Name:

Period:

Ocean Habitats Note-taking Worksheet

1. What are some relationships among ocean organisms?

Intertidal zone, neritic zone, and the open-ocean zone provide habitats for
communities of living habitats.
2. What conditions must organisms in intertidal zones tolerate?
Temperature and salinity, underwater exposer, pounding waves, drying out, hide from
predators, find food in a harsh setting.
3. What are the different intertidal habitats?
Estuaries, Sandy Shore, and the Rocky Shore. Estuaries is where fresh water meets
the salt water and they are coastal inlets or bays. Mangrove forest is a mix of fresh water
and salt water which is called brackish water, and they also have short twisted trees. Sea
horses, star fishes, and baby sharks live in the Mangrove water. The Mangrove Forest
protects against hurricanes and tsunamis. Mangrove Forest is one of the most ecosystems.
Salt Marshes ooze with smelly mud that has nutrients that help grow plants and animals.
Sandy Shore is where animals tolerate changing water levels and temperatures. Sandy
Shores are found all over the U.S. Rocky Shores found all over the U.S. There are several
different sub-zones that challenges the organisms.
4. What are the conditions and habitats in the neritic zone?
Ocean area that extends from the low tide mark to the edge of the continental shelf.
Shallow water receives sunlight and nutrients washed from the land goes into the ocean.
Light allows algae and other plants to grow. Upwelling brings nutrients and plankton
which forms the bottom of the food chain. Coral reefs and kelp forests are habitats in the
open ocean zone. Coral reefs are made up of millions of coral animals. If other coral
animals die, others attach and grow on to the coral reef forming over for many years.
Coral reefs grow about half an each a year. Reefs can be 100 of feet wide and stretch for
over miles. Fish, tiger fish, and barracuda inhabit coral reefs. Kelp a large, heavy algae
that grows in the ocean. Kelp provides habitat for many sea creatures such as otters and
sea urchins.

5. What are the conditions and habitats in the open ocean zone?
It goes on the edge of the continental shelf to the other continental shelf. only a small
part of the ocean receives sunlight and the water has fewer nutrients. It is divided into
three difference zone. Surface zone which receives light, transition zone end surface zone
to 1km, and deep zone is below 1km. Water is darker and colder that the transition zone
so is finding food. Must be good hunters to survive. Gaping mouths with fang-like teeth
and also need rows of sharp teeth sticking out at angles. Bioluminescence is the
production of light by living things through. Bacteria that live in the fishs body, a
chemical reaction produced by fish, and lighting producing organs. Hydrothermal Vent
which hot water rises out of the ocean floor heated by magma. Heated water carries gases

and minerals. A whole community of animals that relies not on the sun, but on chemical
energy to live and grow.

!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!

Ocean Habitat Conditions and Adaptations

As you take notes, focus on the following ideas:

What are the different zones in the ocean;
What are the different habitats like; and
How do plants and animals have to adapt to live in these conditions?

1. Ocean Zones of Width- Conditions and Habitats

a. Intertidal Zone
i. Conditions
1.
ii. Habitats

1. Estuaries
a. Estuaries in General
b. Mangrove Forests
c. Salt Marshes
2. Sandy Shores
a.
3. Rocky Shores
a. Rocky Shores in General
b. Tidal Pools
b. Neritic Zone
i. Conditions
1.
ii. Habitats
1. Coral Reefs
a.
2. Kelp Forest
c. Open Ocean Zone
i. Conditions
1.
ii. Open Ocean- Zones of Depth
1. Surface Zone
a.
2. Transition Zone
a.
3. Deep Zone
a.

!
!
!