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EXPLORE: Life in Ocean Habitats (BrainPop)

Site: Mountain Heights Academy OER
Course: Earth Science Q4
Book: EXPLORE: Life in Ocean Habitats (BrainPop)
Printed by: Guest user
Date: Friday, 4 April 2025, 11:56 AM

Description

intros to the videos

Table of contents

1. READ: Introduction

ocean org
Benthic starfish found deep in the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean. Photo courtesy of NOAA/Flickr. 

This book explores the diversity of life in Earth's oceans. It discusses organisms located in several habitat zones, such as corals (shallow and deep water corals), the communities of organisms that exist around seamounts, and benthic (deep sea) organisms. The pages in this book introduce you to the ocean habitats & organisms shown in the videos that follow. 

2. VIEW: Corals (BrainPop)

coral
Shallow corals are limited to growing in the photic zone. In contrast, deep sea corals can grow in the aphotic zone. Photo courtesy of Sam and Ian/Flickr.

Coral reefs are delicate ecosystems. Corals are found all over the Earth's oceans, but most coral reefs are found in tropical waters. Coral colonies grow between 1-10 cm per year, and can live for decades or centuries.



Deep sea corals are not as well-known as their shallow water counterparts (which live in the neritic zone). While shallow water corals can grow only in the photic zone, where sunlight is plentiful, deep sea corals are not limited by sunlight. Deep sea corals obtain energy by feeding on other organisms, and can therefore survive in the aphotic and abyssal zones. Deep sea corals can live at ocean depths of up to 6,000 meters and are distributed throughout the world's oceans. The global distribution of deep sea corals is determined by the Earth's thermohaline circulation, which controls the chemistry (e.g. salinity) and temperatures of the oceans. Scientists often use the shells of deep sea corals to obtain a record of changes in temperature and salinity of the world's oceans over time, in order to better understand global changes in climate and ocean currents.

3. READ: Abyssal Zone: Seamount Communities

seamount

Seamounts teem with animal and plant life. Photo courtesy of NOAA, Ocean Explorer/Flickr.

Seamounts are underwater, extinct volcanoes that reach a height of greater than 1,000 meters. They are located in the abyssal zone. Seamounts can be found in each one of the world's oceans. Seamounts not only illuminate geological processes - they are found at areas of hot spot activity and at plate boundaries - but, they also offer a unique habitat for a variety of organisms. Seamounts offer food and shelter that allows for an abundant and diverse ecosystem to thrive. The topography of seamounts creates ocean currents that inject cool, nutrient-rich water into the the upper ocean, stimulating the growth of algae and plankton which attracts more fish species, which in turn brings birds and dolphins to the area. The currents also bring organic matter and plankton to the seamount animals to consume, and clears the rocks of mud debris. The bare rocks that are exposed by the currents are much easier for corals to attach to. There are processes that are threatening the well-being of the seamount ecosystems and the geological, biological, and medicinal importance of seamount communities.



4. READ: Abyssal & Bathal Zones: Deep Sea Benthic Organisms



benthic
Deep sea benthic organisms must learn to adapt to the cold, dark, high-pressure environments of the deep sea. Photo courtesy of neptunecanada/Flickr.

Deep sea benthic organisms are located primarily in the abyssal and bathal habitat zones. Organisms that live here adapt to the darkness by the use of bioluminescence, an increased sense of smell, and extra appendages. They also must learn to adapt to the high water-pressure environment, cold temperatures, and limited food supplies. Often, deep sea benthic organisms' body functions are completed at a much slower rate, to conserve energy. Eating styles also emphasize conservation of energy, including a "sit and wait" style of predation or a filter-feeding type of consumption. Deep sea ecosystems are provided with energy from the process of chemosynthesis rather than photosynthesis, since they are located in the aphotic zone of the ocean.




5. READ: Tidal Zones

tide pool
Life in a tidal pool in Olympic National Park, Washington. Photo courtesy of rickz/Flickr.




Remember, Earth's tides are the natural rising and falling of sea level, caused by the gravitational attraction between the Earth, sun, and moon. The difference between the water level at high tide and low tide is known as thetidal range, or intertidal zone. Organisms that live in the intertidal zone need to adapt to changing physical and chemical conditions. There are five intertidal zones, each with differing levels of biodiversity. As you view each of these zones in the interactive lesson on the next page, compare the biodiversity of each zone. Also, think about the physical stresses organisms deal with in each zone, and how they might learn to adapt to these conditions. The five zones are as follows:

  1. Spray zone - usually exposed, but can be underwater during very high tides, spring tides, or severe storms. The spray zone is constantly splashed by waves and ocean spray.
  2. Upper intertidal zone - flooded during peak tides, but exposed at other times. This zone is bounded by high tide level and spring high tide level.
  3. Mid intertidal zone - generally submerged except during low tide. This zone is located between high and low tide.
  4. Low intertidal zone - exposed only during the lowest tides. This zone is located between the low tide and low spring tide lines.
  5. Sub-tidal zone - located below the low spring tide line.

Tidal pools form along rocky coastlines, and contain pockets of seawater. Organisms in tidal pools need to adapt to the alternating high and low water levels and the associated changes in water chemistry (e.g. salinity), biological processes (e.g. predation by birds and land-based organisms ,when trapped and exposed as the water recedes), and physical properties such as wave action, exposure to air, and changes in temperature.Organisms such as mussels, snails, urchins, anemones, rockweed, and sea stars must cope with these changing chemical, physical, and biological challenges.

After you have completed this part of the lesson, you can check the box for this lesson piece in the course to mark it as complete