Marine Biology

Fall 2005
Oceans
Bays
Estuaries
Tidal Salt Marshes
Nekton
Swimmers
Pelagic Floaters
Carried by the
currents and
waves
Benthic
Bottom dwellers
 Abiotic Factors( Marine
environment)
Salinity Marine organisms
sensitive to a range of salinity from
1. 018 -1.024 specific graavity. In
terms of salt it is 33-37 ppt NaCl.
Other key elements in sea water,
Mg++, Ca++, Zn++, K+, Cu++, Fe++ or
Fe+++
Organics rain in a snow from top to
bottom
 Light
Photic Zone Critical
Photosynthetic cyanobacteria and
algae live at the surface and the
edges where they can utilize light
Green algae lives near the surface
because of the wavelength of blue
and red light( particularly red) that
are required for cholorophyll, the
main photosynthetic pigment.
 Light(continued)
Red and brown algaes can live in
deeper water because the wave
lengths of light that they use
in the purple range are more
energetic and can penetrate in
the
depths of the ocean
This is the case for Kelp Forests
 Waves
Organisms on the shore and on
the surface have to have
adaptations that permit
survival under harsh and
turbulent conditions.
Storms carry pelagic organisms
Organisms need a type of
attachment to substrates
bottom and shore features
Marine Biomes

AP Biology
2005
Kelp Forests
 Biogeography
The larger forests
extend to the Arctic and
Antarctic circles for the
kelp grows well in sub
20C waters. Although
they may reach the
arctic circles, their
dependence on
photosynthesis restricts
them to shallow, clear
waters of about 15-40m
because if any deeper
sunlight would not reach.
Kelp Forests are found
along the coasts of
North and South
America because of the
nutrient-rich water
swells from the seasonal
winds. Kelp forests are
also found along New
Zealand, Australia , and
ROLE PLAYERS
Kelp

Urchins

Sea Otters
 The Food Cycle of The Kelp
Forest
Urchins enjoy a diet of kelp. Many molluscs and
urchins live on and near the kelp. Sea lions swim
through the kelp forest and thrive on these
delightful treats.
A coral reef is an
accumulation of dead
corals and other
organisms with a
limestone skeleton.
It is an underwater
biome shaped by
limestone formations
that resemble branching
trees. Coral reefs range
widely in area. They may
vary from a few square
yards to hundreds of
square miles. Typically,
they tend to grow faster
in clear water.
Coral reefs lie mainly in shallow tropical or
subtropical seas. Theyre confined to such
shallow water because the corals on which the
reefs rely contain small algae called
zooxanthellae. These algae help to supply food
to the coral and require light to survive. Also,
the number of species of corals on a reef
declines rapidly in deeper water. Coral reefs are
generally found within 30N and 30S latitudes,
and most cant live in water cooler than 61-68F
Located in the waters of:
Pacific Ocean
Southeast Asia (coastal waters)
Indian Ocean
Red Sea
Brazil (tropical eastern coast)
Caribbean Sea
Florida and Bermuda
Madagascar (Southeast African
Coast)
Although coral reefs do not develop in colder
seas, certain corals live as far north as the
Arctic Circle.
Coral reefs are the home to
an incredibly high diversity of
organisms. They provide
thriving ecosystems
for numerous species of
plants, fish, and other marine
life.
Coral reefs represent the
most complex ecosystem found
on Earth, which tens of
thousands of living species
inhabit.
the rainforest of the
oceans. There are vast
numbers of colorful fish,
reptiles, and invertebrates.
mollusks, as well as sea
urchins, jellyfish, oysters,
clams, turtles, and sea
anemones.
 Threats

Storms
Temperature
increases in the
ocean water -
Bleaching
Pollution
Man
Conservation
If coral reefs continue
to be destroyed, in 20 years
the living corals on many of the
world's reefs will be dead and
the ecosystems that depend on
them will be severely damaged.
Therefore it is extremely
important to enforce proper
reef management. Many
governments and conservation
organizations are working to
preserve these important
ecosystems.
USGS is focusing on detailed
mapping of reefs, developing
monitoring techniques, studying
reef geologic growth and
development, and determining
the effects of sedimentary and
hydrologic processes and water
quality on reefs.
Mangrove swamps
 Mangrove Trees
The radiating cable roots with
their tangle of anchor roots
provide support against the
ocean's strong waves and tides
Little nutritive roots grow up out
from the main cable root and feed
on the rich soil just below the
mud's surface
The third type of root collects
oxygen for the plant.
 More facts
Mangrove swamps protect the land from
soil erosion and the effects of storms.
They also act as a form of pollution
control, naturally filtering out industrial
and human waste. Mangrove swamps,
like other wetlands, are important
components of the water cycle,
absorbing excess water flow during
times of flooding. Mangrove swamps
serve important functions:
They provide food, nesting and nursery
areas for many animals which include at
least 220 fish species, 24 reptile and
amphibian species, 18 mammal species
and 181 bird species. The dead leaves
and twigs in the water grow
microorganisms that provide food for
 Biogeography of
Mangroves
Florida coast
Central American coast
Australia
India
 Biota
Birds Nest in the
branches/Boobies and the
frigate birds
Roots Sponges,molluscs,
crutaceans
( crabs and shrimp)
Nursery for the ocean baby
fish
Barracuda, rays, pipefish
 Abiotic factors

