Lab#1: SSC & Blog

http://www.exploringnature.org/db/detail.php?dbID=44&detID=582

This map distinguishes where coral reefs can be found throughout the world. They thrive in warm climates along coastlines of most of the global continents. The map can be found on the Exploring Nature Educational Resource website, which subdivides different topics that are related to the the "living world", such as biomes, species, climates, and wildlife. A coral reef is a habitat, consisting of a plethora of biodiversity, which includes flora and fauna underwater. The website gives a brief description of coral reefs and characteristics. It is interesting to see that coral reef thrive so proximate to land that shows that there is a dynamic relationship between coral reefs and solid ground. The webpage also depicts what types of coral reefs exist near different continents. For example, "fringing reefs" live next to the shoreline of shallow water like around Hawaii and the Caribbean Islands. Another example can be shown on the map, the Great Barrier Reef, which is along the coast of Australia and reaches 1,200 miles long.

http://www.aaccessmaps.com/show/map/beverlyhillsarea#links

The source of this map is called aacessmaps.com and it showcases numerous attractions in the greater Metropolitan area of Los Angeles, which include places like Santa Monica, Century City, Culver City, and Beverly Hills. The map itself focuses on the locations where tourists and Los Angeles natives are able to experience popular culture in different types of settings and auras. Places like the Geffen Playhouse, which is located in the heart of the village of Westwood near University of California, Los Angeles, the La Brea Tar Pits next to LACMA or Los Angeles County Museum of Arts, and the Museum of Tolerance offer people from a variety of interests and backgrounds a sense of community and culture. I believe this map is interestingly relevant to my life because I attended Santa Monica College and passed by these attractions on public transportation. I would glance at these specific places everyday on my way to school and think that one day, I will visit them. It also includes our campus, UCLA and the famous highways 10 East-West and the 405 North-South, which I am fairly familiar with.

http://multiservices9780.com/caribbeans.html

When I looked at this map, the first things that came into my mind were first, how I have never been to the Bahamas and second, how so many islands can exist within such a small area in the Atlantic Ocean. It is interesting to recognize the fact that a substantial amount of cultures existing next to one another. The Caribbean Islands had started being colonized by European powers since the 15th century and it is apparent that there are many traces of Europe's culture that shows in these specific islands. This is the reason behind the Caribbean's long history of colonization and slavery, which are basically passed on from generations to generations. As colonization spread, new cultures, languages, and the way the islands' distinctiveness was shaped developed also. The source of this map was a website with a general view of all the islands and how they as a whole make up a unique and mystifying place. Through this source, I have learned that most of the islands' histories do not coincide or reflect those of nearby ones. Most of them have differing origins and that is what intrigued me. There is so much more depth and entities that make up the Bahamas. Much more than beautiful beaches, clean, clear waters, and a well-deserved vacation spot. Each island possesses its own identity even though they are all extremely proximate to one another. The Caribbean region is a place of dream vacations and dense culture. It would be an amazing adventure to be there one day.