MARINE ECOLOGY

Part 1
ENVE 301
2023-24 Spring
Characteristics of Marine Environment
As different than Freshwater Environments:

➢Currents and Waves

➢Salinity
Salinity (%o) : is the weight of dissolved residue in grams per kg
of water as determined by converting all the carbonates to oxides, and when
iodine and bromine are replaced by chloride.

Cations g/kg % of Anions g/kg % of

total total
Na+ 10.77 30.5 Cl- 19.353 55 TOTAL: 34.977
K+ 0.387 1.15 Br- 0.067 0.07
for a saline
Mg+2 1.294 3.7 F- 0.001 water
Ca+2 0.413 1.25 SO4-2 2.712 7.7 containing %o
35 salinity.
Sr+2 0.008 HCO3- 0.142 0.3
H3BO3 0.026
 %o S

Freshwater < 0.5

Brackish Water 0.5-30
Saline Water 30-50
Brine water > 50

since ratio of constituents always remain the same, i.e.

%o 19 Cl- = %o 35 salinity;
%o salinity = 0.03 + 1.805 (Chloracity %o)

Or more accurately by SCT meter.

 Salinity Gradient
Salinity
0 5 10 15 20 25
0

10
Halocline
20

depth 30 Halocline exists

between top and
40 bottom waters of
Bhosphorus and
50
Dardanelles
60
 Density
varies with salinity and temperature

%o S Density
parameter density
(kg/m3)
Baltic Sea 8 6 Picnocline

depth
Black Sea 17-18 13
(surface)
20-22
(bottom)
East 39 31
Mediterranean
Ocean 35 28

Density parameter (kg/m3) = density (kg/m3)-1000 (kg/m3)

 Temperature
is important for the distribution of fishes. Fishes prefer warmer places for
feeding and breeding. Thermocline prevents passage of fish from one stratum
to the next.

temperature

Thermocline
depth
Maximum density temperature of distilled water is 3.97 0C whereas this depends on
salinity in sea water.

Tm = 3.97 – 0.216 (%o S)

Freezing point of sea water depends on salinity:

Tf = – 0.054 (%o S)
S %o Tm 0C S %o Tf 0 C
15 -0.73 15 -0.81
24.7 -1.36 24.7 -1.3338
35 -3.59 35 -1.89
Salinities lower than 24.7: thermal stratification is like lakes, surface may freeze
(coldest water at the surface) and heaviest water is at the bottom.

Conversely, at higher than this point: coldest water will be at the bottom and there
will be no ice on the surface.

In 1929, bottom of North Sea was -2 0C and immense kill of bottom fish was
encountered.

In Black Sea and Baltic Sea, surface may freeze.

 Transperancy
➢ measured by photometric devices or Secchi Disc (SD).
➢ determines about 5 % light intensity level.

SD (m)
Distilled water 44
Haliç (Golden Horn) 0.02
Izmir Bay 0.5-1.5 (up to 250 m offshore)
4-11 (middle of the bay)
Silifke (Med. Sea) 20-25
Izmit bay (Marmara Sea) 2.5 (500 m of Izmit shore)
5 (middle of the bay)

pH of the sea water is slightly alkaline about 8.1-8.2

 Dissolved Oxygen
It is temp and salinity dependent.
DO is usually at saturation value at surface
475 – 2.85 (%0 S)
but may be depleted at the bottom layers
DO = ------------------------ T is in 0K
due to consumption.
33.5 + (T – 273)

DO
In Marmara Sea, 10-11 mg/L (surface);
Saturation
0.3 mg/L (1100 m deep) level

In Black Sea, below 200 m depth totally anaerobic conditions and H2S.
In Mediterrenean, at the deepest point (4600 m) 70 % DO saturation have been found
because of low organic loading. Reverse of Black sea.
The Mediterranean Sea is oligotrophic: it is rich in oxygen and poor in nutrients.
Oligotrophy increases from west to east.
West/east ratio
Primary production 3.3:1
Bacterial production 1.8:1
Fish production 2.7:1
Coral Reefs?
• Coral reefs form in clear,
warm coastal waters of the
tropics and subtropics.
• Formed by massive colonies
of hard skeletons.
Florida Reefs
Reef Fish (Bahamas)

Red Sea Reefs

Why Should We Care About Coral
Reefs?
• Some scientists believe: Help moderate atmospheric
temperature by removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
However, some believe CO2 contributes to acidity
which will in turn destroys the reefs.
• Act as natural barriers that help protect 14% of the
world’s coastlines from erosion by battering waves
and storms.
• Provide habitats for a variety of marine organisms.