810 likes | 827 Views
Explore the ocean's depths, from continental shelf to abyssal plain, using cutting-edge SONAR technology. Learn about marine life, ecosystems, and unique habitats at different ocean zones. Understand living conditions and adaptations of organisms in intertidal, neritic, and open-ocean zones. Dive into the wonders of the deep sea with this informational guide.
E N D
Exploring the Ocean • Because of the darkness, cold, and extreme pressure, scientists have had to develop new technology to enable them to study the deep ocean floor.
Exploring the Ocean • A major advance in ocean floor mapping was the invention of SONAR. • It is a system that uses sound waves to calculate the distance to an object. • SONAR stands for: SOund NAvigation Ranging
Exploring the Ocean • The sonar system on a ship sends out pulses of sound that bounce off the ocean floor. • The equipment then measures how quickly the sound waves return to the ship.
Exploring the Ocean • Sound waves return quickly if the ocean floor is close. • Sound waves take longer to return if the ocean floor is farther away.
Features of the Ocean Floor • The continental shelf is a gently sloping, shallow area of the ocean floor that extends outward from the edge of a continent. • Its width ranges from a few kilometers to 1,300 km from shore.
Features of the Ocean Floor • The continental slope marks the true edge of a continent. • It is where the rock that makes up the continent stops and the rock of the ocean floor begins.
Features of the Ocean Floor • A seamount is a mountain whose peak does not break the surface.
Features of the Ocean Floor • The abyssal plain is a smooth, flat region. • It is covered with thick layers of sediment, formed by the sunken remains of dead organisms from the surface.
Features of the Ocean Floor • The mid-ocean ridge is a continuous range of mountains that winds around Earth. • It is almost 80,000 kilometers long.
Features of the Ocean Floor • On the other side of the mid-ocean ridge is a deep ocean trench.
Living Conditions • Some physical factors determine where marine organisms can live include: • Salinity • Water temperature • Light • Dissolved gases • Nutrients • Wave action
Living Conditions • Scientists classify marine organisms according to where they live and how they move.
Living Conditions • Plankton are tiny algae and animals that float in the water and are carried by waves and currents.
Living Conditions • Nekton are free-swimming animals that can move throughout the water column. • Examples: • Octopus, squid, most fish, whales, dolphins, etc.
Living Conditions • Benthos are organisms that inhabit the ocean floor. • Example: • Crabs, starfish, lobsters, sponges, anemones.
The Rocky Shore • The intertidal zone stretches from the highest high-tide line on land out to the point on the continental shelf exposed by the lowest low-tide.
The Rocky Shore • Organisms that live in the rocky intertidal zone must be able to tolerate: • Wave Action • Changes in salinity 3. Temperature 4. Being exposed to both air and under water
The Rocky Shore • When the tide goes out some of the water remains in depressions among the rocks called tide pools. • As the water in the tide pool is warmed by the sun it begins to evaporate causing the remaining water to become saltier.
Where River Meets Ocean • Brackish water is salty sea water that has been mixed with freshwater. • Estuaries are coastal inlets or bays where freshwater from rivers mixes with salty ocean water.
Where River Meets Ocean • Along the United States coasts, most coastal wetlands are either salt marshes or mangrove forests.
Where River Meets Ocean • A salt marsh oozes with smelly mud that is rich in nutrients. • Mosquitoes swarm over the water, which moves slowly through the tall grasses. • Cordgrass dominates the marsh. • Tidal channels run through the Cordgrass (waves break up)
Where River Meets Ocean • Mangrove forests grow well in brackish water. • They provide a rich and sheltered area for organisms to grow. • Fringe the coast of southern Florida.
What is the Neritic Zone? • The neritic zone is the part of the ocean that extends from the low tide line out to the edge of the continental shelf.