AQUATIC BIOMES: MARINE

Earth’s Aquatic Biomes- Marine

Marine: covers about 75% of the Earth’s surface, typically has a higher salt concentration

• Oceans- Separated into different zones (intertidal, pelagic, abyssal, benthic)

  • Intertidal zone: where the ocean meets land, with the tide coming in and going out, this area is sometimes submerged and sometimes exposed.

    • What type of plants and animals live in this zone?

  • Pelagic zone: waters further from land; open ocean from the surface to the benthic zone. IT'S PHOTIC

    • What type of plants and animals live in this zone?

  • Abyssal zone: the deepest region of the pelagic zone (open ocean); water is very cold and highly pressurized (deep depths greater than 4,000 m) IT'S THE DEEP BOTTOM!

    • What type of plants and animals live in this zone?

  • Benthic zone: the area along the ocean floor that includes sand, silt, and dead organisms IT'S APHOTIC and INCLUDES SOME OF THE MID LEVEL OCEAN FLOOR. 

    • What type of plants and animals live in this zone?

• Coral reefs- found in warm, shallow waters (Great Barrier Reef)

• Estuaries- where freshwater streams/rivers merge with the ocean (Mangrove areas, salt marshes)