AQUATIC BIOMES

MARINE AND FRESHWATER BIOMES

MARINE BIOMES
Marine regions cover about three-fourths of the Earth's surface and include oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries. Marine algae supply much of the world's oxygen supply and take in a huge amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The evaporation of the seawater provides rainwater for the land. It has an average 3% salt concentration.

Freshwater Biomes
Freshwater biomes have a salt concentration less than 1% Freshwater biomes are closely linked to the soils and biotic components of the terrestrial biomes in which they are located or through which they flow. Runoff from terrestrial habitats creates streams and rivers. Accumulated runoff creates ponds and lakes. Freshwater biomes are also influenced by the patterns and speed of water flow and the climate to which they are exposed

Kinds of Marine Biomes

Ocean Coral reefs Estuaries

Zonations in Oceans
The ocean can be divided into many zones. The ocean bottom is the benthic zone and the water itself (or the water column) is the pelagic zone. The neritic zone is that part of the pelagic zone that extends from the high tide line to an ocean bottom less than 600 feet deep. Water deeper than 600 feet is called the oceanic zone, which itself is divided on the basis of water depth into the epipelagic, mesopelagic, and bathypelagic zones. These zones roughly correspond to the three other zones divided on the basis of the amount of sunlight they receive. In the sunlit zone, enough light penetrates to support photosynthesis. Below that lies the twilight zone, where very small amounts of light penetrate. Ninety percent of the space in the ocean lies in the midnight zone, which is entirely devoid of light.

Oceans

Ocean animals

Coral reefs

REEF CREST

REEF FLAT

Estuaries
An estuary is the area where a freshwater stream or river merges with the ocean. They are often bordered by salt marshes or intertidal mudflats Their salinity varies spatially within the estuary from nearly fresh water to ocean water; varies daily in these areas due to rise and fall of tides Estuaries are very productive due to nutrients brought in by rivers. Because of their productivity, estuaries have a diverse flora and fauna. Salt marsh grasses, algae, and phytoplankton are the major producers. Many species of annelids, oysters, crabs, and fish are also present.

 Many marine invertebrates and fish breed in estuaries or migrate through them to freshwater habitats upstream. A large number of water fowl and other semiaquatic vertebrates use estuaries as feeding areas. Human activities have had a large impact on estuaries. Estuaries receive the pollutants dumped into the streams and rivers that feed them. Residential and commercial development not only adds to pollution but eliminates some estuaries due to land filling. Very little undisturbed estuary habitat remains.

Freshwater biomes
Ponds and lakes Rivers and Streams Wetlands

Rivers/Streams
These are bodies of flowing water moving in one direction. Streams and rivers can be found everywhere they get their starts at headwaters, which may be springs, snowmelt or even lakes, and then travel all the way to their mouths, usually another water channel or the ocean.

Lakes/Ponds
Lentic environment (standing water or still water) Characterized by thermal stratification With zonations

Zonations in Lakes
Littoral zone - refers to the coast of an ocean or sea, or to the banks of a river, lake or estuary. The zone close to shore. Here light reaches all the way to the bottom. The producers are plants rooted to the bottom and algae attached to the plants and to any other solid substrate. The consumers include tiny crustaceans flatworms insect larvae snails frogs, fish, and turtles

LAKES/PONDS

Limnetic zone
This is the layer of open water where photosynthesis can occur. As one descends deeper in the limnetic zone, the amount of light decreases until a depth is reached where the rate of photosynthesis becomes equal to the rate of respiration. At this level, net primary production no longer occurs. The limnetic zone is shallower is turbid water than in clear and is a more prominent feature of lakes than of ponds.

 Life in the limnetic zone is dominated by floating microorganisms - called plankton actively swimming animals - called nekton. The producers in this ecosystem are planktonic algae. The primary consumers include such animals as microscopic crustaceans and rotifers - the so-called zooplankton. The secondary (and higher) consumers are swimming insects and fish. These nekton usually move freely between the littoral and limnetic zones.

 The well-lit, open surface waters in a lake, away from the shore. It can be defined as the lighted surface waters in the area where the lake bottom is too deep and unlit to support rooted aquatic plants. This area is occupied by a variety of phytoplankton, consisting of algae and cyanobacteria, as well as zooplankton, small crustaceans, and fish. Most photosynthesis takes place in this part of the lake.

Profundal Zone
Many lakes (but few ponds) are so deep that not enough light reaches here to support net primary productivity. Therefore, this zone depends for its calories on the drifting down of organic matter from the littoral and limnetic zones. The profundal zone is chiefly inhabited by primary consumers that are either attached to or crawl along the sediments at the bottom of the lake. Such bottom-dwelling animals are called the benthos. The sediments underlying the profundal zone also support a large population of bacteria and fungi. The decomposers break down the organic matter reaching them, releasing inorganic nutrients for recycling Profundal zone - is a deep zone of a body of water, such as an ocean or a lake, located below the range of effective light penetration

Lakes/Ponds

Fauna (Pond Animals)

Wetlands
A wetland is an area covered by water that supports aquatic vegetation. Includes a broad range of habitats from periodically flooded regions to soil that is permanently saturated during growing season

Wetlands

Flora (Plants)
Conditions favor hydrophytes, which are plants specially adapted to grow in water or soil that is periodically anaerobic due to being saturated with water. Examples: Cattails, pond lilies, and sedges are examples of hydrophytes

Fauna (animals)
Wetlands are among the richest and valuable of biomes. A diverse invertebrate community is present which supports a wide variety of birds. A variety of herbivorous species consume the algae, detritus, and plants.

Environmental Importance of Wetlands

They provide water storage basins that reduce the intensity of flooding. They improve water quality by filtering pollutants

Wetland animal trivia

I stand tall, silent, and white in the shallow water hunting for fish or frogs to eat. There is a lot of confusion about my name, but all you have to do is look at my long black legs to know who I really am. What am I? White Pelican Great Egret Anhinga Great Blue Heron

 If I am not in the water, I am very near it. I love swimming and diving, but I must come up for a breather now and then. I love to bask in the sun and will even pile on the top of the shell of a friend or two if there is no log around. What am I? Alligator Turtle River Otter Frog

 Beware of that log you see floating in the water. It has eyes and they belong to me. I am ferocious looking, but usually I am shy and will avoid you unless you disturb my nest. I can be 8 to 15 feet long, so the only predator I worry about is man. What am I? Red-eared turtle Great Egret Beaver Alligator

 I help create wetlands by building dams and lodges. My dark brown coat is much admired. I make a loud slapping noise on the water with my tail when I am frightened. What am I? Muskrat Nutria Beaver River Otter

 Even though I wear a mask, I am not a bandit. I am smart and determined and can get into or out of most anything I set my mind to. My front paws look very much like your hands. What am I? Opossum Raccoon Beaver River Otter