Chapter 2- The Ocean Environment!!!!!

Review of Terms!!!!!! Abiotic-> non-living organisms

Biotic-> All living things Ecosystems-> made up of all biotic

and abiotic factors Habitat-> specific place where an

organism is found Microhabitat-> mini habitats (sand

granules) Homeostasis-> maintaining

equilibrium / balance

Abiotic!!!!!!!!!!!!

Biotic!!!!

Ecosystems

Habitat

Microhabitats

Homeostasis

Homeostasis with Marine Organisms

Problems:›Death›Fail to reproduce

Optimal RangeZone of

IntoleranceStress Zone Optimal Range Stress Zone Zones of

Intolerance

* Death*Reprod -uction does not occur•Cannot Maintain Homeostasis

Expend too much energy and they won’t reproduce

All environmentalFactors are met. 20-30 C

Expend too much energy and they won’t reproduce.

Environment is too far gone from the optimal range that the organisms cannot survive.

What happens if an organism lives outside its optimal range?

Death Failure to reproduce Can’t maintain

homeostasis

Physical Characteristics of the Marine Environment

Sunlight Temperature Salinity Pressure Nutrients Wastes

Sunlight

Sunlight Photosynthesis-> Energy for

all life Aids in Vision-> avoid

predators, capture prey, and communicate

Darkness-> rely on other senses, taste / smell

Phytoplankton-> largest photosynthetic organism. › Microscopic, plantlike and bacteria that float in ocean currents. They thrive on sunlight and nutrients so if the water is cloudy they won’t survive.

Example-> North Atlantic plankton has to live in the shallows because sunlight can only penetrate about three feet or one meter.

South Pacific= 200 meters or 600 feet

Sunlight and the Shoreline

Excessive sunlight = intense heat= desiccation (drying out)

Algae suffers pigment destruction when exposed to too much sunlight which limits their ability to photosynthesize.

Temperature

Ectotherms!!!! Obtain body heat from their surroundings Examples-> fish and crabs

Endotherms Regulate body temperature from the

inside because of its metabolism (generates heat internally / lots of fat)

Examples-> mammals and birds

Tidal Pools and

Temperature Exposed to high and low tide Drastic changes in temp.

from hot days to very cold nights.

Organisms have to adapt quickly

Fish kills

Fish Kills!!!!

Salinity

Defined as :The amount of the concentrated dissolved inorganic salts in the water.

Most organisms membranes are permeable (things can pass through the skin)

Not permeable to everything- selective

In order to maintain homeostasis there needs to be a balance between water and solutes

When a solute cannot move across the membrane osmosis takes over (H2O goes from areas of high concentration to low concentration)

Example In the open ocean spider crabs cannot

regulate the salt concentration of their body fluids because their bodies absorb water and salt.

Bays, estuaries, and tide pools are really affected because of evaporation. Water evaporates but the salt remains highly concentrated.

Fiddler Crab-> able to adjust the salt content of their body tissues by regulating salt and water retention.

Pressure Water is denser than air The deeper you go the more pressure

you feel Know that the human body is mostly

water, and that in recreational diving, water pressure will be felt in the air spaces of the body (lungs, sinuses and ear canals).

10 meters=33 feet=1 atm=14.7 pounds per square inch

3,700 meters= 370 atm = 2.7 tons

Decompression Sickness- do not put

in notes Build up of nitrogen bubbles in the body- Breathe in 79%

Dive-> pressure increases in and around our body->nitrogen becomes absorbed in our body tissues

When it reaches saturation that’s when you have a problem because the pressure needs to be released

Ascend slowly with frequent “decompression stops” every 10-20 feet. This allows for the built up of nitrogen to slowly exit the body.

If you do not do this-> nitrogen bubbles build up in the body

The bubbles must normally be on the arterial side of the circulatory system to be harmful - they are usually harmless on the venous side.

There are many different types.

