Marine Science ecosystem | Quizlet

Location Rocky Intertidal

All locations with bedrock and large boulders along coasts

Substrate Rocky Intertidal

Rock, exposed to both air (at low tide) and water (at high tide)

Light Rocky Intertidal

High in air; varies with water depth

Turbidity Rocky Intertidal

High (low water clarity) - not ideal for photosynthesis

Temperature Rocky Intertidal

Wide variation; affected by air and tide changes

Salinity Rocky Intertidal

Highly variable; depends on precipitation, evaporation, and tides

Depth & Pressure Rocky Intertidal

Very shallow; pressure increases slightly with water depth

Nutrients Rocky Intertidal

Moderate to high - influenced by land runoff and upwelling

Oxygen Rocky Intertidal

Variable; accessible in tidepools

Biodiversity Rocky Intertidal

High - supports many adapted species

Biomass & Productivity Rocky Intertidal

High biomass; moderate to high productivity

Adaptations Rocky Intertidal

• Mussels use byssal threads to anchor to rocks\n• Sea stars flip to expose tube feet for oxygen\n• Barnacles perform evaporative cooling\n• Anemones produce mucus to avoid drying out

Human Impact Rocky Intertidal

Trampling, overharvesting, invasive species, oil spills, coastal development

Location Mudflats

Near coasts with freshwater + sediment input

Substrate Mudflats

Mud - water + sediment + organic detritus

Light Mudflats

Absent within sediment

Turbidity Mudflats

High - poor for photosynthesis

Temperature Mudflats

Stable within mud; variable on top

Salinity Mudflats

Stable in mud; variable at surface during low tide

Depth & Pressure Mudflats

Shallow; minimal pressure change

Nutrients Mudflats

High due to organic material

Oxygen Mudflats

Low - no space between particles; anoxic layers

Biodiversity Mudflats

Low - only specialized organisms survive

Biomass & Productivity Mudflats

High biomass; moderate productivity

Adaptations Mudflats

• Ghost shrimp detoxify sulfide via hepatopancreas\n• Clams use long siphons to breathe + feed from above\n• Spaghetti worms use hemoglobin for low-O2 environments

Human Impact Mudflats

Resource exploitation, invasive species, aquaculture, pollution

Location Sandy Shores

Worldwide coastal areas

Substrate Sandy Shores

Sand sourced from rocks, coralline algae, and CaCO₃ skeletons

Light Sandy Shores

No light in sediment, only at the surface

Turbidity Sandy Shores

Low (clear water), but affected by wave energy

Temperature Sandy Shores

Stable within sand; matches seawater at bottom cm

Salinity Sandy Shores

Stable within sand

Depth & Pressure Sandy Shores

Shallow; low pressure variation

Nutrients Sandy Shores

Low - carried by water and quickly used up

Oxygen Sandy Shores

High in surface layers; deeper layers can become hypoxic

Biodiversity Sandy Shores

Low

Biomass & Productivity Sandy Shores

Low to moderate biomass; low productivity except for diatoms

Adaptations Sandy Shores

• Sand crabs have specialized appendages for digging\n• Feathery antennae help filter feed\n• Meiofauna live between sand grains

Human Impact Sandy Shores

Pollution, litter (basura)

Location Kelp Forests

Temperate coastal areas with rocky reefs

Substrate Kelp Forests

Hard, subtidal, rocks and bedrock

Light Kelp Forests

Abundant in shallow areas (20-30m depth)

Turbidity Kelp Forests

Low (clear water preferred)

Temperature Kelp Forests

5-15°C, up to 23°C

Salinity Kelp Forests

Prefers high salinity

Depth & Pressure Kelp Forests

Shallow subtidal

Nutrients Kelp Forests

High - often in upwelling zones

Oxygen Kelp Forests

High due to wave action

Biodiversity Kelp Forests

High

Biomass & Productivity Kelp Forests

High biomass and productivity

Adaptations Kelp Forests

• Macrocystis (giant kelp) thrives in calm areas\n• Nereocystis (bull kelp) tolerates strong wave action\n• Understory algae compete for space

Human Impact Kelp Forests

Overhunting of sea otters (keystone species)

Location Hydrothermal Vents

Divergent plate boundaries

Substrate Hydrothermal Vents

Mineral chimneys, pillow lava

Light Hydrothermal Vents

None

Turbidity Hydrothermal Vents

Not relevant - complete darkness

Temperature Hydrothermal Vents

Vent water up to 400°C; surrounding water 3-4°C

Salinity Hydrothermal Vents

High - source of ocean salt

Depth & Pressure Hydrothermal Vents

Very deep; high pressure (~51 atm)

Nutrients Hydrothermal Vents

High - due to chemosynthetic processes

Oxygen Hydrothermal Vents

Absent in vent water; present nearby

Biodiversity Hydrothermal Vents

Moderate

Biomass & Productivity Hydrothermal Vents

High productivity from chemosynthetic bacteria

Adaptations Hydrothermal Vents

• Riftia (tube worms) host chemosynthetic bacteria\n• Thermarces cerberus has low metabolism\n• Blind shrimp cultivate bacteria internally

Human Impact Hydrothermal Vents

Mineral extraction/exploitation

Location Deep Ocean

Abyssopelagic zone

Substrate Deep Ocean

Water

Light Deep Ocean

None

Turbidity Deep Ocean

Moderate but light irrelevant

Temperature Deep Ocean

Cold; varies with thermocline

Salinity Deep Ocean

Stable; varies slightly by depth

Depth & Pressure Deep Ocean

Very deep; extremely high pressure

Nutrients Deep Ocean

Moderate; falls from upper layers

Oxygen Deep Ocean

Moderate - below oxygen minimum layer

Biodiversity Deep Ocean

Low

Biomass & Productivity Deep Ocean

Low

Adaptations Deep Ocean

• Anglerfish use lures and have inward-curved teeth\n• Gulper eels have hinged jaws\n• Deep sea animals lack swim bladders, have cartilage

Human Impact Deep Ocean

Bottom trawling, sinking waste, deep-sea mining

Location Open Ocean

Global

Substrate Open Ocean

Water column

Light Open Ocean

Decreases with depth

Turbidity Open Ocean

Variable - clear near surface

Temperature Open Ocean

Varies with latitude and thermocline

Salinity Open Ocean

Stable in open ocean

Depth & Pressure Open Ocean

Extensive depth; pressure increases with depth

Nutrients Open Ocean

High in mixed layer; low in deeper zones

Oxygen Open Ocean

High near surface; oxygen minimum layer at mid-depths

Biodiversity Open Ocean

Low for permanent residents; moderate for visitors

Biomass & Productivity Open Ocean

Moderate productivity at surface

Adaptations Open Ocean

• Plankton migrate vertically to avoid predators\n• Tuna camouflage with light undersides\n• Whales use echolocation and travel in pods

Human Impact Open Ocean

Overfishing, bycatch, pollution (chemical, plastic, noise)

Location Polar Ocean

Arctic and Antarctic regions

Substrate Polar Ocean

Water, ice shelves, ice caps

Light Polar Ocean

Seasonal: continuous darkness or sunlight

Turbidity Polar Ocean

Low

Temperature Polar Ocean

Very cold (-2 to 5°C); Antarctic is colder

Salinity Polar Ocean

Higher due to freezing seawater

Depth & Pressure Polar Ocean

Varies widely

Nutrients Polar Ocean

High; cold water holds more gases and nutrients

Oxygen Polar Ocean

High due to cold temperatures