1. Aquatic Life Zones

2. Marine Biomes

3. Coastal Zone Nearest to the shoreline Relatively warm, nutrient rich, shallow. Ample sunlight. Most productive marine zone (90% of species).

5. Examples of Coastal Zones Examples: coral reefs, estuaries, coastal wetlands (marshes), beaches, barrier islands.

6. Open Ocean Zone Euphotic zone- 0 -200 meters. Light penetration allows photosynthesis. Phytoplankton and zooplankton are abundant.

8. Bathyal zone- 200 – 1500 meters. Twilight condition. Fewer organisms. Less productive.

10. Abyssal zone- 1500+. Total darkness. Organisms adapted to darkness and high pressure.

11. Freshwater Biomes

12. Lakes Large, natural bodies of standing freshwater.

13. Lake types Eutrophic- well nourished. Oligotrophic- poorly nourished. Mesotrophic- medium levels of nutrients.

15. Lake Zones Littoral- along shoreline, emergent plants. Limnetic- water zone with light penetration.

17. More lake zones… Produndal- to deep for light penetration, sparsely populated.

18. Freshwater Streams Water flows with gravity. Ex. river, creek. Watershed- all areas which drain into a body of water.

19. Stream Zones Source- water rushes fast and cold from highland source. Transition- begins to slow and warm

21. More stream zones Flood plain- stream becomes slow and meandering through flat country.

23. Inland Wetlands Lands covered with fresh water at least part of the year. Ex. Bogs, marshes, swamps, prairie potholes, mudflats, wet meadows.

24. Aquatic Life Zone Determining Factors Water type- salt or fresh Light penetration- fuels photosynthesis Nutrient inflow- near the land, upwellings Depth- pressure, light penetration