Aquatic Aquatic EcosystemsEcosystems

What are the 2 deciding factors What are the 2 deciding factors that affect land biomes?that affect land biomes?

Would this be the same for Would this be the same for aquatic biomes?aquatic biomes?– SalinitySalinity– NutrientsNutrients

Freshwater Freshwater Ecosystems Ecosystems

RiversRivers StreamsStreams LakesLakes PondsPonds MarshesMarshes SwampsSwamps WetlandsWetlands

Flowing Water: Flowing Water: Rivers and Rivers and StreamsStreams Along the river, different Along the river, different

populations of organisms are populations of organisms are found due to: shading, depth, found due to: shading, depth, temperature, current and energy temperature, current and energy sources.sources.

WatershedsWatersheds describes an describes an

area of land area of land that contains that contains a common a common set of set of streams and streams and rivers rivers

drains into a drains into a single larger single larger body of body of water, such water, such as a larger as a larger river, a lake river, a lake or an oceanor an ocean

Human ImpactsHuman Impacts Dams- change the populations at the Dams- change the populations at the

site of the dam as well as downstream site of the dam as well as downstream from the dam.from the dam.

Water Pollution- affects downstream Water Pollution- affects downstream populationspopulations

UrbanizationUrbanization

Standing Water: Standing Water: Lakes and PondsLakes and Ponds Three ZonesThree Zones

– Littoral Zone- shallow water area, most Littoral Zone- shallow water area, most productiveproductive

– Limnetic Zone- Open water beyond literal Limnetic Zone- Open water beyond literal zone, less vegetation, includes larger fishzone, less vegetation, includes larger fish

– Profundal Zone-bottom, deepest part of Profundal Zone-bottom, deepest part of the lake.the lake.

Thermal Thermal StratificationStratification Dependent on sunlight Dependent on sunlight

penetrationpenetration Turnovers mix nutrientsTurnovers mix nutrients

Wetlands, Marshes, Wetlands, Marshes, SwampsSwamps Wetlands: saturated for at least part of Wetlands: saturated for at least part of

a year and have high organic matter, a year and have high organic matter, HIGHEST SPECIES DIVERSITY, HIGHEST HIGHEST SPECIES DIVERSITY, HIGHEST PRODUCTIVITY OF ALL ECOSYSTEMSPRODUCTIVITY OF ALL ECOSYSTEMS

Swamps and Marshes: permanently Swamps and Marshes: permanently saturated, includes grasslike plantssaturated, includes grasslike plants

Provide invaluable ecosystem services: Provide invaluable ecosystem services: replenish water supply, clean and filter replenish water supply, clean and filter water, stores floodwater, and provide water, stores floodwater, and provide food and shelterfood and shelter

Estuaries: Estuaries: A salt and A salt and freshwater mixfreshwater mix Shifting water levelShifting water level Changes in salinityChanges in salinity Organisms uniquely adaptedOrganisms uniquely adapted Very fertile, high productivityVery fertile, high productivity

– Constant influx of nutrientsConstant influx of nutrients– Tidal action circulates nutrientsTidal action circulates nutrients– High level of light pentrationHigh level of light pentration– Large plant mass traps detritus, Large plant mass traps detritus,

which fish feed uponwhich fish feed upon

Mangrove forests Mangrove forests and salt marshesand salt marshes Often seen as worthless, but they Often seen as worthless, but they

provide valuable servicesprovide valuable services– Salt marshes: Habitat, traps pollution and Salt marshes: Habitat, traps pollution and

sediment, groundwater supply, buffers sediment, groundwater supply, buffers stormsstorms

– Mangrove forests: breeding ground for fish Mangrove forests: breeding ground for fish and crabs, nesting sites for birds, stabilize and crabs, nesting sites for birds, stabilize soils, storm protection soils, storm protection

Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay Largest, richest estuary in USLargest, richest estuary in US Provides oysters, crabs, fishProvides oysters, crabs, fish Home to more than 17 million peopleHome to more than 17 million people Suffers from pollution from Suffers from pollution from

agriculture, automobiles, homes, agriculture, automobiles, homes, industryindustry

Massive campaign to reduce Massive campaign to reduce pollutionpollution

Marine Marine Ecosystems: Ecosystems:

OceanOcean Intertidal Intertidal

Zones: Zones: – Biologically Biologically

productive productive – occur on occur on

coastcoast– Stressful Stressful

conditionsconditions

Benthic EnvironmentBenthic Environment– Ocean FloorOcean Floor– Mostly sedimentsMostly sediments– Borrowing organisms: worms, clamsBorrowing organisms: worms, clams– Lots of bacteriaLots of bacteria– Abyssal benthic zone and the hadal Abyssal benthic zone and the hadal

benthic zone include life without sunbenthic zone include life without sun

Marine Marine Ecosystems: Ecosystems:

