1. The Marine Biome
CHAPTER 11

2. THE WORLD OCEAN OCEANIC ZONE – Open ocean
Largest zone in the ocean – 90% of surface area
Very deep – 500 m to 11,000 m
Mostly aphotic except over the continental shelf
Photic zone less than 100 m deep only producers are phytoplankton

3. The Oceanic Zone Neritic zone – photic area over the continental shelf
Aphotic zone - has limited diversity
Benthic zone – scavengers that eat detrius (dead organic material) or marine “snow”
Organisms live in open ocean have special adaptations

4. The World Ocean
Water near the equator is warmer, has more salt and minerals
Water currents are driven by winds
Most currents are stable like the Gulf Stream (warm water along the East Coast of the U.S.)
Exceptions – La Nina, El Nino

5. 10.2 Neritic Zone
All continents are surrounded by shallow water - continental shelf
Neritic Zone - From the continental shelf to the top surface of the water.
Shallow depth so it is in the photic zone.
Warmer water has coral reefs combination of animals and bacteria
Colder water has kelp beds

6. Coral Reefs “Tropical rainforest” of the marine biome
Reef is made from millions of shells from tiny corals – like sea anemones
Greatest marine biodiversity
Only the top layer of corals are alive
Reefs protect the shoreline from erosion
Largest reef is Great Barrier Reef off Australian coast

7. Coral Reefs Living corals have tiny algae in their bodies
Algae perform photosynthesis to give them food – mutualism
Algae need sunlight for photosynthesis
Coral are limited in depth to photic zone
Reef damage from human activity: blowing up so big ships can pass through, coral is used for jewelry and to decorate fish tanks, water pollution from ocean dumping, runoff from farmland

8. Kelp Forest
Kelp beds or kelp forests are usually found in colder water.
Large beds off the California and Alaskan coast
Kelp forests are home to many species – like the coral reefs
Kelp are sea algae that grown in very tall columns from the continental shelf to the surface

9. Estuaries
Region where fresh water from a river meets salt water from the ocean
Subject to rise and fall of tides
Water is usually brackish
Provide shelter and a place for many marine animals (fish and birds) to lay their eggs
When the young hatch they can ride the current back out to sea
The The largest estua
The largest estuary is the Che

10. Intertidal Zones Located along the shoreline of every continent
Covered and uncovered by ocean water twice a day (Tides).
Organisms adapt to changing tides and pounding surf by either burrowing in the sand or attaching to rocks
Attached to wetlands such as salt marshes or mangrove swamps

11. Costal Salt Marshes
Flat, muddy wetlands around estuaries, bays and lagoons
Wet at high tide and dry at low tide
Vital “rest-stop” for migrating birds
Grasses provide organic matter (detritus/marine “snow”) that is the base of all ocean food chains
Sediments from fresh water collect and cause delta areas to sink under water changing their shape - Subsidence

12. Costal Salt Marshes
Sediments from fresh water wash downstream and collect at the mouth of the river - Accumulation
The buildup will cause delta areas to sink under water changing their shape – Subsidence
The Mississippi River delta(40% of all US wetlands) goes through a 5000 year cycle of accumulation-subsidence that changes the shape of the delta

13. Mangrove Swamps Coastal wetland found only in warm climates
Woody plant/tree more than 800 species worldwide - only 10 found in the USA (red mangrove is most common)
Low-oxygen water causes roots to lift up out of the water
The tall roots trap sediment which collects and forms soil for other plants to grow
Eventually the mangroves collect enough
soil to replace the water become a forest.