Porpoises

A porpoise is a small cetacean, belonging to the family Phocoenidae. They are related to both dolphins and whales. There are a few differences between dolphins and porpoises, although many people, including fisherman, identify small dolphins as porpoises. One difference between the two is that porpoises have flattened (spatulate) teeth that are distinct from the conical teeth of dolphins. Another difference is that porpoises are r-selected compared to dolphins, meaning that they have more offspring more quickly then dolphins. Porpoises are smaller in size and more stouter. Dolphins have bigger heads and beaks, while porpoises have small, round heads with a blunt jaw. Porpoises have spade-teeth and dolphins have conical teeth. They also have dorsal fins that are shaped like triangles. Porpoises have the ability to dive lengths up to 200m, but they perfer to hunt in shallower waters. They are predators of small fish, squid and crustaceans. They can be found in small groups, usually ten or less individuals. They are fast swimmers and have the ability of echolocation to find prey and group-coordination. Porpoises are not acrobatic like dolphins and when they swim up-side down, they tend to be looking for a mate. In some countries, porpoises are hunted for food or bait meat. A decline in porpoises numbers has occurred due to bycatch in fishing nets. One of the most endangered species is the Vaquita because it is mainly limited to the Gulf of California, a highly industrialized area.

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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porpoise

~http://www.theporpoisepage.com/

Dolphins

Dolphins are marine mammals and are closely related to porpoises and whales. They can be found world-wide, but usually live in shallow waters near the continental shelf. They vary in size and weight, ranging from 1.2 - 9.5 m in size and 40kg-10tonnes in weight. They are carnivorous mammals, mostely feeding on fish and squid. A dolphin is considered to be one of the most intelligent animals and are very friendly in nature, which makes them very popular to humans.

It is believed that dolphins evolved about 10 million years ago during the miocene. The Delphinidae is the largest in the Cetacea. The word 'dolphin' comes from the ancient greek, meaning 'with a womb', so it can be interpreted as meaning 'a fish with a womb'.
Dolphins often leap above the water and sometimes perform acrobatic tricks. Scientists are unsure of this particular behaviour. Dolphins are also very playful creatures and can often be seen playing with seaweed or playfighting with other dolphins. They also like playing in the waves, riding along in the waves. They even 'surf' coastal sweels and and bow waves of boats. Dolphins are also willing to approach humans and even playfully interact with them in the water. Because dolphins and so playful and inteeigent, humans often employ them for many things, including shows. Dolphins can be trained to perform shows for human entertainment.
But dolphins also have threats to them. Things like polluted waters, with pesticides and heavy metals, threaten thir survival. Sometimes, dolphins are killed or injured by boats in the open water. Some fishing methods, like the use of drift or gill nets, also result in large numbers of deaths for them. Some parts of the world, like Japan and the Faroe Islands, consider dolphins as a food, so they hunt them with harpoons or drive hunts.
The year 2007 has been declared as (International) Year of the Dolphin by the United Nations and the United Nations Environment Programme .
I think dolphins are neat animals and when I was at Marine Land I loved seeing them perform. I thoguht it was amazing the kinds of tricks they can do.

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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin

Artificial Islands

An artificial island is one that is man-made and not formed by natural processes. These islands are usually formed by land-reclaimation. These islands are not a new thing that people just started to do. They have been around for a long time, dating back to the crannogs of prehistoric Scotland and Ireland. A lot of these man-made islands have been built in urban harbors to either provide a place deliberately isolated from the city or for spare real estate. These islands can only be constucted with permission of the Coastal state and do not count towards the territorial seas or exclusive economic zones. They also can not have thier own territorial sea or exclusive economic zone. But many people think they are beautiful places and many people want to own homes on them, even celebrities.

I personally think they add something to a country and may even help with tourists. They also look really cool!

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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_island

The Oarfish

The oarfish is usually found in temperate to tropical ocean waters, but is rarely seen by the human eye. It is a large, elongated fish and belongs to the family Regalecidae. The oarfish comprises 4 species and 2 genera. Ocassionally, oarfish become beached after a storm or linger around the near shore when they are sick or dying. This has given the oarfish a spot in maritime folklore as a probable source as a sea serpent. Not much is known about the oarfish because they have never been caught alive. There is the ocassional encounter from scuba divers. Larger fish are sometimes fished commercially.
The oarfish has a long dorsal fish, that starts above their tiny eye and extends down. The do not have any visible teeth and have no scales. They have siverish colored bodies with pink to cardinal red dorsal fins. This is what gives that fish the perception of majesty. In latin, the name regalis means royal.
The rare encounters from divers and accidental catches from trawls have provided scientists with the little bit of information of what they know of the oarfish for their behaviour and ecology. In 2001, the first oarfish was filmed alive. Scientists know that they primarily feed on zooplankton, selectively on shrimp, other crustaceans and tiny euphausiids. Sometimes, small fish, squid and jellyfish are taken as well. Predators probably consist of large open-ocean carnivores.

