Ocean Biome
Table of Contents Page 3: Symbiosis Page 4: Threats to Biodiversity Page 5: Levels of Organization Page 6-7: Sea Turtles Page 8: Organisms Role in the Environment Page 9: Invasive Species Page 10: Feeding Relationships Page 11-12: Humpback Whales Page e13: Coloring and Crossword Puzzle
Symbiosis Mutualism When two organisms both benefit from their relationship For example, a clown fish and sea anemone. The clown fish hide inside the sea anemone, so they are not eaten while the sea anemone is fed by the clownfish.
Commensalism When one organism benefits from the relationship and the other organism is not harmed. For example, baby fish and jellyfish. Baby fish take shelter under larger fish to keep from being eaten. The jellyfish are left unharmed.
Parasitism When one organism benefits and the other organism is harmed from the relationship For example, fish lice and small fish hosts. The fish lice feed off of the small fish while the small fish are slowly being eaten. If there are too many fish lice on the small fish, then it can kill the small fish.
Threats to Biodiversity Habitat loss Habitat loss is very common in the ocean. Habitat loss occurs when organisms home is invaded but the ecosystem is still functioning. Within the ocean this occurs in ocean bays near shore. This happens because humans throw trash on beaches which are washed up into the ocean during high tide. Due to many pieces of trash this takes over homes for fish and puts marine life in danger.
Habitat fragmentation This occurs when large parts of an ecosystem and the habitats within are destroyed with only small patches left. For example, in a coral reef ecosystem, certain sunscreen bleaches the coral which destroys many fish’s homes. Due to this only some coral will survive while others are dead. This leaves fish and other marine life without homes.
Habitat degradation This occurs when an entire ecosystem is destroyed. For example, in the Pacific Ocean there is a very large collection of trash. The coral reefs and ocean life are gone or dead due to the buildup of trash that invades their habitat leaving them homeless.
This is photo of a beach where people threw their trash. The trash here is washed into the ocean at high tide. This is how biodiversity is threatened.
Organism
Population A population is a group of organisms of one species. An example of a population would be a g
Community A community is a group of various species within a common location. An example of a community would be kelp forests.
Ecosystem An ecosystem is a community of roup of clownfish organisms that interact with one another in their environment. An example of an ecosystem would be saltwater bays.
Levels of Organization
An organism is a singular plant, animal, or single-cell organism. An example in the ocean would be a Clown fish.
Organisms Role in the Environment Habitat: An organism’s home For example, a Kelp Forest is a habitat for many sea life like crabs and sea stars.
Niche: An organism’s job or role in their ecosystem For example, a sea turtles’ niche is to ear sea grass. By doing this they help maintain sea grass beds.
Predator: An organism that preys upon another organism. For example, a Great White shark is one of the oceans biggest predators. Prey: An organism that is eaten by a predator. For example, a jellyfish would be the prey for a sea turtle.
Invasive Species: This is a species that is not native to the environment that it has moved to and can cause harm to other organisms or can die off. European Green Crab
The European Green Crab originated in Europe as well as NW Africa and is now in the West Coast of North America. It got to the west coast through a shipping boat in 1990. The European Green Crab disrupts this area by eating species like baby flatfish which is resulting in putting many species on the list of being threatened.
Killer Algae The Killer Algae originated in the Indian and Pacific Ocean. It has now invaded the Mediterranean Sea by escaping private aquariums in California, Japan, Australia, and Monaco. It disrupts marine life by depriving organisms of food and growing over their habitats.
Sea Walnut The Sea Walnut or Comb Jelly originated from the east coast of North and South America. In 1982 it was spread to the Black Sea and Caspian Sea through ballast water. The sea walnut disrupts the environment by collapsing fisheries.
Feeding Relationships Feeding Relationships
Producers are organisms that make their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. For example, kelp is a producer.
Consumers are organisms that eat producers as well as other consumers. For example, a Lion Fish is a consumer.
Food chains show how nutrients are obtained through a line starting with producers and ending with the highest predator. For example the shark eats the tuna while the tuna eats the mackerel. Trophic Level is a level or position in a food chain or pyramid. They go from producers being 1 to apex predators being 4 or 5.
Humback Whales
What is being done to protect them? • They were put under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 • The Marine Mammal Protection Act has brought up the population of Humpback whales which prevented extinction • The act is still successful due to finding new ways to protect Humpbacks • There are about 30-40,000 currently alive which is about 30% of the original population
Eli Toon