1. Marine life
Science Unit
Term

2. To understand the importance of marine life.
LEARNING INTENTIONS #1
To understand the importance of marine life.

3. To identify the 6 kingdoms of marine organisms.
LEARNING INTENTIONS #2
To identify the 6 kingdoms of marine organisms.

4. To learn about food webs.
LEARNING INTENTIONS #3
To learn about food webs.

5. To identify some threats to marine life in NZ.
LEARNING INTENTIONS #4
To identify some threats to marine life in NZ.

6. New Zealand is surrounded by the sea, and scientists estimate that as much as 80% of our known species are found in the seas around New Zealand.

7. The marine environment not only provides a home for 65,000 species – it’s an important source of food and provides recreational and economic opportunities for our communities.

8. Brainstorm time
What kind of economic opportunities does the marine environment provide?

9. If NZ had no marine life, what would the
Brainstorm time
If NZ had no marine life, what would the
country be like?

10. Classifying Marine Organisms
Classification is an important tool used by scientists to show how organisms are related to each other and to group them by their characteristics.

11. 6 Kingdoms of Marine Organisms
#1: Bacteria
are single-celled organisms that reproduce by splitting in two. They break down organic material and make nutrients available for the phytoplankton.

12. 6 Kingdoms of Marine Organisms
#2: Protozoans
are single-celled organisms that are generally much larger than bacteria.

13. 6 Kingdoms of Marine Organisms
#3: Chromists range from very small organisms to seaweeds.

14. 6 Kingdoms of Marine Organisms
#4: Fungi
rely on breaking down organic material as they are not able to make their own food. There are very few fungi in the marine environment.

15. 6 Kingdoms of Marine Organisms
#5: Plants
use photosynthesis to produce food using sunlight. There are only a few plants types that thrive in the marine environment, for example, eel grass and mangroves.

16. 6 Kingdoms of Marine Organisms
#6: Animals
rely on other organisms for food. Animals in the marine environment include jellyfish, sponges, sea spiders, bryozoans, mussels, sea stars, fish and whales.

18. Brainstorm time
If group 1 (Primary Producers) were affected by pollution, how would this affect the other groups of marine life?

20. CASE STUDY: LAKE TAUPO
A simple food chain can show the flow of energy from one group of living things to the next.

21. How living things feed is best shown as a food web.
LAKE TAUPO FOOD WEB
How living things feed is best shown as a food web.

22. THREATS TO ECOLOGY What is “ECOLOGY”?
Ecology is all about living things. These can die if their environment/taiao is damaged. 
There are many events that can harm freshwater ecology…

23. Natural disasters/takerehāia
If there was a big eruption, the ash and other material from the volcano could spread through the air and get into local waterways. This material could pollute the rivers and lakes and kill the plants and animals that live there.

24. Natural disasters/takerehāia
Storms and flooding could affect the water in local waterways. Lots of silt/parakiwai could be carried into the rivers and lakes. Plants and animals in the water could find it hard to breathe and hunt for food.

25. Human Impacts
One of the biggest threats to freshwater fisheries is from water being changed from its natural course to provide irrigation, water supply, and energy production.

26. Human Impacts
When it rains in urban areas, the rain that runs off buildings and down the gutters is called storm water run-off. Storm water run-off can carry pollution into the local waterways.

27. Human Impacts
Land development increases nitrogen in the water. Nitrogen makes algae grow faster.

28. Human Impacts
Over-fishing can lead to certain animals disappearing. This affects other animals that eat them and all the animals in the food web are affected.

29. Introduced WEEDS and FISH
What is an “Introduced Species”?
They could be plants or animals that are brought into a new country by people.
They often cause damage to the ecosystem…

30. Catfish are a pest in Lake Taupo
Catfish are a pest in Lake Taupo. They spread disease and eat native fish.

31. Didymo is also known as ‘Rock Snot’
Didymo is also known as ‘Rock Snot’. It affects the trout habitat by covering the stones and gravels in riverbeds. This would affect insects that trout feed on. It also makes angling difficult because it creates dirty water.

33. STOPPING THE SPREAD
Getting rid of pest fish and plants is difficult. The only solution is to keep them out.
Whenever you go into a new lake or river, always do the following:

34. Check and remove any pieces of weed or fish eggs from gear that has been used in the water.

35. Always clean your gear properly.

36. Make sure all your gear is properly dry.