Ocean Biome
Oceans cover almost 3/4 of the Earth's surface and contain roughly 97% of the Earth's water supply. Life on Earth originated in the salty seas, and contines to be home to an incredibly diverse web of life.
The Earth's oceans are all connected to one another. There are five oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern. There are also many seas (smaller branches of an ocean); seas are partly enclosed by land. The largest seas are the South China Sea, the Caribbean Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea.
three-quarters of the earth’s surface; average depth of 3 kilometers; less than 40% of the sunlight reaches a depth
of one meter, and less than 1% of the sunlight that reaches the surface penetrates below 50 meters; mostly cold and dark
A. Coral Reef – most diverse of all marine communities; formed by colonial organisms called coelenterates; rich in carbon, oxygen
and dissolved minerals; movement of waves causes constant flow of water; provides food and shelter to other marine organisms;
well-lighted and warm, temperatures seldom fall below 21ºC
B. Seashore – heavy in nutrients washed from the land; more life than in open seas; animals living there are adapted to the type of
bottom: rocky, sandy, or muddy; generally rock dwellers have specially adapted appendages to help them hold on during tides and
waves, sand dwellers do not reside on the bottom because of the instability of the shifting sands, and mud dwellers burrow down into
the mud to live
C. Open Ocean – upper, better-illuminated waters of the ocean; warm with light; relatively calm waters; top 300 meters
D. Deep Ocean – lower 300 meters; no light, very cold
Created and maintained by
Terri Stahlheber.
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