Topic: Ocean Zones
(5 th – 8 th grade) by Lodge

200 Meters Down
Have you people heard about the plankton?
Just tiny algae – and it ’ s floating, right
What about the nekton like jellyfish?
They swim around and survive
Moving through the water column
While the benthos crawl by
Dive in you ’ re heading for the open ocean
Try as you may - you cannot see the sunlight – oh oh
200 meters down
Searching for some warmth from a hydro hydrothermal situation
Where bubbles come from cracks in ocean floors – oh
See the crabs and the worms
Your bioluminescence
Gives ya light in deeper zones
On the rocky shores
Are pounding waves
Where salinity and the temperatures change
Mix in river water to get estuaries
Those mangrove trees
Protect us please
Better than marshes of salt
From the bay of the Chesapeake
Zones – go through the surface zone
Yea zones – through the transition zone
Now you ’ re almost home
La la la la
We started intertidal and went neritic
Here is shallow shallow water - lots of plants in it
Most ocean life comes here to eat
On the coral reef
In the sunlight and warmth
Or the - Kelp forest
Cold water by the rocky floors

Name: Ocean Zones
Have you people heard about the plankton?
Just tiny algae – and it’s floating, right
What are plankton?
What are nekton?
How do plankton move?
Plant plankton are called
Animal plankton are called
What about the nekton like jellyfish?
.
.
Are Jellyfish plankton or nekton? Explain.___________________________________________________________
They swim around and survive
How do nekton move?
Moving through the water column
Where do nekton live?
List 3 examples of nekton organisms.
1.
2.
3.
While the benthos crawl by
What are benthos organisms?
How do benthos organisms move?
List 3 examples of benthos organisms.
1.
2.
3.
Dive in you’re heading for the open ocean
The 3 zones of the ocean are
1.

2.
3.
Try as you may - you cannot see the sunlight – oh oh
200 meters down
How far below the water’s surface does sunlight penetrate?
The area where sunlight penetrates is called the
Searching for some warmth from a hydro hydrothermal situation
The prefix hydro- means .
The root word thermal means
Where bubbles come from cracks in ocean floors – oh
What is a hydrothermal vent?
.
Where do hydrothermal vents form?
Is there any sunlight at hydrothermal vents?
See the crabs and the worms
What kind of organisms can survive at hydrothermal vents?
1.
2.
3.
4.
How do vent organisms survive without sunlight?
Your bioluminescence
What is bioluminescence?
How do organisms produce light?
Most bioluminescent light is
Gives ya light in deeper zones
List 2 examples of bioluminescent organisms.
1.
2.
zone.
.

On the rocky shores
One type of habitat found in the intertidal zone is the
Are pounding waves
Where salinity and the temperatures change
Organisms in the intertidal zone must tolerate 4 extreme conditions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
The water remaining after the tide goes out is called the
What extreme conditions must tide pool organisms be able to withstand?
Mix in river water to get estuaries
What is an estuary?
The term used to describe water that is partly salty and partly fresh is
Those mangrove trees
An example of an estuary is a
Define a mangrove forest.
Mangrove forests are located mainly off the western coast of
Protect us please
How do mangrove forests offer protection to the coastline?
Better than marshes of salt
Another example of an estuary is a
Define a salt marsh.
From the bay at the Chesapeake
A large protected salt marsh on the East coast is the
Zones – go through the surface zone
Yea zones – through the transition zone
.
pool.
.
.
Bay.

Now you’re almost home
List 3 zones of the open ocean.
1.
2.
3.
The only zone capable of supporting photosynthesis is the
We started intertidal and went neritic
Here is shallow shallow water - lots of plants in it
Where is the neritic zone?
Most ocean life comes here to eat
Why does most ocean life come here to eat?
On the coral reef
True / False - A coral reef is made of dead organisms .
List the process of developing a coral reef
1.
2.
3.
4.
In sunlight and warmth
Why do so many organisms live in coral reefs?
Where is the world’s largest coral reef system?
Or the - Kelp forest
What is a kelp forest?
Cold water by the rocky floors
Kelp forests prefer a water temperature.
Why are kelp forests a good place for organisms to live?
What do coral reefs and kelp forests have in common?
.

Name: _____________KEY__________________
Have you people heard about the plankton?
Just tiny algae – and it’s floating, right
What are plankton? Organisms that float in the water, and are moved around by currents
How do plankton move?
Plant plankton are called
Animal plankton are called
The drift with the currents phytoplankton .
Zooplankton .
What about the nekton like jellyfish?
Are Jellyfish plankton or nekton? Explain Jellyfish are actually considered to be plankton – do you think they should be considered nekton? Why or why not?
What are nekton? Fish that are able to swim up and down in the water column.
They swim around and survive
How do nekton move?
Moving through the water column
Where do nekton live?
List 3 examples of nekton organisms.
1. Whale
2.
3.
Shark
Jellyfish
They swim!
Throughout the water column
While the benthos crawl by
What are benthos organisms?
How do benthos organisms move?
List 3 examples of benthos organisms.
1. Crab
2. Starfish
3. Lobster
Dive in you’re heading for the open ocean
The 3 zones of the ocean are
1. Surface
Organisms that live on the ocean floor
They Crawl!

