SCM 330 Ocean Discovery through Technology Area F GE

Biological Oceanography

Marine Biology Marine Biology is the study of organisms that happen to be marine. The focus is on the organisms themselves Biological Oceanography Biological Oceanography is the study of the relationships between marine organisms and the marine environments where they are found. The focus is on how these organisms “make a living” in their environment

Biological Oceanography Contain highly organized matter (low entropy). Capture, store, transmit energy. Reproduce nearly identical forms. Live in ecosystems  Energy cycling by living things.  Cycling of matter by living things.

Biological Oceanography Energy Pathways Photosynthesis Photosynthesis —autotrophic metabolism Green plants, photosynthetic bacteria 6CO H 2 O energy in  C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6O 2 Respiration Respiration —heterotrophic metabolism Consumers (animals, fungi, humans) C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6O 2  energy out 6CO 2 + 6H 2 O + ATP (ATP is a biochemical energy storage compound) ADP energy in   ATP : ATP  energy out ADP Chemosynthesis Chemosynthesis —autotrophic metabolism using chemical energy 2H 2 S + 5O 2  energy out 2SO 4 + 2H 2 O +

Biological Oceanography The amount of organic matter in an ecosystem (measured as amount per surface area) is its biomass, the total mass of all living things and their products. Ecosystem production is measured as biomass, energy stored, or stored carbon. Net production is the change in biomass over a specified time. NP=B 2 -B 1 or NP = GP - Respiration

Biological Oceanography The gross production of biomass by autotrophs refers to the total production of organic matter within these individuals. Biomass remaining after individuals’ use of gross production through respiration is the net production. The products of net production increase organisms’ total weight, energy content, and stored carbon.

Biological Oceanography conservation of energy The first law of thermodynamics or the law of conservation of energy states that neither matter nor energy is created nor destroyed in any process, but can be changed from one form to another. no energy transfer can be 100% efficient The second law of thermodynamics states that in any energy transfer, the energy is changed from a more useful, organized form to a less useful and organized form. Thus, no energy transfer can be 100% efficient. energy is degraded, dissipated Ecosystems are “fueled” by an external energy source. Passing through the system, the energy is degraded, dissipated, then released to an external energy sink.

Biological Oceanography Energy Transfer up the Food Chain/Web Human

Biological Oceanography Classification of Organisms: Taxonomic – Morphology/Genetic Similarity Functional – What they do in the environment Habitat – Where they exist Size

Biological Oceanography Taxonomic Swedish botanist Carl Linneaus ( ).

Biological Oceanography Functional Autotrophic Chemoautotrophic Photoautotrophic Producer Prokaryotic - bacteria Eukaryotic Heterotrophic Microbial Loop Decomposer Consumer (primary/secondary)

Biological Oceanography Plankton - floaters - organisms that either do not swim or can propel themselves weakly Nekton - swimmers - organisms capable of moving significant distances or at significant speeds Benthos - organisms that live on or within the ocean bottom Habitat

Biological Oceanography Plankton Plankton are organisms that drift with the current Many species can swim, but not sufficient to determine their horizontal position Usually are limited to vertical movements (migration) Much of Earth’s biomass is plankton Phytoplankton - photosynthetic (plant) plankton Zooplankton - animal plankton Bacterioplankton - bacterial plankton Macroplankton are large plankton ( cm) Picoplankton are very small plankton ( µm) Holoplankton - are planktonic for their entire life Meroplankton - are benthic or nektonic organisms that have planktonic larvae phytoplankton

Biological Oceanography Nekton Nekton includes all the animals capable of moving independently of the ocean currents Many species undergo long migrations Distributions limited by salinity, temperature, food, etc.

Benthos includes all animals and plants that live on the ocean bottom Epifauna - attached to surface hard structures or move along the sediment surface Infauna - buried in the sediment or shells Nektobenthos - live along the bottom but occasionally move into the water column Biological Oceanography Benthos

Biological Oceanography Pelagic Environmental Divisions By distance from land: Neritic - over the continental shelf Oceanic -offshore of continental shelf By depth: Epipelagic m (photic zone) Mesopelagic m (subphotic zone) Bathypelagic m Abyssalpelagic m Hadalpelagic - >6000 m (in trenches)

Biological Oceanography Divided by depth: Littoral - shore & surf zone Sublittoral - continental shelf Bathyal - upper slope Abyssal - lower continental slopes and abyssal plains Hadal - trenches Benthic Environmental Divisions

