Why Do Most Marine Animals Live Near The Surface Of The Ocean?

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Why Do Most Marine Animals Live Near The Surface Of The Ocean??

Strong sunlight supports photosynthesis by marine algae. Algae either directly or indirectly provide food for the majority of organisms. All marine algae live near the surface because they need sunlight to survive. Most marine animals also live near the surface because this is where they can find food.

Why do many animals live close to the surface of the ocean?

In the surface waters marine plants called phytoplankton use the sunlight to grow by photosynthesis. This is the primary source of food for many animals that live on or near the surface. As plankton dies it sinks and becomes food for animals that live deeper in the water column.

Why is most life in the ocean concentrated near the surface?

Sea life is concentrated in the sunlit waters near the surface but most organic matter is far below in deep waters and on the sea floor. … There strong currents pump nitrogen and phosphate up from the deep sea to fuel vast blooms of algae and other plants.

What makes most marine organisms live near the surface of the ocean quizlet?

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: Most marine animals live near the ocean surface BECAUSE they all need sunlight to survive.

Where do the majority of marine animals live?

coastal habitats

Most marine life is found in coastal habitats even though the shelf area occupies only seven percent of the total ocean area. Open ocean habitats are found in the deep ocean beyond the edge of the continental shelf.

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How do animals live in deep ocean?

First off the deep ocean is dark because sunlight can’t penetrate very far into the water. Many animals make their own light called bioluminescence to communicate find mates scare predators or attract prey. … Most animals cope with this by being very small and needing less to eat or by growing very slowly.

Why are deep sea animals Red?

At depth these animals are not visible. The black animals absorb all colors of light available and the red animals appear black as well since there is no red light to reflect and their bodies absorb all other available wavelengths of light. Thus in the deep ocean red and black animals predominate.

Why is downwelling important to marine life?

Downwelling also allows for deep ocean oxygenation to occur because these waters are able to bring dissolved oxygen down from the surface to help facilitate aerobic respiration in organisms throughout the water column.

Why does most marine life live in the photic zone?

The ocean life in the Euphotic zone include sharks jellyfish sea turtles coral and zooplankton. The reason why there are so many various life in this zone is because of its access to sunlight. Direct sunlight causes photosynthesis which allows many opportunities for life.

How marine organisms adapt to the surface of the ocean?

Temperatures vary dramatically between the surface and the ocean floor. Marine life has developed many adaptations to the variations in temperature. Many marine mammals have blubber for insulation from the cold and some fish have an antifreeze-like substance in their blood to keep it flowing.

Why do all marine algae live near the ocean surface?

Most marine organisms live within the sunlit surface waters. Strong sunlight supports photosynthesis by marine algae. … All marine algae live near the surface because they need sunlight to survive. Most marine animals also live near the surface because this is where they can find food.

How do marine organisms affect the chemistry of ocean water?

How do marine organisms affect the chemistry of ocean water? They absorb and release nutrients and gases. The nutrients and gases change the chemical composition of ocean water. … The organisms that live in the surface water might not get enough nutrients to survive.

What organisms live on or in the ocean bottom?

Stuck on the Bottom

The benthos live on the ocean floor. Starfish oysters clams sea cucumbers brittle stars and anemone are all benthos. Most benthos feed on food as it floats by or scavenge for food on the ocean floor.

Where do animals live in the ocean?

Most ocean life can be found in coastal habitats on the continental shelf even if this area occupies only 7% of the total ocean area. Most of the open ocean habitats are found in the deep ocean beyond the edge of the continental shelf. Ocean and coastal habitats can be created by species living in them.

Where do most fish live in the ocean?

Most species live on the sea bottom in relatively shallow waters although species are known from mid and deep water from the mid-water and even from fresh water.

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Where does 90% of the marine life live in oceans explain why?

It is also called the euphotic zone. Here there is enough light penetrating the water to support photosynthesis. Because photosynthesis occurs here more than 90 percent of all marine life lives in the sunlit zone.

Why do deep sea fish come to surface?

Deep-sea organisms contain gas-filled spaces (vacuoles). Gas is compressed under high pressure and expands under low pressure. Because of this these organisms have been known to blow up if they come to the surface.

How do marine animals survive in water without air contact?

They do not require any oxygen. They take oxygen from water. They only produce oxygen in their body. They get oxygen from water plants.

