Second-ever Silver coin featuring a unique 3D water droplet, depicts underwater worlds that lie off Canadas coasts. The irrefutable relationship between the ocean and land is embodied in the 3D water droplet on this coin. The coin comes presented in an elegant coin case, along with the Certificate of Authenticity. Limited mintage to 7.500 pieces worldwide. Canadian artist Alexandra Lefort has created an engaging underwater scene that takes the viewer beneath the surface to meet the diverse aquatic life that can be found off Canadas shores in the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans. A 3D water droplet dominates the centre of the design and frames a walrus that leads the eye into the design and around the outer edge where six ocean residents are positioned in a manner that roughly mirrors their geographical distribution in Canada. An iceberg floats in the upper right Atlantic/Arctic portion of the design while two species of Pacific kelp (bull and northern giant) frame the design as they define the West Coast. Presented clockwise from the top: ivory gulls glide above the water; a northern bottlenose whale; a pair of beluga whales; a leatherback sea turtle; a grey whale; and a basking shark. Underwater Life Marine life refers to the plants, animals and other organisms that live in the ocean. At a fundamental level, marine life helps determine the very nature of our planet. Marine organisms produce much of the oxygen we breathe. Shorelines are in part shaped and protected by marine life, and some marine organisms even help create new land. Most life forms evolved initially in marine habitats. The earliest vertebrates appeared in the form of fish, which live exclusively in water. Some of these evolved into amphibians which spend portions of their lives in water and portions on land. Plant forms such as kelp and algae grow in the water and are the basis for some underwater ecosystems. Plankton is generally the foundation of the ocean food chain. Marine vertebrates must obtain oxygen to survive, and they do so in various ways. Fish have gills instead of lungs, although some species of fish, such as the lungfish, have both. Marine mammals, such as dolphins, whales, otters, and seals need to surface periodically to breathe air. Some amphibians are able to absorb oxygen through their skin. Invertebrates exhibit a wide range of modifications to survive in poorly oxygenated waters including breathing tubes (see insect and mollusc siphons) and gills (Carcinus). However, as invertebrate life evolved in an aquatic habitat most have little or no specialisation for respiration in water. Altogether there are 230,000 documented marine species, and it has been estimated that nearly two million marine species are yet to be documented. Marine species range in size from the microscopic, including plankton and phytoplankton which can be as small as 0.02 micrometres and are both important as key primary producers of the sea, to huge cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) which in the case of the blue whale reach up to 33 metres (109 feet) in length, being the largest known animal. The item “UNDERWATER LIFE Water Droplet Silver Coin 20$ Canada 2017″ is in sale since Wednesday, November 02, 2016. This item is in the category “Coins & Paper Money\Coins\ Canada\Commemorative”. The seller is “powercoin_italy” and is located in Roma. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Circulated/Uncirculated: Uncirculated
- Country/Region of Manufacture: Canada