Marine Life Classification of living organisms Three domains

Marine Life

Classification of living organisms Three domains of Life Archaea Bacteria Eukarya Eukaryotic cells with nucleus and membrane: Includes Protists, Fungi, Plants, and Animals

Domain Eukarya � Protists: �Algae ○ Photosynthetic ○ Can be unicellular, colonial, or multicellular - Multicellular - “seaweed” – kelp - Unicellular – phytoplankton, produce large amounts of oxygen

Domain Eukarya � Plants �Autotrophic, multicellular ○ Very few species grow in/near ocean �Sea grasses �Mangroves

Domain Eukarya � Animals �Heterotrophic, multicellular, have motility at some point in life cycle �Wide variety ○ From simplest of animals (sponges) to most complex (mammals)

Taxonomic classification �Systemized classification of organisms � Kingdom � Phylum � Class � Order � Family � Genus � Species �Fundamental unit �Population of genetically similar, interbreeding individuals

� Kingdom Plantae ○ Nonvascular Plants – mosses ○ Vascular Plants �Seedless Vascular Plants (Spores) – ferns �Seed Vascular Plants - Gymnosperms – “naked” seeds, Spruce Trees - Angiosperms – flowering plants (mangroves and sea grasses, etc. )

� Kingdom Animalia �Parazoa – no true tissues ○ Sponges �Eumetazoa – true tissues ○ 2 true tissues – simple, no organs; jelly fish, coral ○ 3 true tissues –all other animals, more complex

Spineless creatures Invertebrates are animals that lack a backbone Examples: jellyfish, sponges, corals, crabs Classification Overview Common Invertebrates Kingdom Animalia Phlyum Porifera Cnidaria Mollusca Arthropoda Echinodermata 10

Phylum Porifera- Sponge -cells perform all life process without tissue or organs -only contains 2 layers of cells Phylum: Porifera � Simple heterotrophs with two cell types: � Collar cells have flagella and draw water into the sponge’s central cavity (diagram right) � Epithelial cells line the sponge’s outer surface � Reproduce asexually by budding or sexually by release of sex cells (gametes) into the water � Filter feeders: feed by filtering suspended materials out of water � The yellow tube sponge, Flagellum purple vase sponge, red encrusting sponge and gray rope sponge Collar cell Photo: NOAA 11

Phylum Cnidaria: Jellyfish and Coral -Tissue, no organs Cnidarians include corals, anemones, sea fans, and jellyfish � Cnidarian characteristics: � � Radial symmetry – they are symmetrical around a single point, like a clock � Two tissue layers separated by a jelly layer (mesoglea) � Nematocysts – structures on their tentacles that have stinging toxins This purple. Taxonomy striped Cnidarian jellyfish (Pelagia. Classes Some Common panopyra) has a potent sting Kingdom Animalia Photo: NOAA Phylum Cnidaria Classes Anthozoa – anemones, Corals Scyphozoa – jellyfish Hydrozoa – fire corals, Portuguese Man-of-War 12

Some special Cnidarian species profiles Fire coral Class: Hydrozoa Order: Capitata These are in a different class than typical hard corals - you will get a mild burn if you touch them! Photo: NOAA These are i a different class than jellyfish, they are colonies – specialized polyps Photo: NOAA Portuguese Man-of-War Class: Hydrozoa Order: Siphonophora 13

Phylum Mollusca: Three defining traits Mollusks include oysters, clams, mussels, conchs, snails, sea slugs, squid and octopuses � Most mollusks have three traits � � Mantle: a muscular bag Mollusca Taxonomy Some Common Classes Kingdom Animalia Phylum Mollusca surrounding the gills and other organs for circulation � A muscular foot for movement � A radula: a rough scraping appendage for feeding or protection 14

Some mollusks Photos: NOAA Foot Spiny oyster Class: Bivalvia Octopus Class: Cephalopoda The foot of the octopus is divided into eight arms. Bivalves have two shells and no typical “head” like other mollusks 15

Phylum Athropoda: Superclass/Subphylum Crustacean Taxonomy Arthropods are land sea Some Common Classes “bugs” � Crustaceans include shrimps, Kingdom crabs, lobsters, copepods and Animalia barnacles Phylum Arthropoda � About 1 million species exist � Crustacean characteristics: Subphylum � � Two pairs of antennae Crustacea � Mandibles for chewing � Hard exoskeleton � Jointed legs 16

Some common crustaceans Photos: NOAA Rock lobster Sub-phylum Crustacea Class Malacostraca Order Decapoda Copepod Sub-phylum Crustacea Class Copepoda Order Harpacticoida 17

Phylum Echinodermata: The ocean’s stars Include sea stars (starfish), sea urchins, sand dollars � Most echinoderms have these traits: � � Tube feet for motion � 5 part radical symmetry Echinoderm Taxonomy Some Common Classes Kingdom Animalia Phylum Echinodermata 18

Some Echinoderms Source: NOAA Sea urchin Phylum Echinodermata Class Echinoidea Sunflower star Phylum Echinodermata Class Asteroidea Order Forcipulatida 19

Phylum- Chordata � Characteristics: dorsal hollow nerve cord, post-anal tail, pharyngeal gill slits = Vertebrates ○ Superclass Gnathostoma – jaws � Class Chondrichthyes � Class Osteichthyes � Class Mammalia

Vertebrates � Class Chondrichthyes �Cartilage Skeleton (Not bones) �Sharks, rays

Vertebrates � Class Osteichthyes �Bony fish, ray-finned fish �Great diversity in the ocean! ○ Large tuna, grouper, sailfish ○ Flounder ○ Seahorses ○ Eels

Vertebrates � Class Mammalia �Hair and mammary glands �Sea otters, pinnepeds (walruses, seals, sea lions), manatees, whales

Classification in the marine environment by habitat and mobility Plankton (floaters) Nekton (swimmers) Benthos (bottom dwellers)

http: //i. ehow. com/images/Global. Photo/Articles/2110315/icephytoplankton-main_Full. jpg Plankton Most biomass on Earth consists of plankton Phytoplankton Microscopic algae, Autotrophic Zooplankton Heterotrophic Protozoans, tiny animals, larvae of larger animals Bacterioplankton Virioplankton Viruses that infect bacteria and eukaryotic cells

Nekton Independent swimmers Most adult fish and squid Marine reptiles Marine mammals

Benthos � Epifauna live on surface of sea floor � Infauna live buried in sediments � Nektobenthos swim or crawl through water above seafloor � Most abundant in shallower water

Main divisions of the marine environment � Pelagic (open sea) �Neritic (< 200 m) and oceanic � Benthic (sea floor) �Subneritic and suboceanic � Another classification Euphotic Disphotic Aphotic scheme:

Pelagic environments – Open ocean: Vertical Fig. 12. 19 Epipelagic Mesopelagic Bathypelagic Abyssopelagic

Benthic (Ocean Floor) environments – Horizontal Supralittoral Transition from land to seafloor Subneritic (under neritic) Littoral (intertidal zone) Sublittoral (shallow tidal zone to 200 m) Suboceanic Bathyal (200 -4, 000 m) Abyssal (4000 -6000 m) Hadal (below 6000 m) Fig. 12. 19