Aquatic Ecosystems

freshwater

3% of Earth surface water

two types of ecosystems: flowing and standing water

flowing ecosystem

a freshwater ecosystem such as a river or stream in which the water flows in a current

-originate in mountain or hills, always headed toward ocean

-turtles, beavers, otters

-fish have adaptations like hooks, suckers, or stream-lined bodies

standing water ecosystems

freshwater ecosystem such as lakes or ponds

-water typically circulates, so not completely still which helps distribute heat, oxygen, and nutrients

-plankton, phytoplankton, zooplankton

wetlands

ecosystem where water covers soil for at least part of the year

-can be flowing, still, fresh, salt, or brackish

bog

type of wetland that forms in depressions made from melted ice sheets

-water usually acidic

-sphagnum moss growth

marsh

a wetland typically covered with grasses and cattails

swamp

A wetland ecosystem in which shrubs and trees grow, looks like a flooded forest

estuary

wetland that forms where river and sea meets

-shallow, brackish water

-large amount of biomass but not much biodiversity

-spawning ground for many fish, shrimp, crabs

salt marshes

termperate zone estuaris with salt tolerant grasses

mangrove swamp

coastal wetlands with abundance of salt tolerant trees (mangroves and sea grasses)

-in hawaii and florida

photic zone

top 200 meters of ocean

-light can still penetrate, so algae and producers can still do photosynthesis

aphotic zone

permanently dark layer of the oceans below the photic zone

-only chemotrophic autotrophs

intertidal zone

Portion of the shoreline that lies between the high and low tide lines

coastal ocean

marine zone that extends from the low-tide mark to the end of the continental shelf

open ocean

deep ocean water, located away from the shoreline where sunlight can no longer reach the ocean bottom

-aka oceanic zone

-low levels of nutrients

benthic zone

ocean floor

benthos

organisms that live attached to or near the ocean floor

pelagic zone

open water above the ocean floor and awat from coast

brakish water

mixture of fresh and salt water