Marine EnvironmentOrganismsDistributionEnvironment

Life in the OceanPlankton: floaters

Nekton: swimmers

Benthos: bottom dwellers

PhytoplanktonCarry on photosynthesisDiatoms, coccolithophores, dinoflagellates

ZooplanktonConsumersRadiolarians, forams, others

Plants vs. animals

PHYTOPLANKTON

ZOOPLANKTON

Time as a planktonic organism

Meroplankton Part of life as a plankton; rest as nekton or benthos

HoloplanktonAll of life as plankton

NektonMany varietiesConsider commercial fisheries

BenthosRocky shoresTide poolsSand and mudDeep seaCoral reefs

Just a few examples

Where benthic organisms live

EpifuanaLive on top of sediments

InfaunaLive within sediments

NektobenthosWalk or swim along bottom

Epifauna

Infauna (a, b, c, e)

Land 86%Sea 14%

Benthic 98%Pelagic 2%

Why these patterns?

DISTRIBUTION OF LIFE

EnvironmentsPelagic……the water

Neritic – over continental shelfOceanic

Epipelagic: down to 200 mMesopelagic: 200-1000 mBathypelagic: 1000-4000 m

Benthic…..the bottom

200 m

Neritic

1000 m

4000 m

200 m

Oceanic

Epipelagic

Mesopelagic

Bathypelagic

Light zones in oceanPhotic

Light for photosynthesisUsually 0-100 m

AphoticWithout lightDeeper than 1000 m

Benthic EnvironmentSimilar zones as pelagicOmit details and new names

Making a living in the ocean

Primary productivity, respiration, decomposition

Depth zone differences

Oxygen with depth (red)Nutrients with depth ( green)

Relate pattern to photosynthesis, respiration, decay and other processes