Ocean Awareness

1. Ocean Awareness Mangrove significance • Chelsey Donholt • Mr. Wilkie • Period 1

2. Mangroves • The significance of mangroves are: • Provide shelter for juvenile organisms • Provide habitat • Filter runoff water Red mangrove propagule Mangroves are important because they filter runoff water which contains nutrients. If the mangroves were not present the nutrients would ultimately cause the number of coral reefs to decrease greatly. Also, if the mangroves weren’t there many species would die due to lack of shelter and would be open the habitat for predators to attack potential organisms.

3. Watershed • The watershed in Florida is where water flows across the land and drains into another larger body of water. Florida's water shed usually ends up in the Gulf of Mexico. • Watershed is important in Florida because we use the watershed daily, when we bathe or use water resources. Florida has 52 large watersheds. Above- Mangrove roots underwater Above-Major Identified Watersheds in Florida

4. Ding Darling Field Trip • During the Ding Darling Field Trip we were investigating how the local watershed affected the wildlife in the Ding Darling Refuge. • The wildlife is effected when the water levels change due to rainfall or drought and the during the different seasons. Refuge aerial view

5. Mangroves are important! • Mangroves are very important to Florida. They help filter runoff, provide shelter for juvenile organisms, and they impact how the ocean is effected by nutrients released by the watershed through the Mangroves. Left- Our First period planted our propagules in freshwater and soil to see whether the propagules would grow faster in either freshwater, saltwater, or brackish water. Above-By participating in planting the mangrove propagules. We are helping improve the salvation of the Mangrove habitat and the creatures living within it.