1. Formal and Informal Environmental Education
of the Northern Gulf of Mexico (FIEE)
J.L. Scott Marine Education Center
Center for Science and Mathematics Education
Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Ocean Zones
and Life Styles
Hurricane Basics
Shelia Brown, Sherry Herron, David Ruple

2. Ocean Zones (shoreline to open ocean)
Intertidal Zone
Neritic Zone
Oceanic Zone
Benthic Zone

3. Intertidal Zone Neritic Zone Oceanic Zone Continental Shelf
Sunlight
Continental
Shelf
Benthic Zone

4. Intertidal Zone Area between high tide line and low tide line
Organisms adapted to harsh, changing environments
Intertidal
Zone
Continental
Shelf

5. Neritic Zone Area over the continental shelf
Area of greatest density and diversity of marine life
Neritic
Zone
Continental
Shelf

6. Oceanic Zone From the continental break out to open ocean Oceanic Zone
Shelf

7. Benthic Zone The Ocean Floor Underlies all the other zones

8. Lifestyles
3 Basic Lifestyles:
Plankton
Nekton
Benthos

9. Plankton Floaters or very poor swimmers
Plankton divided into 2 groups:
Phytoplankton – producers, photosynthesizers
Zooplankton – consumers

10. Plankton Meroplankton Holoplankton
Spend only part of their life cycles as plankton
Are the larval stages of organisms that grow to become benthic or nektonic organisms
Holoplankton
Spend their entire life cycles as plankton

11. Phytoplankton Must live in the photic zone
Most abundant in shallow coastal areas or in upwelling zones
The basis of the oceanic food web

12. Phytoplankton
Cyanobacteria
Diatoms
Coccolithophores
Dinoflagellates

13. Zooplankton Foraminifers Radiolarians Cnidarians Combjellies
Arthropods
Larvae

14. Zooplankton

15. Nekton (swimmers) Free swimmers Maneuver actively in the water column
Found in the water column from surface to ocean floor

16. Nekton (swimmers) 5 Categories: Reptiles Mammals Fish Arthropods
Mollusks

17. Nekton (swimmers)
Marine Reptiles:
Turtles
Snakes
Crocodiles
Iguanas

18. Nekton (swimmers) Marine Mammals: Whales Seals Otters Manatees
Dolphins

19. Nekton (swimmers)
Bony Fish:
Tuna
Barracuda
Eels
Angler Fish

20. Nekton (swimmers)
Cartilaginous Fish
Sharks
Rays
Skates
Chimeras

21. Nekton (swimmers)
Marine Arthropods
Shrimp
Mollusks
Squid
Octopi

22. Benthos (bottom dwellers)
Live either burrowed in, resting on, or attached to the bottom
Primarily filter feeders, scavengers or deposit feeders

23. Benthos (bottom dwellers)
2 Basic Types:
Sessile - Live attached to the bottom
Vagrant - Able to move about

24. Benthos (bottom dwellers)
Sessile:
Barnacles
Sponges
Corals
Sea Anemones
Oysters
Clams

25. Benthos (bottom dwellers)
Vagrant:
Crabs
Sea Stars
Sea Cucumbers
Sea Urchins
Brittle Stars

26. What Am I?

27. What Am I?

28. What Am I?

29. What Am I?

30. What Am I?

31. What Am I?

32. What Am I?

33. What Am I?