Biological Oceanography Size

Biological Oceanography Influences Boundary Layer Physiology

Biological Oceanography Organization: Individual Population – group of a certain species Communities – groups of populations Ecosystems Global Behavior

Biological Oceanography Individual (Marine Biology) Predator Prey Symbiotic – coexist with another species Parasitic Commensal Reproduction Asexual - Clones Sexual Migration Mate Selection Free-swimming Gametes Settling Physiology - swim

Mass Spawning Event

Population Predator Prey Reproduction Asexual - Clones Sexual Migration Mate Selection Free-swimming Gametes Settling Biological Oceanography

Communities Predator Prey Physical Interactions Chemical Interactions Diversity Biological Oceanography

Diversity: richness, evenness & dominance Two communities with same 10 species; If we selected groups at random from A & B, how long would we have to sample before we got all 10? What is the dominant species in A, B? What happens to A & B if each is affect by an elephant disease? A B

Biological Oceanography Ecosystems – Functions as a separate unit – Unique features Coastal Ecosystem, SF Bay, West Florida Shelf, Monterey Bay Physical Interactions Chemical Interactions Biological Feedbacks – Biogeochemical Cycling, Production, Fisheries Diversity

Biological Oceanography Global – Overall effect of biology on a global scale Biogeochemical Cycling

Biological Oceanography Distributions: Physical Conditions Chemical Conditions Physiological Responses/Tolerances Biological Interactions Reproduction Predation Food Availability Behavioral Responses

Biological Oceanography Physiological Responses/Tolerances Salt - osmoregulation Physical Adaptations – buoyancy viscosity Temperature – feeding/growth Desiccation – spray zone Light – Intensity and spectral quality photoreceptors photosynthesis

Biological Oceanography Salinity Salinity has a great effect on marine organisms because of the need to regulate salt and water inside the body Eury- means wideSteno- means narrow Euryhaline Organisms tolerate a wide range in salinity Examples include oysters, crabs, estuarine fishes These organisms flourish in coastal zones where salinity varies greatly Stenohaline Organisms have a narrow salinity tolerance Includes many open-ocean species These organisms are adapted to narrow salinity range and do not tolerate change Stenohaline clownfish Euryhaline Fundulus heteroclitus (an estuary species)

Biological Oceanography Diffusion and Osmosis Diffusion - the movement of particles from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration Osmosis - the movement of water across a semi-permeable membrane from a region of lower concentration to a region of higher concentration Diffusion Osmosis Molecules want to be distributed equally

Biological Oceanography Salinity & Osmosis Salinity and Osmosis Osmosis is important to all aquatic organisms, fresh or saltwater The skin and cell membranes act as a semi-permeable membrane For many marine organisms, their body fluids have the same salinity as seawater (isotonic) Examples - jellyfish, shark, invertebrates If body fluids are less salty than seawater, they are hypotonic Examples - most salt water fish If body fluids are more salty than seawater, they are hypertonic Examples - fresh water fish, you Osmotic Pressure is the pressure that must be applied to the more concentrated solution to prevent passage of water molecules through the membrane Osmotic pressure increases with increasing salinity

Biological Oceanography Osmotic Pressure Effects If a membrane containing a solution with 2% sugar (or salt) is placed in pure water, water will diffuse into the membrane and it will swell If a membrane containing a solution with 2% sugar is place in a bath with 10% sugar, water will diffuse out and the membrane will collapse If the solution inside and outside the membrane have the same composition (isotonic), there will be no net movement of water

Biological Oceanography Adaptations for Physical Support Marine organisms use buoyancy and frictional resistance to maintain their desired position in the water column Many species have special structures to increase/regulate buoyancy and frictional resistance These plankton have appendages that increase their friction with the viscous water surrounding them Keeps them from falling to the bottom of the ocean Fish use swim bladders - internal air sacs - to adjust buoyancy - they try to stay nearly neutral if they are pelagic

Biological Oceanography Temperature Feeding Growth Rates Metabolic function Swimming For phytoplankton growth rate doubles with an increase in temperature of 10°C

Biological Oceanography Bowhead Whale Distributions Spawning (shaded) and nursery (hatched) grounds of selected commercial fish species

Biological Oceanography Distributions Physical Conditions Chemical Conditions Occurs at all scales!

Biological Oceanography

Biogeochemical Cycling Carbon Cycle

Introduction To Marine Science Goals: Background of the Dynamic Processes at work in the Ocean.