Ocean Zones

1. Ocean Zones • Examples • Estuaries • Mangrove Forests • Salt Marshes • Sandy Shores • Rocky Shores • Tide Pools Intertidal – closest to shore – extremely shallow – changes in salinity and temperature – exposure to air and pounding waves

2. Neritic – from Intertidal to Open-Ocean – to the end of the continental shelf – sunlight and nutrients Open-Ocean – past the continental shelf -deepest part of the ocean – very little sunlight and few nutrients • Examples • Coral Reef • Kelp Forest • Three subdivisions • Surface Zone • Transition Zone • Deep Zone

3. Ocean Habitats Factors that affect ocean life are: • Amount of sunlight • Temperature • Classification/Region of the Ocean: • Plankton • Largest group of ocean life • Float at or near the top of the ocean • Carried by waves and currents • Usually microscopic • E. Broken down into further subdivisions: • Phytoplankton (plant-like) – diatoms & dinoflagellates • Zooplankton (animal-like) – certain types of jellyfish, crustaceans and copepods

4. Nekton (Nektonic) • All life forms can swim • Can move in and out of other regions (surface to benthic) • Search for food while avoiding predators • Examples: • All fish • Sharks, Whales, Dolphins, Rays, Eels

5. Benthos (Benthic) • Live on or rooted to the ocean floor *** Remember that the ocean floor is the continental shelf, slope and rise. *** b. Broken down into two subdivisions – moving or non-moving • Plants • non-moving life form • rooted to the ocean floor • Animals • can crawl on the ocean floor • do NOT swim • Examples: • Crabs, lobsters, starfish (moving) • Oysters, clams, mussels, sea anemones, sponges (non-moving)