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Marine Biome

General Characteristics

•Marine Biome covers 70% of the earth’s surface

•Factors

–Salinity, pressure, light & tidal cycles, substrates

•Found roughly between 30° and 40° north and south latitude, and on the western coasts of continents where the land is influenced by cold offshore ocean currents.

•Include oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries. Marine algae supply much of the worlds oxygen supply and take in a huge amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

•Evaporation of seawater provides rainwater for the land.



Salinity, pressure, light & tidal cycles, substrates
Found roughly between 30° and 40° north and south latitude, and on the western coasts of continents where the land is influenced by cold offshore ocean currents.
Include oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries. Marine algae supply much of the worlds oxygen supply and take in a huge amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Evaporation of seawater provides rainwater for the land.
Mediterranean Sea

General Characteristics

•Tremendous volumes of warm water give the surrounding countries a warm subtropical climate.

•Most Mediterranean countries have hot dry summers, and mild rainy winters.

Precipitation

•Water in the Mediterranean Sea comes mainly from the Atlantic Ocean, Black Sea, and rainfall

•It has a mild rainy season during the winter, precipitation ranges between 12” to 15” along the coast, and up to 40” in higher elevations.

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Geographic Distributions
•Largest Islands

–Majorca, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Cyprus, and Rhodes

•Bordering Countries

–Northern: Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece, and Turkey

–Southern: Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco

–Eastern: Syria, Lebanon, and Israel

Dominant Plant Life
•Sea grass meadows

–Produce more than 80% of the annual fish yield in the Mediterranean. They also stabilize the sea shore and maintain water quality through oxygen production.

•Rocky reef ecosystems

–Habitat for endangered Mediterranean monk seal, as well as several endemic fish and invertebrates.

Dominant Animal Life

•Characteristic Species

–Mediterranean Monk Seal

–Mediterranean Mussel

–Mullets

–Gilthead Sea Bream

–Sea Bass

–Greater Flamingo*

•Found in this Ecosystem

–Fin Whale*

–Harbor Porpoise

–Striped Dolphin (and many other species)

–Loggerhead Turtles

–Green Sea Turtles

–Leatherback Turtles



Dominant Fish
•Bottom Fish

–Flounder, Sole, Turbot, Whiting, Congers, Croakers, Sea Bream, and Hake

•Pelagic (Migratory)

–Sardines, Anchovies, Bluefin Tuna*, Bonitos, and Mackerel

Cetaceans
•19 species of cetaceans can be encountered

–8 common

•Fin whale, Sperm Whale, Striped Dolphin, Risso’s Dolphin, Long finned Pilot Whale, Bottlenose Dolphin, Common Dolphin*, and Cuvier’s Beaked Whale

–4 occasional

•Minke whale, Killer whale, False Killer whale, and Rough toothed dolphin

–6 accidental

•Including the Humpback whale

Physiological, Morphological, and Behavioral Strategies

Physiological Kidneys of have been altered to allow the animal to live

The higher concentration of salt makes the animal hypertonic (higher concentration than water) so they must reabsorb water to live

Morphological a long beaked and short beaked form are recognized

(common dolphin)

Over the years the common dolphin has morphed into two main form, usually found in different areas

Behavioral nesting females avoid areas with intense lighting (loggerhead turtles)

The loggerhead turtles have begun to avoid highly lit areas due to the fact that the hatchlings would be drawn to the light



Mediterranean Monk Seal

(Type 1)

•The male averages 2.4m & weighs around 315kg. Females weigh around 300kg.

•Adults are generally brown or gray, while older males tend to be black.

•Pups are born from 88-103cm in length, and weigh 16-18kg. They are born with a white or yellow patch on the belly with an otherwise black wooly coat. They are born in very remote and undisturbed areas.

•Adults reach sexual maturity at around 4-6 years.

•They are now endangered due to deliberate human killing.



Striped Dolphin (Type 2)

•Maximum estimated age for striped dolphins is 57.5 years

–Natural predators include, sharks, killer whales, false killer whales, pygmy killer whales, and possibly pilot whales

•Average length at sexual maturity 216 for females, 219 for males; Average age 9-10 years.

•3-4 years between each gestation period.

•12 month gestation period

•Average 1-2 calves

Loggerhead Turtle (Type 3)

•Loggerheads are known to nest from one to seven times with in a nesting season. Which usually runs from May through August.

•Mean clutch sizes varies from about 100 to 126.

•Incubation ranges from 45 to 95 days, depending on temperature

•Remigration intervals are about two to three years

•Sexual maturity is around 20-30 years.

•Hatchlings usually emerge at night.

Density-Dependent Factors
•Pollution

–The Mediterranean Sea has become increasingly polluted. The cetacean population in affected because it contaminates the marine food web by over exploitation of marine resources due to unsuitable and not selective fisheries

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• Fishing
– The Mediterranean Sea is a highly fished area. Many species are becoming depleted because the fishermen are just catching whatever is available and not inquiring into what exactly they are catching.

Parasitism and Mutualism

Producers, Consumers, Decomposers
• Producers;
– Are the organisms that are able to turn the suns energy into food
• Consumers;
– Are the organisms that get their food by eating other living things
• Decomposers;
– Are the organisms that feed on and break down other dead organisms and the waste of living things.
Carbon Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle
Human Interactions
• Pollution is a very big deal with aquatic biomes. All wastes are dumped into the water, factories continually release their chemicals into the water. These factors are killing many species of fish and other aquatic animals. Within the past 30 years or so, many laws have been passed regulating what can be put into the water.
Biodiversity
• Rocky reefs, sea grass meadows, and upwelling areas are particularly important habitats that support Mediterranean biodiversity. So far only an estimated 50% of its biodiversity is known. It has been estimated that up to 15,000 species of plants and animals exist.

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