Marine Life

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biodiversity (species, genetic, ecosystem)

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is “the collection of gene pools, species, and ecosystems occuring in a geographically defined region.”

Biodiversity is measured according to:
1. genetic diversity: diversity of genes within a species. There is a genetic variability among the populations and the individuals of the same species
2. species diversity: diversity among species in an ecosystem
3. ecosystem diverstiy: diversity at a higher level of organization, the ecosystem. To do with the variety of ecosystems on Earth.

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phytoplanton*

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base unit of most food chains, creates its own food, photosynthesize

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zooplankton*

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plankton cannot produce its own food and relies on food produced by other organisms, drifitng marine animals

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nekton

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swimmers, most adult fish and squid (many are plankton in larval stage), marine mammals and some humans

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benthic/demersal species*

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bottom dwellers
- including coral, crabs, sea urcins, starfish, most shellfish
- some fish that live primarily in marine sediments are also considered benthid (e.g. flounder)
- another term for bottom-dwelling species is demersal

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marine env. factors

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temperature
salinitiy
dissolved gases
light (transparency)
pressure
nutrients

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oceanic biozones: neritic, oceanic

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neritic: part of pelagic, extends 200 meters deep
oceanic: further out to sea, goes beyond 200 meters, broken into 4 zones

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photic/euphotic*

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zone where photosynthesis is possible is the photic, usually about 100m

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disphotic

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between photic and aphotic zones, no plant life exists b/c not enough sunlight

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pelagic*

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the ocean water itself, where floaters and swimmers frolic in a complex food web

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benthic

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refers to the ocean bottom, where marine algae and animals do not usually float or swim

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bioluminescence

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can produce light organically, 50% of deep sea fish, use special cells to produce light

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primary productivity*

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rate at which energy is stored by organisms through the formation of organic matter using solar or chemical reactions

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photosynthesis

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reaction in which energy from the Sun is stored in organic molecules

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diatoms*

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type of algae, most abundant primary producers, most productive group of marine algae, contained in a "test"

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dinoflagellates

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another type of algae that is able to move around into areas for better photosynthesis

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red tides

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occurs whnere there are too many dinoflagellates in one area, causes oxygen to be used up and results in many marine organisms suffocating to death, can also be called a "harmful algal bloom"

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dead zones*

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occur in large areas of eutrophication, occure near the mouths of major rivers after large spring runoffs, oxygen levels drop like whoa; dead zone at the end of the Mississsippi River from nutrients from agricultural runoff

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food chains/webs

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sequence of organisms through which energy is transferred, starting with an organism that is a primary producer, thena herbivore, then a carnivore and then a top carnivore

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trophic levels*

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a feeding stage, one animal eats another animal; blue whale eats krill TROPHIC LEVEL, transfer of energy inefficient between trophic levels

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biomass pyramid

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number of individuals and total biomass decreases at successive trophic levels because amount of available energy decreases, usually larger animals as you go up the pyramid