Aquatic BiomesAquatic Biomes

Freshwater Biome: rivers, streams, and lakes. - No salt.

- Plants depend on the amount of light and the availability of nutrients.

-Leaves and insects from overhanging trees fall into the freshwater biome.

Marine Biome: Oceans, saltwater.

Intertidal Zone: the zone closest to shore.

Sometimes it is submerged in saltwater, sometimes it is exposed to air and sunlight. Changes with the tide.

Organisms must adapt to this change.

Neritic Zone: Areas that extend from the low tide line to the edge of the open sea.

Seaweed is abundant because this is the photic zone. Nutrients are abundant in this zone.

Open Sea Zone: Phytoplankton (microscopic plants) are responsible for 80-90% of the photosynthesis on Earth.

Abundant in this zone, but slow growing. Other plants can't grow because they have nothing to anchor their roots to.

So, this limits the numbers of animals that can live there.

Deep Sea Zone: area of high pressure, cold temperature, and total darkness.

No plant life (no sunlight) except dead plants that drift down to the bottom.

Animals include zooplankton (which swim to the top at night to feed on phytoplankton), gulper eel (mouth half the size of its body), and giant squid.

Estuaries: found at the boundary between fresh water and salt water.

Mixture of fresh water and salt water. Shallow, so lots of sunlight. Many types of plants. Birds. Some fish and animals reproduce in the estuaries and then they and their young head for the open sea.