Do Not put in notes

Extreme Fatigue Joint and Limb Pain Tingling Numbness Red Rash on Skin Respiratory Problems Heart Problems Dizziness Blurred Vision Headaches Confusion Unconsciousness Ringing of the Ears Vertigo Stomach Sickness

Do Not put in notes

Metabolic Requiremen

ts

Nutrients

Not just food but also organic and inorganic materials.

Seawater Alone produces nitrogen (no

plants=low nitrogen) and phosphorus which phytoplankton and plants need

Calcium-> corals, shells, skeletons, and crustaceans

Oxygen By-product o photosynthesis Life evolved in lack of a free oxygen

environment so when it entered it was probably harmful (like pollutants and chemicals are to organisms now)

Allowed environment that would allow evolution of multicellular organisms

Oxygen dissolves at or near surface

Waters ability to dissolve oxygen comes from temperature and salinity

Cooler/ less salty water= more oxygen

Warm / saline water= less oxygen

Anaerobic Survive and thrive without oxygen

Deep Sea Salt marshes Sand / mud flats

Deep Sea Isopod

Aerobic Organisms

Plant, Algae, animals, marine microbes

Need oxygen for survival

Marine Microbes

Too many nutrients cause issues such as run-off (eutrophication) which increases nutrient levels -> Explosion= algal blooms or photosynthetic plankton blooms -> plankton dies-> bacteria decomposes-> decomposition depletes water of oxygen -> organisms die-> decomposition-> massive die offs

Metabolic Waste Release CO2 Nitrogen rich feces Plants release oxygen Most of the time waste is

recycled primarily by bacteria, sometimes levels are toxic

PopulationsA group of the same species

Example

Characteristics1. Breed with one another 2. Rely on the same resources3. Deal with the same

environmental factors4. Geographical boundaries

where it lives

Population= Pod of Killer Whales (J, K, & L)

Breed with one another- super pods

Same resources-> salmon

Deal with same environmental factors-> salinity, temperature,

pollutants, etc.

Geographic boundaries-> Haro Strait

How is population

determined?1. Look at whole area.* Example- hermit crabs in a

salt marsh

2. Count the # of individuals in a specific area.* Example- 500 barnacles on a rock or 10 sea anemones in a tidal pool.

3. Aerial Surveys* Ex- Whales and dolphins

4. Sampling Methods-> counting animals in a plot or transect.

* Take the individuals per plot multiplied by the total # of plots = population size

Mark- Recapture Captured-> tagged-> released-> wait a

sufficient amount of time for the animals to mix back into the population = sample is taken again and the ration of marked: unmarked is documented.

Example: Tag 10 nurse sharks-> release-> two weeks later catch 10 more-> and two of the 10 have tags= 20% of the entire population in the area-> population would be 50 sharks because 20% of 50 =10, and 10 is how many were tagged initially.

Population Density

The number of individuals per unit area or volume.

Example-> the number of barnacles on a square meter of rock

Three types-> Clumped, Uniform, and Random

Clumped Densely packed in patches May only grow in a certain

area Snails clump in areas that are

highly populated in algae Ex- oysters, barnacles,

schools of fish

Uniform Evenly spaced out. Result in competition Seaweeds compete for

sunlight Ex- Sea stars

Random All over the place Lack of strong interaction among individuals

Ex- Conchs, Snails

Changes in Population Size

Added via reproduction and immigration Eliminated via death and emigration Each have their own birth and death

rate Intermediate ages survive longer (young

and old die faster) Generation time-> average time

between an individuals birth and the birth of its first offspring. (shorter generation time = higher population)

Examples Killer Whales Gestation period

equals 16 months!

