1. Intro Marine Ecology
• Ecology: relationship of living
things/environment
• Marine Ecology: interdependence of all
organisms in the ocean.

2. Marine Environment
• Abiotic Factors: nonliving elements/
Chemical, Geological, Physical Variables
• Biotic Factors:organisms / interactions
among organisms

3. What is abiotic/biotic?
• Water
• Light
• Temperature
• pH value
• Salinity
• Substratum
• Plants
• Dissolved Gases
• Pressure
• Tides
• Currents
• Animals
• Waves
• Exposure to Air

4. Biotic Levels of Organizations
• Individual: one organism
• Population: group of individuals of one
species (organisms) Habitat
• Communities: plants and animals
inhabiting the same physical area.
• Ecosystems: Many communities / large
geographic area.

5. Population

6. Communities

8. Characteristics of an Ecosystem
1. Requires a source of energy.
2. Organisms capturing energy / produce
organic molecules.
3. Organic material available to all.
4. Cycle nutrients between environments

9. Zonation of Marine Environment
• See handout

10. Ecological Distribution
• Pelagic Organisms: in the water Plankton-
drifting organisms. Nekton- swimmers
• Benthic Organisms: in or on substrate
(sand/rock) burrow, crawl, walk, or affixed
Epifauna:live on. Infauna:live within

11. Plankton/ Nekton

12. Epifauna/Infauna

13. Trophic (Feeding) Relationships
• Autorophs: absorb sunlight energy &
transform inorganic mineral nutrients into
organic molecules. Producers
• Heterotrophs: consumers / cannot
synthesize their own food. Need producers.
• Decomposers: live on dead plant and
animal. Break down organic material /
inorganic nutrients.

18. Energy Transfer
• Pyramid of numbers: numerical
relationship of trophic (feeding) levels.
• Energy Pyramid: energy distribution at
each trophic level.

19. Pyramid of Numbers

20. Pyramid of Numbers

21. Pyramid of Numbers

22. Energy Pyramid

23. Energy Pyramid

24. Lost Energy/Energy Pyramid
1. Consumer do not consume (eat) entire
organism.
2. Energy used in capture (food).
3. Energy used in metabolism.
4. Energy lost as heat.
* 10% energy pass to next level.

25. Lost Energy/Energy Pyramid

26. Food Chain/Energy Pyramid

27. Food Web

28. Types of Food Relationships
• Predator-Prey: Predator Needs? Prey
Needs?
• Scavenger: Feed on dead plants and
animals
• Symbiotic/Symbiosis: nutritional
association

30. Symbiosis in Marine Animals
• Parasitism: (+;-) one benefits, one harmed
or interfered with body function.
• Commensalism: (+;0) one benefits, one
neither gains or loses.
• Mutualism: (+;+) both benefit.

31. Parasitism/ Isopod on Fish

32. Commensalism/Anemone &Crab

33. Mutualism/Clown & Sea
Anemone

34. Mutualism/Clam & Zooplankton

35. Population Cycles
• Changes season/season and year/year
• Regulated by Natality (new organisms) and
Mortality (rate of death)
• What are factors that affect population
cycles?

36. Biomass Lab Activity
• The Living Ocean: