic for her babies.

Raccoons have the ability to adapt to almost any environment. Raccoons can live just about anywhere and according to Suzanne McDonald,  psychologist who studies raccoons,  raccoons who live in the city are smarter than raccoons who live in the countryside because raccoons who live in the city have more problem solving skills (McDonald, 2020). An example of how raccoons have the ability to adapt is when a raccoon climbed a 25 story building in Minnesota. Did you know that raccoons almost beat the rats in being test subjects in experiments? What went wrong was that there were way more rats than raccoons.

In conclusion, raccoons are really smart and great at problem solving and can adapt to almost anything. And so next time someone says that raccoons are just trash pandas then tell them otherwise. 

Works Cited

Parker, Catherine and Sanger, Denise. “Guide to the Salt Marshes and Tidal Creeks of the Southeastern United States. DNR, 2016. Book

 Alina. “Livescience.com”. 2015. Site

Lariviere, Serge. Site, Britannica. 2020

 

Have you ever seen a Redtailed Hawk? According to research, these creatures are quite fascinating. They live all over America and Canada so it would be quite common to find one lurking around. Here is some information about them and how they adapt to their environment and how they survive.

The diet of the Redtailed hawk consists of rodents such as mice, voles, rats, rabbits, and squirrels. In other words, small mammals. But that is just some of the prey on their menu. They also eat other birds! And small reptiles, as you can tell their diet has a huge selection. Good luck finding a hungry red-tailed Hawk! Think of this. you are outside and you see a Hawk with a red tail fly by and swoop down on a vole of some sort, stabbing it with its talons.

A habitat is important for every living thing, a perfect habitat is needed for the needs of the creatures living there. The Red-tailed Hawk habitat is open area and woodlands, sometimes even deserts. Really somewhere where they can watch for food. You can find them in almost every environment.

The life cycle of the Red-Tailed hawk is common and nothing special. They hatch from a egg and are fed by their mother and father. They are raised in a nest until they are told enough to fly and leave the nest to hunt on their own, make their own nest and have a mate themselves. They can live up to 20 years and as they age, it’s eyes change color.

In conclusion, Red tailed hawks are common but it doesn’t hurt to learn about them. In this essay it included the Diet, Habitat, and the Life Cycle of the Red tailed Hawk. Imagine you are at recess playing soccer or playing on the swings  and you see the Hawk with the orange, red tail, dancing through the sky and flapping its wings as it flies off.

The Atlantic Brief Squid has interesting body features. It can grow up to be 5 inches long or 13 cm. Unlike most animals that live in water, the brief squid has 8 arms with tentacles. It has sharp beak like teeth. They also have big eyes that look like they are popping out.

The Atlantic Brief Squid lives in a cool habitat. They live in salt marshes that are in the Gulf of  Mexico. They aso mostly live in warm and shallow salt marshes. The Atlantic brief squid lives in school. 

Fisher Howell

4/7/21

  Have you ever wondered about the coolest fish alive? The Atlantic Spadefish is very unique because they live in a very interesting world when they are old and young. Low country kids probably know a lot about these fish because we have them here in the low country and they are really good eating. They are a highly targeted fish because they fight so hard and they are fantastic on the dinner table. The Atlantic Spadefish is adapted to living in the salt marsh because they have very unique characteristics. My fish lives in tiny little feeder creeks when they are young because they have tiny little mouths that can’t fit many different things in their mouth. The nice thing for spadefish to live in the small feeder creeks it has to have an outflow coming from in the marsh because in that outflow little grass shrimp can’t swim fast enough to get away from the current and the grass shrimp are tiny so they can fit them in their mouth. They can also eat the plankton but they do not get very much nutrition to live when they are little so they commonly prefer to live around small feeder creeks. Sometimes they can find crab traps or dead animals to feed on and that’s their favorite because they get plenty of nutrition for a little while.   

  The Atlantic Spadefish is very strong with its adaptations. It goes from living in 1-5 feet of water to about 25-100 feet of water within days, and I don’t know about you but to me that’s crazy I don’t know how an animal could do that. The Atlantic Spadefish commonly feeds on small crustaceans because they have very sharp teeth. The Atlantic Spadefish has a favorite food that is only shallow enough for a whole of 5 months and after that spadefish move into shallow water because the small crustaceans are in shallow water. Their favorite food is Jelly Balls, when they are eating the Jelly Balls they roll on top of the water on their sides.  They look kinda like a Triple Tail when they do this because they both are notorious for rolling on their side while feeding. They also enjoy eating clams, oysters, and muscles when they are young because all those are soft on the inside and their sharp teeth can SMASH the shell, it’s very impressive because they aren’t aggressive fish at all. The Atlantic Spadefish are not very long but they fight like you have a car on the end of your fishing line. Imagine being on the boat offshore bored out of your mind and then seeing some creature rolling on its side on top of the water.

