Ocean Habitats
An Ocean Habitat or sometimes refer to as a marine environment is a place in the ocean where plants and animals interact with the chemical and physical features of the environment. An Ocean habitat is a place where communities of organisms live. The three main ocean habitats of the ocean are the open water, the soft sandy to muddy bottom and the hard shore. Examples of ocean habitats are the coral reefs, the estuaries and the abyssal zone. Habitats can be classified in a number of ways in order to compare them at different times, across different geographic areas, and in terms of different life history strategies. Habitats are as varied as the animals that live in them and each could be infinitely described, but another general way to think of them is according to their measurable characteristics, or parameters. Examples of habitat characteristics include temperature, moisture, substrate type, nutrient availability, altitude or depth in water, and amount of light and wind or current in water. Coral reefs are the most diverse and beautiful of all marine habitats. Large wave resistant structures have accumulated from the slow growth of corals. The development of these structures is aided by algae that are symbiotic with reef-building corals, known as zooxanthellae. Coralline algae, sponges, and other organisms, combined with a number of cementation processes also contribute to reef growth. A coral reef is made of thin layers of calcium carbonate A coral reef is very effective at absorbing nutrients from the waters surrounding it. This includes obtaining phosphorus and nitrogen from sea waters, and other nutrients from small organisms making their home in the coral reef. A coral reef is one of the largest living communities in the world. Thousands of species make their home there, including over 4,000 different tropical fishes, jellyfish, crabs, sea urchins, and starfish. Mammals may visit a coral reef, but none actually live on or near
Cited: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. "polar ecosystem." Encyclopædia Britannica Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 20 Nov. 2011.