Unit 5: Examples of Marine Ecosystems

Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Southern Oceans.

What are the five major oceans?

In tropical and subtropical coastal areas.

Where are mangrove ecosystems typically found?

Coastal ecosystems with salt-tolerant trees that provide habitat and coastal protection.

What are mangroves and why are they important?

Dynamic marine environments with shifting sands and tidal changes that support specialized organisms.

What are sandy shores?

Highly biodiverse marine ecosystems formed by coral polyps that provide habitat and protect coastlines.

What are coral reefs?

They support marine biodiversity and protect coastlines from erosion.

Why are coral reefs important?

They offer habitat, food, and breeding grounds for countless marine species.

How do marine ecosystems support biodiversity?

They help store carbon and regulate atmospheric gases.

What role do marine ecosystems play in climate regulation?

Overfishing, pollution, climate change, and habitat destruction.

What are major threats to marine ecosystems?

Coral polyps that secrete calcium carbonate to build reef structures.

What is coral structure composed of?

Coral polyps and zooxanthellae, where algae provide energy via photosynthesis.

What is the symbiotic relationship in coral reefs?

They supply energy through photosynthesis and help build reef structures.

Why are zooxanthellae important to coral?

They may expel zooxanthellae, leading to coral bleaching and potential death.

What happens when corals are stressed (e.g., from warming waters)?

The upper ocean layer that receives sunlight and supports most marine life.

What is the epipelagic zone?

The twilight zone with limited light, not enough for photosynthesis.

What is the mesopelagic zone?

A completely dark zone with no sunlight, where organisms are adapted to extreme pressure and cold.

What is the bathypelagic zone?

A deep ocean zone (3,000–6,000 meters) with total darkness and very cold temperatures.

What is the abyssopelagic zone?

The deepest part of the ocean, found in trenches, completely dark and under extreme pressure.

What is the hadalpelagic zone?

Symbiotic algae that live inside coral tissues and provide energy through photosynthesis.

What are xanthellae?

They help corals build their skeletons by promoting the deposition of calcium carbonate.

What role do xanthellae play in coral calcification?

The process by which coral skeletons are formed with the help of xanthellae.

What is calcification in corals?

It provides structure for coral reefs, supports marine biodiversity, and offers protection for coastal areas.

Why is calcification important for marine ecosystems?

Supports fisheries, tourism, and coastal protection.

How does calcification benefit humans?

Temperature changes, predation, and physical damage to coastal habitats.

What are some threats to marine ecosystems?

They can cause coral bleaching by stressing corals and expelling xanthellae.

How do temperature changes affect coral reefs?