Transcript Gulf sturgeon PPT

Ecosystem of the Gulf Sturgeon
Slides adapted from Kelly Cook
DRL-1316782
Ecosystem of the
Gulf Sturgeon
Researcher Matt Balazik prepares to tag this sturgeon with
an ultrasonic marker (NOAA)
Gulf Sturgeon Characteristics
Below and Right: Spawning grounds for
Gulf Sturgeon (US Fish & Wildlife)
• Anadromous – Lives in marine environment, spawns in freshwater
• Habitat – Organisms natural environment
• Niche – Function of an organism in its community
Energy Flow
Solar
Energy
Heat
Heat
Primary Producers
(phytoplankton)
Nutrients
(N, P, C, etc)
Heat
Carnivores
(zooplankton/fish)
Herbivores
(zooplankton)
Heat
Decomposers
(bacteria)
Nutrients
Energy
Trophic Pyramid
(feeding)
How efficient is eating?
• 10% of energy is transferred
• Everything else is lost as heat
Relative Biomass
Gulf Sturgeon Food Web
Food Web – System of interdependent food chains
Image courtesy NOAA
Climate Change
Influence on Populations
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More frequent Algal Blooms/Red Tides
Increasing major storms
Warmer water
Sea level rise
Saltwater intrusion
Hurricane Isabel disrupts coastal
habitats (NOAA)
Red tide along Gulf Coast (NOAA)
Sturgeon swimming to spawning ground (NOAA)
Summary
• Gulf Sturgeon Characteristics
• Energy Flow
• Trophic Pyramid
• Gulf Sturgeon Food Web
• Gulf Sturgeon Characteristics
• Climate Change Influence on
Populations
• Now…
Let’s Play!