MARINE

ENVIRONMENT
 MARINE ENVIRONMENT
* Nutrients and living organisms are
sparse in open oceans.

• Shallow, near-shore communities can

have very high productivity and
biodiversity.

• Near-shore communities are

vulnerable to human disturbances.
Like land-based systems, most marine communities depend on photosynthetic
organisms. Often it is algae or tiny, free-floating photosynthetic plants
(phytoplankton) that support a marine food web, rather than the
trees and grasses we see on land.
Like land-based systems, most
marine communities depend on
photosynthetic organisms. Often it
is algae or tiny, free-floating
photosynthetic plants
(phytoplankton) that support a
marine food web, rather than the
trees and grasses we see on land.

bioluminescent
plankton
Lowest
Highest

Lowest
Highest
MARINE SNOW
 MARINE SNOW

Upwelling currents circulate nutrients from the ocean floor back to

the surface.
 Cold water holds abundant
oxygen, so productivity is often
high in cold oceans, as in
the North Atlantic, North
Pacific, and Antarctic.
 Cold water holds abundant
oxygen, so productivity is often
high in cold oceans, as in
the North Atlantic, North
Pacific, and Antarctic.
 Cold water holds abundant
oxygen, so productivity is often
high in cold oceans, as in
the North Atlantic, North
Pacific, and Antarctic.
 Cold water holds abundant
oxygen, so productivity is often
high in cold oceans, as in
the North Atlantic, North
Pacific, and Antarctic.
 Cold water holds abundant
oxygen, so productivity is often
high in cold oceans, as in
the North Atlantic, North
Pacific, and Antarctic.
 Cold water holds abundant
oxygen, so productivity is often
high in cold oceans, as in
the North Atlantic, North
Pacific, and Antarctic.
 Cold water holds abundant
oxygen, so productivity is often
high in cold oceans, as in
the North Atlantic, North
Pacific, and Antarctic.
 Cold water holds abundant
oxygen, so productivity is often
high in cold oceans, as in
the North Atlantic, North
Pacific, and Antarctic.
 Cold water holds abundant
oxygen, so productivity is often
high in cold oceans, as in
the North Atlantic, North
Pacific, and Antarctic.
 Open ocean communities
vary from surface to hadal
zone
The epipelagic zone (epi = on top) has
photosynthetic organisms. Below this are
the mesopelagic (meso = medium) and
bathypelagic (bathos = deep) zones. The
deepest layers are the abyssal zone (to
4,000 m) and hadal zone (deeper than
6,000 m). S
 Open ocean communities
vary from surface to hadal
zone
The epipelagic zone (epi = on top) has
photosynthetic organisms. Below this are
the mesopelagic (meso = medium) and
bathypelagic (bathos = deep) zones. The
deepest layers are the abyssal zone (to
4,000 m) and hadal zone (deeper than
6,000 m). S
 Sargasso Sea

The Sargasso Sea is a region of the

Atlantic Ocean bounded by four
currents forming an ocean gyre.
 Sargasso Sea

The Sargasso Sea is a region of the

Atlantic Ocean bounded by four
currents forming an ocean gyre.
 Sargasso Sea

The Sargasso Sea is a region of the

Atlantic Ocean bounded by four
currents forming an ocean gyre.
 Sargasso Sea

The Sargasso Sea is a region of the

Atlantic Ocean bounded by four
currents forming an ocean gyre.
 Sargasso Sea

The Sargasso Sea is a region of the

Atlantic Ocean bounded by four
currents forming an ocean gyre.
 Sargasso Sea

The Sargasso Sea is a region of the

Atlantic Ocean bounded by four
currents forming an ocean gyre.
 Sargasso Sea

The Sargasso Sea is a region of the

Atlantic Ocean bounded by four
currents forming an ocean gyre.
 Sargasso Sea

The Sargasso Sea is a region of the

Atlantic Ocean bounded by four
currents forming an ocean gyre.
 Deep-sea thermal vent
communities

are another remarkable type of marine system

that was completely unknown until 1977, when
the deep-sea submarine Alvin descended to the
deep-ocean floor. These communities are based
on microbes that capture chemical energy,
mainly from sulfur compounds released from
thermal vents—jets of hot water and minerals on
the ocean floor
 Deep-sea thermal vent
communities

are another remarkable type of marine system

that was completely unknown until 1977, when
the deep-sea submarine Alvin descended to the
deep-ocean floor. These communities are based
on microbes that capture chemical energy,
mainly from sulfur compounds released from
thermal vents—jets of hot water and minerals on
the ocean floor
 Tidal shores support rich, diverse communities

As in the open ocean, shoreline communities vary with depth, light, and temperature. Some
shoreline communities, such as estuaries, have high biological productivity and diversity
because they are enriched by nutrients washing from the land.
Reefs are colonies of minute, colonial animals (“coral polyps”) that live symbiotically
with photosynthetic algae. Calcium-rich coral skeletons shelter the algae, and
algae nourish the coral animals.
Reefs are colonies of minute, colonial animals (“coral polyps”) that live symbiotically
with photosynthetic algae. Calcium-rich coral skeletons shelter the algae, and
algae nourish the coral animals.
 Sea-grass beds
occupy shallow, warm, sandy coastlines.
 Mangroves
are a diverse group of salt-tolerant trees that grow along warm,
calm marine coasts around the world.
• Marine environment include coastal like estuaries and wet
land and oceanic landform deep sea.
 ESTUARIES
is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more
rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea.
• Marine environment include coastal like estuaries and wet
land and oceanic landform deep sea.
 WET LAND
is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water,
either permanently or seasonally.
• Marine environment include coastal like estuaries and wet
land and oceanic landform deep sea.
 Coral Reefs and Islands Mangroves

Estuary and Salt Marsh Tide Pool

 Salt Marsh
shallow wetlands flooded regularly or occasionally with seawater, occur on
shallow coastlines, including estuaries
 Tide Pools
are depressions in a rocky shoreline that are flooded at high tide but retain
some water at low tide