Ocean Life and Resources

Ocean Life Zones

Upwelling Upwelling: the movement of deep, cold, and nutrient- rich water to the surface. Organisms sink when they die. But these dead organisms are nutrient rich. They must be brought to the surface for other organisms to have food. Sunlight is also a key factor.

Plankton Plankton: the mass of mostly microscopic organisms that float or drift freely in the waters of aquatic (freshwater and marine) environments. (Algae and phytoplankton). The basis of all life in the ocean. Make oxygen for us to breath.

Nekton: all organisms that swim actively in open water, independent of currents. (Fish, sharks, whales, squids, octopus). Pelagic zone: the region of an ocean or body of fresh water above the benthic zone. Benthos: organisms that live at the bottom of oceans or bodies of fresh water. (Sea urchins, Sea stars, sea cucumbers, sand dollars, crabs, lobsters, shrimp). Benthic zone: the bottom region of oceans and bodies of fresh water.

Benthic Subzones Intertidal and Sublittoral Zone: zones where most life is found. Bathyl Zone: Not much life can survive here but squid, octopus, and whales can flourish. The abyssal zone has no sunlight because it begins at a depth of 4,000 m and extends to a depth of 6,000 m. The hadal zone is confined to the ocean trenches, which are deeper than 6,000 m below the surface of the water. Both abyssal and hadal zones have very few life forms but some life does exist.

Pelagic Subzones Neritic Zone: Area above the continental shelf. Most pelagic life is found here. Oceanic Zone: Essentially everywhere else in the ocean above the sea floor. Separated into 4 more subzones by depth. Staring at the Shallowest: Epipelagic, Mesopelagic, Bathypelagic, and Abyssopelagic.

Resources Food Minerals Fresh water (through desalination) Oil and natural gas

Pollution Sediment pollution: Too much sediment carried by rivers into the oceans cans suffocate oysters and crabs. Agricultural pollution (nitrates and phosphates) – leads to algal blooms. Algae die and take oxygen when they decompose. This creates dead zones where no life is found. Toxic pollution: Chemicals, oil, gas.

Deepwater Horizon

Other Oil Spills