In: Biology
Please list three challenges to marine birds and reptiles of life in the ocean? For each one, list a species and its adaptation for dealing with that challenge.
Seabirds:
1. One of the major challenges for marine bird is saline water which is not suitable for drinking. Therefore many sea birds developed a specialised salt nasal glands just above the eyes. These glands work as desalinators and the salt is secreted out through their nostrils, which enable seabirds to drink water.
2. Other challenges include predator attacks and catching fast moving prey for which seabirds have developed webbed feet which enable them to swim at fast speeds.
3. Third challange is diving into the water with high speed for which they are adapted with aerodynamic bill shape beak which ensure minimum impact with water.
Reptiles:
The major challenges for marine reptilles include aquatic environment which is full of salt, breathing during diving, and locomotin in an environment with higher density and viscosity than air. The adaptation include ectothermy, the capacity for anaerobic metabolism, less permeability of skin for ion balance in salt condition, breathing through skin also for sufficient breathing, a good system of eliminating salt excess while avoiding water loss is excreting very concentrated urine.