Interactive Learning Station:

THE OCEAN

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Crustaceans

Sylvia Earle

Sylvia Earle is a famous scuba-diver

who has won international acclaim

as a scientist who has made a number

of important discoveries

regarding the ecology of marine plants as well as a

record-setting diver logging over 6,000

hours under the sea.

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Wearing a special suit designed by Nuytten, Sylvia Earle spent two

and a half hours exploring the ocean

bottom--a dangerous proposition,

considering the fact that if her life-support systems had failed, the pressure at that depth is a crushing

600 pounds per square inch. The walk demonstrated to other

scientists that research at such

depths was possible.

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On an interview, Earle was asked…

Q. There were points in your career where being female kept you from doing certain things. Isn't that the case?

A. At various points along the way, the fact that I was a woman was held up to me as a reason why I couldn't do this or that or the other thing. I'm a little girl. So what? That was my first recollection of kind of being rocked back on my heels with that kind of awareness. Although I'm sure that all through school, the role models are pretty well established. You will become one of three or four things. You will become a wife and mother, or you will become a teacher, or a nurse, or maybe a stewardess on an aircraft. Or you could type, you could become a secretary. And there aren't very many other options that are held out. They weren't to me as a child, growing up. But it never occurred to me that was all I could be.

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The world of the crustaceans is a world of bizarre

shapes and adaptations. This

group of animals is probably best-known for their hard outer

shell.

Common Barnacle

Anemone Shrimp

Red Hermit Crab Arrow Crab Banded Coral Shrimp

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As the crustacean grows, the outer

shell must be removed and

discarded. Once this takes place, the new shell takes time

to harden. During this period, the

animal is without its primary means of

protection and vulnerable to attack

from predators.

The Rock CrabRed lobsterRed lobsterRed lobster

Red Lobster

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Crustaceans have an impressive arsenal of

weapons at their disposal. The claw of many crustaceans is capable of exerting

hundreds of pounds of pressure. Some

even have the unique ability to produce a deafening miniature

sonic boom with which they stun their

prey.

Spiny Lobster

Slipper Lobster

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Despite of their impressive armor and fierce weaponry, the crustaceans do occasionally meet their match. The

teeth of the triggerfish and the beak of the octopus can crack through the

toughest shells of crabs and lobsters, making an enjoyable meal.

        

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Self-Check

Question # 1: What is Sylvia Earle known for?

a. An animal-rights activistb. A zoologistc. A scuba-diverd. A professional lifeguard

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Self-CheckVery Good! You are now able to go

onto question #2.

Question #2: How many hours has Sylvia Earle logged-in under the sea?

a. 100 hoursb. 6,000 hoursc. 600,000 hoursd. 1,000,000 hours

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Self-CheckExcellent job! Let’s try another, #3

is pretty tricky…Question #3: What did Sylvia’s dangerous 2 1/2 hour

un-tethered walk exploring the ocean bottom prove?

a. That women can do dangerous things, just like men.

b. It demonstrated to other scientists that research at such depths was possible.

c. That she had a lot of courage and bravery.d. That she was determined to discover new things.

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Self-CheckAwesome answer! Let’s keep

going…

Question #4: Crustaceans grow out of their hard outer-shell and must grow a new one several times during their life.

TrueFalse

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Self-CheckYou are doing so well…here is the last

question, can you answer it correctly?

Question #5: Who are the two most common sea creatures who enjoy crustaceans as a meal?

a. Seals and alligatorsb. Sharks and whalesc. Octopuses and triggerfishd. Lobsters and sting-rays

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Great Job on completing the interactive self-

check. You now have more knowledge about

the sea!For more information,

continue onto the Student References.

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References for students…

“About the Author.” http://literati.net/Earle/ (10/21/02).  Earle, Sylvia. “Depth Charger.” People 53 (2000): 159.

Earle, Sylvia with photographs by Wolcott Henry. Sea Critter. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2000.

Glausiusz, Josie. “Earle of the Sea.” Discover 21 (2000): 16.

Ortiz, Edward. “EXPLORER HERO: SYLVIA EARLE.” http://myhero.com/hero.asp?hero=sylviaearle (10/21/02).

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Works Citedhttp://www.seasky.org/reeflife/sea2e.htmlhttp://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/ear0pro-1http://lobster.ls.huji.ac.il/~tamnun/http://www.aqua.org/animals/species/procto.htmlhttp://mbgnet.mobot.org/salt/animals/clown.htmhttp://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/collections/crustaceanshttp://www.ecuadorpictures.org/galapagos_1.asp?=r=galapagos&c=Crrustaceanshttp://fvi.cnn.com/2002/fvi/news/05/01/sylvia.earle/

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The EndCreated by: Megan Robinson

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"The most important thing, to me, (as a child) was the kind of creatures that you could see along the beach that you can't

find anywhere else.“ - Earle

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