Life Underwater and Beyond Seas
Ivy B. Baban
“We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.” - Thomas Fuller
Our world is blessed with bountiful resources which human beings consume in order to
survive. These resources are mostly found in our environment which includes water resources.
Almost 75 percent of the earth surface is covered of water which only tells that water resources are
very abundant. Among the resources which the earth endows on humans are found in the aquatic
ecosystem.
An aquatic ecosystem is composed of entities with plants, animals and non-living elements
interacting and relying on a watery environment either on marine or freshwater. Marine ecosystem
is the largest aquatic ecosystem in the planet. In an aquatic ecosystem, especially in a marine
ecosystem we can see various kinds of fishes. Fishes has been regarded as the master of sea as it
was basically the main organism which can be found in the oceans. There are also corals which
serve as home to many fishes and other marine species. Marine ecosystem has different zones such
as the barnacles, mussels, and seaweeds zones. Among the important marine ecosystem are the
oceans, estuaries, coral reefs, and coastal areas like lagoons.
(freshwater ecosystem)
(marine ecosystem)
Freshwater ecosystem, on the other hand, is an aquatic ecosystem which contains drinkable
water or water of almost no salt content (US EPA 2010). The freshwater ecosystem includes lakes
and ponds, rivers and streams, reservoirs, wetlands, and groundwater. Freshwater habitats are
classified either lentic system which are still water or lotic which are the running water. The major
difference between marine and freshwater ecosystem is the salt content or the salinity of the water
which make it difficult for other organism to thrive best in the oceans.
There has been interdependence among living and non-living organism in the aquatic
ecosystem. As shown in the film organism interact with each other to some degree that others are
harmed. One of the basic relationships among aquatic organisms is the feeding relationship. In the
film, we saw small fishes and crabs eaten by octopus. This relationship is known as predation
wherein the octopus called the predator eats the prey. The same relationship is true with the large
fishes such as the sharks and whales which feed on small fishes. There are also non-feeding
relationships which was shown in the films such as commensalism or the relationship wherein one
organism benefits while the other is neither harm nor benefit which is manifested in the fishes
living in the corals which serve as their protection from predators. Mutualism defined as the
relationship where both organism benefits from each other are also visible in the coral and algae
relationship.
One of the best lessons I learned in the film is that aquatic ecosystems are very valuable to
humans. The fishes we could get both from marine and freshwater ecosystem are a rich source of
food and income. These ecosystems especially the mangroves and coral reefs are very good
measure to prevent floods and help prevent erosion. Basically, survival depends on the freshwater
ecosystem as stated in the film.
I also learned some basic principles in aquatic ecosystem such as the diversity of organism
in the ecosystem. “The diversity and productivity of marine ecosystems are also important to
human survival and well-being” (US EPA 2010). Aquatic organism also display characteristic of
interdependence among each other that even the tiniest organism in the ocean is important for the
survival of the other. This allows them to develop on their full capacity.
The film is not only a good source of information regarding aquatic ecosystem. It also
conveys one great message that as human needs increases there is a possibility that these resources
will be abuse. We already experience scarcity as the stock of fishes in the oceans decreases
overtime. True as what the above quote is telling that we will never realize the importance of these
aquatic resources not until we lost them. It tells us that life underwater and beneath seas is
dependent with each other; one cease to exists without the other. That is interdependence!
References:
US Environmental Protection Agency. 2010. Aquatic Biodiversity: Freshwater Ecosystems.
http://www.epa.gov/bioindicators/aquatic/freshwater.html (November 24, 2010).
US Environmental Protection Agency. 2010. Aquatic Biodiversity: Marine Ecosystems.
http://www.epa.gov/bioindicators/aquatic/marine.html (November 24, 2010).
Photos taken from:
Science Clarified. 2010. http://www.scienceclarified.com/Di-El/Ecosystem.html
Trends Update. 2009. http://trendsupdates.com/bush-creates-vast-pacific-marine-sanctuaries-onhis-last-days-in-office/