abiotic-> non-living organisms biotic-> all living things ecosystems-> made up of all...
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 2- The Ocean Environment!!!!!
Review of Terms!!!!!! Abiotic-> non-living organisms
Biotic-> All living things Ecosystems-> made up of all biotic
and abiotic factors Habitat-> specific place where an
organism is found Microhabitat-> mini habitats (sand
granules) Homeostasis-> maintaining
equilibrium / balance
Abiotic!!!!!!!!!!!!
Biotic!!!!
Ecosystems
Habitat
Microhabitats
Homeostasis
Homeostasis with Marine Organisms
Problems:›Death›Fail to reproduce
Optimal RangeZone of
IntoleranceStress Zone Optimal Range Stress Zone Zones of
Intolerance
* Death*Reprod -uction does not occur•Cannot Maintain Homeostasis
Expend too much energy and they won’t reproduce
All environmentalFactors are met. 20-30 C
Expend too much energy and they won’t reproduce.
Environment is too far gone from the optimal range that the organisms cannot survive.
What happens if an organism lives outside its optimal range?
Death Failure to reproduce Can’t maintain
homeostasis
Physical Characteristics of the Marine Environment
Sunlight Temperature Salinity Pressure Nutrients Wastes
Sunlight
Sunlight Photosynthesis-> Energy for
all life Aids in Vision-> avoid
predators, capture prey, and communicate
Darkness-> rely on other senses, taste / smell
Phytoplankton-> largest photosynthetic organism. › Microscopic, plantlike and bacteria that float in ocean currents. They thrive on sunlight and nutrients so if the water is cloudy they won’t survive.
Example-> North Atlantic plankton has to live in the shallows because sunlight can only penetrate about three feet or one meter.
South Pacific= 200 meters or 600 feet
Sunlight and the Shoreline
Excessive sunlight = intense heat= desiccation (drying out)
Algae suffers pigment destruction when exposed to too much sunlight which limits their ability to photosynthesize.
Temperature
Ectotherms!!!! Obtain body heat from their surroundings Examples-> fish and crabs
Endotherms Regulate body temperature from the
inside because of its metabolism (generates heat internally / lots of fat)
Examples-> mammals and birds
Tidal Pools and
Temperature Exposed to high and low tide Drastic changes in temp.
from hot days to very cold nights.
Organisms have to adapt quickly
Fish kills
Fish Kills!!!!
Salinity
Defined as :The amount of the concentrated dissolved inorganic salts in the water.
Most organisms membranes are permeable (things can pass through the skin)
Not permeable to everything- selective
In order to maintain homeostasis there needs to be a balance between water and solutes
When a solute cannot move across the membrane osmosis takes over (H2O goes from areas of high concentration to low concentration)
Example In the open ocean spider crabs cannot
regulate the salt concentration of their body fluids because their bodies absorb water and salt.
Bays, estuaries, and tide pools are really affected because of evaporation. Water evaporates but the salt remains highly concentrated.
Fiddler Crab-> able to adjust the salt content of their body tissues by regulating salt and water retention.
Pressure Water is denser than air The deeper you go the more pressure
you feel Know that the human body is mostly
water, and that in recreational diving, water pressure will be felt in the air spaces of the body (lungs, sinuses and ear canals).
10 meters=33 feet=1 atm=14.7 pounds per square inch
3,700 meters= 370 atm = 2.7 tons
Decompression Sickness- do not put
in notes Build up of nitrogen bubbles in the body- Breathe in 79%
Dive-> pressure increases in and around our body->nitrogen becomes absorbed in our body tissues
When it reaches saturation that’s when you have a problem because the pressure needs to be released
Ascend slowly with frequent “decompression stops” every 10-20 feet. This allows for the built up of nitrogen to slowly exit the body.
If you do not do this-> nitrogen bubbles build up in the body
The bubbles must normally be on the arterial side of the circulatory system to be harmful - they are usually harmless on the venous side.
There are many different types.
