Marine
Habitats
Include:
Mangroves
(aka
Mangrove
Forest Biome,
Mangrove
Swamp and
Mangrove
Forest)
-Mangroves
contain
a variety
of tropical
evergreen
trees or
shrubs that
grow in
shallow
coastal
waters.
Mangroves
live life
on the edge.
Mangroves
half on
land and
half in
the sea.
The environment
is a challenge
for many
traditional
plants and
trees, with
excessive
heat, choking
mud, and
extremely
high salt
levels.
Yet the
mangroves
form one
of the most
productive
and biologically
complex
ecosystems
on Earth.
Sea
Grasses:
Sea
grasses
are grass-like
flowering
plants that
live completely
submerged
in marine
and estuarine
waters.
Most Sea
grasses
occur in
protected
bays and
lagoons,
some will
also develop
in deeper
waters along
the continental
shelf. The
depth at
which sea
grasses
will grow
is limited
by the water
clarity,
because
most species
of sea grass
require
high levels
of light.
Intertidal
Zone (aka
foreshore,
seashore,
littoral
zone): The
intertidal
zone is
the area
that is
above water
at low tide
and under
water at
high tide.
The intertidal
zone includes:
any different
types of
habitats,
with many
types of
animals
like starfish,
clams, mussels,
sea urchins,
and some
species
of coral.
Open
Ocean (aka
Pelagic
Zone): The
open ocean
refers to
any part
of the ocean
except for
coastal
areas. Different
depths of
the open
ocean lead
to different
zones. Epipelagic
Zone refers
to the zone
up to 650,
this zone
is shallow
enough that
the sun's
light can
enable photosynthesis
for plant
life. Next
is the Mesopelagic
Zone, which
has some
light and
covers from
651-3,300
feet. Next
is the Bathypelagic
Zone which
reaches
depths to
13,000 feet.
The Abyssopelagic
Zone is
next reaching
more than
13,000 feet
depths.
The final
zone is
the Hadopelagic
Zone which
includes
the deep
ocean trenches.
The Bathypelagic,
Abyssopelagic,
and Hadopelagic
zones are
very similar
in character,
and some
marine biologists
combine
them into
a single
zone. The
Abyssal
Plain is
covered
with soft
sludge composed
of dead
organisms
that have
settled
from above.
Reefs
(aka Rainforest
of the Sea)
: Reefs
are made
of coral
or rocky
formations.
Coral reefs
are one
of the most
diverse
marine habitats.
Coral reefs
are most
commonly
found at
shallow
depths in
tropical
waters,
but deep
water and
cold water
corals also
exist on
smaller
scales in
other areas.
Hydrothermal
Vents: A
hydrothermal
vent is
a fissure
in a planet's
surface
from which
geothermally
heated water
issues.
Hydrothermal
vents are
essentially
underwater
geysers
created
by movement
in the tectonic
plates.
Ocean water
enters the
cracks in
the ocean
floor and
the water
is heated
up by the
Earth's
magma, and
then released
through
the hydrothermal
vents, along
with minerals
such as
hydrogen
sulfide,
which end
up forming
volcano-like
projections
on the seafloor.
