Marine Ecosystems Marine Shoreline Ecosystems I. Habitats 1. Habitat Zones 2. Locations 3. Perspectives in Geological Time II. Ecosystems 1. Oceanic & Neritic Ecosystems 2. Littoral Ecosystems III. Human Interactions 1. Introduced Species 2. Harvesting 3. Mariculture 4. Chemical Pollution 5. Land Conversion Marine Ecosystems Marine Habitat Zones I. Habitats TIDAL SUBMERGED 1. Habitat Zones Littoral Neritic Oceanic Intertidal Shallow subtidal A. Oceanic Zone Deep subtidal Nearshore to B. Neritic Zone continental shelf CLittC. Littora lZl Zone What is the BASIS for classification being used here? Marine Habitat Zones Marine Ecosystems Typical Habitats within Zones I. Habitats Littoral 1. Habitat Zones • Rocky intertidal Neritic • Seagrass beds Oceanic A. Oceanic Zone •Beach •Pelagic •Pelagic •Salt marsh • Moderate benthic B. Neritic Zone •Deep water • Shallow benthic: CLittC. Littora lZl Zone Kelp beds benthic Pelagic •1 Oceanic Zone Habitats Oceanic Zone Habitats Photic zone Classifying Marine Organisms by Habitats depth incorrect on figure Pelagic Habitats photic zone (0 – 200 m depth) Pelagic Organisms aphotic zone •Nekton •Plankton (> 200 m depth) Pelagic •Neuston Benthic Habitats * Habitats Benthic Organisms Benthic Habitats Benthic •Epifaunal Habitats on a solid Habitats surface within an • Semi-infaunal aqueous medium • Infuanal Pelagic Habitats Habitats surrounded by an aqueous medium * Continental shelf extends 10-300 km offshore with depths up to 1-200 m Marine Ecosystems Neritic Zone Habitats I. Habitats Neritic Habitats All habitats are subtidal 1. Habitat Zones •Kelp • Deep water •Pelagic beds benthic A. Oceanic Zone B. Neritic Zone Littoral Zone Neritic Zone CLittC. Littora lZl Zone • up to 40 – 80 m deep • Can occur in littoral zone also (up to ~ 0.5 m below mean LL tide) Marine Ecosystems Littoral Zone Habitats Littoral Habitats I. Habitats All habitats are intertidal (Kelp 1. Habitat Zones Salt Beach / Rocky Seagrass intertidal beds beds) A. Oceanic Zone marsh Dune B. Neritic Zone CLittC. Littora lZl Zone •2 Marine Ecosystems Marine Habitats: PNW Locations San Juan I. Habitats Islands & Straits 1. Habitat Zones Puget A. Oceanic Zone Sound B. Neritic Zone Outer Coast CLittC. Littora lZl Zone (Ocean) 2. PNW Locations 3. Perspectives in Geological Time Outer Coast Islands & Puget Straits Sound High Energy Low Energy Marine Habitats: PNW Locations The Puget Sound: Channel Depth & Water Flow Strait of San Juan Georgia Islands Mean depth of ~ 450 ft. Max depth of ~ 930 ft. Strait of The Puget Typical channel depths 0-100 m > 200 m Juan de Fuca Sound of ~ 3 - 600 ft. 100 -200 m Mean depth of 450 ft. Sills Channel sills ~ 150 - 200 ft. high Minor sills ~ 10 – 70 ft. high Seattle Sill Pg. 64 in textbook Marine Ecosystems Perspectives in Geological Time I. Habitats I. Continental Shelf / Outer Coastline 1. Terrane accretion – evolutionary template 1. Habitat Zones Accreting land masses bring new organisms A. Oceanic Zone This alters the biogeographic picture of nearshore organisms B. Neritic Zone CLittC. Littora lZl Zone 2. PNW Locations 3. Perspectives in Geological Time •3 Perspectives in Geological Time Perspectives in Geological Time I. Continental Shelf / Outer Coastline II. Puget Sound 2. Continental glaciation – sea level, coastlines & nutrients Puget Sound waterways formed during retreat of Vashon Stade of the Fraser Glaciation (14 – 18,000 YBP) Recent glacial retreat begins 14 – 18,000 YBP Ecosystems are relatively young: 10 – 15,000 yrs old Sea levels rise rapidly (~ 100 m) inundating coastlines. Nearshore land rich in nutrients is now part of the submerged Short time for development of ecological community through primary continental shelf succession Continent rises slowly (isostatic rebound) but not to the extent it Marine systems have rapid dispersal rapid community development was submerged. Much of the nutrient-rich former shoreline remains as subtidal benthic habitat. Short time for evolution & coevolution relationships to be established This rich nutrient base of the subtidal / continental shelf Implications for susceptibility to biological invasions? zone is critical in nearshore primary productivity. Its availability is controlled by upwelling (more on this later). Marine Ecosystems Marine Ecosystems I. Habitats Patterns in Primary 1. Habitat Zones Productivity 2. Locations 3. Perspectives in Geological Time II. Ecosystems 1. Oceanic & Neritic Ecosystems Many of these nearshore marine 2. Littoral Ecosystems ecosystems we will examine are III. Human Interactions among the most productive on Earth 1. Introduced Species 2. Harvesting 3. Mariculture 4. Chemical Pollution 5. Land Conversion Marine Ecosystems Oceanic & Neritic Ecosystems I. Abiotic Environment & Primary Productivity II. Ecosystems What are the principal constraints to primary productivity? 