1. Marine Ecosystem: The Oceans

2. Did you Know?
The OCEAN covers almost ¾ of the Earth’s surface and holds both the largest animals and the smallest organisms on earth?

4. Marine Ecosystem Characteristics
Abiotic factors determine life in the ocean
Temperature: As you get deeper, the temperature decreases
Depth: Affects what organisms can live there
Sunlight: How far the sun reaches affects life in ocean

5. Temperature Zones
Surface Zone- warm top layer extending to 300 meters below sea level. Sun warms water & surface currents heat warm/cool waters
Thermocline- 300 meters to 700 meters below sea level; here water temperature drops fastest with increasing depth
Deep Zone- from base of thermocline to bottom of ocean
Average Temperature= 2 Celsius

7. Intertidal Zone- “between tides” Ocean meets land; animals adapt the exposure of air and waves; snails, herons live here
Neritic Zone- downward slope; warm water from sun; corals, sea turtles, fish, dolphins live here
Oceanic Zone- sea floor drops sharply! Deep water of open ocean; plankton near surface, whales, shark, fish live here
Benthic Zone- deepest, dark ocean; Very cold water/no sunlight reaches; Get food that is dropped or from thermal vents; crabs, worms, and animals adapted to darkness

8. Ocean Zones: p. 536 in textbook
Intertidal Zone: