Oceans Physical Conditions
What is light?
80% of solar radiation is absorbed in the first 10m. very little light penetrates beyond 600m. photosynthetic organisms are limited in where they can live.
What are the characteristics of Kelp Forests?
Need moderate temps. Cooler than coral reef areas but can't survive in extreme cold. Grow along rocky shores.
What is an intertidal zone?
One of the most dynamic environments.
High tide:
- Light: fully exposed to sun at low tide.
- Temps:exposed to high temps.
Low tide:
- Light: Covered by water at high tide.
- Temps:exposed to cold temps.
What is the Littoral Zone? (H)
Shallow area where rooted plants can grow.
What is Peat?
decomposed plant material that builds up in poorly drained wetlands. slow decomp cause water prevents it (not a lot of O2)
What is upwelling?
Coastal currents move warm water offshore and cool water moves to the surface. Nutrient rich deep water moves rapidly to the surface.
upwelling brings nutrients to the surface in coastal areas = higher primary productivity.
What are the characteristics of Coral Reefs?
Need relatively constant, warm temperatures. Found at the equator. Absent from shores silted runoff from large rivers.
What are the water movements of Bay of Fundy?
Tides are ecologically significant. Plan around tides.
- barnacles adapted to being out of water because of low tide.
What is the Limnetic Zone? (H)
open lake (beyond the area where rooted plants can grow)
What is the soil like?
deep O layer. occurs because of flooded soil.
What is primary productivity?
photosynthetic organisms.
ex) phytoplankton - microscopic photosynthetic organisms.
What is the structure of a kelp forest?
Vertical structuring ~ terrestrial forests.
- Canopy, Stems (stipes), Holdfasts (anchor stems to sea floor).
Sustainable harvested for food and other products bc it grows fast.
What is the Epilimnion? (V)
surface of the lake where the temperature is warmest.
What is the Biology?
Wide variety of plant species. Adapted to very little nutrients. Dominated moss layer. Since there is low nutrient availability, carnivorous plants evolved. Consume insect to take in their nitrogen. ex) pitcher plant.
What is secondary productivity?
secondary consumers.
ex) zooplankton/fish
What are human influences on shallow marine waters?
coral bleaching - corals become stressed and die when temps differ.
Coral reefs are sensitive to overfishing. Sometimes damaged by people.
What is the Metalimnion? (V)
transition zone between warm surface waters (epilimnion) and cold deep waters (hypolimnion)
What are the Human Influcenes?
peat is mined for fuel and soil ingredient for greenhouses/gardens (not sustainable). Human caused climate change causes warmer temps which increases decomp which reduces peat.
What are human influences in the Ocean?
humans used to believe that the ocean was so vast that we couldn't possibly impact (WRONG).
ex) plastic pollution, overfishing, oil spills.
What is note and Human Influence?
Note: seasonal temp changes affect lake biology by mixing these layers as temperatures change.
Human Influence: introduced species/invasive species - species that do not occur here without the help of humans. ex) lampray, zebra mussels
-waste/run off from agriculture and farming being dumped into lakes. Cause eutrophication.