Spiny Dogfish= 2 years

Blue Sharks- 135 babies at

once

Sand Tigers- two offspring

Female Sea turtle- Lays about 100 eggs

Survivorship- Life expectancy

Young Old

# Survivors

.1

1

10

100

1000

Type III

Type II

Type I

Type I Low death rates with early

/ middle Higher older death rates Ex- Marine Mammals such

as whales

Marine Mammals

Type II Constant Mortality rates over time

Ex- Marine birds and crabs (molting)

Crabs and Birds

Type III High mortality rates for young

Lots of offspring in a short period of time

Ex- fish, bivalves,

Salmon

Life History Clutch size # of

reproductive events

Age at first reproduction

Affect the number of offspring a female will have

Clutch Size # of offspring produced each time›Ex-> Sea Turtles

# Events # times reproduced Ex-> Pacific Salmon and Octopus reproduce only once and then die.

Age Young age-> less energy for later maintenance

Older-> uses up energy for maintenance and could die

What would be the benefit of an

organism reproducing once

in its lifetime Invest all of its

energy

Biological Fitness

How many of its own offspring

survive to produce their own offspring.

Opportunistic Species

Phytoplankton species Reproduce in large numbers when environment is favorable

Equilibrium Species

Better methods of homeostasis

Less affected by environmental changes

Population Growth

Recruitment ›1. Reproduction›2. Immigration (new individuals from other populations joining

Phytoplankton have to wait for conditions to be right such as nutrients

Carrying capacity is where it levels off= how much the environment can support or hold.

Population Regulation

What factors determine the carry capacity of an environment?›Density dependent factors

›Density independent factors

Density- Dependent Factors

Decrease reproduction Predators- have more to choose

from Increase mortality-> decreased food

supply Health / survivorship= too many

plants in one area will be smaller Stress-> shrinks reproductive

organs

Density Independent

Factors Size doesn’t matter Weather / Climate Ex-> Hurricanes can wipe out an entire population

Communities-> Populations

of different species in the same habitat

Example= Rocky Intertidal

Barnacles Mussels Seaweeds Sea Stars Snails

Niche-> “occupation” its role in the environment

Examples Mussels- Stick to rocks and filter seawater

Crabs- scavenge Worms- burrow in sediment

What makes up a niche?

Predator-prey relationships Parasitism Competition for resources Organisms that provide shelter for others

Competition

Fight / compete for space, food, and mates

2 Types!!!!!= Intraspecific and

InterspecificInterspecific

• Between different species.

Intraspecific

• Between members of a single species

Interspecific

Intraspecific

No two groups of organisms can use exactly the same resources in exactly the same place at the same time.

Results of Competition

Local extinction of a less successful competitor= competitive exclusion

Predator Prey Interactions

The #of herbivores are crucial Plants->herbivores->

omnivores/carnivores If there is not enough vegetation

herbivores decline because of starvation-> vegetation increases-> herbivores increase.

Carnivores and their prey (they switch when prey declines)

Some predators focus on species that are abundant because they expend less energy -> eats lots of one species

Keystone Species

They keep the entire ecosystem in check

Examples NW Pacific-> Ochre sea star which is a dominant predator that feeds on many organisms but mainly mussels.

Ochre Sea Star Cont.

Ochre Sea Stars were removed for five years-> mussels replenished-> mussels overcrowded the intertidal area-> ochre sea star came back and the sea anemones, chitons, seaweeds, etc. were able to survive again in this habitat.

Example- Sea Otters Were hunted to near extinction for their fur.

Predominately eat sea urchins and sea urchins annihilate kelp forests and seaweeds.

Sea otter population Urchin population

Kelp population

Outcome Sea otters became protected by the MMPA and their population slowly came back and the urchins decreased and kelp increased again.

Symbiosis-> relationships between organisms-> “living together”

MutualismBoth organisms benefit

Examples for Mutualism

Clownfish and sea anemone-> Clownfish has a special mucus all over its body that protects it from anemones stings.

Clownfish picks up anemones scent that way the anemone does not eat it.

Clownfish gains protection. Anemone gains protection from organisms that might eat it.

Commensalism

One benefits and the other is unharmed

Examples of Commensalism

Remoras and sharks (remora gains protection from the shark as well as eat the leftover food)

Barnacles adhering to the skin of a whale or shell of a mollusk: The barnacle benefits by finding a habitat where nutrients are available.