Do Not put in notes
Extreme Fatigue Joint and Limb Pain Tingling Numbness Red Rash on Skin Respiratory Problems Heart Problems Dizziness Blurred Vision Headaches Confusion Unconsciousness Ringing of the Ears Vertigo Stomach Sickness
Do Not put in notes
Metabolic Requiremen
ts
Nutrients
Not just food but also organic and inorganic materials.
Seawater Alone produces nitrogen (no
plants=low nitrogen) and phosphorus which phytoplankton and plants need
Calcium-> corals, shells, skeletons, and crustaceans
Oxygen By-product o photosynthesis Life evolved in lack of a free oxygen
environment so when it entered it was probably harmful (like pollutants and chemicals are to organisms now)
Allowed environment that would allow evolution of multicellular organisms
Oxygen dissolves at or near surface
Waters ability to dissolve oxygen comes from temperature and salinity
Cooler/ less salty water= more oxygen
Warm / saline water= less oxygen
Anaerobic Survive and thrive without oxygen
Deep Sea Salt marshes Sand / mud flats
Deep Sea Isopod
Aerobic Organisms
Plant, Algae, animals, marine microbes
Need oxygen for survival
Marine Microbes
Too many nutrients cause issues such as run-off (eutrophication) which increases nutrient levels -> Explosion= algal blooms or photosynthetic plankton blooms -> plankton dies-> bacteria decomposes-> decomposition depletes water of oxygen -> organisms die-> decomposition-> massive die offs
Metabolic Waste Release CO2 Nitrogen rich feces Plants release oxygen Most of the time waste is
recycled primarily by bacteria, sometimes levels are toxic
PopulationsA group of the same species
Example
Characteristics1. Breed with one another 2. Rely on the same resources3. Deal with the same
environmental factors4. Geographical boundaries
where it lives
Population= Pod of Killer Whales (J, K, & L)
Breed with one another- super pods
Same resources-> salmon
Deal with same environmental factors-> salinity, temperature,
pollutants, etc.
Geographic boundaries-> Haro Strait
How is population
determined?1. Look at whole area.* Example- hermit crabs in a
salt marsh
2. Count the # of individuals in a specific area.* Example- 500 barnacles on a rock or 10 sea anemones in a tidal pool.
3. Aerial Surveys* Ex- Whales and dolphins
4. Sampling Methods-> counting animals in a plot or transect.
* Take the individuals per plot multiplied by the total # of plots = population size
Mark- Recapture Captured-> tagged-> released-> wait a
sufficient amount of time for the animals to mix back into the population = sample is taken again and the ration of marked: unmarked is documented.
Example: Tag 10 nurse sharks-> release-> two weeks later catch 10 more-> and two of the 10 have tags= 20% of the entire population in the area-> population would be 50 sharks because 20% of 50 =10, and 10 is how many were tagged initially.
Population Density
The number of individuals per unit area or volume.
Example-> the number of barnacles on a square meter of rock
Three types-> Clumped, Uniform, and Random
Clumped Densely packed in patches May only grow in a certain
area Snails clump in areas that are
highly populated in algae Ex- oysters, barnacles,
schools of fish
Uniform Evenly spaced out. Result in competition Seaweeds compete for
sunlight Ex- Sea stars
Random All over the place Lack of strong interaction among individuals
Ex- Conchs, Snails
Changes in Population Size
Added via reproduction and immigration Eliminated via death and emigration Each have their own birth and death
rate Intermediate ages survive longer (young
and old die faster) Generation time-> average time
between an individuals birth and the birth of its first offspring. (shorter generation time = higher population)
Examples Killer Whales Gestation period
equals 16 months!
