OPEN OCEAN

EARTH’S SURFACE

75%

OF THE EARTH’S SURFACE IS COVERED BY OCEAN WATER

7 OCEANS • NORTH ATLANTIC

• SOUTH ATLANTIC

• NORTH PACIFIC

• SOUTH PACIFIC

• INDIAN

• ARCTIC

• ANTARCTIC

CURRENTS • MOVEMENT OF WATER AROUND EARTH

• SURFACE CURRENTS CAUSED BY WIND

• DEEP CURRENTS CAUSED BY

DIFFERENCES IN TEMPERATURE AND

SALINITY

GYRE

A LARGE CIRCULAR CURRENT WHICH FLOWS BETWEEN CONTINENTS.

North Atlantic Current

Canary Current

Equatorial Current

Gulf Stream

NORTH ATLANTIC GYRE

TYPES OF ORGANISMS

1. PLANKTON –

MICROSCOPIC ORGANISMS

WHICH DRIFT AND ARE CARRIED BY CURRENTS

PHYTOPLANKTON

ONE-CELLED PLANTS

ALGAE DIATOMS

ZOOPLANKTON ANIMALS THAT CAN NOT SWIM

EGGS, LARVA, BABY FISH, JELLIES

TYPES OF ORGANISMS

2. NEKTON –

ANIMALS THAT CAN SWIM

HAVE FINS, FLIPPERS ETC.

FISH, SEAL,

TURTLE, WHALE

TYPES OF ORGANISMS

3. BENTHOS –

ANIMALS THAT LIVE ON THE BOTTOM – CAN NOT SWIM

CLAM, WORM

CRAB, SPONGE

ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

1. OVERFISHING –CATCH TOO MANY FISH & OTHER ANIMALS THAT ARE NOT WANTED BY THE FISHERMEN

ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

2. POLLUTION – SEWAGE, GARBAGE,

OIL SPILLS & AIR POLLUTANTS END UP IN THE OCEAN.

ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS POLLUTION – PLASTICS ARE EATEN

BY MANY ANIMALS

ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

3. GLOBAL WARMING –

AS SEA LEVEL RISES COASTAL ANIMALS/PLANTS MUST ADAPT

ICE MELTING WILL LOWER SALINITY WHICH MAY CHANGE THE GLOBAL CURRENTS

O Z C O E N A E N S

• SUNLIGHT CAN PENETRATE UP TO 600 FEET DEEP

• ALL PLANTS (SEAWEEDS, ALGAE)

PLANKTON, MOST FISH, MAMMALS,

• PREDATORY ANIMALS THAT COME TO THE SURFACE AT NIGHT TO FEED

• SQUID & SHARKS

• MANY ORGANISMS HAVE BIOLUMINESCENCE – THEY GLOW!

• PRODUCE LIGHT TO ATTRACT A MATE OR ATTRACT PREY

• ADAPTATIONS TO EXTREME HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE.

(250X NORMAL AIR PRESSURE)

FISH HAVE

SMALL SKELETONS

& LACK COLOR

SUMMARY • Organisms live at different depths

• Pollution and overfishing are two big threats to the ocean

• Organisms float, swim or crawl to move around.