GENERAL ECOLOGY

LIFE ON WATER
AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT

• Physical Factors
o Light
o Temperature
o Water Movement
• Chemical Factors
o Salinity
o Oxygen

OCEAN

• Compared to the vastness of deserts

• Pacific Ocean, located between Asia and Australia on the west
and North and South America on the east, is the largest and is
also the location of the Marianas Trench in the western part, • Prevailing winds
about 11,000 m deep, followed by the Atlantic Ocean, and • WATER MOVEMENTS
Indian Ocean, then the Artic on the pole. o Oceanic currents-moderates climates, helps organisms
migrate (gene flow)
o Movement- gyres~ 2 in the Northern Hemisphere with
right deflection, clockwise (in the Atlantic and
Pacific) ~3 in the Southern Hemisphere with left
deflection, counterclockwise (in the Pacific,
Atlantic, and Indian)
o Gyres is controlled by the Coriolis Effect
o Upwelling- replacement of nutrient-depleted warm
surface water through the wind by pushing the
nutrient-rich cold water upwards to the surface.
• SALINITY
o Level of salinity in oceans near the equator is higher
than those near the poles, which is lower.
o Baltic Sea, surrounding boreal and temperate forests,
contain around 7% or 7 ppt of salinity, close to
• LIGHT freshwater.
o About 8% of light is absorbed from the first 10 m. o Red Sea, however, contains about 36-40% or 36-40 ppt
of salinity, this is surrounded and has the same salinity
as Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and deserts.
• OXYGEN
o Highly valuable in oceans
o Concentration is higher near the surface
• BIOLOGY
o Phytoplankton, plant-like organism found in the area
penetrated by light
o Zooplankton, animal-like organism found in the same
area as the phytoplankton.
o Bioluminescent organism in the bottom of the ocean
relies on hydrothermal vents, also known as
underwater volcanoes, produces sulfur,
chemosynthesis.
• TEMPERATURE o There are 11 phyla found in the terrestrial plane, 14 in
o Thermocline and Thermal Stratification the freshwater, but 28 in the marine waters, 13 of
o Hot to warm water rises, cold water sinks which are endemic.
o Thermocline-200 m below the surface until 1000m below

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o Kelps are plant-like, with
glade (leaf), stipe(stem),
holdfast(root), air
bladder (surface air
holder

• LIGHT
o Observed only until 100 m below the surface
• TEMPERATURE
o Coral Gardens survive around 18-20°C or even until 25°,
more than 25°, and they’re dead.
o Kelps survive between 5 to 20°C, higher or lower, they
don’t survive.
• WATER MOVEMENTS
• HUMAN INFLUENCES o Same as oceans, with strong currents
o Killing of whales and sharks • SALINITY
o Harvesting of krill (food of whales, along with planktons) o Coral Reef- both high and low salinity kills them
o Overfishing (according to google, 32-42 or 32-35 ppt)
o Chemical Pollution o Kelp Forests- no specific requirement for salinity levels
o Garbage patches • OXYGEN
o Kelp forests requires high levels of oxygen
SHALLOW MARINE WATERS: o Coral gardens require oxygen as it provides for itself and
KELP FORESTS CORAL GARDENS the ocean.
• BIOLOGY
• Kelp Forests, also known as brown algae, is found in both o Acanthaster planci (Crown of Thorns), parasite of corals
high latitudes and tropics o Diadema antillarum (Sea urchin with a longer spines),
• Coral Gardens are confined in tropical regions, are animals considered a pest, consumes both algae and corals, also
although sessile, they have polyps and have scales as their considered a competition in the ecosystem
defense mechanism o Zooxanthellae, plant cells living in the coral polyps,
indicate the health of the coral, if they are present, the
• Ringing reefs, hugs the landmass
coral is healthy.
• Barrier reef stands between the open ocean and the
• HUMAN INFLUENCE
lagoon. o Exploitation of kelps
• HABITAT o Heavy Exploitation
o Coral Gardens o Destructive fishing -using dynamite
o o Pollution
o o Coral Bleaching- if corals with zooxanthellae are either
stressed by itself, or stressed due to loss of
zooxanthellae, they begin to perish and eventually die.

