Download Ecology Fresh and Marine water Ecosystems student notes 2016-2017

Ecology Fill in the Blank Notes
Freshwater and Marine Biomes
Voc. List: Aquatic Biomes, Plankton, Phytoplankton, Zooplankton, Nekton, Benthos, Detritus, Freshwater Biomes, Standing-Water
Ecosystem, Wetlands, Glacial lake, Barrier lake, Crater lake, Tectonic lake, Flowing-Water Ecosystem, Rhizoids, Sediments, Estuary,
Marine Biome, Hypersaline Lakes, Salt Marshes, Photic zone, Disphotic zones, Aphotic zones, Eurythermal zone, Disthermal zone,
Sunlit Layer, Thermocline Layer, Deep Thick Layer, Salinity, Pelagic zone, Neritic zone, Oceanic zone, Intertidal Littoral zone,
Supralittoral zone, Sublittoral zone, Bathyal zone, Benthic zone, Nekton zone, zooxanthellae, Filter feeders
Characteristics of Aquatic Ecosystems
Organisms are categorized by their location and by their adaptations.
Three groups:
1.
_____________________ are marine algae and animals that drift with the currents. Most are microscopic like Diatoms but
some are as big a Portuguese man-of-war
Two types:

_______________________: plant-like plankton (producers)

_______________________: animal-like plankton (consumers)
2.
_________________________ are animals that actively __________________. Example: ____________________ is the
largest animal (averaging between 21-23 meters)
3.
_____________________________ (bottom-dwellers) are algae, animals, and plants living
_____________________________________________________.
Examples:
 Horseshoe Crabs (shallow waters)-have changed very little over the last 250 million years. They tolerance
__________________________ changes and __________________ ranges and can live without food for up to a
_________________________.
 Coral (shallow waters)
 Giant tube worms (Deep water)
o ________________________ are tiny pieces of dead organic matter that are food for organisms at the base
of an aquatic food web such as coral and sponges
The amount of dissolved salts in a sample of water is called ___________________________
o Measured in __________________________________
o There is ______________ in fresh water but only a little
 ___________________ per thousand
Aquatic Biomes
 Nearly ______________ of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. It is the ________________________ of the
biosphere and without water _______________________________________. There is a large diversity of aquatic
plants and animals large and small in size some even microscopic in nature. There are two basic forms of aquatic
biomes: Freshwater and Marine water
I. ____________________________ (wetlands, ponds, lake, rivers, and streams)
i. Divided into two main types_________________________________________________________________
 Lakes, ponds and wetlands (marsh, swamp, bogs): ___________________________________________
 ____________________-in general are ecosystems in which the roots of plants are submerged under
water _____________________________________________
o Very important for the biosphere because they act as filters, detoxifying chemicals in the water that
passes through them.
o Important in breeding, feeding, resting grounds, for _____________________ water fowl, such as
ducks, great blue
heron, and geese, and habitat for commercial fish and shellfish such as oysters and clams
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o
o
o
o
o
Provides a habitat for rare, threatened, and endangered species
Wetlands along the banks of rivers act as ______________________________________________
Buffer shorelines against erosion
Lots of recreational activities such as fishing, bird watching, and photography
Wetlands are being destroyed by man because of
__________________________________________________________________________________
Types of Standing-Water Ecosystems
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Body of water
Lake
________________-formed by the action of
glaciers
________________-formed by landslides or
glacial tills that block streams or rivers
_________________-Water that filled up a
crater from a volcano
___________________-Water that filled up
a rift valley
 _________________ in Russia is the
world’s oldest lake (650 km long
and 80 km wide)
_____________________-formed by animals
(including humans). Depressions in in the
land or from dams
Pond
Marsh
Swamp
Bog
Abiotic Factors
______________; may
have an aphotic zone; may
be fed by groundwater
aquifers.
Biotic Factors
Main producers are
________________ in the photic zone
and benthic plants along the shoreline;
complex food webs.
Light reaches
__________________; fed
mostly by rainfall; may be
seasonal.
____________________
with land occasionally
exposed; soil is saturated,
water often lacks oxygen;
may be freshwater,
saltwater, or brackish;
often tidal;
__________________ is
the largest freshwater
marsh in the United
States.
Land is soaked with water
because of
_________________;
usually along low
streambeds and flat land;
mangrove swamps are
salty and found along
coastlines.
Inland wetland with little
inflow or outflow; soil is
_____________; decay is
slow; ____________ is
stored in dead plants.
Main producers are plants and algae
that _______________________; food
web usually simpler than in lakes.
Most lakes, rivers, ponds are freshwater but there are exceptions
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Plants have roots ________________,
but leaves are above the water
(emergent); mostly grasses, cattails,
and rushes; ducks, waterfowl, and
benthic animals are common.
Dominated by large trees and shrubs;
plants are adapted to grow in muddy,
_________________________;
cypress trees common in the south,
willow and dogwood common in the
northern United States.
_______________________ is the
dominant organism; partly decayed
moss accumulated as peat.
 Great Salt Lake in Utah and Mono Lake in California
o They are saltier than the oceans: 40 parts per thousands
o Called ________________________ lakes
Rivers, streams, creeks, and brooks: __________________________________________
 Near the headwaters rootlike _________________________ are used to anchor organisms like mosses to rocks
 Organisms include many types of fish such as salmon and catfish
 Stream-flow causes erosion
o _____________________are small particles that settle on the bottom of these bodies of water from
erosion
II.
________________________ (oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries)
 In the ocean water the salinity the average is ____________________ per thousand
