1. Chapter 16: Marine Ecosystems
Oceanography 2014

2. Chapter 16 Vocabulary Biotic
Biome large geographical area of distinctive plant and animal groups, which are adapted to that particular environment
Abiotic
Community
Population
Detritus
Ecology
Antarctic Divergence
Habitat
Eutrophication
Microhabitat
Littoral Zone
Niche
Meiofauna
Ecosystem

3. Levels of Ecology

4. Biomes: A Review WORLD BIOMES Tundra Rainforest Savanna Taiga
Temperate Forest
Temperate Grassland
Alpine
Chaparral
Desert
Aquatic
Aquatic Biomes
Freshwater
Marine

5. Community vs. Population
Multiple species that interact
Population: >>>
Group of ONE species in a given area

6. Habitats
ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant, or other type of organism
Examples:
Clown Fish
Habitat = Sea Anemones in an area of a coral reef
Fiddler Crab
Habitat = Sandy areas of a salt marsh

7. Finding your Niche… Unique way of life specific to an organism
Individual role of a species in an ecosystem
No two species can occupy the same niche in an ecosystem without one outcompeting each other
EXAMPLE: Remoras are small fish that live on sharks. Their niche is their role cleaner fish for specific shark species.

8. Food Chains & Webs
Food Web: all the food chains found within an ecosystem, shows all possible paths for energy to move
Food Chain: one part of a food web starting from producers ends at decomposers
Trophic Levels
Producers
1st level in the trophic system
Make their own food (autotrophs): Photosynthesis or Chemosynthesis
Examples: Plants and phytoplankton
Consumers
2nd/3rd/4th levels of the trophic systems: primary, secondary, tertiary
Primary consumers are herbivores
Secondary consumers eat herbivores
Tertiary consumers eat the secondary consumers
Decomposers
Last level of the trophic system as dead animals are broken down
Examples: mushrooms and bacteria

9. Ecosystem Types Coral Reefs Estuaries Salt Marshes Mangroves
Kelp Forests
Beaches / Tidal Zones
Polar
Hydrothermal Vents
Abyssal

10. Coral Reef Ecosystem
Located in waters between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer
Require water temperatures to be warm and stable year-round (64-86 F)
Individual coral polyps build the reef's calcium carbonate structure
As a single polyp dies, its soft tissue decays, but the calcium carbonate cup remains
Other polyps build on top of the cup
Over time, this process creates larger and larger coral reefs

13. Estuary Ecosystem
Partially enclosed body of water where fresh water mixes with salt water
areas of transition between the land and sea
Examples: bays, harbors, inlets or sounds
Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuarine system in the US

14. Salt Marsh Ecosystem
Coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained along with tides
Soil composed of deep mud and peat.
Peat is made of decomposing plant matter that is waterlogged and very spongy
They provide food, refuge, and nursery habitat for more than 75 percent of fisheries species
Found within estuarine systems

15. Mangrove Ecosystem Tree systems with roots submerged in water
Thrive in hot, muddy, salty conditions that would quickly kill most plants.
How do they do it? Through a series of adaptations
a filtration system that keeps out much of the salt
a complex root system that holds the mangrove upright in loose, sandy sediments

16. Kelp Forest Ecosystem Giant kelp Grow along rocky coastlines
Species of brown macro-algae
Grow along rocky coastlines
Depths from 2 m to 30 m +
Nutrient-rich, cool water
Temperature from 5o to 20o C
Clear water conditions through which light penetrates easily
Often found in regions where upwelling occurs

18. Beach / Tidal Ecosystem
Beach has habitats such as dunes, intertidal region, and tide pools
Seawater trapped in depressions in the rocks forms tide pools
Shallow pools are extreme environment with changing water levels and temperatures
Home to many types of plants and animals

19. Polar Ecosystem Artic and Antarctic Cover 20% of Earth
Covered by areas of thick ice
Coldest habitats in the world
Plankton are an essential part of the ecosystem

20. Hydrothermal Vent Ecosystem
Deep-sea hydrothermal vents form due to volcanic activity on the ocean floor
Water leaks through cracks in the Earth's crust
dissolves metals and minerals and becomes super-heated from magma.
Water can be as hot as 400o C
Chemosynthesis: relies on hydrogen sulfide instead of sunlight
300+ unique species live in these environment

21. Abyssal Ecosystem Abyssal Zone: 3,000 to 6,000 meters deep
Cold temperatures, and high pressure
Animals in this region relay on dead animals from above that sink to the bottom as their main food source
Some animals exhibit bioluminescence

22. Notes Quiz
Put the following in order from smallest to largest: Community, Individual, Ecosystem, Biosphere, Population
Is this a community or a population?
Remoras that serve as cleaner fish on sharks are an example of what aspect of ecology?
What is the 1st level of the tropic system?
Name 3 ecosystem types.

23. What do estuaries, salt marshes, and mangroves have in common?
Oceanography May 13, 2014
What do estuaries, salt marshes, and mangroves have in common?
What type of animals would you expect to find in a polar ecosystem?
What type of marine ecosystem is the local watershed?

24. Give an example of an animal with a specific niche.
Oceanography May 21, 2014
Give an example of an animal with a specific niche.
What role do dead things play in ecosystems?
What does a coral polyp look like? Sketch a basic diagram.