Oceans are the largest of all ecosystems, dominating the Earth's surface. The ocean's regions are separated into four different zones:
- The Intertidal Zone, where ocean meets land, few animals, plants and algae make their homes below the high tide and low tide levels here.
- The Pelagic Zone, or open ocean, is the largest area of the marine ecosystem, home to fish, plankton, and some mammals such as whales and dolphins.
- The Benthic Zone, is a shallow zone with much sunlight, many animals, plants, and algae thrive on the sea floor.
- The Abyssal Zone, or deep ocean, offers unusual extreme environments, due to its cold and dark climate, many living things have found ways to survive.
Oceans differentiate from place to place. There are many different ecosystems within the ocean depending on certain conditions such as water temperature, amount of sunlight that filters through the water, and amount of nutrients. Sunlight brakes through the top layer of ocean water, most marine life lives in this top layer. There, plankton, algae, and plants make their own food through the process of photosynthesis, being the start of most food chains. Temperature of ocean water varies due to the location of such ocean. Polar regions, compared to regions near the equator, is bitter cold. Also, as depth increases within the ocean, water temperatures drop as light can reach only so far. Most animals and plants can only survive in certain temperatures of the ocean water, however there are some that can withstand a range of temperatures, allowing them to live in more places in the ocean.
Weather and Location
The marine biome has an important influence on our terrestrial climate, providing rain for crops through the process of evaporation, wind to provide air circulation, and affects coastal temperatures. The continuous motion of the ocean results in currents and wave that are either warm or cold depending on the weather and temperature of the area. The average temperature of the ocean is 39°F, the sun heats only the surface of the ocean water, as the deep ocean floor is cold and dark. The five main ocean biomes in the world are the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean. These oceans also branch off into major seas such as the Mediterranean Sea, the South China Sea, and the Caribbean Sea.
Flora and Fauna
The Atlantic Wolffish were found off the coast of Maine.
Life in the ocean biome is very diverse, it is believed that this is the biome where life began. There is a wide variety of species of animals and plants found in the ocean. Large mammals living in the ocean help keep it balanced, they consume large numbers of the smaller animals, so they don't overpopulate. Due to the large drop of temperature on the ocean floor, certain animals have been able to adapt, such as whales and their thick layers of fat, known as "blubber".
Plants found in the ocean include many species of...
Plants found in the ocean include many species of...
- algae
- seagrasses
- coral
- fish
- jellyfish
- whales
- shark
- dolphins
Ocean Issues
- Marine Pollution- recent studies show that degradation has dramatically accelerated in the past few centuries as industrial discharge and runoff from farms and coastal cities has increased. Pollution is the introduction of harmful contaminants that are outside the norm of an ecosystem. Common contaminants in the oceans depths include pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, detergent, oil, sewage, plastics and other solids. These collects at the ocean floor where small marine organisms consume them, being introduced into the food web. Many of these ocean pollutants are released far upstream from coastlines, farmers apply fertilizers inland, which end up in streams and groundwater supplies which then are deposited in estuaries and bays. The access nutrients cause massive blooms in algae population that take away the oceans oxygen, leaving areas where little to no marine animals can exist. Solid wastes also find their way into the oceans waters, where marine mammals, fish, and birds consume it, mistaking them for food.
- Overfishing- Overfishing began as international efforts to increase the availability and affordability of protein-rich foods, the government pushed efforts to increase fishing. There was a rapid rise of big industrial fishing operations, these commercials fleets taking over the fishing business, then began development of more efficent methods, using technology for fishing. Consumers became accustomed to having access to a wide variety of fish species at affordable prices. By 1989, when around 90 million tons of fish were taken from the ocean the industry hit its high- water mark. Since then fish prices have gone up, with the decrease in fish species, and overall amounts of fish in ocean waters.
- Sea Temperature Rise- as climate change has warmed Earth, oceans have responded more slowly than land environments, however scientists are finding that marine ecosystems can be far more sensitive to even the slightest temperature change. Human activities have caused global warming, raising the average global temperature by 1°F, and 0.18°F in oceans, over the last century. Coral is the most vulnerable ocean organism to temperature change, as there is evidence that reefs will bleach at even the smallest temperature rise. For coral, bleaching slows growth, making them more vulnerable to disease and can lead to large-scale reefs dieing. When water heats, it expands, another consequence of higher sea temperatures is a rapid rise in sea level. This can cause the flooding of coastal habitats for humans, animals, and plants, which leads to shoreline erosion. Warmer sea temperatures are also associated with the spread of invasive species and marine diseases. If an ecosystem becomes warmer, it allows outside species or bacteria to thrive where they once could not, this can lead to forced migrations or even the extinction of species.
Why should you visit?
Anse Source d’Argent.
The ocean is a common vacation spot to young families and old couples. Many of us have visited the ocean sometimes in our lives for a relaxing getaway from the stress and chaos of everyday life. Every summer, beach along shore major oceans and seas are packed, from sun up till sundown. It is no wonder why we visit such places, the soft sand, the warm ocean waters, the relaxing colors, and clear skies make one wish to visit the ocean beaches. They are a common vacation spot, yet not many realize just what is under the turquoise sheet that is spread across 70% of the Earth.
Interesting Facts!
- A common belief is that the ocean biome was the first biome to exist.
- This biome occupies about 70% of the Earth's surfaces.
- The deepest part of any ocean biome in the world is 36,200 feet deep.
- The Pacific Ocean is the largest of all ocean biomes in the world, stretching 64 million square miles!
- The tide of every ocean biome is altered twice a day, affecting the movement patterns and eating habits of the animal living there.
- There is about one cup of salt per gallon of water in the ocean.