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  • Welcome to McMangrove’s – Determining the Importance of Mangrove Leaves in a Tree Crab’s Diet
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Welcome to McMangrove’s – Determining the Importance of Mangrove Leaves in a Tree Crab’s Diet

  • Article
  • Middle School
  • Less than 30 minutes
  • Carbon
  • Wilderness
  • Wildlife
  • Carbon Cycle
  • Crabs
  • Ecosystem
  • Food Chain
  • Isotopes
  • Mangrove
  • Sesarmid Crabs
  • Typhoons
The cover for the 'Welcome to McMangrove's' article. The main image is a photo of a mangrove forest.
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Scientists investigated how typhoons impacted the importance of microorganisms in sesarmid crab diets. The scientists also wanted to discover whether the mangrove leaves were a more important food source than scientists previously thought for this type of sesarmid crab.

Welcome to McMangrove’s – Determining the Importance of Mangrove Leaves in a Tree Crab’s Diet

Part Of

Pacific Islands - Vol. 1 No. 21

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  • The question you will answer in this FACTivity is: Which organisms on a mythical planet are producers, consumers, and decomposers? Materials: Large sheet of blank paper Pencil and eraser Markers,...

    FACTivity – Welcome to McMangrove’s

    • Activity
    • Middle School
    • 1 Classroom Period
    • Wildlife
    • Creative Activity
    • Food Chain
    The question you will answer in this FACTivity is: Which organisms on a mythical planet are producers, consumers, and decomposers? Materials: Large sheet of blank paper Pencil and eraser Markers,...
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    Welcome to McMangrove's - Determining the Importance of Mangrove Leaves in a Tree Crab’s Diet

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Glossary

View All Glossary
  • algae

    (al jē): Simple, plantlike organism.

  • cyanobacteria

    (sī ə nō bak tir ē ə): A major group of photosynthetic bacteria that are single-celled but often form colonies in the form of filaments, sheets, or spheres and are found in diverse environments (such as salt and fresh water, soils, and on rocks).

  • enrichment

    (ǝn rich mǝnt): The addition or increase of some desirable quality, attribute, or ingredient.

  • food chain

    (füd chān): A sequence of organisms in which each depends on the next, and usually lower, member as a source of food.

  • microorganism

    (mī krō ȯr gə ni zəm): An organism or life form of microscopic size.

  • organic

    (ȯr ga nik): Of, relating to, or obtained from living things.

  • predator

    (pre də tər): An animal that preys on other animals for food.

  • propagule

    (prä pə gyül): A structure (such as a cutting, a seed, or a spore) that reproduces a plant.

  • ratio

    (rā shē ō): The relationship in quantity, amount, or size between two or more things.

  • sample

    (sam pəl): A small subset group, representative of the entire group.

  • sediment

    (se dǝ mǝnt): Material deposited by water, wind, or glaciers.

  • Photo of Nicole Cormier hanging upside down from a branch of a mangrove tree.

    Nicole Cormier

    Ecologist

    My favorite science experience has been traveling and working on tropical islands like those in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). I have been fortunate to work in old growth...
    View Profile
  • two people scuba diving

    Amanda Demopoulos

    Ecologist

    It is hard for me to select my favorite science experience! Whenever I have the chance to go in the field, whether trudging through the mangrove forest, diving on coral...
    View Profile
  • Photo of Richard Mackenzie underwater, wearing goggles and snorkel.

    Richard MacKenzie

    Aquatic Ecologist

    When I was little, I used to come home from the creek behind our house covered in mud. I still do. I love that I get to study fish, insects,...
    View Profile

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Standards addressed in this Article:

Social Studies Standards

Social Studies Standards are educational guidelines outlining the essential knowledge, skills, and concepts students should learn in subjects such as history, geography, civics, and economics, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of societal structures, historical events, and global perspectives.
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Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.

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Project Learning Tree

If you are a Project Learning Tree educator, you may use “Web of Life,” “Nature’s Recyclers,” and “The Fallen Log” as additional resources.

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Related Resources from the Natural Inquirer

  • From 1920 to 1950, a tree species called albizia (Falcataria moluccana) was brought to Hawai‘i from islands located north and northeast of Australia. A fast-growing tree, albizia now grows all...

    Don’t Litter the Stream: An Invasive Tree Species and a Hawaiian Stream Food Web

    • Article
    • Middle School
    • 1 Classroom Period
    • Water
    • Wildlife
    • Albizia Trees
    • Algae
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    • Invasive Species
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    From 1920 to 1950, a tree species called albizia (Falcataria moluccana) was brought to Hawai‘i from islands located north and northeast of Australia. A fast-growing tree, albizia now grows all...
    Explore Article Download Article (PDF)
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  • Mangrove forests include trees and shrubs found in the tropics that have large root structures and create barriers that help protect coastlines. The mangrove forests provide protection for the villages,...

    Mangrove Mania: How Elevation Change and Sea-Level Rise Affect Mangrove Forests

    • Article
    • Middle School
    • 1 Classroom Period
    • Climate
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    Mangrove forests include trees and shrubs found in the tropics that have large root structures and create barriers that help protect coastlines. The mangrove forests provide protection for the villages,...
    Explore Article Download Article (PDF)
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  • The scientists in this study were interested in environmental changes occuring in the Southern United States. The scientists were interested in changes occuring over a long time. In particular, the...

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    • Article
    • Middle School
    • 1 Classroom Period
    • Carbon
    • Climate
    • Carbon Cycle
    • Carbon Dioxide
    • Carbon Sink
    • Fossil Fuels
    • Nitrogen
    The scientists in this study were interested in environmental changes occuring in the Southern United States. The scientists were interested in changes occuring over a long time. In particular, the...
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Additional Resources

  • Smithsonian: Mangroves

    Mangroves are survivors. With their roots submerged in water, mangrove trees thrive in hot, muddy, salty conditions that would quickly kill most plants. How do they do it? Read more about mangroves from the Smithsonian.

    Visit Website
  • Conservation International: Mangroves

    Explore additional facts about mangroves.

    Visit Website
  • National Park Service: Lake Mead food web

    Learn more about food webs from the National Park Service.

    Visit Website
  • Wild Singapore: Sesarmid Crabs

    Learn more about sesarmid crabs

    Visit Website
  • Science Daily: Trophic Levels

    Read more about tropic levels.

    Visit Website
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