Ocean Zones(shoreline to open ocean)

Intertidal Zone Neritic Zone

Oceanic ZoneBenthic Zone

Sunlight

IntertidalZone

NeriticZone

Oceanic Zone

Continental Shelf

Benthic Zone

Intertidal Zone Area between

high tide line and low tide line

Organisms adapted to harsh, changing environments

Intertidal Zone

Continental Shelf

Neritic Zone Area over the

continental shelf

Area of greatest density and diversity of marine life

Neritic Zone

Continental Shelf

Oceanic Zone

From the continental break out to open ocean

Oceanic Zone

Continental Shelf

Benthic Zone

The Ocean Floor

Underlies all the other zones

Benthic Zone

Lifestyles 3 Basic Lifestyles:•Plankton•Nekton•Benthos

Plankton Floaters or very poor

swimmers Plankton divided into 2

groups:• Phytoplankton – producers, photosynthesizers

• Zooplankton – consumers

Plankton

Meroplankton• Spend only part of their life cycles as

plankton• Are the larval stages of organisms that

grow to become benthic or nektonic organisms

Holoplankton• Spend their entire life cycles as plankton

Phytoplankton Must live in the

photic zone Most abundant in

shallow coastal areas or in upwelling zones

The basis of the oceanic food web

Phytoplankton Cyanobacteria Diatoms Coccolithophores Dinoflagellates

Zooplankton Foraminifers Radiolarians Cnidarians Combjellies Arthropods Larvae

Zooplankton

Nekton(swimmers)

Free swimmers Maneuver actively in the

water column Found in the water column

from surface to ocean floor

Nekton(swimmers)

5 Categories:• Reptiles• Mammals• Fish• Arthropods• Mollusks

Nekton(swimmers)

Marine Reptiles:• Turtles• Snakes• Crocodiles• Iguanas

Nekton(swimmers)

Marine Mammals:• Whales• Seals• Otters• Manatees• Dolphins

Nekton(swimmers)

Bony Fish:• Tuna• Barracuda• Eels• Angler Fish

Nekton(swimmers)

Cartilaginous Fish• Sharks• Rays• Skates• Chimeras

Nekton(swimmers)

Marine Arthropods• Shrimp

Mollusks• Squid• Octopi

Benthos(bottom dwellers)

Live either burrowed in, resting on, or attached to the bottom

Primarily filter feeders, scavengers or deposit feeders

Benthos(bottom dwellers)

2 Basic Types:• Sessile - Live attached to the bottom

• Vagrant - Able to move about

Benthos(bottom dwellers)

Sessile:• Barnacles• Sponges• Corals• Sea Anemones• Oysters• Clams

Benthos(bottom dwellers)

Vagrant:• Crabs• Sea Stars• Sea

Cucumbers• Sea Urchins• Brittle Stars

Supralittoral- splash, spray, high tide to dunes area

- This area can have tidal pools- Organisms must adapt to change in temp, salinity,

moisture and force of waves

Supralittoral- splash, spray, high tide to dunes area

-organisms must cope with exposure to extreme heat/cold, predation by land animals and sea birds.

-dry for most of the time but sprayed with salt water during high tides

-only flooded during storms and high spring tides

-barnacles, isopods, lice, periwinkles, whelks and very little plant life

Intertidal- littoral, sub littoral, swash, low tide, shallow water

-depths can go as deep as 100-300meters depending of clarity of water.

-ton of plant and animal diversity

-sea stars, anemones with suction cups that help stick to rocks

Intertidal- littoral, sub littoral, swash, low tide, shallow water

-always covered by water-sunlight is able to reach the ocean floor-plants and animals are able to withstand movement of waves-barnacles, tube worms, crabs, shrimp, limpets-depth can be as deep as 5-10m-100% light-characterized by an abundance of sunlight, dissolved oxygen, and nutrients-ton of diversity and large populations -temperatures vary greatly. Animals must adapt.

Rocky vs SandyRocky

-Organisms can quickly dry out

-Creatures must adapt to waves and have structures to help hold them onto the rocks.

Sandy

-Climate can vary greatly and many are very hot in harsh weather.

-

Rocky vs SandyRocky- Usually wet and almost

completely covered in rocks.

- Creatures must be able to adapt to cling, live in crevices, scratch or chip away at rocks.

- Speckled or dark with hard shells

Sandy- Creatures must be able to adapt

to areas of really dry times.

- Must be able to burrow or use structures to keep from being pulled out to sea.

-tend to be lighter for camo

Epipelagic- Sunlit zone, Euphotic zone (true light)- Surface to 200m- 90% of diversity and density in ocean- Coloration is huge in survival (Countershading, Camo, Disruptive

coloration)- Predators, Suspension eaters/Filter feeders, Primary Producers- Schooling or shooling is a main defense- Widely varied temps depending on air above

- Common creatures: Sharks, crabs, fish, jellyfish, algae, corals, sponges, sea stars, octopus, squid, krill, plankton….

Epipelagic- Also called euphotic zone (True light)- Surface to 600 ft or 200m deep- 90% of ocean life / Most diversity and density- Warmer temperatures in most areas- Food is abundant in this zone- Not many hiding places off shore- Creatures have many colors- Many dependent on phytoplankton- Sharks, jellyfish, stingrays, colorful fish, octopus, corals,

- Photic zone, Sunlit zone, only area to receive full sun rays

- Creatures must be creative to avoid predation here

Mesopelagic- Twilight zone, disphotic zone

- Dark, very few wavelengths of light, colder temps

- Very large eyes to take in all possible light

- Bioluminescence- creatures make their own light or have bacteria that emit light.

- No need to be colorful. Tend to be clear, black, red, or dark.

- Many creatures migrate up to feed at night.

- Larger eyes, mouth, jaws, and stomach.

- Increased pressure in this zone.

Mesopelagic- Twilight zone, Disphotic zone 200-1000m

- Bioluminescence- create their own light or have bacteria/protists in pockets that light up.

- Expandable jaws, stomachs, and larger eyes (catch all rays of light)

- Not diversity and density

- Much colder and increasing pressure

- Many creatures swim up to epipelagic at night to feed on plankton

- Clear, black, dark, red coloration for camo

- No plant life, very few wavelengths of sunlight this deep

Bathy(al)pelagic-100-4000m deep

-5800psi Immense pressure

-Midnight or aphotic zone

-Less diversity and less density in life

-No plants

-No sunlight at all

-Hard to find mates so there are unique reproduction adaptations

-Bathye means deep

Abysso/Hadalpelagic-Very similar adaptations to Midnight zone/ Bathyalpelagic

-Deepest regions and trenches of ocean

- No swim bladder due to pressure, most jellylike substance

- Bioluminescence

- Some creatures evolve gigantism

- Very large mouths, stomachs, teeth turned inward

- No need for color so most are clear, white, red, black

- Little effort spent hunting, they wait for food. Some have lures