Ocean Biomes
Ponds and Lakes
Coral Reefs
Streams and Rivers
Wetlands
100
Where the ocean meets land. Because of the tides sometimes it is submerged and other times not, therefore it is hard to establish communities. On rocky shores where the high tides reach, you can only find species such as mollusks and algae. In areas usually submerged during high tide, animals like herbivorous snails, crabs, sea stars, and small fish can be found, as well as plants like algae. Where land is only exposed during the lowest tides, you can find many invertebrates, fish, and seaweed. In the intertidal shores with sandier shores, you find no vegetation because it cannot establish itself due to the tides and weak ground, however you can find animals such as predatory crustaceans, worms, clams, crabs, and shorebirds.
What is the intertidal zone?
100
This is the shallowest zone and because of that the warmest, for the heat can be absorbed quicker. It sustains several species of algae, rooted and floating aquatic plants, grazing snails, clams, insects, crustaceans, fishes, and amphibians. The insects however only lay their eggs here and this is where their larvae subsides. However they do not live here, many species such as ducks, turtles, and snakes come here to feed on the animals and vegetation.
What is the littoral zone?
100
In warm, shallow water
Where are coral reefs widely distributed?
100
One
How many directions do streams and rivers run in?
100
Examples of wetlands
What are marshes, swaps, and bogs
200
This includes water further from land, basically the open ocean. It is generally cold here because of the cold and warm currents. Here you can find seaweed, fish, dolphin and other mammals, and plankton. Many of these animals feed on the plankton.
What is the pelagic zone?
200
This is surrounded by the littoral zone, it also is the near surface open water. It is well lit and dominated mostly by plankton, both phytoplankton and zooplankton. Species of freshwater fish also occupy this zone.
What is the limnetic zone?
200
Coral
What are the naturally dominant organisms in coral reefs?
200
Where streams and rivers start
What are springs, snowmelt, and even lakes called headwaters?
200
Plant species that have adapted to the moist and humid conditions of the wetlands
What are hydrophytes?
300
Although below the pelagic zone, this is not quite the deepest zone. The bottom of this contains sand, slit, and dead organisms. Light and temperature decreases with the depth due to the lack of light because the sun can not penetrate completely through the water. The nutrient rich water supports seaweed, bacteria, fungi, sponges, sea anemones, worms, sea stars, and fish.
What is the benthic zone?
300
This is colder and denser than the other two zones. When plankton dies, this is where it falls. There is little light here and all that lives here are organisms that eat dead organisms and use oxygen for cellular respiration.
What is the profundal zone?
300
Algae and tissues of animal polyp
What is coral made up of?
300
At the source of the river or stream
Where is water cooler, clearer, and has more oxygen where freshwater fish such as trout and heterotrophs can be found?
300
Examples of hydrophytes
What are pond lilies, cattails, sedges, tamarack, and black spruce.
400
This is the deep ocean. The water here has a lot of pressure, is very cold, has much oxygen, but has a low nutritional content. Surprisingly, it supports many species of fish and invertebrates. These live due to the Mid-ocean ridges that produce hydrothermal vents. Out of these hydrothermal vents emits hydrogen sulfide and other minerals. On these thrive bacteria that create nutrition and energy through these using chemosynthesis. As the bacteria thrives on the nutrients the hydrothermal vents emit, they start the food web and the fish and invertebrates feed on them.
What is the abyssal zone?
400
Organisms that eat dead organisms and live at the bottom of ponds and lakes
What are heterotrophs?
400
The Great Barrier Reef
What is the coral reef barrier that runs across the continent Australia?
400
The middle of the stream
Where does the amount of species increases with the width and you can find many aquatic green plants and algae?
400
Examples of animals that live in the freshwater wetlands
What are amphibians, reptiles, birds, and furbearers?
500
The average temperature of the abyssal zone
What is about 3º Celsius?
500
4º Celsius - 22º Celsius
What is the temperature range from the top to bottom of lakes and ponds during the summer?
500
Microorganisms, invertebrates, fishes, sea urchins, octopuses, and sea stars
What are some of the other organisms that live in coral reefs?
500
Here the water is murkier from all the sediment it picked up on its way. There is also not as much oxygen, Because of this murk, the sunlight cannot penetrate to as far down and due to the lack of light, less aquatic plants can grow. Due to the lack of oxygen, only fish that require as much oxygen, such as catfish and carp can be found.
What is the mouth of a stream or river like?
500
Species that salt marshes support
What are shrimp, shellfish, and various grasses.
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