Aquatic Ecology

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Essential Topics

I. Aquatic Ecology
    a. Abiotic
        1. Influence of water's chemical properties on aquatic organisms
        2. Influence of water's physical properties on aquatic organisms
        3. Influence of the surrounding land on a stream
        4. Influence of the water cycle on the aquatic ecosystem
        5. Identification of watersheds and river systems in Pennsylvania
        6. Identification of stream order within a watershed

    b. Biotic
        1. Identification of aquatic organisms
        2. Life cycles of aquatic organisms
        3. Adaptations of aquatic organisms
        4. Habitat needs of aquatic organisms

    c. Community
        1. Identification of aquatic and wetland environments
        2. Functions and values of wetlands
        3. Physical, chemical and biological changes in the stream continuum
        4. Functional feeding groups of aquatic organisms and their niche in the stream continuum
        5. Energy flow in aquatic food chains

II. Aquatic Resource Issues:
    a. Human effects on the aquatic ecosystem
    b. Impact of water pollution on aquatic communities
    c. Threatened and endangered species and their impact on biodiversity
    d. Introduced and invasive species and their effects on the aquatic ecosystem

III. Aquatic Resource Management and Protection
    a. Commission roles in management, conservation and protection of aquatic resources
    b. Regulations and how they protect aquatic animals and aquatic habitats
    c. Water quality assessment
    d. Water quality improvement
    e. Aquatic habitat enhancement
    f. Restoration of aquatic organisms
   g. Aquatic resource protection at home and school

Learning Objectives
    * Correlated with the Academic Standards and Assessment Anchors for Environment and Ecology

After completing study on this issue, students will:

1. Aquatic Ecosystems
    a. Abiotic
        1. Determine pH, dissolved oxygen and alkalinity of a given waterway or sample using chemical test kits and explain how each property influences a property influences a particular aquatic organism.

                * 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.12.C
                * 4.6  Ecosystems and their Interactions - 4.6.7.A, 4.6.10.A

        2. Explain how water flow, water temperature, water turbidity, and surface tension influence a particular aquatic organism.

                * 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.7.C, 4.1.10.B, 4.1.12.C

        3. Explain how surrounding land influences water flow, channel shape and habitat types in a stream.

                * 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.10.B, S11.A.3.2

        4. Identify three specific parts of the water cycle and describe their influence on the aquatic ecosystem.

                * 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.7.A

        5. Identify Pennsylvania's six watersheds and their related river systems and locate them on a map.

                * 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.7.A

        6. Identify the stream order of three or more given watercourses in a particular watershed and compare or contrast the habitats and aquatic animals that are found in each of those ordered watercourses.

                * 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.12.A

    b. Biotic
        1. Identify (to include calls) common and significant aquatic animals from a given identification list.

                * 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.7.C, 4.1.7.D, 4.1.40.C

        2. Describe the life cycle of three or more specific aquatic organisms.

                * 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.7.C

        3. List three adaptations of a specific aquatic organism and explain the advantage of each.

                * 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.7.C, 4.1.10.C
                * 4.6 Ecosystems and their Interactions- 4.6.7.A
                * 4.7 Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species - 4.7.10.A, 4.7.10.B

        4. Describe the habitat needs of three or more specific aquatic organisms.

                * 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.10.C

    c. Community
        1. Identify six specific aquatic or wetland environments given their physical, chemical and biological characteristics.

                * 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.7.D, 4.1.12.B

        2. List three functions or values of wetlands

                * 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.7.D, 4.1.7.E, 4.1.10.D, 4.1.12.D

        3. Compare and contrast a physical, chemical and biological difference found in a stream continuum from headwater to mouth.

                * 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.10.A, 4.1.10.C, 4.1.12.A

        4. Identify the functional feeding group of four or more specific aquatic organisms and describe their niche in the stream continuum.

                * 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.10.C

        5. Compare and contrast the flow of energy in two different aquatic food chains.

                * 4.6 Ecosystems and their Interactions - 4.6.4.A, 4.6.10.A

2. Aquatic Resource Issues

        a. Explain the effects of three different human activities on the aquatic ecosystem.

                * 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.10.E
                * 4.3 Environmental Health - 4.3.7.B, 4.3.10.B

        b. List three types of water pollution, their sources and explain how they impact an aquatic community.

                * 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.10.E
                * 4.3 Environmental Health - 4.3.7.A, 4.3.7.B

        c. Identify at least three threatened or endangered species and give reasons for their status and explain how their extirpation or extinction could impact biodiversity.

                * 4.7 Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species, 4.7.7.C, 4.7.10.A, 4.7.12.A, 4.7.12.B

        d. List at least three invasive or introduced plant and animal species and discuss their affects on the aquatic resources.

                * 4.7 Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species, 4.7.10.A

3. Aquatic Resource Management and Protection

        a. Explain three or more ways that the Commission manages, conserves, and protects aquatic resources.

