Pg. 72 RTW: How was your weekend?

• Objective: I will be able to describe the abiotic and biotic factors of the following coastal ecosystems, including:– Mangrove swamps– Salt marshes– Sea grasses

• Agenda– Finish coastal ecosystem research

• Homework– None

Monday, November 10th 2014

Coastal Ecosystem Project

• You will research the different types of coastal ecosystems:– Salt water marsh– Mangrove swamps– Sea grasses

• Create a graphic organizer answering the following:– What defines this ecosystem– Environmental conditions– How do organisms have to adapt to life here– Examples of organisms

Coastal Ecosystems

• Three types:– Salt water marsh– Mangrove swamps– Sea grasses

Is it a marsh or a swamp?! (know the difference)

• Marsh:

• little H2O movement

• lots of decomposers• dominated by non-woody plants

• Swamp:• poorly drained land• reptiles are major predators• dominated by woody plants

Salt Marsh

Mangrove Swamp

Salt Marshes

Biotic Factors

• Plants:• grasses, sedges, and other

plants that have adapted to continual periodic flooding and are found primarily throughout the temperate and subarctic regions

• Animals:• they support a community of

clams, fish, aquatic birds, crabs, and shrimp

Abiotic Factors• these have the highest

salinity of all the ecosystems

• they also absorb pollutants to help protect inland areas

American Oyster Catcher

Great Egret

Fiddler Crab

Salt Marshes

• salt marshes exist in estuaries and along the coasts

– upper marsh

• includes the areas only rarely flooded by the tides

– lower marsh

• includes areas flooded by salt water and a regular part of the tidal cycle

• organisms living here

must tolerate significantly

more osmotic stress than

species with niches in the

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Salt Marshes• halophytes

– plants that have adaptations that allow them to survive in salt water

• lower marsh halophytes – deal with constant osmotic stress and have adaptations to deal with it

• adaptations include:– pores in the leaves through which it breathes

– concentrates salts in its roots

– salt glands on leaves and stem

• upper marsh halophytes – have much reduced osmotic stress

• adaptations include:– sacrificial leaves

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Mangroves

• cold-sensitive trees that grow near saline waters along tropical & subtropical shores

• Daytona/St. Augustine is northern limit for white mangroves

• three species – red mangrove- closest to water– black mangrove– white mangrove

Mangrove Swamps• they are tropical or subtropical marine swamps

– characterized by the abundance of low to tall mangrove trees

• the swamps help protect the coastline from erosion and reduce the damage from storms

• they also provide a home for about 2,000 animal species

• they have been filled with waste and destroyed in many parts of the world. (In Florida it is now illegal to cut/move/destroy mangroves)

Mangrove Swamps

• all species of mangroves share two important characteristics that make them the basis of mangrove ecosystems

1. strong, tangled roots that provide habitats for juvenile fish and invertebrates

- this provides a nursery for nearby marine ecosystems, particularly coral reefs

2. due to size they hold the soil well, protecting the habitat and coast from erosion from storm surges, waves, and weather 14 - 14C

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Mangrove Swamps• red mangroves

– grow above the waterline on stilt-like roots allowing oxygen to get to the roots

• black mangroves

– have roots that grow in the sediment below the waterline

– they aerate their roots with snorkel-like tubes that carry air from above to the roots

• white mangroves

– lack special root adaptations

– they are very saltwater tolerant, but thrive high on the tideline 14 - 15C

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Red Mangrove

• protects shoreline & stabilizes sediment

• propagule- long & pencil shaped seeds

Red Mangrove-w/ propagule (Seed)

Black Mangrove

• least cold sensitive of all mangrove species

• seeds resemble lima beans

Black Mangrove

White Mangrove

• most cold sensitive of all mangrove species

• identified by two glands on leaf stem (Frankenstein’s

• monster)

• leaf tip is rounded w/ indention

• Small fruits with wrinkled texture (think raisins!)

