Ocean Beach Mrs. Reyna

The habitat 3 distinct zones on barrier islands Subtidal zone Intertidal zone Supratidal zone

Subtidal Zones Crashing breakers with swirling sand and shallow water Permanently submerged Extends down the continental shelf Exposed briefly during extreme low tides (around full or new moon events)

Intertidal zone Alternately covered and exposed by tidal waters AKA foreshore or seashore Above the water usually unless its high tide Areas include steep rocky cliffs, sandy beaches or wetlands Specialized organisms live here due to salt water interacting with fresh rain water

Supratidal Zone Dry, sandy zone that extends to the base of the sand dunes AKA splash zone or spray zone Above the tide but regularly splashed with salt water Seawater effects these areas more during storms Organisms living here are exposed to fresh air, fresh water (rain), cold, heat and predation by land animals and seabirds

Sketch in your notebook

The Community The appearance will change day to day based on abiotic factors (wind, weather, etc) Specialized area for only a small variety of species to survive here More species have adapted to live here

The Community

Producers Subtidal zone has thousands of microscopic plants called phytoplankton which are the main producers Single celled, free floating Examples include Diatoms, Dinoflagellates, Blue Green Algae Nourished by inorganic nutrients Picture magnified 100X

Diatoms Most common phytoplankton Form colonies in the shapes of ribbons, fans, zigzags or stars Unique because the are single cells enclosed within a cell wall made of silica (frustule) Frustules show wide diversity of patterns Found in fossil and originate in the Jurassic period

Dinoflagellates Meaning “whirling whip” Found mostly in marine plankton but also in fresh water Populations are distributed based on temperature, salinity and depth All are producers however some are known to be mixotrophic- meaning they also ingest prey (protozoa)

Blue Green Algae Bacteria that can perform photosynthesis Produce oxygen and said to have helped converted the early atmosphere to an oxidizing one Very genetically diverse Occupy a broad range of habitats across all latitudes, freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems Found in extreme niches, such as hot springs and hypersaline bays

Sargassum Seaweed Free float algae Has berry like bladders that keep it afloat Large rooted seaweed cannot survive on the crashing surf Large masses are seen on the shore after a storm

Ocean Beach Consumers

Primary Consumer-Zooplankton Zoo=animal; plankton=wanderer Examples are: Isopod, copepod, and amphipod

Secondary consumers Barnacles Mollusk Worms Horseshoe crab Starfish Crab Sea Cucumbers Go through a life cycle to reach adulthood Larval stage is seen amongst the phytoplankton Invertebrates

White Boards-Primary Consumer Divide into 6 groups (3 each) Group 1 & 4-Isopods Group 2 & 5-Copepod Group 3 &6-Amphipod Use text book, laptops or cell phone to research: What is their prey? What is their predators? What is their life cycle? Draw a picture At least 3 facts on your primary consumer

Primary Consumer-Zooplankton Zoo=animal; plankton=wanderer Examples are: Isopod, copepod, and amphipod