Wednesday February 20, 2013 (Marine Life Zones and Ocean Productivity)

WednesdayFebruary 20, 2013

(Marine Life Zones and Ocean

Productivity)

The Launch PadWednesday, 3/20/13

Name and briefly describe the three classifications of marine organisms.

Plankton (floaters) include all marine organisms that drift with ocean currents.

Nekton (swimmers) include all animals capable of moving independently of the ocean currents, by swimming or other

means of propulsion.

Benthos (bottom dwellers) describe organisms living on or in the ocean bottom.

AnnouncementsHappy National Love Your

Pet Day!

AnnouncementsI will be available after

school today until 5:15.

Assignment Currently Open

Summative or

Formative?Date Issued Date Due Date Into

GradeSpeedFinal Day

Quiz 18 S3 2/8 2/8 2/11 2/25

WS – Ocean Temperature and

DensityF15 2/13 2/15 ? FRIDAY

Quiz 19 S4 2/15 2/15 ? 3/1

WS – Ocean Life F16 2/19 2/20 ? FRIDAY

Science on the International Space Station – Gateway to the Universe

Recent Events in Science

Read All About It!www.nasa.gov/connect/social/social_ISSscience_feb2013.html

On Wednesday Feb. 20, 150 of NASA's social media followers and their guests will have the unique

opportunity to talk to three of the six crew members aboard the International Space Station, and speak with agency scientists and engineers about the ground-breaking research taking place daily on the orbiting laboratory, some 240 miles above Earth. The space station is the gateway to

the rest of the universe, enabling important discoveries that benefit humanity and vastly

increase our understanding of how humans can safely work, live and thrive in space for long

periods. The day-long event will take place in two parts, with the morning at NASA Headquarters, 300 E St. SW in

Washington. A portion of the morning will be broadcast on NASA TV from 10:00 a.m. to noon

EST.In the afternoon, NASA has partnered with the

Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum (@airandspace) so participants will take

part in a special tour of the museum and have opportunities to interact with museum experts.

Science on the International Space Station – Gateway to the Universe

Recent Events in Science

Read All About It!www.nasa.gov/connect/social/social_ISSscience_feb2013.html

Participants will have the opportunity to:Engage in a live chat with NASA astronauts Kevin Ford and

Tom Marshburn, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield, currently aboard the space station. Speak

with NASA astronaut Don Pettit, @Astro_Pettit, and agency scientists and engineers. Tour the NASA Headquarters

Space Operations Center with live views from the International Space Station. Learn about:

Current scientific experiments underway aboard the space station and new experiments planned to launch on the next SpaceX cargo resupply mission in March.Commercial and educational research opportunities enabled by the station's microgravity environment.How researchers study the effects of a weightless environment on the human body to help protect

astronauts for long-duration spaceflight missions in the future.

How the space station is being used to test groundbreaking, new technologies that will help

astronauts safely reach new deep space destinations, including an asteroid and eventually Mars.

Registration for the event will open from

9:00 a.m. EDT, Tuesday, Feb. 5 until 5:00 p.m.

EST on Thursday, Feb. 7. NASA will randomly select 150 participants from the registrants. Additional applicants

will be placed on a waiting list.

Marine Life Zones

Basis: Available Light – The Photic Zone

Basis: Available Light – The Euphotic Subdivision

Basis: Available Light – The Aphotic Zone

Basis: Distance From Shore – The Intertidal Zone

Basis: Distance From Shore – The Neritic Zone

Basis: Distance From Shore – The Oceanic Zone

Basis: Depth – The Pelagic Zone

Basis: Depth – The Benthic Zone

Basis: Depth – The Abyssal Subdivision

Marine Life Zones

Oceanic ProductivitySome regions of the oceans are teeming with life, while other

areas seem barren.The reason for this is related to

the amount of primary productivity in various parts of

the oceans.Primary productivity is the amount of carbon fixed by

organisms through the synthesis of organic matter using energy

derived from solar radiation (photosynthesis) or chemical reactions (chemosynthesis.)

Oceanic ProductivityTwo factors influence a region’s photosynthetic

productivity:the availability of

nutrients the amount of solar

radiation The most abundant

marine life exists where there is a plentiful supply of nutrients and sunlight.

Oceanic ProductivityPrimary ocean productivity is the

production of organic compounds from atmospheric or aquatic carbon dioxide,

principally through the process of photosynthesis.

Almost all life on earth is directly or indirectly reliant on primary production.

The organisms responsible for primary production are known as primary

producers or autotrophs, and form the base of the food chain.

In the oceans, photosynthetic phytoplankton are primarily

responsible for primary production.

At the base of the ocean food web are single-celled algae and other plant-like organisms known as phytoplankton. Like plants on land, phytoplankton use chlorophyll and other light-harvesting pigments to carry out photosynthesis, absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide to

produce sugars for fuel. Chlorophyll in the water changes the way it reflects and absorbs sunlight, allowing scientists to map the amount and location of phytoplankton. These

measurements give scientists valuable insights into the health of the ocean environment, and help scientists study the ocean carbon cycle.

Oceanic ProductivityProductivity in Polar Oceans

Because of nutrients rising from deeper water, high-latitude surface waters

have high nutrient concentrations.

However, low solar energy limits photosynthetic

productivity.

An Example of Productivity in Polar Oceans (the Barents Sea)

Figure 14.13

Oceanic ProductivityProductivity in Tropical Oceans

Productivity is low in tropical open oceans, because the thermocline eliminates the

supply of nutrients from deeper waters below.

Productivity in Tropical Oceans

Figure 14.14

Oceanic ProductivityProductivity in Temperate Oceans

Productivity in temperate oceans is seasonal.

In Winter, productivity is low because days are short and the sun angle is low.

In Spring, the “bloom” of phytoplankton is quickly depleted and productivity is

limited.In Summer, a strong thermocline

develops so surface nutrients are not replaced from below. The phytoplankton

population remains relatively low In Fall, the thermocline breaks down and

nutrients return to the surface. There is a short-lived Fall bloom of

phytoplankton. Generally speaking the highest overall

productivity occurs in temperate regions.

Productivity in temperate oceans – Northern Hemisphere

Figure 14.15

Worksheet

Figure 14.15

Marine Life Zones and Ocean Productivity