BIO3119- Marine & Coastal Ecology

Lecture 1- Oceanography
Lecturer: Mark Ram
 Overview
• Introduction to the ocean
• Properties of water
• Oceanography
• Division of the marine environment
• The coastal zone
 Oceans
• The ocean currently covers 71% of the earth’s surface. Around two-thirds
of earth’s land area is found in the Northern Hemisphere.
• The marine ecosystem is the largest aquatic system of the planet which
includes oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries. Since it is large and a
complex one, it is very difficult to deal with as a whole.
• This makes the oceanographers divide the ocean into zones according
to physical characteristics, mainly based on depth, light and temperature.
• The two major zones of the ocean are the seafloor, or bottom region,
called the benthic realm and the watery region above the seafloor called
the pelagic realm.
 Properties of Ocean Water
Composition of Ocean Water
• H2O is 96.5 %
• Other elements are 3.5%
• Salinity – dissolved salt content of a body of water
Temperature of Ocean Water
• As temperature increases, density decreases.
• Surface temperature – from 2OC (Arctic) to 28OC (equator)
• Subsurface temperature – from 1OC to 3OC
• Thermocline – the zone where there is a sharp difference in
temperature between surface and deeper water.
 Properties of Ocean Water
Pressure
• Pressure increases as the ocean depths increases.
Color
• Natural color is blue but it can be affected by sediments, pollutants and
microscopic plants.
 Oceanography
• Oceanography – the study and exploration of the world’s oceans.
• Formation of the ocean waters – water vapor and condensation of vapor
as rain in the ocean basins.
 Oceanography
1. Biological Oceanography
• Studies the diversity of life in the ocean and the ocean’s role as their
habitat.
• Ocean life from microbes to whales. How they interact with physical &
chemical & geological features. Pollutant effects. Aquaculture, fisheries,
etc.
2. Chemical Oceanography
• Studies the chemistry of seawater.
• Trace metals, salts, gases, pollutants, distributions, transformations.
 Oceanography
3. Geological Oceanography
• Concerns itself with the geology of the ocean.
• Plate tectonics, sedimentation, volcanism.
4. Physical Oceanography
• Is the study of the physics within the marine environment
• Currents & atmospheric interactions deep & surface currents, rate of
flow. Waves & tides. Prediction of future changes.
 Why study the oceans?
• They cover 71% of our planet where land is only 29% of the earth’s
surface.
• The play an important role in regulating global climate through their
interaction with the atmosphere.
 Oceans
1. Pacific
• The Pacific is the largest & oldest ocean, about 200 million years old.
• It is the deepest ocean, with an average depth of 4.2km (contains
approximately ½ of the Earth’s water).
2. Atlantic
• The Atlantic Ocean is half as old as the Pacific, and much smaller (6,600
km wide).
• It is the second largest, contains the Mediterranean, Caribbean and
North Seas.
• It is 3.6 km deep on average.
 Oceans
3. Indian
• It is 7,000 km wide and has an average depth of 3.7 km.
• Deeper than the Atlantic, shallower than the Pacific.
4. Arctic
• Surrounds the geographic North Pole
• The Arctic Ocean is mostly frozen and has an average depth of 41.1 km.
Divisions of the Marine Environment
 Pelagic Realm
• The ocean’s pelagic realm is divided horizontally into two zones,
1. Neritic zones: The neritic zone, also the called coastal zone, is the
region which lies above the continental shelf. This is a shallow part of
the ocean and is very close to the landmass.
2. Oceanic zone: The oceanic zone, is the pelagic zone which lies
above the sea floor beyond the depth of the continental shelf, i.e. the
water mass that lies beyond the depth of 200 meters to the deepest part
of the ocean.
• The pelagic realm is also divided into different zones, based on the
penetration of light and depth of water.
 Subdivision of the Pelagic Realm
i. Epipelagic zone - 0 - 200 meters deep from the surface of the ocean
(Photic zone; all light rays are seen here initially)
ii. Mesopelagic zone - from 200 -1000 meters deep (dysphotic zone; only
blue light is seen here: also referred as "twilight zone"); its lower boundary
in the tropics is the 10º C isotherm.
iii. Bathypelagic zone - falls below 1000- 4000 meters deep (aphotic
zone; no light reaches this depth, total darkness); lying between the
boundaries of water with 10 and 4º C isotherm layers.
iv. Abyssopelagic zone - lies below 2000 - 6000 meters deep (aphotic
zone).
v. Hadal pelagic zone - has a depth of 6000-10000 meters (aphotic zone).
 Subdivision of the Pelagic Realm

