Types of Marine Organisms: Plankton: any drifting organism that inhabits the water column of oceans or seas, derived from the Greek word “planktos” (wanderer) Nekton: can propel themselves independent of the currents in the water mass. (ex. adult krill, fish, whales, and tuna) Benthic: live in close relationship with (if not physically attached to) the ocean floor

Types of Plankton Phytoplankton: (from Greek phyton, or plant) live near the water surface where there is sufficient light to support photosynthesis (Includes the diatoms, cyanobacteria, dinoflagellates) Zooplankton: (from Greek zoon, or animal), small crustaceans and other animals that feed on other plankton. Some of the eggs and larvae of larger animals, such as fish, crustaceans, and annelids, are included here. Bacteriaplankton: play an important role in cycling organic material down the water column plankton video

Phytoplankton Kingdom: PROTISTA Must maintain a buoyancy that keeps them within 3 m of the ocean surface!

DIATOMS cell walls are made of silica, almost like a glass house chloroplast is yellow-brown instead of the green irregular shapes, fluid the same density of sea water help them stay within the first 3 m of epipelagic

Dinoflagellates 90% are found in coral reefs (symbionts) Others are responsible for “red tides”

Red Tide Video Harmful Algae in Northport

Why aren’t protists plants? The benefits of seaweed - YouTube

PlantsMulticellular Algae Roots Holdfast Leaves Fronds Stem Stipe Xylem / phloem No xylem/phloem Complex Simple Photosynthesis Photosynthesis only in leaves everywhere

Types of Seaweed Red Algae – more than green and brown combined, live in shallow ocean waters, most are parasites of other algae Brown Algae – olive green and dark brown, largest and most complex, almost 100% marine, (ex. Kelp) Green Algae – only 10% are marine, delicate and ruffled (ex. Sea lettuce)

Common Uses for Seaweed

Ocean plant adaptations: need to control salt and water b/c they are submerged for at least part of the time ex. Eel grass

Ex. Mangrove forests create aerial roots and secrete salt from leaves

Ex. Spartina (beach grass) creates a runner or underground root system to maintain a sturdy grip in the moving sand

EEL GRASS

Codium

Ulva

Kelp

Sargassum

Gelidium

Gigartina

Common Seaweeds of Long Island Sea lettuce (Ulva Lactuca)

Fucus edentatus / filiformis

Spongomorpha spp.

False Sour Weed

Ahnfeltia plicata (Wire Weed)

Plant (Eel Grass)

Plant (Rosa rigosa)

Mullein Plant hairs serve to reduce the amount of moisture lost to evaporati on to promote growth in dry areas

Black Pine

Bayberry good nest sites for songbirds waxy coating over the inner seed adaptable to a range of difficult landscape conditions including poor, sterile, sandy soils