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15.2 the Diversity of Ocean Life

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15.2 the Diversity of Ocean Life Section 15.2 15.2 The Diversity of Ocean Life 1 FOCUS Section Objectives 15.5 Recognize how marine Key Concepts Vocabulary Reading Strategy organisms can be classified. How can marine ◆ plankton Building Vocabulary Copy the table below. organisms be classified? ◆ phytoplankton As you read, add definitions and examples to 15.6 Differentiate between complete the table. plankton and nekton. What is the difference ◆ zooplankton between plankton and ◆ nekton 15.7 Describe the area of the ocean Definitions Examples nekton? ◆ benthos Plankton: organisms that drift with in which most benthic In which area of the ◆ photic zone ocean currents bacteria organisms live. ocean can most benthos ◆ intertidal zone organisms be found Phytoplankton: a. ? b. ? 15.8 List the factors used to divide ◆ neritic zone living? the ocean into marine zones. ◆ oceanic zone Zooplankton: c. ? d. ? What factors are used to ◆ pelagic zone divide the ocean into Nekton: e. ? f. ? ◆ benthic zone marine life zones? Benthos: g. ? h. ? ◆ abyssal zone Reading Focus Build Vocabulary L2 Concept Map Have students make a concept map using the term marine life A wide variety of organisms inhabit the marine environment. These zones as the starting point that connects organisms range in size from microscopic bacteria and algae to the to the following three terms: availability largest organisms alive today—blue whales, which are as long as three of sunlight, distance from shore, and depth. Figure 7 Plankton are organisms buses lined up end to end. Marine biologists have identified over Students should use the following terms that drift with ocean currents. 250,000 marine species. This number is constantly increasing as new A This photo shows a variety of organisms are discovered. to complete their concept map: pelagic phytoplankton from the Atlantic zone, photic zone, oceanic zone, benthic Ocean. B The zooplankton shown Most marine organisms live within the sunlit surface waters. Strong zone, abyssal zone, intertidal zone, and here include copepods and the sunlight supports photosynthesis by marine algae. Algae either directly larval stages of other common or indirectly provide food for the majority of organisms. All marine neritic zone. marine organisms. algae live near the surface because they need sunlight to survive. Most L2 marine animals also live near the surface because this is where they Reading Strategy A a. plankton capable of photosynthesis can find food. b. microscopic algae c. animal plankton Classification of Marine Organisms d. larval fish Marine organisms can be classified according to where they live e. organisms capable of moving and how they move. They can be classified as either plankton (floaters) independently of ocean currents or nekton (swimmers). All other organisms are benthos, or bottom f. fish B dwellers. g. organisms living on or near the ϭ ocean bottom Plankton Plankton (planktos wandering) include all organ- h. marine worms isms—algae, animals, and bacteria—that drift with ocean currents. Just because plankton drift does not mean they are unable to swim. 2 INSTRUCT Many plankton can swim but either move very weakly or move only vertically. Classification of Marine Animals 428 Chapter 15 Build Reading Literacy L2 Refer to p. 362D in Chapter 13, which provides the guidelines for this reading strategy. Use Prior Knowledge Have students write the names of several ocean organisms they know about or have heard about. Next to each name, have students write a description of the organism, where it lives, and how it obtains food. After students have read the section, have them review their lists and make corrections, if necessary. Logical 428 Chapter 15 L1 Among plankton, the algae that undergo photosynthesis are called Figure 8 Nekton includes all Use Visuals animals capable of moving Figure 7 Have students examine the phytoplankton. Most phytoplankton, such as diatoms, are micro- independently of ocean currents. scopic. Animal plankton, are called zooplankton. Zooplankton include A This squid can use propulsion to two photographs. Explain that the the larval stages of many marine organisms such as fish, sea stars, lobsters, move through the water. B This phytoplankton organisms shown in school of grunts swims through photograph A include dinoflagellates and crabs. Figure 7 shows members of each group. the water with ease. Inferring Why do you think and diatoms. Explain that long narrow Nekton Nekton (nektos ϭ swimming) include all animals some organisms, such as fish, projections and other distinctive shapes capable of moving independently of the ocean currents, by swim- are classified as plankton during contribute to the ability of these some stages of their lives and ming or other means of propulsion. Nekton are able to determine nekton during other stages? organisms to stay afloat. Remind their position within the ocean and in many cases complete long students that diatoms have shell-like migrations. Nekton include most adult fish and squid, marine