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Aquatic Biomes
Science 1206
Video: aquatic biome
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/28105assignment-discovery-aquatic-biomes-video.htm
Marine biomes
Marine biomes are divided into two zones.
These marine communities are classified
based upon depth:
1)Coastal zones:
• Intertidal (Littoral zone)
• Neritic zone
2) Open ocean
• Pelagic zone
Ocean Life
Zones
photic zone
Supports
photosynthesis
aphotic zone
Supports
chemosynthesis
only
Marine Biomes
Marine biomes are oceans on the Earth that
are interconnected, which contain a salt
water environment.
They cover more than 70% of the Earth’s
surface.
Temperatures remain fairly constant in the
marine biome, with a variation with latitude.
Ocean temperatures vary from 0 degrees in
the polar regions to 32 degrees near the
equator.
The life in the oceans is divided into two main groups:
Benthic (bottom dwelling). Pelagic (free floating)
Aquatic Biomes
of Canada
Marine environments, also considered biomes
by some ecologists, comprise the:
• Open ocean
-Littoral (shallow water) regions
-Benthic (bottom) regions
• Sandy shores
• Estuaries (coastal marches)
• Tidal marshes
Intertidal zone (Littoral)
• Regulated by the tides caused by
gravitational force of the moon.
• Home to many small species of fish and
plant life.
• This area is covered by water during
high tide and uncovered at low tide.
• Many types of seaweeds live here,
along with clams, crabs, mussels, and
star fish.
Neritic Zone
• Includes the shallow waters above the
continental shelf, which extends out about
300 km.
• This zone contains the nutrients carried into
oceans and rivers.
• This zone is shallow so therefore light
reaches all the way to the ocean floor.
• Organisms such as algae, fish, mussels,
crabs, barnacles, oysters, worms, and sea
cucumbers live here.
Open Ocean
(Pelagic zone)
• Filled with many large animals like
sharks and whales.
• Because the water is deep in the ocean,
light cannot reach the bottom so
photosynthesis cannot occur.
Interesting facts...
• The evaporation of the marine biome
provides most of the Earth’s rainfall, and
the ocean’s temperature has a major
effect on the world climate and wind
patterns.
• Marine algae supply a substantial
portion of the world’s oxygen.
Video: freshwater biome
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/23700-theworlds-biomes-freshwater-video.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU2F36Y3AdU&feature=r
elated
Freshwater Biomes
• The freshwater biome is comprised of
rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps, bogs, etc.
• The volume of water in this biome is
much smaller than that of the marine
biome.
• The temperature variations are larger.
• Organisms living in fresh water must be
able to adapt to a greater seasonal
variation than those living in the ocean.
Freshwater Biomes
Composed of three zones:
• Littoral Zone
• Limnetic Zone
• Profundal Zone
Littoral Zone
• lots of light, warm/cold, oxygen
• close to shore
• organisms include waterlillies and
sedges
Limnetic Zone
•
•
•
•
area of open lake
sufficient light and oxygen
heat will decrease with depth
organisms include plankton and fish
Profundal Zone
•
•
•
•
deep area of lake
no light, very little oxygen
cold water
organisms include bacteria and bottom
dwelling invertebrates
Importance of plankton
Plankton are generally slow moving
organisms that cannot swim strongly
enough to avoid being carried about by
water currents.
Most plankton are microscopic. There are
two types of plankton:
•Phytoplankton
•Zooplankton
Phytoplankton
• Plant plankton, called phytoplankton,
usually consist of one-celled plants, such
as diatoms and dinoflagellates.
• Phytoplankton forms the base of the
aquatic food webs.
• They grow using only the sunlight and the
minerals in the water (photosynthesis).
Therefore, they are considered
autotrophs.
Zooplankton
• Zooplankton are animal plankton.
• They are heterotrophic and feed on
phytoplankton.
What abiotic factors affect
life in aquatic biomes?
1. Water
2. Temperature
3. Latitude
What abiotic factors affect
life in aquatic biomes?
1.
Water:
• Water is always present in the
aquatic biomes unlike in terrestrial
biomes.
What abiotic factors affect
life in aquatic biomes?
2. Temperature (continued):
• Lakes and ponds show more
change than the oceans.
• Oceans have an effect on the
temperature of the land. Without
oceans, the temperature of the
Earth would vary much more than
it does.
What abiotic factors affect
life in aquatic biomes?
3. Latitude:
• Water temperature varies from 0
degrees (polar regions) to 32
degrees Celsius (near equator).
• This variation in latitude affects the
kinds of marine life than can
survive in what areas of the ocean.
Estuaries (coastal
marshes)
• More productive biome than either the
ocean or fresh water
• water is mostly shallow allowing light to
penetrate to the bottom
• plant life is abundant and varied
• animal life is abundant
Some fish use the estuary as a
nursery. When the young are large
enough they leave the estuary for
the ocean.
coastal marsh
Can you
identify the
sequence
of
organisms
in this
marine
food web?
Sources of Water
Pollution
•
•
•
•
•
Human sewage
decaying plant life
industrial waste
animal wastes
runoff
•
•
•
•
fertilizers
pesticides
Herbicides
Detergents
How oil enters marine
ecosystems?
• Oil tanker accidents
• offshore wells spills
• On-shore oil spills thru drainage pipes
Disadvantages of the Oil pollution
on Marine Ecosystems (pg.148)
• floating oil harms birds:
-No longer water proof
-They freeze to death
• can prevent birds and marine mammals from
breathing
• heavy oil sinks and destroys bottom dwellers
such as mussels, crabs and oysters.
• Since bottom dwellers are part of the food
chain,oil eventually enters the bodies of birds,
fish and humans.