Classifying Organisms:

1. Classifying Organisms: Biological Zonation – Based on where they live / lifestyle This is how ecologists talk about systems Taxonomic Classification – Based on structural characteristics This is how evolutionary biologists talk about organisms and the relationships between them.

2. Biological Zonation: Neritic – Shallow, coastal zone. Extends to the edge of the continental shelf. Oceanic – The rest of the ocean.  This zone is broken into layers based on how much sunlight penetrates. Benthic – lives on, in, or attached to the bottom of the sea floor

3. Benthic Organisms: Elkhorn Coral Fire Coral Gorgonian Coral

4. Benthic Organisms: Animals that walk on the bottom: Crabs Lobsters Sea Urchin

5. Benthic Organisms: Plants/Algae growing in the sediment Algae Seagrass

6. Benthic Organisms: Burrowing Animals • Mole Crab • Coquina Clams • Worms

7. Benthic organisms can also be described by their relation to the tides.

8. Biological Zonation: Supratidal – live above the high tide line. Benthic organisms can also be described by their relation to the tides.

9. Blue Land Crab

10. Ghost Crab

11. Fiddler Crab

12. Land Hermit Crab

13. Coconut Crab Can grow up to 3 feet across

14. Spray Zone

15. Biological Zonation: Intertidal – live between the high tide line and the low tide line. Stressful Environment – Underwater part of the day Exposed to air part of the day Huge temperature change daily Benthic organisms can also be described by their relation to the tides.

20. Limpets

21. Snails

22. Operculum

23. Mussels

24. Oysters

25. Wrack Line

26. Amphipod

27. Barnacles

29. Chiton

30. Worms

31. Mudskippers

32. Birds like sandpipers and oystercatchers move between the intertidal and supratidal. They rely on the neritic area for food.

33. Biological Zonation: Subtidal – live below the low tide line. Benthic organisms can also be described by their relation to the tides.

35. Classifying Organisms: The subtidal organisms are classified based on their swimming behavior. Nekton - swimming

36. Nektonic Organisms: Fish

37. Nektonic Organisms: Sharks Turtles Rays

38. Classifying Organisms: Nekton – swimming Plankton – Anything that can’t swim against a current. From Greek “planktos”, which means “drifter”

39. Plankton • Phytoplankton – Plants • Dinoflagellates • Primarily tropical • Often bioluminescent

42. Bio Bay off the coast of Puerto Rico The water has approximately 750,000 dinoflagellates per gallon.

43. Plankton • Phytoplankton – Plants • Dinoflagellates • Primarily tropical • Often bioluminescent • Responsible for red tides

44. Red Tide

45. Plankton • Phytoplankton – Plants • Diatoms • Primarily arctic • SiO2 shell

46. Plankton • Phytoplankton – Plants • Zooplankton - animals • Holoplankton – always planktonic

47. Plankton Copepod Arrow Worm Eggs Holoplankton – always planktonic

48. Plankton • Phytoplankton – Plants • Zooplankton - animals • Holoplankton – always planktonic • Meroplankton – planktonic for part of their life

49. Planktonic Organisms: Fish Eggs Coral Larvae Crab Larvae Shrimp Larvae Sea Star Larvae Larvae of MANY marine organisms

50. Not all plankton is small!! Ocean Sunfish