1. Living Things in the St. Johns River
Ask the students:
Can you name some living things? To follow-up: What makes something “living?”
How many of these living things live near or in the water? Why do you think that?

2. Plants
Tape grass (Vallisneria americana) • Teeth on edge of leaves • Leaves flat, tape-like; cm wide • Leaves taper at tip • No obvious stem • Height: 4-90 cm (a small one can be confused with Sagittaria subulata)
Discus main points of slide. Ask students if they see anything distinguishing about the organism. Ask how they know it would be alive.

3. Plants
Water naiad (Najas guadalupensis) • Leaf whorls not tightly packed • Leaf pairs/whorls separated by large spaces on stem • Leaves opposite, usually in pairs, sometimes in whorls of three • Leaves with teeth (must look closely); 2 mm wide
Discus main points of slide. Ask students if they see anything distinguishing about the organism. Ask how they know it would be alive.

4. Plants
Widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima) • Leaves alternate, tapering at end • Leaves thread-like; 0.5 mm wide • Height: 4-20 cm
Discus main points of slide. Ask students if they see anything distinguishing about the organism. Ask how they know it would be alive.

5. Plants
Muskgrass (Chara sp.) • Leaf whorls separated by conspicuous spaces • Leaf not forked • Leaves stiff and scratchy to touch • Height: 2-8 cm
Discus main points of slide. Ask students if they see anything distinguishing about the organism. Ask how they know it would be alive. .

6. Plants
Spikerush (Eleocharis sp.) • No teeth on leaves • Leaves round, pencil-like; 1-3 mm wide • Leaves as broad at tip as at base • Height: 1-5 cm
Discus main points of slide. Ask students if they see anything distinguishing about the organism. Ask how they know it would be alive.

7. Plants
Water thyme (Hydrilla verticillata) • Leaf whorls tightly packed • Leaves opposite, in whorls of four to eight leaves • Leaves with conspicuous teeth, making plant scratchy to the touch • Leaf tip pointed; leaves 2-4 mm wide • Height: 5-15 cm
Discus main points of slide. Ask students if they see anything distinguishing about the organism. Ask how they know it would be alive.

8. Plants
Baby’s-tears (Micranthemum sp.) • Leaf whorls not tightly packed • Leaf opposite, in whorls of three to four leaves • No teeth on leaves • Leaf tip rounded; 2-4 mm wide • Height: 2-15 cm
Discus main points of slide. Ask students if they see anything distinguishing about the organism. Ask how they know it would be alive.

9. Plants
Sago pondweed (Potamogeton pectinatus) • Leaves alternate; cm wide • No teeth on leaves • Leaves long and narrowing with pointed tips • Stems thread-like • Height: 5-20 cm
Discus main points of slide. Ask students if they see anything distinguishing about the organism. Ask how they know it would be alive.

10. Plants
Small pondweed (Potamogeton pusillus) • Leaves alternate; mm wide • No teeth on leaves • Leaves long and narrow with blunted or rounded tips • Stems thread-like • Height: 5-20 cm
Discus main points of slide. Ask students if they see anything distinguishing about the organism. Ask how they know it would be alive.

11. Plants
Awl-leaf arrowhead (Sagittaria subulata) • No teeth on leaves • Leaves triangular, spongy; 3-8 mm wide • Leaves taper at tip • Height: 1-5 cm
Discus main points of slide. Ask students if they see anything distinguishing about the organism. Ask how they know it would be alive.

12. Plants
Horned pondweed (Zannichellia palustris) • Leaves opposite • No teeth on leaves • Long narrow leaves with blunted tips • Stems thread-like • Often seen with kidney-shaped fruit • Height: 1-8 cm
Discus main points of slide. Ask students if they see anything distinguishing about the organism. Ask how they know it would be alive.

13. Animals
Blue Crab
Has an exoskeleton, which they periodically have to shed (molt) so they can continue to grow.
Their body is divided into three sections – the head, thorax and abdomen.
The head and thorax are fused together and covered by the carapace.
Discus main points of slide. Ask students if they see anything distinguishing about the organism. Ask how they know it would be alive.

14. Animals Jellyfish Have stinging cells Free-moving, floating organisms
Discus main points of slide. Ask students if they see anything distinguishing about the organism. Ask how they know it would be alive.

15. Animals Sea Cucumber Able to regenerate certain parts of their anatomy
Have a skeleton under the surface
Typically scavengers
Discus main points of slide. Ask students if they see anything distinguishing about the organism. Ask how they know it would be alive.

16. Animals Ribbon Worm Capture prey at their head
Can be up to 30 meters long
Discus main points of slide. Ask students if they see anything distinguishing about the organism. Ask how they know it would be alive.

17. Animals Brittle Star Have arms
Discus main points of slide. Ask students if they see anything distinguishing about the organism. Ask how they know it would be alive.

18. References
Pinto, G., Bielmyer-Fraser, G.K., Goldberg, N., Ouellette, A., Le, A., Pyati, R., Zoellner, B., Closmann, C. (2018/19) State of the River Report for the Lower St. Johns River Basin, Florida: Water Quality, Fisheries, Aquatic Life, & Contaminants (LSJR). Prepared for the City of Jacksonville, Environmental Protection Board.