LTN 2017-2018 ISSUES

6

Let’s Talk Trash! MAY/JUNE 2018

©2018 The Keenan Group, Inc

Blob fish by geoffrey canada The blobfish, this gooey mass of weird looking fish, is a deep sea animal that lives in waters off Australia and New Zealand between 2,000 and 3,900 feet below the surface of the ocean. The first blobfish was discovered in 2003 and was brought on land to study. And honestly, it’s name is right on the money. Blobfish have no muscles whatsoever, causing them to only float around and wait for food to swim into its mouth, and only very soft bones, because any other type would be crushed by the weight of the ocean. This body also affects its appearance. While it’s theorized that it only looks this way because of the much lighter pressure closer to the surface, the blobfish was voted to be World’s Ugliest Creature in 2013. This creature, however ugly it may be, is amazingly unique. However, it is sadly critically endangered, with only an estimated 420 left in the world. This incredibly low amount is partially caused by trash in the ocean. Since blobfish don’t hunt and just wait for things to float or swim into its mouth, sometimes blobfish accidentally eat trash and die. While it won’t be by a significant amount, reducing the amount of litter tossed in the ocean will help raise the amount of blobfish in the world.

Giraffes are one of the most unique animals on the planet. Giraffes are found in Africa and they roam the plains. They are the world’s tallest living land animals. Not only are giraffes tall but they also have a crazy pattern on them. A lot like a human fingerprint, no two giraffes have the exact same spot pattern. The spots serve as camouflage for the giraffe. They resemble the shadows that trees cast with their leaves. Another feature that giraffes have is their tongues. Their tongue can be up to 20 inches long (over a foot and a half) and they are a dark blue-black color. Giraffes use their amazing tongues to reach the leaves on trees that may be higher up. Giraffes spend most of their time eating. They require over 75 pounds of food a day! Male and female giraffes have fur covered horns call ossicones but only males use them. So, as you can see giraffes have many interesting features. They are one of the most unique creature on the planet. How did giraffes get their spots? by Kayla Johnson

Scientists discovered the world’s first warm-blooded fish Researchers said that this deepwater denizen is the first fish known to be fully warm-blooded, circulating heated blood throughout its body, enabling it to be a vigorous predator in frigid ocean depths. Tuna and certain sharks can warm specific regions of their body such as swimming muscles, brain and eyes in order to forage in chilly depths but must return to the surface to protect vital organs such as the heart from the effects of the cold. The opah , also called the moonfish, internally generates heat through constant flapping of wing-like pectoral fins, with an average muscle temperature about 7 degrees to 9 degrees Fahrenheit (4-5 degrees Celsius) above the surrounding water temperature at the time. The opah is a rusty reddish color, has white spots and bright red fins. It weighs up to 200 pounds (90 kg) and is about the size of a car tire, with an oval body shape. Found in oceans worldwide, it spends most of its time at depths of 165-1,300 feet (50-400 meters), hunting fish and squid. Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-discovered-the-worlds-first-warm-blooded-fish-2015-5 water bears - tardigrade by emma stafford When you think about the ocean animals, what do you think about? Assuming you thought about dolphins, sharks, or Nemo, but did you think about an animal that can live in space for up to five years without help? Yes, I am talking about the amazing tardigrade, also known as the water bear or moss piglet. The water bear is a microorganism that was first described by J.A.E. Goeze in 1773. Lazzaro Spallanzani named them Tardigrade, which means, “slow stepper.” The tardigrade can live without air, water, extreme cold, and heat. These little creatures have been known to survive in weather as low as -200°C and as high as 151°C; to put in perspective we can only survive to 115°C if you are lucky. There are over 900 species and the tardigrade can exist anywhere on Earth. It’s hard to believe that a creature this resilient can exist on the face of Earth but they are really out there and they are pushing through each of their microscopic days.

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