1. Introduction to Marine Biology
Miss G.
&
Ms. Davenport

2. What is Marine Biology?
What can you do with a career in Marine Biology?

3. What is Marine Biology?
What can you do with a career in Marine Biology?

4. What is Marine Biology?
What can you do with a career in Marine Biology?

5. But…
Before you can start diving with killer whales, dolphins, and sharks you must know a little about their world!
Everything we discuss in this class and prepare you for a jump start to a career in Marine Biology!!
Stop me at ANY time if you have questions, comments, or concerns! 

6. Marine Scientists
Marine scientists classify marine environments into many different regions based on physical characteristics.
The ocean is classified into different zones or regions based on light, depth, temperature, density, latitude, and distance from the shore or a combination of these.

7. Photic Zone versus Aphotic Zone
Photic Zone – is the depth to which light penetrates
Ex. Epipelagic Zone and the Neritic Zone
Aphotic Zone – this is the layer of what to which water can’t penetrate.
Ex. Mesopelagic, Bathypelagic, Abyssopelagic, Hadalpelagic

8. Location The Pelagic Zone is the water column portion.
1) Neritic zone – is the water located nearest the coast (coastal zone) between the low tide mark to the edge of the continental shelf.
2) Oceanic zone – is the open water area beyond the neritic zone. The oceanic zone is further divided into five separate regions.

9. Pelagic Zone

10. The Neritic Zone There are three zones located near the Neritic Zone:
Supralittoral Zone – splash zone (This is NOT a part of the Neritic Zone)
Littoral Zone – this is the intertidal zone. It’s the area between high tide and low tide. (This is part of the Neritic Zone.)
Sublittoral Zone – this is area below the low water mark and the edge of the continental shelf. (This is NOT part of the Neritic Zone.)

11. Neritic Zone

12. The Ocean Divisions There are two basic divisions of the ocean:
The Neritic Zone
The Oceanic Zone

13. Oceanic Zones Regions
The Oceanic Zone is further divided into five vertical regions:
Epipelagic zone – top layer sun light penetrates
Mesopleagic zone – sunlight reaches, but not strong enough to support much life
Bathypelagic zone – deep water in the open ocean
Abyssalpelagic zone – even deeper water in oceanic trenches
Hadalpelagic zone – is the deepest water in the oceanic trenches

14. Benthic Zone
The Benthic zone is the lowest area in a body of water, below 200m.
In regards to the ocean the Benthic Zone includes the:
Mesopelagic zone
Bathypelagic zone
Abyssalpelagic zone
Hadalpelagic zone

16. Marine Lifestyle
Marine life is incredibly diverse. Scientists use groups and subgroups based on common physical characteristics to discuss them. Three types of lifestyles include:
Plankton are the group of organisms that exist adrift the ocean currents.
^ Neuston are those plankton that float at the surface, for example Portuguese Man-of –War.

17. Plankton

18. Marine Lifestyle cont.
Nekton are the organisms that swim, from small invertebrates to large whales. Most of the seas’ predators are Nekton. The majority of Nekton are vertebrates.

19. Marine Lifestyle cont.
Benthos are organisms that live on or in the bottom. They can move about or be sessile. Sessile organisms are attached to the sea floor.

20. Marine Lifestyle cont. Benthos are divided into three categories:
Epiphauna – are those animals, such as crabs, that live on the sea floor.
Epiflora – are plants, such as seagrasses, that live on the sea floor.
Infauna – are organisms that are partially or completely buried in the sea floor… such as clams, sand dollars, tubeworms, and sea pens.
Most Infauna are either “deposit feeders” or “suspension feeders.” (Deposit feeders feed off detritus down from above. Suspension feeders filter particles (mostly plankton) suspended in the water for food.)

21. Epiphauna, Epiflora, or Infauna?
Infauna – “Sea Pens”
Epifauna – “Crab”
Epiflora – “Sea Grasses”

23. Design an Aquarium Temperature Salt pH Oxygen Filtration Light
Abiotic – not living
Biotic – living
What are some abiotic things that can influence an aquarium?
Temperature
Salt pH
Oxygen
Filtration
Light

24. Freshwater Aquarium What are the conditions for a freshwater aquarium?
Temperature – 72o-78o
Salt – 0 – 0.5 part per thousand (ppt)
pH –
Light –fluorescent light
Filtration – bacterial, mechanical, chemical

25. Brackish water Aquarium
Brackish water is found where fresh water and salt water meet.
What are the conditions for a Brackish water aquarium?
Temperature – 80o-82o
Salt – 0.5 – 30 parts per thousand (ppt)
pH –
Light –fluorescent light or powerful lighting
Filtration – bacterial, mechanical, chemical

26. Salt Water Aquarium What are the conditions for a Salt water aquarium?
Temperature – 75o-80o
Salt – Above 30 parts per thousand (ppt)
pH –
Light – powerful lighting (metal halide and actinic (blue))
Filtration – bacterial, protein skimmer

27. Clams (Salt Water)

28. Hard Corals

29. Soft Corals

30. Lighting Metal Halides – very strong white light
Actinic – produces a blue light
Fluorescent – produces a white light
Incandescent – produces a weak white light

31. Lighting

32. Filters Bacterial – uses bacteria to digest waste
Mechanical – uses filter medium to remove waste
Chemical – chemically removes certain dangerous compounds like ammonia
Protein Skimmer – removes protein from the water

33. Filters

35. Competition What is Competition? There are two types of competition:
When two or more species compete for the same resource.
Ex. Living space, food, mates
There are two types of competition:
Interspecific – between species
Intraspecific within one species

36. Competitive Exclusion
What is Competitive Exclusion?
When a less successful species is replaced by a more successful one.
This happens often when an invasive species appears.

37. Symbiosis
Symbiosis - close ecological relationship between the individuals of two (or more) different species
Four examples of symbiosis include:
Parasitism – One benefits, the other is harmed
Commensalism – One benefits, the other is neither helped nor harmed
Mutualism – both benefit
Predator Prey – One hunts the other

38. Grouper Fish with a parasite Hammerhead Shark with parasite infection
Parasitism
Grouper Fish with a parasite
Hammerhead Shark with parasite infection

39. Whale shark with a remora fish Shark with a remora fish
Commensalism
Remora fish
Whale shark with a remora fish
Shark with a remora fish

40. Mutualism

41. Predator Prey

42. Marine Food Web