Biology: You will respond to your classmates' posts and add something new. The response is broad this week, but I encourage you to discuss your opinions and thoughts. Science isn't set in stone. The 'helpers in the nest' theory is controversial, even among evolutionary biologists, as are many topics in this category. BUT DON’T FORGET TO CITE THEM. (Respond with a 100 Words for Each) First Post: Invasive species can be any kind of living organism not native to an ecosystem that causes harm. This can be to the environment, human health, or the economy. These species typically grow and reproduce quickly and tend to spread aggressively. Now, when I think of an invasive species the first thing that comes to my mind is the iguana. Not entirely sure why, maybe its because they are all over nsu's campus, but it was interesting to google other invasive species and learn more about them. I researched the European Green Crab. The European green crabs are considered one of the most widespread invasive marine species on the planet! They began invading Washington state in 1996. The crabs themselves are native to Europe and North Africa. They were first brought to North America in 1817 by being carried in the holds of wooden ships. It is thought that they were spread during their long larval stage which lasts up to 90 days. They would spread via shipping on boats or by drifting on ocean currents. They also frequently move from one area to another by "hitchhiking" on boats, in gear, or in packaged shellfish. When the green crab population grows too large, they cause various issues. They compete with other shellfish, destroy eelgrass that is an important habitat for Dungeness crabs and salmon, and disturb sediment. They are able to out- compete native species because they live 4-7 years, the eat a wide variety of plants and animals, and the females release 185,000 eggs up to twice a year. It is said that once the European Green Grab establishes a population in a particular area, it is practically impossible to get rid of them. Groups and organizations are working towards limiting their spread and limiting the ensuing damage. References: https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatic/invertebrates/european-green-crab (Links to an external site.) https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/profiles-profils/europeangreencrab-crabevert-eng.html (Links to an external site.) https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Threats-to-Wildlife/Invasive-Species Second Post: Reading about different types of invasive species is interesting especially considering the major changes they cause within an ecosystem. Information regarding the Burmese Python was quite striking. The python originates from southeast Asia and has made a significant impact on the ecosystem of the Everglades in South Florida. There are two speculations about how the burmese python reached the Everglades. Similarly to Professor Kiene's mention of the pleco and tiger oscar, ...

1. Biology:
You will respond to your classmates' posts and add something
new. The response is broad this week, but I encourage you to
discuss your opinions and thoughts. Science isn't set in stone.
The 'helpers in the nest' theory is controversial, even among
evolutionary biologists, as are many topics in this category.
BUT DON’T FORGET TO CITE THEM. (Respond with a 100
Words for Each)
First Post:
Invasive species can be any kind of living organism not native
to an ecosystem that causes harm. This can be to the
environment, human health, or the economy. These species
typically grow and reproduce quickly and tend to spread
aggressively. Now, when I think of an invasive species the first
thing that comes to my mind is the iguana. Not entirely sure
why, maybe its because they are all over nsu's campus, but it
was interesting to google other invasive species and learn more
about them.
I researched the European Green Crab. The European
green crabs are considered one of the most widespread invasive
marine species on the planet! They began invading Washington
state in 1996. The crabs themselves are native to Europe and
North Africa. They were first brought to North America in 1817
by being carried in the holds of wooden ships. It is thought that
they were spread during their long larval stage which lasts up to
90 days. They would spread via shipping on boats or by drifting
on ocean currents. They also frequently move from one area to
another by "hitchhiking" on boats, in gear, or in packaged
shellfish.
When the green crab population grows too large, they
cause various issues. They compete with other shellfish, destroy
eelgrass that is an important habitat for Dungeness crabs and
salmon, and disturb sediment. They are able to out- compete

2. native species because they live 4-7 years, the eat a wide
variety of plants and animals, and the females release 185,000
eggs up to twice a year. It is said that once the European Green
Grab establishes a population in a particular area, it is
practically impossible to get rid of them. Groups and
organizations are working towards limiting their spread and
limiting the ensuing damage.
References:
https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatic/invertebrates/euro
pean-green-crab (Links to an external site.)
https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/profiles-
profils/europeangreencrab-crabevert-eng.html (Links to an
external site.)
https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-
Guide/Threats-to-Wildlife/Invasive-Species
Second Post:
Reading about different types of invasive species is interesting
especially considering the major changes they cause within an
ecosystem. Information regarding the Burmese Python was quite
striking. The python originates from southeast Asia and has
made a significant impact on the ecosystem of the Everglades in
South Florida. There are two speculations about how the
burmese python reached the Everglades. Similarly to Professor
Kiene's mention of the pleco and tiger oscar, the Burmese
Python likely arrived in South Florida due to exotic pet trade.
Many owner's of the species became overwhelmed by the
massive size of this species and likely dumped them into the
area. Another theory discussed in article by Janos (2020),
explains the increase in burmese pythons dominating the
Everglades is due to Hurricane Andrew in 1992 when a large
breeding facility was destroyed allowing countless snakes to
escape into the wild.
The python has managed to dominate the area because of its
ability to camouflage in the muddy marshes, perfect weather
conditions for the species in the Everglades, and it's ability to

