AQUATIC LIFE ZONES: SALTWATER (MARINE) Ecosystems: Estuaries, coastlines, coral reefs, coastal...
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Transcript of AQUATIC LIFE ZONES: SALTWATER (MARINE) Ecosystems: Estuaries, coastlines, coral reefs, coastal...
AQUATIC LIFE ZONES:
SALTWATER (MARINE) Ecosystems: Estuaries, coastlines, coral reefs, coastal marshes, mangrove swamps, continental shelf, & deep ocean
AQUATIC Ecosystems: Lakes and Ponds, Streams and Rivers, and Inland wetlands
TYPES OF ORGANISMS:
Plankton – free floating (or weak swimmers)
(phytoplankton – primary producers & zooplankton – primary consumers)
Nekton – strong swimmers (fish, turtles, whales)
Benthos – bottom dwellers (oysters, barnacles, crustacean, worms)
Decomposers – mostly bacteria
SALINITY & TEMPERATURE
DETERMINE THE DISTRIBUTION
OF THE OCEANIC REALMS
Physical & Chemical Characteristics
Water provides buoyancy = physical support, reduces the need for large supporting structures of trunks and legs, helps aquatic organisms move verticallyWater provides consistency = keeps organism from drying out or requiring water, constant temperature range
Water provides readily dissolved nutrients – b/c water is the universal solvent the nutrients are ready for uptake by primary producersWater provides constant flux – like wind terrestrially, water gives constant circulation and disperses organisms and their larvae & dilutes toxins
Adaptations for Floating
Abyssal
Primary Productivity
Very little nutrients (marine snow) ~250, 000 named organisms
No primary producers – many organisms rise to the euphotic zone at night to feed
Diversity of organisms in each layer is determined by: 1) temp 2) sunlight 3) dissolved oxygen 4) nutrients (dissolved CO2 to from carbonate ions for shells), nitrates, phosphates
Coastal zone makes up only <10% of the ocean and contains 90% of all marine organisms
Ecological and Economic Benefits Partially enclosed area of Partially enclosed area of
coastal water where coastal water where freshwater & silt from rivers freshwater & silt from rivers meets the seameets the sea..
High productive areaHigh productive area
Temperature & Salinity vary Temperature & Salinity vary daily rhythms of the tides, daily rhythms of the tides, seasonally with river input seasonally with river input fluctuations, and with fluctuations, and with unpredictable stormsunpredictable storms
Serves as a breeding ground Serves as a breeding ground form any organisms form any organisms (waterfowl, marine organisms)(waterfowl, marine organisms)
Acts as a buffer to inland Acts as a buffer to inland areas during stormsareas during storms
Filtrates sediments, excess Filtrates sediments, excess nutrients and pollutantsnutrients and pollutants
ESTUARIES/Salt Marsh
BAYS, SOUNDS, & INLETS
Chesapeake Bay
Lie along the coast line in estuaries and intertidal communities of the tropics and subtropics.
Adaptations to live in anoxic / nutrient Adaptations to live in anoxic / nutrient poor soil; marine water conditions; & poor soil; marine water conditions; & limited supply of freshwaterlimited supply of freshwater
Leaves secrete excess saltsLeaves secrete excess salts
Pneumatophores –”roots” for Pneumatophores –”roots” for uptake of gasesuptake of gases
Mangroves provide habitat form many organisms & reduce long term beach erosionAct as a filtering system – especially for heavy metals that settle into the anoxic soil below
DUNE DUNE SYSTEMSSYSTEMS
Vegetation is Vegetation is crucial for the crucial for the success of the success of the dune systemdune system
Construction & Development Construction & Development should ideally be behind the should ideally be behind the secondary dune system secondary dune system
Economically dunes are Economically dunes are important in the reduction of important in the reduction of storm surge damage to coastal storm surge damage to coastal developmentdevelopment
Barrier Island Systems
Helps protect main land Helps protect main land development.development.
Also protects coastal dunes Also protects coastal dunes & estuary systems.& estuary systems.
CORAL REEF DYNAMICS
• Most biologically diverse aquatic system (niche availability)
• Three categories of organisms 1) sessile – attached organisms 2) borrowing organisms 3) fishes
• Live between 18°C to 30°C (even one degree above that can trigger bleaching)
Coral Reefs exist in low Coral Reefs exist in low nutrient waters (oligotrophic) nutrient waters (oligotrophic) and therefore rely on an and therefore rely on an endosymbiotic algae endosymbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) to provide (zooxanthellae) to provide nutrientsnutrientsPhotomicrograph of Photomicrograph of
algae clusters in coral algae clusters in coral polyppolyp
Ecosystem that survives without sunlight!
Primary producers = chemosynthetic bacteria
Bacteria use sulfur compound to synthesize energy
Clams & Tubeworms either eat bacteria or harbor them in their body to supply themselves with “food”