1. Aquatic Ecosystems Marine Freshwater Oceans Ponds & Lakes Coral Reefs
Estuaries
Mangroves
Freshwater
Ponds & Lakes
Streams & Rivers
Wetlands

2. Freshwater
Ponds & Lakes
Streams & Rivers
Wetlands

3. Freshwater
Freshwater is defined as having a low salt concentration—usually less than 1%
Plants and animals in freshwater regions are adjusted to the low salt content and would not be able to survive in areas of high salt concentration (i.e, ocean)

4. Ponds and Lakes
range in size from just a few square meters to thousands of square kilometers
ponds may be seasonal, lasting just a couple of months (such as sessile pools)
lakes may exist for hundreds of years or more
may have limited species diversity since they are often isolated from one another and from other water sources like rivers and oceans

5. Ponds and Lakes
divided into three different “zones” determined by depth and distance from the shoreline
littoral zone
limnetic zone
profundal zone

7. Littoral Zone
warmest since it is shallow and can absorb more of the Sun’s heat
sustains a fairly diverse community, which can include several species of algae (like diatoms), rooted and floating aquatic plants, grazing snails, clams, insects, crustaceans, fishes, and amphibians
the egg and larvae stages of some insects are found in this zone
vegetation and animals living in the littoral zone are food for other creatures such as turtles, snakes, and ducks

8. Limnetic Zone near-surface open water surrounded by the littoral zone
well-lighted (like the littoral zone) and is dominated by plankton, both phytoplankton and zooplankton
plankton are small organisms that play a crucial role in the food chain – most life would not be possible without them
variety of freshwater fish also occupy this zone

9. Profundal Zone
Plankton have short life spans—when they die, they fall into the deep-water part of the lake/pond
much colder and denser than the other two
little light penetrates all the way through the limnetic zone into the profundal zone
animals are decomposers

10. Ponds and Lakes Temperature varies seasonally. Summer Winter
from 4° C near the bottom to 22° C at the top
Winter
from 4° C while the top is 0° C (ice)
between the two layers is a narrow zone called the thermocline where the temperature of the water changes rapidly with depth

11. Ponds and Lakes
during the spring and fall seasons is a mixing of the top and bottom layers resulting in a uniform water temperature of around 4° C
mixing also circulates oxygen throughout the lake
many lakes and ponds do not freeze during the winter resulting in the top layer being a little warmer

12. ice can develop on the top of lakes during winter
Ponds and Lakes
ice can develop on the top of lakes during winter
blocks out sunlight and can prevent photosynthesis
oxygen levels drop and some plants and animals may die
called "winterkill."

13. Ponds and Lakes

14. Types of Lakes: Oligotrophic – nutrient poor
Fig p. 158

15. Types of Lakes: Eutrophic – nutrient rich
Fig p. 158

16. Streams & Rivers bodies of flowing water moving in one direction
found everywhere—they get their start at headwaters, which may be springs, snowmelt or even lakes
travel all the way to their mouths, usually another water channel or the ocean

17. Watershed
describes an area of land that contains a common set of streams and rivers
drains into a single larger body of water, such as a larger river, a lake or an ocean

18. Streams & Rivers
characteristics change during the journey from the source to the mouth
temperature is cooler at the source than it is at the mouth
water is also clearer, has higher oxygen levels, and freshwater fish such as trout and heterotrophs can be found there

19. Streams & Rivers
Towards the middle part of the stream/river, the width increases, as does species diversity—numerous aquatic green plants and algae can be found

20. Streams & Rivers
toward the mouth the water becomes murky from all the sediments that it has picked up upstream
decreasing the amount of light that can penetrate through the water
less light
less diversity of flora
lower oxygen levels
fish that require less oxygen, such as catfish and carp, can be found

21. Streams & Rivers

22. Wetlands
Wetlands are areas of standing water that support aquatic plants
Marshes, swamps, and bogs are all considered wetlands

23. Wetlands highest species diversity of all ecosystems
many species of amphibians, reptiles, birds (such as ducks and waders), and furbearers can be found in the wetlands
not considered freshwater ecosystems as there are some, such as salt marshes, that have high salt concentrations—these support different species of animals, such as shrimp, shellfish, and various grasses

