Aquatic Ecology: Ocean Life Zones (notes w/ppt) 3/6 (B) and 3/7 (A)

Objectives – can you answer these?

– What are the types of ocean life zones?

– What factors influence the kinds of life found there?

– What are the types of saltwater and freshwater life zones?

– How is the aquatic environment being affected by humans?

– How can we help sustain the water world?

Must know for project:

• Know names and descriptions of zones

• Significant adaptations

• Trophic relationships

• Human factors

Aquatic Life Zones (Biomes)

• 1. The ___________________________________________ Life Zone includes the oceans of the world. 75% of world’s surface is water.

• 2. The ____________________________ Life Zone includes the rivers, ponds, streams, lakes and wetlands.

Common Organisms in Marine Life Zones

• ___________________________ are organisms that float or only weakly swim.

• ___________________________ are swimming life forms.

• ___________________________ organisms are the bottom dwellers.

• Decomposers are the _____________________________.

3 Types of Plankton:

3 Examples of Nekton:

3 Examples of Benthos:

Unique Factors for Water Life

• Sunlight only penetrates the first ___________ feet.

• Pressure ________________________________________ with depth

• Temperature ______________________________________ through thermoclines.

• Salinity of the water ______________________________ cells.

• ____________________________ provides physical support.

• Nutrients and pollution are in the water so they are ______________________ and _______________________.

• Chemicals for life (______) have to be ______________________________________________.

Oceans

• ________% of Earth’s surface.

• Key role in environment. __________________________________ starting point. Controlling factor in ______________________. Important chemical sink and cycle controller.

• Absorbs heat from sun and redistributes it, regulating ____________________________.

• __________________________ known species of life.

• Two life zones: Coastal and Open Sea.

Intertidal Zone

• The area of shoreline between __________________________________________ is the intertidal zone.

• The organisms must be ____________________________ to the ocean or shore life because of changing conditions of ___________________________.

• They must also be able to __________________________________________________ when the waves crash on them.

Coastal Zone (aka Neritic Zone)

• ______________ to end of ___________________________________________.

• _______% of ocean area: _______% of the life in the ocean.

• Site of large ____________________________________________.

• Site of most aquatic biodiversity: __________

Reef Systems in the Ocean

• Coral reef systems are a collection of many species co-habitating in a ___________________________ and sometimes ________________________________relationship.

• These are the ______________________________ of the ocean.

• The most _____________________________________ habitat in the ocean.

Effects of Mankind on Coasts

• 3.9 billion people (_____ of world population)

live along coasts or within _______ miles of a coast.

• Since 1900, the world has lost approximately

___________ of the coastal wetlands by

development.

• ________% of the USA’s wetlands and estuaries

have been lost by development. This includes

dredging and filling and waste contamination.

• Virginia’s coast has been

_________________________________ for

over a century.

Effects of Mankind on Reefs

• Mankind has killed ____% of the world’s reef systems.

• ____% are in critical condition.

• ____% are in threatened condition.

• Only ____% are stable.

• At current rates _____% of the world’s reefs could be dead in 20-40 years.

Open Ocean Biological Zones

• Open Ocean / Open Sea zone has 3 vertical zones based on the penetration of sunlight. It contains about _____% of the marine species.

– __________________- upper zone, first 200 meters.

– ________________ or ________________ - middle zone, 200-1500 meters

– ________________ - bottom zone, below 1500 meters

Euphotic Zone

– ___________________________

– ___________ Dissolved Oxygen (content varies widely from 1.5 ppm to 7.5 ppm), _______ nutrient levels, ______% of the ocean’s surface. Only _____% of commercial fish for the world.

– Zone of ______________________________________ from the atmosphere. Oceans help clean the _____________________________________________ out of the atmosphere. It turns the CO2 into _______________________________ ions that are stored in sediment of the ocean bottom.

Bathyal (Benthic) Zone

– _____ photosynthesis. ________________ Dissolved oxygen and _____________________. Pressure ___________________.

Abyssal Zone

– totally _______, strange life forms. __________________ level of Dissolved Oxygen, ____________________. Temp can be below freezing, but _________________ keeps it liquid. _______________________ nutrient layer due to the sediments.