Creatures of the Sea
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Transcript of Creatures of the Sea
Creatures of the SeaMythology of the Ocean
Giant Sea AnimalsTransparent Aquatic Life
Protect our Seas
Created by: Deborah Lawrence
Mermaid Mythology
• Enchant sailors with singing and music, distracting them from their work often causing fatal accidents
Mermaids:
• Various cultures have similar figures
• Feared by sailors because they are considered a sign of bad luck
Manatee and Dugongs often mistaken for mermaids prior to mid 19th century
Japanese fishermen crafted mermaids for sideshow carnivals by stitching the
upper bodies of monkeys onto the bodies of fish
18th and 19th c. Edo Japan
Giant Squid MythologyCalled Kraken
Thought to attack
ships and eat sailors wholePart Octopus, Crab, Squid, and Cuttlefish
• Number of sightings (especially in 18th & 19th centuries)
What makes sea serpent sightings different from other mysterious creatures?
Mythology of Sea Serpents
• Sightings have been made by multiple people at once for sustained periods of time
Modern Giants of the Sea
Squid
Sharks
Whales
Jellyfish
Sharks
Sense a drop of blood from 2.5 miles away Can go up to at least 6 weeks without
feeding
The Notorious Great White
The largest meat-eating shark, growing up to 21 feet long
Great White Sharks:
Responsible for few human fatalities and usually do not target humans as prey
Sharks attack surfers because their silhouettes look like seals
Man-Eaters?
Many attacks occur in waters with low visibility, or when the shark's senses are impaired
the Whale Shark
• Grows up to 50 ft long
• Eats plankton, crustaceans and small fish
The Largest Shark:
Whales The loudest animals in the world
– their underwater sounds can travel great distances
Whales are mammals, not fish
Click on whale for video
Blue Whales Often 100 ft in length, blue
whales are the largest animals that have ever lived on earth – they are even larger than dinosaurs!
Giant Squids:
The world’s largest invertebrates… suspected to reach up to 60 ft in length! Giant Squid captured for the 1st time in 2006
24-ft long Died from injuries sustained during the
capture
Giant Jellyfish Bodies are
made up of 95% water, they have no bones or cartilage, no heart or blood, and no brain
Transparent Marine LifeTransparency is an important method of
camouflage Can also be a means of predatory animals
tricking others
Transparent Salpa Aspera
Can multiply into swarms under the right conditions
The brown spot is the salp's stomach
Transparent Siphonophores
Are extremely fragile and can break apart in nets or by mere illumination
Transparent Ctenophore
Even if half of the creature is destroyed, often the remaining half can rebuild itself
Capable of regeneration
Habitat destruction is caused by:
Destructive fishing activity
Coastal real estate development
Pollution
Dredging ship channels
Save my home
Protect Our Seas
5 Simple ways to Preserve the Ocean:
1. Stop eating seafood. … OR … Learn how to practice sustainability – When dining or shopping for fish carry a sustainable seafood wallet guide available from www.blueocean.org
2. Vote. Vote for candidates who support marine conservation
3. Do not pollute. Keep beaches clean and use environmentally friendly cleaning agents
4. Shop smartly. Don’t purchase items that exploit marine resources unnecessarily
5. Teach children to respect nature and the environment
For more information visit:
http://www.marinebio.org/Oceans/Conservation/local.asp
Protect Our Seas