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Life in the Ocean. Beth Roland Eighth Grade Science Team 5 Mountaineers. Three Groups of Marine Life. The three groups of marine life are plankton , nekton , and benthos . Aquatic life in the ocean is divided based on where an org anism lives and how it moves. Plankton.
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Life in the Ocean Beth Roland Eighth Grade Science Team 5 Mountaineers
Three Groups of Marine Life • The three groups of marine life are plankton, nekton, and benthos. • Aquatic life in the ocean is divided based on where an organism lives and how it moves.
Plankton • Organisms that float or drift freely near the ocean’s surface are called plankton. • Often microscopic, plankton are an important food source for many organisms • Phytoplankton- plant-like plankton that can photosynthesize • Zooplankton- animal-like
Nekton • Nekton are organisms that swim freely in the open ocean. • Examples include mammals such as whales and dolphins, sea lions as well as a great variety of fish
Benthos Organisms • Benthos are organisms that live in or on the ocean floor • Examples include: crabs, starfish, worms coral, sponges, seaweed and clams
Food Chains show a linear path from one animal to another Very simplistic and can be easily understood Food Webs show various organisms that are eaten by other organisms Allows one to see the interconnectedness of species and how they depend on one another for survival Show energy transfer among many feeding levels Food Chain vs. Food Web
Food Chains vs. Webs continues EXAMPLE:GRASS (is eaten by a) GRASSHOPPER (which is eaten by) a FROG (which is eaten by a) SNAKE (which is eaten by a) HAWK EXAMPLE:TREES produce acorns which act as food for many MICE and INSECTS. Because there are many MICE, the WEASELS, SNAKES, and RACOONS, have food. The insects in the acorns also attract BIRDS, SKUNKS, and OPOSSUMS. With the SKUNKS, OPPOSUMS, WEASELS and MICE around, HAWKS, FOXES, and OWLS can find food. They are all connected!