@canvasofthewild

Happy #sharkweek 🦈 Here are three iconic requiem sharks 👉 The tiger shark, blue shark, and bull shark. Requiem sharks are part of the family "Carcharhinidae", which includes about 264 species. These species all have similar behaviors, Including a proclivity towards migratory behavior, giving birth to live young, and predominantly living in warm temperatures. Two of these species are featured in our latest coloring book; Coloring Florida’s Coastal Waters - now available for pre-order at the link in our bio 🤗 We are excited to highlight interesting shark species, cool facts, and educational info all week in celebration of #sharks 💙 Artwork by @kellyofthewild . . . #shark #sharkart #sharkposter #sharklove #sharklover #sharkdive #sharkdiver #sharkresearch #sharkconservation #sharkweek2022 #oceanlove #oceanlover #scientificillustration #steamlearning #steameducation #marinescience #tigershark #blueshark #bullshark @oceanicpreservationsociety @racingextinction

The Atlantic goliath grouper is a big fish. They are found throughout Florida’s coastal waters and the Gulf of Mexico to the Carribbean, down to Brazil. They are also found in the Pacific from Mexico to Peru, and even parts of West Africa. Mangroves play a key role as nurseries for these grouper, with adults frequently found along rocky bottom, wrecks, and reefs. The fish schooling around the grouper are bar jack with what looks like a remora swimming underneath. #seaofconnections #wildfl #nature #wildlife #education #lovefl #wildflorida #ocean #coralreef #goliathgrouper #explore #naturereels

Common bottlenose dolphins are found all over the world, with some populations specializing in coastal habitats and others preferring the pelagic. The coastal dolphins can be territorial and often utilize a variety of habitats – from bays and estuaries to seagrass beds and coral reefs. As a #cetacean ; bottlenose dolphins are considered one of the smartest animals on the planet, challenging even the great apes. Their intelligence is likely due to their complex social structures; where families (called pods) remain close, individual relationships are formed, and hunting strategies coordinated as a team. Across the world, each population develops specific hunting techniques best adapted to their environment and then passes down these self-learned behaviors to the next generation. One example is what scientists call "mud plume feeding" - where South Florida dolphins have developed this clever technique to corral fish by kicking up mud around them, which makes the fish jump out of the water and right into the mouths of waiting dolphins! Learn more about this species and how you can help protect these intelligent and curious beings on @oceanicpreservationsociety 💙 Artwork by @kellyofthewild . . #seaofconnections #oceanlove #oceanlover #dolphin #dolphins #bottlenosedolphin #dolphinart #dolphinlove #dolphinlover #cetaceans #whaletail #ops #opsociety #scientificillustration #marinescience #steamlearning #steameducation

Oceanic manta rays are the largest ray species in the world, reaching over 23 feet from wingtip to wingtip and weighing over 5,000 pounds! These gentle giants are filter feeders, and spend their life constantly on the move seeking their tiny zooplankton prey. Once in abundance across the ocean, today the oceanic manta ray and many of its smaller cousins are considered endangered by the IUCN. This is largely due to the unsustainable practices of the fin and gill trade where they are actively hunted, as well as the commercial fishing industry where gear accidentally ensnares the species as bycatch. You can learn more about mantas on @mantatrust or discover ways you can help protect the species with our friends at the @oceanicpreservationsociety 💙 Their team has worked with the @misoolfoundation to protect mantas from hunting by creating a program that empowers Indonesian families through ecotourism rather than manta hunting. One hunted manta is worth around $500 on the market, in contrast, that same manta alive is estimated to be worth a whopping $1 million dollars over its lifespan from ecotourism. Being a world traveler, this species also occurs in #florida ! They sometimes make a pit stop to recharge on our coral reef with a nice spa day at the local cleaning station; where fish remove parasites, before continuing their pelagic journey. #seaofconnections Artwork by @kellyofthewild . . #manta #mantaray #mantarays #mantaart #mantalove #mantalover #rays #stingray #sharklove #sharklover #rayconservation #oceanlove #oceanlover #scientificillustration #steamlearning #steameducation #marinescience #ops #mantarays

