Marine Communities

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Marine Communities

• Oceans 11

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Ocean Zones

• The ocean can be divided into many zones.
• The ocean bottom is the Benthic zone
• The water itself (or the water column) is the
  Pelagic zone.
• The Neritic Zone is that part of the pelagic zone
  that extends from the high tide line to an ocean
  bottom less than 183 m deep.
• Water deeper than 183 m is called the Oceanic
  zone.

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Light Zones

• Photic Zone This is the top layer, nearest the
  surface. Here there is enough light penetrating
  the water to support photosynthesis. 
• Aphotic Zone Ninety percent of the ocean is in
  the aphotic zone. It is entirely darkthere is no
  light.

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Marine Communities

• We will take a closer look at the following
  marine communities
• Rocky Shore
• Salt Marsh
• Coral Reef
• Vent Communities

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1. Rocky Shores

• Marine plants and animals that live along these
  rocky shores have adapted to a habitat that
  changes every day (high tide / low tide).
• These organisms must also be able to withstand
  the waves which often hit with incredible force.

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Rocky shore continued

• Example organisms Barnacles, crabs, periwinkles,
  seaweeds, clams, sea urchins.

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2. Salt Marshes

• Salt marshes are wetlands.
• Sometimes the marsh has little water, sometimes
  it is dry, and sometimes it is very full of
  wateralmost like a pond.
• Their salinity, or salt content, varies. Salt
  marshes are extremely productive.

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Salt Marshes Continued

• Microscopic organisms like bacteria, fungi, and
  algae make their home in the decaying marsh
  grasses.
• These decaying plants and micro-organisms are
  then eaten by fish, worms, and crustaceans,
  furthering the cycle of decomposition.
• The plentiful insects provide food for birds and
  fish.

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3. Coral Reef Communities

• A reef is a coral community consisting of several
  thousand organisms living together. Although it
  looks like a dormant underwater bush, the reef is
  very much alive.

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Reefs continued

• Because of warm water and abundant food supply,
  coral reef communities are bursting with life.
• Reefs with their bush like shape offer many nooks
  and crannies for fish to hide in.

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4. Vent Communities

• Characteristics
• It is entirely darkthere is no light.
• The water pressure is extreme.
• The temperature is near freezing.
• How does life exist???

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Vent Communities continued

• The living things found here live close to cracks
  in the Earth's crust.
• These cracks give off mineral-rich materials from
  the Earth itself.
• Chemosynthetic bacteria utilize hydrogen sulfide
  from the cracks for energy to make food.

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Vent communities continued

• Example organisms
• Chemosynthetic bacteria, angler fish, tripod
  fish, sea cucumber, snipe eel, vent shrimp, tube
  worms, and vampire squid.

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Angler fish
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The End!