The Epipelagic Open Ocean
(Top)
Frances Radcliffe
Kelly Heard
Climate and Abiotic Factors
Epipelagic Open Ocean
• Location: All Oceanic regions 660ft. (200m.) deep
and above
Ecotones
Epipelagic Open Ocean
• Ecotone: an area between two different biomes
(may be narrow or broad)
o
ex: intertidal and estuary zones are often the
ecotones between land and water.
Climate and Abiotic Factors
Epipelagic Open Ocean
• Average Temperature: -2.7 to 40 degrees Celsius
• Amount of Sunlight: Varies depending upon
region
• Salinity:35 ppt
• Pressure: 20 ATA of pressure
• D.O.: High (usually 7-8 ppm)
• PH: 8.1
• Turbidity: Relatively High
Climate and Abiotic Factors
Epipelagic Open Ocean
• Contains majority of marine life- 90% of all
organisms
• Only zone to support plant life (requires sunlight
for photosynthesis)
• Otherwise known as the Photic, Euphotic,
Intertidal, Sunlit, or Pelagic Zone
Biodiversity and Biomass
Epipelagic Open Ocean
• 90% of all organisms in Ocean--> High
Biodiversity
•most access to sunlight
•
most photosynthesis
•most producers to support life
Food Web of Epipelagic Open
Ocean
Species
Epipelagic Open Ocean
• Generalist: Squid-feeds on many different organisms
• Specialist: Blue Whale- has baleen to capture only krill
• Indicator: Sea Turtles-have sensitive eggs subject to
devastation by small changes
• Keystone: Phytoplankton- producer the basis of all
oceanic life
Limiting Factors
Epipelagic Open Ocean
•
Limiting Factors:
Adaptation to limiting factors:
• Intensity and availability
of sunlight for producers o Low temp-most marine
organisms are ectothermic
• pH
• Temperature
o Salt concentration-organisms
• Salinity
use diffusion, osmosis, and
• Disolved nutrients
active transport to balance
salt-intake
• Depth
Symbiosis
Epipelagic Open Ocean
• Mutalistic: Clown Fish live in sea anemones for protection.
The fish scare off the butterfly fish that eats the anemones
• Commensalistic: Golden Trevally- fish whose larvae live
in the tentacles of a jellyfish to protect form predators
• Parasitic: Ocean Sunfish--can have as many as 40
parasitic species living on or inside it. It swims to the
surface to let birds eat the parasites off of it
Resource Partitioning
Epipelagic Open Ocean
•Examples:
• Divided fishing grounds among different
countries
• Sharks-want to avoid conflict
o
sometimes feed on other resources in the
presence of another predetor or forage elsewhere
Counter-Shading
Epipelagic Open Ocean
• common color pattern in animals- the dorsal side
(upper side) of the animal is darker than the ventral
(lower) side
o
provides superior camouflage
Environmental Problems
Epipelagic Open Ocean
• Statistics on Endangered Species:
o
o
o
o
Blue Whale: 10,000-25,000 (Population)
Green Sea Turtle: 200,000 (Population of Nesting
Females)
Northern Fur Seal: 200,000 (Population)
Great White Shark: 3,500 (Population)
Environmental Legislation
Epipelagic Open Ocean
•Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act
:(1988) prohibits transportation of material from the United
States or anywhere for the purpose of ocean dumping by
anyone
•Oil Pollution Act:(1990) put in place to prevent and
respond to catastrophic oil spills
•The Marine Mammal Protection Act:(1972)protect
mammals in danger of extinction or depletion from human
Sources
•http://www.exploringnature.org/db/detail.php?dbID=13&detID=2470
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http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/ocean/sunlit/
http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/uriartej/573/epipelagic_zone.html
http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/ocean-layers.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/127789/commensalism