Spiny Dogfish= 2 years
Blue Sharks- 135 babies at
once
Sand Tigers- two offspring
Female Sea turtle- Lays about 100 eggs
Survivorship- Life expectancy
Young Old
# Survivors
.1
1
10
100
1000
Type III
Type II
Type I
Type I Low death rates with early
/ middle Higher older death rates Ex- Marine Mammals such
as whales
Marine Mammals
Type II Constant Mortality rates over time
Ex- Marine birds and crabs (molting)
Crabs and Birds
Type III High mortality rates for young
Lots of offspring in a short period of time
Ex- fish, bivalves,
Salmon
Life History Clutch size # of
reproductive events
Age at first reproduction
Affect the number of offspring a female will have
Clutch Size # of offspring produced each time›Ex-> Sea Turtles
# Events # times reproduced Ex-> Pacific Salmon and Octopus reproduce only once and then die.
Age Young age-> less energy for later maintenance
Older-> uses up energy for maintenance and could die
What would be the benefit of an
organism reproducing once
in its lifetime Invest all of its
energy
Biological Fitness
How many of its own offspring
survive to produce their own offspring.
Opportunistic Species
Phytoplankton species Reproduce in large numbers when environment is favorable
Equilibrium Species
Better methods of homeostasis
Less affected by environmental changes
Population Growth
Recruitment ›1. Reproduction›2. Immigration (new individuals from other populations joining
Phytoplankton have to wait for conditions to be right such as nutrients
Carrying capacity is where it levels off= how much the environment can support or hold.
Population Regulation
What factors determine the carry capacity of an environment?›Density dependent factors
›Density independent factors
Density- Dependent Factors
Decrease reproduction Predators- have more to choose
from Increase mortality-> decreased food
supply Health / survivorship= too many
plants in one area will be smaller Stress-> shrinks reproductive
organs
Density Independent
Factors Size doesn’t matter Weather / Climate Ex-> Hurricanes can wipe out an entire population
Communities-> Populations
of different species in the same habitat
Example= Rocky Intertidal
Barnacles Mussels Seaweeds Sea Stars Snails
Niche-> “occupation” its role in the environment
Examples Mussels- Stick to rocks and filter seawater
Crabs- scavenge Worms- burrow in sediment
What makes up a niche?
Predator-prey relationships Parasitism Competition for resources Organisms that provide shelter for others
Competition
Fight / compete for space, food, and mates
2 Types!!!!!= Intraspecific and
InterspecificInterspecific
• Between different species.
Intraspecific
• Between members of a single species
Interspecific
Intraspecific
No two groups of organisms can use exactly the same resources in exactly the same place at the same time.
Results of Competition
Local extinction of a less successful competitor= competitive exclusion
Predator Prey Interactions
The #of herbivores are crucial Plants->herbivores->
omnivores/carnivores If there is not enough vegetation
herbivores decline because of starvation-> vegetation increases-> herbivores increase.
Carnivores and their prey (they switch when prey declines)
Some predators focus on species that are abundant because they expend less energy -> eats lots of one species
Keystone Species
They keep the entire ecosystem in check
Examples NW Pacific-> Ochre sea star which is a dominant predator that feeds on many organisms but mainly mussels.
Ochre Sea Star Cont.
Ochre Sea Stars were removed for five years-> mussels replenished-> mussels overcrowded the intertidal area-> ochre sea star came back and the sea anemones, chitons, seaweeds, etc. were able to survive again in this habitat.
Example- Sea Otters Were hunted to near extinction for their fur.
Predominately eat sea urchins and sea urchins annihilate kelp forests and seaweeds.
Sea otter population Urchin population
Kelp population
Outcome Sea otters became protected by the MMPA and their population slowly came back and the urchins decreased and kelp increased again.
Symbiosis-> relationships between organisms-> “living together”
MutualismBoth organisms benefit
Examples for Mutualism
Clownfish and sea anemone-> Clownfish has a special mucus all over its body that protects it from anemones stings.
Clownfish picks up anemones scent that way the anemone does not eat it.
Clownfish gains protection. Anemone gains protection from organisms that might eat it.
Commensalism
One benefits and the other is unharmed
Examples of Commensalism
Remoras and sharks (remora gains protection from the shark as well as eat the leftover food)
Barnacles adhering to the skin of a whale or shell of a mollusk: The barnacle benefits by finding a habitat where nutrients are available.
