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Marine

Marine ecosystems, ranging from coastal waters to the deep ocean, are influenced by factors such as light, nutrients, and salinity, which shape the species communities and ecosystem services. Key habitats include estuaries, salt marshes, mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrass beds, each playing vital roles in biodiversity, protection against erosion, and carbon storage. The open ocean is crucial for global processes and supports billions of people through economic resources and jobs.

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8 views2 pages

Marine

Marine ecosystems, ranging from coastal waters to the deep ocean, are influenced by factors such as light, nutrients, and salinity, which shape the species communities and ecosystem services. Key habitats include estuaries, salt marshes, mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrass beds, each playing vital roles in biodiversity, protection against erosion, and carbon storage. The open ocean is crucial for global processes and supports billions of people through economic resources and jobs.

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nsnnn8016
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MARINE

Marine ecosystems contain high levels of dissolved salt and span from coastal waters to the depths of
the open ocean. Factors that influence marine ecosystems are light, nutrients, temperature-depth, level
of salinity, and topography. The composition of these factors controls the community of species found in
these ecosystems and the ecosystem services they provide.

Estuaries are found at the mouths of rivers where freshwater meets seawater to create brackish water.
Brackish water has more salinity (salt) than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It is somewhere in
between. Landforms protect the estuary from ocean waves, providing a safe habitat for many marine
species that use this place as a nursery. It is also an integral part of many commercial marine species’ life
cycles. Due to the influx of nutrients from rivers and the constant change in salinity from the tides, many
species inhabit these ecosystems. The diverse plant life present assists in trapping sediment and
removing pollutants before they reach the ocean.

Salt marshes are a type of wetland that experiences flooding from saltwater tides and are generally
found near estuaries. They can be found on almost every coast around the world. The saline water limits
the diversity of species, but the salt marshes play an important role in protecting land loss from erosion.
They act as a protective barrier between inhabitable land and sea.

Mangroves are coastal ecosystems that are found in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. They are
characterized by mangrove trees, which can thrive in saline waters. This irreplaceable habitat provides
shoreline protection, offers a nursery for many marine species, and acts as a nesting site for birds. During
Hurricane Irma in 2017, the presence of mangrove trees dampened the tidal surges in its path,
protecting 500,000 people and saving $1.5 million in damages.

Coral Reefs are fascinating ecosystems that are created by living organisms called “polyps,” which are
related to jellyfish. Some species are hard corals, which create the beautiful coral reefs you see
underwater; others are soft corals, which look like plants. They generally exist close to the ocean’s
surface where sunlight can reach them. They provide exceptional habitats for marine fish. 25% of all
marine fish use coral reefs during some part of their life cycle.

Seagrass beds are related to the flowering plants found on land. They can be found in saline or brackish
waters around the world. Regarded as “the lungs of the sea,” they can generate more than 10 quarts (10
liters) of oxygen per square mile (2.6 km²), purifying water, absorbing nutrients, and preventing sand
buildup in coral reefs by trapping sediment.

Open oceans are the largest ecosystems on our planet. They are found beyond the coasts and coastal
marine ecosystems. The ocean propels many of Earth’s processes, such as climate and weather, through
the absorption of solar radiation and currents. It transfers and redistributes heat to cool the planet. The
ocean produces 50–80% of the earth’s oxygen with the help of inhabitants such as algae, phytoplankton,
and bacteria.

Deep sea oceans are located .62 miles (1,000 m) below sea level and can continue on for another 6.2
miles (10,000 m). This ecosystem does not receive any sunlight from the surface. Temperatures are
around freezing and water pressure increases with depth from 40 to more than 110 times the pressure
found on the Earth’s surface. Connected to the open ocean as well as the atmosphere, the deep seafloor
is made up of mud and decomposed organisms known as “ooze.” This sediment provides excellent
carbon storage. As carbon dissolves from the atmosphere into the open ocean, it binds to molecules. As
the water cools, the carbon is pulled down into the depths of the ocean where it can be stored for
thousands of years.

Just under half of the world’s population (3 billion) directly relies on the resources our oceans provide,
including more than 350 million jobs, creating a global economic value of $3–6 trillion each year.

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