Aquatic Environment

The biology of aquatic environment corresponds broadly to variations in physical factors such as light, temperature, water movements and to chemical factors such as salinity and oxygen
- Oceans - along the margin of the oceans (kelp forest, coral reefs, intertidal zone, salt marshes and mangrove forest) - rivers and streams - lakes

Department of Biology Faculty of Science And Technology Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Oceans

Oceans
Covers over 360 million km2 continuous , interconnected mass of water
3 major ocean basins:

1) Pacific
2) Atlantic 3) Indian

nearly 180 million km2 - average depth over 4,000 m

over 106 million km2 under 75 million km2

Department of Biology Faculty of Science And Technology Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Structure

Horizontal zone:
Littoral / intertidal shallow shoreline under the influence of the rise and fall of the tides Neritic zone extends from the coast to the margin of the continental shelf Oceanic zone beyond the continental shelf

Department of Biology Faculty of Science And Technology Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Structure

Vertical zone: Epipelagic the surface layer of the oceans that extends to a depth of 200 m Mesopelagic from 200 1,000 m Bathypelagic 1,000 4,000 m Abyssal from 4,000 6,000 m

Hadal the deepest parts, > 6,000 m

Each of these zones supports a distinctive assemblage of marine organisms
Department of Biology Faculty of Science And Technology Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Approximately 80% of the solar energy striking the ocean is absorbed in the first 10 m Below 50 or 60 m the oceans is in a blue twlight 600 m is the deepest of sunlight penetrating

On average about 3,400 m of deep black water in which the only light is that produced by bioluminescent fishes and invertebrates

Department of Biology Faculty of Science And Technology Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Department of Biology Faculty of Science And Technology Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Oceanic temperature are much more stable than terrestrial temperatures Currents transport nutrients, oxygen, heat & organisms moderate climates fertilize the surface water off the continents stimulate photosynthesis promote gene flow among population of marine organism

Salinity (the amount of salt dissolved in water) - varies from 34 36.5 g of salt per kg - lowest salinities occur near equator and above 40 N and S latitudes - highest in the subtropics about 20 to 30 N and S latitudes - relative proportion of the major ions remain approx. constant
Department of Biology Faculty of Science And Technology Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Kelp Forest and Coral Reefs

Department of Biology Faculty of Science And Technology Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Department of Biology Faculty of Science And Technology Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Department of Biology Faculty of Science And Technology Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Department of Biology Faculty of Science And Technology Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Department of Biology Faculty of Science And Technology Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Department of Biology Faculty of Science And Technology Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Department of Biology Faculty of Science And Technology Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Mangrove:

Generally found along sheltered coasts They grow abundantly in saline soil and brackish water subject to periodic fresh and salt water inundation About 52% of the total length of the Malaysian coastline is mangrovefringed. Covers about 637,164 ha.

Department of Biology Faculty of Science And Technology Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

The river continuum

Lakes