This document summarizes the stratification and zonation of marine ecosystems. It defines stratification as different water masses acting as barriers based on properties like temperature and salinity. The oceans are divided into horizontal zones based on factors like sunlight, depth, and distance from shore and vertical zones based on light penetration. The major horizontal zones discussed are the coastal, intertidal, euphotic, bathyal, abyssal, and deep sea zones. The major vertical zones are the photic and aphotic zones. Coral reefs are also summarized as highly biodiverse ecosystems in the coastal zone that rely on a symbiotic relationship between corals and algae.
3. ๏ช Marine ecosystem are among the largest of earthโs
aquatic ecosystem.
๏ช Covers two-third of earth surface
๏ช Ex. Salt marshes, intertidal zones, lagoons,
mangroves , coral reefs, deep sea, sea floor
What is marine ecosystem?
4. Need of stratification
๏ช It happens when water masses with different
properties from layer that act like barrier
๏ช For the study of oceans and marine life science
๏ช Ocean receives a different amount of sunlight on
oxygen
6. factors that divide the
ocean into marine life
zones
๏ง sunlight
๏ง distance from shore
๏ง water depth
Marine Life Zones
7. Coastal Zone
1. Characteristics:
๏ง Warm, nutrient rich shallow water
๏ง Extends from high tide mark on
land to edge of continental shelf
๏ง Less than 10% of ocean area
๏ง Contains 90% of all marine species
๏ง Site of most large commercial
fisheries
๏ง High net primary productivity from
photosynthesis
2. Examples
๏ง Estuaries
๏ง Coastal marshes
๏ง Mangrove forests
๏ง Coral reefs
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8. Intertidal Zone
1. Adaptations of organisms living in
Intertidal Zone:
๏ง Organisms must be able to avoid
being swept away (many are
sessile) or crushed by waves (hard
exoskeleton)
๏ง Must be able to survive being
immersed in water in high tide and
exposed to air in low tide
๏ง Must be able to survive changing
salinity levels
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9. Euphotic Zone
Characteristics of Euphotic Zone:
๏ง Brightly lit upper zone
๏ง Drifting phytoplankton carry out 40% of
worldโs photosynthetic activity
๏ง Low nutrient levels
๏ง High levels of dissolved oxygen
๏ง Organisms: large, fast swimming fish
such as swordfish, sharks, & bluefin
tuna
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10. Bathyal Zone
1. Characteristics of Bathyal Zone
๏ง Middle zone
๏ง Receives little sunlight
๏ง Zooplankton and smaller fishes
(may migrate to upper surface to
feed)
๏ง Also contains squid, large
whales, and octopi
๏ง The fish in this zone have
become very energy efficient,
since it is especially hard to find
nutrients.
๏ง Many organisms have slow
metabolic rates to conserve
energy.
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11. Abyssal Zone
Characteristics of the
Abyssal Zone:
๏ง Dark and very cold
๏ง No photosynthesis
๏ง Little dissolved oxygen
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12. Deep Sea
๏ LOWEST LAYER
๏ At the depth 14000 ft
๏ No sunlight
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14. Coral Reefs
1. โRainforest of the Seaโ
2. Less than 0.1% of ocean surface,
but contain 25% of all marine
species
3. Zooxanthella are single-celled
algae that live in the tissues of
animals such as corals
๏ง Mutualistic relationship
between algae (algae give
food & O2 for coral & coral
provide protected
environment & CO2 for
photosynthesis)
๏ง represents a highly efficient
exchange of nutrients in a
nutrient-poor environment. Ocen.si.edu
