Aquatic EcosystemsAquatic Ecosystems

FreshwaterFreshwaterPonds & LakesPonds & Lakes

Streams & Streams & RiversRivers

WetlandsWetlands

MarineMarineOceansOceans

Coral ReefsCoral Reefs

EstuariesEstuaries

FreshwaterFreshwater

Ponds & LakesPonds & Lakes

Streams & RiversStreams & Rivers

WetlandsWetlands

FreshwaterFreshwaterFreshwater is defined as having a Freshwater is defined as having a low salt concentration—usually low salt concentration—usually less than 1%less than 1%Plants and animals in freshwater Plants and animals in freshwater regions are adjusted to the low regions are adjusted to the low salt content and would not be salt content and would not be able to survive in areas of high able to survive in areas of high salt concentration (i.e, ocean)salt concentration (i.e, ocean)

Ponds and LakesPonds and Lakesrange in size from just a few square meters to range in size from just a few square meters to thousands of square kilometersthousands of square kilometersponds may be seasonal, lasting just a couple ponds may be seasonal, lasting just a couple of months (such as sessile pools)of months (such as sessile pools)lakes may exist for hundreds of years or morelakes may exist for hundreds of years or more may have limited species diversity since they may have limited species diversity since they are often isolated from one another and from are often isolated from one another and from other water sources like rivers and oceansother water sources like rivers and oceans

Ponds and LakesPonds and LakesTemperatureTemperature

varies seasonally. varies seasonally. Summer Summer

from 4° C near the bottom to 22° C at the topfrom 4° C near the bottom to 22° C at the top

WinterWinterfrom 4° C while the top is 0° C (ice)from 4° C while the top is 0° C (ice)

between the two layers is a narrow zone between the two layers is a narrow zone called the thermocline where the temperature called the thermocline where the temperature of the water changes rapidly with depthof the water changes rapidly with depth

Ponds and LakesPonds and Lakesduring the spring and fall seasons is a during the spring and fall seasons is a mixing of the top and bottom layers mixing of the top and bottom layers resulting in a uniform water temperature resulting in a uniform water temperature of around 4° Cof around 4° Cmixing also circulates oxygen mixing also circulates oxygen throughout the lakethroughout the lakemany lakes and ponds do not freeze many lakes and ponds do not freeze during the winter resulting in the top during the winter resulting in the top layer being a little warmerlayer being a little warmer

Ponds and LakesPonds and Lakesice can develop on the top of lakes ice can develop on the top of lakes during winterduring winter

blocks out sunlight and can prevent blocks out sunlight and can prevent photosynthesisphotosynthesis

oxygen levels drop and some plants oxygen levels drop and some plants and animals may dieand animals may die

called "winterkill." called "winterkill."

Ponds and Lakes

Streams & RiversStreams & Riversbodies of flowing water moving in one bodies of flowing water moving in one directiondirection found everywhere—they get their start found everywhere—they get their start at headwaters, which may be springs, at headwaters, which may be springs, snowmelt or even lakessnowmelt or even lakestravel all the way to their mouths, travel all the way to their mouths, usually another water channel or the usually another water channel or the oceanocean

Streams & Rivers

WetlandsWetlandsWetlands are areas of standing Wetlands are areas of standing water that support aquatic plantswater that support aquatic plants

Marshes, swamps, and bogs are Marshes, swamps, and bogs are all considered wetlandsall considered wetlands

WetlandsWetlandsPlantsPlants

adapted to the very moist and humid adapted to the very moist and humid conditions are called hydrophytesconditions are called hydrophytes

Pond lilies Cattails SedgesPond lilies Cattails Sedges

Tamarack Black SpruceTamarack Black Spruce

Gum Cypress Gum Cypress

Wetlands River OtterRiver Otter

Damselfly Dragonfly MayflyDamselfly Dragonfly Mayfly

Crayfish Snails Leech Bluegill BassCrayfish Snails Leech Bluegill Bass

Catfish Sculpin Minnow SnakesCatfish Sculpin Minnow Snakes

Frog TurtleFrog Turtle

Great Blue Heron Canadian GooseGreat Blue Heron Canadian Goose

Aquatic EcosystemsAquatic Ecosystems

MarineMarineOceansOceans

Coral ReefsCoral Reefs

EstuariesEstuaries

MarineMarinecover about three-fourths of the Earth’s cover about three-fourths of the Earth’s surface and include oceans, coral reefs, surface and include oceans, coral reefs, and estuariesand estuariesalgae supply much of the world’s algae supply much of the world’s oxygen supply and take in a huge oxygen supply and take in a huge amount of atmospheric carbon dioxideamount of atmospheric carbon dioxideevaporation of the seawater provides evaporation of the seawater provides rainwater for the land rainwater for the land

OceansOceanslargest of all the ecosystemslargest of all the ecosystemsdominate the Earth’s surfacedominate the Earth’s surfaceseparate zonesseparate zones

IntertidalIntertidalPelagicPelagicAbyssalAbyssalBenthicBenthic

great diversity of speciesgreat diversity of species richest diversity of species even though it richest diversity of species even though it contains fewer species than there are on landcontains fewer species than there are on land

OceansOceans

PelagicPelagic – Open Ocean – Open Oceanwaters further from the land, basically waters further from the land, basically the open oceanthe open ocean

generally cold though it is hard to give a generally cold though it is hard to give a general temperature range since, just general temperature range since, just like ponds and lakes, there is thermal like ponds and lakes, there is thermal stratification with a constant mixing of stratification with a constant mixing of warm and cold ocean currentswarm and cold ocean currents

A Look at a A Look at a Marine BiomeMarine Biome

The Coral Reef BiomeThe Coral Reef Biome

What Is a Coral Reef?What Is a Coral Reef?

A structure formed by coral polyps, A structure formed by coral polyps, tiny animals that live in colonies.tiny animals that live in colonies.

Coral polyps form a hard, stony, Coral polyps form a hard, stony, branching structure made of branching structure made of limestone.limestone.

New polyps attach to old coral and New polyps attach to old coral and gradually build the reef.gradually build the reef.

Sample Food ChainSample Food Chain

Moray Eel

Octopus

Coral

Zooplankton

Phytoplankton

Starfish

EstuariesEstuariesenclosed body of water formed where enclosed body of water formed where freshwater from rivers and streams flows into freshwater from rivers and streams flows into the ocean, mixing with the salty sea waterthe ocean, mixing with the salty sea water

estuaries and the lands surrounding them are estuaries and the lands surrounding them are places of transition from land to sea, and from places of transition from land to sea, and from fresh to salt waterfresh to salt water

although influenced by the tides, estuaries are although influenced by the tides, estuaries are protected from the full force of ocean waves, protected from the full force of ocean waves, winds, and storms by the reefs, barrier islands, winds, and storms by the reefs, barrier islands, or fingers of land, mud, or sand that define an or fingers of land, mud, or sand that define an estuary's seaward boundaryestuary's seaward boundary

Estuaries are semi-enclosed bodies of water where Estuaries are semi-enclosed bodies of water where fresh water from the land mixes with sea water.fresh water from the land mixes with sea water.

Estuaries originate as: drowned Estuaries originate as: drowned river valleys, bar-built estuaries, and river valleys, bar-built estuaries, and tectonic estuaries.tectonic estuaries.Salinity typically grades from Salinity typically grades from normal marine salinity at the tidal normal marine salinity at the tidal inlet to fresh water at the mouth of inlet to fresh water at the mouth of the river.the river.

Conclusion…Conclusion…

THE END