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Ocean Life and Resources. Ocean Life Zones. Upwelling. Upwelling : the movement of deep, cold, and nutrient-rich water to the surface. Organisms sink when they die. But these dead organisms are nutrient rich. They must be brought to the surface for other organisms to have food.
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Upwelling • Upwelling: the movement of deep, cold, and nutrient-rich water to the surface. • Organisms sink when they die. But these dead organisms are nutrient rich. They must be brought to the surface for other organisms to have food. • Sunlight is also a key factor.
Plankton • Plankton:the mass of mostly microscopic organisms that float or drift freely in the waters of aquatic (freshwater and marine) environments. (Algae and phytoplankton). • The basis of all life in the ocean. • Make oxygen for us to breath.
Nekton:all organisms that swim actively in open water, independent of currents. (Fish, sharks, whales, squids, octopus). Pelagic zone:the region of an ocean or body of fresh water above the benthic zone. Benthos:organisms that live at the bottom of oceans or bodies of fresh water. (Sea urchins, Sea stars, sea cucumbers, sand dollars, crabs, lobsters, shrimp). Benthic zone:the bottom region of oceans and bodies of fresh water.
Benthic Subzones • Intertidal and Sublittoral Zone: zones where most life is found. • Bathyl Zone: Not much life can survive here but squid, octopus, and whales can flourish. • The abyssal zone has no sunlight because it begins at a depth of 4,000 m and extends to a depth of 6,000 m. • The hadal zone is confined to the ocean trenches, which are deeper than 6,000 m below the surface of the water. • Both abyssal and hadal zones have very few life forms but some life does exist.
Pelagic Subzones • Neritic Zone: Area above the continental shelf. Most pelagic life is found here. • Oceanic Zone: Essentially everywhere else in the ocean above the sea floor. Separated into 4 more subzones by depth. • Staring at the Shallowest: Epipelagic, Mesopelagic, Bathypelagic, and Abyssopelagic.
Resources • Food • Minerals • Fresh water (through desalination) • Oil and natural gas
Pollution • Sediment pollution: Too much sediment carried by rivers into the oceans cans suffocate oysters and crabs. • Agricultural pollution (nitrates and phosphates) –leads to algal blooms. Algae die and take oxygen when they decompose. This creates dead zones where no life is found. • Toxic pollution: Chemicals, oil, gas.
