Marine Ecosystems

Presented By:

ARNABI BOSE DIPA DAS PURNAMRITA MALLICK TISTA BISWAS SWATI AGARWAL

INTRODUCTION
Marine ecosystems among the largest of Earth's ecosystems. They cover approximately 71% of the Earth's surface and contain approximately 97% of the planet's water. They include oceans, salt marsh and intertidal ecology, estuaries and lagoons, mangroves and coral reefs, the deep sea and the sea floor. The water temperature is stratified in many parts of the marine ecosystem. The cold deeper water of the ocean are often separated from the warm surface water by a boundary layer known as Thermocline. Marine ecosystem are mostly self sustaining system of life forms and the physical environment. In these ecosystem materials are cycled and recycled. It has a few unique twist to these cycle.

Nine Major Marine Ecosystems:

Rocky Intertidal Sandy and Cobble Beach Salt Marshes and Estuaries Open Ocean Deep Sea Floor Hydrothermal Vents Coral Reefs Polar Ocean Kelp Forest

Rocky Intertidal
This marine community, also known as the littoral zone, has extreme biodiversity. This zone is the area that is above water at low tide and under water at high tide. It is one of the Earths most densely populated areas. For e.g. animals like starfish, sea urchins, and some species of coral.
Yokohama Bay rocky intertidal zone

Sandy and Cobble Beaches

These are a major component in marine community with an extremely dynamic environment where interface between sand, water and air are always observed. Sandy beaches harbor high densities of detritus, infauna, and macro-invertebrates that supply food and habitat for both marine and terrestrial organisms. Sand beaches are utilized by a wide variety of species for feeding, resting, and breeding. Coastal lagoons are a rare resource in southern California yet they play an important role for spawning fish and breeding waterfowl.

SANTA ROSA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Salt Marshes and Estuaries

A salt marsh is an environment between land and salt water or brackish water. It is dominated by dense stands of halophytic (salttolerant) plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. Salt marshes play a large role in the aquatic food and the delivery of nutrients to coastal waters. Estuary Salt Marsh in An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with Christchurch, New Zealand one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Common species in these areas include loblolly pine, red maple, sweet gum, swamp tupelo, and live oak. The American alligator is a keystone species in this community.

Open Ocean
The open ocean refers to open waters lying over and beyond the continental shelf, excluding shores and estuaries. It includes the region above the continental shelf; called the Neritic province, and the region beyond, called the Oceanic province. The realm of open water, called the Pelagic zone, consists of habitats like
free-floating plankton to many species of fish, marine mammals, turtles, and invertebrates.

Deep Sea Floor

The deep sea floor, or deep layer, also described as the benthic zone, is the

lowest layer in the ocean.

This marine community is very cold. Organisms living in this zone are called Benthos, for e.g. crabs, lobsters, oysters, sea stars, brittle stars, amoeba, bacteria, sponges and bivalves.

Hydrothermal Vents
This marine community has super-heated water. It contains white and black smokers. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places. Diverse organisms, including giant tube worms, clams, limpets and shrimp are found. This environment could have been the starting point for life on Earth.

Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Often called rainforests of the sea, coral reefs form some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth.
Coral reefs near Fiji Island

Reefs are home to a large variety of organisms, including fish, seabirds, sponges, worms, sea turtles, sea snakes, shark, cardinal fish, lantern fish, a number of invertebrates, collectively called crypto fauna.
This marine community comes in three types; Fringe, Barrier, and Atoll.

Red Coral

Polar Ocean
There are two oceans in Earth's polar regions. The Arctic Ocean is in the north polar region. The Southern Ocean is in the south polar region. Seawater from polar regions can be denser than seawater from other places. Polar bears and penguins are the most common creatures found here.

Kelp Forest
Kelp forests are underwater areas with a high density of kelp. They are recognized as one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on Earth. This marine community is found along coastlines, in cool waters. It contains large communities of brown algae. The keystone species are the algae, purple sea urchins, and sea otters.

CONCLUSION
Marine conservation, also known as marine resources conservation, is the protection and preservation of ecosystems in oceans and seas. Marine conservation focuses on limiting human-caused damage to marine ecosystems, and on restoring damaged marine ecosystems. This is a relatively new discipline. Marine conservationists rely on a combination of scientific principles derived from marine biology, oceanography, and fisheries science, to determine how to best protect and conserve marine species and ecosystems.