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What is the Difference Between a

Temperate & Tropical Ocean?
•••
RELATED

Plants & Animals in the Pacific

Updated April 25, 2017

By Marie-Paule Graham

Oceans cover two-thirds of the world's surface and are home to a diverse range of
plants and animals. Clear water, white, sandy beaches and coral reefs teeming with
colorful fish all characterize tropical oceans. Temperate oceans are more blue-green
and famous for their bountiful supply of fish. Location and surface temperature of the
water distinguish these two areas.

Location
Tropical oceans lie between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer and
include the central parts of the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the
Indian Ocean. Average temperatures exceed 68 degrees Fahrenheit -- 20 degrees
Celsius -- and remain constant throughout the year.

In the Northern Hemisphere, temperate oceans are located between the Tropic of
Cancer and the Arctic Circle. In the Southern Hemisphere, temperate seas lie between
the Tropic of Capricorn and the Southern Ocean. Temperatures range from 50 to 68
degrees Fahrenheit -- 10 to 20 degrees Celsius -- and fluctuate with the seasons.

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Physical Properties
Tropical waters are crystal clear, while temperate waters are a murky blue-green
color. Plankton gives the water a bluish-green appearance. The more murky the water,
the more plankton it contains. Plankton are tiny organisms that float near the ocean
surface. They obtain their energy through photosynthesis and are eaten by many
creatures low on the food chain.

Food Source
The majority of fish served in restaurants or bought at markets to be cooked at home
are caught in temperate seas. The high plankton concentration allows large schools of
fish to thrive. The high concentration of fish sustains birds and mammals, as well as
humans. These include Atlantic herring, abalone, cod, hake, halibut, haddock,
mackerel, monkfish, swordfish, salmon, blue mussels, northern lobsters and king
crabs.
 The Ocean and Weather
The tropical oceans play a critical role in regulating the Earth's weather patterns. The
sun shines squarely on the waters around the equator all year. Warm surface water is
evaporated, forming a mass of warm, humid air. This air cools as it travels north and
south, condensing into clouds. The clouds grow heavy and precipitation, or rain,
occurs. The rain is vital for rain forests in tropical climates and agriculture in more
temperate climates.

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Plants & Animals in the Pacific
•••

RELATED

What Is the Shape of a Cladophora's Chloroplasts?

Updated April 24, 2017

By Brett Smith

From the Arctic to the Southern Ocean, the Pacific Ocean spans a massive swath of
our planet and includes a range of ecosystems -- each with its own collection of plant
and animal species. Generally speaking, the Pacific can be divided into three types of
ecosystem: coastal, coral reef and open ocean.

Coastal Plants and Animals

While the coastal ecosystem can be divided into several subtypes -- mangrove forest,
rocky shores and sandy shores -- many of these subcategories host similar plants and
animals, all drawn to the relatively bright, warm waters of this zone. These include
crabs, anemones, and coastal plants. Marine mammals, such as dolphins and whales,
are also often seen relatively close to shore.

Coral Reefs
Corals often grow near a coastline, but the reefs they construct are considered their
own unique type of ecosystem. From stony corals to fire corals, corals themselves are
a diverse collection of animals. The reefs they collectively build are visited by and
home to countless animals and sea grass, including coral trout, sea bass, sea birds,
dugongs, whales, sea snakes, and mollusks, as well as sea grasses.

Open Ocean
Also called the pelagic zone, the open ocean might seem like a peaceful,
homogeneous area of water. However, the pelagic zone is as diverse as any
ecosystem on Earth. Marine algae and plankton flourish near surface waters, in turn
 becoming a food resource for baleen whales, tuna, sharks and other fish. Very little
sunlight penetrates to depths of around 200 meters (about 650 feet), yet this depth is
where the jellyfish-like ctenophores, menacing hatchetfish and snipe eels all live.
Some of the planet's most bizarre animals live in the deep ocean below 1,000 meters
(about 3,200 feet), such as vampire squids and seapigs.

References

About the Author

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Climate in a Freshwater Biome
•••

RELATED

What is the Difference Between a Temperate & Tropical Ocean?

Updated April 30, 2018

By Lakshmi Santhosh

Except for freshwater biomes in the polar regions of the Earth, most of these biomes
generally experience moderate climates with significant rainfall, as they encompass
areas that support large bodies of water like ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, as well
as salt-free wetlands or marshy areas. The water plays a significant role in the biome's
climate.

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read)

The average temperatures in these biomes differ based on geographic location and
the seasons of the year, but temperatures generally range from 35 degrees
Fahrenheit in the winter to 75 degrees F in the summer. Freshwater biomes cover
nearly a fifth of the Earth and contain nearly 80 percent of the world's freshwater
sources.

The Biome's Climate

Weather refers to changing daily atmospheric conditions, while climate refers to the
average weather conditions over a period, usually a year. Average temperatures in a
freshwater biome in the summer range from 65 to 75 degrees F, and from 35 to 45
degrees F in the winter. The location of the freshwater biome determines its average
climate. The Florida Everglades -- for example and the world's largest freshwater
biome -- can receive up to 60 inches of rain per year in its wet season: the summer.
Winters are predominately dry and cool.

Water, Water Everywhere

 Freshwater biomes typically develop around small ponds, creeks, rivers, lakes,
marshes and wetlands. Marine biomes often mistakenly get included in the freshwater
biome, but they don't belong in them because they contain salty sea water. Like in the
Florida Everglades, many freshwater biomes meet marine biomes in areas called
estuaries, where salt and fresh water merge. While marine biomes are much larger
than freshwater biomes, both are equally important for the ecosystem.

