NSCI 1403 Lecture 28: Major Water Ecosystems of the Biosphere

40 views6 pages

Document Summary

Ocean ecosystems: organisms live in the well-lit waters of the euphotic zone and in the increasing darkness of the deep-sea waters of the pelagic zones. The pelagic division includes the neritic and oceanic provinces. a. The bathypelagic zone is in absolute darkness except for an occasional flash of bioluminescent light: animals here are carnivores and scavengers, this level supports a variety of very strange carnivores. Hydrothermal vents are areas where seawater percolates through cracks: the water is heated to about 350oc, this causes sulfate to react with water to form hydrogen sulfide (h2s), chemosynthetic bacteria obtain energy by oxidizing hydrogen sulfide. Biomagnification is the term that describes pollutants that become more concentrated as they move up the food web. Ocean inhabitants of pelagic zones: different organisms are characteristic of the epipelagic, mesopelagic, and bathypelagic zones. Ocean currents take heat from the equator to the polar regions: the gulf stream brings warmer tropical caribbean water to the east coast of north.

Get access

Grade+20% off
$8 USD/m$10 USD/m
Billed $96 USD annually
Grade+
Homework Help
Study Guides
Textbook Solutions
Class Notes
Textbook Notes
Booster Class
40 Verified Answers
Class+
$8 USD/m
Billed $96 USD annually
Class+
Homework Help
Study Guides
Textbook Solutions
Class Notes
Textbook Notes
Booster Class
30 Verified Answers

Related Documents