Aquatic Ecosystems

CHAPTER 4
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Chapter Objectives
After studying this chapter, the reader should be able
to:
Describe the main types of aquatic organisms
Appreciate the importance of the ocean with respect
to the ecosystem services it provides
Explain the division of the ocean into zones
Understand the importance of coral reefs and
mangroves
Appreciate the special features of Antarctica and its
current state
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Chapter Objectives (contd)

Recall the features of the UN Convention on the Law
of the Sea and the importance of the Exclusive
Economic Zone
Explain why the coastal zone is vital and what is
happening to coastal areas of the world
Appreciate the importance of estuaries, coastal and
fresh water wetlands
Describe the general characteristics of rivers and
the spread of the river system in India.

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Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve

(GOMBR

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The Story of Gulf of Mannar

Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, Tamil Nadu

World richest marine diversity region
Rich biodiversity, mangroves, coral reefs, turtles,
dugongs, etc.
10500 sq Km area, 21 island, 3600 species flora and fauna
Destruction:
Bottom trawling
Coral mining
Pollution from industries
Many species facing threat of extinction
Peoples livelihoods affected
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What this story tells us

Unique natural environment, population
pressure, people livelihood and
conservation efforts
Value of oceans and human impact that is
adversely affecting the ocean
ecosystem

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Kind of organism in aquatic zones

Plankton, nekton and benthos
Freely floating plankton are microorganism
that can not swim freely and buffered by
wave and currents
Plankton: Phytoplankton and zooplankton
Phytoplankton: Photosynthesis and form basis
of oceans food web
Zooplankton: Primary consumer and feed on
phytoplanktons

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Zooplankton are food for newly hatched fish

and small organism
Nektons are strong swimmers, include all the
larger organism like fishes, turtle and
whales
Benthos are bottom dwellers adopted to live
on floor of water body
Some fix on one spot like sponges, oyster and
barcles
Some move about floor like crawfish and
brittle stars
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The Global Ocean

Occupy 71% of earths surface
361 million sq km with an average depth of 3.7
km and total volume of 1347000 sqkm
35g salt per kg
Single ocean, great depths
Pacific ocean cover one third of earth surface
and contain 50% of its water
Pacific also has deepest part of ocean
Mariana Trench (11Km, 2200m more)
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Importance of oceans
Ocean contain 250000species of plant and animals
Largely unexplored
Greater biodiversity than on land
Provides many ecosystem services:
Regulation of climate and rain fall, cycling of nutrient,
absorption of carbon dioxide, waste treatment, nursery
for many species, storage of biodiversity and genetic
resources
Economic benefit include food items(fish, sea weeds and
other items)
Fishmeal, oil and gas, mineral, medicine and building
material, transport and recreation

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Zones of the Ocean

Coastal zone: Extend from high tide
mark on land to edge of continent
Open ocean:
euphotic zone: Upper part (Phtoplankton,
Large fish, shark and swordfish)
bathyal zone: Lacks sunlight, no producers,
zooplankton and smaller fish
abyssal zone: (4-6 Km) Dark zone, producer
organism that withstand a temp of 200 c

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Figure 4.1 The Zones of the Ocean

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Coral Reefs
Natural wonder of oceans
Found coastal zone of tropical and subtropical oceans
Aesthetically appealing
Oldest , most diverse and most productive ecosystems
formed by huge colonies of tiny organism polyps
Secrete calcium carbonate to form a protective crust
around their soft bodies
When die outerskeleton remain as platform for others to
continue building the coral
The colour of coral come from zooxanhtellae a tiny single
cell algae inside tissue of polyps
In return to home provide by polyps, zooxanthellae produce
food and oxygen through photosynhtesis

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Importance of coral reefs

Complex ecosystem and home for 25% of marine
species
Perform many ecological services
absorb carbon dioxide
protect coasts against storms and waves
They can be called as rain forest of oceans
Economic side: Provide fish, shellfish, building
materials and medicine
Through tourism bring invaluable foreign exchange

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Threats to coral reefs:

being lost all over the world
Vulnerable to damage as grow slowly, get disrupted easily
and very sensitive to variation in temperature and salinity
coral bleaching: Loss of colour
When reef become stressed loses its colour and food and
ultimately dies
Increase in temperature cause bleaching
60% are threatened by coastal development, pollution and
overfishing and warmer temperatures
Southasia with most species of all coral reefs is most
threatened region

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Mangroves
salt-tolerant trees on coast grow in shallow marine
sediments
Found inland wiht coral reefs
roots are nurseries for fishes
branches are nesting sites for birds
prevent sea erosion
protect coast during storms
Threats to mangroves:
coastal development
logging
shrimp aquaculture
1985 to 2000 world looses half of its mangroves

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Antarctica
fragile, sensitive, and unexploited ecosystem
contains 70% of worlds freshwater
mean temperature is rising, ice shelves are
breaking off, leading to sea-level rise
seals and whales hunted to near-extinction
tourism creates problems

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Inland Seas
Large saline lakes including the Caspian Sea, Dead Sea,
Black Sea, Lake Victoria, and Aral Sea
Sensitive ecosystems, now being degraded
Aral Sea between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan:
Once fourth largest freshwater lake
Lost 75% volume and 50% area over 40 years due to
diversion of inflow for irrigation
Lake Victoria, East Africa:
Second largest freshwater lake
Fisheries collapse due to the introduction of a new
predator species
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Ocean Governance
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
Came into force in 1994
200 nautical miles of Exclusive Economic Zone
for every country
UN control over ocean resources through
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
and the International Seabed Authority

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Coastal Zone
Area of interaction between land and ocean
Contains 90% of all marine species
Worldwide migration of population towards
the coasts
Large cities, developmental activities on the
coasts
Estuaries and coastal wetlands getting
degraded

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Figure 4.2 The Coastal Zone

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The coastal zone

with its diversity
is
ecologically
important, but it
is
being
degraded due to
population
pressure, urban
expansion,
infrastructure
development, and
pollution.
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The Story of Chilika Lake

Chilika lake in Orissa
Largest brackish water lagoon in Asia
Rich in species of birds, fishes
Faced ecological and social problems: siltation,
reduced salinity, water logging on shores, reduced
fish catch
Chilika Development Authority took steps:
Fish catch increased
Flooding avoided

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Pollution of the holy Ganga

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Keywords & Phrases of Chap.4

aquatic life zone

plankton, nekton, benthos
phytoplankton, zooplankton
coastal zone
open ocean,
euphotic zone, bathyal zone, abyssal zone
coral reefs, zooxanthellae
mangroves
estuary, wetland
Common Heritage of Mankind
UNCLOS, EEZ

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Key Points of Chap.4

The ocean is a treasure house of biodiversity and the provider
of a range of ecological services.
Coral reefs and mangroves are vital organisms that are under
threat.
The relatively unexploited Antarctica is now under pressure.
Many large inland seas and fresh water lakes face severe
environmental problems.
The use of the ocean is now regulated by the UN Convention on
the Law of the Sea.
The coastal zone with its immense biodiversity is being degraded
by development and population pressure.

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