Still ocean water

Murky filled with organics
Shallow water
Lessened effect of wind and
waves
 Concerns
Mangrove forests are lost when they are torn
up, filled in and dug under for other purposes
such as agriculture, aquaculture and other
development activities.

People often wrongly perceive Mangroves as

unsightly and want them removed so as to
enhance the environment. Mangroves then often
become garbage dumps. Pollution adversely
affects Mangrove Swamps.

Pollution degrades the quality of the plantlife

and the water in the swamp, which in turn
adversely affects the insects and animasls that
also live there. The roots of the mangroves can
become easily clogged with man-made sediments
and petroleum as well as from other pollution
 Grass Biomes
Large seagrass meadows usually
occur in the protected waters
landward of coral reefs.
Seagrasses are true flowering
plants with the male and female
flower capable of sexual
reproduction ,although most of the
reproduction is performed asexually
via the rhizome system in the
sediment. The two main seagrass
species, the turtle grass (Thalassia
testudinum) and the manatee grass
(Syringodium filiforme), occur
Seagrasses
 Turtle Grass
Thalassia
testudinum:
Turtle Grass.
Root-stalks are
elongated and
creeping; stems
are short. Leaves
ribbon-like or
strap-like. Common
on soft bottoms in
shallow waters.
Often encrusted
with coralline
algae.
Manatees
Sea Grass Meadow
 Biota
Turtles
Sea urchins
Star fish
Small snails
Jelly fish
Juveniles of many large fish(
red snappers)
Conchs
 Abiotic
Roots of grasses stabilize
sediment
Helps to hold sediment in this
area so that the water is clear
near the reefs which are
dependent upon the abolute
clarity of the water
Rocky Shore
 Biogeography
Pacific Coast
N. East Coast of N. America
Scotland
Norway
S. America
 Zonation
Splash Zone
Intertidal
Subtidal
Rocky Shores
 Biota
Splash-Chitons,snails, and
limpets. Algaes
Intertidal-Algaes,
crabs,shrimp, snails,and small
fish. Barnacles
Subtidal starfish, urchins,
marine worms, crabs,and fish
Sandy Shores and
Beaches
Zonation
High Tide - Wrack line
Intertidal
Subtidal
 Biogeography
Carribean Islands
Mexico
Southeastern United States
Mediterranean
 Zonations
The intertidal zone is the area exposed between
high and low tides. In the intertidal zone, part of
the day is spent in open air and the rest of the day
is spent covered in ocean water.
High tide brings with it nutrients and food. When
it goes out, the tide takes with it waste products
and disperses eggs and larvae. Because of the
shifting sands, organisms living in the intertidal
zone on a beach have adapted to these changing
conditions.
Without the cover of water, many animals simply
shut down during low tide. Some of the animals
spend most of their life buried under the sand.
Others burrow into the sand when the tide is low
or when the crashing waves hit the shore. Some of
the animals feed on materials that washes ashore.
Others filter food from the water. Still others
feed on tiny algae and bacteria among the sand
grains.
 Abiotic
Waves
High and Low tides 2X a day
require protection from heat(
sun) and dessication
Turbulence of the water
 Biota
Intertidal
Sand crabs, calico
crabs,hermitcrabs,coquinas,s
mall fish like silver
sides,flounder, grass
shrimp,and other molluscs
Subtidal
Flounder, blue crabs, starfish,
sea cucumbers, clams,small
fish
Biota
 Sand dunes
They represent flexible barriers, which
absorb wave energy during storms by
moving and adjusting their shape and
position.
They form a crucial natural resource as a
unique habitat for rich and diverse
communities of highly specialised plant
and animal species.
However, their proximity to the ocean has
made them desirable sites for locating
coastal real estate. Such alterations to
the coastline, as well as beach mining and
renourishment, dredging, and filling are of
particular concern in coastal areas
because they have considerable
Sand dunes
Sea weeds
Tidal Salt Marshes
 Biogeography
Salt marshes form on stable or
emerging coastlines when
sediment accumulates in
sheltered intertidal areas in
estuaries, behind spits, bars or
islands, and in protected bays.
 Tidal Salt Marshes
Commercial Fisheries - 70% of commercial
fish depend upon salt marshes for all or
part of their lives. Nursing, Habitat, and
Breeding Grounds - 63 species of
Narragansett Bay fish use salt marshes as
nurseries, and many more fish and
shellfish depend on them for living and
breeding. Wading birds such as egrets and
great blue herons feed in the productive
salt marshes during the summer months.
Migratory birds such as shorebirds and
ducks use salt marshes as stop-over
points while traveling between summer
and winter habitats.
 Tidal Salt Marshes
Flood, Storm and Shoreline
Protection - Salt marshes
shield and protect coastal
areas from storms, and are
important shoreline stabilizers
due to their wave dampening
effect. Established marsh
grasses are also highly
effective against erosion.
 Tidal Salt Marsh
Clean and Filter Water - Salt
marshes clean water by
filtering sediments, nutrients,
heavy metals, and other toxins
from upland runoff.
Grasses
 Biota
Highly Productive Ecosystems - Salt
marshes produce more basic food
energy per acre than any other
known ecosystem including tropical
rainforests and freshwater
wetlands.
Commercial Fisheries - 70% of
commercial fish depend upon salt
marshes for all or part of their
lives.
Salt Marsh Grass
System
 Threats
Salt marshes are among the most
productive ecosystems in the world
The key plant of the salt marsh is cord
grass, Spartina
A river of grass swaying in the breeze
where the land meets the water, salt
marshes are among the most productive
habitats found within the Indian River
Lagoon. Because they exist in areas which
man has steadily developed or altered
over many years, they are also among the
most threatened habitats.
 Hydrothermal Vents
In 1977 colonies of animals were
identified in areas of the ocean with
volcanic activity and vents