24. Coastal Wetlands Land areas covered with H2O all or part of the year
Include: mouths of rivers, bays, sounds, mangrove forest swamps in tropical waters
Temperature & salinity vary widely with tidal, seasonal & weather changes

25.                            
Wetlands
Plants
adapted to the very moist and humid conditions are called hydrophytes
Pond lilies Cattails Sedges
Tamarack Black Spruce
Gum Cypress

26. River Otter Damselfly Dragonfly Mayfly Crayfish Snails Leech Bluegill Bass Catfish Sculpin Minnow Snakes Frog Turtle Great Blue Heron Canadian Goose
Wetlands

27. Human Impact on Freshwater Inland Wetlands
Fragmentation by dams, diversions or canals  wildlife habitat destruction
Flood control dikes & levees  habitat damage, disconnect rivers from floodplains, eliminate important spawning grounds
Drainage or filling of wetlands for agriculture

28. Aquatic Ecosystems
Marine
Oceans
Coral Reefs
Estuaries

29. Marine
cover about three-fourths of the Earth’s surface and include oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries
algae supply much of the world’s oxygen supply and take in a huge amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide
evaporation of the seawater provides rainwater for the land

30. Oceans largest of all the ecosystems dominate the Earth’s surface
separate zones
Intertidal
Pelagic
Abyssal
Benthic
great diversity of species
richest diversity of species even though it contains fewer species than there are on land

31. Oceans

32. Ocean Zones
Fig. 7-7 p. 148
Refer to Figs & 7-12
p. 151 & 152

33. Euphotic Zone Upper layer
Photosynthesis can occur here because sunlight can penetrate
Algal blooms may cause a decrease in euphotic zone

34. A note or two about Dissolved Oxygen (DO)…
High at surface – b/c of diffusion from atmosphere & photosynthesis
Lower at depths – b/c of use by consumers during respiration
Warm water holds more DO than cold water
Remember that CO2 is the reverse!

35. Intertidal Zone where the ocean meets the land
sometimes submerged and at other times exposed
waves and tides come in and out
communities are constantly changing

37. Pelagic – Open Ocean
waters further from the land, basically the open ocean
generally cold though it is hard to give a general temperature range since, just like ponds and lakes, there is thermal stratification with a constant mixing of warm and cold ocean currents

40. Mesopelagic Zone "twilight zone" of the ocean
"twilight zone" of the ocean
photic zone above
darkness below
food becomes scarce – some animals
migrate up to the surface at night to feed
rely on food that falls down from above
eat each other
sometimes the only things to eat may be bigger than the hunter
developed long sharp teeth,
expandable jaws and stomachs

41. ctenophore – related to jellyfish
Big Scale - ambush predator cilia can be illuminated
Firefly squid
three kinds of photophores
Hatchet Fish
only a few inches long
Viperfish
specially adapted hinged skull
Dragonfish - stomachs hold big meals
Snipeel
up to 1.2m Siphonophores are colonies of animals
related to jellyfish
best known is Portugese Man of War

42. Bathypelagic Zone extends down from 1000 to 4000m
only light is from bioluminescent organisms
only food is what trickles down from above, or from eating other animals
water pressure at this depth is considerable (~100 – 400 atmospheres)
most animals are either black or red in color
very little blue/green light penetrates this deep – red is not reflected and looks black

43. Narcomedusa
Vampire Squid
Snake Dragon
Angler Fish
Amphi - crustacean
Ctenophore – voracious predator
Deepstaria very slow swimmers, no tentacles, close flexible bells (up to a meter across) around their prey
Big Red
grows to over
a meter across

44. Abyssopelagic Zone - the Abyss
4000m to the sea floor
only zone deeper than this is the hadal zone
areas found in deep sea trenches and canyons
home to pretty inhospitable living conditions
near- freezing temperatures
crushing pressures

45. Deep Water Squid Basketstar Sea Pig Sea Spider Shrimp Winged Sea Cucumber Medussa Deep Sea Smoker - 648°F Deep-sea Anemone Hydrothermal Vent

46. The Coral Reef Biome
A Look at a Marine Biome

47. What Is a Coral Reef?
A structure formed by coral polyps, tiny animals that live in colonies.
Coral polyps form a hard, stony, branching structure made of limestone.
New polyps attach to old coral and gradually build the reef.

