ocean habitats and resources

OCEAN HABITATS

AND RESOURCES

CHAPTER 14SECTION 2 & 3

LIFE IN THE OCEAN Scientists classify marine life based on

where they live and how they move. They are divided into 3 categories:1) PLANKTON: tiny algae and animals

that float in the water; carried by water currents.

2) NEKTON: free-swimming animalsEx: squid, sharks, fish, turtles, sea otters,

etc3) BENTHOS: organisms that live at the

ocean floorEx: crabs, starfish, urchins, lobsters,

flounder

PLANKTON

NEKTON

BENTHOS

Ocean Food Webs Phytoplankton and algae are the

major PRODUCERS of the food web. They use sunlight to make their own food.

Fish, crab, sea anenomes, corals, etc are the CONSUMERS. They eat the producers and other consumers.

Some benthos organisms eat decaying or dead organisms; they are called DECOMPOSERS.

Food ChainPlankton

Food Web

INTERTIDAL ZONE Organisms in this zone must be able to

withstand changes in temperature, salinity, and exposure to air.

Various intertidal zones include:1) Estuaries2) Mangrove forests3) Salt marshes4) Sandy shores/rocky shores5) Tidal pools

NERITIC ZONE Coral reefs are found in this zone

in warm, tropical waters. Nutrients wash in this zone from

land and sunlight reaches throughout this zone because it is shallow.

The sunlight & nutrients encourage algae and other plant-like organisms to grow which serves as the base of the food chain.

How coral reefs form ATOLL – a ring shaped reef surrounding a shallow lagoon.

An atoll in Belize

Molokini in Hawaii

Kelp Forests also grow in Neritic Zone

Kelp forests grow in cold temperature waters on rocky ocean floors.

Open Ocean Zone 3 zones in the open ocean1) Surface zone – sunlight reaches

throughout this zone; lots of phytoplankton and algae

2) Transition zone – water here is darker and colder

3) Deep zone – darker and even colder! Many organisms make their own light called BIOLUMINESCENCE

Largest Animal in World!

Blue Whale

Resources from the Ocean(Section 3)

We depend on the ocean for both a) LIVING and b) NONLIVING resources.

LIVING RESOURCES:Include fish – tuna, anchovies, mackerel, herringAlso include shrimp, lobster, crab, squid, etcMost fish are caught in coastal waters in areas

of upwelling. Sometimes fish can be overfished – catching more than can replaced by reproduction.

Other living resources are used for products instead of food.

Algae is used in many household products such as shampoo and cosmetics.

AQUACULTURE The farming of freshwater or saltwater

organisms. Environment is created for organisms to

thrive; nutrient levels, temp, light and other factors are controlled.

Salmon is being raised in Nebraska!

NONLIVING RESOURCES Includes water, fuel/oil, and

minerals. Some minerals mined include:MagnesiumGravelSandDiamondsGoldManganeseIodine