Ocean Zones: Biotic Organism

Name: ______Period: ______

The oceans are the largest reservoir of water on Earth. It contains a vast array of organisms, in fact more than there is on land. To help understand the oceans better scientists have divided them into two major regions: benthic zone or the bottom region, and the pelagic zone or the water above the benthic zone. Scientists further break these zones even further to help understand the biotic and abiotic factors of the ocean. We will be looking closer at the benthic zone to help better understand the biotic and abiotic factors. The benthic zone is divided into these five zones: intertidal zone, sublittoral zone, bathyal zone, abyssal zone, and hadal zone.

Purpose:

  1. You should be able to identify each of the 5 benthic zones by abiotic factors and how they affect organisms in that zone, such as body structure because of extreme pressure or body fat because of the cold.
  2. Review of food webs and energy levels.
  3. Understand human and environmental impacts on ocean ecosystems.

Materials: You will be providing the poster board for this project. I have scissors, glue, crayons, and color pencil. Any other materials that you wish to add to your project will be provided by YOU.

Procedures:

  1. In class you will be give a choice of five zones. Each zone should have 3 to 5 people depending on class size. (If you are absent you will be assigned a zone).
  2. Choice a biotic organism (plant or animal) found in you zone. Please let me know what it is so we do not have repeats on organisms.
  3. List and describe ABIOTIC factors found in this organism’s zone. They might include temperature, salinity, depth, tides, currents, sunlight or the lack of, thermal vents, etc… In your description tell how the abiotic factor affects your organism.
  4. Create or find a food web of your organism. You must show the correct flow of energy and must tell what tropic level your organism is (i.e. producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer…)
  5. Tell whether there is any human or environment impact on the organisms it self or its ecosystem.
  6. List three random facts
  7. Place information onto a ½ size poster divided into three sections (you are making a tri-fold) here is an example of placement of information:
  1. Work-cited page in MLA format (we are practicing what you learned in English). Place the work-cited on the back of the poster.
  2. POSTER IS DUE IN CLASS ON THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2012.This grade will go on 4th term.
  3. In class you will display your poster for everyone to see. Then you will go around to other student’s posters filling in the information about the other zones in the ocean and about your own zone in the ocean.

Scoring:

Points Possible / Points Received
Food Web and Tropic Level / 15
Abiotic factors listed and described (need at least 5) / 20
3 random facts / 10
Human and environmental impacts / 10
Work-cited page / 5
Neatness / 5
Color / 5
Worksheet / 30
Total / 100

Worksheet

Zone / Organism / Abiotic Factor / Abiotic Factor / Impact
Intertidal Zone
1.
2.
3.
Sublittoral Zone
1.
2.
3.
Bathyal Zone
1.
2.
3.
Abyssal Zone
1.
2.
3.
Hadal Zone
1.
2.
3.