Aquatic Ecosystems
freshwater, brackish water and salt water
Freshwater ecosystem
Freshwater ecosystems include lakes, ponds, marshes,wetlands and rivers. They are different from the saltwater ecosystem because saltwater ecosystems have more salt content.There salt content is usually less than 1%. Freshwater lacks the buoyancy of salt water. More than half the drinking water comes from this resource. Freshwater has a lower freezing point than saltwater.
freshwater plant
long stemmed water lilynymphaeaceae
freshwater plant
hairgrass spikerusheleocharis sp. red
freshwater plant
mosaic aquatic plantludwigia sedoides
freshwater animal
red sided dace
Clinostomus elongatus
freshwater animal
great egret Ardea alba
freshwater animal
coahuilan box turtle Terrapene coahuila
Brackish water ecosystem
Brackish water is a mixture of freshwater and saltwater commonly occurring when fresh water meets sea water. For example, the fresh water exiting the Mississippi river with its various deltas branches out into Brackish waterways and eventually end at the ocean gulf. Brackish water has more salinity than fresh water. Salinity refers to the dissolved salt content in the water. Another example of brackish water ecosystems are estuaries, mangroves and the Caspian Sea. Here the mangrove plant grows very well removing minerals and nutrients from the waters of the Brackish waters.
Brackish water Animal
green spotted puffer fish tetraodon nigroviridis
brackish water animal
gubby poecilia reticulata
brackish water animal
chameleon shrimp macrobrachium pilimanus
brackish water plant
arrowhead sagittaria latifolia
brackish water plant
marsh hibiscus hibiscus moscheutos
brackish water plant
saw grass cladium jamaicense
Salt water Ecosystem
Salt water ecosystems make up the largest aquatic systems on the planet. Salt water is more buoyant than freshwater making it easier to float on your back. Salt water and fresh water ecosystems share common animals.
Some types of salt water ecosystems are oceans estuaries, coral reefs and shorelines. Salt water causes water to freeze at a lower water temperature, as the saltwater concentration increases. The salinity of salt water or how much salt content is dissolved in the water varies throughout the oceans.
salt water animal
clown fish amphiprion percula
salt water animal
dolphin delphinidae
salt water animal
sting ray dasyatidae
salt water plant
shaving brush plant pencillus sp.
salt water plant
red mangrove propagule rhizophora mangle
salt water plant
mermaid fan plant udotea sp.