Aquatic Ecosystems • Freshwater ecosystems – lakes,

rivers, wetlands (marshes & swamps)• Marine ecosystems – coastal

marshes, estuaries, coral reefs, ocean• Abiotic factors that affect life :

temperature, light, dissolved oxygen, nutrients

Freshwater Ecosystems• Categorized as either flowing or standing• Wetlands – areas of land covered with fresh water for

at least part of the year• Important b/c:– Remove pollutants & improve water quality– Control flooding– Home for native & migratory wildlife

Marine Ecosystems

• Estuaries –where fresh water from a river mixes with salt water from the ocean– Home for many organisms, very productive– Animals : fish, dolphins, manatees, otters, crabs, birds– Threats: pollution, human development

Marine Ecosystems

• Coral reefs – areas where coral animals build skeletons & support thousands of organisms (= high biodiversity)– Found in shallow, clear tropical waters– Threats: Coral bleaching – high water temperatures causes

coral to die

Marine Ecosystems

• Ocean – Open ocean – phytoplankton perform photosynthesis

eaten by zooplankton eaten by fish– Deep ocean is dark, cold• Supports decomposers, filter feeders

– Threats: pollution (runoff, city waste), overfishing, global warming• The United Nations Environment Program estimated in

2006 that every square mile of ocean contains 46,000 pieces of floating plastic.

Create an Aquatic Creature• You (alone) will create a

new, never discovered, completely original aquatic creature.

• Your creature must live in one of the aquatic biomes discussed in class.

• Your creature must have an adaptation particular for that environment.

• Have fun and be creative!

You MUST include:1. Name of your creature (20 pts)

2. Name of the aquatic in which your creature lives (20 pts)

3. Illustration of creature (20 pts)

4. Illustration of creature’s habitat (20 pts)

5. 5 – 7 sentences explaining your creature, its biome and its adaptation (20 pts)