Reflection on Mr.Watts' presentation

Last Friday Mr. Jamie Watts, who is a researcher in Antarctica for the British Antarctic Survey in 2004, while in Antarctica Mr.Watts studied fisheries and marine ecology. He came to talk to our science class about his work in Antarctica. During this presentation we learned a lot, and it helps us answer these question:

• What interaction between these animals did you notice?

Interactions between these animals that I noticed that there were not many kinds of interaction. It was a very competitive ecosystem, there is mostly predators who kill, and prey that that gets killed. So it's a very organism-eat-organism world.

• Why do animals migrate?

Many animals migrate due to the fact that it gets colder, and the animal cannot stand the cold so they move to a warmer climate. Or they move due to food when there food moves they move as well so they have to move to eat. Animals also move sometimes due to mating reasons, like salmon.

• How do animals know when it is right to reproduce? What conditions are they looking for?

Animals mostly reproduce when the food source is at its richest. And this is usually during the summer. The reason they do not reproduce in the spring, when the food source starts to become plentiful, is because they first feed themselves most of the spring and in summer they then reproduce.

• Adaptation of animals in the Antarctic usually include having blubber so that they can keep from in winter if they do not migrate. Migration is also when where when the climate is too cold animals simply move to a warmer climate that is more pleasant. Teeth, like in some seals, help they break through they ice so that they can get air from the surface. Also one bird which has a huge wing span

  , instead of flapping its wings, uses them to glide in the air. And the colossal squid has hooks on its tentacles so that when it grabs onto prey the only way the prey can go is into the squid’s mouth.

  · What various breeding rituals did the animals have?

  One ritual was with elephant seals in which the bull (male) would challenge another male a fight by bellowing. The males are fighting for all the females, so the winner will be able to breed with all the females in the group. It is usually the biggest who win in fights like this. Also when the male wins he is somewhat “in charge” and he decides what goes on in the group.

  · When do most large animals reproduce? What does it depend on?

  Most of the big animals need food for their young so they mate at times where the food source in there region is plentiful. So it depends on the time of year and season because this is what dictates when the food source is supplied.

  · How did this presentation provide examples of what we have been studying now?

  It showed us examples of animals reacting in ecosystems. How they adapt, when they reproduce, when they feed, what happens when it gets cold, literally how they survive in such a harsh ecosystem like the Antarctic. It also helped because the examples weren’t general they were quite specific each about a species of animal.

  · What are you wondering about now?

  I am wondering whether it is possible that different species, examples Gentoo and Macaroni penguins, ever end up accidently or possibly purposefully breeding together. Would this only be possible if there were very small numbers in a group and two groups came across each other? Or is it simply impossible? But species of bogs sometimes mix but do they have different mating restrictions than humans.

  · How did Mr. Watts help tie in everything that we have been discussing during this unit?

  He helped us understand how intricate ecosystems actually are. By explaining in great detail of each little part of the ecosystem the whole idea of what the ecosystem is actually about comes together much easier, somewhat like a jigsaw puzzle. I understood that the Antarctic is harsh but also has much more life then I would have thought.

  The Antarctic is a cold place and not much life there, but it is much more of an interesting and complex ecosystem and the organisms that do live there are very interesting.