Darren's+Compare+and+Contrast+essay

I chose this essay because this is a topic that we were discussing in our AP Environmental Science class. This topic was very intresting to me and had alot of information to include when typing the essay. The essay was also fun to see how different something that is so common could be so different in many ways.

Aquatic Biodiversity Even though both live in water and can swim, deep-sea fish and their shallow water brothers are completely different organisms. These two different types of organisms can be contrasted by the conditions in which they live, how they hunt, and how the use camouflage. Although there are many differences, these topics also provide a few similarities between the species. The two environments in which animals live in are incredibly different. At the surface, water pressure normally has an average of fourteen to fifteen pounds of pressure. As the water grows deeper, the pressure also increases. If shallow water fish and other land creatures were to reach these depths they would implode. Deep-sea creatures have a unique adaptation that helps them survive in these extreme conditions. These organisms have little to no lung capacity. This pushes all the air molecules into their muscles and tissues, enabling them to still move around and have life. When this happens, the creatures’ pressure becomes the same as the surrounding environment, which explains why they can live in such extreme conditions. Only a few aquatic mammals can survive in both ends of the spectrum. One example of these animals is the Sperm Whale. While on the surface they can use their lungs to inhale oxygen breath. But as they begin their decent, Sperm Whales can condense their lungs pushing the oxygen supply into their muscles, like the fish on the bottom of the sea. Only about one percent of oxygen is still left in their lungs. Most animals that live in a specific pressure area would die if brought to a new pressure. If a deep-sea fish were to be brought to a lower pressure, then their lungs and bladders would swell up to the point where they would burst and explode. This is why most fish at the bottom of the sea cannot be examined because they die when brought to a pressure that scientists can examine them at. These organisms also differ in the way that they hunt for their food. Fish that live in shallow water tend to use their speed and strategy to feed on large schools of fish. Often times, these fish will hunt in groups where they can then use their numbers and team work in order to prey on the smaller fish. Unlike shallow fish, organisms that dwell on the bottom of the ocean find food and hunt in other ways. Creatures at the bottom of the sea are not built for speed and generally don’t live in groups. The unique way these creatures hunt for food is through bioluminescent appendages. For example, the anglerfish has a rod-like limb, which lights up at the end through different chemical reactions. Some of these fish’s prey is attracted to this blinking sensation. Once the anglerfish draws its prey close enough it can attack quickly. This is effective because unlike the shallow water fish, they can conserve their energy for other purposes. Even though both of these species use camouflage in their everyday life, their types of camouflage are completely different. Shallow water fish tend to adapt and blend into their surrounding environment. Many types of these organisms develop pigment in their skin that is equal to that of the algae found on the coral surrounding. This helps to hide from predators, or can even help to hunt for their prey. This is effective because the shallow water predators may sneak up on unsuspecting fish and eat them. Deep-sea fish are different in the fact that they generally have no pigment at all. Most of these fish live so far down in the water that they don’t receive any sunlight. This can be effective against predators because they are see though and cannot be spotted by their predators. Deep-sea fish can also hide from their predators by releasing chemicals into the water that light up and confuse their enemy. Even though these two different types of animals live in similar environments, they’re but a few little things that make the organisms greatly different. A change in pressure may change the way the fish are structured and how chemical reactions in their body are carried out. This shows how just traveling a short distance into a new region or biome can provide a new and different variety of organisms.