Chitika

Monday, April 15, 2013

Learn about Marine Life

By Alex Bruce


Most fish have a special part inside their bodies called a swim bladder. Air inside the swim bladder helps the fish float through the water. The fish can adjust how much air is in its swim bladder. If it wants to swim deeper, it lets some air out and if it wants to swim up towards the surface, it will let more air into its swim bladder.

Many marine mammals live in very cold water. They have blubber to insulate their bodies and keep them warm in the cold ocean waters. Blubber is a really thick layer of fat between the animal's skin and inside organs. It is very effective at keeping an animal warm. The gray whale's layer of blubber is about 10 inches thick!

Another important dive was the Trieste. The Trieste's first dive was made in 1953. In the years following, the bathyscape was used for a number of oceanographic research projects, including biological observation, and in 1957 she was chartered and later purchased by the U.S. Navy. The Navy continued to use the bathyscape for oceanographic research off the coast of San Diego, and later used the Trieste for a submarine recovery mission off the U.S. east coast. The bathyscape was retired following the U.S. Navy's commission of the Trieste II external, and is currently on exhibit at the Washington Naval Historical Center external.

Sharks have several rows of sharp pointed teeth and powerful jaws to tear off big pieces of food, which they swallow whole. They don't even need to chew their food! Sometimes sharks lose teeth, but when they do, new ones grow in their place. Sharks have several rows of teeth. They eat bony fish, squid, marine mammals, and even sea turtles. They have an excellent sense of smell, which helps them find food. Many sharks eat near the surface of the water, but will also dive down deeper in search of food.

The aquatic displays and hands-on touch tanks at aquariums introduce children and parents to our local marine flora and fauna. Outreach programs are developed and presented by our marine staff and focus on place-based experiences and a hands-on approach to learning.




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