Free ride all around the ocean and are exposed to different nutrients.

ParasitismOne benefits and the other is harmed.

Example of Parasitism

Parasitic tapeworm infects fish and mammals. They live in the intestines and deprive the organism of nutrients.

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZCf9BvK_4o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00DXYXVRHkQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFkdiCQxbyg

Energy flow

through ecosystem

s

Producers / Autotrophs

Make their own food from sunlight.

Examples-> phytoplankton, seaweeds, plants

Not all producers are photosynthetic, some are chemosynthetic (use energy from chemical reactions)

Ex.-> Bacteria inhabit deep sea vents

Consumers / Heterotrophs

Rely on others for food.

Detritivores-> Feed on dead organic matter

Decomposers-> Break down dead organisms

Biomass Flow of energy from one trophic level to the next.

Decrease in available energy from one level to the next.

10% rule= decreases 10% each level

Food Web

Food Chain

Biogeochemical Cycles

cycles of nutrients needed for life

Hydrologic Cycle

Water Equator= supplies the greatest

amount of evaporation in all the oceans due to excessive eat and sunlight.

Water vapor is carried north and south from the equator and west to east within each hemisphere. When air masses cool and rise = precipitation

Sea Salt= precipitation nuclei= sea salt enters the air because of waves crashing. They then collect water droplets and when they get heavy enough they fall back onto the ground as precipitation.

Carbon Cycle Carbon is essential for all living things

Backbone of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids

Living organisms produce carbon when they respire Organism dies Decomposers breakdown tissues (CO2)  

Marine producers use the CO2 in photosynthesis to make carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are used to make other materials

CO2 reacts with seawater to form carbonic acid (H2CO3) which

forms hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions   Bicarbonate ions are absorbed by marine life and they combine with calcium carbonate (shells and skeletons)   The calcium carbonate collects in the sediment and becomes

limestone. The limestone appears on land through geological processes where it becomes weathered (wind / rain) -> washes back into the ocean.

Nitrogen Cycle Producers require nitrogen for protein synthesis, growth,

and reproduction Ammonia= NH3, ammonium=NH4, nitrite=NO2, nitrate= NO3 Producers use energy from photosynthesis to concentrate

the nitrogen in their tissues and then turn that energy into amino acids-> proteins

Nitrogen is then passed in the form of proteins to consumers Proteins and amino acids get processed and released

through uric acid, urea, and ammonia Atmosphere= 79% Thunderstorms-> produce nitrates that enter through

precipitation Major nitrogen fixing organism in the ocean is cyanobacteria Run-off from land contains nitrogen from fertilizers, sewage,

and dead biotic factors= huge growth of phytoplankton

Biosphere- The Earth Kelp forests, estuaries, salt

marshes, mangrove swamps, rocky shores, sandy shores, coral reefs, open ocean

Estuary- Receive FW and SW (Tampa Bay)

Intertidal Zone- area of shore that is exposed to both high and low tide

Pelagic Zone

Water Column

Benthic ZoneOceans bottom

Neritic ZoneWater overlies the continental shelf

Open OceanWater that covers the deep water basins

Photic Zone Sunlight occurs = photosynthesis

Largest number of photosynthetic organisms and # animals

Aphotic Zone Darkness= no sunlight penetrates

Shelf ZoneLowest tide to the edge of the continental shelf

Bathyal ZoneContinental shelf to 4,000 meters

Abyssal Zone

4,000 to 6,000 meters deep

Hadal Zone 6,000 +

EpifaunaOrganisms that live on the bottom

Infauna Organisms that live in the bottom sediment.

PlanktonDrift with currents

NektonActive swimmers that move against currents

Niches

Blue mussels are distributed based on the abiotic factors it requires

Sea Star’s are found in overlapping areas because of the abundance of mussels

Seaweed provides food and shelter

Snails are distributed based on where the seaweed and algae is located.