Estuary+Fiction

__ Symbiotic Relationship Story - Estuary __ Maura G & Ruchir G

Once in the Rio De La Plata estuary there lived a sea otter, his name was Ruchir. Ruchir had just come back from a walk on the banks of the estuary and he decided to go for a swim, little did he know that the water was infested with pneumoniae. While Ruchir was luxuriously floating with the current, a crocodile lurked nearby. Oblivious to Maura the crocodile, Ruchir continued swimming around. From all the work of paddling, Ruchir was getting thirsty. He traveled upstream to where it was mostly all freshwater. He thirstily sipped the cool water, the pneumoniae traveling down his throat, the bacteria starting to take effect. The bacterium was benefiting from the sea otter, and Ruchir was getting sick and would soon die. This relationship is called Parasitism. While Ruchir sipped, Maura took charge and slinked towards Ruchir. When the time was right Maura opened her jaws and chomped down on Ruchir, swallowing him bacteria and all. This is an example of a predator prey relationship.





Meanwhile, downstream in a large patch of creathnach, another relationship was being formed. While the creathnach were absorbing nutrients in the soil, a group of fungi, Rhizophyduim sphaerocarpum, were slowly growing up on the plant. The fungus group benefited from the creathnach greatly because it provided a home for the group and also an easier way to get food. Plus, while the fungus lives on the plant, the creathnach does not mind! This would be an example of commensalism. While this was happening, something else was occurring upstream



Maura the Crocodile sat on the muddy banks of the estuary, basking in the warm summer sun. Her mouth had become dirty from her previous meal, but she didn’t need to fret, for her friend, Louis the plover was fluttering around the corner. Knowing why he had come, she opened her mouth, and strangely enough he jumped inside. Louis immediately started pecking away at the leftover food, which would be his dinner. Maura did not mind it though; she actually appreciated it, for she would get a clean mouth. This process helped both of them, which is an example of Mutualism.



All of these events are examples of symbiotic relationships in an estuary. At the end of the day all of these organisms benefit from something, except for the creathnach and the sea otter… poor, poor Ruchir.

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