Coral Reef Research Paper

As a marine biologist, Sam Craven is especially interested in protecting the fragile ecosystems of the marine world. The 7,109 islands that make up the Philippines have a diverse range of both aquatic and land-dwelling life-forms. The coral reefs there and throughout the world are facing new challenges. Pollution, climate change and destructive fishing methods all threaten the health of fragile coral reefs. This is where Samantha has focused much of her work. She dives, takes amazing photographs and videos, and spreads her excitement about marine biology to teach and encourage others about the importance of conserving our oceans and coral reefs.
Samantha was 11 when she decided she wanted to become a marine biologist. She and her family spent …show more content…
She knew that she wanted to focus on conservation. She began working to protect coral reefs in the Philippines.
One of her jobs was Principal Investigator of the Oslob Whale Shark Research project in the Philippines. In Oslob, feeding whale sharks is a tourist attraction. Sam and her team studied the effects of the practice of encouraging these threatened animals to depend on humans for food. Some of the ill effects they noted were that the sharks became less afraid of boats. They were often injured by their propellers. There was also concern about their nutritional needs. The sharks were being fed just one kind of frozen food. Another problem was they they were often not learning how to feed themselves in the wild.
Sam learned that sometimes scientists had to do more than practice their craft. In conservation projects such as investigating the feeding of whale sharks, she had to be a good communicator and a teacher. The world of marine biology is bigger than you'd think!
In 2014, Sam was till involved in the conservation world, working hard to protect our marine ecosystem. One of her jobs is to train divers about responsible diving …show more content…
Michelle will often follow the same otters for a period of time.
Michelle uses a VHF (very high frequency) radio receiver to locate a study animal. The otters she observes have been outfitted with radio transmitters. That way they can be located and studied more easily.
This kind of research involves spying on a mother otter, watching her every move and timing every single move. Michelle uses a grid in a logbook to record lots of detailed information about the mother otter's behavior and activity. Using a stopwatch, she carefully times how long the otter dives. She writes down what and how much food the animal brings back with her. She notes how long it takes for the mother to eat. Michelle even has a system of measuring the food based on paw size. Something as big as three paws gets a number 3. She also watches to see if the mother otter shares her fare and if her little pup accepts the food. Michelle also records when the mother shows her pup how to use tools to eat. Otters will often crack open a clamshell by slamming it with a

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