1. Aquatic Ecology
Life of the Wet Things

2. Marine vs. Fresh Marine = Salt water Freshwater = Non-salty water
Estuaries, Coastlines, Coral reefs, Coastal marshes, Deep ocean
Freshwater = Non-salty water
Lakes, Ponds, Stream, Rivers, Inland wetlands

3. Major Types of Aquatic Life
Plankton – Free floating
Nekton – Strong swimming
Benthos – Bottom dwelling

4. Advantages of Living in Water
Natural buoyancy
Less energy spent on support
Usually limited fluctuations of temperature
Nutrients usually available
Waste/toxins diluted

5. Limiting Factors of Life at Different Depths
Three major zones
Surface
Middle
Bottom

6. Limiting Factors of Life at Different Depths
Life limited by following factors at different depths
Temperature
Sunlight DO
Nutrients

7. Limiting Factors of Life at Different Depths
Temperature drops as depth increases

8. Limiting Factors of Life at Different Depths
Sunlight can only penetrate about 100ft (30m)
Euphotic Zone

9. Limiting Factors of Life at Different DepthsDO
Varies by temperature and depth
Comes mostly from atmosphere
Can be added to by producers
Depleted by consumers

10. Limiting Factors of Life at Different Depths

11. Limiting Factors of Life at Different Depths
Nutrients
Affected by upwelling
Phosphorus (phosphates) most limiting in freshwater
Nitrogen (nitrates) most limiting in saltwater

13. Saltwater Life Zones Importance of oceans 71% of planet Heat sink
Major role in hydrologic cycle
Has a somewhat large influence in the earth’s weather patterns
Ok, not so large, more like HUGE
Gigantic reservoir for CO2

14. Saltwater Life Zones Two major life zones Coastal Zone Open Ocean
On top of the continental shelf
10% of ocean/90% of ocean life
High primary and net productivity
Open Ocean

15. Saltwater Life Zones

16. Saltwater Life Zones

17. Saltwater Life Zones Estuaries and Tidal Zones Salt and freshwater mix
Temperature and salinity vary
Runoff
Tidal flow
Huge cleaning affect on environment

22. Saltwater Life Zones Coastal Wetlands
Covered by salt water most of the year
Breeding grounds/habitat for wildlife
Filters waste/toxin
Buffers shores against damage
Bays, Mud flats, Salt marshes

24. Saltwater Life Zones Rocky and Sandy Shores Intertidal Zone
Between low and high tide
Rocky shores
Pounded by waves, but still lots of life
Barrier beaches
Life must dig

26. Saltwater Life Zones Human impact on coastal zones
2/3 of human life live within 100 miles of a coast
California has lost 91% of its original coastal wetlands

27. Saltwater Life Zones Coastal wetlands very vulnerable to pollution
Easy to trap pollutants
Coral reefs decreasing due to human destruction

28. Saltwater Life Zones Open ocean
Three life zones based on penetration of sunlight
Euphotic
Bathyal
Abyssal

30. Saltwater Life Zones Euphotic Photosynthesis takes place Low nutrients
High DO

31. Saltwater Life Zones Bathyal and abyssal zones COLD Low DO
High nutrients
Life includes
Deposit feeders
Filter feeders
Tragedy of Commons

32. Things to Remember While Googling
Its abyssal, not abysmal.

33. Freshwater Life Zones Dissolved salt <1% by volume Two types
Standing
Flowing

34. Freshwater Life Zones
About 1% of earth’s surface, but 41% of known fish

35. Freshwater Life Zones
Closely connected to their surrounding terrestrial biomes.
Why?

36. Freshwater Life Zones Dissolved salt <1% by volume Two types
Standing
Flowing

37. Freshwater Life Zones
About 1% of earth’s surface, but 41% of known fish

38. Freshwater Life Zones
Closely connected to their surrounding terrestrial biomes.
Why?

39. Freshwater Lakes
Lake Zones

40. Freshwater Lakes Littoral zone Shallow Near shore
Rooted plants stop growing outside the zone
Rich in nutrients
High in biological diversity
Rooted plants, decomposers, and the usual suspects

41. Freshwater Lakes Limnetic zone Like the euphotic zone
Enough light for photosynthesis
Limits depth of limnetic zone
Starting with plankton, simple food web

42. Freshwater Lakes Profundal zone Deep, open water
Too deep for photosynthesis
Fish only

43. Freshwater Lakes Benthic zone It’s the bottom.
Mostly decomposers and detritus-feeders

44. Types of Freshwater Lakes
Two types
Oligotrophic
Eutrophic

45. Types of Freshwater Lakes
Oligotrophic
Poorly nourished

46. Freshwater Lakes

47. Types of Freshwater Lakes
Oligotrophic
Deep with steep sides
Crystal-clear blue or green water

48. Types of Freshwater Lakes
Eutrophic
Well-nourished

49. Freshwater Lakes

50. Types of Freshwater Lakes
Eutrophic
Lots of nutrients for producers
Nitrates and phosphates
Usually shallow and murky
During summer, bottom may have low DO

51. Season Changes in Lakes
Water is cool, especially when frozen
Makes water unique
Also helps lakes survive wickedly cold winters
Wickedly meaning not like “Mr. Williamson, it’s cold in here” or “It’s freezing outside in the F-quad”

52. Season Changes in Lakes

53. Season Changes in Lakes
Lake layers
Epiliminon
Thermocline
Hypoliminon

54. Season Changes in Lakes
Winter
Top layer freezes
Insulates lower layers from “wicked” cold
DO ok in epiliminon, not so good in hypoliminon

55. Season Changes in Lakes

56. Season Changes in Lakes
Spring
Ice melts and warms, reaching max density
Sinks forcing nutrient rich water from bottom
Helped by winds
Spring overturn

57. Season Changes in Lakes

58. Season Changes in Lakes
Summer
VERY definite stratification
Causes bottom to loose DO and nutrients

59. Season Changes in Lakes

60. Season Changes in Lakes
Fall
Epiliminon cools and becomes more dense
Sinks, causing cooler, nutrient rich water to rise
DO good everywhere

61. Freshwater Streams and Rivers
Consists of runoff
Watershed

62. Freshwater Streams and Rivers
Three zones
Headwater or source zone
Transition zone
Flood plain zone

63. Freshwater Streams and Rivers
Source zone
Cold water
Fast moving
Lots of DO
Organisms well adapted to environment

64. Freshwater Streams and Rivers

65. Freshwater Streams and Rivers

66. Freshwater Streams and Rivers
Transition zone
Deeper channels
Slower water
Warmer water

67. Freshwater Streams and Rivers
Flood plain zone
Slow moving
Murky

68. Freshwater Streams and Rivers
Importance of inland wetlands
Food source and habitats
Improved water quality
Reduced flooding and erosion
Replenish groundwater

69. Freshwater Streams and Rivers
Human impact
Loss of wetlands due to
Agriculture (80%)
Mining
Forestry
Oil/gas extraction
Urban development

70. Freshwater Streams and Rivers
Mitigation banking
Replacing lost wetlands with equal area of sime type
Doesn’t work well

71. Freshwater Streams and Rivers
Best course of action
Prevention

72. Aquatic Life Zones Why are they important? How do humans impact them?
How does species diversification relate?