Changing Climates
Climatic conditions for freshwater biomes in the tropical areas of the Earth are vastly
different from those in the polar regions. Seasonal changes also affect the
temperature, as winter months in the Arctic region tend to freeze the water. In the
summer, tropical waters in freshwater biomes can reach temperatures up to 75
degrees F. The depth of the water in a freshwater biome also affects the water's
temperature -- and plays a part in the overall climate of the biome. This is most
obvious in lakes, where temperature is higher at the surface of the water due to
sunlight heat, when compared with deeper parts of the lake.

Clean, Fresh Water

Protecting freshwater biomes and their climates are important for all living creatures.
Most of the water humans drink and use for bathing and other activities comes from
freshwater sources in these biomes. Freshwater biomes also contain diverse flora and
fauna, such as algae, that serve the rest of the food chain.

Plants that thrive in freshwater are a food source for animals and provide oxygen
through photosynthesis, especially in the summer. Freshwater fishes that feed on
plants and insects are often a main food source for humans as well. From a human
perspective, freshwater biomes not only provide food and water, but are also home to
thousands of species of fish, animals and plants. Protecting them from climate change
helps to secure humans' survival.

References

About the Author

Photo Credits

Related Articles

 Plants That Live in the Ocean Habitat

 Types of Saltwater Ecosystems
 What Plants Live in the Deep Ocean?
 The Impact of Sunlight on the Tropical Savanna
 What Are Interesting Facts About the Marine Biome?
 The Ecosystems of Ghana
 What Eats Snapper Fish?
 Special Features of the Temperate Rain Forest
 How is Salinity Calculated?
 Main Types of Ecosystems
 What Organisms Eat Seaweed?
 What Do Mahi Mahi Fish Eat?
 What Type of Vegetation Is Found in Coral Reefs?
 What Foods Do Harp Seals Eat?
 What Are the Functions of Photosynthesis?
 Where Does Photosynthesis Take Place in the Ocean?
 Description of the Four Types of Aquatic Ecosystems
 Animals & Plants in the Temperate Oceans

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Plants That Live in the Ocean Habitat

•••

RELATED

What Type of Plants Grow in Salt Water?

Updated May 08, 2019

By Diana K. Williams
Plants are well-adapted for living on land, unlike their protistan ancestors, the algae,
which include seaweeds. However, marine plants can be found growing in the ocean
habitat.

Plants that live in the ocean have mechanisms for tolerating its high salt content and
for getting oxygen to the plant. A few marine plants grow near the shore and in
shallow water, but some can be found far from land, in the open ocean. Where the
plant thrives in the ocean depends on what elements that region provides.

Submerged Marine Plants

Seagrasses are flowering, grass-like kinds of plants that live in the ocean submerged
in temperate and tropical waters. There are more than 50 species of seagrass
worldwide with some species reaching up to three feet long. Because they need
sunlight to survive, they live in shallow regions of the ocean where they form thick
meadows.

These shallow regions can be in coral reef areas with sand that has slowly built up
almost to the surface of the water that feel like "the middle of the ocean". You can
stand in a seagrass meadow miles from the shore, but the water is only knee-deep.

Seagrasses are kinds of plants with ecological importance because they provide food
for manatee and sea turtles, store carbon and offer shelter for a variety of marine life.

Water's Edge
Mangroves are salt-tolerant plants that live in the ocean. They're trees found along the
ocean’s coast in tropical and subtropical climates. They are identifiable by their tangle
of roots which remove most of the salt before water is transferred up the trunk.

Red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) grow offshore with their roots constantly
submerged, whereas white mangroves (Laguncularia racemosa) grow in intertidal
areas with their roots alternating between submersion and exposure as the tide rises
and fall. In mangroves, aerial roots provide oxygen to the plant, while submerged roots
stabilize shorelines during storms and provide a nursery for crustaceans, fish and
endangered species of sea turtles.

Floating
Algae are photosynthetic organisms from the kingdom Protista in the five-kingdom
system. Though algae are not plants, they have similar ecological roles due to their
status as primary producers of nutrients and oxygen through photosynthesis.
 Phytoplankton are algae that are abundant in open ocean water. They float near the
water’s surface where they filter nutrients from the water and gather sunlight to
photosynthesize.

Phytoplankton are important to the ocean environment because they produce a large
portion of the oxygen used by other marine species, and, indeed, all organisms on
earth, and they are a food source for many aquatic species.

Dinoflagellates and diatoms make up two classes of phytoplankton. If left to grow out
of control, phytoplankton can cause harmful algae blooms that result in fish kills and
can have adverse effects on human health.

Towering
Kelp is another member of the algae, as are all the seaweeds. Unlike phytoplankton,
these algae really resemble plants, at least superficially since seaweed is a type of
protist and not a true plant.

A type of brown seaweed, kelp grows on rocky areas of the ocean floor and mimics a
tree in stature. It prefers cold or arctic water and obtains energy through
photosynthesis. The depth at which it grows is only limited by water clarity and the
amount of light the species requires.

Kelp, like all algae and in contrast to most kinds of plants, does not have roots.
Instead it is held in place by a root-like holdfast and small air bladders at the base of
each blade that allow it to float vertically in the water.

(Anatomical features like roots and seeds are unique to plants; adaptations that allow
plants to efficiently live on land.)

Kelp is of importance because it provides food and shelter to a vast number of marine
species and researchers use it to understand other ecological processes.

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