Distribution
Oceans on Earth are typically found between continental land masses, where large stretches of ocean fill the vast area between the seven continents. Earth has 5 main oceans, the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic oceans. Australia is positioned between the Indian ocean to the west and the Pacific ocean to the east. To the right, a distribution map can be seen indicating where ocean biomes are located.
The above image displays Australia and its surrounding oceans. The Indian ocean can b seen to the left and the Pacific ocean to the right. Image courtesy of www.mapresources.com
Oceanic ZonesThe ocean biome can be split into three main zones; the intertidal, pelagic and benthic zones. The abyssal zone is also included in the oceans zones.
The intertidal zone or littoral zone, is more commonly known as the sea shore or foreshore. This zone can be either submerged or above water, depending on the tides. during low tide periods, when the sea floor is exposed, creatures and plant life includes seaweeds, mussels, limpets, grasses, sea stars and numerous species of fish. The pelagic zone is better known as the open sea. The pelagic zone makes up the large majority of the upper levels of the ocean, including the surface and upper most waters of the ocean. Many of the ocean's creatures are found in the waters of the pelagic zone. These creatures include fish and mammals, such as whales and sharks, which thrive in the temperate waters found in the pelagic zone. Algae is also abundant throughout the pelagic zone and is the main food source for many of the creatures found here. The benthic zone can be found directly beneath the pelagic zone. The benthic zone begins at bottom of the pelagic zone and follows the continental shelf out to sea and deep into the depths of the ocean, as low as 4,000 metres. The floor is comprised of sediment, dirt and sand as well as rocks. Plant life here includes corals and seaweeds, whilst fauna includes worms, fungi, sea stars and many species of fish. The abyssal zone makes up the bottom of the ocean. Seaweeds construct a large portion of this zones plant life. Marine life mainly consists of bacteria and algae. Temperatures here rarely reach 3 degrees Celsius. |
The above image displays the distribution of ocean biomes throughout the world. Blue represents the ocean biome, whilst white represents land. Image courtesy of www.mapsofworld.com
The above images displays the three main zones of the ocean and the depths that they reach. Image courtesy of http://opencurriculum.org/5381/aquatic-biomes.org
ClimateThe world's oceans vary in temperature across the board. Waters near the north and south poles are close to, if not freezing, between -5 and 5 degrees Celsius. As you near closer to the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, water temperatures begin to rise to between 10-20 degrees. Along the equator, sea temperatures can be between 20 and 30 degrees.
Tropical oceanic regions, such as the Indian ocean, house warmer waters and creatures that range from fish to mammals to coral. cooler oceanic regions, which include the Arctic ocean, are a much colder temperature, which effects the animals that live in these areas. Life that can brave these cold conditions include penguins, seals and many different species of crustaceans. The above image shows a heat map of the worlds oceans. Below there is a scale, with the lighter colours on the left representing cooler temperatures and the darker colours on the right corresponding to warmer temperatures. Image courtesy of en.wikipedia.org.
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