Lifestyles of Marine Organisms

1. Lifestyles of Marine Organisms Essay – Jot Notes

2. Task • Make jot notes to use as a guide for an essay question about the lifestyles of marine organisms.

3. Task • In your jot notes include what each of the different lifestyles are for marine organisms. • Each group needs to be discussed so it is clear you know what they are and examples need to be given. • Special adaptations need to be included about the organisms that place it in that group. • Also include interesting facts about the organisms in that group.

4. Introduction • In the ocean just as on land all organisms rely directly or indirectly on the sun for energy

5. Introduction • Producers turn the suns energy into useable energy for consumers.

6. Introduction • Consumers will feed on producers or other consumers for energy

7. Introduction • Decomposers will feed on producers or consumers when they die and return nutrients to the system for producers to use.

8. Introduction • Form all of these organisms the ocean can be divided into three categories: • Plankton – Usually very small floating organism, either plants or animals, which are at the mercy of the tides winds and currents. • Nekton – Strong swimming animals that live in the open ocean, not affected by tides or currents. • Benthos – Organisms that live on or in the ocean floor, could be plants or animal

9. Plankton • These feeble swimming plants or animals are separated into phytoplankton (plants), which are producers, or zooplankton (animals) which are first order consumers

10. Plankton • Phytoplankton are mainly diatoms which are the most important food source in the ocean, usually single celled plants (algae). They are called this because of their silica shells symmetry which is designed to help them float.

11. Plankton • Dinoflagellates represent both plants and animals; they are the second most important food source in the ocean. They are often responsible for shellfish becoming toxic or the “red tide” if they have an outbreak.

12. Zooplankton • This is the animal form of plankton. If their entire life is in this form they are called holoplankton and if they are only in this form for part of their life cycle they are called meroplankton

13. Zooplankton • These animals come in different sizes and are grouped into four categories: • nanoplankton – microscopic/unicellular • microplankton – usually eggs and larval stage • macroplankton – usually about 1mm, copepods • megaplankton- mostly jellyfish.

14. Nekton • Nekton consists of all animals that are capable of swimming powerfully, mammals, reptiles, sharks, and fish. Squid are the only non-vertebrate that is a strong enough swimmer to be in this category.

15. Nekton • Although many of these animals adapted to swimming great distances they usually remain close to one area because they have not adapted to environmental changes through the ocean.

16. Benthos • The benthic zone consists of plants (epiflora) and animals (epifauna) on or in the bottom. Some of these organisms are the sea fan, sponges, coral, crabs muscles, and sea weed.

17. Benthos • Animals that are buried in the ocean floor like clams and worms are called (infauna)

18. Benthos • The larval stage of many benthic animals is an extremely important part of the meroplankton, thus a very valuable food source for the ocean.