Ocean BiomesOcean Biomes

Oceans LocationsOceans LocationsOceans = 71% of earth’s Oceans = 71% of earth’s

surfacesurface

Major Major ZonesZones• IntertidalIntertidal

–Sandy BeachesSandy Beaches–Rocky ShoresRocky Shores–EstuariesEstuaries

•Coastal Sub-tidalCoastal Sub-tidal–Kelp ForestsKelp Forests–Coral ReefsCoral Reefs

•Open OceanOpen Ocean– Divided by depthDivided by depth

Marine plantsMarine plants• Phytoplankton, AlgaePhytoplankton, Algae

– Non-vascular plants; drift or holdfastsNon-vascular plants; drift or holdfasts

• Produce 60% of atmospheric OProduce 60% of atmospheric O22

• Absorb COAbsorb CO22; slows Global Warming; slows Global Warming

Marine AnimalsMarine Animals•Absorb OAbsorb O22 through gills or by through gills or by

diffusiondiffusion•Most EctothermicMost Ectothermic•95% = invertebrates95% = invertebrates•Adaptations to deal with cold, Adaptations to deal with cold,

pressure, low oxygen, low visibilitypressure, low oxygen, low visibility•Sound and smellSound and smell = major senses = major senses

Sandy BeachSandy Beach

SandSandy y

BeacBeachh

Sandy Sandy BeachesBeaches•Harsh conditions, highly variableHarsh conditions, highly variable

–wave actionwave action–shifting sands shifting sands

•Diversity = Diversity = LOWLOW

•HighHigh population #’s population #’s

•Adaptations to deal with wavesAdaptations to deal with waves

•Adaptations against drying outAdaptations against drying out

Sandy BeachesSandy Beaches

Functions:•Provides a habitat•Acts as a rest spot**Recreation

AnimalsAnimals

Yellow-eyed penguin

Rocky Rocky ShoresShores•Drastic Drastic

changes in changes in pH, salinity pH, salinity

•Tidepools: Tidepools: submerged submerged then drythen dry

•ModerateModerate Diversity Diversity•ModerateModerate population #’s population #’s •Many move between zonesMany move between zones•LOTS of scavengersLOTS of scavengers

AlgaeAlgae•ShallowShallow = Calcareous red = Calcareous red

algae, Green algaealgae, Green algae•DeeperDeeper = brown, = brown,

some red algae some red algae

AdaptationsAdaptations• To hold tightly to rocksTo hold tightly to rocks•Scuttle out of the wayScuttle out of the way• ““Bend" with the wavesBend" with the waves•Survive drastic chemical Survive drastic chemical

+ physical changes + physical changes

Rocky ShoresRocky Shores

Major function is for erosion protection

AnimalsAnimals

EstuariesEstuaries

EstuarieEstuariess

California:California:Santa Santa

Monica Bay, Monica Bay, San San

Francisco, Francisco, and Morro and Morro

BayBay

EstuariesEstuaries•Found at deltas, edges of Found at deltas, edges of

baysbays– fed by streams + rivers, high fed by streams + rivers, high siltationsiltation

–mixture of fresh & saltmixture of fresh & salt

EstuariesEstuaries•FlatFlat, prone to succession, prone to succession•Low tidal change, nutrient Low tidal change, nutrient

build-upbuild-up•Temperate to cold watersTemperate to cold waters

EstuariesEstuaries•DODO22 can be can be anaerobicanaerobic in mud; can in mud; can

accumulate toxinsaccumulate toxins•Mud, clay, siltMud, clay, silt– Composition determines communityComposition determines community–True soil on edgesTrue soil on edges

•NurseryNursery for for

invertebrates and invertebrates and

fishfish

EstuariesEstuaries•HIGHHIGH Diversity & Diversity & HIGHHIGH Population #’s Population #’s

•HIGHESTHIGHEST bioproductivity bioproductivity•Many decomposersMany decomposers

EstuariesEstuaries

•Critical Critical “bulking up”“bulking up” and rest and rest station for station for migratory sea migratory sea and shorebirdsand shorebirds

This is a VERY important Function and is one of the reasons why estuary conservation is so important.

AnimalsAnimals•Adapted to changes in pH, salinityAdapted to changes in pH, salinity

PlantsPlants•Adapted to high salinityAdapted to high salinity•Rapid growth, high turn-over Rapid growth, high turn-over

rate, rate, e.g.e.g. eel grass eel grass

They protect the coastline and prevent erosion by collecting sediment from the rivers and streams and slowing down the flow of water. There are about 39.3 million acres of mangrove forests in the warm coastlines of tropical oceans all over the world. More than 10.5 million acres, or 27% of mangrove forests are found in Southeast Asia.

Mangroves are woody, specialized types of trees of the tropics that can live on the edge, where rainforests meet oceans. Found on sheltered coastlines and river deltas, they grow in brackish wetlands between land and sea where other plants can't grow.

