The ocean supports a variety of plant and animal life. Ocean Habitats The ocean supports a variety of plant and animal life.
Types of Ocean Life Scientists classify marine organisms according to where they live and how they move. Plankton: tiny algae and animals that float in water and are carried by waves and currents. Nekton: free-swimming animals that can move through the water column. Benthos: organisms that inhabit the ocean floor.
Plankton
Nekton
Benthos
Relationships Among Organisms Producers: organisms that can make their own food. (Algae and Plankton) Consumers: organisms that eat or consume producers. Decomposers:break down wastes and the remains of other organisms.
Food Webs All of the feeding relationships that exist within a habitat make up a food web. Most ocean food webs depend on plankton. Plankton are a source of food for organisms of all sizes.