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Exploration of Ocean Salinity and Marine Life

Dive into the fascinating world of ocean salinity and marine life! Discover the factors affecting salinity, variations in ocean properties, layering structures, marine life zones, productivity, and feeding relationships. Learn about the diverse organisms residing in the vast oceans and the intricate ecosystems they inhabit.

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Exploration of Ocean Salinity and Marine Life

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  1. CH 15 Ocean Life and Ocean Water • Salinity – total amount of dissolved solids in water • Expressed in parts per thousand • Average salinity of is 35 ppt or 3.5 % • 2 main dissolved solids • Chlorine = 55 % from earth’s interior (volcanoes) • Sodium = 30.6 % from chemical weathering of rocks carried by rivers

  2. Processes Affecting Salinity • Oceans are well mixed • Percentages of major components in sea water are constant, but salinity varies from 33 – 38 ppt • Precipitation decreases salinity • Runoff from land decreases • Icebergs melting decreases • Evaporation increases • Formation of sea ice increases

  3. Ocean Variations • Temperature • Mostly a function of latitude • A function of depth, too • Thermocline – rapid change in temp as depth changes • Only found in low latitudes • Density • Higher salinity = higher density • Lower temps = higher density • Deeper = more dense • Pycnocline – rapid change in density as depth changes • Only found in low latitudes

  4. Ocean Layering • Most parts of the open ocean have a 3 layered structure • Surface zone – warmest; photosynthesis; mixed zone due to waves, currents, and tides; mostly constant temperatures • Transition zone – thermocline: pycnocline; halocline • Deep zone – abyss; very cold, very high pressures, and very dark

  5. Ocean Life • Marine organisms are classified according to where they live and how they move • Plankton – drift with ocean currents • Phytoplankton/plant and zooplankton/animal • Nekton – all animals that can swim/move on their own • Fish, squid, turtles • Benthos – living on or in the ocean bottom • Worms, coral, starfish

  6. Marine Life Zones • 3 factors to divide oceans into marine life zones • Availability of sunlight • Photic; euphotic; aphotic • Distance from shore • Intertidal, neritic, oceanic • Water depth • Pelagic, benthic, abyssal

  7. Other Ocean Stuff to Learn • Hydrothermal vents • Coral reefs • Abyssal creatures • Sharks

  8. Oceanic Productivity • Primary productivity – Production of organic stuff from inorganic stuff… • Photosynthesis - • Chemosynthesis – bacteria and H2S • Productivity in polar oceans • Seasonal variation • Salt concentrating nutrients • Limit of available sunlight

  9. Productivity in tropical oceans • Sunlight penetrates far • Thermocline prevents mixing • Lack of nutrients limits production • Productivity in temperate oceans • Sunlight and nutrient supply limit productivity • Each season has its effect • Spring is when the big bloom occurrs.

  10. Oceanic Feeding Relationships • Trophic levels • Feeding stages on a food pyramid • Herbivores and carnivores • Transfer efficiency • Energy transfer between trophic levels is very inefficient…usually about 2 %...wow • Food chains and food webs • Yada, yada, yada

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