SAVING THE ABALONE

INTRODUCTION: A near emergency situation now exists off the Southern California coast. Several species of abalone are on the verge of extinction. The photograph of one such species, the red abalone is shown above. You have been given the task of saving this beautiful and irreplaceable mollusk.

This assignment consists of two parts. First, you must understand how the marine organisms off the Southern California Coast depend on each other for survival. You and your collegues will construct a "food web" to demonstrate these relationships.

Second, you will identify one species of abalone that is danger of excintion and figure out how to save it.

PART 1 - BUILDING A FOOD WEB

I. Purpose: To understand how different organisms off the San Diego coast depend on each other for survival.

II. Materials: Background paper, colored pencils, glue

III. Procedure:

A. Read the general information on food chains and webs. Note that the arrows point toward the organisms receiving energy. For example, if a fox eats a rabbit, the arrow points from the rabbit to the fox, because the fox receives energy from the rabbit by eating it. Make sure you understand the glossary terms at the end of the site.

B. The above site includes an illustration of a food chain (showing a fox at the top) and a food web (showing an owl and a hawk). As a group, answer the question underneath the food chain, and the three questions underneath the food web. These questions should be answered on a separate piece of paper.

C. Look at a food web for ocean life. Note that organisms often have several arrows pointing toward and away from them. Also, note that the word "phytoplankton" refers to microscopic plants; "zooplankton" refers to microscopic animals.

D. The organisms below are found off the San Diego coast. Each link contains a photograph of the organism.

E. On blank sheets of paper, draw each organism. On a separate sheet of paper, write down what each organism eats, and what eats it.

F. When you are done drawing the organisms, cut them out, and arrange them according to their place on the food web. Carnivores such as the egret will go on top. Decomposers such as bacteria will go on the bottom.

G. When you are done arranging the organisms, glue them to a piece of construction paper. Draw arrows between the organisms, showing how they fit in the food chain. If a particular site does not state how the organism obtains energy, that information is stated below:

IV. Evaluation
Your group will be graded on the following factors:
  • Your answers to the questions on food chains;
  • Your list showing how each organism obtains its energy;
  • Drawing and correctly labeling the organisms on your food web
  • Drawing arrows on your food web that correctly show how each organism in your food web obtains its energy;
  • Neatness

PART 2 - SAVING A SPECIES OF ABALONE

Several species of abalone off the Southern California Coast are almost extinct. Your task is to pick one species of abalone to save, using aquaculture, and write an individual two to three page report. The report should include the following:
  1. The history of abalone populations on the Southern California Coast. (You might find a good map of abalone distribution off the California Coast will be helpful.
  2. An explanation of the anatomy (especially how it moves and eats) and life cycle of the abalone.
  3. Explain why some species of abalone are near extinction. There are natural as well as manmade explanations. You will find that the San Diego Union database will provide very useful information on the reason for the abalone's decline. Good articles from 1996 and 1997 are available right now on the web.
  4. State which species of abalone native to the Southern California coast are depleted to the point of extinction. You might choose between the white abalone, red abalone, pink abalone or another other species if you want. Click here for information about all species of abalone found off the California coast.
  5. (Those most important part) Which species of abalone do you believe you can save, and why? In answering this question, consider the following:
    • Does the species live off the San Diego coast?
    • How close the species is to extinction
    • How easily can members of the species be obtained? (Must be legal,can be bought or captured).
    • Has anyone used aquaculture to raise abalone, and if so, which species have been raised?
    6. You will be evaluated by the following criteria:
    • Whether you include the five factors listed above;
    • The thought put into each of these factors;
    • Grammar, sentence structure, spelling, and organization.

    RETURN TO YOUR UNIT PAGE Links and Chains PAGE.