  In my opinion the Atlantic Spadefish is the coolest fish swimming in the south-eastern areas. I think they are the coolest because they can go from living in small feeder creeks and being under a pound in weight. To move offshore and grow to be possibly 20 pounds.

Works Cited

Parker, Catherine & Sanger, Denise. “ Guide to salt marshes and tidal creeks of the south eastern United States “DNR, 2016

Rembert C. Denis. DNR.SC.GOV

DNR, 2016

Site Editor: Atlantic Spadefish

Atlantic Spadefish 2021

 Chris Cuevas

4/7/21 

Can you imagine seeing an  Atlantic Sharpnose Shark with your family? I have and it was awesome!  The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark has a black dorsal fin and a nose that comes to a point. This creature can live along the coastal waters of the United States all the way  to Mexico and Brazil. The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark has interesting body features, lives in an aquatic environment and has a varied diet .

The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark has very interesting body features. It can grow up to 3.5 feet long.  This type of shark has a fin on the front of its body and it is mostly gray in color but it’s stomach is white.  It’s long, pointy nose is how it gets its name, Sharpnose Shark. They also have a triangular mouth.

If  you live near the coast. you may have seen an Atlantic Sharpnose Shark. They mostly live in warm water environments near the coast. The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark eats meals that consist of small fish, eels, toadfish, crabs and mollusks.  Also, these sharks are in the Genus Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae. And their phylum is the Chordata. Their family is the Carcharhinidae.

The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark has interesting body features, lives in the coastal waters and eats a varied diet.  You may see this shark eating eels in the shallow ocean waters. If  you see a shark, look at it’s nose. If it’s pointy, you most likely just saw an Atlantic Sharpnose Shark..

Works cited 

Parker, Catharine & Sanger, Denise. “Guide to the Salt Marshes and Tidal Creeks of the Southeastern United States.” DNR, 2016. Book. 

Site Editors. “Title.”  ecornienews.com .Sept 13. 2018 Website. 1 April 2021. 

NOAA 

Kamryn Brown

4/7/2021

Are you looking for information about blue crabs? Did you know that blue crabs have teeth between their little eyes to grip onto their opponents? Blue crabs are not the best swimmers but they paddle when they need to. Blue crabs get their name from their colorful bright blue shell. Blue crabs are interesting because of their life cycle and fascinating diet. 

Blue Crabs have an interesting life cycle.  Female and male crabs look very different. For example, the male crabs have a T-shape on the back of their shell and a female have a red tipped claw. As a matter of fact some people call female blue crabs “ Sally.” Isn’t that crazy? They only live up to 4 years too. Did you know that if you wanted to buy a bushel of blue crabs  you would have to pay up to 80-150 dollars? That's  how good they are!

Blue Crabs mostly eat anything that they seek in the ocean. Blue crabs eat almost anything, for example mussels , oysters and clams . Sometimes they even eat their own kind only if they have a soft shell and smaller 

Khloe McManus 

4/7/21

Have you ever wanted to know about otters? Well I am here to tell you about them. Somethings that are interesting about this animal are North American river otters can hold their breath for up to 8 minutes. Otters are part of the Mustelidae family, which is a family of mammals that includes skunks, weasels, wolverines and badgers. The North American river otter has a varied diet,  interesting characteristics and a fascinating life cycle. 

First, they have an interesting diet. They eat fish,  frogs, crayfish, turtles, insects and some small mammals. They are social with other otters. They float on logs when eating and they can harm you if you're not careful.

North American river otters have unique characteristics. A North American river otter is long, it has a long tail and smooth fur. They vary in size and usually weigh between 10-33 pounds.  They have powerful hind legs and very sharp teeth.

 When the otter is born it needs to be in the den for about 7-8 weeks and at age 3 they start to have offspring.  Male otters live between 10-15 years and females live for 15-20 years.

In conclusion, the North American River Otter has unique characteristics, a varied diet and a fascinating life cycle. Next time you are out walking along a riverbank, keep your eyes open for this interesting, adorable creature! I hope you learned something about the North American river otter!

Works cited 

Parker, Catharine and Sanger, Denise “Guide to the salt marshes and tidal creeks of the southeastern United States”DNR, 2016. Book

Cite edited. North American river otter/ smith

By:Keonda Chandler 

4/7/2021

Sea Lavender 

By:Keonda Chandler 

Have you ever wondered what those purple flowers in the marsh are? Well they are a plumbaginaceae. Plumbaginaceae are herbs, shrubby plants and more. An example of a plumbaginaceae is the sea lavender. Sea lavender is found  mainly in the mediterranean region. Sea lavender is very unique. Sea lavender is an interesting salt marsh plant because they have distinctive characteristics and they are specially adapted to live in their own beautiful habitat.

