5 Things I Learned: Bushynose Pleco
It might be hard to find a bushynose pleco, but that’s by design! Take a closer look at this bristlenose catfish in the video below.
Nature. It’s a curious thing.
– Hannah
Author: Greater Cleveland Aquarium
A River Reborn
The Cuyahoga River famously caught fire on June 22, 1969, inspiring several songs and sullying Cleveland’s reputation for generations. Ultimately, though, the incident sparked conservation efforts and led to the Clean Water Act. Today, the water flowing by the Greater Cleveland Aquarium is home to more than 60 species of fish along with rowing crews, paddleboarders, boaters and others enjoying the river’s scenic beauty. That’s the story we want to tell as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the last time the river burned; not the burning but the inspiration and restoration.
Northeast Ohio is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Cuyahoga River’s last fire as to remind us of the importance of our natural resources and as an opportunity reflect on how far Northeast Ohio and the nation have come in cleaning up our waterways. So far this year, the Aquarium has participated in the River Sweep cleanup, made presentations to more than 30 groups on the history of the Cuyahoga River and conducted a river walking tour that ended with a citizen science water quality test.
On the actual anniversary, we have our grand finale commemoration event. We’re inviting the community to a Cuyahoga50 #RiverReborn Family Celebration filled with feel-good music and hands-on kids’ activities. Join the Cleveland History Center, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Creative Concepts in Music’s Sheela Das, Eriesponsible, Holden Forest & Gardens, International Women’s Air & Space Museum, musician Brent Kirby, National First Ladies’ Library, Nautica Queen, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) and Sierra Club for an afternoon of make-and-take crafts, games and informational displays focused on being good stewards of our natural resources. All activities are included with Aquarium admission.
Whether it’s making recycled water bottle fish, ship or plane, taking a narrated walk along the Cuyahoga or guessing how long it takes trash to break down, this rain-or-shine afternoon event is full of fun, hands-on activities and organizations that will help future generations gain a better understanding of their relation to and impact on natural resources.
Many thanks to NEORSD for its partnership and support of these initiatives.
(If you’re able to stick around on the West Bank of the Flats, there’s a Farmer’s Market beginning at 4pm steps away at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica AND an evening Cuyahoga River Boat Parade that day too!)
Eco-Friendly Fishing Tips
Fishing is a popular outdoor hobby for many people. In fact, anyone older than 16 can purchase a fishing license in Ohio. Some of the most popular sport fish in this region are bass, walleye, catfish and perch.
With any outdoor activity there are environmental risks that we can help minimize. Being aware of our impact on our natural ecosystems is an important step in protecting the planet. Here are a few ways you can help reduce your effect on our environment while still enjoying your favorite pastime.
Break it Down Now
Although biodegradable fishing line can be hard to find, it can help reduce the amount of harm done by leftover fishing line. Regular fishing line takes about 600 years to decompose while biodegradable options can take as little as 2 years. If biodegradable, isn’t an option then make sure you’re being cautious about where your extra line ends up. Clean up after yourself whenever possible.
No Lead, No Problems
Many fishing weights and other equipment contain lead. High levels of lead in water bodies can poison fish and other wildlife. Using weights made with brass, steel, bismuth tin, iron or tungsten will lessen the amount of lead that end up in our waterways.
Eyes as Big as Your Stomach
In addition to adhering to local catch-and-release fishing regulations, it’s important to only take the fish you know you can use. Only keeping the fish you know you will use is more sustainable and reduces the amount of bycatch.
All about the Baits
Most bait, such as worms or other fish aren’t naturally found in the environments where they are used. High levels of this non-native bait can disrupt the natural ecosystems and cause issues within the food chain. Make sure to use only the bait you need and to take any leftovers with you for proper disposal.
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Motorized fishing boats release carbon emissions into the environment that can be harmful to the local wildlife. Whenever possible, try using a rowboat or canoe to fish. There are also special boat propellers that can increase fuel efficiency by more than 20%.
Talkin’ Trash
The biggest thing you can do when enjoying any outdoor activity is clean up after yourself! Taking all your belongings and trash with you ensures that nothing ends up where it shouldn’t be.
– Caroline
More Dangerous than Sharks
Did you know that the Florida Museum of Natural History documents all known shark attacks? They started the ISAF (International Shark Attack File) back in 1958. If we use the data collected to average fatalities from sharks over the last 60 years, the number is only 7 per year worldwide. If you put that into odds, it is 1 in 3,700,000. Now let’s compare that with the odds of dying from the flu, which is 1 in 63.
