Ocean Zones, Ocean Life, and Ocean Chemistry

Ocean Zones Shallow Ocean Deep Ocean Beach Intertidal Zone Neritic Zone Open-Ocean Zone High-Tide Line Surface Zone Low-Tide Line Continental shelf Middle/Transition Zone Continental Slope Deep Zone Abyssal Plain There are 3 horizontal ocean zones: Intertidal Zone- area at the seashore that is underwater during high-tide and exposed during low-tide Neritic Zone- extends from the low-tide line to the edge of the continental shelf Open-Ocean Zone- ocean beyond the edge of the continental shelf There are 3 vertical ocean zones: Surface Zone- sunlit area where plankton live and zone whose temperature is most affected by weather Middle/Transition- zone in which most of the ocean’s nekton (free-swimming organisms) live Deep Zone- deepest, darkest, coldest zone where most organisms are benthic (bottom-dwellers)

Ocean Zones Abyssal Plain Neritic Zone Transition Zone Beach Shallow Ocean Deep Ocean 1. 2. 5. 6. 3. 7. 4. 10. 8. 11. 9. 12. Abyssal Plain Neritic Zone Transition Zone Beach Continental Shelf Intertidal Zone Deep Zone Continental Slope Low-Tide Line Surface Zone Open-Ocean Zone High-Tide Line

Three Groups of Marine Life Plankton Nekton Benthos

Check What You THINK You Know plankton, nekton, benthos What life zone do you think this lives in? What life zone do you think these live in?

Check What You THINK You Know plankton, nekton, benthos Which type of organism do you think lives on the ocean floor? Which type of organism do you think swims freely throughout the ocean? Which type of organism do you think lives on the surface of the ocean?

PLANKTON and ALGAE The majority of plankton and algae are microscopic. They float on the surface of the ocean where there is plenty of sunlight. Like algae and any other plant, they need carbon dioxide to breathe and sunlight to undergo photosynthesis. They create a lot of oxygen when they breathe, so much that there is 60 times as much oxygen in the ocean as there is in the atmosphere.

PLANKTON There are two types of plankton. Phytoplankton are plant-like organisms. Zooplankton are animal-like organisms.

NEKTON Nekton are free-swimming organisms. They are the majority of organisms that you probably think of when you hear “marine life.” They are very abundant in the ocean.

NEKTON Nekton organisms have the ability to swim freely throughout the main body of the ocean.

NEKTON There are many types of nekton.

BENTHOS Benthos are organisms that live on or in the ocean floor. They live in the mud, sand and rock that is found on the ocean floor. Many benthos organisms are probably very familiar to you.

BENTHOS There are many different types of benthos organisms.

The Ocean Food Chain Plankton Plankton are at the bottom of the food chain. Zooplankton eat the phytoplankton. Nekton Certain members of the nekton eat plankton and they eat each other. Usually the bigger organisms eat the smaller ones, like a shark eating smaller fish, but this is not always the case. Certain types of whales called baleen whales don’t eat fish. They eat only plankton. These filter feeders take in large amounts of seawater as they swim and filter out the plankton for food. Benthos Benthos must protect themselves from predators and create sheltered homes. They eat nekton and each other but not plankton. Why is this?

The Ocean Food Chain http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngexplorer/0309/quickflicks/

Let’s see what you have REALLY learned! I am going to show you some pictures. You need to identify which life zone that animal lives in! Benthos--------Plankton--------Nekton

What else have you learned? Which type of organism lives in the main body of the ocean? Which type of organism needs to create safe shelters on the ocean floor for protection? Which type of organism has only two types? Benthos-----------Plankton----------Nekton

Ocean Chemistry Salinity = Salt (NaCl-Sodium Chloride) Higher Temperature = More Evaporation More Evaporation = Saltier Water Lower Temperature = Less Evaporation Less Evaporation = Less Salty Water Where is the water more salty? ___ Less salty? ___ A. Off the coast of Antarctica B. Off the coast of Florida

Ocean Chemistry The Atlantic Ocean experiences more evaporation than the Pacific Ocean therefore the water in the Atlantic Ocean is: A. Less salty B. More salty and therefore the average temperature of the Pacific Ocean must be: A. Lower B. Higher than the Atlantic Ocean. Even though many gallons of freshwater pour into the oceans each day, the salinity (saltiness) of the ocean remains in balance at about 35 parts per thousand (35/oo) because water is constantly evaporating from the ocean, leaving the salt behind.

The End