1. Biotic and Abiotic Factors of the Ocean
Marine Life zones

2. Intertidal zones
*Intertidal areas: the place where the ocean meets the land (shore); *organisms must be able to live underwater (high tide) and out of water (low tide) *must have adaptations that allow them to hold on during the crashing of the waves
*crabs, clams, snails, worms, plankton, algae
*Abundance of dissolved oxygen and nitrogen
*High salinity
*Very warm (summer) to freezing (winter)
*Depth of 5-10m (16-33 ft.)
*Turbulent water due to tides
*Low water pressure (shallow)

3. Neritic Zone – Coral Reefs
Warm, shallow, sunlit areas where tiny animals called corals live in large groups *over time, skeletons of dead corals build up and form a reef *coral reefs are a thriving ecosystem of corals, algae, sea stars, sea anemones, sponges, plankton, dolphins and brightly colored fish *Neritic zone
*High D.O. and CO2
*Stable salinity 32-38ppt (part per thousand)
*Lots of sunlight-stable temps 24 °C
*From surface down to about 200 ft.
*Affected by currents and waves
*Low water pressure
*Special structures that allow for attaching to the reef (some of them)

4. Oceanic zone *Open ocean zone *Lower Nutrient levels
*High levels of salinity
*Temperature decrease with depth
*As deep as 200m
*Water is constantly mixed by currents and differences in density
*Water pressure increases with increasing depth
*Organisms are adapted to swimming
*Plankton, whales, squids, sharks etc.

5. Benthic zone *Ocean floor *Nutrients “rain down” *Oxygen-deficient
*High salinity-most dense
*Continuous cold temps. 0-30degr.
*Depth varies ( bottom of the neritic and oceanic zones)
*Water movement due to currents and density differences – colder water and water with higher salinity are more dense
*Highest water pressure
*Bacteria, worms, sea urchins, kelps; sea stars, sea cucumbers; anglerfish
* must be able to withstand extreme water pressure, cold temps and low D.O. and adaptations for darkness