Sea lavender have interesting characteristics. Some things that are interesting about the sea lavender are the colors. The sea lavender comes in many different colors:  blue and purple,  lavender and many more. Sea lavender does not actually smell like lavender.  It has more of a perfume type scent. Also the sea lavender is from North America, Africa and many other places. Some people confuse sea lavender and lavender with each other,  although they are really different. Lavender has a very strong scent and taste and alot goes a long way. While sea lavender has more of a settled smell and taste. Both plants may be close  in color, but sea lavender can be a variety of colors  mainly in shades of blue and purple (lavender), while on the other hand lavender is only one color and that is lavender. Also lavender is poisonous,  but not to humans. If a dog or cat eats a piece of lavender well  they will start vomiting a lot. Sea lavender is NOT poisonous at all. One last thing you should know about sea lavender is their names. Sea lavender has a couple different names like “Limonium. It has some very close relatives in the plant family and those are marsh rosemary, Limonium latifolium,statice, or caspia.

One of the coolest things about sea lavender is their  habitat. Sea lavender live in:  brackish or salt marshes, intertidal, subtidal or open ocean, beaches or and dunes.

They live on Rhode Island in the coastal areas. Also they grow from July to October.  Sea lavender also grows during the winter dry season. Also this part is really important because it is Rhode Island’s STATE law. You can NOT pick up sea lavender flowers at all because it is illegal to pick or dig  the flower up without the landowner’s permission. Sea lavender is protected by federal and state laws. Imagine you are walking along a  sandy tan beach and you see purple out of the corner of your eye. You turn to find a fragrant purple flower  mixed with white, pink and many other colors with red and green tinted colors. 

In conclusion,Sea lavender is very unique. Sea lavender is an interesting salt marsh plant because they have distinctive characteristics and they are specially adapted to live in their own beautiful habitat.

 Those purple flowers you see on the beach are indeed sea lavender.

Words cited 

Parker,Catherine & Sanger, Denise. “Guide to the salt marshes and tidal creeks of the southeastern United States.” DNR 2016 book

Cite editors. “edc.uri.edu”    DNR no date found site 

Site editors.luriegarden.org   DNR no date found site

Kennice Black

4/7/2021

Did you know that the mud crab is very important to the salt marsh? It is important because it helps clean the salt marsh and helps it grow, it lives in holes dug in the mud and if you dig it up it will probably have water filled in the whole. One more thing is mud crabs are omnivores and eat lots of things. Mud crabs are important because they help the salt marsh, they have varied diets, and they bring oxygen into the marsh. 

The mud crab helps the salt marsh because it cleans the marsh the way how it cleans it is by eating detritus which is a decomposing animal mater. They make tiny little balls of it and filter out all the stuff that the tide brings in so if the mud crabs were not in the salt marsh who would clean it and filter all the stuff and help it grow. Imagine being a mud crab filtering out all the things the tide has washed up like algae. The mud crabs are basically like some humans; they clean their environment to help it stay clean so it can grow and be healthy.

Mud crabs have a varied diet. Mud crabs diets are like omnivores; they basically eat anything that is smaller than it or maybe things that might be a little bigger if it's dead. The mud crab eats algae, detritus, oyster spats, polychaete worms, amphipods, shellfish, barnacles, dead fish, and small crustaceans. Sometimes they even eat other crabs. The mud crabs get their food by cracking its food with their claw. Imagine getting your back or bone cracked alive to be eaten by a crab.

Mud crabs bring oxygen into the marsh. Mud crabs live in the muddy part of the marsh as you can tell because of their name they dig holes in the mud and if you put your hand inside the hole  you would feel water because their holes have water in them. You can also find them hiding under things like stones, shells, and covered in lots of seaweed if there are cans or bottles they would be in them sometimes also. They way that mud crabs bring oxygen to the marsh is by all the holes they dig in the mud.

In conclusion, those are some reasons why mud crabs are important to the salt. Marsh and some other cool facts about the mud crab. There are many more cool and interesting facts about the mud crab if you want to know more about the mud crabs.

Works Cited

Parker, catharine & Sanger Denise. “Guide to the Salt marshes and tidal creeks of the southeastern United States.”DNR.2016. Book.

Site editors. “Kidanimailfacts.com.” DNR.March 30/2021.Wbesite

Cite editors. “MESA.” DNR. March 31/2021.Wbesite

Nova Tocharoen

4/7/21

   

Have you ever wondered how the American alligator is different from the saltwater crocodile?  Did you know the American alligators have more of a dark color with its rounded snout? Usually you can find the amazing creatures in fresh bodies of water. The saltwater crocodiles have narrow triangular snouts with grayish-green color and can be found in brackish and salt-water habitats.

