 Chapter 8-1
 Aquatic Biodiversity
 Goals for today:
 List what coral reefs need in order to survive
 Describe ecological services of coral reefs
 Describe the organisms in each level of the ocean
 Explain how humans impact aquatic habitats
 Coral Reefs
 Coral reefs form in clear, warm coastal waters of the tropics and subtropics.
 Formed by massive colonies of polyps
 Secrete calcium carbonate
 Symbiotic relationship between polyp and algae (zooxanthellae)
 Coral: Natural services
 Since the algae do photosynthesis, what are they taking in?
 Carbon dioxide
 How can they protect the coastline?
 Natural barrier for waves, less erosion
 How do they affect the variety of marine organisms in the area?
 Provides habitat for marine organisms
 Increases biodiversity
 What Kinds of Organisms Live in Aquatic Life Zones?
 Plankton: free-floating, drifting organisms.
• Phytoplankton (_____ like)
• Zooplankton (______ like)
• Ultraplankton
 Nekton: fish, turtles, whales. (not drifters)
 Guess what makes up the majority of the decomposers?
 Benthos: bottom dwellers (clams, oysters, tube worms, crabs)
 Life in Layers
 Life in most aquatic systems is found in surface, middle, and bottom layers.
 What varies at each of these levels?
 Light
 Euphotic zone (upper layer in deep water habitats): sunlight can penetrate.
 The Coastal Zone
 Euphotic zone has _____
 Nutrient levels (high, low)
 photosynthetic activity (high, low)
 dissolved O
2
(high, low)
 Abyssal zone:
 Temperature?
 Photosynthetic activity?
 Pressure (high, low)
 dissolved O
2
(high, low)
 Nutrients?
 What adaptations are found in the organisms at this level?
 Mariana Trench
 6.8 miles deep
 The Coastal Zone:
Where Most of the Action Is
 The coastal zone:
 Warm
 nutrient-rich : why?
 shallow water

 The coastal zone makes up less than 10% of the world’s ocean area but contains 90% of all marine species.
So the open ocean contains ____% of the world’s ocean area but only ____% of the marine species.
 Check for Understanding:
 1. Thriving coral reefs require _____
 2. Ocean area above the continental shelf is called _____.
 3. Open ocean makes up ____% of the surface area of the ocean and has ____% of the plant and animal life.
 4. If you catch a swordfish, you would classify it as a member of the _____.
 Ch8 CW/Ch4 CG due next Friday!