Freshwater Ocean Wetlands/Estuaries Aquatic Biomes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIy0ZlyPPDg&list=UUWxJwdNjOFOUvKAhsYo41lg biome trailer Freshwater Ocean Wetlands/Estuaries

Determined by 3 factors Amount of sunlight Amount of salt (salinity) Amount of dissolved oxygen

Freshwater Biome Rivers, Lakes, Streams, Ponds Crabtree Creek Rivers, Lakes, Streams, Ponds Little if any salt (very low salinity) Neuse River Richland Creek

Marine: Oceans and Seas 97% of water on earth is contained in the ocean. One world ocean http://www.brainpop.com/science/earthsystem/oceans/

Seas Smaller than oceans and are mostly surrounded by land. Ex. Mediterranean Sea

Estuary Where the freshwater of the river meets the saltwater of the ocean. Act as filters. Tar River The largest North Carolina estuary is Pamlico Sound. Water drains into this system from eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, from the Chowan, Roanoke, Pasquotank, Pamlico, and Neuse Rivers, from marshes, swamps, forests, and grasslands. Neuse River Atlantic beach

Origin and Composition of Ocean Water

FYI…Where did it come from? A. ~ 4 billion years ago, water vapor given off by volcanoes began to accumulate in the Earth’s atmosphere causing precipitation. B. Basins- low areas where water collected over millions of years.

Where do the elements come from? Groundwater dissolves elements like calcium from rocks and rivers carry minerals to the oceans. Volcanoes can release elements when they erupt.

The 2 most abundant dissolved elements Are sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl): together forms the salt halite. 90% of salt in seawater is made of dissolved Na+ and Cl-  NaCl 10% of other like CaCl3, MgCl2

For every 1000L  35 L is salt (3.5%) Consider the following For every 1000L  35 L is salt (3.5%)

33.7% salt Dead Sea WHY? - High salt content of rocks, hot so lots of evaporation, not much rain

FYI… Salinity  Salts: Added Used Rivers and volcanoes are adding substances By plants and animals when they form solids Ex. A marine animal uses calcium to form bones and shells. is the measure of the amount of solids dissolved (salts) in seawater. The salinity of the ocean has stayed the same for millions of years  it is in balance.

Compare salinity @ equator vs. poles

Source of heat for ocean water The sun Temperature determines: the type of organisms that will be able to live there. ZONES Surface Deep Thermocline

ZONES 100-400m  Surface zone Thermocline – rapid temp change Fairly constant temp except of seasonal changes. Thermocline – rapid temp change Warm surface water does NOT mix easily with colder deep water. WHY? _________________ From thermocline to 4000m+ is the Deep Zone Extremely cold water (~4 degrees C)

ZONES 100-400m  Surface zone Thermocline – rapid temp change Fairly constant temp except of seasonal changes. (Ex. Wilmington 58F in Jan to high of 83F in Aug) Thermocline – rapid temp change Warm surface water (LESS DENSE) does NOT mix easily with colder deep water. WHY? __DIFFERENT DENSITIES_______ From thermocline to 4000m+ is the Deep Zone Extremely cold water (~4 degrees C = ~39 degrees F)

What is TOPEX/Poseidon? 1992-2006 The first major oceanographic research vessel to sail into space Climate Research Hurricane Forecasting El Niño & La Niña Forecasting Ship Routing Offshore Industries Fisheries Management Marine Mammal Research Coral Reef Research