mam- A tests. Ask: What may happen to these mals, and marine reptiles. Figure 8 shows examples of nekton. hard parts after these organisms die? Fish may appear to exist everywhere in the oceans, but they are (decay, or fall to the bottom and contribute more abundant near continents and islands and in colder waters. Some to the sediment layer) Explain that the fish, such as salmon, swim upstream in fresh water rivers to spawn. zooplankton shown in photograph B Many eels do just the reverse, growing to maturity in fresh water and are larval and adult copepods. Inform then swimming out of the streams to breed in the depths of the ocean. students that copepods are small B crustaceans (related to crab and shrimp) Benthos The term benthos (benthos = bottom) describes on which many larger organisms depend organisms living on or in the ocean bottom. Figure 9 shows some for food. Ask: What are the likely examples of benthos organisms. The shallow coastal ocean floor con- functions of the appendages on tains a wide variety of physical conditions and nutrient levels. Most the larger specimens shown in the benthos organisms can be found living in this area. Shallow coastal photograph? (feeding and swimming) areas are the only locations where large marine algae, often called sea- Visual, Logical weeds, are found attached to the bottom. These are the only areas of L2 the seafloor that receive enough sunlight for the algae to survive. Build Science Skills Throughout most of the deeper parts of the seafloor, animals live Classifying Show students photographs in perpetual darkness, where photosynthesis cannot occur. They must or dried or preserved specimens of feed on each other or on whatever nutrients fall from the productive organisms to classify as plankton, surface waters. The deep-sea bottom is an environment of coldness, nekton, or benthos. Ask students to stillness, and darkness. Under these conditions, life progresses slowly. Figure 9 Benthos describes explain the reasoning behind their organisms living on or in the classification decisions. (Possible answers: Organisms that live in the deep sea usually are widely distributed ocean bottom. A Sea star because physical conditions vary little on the deep-ocean floor. B Coral crab Plankton are microscopic or very small. Phytoplankton have green pigment and show the ability to photosynthesize. Zooplankton have small swimming A B appendages; examples include diatoms, dinoflagellates, copepods, jellyfish, larval fish. Nekton have swimming appendages, are large and strong enough to swim against ocean currents; examples include adult fish, dolphins, whales, squid. Benthos live on the ocean bottom; examples include sea stars, most crabs, sea anemones, sea snails, clams, mussels.) Visual, Logical Ocean Water and Ocean Life 429 Customize for Inclusion Students Behaviorally Disordered Have students board or butcher paper. Have students add work together to create a two-dimensional labeled organisms to appropriate areas of their model of ocean life zones on the classroom model. Students can make their own drawings bulletin board. Students can use Figure 10 as of organisms, cut out photographs from old a starting point. Challenge students to draw or magazines, or photocopy illustrations from Answer to . paint and label continental shelf, continental books. slope, ocean basin, photic zone, aphotic zone, Figure 8 As larvae, fish are not able and benthic zone on a large piece of poster to move against ocean currents, they drift with the current. As adults, fish are able to swim and move independ- ently of ocean currents. Ocean Water and Ocean Life 429 Section 15.2 (continued) Marine Life Zones The distribution of marine organisms is affected by the chemistry, Marine Life Zones physics, and geology of the oceans. Marine organisms are influenced Use Community by a variety of physical factors. Three factors are used to divide the L2 For: Links on marine ecosystems Resources Visit: www.SciLinks.org ocean into distinct marine life zones: the availability of sunlight, the Aquarium Field Trip Take students Web Code: cjn-5152 distance from shore, and the water depth. Figure 10 shows the dif- on a field trip to a local public aquarium ferent zones in which marine life can be found. or museum with ocean life exhibits. Alternatively, students could visit a Availability of Sunlight The upper part of the ocean into ϭ pet store that specializes in saltwater which sunlight penetrates is called the photic zone (photos light). aquariums. Have students select one or The clarity of seawater is affected by many factors, such as the amount more organisms they observe during of plankton, suspended sediment, and decaying organic particles in their visit and write a short paper the water. In addition, the amount of sunlight varies with atmospheric describing it. Encourage students to conditions, time of day, season of the year, and latitude. classify each of their organisms as The euphotic zone is the portion of the photic zone near the sur- belonging to plankton, nekton, or face where light is strong enough for photosynthesis to occur.
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