Aquatic Biome I Moira San Juan. Marine Oceans Coral Reefs Estuaries
CH. 11 The Marine Biome. .
-
Upload
pauline-white -
Category
Documents
-
view
222 -
download
5
Transcript of CH. 11 The Marine Biome. .
The World Ocean
All oceans are connected, like one big ocean Called the world ocean
World ocean can be divided into zones Vertical zones: photic, aphotic, benthic Horizontal zones: oceanic, neritic, intertidal
http://www.dinosaurfact.net/
Oceanic Zone
Ocean Zone: open ocean Largest zone in ocean 90% of the surface area of the world ocean
Very deep About 200 m along continental shelf to 11,000 m
belowSunlight does not get down far into oceanic
zone
Oceanic Zone
Photic zone is the top layer Only producers of the open ocean are phytoplankton Each year the phytoplankton convert CO2 into billions
of tons of carbon All animals feed off of plankton, even humpback whales
Aphotic Zone Like the desert….little life Absence of sunlight limits the diversity and number of
organisms Organisms in this zone feed on pieces of dead organic
material Detritus: the tiny pieces of that are food for organisms
at the base of the food web
Ocean Water
Currents: pattern ocean waters flow All the ocean waters are connected BUT they don’t all
have the same characteristics Temperature varies due to different distances from
sun
http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/circulation/ocean_circulation.html
Near equator: higher temps. And Salinity
-near poles glaciers meltrelease fresh, cold water into ocean; less salty and colder
Ocean Water-Currents
Most fish and other organisms follow same current flow
Many people believe that because the ocean is so large chemicals and such will be diluted down and no longer harmful WRONG pollutants become concentrated in fish which humans
eat Ocean Dumping Act of 1988 banned the disposal of
industrial wastes at sea Trash still is able to accumulate due to the ocean
currents and winds
The World’s Dump
http://habitathabits.com/tag/great-garbage-patch/
Questions sect. 10.1
1. Why does the deep oceanic zone have no plants? What are the producers of the open ocean?
2. Compare the map in figure 11.3 (ocean currents) to the one in figure 1.8 on page 10. What type of winds drive the gulf stream current?
blogs.edf.org
Neritic Zone
Neritic zone: region between the edge of the continental shelf and the low tidemark Accounts for 10% of the ocean; shallow warmer water
Continental shelf: shallow border that surrounds the continent Between shore and 200 m below water surface
receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis to occur
Neritic Zone
Coral Reefs: natural structure built on a continental shelf Found warm, tropical waters
Kelp beds found in colder waters
Coral reefs are like rain forests Productive ecosystems Home to a variety of organisms, including fish Beneficial to humans: home to fish for fishing and
selling; protect the shoreline from erosion; have medicinal value
Neritic Zone
Coral Reef Reef is made of millions of tiny corals Only the top layer is alive Algae that lives inside reef carries out photosynthesis
Thus providing the reef with food Algae needs sunlight for photosynthesis- can’t grow below
certain depths Human Effect
Blasted with dynamite to make harbors and shipping canals
Harvested and sold for jewelry People collect fish in that area methods use damage
reef Water pollution
Chemicals kill reef Debris makes water cloudy decrease in
photosynthesis
Solcomhouse.com
Neritic Zone
Estuaries Region where freshwater source meets saltwater Salinity varies Many organisms use as an area to lay eggs Humans use for boating and fishing Important
filter sediments and pollutants from the water Slow water down (helpful after storms or floods)
Neritic Zone Productivity
How “productive” the neritic zone is depends on: Availability of sunlight Amount of nutrients Occurrence of tides
Tide brings nutrients to the reef and takes away the wastes
Barrier Reef: as a coral reef grows less oxygen and nutrients from the ocean are carried to the
corals closest to land, so a channel between the reef and land forms
solcomhouse.com
worldstravelr.blogspot.com
Questions
1. Where in the ocean does the neritic zone begin and end?
2. Continental shelves have been called the breadbaskets of the ocean. Explain this statement.
3. Some types of ecosystems recover from damage more quickly than others. Would you expect coral reefs to recover quickly from the types of damage described in this section. Why or why not?
Intertidal Zone
Located along the shoreline of oceanAlternates twice each day between periods of
exposure at low tide and periods of submersion at high tide
Organisms need be adapted to both exposure and submersion along with constant pounding• Attach to rocks• Burrow into sand
Intertidal ZoneIntertidal zones
because along shoreline they are often surrounded by salt marshes and mangrove swamps
Salt Marsh Flat, muddy wetlands Determined by tides
Low-mud flats are exposed High- submerged
Common on east coast and in the gulf of the U.S. Feeding and resting ground for migratory birds Abundant plant life supports a diversity of fish and
invertebrates Usually around estuaries
Intertidal Zone
Salt Marshes Form when streams flow into calm waters like an
estuary Slowing of water causes sediments flowing to be
deposited These sediments build up over time forming a DELTA SUBSIDENCE: weight of the sediments causes the
delta to sink under the water Balance and stability results when the rate of sediment
deposits equals that of subsidence
The Mississippi River delta undergoes a 5000 year cycle of sediment accumulation, subsidence, and therefore a change in the river’s course/shape
Intertidal Zone
Mangrove Swamps Coastal wetland that
occurs only in warm climates
FROST kills the plants…so mangroves exist in areas that don’t freeze for more than one or two days each year
Main plant: mangrove (woody plant - can be a tree or a shrub)
Water has very LITTLE dissolved oxygen
SOUTHEAST Asia swamps have developed into FORESTS
en.wikipedia.org