Water Planet How much of the planet is covered in water? How much of that water is freshwater? How do we classify fresh water? How do we classify salt water?
Freshwater Types: Flowing water Streams Standing water (stagnant) Lakes, ponds, wetlands What are the three types of wetland ecosystems? 1. Bog 2. Swamp 3. Marsh Are wetlands always wet? No! During certain times of the year, they might not be underwater.
Saltwater Ocean (largest body of water) Estuaries (where freshwater rivers meet saltwater ocean) Temperate estuaries are called SALT MARSHES Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay Tropical estuaries are called MANGROVE SWAMPS Florida’s Everglades National Park What is special about estuaries’ primary producers? In other ecosystems, the primary producers are eaten by other organisms (consumers) In estuaries, the primary producers die and become detritus, which is eaten by worms, clams, and sponges
Saltwater Marine Ecosystems (not wetlands) Terms Photic and aphotic Intertidal zone, coastal ocean, open ocean, trench, benthic zone, coral reefs
Coastal Zone Photo = Light Aphotic = No Light
Coral Reef
Coral Reefs
Coral reefs face numerous hazards and threats. As human populations and coastal pressures increase, reef resources are more heavily exploited, and many coral habitats continue to decline. Current estimates note that 10 percent of all coral reefs are degraded beyond recovery. Thirty percent are in critical condition and may die within 10 to 20 years. Experts predict that if current pressures are allowed to continue unabated, 60 percent of the world's coral reefs may die completely by 2050 (CRTF, 2000). Reef degradation occurs in response to both natural and anthropogenic (human-caused) stresses. Threats to coral reefs can be also classified as either local or global: local threats include overfishing, destructive fishing practices, nutrient runoff, sedimentation, and coral disease while global threats include mass coral bleaching produced by rising sea surface temperature (worsened by climate change), and ocean acidification. Together, these represent some of the greatest threats to coral reefs
Video Things to observe: Photic and aphotic zones Coral reefs Creatures in the ocean