Download Life in the Ocean

Life in the Ocean
3 Major Groups of Marine Life
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Plankton
Float at or near the surface of ocean
 Two types:
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Phytoplankton – plant like
 Zooplankton – animal like
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Nekton
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Free swimming organisms: Dolphins
Benthos

Live on the ocean floor: clams, crabs
Ocean Zones
 Three
Ecological Zones
 Intertidal
 Neritic
 Open-ocean
Intertidal Zone
Extends from the High tide to the Low Tide
 Drastically changing environment

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Why?
Periods of underwater, exposed to sunlight
and air, pounding of waves, and change in
temp and salinity
 Organisms adapt to live underwater and on
land
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Shells = protection: sunlight and tides
Neritic Zone
Begins at the low-tide limit and extends
to edge of continental shelf
 Temp, pressure, nutrients and sunlight
are consistent
 Majority of organisms found within the
upper 100 meters. Why?
 Algae grows providing food and shelter

Open-ocean Zone
Extends from shelf to Deep Ocean Basin
 Contains water column: Surface to deep
 Plant life is scarce due to lack of
sunlight
 Water has few nutrients
 Colder temps and higher pressure lead
to interesting adaptations
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