Oceans

Alissa

Carroll-3

April 24, 2001

Vegetation

Submerged aquatic Submerged aquatic vegetation provides habitat vegetation provides habitat

and forage for waterfowl and and forage for waterfowl and fish. It also supplies fish. It also supplies

effective protection against effective protection against storms and helps the water storms and helps the water

quality in seawater quality in seawater ecosystems.ecosystems.

Food ChainsFood Chains

Most of the food that offshore animals eat comes from either organic matter which is carried into the gulf by rivers or from the tiny plants and animals which grow near the surface and slowly sink to the bottom.

More Info on Food Chains

Worms and other deposit-feeders swallow the mud on the bottom, digest the food in it and expel the rest. Filter-feeding tube worms sift food out of the water. Flesh eating fish and crabs hunt for live food or clean up scraps the others leave behind.

What’s Hiding in the Mud?

Mud flats may appear barren and empty when the tide is out, but that layer of smelly, black mud conceals a whole community of worms, clams, and shrimp.

Who’s Eating What?

Long -billed shorebirds feed on the wiggly and squirmy community that lives in the mud during low tide. As the tide rises, hungry fish, snails and crabs join the feast.

More About Vegetation…

• Turtle Grass

• Widgeon Grass

• Shoal Grass

• Manatee Grass

In the calm shallow water of coastal bays, sea grasses grow:

How Important are the Sea Grasses?

• The grasses are very important habitats for snails, small fish and young fish.

• Migratory waterfowl find plenty of food living in the grasses.

Home Sweet HomeHome Sweet Home

Texas bays and gulf waters are Texas bays and gulf waters are home to thousands of fish, home to thousands of fish, shellfish, birds, and other shellfish, birds, and other animals all of which depend on animals all of which depend on the coast’s diverse habitats for the coast’s diverse habitats for their food and their shelter.their food and their shelter.

There’s No Place to Hide!The open gulf waters aren’t great shelter but it’s not a problem for some big fish who aren't afraid of becoming another fish’s prey. These include:

• Great Hammerhead

• Lemon

• Bull

Camouflage FishSmaller fish like bluefish and tarpon blend into the background to avoid being eaten. From above their dark backs match the sea floor. From below, their pale stomach fades into the light from the surface.

Salt Barrens...Salt barrens form just beyond the reach of the highest high tides. Only occasional storm-driven high tides flood the salt barren. Salts accumulate here because there is not enough flushing to wash the salts away.

Characteristics of Topography

Features of the gulf Coast Region:• Nearly level slowly drained plain

• Streams and rivers flowing into the gulf• Barrier islands along the coast

• Salt grass marshes• Bays and estuaries

• Remnant tall grass prairies• Oak parklands and oak motes

• Tall woodlands in the river bottom lands

AbioticAbiotic• SandSand

• SunSun

• RocksRocks

• WaterWater

• ShellsShells

• SoilSoil

Food Chain for a Whooping Crane

Barrier Islands

Long sandy islands from the seaward boundary of coastal bays separate the bays from the gulf. The islands protect the gulf from the most severe effects of waves and currents.

Adaptations

Plants and animals on barrier islands must be able to cope with

the environment’s constant changes.

And the Weather Report is...

Weather varies in the Weather varies in the Gulf of Mexico, but there is Gulf of Mexico, but there is usually plenty of heat and usually plenty of heat and plenty of sun. The most plenty of sun. The most damaging problem is the damaging problem is the yearly threat of hurricanes.yearly threat of hurricanes.

Whooping Crane•The Whooping Crane is endangered because much of their wetland habitat has been drained for farmland and pasture.

•The Whooping Crane is nearly five feet tall.

The Shore Animals

•The Coyote is an extremely intelligent animal with keen senses of hearing, sight and smell.

•There are many different types of crabs in the Gulf of Mexico.

Biotic things in the Gulf of Mexico

Texas Prairie Dawn

Cusk Eel

Jackfish

Pig Fish

Rain Fall in the Cities Alvin--49.44 in /51 ft

Baytown--51.85 in /26 ft

Beaumont--57.00 in / 24 ft

Galveston--42.28 in / 20 ft

Houston--50.83 in /55 ft

PortArthur--42.42 in /18 ft

Raymondville27.57 in / 40ft

Richmond --44.34 in / 104ft

SouthPadreIsland--21.38in / 5 ft

SugarLand--45.33 in82 ft

Victoria--28.74 in / 93ft

Wharton--41.53 in / 111ft

Texas Horned Lizard

Atlantic Horseshoe Crab

G ra ss

B u gs

C ra b

SUN

A Crab’s Food Chain

East Texas Alligator