Marine Ecology

phytoplankton

autotroph + plankton

zooplankton

heterotroph + plankton

ecology

the study of how an organism interacts with its environment

terrestrial ecosystems

ecosystems on land

marine ecosystems

ecosystems in the ocean

marine producers

an organism that makes its own energy

heterotrophs

organisms that consume other organisms for energy

plankton

organisms that are unable to swim against the ocean's currents for sustained periods

nekton

organisms that are able to swim against the ocean's currents

scavenger

a heterotroph that feeds on dead matter

95% of all producers in the ocean are

algae

5% of producers are

true plants

microalgae

single cell or a chain of cells that make up algae

macroalgae

multicellular algae

marine snow

dead organic matter falling from ocean's surface to the deep ocean

what is marine snow made out of?

1) fragments of gelatinous organisms

2) discarded fish/slime mucus

3) feces

4) small fragments of undigested organisms

intertidal zone

area between highest high tide and lowest low tide

3 types of intertidal zone

rocky, sandy, and muddy

factors that only affect the rocky intertidal zone

desiccation, wave force, and competition for space

wave force

power of the waves crashing into the organisms

desiccation

drying out

subtidal zone

portion of the ocean that covers the continental shelf

continental shelf

portion of the continent that extends into the ocean

bathyal, abyssal, and hadal zones

make up the continental slope and abyssal planes

continental slope

drop off after the continental shelf

photic zone

portion of a body of water where producers make more energy than they require

aphotic zone

portion of a body of water where producers make less energy than they require

compensation point

between the photic and aphotic zone where producers make exactly the amount of energy they require