Lecture 35. Marine Ecosystems: Estuaries Flashcards
What is natural capital ?
The worlds stock of natural assets
What percentage of the earth does sea cover ?
70%
What percent is the total space available to life on earth ?
98%
What is deep sea defined as ?
More than 200m deep
How many animal phyla are found in marine ecosystems ?
30
How many animal phyla are only found in marine ecosytems ?
15
What does biodiversity relate to ?
Ecosystem functioning
What is ecosystem functioning ?
How nature provides clean, water, air, food
How many species are associated with coral ?
600000-9million
What are some blue solutions ?
- Energy
- Food security
- Climate change
- Human diseases
What is pelagic ?
Floating in sea
What are estuaries ?
where river meets sea
How are estuaries defined ?
Usually based on salinity
How are estuaries defined ?
Topography
What are the groups of estuaries ?
- Coastal plains
- Bar built estuaries
- Isostatic variation driven by tectonic activity
How are coastal plains formed ?
Eustatic sea level rise or fjords
What is an example of a coastal plain ?
Chesapeake Bay, USA
How are bar built estuaries formed ?
Offshore deposits can casue barries across inlets - long island new york
What is an example of isostatic variation driven by technotic movement ?
San Fransico Bay
What else can estuaries be classified by ?
Tidal range
What can effect tidal range ?
- Size - The bigger the estuarie the larger tidal range
2. Shape
What are the tidal range classifications ?
- Microtidal
- Mesotidal
- Macrotidal
- Hypertidal
What is a tidal prism ?
The difference between the volume of water when the tide is in and when the tide is out
What type of place is an estuarie to live ?
Extremely stressful
How can tidal ranges be altered ?
Urbanisation
What can estuaries be used for ?
Renewable energy
What are the environmental factors that influence organisms in estuaries ?
- Salinity
- Sediment
- Dissolved oxygen
- Temperature
Is there a unit for salinity ?
Not officially but some times psu is used (practical salinity unit)
How does salinity vary ?
Along an estuary and with tidal cycle
Where is a dramatic variation in salinity seen ?
Mid estuary area
What type of salinity is used to calssify estuaries ?
Vertical salinity profiles
What does salinity depend on ?
How well mixed the two water sources are
What are intertidal mudflats ?
- Soft fine silt
- Suplorous odour
- Difficult to walk on
- Rich in organic material
- Difficult to attach to
- High secondary production
What do areas with oxygen anf temperature have ?
- High organic matter
- Aerobic bacteria breakdown
- Dissolved oxygen sag mid estuary
- Made worse by human sactivity
What does anaerobic breakdown produce in anaerobic breakdown ?
Methane and
hydrogen suplphide
What can temperature do ?
- Varys seasonally
- Trigger migration
- Affect microbial breakdown rates
- Expect greater DO sags in summer
- Impacts of industry
What is the venice system ?
Based on salinity
What are multiple dactors of the venice system ?
- Zone 1 head
- Zone 2 upper reaches
- Zone 3 Middle reaches
- Zone 4 Lower reaches
- Zone 5 mouth
What organisms would you find in estuaries ?
- Head - freshwater
- Upper- polycheates, nematodes, crustaceans
- Mid-amphipods
- Outer- Mussels, oysters, eels, salmon
What happens after organic disturbance ?
Macrofaunal succession
What are bioturbators ?
Mobile deposit feeders
What are primarily estaurine fish ?
- Smelt
2. Mummichogs
What is an estuary important for ?
Nursey
What is the north atlantic oscillation index
The difference in pressure between Iceland and the Azures
What is the north atlantic oscillation index related to ?
Weather patterns
What does the north atlantic oscillation index affect ?
- Fish diversity
2. Growth and abundance
