(LEC 5) Marine and Aquatic Ecosystems

Marine and
Aquatic
Ecosystems
Jasmine P. Andrada
GEC 21.2 People and Earthʼs Ecosystem
AQUATIC LIFE ZONES
saltwater and
aquatic equivalents freshwater portions
of biomes of the biosphere
that can support life
SALINITY
∙ determines largely the distribution of many aquatic organisms
∙ the amount of various salts such as sodium chloride dissolved in a given volume of water
∙ because of salinity, aquatic life zones are classified into two major types:
Figure 1. Oceans and bays. From Figure 2. Natural Lakes. From

https://www.americangeosciences.org/education/k5geosource/content/rocks/what-is-shorel https://oregonconservationstrategy.org/strategy-habitat/natural-lakes/
ine-erosion
saltwater or marine life zones (oceans, bays, freshwater life zones (lakes, rivers, streams, and
estuaries, coastal wetlands, shorelines, coral inland wetlands)
reefs, and mangrove forests)
Key Factors determining the types and numbers of organisms found at various depths in most
aquatic ecosystems:
WATER TEMPERATURE DISSOLVED OXYGEN AVAILABILITY OF FOOD AVAILABILITY OF LIGHT NUTRIENTS REQUIRED
CONTENT FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Oceans Provide Vital
Ecosystem and
Economic Services
Marine life is found in three major life

zones: the coastal zone, open sea, and
ocean bottom.
Coastal Zone
warm, nutrient-rich,
shallow water that extends makes up less than 10% of
from the high-tide mark on the worldʼs ocean are, but
land to the gentle sloping, contains 90% of all marine
shallow edge of the species
continental shelf
Estuary
partially enclosed body of

water where seawater
mixes with the riverʼs
where a river meets the sea
freshwater as well as
nutrients and pollutants in
runoﬀ from the land
Coastal Wetlands
associated with estuaries
coastal land areas covered with water all or part of the year
one of earthʼs most productive ecosystems (includes coastal marshes,

mangrove forests, sea-grass beds)
Figure 3. Major life zones and
vertical zones (not drawn to scale) in
an ocean. Actual depths of zones
may vary. Available light determines
the euphotic, bathyal, and abyssal
zones. Temperature zones also vary
with depth, shown here by the red
line. (Source: Miller and Spoolman,
2016. p. 148).
The Open Sea and
the Ocean Floor Host
a Variety of Species
Open Sea
vast volume of the ocean
separated from the coastal zone by the sharp increase in water depth at
the edge of the continental shelf
divided into three vertical zones (euphotic, bathyal, abyssal)

Euphotic Zone
→ brightly lit upper

zone, where drifting
phytoplankton carry
about 40% of the
world’s
photosynthetic
activity
Figure 4. Marine Life Zones. From

https://www.geo.arizona.edu/Antevs/nats104/00lect17marlifzon.html
Bathyal Zone
→ dimly lit middle zone
which receives little
sunlight and therefore
does not contain
photosynthesizing
producers

Abyssal Zone
∙ deepest zone
∙ no sunlight to support
photosynthesis
∙ has little dissolved
oxygen

Water Stands in Some
Freshwater Systems and
Flows in Others
Freshwater aquatic life zones include standing bodies of

freshwater such as lakes, ponds, and inland wetlands, and flowing
systems such as streams and rivers.
Lakes
large natural bodies of standing freshwater formed when precipitation, runoﬀ,

streams, rivers, and groundwater seepages fill depressions in the earthʼs surface
vary tremendously in size, depth, and nutrient content
can be classified according to nutrient content and primary productivity

Oligotrophic lakes have small supply of plant nutrient
often deep and can have steep banks
usually have crystal clear water and

small populations of fish and
phytoplankton
Figure 5. Oligotrophic and Eutrophic Zones. From

https://www.chocorualake.org/news/2019/12/20/life-cycl
e-of-a-lake
have low net primary productivity
Eutrophic lakes have a large supply of
nutrients
typically, shallow and

have murky brown or
green water
Figure 5. Oligotrophic and Eutrophic Zones. From have high primary

https://www.chocorualake.org/news/2019/12/20/life-cycl
e-of-a-lake productivity
Volumes of
Water
Streams flow into three zones:
1 2 3
source zone – contains transition zones – floodplain zone –
headwater streams contains wider, contains rivers that
found in highlands and lower-elevation empty into larger rivers
mountains streams or into the ocean
→ At its mouth, a river may divide
into many channels as it flows
through its delta – an area at the
mouth of a river built up by
deposited sediment and often
containing estuaries and coastal
wetlands
→ These absorb and slow the

velocity of floodwaters from
coastal storms, hurricanes, and
tsunamis.
Figure 6. Three Zones in the downhill flow of water. (Source: Miller and
Spoolman, 2016, p. 155
Freshwater Inland
Wetlands Are Vital
Sponges
Inland wetlands
∙ lands located away from

coastal areas that are
covered with freshwater all
or part of the time
(excluding lakes,
reservoirs, and streams)
∙ include marshes, swamps,

and prairie potholes
Figure 7. Prairie potholes. From

https://www.americanrivers.org/rivers/discover-your-river/prairie-potholes/
Inland wetlands provide a number of free ecosystem and economic services:
Filtering and
Reducing Helping Helping Helping Supplying Providing
degrading
filtering and reducing flooding helping to sustain helping to recharge helping to recharge supplying valuable providing recreation
degrading toxic and erosion by stream flows during groundwater groundwater products such as for birdwatchers,
wastes and absorbing storm dry periods aquifers aquifers fishes and nature
pollutants. water and releasing shellfish, photographers,
it slowly, and by blueberries, boaters, anglers, and
absorbing cranberries, and wild waterfowl
overflows from rice hunters
streams and lakes
Human Activities are
Disrupting and
Degrading
Freshwater Systems
40% of the worldʼs 237 largest rivers. This alters or destroys
terrestrial and aquatic wildlife habitats along these rivers
and in their coastal deltas and estuaries by reducing water
flow and the flow of sediments to river deltas.
Flood control levees and dikes built along rivers dis

connect the rivers from their floodplains, destroy aquatic
habitats, and alter or degrade the functions of adjoining
wetlands
Cities and farms add pollutants and excess plant

nutrients to nearby streams, rivers, and lakes.
Figure 8. Heavily Polluted River. From Many inland wetlands have been drained or
https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-chinas-polluted-w filled to grow crops or have been covered with concrete,
ater-2016-3 asphalt, and buildings

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Marine and

Figure 1. Oceans and bays. From Figure 2. Natural Lakes. From

Marine life is found in three major life

partially enclosed body of

associated with estuaries

one of earthʼs most productive ecosystems (includes coastal marshes,

vast volume of the ocean

divided into three vertical zones (euphotic, bathyal, abyssal)

→ brightly lit upper

Figure 4. Marine Life Zones. From

Figure 4. Marine Life Zones. From

Figure 4. Marine Life Zones. From

Freshwater aquatic life zones include standing bodies of

large natural bodies of standing freshwater formed when precipitation, runoﬀ,

vary tremendously in size, depth, and nutrient content

can be classified according to nutrient content and primary productivity

often deep and can have steep banks

usually have crystal clear water and

Figure 5. Oligotrophic and Eutrophic Zones. From

typically, shallow and

Figure 5. Oligotrophic and Eutrophic Zones. From have high primary

→ These absorb and slow the

∙ lands located away from

∙ include marshes, swamps,

Figure 7. Prairie potholes. From

Flood control levees and dikes built along rivers dis

Cities and farms add pollutants and excess plant

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