2A+Bluefin+Tuna

media type="file" key="2a bluefin tuna savannah and caroline.wmv"



Description of Ecosystem Many people assume that the bluefin tuna lives in the ocean and they are correct; but there is more to the ecosystem than salt water. The bluefin tuna lives in a marine ecosystem in the euphotic zone (sunlight zone). Temperature in this zone ranges from 28 to 104 degrees F. On average, the depth of this zone extends to about 660 feet (depth of the ocean averages about 13,000 feet). The euphotic zone captures enough light for photosynthesis stating plants and other photosynthetic organisms live here.

__Abiotic Factors __ · Sunlight/ euphotic zone · Cold water -28-104 degrees F · Saltwater / 3.3-3.7% -Atlantic · Mid-equator in Atlantic Ocean · 34% of oxygen in water.

__Biotic Factors __ Primary- Zooplankton Secondary- Bluefin tuna, snapper, octopus, sardine, pelican, shrimp, crab, walrus Tertiary- Jellyfish, people, sharks, dolphins, and killer whales

Importance Some people don’t care about what will happen if the bluefin tuna goes extinct. However, this sort of thinking is quite mistaken—if the bluefin tuna is no longer living then their food source, sardines, will overpopulate. Then, when sardines go to find their own food there won’t be enough for all of the fish. After just a short while half of the ocean is in chaos with not enough of this species and too much of this species. As you can see the life source of one fish can affect many other fish. This problem is easily avoided and it is vitally essential to save this important fish.

Threats The bluefin tuna fish are rapidly inching toward extension and the only threat to the fish is people. Lately, the bluefin tuna has been caught in purse seine nets-they have been responsible for 60-80% of the tunas catch. Once the fish are caught, they are transferred to tuna farms. Then, they’re put in cages where the tuna are fattened for Japanese sushi and sashimi market. Since people are the reason, the bluefin tuna are almost extinct we can have control to change likely outcome.

Conservation Plan Conservation of the bluefin tuna should first include: having the governments of countries find out where the bluefin lives. Then, they should educate the fisherman and other human populations to stop pulling this creature out from the ocean. These education programs should include helping fisherman learn how to catch fish besides the bluefin and where to go. It should teach to help them keep their profit on a different fish. Next, ichthyologist should collect this species to facilitate captive breeding programs. This will restore the genetic differences of the bluefin tuna population.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Californian FB','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">Picture links for Photo story <span style="font-family: 'Californian FB','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[] Bluefin Tuna- Drawing. [] -The Ocean [] -Fishing Boats [] -School of Bluefin [] -Two Bluefin Tuna [] -Big Bluefin [] - Bluefin Tuna as Food

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Californian FB','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Picture Links for Food Web <span style="font-family: 'Californian FB','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">[] -Jellyfish

[] -dolphin

[] -shark

[] -octopus

[] -walrus [] - pelican [] -shrimp

[] -crab

[] -zooplankton

[] -snapper [] -sardine

[] -bluefin tuna [] -people [] -killer whales [] -bacteria