Mangrove SwampsMangrove Swamps• Coastal wetland that occurs only in

warm climates - Mangroves cannot grow in areas that freeze more than 2 days/year

• Mangroves can either be: tree or shrub, 800 species total, 10 live in US

• Trees, shrubs, variety of birds, insects, mammals…mangroves are just good habitats

• So have high diversity and high population numbers

MangrovesMangroves

• Adaptations

• Low O2 in swamps• Mangroves have roots that grow

up and stick out of the water• Some have roots that grow high

on the trunk, look like stilts

ImportanceImportance•Essential for flood control, Essential for flood control,

shoreline stabilization; shoreline stabilization; nursery of nursery of the oceanthe ocean

•80% +80% + world-wide lost to world-wide lost to– agricultural drainageagricultural drainage–marinasmarinas– reclaimed as land for developmentreclaimed as land for development

•We lose + 308,875 acres every We lose + 308,875 acres every yearyear

•How can this be stopped?How can this be stopped?

Kelp ForestsKelp Forests•Temperate Temperate

near-shore near-shore waters below waters below 7272ooFF

• Surface to 160 Surface to 160 ftft

• Good currents Good currents + upwelling + upwelling

•Variable by Variable by seasonseason

Kelp ForestsKelp Forests•ModerateModerate Diversity Diversity•HIGHHIGH Population #’s Population #’s •Many generalists, Many generalists,

move between move between canopy layers and canopy layers and substrate; schooling substrate; schooling

•HIGHHIGH productivity productivity•Provides excellent Provides excellent

habitat & habitat & camouflagecamouflage

KelpKelp•GreenGreen algae=shallow algae=shallow•BrownBrown algae (kelp) algae (kelp)

to 150 ftto 150 ft•RedRed algae to 600 ft algae to 600 ft•Kelp provides Kelp provides

vertical orientationvertical orientation– schooling species on schooling species on edgesedges

Light Bulb Tunicates

West Coast Sea Nettle Jellyfish Ocean Sunfish

Brown Cup Coral

Garibaldi

Animals of theAnimals of theKelp ForestKelp Forest

Coral ReefsCoral Reefs

Coral ReefsCoral Reefs• Corals are marine organisms that exist as small sea

anemone-like polyps, typically in colonies of many identical individuals.

• Includes the important reef builders that are found in tropical oceans, which secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.

• A coral "head", commonly perceived to be a single organism, is formed from many individual but genetically identical polyps, each polyp only a few millimeters in diameter.

• Over thousands of generations, the polyps lay down a skeleton that is characteristic of their species.

• Reproduce through both asexual and sexual reproduction

Coral ReefsCoral Reefs•Found in tropical Found in tropical

near-shore near-shore waters, surface to waters, surface to 300 Ft300 Ft

•Little variability, Little variability, constant temps constant temps above 72above 72oo F F

•Coral cemented Coral cemented together by algae, together by algae, provides habitatprovides habitat

Coral ReefsCoral Reefs•HIGHHIGH diversity diversity•LOWLOW population population

#’s#’s•VERY sensitive to VERY sensitive to

environmental environmental change change

Coral ReefsCoral Reefs• In pairs, schooling species, In pairs, schooling species,

solitary predators, filter solitary predators, filter feedersfeeders

•SpecialistsSpecialists•Toxic, venomousToxic, venomous

Open OceanOpen Ocean•HighHigh variability in variability in

surface waters surface waters from waves, from waves, currentscurrents

• TempTemp becomes becomes

constant in abyssconstant in abyss

•PRESSUREPRESSURE increases with increases with depthdepth

A Hawksbill sea turtle and a red octopus

ZonesZones

AdaptationsAdaptations•Species need to hang "in Species need to hang "in

space”space”•SurfaceSurface = fast-swimming = fast-swimming

predatorspredators•Abyss Abyss = slow moving, mushy = slow moving, mushy

bodies, bioluminescent, huge bodies, bioluminescent, huge teethteeth

•Need to cope with pressure, Need to cope with pressure, scarce food and sex partnersscarce food and sex partners

EcologyEcology•LOWLOW diversity diversity•HIGHHIGH population #’s population #’s•Sporadic schools in surface Sporadic schools in surface

waters, solitary individuals waters, solitary individuals deeper downdeeper down

•Diversity decreases w/depthDiversity decreases w/depth - - many specialistsmany specialists

•Phytoplankton, Chemotrophs Phytoplankton, Chemotrophs = producers= producers

Human Uses for Human Uses for OceansOceans•TransportationTransportation

•Tidal EnergyTidal Energy•MineralsMinerals•Fossil FuelsFossil Fuels•FishingFishing•Medicine Medicine •Desalinization plantsDesalinization plants•RecreationRecreation

Human Impacts on Human Impacts on OceansOceans•OverharvestingOverharvesting

•PollutionPollution•Dynamiting & Dynamiting &

Chloroxing reefsChloroxing reefs

Human Impacts on Human Impacts on OceansOceans•Alteration of coastlineAlteration of coastline

– jetties, breakwatersjetties, breakwaters

•Loss of biodiversityLoss of biodiversity