1. Oceanic & Neritic Ecosystems 2. Littoral Ecosystems Resources Stresses O O C Carbon Temperature dioxide Solar Energy + - K - NO3 PO4 ++ ++ Water Ca Mg Nutrients Salinity •4 Oceanic & Neritic Ecosystems Oceanic & Neritic Ecosystems I. Abiotic Environment & Primary Productivity I. Abiotic Environment & Primary Productivity Which constraints to primary productivity are 1. Light most important in these ecosystems? Rapid attenuation with depth even in clear marine waters scattering, Resources Stresses reflection Note that the “effective” photic zone is on O O the order of 10 m or less. Pelagic primary Clear water productivity can sometimes be linked to C the DEPTH of the photic zone Carbon What factors influence the rate of dioxide Temperature Solar Energy light attenuation (i.e., depth of the photic zone)? What would the light extinction + curve look like in turbid - K - NO3 PO4 1) Suspended particulates waters, such as an estuary Water • Living organisms (plankton, neuston) during tidal action? Ca++ Mg++ • Dead and inorganic materials Nutrients Salinity 2) Wave action (surface losses) Oceanic & Neritic Ecosystems Oceanic & Neritic Ecosystems I. Abiotic Environment & Primary Productivity I. Abiotic Environment & Primary Productivity 2. Nutrients 2. Nutrients A) Major limiting nutrients: A) Major limiting nutrients: Nitrogen – N Nitrogen – N Phosphorus – P Phosphorus – P Potassium – K Potassium – K B) Nitrogen Sources B) Nitrogen Sources + + Nitrogen fixation (N2 NH4 ) Nitrogen fixation (N2 NH4 ) Terrestrial (riverine) input Terrestrial (riverine) input Benthic upwelling Benthic upwelling Offshore or alongshore winds C) Phosphorus & Potassium Sources displace surface water. Water from Terrestrial (riverine) input near benthos rises to replace surface waters, bringing nutrient-rich Benthic upwelling particulates to photic zone where they can be used in photosynthesis Oceanic & Neritic Ecosystems Oceanic & Neritic Ecosystems I. Abiotic Environment & Primary Productivity I. Abiotic Environment & Primary Productivity 2. Nutrients 2. Nutrients D) Patterns of coastal primary productivity: D) Patterns of interactions of nutrients and light primary productivity: interactions of nutrients and light along the Photic Nutrient Georgia coastline zone availability depth Primary Productivity Patterns of availability of two principal limiting resources (light and Shore Open Ocean nutrients) result in peak in primary productivity somewhere offshore •5 Oceanic & Neritic Ecosystems Oceanic & Neritic Ecosystems I. Abiotic Environment & Primary Productivity I. Abiotic Environment & Primary Productivity 4. Water Temperature 3. Carbon Dioxide & Oxygen Epilimnion A. Vertical Patterns: Gas diffusion (supply rate) more limited in a liquid medium than in air Epilimnion – upper photic zone Thermocline Factors influencing soluble gas availability • Temperature influenced by patterns A. Physical aeration (wind, wave action) of solar radiation • Diurnal & seasonal temperature B. Photosyy/pnthesis / respiration fluctuations Hypolimnion C. Water temperature (↑ °C →↓gas solubility) Thermocline – lower photic to aphotic zone • Zone of rapid temperature drop Bottom line • Thermocline depth can vary Soluble gases are usually not a major limitation except under seasonally in temperate latitudes conditions of algal blooms (nutrient loading) and stagnant water Hypolimnion –aphotic zone • Cold, constant temperatures Oceanic & Neritic Ecosystems I. Abiotic Environment & Primary Productivity I. Abiotic Environment & Primary Productivity 4. Water Temperature C. Water Temperature & 4. Water Temperature Primary Productivity: B. Geographical Patterns: Puget Sound vs. Outer Coast Global Patterns Do global patterns of Surface water temperature (°F) primary productivity appear Jan Mar May Jul Sep Nov to follow expected water NeahBay454751535349 temperature patterns? Seattle474651565651 Productivity is more Puget Sound surface waters warmer than outer tightly tied to nutrients coast, except following cool down into late winter High productivity only near coastlines Does this temperature difference influence productivity? Low latitude coastlines: nutrient input from terrestrial landscape High latitude coastlines: nutrient input from benthic upwelling Oceanic & Neritic Ecosystems Oceanic & Neritic Ecosystems I. Abiotic Environment & Primary Productivity I. Abiotic Environment & Primary Productivity 4. Water Temperature 5. Salinity B. Geographical Patterns: Puget Sound vs. Outer Coast A. Principal Influences Surface water temperature (°F) Organism water balance Jan Mar May Jul Sep Nov Species diversity NeahBay454751535349 Habitats with variable salinity (space & time) Seattle474651565651 are difficult