Lesson 21:

Marine Ecosystems

Marine Ecology
 Life in the marine environment

 We’ve learned a lot about the biology of different

types of marine organisms

 In marine science, it is important to understand why

these creatures live where they do and how they
interact with their environment

 Today we will learn about marine ecology: the study

of the relationship of marine organisms with each
other and with the environment
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 Life in the marine environment

 The ocean can be divided into zones based on depth

(vertically) and distance from land (horizontally)

 Different zones of the ocean have conditions that

support different organisms

 What is an ecosystem?

 An ecosystem is a physically distinct area that

contains a community of interacting organisms
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 Ocean zones and continental margins

 Many ocean zones are defined based on continental margins.

 To help you understand ocean zones, let’s first review
continental Margins:
 Continental Margin: Submerged area of continents. Include:
– Continental Shelf (flat gradually sloping seafloor) from shoreline to ~
200m; End of Shelf is called the Shelf Break
– Continental Slope (steeply sloping seafloor) seaward of shelf break
– Continental Rise (Moderately sloping seafloor) seaward of slope

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 Pelagic and benthic zones
Photos: NOAA

 One simple ocean zone

classification is between the
water and the ocean floor

 The water is referred to as the

pelagic zone Shark: Pelagic (nekton)
– Organisms that swim through
the water column are known as
nekton

 The ocean floor is referred to

as the benthic zone
– Organisms that live here are
5 benthic organisms or benthos Crab: Benthic (benthos)
 Pelagic and benthic zone divisions

Pelagic zone divisions Benthic zone divisions

(depth from surface)
Epipelagic (0-200m)
Mesopelagic (200-1,000m)
Bathypelagic (1,000-4,000m)
Abyssopelagic (4,000-6,000m
Hadalpelagic (6,000-10,000m) Hadal – the deepest zone, below 6,000m
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(seafloor zones)
Supralittoral –shore above high tide
Littoral – the intertidal zone (sometimes
submerged and sometimes above water)
Sublittoral – seafloor of the continental
shelf (from low tide to the shelf break)
Bathyl – seafloor of the continental slope
to the deep ocean bottom
Abyssal – deep ocean bottom between
the base of the slope and 6,000 m
 Pelagic and benthic zone divisions

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 Species evolve traits that help them
survive in their environment

 Species in different environments may evolve different

lifestyles, behaviors and physical traits

 Do you remember a few ways that intertidal organisms

are adapted to their relatively harsh environment?

 Species usually are not completely isolated from one

another, but interact with other species that live in a
shared environment

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 What is an ecosystem?
Coral Reef Beach
 Populations of different species interacting with one
another in a shared environment form a community

 An ecosystem is a distinct physical entity with unique

abiotic (nonliving) conditions that is home to a
Intertidal (Splash zone)
community of interacting species

 Can you think of some marine ecosystems you have

learned about in earlier lessons, classes or elsewhere?

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 Energy is transferred through ecosystems

Secondary
consumers eat
primary
Solar energy consumers to
is converted to get energy
chemical
energy by
autotrophs

Primary
consumers eat
primary
producers to
10 get energy
Photos: NOAA
 Life in ecosystems is interconnected

 As you’ve probably already realized, the marine

environment consists of many distinct ecosystems that
contain unique organisms
 How do you think life within ecosystems is
interconnected?
 Marine organisms form relationships with one another
and share space and resources
 As a result, an impact on a single species in an
ecosystem can affect many other species in the same
ecosystem

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 Important interactions
Photo: NOAA

 It is important to manage our

natural resources in a way that
reflects the interconnectedness of
ecosystems and their
components

 Ecosystem-based management
(EBM) is a management
approach that includes these
interactions instead of Management of ecosystems, like this bleached
considering single species or coral reef, requires looking beyond just the
single issues at a time coral itself. Other important factors to study
might include pollution, development,
 NOAA applies EBM in its watershed management and interactions with
management of marine resources other species.
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 Student activity: Ecosystem case study on
an estuary

 An estuary is a body of water that forms where freshwater

from rivers and streams flows into the ocean and mixes
with seawater to form a unique and productive ecosystem
 One of our nation’s most valued ecosystems, the
Chesapeake Bay, is an estuary
– In fact, it is one of the largest estuaries in the world
 In today’s exercise, you will analyze data about the blue
crab to make inferences about the health of the
Chesapeake Bay ecosystem

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