This beautiful orange red Ibis is the Scarlet Ibis, also known by scientific name Eudocimus ruber. You can find the Scarlet Ibis in northern South America stretching from Venezuela to eastern Brazil. The Scarlet Ibis follows migratory patterns like most birds do traveling according to the season. It prefers swampy environments such as mud flats and shallow bays preferring to roost and nest in trees. This bird is another animal which relies on the mangrove for safety.

The Scarlet Ibis belongs in the same family as spoonbills but all Ibises have slightly webbed feet and a thin downward curved bill. They fly like geese with their neck stretched all the way forward and their beak pointed forward as well. Ibises are wading birds but the Scarlet Ibis can be told apart by its intense red plumage. The Scarlet Ibis’ bright red color fades to pink in captivity unless they are given a specific diet of high protein and shrimp meat. This is interesting because the Scarlet Ibis is different from the Flamingo in it's coloration. While the intense red will fade it’s color is natural and based on nutrient intake rather than carotenoid rich prey food.

The Scarlet Ibis makes a honking noise to communicate in various situations. The young have a different shrieking sound they use to attract their parents’ attention for food. The mature adults use honking noises during mating and an important fact is touch is important during courtship. The male and female will greet each other with a honk, wrap their necks together, then the male and the female make different noises from each other. The male makes a honking sound and the female will make a shrill squealing sound.

As the same difference between the flamingos and the scarlet Ibis is the pigment of their feathers that the flamingos pink color will fade with time thus protecting it from hunters, the scarlet Ibis will maintain its extraordinary pigmentation. Since this is the case, the Scarlet Ibis is a target for hunters who use the bright red feathers as decorative objects. There is no real negative impact towards humans from the scarlet Ibis except in large flocks the Scarlet Ibis is considered a nuisance in places close to human habitations. The Scarlet Ibis is not considered to be in any immediate danger but it is protected by the US migratory bird treaty act, are listed as Appendix II by CITES and are excluded from the IUCN Red list.

The common name is Caribbean Flamingo and its scientific name is Phoenicopterus ruber. It is mainly located in the Caribbean the Yucatan peninsula and the Galapagos islands. it has three main color variations pink, red, and orange. The Caribbean Flamingo reaches heights of 1.2-1.4 meters(3.9-4.6 feet) and generally weighs 2.2-2.8 kg (4.9-6.2 lbs.).

Its life expectancy has been observed to be 25 years in the wild with a maximum of 44 years. Although flamingos live to an average of 30 years in captivity the oldest Flamingo in the world is over 75 years old and resides at the Adelaide zoo in Australia. There is no real economic importance or use for humans where flamingos are concerned so they are generally safe from predation for sale in the market and their feathers lose their color overtime so even the feathers are not sought after.

A loud deep honking call similar to a goose is how Caribbean flamingos call to each other especially during courtship, of course they can regulate the volume of their honking for different behaviors and purposes. Caribbean flamingos are the only Flamingo to naturally inhabit North America and the color flamingos possess is not a natural color but comes from somewhere else entirely, it's food. Their downward curving bills have narrow grooves in them that fit together like teeth on the top and bottom. Caribbean flamingos feed on insects, worms, vegetation, algae, and whatever else they filter out of the sediment they stir up into the water with their feet as they start to feed.

Carotenoid compounds from small crustaceans or are absorbed by their digestive system and delivered to their plumage which causes the vibrant pigment flamingos are known for. They feed during the day by holding their heads down and sweeping their bills through shallow water, they draw water into their bills by opening and closing their beaks. They move their tongue up and down five to six times per second and this helps to push water out of their bills through the grooves in their beaks while keeping food inside of the bill itself.

One interesting thing to note about the bill is it's shape is curved downward. It is noteworthy to say that the Flamingo is the only bird with this physical characteristic. The beak itself Is uniquely designed by nature to perform the flamingos task of eating. What I mean is the beak it is designed in reverse, when the Flamingo puts its head down the bill is shaped like a spoon and the other unique physical characteristic of the Flamingo is it's mandible, that is it's jaw. The flamingos beak is hinged with the upper jaw to moving freely while the lower jaw is fixed in place because it is fused to the skull or skeleton. This unique trait allows the Flamingo to feed with optimal success while its head is down to the water.

Wild flamingos don't have very many predators there is a very short list of animals who will take advantage of nests full of eggs or maybe the unwary Flamingo who will be eaten for its meat. This list is Turkey vultures, foxes, Badgers, wild boars, yellow-legged gulls, and humans.

Bahama Sea Star

scientific name: Oreaster Reticulus

Linnaeus 1758

Common name: Bahama or Cushion Sea Star

commercially prohibited species in Florida

The Bahama Sea Star is mainly located in tropical saltwater or marine bodies of water; aquatic biomes are benthic (Sea Floor) or reef areas. Their habitat features intertidal or littoral areas. It is so interesting, land just below sea level when the tide is high and just above sea level when the tide is low. From around South Carolina to the Caribbean islands, these Sea Stars are most common in the shallows and tend to be found on course calcereous sandy bottoms isolated or surrounded by sea grass.

