Classifying Organisms: Biological Zonation – Based on where they live / lifestyle This is how ecologists talk about systems Taxonomic Classification – Based on structural characteristics This is how evolutionary biologists talk about organisms and the relationships between them.

Biological Zonation: Neritic – Shallow, coastal zone. Extends to the edge of the continental shelf. Oceanic – The rest of the ocean. Oceanic – The rest of the ocean. This zone is broken into layers based on how much sunlight penetrates. Benthic – lives on, in, or attached to the bottom of the sea floor

Benthic Organisms:  Elkhorn Coral  Fire Coral  Gorgonian Coral

Animals that walk on the bottom: Benthic Organisms:  Crabs  Lobsters  Sea Urchin

Plants/Algae growing in the sediment Benthic Organisms:  Algae  Seagrass

Burrowing Animals Mole Crab Mole Crab Coquina Clams Coquina Clams Worms Worms Benthic Organisms:

Benthic organisms can also be described by their relation to the tides.

Biological Zonation: Benthic organisms can also be described by their relation to the tides. Supratidal – live above the high tide line.

Blue Land Crab

Ghost Crab

Fiddler Crab

Land Hermit Crab

Coconut Crab Can grow up to 3 feet across

Spray Zone

Biological Zonation: Benthic organisms can also be described by their relation to the tides. Intertidal – live between the high tide line and the low tide line. Stressful Environment – Underwater part of the day Exposed to air part of the day Huge temperature change daily

Limpets

Snails

Operculum

Mussels

Oysters

Wrack Line

Amphipod

Barnacles

Chiton

Worms

Mudskippers

Birds like sandpipers and oystercatchers move between the intertidal and supratidal. They rely on the neritic area for food.

Biological Zonation: Benthic organisms can also be described by their relation to the tides. Subtidal – live below the low tide line.

Classifying Organisms: The subtidal organisms are classified based on their swimming behavior. Nekton - swimming

Nektonic Organisms: Fish Fish

Nektonic Organisms: SharksTurtlesRays

Classifying Organisms: Nekton – swimming Plankton – Anything that can’t swim against a current. From Greek “planktos”, which means “drifter”

Plankton  Phytoplankton – Plants  Dinoflagellates  Primarily tropical  Often bioluminescent

Bio Bay off the coast of Puerto Rico The water has approximately 750,000 dinoflagellates per gallon.

Plankton  Phytoplankton – Plants  Dinoflagellates  Primarily tropical  Often bioluminescent  Responsible for red tides

Red Tide

Plankton  Phytoplankton – Plants  Diatoms  Primarily arctic  SiO 2 shell

Plankton  Phytoplankton – Plants  Zooplankton - animals  Holoplankton – always planktonic

Plankton Arrow Worm Copepod Eggs

Plankton  Phytoplankton – Plants  Zooplankton - animals  Holoplankton – always planktonic  Meroplankton – planktonic for part of their life

Planktonic Organisms:  Larvae of MANY marine organisms Coral Larvae Sea Star Larvae Crab Larvae Fish Eggs Shrimp Larvae

Not all plankton is small!! Ocean Sunfish

Many marine mammals also spend time in multiple zones. They are part of all of them!

Bioluminescence is very common in the ocean Especially in the deep sea.