10.1 Aquatic 10.1 Aquatic BiomesBiomes

70% of Earth is 70% of Earth is covered with water.covered with water.

          Organisms live in or Organisms live in or on water.on water.

          Determined by Determined by depths and not depths and not locations.locations.

          Rivers are used for Rivers are used for transportation, transportation, irrigationirrigation

and as a source of and as a source of electricity.electricity.

Temperature is Temperature is not a limiting not a limiting factor like it is on factor like it is on land because land because large amounts of large amounts of water stabilize water stabilize temperature.temperature.

Rate of flow is the Rate of flow is the speed at which speed at which water moves.water moves.

Characteristics of Aquatic Characteristics of Aquatic BiomesBiomes

      1. 1. Amount of Amount of dissolved salts in the dissolved salts in the water (1 major water (1 major characteristic).characteristic).

        2. 2. Depth of water Depth of water (another major (another major characteristic).characteristic).

        3. 3. Rate of flow of the Rate of flow of the water.water.

4. Amount of 4. Amount of dissolveddissolved

oxygen in the water.oxygen in the water.

SalinitySalinity     The amount of The amount of

dissolved salts dissolved salts in a sample of in a sample of water.water.

More salt in More salt in water than water than more buoyant. more buoyant. Hydrometers Hydrometers measure the measure the buoyancy of buoyancy of water.water.

        This is the basis This is the basis of two groups of of two groups of aquatic biomes.aquatic biomes.

*saltwater *saltwater (about 30 parts (about 30 parts salt per 1000).salt per 1000).

*freshwater *freshwater (about 0.5 parts (about 0.5 parts salt per 1000salt per 1000).).

SalinitySalinity Oceans have more salts than the Oceans have more salts than the

ponds and streams. Aquatic ponds and streams. Aquatic biomes that fall between streams biomes that fall between streams (hardly any salt) and oceans (a lot (hardly any salt) and oceans (a lot of salt) are called of salt) are called brackishbrackish. . Usually found where the ocean Usually found where the ocean waters and the freshwater meet waters and the freshwater meet such as river deltas and coastal such as river deltas and coastal marshesmarshes..

SalinitySalinity The Great Salt The Great Salt

Lake in Utah Lake in Utah and Mono Lake and Mono Lake in California are in California are called called hypersaline hypersaline lakes and they lakes and they are more saline are more saline than the ocean. than the ocean. These are These are exceptions.exceptions.

DepthDepth The ecosystem in a body of The ecosystem in a body of

water depends on how much water depends on how much sunlight can penetrate the sunlight can penetrate the body of water. The amount of body of water. The amount of sunlight that reaches the sunlight that reaches the bottom of the body of water bottom of the body of water control what kind of plant and control what kind of plant and animal life that can grow animal life that can grow there.there.

Depth ZonesDepth Zones Photic: the top Photic: the top

layer of water layer of water that receives that receives enough sunlight enough sunlight for for photosynthesis. photosynthesis. This zone is This zone is where most where most living organisms living organisms are found.are found.

Depth ZonesDepth Zones Aphotic zone: Aphotic zone:

falls below falls below the photic the photic zone. Sunlight zone. Sunlight never reaches never reaches this zone.this zone.

Depth ZonesDepth Zones Benthic zone: the Benthic zone: the

mud floor of the body mud floor of the body of water. Freshwater of water. Freshwater benthic animals benthic animals include insect larvae, include insect larvae, snails, catfish and snails, catfish and turtles.In shallow turtles.In shallow lakes, plants can live lakes, plants can live here because the sun here because the sun reaches here. reaches here. Bacteria live on the Bacteria live on the ocean floor and ocean floor and nourish themselves nourish themselves with chemicals. with chemicals.

Human ImpactHuman Impact LLoss of aquatic oss of aquatic habitats.habitats.

Pollution of the water.Pollution of the water.