The Bahama Sea Star can grow up to .50 meters in diameter and can be found 1 through 37 meters or 3.28 feet through 121.39 feet in depth.

Reproduction is external sperm and eggs are let loose in the current and fertilization occurs in the water. In subtropical areas reproduction occurs synchronously, that is altogether. In warmer ”tropical” areas, out of season spawning can happen throughout the year. Sea Stars eggs are buoyant and float around on the current. The larvae are not buoyant and will settle in seagrass beds. Sexual maturity is reached at 12 mm in size rather than time span.

While the Bahama Sea Star is not on the IUCN Red list, CITES appendices, or the United States Endangered Species List yet it is protected in the Caribbean because of overexploitation by souvenir hunters.

Quick facts about the anchor coral; its scientific name is Euphyla ancora and its common name is anchor coral. You wouldn’t expect this from a coral but the anchor coral has a high level of aggression. Anchor corals have sweeper tentacles that will sting neighboring corals. Its exotic coloration differs from specimen to specimen like people. These colors have been catalogued gold, green, purple, and gray in various combinations. The anchor coral's natural habitat can be found in parts of the Indian and Pacific Ocean. In their natural habitat E. ancora colonies can grow to a yard in size. Unfortunately, the natural range has dramatically decreased in the past few decades and is categorized as vulnerable on the endangered species list.

The Pacific cleaner shrimp known by its scientific name as Lysmata amboinensis. The Pacific cleaner shrimp is omnivorous and feeds on parasites and dead tissue from fish. The Pacific cleaner shrimp is typically long lived meaning It's lifespan is at least three years.

This sea sponges Scientific name is Carteriospongia foliascens and it has a widespread thin-walled body it uses to filter organisms and debris from the water. It is a filter feeder usually found in Marine or saltwater. Usually shallow water, specifically in tropical coastal waters and its depth really only depends on the where the Larva decides to root itself in the ocean. Carteriospongia foliascens are members of the class Demospongiae and they are hermaphroditic. This sponge develops larva inside of its body and releases them when it is ready. The larva swim freely until they find a suitable location where they take root and transform into a new sponge.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

The Lined Seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) ranges anywhere from 2 through 230 feet deep in Marine habitats of the North and South American Atlantic coastlines The lined seahorse can usually be found clinging to aquatic vegetation such as seagrass or mangrove roots. This does not mean that sponges, corals and floating sargassum are not out of reach of the Lined Sea Horse. while adults swim freely in the mid water or stay within the habitat seagrass, juveniles will be found swimming close to the surface of the water. The seahorse retreats into deeper waters during the winter months. For the most part lined seahorses range in color from Gray, orange, brown, yellow, and red to black. It is common for brown specimens to have a lighter front side while the back is distinctly brown. There are characteristic white lines leading from the neck down to the tail which is why this fish's common name is “Lined Seahorse”. Seahorses do not have teeth and their long snouts accommodate their diet of small shrimp, very small fish, and plankton. The most unbelievable thing is the seahorse swallows their food whole. The seahorse lives for approximately one year and grows to a maximum length of 7.5 inches or 19 centimeters. Adult maturity is reached at lengths of 2.2-2.8 inches and males develop brood pouches at 5-7 months of age. While the tails of seahorses are normally seen to be curled up they can be straightened and curled again in order to hang onto objects for support, this is called a prehensile tail.

Seahorses have a courtship dance like birds of prey except Seahorses are suspended in water and they can hold tails while they swim snout to snout engaged in this courtship dance. The brood pouch that grows on the males is for the females to deposit eggs into where he will seal his pouch and fertilize the eggs, holding on to them so they hatch developing past the larval stage of their life cycle into the juvenile stage.

While the seahorse doesn't have very many natural predators and only real purpose that humans have for collecting them is as souvenirs from the sea. This is the reason why this seahorse is protected under appendix II with CITIES, unregulated and uncontrolled commercial trade of this species has seriously affected the population of risk species. Outside of commercial trade the seahorses’ main problems are caused by their habitats being destroyed and pollution.

Lionfish (Pterois volitans ) are part of the scorpionfish family they are located mainly and originate from the Indo Pacific Ocean regions. It is really important to remember that the lion fish have venomous spines and these spines can produce painful puncture wounds which can get infected if not treated immediately. These wounds rarely cause death. Each species of this fish has the characteristic elongated fin spines differentiating by species in coloration. Although each species has different distinct coloration they are all marked by the bold zebralike stripes. The fish will become aggressive if it feels threatened, the lion fish will spread its fins in an aggressive display to make itself seem bigger and If it continues to feel threatened the lionfish will tackle the perceived threat and attack with its dorsal fins.

While the lionfish is not a picky eater it's coloration and its fins make it a very obvious predator. The lionfish has found a way around this though, it aggressively maneuvers and traps its prey by maneuvering fish with its fins corralling them into a corner. The lionfish is an invasive species that is believed to have been released into the Atlantic Ocean on purpose by pet owners with exotic fish tanks and damages from hurricanes to pet stores washing lionfish into the sea. The lionfish has proliferated and established a healthy colony of lionfish along the eastern seaboard of the United States as far down as the Bahama islands. They are aggressive hunters and they eat over 50 species of fish. The problem is the fish the lionfish is eating are vital to the environment (coral reef).

