Ocean Zones: Biotic Organism
Name: ______________________________ Period: _________
The oceans are the largest reservoir of water on Earth. It contains a vast array of organisms, in
fact more than there is on land. To help understand the oceans better scientists have divided them into
two major regions: benthic zone or the bottom region, and the pelagic zone or the water above the
benthic zone. Scientists further break these zones even further to help understand the biotic and
abiotic factors of the ocean. We will be looking closer at the benthic zone to help better understand the
biotic and abiotic factors. The benthic zone is divided into these five zones: intertidal zone, sublittoral
zone, bathyal zone, abyssal zone, and hadal zone.
Purpose:
1. You should be able to identify each of the 5 benthic zones by abiotic factors and how they affect
organisms in that zone, such as body structure because of extreme pressure or body fat because
of the cold.
2. Review of food webs and energy levels.
3. Understand human and environmental impacts on ocean ecosystems.
Materials: You will be providing the poster board for this project. I have scissors, glue, crayons, and
color pencil. Any other materials that you wish to add to your project will be provided by YOU.
Procedures:
1. In class you will be give a choice of five zones. Each zone should have 3 to 5 people depending
on class size. (If you are absent you will be assigned a zone).
2. Choice a biotic organism (plant or animal) found in you zone. Please let me know what it is so
we do not have repeats on organisms.
3. List and describe ABIOTIC factors found in this organism’s zone. They might include
temperature, salinity, depth, tides, currents, sunlight or the lack of, thermal vents, etc… In your
description tell how the abiotic factor affects your organism.
4. Create or find a food web of your organism. You must show the correct flow of energy and must
tell what tropic level your organism is (i.e. producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer…)
5. Tell whether there is any human or environment impact on the organisms it self or its
ecosystem.
6. List three random facts
7. Place information onto a ½ size poster divided into three sections (you are making a tri-fold)
here is an example of placement of information:
Organism
Abiotic Factors
The Zone
Food Web
1. Random Fact
2. Random Fact
Human or
environmental
impacts
3. Random Fact
8. Work-cited page in MLA format (we are practicing what you learned in English). Place the workcited on the back of the poster.
9. POSTER IS DUE IN CLASS ON THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2012. This grade will go on 4th term.
10. In class you will display your poster for everyone to see. Then you will go around to other
student’s posters filling in the information about the other zones in the ocean and about your
own zone in the ocean.
Scoring:
Points Possible
Points Received
Food Web and Tropic Level
15
Abiotic factors listed and described (need at least 5)
20
3 random facts
10
Human and environmental impacts
10
Work-cited page
5
Neatness
5
Color
5
Worksheet
30
Total
100
Worksheet
Zone
Intertidal Zone
1.
2.
3.
Sublittoral Zone
1.
2.
3.
Organism
Abiotic Factor
Abiotic Factor
Impact
Bathyal Zone
1.
2.
3.
Abyssal Zone
1.
2.
3.
Hadal Zone
1.
2.
3.