Name______Class______Date______

Ocean Biodiversity Lab & HOO Eats Who Food Web Lab

Warm-up:

List 5 abiotic or biotic factors of the ocean ecosystem.

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Background:

Did you know the ocean makes up most of our planet? And did you know life on Earth actually began in the ocean billions of years ago? Because it is so large and so old, the ocean biome has developed high biodiversity. This means there are a lot of different types of organisms in the ocean. These organisms interact with each other and with their environment to create the ocean’s ecosystems. Because the ecosystem is so connected to its organisms and the environment, changes in the environment can have huge impacts on the ecosystem.

Directions:

  1. Look at the invertebrates and observe them.

What types of animals do you see? Where have you seen them before?

  1. Write down three observations:

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  1. Observethe invertebrates and look closely at their features.

Are they smooth or rough? Are they soft or hard? What defenses do they have? What do they do if they don’t have defenses? Do they have a mouth? What do you think they eat? Do they make their own food?

  1. Write down and answer three questions from the list above.

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  1. Think about how these organisms fit in the ocean ecosystem.

If one of these animals disappeared from the Earth, what do you think would happen? (HINT: THINK, Is it a keystone species?)

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Microscope Directions:

  1. Look at the microscope slide andobserve it.
  2. Draw what you see with your naked eye (without the microscope)
  1. Hypothesize how many different organisms you will find in this dish. Make a guess! ______
  2. Test your hypothesis by looking in the microscope and counting the number of different organisms you find. You are counting the biodiversityof this ecosystem!
  3. Record that number. ______
  4. Draw three of the different organisms you find and write a short description of each.

Description: ______

  1. Conclude how well your hypothesis of the number of organisms matched the number you counted.

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Extended Conclusion:

  1. Pick your favorite organism that you saw today and write it down here (look at your notes to find its name, or describe it if you can’t remember). ______
  2. How could an oil spill like the one in the Gulf of Mexico affect this organism and its environment?

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  1. What might happen to the rest of the organisms we looked at if this organism disappeared?

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HOO EATS WHO? LAB

Procedure: Read handout and directions on how to make food web poster. FOLLOW VERY CAREFULLY. Once food web poster is completed, then continue to the analysis portion below.

Analysis:

  • After you have completed the food web, give one example of each of the following terms from your food web. (Note: while a human is an omnivore, there are no humans on your food web, so they cannot be used).
  • If any of the terms are not represented in your food web, put a star (*) next to the term, and give me any example you can think of.

1)Food Chain: (Use arrows to show energy flow)

2)Predator – Prey relationship:

3)Predator:

4)Prey:

5)Competition:

6)Producer:

7)Consumer:

8)Decomposer:

9)Herbivore:

10)Omnivore:

11)Autotroph:

12)Heterotroph:

13)Primary Consumer (1o) :

14)Secondary Consumer (2o):

15)Tertiary Consumer (3o):

16)What is the difference between a food chain & a food web?

17)Fold your food web into 8½ x 11 size, place your lab packets (both partners) within the folded web and hand in your lab.

Figuring out….. HOO eats WHO?

COLOR CODED ARROW KEY

Consumer

/

“Foods” they Eat

Owl / Field mouse, Vole, Bird, Shrew, Mole, Lizard, Grasshopper, Beetle, Moth
Field Mouse / Grass, Seeds, Grasshopper, Beetle, Moth
Vole / Grass, Seeds, Plant Roots Grasshopper, Beetle, Moth
Bird / Seeds, Grasshopper, Beetle, Moth
Shrew / Grasshopper, Beetle, Moth
Mole / Grasshopper, Beetle, Moth
Lizard / Flowers, Seeds, Grasshopper, Beetle, Moth
Grasshopper / Grass, Seeds, Leaves
Beetle / Leaves, Flowers, Seeds
Moth / Flowers

Color