Blue Crab Envirogram

1) Select an organism that resides in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. It can be native or non-native,
plant or animal. Selecting an organism that has been studied more extensively will make the
project easier. Please get your organism approved (by June 10) prior to completing a significant
part of the project to make sure you’re on the right track.
2) Construct the envirogram. Options for how to construct/draw it:
a. Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint all have graphics that you may find useful.
PowerPoint is probably easiest because then you can integrate it into your presentation.
b. Draw it out by hand. You can make a poster large enough for everyone to see or make
copies. You will be presenting it to the class via Zoom, so if you choose to draw it out by
hand, make sure that you’ll be able to scan it and display it on your screen for everyone
to see.
3) What needs to be included:
a. The name of the organism. Use either just the Latin name or both Latin and common.
Pay attention to how Latin names are displayed: always in italics, with the genus (first
word) capitalized, and the species (second word) in lowercase. Example: the blue crab is
Callinectes sapidus. Predators included should also be listed by Latin name or both Latin
and common. You are welcome to refer to the organism by either in your presentation.
b. The centrum (the first stage of the web), divided into four categories:
i. Resources: food, water, shelter, environmental conditions (temperature, tidal
patterns, seasonal conditions for survival)
ii. Predators: what eats your organism? What eats those predators? Track it up the
food chain
iii. Malentities: these are just other things that negatively impact the survival of your
organism. Drought, climate change, habitat destruction, automobile collisions,
invasive species, etc.
iv. Reproduction: how does it reproduce? If an animal, how does it find a mate? If a
plant, what conditions are necessary for reproduction?
c. The web should have 2-3 stages beyond the centrum, though some exceptions will be
unavoidable.
d. A four to five-page summary of the envirogram. Discuss why the organism was selected,
if you focused on a certain aspect of its survival, explain why that focus was selected, and
elaborate on the major components influencing its survival. Use Times New Roman 12
point font with double spaced lines.
e. A ten-minute presentation summarizing the project.
4) Cite sources in APA format. Journal articles, government publications, and books are the most
reliable sources. Online field guides like iNaturalist may be useful especially when you’re just
getting sta