    Saltwater crocodiles and American alligators have many similarities and differences. 

     The American Alligator can be found in North America where they usually spend their time in fresh water. You may also see these creatures on land when they are traveling across pond to pond or swamp to swamp. They have rounded snouts and have a color of black and yellow with a bit of white. The American alligator bellows, growls, and slaps their head on water/ground to communicate to other alligators.

     The Saltwater Crocodile is a reptilian and eats meat. They have  pointed snouts. The average Saltwater Crocodile can live to about 70 years old. They bask on land or on water because they are Ectothermic causing them to lay out on the grass to feel the nice sun. The average Saltwater Crocodile can be 17 feet and can weigh over 1000 pounds. One can find these creatures anywhere there is saltwater and brackish water in the Eastern hemisphere.

    The American alligator has more of a U-shaped snout while the Saltwater Crocodile has more of a V shaped snout. The Saltwater Crocodile lives in the Eastern hemisphere where they are able to live in salt and brackish waters. While the American alligator can be found in North America in fresh bodies of water. When the snout of a crocodile is open you have more of a flashing toothy grin while the alligator has no teeth showing out from their snouts. Both of these amazing creatures have such large teeth and a grip to get their prey. 

     Both the American alligator and Saltwater Crocodile are reptilian. The word reptilian means that they are reptiles. Reptiles are scaly, prehistoric, fast, cold-blooded, and vertebrates. Many people agree reptiles are smart and amazing creatures. Imagine if you were casually walking down a path and you came across something small moving toward you. You see that it has a scaly black and yellow pattern. It is a baby alligator! You look around to see where the alligator came from. It walked from a lake covered in algae. As discussed alligators are only found in freshwater and Crocodiles are only found in saltwater. It has been proven that the American alligator can swim in brackish waters. This makes the brackish water dangerous.

     In conclusion, people often confuse the American alligator with the Saltwater Crocodile. However the differences between these reptiles make it possible to distinguish the two. Remember these reptiles have different colors, snouts, and habitats. If you are near brackish or saltwater, keep your eyes open for Crocodiles. Keep your eyes peeled for Alligators near bodies of freshwater.

Works Cited 

Author: Parker, Katherine & Sanger Denice. “Guide to the Salt Marshes and Tidal Creeks of the Southern United States.” DNR. 2016. Book

Site Editors. Saltwater Crocodile National GeoGraphic. 03-29-2021. Website

Jeanne Byrnes. LIVESCIENCE. 7-15-2012. Website

 

Alayna Lanning

4/7/21 

In the case of a diamondback terrapin the females are larger and the males are smaller. The female terrapin averages around 19cm in length and the male terrapins average around 13cm in length.  The scientific name of a diamondback terrapin is Malaclemys terrapin, and the coolest part is Diamondback terrapins are believed to be the only turtles in the world that live in brackish water. Diamondback terrapins are interesting because of their adaptations, diets, and life cycles. 

Diamondback terrapins have several adaptations that allow them to survive in varying habitats. Such as, webbed feet, hard shells, the ability to stay in the salt marsh for long periods of time, and specially adapted ridges in their jaws. Terrapins are strong swimmers like other turtles, but unlike sea turtles, terrapins have webbed feet instead of flippers, or fins. Webbed feet help terrapins swim in the water, and the claws help them pull themselves on the shore. The ridges in their jaws are to help them chew some of the foods they eat.

Diamondback terrapins are almost strictly carnivorous but sometimes ingest small amounts of plant material. They possess strong jaws in their mouths that enable them to eat hard-shelled prey, including aquatic snails, crabs, mussels and clams. When in captivity they particularly value relish lettuce, watercress and fruit.

The lifespan of a diamondback terrapin has an average to live for 25 to 40 years. Diamondback terrapins live in ranges from Cape cod to FL and the Gulf of Mexico. They tend to burrow or swim around in estuaries and, or tidal creeks. Their breeding seasons occur during May and June. 

I think the hard facts and evidence can prove that the diamondback terrapin is definitely one of the salt marsh animals that is on the cooler side of them. They have tons of adaptations that help them survive. The diets they have for themselves, based on what they like and what's good for them. And all the facts about this beautiful creature's life cycle and lifespan.

Works Cited 

Gary, Ashley. “8 interesting facts about diamondback terrapins.” 3-29-21. Website. 4-7-21.

Parker, Catherine & Sanger, Denise. “Guide to the Salt Marshes and Tidal Creeks of the Southeastern United States.” 2016. Book. 4-7-21.

Site Editors. “Diamondback Terrapin” 3-29-21. Website. 4-7-21.