This document summarizes the major water biomes on Earth. It notes that 75% of the Earth's surface is covered by water and that most of the biosphere consists of aquatic ecosystems. It then describes the main zones of both freshwater and saltwater environments, including photic and aphotic zones, benthic zones, categories of freshwater (rivers, lakes, wetlands), coastal wetlands, estuaries, and marine zones. It provides examples of characteristic organisms found in each biome.

1. WATER BIOMES

2. WATER BIOMES
• 75% of the earth surface is water.
• Most of the biosphere is, in fact, water
ecosystems.

3. Water zones
Depth - water zones
Photic zone:
Uppermost, Photosynthesis.
Aphotic zone:
no light, no photosynthesis.
Benthic zone:
Sea bottom, lake bottom, riverbed.

4. Light penetration
Source:http://curriculum.calstatela.edu/courses/
builders/lessons/less/les5/les5gifs/sealight.jpg

5. Categories
Freshwater Rivers, streams, creeks, bayous.
• Flowing-water biomes.
• Standing-water biomes. Lakes, ponds.
Both
• Wetlands. Marshes, swamps, bogs,
mangrove swamps.
Saltwater
• Marine biomes. Ocean, seas, reef.

6. Flowing water.

7. Flowing water
Moving water picks up sediment
and carries it downstream.
Sediment transport: new
landforms.
Movement renders oxigen-rich
water.
Mosses, fishes: salmon, trout.
Eroding effect: mountains, deep
canyons.

8. Standing
water

9. Standing water
Ponds.
Ponds are completely photic,
plankton is present.
Turtles, fishes, frogs, birds,
herbaceous plants, etc.
Lakes
Benthic zone: Catfishes, moss
eaters, deep algae.

10. Inland
wetland.

11. Inland wetland
Bogs, swamps, marshes.
Covered all the time by water.
Trees, shrubs, herbs, lillies (lirio).
Birds, frogs, toads, fish, insects,
crocodiles.
Everglades.

12. Coastal wetland.

13. Coastal wetland
Regions along the seacost
periodically covered by salt water.
Mangrove swamps, Salt marshes.
Fishes, crabs, shrimps, mudskippers,
amphibians, toads, birds, insects.
Woody shrubs, trees, vines, mosses.

14. La Tobara
Coastal wetland
San Blas, Nayarit.
near puerto vallarta.

15. Estuary.

16. Estuary
Shallow Areas where fresh water
and salt water mix.
River sediments are deposited
here.
Nor fresh nor salty.
Nutrient-rich.
MANY kinds of fishes,
crustaceans, mollusks, predators
as birds.

17. Marine
zones.

18. Marine Zones - Overall
70 % of the earth’s surface.
Biotic factors change abruptly through depth.
Salinity and temperature vary from place to place.
VERY diverse (”Rainforest” of water biomes)
Coastal zones: 10% of the marine biome, contain 90% of
marine life.

19. Marine zones
B.-Intertidal.
E.-Neritic.
F.- Oceanic.
G.- Photic zone.
D.-Benthic zone
A.-Aphotic zone.
C.- Pelagic zone.
H.- Abyssal Zone

20. Intertidal (Beach)
Large variations in salinity.
Litoral.
Large variations in temperature.
Uneven flow, tides.
Crabs, sponges, starfish, tidepool1.jpg
sea cucumber, anemones,
coraline algae, snails.

21. Neritic Zone
Lying over the continental “shelf”.
Bays.
Rich in mineral nutrients from land.
Proliferation of Phytoplankton and
algae.
Oysters, coral animals, algae,
dinoflagellates.

22. Oceanic (epipelagic) zone
“Open ocean”.
Poor in mineral nutrients from
land.
Less organisms than neritic.
Sharks, mackerels, tuna,
seals, jellyfish, sea lions, sea
turtles, sting rays.

23. Photic zone
Enough light for phytoplankton,
plants.
Includes epipelagic and neritic
zones.
Depth: up to -200m.
More: Grunts, fishes, squids.

24. Aphotic zone
No sunlight for phytoplankton, plants.
Complete darkness.
No plants or algae.
More: octopus, deep-sea fishes,
hatchet fish, viper fish, deep-sea
squids, nautilus.
Bioluminiscent, large eyes, stalking.

25. Benthic zone
Bottom-dwelling organisms.
Neritic is also part of the benthic
zone.
Sea stars, Shrimps, sea crabs, clam
oysters, urchins, worms, sponges,
anemones.
Abyssal zone (deeeeeeeep): Leas
organisms.

26. Aphotic zone
Eunice Edwards