Marine Biomes
Jared Benton-Smith
AP Envi Sci
11/03/10
http://world_map_road.tripod.com/world_map_wallpaper2.jpg

Diurnal tide

Semidiunal tide

Mixed
Tides
http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/images/tide_type_map.jpg


Large tidal range
at spring tides
Small at neap
tides
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/time/spring-neap.jpg
Spring/Neap Tides



Caused by
Earth's rotation
Deflects winds to
the right in the
Northern
Hemisphere
To the left in the
Southern
Hemisphere
http://www.williamsclass.com/EighthScienceWork/Atmosphere/coriolis.gif
The Coriolis Effect

Surface
currents
driven by
winds, move
at 45º from
wind
currents
Winds
http://pulse.pharmacy.arizona.edu/9th_grade/from_global/earth_science/images/wind_patterns.gif



Compounding
Coriolis effect
Ekman layer 90º
to wind current
Produces circular
surface currents
that help regulate
climate through
heat transportation
Ekman Spiral
http://atoc.colorado.edu/~cassano/atoc4750/Daily_images/20080129/ocean_ekman_spiral.jpg
Currents
http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/sage/oceanography/lesson3/images/ocean_currents2.jpg
The Great Ocean Conveyor
http://www.crd.bc.ca/watersheds/protection/geology-processes/images/clip_image002_000.jpg





Sea floor made of oceanic
crust (basalt)
Crust is dense, keeping it
below sea level
Sediment composition
related to degree of water
motion
Fine sediments stay
suspended w/ little
movement, thus settle in
calmer areas
http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/masc/photos-2003-04/sediment_usgs.jpg
Detritus in sediment
Soil Conditions
Marine Ecosystems
http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/01590/intro/ocean.jpg

Nutrient rich

Warm

Shallow

10% of the world's ocean
area

90% of marine species

High NPP per unit area

Large amounts of sunlight

Plant nutrients flow from land
and are distributed by
currents and tidal flow
Coastal Zone
http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/california/images/s/northern-coast.jpg




Uplifted coasts,
geologically young
coasts, or eroded coasts
Tides affect affect
biological zones, vertical
zonation
Currents affect
temperature causing
varied biodiversity
between areas
Organisms' niches
change depending on
daily and seasonal
environmental changes
http://www.noao.edu/education/gsmtf/img/currents.gi
f
Intertidal Zones-Rocky Shores
http://hawaii.gov/dbedt/czm/initiative/wec/ht
ml/sea/marine/images/yokohama5.jpg
http://www.seafriends.org.nz/books/eco03.gif
Rocky Intertidal Organisms
Carnivores
Sea stars, snails, fishes,
crabs, flatworms, birds
Grazers
Limpets, snails,
chitons, sea urchins
Drift
seaweed
from other
communities
Scavengers
Crabs,
amphipods,
isopods
Filter Feeders
Mussels, barnacles
Detritus
Seaweeds, diatoms, seagrasses
Plankton
To other communities



Seagrass most
common primary
producer
Houses organisms
that bury in the
sediment/sand
Grain size affects
oxygen and organic
matter availability,
larger=less
http://www.bergoiata.org/fe/bestw2/Sandy%20Beach.jpg
Intertidal Zones-Sandy Shores
Sandy Intertidal Organisms
Carnivores
Fishes, birds,
moon snails
Suspension
feeders
Deposit feeders
Clams, sand crabs,
polychaetes
Polychaetes, clams
Detritus
Plankton
From other
communities
Bottom diatoms

Water avg. temp >20ºC

Rarely deeper than 50m


Most reefs are sensitive
to fresh water, fine
sediments and pollution
3 types

Fringing

Barrier

Atolls
http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Coral-Reefs-sea-life114559_1280_853.jpg
Coral Reefs
http://www.coralreefinfo.com/images/coralreef_map_large.jp
g

Nutrients cycled
rapidly

Nitrogen is fixed

Very productive

Sessile organisms
compete for space
http://www.solcomhouse.com/images/coral_reef_florida.jpg
Coral Reefs cont.
Coral Reef Organisms
Predators
Fishes, squids, snails
Grazers
Fishes, urchins,
snails, chitons
From other
communities
Seaweeds,
coralline algae,
photosynthetic
bacteria
Coral and
coral
mucus
feeders
Detritus
feeders
Sea cucumbers,
worms,
amphipods,
soft corals
Fishes, sea
stars,
crabs
Detritus
Plankton
feeders
Fishes, sea
fans,
feather stars
Plankton
Corals/Zooxanthel
lae

Low nutrient levels

High DO


Floating
phytoplankton
Large, fast swimming
predatory fish
http://blog.city-discovery.com/wpcontent/uploads/Great_white_shark_south_
africa-hermanusbackpackers.jpg
Open Ocean-Euphotic Zone

Low levels of sun

Zooplankton

Smaller fish

Some crustaceans

Some anthropods
http://www.lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/organism/pictures/histio.jpg
Open Ocean-Bathyal Zone

Dark and cold

Low DO


Deposit feeders
and filter
feeders
Sources of
nutrients: vents
and marine
snow
http://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/pub/web/3546_web.jpg
Open Ocean-Abyssal Zone
http://www.oceanlight.com/lr/full/3bf8604d
b3ab53f8dd991e6d707b3509.jpg




Thick, leathery
bodies to withstand
exposure to air
Pneumatocysts to
float near the surface
Large blades
Holdfasts attach
seaweed to hard
bottom
Flora/Fauna AdaptationsSeaweeds (Algae)


Mangrove trees

thick leaves to
prevent water
loss

Seeds germinate
while attached to
the parent tree
Salt glands excrete
excess salt
http://envis.maharashtra.gov.in/envis_data/files/Mcopingwithsalt.jpg
Flora/Fauna AdaptationsSalt-Marsh Plants/Mangroves
• Excess sediment
smothers coral reefs
• Use of explosives
• Collection
• Anchors
• Divers
• Ocean acidification
• 20% to damaged too
recover
http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2009/11/CoralF1T
ULG.jpg
Human Impacts-Coral Reefs
• In the Philippines,
1,000 square miles
of mangroves, 67
percent of the
country's total,
were destroyed
between 1920 and
1980
• For shrimping
http://coastalcare.org/wpcontent/images/issues/additional-issues/milesof-mangrove-trees.jpg
Mangrove Destruction
http://ian.umces.edu/imagelibrary/albums/userpics/10001/normal_iil-ian-aj0053.png
• 80% people live near coasts
• Eutrophication
• Sewage discharge-spreads
disease, sludge
• Sludge deposited
modifies/destroys bottom
communities
• Oil spills
• Thermal pollution
• Heavy metal accumulation
• Pesticides
http://www.marcgunther.com/wp-content/uploads/10739728-bp-logo.jpg
• PCBs-toxic
Human Impacts
"Mangrove Destruction." Endangered Species Handbook. Animal Welfare
Institute, 1983. Web. 04 Nov. 2010.
<http://www.endangeredspecieshandbook.org/aquatic_mangrove.php>.
Castro, Peter, and Michael E. Huber. Marine Biology. 7th ed.
Boston (Mass.): McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2008. Print.
Miller, G. Tyler, and Scott Spoolman. Living in the Environment:
Principles, Connections, and Solutions. 15th ed. Belmont, CA:
Thomson Brooks/Cole, 2007. Print.
Bibliography