Organism Relationships

Here I created a food web describing the different animals you woud find in the Gates of Arctic. This food web contains consumers(carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores), producers, decomposers, autotrophs, and heterotrophs.

Consumers eat other organisms whether animal, plant or both. Producers are organisms that dont consume other organisms, they provide food to consumers. Decomposers break down organisms. Autotrophs are organisms that produces its own food. Lastly, heterotrophs consume other organisms to get energy.

*Click on image of food web to view it.

Symbiosis

Spider Crab and Algae

The spider crab and the algae. Spider crabs live in shallow areas of the ocean floor, and greenish-brown algae lives on the crabs' backs, making the crabs blend in with their environment, and unnoticeable to predators. The algae gets a good place to live, and the crab gets camouflage. This is an example of commensalism. Commensalism is whereone organism is benefitted while the other isnt affected.

Otters and Kelp

Otters often float and sleep on forests of kelp (giant brown seaweed) in which they entangle themselves to provide anchorage in the swirling sea. In return the sea otters eat the sea urchins which feed off the kelp. This is an example of mutualism. Mutualism is where both organisms are benefitted. In this case, the otter benefits from the kelp and sea urchins and the sea urchins benefit from the kelp.

References:

Evolution. (n.d.). Evolution. Retrieved May 24, 2014, from http://www.necsi.edu/projects/evolution/co-evolution/mutualistic/co-evolution_mutualistic.html

Symbiotic RelationshipsIn a symbiotic relationship, two different species of organisms live close together and one member always benefits from the relationship. The other member may also benefit, or it may be harmed or unaffected by the relationship. There are three main forms of symbiosis: (1) mutualism, (2) commensalism and (3) parasitism. MOUSEOVER the pictures to learn more .... (n.d.). Symbiosis with video links. Retrieved May 24, 2014, from http://www.vtaide.com/png/symbiosis.htm

SEAOTTERS.COM – POWERED BY CUTENESS™. (n.d.). SEAOTTERSCOM POWERED BY CUTENESS RSS. Retrieved May 24, 2014, from http://seaotters.com/2012/09/07/thanks-to-sea-otters-kelp-forests-absorb-vast-amounts-of-co2/