How to Identify & Describe the Three Parts of the Marine Biome

Oceans

• 1

  Identify oceans. The Oceans are large bodies of water that cover the majority of the Earth's surface. These bodies of water are also the largest ecosystems on Earth.

• 2

  Describe an ocean. The ocean is separated into four zones: intertidal, pelagic, benthic, and abyssal.

• 3

  Describe the intertidal zone. The intertidal zone is the zone closest to the land. This zone is sometimes under water and sometimes exposed as the tides move in and out. On rocky shores, this zone can be vertical. Because of the constant water movement in this zone, the ecosystem is always changing.

• 4

  Describe the pelagic zone. The pelagic zone is commonly described as open ocean. The temperature is typically cold but the temperature is taken as a range because the water is always mixing with cold and warm waters. The flora of this zone includes surface seaweed. There are also many species of fish and mammals that live in this zone.

• 5

  Describe the benthic zone. The benthic zone is below the pelagic zone, but it is not the deepest zone. The bottom is made up of sand and silt. The flora is made up mostly of seaweeds. There are many species of bacteria, fungi, and fish because the water is nutrient-rich.

• 6

  Describe the abyssal zone. The abyssal zone is the deepest zone and is also the darkest and coldest because the light cannot penetrate to this zone. This zone does contain some invertebrates and fishes. Along the bottom are hydrothermal vents from deep in the Earth's crust. There are bacteria that thrive near these vents that support the invertebrates and fish that live there.

Coral Reefs

• 7

  Identify coral reefs. Coral reefs are in shallow warm waters. They are barriers between the waters and the land.

• 8

  Describe coral reefs. Coral reefs are made up mostly of coral organisms. Corals are made up of algae and animal polyp. Corals and other organisms obtain nutrition by photosynthesis and filtering plankton.

• 9

  Describe the fauna of the coral reefs. The reefs also have several species of microorganisms, fish, sea urchins, and octopus.

Estuaries

• 10

  Identify estuaries. Estuaries are the points where freshwater rivers meet with saltwater oceans. You can generally identify these areas because of the brackish waters and diverse ecosystems.

• 11

  Describe the flora of estuaries. The flora includes seaweeds, marsh grasses, and sometimes mangrove trees.

• 12

  Describe the fauna of estuaries. The fauna includes organisms like worms, oysters, and crabs.