Marine Ecosystems
How do ecologists usually classify marine ecosystems?
Just as biomes typically occupy certain latitudes and longitudes, marine ecosystems may typically occupy specific areas within the ocean. Ecologists typically divide the ocean into zones based on depth and distance from shore. Starting with the shallowest and closest to land, marine ecosystems include the intertidal zone, the coastal ocean, and the open ocean, as shown in Figure 4–22. Within these zones live a number of different communities.
BUILD Vocabulary
MULTIPLE MEANINGS The noun subject has many meanings, including “the main theme of a piece of work such as a novel” or “a course of study.” The verb subject, however, means “to expose” or “to tend toward.” Organisms are subjected, or exposed, to extreme conditions in the rocky intertidal zone.
In Your Notebook How would you expect communities of organisms in the open ocean to differ from those along the coast?
Intertidal Zone Organisms in the intertidal zone are submerged in seawater at high tide and exposed to air and sunlight at low tide. These organisms, then, are subjected to regular and extreme changes in temperature. They also are often battered by waves and currents. There are many different types of intertidal communities. A typical rocky intertidal community exists in temperate regions where exposed rocks line the shore. There, barnacles and seaweed permanently attach themselves to the rocks.
FIGURE 4–22 Ocean Zones The ocean can be divided vertically into zones based on light penetration and depth, and horizontally into zones based on distance from shore.
dTable of Contents
- Formulas and Equations
- Applying Formulas and Equations
- Mean, Median, and Mode
- Estimation
- Using Measurements in Calculations
- Effects of Measurement Errors
- Accuracy
- Precision
- Comparing Accuracy and Precision
- Significant Figures
- Calculating With Significant Figures
- Scientific Notation
- Calculating With Scientific Notation
- Dimensional Analysis
- Applying Dimensional Analysis