1. Marine Ecosystems and Biodiversity
Section 2
Large Marine
Ecosystems of the world

2. Review Binomial nomenclature created by Linneaus in the mid-1700s
Each species has a two part name
1st – generic name (genus)
2nd – specific name (species)

3. Terms to Know! Term Definition Example Habitat
Place where organisms live
Ecological Niche
The role of an organism within an ecosystem
Species
A group of similar organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring
Population
Organisms of the same species, living in the same area
Community
All the different species living in a habitat at the same time
Ecosystem
Living organisms and the chemical and physical factors which influence them
With a partner, take 2-3 minutes and come up with marine examples of the terms listed above!

4. The ecosystem is affected by…
Abiotic Factors
Biotic Factors
ECOSYSTEM

5. The ecosystem is affected by…
Abiotic
Factors
Biotic Factors
ECOSYSTEM

6. What identifies an ecosystem:
Biotic
Abiotic
Living components of an ecosystem
Is organic (CHO) and can produce high energy
Nonliving components of an ecosystem
Non organic, can not get energy from it
Greek meanings:
Bio = living
tic = of or pertaining to
A = not; without
List 5 examples of each!

7. Marine Ecosystem Example
Rocky Shore – organisms living here, linked together by flows of energy forming a food web, and their environment
Animals must be able to adapt to changing tides

8. Habitat Example
Hydrothermal vent – provides habitat for species of tube worms

9. Population Example
Ghost crabs (Ocypode saratan) living in the sandy shores
Mollusc community on a rocky shore (all different species of molluscs)

10. Species Examples Skipjack tuna (Katsuwomus pelamis)
Red mangrove trees (Rhizophora mangle)

11. Ecological Niche Examples
Ecological niche of great white shark = top predator
Organisms which occupy similar niches will tend to compete with each other for
Resources
Food
Space in their habitat

12. Trophic Levels “feeding levels” in a food chain or a food web
Producers 1st trophic level
Primary consumers2nd trophic level
Secondary consumers 3rd trophic level

13. More Terms… Term Definition Producer
Organisms which synthesize organic substances from simple organic compounds using light from the Sun
Consumer
An organism that obtains its energy by feeding on other organisms
Primary Consumer
Feed on plant material (AKA Herbivore)
Secondary Consumer
Feed on herbivores ((AKA Carnivore)
Predator
An animal that catches, kills, and eats another animal
Practice worksheet
Have them create food chain to practice identifying terms (feeding frenzy)
Energy flow through an ecosystem diagram with questions (food web)
Quiz on marine food web

14. Predator-Prey Relationship
Factors which affect # of predators in an ecosystem
Availability of food
As the # of prey increases the # of predators increases
As the # of prey decrease the # of predators decrease
What would a graph of this relationship look like?

15. Predator-Prey Graph
Show practice example to them and discuss it-Pollock/arrowhead/cod

16. Relationships between organisms

17. Symbiosis
The relationship between 2 different organisms(species), where at least one benefits from the relationship
Examples
Corals and zooxanthellae
Cleaner fish and grouper
Chemosynthetic bacteria and tubeworms

18. Mutualism
Relationship between two species (different organisms) where both organisms benefit
Corals zooxanthellae
Benefit? Benefit?

19. Parasitism
Relationship between two different organisms where 1 organisms benefits at the expense of the other (the host)
Parasites obtain nutrients from host
Ectoparasites
Live on OUTSIDE of the host
Example: Fish lice
Endoparasites
Live INSIDE host (digestive system, attached to gills, muscle tissue)
Example: nematodes (roundworms)
living in fish
Good buddies symbiosis activity to review concept-have them in teams of two and divide the cards into three piles based on the type of symbiosis
Show them the practice question and go over it.

20. What is a Shoal?
Large numbers of fish of the SAME species and approximately the SAME size.
Referred to as a ‘school’ when the group of fish is swimming together in a coordinated way.
Video on it is next

22. Benefits of Shoaling Hydrodynamic efficiency
Groups of fish save energy when swimming together

23. Benefits of Shoaling Predator avoidance:
a) Confusion effect: It is difficult for predators to pick out individual prey from groups
b) Many eyes effect as size of group increases, the task of scanning for predators can be spread out

24. Benefits of Shoaling
Foraging Advantages : Time taken to find food is decreased
Reproductive Advantages: Provides increased access to potential mates

25. Types of shoalers Fish can be obligate or facultative shoalers:
Obligate – spends all their time shoaling or schooling and may become agitated when separated from the group (examples: tuna, herring, anchovy)
Facultative – shoal only some of the time, perhaps only for reproductive purposes
(examples: Atlantic cod)
For homework give out the reading assignment why do fish shoal?

26. MARINE BIODIVERSITY
FOR A LONG TIME THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN THE WORLD’S OCEANS WAS UNCLEAR.

27. IT MAKES HABITATS MORE RESILIENT TO CHANGES
PRESENT TIME
IS CLEAR HOW IT PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN MAINTAINING THE FUNCTIONALITY /PRODUCTIVITY OF ECOSYSTEMS
IT MAKES HABITATS MORE RESILIENT TO CHANGES .

28. Biodiversity Takes into account: Examples:
# of different species present
Range of habitats and ecosystems
Examples:
CORAL REEFS
High biodiversity w/ many species present
SANDY SHORE
Low biodiversity w/ few species present

29. Quadrat A square used in ecology and geography to isolate a sample
Used to investigate the diversity of organisms in a suitable habitat (example: rocky shore or sandy shore)

30. Extreme & Unstable Environments
Tend to have LOW biodiversity!
Example 1: Sand-easily dries out and easily eroded by wind and water currents
Example 2: hydrothermal vents-high pressure, high temperature, few organisms adapted to these conditions

31. Stable & Favorable Environments
Tend to have HIGH biodiversity!
Example: Coral Reefs

32. Specialized Niche Generalized Niche Narrow range of food requirements
Live in specific habitat
Example: Butterfly fish
Territorial
Live closely w/corals and anenomes
Exploit a wider range of food sources
Live in wider range of habitats, many roles
Ex: Tuna
Migratory
Feed on many different species of fish

33. Why do habitats with high biodiversity tend to contain narrow ecological niches?
Each species has its OWN niche within the ecosystem
What would happen if the niches overlapped?
INTERSPECIFIC COMPETITION and one species will die out!
Narrow niches reduce overlap and therefore reduce competition
Give them practice question and go over it-shoaling and ecological niches

34. What is Succession?
The gradual process of change that occurs in community structure over a period of time
Example

35. Succession
As plant communities change the animal communities change.

36. Succession at Hydrothermal Vents
One of the first animal species to inhabit the area around a hydrothermal vent is the tube worm Tevnia.
Tevnia is replaced by the larger and faster growing tube worm Riftia.
Riftia tubeworms can grow up to two meters long. This adult tubeworm that has been removed from its white tube.

37. Riftia
Tevnia
Tevnia are usually white, but this clump of worms is stained brown from iron in the vent fluids. The largest worm in this clump (with more white color) is a different species - a Riftia tubeworm.

39. Chemosynthesis
Symbiotic bacteria convert H2S into organic material: H2S + CO2 + O2 + H20  CH2O + H2SO4
Hydrogen sulfide is the primary energy source for hot vents and cold seeps

40. What is a Whale Fall?
When a whale dies, the carcass sinks to the sea floor…this is known as a “whale fall”
The following videos shows the gradual change in the community structure over time