Biome and Ecosystem Essay Example

The chosen biome in this paper is aquatic biome and the Atlantic Ocean as the ecosystem. With that said, it is important to comprehend that the biome mentioned above has many keystone species. In view of understanding it, a keystone species is defined as an organism that plays a vital role in defining an entire ecosystem. It is noteworthy that without keystone species, the ecosystem is regarded different or even cease to exist. Notably, keystone species possess low functional redundancy meaning that in case the species disappear from the ecosystem, no existing organism is in a position to replace its ecological niche (Woodward, 2003). In this case, the ecosystem is forced to transform; therefore, enabling new as well as invasive organisms to populate the habitat.

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Sea otter is one of the fundamental keystone species in the aquatic biome. Specifically, the aforementioned keystone species plays a vital role in consuming sea urchins, which in turn prevents kelp forests destructions. It is noteworthy that kelp forests are considered a significant habitat for numerous species found in nearshore ecosystems. Therefore, sea otter feeds on sea urchins to limit their population to a manageable level. In simple terms, the sea otter takes part in protecting the kelp forests by mitigating the sea urchin population.

One of the invasive species found in the Atlantic Ocean is the northern Pacific seastar. The preceding invasive species is considered a deadly predator because it consumes almost everything they are capable of getting their arms on. For instance, the predator consumes crustaceans, mollusks, bivalves, as well as other available echinoderms. Notably, northern Pacific seastar has considerable effects on the economy (de Castro, Fileman, & Hall-Spencer, 20017). The aforementioned invasive species is accredited with an approximately billion-dollar loss in the fishing field. To reduce its number, individuals depend on physical removal as well as trap usage to manage its population.

It is important to note that endangered species prevail in different places including the Atlantic Ocean. Notably, most species are endangered because of human greediness. People need to comprehend that each species play a significant role in the ecosystem. Therefore, in case one species extinct the ecosystem is affected. With that said, leatherback sea turtle is the endangered species in the Atlantic Ocean. It is important to note that the population of the preceding organisms is found in the North Sea to the Cape of Hope. Notably, jellyfish are the significant prey (Faulks et al., 2017). The turtle dive beneath the sea to look for their prey. It is unfortunate that the population of the leatherback sea turtle is declining due to considerable hunting by people as well as predation. What is more, the issue of plastics in the ocean has endangered the life of the turtle mentioned above.

Conclusion

Overall, the current paper has addressed the aquatic biome where it has determined the keystone species in the Atlantic Ocean ecosystem and its importance in the habitat. In this case, it is evident that sea otter takes part in feeding on sea urchins that are a danger to the kelp forest. What is more, the northern Pacific seastar is considered an invasive species in the chosen biome. The organism mentioned above is recognized as a deadly predator as it consumes almost everything in the ocean. Lastly, it is clear that the leatherback sea turtle is the endangered species in the Atlantic Ocean.

References

de Castro, M. C. T., Fileman, T. W., & Hall-Spencer, J. M. (2017). Invasive species in the Northeastern and Southwestern Atlantic Ocean: A review. Marine pollution bulletin, 116(1-2), 41-47.

Faulks, L. K., Kerezsy, A., Unmack, P. J., Johnson, J. B., & Hughes, J. M. (2017). Going, going, gone? Loss of genetic diversity in two critically endangered Australian freshwater fishes, Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis and Chlamydogobius squamigenus, from Great Artesian Basin, springs at Edgbaston, Queensland, Australia. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 27(1), 39-50.

Woodward, S. L. (2003). Biomes of Earth: terrestrial, aquatic, and human-dominated. Greenwood Press.