1. Ch 17-3 Notes on Marine Ecosystems
Phytoplankton: the microscopic, photosynthetic organisms that float near the surface of marine or fresh water.
-the base if the ocean’s food chains

2. Estuary: an area where fresh water mixes w/ salt water from the ocean
Estuary: an area where fresh water mixes w/ salt water from the ocean. Sargasso Sea: contains floating rafts of algae. Coral reef: made of the skeletons of small animals.

3. Key Biotic Factors: -water temperature -water depth -amount of sunlight Intertidal zone: the place where the ocean meets the land.

4. Abyssal Zone: the ocean floor, most of which gets no sunlight.
Part of the Intertidal Ecosystem:
- mudflats
- rocky shores
- sandy beaches
*The polar ice ecosystem supports large numbers of phytoplankton b/c of its nutrient- rich waters.