Turns out there are lot of things more dangerous than sharks, but we don’t seem to be afraid of them. So let’s take a look at what SHOULD scare us more than sharks.
How about bugs? Those annoying mosquitos are responsible for 800,000 deaths a year. Fire ants account for another 50 people and bees will kill 100 people in the U.S. alone. Those are large numbers for being such small animals.
There are plenty of other animals more dangerous to humans than sharks. Take, for example, the noble steed. Yup, horses kill about 20 people in the U.S. per year. Then there’s the loyal dog. (What can be better than a lick in the face from our beloved friend?) Turns out, dogs are responsible for 25,000 human deaths annually worldwide. And how about Bambi? Such a cute little creature, but deer are the reason 130 people die each year in the U.S. It seems cars and deer do not like each other very much.
So let’s focus on the automobile. There are more than 1.2 million traffic-related deaths every year. Traffic lights will be part of that with 2,000 deaths in the U.S. alone. People just ignore those lights but that could be because we’re all wrapped up in our online worlds. Cell phones should be far more feared than our finned-friends since 6,000 deaths in the U.S. are attributed to texting and driving.
Now that you have considered how dangerous the roads can be, perhaps you will decide to start walking more. Be forewarned—almost 6,000 people die every year from trips and falls. And if that (or any of these statistics) make you want to never leave your home, just remember that on average 450 people in the U.S. die from falling out of that bed, 26 people are crushed by sofas, and 30 folks are done in by falling televisions.
Hey, get outside already, go cut the lawn it is excessively high, but then you may be thinking about the 75 people in the U.S. that die from lawnmower accidents or the 24,000 people that die from lightning strikes every year. (Are those clouds over there?) Oh well, all this is making me hungry. Let us go wash up and go have some dinner, but watch out for the hot water. In the U.S., scalding tap water will kill 100 people this year. And oh, by the way, food—the very thing that keeps us alive—holds potential dangers. The World Health Organization estimates that about 420,000 people die yearly from contaminated food. (Five thousand of those are from contaminated raw meat within the U.S. alone.) Another 3,000 people a year die from choking and the National Institutes of Health has calculated that obesity is killing almost 300,000 people a year. And if you eat out often, take care when you sign your restaurant check because believe it or not, ballpoint pen caps are responsible for taking out 100 people per year.
So now that you are totally stressed out by these statistics, take a walk on the beach and try not to trip. However, watch out for the falling coconuts since they will add 150 people a year to that list of fatalities.
Let us celebrate being alive and safe from those sharks, but watch the champagne corks during that celebration so you do not add to the approximate 25 people per year that are killed by those projectiles!
– Matthew Ballish
5 Ways to Cut Back On Plastic Pollution after Skipping the Straw
Plastic never truly degrades into nothing, it breaks down into smaller and smaller particles. Fish consume microplastics in our waterways. So, if you eat fish you might actually inadvertently consume some of the plastic waste you’ve thrown away. There’s a public movement to reduce reliance on single-use plastics and as a result many restaurants are switching the paper straws and many individuals are opting for reusable stainless steel straws or foregoing straws altogether. While “skipping the straw” is an amazing first step to reducing plastic pollution, it isn’t enough. Below are 5 steps to help reduce your plastic waste.
B.Y.O.B. = Bring Your Own Bag
Plastic bags are a hassle and not many recycling facilities accept plastic grocery bags. Although reusing them at home as small trashcan liners or for doggy clean up may be convenient, these plastics are very dangerous to aquatic life. Small animals out in the ocean can get stuck inside of these drifting bags. Other animals mistake them for prey (jellyfish) and ingest them. In both cases, the result can be death.
A good tip is to leave reusable grocery bags in your car. Even if you forget to bring them into the store you can always just throw groceries in a cart and transfer them to your bags once you reach your vehicle.
Invest in a Few Reusable Bottles
If you’re trying to keep hydrated, water filters are very easy to come by and fairly affordable. This not only works with water though, many coffee shops and cafes will fill your personal travel mug or thermos (sometimes even applying a discount) instead of using their plastic or paper cups.
Switch from a Plastic Toothbrush to a Biodegradable One
Plastic toothbrushes don’t biodegrade. I speak from experience when I say that a biodegradable, bamboo toothbrush works just as well as a toothbrush your dentist might give you.
