Transcript Aquatic Ecosystems Powerpoint


VERY high Biodiversity

Important ecological and economic services
Gray reef shark
Sea nettle
Green sea
turtle
Parrot fish
Blue Fairy basslet
tang
Sergeant major
Hard corals Algae
Brittle
star
Banded coral
shrimp
Coney
Phytoplankton
Symbiotic
algae
Coney
Zooplankton
Blackcap basslet
Sponges
Moray
eel
Bacteria
Producer to
primary
consumer
Primary to
secondary
consumer
Secondary to
higher-level
consumer
All consumers
and producers
to decomposers
Fig. 8-11, p. 171

Degradation and
decline
Saltwater and freshwater aquatic life zones
cover almost three-fourths of the earth’s
surface with oceans dominating the planet.
Key factors determining
Biodiversity:
1.
Aquatic life zones
Saltwater/ marine
Freshwater
NATURAL
CAPITAL
Marine Ecosystems
Ecological
Services
Economic
Services
Climate moderation
Food
CO2 absorption
Animal and pet feed
Nutrient cycling
Pharmaceuticals
Waste treatment
Harbors and
transportation routes
Reduced storm impact
(mangroves, barrier
islands, coastal
wetlands)
Habitats and nursery
areas
Genetic resources
and biodiversity
Scientific information
Coastal habitats for
humans
Recreation
Employment
Oil and natural gas
Minerals
Building materials
Fig. 8-4, p. 165
Sea level
0
50
Euphotic
Zone
Estuarine
Zone
Depth in
meters
100
Continental
shelf
200
Photosynthesis
Sun
Open
Sea
500
Bathyal Zone
1,000
Twilight
High tide
Low tide
Coastal
Zone
1,500
2,000
Abyssal
Zone
3,000
4,000
5,000
Darkness
Water temperature drops
rapidly between the
euphotic zone and the
abyssal zone in an area
called the thermocline .
10,000
0
5
10
15
20
Water temperature (°C)
25
30
Fig. 8-5, p. 166

Types of Estuaries
and coastal wetlands :
 Characteristics
Herring gulls
Peregrine
falcon
Snowy
egret
Cordgrass
Short-billed
dowitcher
Marsh
periwinkle
Phytoplankton
Smelt
Zooplankton and
small crustaceans
Soft-shelled
clam
Producer to
primary
consumer
Bacteria
Primary to
secondary
consumer
Secondary to
higher-level
consumer
Clamworm
All consumers
and producers
to decomposers
Fig. 8-7a, p. 167

Area of shoreline between low and high tides

Vertical zones of the open sea
◦ Euphotic
◦ Bathyal zone:
◦ Abyssal zone:
Standing (lentic)
bodies of freshwater

Flowing (lotic)
systems of freshwater

Formation of lakes

Four zones based on depth and distance from
shore

Oligotrophic lakes
◦ Low levels of nutrients and low NPP,

Eutrophic lakes
◦ High levels of nutrients and high


Mesotrophic lakes – between the above 2
types
Cultural eutrophication ( human input of
nutrients) leads to hypereutrophic lakes
Oligotrophic lakes
Crater Lake in Oregon
The Effect of Nutrient Enrichment
on a Lake
NPP- shallow, murky
brown or green water with
high turbidity.
Lake in Western New York
State
Stepped Art
Fig. 8-16a, p. 175

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

Surface water-precipitation that does not sink
into the ground
Runoff – flows into stream
Watershed, drainage basin – land area that
delivers runoff, sediment, dissolved
substances
Three aquatic life zones
Rain and
snow
Lake
Glacier
Rapids
Waterfall
Tributary
Flood plain
Oxbow lake
Salt marsh
Delta Deposited
sediment
Ocean
Source Zone
Transition Zone
Floodplain Zone
Water
Sediment
Stepped Art
Fig. 8-17, p. 176
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Coastal deltas, mangrove
forests, and coastal
wetlands: natural
protection against
storms
Dams and levees reduce
sediments in deltas
New Orleans, Louisiana,
and Hurricane Katrina:
August 29, 2005
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Marshes – dominated by grasses and weeds

Swamps - dominated by trees and shrubs

Prairie potholes- depressions carved out by ancient glaciers
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Floodplains- excess water during heavy rains and floods

Arctic tundra in summer
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Provide free ecological and economic services


Human activities threaten biodiversity and disrupt ecological
and economic services provided by freshwater lakes, rivers,
and wetlands.
Examples?