Young green sea turtles are carnivorous and stay mostly in the pelagic (i.e. the entire water column generally beyond shallow, tidal areas and not including the sea floor). As they mature they become more omnivorous and start to venture into shallower waters to look for food. As adults they are almost exclusively herbivores, eating things such as algae along reefs and trimming the tops of sea grass beds. #seaofconnections #ocean #oceanlove #testudines #wildlife #education #greenseaturtle #nature

Green sea turtles are found along many of the world's tropical and temperate zones, often migrating long distances between their feeding grounds and nesting sites. One sea turtle was even recorded traveling over 1,600 miles during one migration – that's further than a trip from the West to East coasts of the Continental US! As adults, green sea turtles graze on seagrasses, and algae, but won't pass up the occasional yummy Jellyfish drifting by. Research has shown a balanced population of green sea turtles in a region can actually improve the health of the seagrass beds, since they prefer to trim the tops of the grass with their sharp beak rather than pull them from the root. This is important for coastal communities like #miami where the seagrass beds of #biscaynebay hold the sediment in place and filter our toxins from the water. Though considered endangered internationally, in the US they have been delisted as threatened thanks to community action across the country to protect the species. You can learn more about green sea turtles on @loggerheadmarinelifecenter or @conserveturtles 💙 Follow along on our ocean journey as we share more keystone species that will soon be brought to life on the #seaofconenctions mural! More to share soon in collaboration with the @oceanicpreservationsociety 🤗 Artwork by @kellyofthewild . . #seaturtle #seaturtlelove #seaturtlelover #seaturtleart #seaturtles #seaturtleconservation #seaturtlerescue #scientificillustration #marinescience #oceanart #oceanlove #steamlearning #steameducation

Another species featured in the Sea of Connections mural in Miami, lemon sharks are named for the yellowish color of their skin. This coloring is well suited as camouflage for the shallow sandy bottoms of the warm waters they call home. Like many species of sharks, lemon sharks prefer to be social and often live in groups. They often begin their lifecycle in mangrove habitat, and gradually venture out to deeper waters as they mature. #seaofconnections #nature #wildlife #ocean #lemonshark #shark #education #naturereels #lemonsharks #sharks #oceanlove

Through experiences that engage kids in marine science, we are developing a connection between the next generation and our ocean. With our partners at @oceanicpreservationsociety we are raising funds for our next mural that will focus on coral reef species and provide more opportunities for students to paint, discover, and learn more about ocean research being done in #miami . If you are interested in being a sponsor and supporting a community initiative focused on education. All donations are tax-deductible and CRA applicable. Learn more on our project page at the link in our bio. . . #mural #murals #education #steameducation #steamlearning #miamischools #miamiart #miamieducation #miamiteacher #iprepacademy #floridanews #students #miamifamily #miamiliving #miamicommunity #miamiconstruction #keybiscayne #kids @miamischools

Say hello to the Scalloped hammerhead, another featured species in the #seaofconnections mural! Named for the shape of their head, called a cephalofoil, this long-lived social animal has a large and complex brain that supports unique social behavior, highly evolved sensorimotor functions and intricate migration patterns. Found worldwide in warm temperate and tropical seas, they are a migratory species that form large groups, called aggregations, making them extremely vulnerable to commercial and illegal fishing. Scalloped hammerheads are primarily caught in targeted commercial shark fisheries like the fin trade, as well as bycatch in longline and coastal gillnet fisheries with mortality rates sometimes exceeding 90% of individuals landed. Learn more about protecting sharks by following the @oceanicpreservationsociety and keep protecting what you love!💙 Illustration by @kellyofthewild . . #seaofconnections #shark #sharks #sharkart #sharklove #sharklover #sharkresearch #sharkconservation #sharklove #sharklover #sharkdive #oceanlove #oceanlover #marinescience #steameducation #education #scientificillustration #scallopedhammerhead #hammerhead #hammerheadshark #opsociety @racingextinction