Give Up Gum
Gum is actually made of synthetic rubber, AKA plastic. If you spit gum out on the sidewalk or even in a trash can be YEARS before it even starts to break down.
Swap those Plastic Sandwich Bags for Reusable Containers
Getting a lunch box with reusable containers cuts back on cost (you won’t have to keep buying sandwich bags) and plastic waste.
– Bethany Jones
Make a Difference: 2019 Beach Clean-ups
For more than 25 years, the Alliance for the Great Lakes has hosted Adopt-a-Beach events all over the Great Lakes to keep the shorelines healthy, safe and beautiful. In 2018 alone, more than 14,000 volunteers picked up 35,606 pounds of litter over the course of 900 cleanups.
The Splash Fund (a non-profit affiliate of the Greater Cleveland Aquarium) has hosted beach clean-ups in Cleveland since we opened seven years ago. This year, our beach cleanups are scheduled:
5/18 – 10am-12pm Perkins Beach (Edgewater) in partnership with Drink Local. Drink Tap.
6/15 – 10am-12pm Edgewater (main beach)
7/20 – 10am-12pm Edgewater (main beach)
8/17 – 10am-12pm Edgewater (main beach)
9/28 – 10am-12pm Perkins Beach (Edgewater) in partnership with Drink Local. Drink Tap.
The Cleveland Metroparks team does a terrific job of keeping big waste items off the beach, so what exactly gets picked up during these volunteer events? We mostly collect small plastic items including cigarette butts, water bottles, food containers, straws and cigar tips. Even though we are picking up primarily small pieces of plastic, we still remove around 100 pounds of garbage each of the mornings. We couldn’t do it without the help of hundreds of volunteers each summer. We show our gratitude for this effort by offering each volunteer one free post-event ticket to visit the Aquarium.
The easiest way to sign up for one of our beach clean-ups is to register here. It’s easy and fun and make a big difference. We hope to see you at the beach this summer!
Exploring Similarities, Celebrating Differences: Amphibians and Reptiles
Once upon a time, reptiles and amphibians were classified together as one family. Scientists believe that reptiles evolved from their relative amphibians about 50 million years ago.
Today it still can be difficult to identify all of the differences between reptiles and amphibians. They definitely have traits they share. For example, they are both ectothermic, or cold-blooded animals, meaning their body temperature relies on the temperature of their habitat. Reptiles and amphibians also are both vertebrate animals, meaning they have backbones. Reptiles and amphibians also both have excellent eyesight that helps them hunt prey.
Reptiles and amphibians use many common defense mechanisms. Some species of both reptiles and amphibians have the ability to change the color of their skin in order to camouflage in their habitat. Another major defense tactic used by reptiles and amphibians is what scientists call mimicry. Copycat species, some reptiles and amphibians, mimic the bright colors of venomous or poisonous species to ward off predators.
While they clearly have a lot in common, there are some major differences.
All reptiles breathe through their lungs. Turtles are reptiles and some turtles have the additional ability to absorb and dispel gas when underwater during their brumation, or hibernation state. Reptiles also typically have dry, scaly and water-tight skin that offers protection. Reptiles with softer skin are usually equipped with another defense – like the hard shell of a turtle or the spines of a lizard. Reptiles do not live solely in water but normally need to live close to a constant water source.
In addition to breathing through lungs, amphibians can breathe through gills, or through their smooth, moist skin. This is what scientists call cutaneous respiration and amphibians are some of the only animals on the planet that have this ability! This allows for amphibians to live in water for extended periods of time. Some amphibians begin their lives in water and then move to land. Frogs are amphibians that start as tadpoles, completely submerged in water and breathing through their gills, and then move to land as adults once their lungs are fully developed.
While reptiles and amphibians share similarities they have distinct points of differentiation that make them unique. Scientists estimate there are about 8,000 species of reptiles and around 6,000 species of amphibians, and we will continue to learn more about what sets them apart as we continue to study these species.
– Elise
Coral Reefs Need Our Help!
One of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, coral reefs are in serious peril. Coral reefs take up about 1% of the ocean floor but are home to 25% of all ocean species including more than 4,000 species of fish.
What is a coral reef?
Coral reefs are colonies of individual animals called polyps. The polyps have tentacles to feed on plankton at night and they play host zooxanthellae—symbiotic algae that live within the coral’s tissues and gives them color. The algae need carbon dioxide and waste products from the coral for photosynthesis. In turn, through photosynthesis the algae nourish the coral with oxygen and organic compounds. The coral uses these compounds to synthesize calcium carbonate (limestone) with which it constructs its skeleton. This skeleton contains bands, like tree rings, that record environmental changes in temperature, water chemistry and water clarity.
