Loggerhead Island Report

Report on your Loggerhead Island development proposal by answering the below questions. Include a photo of your plan in your report.

1. What special considerations did you have to make for the nesting sea turtle sites located on the barrier island?

Our plan to create a safe environment for the sea turtle nesting sight was to keep the hustle and bustle of the populated areas away from the sight. To do this we put the golf coarse semi near the sight and we put a barrier of indigenous trees blocking the coarse from the habitat.  

2. What special considerations had to be made when determining a good site for the proposed fishing pier?

A special consideration that was made when determining the site for the fishing pier was to put it near the mangrove and sea grass areas to ensure the best fishing, but also the protection of these fragile habitats.

3. What could be some of the potential problems that might arise from the proposed golf course? Propose some of the ways in which the impacts can be reduced.

A problem might be the chemicals used to maintain the coarse, but in this case, the golf coarse is maintained using environmentally friendly substances, and the coarse was constructed with indigenous grass.

4. What are the economic benefits to the community of Loggerhead County if the development was done with the least amount of environmental impact?

The economic benefit to the community would be the appeal of a wealthy selective community with the natural beauty of the island that was ensured by the least amount of development. 

5. Describe three ways in which humans negatively impact coastal ecosystems such as the one you are working on with Loggerhead Barrier Island.

Humans negatively impact coastal ecosystems by polluting, developing, and over fishing/hunting in these fragile environments. These ecosystems include plant and animal habitats.

6. How can maintaining natural vegetation help us to reduce the damage caused by oceanic events such as hurricanes, tsunami and continued beach erosion?

Natural vegetation like mangroves can help  reduce the impact of natural disasters because they keep the soil intact by their spiderweb-like root system, and help buffer the impact of the waves slamming against the shore. 

7. After listening to the other groups make their presentations, were there any ideas they had you would have used if you had though about it before-hand? You should list at least three different ideas and indicate why their idea is actually better for the environment than yours. 

Other ideas that i would have thought of before hand would be remembering to use light restrictions on the houses, making some of the facilities closer to the road, and nature trails. these ideas help the residents of the island observe nature at a better vantage point by use of the trails, makes it safer by making the buildings closer to the road, and light restrictions ensure the animals won't be drawn to human activity. 

A beach by any other name

Analysis of Results: Interpret and analyze your results for each station by answering the following questions in your science journal.

 Activity 1: A Beach by Any Other Name 
1. Contrast the differences between a primary and a secondary coastline.
A primary coast line is a coast line created by erosion and other geological processes where as a secondary coastline is formed by organic means.

2. Provide three examples of the processes involved in both primary and secondary coastline classifications.
Erosion, volcanic activity, and glaciers form primary coasts. Secondary coasts are formed by waves, marine life, and the lowering of the sea level.

3. Contrast the east and west coasts of the United States based on the primary forces that are responsible for shaping their coastlines.
The west coast's coasts are mostly glacial and volcanic. The east coast's coasts are erosion based with some secondary coasts to the south. There is also glacial coasts up towards the north.

 Activity 2: It's All in the Mix, A Study of Estuary Classification Based on Water Circulation. 
1. Based on your data, the profiles you graphed, and the information provided in your text, provide an explanation for the three distinct estuary circulations.
The first distinct estuary circulation is a salt wedge and this occurs when high-salinity seawater slips into the estuary under the less dense fresh water from a river.  The second distinct estuary circulation is a vertically mixed estuary where there is no distinct water layer. The third distinct estuary circulation are the between ones where the water partly mixes but there are still layers.

2. What are factors that could influence the circulation of water within an estuary?
Factors like temperature and pressure can influence water circulation in an estuary.

3. If you are fishing in an estuary that is well stratified is it possible to catch both freshwater and marine fish in the same general spot? Explain.
Yes, depending on the depth on which you are fishing.

4. Provide two examples of adaptations that estuary life had to make during their evolution that are different from open water marine species adaptations.
And adaptation made is that estuary's are where marine life go to be nursed and grow up until the organisms grow up and move out. Estuary's are like nurseries in the sense that they also provide protection from the elements, which is something open ocean marine organisms don't have.

 Activity 3: Judging a Book by its Cover 
1. Describe the economic services that are provided by estuaries.
Estuary's are like nurseries.

2. Describe the ecological services that are provided by estuaries.
Estuary's are nurseries that provide protection from the elements and other organisms.

3. No matter which estuaries are being discussed, they seem to be plagued by variations of the same
three different categories of human impacts. What are these impacts?
Pollution, development, and hunting/ fishing out the population.

4. Provide two examples of pollution problems that seem to be common in estuaries.
Trash and sewage are two examples of pollution problems that seem to be common in estuaries.

5. Provide two examples of development problems that seem to be common in estuaries.
Destruction of the fragile environment, and the development of structures on the habitats.

 

 

A grain of history

"You are to describe and discuss the eight sands you examined this week. Start with the table of data you assembled on the eight (8) sands you looked at, and continue by making an interpretation of the environment of two of the sands, how far each traveled, and their ultimate source areas. Use the below clues to help you." The Plum Island sand I observed was orange, had magnetite, was not fine in size, was moderately sorted, angular, and contained a variety of minerals such as quartz and garnet. The Key West sand sample I observed was white/ transparent in color, did not have magnetite, was not fine in size, angular, was well sorted and contained a variety of minerals and shells from ocean organisms. The Hampton Beach sand I observed was orange, black and white in color, did not have magnetite, was not fine in size, was roughly sorted, angular, and contained a variety of minerals including quartz and rocks such as granite. The St Martin's sand I observed was black and white, did not have magnetite, was not fine in size, angular, was poorly sorted and contained minerals and shells from organisms. The Praiade sand I observed was orange and transparent in color, had no magnetite, was fairly large in size, was well sorted, sub-angular, and contained a crystal minerals. The Maui sand I observed was orange, transparent, and black, had magnetite, was not fine in size, was poorly sorted, round-angular, and contained a variety of minerals and organic sediment as well. Desert Island sand I observed was orange/white, had magnetite, was big in size, angular,was well sorted and contained a variety of minerals and organic sediment. The Bonaire sand I observed was white, had no magnetite, was big in size, sub-angular, was well sorted and contained crystals.