1. Classifying Organisms: Biological Zonation – Based on where they live / lifestyle This is how ecologists talk about systems Taxonomic Classification – Based on structural characteristics This is how evolutionary biologists talk about organisms and the relationships between them.

2. Biological Zonation: Neritic – Shallow, coastal zone. Extends to the edge of the continental shelf. Oceanic – The rest of the ocean. Oceanic – The rest of the ocean. This zone is broken into layers based on how much sunlight penetrates. Benthic – lives on, in, or attached to the bottom of the sea floor

3. Benthic Organisms:  Elkhorn Coral  Fire Coral  Gorgonian Coral

4. Animals that walk on the bottom: Benthic Organisms:  Crabs  Lobsters  Sea Urchin

5. Plants/Algae growing in the sediment Benthic Organisms:  Algae  Seagrass

6. Burrowing Animals Mole Crab Mole Crab Coquina Clams Coquina Clams Worms Worms Benthic Organisms:

7. Benthic organisms can also be described by their relation to the tides.

8. Biological Zonation: Benthic organisms can also be described by their relation to the tides. Supratidal – live above the high tide line.

9. Blue Land Crab

10. Ghost Crab

11. Fiddler Crab

12. Land Hermit Crab

13. Coconut Crab Can grow up to 3 feet across

14. Spray Zone

15. Biological Zonation: Benthic organisms can also be described by their relation to the tides. Intertidal – live between the high tide line and the low tide line. Stressful Environment – Underwater part of the day Exposed to air part of the day Huge temperature change daily

20. Limpets

21. Snails

22. Operculum

23. Mussels

24. Oysters

25. Wrack Line

26. Amphipod

27. Barnacles

29. Chiton

30. Worms

31. Mudskippers

32. Birds like sandpipers and oystercatchers move between the intertidal and supratidal. They rely on the neritic area for food.

33. Biological Zonation: Benthic organisms can also be described by their relation to the tides. Subtidal – live below the low tide line.

35. Classifying Organisms: The subtidal organisms are classified based on their swimming behavior. Nekton - swimming

36. Nektonic Organisms: Fish Fish

37. Nektonic Organisms: SharksTurtlesRays

38. Classifying Organisms: Nekton – swimming Plankton – Anything that can’t swim against a current. From Greek “planktos”, which means “drifter”

39. Plankton  Phytoplankton – Plants  Dinoflagellates  Primarily tropical  Often bioluminescent

42. Bio Bay off the coast of Puerto Rico The water has approximately 750,000 dinoflagellates per gallon.

43. Plankton  Phytoplankton – Plants  Dinoflagellates  Primarily tropical  Often bioluminescent  Responsible for red tides

44. Red Tide

45. Plankton  Phytoplankton – Plants  Diatoms  Primarily arctic  SiO 2 shell

46. Plankton  Phytoplankton – Plants  Zooplankton - animals  Holoplankton – always planktonic

47. Plankton Arrow Worm Copepod Eggs

48. Plankton  Phytoplankton – Plants  Zooplankton - animals  Holoplankton – always planktonic  Meroplankton – planktonic for part of their life

49. Planktonic Organisms:  Larvae of MANY marine organisms Coral Larvae Sea Star Larvae Crab Larvae Fish Eggs Shrimp Larvae

50. Not all plankton is small!! Ocean Sunfish

52. Many marine mammals also spend time in multiple zones. They are part of all of them!

53. Bioluminescence is very common in the ocean Especially in the deep sea.