“Diversity of Ocean Life 
& Productivity”
15.2 & 15.3
What are some types of different ocean organisms?
Scales
Shells
Lights
Suckers
Teeth
No Teeth
Hard
Soft
Fast 
Slow
Where do these things live?!
•	Most ocean organisms live in sunny surface waters
•	↑ Sun = ↑ Algae
•	  Algae = food.
Classifying Marine Organisms:
Where live & How move.
•	Plankton
–	Floaters (drift with currents)
–	Planktos = “wandering”
•	Nekton
–	Swimmers (in control)
–	Nektos = “swimming”
•	Benthos
–	Bottom dwelling
–	Benthos = “bottom”
Marine Life Zones Affected by:
•	 Available Sunlight
•	 Distance from Shore
•	 Water Depth
Sunlight
Photic Zone
•	“Photos” = light
•	Where there is light

Depth of light:
–	Amount of Nekton
–	Sediment particles
–	Intensity of sunlight 
Distance from Shore
•	Intertidal Zone
–	Beach 
•	Neritic Zone
–	Cont’l. Shelf
–	Most ocean life
•	Oceanic Zone
–	Cold, deep, dark

Water Depth
•	Pelagic Zone
–	Open ocean
–	Any depth
•	Benthic Zone
–	Seafloor
•	Abyssal Zone
–	Deep Benthic Zone
–	↑ Pressure!
–	Little Life.

Marine Productivity!
Producer  makes stuff
–	Photosynthesis
–	Chemosynthesis

Consumer  uses stuff
–	Chemical energy is transferred by feeding.
–	Feeding = Inefficient!