Activity Problem: Creating a Trophic Cascade
As you have learned, there are a lot of factors that make a marine animal suited to its environment. For this assignment, you are going to design a new marine species and suppose that you are introducing it into a marine ecosystem. Imagine that you have been tasked with introducing this species to a group of fellow marine scientists. You can either do a presentation using presentation software or create an encyclopedia entry for your species. Both should have an illustration of the species and contain the following information:
a) A physical description of the species
b) A description of the requirements for the habitat
c) What the species eats
d) Any natural predators for the species
e) Adaptations that allow the species to compete in the environment
f) The population cycle for the species
By introducing a species, you are also creating a trophic cascade. Conclude your presentation or encyclopedia with a discussion of the impact of the trophic cascade on all levels of the food pyramid.
If you choose to do a presentation with presentation software, it should be free of mechanical errors, well organized, and easy to read. If you choose to encyclopedia-style entry, it should also be free of mechanical errors and clearly organized.