2.
3.
Transition
Deep
Try as you may - you cannot see the sunlight – oh oh
200 meters down
How far below the water’s surface does sunlight penetrate?
The area where sunlight penetrates is called the Surface
Searching for some warmth from a hydro hydrothermal situation
200 Meters
zone.
The prefix hydro- means Water .
The root word thermal means Heat/Warm .
Where bubbles come from cracks in ocean floors – oh
What is a hydrothermal vent? Crack in the ocean floor heated by magma. Look like bubbling
Cracks in the ocean floor
Where do hydrothermal vents form? Near cracks in the ocean floor
Is there any sunlight at hydrothermal vents?
See the crabs and the worms
What kind of organisms can survive at hydrothermal vents?
1. shrimp
No! Too deep.
2.
3. tube worms clams and mussels
4. crabs
How do vent organisms survive without sunlight? Bacteria living at the vent that ‘eat’ sulfides emitted form the vent. Other organisms eat those bacteria to get their energy.
‘cause your bioluminescence
What is bioluminescence? A cold light produced by living organisms.
How do organisms produce light? Light is produced by a chemical reaction that occurs in special cells called photocytes.
Most bioluminescent light is
Gives ya light in deeper zones
List 2 examples of bioluminescent organisms.
1. angler fish
2. plankton
.

On the rocky shores
One type of habitat found in the intertidal zone is the Rocky
Are pounding waves
Where salinity and the temperatures change
Organisms in the intertidal zone must tolerate 4 extreme conditions.
1. Extreme temperature changes
2.
3.
4.
Water, then no water
Waves pounding
Salinity changes
Shore
The water remaining after the tide goes out is called the Tide
What extreme conditions must tide pool organisms be able to withstand?
pool.
Changes in salinity because water evaporates making salinity increase, changes in temperature, force of waves when the tide comes in again
Mix in river water to get estuaries
What is an estuary? A location where saltwater is mixed with freshwater
The term used to describe water that is partly salty and partly fresh is Brackish
Those mangrove trees
An example of an estuary is a
Define a mangrove forest.
Mangrove Forest .
Brackish water with short, gnarled trees and swamp dwelling organisms.
Mangrove forests are located mainly off the western coast of Florida
Protect us please
How do mangrove forests offer protection to the coastline?
.
Protects the coastline against erosion
Better than the marshes of salt
Another example of an estuary is a
Define a salt marsh. nutrient rich waters.
Salt Marsh .
Smelly, muddy brackish waters with lots of sediments, tall grasses and
From the bay at the Chesapeake
A large protected salt marsh on the East coast is the
Zones – go through the surface zone
Yea zones – through the transition zone
Chesapeake Bay.

List 3 zones of the open ocean.
1. surface
2. transition
3. deep
The only zone capable of supporting photosynthesis is the
Now you’re almost home
La la la la
Surface Zone
We started intertidal and went neritic
Here is shallow shallow water - lots of plants in it
Where is the neritic zone? Shallow waters over the continental shelf
Most ocean life comes here to eat
Why does most ocean life come here to eat?
.
Lots of sunlight, stable conditions, and lots of food
On the coral reef
True / False A coral reef is made of dead organisms.
List the process of developing a coral reef
1. Tiny coral animals (called polyps) produce a hard structure surrounding their soft body.
2.
3.
When the coral dies, the empty structure remains
New coral animals attach and grow on top
4. After many years, a reef is built!
In sunlight and warmth
Why do so many organisms live in coral reefs? Lots of food. Protection from predators.
Where is the world’s largest coral reef system?
Or the - Kelp forest
What is a kelp forest?
Australia, Great Barrier Reef
Area of large, heavy seaweed that grow as dense forests on rocks
Cold water by the rocky floors
Kelp forests prefer a Cool water temperature.
Why are kelp forests a good place for organisms to live?
Good place to hide, lots of oxygen in the water due to photosynthesis, good place to raise young
What do coral reefs and kelp forests have in common?
Both provide protection for diversity of life

1. Hand out or project the lyrics and read them out loud and discuss their meaning
2. Play the song for the students, multiple times, encouraging them to sing along
3. Use the student lyric guide in place of, or to supplement class notes
4. Allow students class time, in small groups, to “act” out a portion of the song
5. Film the student groups singing/acting out the song