BIOL231W2

Marine Environment
School of Life Sciences

Dr Phikolomzi Matikinca
Office: 03-079
Email: MatikincaP@ukzn.ac.za
Tel: 031 260 3186
 Classification of living organisms

⚫Life:
⚫that which can capture, store & transmit energy;
⚫capable of reproduction,
⚫adaptation to the environment;
⚫can change through time.
⚫physical & genetic characteristics

Three domains
Fig 12.1a
Ch 12 pg 345-354
 Classification of living organisms

⚫Five kingdoms
⚫ Monera (Archaea, Bacteria)
⚫ Protoctista
⚫ Fungi
⚫ Plantae
⚫ Animalia

Fig 12.1b

Ch 12 pg 345-354
 Five kingdoms
⚫ Monera (Archaea, Bacteria, some classifications = 6 Kingdoms)
➢ simplest organisms, single-celled, lack discrete nuclei and internal organelles
(cyanobacteria, heterotrophic bacteria, archaea)
⚫ Protoctista (Protista)
➢ single and multicelled with nucleus - algae, protozoa
⚫ Fungi
➢ mold, lichen
⚫ Plantae
➢ multicelled photosynthetic plants
⚫ Animalia
➢ multicelled animals - Simple sponges to complex vertebrates
 Taxonomic classification
Systemized classification of organisms
⚫ Kingdom (less specific grouping)
⚫ Phylum/Division
⚫ Class
⚫ Order
⚫ Family
⚫ Genus
⚫ Species (more specific grouping)
➢ Fundamental unit
➢ Population of genetically similar, interbreeding individuals

Ch 12 pg 345-354
 Taxonomic classification
Example

Fig 12.2
Ch 12 pg 345-354
 Number of marine species
⚫ 6 times more land species (1.5 million) than marine species (250 000)

⚫ Ocean has relatively uniform conditions

⚫ A major factor that leads to the creation of different species (Speciation) is the
variability of the environment: the more variable the environment, the more species
are generally present

⚫ Less adaptation required, less speciation

⚫ Marine species are benthic (98%) (live on the sea floor) rather than pelagic (2%)
(live in the open sea)
Ch 12 pg 345-354
 FIGURE 12.7

Ch 12 pg 345-354
How are Marine Organisms Grouped?

⚫Where they live

⚫How they move
⚫How they feed
⚫Their physical size

Ch 12 pg 345-354
CLASSIFICATION: habitat and mobility

⚫Plankton (drifters)
⚫Nekton (swimmers)
⚫Benthos (bottom dwellers)

Ch 12 pg 345-354
 CLASSIFICATION: habitat and mobility

Plankton (drifters)
⚫ Most biomass on Earth consists of plankton

⚫ All organisms that drift with ocean currents

⚫ Phytoplankton, Zooplankton, Bacterioplankton,

Virioplankton

Ch 12 pg 345-354
 CLASSIFICATION: habitat and mobility

Plankton (drifters)
⚫ May swim, but move only weakly, or vertically in the water column

⚫ Plankton can be classified based on: feeding styles, life cycles and physical size

Ch 12 pg 345-354
 Plankton can be classified based on their feeding styles:

Autotrophic Heterotrophic

? Fig 12.3

?
Fig 12.3

Ch 12 pg 345-354
 Plankton can be classified based on their feeding styles:

Autotrophic Heterotrophic

Fig 12.3 Fig 12.3

1. Photosynthesize and therefore 2. Cannot produce its own food- relies

produce its own food it is termed on food produced by other organisms
autotrophic (phytoplankton) termed heterotrophic(zooplankton).

Ch 12 pg 345-354
Plankton can be classified based on their life cycles:

Holoplankton
⚫ Holoplankton
⚫ Entire life-cycle as plankton
⚫ Meroplankton
⚫ Part of life-cycle as plankton
⚫ Juvenile or larval stages of organisms that will actively swim or
become benthic
Meroplankton

Ch 12 pg 345-354
Sargassum
Plankton can be classified based on their life cycles:
Swimmer

Example: The Squid

Meroplankton

Fig 12.4
Benthic

Ch 12 pg 345-354
Plankton can be classified based on their physical size:

⚫ Macroplankton
⚫ Large floaters such as jellyfish or Sargassum
⚫ 2-20 cm
⚫ Mesoplankton
⚫ 200-2000 um
⚫ Microplankton
⚫ 2-200 um
⚫ Picoplankton
⚫ Very small floaters such as bacterioplankton
⚫ 0.2-2 um

Ch 12 pg 345-354
Plankton can be classified based on feeding styles, life cycles and physical size:

Plankton

Feeding style Life cycle Physical size

•? •? •?
Plankton can be classified based on feeding styles, life cycles and physical size:

Plankton

Feeding style Life cycle Physical size

• Autotrophic • Holoplankton • Microplankton

• Heterotrophic • Meroplankton • Mesoplankton
• Microplankton
• Picoplankton
 CLASSIFICATION: habitat and mobility
Nekton (swimmers)
⚫ All animals capable of moving independently of the ocean currents
by swimming or other means of propulsion

⚫ Capable of long migrations

⚫ Most adult fish and squid

⚫ Marine mammals
⚫ Marine reptiles

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Ch 12 pg 345-354
 CLASSIFICATION: habitat and mobility
Benthos (bottom dwellers)

Ch 12 pg 345-354 Fig 12. 6

 ⚫ Epifauna live on surface of sea floor

⚫ Infauna live buried in sediments

⚫ Suprabenthos (= Nektobenthos) swim or crawl through water above seafloor (e.g. crabs,
sea urchins, octopus, flat-fish). Most abundant in shallower water

Ch 12 pg 345-354
 CLASSIFICATION: habitat and mobility

Plankton Nekton Benthos

•? •?
Feeding style Life cycle Physical size

•? •? •?
Ch 12 pg 354-367
 CLASSIFICATION: habitat and mobility

Plankton Nekton Benthos

Feeding style Life cycle Physical size • Swimmers • Epifauna

• Propulsion • Infauna
• Long migrations • Nektobenthos
• Autotrophic • Holoplankton • Microplankton • Marine mammals
• Heterotrophic • Meroplankton • Mesoplankton • Marine reptiles
• Microplankton
• Picoplankton

Ch 12 pg 354-367
 Next lecture:
Factors affecting life and ocean zones

Ch 12 pg 354-367