Why should we care about coral reefs?
Coral reefs are also known as the speed bumps of the ocean. These structures act as a natural barrier, helping to slow down and shrink waves hurtling toward the shoreline and thereby protecting coastlines and the 200 million people living along the coasts from hurricanes.
We receive many other benefits from coral reefs. Stationary animals, coral are constantly evolving chemical defenses as protection from predators. Scientists are developing new medicines from the coral-produced compounds to help treat cancer, arthritis, bacterial infections, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, viruses and many others.
Coral reefs also provide us with food and construction materials. They also contribute heavily to the economy via tourism.
Why are coral reefs endangered?
Believe it or not coral reefs can get stressed out! There are a variety of different factors that contribute to the stress of coral reefs. For example, rising temperatures globally causes coral bleaching. Also, additional carbon dioxide oceans absorb every day contributes to increased acidification which reduces the water’s ability to carry the calcium carbonate that corals need to build skeletons.
Additionally, overfishing is changing the coral reefs ecosystem with anchors and nets destroying the natural habitat. And when sediment and other pollutants settle on coral reefs it can speed the growth of damaging algae and lower overall water quality. With lower water quality the sunlight may not be strong enough to reach the zooxanthellae to go into photosynthesis.
How can we help?
Scientist are working to find some solutions, but all of us can join the effort to help coral reefs by reducing our carbon footprints. Try recycling or using more reusable products. Join the skip-the-straw movement reducing single-use plastic waste. Only eat fish sourced sustainably. Or, donate to organizations and support companies committed to cleaning up our oceans.
-Crystal
Baby Shark! Shark Reproduction Continued
Shark reproduction is pretty strange to begin with. But for sand tiger sharks, it is even weirder.
Sand tigers are the largest sharks you’ll see at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium. Their mating behavior is pretty ferocious.
We don’t know what prompts female sand tigers to be ready to mate. They must be mature enough in age—somewhere in their teens—and the females must also be ready to mate, which happens about every two years. We are not sure how (or if) females select mates. Scientists are still studying this!
When sand tigers mate, the much smaller males must bite and forcibly flip over the much larger and thicker-skinned females.
But before the sharks get to that point, there is a period of courtship behavior—sort of like shark dating.
Males might follow a female, swimming behind and slightly below her in the water. Then he might escalate to tailing, during which he very closely follows her. The next step is nosing. The male will follow the female very closely, with his nose, or rostrum, very close to her cloaca. (The cloaca is a shark’s reproductive canal and its way to poop. Both males and females have a cloaca.) Then the male will nudge the female, then bite her fins or body—all the while hoping to bite her and flip her over to mate.
If the male is successful, he will bite the female on the pectoral (arm-position) fin and try to flip her over. She then will become catatonic and will allow mating.
But, if the female is not interested at any point, she may bite the male right back! And remember, the females are much larger and thicker-skinned than the males. Female sand tigers can also circle close to the bottom to prevent males from approaching her to bite.
If the female is interested in mating, she may point her nose downward and allow the male a better chance to bite her.
Then the male sand tiger can hold the female’s cloaca with his clasper. Claspers are two finger-like appendages that all male sharks, skates, and rays have behind their pelvic fins. The male can then deliver his sperm, cloaca to cloaca before swimming away.
The female can store the male’s sperm for an unknown amount of time—perhaps a year, perhaps more—until it seems a good time to carry pups.
Now things get even stranger.
The female sand tiger has two uteruses. So sand tigers can carry two totally separate pregnancies.
Since sand tigers are ovoviviparous, they lay eggs internally and then give live birth. But for sand tigers, life starts under difficult circumstances. Around 20 eggs may be fertilized in each uterus. Then the eggs develop into shark embryos. The embryos grow bigger and consume all the nutrition in their individual eggs.
Then the biggest, strongest sand tiger pup in each uterus eats all of its siblings. Intrauterine cannibalism! That is what scientists call it.
The surviving sand tiger pup eats whatever new eggs keep arriving in the uterus until it is ready to be born.
After eight or nine months’ gestation, the pup is born. It will be more than three feet long and totally independent immediately.
Scientists are still learning about sand tiger shark reproduction. At the Greater Cleveland Aquarium we have seen mating behavior, but no pups yet.
– Nora Morrison