Blubber Jellyfish

Scientific Name: Catostylus mosaicus

Animal type: Invertebrate

Range: Pacific Ocean Mostly in Coastal waters

Diet: Microplankton, small fish, and some crustaceans

Coastal waters of eastern and northern Australia are primarily where the blubber jellyfish can be found. Something interesting is they can also be found in intertidal estuaries. Even though they can be found in estuaries and open water they may drift to shore due to tides and wind. I found intertidal estuaries to be interesting because they are areas where the water invades the land due to the moon's movement.

The blubber jellyfish is carnivorous, it feeds primarily on zoo plankton. Even though it has no mouth there are many tiny openings in its tentacles. The tentacles also have stinging cells that can capture small crustaceans and other types of zoo plankton.

The bell of this Jelly can be up to 16 inches wide. The body is rounded up top and there are eight textured arms, each arm with three wings. The color of each blubber jellyfish varies from brown, white, or pale blue. They have a white cross inside the body, visible through the bell up to 35 centimeters across.

The Atlantic sea nettle can be found throughout brackish and salty waters. Along with brackishness and saltiness there are different environments where this sort of water is in actual open waters and tidal rivers. Very specifically the sea nettle can be found in open waters and tidal rivers with cool temperatures and saltwater. They can be found in Cape Cod, along the southern and eastern coast of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico. The superior numbers of Atlantic sea nettle in Chesapeake Bay is awe inspiring.

The fully developed Atlantic Sea Nettle has a total of 48 tentacles and it’s total length is 50 cm or 19.69 in. It's tentacles have stinging cells in them that work like harpoon guns with ropes attached to them. These harpoons have jellyfish toxin or inject toxin from the jellyfish into of the prey food. These stinging cells are called nematocysts and its prey include small fish, aquatic or marine worms, small crustaceans, zooplankton, and other jellyfish. Some animals which actually eat the Atlantic sea nettle are leatherback turtles, ocean sunfish, other jellyfish, and humans.

The Atlantic Sea Nettle is a keystone species meaning that it plays a very important role in the food chain. The Atlantic Sea Nettle not only protects one of its main predators by feeding on their predators but later in life it will become the prey and food of a species that it once protected. When the Atlantic Sea Nettle dies it's body collects on the underwater sediment and becomes nutrients for smaller species like plankton. The Atlantic Sea Nettle has both a positive and negative economic impact on humans and the way that they affect the ecosystem, through its natural existence plankton are more bountiful and because of the plankton shellfish and finfish are more abundant. The negative impacts mostly have to do with deterring human activity in the water itself. The populations of the Atlantic sea nettle are not under consideration for conservation status on the IUCN Red list, the US Federal list, or the CITES.

Hawksbill sea turtles can travel from 500 up to 1000 miles between nesting beaches and foraging areas some populations such as Hawkbills and Hawaii and why and regions migrate shorter distances. Hawksbills use a variety of different habitats during different stages of their life cycle. For the most part hawksbill turtles stay near foraging areas, for the most part baby turtles will swim out to the open sea and live plant life floating in the ocean. There are great bundles of kelp, and algae which clumps together into a vast mats and drifts on the currents of the ocean. A large population of hawksbill sea turtles have been found in the mangroves of the eastern Pacific ocean. The hawksbill sea turtle feeds primarily on sponges. the sea turtle will eat small fish and jellyfish even though I prefers to eat sponges. it uses its beak to get to the sponges it likes to eat on the coral reef. Some of their diet includes marine algae parts of corals, mollusks, tunicates, small crustaceans, sea urchins, small fish, jellyfish, and the occasional anemone.

Hawksbills lifespan is estimated to be somewhere near 50 or 60 years, even though humanity as a whole has not observed the hawksbill's full lifespan. Hawksbills are also estimated to reach maturity between 20 to 35 years of age, every one to five years female hawksbill turtles will return to nest on beaches in general areas where they hatched decades earlier. Hawksbills will lay three to five nests per season and each nest will contain an average of 130 to 160 eggs. Each nesting season is different depending on the location and ranges from April to November. The eggs are laid during the night High up on the beach underneath or inside of vegetation. The beaches that they choose as nesting sites have little to no send or a rocky surface. The eggs incubates for about two months when they hatch. This is the beginning of the battle For the turtles, as they make their way out of the sand predators like coyotes and foxes wait for them in the brush. On their way to the water seagulls and other birds wait for the chance to eat the small soft turtle. Sometimes they don't even get eaten they just get pierced by a beak and left on the beach. A forgotten meal.

The hawksbill sea turtle is on the endangered species list throughout its entire range of habitats. This turtle is listed on the international list as critically endangered meaning there is a high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future. The US endangered species conservation act was established in 1970 in order to attempt to protect sea turtles and their habitats. There are fisheries with are there many countries including the United states Fish and Wildlife service who protect nesting beaches in order to attempt to assist in the survival of the species.