Epipelagic Zone
• It is the top layer of the ocean zones. This is the ideal place for about
90 % of all ocean life to live because of the warm temperature and
sunlight that goes down about 660 feet.
• This is the only zone to support plant life because it has the light needed
for photosynthesis.
• As this region is diverse in plant life, there is a variety of animals
including zooplankton, crustaceans, molluscs, sharks, stingrays,
mackerels, tuna, seals, sea lions, sea turtles, etc.
 Subdivision of the Pelagic Realm
Mesopelagic zone
• Though some sunlight penetrates through this zone, it is not enough for
photosynthesis to occur and plants to grow.
• This zone has some animals including octopus, squid, and hatchet fish.
• The animals living in this zone must survive cold temperatures,
increased water pressure, and dark water.
• Some fish have extra big eyes to help them see, while others produce
their own light called bioluminescence using special organs in their
bodies called photophores.
• Most fish don’t chase their food but they either wait for it or stalk it. Some
have sharp fangs or big mouths to help them catch their food.
 Subdivision of the Pelagic Realm
Bathypelagic zone
• It can be as deep as 20,000 feet. No sunlight reaches this zone so it is
freezing and completely dark.
• It also has a very intense water pressure which can be as great as two
tons per square inch.
• Just like the mesopelagic zone, there are no plants and even fewer
organisms.
• Some organisms in this zone are vampire squid, giant squid, amphipod,
slime stars, snake dragon fish, anglerfish, oarfish, gulper eel
 Subdivision of the Pelagic Realm
Hadal zone
• It is the deepest parts of the ocean, causing it to be totally dark, and
constantly cold, with very intense pressure.
• The deep-sea creatures have adapted to the darkness by reducing their
use of eyesight.
• The fish do have eyes, though, and they are usually enormous, which
indicates enough flashes of bioluminescent light to keep their eyes from
totally deteriorating.
• The animals that live near the bottom have a reddish or pinkish
coloration, possibly because the red-light waves are absorbed in the
topmost layers of the ocean.
 Benthic Realm
• Benthic, a term meaning bottom is the name of the ocean zone ranging
from the deepest parts of the ocean to the tidal affected areas.
• The most productive region of the benthic zone is the area over the
continental margin, which is unaffected by the tides.
• Many groups and varieties of animals live here, a few are worms, sea
pens, crustaceans, stars, and protozoa.
• The life in this zone is mostly made up of bottom dwellers which get
most of their food from dead and decaying organisms.
• Therefore most of the organisms in the benthic zone are scavengers
because they depend on dead flesh as their main food source.
 Subdivision of the Benthic Realm
i. Intertidal zone – the area between the lowest low tide and highest high
tide markings, it is sometimes called the littoral zone.
ii. Sub littoral zone – from the lowest low tide mark to the shelf break,
about 200 m deep. This area essentially coincides with the continental
shelf.
iii. Bathyal zone – from the shelf break to 4000 m. This area coincides
with the continental slope and rise.
iv. Abyssal zone – from 4000 to 6000 m. This includes the average
depth of the deep ocean floor.
v. Hadal zone – sea floor deeper than 6000 m. This includes the
trenches, the deepest part of the sea floor.
 Distribution of Marine Lifestyles
• 16.7% of Earth’s animals are marine
• 2% inhabit pelagic environment (most of the oceans are cold and dark)
• 98% are benthic.
 Marine Environment& Lifestyle
Benthic organisms, or the
benthos, are those that live on
or buried in the bottom. Some
benthic organisms are sessile,
others free living.

Pelagic organisms live up in

the water column, away from
the bottom.
 Plankton
• Pelagic organisms are further subdivided
according to how well they can swim.
• These organisms, called plankton, are at the
mercy of the currents and are carried from
place to place.
• Planktonic algae and other autotrophs are
collectively called the Phytoplankton and
are the most important primary producers in
many marine ecosystems.
• The heterotrophic planktons are called the
zooplankton.
 Nekton
• Animals that can swim well enough to
oppose the currents are called nekton.
• Most nektonic animals are vertebrates,
mainly fishes and marine mammals.
• There are a few nektonic invertebrates,
however, such as squids.
• Not all nekton are pelagic.
 Benthos
• Epiflora or epifauna live on the sea
bottom.
• Infauna lives in the sea bottom.
• Benthic plants are restricted to shallow
waters because of their requirement for
light.
• Benthic animals occur everywhere from
shallow depths to the deep sea.
 The Coastal Environment
• Coastal areas can be regarded as the interface between three habitable
media, namely earth, air and sea.
• This interface is composed of a series of boundaries or gradients which
are not constant.
• All coastal areas contain at least two obvious habitats, namely the
maritime zone, which is home for many terrestrial animals and plants, and
the sea itself.
• The intertidal zone, sometimes called the littoral, occurs in areas without
noticeable tides there is often a specialized fauna and flora at the sea-
land interface.
The Coastal Zone
 References & Attributions
• https://247continents.com/how-many-oceans-are-there/
• Castro P. and Huber, M. (2016) Marine Biology. McGraw-Hill Education,
2 Penn Plaza, New York, USA.