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Marine ecosystems are saltwater environments characterized by unique biotic and abiotic factors, including sunlight, oxygen, and depth. They are categorized into various types such as estuaries, coral reefs, and mangrove forests, each supporting diverse life forms. Deep-sea organisms have specialized adaptations to thrive in dark and cold conditions with limited oxygen availability.

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Marine ecosystems are saltwater environments characterized by unique biotic and abiotic factors, including sunlight, oxygen, and depth. They are categorized into various types such as estuaries, coral reefs, and mangrove forests, each supporting diverse life forms. Deep-sea organisms have specialized adaptations to thrive in dark and cold conditions with limited oxygen availability.

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Marine Ecosystems

Marine ecosystems are aquatic environments with high levels of dissolved salt. These include the
open ocean, the deep-sea ocean, and coastal marine ecosystems, each of which has different
physical and biological characteristics.

Marine ecosystems are aquatic environments with high levels of dissolved salt, such as those
found in or near the ocean. Marine ecosystems are defined by their unique biotic (living) and
abiotic (nonliving) factors. Biotic factors include plants, animals, and microbes; important
abiotic factors include the amount of sunlight in the ecosystem, the amount of oxygen and
nutrients dissolved in the water, proximity to land, depth, and temperature.

Sunlight is one of the most important abiotic factors for marine ecosystems. It’s so important that
scientists classify parts of marine ecosystems—up to three—by the amount of light they receive.
Scientists divide marine ecosystems into several broad categories, although there are
discrepancies depending on the source about what qualifies as a marine ecosystem. The number
of marine ecosystems is actively debated. Although there is some disagreement, several types of
marine ecosystems are largely agreed on: estuaries, salt marshes, mangrove forests, coral reefs,
the open ocean, and the deep-sea ocean.

Another coastal ecosystem is the mangrove forest. Mangrove forests are found in tropical areas.
These ecosystems frequently flood with ocean water, submerging the roots of mangrove trees.
The root systems of mangroves filter out salt and sit above ground to access oxygen. These trees
provide a home for a variety of species. Animals, such as fish, crabs, shrimp, reptiles, and
amphibians, live among the mangrove’s roots while its canopy provides a nesting site for birds.

As the depth of the ocean increases, it gets darker, colder, and with less available oxygen.
Organisms living in deep-sea ecosystems within the dysphotic and aphotic zones have unusual
adaptations that help them survive in these challenging environments. Some organisms have
extremely large mouths that allow them to catch whatever nutrients fall from shallower ocean
depths.
Source: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/marine-ecosystems/

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