1. Life in the Ocean

2. Three Groups of Marine Life
Plankton – organisms that float near the ocean’s surface – mostly microscopic
Phytoplankton: plantlike
Zooplankton: animal-like

3. Three Groups of Marine Life
Nekton – free swimming organisms of the oceans (mammals, whales, dolphins, sea lions, fish).
Most abundant in surface water

4. Three Groups of Marine Life
Benthos – organisms that live on the ocean floor in mud, sand & rock.
crabs, sea stars, worms, coral, sponges, seaweed, clams

5. Benthic Environment
The ecological zone of the ocean that includes the ocean floor and all the organisms that live on or in it
Divided into different zones based on depth
Intertidal
Sublittoral
Bathyal
Abyssal
Hadal

6. Intertidal Zone Located between the low- and high-tide limits
Is covered with water twice a day as the tides change
The organisms that live in this zone must be able to breathe underwater and on land
Must be able to keep from being washed out with the tide.
Clams, oysters, barnacles, crabs, starfish, sea anemones

8. Sublittoral Zone
Begins at the low-tide limit and extends to the edge of the continental shelf
Depths reach to 200 m
Temperature, water pressure, sunlight are fairly constant
Most animals stay in the upper 100 m to reach the sunlight

10. Bathyal Zone Extends from edge of continental shelf to abyssal plain
200 m – 4,000 m
Lack of sunlight = few plants
Animals include: sponges, brachiopods, sea stars, echinoids, octopuses

12. Abyssal Zone Scientist know very little about this zone
Very deep and dark
4,000 and below – can reach 6,000 m
Few animals/ no plants
Some crabs, sponges, worms, sea cucumbers
Live around hot-water vents & in extreme conditions

14. Hadal Zone The deepest benthic zone
Consists of deepest ocean floor and trenches
Less is known about this zone than the abyssal zone
Few animals: a type of sponge, a few worms, a type of clam

16. The Pelagic Environment
The environmental zone that includes the entire volume of water in the ocean and the marine organisms that live above the ocean floor
Two major zones
Neritic Zone
Oceanic Zone

17. Neritic Zone
Includes the volume of water that covers the continental shelf
Warm, shallow zone
Largest concentration of marine life
Lots of sunlight
Lots of benthos to serve as food
Fish, plankton and marine mammals

19. Oceanic Zone
Includes the volume of water that covers the entire sea floor except for the continental shelf
In deeper parts, the temperature is colder and the pressure is greater
Organisms spread out more
Some animals include giant squid, whales

21. Resources http://www.beachwatchers.wsu.edu/ezidweb/animals/