Open Ocean, Polar Seas & Kelp Forests Flashcards
Benefits of the open epipelagic oceanic ecosystems
- warmest
- well lit
- supports primary production
Disadvatges of the open epipelagic oceanic ecosystems
- no substrate
- no bottom
- limited hiding spots
Trophic levels of plankton
phyto-autotroph-producer
zoo-heterotroph-consumer
plankton
go with the flow (cannot swim aginst currents)
Holo/Mero-plankton
whole life, part life
Significance of Phytoplankton
- photosynthsis (carbon sink)
- produce 80% earths gas
ex: Diatoms, Dinoflagellates
Zooplankton signifance
- very sensitive (die from pollution, microplastics,temp changes, and acidification)
- major source of food for other ogransims
ex: copepods, jellyfish, krill - major link between primary producers and bigger consumers
one needed ability to live in epipelagic since food is sacre and need to conserve energy
to float!
include air or fat filled compartments, increase surface area
nekton
CAN swim aganist the flow
- fish
- sea trutles
open ocean predation and protection from predation
since there is no where to hid be:
fast
have protective coloring
teamwork
shoal
use variety of sense organs
Sense organs
- well developed eyes
- a lateral line to detech trashing
- echlocation
types of protective coloration
- camouflage
- transparency
- countershading
body features for speed
Fusiform (bullet shaped)
reduce drag
strong forked tail to increase thrust
parts of copepods
head
thorax
abdomen
2 antennae
skeleton make of calcium carbonate
are crusraceans
Kelp Forest
background
- very productive area
- nutrients from upwelling
- good biodiversity (intraspecfic competiton)
- grows 1-2 feet a day
Upwelling
simple
- offshore winds blow warm water away from coast
- creats area of low pressure
- cold water rises to fill gap
- along bring nutrients from the depths (increasing productivty)
Kelp is
and temp conditions
a large brown macro algae
requires 8-16*C
Parts of Kelp
Blade- to maximize photosynthesis
Stipe- hold blades
Air bladder- keeps kep standing upright
holdfast- bottom foot keeps kelp attached (anchor)
Animals found in kelp forest
- Garibaldi (fish) highly territorial
- weedy sea dragon (camflage for protection) weak swimmer so water brings food to it
- Great white shark (eats sea lions so high-fat for long-term energy) (uses countershading to ambush predator)
Keystone species of Kelp forests
sea otters that feed on sea urchins (they maintain kelp population) however they can overpopilat and eat the kelp holdfast
Importance of macroalage
- cooking (sushi)
- food industry
- cosmetics
- medicine
- fertiler
- high demand
enviromental : - costal habiatat
- a nursery ground
Diffrence between arctic and antarctica
Arctic:
- forzen ocean surroundedby continents
- colder ocean
- warmer above water
- north
Antarctica:
- continent of rock with thick ice-cap
- warmer ocean
- colder above water
- south
Importance of phytoplankton in Arctic and antarctic
in the spring when phytoplankton blooms occur they support the arctic food chain
Diatoms blooms support the krill population in the antarctic
adaptations of animals in the arctic
- periwinkles dehydrate their tissues to avoid ice forming
- Marine mammals have blubber
- Polars swim long distances to hun
Krill critical importance in the ecosystem
antaractic
- feed on sea algae
- support fish, bird, seal, andbaleen wahle population
- a primary consumer
