Blog Number 2; 4/30/2021; Aquatic Guards
The Everglades is a combination of four major impacting ecosystems, being forests, swamps, marshland, and reefs. Each of these ecosystems has a unique set of creatures, from the bears of the forests to the terrapins of the marshland. The Everglades is surrounded by many habitats where fresh and salt water are prevalent. The water, both fresh and salt, is the driving lifeforce of this magnificent paradise. It provides some animals with food, some with transportation, some with homes, and some with breeding grounds. Therefore, it is crucial to make sure the water is healthy. The best way to tell this is from the two mammalian kings of the waters. The dolphins of the reefs, and the manatees of the marshland. Bottle-nosed dolphins are a top predator of the reefs, hunting everything from mullets to crab to squid, and occasionally young hammerhead sharks. Similar to the panther, dolphins make sure the prey animals do not get overpopulated. An easy way to tell the health of a dolphin ...