Water Biomes

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• There are two different types of water biomes 1) Marine Biomes 2) Freshwater Biomes

• Water biomes are characterized by the type of water (salt or fresh) and how fast the water is moving.

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Marine Biomes

• Almost 75% of the Earths surface is covered by water. • 97% of the worlds water supply comes from Marine Biomes • Some of the largest animals on earth inhabit them • Marine ecosystems have salty water, which is the most impacted abiotic factor in these systems.

Marine Biomes

• Similar to land biomes, here are some abiotic factors that help shape marine biomes: 1) Temperature of the water 2) Amount of sunlight 3) Distance from land 4) Amount of salt

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Marine Food Chains

• Producers (can make own food) in marine biomes usually are at the top of the water where sunlight can reach. • Phytoplankton- microscopic photosynthetic organisms

Here is phytoplankton starting the food chain

Marine Food Chains

• Zooplankton are very small animal-like protists which feed on phytoplankton

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Zones of the Marine Biomes

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Zones of the Ocean

Intertidal Zone Oceanic Zone Neritic Zone

Benthic Zone

A) Intertidal Zone

• Area where the ocean meets the land. • Above water when the tide is out and under water when the tide is in. • Mud flats, rocky shores, and sandy beaches • Sea grasses, snails, sea stars, crabs, birds, and clams are all common in the intertidal zone.

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B) Neritic Zone

• Water gradually becomes deeper toward the edge of the continental shelf. • Less than 200 meters in depth • Receives a lot of sunlight

• Coral reefs- sea turtles, colorful fish, coral, sponges, and dolphins

C) Oceanic Zone • Past the continental shelf • To a depth about 200 meters • No light penetrates so organisms rely on organic material that falls from the surface.

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Oceanic Zone Continued • Animals are adapted to survive in darkness and high pressure of deep water. • Sharks, squids, whales, and fish.

D) Benthic Zone

• The sea floor. • Organisms mostly consume material that filters from above. • Can have ocean vents where heat escapes through the cracks of Earth’s crust. Hydrothermal Vent on the bottom of ocean

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Benthic Zone Continued • Worms, sea urchins, and bacteria live there. Bacteria around a vent

Sea Urchins Sea Cucumber

Coral Reefs

• Located near sunny, warm, tropical waters.

• Coral reefs are the most biologically diverse water biomes. • Fluctuating temperatures and increase pollution can severely affect the health of coral reefs.

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What is Coral?

• Coral- a rocklike structure of calcareous (calcium) skeletons that is built up over thousands of years. • Coral contains polyps that have small stinging cells. • Belong to the Phylum Cnidaria.

Coral Reefs Continued

• Coral live in a close relationship with single-celled algae. • Algae produce nutrients for coral and coral give algae a place to grow.

• Coral reef is the home to many different marine species.

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The Future of Coral Reefs

• The two biggest challenges for coral reefs are pollution and dredging off the coast. • Pollution causes bleaching of coral and can affect all the organisms around it.

Estuaries • The area where freshwater from streams and rivers flows into the ocean. • The salinity (amount of salt) in the water is controlled by the tide. • Fresh water supplies nutrients to phytoplankton which support larger consumers.

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Freshwater Biomes

Freshwater Biomes • Freshwater biomes are characterized by the speed at which the water is moving. • Brooks, streams, and rivers are ecosystems based on moving water. • Tributary-a trickle or stream that joins a larger stream.

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Freshwater Biomes

• Organisms that live in Melting Snow fast moving water have special Waterfall adaptations to avoid

being swept away. Tributary • Insect larvae live under rocks, and tadpoles use suction disks to hold onto rocks. Lake or Ocean

Zones of Freshwater System

• Ponds and Lakes have different ecosystems than streams and rivers.

• Lake Superior is Open-water zone the largest lake in Litoral zone the world.

Deep-water zone

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Zones of Freshwater

Zones of Freshwater • A) Littoral Zone- area where the water meets the land.

-Plants include: cattails, rushes, water lilies -Animals include: snails, small arthropods, insects, clams, worms, frogs, salamanders, turtles, snakes and various kinds of fish

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Zones of Freshwater • B) Open-water zone- extends from the littoral zone across the top of the water. Only goes as deep as light can reach - Plants include: mostly phytoplankton - Animals include: bass, blue gill, trout, and other fish

Zones of Freshwater • C) Deep-water zone- part of the water where no light reaches and organisms feed on dead organic material. - Plants include: none - Animals include: catfish, carp, worms, insect larvae, crustaceans, fungi and bacteria.

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Types of Freshwater Systems

Other types of freshwater ecosystems that we will discuss are: 1. Wetlands 2. Marshes 3. Swamps

Wetlands

• An area of land where the water level is near or above the surface for most of the year. • Plays an important role in flood control • Support a variety of plant and animal life

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Marshes

• A treeless wetland ecosystem where plants such as cattails and rushes grow. • Some organisms nest near wetlands to escape large predators.

Swamps • Type of wetland characterized by flooded trees. • Spanish moss and vines grow on the trees. • Water is very slow moving and causes lots of growth on top of the water.

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