This document provides an overview of several key marine ecosystems: - Coral reefs are the most biodiverse marine ecosystem due to symbiotic relationships between corals and zooxanthellae algae. However, they are threatened by factors like coral bleaching, disease, and human impacts. - Salt marshes are important estuarine ecosystems located between land and salt/brackish water. They support food webs and provide habitat for many species. - Mangroves are found in subtropical regions and have distinctive root systems that provide shelter and habitat. They play an important ecological role by exporting nutrients. - Deep sea ecosystems rely on chemosynthesis rather than photosynthesis. Organisms in these ecosystems must

1. Lesson 1 Marine Ecosystems

2. Factors that influence all ecosystems
• Abiotic Factors • Biotic Factors
– pH – Organisms
– Salinity • Predators/prey/ parasites
– Dissolved Oxygen
– Turbidity
– Lat/Long.
– Observation of weather
– Temperature
– Light
– Waves/Tides

3. Coral Reefs
• Most biodiverse marine
ecosystem
– Biodiversity =health of
ecosystem

4. Abiotic Factors
• Abiotic factors
– Temperature: Tropical
– Shallow waters: Availability of light
– Wave action
– Nutrient poor: why water is pretty blue in color=
lacks nutrients
• So why is it the most biodiverse ecosystem
when there are so few nutrients available?
– Symbiosis!!!! What is definition?

5. Biotic Factors
• Mutualistic relationship
– Corals = animals
– Zooxanthellae:
zooplankton
• Can’t live without
another. Coral give
zooxanthellae N, P, and
CO2 and zoo give corals
carbohydrates

6. • Forms basis of
community that
provides food and
shelter to all other
organisms

7. Location of World’s Coral Reefs

8. Types of Reefs
• Fringing Reefs- directly
borders landmass:
– Ex. Cayman Islands
• Barriers Reefs:
separated from
landmass by a lagoon
– Ex: Australia and
Florida
• Atolls: arise from deep
water and have lagoon
in center
– Most in pacific islands

9. Threats to Reefs
1. Coral Bleaching : (take notes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=7EGvE5mTxRI&safety_mode=tr
ue&persist_safety_mode=1&safe
=active
2. Disease
1. Black band disease-caused by
bacteria
2. White pox- killed 85% of Elkhorn
corals in Keys
3. Others
3. Human Impact
1. Coastal development = increased
runoff (leads to algae blooms like
red tides)
2. Activities: snorkeling/diving
disturbing corals

10. What is an estuary?
• Partially enclosed body of water that is open
to the sea/ocean(salt h2o) and has rivers and
streams(freshwater) running into it.

11. Has characteristics of BOTH marine
and Freshwater environments
• Marine characteristics • Freshwater characteristics
– Salinity – Flow of freshwater
– Tides – Flow of sediments
– waves (sand, silt, gravel)

13. What is a salt marsh?
• Type of estuary
– Located in the intertidal zone between land and
salt/brackish water
– Dominated by salt tolerant plants
– Important for environment
• to the food web and export nutrients to water
• Provide habitats for birds and other land animals
• Serve as nurseries for juvenile fish
• Protect coast from erosion from hurricanes

15. Plant Succession

16. Genus Species-Spartina Alterniflora-
Common Name-”SmoothCordgrass”

17. Genus Species- Spartina patens
Common Name- saltmeadow cordgrass

18. Genus species- Salicornia virginica
Common name-Pickleweed

19. Genus species- Batis maritima
Common Name- turtleweed

20. Genus- Juncus
Common Name- Rush

21. Terrestrial Animals- Birds

22. Intertidal animals-Fiddler Crab

23. Fish species

24. Mangroves
• Found in south of St. Augustine to Key West
– More stable salinity than salt marsh
• 3 genra local to Florida
– Rhizophora mangle –red mangle-----prop roots
– Avicennia germinans – black mangle---
pneumatophores
– Laguncularia racemosa- white mangle
• Distinctive by their root system and pods

26. Ecologically Important
• Mangrove leaf little (detritus) forms the basis
of the food web.
• Supports many commercially important
species of fish
– Blue crab
– Shrimp
– Lobster
– Sea trout

27. • Habitats
– Prop root and pneumatophores provide shelter
– West Coast of Fl. roots become incrusted with coon
oyster
– East Coast of Fl. Mussels and barnacles are dominant
mollusk species.
– Other species can find
• King Conch
• Periwinkle snails
• Sea stars brittlestars
• Sea squirts

29. Red Mangrove
Black Mangrove
Red, White, and Black mangrove White Mangrove
leaves

30. Deep Sea
• Get Blue Marine Biology Book from shelf
– Read pgs. 407-419 and answer SHORT
ANSWER questions on pg. 423 # 1-7
• Be sure to restate the question in your answer or write
the question since you don’t have these questions to
refer back to in your text books.

31. Other Marine Ecosystems
Ecosyste What it’s like there Biotic factors Abiotic factors Where you can
m find it
Open Receives light Whales, sharks, Sunlight, various Middle of
Ocean (photosynthesis can schools of tuna, temps., wide ocean like
occur) phytoplankton open spaces, not Atlantic
No land nearby many places to between U.S
Schools of fish hide and Europe
Polar Seas Cold, dominated by ice, Polar bears beluga, Ice, snow, lots of North pole,
high variation in seasons orcas, krill, seals, light in summer, south pole
(b/c of Earth’s tilt) penguins, little in winter
phytoplankton
Kelp Dense forest of kelp Kelp, sea otters, sea Rocky coastlines, Washington
Forest growing from seafloor to urchins, mussels, sunlight, cool State (west
surface crabs, snails temps. coast above
Cali)
Rocky Intertidal, harsh habitat Inverts: crabs, Rocks, sand, Maine, Mass.,
Shore b/c of wave action, wet barnacles, chitons, waves, sunlight, California,
and dry times bet. tides mussels, seaweeds tides Oregon,
Washington.

32. Warm-up- as scientist study and track marine animals, why is it
important to understand that the ocean is comprised of many
ecosystems?
• Case Study 1- Whale Falls
– View Video- Answer 3 questions on pgs. 9
– Read pg 10- answer question 12.

33. Read pgs. 14-16 Marine Sanctuaries
and Florida’s Marine Sanctuary
• Answer Following:
#17 on pg. 15
And
Why will it never be possible for a President to
“okay” drilling for Oil in the Florida Key’s. Give 2
reasons or examples of why.