Here’s the life-sized Leatherback sea turtle from the educational school mural in #miami 🙌 Along with the mural installation, this educational campaign will provide opportunities for students to have access to art lessons, supplemental curriculum with activity books, a knowledge base for students, and opportunities to meet local researchers from @rescueareef and @sharktagging . If you care about marine science programs in schools, please consider donating to our campaign at the link in our bio👇 https://www.canvasofthewild.com/sea-of-connections/intro Corporate and individual donations are 100% tax-deductible through our partner the @oceanicpreservationsociety . If you or your organization would like to learn more, please message us. We appreciate you! Artist @kellyofthewild . . #mural #murals #education #steameducation #steamlearning #miamischools #miamiart #miamieducation #miamiteacher #iprepacademy #floridanews #students #miamifamily #miamiliving #keybiscayne #kids #miamicommunity

The spotted jelly (Mastigias papua) has two ways of harnessing energy from the environment. During the day, they hang out in the photic zone, which starts at the surface and goes to about 328ft (100m), though the depth of the photic zone varies based on water clarity and the amount of sunlight. A type of algae living within the jellyfish’s tissue - called zooxanthellae - captures energy from the sun through photosynthesis, releasing nutrients and oxygen for the jellyfish. At night, the jellyfish sink to the bottom, absorbing nutrients from the soil through their oral arms. The jellyfish supplies the zooxanthellae with oxygen and organic waste that helps fuel photosynthesis. This type of symbiosis between the jellyfish and the zooxanthellae is trophic mutualism, where an exchange of nutrients between two organisms is mutually beneficial. #seaofconnections #cnidaria #scyphozoa #rhizostomeae #mastigiidae #dinoflagellates #ocean #sealife #jellyfish #educational #oceanlove #explore #education

Meet the largest sea turtle in the ocean, a featured species in the #seaofconnections mural! The Leatherback sea turtle gets its name from the rubber-like shell, that's actually a collection of thousands of tiny bone plates that make it appear “leathery.” They are usually between 4-6 feet in length, but the largest individual was 10 feet from beak to tail and weighed over 2,000lbs! Their massive size, powerful flippers, and stream-lined body make them true pelagic navigators, enabling them to swim thousands of miles over open ocean and against fast currents. In Florida, leatherbacks nest almost exclusively on the east coast of Florida (except for a few spots on the Gulf), with about 30% of all nests in the state occurring in Palm Beach County. Globally, Leatherback's are considered vulnerable by the IUCN, but many subpopulations, including the Florida turtles, are Endangered. The greatest threats to Leatherback sea turtles are unsustainable commercial fisheries where they are often entangled as bycatch, and marine pollution such as balloons and plastic bags that are mistaken as food. Learn more about this species and how you can help protect them on @loggerheadmarinelifecenter and follow @oceanicpreservationsociety to learn how you can help protect our ocean globally! Illustration by @kellyofthewild . . #seaturtle #seaturtles #seaturtlelove #seaturtlelover #leatherbackseaturtle #loggerheadmarinelifecenter #palmbeach #seaturtleart #seaturtleconservation #oceanresearch #oceanlove #oceanlover #turtlelover #scientificillustration #marinescience #steamlearning #steameducation

A powerful tail helps the American alligator propel itself through the water, with a top speed of 20mph (32.1kph). On land, the alligator's top speed is 35mph (56.3kph) for short distances. You may have noticed this individual is missing a right hind foot. An alligator missing one or more limbs is common, but they are highly resilient and often live long after these injuries. #americanalligator #locomotion #wildlife #keepflwild #keepfloridawild #nature #swamp #education #lovefl