Marine Biology

After reading the 3 articles about the salmon fishery crisis on the west coast, write a 2-3 paragraph COMMENT that addresses the following questions.  Be sure to use complete sentences and spell check your response before submitting. (I highly recommend typing it in word, saving it, and then pasting it in!)

1. What do you think about what has happened over the past few years on the west coast?  Explain.

2. Do you think it is possible to happen here in Alaska?  Explain why or why not.

3. Do you think that this cycling in the commercial fishery is normal or something that will worsen over timefor other species and fisheries around the world?  Explain why or why not.

4. Imagine if this crash and slow recovery were to happen in Cordova.  Explain what you think the specific impacts would be on our community AND how would it impact you and your family if at all.

We have been learning about many amazing cephalopods.  Your assignment is to follow this link to find a variety of articles about cephalopods.   Choose an article that interests you and READ the entire article.  Return to our blog and create a new POST about the article.  Include the following for full credit:  A title that reflects (but is not a copy of) the article title.  A 2-3 paragraph response that includes a brief summary about the article (IN YOUR OWN WORDS), what you liked, learned or found interesting about the article AND one question you still have OR what you think would be a good extension to the research that has already been done.  Be sure to put it in the Thinking Critically category and spell check before submitting your response.

We have learned that there is a great diversity of amazing coral & sponge species living here in Alaska. Your task is to read this article carefully.  Next, write a minimum 2 paragraph COMMENT in complete sentences with correct spelling and grammar, that answers the following:

• Summarize what the article was about in your own words, include a few specific facts/statistics that stood out to you .
• Do you think this article is important/significant? Explain why or why not.  Be sure to support your answer!

Photo by Kat Hadjantonakis

What do jellyfish have to do with green mice you ask?  A species of jellyfish known as Aequorea victoria contains a protein in its body tissues called “green fluorescent protein,” or GFP.  As far back as 1962, scientists were able to isolate this protein from the jellyfish and recognize that it is activated by ultraviolet light.  Why is this protein significant?  Well, the fact that it can make mice and other creatures glow under UV light is a side note to its true importance in scientific research.  According to this recent article, scientists have earned the Nobel prize for determining how it works & for using it for lighting up brain cells.   “Glowing markers will show, for example, how brain cells develop or how cancer cells spread through tissue.”

I was really surprised to read that one of the most simple and hated creatures in the ocean has such great implications for science and science fiction.  It makes you realize that every organism in the ocean is probably very significant. I wonder if this technique will be used other than for medical purposes in the future.  Will they attempt a glowing human just because they can?

What purpose does the GFP serve for the jellyfish?  Is there any harm in using this protein in mammals?