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MARINE ECOLOGY Marine ecology is the study of the interactions of organisms with the marine environment. Basic Ecological Terms and Concepts - Review Oikos = house - Introduced by Haekel (1866) Autecology = Study of individual species Synecology = Study of interacting groups (communities, ecosystems) Population = Group of individuals of same species Community = Interacting populations which are interdependent Ecosystem = Community + physical (abiotic) environment Biosphere (ecosphere) = Includes all parts of the earth where ecosystems operate. Ecosystem Concepts: Essential Structural Components of the Ecosystem Community (producers, consumers, decomposers) + abiotic environment. Producers- Produce organics from inorganic energy sources o Photosynthetic producers use sunlight as energy source – Plants o Chemosynthetic producers use inorganic compounds as an energy source (breakdown of hydrogen sulfide by bacteria) Consumers- Herbivores, carnivores, detritivores [predator and detrital food chains] Decomposers (mineralizers)- Organisms that breakdown organics returning them to their elemental state (bacteria and fungi of decay). Essential Nutritional Components of the Ecosystem Autotrophic Component- Do not require organics as their energy source. Includes photosynthetic and chemosynthetic autotrophs (producers). Heterotrophic Component- Require an organic energy source. Includes both consumers and decomposers. Trophic Structure and Food Chains Producers ---> Herbivores --->Carnivores --->Top Carnivore Phytoplankton --> Zooplankton --> Shrimp --> Fish Trophic Structure and Ecological Pyramids CARNIVORES CARNIVORES HERBIVORES PRODUCERS 4th trophic level 3rd trophic level 2nd trophic level 1st trophic level Pyramids are graphic representation of trophic structure originally devised by Charles Elton. There are three types: numbers, biomass, energy. (biomass = living weight) Trophic Structure and Energy The energy pyramid shows that energy decreases as one moves up the food chain. This is because energy does not recycle. (First and second laws of thermodynamics) Unlike energy, nutrients do recycle in the ecosystem. Examples are the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles. The nitrogen cycle is an example of a gaseous cycle and the phosphorus cycle is an example of a sedimentary cycle.