SALT WATER LIFE ZONES

COASTAL ZONE

Supratidal mark to the continental shelf

Warm, nutrient-rich, shallow water

Supports 90% of all marine ecosystems

TYPES OF SALT WATER LIFE ZONES

Estuaries and Tidal

Coastal Wetlands

Rocky Shores

Barrier Islands

Coral Reefs

Mangrove Swamps

WHAT IS AN ESTUARY?

• "An estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water that extends to the effective limit of tidal influence, within which sea water entering from one or more free connections with the open sea, or any other saline coastal body of water, is significantly diluted with fresh water derived from land drainage, and can sustain euryhaline biological species from either part or the whole of their life cycle."(Perillo, 1995).

GREAT SOUTH BAY ESTUARY

Major Zones in a Marine Ecosystem

Slide 6Slide 6Slide 6Slide 6Slide 6Slide 6

High tideLow tide

Coastal Zone

EstuarineZone

Continentalshelf

Open SeaSea level

Sun

Euphotic Zone

Bathyal Zone

Abyssal Zone

Depth inmeters

0

50

100

200

Ph

oto

sy

nth

es

is

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

10,000

Da

rkn

ess

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ilig

ht

Figure 7-6Page 131

© 2004 Brooks/Cole – Thomson Learning

COASTAL ZONE SALT MARSHES

Since 1900, the world has lost more than ½ of it’s coastal wetlands.

75 % of the world population lives in the coastal zone (high tide – continental shelf)

Salt marshes and littoral zone support greatest net primary productivity for coastal environments.

Net primary productivity in the ocean is very low, BUT because it covers over 70% of Earth’s surface, COLLECTIVELY it makes the largest contribution to the Earth’s overall net primary productivity

SALT MARSH ZONATION

PEAT

TIDAL CHANNEL(SUBTIDAL/LITTORAL

ZONE)

MUDFLATS

INTERTIDAL MARSH

HIGH MARSH (SUPRATIDAL ZONE)

SALT MARSH FOOD WEB

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Herring gulls

Snowyegret

Peregrine falcon

Cordgrass

Short-billeddowitcher

Marshperiwinkle

Bacteria

Clamworm

Soft-shelledclam

Zooplankton andsmall crustaceans

Phytoplankton

Smelt

Producerto primaryconsumer

Primaryto secondaryconsumer

Secondary to higher-levelconsumer

All producers and consumers todecomposers

Figure 7-8Page 132

Ten Ways to Protect Estuaries taken from the National Estuary Program

• 1. Learn more about estuaries.• 2. Keep septic systems working properly. Pump your system every three years.

• 3. Pave less. Hard surfaces hasten runoff and increase pollution and erosion.• 4. Adhere to "no-wake" zones when on your boat. Waves destroy shorelines and

increase erosion. • 5. Think before you pour. Many hazardous products flow from household drains

through sewage treatment plants and into coastal bodies of water.• 6. Fish respectfully. Follow "catch and release" practices and keep more fish alive.

• 7. Create non-toxic pesticides. A bit of soap and water does the job and keeps harmful chemicals from ending up in nearby waterways.

• 8. Use native plants. Garden and landscpae with plants native to your area to reduce the need for watering and fertilizing.

• 9. Respect habitat. Treat the homes of vital marine life with care. Habitat and survivial go hand-in-hand. When habitat disappears, so do many plants and

animals. • 10. Take action! Organize a stream or beach cleanup. Encourage your local

newspaper to write a story, or ask an expert to speak at your community organization or local school.