Aquatic Ecosystems
Fresh Water, Brackish Water, and Salt Water
Fresh Water
- defined as having low salt concentration
- types of freshwater regions: ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, and wetlands
- zones (3) 1) limnetic zone: near-surface open water surrounded by the littoral zone (dominated by plankton, phytoplankton, & zooplankton) 2) profoundal zone: much colder and denser than other zones, deep-water part of lake/pond 3) littoral zone: topmost zone near shore, includes species of algae, grazing snails, clams, insects
- more than half of drinking water for humans/animals comes from this resource
- plants: blue flag iris, water lilies
- animals: otters, goldfish, hippo
- locations: Lake Victoria, Great Lakes, Nile River
- career: Quantitative Environmental Scientist- will manage, analyze, and interpret various physical & biological data under the supervision of a senior scientist or program manager
Blue Flag Iris
Fresh Water
Water Lilies
Fresh Water
Goldfish
Fresh Water
Brackish Water
- has more salinity than fresh water, but not as much as seawater
- mostly occurs when fresh water meets sea water
- primary waste product of the salinity gradient power progress
- plants: red tiger lotus, red mangrove, anachris
- animals: caspian seal, bull shark
- locations: Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea
- job: Ecologist- study and explain how human actions affect other living things and their environment
Caspian Sea
Brackish Water
Bull Shark
Brackish Water
Red Mangrove
Brackish Water
Salt Water
- large salt composition compared to fresh water
- covers more than 2/3 of the Earth's surface
- one of the most bio diverse environments in the world
- plants: coral reef, seaweed
- animals: octopus, killer whale, shortfin mako shark
- 4 types of salt water ecosystems: 1) wetlands 2) estuaries 3) coral reefs 4) The Open Ocean
- 4 zones: 1) Intertidal 2) Pelagic 3) Benthic 4) Abyssal
- Intertidal: area that is above water at low tide & under water at high tide (in short, area between tide marks)
- Pelagic: everything except areas near the coast and the sea floor
- Benthic: lowest level of a system & includes the sediment surface, the water just above it, and some sub-surface layers
- Abyssal: layer that contains the very deep communities near the bottom of oceans
- locations: Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean
- career: Marine Biologist- studies all types of sea creatures
Coral Reef
Brackish Water
Killer Whale
Brackish Water
Octopus
Brackish Water