Ecology

(MS & Ocean -101)

Lecture No: 2

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Aquatic Habitats of the World

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 Aquatic Habitats of the World
The earth’s Surface and Atmosphere: 1.5x109 km3 of water.

Saline Water:
Ocean, Seas, Bays, Estuaries & Saline Lakes
96.5% by volume; approximately 71% of earth’s surface.

Fresh-Water:
Glaciers, lakes, rivers, groundwater & atmosphere
The remaining 3.5% by volume.

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The Hydrological Cycle (100%)

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 Oceanic or Marine Habitats
Widely distributed aquatic habitats, contains almost all of the earth’s
water resources.
It can be broadly divided into two:
1. The Pelagic Zone and
2. The Ocean Bed.

The Pelagic Zone: The largest component of the oceans.

Key Features:
► The pattern of water circulation around the earth.
► Profound effect on the ecological processes within the marine
Environment.
► Water Movement:
1. Surface Water Circulation and
2. Deep Ocean Circulation.

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Surface Water Circulation:

► Driven by wind friction on the sea surface.

► The patterns of surface circulation in the oceans resemble to
some extent the patterns of the global wind systems.
► The most important winds are the trade-winds
► The ocean basins are bounded by land, the currents
corresponding to the trade winds cannot run uninterrupted
around the globe.

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Wind-driven surface ocean circulation patterns

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Deep Ocean Currents
Downwelling and Thermocline

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 Thermocline

Thin but distinct(perticuler) layer in a large body of fluid

Temperature changes more rapidly with depth
In the ocean, the thermocline may be thought of as an invisible
blanket which separates the upper mixed layer from the calm deep
water below.
Factors that affect the depth and thickness of a thermocline include
seasonal weather variations, latitude, and local environmental
conditions, such as tides and currents.

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 Thermocline

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 Thermocline

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Thermal Driven Current

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 The Ocean Bed

Cross section of the ocean.Institute

Adapted of Marinefrom
SciencesBarnes and Hughes, 1999
and Fisheries
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Chemistry of Water
Salinity
The saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water.
Different salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium
sulfates, and bicarbonates.
Dissolved Substances (solutes)
•Freshwater
•Brackish and
•Marine
Salinity values for various water body types

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 Conductivity:
• The ability of water to conduct electricity.
• An increasing conductivity reading indicates an increasing
concentration of dissolved ions.
•Conductivity, expressed as either siemens per centimetre (S cm-1)
or micro-siemens per centimeter (mS cm-1 or μS cm-1)

Table: Conductivity of representative water types

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 Dissolved substances in the oceans

Seawater contains most, if not all of the 92 naturally occurring

elements
The most abundant elements in their dissolved forms include
chloride (Cl-), sodium (Na+), magnesium (Mg2+), sulphur (SO42-
or NaSO4-), calcium (Ca2+) and potassium (K+).
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is a very significant element in terms
of marine ecology, as it is used by many marine organisms as
a skeletal building material.
Seawater contains approximately 35g/kg of dissolved substances,
which produces an average salinity of 35‰.

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 Dissolved Gases

Oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are the most significant
dissolved gases in water.
1. Oxygen is used for respiration and
2. Carbon dioxide is used for photosynthesis.
 Main Source of gases are atmosphere
 Diffusion, relatively slow process so physical mixing is
required
 In physically active water bodies (e.g rivers, wind swept lakes and
oceans) mixing is sufficient to maintain high concentrations
 In less active water bodies (e.g sheltered lakes) mixing will be
limited. Concentrations depends on biological activity.
 Photosynthesisers deplete carbon dioxide and produce oxygen
during the day, whereas at night respiration causes a reversal
of this pattern.
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 Dissolved Gases

• The concentration of oxygen in solution is determined by

temperature and pressure.
• The concentration at which water becomes Saturated with oxygen
will be reduced if either temperature or pressure is increased.
• For example 25oC water will contain 8.26mg/L of oxygen at
saturation, whereas 5oC water will contain 12.77mg/L.
•Oxygen solubility is also reduced by increasing solute
concentrations, as the more solutes water contains the less oxygen it
can hold.
•Carbon dioxide (CO2) is also subject to the same effects of
temperature, pressure and salinity.

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