How do most animals in the deep sea survive where the water pressure is so great?

Most of the deep-sea creatures live thousands of feet below the water surface. … These creatures have several adaptations like compressible lungs lung-like swim bladders etc. to help them overcome the high water pressure in their deep-water environment.

Why is the ocean blue?

The ocean is blue because water absorbs colors in the red part of the light spectrum. Like a filter this leaves behind colors in the blue part of the light spectrum for us to see. The ocean may also take on green red or other hues as light bounces off of floating sediments and particles in the water.

Why is the ocean dark?

The ocean is very very deep light can only penetrate so far below the surface of the ocean. As the light energy travels through the water the molecules in the water scatter and absorb it. … In the aphotic zone all that’s left of sunlight is a dim dark blue-green light too weak to allow photosynthesis to occur.

What color is invisible in the deep ocean?

red coloration

Several organisms living in ocean depths have red coloration. Their red color effectively makes them invisible in the inky darkness because no red wavelengths are present. Red coloration is not the only camouflage strategy used by deep sea organisms.

How would marine life be affected if ocean circulation ceased?

The ocean currents carry warmth from the tropics up to these places which would no longer happen. If the currents were to stop completely the average temperature of Europe would cool 5 to 10 degrees Celsius. There would also be impacts on fisheries and hurricanes in the region.

How does ocean currents affect marine life?

By moving heat from the equator toward the poles ocean currents play an important role in controlling the climate. Ocean currents are also critically important to sea life. They carry nutrients and food to organisms that live permanently attached in one place and carry reproductive cells and ocean life to new places.

What does ocean downwelling do to surface waters?

Upwelling is a process in which deep cold water rises toward the surface. … Upwelling occurs in the open ocean and along coastlines. The reverse process called “downwelling ” also occurs when wind causes surface water to build up along a coastline and the surface water eventually sinks toward the bottom.

Why do most corals need to be in the photic zone?

Coral Reefs grow in generally shallow waters because they depend on the zooxanthelle for food. In order to make food by photosynthesis these tiny algae need access to sunlight. Thus the coral reef community is restricted to depths that light can penetrate. In the ocean this is called the photic zone.

What animals live in the sunlight zone?

The sunlit zone is home to a wide variety of marine species because plants can grow there and water temperatures are relatively warm. Lots of marine animals can be found in the sunlit zone including sharks tuna mackerel jellyfish sea turtles seals and sea lions and stingrays.

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How does light affect aquatic life distribution?

Light level is an important factor in aquatic ecosystems. Light is needed by plants for photosynthesis the process where plants turn light into energy. Light can affect the success of predators at finding food and directly affects how much life you find in a given area.

How do marine animals survive in saltwater?

Soaking in Salt

Most fish that live in the ocean tend to lose water–the high salt content of the ocean causes water to constantly flow out through the fish’s gills. … And because seawater is so salty they also must pump out the excess salt both through their kidneys and using specialized cells in their gills.

How do marine animals adapt?

Common oceanic animal adaptations include gills special breathing organs used by some oceanic animals like fish and crabs blowholes an opening on the top of the head that’s used for breathing fins flat wing-like structures on a fish that help it move through the water and streamlined bodies.

How do animals adapt to saltwater?

In saltwater the concentration of salt is higher outside the fish and salt leaks into the fish. Fish can drink saltwater and eliminate the salt through their gills. … Crocodiles living in saltwater have adapted by developing special glands in their tongues to help them excrete salt.

Why do all marine algae live near the ocean surface quizlet?

Why do all marine algae live near the ocean surface? Near the surface marine algae are able to avoid ocean currents. Near the surface marine algae are able to avoid predators. They feed on other organisms that live near the ocean surface.

Why are most algae found near the surface of the sea and not at greater depths?

Like all algae red algae depend on photosynthesis to produce food. Most varieties of algae live near the surface of the water in order to get enough sunlight to live. Since they can absorb blue light red algae can live in much deeper water where light of long wavelengths — like red — can’t reach.

Why do algae live in water?

Algae require warmth sunlight and nutrients to grow and reproduce so they live in the upper 60 to 90 meters (200 to 300 feet) of ocean water. The upper layer of water the epipelagic zone is rich in oxygen penetrated by sunlight and warmer than water at lower levels. … Other water moves across to replace it.

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