Studied by 3 people
characteristics of deep sea
no light
constant cold temperature
low variability
high pressure
diversity pattern
highest at intermediate depths
declines with increasing depth
abundance
declines with depth
likely due to decreasing food availability
decomposers
deposit feeders dominate (mobile bc of sparse food)
omnivorous scavengers
sources of food
main: marine snow (plankton and materials rain down)
sinking of larger organisms and seaweed clumps (whale falls)
decomposers: decomposition very slow
chemosynthesis
adaptations - benefits of bioluminescence
finding mates, communication
luring and finding prey
escape behavior
counter illumination
confusing pred or prey
burglar alarms
adaptations for high pressure
no gas spaces (swim bladders)
high water content (buoyancy)
small size
reduced ossification: gelatinous, blob fish
adaptations for low food availability
consume whatever prey there
feeding: large mouth, vertical migration, symbiosis
switch from planktonic food sources to deposit feeder or predator strategies
adaptations for reproduction
finding mate use light and scent
dwarf or parasitic males
long lives
adaptations for temperature
specialized enzymes
slow metabolism
adaptations for growth
gigantism
long lives and slow growth because less food and oxygen and cold
deep sea - unique habitats
vents
cold seeps
seamounts
deep coral mounds
local and ephemeral food sources (whale falls)
hadal trenches
hydrothermal vents - where
mid ocean ridges where hot water emerges
upwelling of magma, volcanic activity
vents - food source
main: chemosynthetic sulfur reducing bacteria (free living or symbionts in bivalves and tube-worms)
cold seeps - where
worldwide depths from 500-4,000m
tectonically active places where hydrogen sulfide, oil, methane, and highly saline waters leak out to form brine pools
production of carbonate rocks and reefs
deep sea escarpments (Gulf of MX) can also leak lots of hydrocarbons and sulfides
cold seeps - characteristics
slower growing
longer lived
cold version of h vents
main food source: chemosynthetic sulfur reducing bacteria
seamounts - location and characteristics
relatively isolated elevated areas, usually volcanic origins
upwelling and high productivity
can have deep coral mounds (delicate, slow growing, no zooxanthellae)
whale falls - characteristics
predictable pattern of succession: mobile scavengers → polychaetas and gastropods remove larger pieces → bacteria, mussels, bone worms
more common historically
methods for sampling deep sea
benthic: blind grabs and dredge, box cores, GPS guided coring, submersibles
deep sea nekton: trawls, submersibles
characteristics of estuaries
unique invertebrate and fish assemblages
food web structure
nursery for nekton (fish and decapods)
human importance
3 types of estuaries
shallow, well-mixed with large freshwater input
lagoon, hypersaline systems
fjord systems, poorly mixed
shallow well-mixed estuary examples
Pamlico sound
Chesapeake bay
Cape Fear
shallow well-mixed characteristics
goes from fresh to salt
well oxygenated
river input normally
typical estuary
extra:
gradients in mixing and vegetation
temporal spatial variation in salinity
cline in substrate type
seasonably variable planktonic production
may have reduced or seasonal pred numbers
sink for organic matter
high abundances of a few species
diversity declines going to low at 5ppt then increases toward freshwater
turbidity max
lagoon examples
Laguna Madre
Mediterranean
Australia
Masonboro sound
lagoon characteristics
high salinity
hot
separated
not much freshwater input
high evaporation
diverse, lower abundance
seasonality dampened
lower productivity
fjord examples
canadia and scandanavia
some basin areas
fjord characteristics
deep
stratification
low oxygen at depth
sill at mouth restricts flow to deeper
low productivity
freshwater influence in shallow areas
oligotrophic (low nutrients)
estuary vs ocean differences
shallow well mixed may have high faunal abundance
fewer trophic levels
fewer species and lower diversity
high resilience but low resistance to change
estuary as nursery
habitats: seagrasses, salt marshes, oyster reefs
seasonal peaks in food supply: juveniles and larvae
predator avoidance: grass shrimp, blue crabs
habitat complexity
separation of adult and juvenile pops
Cape fear habitats
support fisheries
varying salinity habitats: fish migrations, species use diff salinity zones during life stages
open estuarine connection to ocean
wetlands: stabilization, filter
shellfish: oyster, shoreline protection, filtration
island: nesting, marsh
Cape fear species (prob extra)
silver perch
mummichog
penaeid shrimp
blue crab
grass shrimp
vegetation: juncus roemerianus, phragmites australis, spartina altiflora
mollusks
crustaceans
fish
reptiles: alligator, terrapin
birds: oyster catcher, bald eagle
cape fear management
14 important bird areas
amendment: water quality, wastewater infrastructure, monitoring of key habitats, oyster restoration
marsh and oyster restoration
removal and redesign of dams
fish ladders
buffers, agricultural practices
know chemical inputs
recreational and commercial fishing best practices
research, education
Chesapeake - habitats
largest estuary in world
commercial fisheries: blue crabs, striped bass, menhaden, oysters
forests
rivers and streams
reefs and pilings
beaches and tidal flats
marshes and wetlands
submerged aqautic vegetation
open and shallow waters
channels and islands
Chesapeake - management
reduce pollution, restore habitat, manage fisheries, protecting watersheds, outreach programs
Obama executive order to recognize as national treasure
limit nutrient and sediment discharge
Inland seas characteristics
marginal sea, semi-enclosed body of water, large
restricted circulation
Mediterranean
warm
almost completely enclosed
evaporation exceeds precip, relies on inputs from atlantic
biodiversity of stable area
current circulate to promote mixed settlement areas
little seasonal change
many species with higher biodiversity in coastal areas, cont shelves, decreases with depth
intense human impact: pollution, tourism, overfishing, shipping, sea level change
Baltic Sea
cold
largest inland brackish area
partially landlocked
significant freshwater inflow
long term ice coverage, decline with warming
halocline: vertical stratification of water column, barrier to exchange of oxygen and nutrients, separate environments
issues: eutrophication, overfishing, contaminants
Gulf of MX
shape from plate tectonics
very small tidal range from narrow connection to atlantic
some areas very deep
biota: shallow shoreline, cold seeps, supports important fisheries
impacts: pollution, oil spills
strong effect from Mississippi river, growing hypoxic zone
Coral sea
many islands and reefs, GBR
more open connections with surrounding ocean
internal loop current can entrain larvae, could maintain diversity
commercial fisheries
catching for sale
part-time and full-time fishers
part-time increasing in US
recreational fisheries
not fishing for sale
catch and release and personal consumption
not as well reported
can have equal or greater take than commercial in areas
can have bycatch
fishery management
agencies: control fishing times, locations, method, institute size limit and seasonal catch limit
water quality and habitat protection measures
limited entry
commercial fishing and aquaculture zones
education on practices
no take zones
fishery national management
national waters and autonomy
international treaties
vary per country
outside nat economic exclusion zones: freedom to high seas, regional fisheries mngmt organization, UN organizations
enforcement difficult
fishery management in NC
many interacting agencies
beyond 3 mile jurisdiction: federal fisheries management commission
within state: division of marine fisheries,
fishery stressors
overfishing: changes in food web structure, majority of fish on threshold
extra:
destruction of critical habitat
growing world population
contaminant and sediment input
climate change
introduced species and diseases
harmful algal blooms: shellfish poisoning
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