Marine vs. Terrestrial
Physical/Chemical:
1. Greater Density •
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•
•
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Effect of gravity is less in water
Critters suspended (plankton-----whales)
Motile larva
Communities are not isolated
Changes pressure with depth
2. Energy •
•
Carbohydrates - terrestrial
Protein - marine
3. Water absorbs more light •
•
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Narrow zone for photosynthesis
(200 - 400m)
Photic zone
Wavelengths drop out with depth
4. Sound is transmitted better •
•
Sound travels farther which is more
useful to animals
20 degrees C in air = 346 m/sec
in H20 = 1518 m/sec
5. High electrical resistivity •
Means some animals can detect
others electrical activity
6. Sea water has DOM
7. Oxygen air = 21%
H2O = less and concentration varies with
temperature and salinity
• Organisms change to increase Oxygen
absorption
i.e. Increase surface area to volume
ratio in respiration surfaces
Life History Differences:
1. Gametes dispersed in H2O ---- external
fertilization
2. No pollinators
3. Less parental care
Structural/ Functional
1. No large plants in ocean
2. Dominant herbivores in ocean are small
(copepods)
3. In ocean herbivores eat entire “plant” protists
4. In the sea animals (coral, mussels,& clams)
live longer than plants (protists)
5. In sea most large animals are carnivores.
Land: Large animals herbivores
From the sea we eat salmon and tuna
(carnivores)
From land we eat cows (herbivores,
first order consumers)
6. In sea trophic levels are blurred. Filter
feeders eating (phytoplankton, zooplankton,
and copepods/eggs).