48. A World of Coral Reefs
= Coral Reef

49. Coral Reef Climate Usually found near land in shallow, warm salt water
Lots of light
Tropical temperatures, averaging 70°-85° F
Most coral cannot survive below 65° F

50. Phytoplankton Coral Reef Plants Microscopic
Basis for all ocean food chains

51. Coral Reef Plants Algae Green Red Brown algae takes many forms
Green and red algae contain limestone and when they die, they disintegrate into sand.
Brown algae has many different forms and looks more like seaweed.

52. Seaweed and Sea grasses
Coral Reef Plants
Seaweed and Sea grasses
Brown seaweed
Sea grass
Shoal grass
Turtle grass
                          

53. Fascinating Fact: The Great Barrier Reef
World’s largest coral reef
Over 1257 miles long
Off the northeast coast of Australia
Only grows about one inch per year

54. The Great Barrier Reef: Home to…
1500 species of fish
400 different types of coral
4,000 mollusks
500 species of seaweed
215 species of birds
16 species of sea snake
6 species of sea turtle
Whales visit during winter

55. Symbiotic relationships
Coral Reef Creatures
Symbiotic relationships
Coral with algae
Clown fish with sea anemones

56. Coral Reef Creatures Sea horse Angel fish John Dory Butterfly fish
Tropical fish
Angel fish
John Dory
Butterfly fish
Sea horse
Octopus
Reef shark

57. Sample Food Chain Starfish Coral Octopus Zooplankton Moray Eel
Phytoplankton

58. Major Threats to Coral Reefs
Ocean warming
Soil erosion
Algae growth from fertilizer
runoff
Mangrove destruction
Coral reef bleaching
Rising sea levels
Increased UV exposure from
ozone depletion
Using cyanide and dynamite
to harvest coral reef fish
Coral removal for building
material, aquariums, and
jewelry
Damage from anchors, ships,
and tourist divers
Major Threats to Coral Reefs

59. Estuaries
enclosed body of water formed where freshwater from rivers and streams flows into the ocean, mixing with the salty sea water
estuaries and the lands surrounding them are places of transition from land to sea, and from fresh to salt water
although influenced by the tides, estuaries are protected from the full force of ocean waves, winds, and storms by the reefs, barrier islands, or fingers of land, mud, or sand that define an estuary's seaward boundary

60. The widely fluctuating environmental conditions in estuaries make life stressful for organisms.
Estuaries are extremely fertile because nutrients are brought in by rivers and recycled from the bottom because of the turbulence.
Stressful conditions and abundant nutrients result in low species diversity, but great abundance of the species present.
Despite abundance of nutrients, phytoplankton blooms are irregular and the base of the food chain is detritus washed in from adjacent salt marshes.
The benthonic fauna strongly reflects the nature of the substrate and most fishes are juvenile forms living within the estuary until they mature and migrate to the ocean.

61. Estuaries Estuaries are sometimes called “marine nurseries”
Estuaries are sometimes called “marine nurseries”
habitats for many juvenile organisms, especially for fishes
many fish are born and grow up in estuaries
migrate to the open ocean

62. Estuaries – an ecotone
Partially enclosed area where seawater mixes with freshwater & nutrients (coming from rivers, streams & runoff)
Important nursery areas – protective environment for birth & growth & development

63. Salt marshes are intertidal flats covered by grassy vegetation.
Marshes are most commonly found in protected areas with a moderate tidal range, such as the landward side of barrier islands.
Marshes flood daily at high tide and then drain through a series of channels with the ebb tide.
They are one of the most productive environments.
Marshes can be divided into two parts: Low salt marshes and High salt marshes.
Distribution and density of organisms in salt marshes strongly reflects availability of food, need for protection, and frequency of flooding.

64. Mangroves are large woody trees with a dense, complex root system that grows downward from the branches
Mangroves are the dominant plant of the tropical and subtropical intertidal area
Distribution of the trees is largely controlled by air temperature, exposure to wave and current attack, tidal range, substrate and sea water chemistry
Detritus from the mangrove forms the base of the food chain

65. Mangrove Forests Tropical coastal wetlands
Protect coastlines from wave action
Provide filtering of runoff & river water which helps to protect coral reefs
Provide important habitats for aquatic species
36% of mangrove forests have been cleared since 1980’s for agriculture & aquaculture