In conclusion, the saltwater biome is by far the largest and most diverse biome of the planet. It covers nearly two-thirds of the Earth's surface with millions of known organisms and even more organisms yet to be discovered. There are many factors, biotic and abiotic, that affect every organism in the biome. Producers and consumers work together to create various food chains which intertwine creating large food webs. Predators hunt prey, even humans, which is the way they survive but may create endangered species, like the Hawksbill Turtle. Primary and secondary succession create an enormous biome with a wide array of organisms large and small. In the future, water pollution and overfishing will continue to harm the levels of the saltwater atmosphere. Coral populations will become less and endangered species will become more. With the help of ocean preserve organizations, the amount of fishing can be controlled and environmental protection groups will help to reduce the amount of garbage flowing into the oceans. Still, even with various problems, there will still be producers and consumers, there will still be predation and prey, and the largest biome of the planet will remain the saltwater biome.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. What are the different kinds of marine biomes?
A. There two types of aquatic biome, the marine regions, and the freshwater regions. Marine biomes are divided between coral reefs, estuaries, and oceans. The marine biome covers 75% of the earth's surface, and accounts for 90% of the planet's water supply
Q. Is it true that ocean biomes contain a wider biodiversity than land biomes?
A. Yes, and no. It is uncertain how many species of animals and plants are contained within the ocean, or marine biome, and the same can be said about the tropical rainforest biome. Species disappear from the planet every day due to pollution, over-harvesting (fish, plants etc.), and the introduction of foreign species into an ecosystem.
Q. How many species of the oceans have been discovered?
A. Over 1 million known species of plants and animals live there, and scientists say there may be as many as 9 million species we haven't discovered yet.
Q. How far does the sun penetrate the ocean?
A. While small amounts of sunlight can penetrate to depths of around 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), almost all light is absorbed within the upper 200 meters (656 feet) of the ocean.
Q. How deep is the ocean?
A. The average depth of the ocean is about 14,000 feet . The deepest part of the ocean is called the Challenger Deep and is located beneath the western Pacific Ocean in the southern end of the Mariana Trench, which runs several hundred kilometers southwest of the U.S. territorial island of Guam.
Q. What are the different kinds of marine biomes?
A. There two types of aquatic biome, the marine regions, and the freshwater regions. Marine biomes are divided between coral reefs, estuaries, and oceans. The marine biome covers 75% of the earth's surface, and accounts for 90% of the planet's water supply
Q. Is it true that ocean biomes contain a wider biodiversity than land biomes?
A. Yes, and no. It is uncertain how many species of animals and plants are contained within the ocean, or marine biome, and the same can be said about the tropical rainforest biome. Species disappear from the planet every day due to pollution, over-harvesting (fish, plants etc.), and the introduction of foreign species into an ecosystem.
Q. How many species of the oceans have been discovered?
A. Over 1 million known species of plants and animals live there, and scientists say there may be as many as 9 million species we haven't discovered yet.
Q. How far does the sun penetrate the ocean?
A. While small amounts of sunlight can penetrate to depths of around 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), almost all light is absorbed within the upper 200 meters (656 feet) of the ocean.
Q. How deep is the ocean?
A. The average depth of the ocean is about 14,000 feet . The deepest part of the ocean is called the Challenger Deep and is located beneath the western Pacific Ocean in the southern end of the Mariana Trench, which runs several hundred kilometers southwest of the U.S. territorial island of Guam.
For Additional Information, please visit the following sites:
- http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/ocean.htm
- http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/marine.php
- http://ths.sps.lane.edu/biomes/marine3/marine3.html
Our Sources:
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"Abiotic Factors of an Open Ocean Ecosystem." Bright Hub. Bright Hub, 2012. Web. 9 September 2014.
"The Ocean Food Chain." Simply Oceans. N.p., 2011. Web. 9 September 2014.
"The Producers in the Ecosystem." The Producers in the Ecosystem. University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2014. Web. 17 September 2014.
"10 Endangered Ocean Species and Marine Animals." Marine Insight. MarineInsight, 2014. Web. 17 September 2014
"The Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys Imbricata)." The Hawksbill Turtle. N.p., 2005. Web. 17 September 2014.
Baxamusa, Batul Nafisa. "Marine Biome Facts." Buzzle. Buzzle.com, 2014. Web. 17 September 2014.
"Three Marine Keystone Species." Suite. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 September 2014.
"Factor This - Biome of Salt Water." Factor This - Biome of Salt Water. Google, n.d. Web. 17 September 2014.
"Human Impacts on Marine Environments." Science Learning Hub RSS. Science Learning Hub, 2009. Web. 17 September 2014.
"Open Ocean." Predators and Prey. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014
"World Biomes." Kids Do Ecology - Santa Barbara. National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 2004. Web. 9 September 2014.
"Abiotic Factors of an Open Ocean Ecosystem." Bright Hub. Bright Hub, 2012. Web. 9 September 2014.
"The Ocean Food Chain." Simply Oceans. N.p., 2011. Web. 9 September 2014.
"The Producers in the Ecosystem." The Producers in the Ecosystem. University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2014. Web. 17 September 2014.
"10 Endangered Ocean Species and Marine Animals." Marine Insight. MarineInsight, 2014. Web. 17 September 2014
"The Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys Imbricata)." The Hawksbill Turtle. N.p., 2005. Web. 17 September 2014.
Baxamusa, Batul Nafisa. "Marine Biome Facts." Buzzle. Buzzle.com, 2014. Web. 17 September 2014.
"Three Marine Keystone Species." Suite. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 September 2014.
"Factor This - Biome of Salt Water." Factor This - Biome of Salt Water. Google, n.d. Web. 17 September 2014.
"Human Impacts on Marine Environments." Science Learning Hub RSS. Science Learning Hub, 2009. Web. 17 September 2014.
"Open Ocean." Predators and Prey. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014
Graphics:
"Introduction." Saltwater Biome. Weebly, 2013. Web. 17 September 2014.
"Salt Water Biome | Publish with Glogster!" Glogster. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 September 2014.
"Saltwater Biome." Isalau. Weebly, 2013. Web. 18 September 2014.
"Manila Ocean Park." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 09 October 2014. Web. 18 September 2014.
"DailyTech - Study: Vast Ocean of Water Is Trapped Inside Crystal "Sponges" in Mantle." DailyTech -
Study: Vast Ocean of Water Is Trapped Inside Crystal "Sponges" in Mantle. N.p., n.d. Web.
18 September 2014.
"Introduction." Saltwater Biome. Weebly, 2013. Web. 17 September 2014.
"Salt Water Biome | Publish with Glogster!" Glogster. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 September 2014.
"Saltwater Biome." Isalau. Weebly, 2013. Web. 18 September 2014.
"Manila Ocean Park." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 09 October 2014. Web. 18 September 2014.
"DailyTech - Study: Vast Ocean of Water Is Trapped Inside Crystal "Sponges" in Mantle." DailyTech -
Study: Vast Ocean of Water Is Trapped Inside Crystal "Sponges" in Mantle. N.p., n.d. Web.
18 September 2014.