                * 4.8 Humans and the Environment - 4.8.7.D
                * 4.9 Environmental Laws and Regulations - 4.9.7.A, 4.9.10.A

        b. Identify or list at least three specific fishing regulations from the Current PA Fishing Summary and explain how each protects aquatics animals or aquatic habitats.

                * 4.9 Environmental Laws and Regulations - 4.9.7.A, 4.9.10.A

        c. Explain one or more methods to assess the water quality of a stream.

                * 4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.10.E

        d. List and describe three or more ways to enhance aquatic habitats

                * 4.8 Humans and the Environment - 4.8.7.D

        e. List and describe three or more ways to enhance aquatic habitats.

                * 4.8 Humans and the Environment - 4.8.7.D

        f. Identify three or more migratory fish that the Commission is restoring and name the watershed in which each can be found.

                * 4.7 Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species, 4.7.7.C

        g. Discuss at least three ways that you can protect aquatic resources at home or school.

                * 4.3 Environmental Health - 4.3.7.A
                * 4.8 Humans and the Environmental - 4.8.7.C, 4.8.7.D

Assessment Anchors

S.11.A.3.1 and 2 - Analyze the parts of a simple system, their roles, and their relationship to the system as a whole. Analyze and predict the effect of making a change in one part of a system on the system as a whole. Compare observations on the real world to observations of a constructed model.

S.11.B.1 - Explain structure and function at multiple levels of organization. Compare and contrast the structural and functional similarities and differences among living things.

S.11.B.3 - Use evidence or examples to explain the characteristics of and interactions within an ecosystem.

S.11.D.1 - Explain the significance and contribution of water as a resource to living things and the shaping of the land.

Reference Materials List

The following resources are available on the Envirothon Aquatic Ecology CD, except where indicated. References marked with an asterisk will be distributed as paper copy from the PA Envirothon. The references are also available on the Learning Center page of the Commission's website at www.fish.state.pa.us. Note that the Rivers and Streams book is out of print and has been removed from the list. Several PLAY issues have been added to the list as new references for 2008.

1. Books:
            Pennsylvania Fishes (ISBN 1-930369-01-8)
            Pennsylvania Amphibians and Reptiles (ISBN 1-930369-00X)*

* The PA Amphibians and Reptiles and Rivers are not available on the Aquatics CD. New teams should contact their County's Envirothon Coordinator to obtain their copy of these two books.

2. Fact Sheets

3. Select Pages from PLAY

     PLAY Issues (not on the Aquatics CD and added for the 2008)

4. Articles
            A Fish and Livestock Tale
            Fish Habitat and Flow: What's the Connection
            Migratory Fish Restoration
            On the Road to Extinction
            PA's Threatened and Endangered Fishes
            Timbering and Trout
            Wetlands: The Vital Link

5. Select pages from the 2008 Pennsylvania Summary of Fishing Laws and Regulations.
    The Summary book will be available on the Fish page of the Commission's website in January 2008. Teams should review the following regulations or information (ordered as they appear in Summary)
                    Commonwealth Inland Waters
                    Big Bass Program
                    Stop Aquatic Nuisance Species
                    Trout Fishing Regulations
                    Catch and Release Fishing - Hot to Release Fish
                    Panfish Enhancement Special Regulations
                    Reptiles, Amphibians, Endangered Species - Seasons and Limits
                    General Regulations, Tackle and Bait
                    Unlawful Acts - It is Unlawful

6. Frog and Toad Calls of Pennsylvania (New teams should contact their County's Envirothon Coordinator to obtain a copy of this CD.)

Learning Enhancements

Completing these activities will enhance learning and help students begin to meet some of the Aquatic Ecology objectivies.

1. Froggy Swap                        (included on the Envirothon Aquatics Ecology CD)
2. Herp Sweet Home                (included on the Envirothon Aquatics Ecology CD)
3. Can Mussle Move                (PLAY - Flex Your Mussel Knowledge)
4. Match the hatch                    (PLAY - Six legs Underwater)
5. Smallmouth Bass Skills        (PLAY - Smallmouth Bass)

**Educators and students older then 16 years of age must have a valid fishing license to collect fish (gamefish and panfish), baitfish (minnows, darters, sculpins, madtoms, etc.) or fishbait (aquatic insects and macroinvertebrates). Students may be exempt from the license requirements if their educator (team leader) applies for and is issued an Educational Aquatic Field Study Permit. The educator must still have a valid fishing license. The permit application is available at the Commission's Education web page and is free of charge. Educators should refer to the Pennsylvania Summary of Fishing Laws and Regulations to obtain information on closed waters, seasons, sizes and creel limits.

Identification Study List

The animals from this list are common species or have other significance in the aquatic ecosystem (migratory, endangered, invasive, water quality indicator, etc.)

***Must know calls
****Must know larval and adult stages