The two Major Types of Aquatic Life Zones

There are really two basic types of aquatic zones, or biomes: marine and freshwater. These two
biomes are divided even further into smaller zones. While the marine biome carries a higher
salinity content than the freshwater biome, both biomes support a wide variety of plant and
animal life.

The marine biome is subdivided into four zones (inter-tidal, pelagic, benthic, and abyssal) and
the coral reefs. Freshwater regions, which only has a salt content of 1% or less, is divided into
two zones (littoral and limnetic) and wetlands, rivers and streams, and estuaries, even though
estuaries have a slightly higher salt content.

Marine Biome

Despite the fact that the ocean covers the largest portion of this biome, it is the inter-tidal zone
that connects the ocean to land. The animals and plants that inhabit there live on the bottom and
on the seashore. Red mangrove and sea grape trees, eelgrass and sea lettuce are some of the
most common plants that grow there. The animals that are supported by the inter-tidal zone
include sea stars, crabs, Black Oystercatchers, and the great blue herons.

The pelagic zone extends farther away from land and is much closer to the middle of the ocean.
The animals that inhabit this area are tuna, sharks, hatchet fish, giant squid, and any colorless and
blind animals that can survive in the darkest regions. Since the bottom of the pelagic zone is
extremely dark and sunlight cannot get through to support the average water plant,
phytoplankton, diatoms, and dinoflagellates can exist by floating near the surface.

The benthic zone, also known as the deep sea zone, is mainly composed of sand, silt, and any
decomposing organisms. If there are any animals living there, they are bottom feeders like
starfish, anemones, sponges, and various micro-organisms.

The abyssal zone lays in the deepest part of the ocean where larger animals can roam. Many of
these creatures are invertebrates, like sharks and whales, and some large fish. Some of the
oddest fish found there is the coelacanth which was once thought to be extinct but recent
evidence has found it in the Indian Ocean. Theres even some species of fish living there that
glow in the dark.

The coral reefs lie in the warm shallow waters that envelopes some continents and the
surrounding islands. Coral, itself, is a living organism made up of animals and algae tissues.
Coral feeds on other plants using photosynthesis. This is done by using tentacles to catch micro-
organisms to eat. Coral reefs do play host to a variety of other species such as starfish, octopi,
and numerous mollusks.

Freshwater Biome
The littoral zone lies closest to the shore and houses a warm, shallow environment for a variety
of fauna and flora. Tiny crustaceans, flatworms, insect larvae, snails, frogs, and turtles can live
in this region. These creatures provide food for birds, reptiles, and any other animal that inhabits
the shoreline.

The limnetic zone is the open water near the surface of lakes and ponds. This area is home to a
variety of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and freshwater fish like bass and lake trout.

Wetlands are full of still waters where the soil can be completely saturated or inundated only part
of the time. They include marshes, glades, and swamps. Muskrats, Great Blue Herons, and
Painted Turtles are some of the many animals that find living in marshes suitable for them.
While living in a swamp is not a pleasant option for people, the Northern Waterthrush, beaver,
muskrat, mink, and White-tail Deer love it there. There are some regions with a higher salinity
that can house shrimp and shellfish. Some of the plants that can survive living in wetlands are
sedges and pond lilies. Trees do not grow directly in wetlands, but the wetlands can help support
them.

Because the water is colder in rivers and streams, they can support different fauna and flora than
lakes and ponds. River trout, salmon, and some small scavengers such as crayfish love the cold,
rapidly moving water. Rivers and streams do have warmer spots. Its in these warmer areas that
catfish, carp, and some other bottom feeders thrive. Floating weeds and algae live around
submerged tree roots and rocks in these regions.

And, lastly, there are the estuaries. Although it is saltier than freshwater, its really the spot
where freshwater and marine water merge. While each location can house different species of
plant and animal life, New Zealand will used as an example. The types of plants that can survive
in the estuaries of New Zealand are sea grass, mangroves, oioi, saltwort, and cordgrass.
Mudworms, tunneling mud crabs, sand flounders, and mud probers are permanent fauna
residents of these particular estuaries. Some animals will make estuaries their home, but there
will be migrating animals that just stay there temporarily like godwits, plovers, and eels.

Marine waters may be fully saline, brackish or almost fresh. Marine habitats include those
below spring high tide limit (or below mean water level in non-tidal waters) and enclosed coastal
saline or brackish waters, ... [http://glossary.eea.europa.eu/EEAGlossary/M/marine_habitats]

Coastal and marine waters support 28.3 million jobs, generate $54 billion in goods and services
through activities like shipping, boating, and tourism, and contribute $30 billion to the U.S.
economy through recreational fishing alone (Leeworthy, 2000).
[http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_pollution/...]

Mollusks (clams, oysters, abalone, scallops, and mussels) represent the most important species
cultured in marine waters. Seaweeds (brown, red, and green) are a close second.
[http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/La-Mi/Mariculture.html]
Ocean Discharge Waiver: A variance from Clean Water Act requirements for discharges into
marine waters.
Odor Threshold: The minimum odor of a water or air sample that can just be detected after
successive dilutions with odorless water. Also called threshold odor.
[http://www.emsl.com/index.cfm?nav=Pages&action=Show&ID=70]

red tide A reddish color of near-shore, ~[] due to the presence of extremely large numbers of red-
pigmented microorganisms that liberate toxins lethal to fish.
[http://www.shortschools.org/files/r_terms_q.html]

Soils that were formed from transported parent materials include colluvial soils (transported by
gravity), alluvial soils (transported by rivers or streams), marine soils (transported by ~[]),
lacustrine (transported by lake waters), glacial soils (transported by ice), ...
[http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/forestbiology/htmltext/...]

A variance from Clean Water Act requirements for discharges into ~[].
Source: Terms of the Environment
... [http://www.webref.org/environment/o/...]

? Is an extremely deep epicontinental sea with high biodiversity

? Has a low biodiversity but a large biomass
? Has high biodiversity and also animals in general are bigger in size than in ~[].
OK ... [http://www.balticuniv.uu.se/environmentalscience/ch6/...]

This includes all threatened, endangered, and candidate species, as well as all marine mammals
(warm-blooded animals that live in ~[] and breathe air directly-porpoises, dolphins, whales,
seals, and sea lions, but excluding walruses).