Marine Zones Essential Question What zones of life

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Marine Zones Essential Question: What zones of life exist in the ocean?

Marine Zones Essential Question: What zones of life exist in the ocean?

Intertidal Zone Seashore area between low & high tides. Geography: Rocky cliffs, sandy beaches,

Intertidal Zone Seashore area between low & high tides. Geography: Rocky cliffs, sandy beaches, wetlands. Adaptations: Extremes of little to excessive water. Organisms: Urchins, sea anemones, crabs, mussels, sea stars, octupus.

Neritic Zone Coastal waters; goes to edge of continental shelf. Geography: Shallow; up to

Neritic Zone Coastal waters; goes to edge of continental shelf. Geography: Shallow; up to 200 meters. Adaptations: Oxygenated; Stable temperature & salinity; Abundant light. Organisms: Small fish, plankton, algae, corals, eels, turtles, dolphins, sea stars.

Benthic Zone Region of deep sea or ocean floor. Geography: Down continental slope and

Benthic Zone Region of deep sea or ocean floor. Geography: Down continental slope and across abyssal plain. Adaptations: Soil & sediment affect organisms; many are permanently attached to sea floor. Organisms: Called “benthos; ” Mussel, scallop, urchins, worms, barnacles, sponges.

Light Zones Photic Zone Surface to few hundred meters down. Enough sunlight for photosynthesis

Light Zones Photic Zone Surface to few hundred meters down. Enough sunlight for photosynthesis (provides food source. ) 90% of marine life lives in the photic zone! Aphotic Zone Few hundred meters all the way to bottom of ocean. Little to NO sunlight, water temp is very COLD. Light – bioluminescence. Most food comes from dead organisms sinking to bottom.