I first herd of this fish in my ecology of gishes class in a lecture about sea serpents. I thought it was interesting that a long time ago, many people describes these fish as large monsters in the sea with a mane like a lion. When i saw this fish, i thought they were a pretty species and I wanted to learn more about them. Unfortunately, theres not much on them right now, but I was able to learn a bit more about them.

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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oarfish

Giant Jellyfish

The Lion's mane jellyfish, (Cyanea capillata), is the largest know jelly. They usually live in the cold, boreal waters of the arctic, northern Atlantic and northen Pacific. They are not usuauly found in waters below 42 degrees N latitude. The largest jellyfish discovered was washed on shore in Massachusettes Bay and it had a bell-shaped body that was 2.3m in diameter and the testicles measured 36.5m in length. The giant jellyfish has a faal stings, leaving burn marks and are highly toxic. Ones that are found lower in latitude are usually smaller in size. The tenticles are usually grouped in 8 clusteres and each cluster can contain 65-150 tenticles. Jellies found in higher latitudes are usually larger with bell-shaped bodies. The bell is usually divided in eight lobes. The size of a jelly indicates color. The larger jellies are a vivid crimson to a dark purple color. The smaller jellies are a lighter orange to tan color. The giant jelly feeds on zooplankton, small fish, ctenophores and moon jellies. Their preditors involve seabirds, larger fish, other jelly species and sea turtles.

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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_jellyfish

Water Pollution; "It Needs To Stop"

I love the water and lots of water activities, like i'm sure most people do! Unfortunately, I have not had the chance to try surfing, but I do enjoy swimming, boating and tubing. I have tried water skiing a few times, but everytime i get up i fall down on my face just as fast. In the summer lots of people flee to the beaches on hot days to cool down and tan. Lots of people these days even have the luxary of just going out in their backyard to take a dip. But the sad thing is, is that the earths water may not be as enjoyable in the future like it is now. Not only does the water provide a cool place to go on a hot summers day, but it is home to hundreds of animals. Things like water pollution are destroying the waters and harming the animals that live in it.

Water is a vital part of the earth and it is an essential element of human life. Most people know this fact but they still choose to pollute the worlds waters with toxic chemicals, sewage, fertilizers and much more. This is not only destroying the water bodies on our planet, but it is slowly harming and killing animals that depend on water to survive.

I absolutely love animals and it breaks my heart to hear that animals are being harmed and killed in their habitats. Not only do plants and animals depend on water to survive, but so do we humans. No one would like it if they woke up to see oil or sewage in thier homes, but yet they do it to animals. They think that the oceans will take care of it and thats that. But the worlds water can not keep taking in all this pollution at the rate it is being put in. The real sad thing is, is that if a big company gets caught polluting a lake or river, they basically get a little slap on the wrist and pay a little fine and thats the end of it. I personally think harsher punishments need to be handed out and maybe then people will stop polluting the worlds waters.

Not only are animals being killed off by polluted or unsafe water, but approximately 1.5 billion people lack safe drinking water while another 5 million deaths occur due to waterborn diseases. Water should be something everyone can enjoy, not fear that something will happen to them if they drink it.

Water pollution is becoming a major issue in the world and a serious problem and people really need to start thinking about the future not only for the animals but for ourselves.

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~http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/waterpollution.htm

~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_pollution

Tsunamis

A tsunami is a series of massives waves that occur in the worlds oceans when the water is rapidly displaced on a massive scale. Such phenomena like earthquakes, mass movements (both above and below the water), landslides, volcanic eruptions (or other underwater explosions) or large meteorite impacts have the potential to cause such tragic events. After effects of tsunamis can range anywhere from unnoticeable to devastating. A tsunami usually has a very small amplitude offshore but a vey large wavelength, which is why one can vertually pass unnoticeable in the open sea. A tsunami is usually much larger then a regular tidal wave, but they pass through and around any obsticle that comes in their way. The most damage that occurs is usually by the huge mass of water behind the initial wave front. Tsunamis contain immense amounts of energy, can propagate at high speeds and travel far distances, which means they can cause damage several kilometers away from their place of origin. The height of a tsunami wave in open water is only about 1m, very unnoticeable to seaman in a boat, but they travel at speeds somewheres between 400-500 mph due to the deepness of the ocean water. When a tsunami begins to reach land, the sea begins to get shallower and the tsunami slows down. As it slows down it begins to 'pile-up'. The waves become steeper and taller and the distance bewteen sucsessive crests is shorter. A stunami wave can reach heights of 6 stories or more as in gets cloder to the coastline and compresses. Unfortunately, there are no signs or warnings of tsunamis, but if an earthquake is felt near a body of water that could be considered a sign of one in the making.

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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami