Environment, ecology and biology of the Marianas archipelago
There are 11 classes (i.e., major groups) of living arachnids in the world. Of these, only six are likely to be encountered on Guam: the Acari (ticks and mites), Pseudoscorpiones (pseudoscorpions), Scorpiones (scorpions), Solifugae (sun spiders), Opiliones (harvestmen or daddy long-legs) and Araneae (spiders).
In addition to analyzing artifacts, archeologists often study ancient environments to understand how prehistoric societies both shaped, and were shaped by, their natural surroundings. For example, an archeologist might be interested in learning how an ancient population managed to live in a particular environment, such as a desert.
Ancient Guam’s Environment Read Post »
Listen to Guam birds like the Åga (Mariana Crow) and the Yǻyaguak (Mariana Gray Swiftlet).
Guam Birds Audio Files Read Post »
Guam’s Fish and Wildlife Fact Sheets are in their fourth printing since the original series came out in 2002. The 80 fact sheets contain images and provide text describing the island’s species that live on land and in the ocean surrounding the Marianas.
Fish and Wildlife Fact Sheets Read Post »
The hilitai or monitor lizard (Varanus tsukamotoi) was introduced to the island before European contact in the 1500’s. It is black or dark green with yellow or white spots covering its body.
Hilitai: Monitor Lizard Read Post »
William Edwin Safford (1859 – 1926), raised in Ohio, served as a lieutenant in the US Navy during the Spanish-American War. Guam became a possession of the United States after the signing of the peace treaty on 10 December 1898.
Seaweeds, or marine benthic algae, constitute the primary plant life in the marine waters around Guam. Seaweeds serve as the primary producers of nutrients made through the process of photosynthesis whereby carbon dioxide and water are converted to sugar and oxygen.
The notoriety of the red seaweed, Gracilaria tsudae, (Division Rhodophyta, Class Rhodophyceae, Order Gracilariales, Family Gracilariaceae), known as chaguan tasi on Guam, was triggered by the death of three Guam residents who ate the seaweed in April 1991.
Seaweed: Gracilaria Read Post »
The green seaweed Enteromorpha clathrata (Roth) Greville grows profusely along the shoreline on certain beaches on the west (leeward) coast of Guam between the low water line and mid-water line throughout the year.
Seaweed: Enteromorpha Read Post »
Seagrasses (Division Magnoliophyta, Class Magnoliopsida, Order Helobiae) differ from seaweeds (algae) in that the seagrasses produce flowers, fruits and seeds.
Seagrasses Overview Read Post »