A ___________________________________ is a flat, muddy wetlands that often surround estuaries, bays, and lagoons
o There are salt marshes as well as fresh-water marshes
 Most are influenced by tides
 When inundated by sea level rises it can reduce habitat available and eliminate the flood protection of the
upland areas. –Caused by _____________________________________________
 Very common in the east coast of the United States and the shores of the Gulf of Mexico
 Role: Supporting migratory bird populations
 Estuary marshes can sequester __________________ and filter out toxic chemicals or nutrients from
______________________________________.
An ____________________________ is a region where a freshwater source, usually the mouth of a river, meets the salt water of the
ocean.
 Estuaries are ______________________________ with the world’s oceans and with major systems and cycles on the Earth.
 Food webs, nutrient cycles, and the water cycle
 Affected by __________________________ and ___________________________ from far beyond their
watershed boundaries.
 It functions as buffer zones, filtering sediments and pollutants from the water
 It also eases the effects of storms and floods by slowing the flow of water
 Continuously changing the ___________________________________________________________________
 Estuaries support an abundance of life, and a diversity of habitat types.
 Vital _______________________________________ area for many fish, invertebrates, and plants
 Lots of commercial fishing, oyster reefs, salt marshes, mangroves, mud flats, and even freshwater tidal
marshes
 Estuaries provide a ____________________________________________ for many organisms
Chesapeake Bay Estuary
The Chesapeake Bay is the _____________________ and most ________________________ marine ecosystem in the United States.
 It receives fresh water from many tributaries ranging from large rivers to thousands of smaller creeks.
 All the land that drains water into the Bay is the estuary’s _______________________________.
 The Chesapeake watershed includes six states and the District of Columbia: Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West
Virginia, and New York
 _________ of the fresh water that flows into the Bay comes from the Susquehanna River at the Bay’s northern end
 The bay is home to nearly ____________________ of fish including important commercial species such as striped bass,
bluefish, summer flounder, American eel, and Atlantic menhaden.
 This bay is famous for its _________________________________________.
Estuaries across the globe have similar characteristics and threats. Below is a list of characteristics and organisms:
1. _____________________________________________: These plants are sources of food for shellfish, finfish, birds,
amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, and mammals.
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a.
b.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
SAV provide nurseries for young fish.
The plants trap _____________________ by slowing water currents. This causes the suspended particles
(sediments) to drop to the bottom
c. They are very sensitive to _________________________________________ in the water.
d. Decreases in clarity and/or eutrophication can harm SAVs-___________________________________________
e. SAV provide nurseries for young fish.
f. The plants trap sediment by slowing water currents. This causes the suspended particles (sediments) to drop to
the bottom
_____________________: The high primary productivity in the wetlands fuels food webs.
a. Wetlands are a source of food and shelter for juvenile aquatic organisms and filter sediment, nutrients, and
contaminates.
b. They are important to the carbon and nitrogen cycles.
c. Wetlands are important habitats for birds, reptiles, mammals, and invertebrates and protect the land from eroding
and flooding,
___________________________: These organisms filter suspended particles to obtain food by straining the water.
a. Anything not eaten is bound with mucus and discarded.
b. The heavier waste pellets fall to the bottom.
c. If not consumed by decomposers, sediment covers the organic material, becoming a natural sink.
_______________________________________: The North American migratory flyways describe the routes followed by
migratory birds.
a. Though the routes vary with each species, they often intersect at estuaries.
b. Estuaries are important stop-overs for the birds to rest and eat so they can refuel from their long journeys.
________________________________________: Estuaries and their tributaries often sheltered habitats for species now
endangered of becoming extinct like sea turtles and manatees.
________________________________________: The sheltered access to the sea offers people commercial and
recreational fishing, boating, tourism, and other coastal industries.
a. Estuaries ________________________________________________________________________________.
The Role of Aquatic Plants
There are ________________types of aquatic plants in the Chesapeake Bay: floating plants, emergent plants, and submerged
aquatic vegetation
1. _________________________ have roots that dangle in the water or anchor in the bottom sediment.
a. Long stems allow the leaves to float on the water’s surface.
b. Water lilies and water hyacinths are commonly seen
2. ______________________________ are rooted at the water’s edge, but their stems and leaves grow above the surface of
the water.
a. Cattails, cord grass, and rushes are examples.
3. __________________________________ are critical for maintaining the cycle of gases in the water through the process of
photosynthesis.
a. There are more than 15 dominant species of SAV in the Chesapeake Bay such as Eelgrass, Horned Pondweed,
Muskgrass, and Wild Celery.
b. SAV are important food source to ducks, fish, muskrats, beavers, turtles, and a large number of invertebrates.
c. SAV _____________________________________________________________________________________.
d. ___________________ hold the particles in place.
Challenges to Estuaries
____________________________________ is based on the amount of phytoplankton growth and the concentration of nutrients. It
also determines the degree of Eutrophication in aquatic environments. (_________________________________ increases the
amount of nitrogen and phosphates in the water.)




