Marine Ecosystems and Biodiversity

Ecosystem
1. Definition
  1. A community of interdependent organisms and the physical environment they inhabit (biotic and abiotic)
    1. Biotic
      1. Living portion of the organism's environment
        Plants
        Bacteria
    2. Abiotic
      1. Physical, or nonliving, environment in which an organism lives
        Temperature
        pH
        Light
2. Examples
  1. Mangrove Forest
  2. Rocky Shore
  3. Coral Reef
3. Habitat
  1. The place where organisms live
    1. The area surrounding hydrothermal vent provides a habitat for species of tube worms
4. Population
  1. All of the organisms of the same species living in the same area
    1. A population of ghost crabs living on a sandy shore
5. Community
  1. All the different species living in a habitat at the same time
    1. The mollusc community of a rocky shore, which would include all the different species of mollusc's living in this habitat
Biodiversity
1. Definition
  1. Takes into account the numbers of different species present and the range of habitats and ecosystems
2. Coral reefs have high biodiversity with many species present
3. Sandy shores have a low biodiversity with relativly few different species present
4. Ecological niche
  1. The role of an organism within an ecosystem
  2. The niche of a great white shark is the top predator.
  3. Two species cannot have the same role as one will outcompete the other
5. Interrelationships
  1. Symbiosis/Mutalism
    1. "Sym" together "bio" life... An ecological relationship between orgainsms of two different species that live together in direct contact where both benefit in someway
    2. Corals and zooxanthellae
      1. Coral receives
        Oxygen and other nutrients
        Enhanced calcification
        Colouration
      2. Algae Receives
        Carbon dioxide and other substances that the algae needs for photosynthesis
        Protection
  2. Commensalism
    1. Interaction between two different species in which one species benefits while the other is unaffected
      1. Remora on a shark
  3. Parasitism
    1. Interaction between two different species where one organism benefits (parasite) while the other is harmed (host)
      1. Ectoparasites
        Live on the outside of the host
        Fish and lice
      2. Endoparasites
        Live in their host, often in the digestive tract, gills or muscle tissue
        Tapeworms and roundworms
        Tuna and nematodes (round worm)
6. High biodiversity
  1. Has many species within one area
  2. Each species usually has a more narrow niche which helps reduce overlap of roles between species and thus reduce competition
  3. These ecosystems tend to be in area with high productivity
  4. Corals reefs
7. Low biodiversity
  1. Unstable and exteme habitats tend to have low biodiversity
  2. Physical factors tend to change more here
  3. Survival is more difficult
  4. Sandy shores
8. R-Species
  1. Most fish that try to populate quickly
  2. Prefer unstable, changing enviroments
  3. Called opportunists
  4. Prefer survival at low population densities
9. K-Species
  1. Most marine animals
  2. Prefer stable and unchanging enviroments
Food Webs/Chains
1. Producers
  1. organisms that use photosynthesis or chemosynthesis
    1. Algae or bacteria
  2. An organism that obtains organic food molecules without eating other organisms but by using energy from the sun or inorganic molecules
    1. Autotroph "self" + "feed"
2. Consumer
  1. An organism that obtains its nutrition by feeding on other organisms
  2. Primary
  3. Secondary
  4. Tertiary
  5. Quaternary
Predator - Prey
1. Predator
  1. An organism that cathes, kills and eats another animal to obtain energy and nutrients
2. Prey
  1. That organism hunted or eaten for food by another
3. Adaption
  1. Camouflage
  2. Spines
  3. Chemical deterrents
4. Shoaling
  1. A large number of fish of the same species and approximately the same size/age grouped together for social reasons
  2. Feeding
    1. Better foraging so less time wasted looking for food
  3. Increased hydrodynamic efficiency
    1. Save energy swimming in coordinated way
  4. Reproduction
    1. Increased chances of finding a mate and eggs and sperm are in close proximity for fertilisation
  5. Avoiding predators
    1. Large shoals confuse predators, it is difficult for them to focus on one individual, also more eyes to spot predators
  6. Tuna
  7. Sardines
Succession
1. The gradual process of change that occurs in the community structure over a period of time
2. Tevnia
  1. One of the first organisms to appear within a year is the tube worm tevnia
3. Riftia
  1. A giant tubeworm, which can grow up to 2m long in dense colonies
4. Primary
  1. Succession that occurs after the creation of a "blank slate" either through catastrophic disturbance oir creation of new land
5. Secondary
  1. Succession that occurs after non-catastropic distrubance
    1. Fire
    2. Hurricane

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	Created by DamieRoyle 1 almost 9 years ago