The Shape of Life

What organism is thought to be the first multi-cellular animal? The ancient sponge is thought to be the first multi-cellular animal.

How is it the same and different from animals today? Animals today are very diversed than sponges. Sponges survive through caring for themselves and finding mates to reproduce. Their ways of getting food usually involves movement by searching for it. They encounter competitions between their own kind as well as other creatures living in that habitat. Sponges are difficult to spot. They don't have a particular type of body that distinguishes themselves from other living creatures. They do not move from place to place in order to seek a better habitat, they adapt to their environment.


How do scientists know it’s an animal? Scientists can identify animals by its physical appearance and lifestyle. What evidence do scientists have to prove that other animals evolved from this organism? They've identified the genes in multi-cellular animals and compared it to that of the sponge. Every multi-cellular animal contained the same blueprint as that of the sponge's.



What more do you want to know? I want to know more of the life of a sponge and its ways of survival but more of how it came about.

Endangered Species

Atlantic Salmon

The Atlantic salmon is in danger of extinction. It found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. It has a rich cultural heritage based on recreational fishing and its own mystique, which also symbolizes survival and healthy river systems. The Atlantic salmon is an anadromous fish, one that adapts in fresh water but spends much of its life at sea.

Currents

1. Explain how currents contribute to the distribution of marine organisms around the planet. Currents have an effect to the distribution of marine organisms around the planet. It controls the water temperature as it continually circulates throughout the sea/ocean.

2. The primary factor influencing ocean currents is temperature regulation. What might happen to the ocean currents (and has happened in the past) as global warming increases? Another experience of ice-age may possibly occur as global warming increases.

3. Explain how density changes cause currents. As the water changes its temperature, it becomes more densed. Therefore, the colder water ascends to the surface, causing the currents.

observing your world

In my perspective/In my culture(chamorro), there are a lot of traditions and customs that has been going on for generations. I dont know weather to believe or follow it as well. I dont tend to think about it that often or what not but just live life to whatever happens and just follow the flow. However, since I was a young child i've have been around people who have experienced ghost/spirit like situations or have heard about a story.
Way back in time, my grandfather use to tell me stories about his experiences seeing ghosts. When he was a child, he and his siblings use to walk to school (Mount Carmel) from their home in Chaln kanoa and he said that along the walk they would see people (well ghost/spirits) from world war two walking around, seemingly not knowing that they are dead. He concluded that in the chamorro belief they would hold coins so that they didnt have to witness no more,saying that the ghost/spirits were scared to the sound of the coins for the reason being that it sounded like bullets and other metal materials used in the war, which distinctively reminded them of being part of a tragic event.
Other friends and family have told me so many other different kinds of stories/supertitions about taotaomonas making people sick or pinching them leaving bruises, one having duendes as friends, seeing white lady ghosts,etc... However, in oder for me to believe it, I have to experience it for my own self. As quoted "actions speaks louder than words." But at some degree I kind of do believe in some of the supertitions for various of reasons I cant explain or by my thoughts and feelings towards it.
To my understanding of the world, I believe what I have experienced/been through. Its not easy for me to understand how the world works not because I dont care, its just that I havent really put thought in it and basically I just live life. Although, I sometimes do wonder how the world does work and how it came about. Everyone sees the world differently and in my perspective we see it as it is, as well as we make it as it is. There are many different cultures, traditions, beliefs, and etc, which make it kind of difficult to see the world in one point of view. I do what I do, I believe what I believe, good and bad things happen to me, I learn from my mistakes and from others and thats what makes me partly understand what kind of world I live in.

Tides

What is a tidal range? A tidal range is the difference of water levels, between successive high and low tides.

What causes high and low tides? High and low tides are caused by a combination of the gravity of the sun and the moon. It also uses the centrifugal force that results from the rotation of the earth, moon, and the sun.

What causes spring and neap tides? When the sun and the moon are aligned with each other or the tide range is large it causes a spring tide. Neaptides are caused when the sun and moon are at its right angles, where as their effects partially cancel each other, or when the tidal range is small.

How does tidal range effect the types of organisms and the shape and size of the organisms? The tides alternately expose and submerge organisms, where as on the shore drive, the circulation of the bays and estaries, trigger spawning, and influence the lives of marine organisms in many different ways.

Mount LauLau

Mount LauLau, a place I never knew existed or rather more thought Saipan had only one Mountain, Mount Tapochao. When I first heard about our hike, I was thinking no sweat because I have joined the SROTC program that encountered me to do so many activities similar to this. Although upon our arrival, we had to park at the bottom of a hill that lead the way to our destination. Our hike finally then started with a little struggle because some of us weren't in the best condition or rather more wern't prepared. All I was thinking of was expect the unexpected because when I first thought that this was no sweat, I was lying. This hike took a lot out of me. I had worn shorts (bad idea) because I had to struggle just to try and clear my way out of a ton of grass and tangantangan, which didnt work because I encountered the itchy-ness of the grass and multiple scratches. Not thinking that the hike was going to turn out how it did, most of the time I was trying to watch my steps because the path was actually made then and there and was very narrow, which was scary too. It may have taken a lot out of me to accomplish this hike but in the long run I learned and seen a lot. Our guide happened to be Angelo from Beautify CMNI, who dicussed and explained the cause and effects of human ignorance. He said that hunters actually burn and cut down green vegetation to clear land for their personal reasons. These actions prevents the vegetation from growing and leads to more problems within the surroundings of both the environment and the ocean. However, Mount Laulau is now reconstructed with new green vegetation with the help of Angelo and his handy dandy helpers.

Obyan Beach

Dwarf-spotted grouper, Epinephelus merraBleeker’s parrotfish, Scarus bleekeriSohal surgeonfish, Acanthurus sohalBluespine unicornfish, Naso unicornisMoorish idol, Zanclus cornutus
Banded pipefish, Corythoichthys intestinalisGold-lined sea bream, Gnathodentex aurolineatusOrangespine unicornfish, Naso lituratusThicklip trevally, Carangoides orthogrammusConvict surgeonfish, Acanthurus triostegus

-My experience snorkeling at Obyan beach was one of the most terrfying but most fascinating experiences of my life. I know it sounds weird and all but I may be born and raised on and island, which makes me an island girl but swimming in the ocean would be the last thing on earth I would chose to do if I had the choice. I saw so many different kinds of species, which some were freaky, disgusting, scary, unusual, but were all unique and interesting in their own ways. Charmaine and I caught this huge, ugly creature, which happened to be a sea cucumber. It was so weird because it was the first or rather more the third kind of sea cucumber that i ahve seen other than the black or the one in the tank stored in the lab.