1. Aquatic Life Zones: 2 major categories
Marine (saltwater) Or
Freshwater
Types of organisms determined by:
Salinity
Temperature
Sunlight availability
D.O. (dissolved oxygen)
Nutrient availability

2. Major types of Organisms
Plankton: small free-floating
organisms
Phytoplankton: plant-like
Photosynthetic
diatoms, protists, etc

3. - Zooplankton: animal-like
Heterotrophic
Protozoans
Larvae
Copopods, cnidarians, krill…etc.
- Ultraplankton: TINY (less than 2 micrometers)
includes bacteria

4. Benthos (benthic organisms): bottom dwellers – anchor to one spot, burrow, or walk along bottom

5. Nekton: active swimmers – don’t follow currents

7. Baleen whales: filter feeders Plates (baleen) hang from upper jaw – filter plankton from water includes: humpbacks and blue whales

8. Toothed whales: teeth used to bite and chew food includes:orca (killer whale) and sperm whale

9. Marine Lifezone: Subcategories:. Coastal. Open Ocean (Sea)
Marine Lifezone: Subcategories: * Coastal * Open Ocean (Sea) euphotic zone bathyal zone abyssal zone

10. Subcategory: Coastal High tide to Continental shelf
(Ample sunlight) high NPP
90% of all marine species

11. 1. Coral reefs: MOST biodiverse areas of all aquatic life zones
“The Aquatic Rainforest”
Hundreds of thousands of coral polyps excrete CaCO3 skeletons

12. Grow slowly, disrupted easily:
Biggest threat: sediment run-off
Bleaching (even from 1 degree temp increase)

13. Removal (aquariums/jewelry)
Pollution
Damage (tourists, anchors, natural disasters)
Overfishing
Cyanide/dynamite “fishing”
1 m2 of reef killed for every fish caught

14. 2. Intertidal zone: shoreline between low and high tide
Tides caused by gravitational pull of moon
Organisms adapted to HARSH conditions

15. 3. Barrier Islands: islands separated from the mainland by a shallow sound, bay, or lagoon

16. Constantly shifting beaches due to erosion
Can be helped with a jetty

17. Dunes – backbone that provides stability
Plants hold sand in place
Protect from natural disasters

18. 4. Coastal wetlands: inlets, bays, sounds, Mangrove forest swamps

19. 5. Estuary: where freshwater meets saltwater (mouth of a river)

21. Marine Lifezone: Subcategories:. Coastal. Open Ocean (Sea)
Marine Lifezone: Subcategories: * Coastal * Open Ocean (Sea) euphotic zone bathyal zone abyssal zone

22. Subcategory: Open Ocean
1. Euphotic zone: top
Sunlight layer: phtyoplankton = photosynthesis: HIGH D.O. (dissolved oxygen) and low dissolved CO2, big fish and mammals
2. Bathyal zone: middle
Dimly lit – little/no producers, zooplankton, smaller fish
3. Abyssal zone: bottom
Dark, cold, little D.O., nutrients on floor
Chemosynthetic bacteria at hydrothermal vents