OceansOceans

OceansOceans

Impact of Impact of Human Activities Human Activities on the Oceanson the Oceans Development destroys coastal Development destroys coastal

ecosystemsecosystems Pollution: from rivers, dumping, Pollution: from rivers, dumping,

spills, atmospheric pollutionspills, atmospheric pollution Agricultural runoffAgricultural runoff Increased fishing technologiesIncreased fishing technologies

Coral ReefsCoral Reefs

Coral Reefs Coral Reefs : The : The Underwater Tropical Underwater Tropical Rain ForestRain Forest Found in warm, shallow sea watersFound in warm, shallow sea waters

– Some consist of red coralline algaeSome consist of red coralline algae– Some consist of colonies of tiny coral Some consist of colonies of tiny coral

animals and their symbiotic animals and their symbiotic zooxanthellaezooxanthellae

– Grow slowly, new polyp colonies attach Grow slowly, new polyp colonies attach and grow on old coral.and grow on old coral.

– 3 types: fringing reefs, atolls, barrier 3 types: fringing reefs, atolls, barrier reefsreefs

Coral ReefsCoral Reefs

Fringing Reef: Fringing Reef: – Submerged platforms of living coral Submerged platforms of living coral

extending from the shore into the seaextending from the shore into the sea Barrier Reef: Barrier Reef:

– Follow the shore but are separated from it Follow the shore but are separated from it by waterby water

– Great Barrier Reef is world’s largestGreat Barrier Reef is world’s largest Atoll: Ring-shaped islands of coral in open seaAtoll: Ring-shaped islands of coral in open sea

– Form on submerged mud banks or volcano Form on submerged mud banks or volcano craterscraters

– Surround a seawater lagoonSurround a seawater lagoon– Channels connect lagoon to the seaChannels connect lagoon to the sea

Coral Reefs of the Coral Reefs of the WorldWorld

= Coral Reef

The Great The Great Barrier ReefBarrier Reef

1500 1500 speciesspecies of fish of fish 400 different types 400 different types

of coral of coral 4,000 mollusks4,000 mollusks 500 species of 500 species of

seaweed seaweed 215 species of birds 215 species of birds 16 species of sea 16 species of sea

snake snake 6 species of sea 6 species of sea

turtle turtle Whales visit during Whales visit during

winterwinter

•World’s largest World’s largest coral reefcoral reef•Over 1257 milesOver 1257 mileslonglong•Off the northeast Off the northeast coast of Australiacoast of Australia•Only grows about Only grows about

one inch per yearone inch per year

Human Impacts on Human Impacts on Coral ReefsCoral Reefs 30-50% of coral species rare or 30-50% of coral species rare or

endangered in the tropical western endangered in the tropical western AtlanticAtlantic

DeforestationDeforestation erosion erosion increased silt increased silt upsets balance and inhibits new upsets balance and inhibits new growth growth

Diverting fresh water Diverting fresh water increased increased salinitysalinity

Pollution, building, overpopulationPollution, building, overpopulation DredgingDredging

The EvergladesThe Everglades

The EvergladesThe Everglades Haven for wildlifeHaven for wildlife Sawgrass wetland ecosystemSawgrass wetland ecosystem Designated national park, International Designated national park, International

Biosphere Reserve, World Heritage Site, Biosphere Reserve, World Heritage Site, and a Wetland of International and a Wetland of International ImportanceImportance

Affects the Florida Bay and KeysAffects the Florida Bay and Keys Local economies rely on fisheries and Local economies rely on fisheries and

tourismtourism

The EvergladesThe Everglades Human Influence:Human Influence:

– Agricultural pollutants- nitrogen and Agricultural pollutants- nitrogen and phosphorus- change plant communityphosphorus- change plant community

– Hoover Dike prevented water from Hoover Dike prevented water from lake Okeechobee to drain into the lake Okeechobee to drain into the evergladeseverglades

– Canals, levees, pump stations divert Canals, levees, pump stations divert water to the Oceanwater to the Ocean

– Urbanization- pollutants and habitat Urbanization- pollutants and habitat fragmentationfragmentation

The EvergladesThe Everglades Farmers clean runoff to reduce Farmers clean runoff to reduce

phosphorus and nitrogenphosphorus and nitrogen Some agricultural land bought and Some agricultural land bought and

restored to wetlandsrestored to wetlands Re-engineer canals, levees, pumpsRe-engineer canals, levees, pumps Drill into the aquifer and pump Drill into the aquifer and pump

excess water into it in the rainy excess water into it in the rainy seasonseason