Four types
______________________________________________-clear and little sediment
________________________________________-somewhat cloudy and more nutrients and sediments than Oligotrophic
___________________________________-cloudy, high nutrient concentrations and biological activity
______________________________________________- murky and extremely high productive waters that many clear
water species can’t survive
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________________________________________________ is essential to aquatic life
 As water flows over the gills of an aquatic animal, dissolved oxygen is absorbed and enters its bloodstream
 The blood carries the oxygen to every cell of its body for the process of cellular respiration
 This is how the animal uses the energy obtained from eating
 Lower levels of dissolved oxygen in warmer water than cold water
 _______________________________________ do not contain enough dissolved oxygen for most organismsorganisms suffocate
 Can occur during algal blooms caused by eutrophication
 As bacteria break down and decompose phytoplankton, they consume dissolved oxygen leading the
decreased oxygen for the rest of the organisms-leads to explosion of
____________________________________
pH, temperature, and other chemicals also affect all aquatic organisms.
____________________________________________________ can impact the estuaries by altering habits and polluting the water
Research and Restoration efforts
 The __________________________________________________________________________ gather scientific data in
estuaries to keep track of the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of estuaries
 Fisheries
 Managing Lands: Laws are being passed to limit or restrict wetland construction
 Replanting SAV
 Reducing Runoff of farming chemicals
 Aquaculture farming aquatic organisms underwater.
 Provides seafood for the human market and reduces the need to catch wild specimens.
Oceans
Physical Properties of water
 Density of ___________________________________ is 1.00 g/cm3
 ___________________________ density varies from 1.02 to 1.03 g/cm3 and fresh water freezes at 0 oC or (32 oF)
 Cold water is denser than warm water and has more dissolved Oxygen than warm water
 The deeper the water the more dense it is
 _________________________________________ on liquid water because it is less dense (.98 to .99 g/cm3 )
What are the five oceans in order of largest to smallest?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What is the difference between an ocean and a sea?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What is the cause for sea levels to rise and fall through the years?
 __________________________ is the level of the oceans’ surfaces-In our area most of us live at or slightly above sea level
 The Earth has warm and cold periods of time. When _____________________________ occur it would freeze the water and
the levels will decrease. During interglacial periods it will be warmer and the ice will melt increasing sea levels.
 We are currently in a melting period
 The sea levels are rising at a rate of 1-2 mm per year
 ____________________________________ lift and lower the ocean floor. A rising ocean floor causes a rise in sea level and
a sinking ocean floor causes a drop in sea levels.
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Ocean Zones
Classification by Light
1. _________________________- Sunlit top layer of the ocean that extends in the tropics about 200 meters in depth (660 ft.)
and in productive mid-latitude water about 100 meters (330 ft.)
 Upper ½ is where most of biological productivity occurs called ___________________________________
2. _______________________________- very small amounts of light penetrates
3. _______________________________- lowest zone
 Dark
 90% of the space
 extends to the bottom
Classification by Temperature
1. Uppermost layer where temperature changes with seasons
 ________________________________-usually missing in high latitudes
2. Most stable temperatures below the thermocline is the _________________________________________
Layers by Temperature
1. _________________________-Layer with sunlight and the warmest
2. _________________________-Only a little light and temperature varies and salinity increases
3. ________________________________-usually the coldest (except in underwater volcanic and hydrothermal vent areas)
and greatest salinity
Classification by Location
___________________________-The Open Ocean
2 subdivisions:
 ____________________________ (shallow) near the shoreline over the Continental Shelf (<600 ft. deep)
 __________________________ is the area between the shore and about 200 meters below the surface of the
water.
 _______________________________ (deep water) beyond the Continental Shelf
Further division by Light
 _________________________-Lit photic zone where photosynthesis occurs
 _________________________-top of aphotic area little to not light
 _________________________-deep and no light
 _________________________-water in trenches
 _________________________-deepest
Division from the Shoreline to the bottom
1. __________________________________- Starts at the Shoreline and is the band of coast alternately covered and uncovered
by tides.
 This area is constantly being pounded by the surf so organisms that live here adapt by either burrowing themselves in the
sand (like clams and crabs) or attaching themselves to the rocks (like barnacles)
2. _____________________________-Splash zone
3. _____________________________-Below splash zone and has further divisions
 ___________________________-Ocean bottom near the shore
 ___________________________-Ocean floor out to the edge of the Continental Shelf
4. _____________________________-Covers the sea bed on the slopes and down to great depths.
 ___________________________-The beginning where Abyssal plains are found
 ___________________________-Where trench walls and ocean floors lie
5. _____________________________-Deepest (floor bottom)
 The organisms seen depends on the depth
 In shallow water, sunlight reaches the benthic zone so plants can grow.
 Common freshwater benthic animals include zooplankton, snails, catfish, and turtles
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
In deep ocean water there is __________________________________________
 Animals can present special features like __________________________________________
 Some animals are so unique that they can live over a hundred years-Giant tubeworms
CORAL

