This document summarizes different aquatic biomes, including freshwater and marine ecosystems. It describes freshwater biomes like ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, and wetlands. It then discusses marine biomes like oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries. For each biome, it provides details on defining characteristics, species diversity, and ecological zones.

1. Aquatic Biomes
• Freshwater
–Ponds & Lakes
–Streams &
Rivers
–Wetlands
Marine
Oceans
Coral Reefs
Estuaries

2. Freshwater
Ponds & Lakes
Streams & Rivers
Wetlands

3. Freshwater
• Freshwater is defined as having a low salt
concentration—usually less than 1%
• Plants and animals in freshwater regions are
adjusted to the low salt content and would
not be able to survive in areas of high salt
concentration (i.e, ocean)

4. Ponds and Lakes
range in size from just a few square meters
to thousands of square kilometers
ponds may be seasonal, lasting just a
couple of months (such as sessile pools)
lakes may exist for hundreds of years or
more
may have limited species diversity since
they are often isolated from one another
and from other water sources like rivers
and oceans

5. Lakes and Ponds are divided into three
different “zones” determined by depth and
distance from the shoreline
littoral zone
limnetic zone
profundal zone

6. Ponds and
Lakes

7. Streams & Rivers
• bodies of flowing water moving in one direction
• found everywhere—they get their start at
headwaters, which may be springs, snowmelt
or even lakes
• travel all the way to their mouths, usually
another water channel or the ocean

8. Streams &
Rivers

9. Wetlands
Wetlands are areas of standing
water that support aquatic
plants.
Marshes, swamps, and bogs are
all considered wetlands

10. Freshwater Wetlands
• highest species diversity of all fresh water
ecosystems.
• many species of amphibians, reptiles, birds
(such as ducks and waders), and furbearers
can be found in the wetlands
• There are also salt water wetlands and
marshes.

11. Wetlands

12. Aquatic Ecosystems
Marine
Oceans
Coral Reefs
Estuaries

13. Marine Biomes
• cover about three-fourths (72%) of the Earth’s
surface and include oceans, coral reefs, and
estuaries
• algae supply much of the world’s oxygen
supply and take in a huge amount of
atmospheric carbon dioxide
• evaporation of the seawater provides
rainwater for the land

14. Estuaries
• enclosed body of water formed where
freshwater from rivers and streams flows into
the ocean, mixing with the salty sea water
• estuaries and the lands surrounding them are
places of transition from land to sea, and
from fresh to salt water
• although influenced by the tides, estuaries
are protected from the full force of ocean
waves, winds, and storms

15. Estuaries
• Estuaries are almost as abundant in life as tropical
rainforests.
• Estuaries are sometimes called “marine nurseries”
– habitats for many juvenile organisms, especially
for fishes

16. Oceans
• largest of all the ecosystems
• dominate the Earth’s surface
• great diversity of species

17. Ocean Zones
• separate zones
–Intertidal
–Pelagic
–Abyssal
–Benthic

18. Intertidal Zone
where the ocean meets the land
sometimes submerged and at other
times exposed

19. Pelagic – Open Ocean
Waters deeper than intertidal leading all the
way to open ocean.
Closer to shore is called the Neritic Zone.

22. Benthic Zone
• The Benthic Zone is just a deep layer of the
Palagic Zone.
• The Benthic Zone holds deep water sea
creatures.

23. Narcomedusa
Vampire Squid
Snake Dragon
Angler Fish
Amphi - crustacean
Ctenophore – voracious predator
Deepstaria very slow swimmers,
no tentacles, close flexible bells
(up to a meter across) around
their prey
Big Red
grows to over
a meter across

24. Abyssal Zone
• Abyssal Zone is the deepest of the deep. Many
creatures are not able to live in these
conditions. Life is not abundant.
• It is the absolutely lowest section of the
pelagic zone.

25. Deep Water Squid
Basketstar
Sea Pig Sea Spider
Shrimp
Winged Sea Cucumber
Medussa
Deep Sea Smoker - 648°F
Deep-sea Anemone Hydrothermal Vent

26. Oceanic Zones
• The Ocean does not receive light all the way to
the bottom.
• The upper layer of the ocean that receives
light is called the photic zone.
• The lower area that does not receive light is
called the aphotic zone.

27. Bibliography
1. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/index.html
2. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/marsh/freshwater.shtml
3. http://mbgnet.mobot.org/
4. http://www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/intro.htm
l
5. http://archive.globe.gov/sda-
bin/wt/ghp/tg+L(en)+P(seasons/Miniinvestigation)
6. http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/ecoregions/global2
00/pages/home.htm
7. “Coral Reefs.” World Book. Chicago: World Book, 1998. Vol. 4, p. 257.
8. “Coral Reefs.” http://kidscience.about.com/kids/kidscience/cs/coralreefs/