Blinded by June

Q.

This past summer, I developed a love for gardening. It's so wonderful to put a seed into the ground, watch it grow and see it flower -- it's tangible and fulfilling. As I did my planting, weeding and watering, I noticed June bugs flying around in the warm summer air. They flew around erratically, plowing into every hard surface in the surrounding area. It made me wonder: Are June bugs blind?

A:

June bugs are part of the beetle family (Phyllophaga sp.) and has two sets of wings. The top set is part of the beetle's exoskeleton, which serves to protect its body, the second set of wings are for flight. As the top wings are heavy, they throw the beetle off balance, making them clumsy fliers. The June bug has poor vision and has an attraction to light. Therefore, June bugs are not blind, just visually impaired, with poor coordination.

Source:

Answers.com - Why do June bugs crash into things?

The Fish Produced by Welch's

Further to the questions spawned by my Central American vacation; I had a look at a jellyfish, this got me thinking. I know that jellyfish are invertebrates and are completely see-through, but how do they know what to do to survive? So, today’s question is: do jellyfish have brains?

A:
Jellyfish do not have a brain or a central nervous system, yet they function on an elementary nerve net. They have limited control of movement and generally are pushed along with the ocean currents, however can propel themselves through contractions of their body. Jellyfish eat by collecting small fish, plankton and microbial organisms as they swim; they use their tentacles to sweep food into their mouths.

Sources:

How Stuff Works: Jellyfish

Wikipedia: Jellyfish

Coral coloured Coral

Part of the reason that I have fallen so behind on writing and researching is because I went on holiday to Belize. I stayed in San Pedro – that’s right, Madonna’s La Isla Bonita! – and it was the most beautiful piece of paradise that I have ever seen. I snorkelled for the first time while there, and experienced the wondrous world under the sea. This spawned new questions. Today’s question is: what is coral bleaching?

A:
Coral bleaching is the whitening of corals due to stress. The skeletal structure of corals are white, but are usually covered with tiny plants called zooxanthellae algae, which provides colouration. The algae are photosynthetic and provide nutrients to the coral’s soft tissue.

If rate of photosynthetic production is too high, the coral will begin to expel some of the algae on its own, this is still considered bleaching. However, when corals experience stress on their environment, more zooxanthellae is expelled than normal, exposing the skeletal structure. Coral reefs can recover from bleaching, however it can take months to build up the same amount of algae and sometimes there is no recovery and whole reefs die off.

There are a number of triggers including: increased water temperatures, increased UV rays, changes in ocean current, increased sedimentation and low tide/wind exposure.

Thankfully, the reef in Belize has been well preserved and has not experienced extensive bleaching. Belize is very eco-friendly and provide all tourists with precise instruction on how to ensure that their reefs and marine life stay healthy.

Sources:
About.com: Coral Bleaching
Wikipedia: Coral Bleaching