3. attack it's prey of any size by constricting it to death. There has
been evidence of pythons consuming prey as small as birds to as
large as deer. Research conducted on the Everglades has shown
a major decline in specific species who are native to the area.
For example, a study conducted between 1997 and 2012 showed
racoon, opposum, and bobcat populations in the Everglades
dropped to between 99.3 percent and 87.5 percent. Furthermore,
the study found that marsh rabbits, cottontail rabbits, and foxes
disappeared from the area.
Due to their significant negative impact to the ecosystem,
burmese pythons are considered open season in regards to
hunting. There is zero restrictions on hunting pythons in the
Everglades and in fact it is encouraged and sometimes
incentivized. The well-being and survival of the other native
species in the area is greatly hindered by the existence of the
pythons.
Reference:
Janos, A. (2020, February 20). How Burmese Pythons took over
Florida Everglades. History.com.
https://www.history.com/news/burmese-python-invasion-
florida-everglades
Geology:
Post 1:
I did some research on the Black sea. About 20 million years
ago, the Black sea flowed into many sea lakes before it became
separated. Mountains such as the Pontic, Caucasus, Crimean,
and Carpathian's rose around the area. This out-washed
sediments and filled the area. Earth began to shift changing the
sea level as well. During the last of the great glaciations, it
became a large fresh water lake. This was about 6,500 to 7,500
years ago. Before it became the sea it is today it was a
freshwater lake. The rising of the Mediterranean sea pushed a
channel through the Bosphorus widening the lake at a rate of a
mile a day. The original shoreline was submerged under
hundreds of feet of salt water. As of now, the black sea is there

4. to stay. Unless a great geological shift occurs once again it is
stable. However, in the past 60 years, it has been reported that
the oxygen-rich layer on the top of the Black sea has decreased
from 140 meters to 90 meters deep. This is credited to global
warming and eutrophication. There has been a 40% decrease in
habitability due to his.
It is thought that the Black sea can emerge as the world's
next great energy battleground. The black sea is a frontier
between the West and Russia and a meeting point for democracy
in the West, Russian military aggression in the North, growing
Chinese financial influence in the East, and Middle Eastern
instability in the south. It has been found that there may be
extreme volumes of gas lying deep below the Black sea,
however the exact volumes are currently unknown. Rough
estimation predict that there may be more than 2 trillion cubic
meters of gas. These reserves could cover Bulgarias demand for
more than 30 years.
References:
https://www.britannica.com/place/Black-Sea (Links to an
external site.)
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2000/sep/14/international
news.archaeology#:~:text=The%20Black%20Sea%20was%20on
ce,the%20volume%20of%20Niagara%20Falls (Links to an
external site.).
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160901093155.
htm (Links to an external site.)
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/why-the-
black-sea-could-emerge-as-the-worlds-next-great-energy-
battleground/
Post 2:
The Sierra Nevada mountain range is located along the eastern
edge of California. It extends more than 250 miles north from
the Mojave Desert to the Cascade Range. It is also home to

5. giant sequoia trees and provides amazing views from all the
peaks and waterfalls. The mountain range was formed more than
1.39 million years ago. Although this is a huge number, it is
considered relatively quick in geology terms for an entire
mountain range to form. The reason for the rapid formation of
the mountain range is related to a collision of two tectonic
plates and massive amounts of magma coming upward from the
Earth's core. Research has proved that the North American plate
collided with a plate called the Farallon plate which slowly
went under the North American plate and completely going into
Earth's mantle (Chu, 2020). This collision created a chain of
volcanoes. When looking at a map of plate tectonics and
boundaries, what existed before the Sierra nevada mountain
range was the North American plate against the Farrallon plate
and the midocean ridge. Those two plates colliding now places
the North American Plate next to the Pacific plate. A major
fault line known as the San Andreas Fault. Due to the placement
of the Sierra Nevada's being on a major fault line, as the earth's
crusts continue to move, the mountains remain slowly forming.
However, erosion also occurs. The Sierra Nevada's are a
relatively young landmark and are expected to be around for a
very long time. The mountain range is home to many forest
animals such as lodgepole chipmunks, california mountain king
snakes, black bear, wolverine, mule deer, and mountain lion. It
is also home to many waterfuls, granite domes, and lakes.
Chu, J. (2020, October, 10). Sierra Nevadas formed in a
"Geologic Instant"-Geologists raise the speed limit for how fast
continental crust can form. SciTechDaily.com.
https://scitechdaily.com/sierra-nevadas-formed-in-a-geologic-
instant-geologists-raise-the-speed-limit-for-how-fast-
continental-crust-can-form/
Geology
Discussion : Global warming
One of the major ecological and planetary issues facing modern

6. society is the changes that are and will come due to global
warming (as an aside: I feel the term "climate change," while
more technically correct, obfuscates the urgency of the problem,
so I do not like to use it). Sea level rise affects over one in
three human beings and they are using science to combat it in
different ways. In addition to rising oceans, we will also have to
deal with things like desertification, permafrost melting, and
other potential challenges to our way of life.
In your main post write at least 400 words that describe a
population dealing with climate change, and cite the sources
you use. Make sure to discuss how climate is affecting them
now and how the situation expected to change in the future.
Mention any geological or ecological factors that make this
population susceptible to global warming (Florida is
particularly affected because of sandy soil and frequent storms,
for example). Also discuss any preventative technologies the
residents are employing to try and reverse the effects.
You may not choose Florida or the coastal U.S. in general. Do a
little research and choose a group of people with whom we may
be less familiar. You can choose Americans in the interior (who
will have to deal with global warming, too), but make sure to
not repeat topics your classmates have already posted about.
(DO NOT PICK Nigeria because it is already taken)