Worksheet 2

AQUATIC BIOME

Name: Rhea Mae F. Caranto Year and Section: BSA 2AB

Directions: Fill in the necessary information on the given table below.

Biome name: Freshwater/Estuaries/Wetlands

World Location: One of the most important areas of freshwater wetlands in the world is the prairie
pothole complex of North America (Galatowitsch 2012). These shallow depressional wetlands (Fig.
1.7) are found in Minnesota, Iowa, and the Dakotas in the United States, and in Alberta,
Saskatchewan, and Mani- toba in Canada. Estuaries are found on the coast where fresh water like a
river or a bay has access to the ocean. A good example of an estuary is a salt marsh that can be found
close to the coast. Another example is when a river feeds directly into the ocean. The largest estuary
in the United States is the Chesapeake Bay estuary. Unlike estuaries, freshwater wetlands are not
connected to the ocean. They can be found along the boundaries of streams, lakes, ponds or even in
large shallow holes that fill up with rainwater. Freshwater wetlands may stay wet all year long, or the
water may evaporate during the dry season.

Climate: Describe average annual temperature, seasonal temperatures, and precipitation

Marine biome experiences an average temperature of 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius). The
ocean biome is naturally colder at the South Pole, but as you approach the equator, it becomes
warmer because the sun rays strike the water surface directly. The water temperature affects the
organisms' rates of growth and the amount of dissolved oxygen available for respiration. The
movement of water is also important in many aquatic biomes. The average yearly precipitation adds
over 100 inches. The world's rain pours over the ocean mainly because the droplets are significant,
and the Biome is made up of water.

Other environmental factors (soil, tides, salinity, etc.

1. Water is much more than a passive medium in which life exists. Its unique chemistry with
hydrogen bonds and high specific heat allows it to store latent heat and moderate global
temperatures.  Its movements transport heat energy from the equatorial region poleward into both
hemispheres. Water is able to dissolve many compounds, including important nutrients.
2. Light. Most marine food chains begin with photosynthetic single-celled organisms (the
phytoplankters) which are affected by daily and seasonal changes in light intensity and duration.
Sunlight penetrates transparent water, but different wavelengths are absorbed at different depths.
3. Pressure. On average, at sea level, the weight of the atmosphere exerts 14.7 lbs./in2 of pressure or 1
atmosphere. In the ocean, due to the added weight of water, pressure increases 1 atmosphere for
every 33 ft of depth. On the deep-sea floor pressure may reach more than 500 atmospheres.

4. Dissolved gases: a. Oxygen, a product of photosynthesis, is greatest at the surface where the sea
water is in contact with the atmosphere. The colder the water, the more oxygen it can contain.

b. Carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere, a process which may slow global warming. Its
levels, however, may be lower in the euphotic zone due its use by algae and bacteria during
photosynthesis.
c. Nitrogen must be fixed into nitrates before used by most marine algae. This accomplished by other
microorganisms, such as cyanobacteria. Nitrogen is a major limiting factor in the sea.
5. Nutrients. Macronutrients in marine ecosystems include carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon,
sulfur, potassium, and sodium. Micronutrients include iron, zinc, copper, manganese and some
vitamins. Nitrogen is the most common limiting factor for algal growth; phosphorus the second most
common.
6. Temperature varies with depth and with latitude. Infrared wavelengths (heat energy) of sunlight
are absorbed in the top 3 ft of the water column. Waves mix the warmed water into the top 30 ft, the
surface layer. Below this layer is a transition zone wherein temperature decreases rapidly with depth.
This is the thermocline.
7. Salinity refers to the amount of dissolved matter (salts) in seawater.
8. Density is a function of temperature and salinity. Warmer water is less dense than cooler water and
floats upon it.
9. Waves. A wave is actually just energy moving toward shore. The water molecules do not move
laterally, but rotate up and down in circular orbits.
10. Tides are the product of the gravitational pull OF the sun and, especially, the moon on the oceans.
Plants Adaptation to environment
Aquatic plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's
surface. The most common adaptation is the presence of lightweight internal packing cells,
aerenchyma, but floating leaves and finely dissected leaves are also common.
 PHTOPLANKTON
 PLANKTON
 PLANT LILIES
Animals Adaptation to Environment
All animals are physiologically adapted to their particular environments and therefore pond
organisms have developed specialized structures to enable them to breathe, move, obtain food and
otherwise survive in an aquatic habitat. Adaptations can be identified by observation of behaviors,
movement and lifecycles.
 REPTILES
 AMPHIBIANS
 FISHES