White Mangrove

Seagrassesmarine plants covering extensive shallow underwater “meadows”

• seagrasses differ from other halophytes in several ways:– they are the only plants, living entirely underwater except

during rare, very low tides

– they have no means of extracting fresh water from seawater

– they extract oxygen from the seawater and have internal air canals

– they do not need to have a freshwater source because they have an internal salinity the same as seawater

– they reproduce by releasing pollen into the water, much like land-based plants release pollen into the wind

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Seagrasses

• seagrasses differ from other halophyte-basedecosystems because:

– they are edible and provide food for ecosystem

inhabitants like microbes, invertebrates, fish, turtles, manatees, and dugongs

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Pg. 72 RTW: What is the main difference between salt marsh and a mangrove

swamp?• Objective: I will be able to describe the chemical and physical

factors that affect species distribution in the intertidal zones such as rocky shores and sandy beaches.

• Agenda– Intertidal notes: Sandy vs Muddy shore (pg. 69-71)

• Homework– Quiz Friday

• Estuaries• Coastal Ecosystems• Intertidal Zone (Muddy vs. Sandy Shores)

Wednesday, November 12th 2014

Intertidal Zonesthe area between the high tide mark and the low tide mark`

• ecosystems in the intertidal zones exist in areas that may be above the waterline at times other portions reach depths of 10 meters (32.8 feet)

• supralittoral zone the area only submerged during the highest tides the greatest challenges facing organisms that live in this zone

are drying out, thermal stress, and water motion– with the constant spray of seawater evaporating, high salt levels can also be a problem

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Intertidal Zones

littoral zone the area between high and low tide the organisms here must also deal with drying

out, thermal stress, and water motion with ample water nutrients, and sunlight, this

is a highly productive region. one challenge to life here, therefore is massive competition

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyNEG-PvZmM&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Beaches

Beaches rich and productive ecosystemshave important roles that affect other marine

ecosystems the sand protects the coastline by reducing sedimentation

caused by coastal erosion▪ complex organisms, (worms, mollusks, and fish) live in the

submerged beach sand▪ algae and non-animal organisms live among the sand grains

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Sandy Shores• Beaches are defined by 3 physical factors

– Particle size– Slope– Wave action (the most important to sandy beaches b/c

they can cause shoreline destruction)

• Almost all organisms bury themselves into the substrate so they are not taken by the waves.

Ex: sand flea (Mole Crab)

Beaches

interaction between water motion and the meiofauna▪ the meiofauna – benthic organisms – tiny organisms live in

the spaces between sand grains▪ the physical and organic process in the beach ecosystem

break down organic and inorganic materials making the beach a giant filter ▪ processes compounds from runoff to the sea or washed

up from the sea

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Muddy Shores

• Little to no wave action (most important factor).• Most are supplied w/ fresh water from rivers (like

estuaries)• Fine sediments with very small grain sizes are

deposited b/c there are no waves to take them away = a muddy substrate

• Also known as Mud Flats

More Conditions• Anaerobic (little to no oxygen) in the mud b/c of

little water movement.• Most organisms (like worms) can burrow into the

substrate and make permanent tubes in order to obtain oxygen from the surface.

• Other organisms (like sulfur bacteria) can live with out oxygen and get energy through sulfur = mud flats smell like rotten eggs.

• Plants (like cord grass) must be able to get rid of salt = expel through leaves.

Types• Coastal lagoons• Estuaries• Harbors/bays• Tidal sloughs• Salt marshes

Did You Know?• These enormous vegetarians can be found in warm coastal

waters from East Africa to Australia, including the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific.

• Dugongs are related to manatees and are similar in appearance and behavior— though the dugong's tail is fluked like a whale's. Both are related to the elephant, although the giant land animal is not at all similar in appearance or behavior.

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Pg. 72 RTW: Draw a t-chart on your paper

• Objective: I will be able to describe the chemical and physical factors that affect species distribution in the intertidal zones such as rocky shores and sandy beaches.

• Agenda– Mud vs sand t-chart– Review coastal ecosystems

• Homework– Quiz Friday

• Estuaries• Coastal Ecosystems• Intertidal Zone (Muddy vs. Sandy Shores)

Thursday, November 13th 2014

No RTW: Take time to review your notes for the quiz

• Objective: I will be able to describe the chemical and physical factors that affect species distribution in the intertidal zones such as rocky shores and sandy beaches.

• Agenda– Review for Test Tuesday– Quiz Today!

• Homework– Study for test (Tuesday)

• Abiotic vs. biotic• Ocean layers• Plankton• Estuaries• Coastal Ecosystems• Intertidal Zone (Muddy vs. Sandy Shores)

Friday, November 14th 2014