Free ride all around the ocean and are exposed to different nutrients.
ParasitismOne benefits and the other is harmed.
Example of Parasitism
Parasitic tapeworm infects fish and mammals. They live in the intestines and deprive the organism of nutrients.
Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZCf9BvK_4o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00DXYXVRHkQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFkdiCQxbyg
Energy flow
through ecosystem
s
Producers / Autotrophs
Make their own food from sunlight.
Examples-> phytoplankton, seaweeds, plants
Not all producers are photosynthetic, some are chemosynthetic (use energy from chemical reactions)
Ex.-> Bacteria inhabit deep sea vents
Consumers / Heterotrophs
Rely on others for food.
Detritivores-> Feed on dead organic matter
Decomposers-> Break down dead organisms
Biomass Flow of energy from one trophic level to the next.
Decrease in available energy from one level to the next.
10% rule= decreases 10% each level
Food Web
Food Chain
Biogeochemical Cycles
cycles of nutrients needed for life
Hydrologic Cycle
Water Equator= supplies the greatest
amount of evaporation in all the oceans due to excessive eat and sunlight.
Water vapor is carried north and south from the equator and west to east within each hemisphere. When air masses cool and rise = precipitation
Sea Salt= precipitation nuclei= sea salt enters the air because of waves crashing. They then collect water droplets and when they get heavy enough they fall back onto the ground as precipitation.
Carbon Cycle Carbon is essential for all living things
Backbone of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids
Living organisms produce carbon when they respire Organism dies Decomposers breakdown tissues (CO2)
Marine producers use the CO2 in photosynthesis to make carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are used to make other materials
CO2 reacts with seawater to form carbonic acid (H2CO3) which
forms hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions Bicarbonate ions are absorbed by marine life and they combine with calcium carbonate (shells and skeletons) The calcium carbonate collects in the sediment and becomes
limestone. The limestone appears on land through geological processes where it becomes weathered (wind / rain) -> washes back into the ocean.
Nitrogen Cycle Producers require nitrogen for protein synthesis, growth,
and reproduction Ammonia= NH3, ammonium=NH4, nitrite=NO2, nitrate= NO3 Producers use energy from photosynthesis to concentrate
the nitrogen in their tissues and then turn that energy into amino acids-> proteins
Nitrogen is then passed in the form of proteins to consumers Proteins and amino acids get processed and released
through uric acid, urea, and ammonia Atmosphere= 79% Thunderstorms-> produce nitrates that enter through
precipitation Major nitrogen fixing organism in the ocean is cyanobacteria Run-off from land contains nitrogen from fertilizers, sewage,
and dead biotic factors= huge growth of phytoplankton
Biosphere- The Earth Kelp forests, estuaries, salt
marshes, mangrove swamps, rocky shores, sandy shores, coral reefs, open ocean
Estuary- Receive FW and SW (Tampa Bay)
Intertidal Zone- area of shore that is exposed to both high and low tide
Pelagic Zone
Water Column
Benthic ZoneOceans bottom
Neritic ZoneWater overlies the continental shelf
Open OceanWater that covers the deep water basins
Photic Zone Sunlight occurs = photosynthesis
Largest number of photosynthetic organisms and # animals
Aphotic Zone Darkness= no sunlight penetrates
Shelf ZoneLowest tide to the edge of the continental shelf
Bathyal ZoneContinental shelf to 4,000 meters
Abyssal Zone
4,000 to 6,000 meters deep
Hadal Zone 6,000 +
EpifaunaOrganisms that live on the bottom
Infauna Organisms that live in the bottom sediment.
PlanktonDrift with currents
NektonActive swimmers that move against currents
Niches
Blue mussels are distributed based on the abiotic factors it requires
Sea Star’s are found in overlapping areas because of the abundance of mussels
Seaweed provides food and shelter
Snails are distributed based on where the seaweed and algae is located.