Geologists working in such an area

discovered 5 foot long worms near the
Galapagos Islands

The basis of this biome is the bacteria

that are able to produce energy by
chemoautotrophy
 Hydrothermal Vents
In many vent areas the
super heated water rises
quickly from the ocean
bottom with so many
minerals that it appears
black.
As it rises from the
seafloor some of the
minerals precipitate out
and form a 'chimney'
around the water vent.
These chimneys may
grow to over 40 feet
high while venting the
black mineral-rich
heated water.
 The Origin of Vents
Seawater, found in
cracks in the ocean
bottom, is heated by
volcanic activity and
it becomes less dense
and rises.

If this water has

come into contact
with newly solidified
rock it will have
leached many minerals
from that new rock.
 Large vestimintiferan worms over six feet long
are one of the most visible animals at the vents.
These are tube worms, secreting a thick paper-like
white tube along their body.
The vestimintiferans do not have a mouth or gut
instead they rely on mutualistic symbiotic bacteria
living in their tissue to produce the 'cell food'
needed to keep them alive.
The discovery of the vent communities was the
first time anyone had seen vestimintiferan worms
- a new phylum. It is believed these worms are
some of the fastest growing invertebrates known.
Vent Biome Inhabitants
 Profundal
The depths of the ocean
No light in the depths
High Pressure
Low dissolved oxygen
2000 6000 m in depth
39oF
Creatures of the Deep
 Bioluminescence
Many of the
organisms in the
depths are
capable of
producing light-
this phenomenon is
called
bioluminescence
Animals produce
red, green, and
blue light
The spectrum of light
 Blue light
Most bioluminescence is
blue in color

.
Blue light of wave
lengths is 470 nm. It
transmits the furthest
in the depths of the
oceans

Most organisms are

sensitive to blue light -
they lack the visual
pigments which can
absorb longer (yellow,
red) or shorter (indigo,
ultraviolet) wavelengths.
 Benthopelagic
These animals have
high levels of TMAO

TMAO enables marine

organisms to retain
hydration while living
in salt water

Live above the bottom

of the ocean

Giant Grenadier Fish

 Chilly Oceans
Antarctica
-2oC water in many
places
100oC water from
volcanic action
Ice
Violent storms
Winter darkness
Short summer
Orcas
Animals
 Antarctic fish
Antifreeze in the blood
Antarctic fish
have lived at
between +2C and
-2C for 5 million
years (-2C is the
freezing point of
sea water, below
zero because of
the salt). They are
therefore the
best cold adapted
animals that there
are on the planet -
now or ever.
Adaptations to Cold