MARINE SHORES: INTERTIDAL ZONE

• Exposed and sheltered shores

• Rocky and sandy shores
• STRUCTURE

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• LIGHT AND TEMPERATURE
o Depending on the tides
• WATER MOVEMENTS
o Tides and waves (Semidiurnal tides, 2 low and 2 high),
(diurnal, 2 times a day), all affected by gravitational pull
o Spring Tides- sun and moon is aligned
o Neap Tides- perpendicular position

o Mangrove Forests -Avicennia germinans near the shore,

common species include Recemosa, Rhizophora mangle,
Cornocarpus erectus
• LIGHT
o Varying amounts depending on tides
• TEMPERATURE
o SM- prone to freezing
o o MF-warm weather, around 40°C is okay
o Varying levels • WATER MOVEMENTS
o Higher evaporation, higher salinity o Ocean tides- rich in nutrients
• OXYGEN o River flow
o Well-adjusted to rocks and others o Tidal Currents- breaking down sediments to clean the coasts.
o Interstitial water- water does not flow as much as oceans. o High and Low tides
• BIOLOGY • SALINITY
o Zonation of species o Brackish (invertebrates, insects)
o Rock shore- snails, seaweeds, hermit crabs • OXYGEN
o Splash zones, High tides, and mid-tides -seashells, barnacles, o Capable of adapting to extreme environments
mussels • BIOLOGY
o Low-tide – sea stars, algae, small fishes, soft tissues, sea o SM- grasses
cucumbers o ME- mangroves, nipa in Asia as well as alligators, crocodiles,
o Microtopography tigers.
o Sandy shores- sea cucumbers, starfish, etc. o SM & E- attracts water germs
• HUMAN INFLUENCES • HUMAN INFLUENCES
o Shell Middens o Agriculture (conversion of land)
o Shelled creatures o Urban Development (in Estuaries)
o Devastation by humans o Pollution (Dead zones in the shores, not biologically active)
o Exploitation o Bioaccumulation
o Oil spills o Clearing of Mangrove Forest
o Replanting of Mangrove
TRANSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS:
ESTUARIES, SALT MARSHES, MAGNROVE FORESTS, FRESHWATER RIVERS AND STREAMS
WETLANDS
• GEOGRAPHY
• Middle of marine and these freshwaters oRiver basin
• Salt Marshes- sandy shores oWatershed (division of rivers by topographies)
• Mangrove Forests- swamps oRiparian zone-transition from aquatic to land
• GEOGRAPHY oVertical zone- river channel-hyporheic zone-Phreatic zone
o SM- higher latitude/temperature oStream Ordering- smallest channels to largest channels
o MF- tropics • LIGHT
o E- low-lying areas going to the ocean o Penetration varies by inorganic and organic compounds and
• STRUCTURE depth.
o Salt Marshes • TEMPERATURE
o Depending varies due to depth and location

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• WATER MOVEMENTS • BIOLOGY
o River currents- varies depending on the elevation from which o In Africa, Hippopotamus, fishes and birds are present
the water flows. • HUMAN INFLUENCES
• SALINITY o For example, Lake Erie is rehabilitated to be rich in biological
o River found in deserts have higher salinity activity
• OXYGEN o Centers of Human Population
o Inversely correlated, colder temperature, richer oxygen and o Dumping of Nutrients and Wastes
vice-versa. o Introduction of Invasive Species (such as Dreissena
• BIOLOGY polymorpha, Dreissena bugensis)
o Mississippi river basin- 300 species of fish
o Congo river basin- 600 species of fish, mostly endemic
o Amazon river basin- connected to the rainforest, 2000 species
of fish, 10% of the world’s known fish species, home to
many endemic species
• HUMAN INFLUENCES
o Transportation
o Commerce (Floating Market, Thailand)
o Waste disposal causes flash floods
o Introduction of Invasive species (water hyacinth)
o Building of reservoirs
o River Thames (almost dead then rehabilitated)

LAKES

• Surrounded by land mass

• Can be freshwater of saltwater
• GEOGRAPHY
o Distributed worldwide
o US to Canada (Great lakes such as the Lakes Superior,
Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario)
o Lake Baikal- deepest lake in the world at 1600 (1642) m deep
o Lake Tanganyika- 2nd deepest at 1400 m
o Lake Districts-concentration of many small lakes (observed in
North America and Europe).
• STRUCTURE
o Deep Green- higher level of primary productivity, biological
activity, has presence of humans and urbanization
o Yellow brown- soil leaching causes this color
o Blue- deep, lower level of biological activity, usually clear, light
penetrates. 1st vertical-hot-warm(2nd)- cold(3rd).
• WATER MOVEMENTS
o Wind driven mixing of currents (depending on the season)
o Summer- circulates epilimnion and hypolimnion separately
o Fall and Spring- whole body of water is mixed
o Winter- no movement
• SALINITY
o The great Salt Lake in Utah exceeds 20% of oceanic salinity
• OXYGEN
o Oligotrophic lakes- young lakes, rich in oxygen but low in
biological activity
o Mesotrophic lakes- middle-aged
o Eutrophic lake- old, highest biological activity and substrate is
great
o Eutrophication- high rate of productivity, algal blooms
proliferate the surface, other organisms perish.
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