Other Species in the same Ecosystem

This coral is listed as an endangered species.

 Kingdom - Animalia

Phylum - Cnidaria

Class - Anthozoa

Order - Scleractinia

Family - Merulinidea

Genus - Orbicella

Species - Annularis

Coral is technically an animal; they do not make their own food; they eat zooplankton (aquatic microorganisms). Coral provides habitat for many species such as sea sponges and little fish. Due to the coral providing habitat, it provides a place for many species including the Hawksbill Sea Turtle to hunt for food. The biggest threat to this species is climate change/global warming.

This seagrass is not listed on the endangered or threatened species list.

 Kingdom - Plantae

Phylum - Tracheophyta

Class - Liliopsida

Order - Alismatales

Family - Hydrocharitaceae

Genus - Thalassia

Species - Hemprichii

Seagrass is an aquatic plant and grows in the ocean close to the shore. Seagrass has many benefits to the ecosystem it is in like helps to stabilize sea beds, helps to maintain water quality, is a habitat to many species (makes a great hiding place), and food for many species. 

Sargassum is not listed on the endangered or threatened species list.

 Kingdom - Chromista

Phylum - Heterokontonnyta

Class - Phaeophyceae

Order - Fucales

Family - Sargassaceae

Genus - Sargassum

Species - Natans

This seaweed is a type of algae and stays clumped together like a floating soft island. Many diverse species hide inside of the clump of seaweed like the Hawksbill Sea Turtle. It is also a source of food for some species.

This crab is not listed on the endangered or threatened species list.

 Kingdom - Animalia

Phylum - Arthropoda

Class - Malacostraca

Order - Decapoda

Family - Portunidae

Genus - Callinectes

Species - Sapidus

Crabs are an invertebrate; this means that does not have a backbone. It scavenges for food on the sea floor and in seagrass beds or seaweed clumps. This crab is a popular crab for commercial fishing and human consumption; not only human consumption many other aquatic species feed on the blue crab.  

This stingray is not listed on the endangered or threatened species list.

 Kingdom - Animalia

Phylum - Craniata

Class - Chondrichthyes

Order - Myliobatiformes

Family - Urobophidae

Genus - Urobatis

Species - Jamaicensis

The string ray is a ray-finned fish that glides through the water. This species is a calm species, but it does have a poisonous barb at the end of its tale for a defense mechanism. This string ray typically eats seaworms, crabs, shrimp, and other species similar. Sharks and large fish are what typically eat this string ray.

This jellyfish is not listed on the endangered or threatened species list.

 Kingdom - Animalia

Phylum - Cnidaria

Class - Scyphozoa

Order - Semaeostomeae

Family - Ulmaridae

Genus - Aurelia

Species - Aurita

Jellyfish are invertebrates and free float through the ocean. The jellyfish do have tentacles that can sting you but it may be painful not harmful to people. This jellyfish typically eats zooplankton, small crustaceans like crabs, and small fish. They are also food for many species like Hawksbill Sea Turtle, birds, and large fish.  

This manatee is listed as threatened species.

 Kingdom - Animalia

Phylum - Chordata

Class - Aves

Order - Charadriiformes

Family - Haematopodidae

Genus - Haematopus

Species - Palliatus

This manatee is a mammal and gives birth to live young. Their diet consists of aquatic plants and vegetation like sea grass and eat lots of seagrass in a day. Due to their eating habits, they benefit the ocean by helping prevent the vegetation from overgrowing. While eating the sea grass the manatees help to fertilize the grass. The main threat to this manatee is the loss of its habit in coastal waters and deaths due to boat collisions (US Department of Commerce, 2023).

This shark is listed as a near-threatened species. 

Kingdom - Animalia

Phylum - Chordata

Class - Chondrichthyes

Order - Carcharhuniformes

Family - Carcharhinidae

Genus - Carcharhinus

Species - Leucas

Sharks are considered fish or an aquatic vertebrate animal; they do have a backbone. This shark is one of the most aggressive sharks and they like to hunt in shallower waters, where people typically swim. This shark usually eats mostly fish but can eat sea turtles, other sharks, and birds. Full-size sharks have very few predators; due to the hunting habit in coastal waters, the bull shark is more subsumable to coastal pollution and habitat loss. 

This bird is not listed on the endangered or threatened species list.

 Kingdom - Animalia

Phylum - Chordata

Class - Aves

Order - Charadriiformes

Family - Haematopodidae

Genus - Haematopus

Species - Palliatus

Is this a shorebird and usually stays on the shoreline like beaches. It has a long knife-shaped bill that helps it to crack into oysters and other shellfish; this is where it got its common name as the American oystercatcher. This is one of the few types of birds that feed on saltwater shellfish and helps to maintain the shellfish populations.  

This illness/infection is rather rare to get.

Kingdom - Bacteria

Phylum - Pseudomonadota

Class - Gammaproteobacteria

Order - Vibriunales

Family - Vibrion Aceae

Genus -Vibrio

Species - V. Vulnificus

This is a bacterium usually found in saltwater shellfish, partially oysters. People can get it from eating raw shellfish that are infected with the bacteria. Eating it will cause you to have stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, chills, and other symptoms. You can also get it through an open wound that had contact with infected seawater. In an open wound, it will cause redness, swelling, warming, and pain in the area. It can be treated through antibiotics but should be treated right away to prevent long-term damage, either way, it is caught.