Microplastic Findings in UK waters a Success

The last time I posted on here was to talk about the research i was carrying through about microplastics within the UK oceans and i can proudly say it was a success. I have put the results on my linked in page for any interested readers to take a look at (the link will be placed on this blog).

For many students whom read this blog and study at university or school, I hope it does help you as a quick study guide. I will be writing more frequently again as soon the summer is over for you all, i was having a break away from this myself.

As my dissertation showed the microplastics have been found in UK waters i have decided to go on to do further study within the area. I have already looked a micro marine wildlife being affected across the South-East Kent Coast therefore I starting to come more inland to look at urban areas to view where the main sources are coming from and compare management techniques. All of this will be done with the same university i was with in my undergraduate (Canterbury Christ Church University)

If  you do have any question do feel free to get in contact as always! :) and the link below is my research paper, the link will direct you to linked in but go to the Canterbury Christ Church section and click on the Marine Pollution Bulletin.


The Potential effects of Microplastics on Biodiversity across the South East Kent Coastline

I am trying to get public funding with my further study due the equipment and material that have to be used in the effort to try and reduce the amount of plastic/Microplastic that mount up in the oceans. I have set up a go fund me page in the changes of funding. But my Research is driven more from passion, the love of helping the environment thrive and still stand in such a world that is man made now. I know as humans we don't realize are actions are making things bad for animals therefore there are other humans that pick up the pieces.

Save the Oceans Please 

The 3 Strategies of survial

K- Strategist

• Stable environments are labelled by species with a K-strategy

Such animals tend to large, long-lived and invest a large amount of energy into rearing their offspring ensuring they have a higher survival rate.

Elephants are within the  K -species as they rear for their young to induce a higher survival rate therefore most of their energy is placed into that instead of surviving the unstable conditions they have adapted to K-strategist.

Population levels tend to remain stable

(More related to mortality then environmental influences)

R- Strategist

• Fluctuating Environments are labelled by species in the R-strategy

These tend to be small, short-lived species. whom invest all their energy in producing more offspring then the K species, the population density can get low due to parental care being minimum.



Mice are within the R-strategy as they have so many offspring that minimum care can be giving to all off the offspring from the mother therefore she actually produces a low density due to deaths at young ages.

Low survival rates but tend to maximum use of temporary environments

A table showing the Differences between R and K;

 

Table show the differences between R and K

The graph above shows lifespans of fish which is a R species therefore has a short lifespan but higher density (Blue line) and Dugongs which is a K species which population level tends to remain high therefore it lives longer (red line)

Bet-Hedging

• Bet-hedging strategies alter strategies according to their environment

some spread their life histories over variables time periods, others respond to their environments by laying eggs and then moving on.





the graph above shows how bet hedging works the growth of the plants is unpredictable by fitness as the plant is using mechanisms of change to survive in unpredictable circumstances.

PESTS! - MAINLY R-STRATEGISTS.

Past Paper example

DESCRIBE THE MAIN BEHAVIOURAL ADAPTATIONS FOR CONSEVING HEAT IN MAMMALS.
Adaptations help organisms survive in their habitats or ecological Niche, adaptations can be behavioural or physiological.
 Behavioural adaptations can be inherited or learnt and include tool use, language and swarming behaviour. for example Heat tolerant animals and adaptations for survival in hot places. Many animals try to avoid the heat by hiding away during the hottest parts of the day in burrows and dens. Others have physical adaptations that help body heat dissipate, such as large ears. To avoid being scorched.
but animals that are Cold tolerant  have evolved various methods for coping with very low temperatures. Some animals hibernate, take shelter, or even migrate to warmer areas. Others, such as Antarctic seals, have warm fur and a thick layer of blubber for insulation. where as Arctic foxes have short noses, legs, and ears. But has a big furry tail to wrap around them to isolate them during the icy storms at night. They only hunt during they day to avoid the harsh winter night

• HOW MIGHT A MARINE MAMMAL BALANCE IT'S CELLULAR OSMOLARITY WITH IT'S ENVIRONMENT?

Marine Animals are osmoconformers their body fluids are similar to seawater in osmolalrity, so they gain and lose water at equal rates and have no need to expend energy expelling water or salt from the body. However, if they are placed in water more or less concentrated than seawater, their tissues shrink or swell, their organelles and cell membranes are damaged, and they die

DESCRIBE THE RESPIRATORY PATHWAYS WHICH MIGHT BE EMPOLYED DURING THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES OF MODERATE EXERCISE CARRIED OUT BY AN ATHLETE?

 Nutrients are built upon an understanding of how nutrients such as carbohydrate, fat, and protein contribute to the fuel supply needed by the body to perform exercise. These nutrients get converted to energy in the form of Adenosine Triphosphate or ATP.

It is from the energy released by the breakdown of ATP that allows muscle cells to contract. However, each nutrient has unique properties that determine how it gets converted to ATP. for example carbohydrates is the main nutrient that fuels exercise of a moderate to high intensity, while fat can fuel low intensity exercise for long periods of time. Proteins are generally used to maintain and repair body tissues, - not normally a power source

• WHAT ARE THE RELATIVE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF ENDOTHERMY?

An endotherm is an organism which maintains its body at a metabolically favourable temperature, largely by the use of heat set free by its internal bodily functions instead of relying almost purely on ambient heat.
therefore....
1. Endothermic animals can inhabit areas that are too cold for ectothermic animals. They also have the ability to be active even when it is cold. 

 2. Ectothermic animals need far less food. As much as 80% of the food energy acquired by an endothermic animal is used just to keep warm

• HOW DO ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE CHANGES AFFECT CELLULAR RESPIRATION IN AN ECTOTHERM?

An Ectotherm are so called cold blooded animals that rely on external sources such as sunlight or rock faces to heat up there internal bodies. Therefore Environmental temperature is vital to Ectotherms,  if the environment temperature lowers cellular respiration could be affected due to the enzyme structures within the body being affected meaning growth, breathing, sexual interaction, are all depleting slowly.

• HOW MIGHT AN ECTOTHERM RESPOND TO THESE CHANGES?

Ectotherms will respond quickly to these changes and find shade to equal there temperature to what it should be or if it needs to be higher they will find sun and bask in it to increase the temperature.

• WHAT ARE THE MAIN FACTORS AFFECTING THE EFFICIENCY OF GAS DIFFUSION FROM THE LUNG TO THE TISSUES OF AN ANIMAL?

Temperature (Viscosity of medium)
Area over which exchange occur
Concentration gradient
Distance over which Substance diffuse









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EXPANDING MY BLOG

Hey, Science lovers and Readers

This is a personal message. I am now expanding my blogs to social media.



 TWITTER. if you have twitter follow me on @Science_nerd101 you can ask me question or have a chat, it would be lovely!

I have finally created the account, got it up and running! it will get better over time.


I will be posting the recent blogs up there so you can keep up and also the occasional fact and just the reminder of what definitions mean etc....





@Science_nerd101