There are hard and soft coral.

Only hard coral colonies form reefs.
 _________________ is a natural structure built on a continental shelf.

Form in water that is high in salt (salinity), no more than 30 meters from the surface, and warm water near the equator.

Coral habitats contain the most diverse creatures and without the coral reefs millions of species of fish and other organisms
would be extinct.
 Rough 1/3 of all bony-fish live on or depend on coral reefs

The ecology of the coral reef is unique and fragile.
 The reef itself is made of the Calcium Carbonate skeletons of millions of tiny corals
 Only the top layer of the reef is alive.
 Corals depend on a symbiotic relationship with a form lf alga, called ____________________________
that live inside the tissue of the coral. The algae carry out photosynthesis and provide the coral with
food.
 Human activities are harming the coral reefs-water pollution and reef structural damage
 _____________________________________ occurs when coral die.
MANGROVE SWAMP

In the United States are for ____________________ of the 50 species of Mangrove trees abundant in Florida and the
Florida Keys.

The species found in these areas are Red, Black, and White.

They form a unique ecosystem essential for certain organisms to live.

Each species has its unique way to protect itself and the environment for _________________________, provide a save
haven for organisms, and to reproduce.
The Mangrove Swamp provides ______________________________________________________________________________.
 The leaves on the trees last roughly ____________________ before falling.
 The bacteria and fungus cause the leaves to _______________________ once in the water causing these leaves to form the
base of the food chain.
 After decomposing, this material provides food for the marine organism like crabs and shrimp.
 From there larger organisms eat the crabs and other smaller creatures.
 These trees also provide protection from ____________________________________________________________.
 This buffer system reduces _________________________________________ that would erode the area.
The structures of the Mangroves provide everything it needs to balance it ecosystem.
 The Mangroves all have ______________________________________________________________________________.
 For a Mangrove swamp ecosystem to work the falling leaves from the trees and their roots themselves have to create a
__________________________________________________________.
 This system allows small organisms the ________________________________________________________________ and
it also allows the mangrove trees to ______________________________________________________________________.
 In addition, the fruit from the mangroves also has the ability to ________________________________________________.
Problems for Aquatic ecosystems:
 Pollution
 Overfishing
 Areas being overtaken by water due to Global warming
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PowerPoints (On Blog) Please read and take notes on all.
Creatures of the Deep
Mangrove Swamp
Our Seashores
Ocean Environments
Marine Life
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