Ocean Biome Facts
Ocean Biome Facts
There are five ocean biomes - Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean,
Southern Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean. Almost seventy-one percent of the
Earth is covered by ocean. Some believe that the ocean biome is in fact the
oldest of all biomes. Majority of the animals and plants that reside in the ocean
biome exist in areas of the ocean that are rarely visited by people.
Interesting Ocean Biome Facts:
The ocean is made of saltwater. This salt comes from the rocks on land that
gets swept into the ocean.
There is about one cup of salt for every gallon of water in the ocean.
At 36, 200 feet deep, the Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the ocean
biome.
The largest ocean of the ocean biomes is the Pacific Ocean.
Although the temperatures of the oceans can vary, the average temperature of
any ocean is 39 F
Ocean water is constantly moving. Cold water is moving in from the poles while
warm water is moving in from the tropics.
The ocean biome is home to the largest known mammal of the world = the blue
whale.
The ocean biome contains coral reef which is actually its own separate biome.
Humans have only explored about 10% of the ocean biome.
Oceans can be divided into three different zones which are distinguished based
on the amount of sunlight they receive.
Some animals that live in the semi-dark part of the ocean known as the twilight
zone can make their own light through a process called bioluminescence.
Ninety percent of the ocean is completely dark and receives no sunlight. This
zone is known as the midnight zone.
Protein is very essential to the human diet and the majority of our protein
comes from the consumption of fish from the ocean.
Majority of volcanic activity occurs under water in the ocean.
The ocean is more salty in tropical areas because the Sun evaporates more of
the water there leaving more salt in the ocean
Freshwater Biome Facts
Freshwater Biome Facts
The freshwater biome is made up of any of body of water that is made of
freshwater such as lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers. They cover roughly 20%
of the Earth and are in various locations spread out all over the world. Most
freshwater biomes consist of moving water and contain many types of fish.
Interesting Freshwater Biome Facts:
Only 3% of the water on Earth comes from freshwater biomes.
There are over 700 different species of fish that live in a freshwater biome.
99% of all freshwater is either in the form of ice or located in an aquifer.
Many animals besides fish live in freshwater biomes. This includes crocodiles,
hippopotamus, turtles, and frogs.
Freshwater biomes are subdivided into three groups: lakes and ponds, streams
and rivers, and wetlands.
There are four key features that determine the ecology of streams and rivers =
the flow of the water, amount of light, the temperature or climate, and the
chemistry of the river.
Smaller bodies of water such as ditches and puddles are also considered
freshwater biomes because they help some form of life to survive.
Freshwater biomes are very important to our survival because they supply
people with more than half of their drinking water.
The largest freshwater biome is the Florida Everglades.
The water in a freshwater biome contains less than 1% of salt water. Any body
of water that contains little to no salt is considered freshwater.
Freshwater biomes contain plenty of grass and plants but trees are very scarce.
There are many insects living in the freshwater biome that some might consider
being pests including mosquitos and flies. These insects are very important in
that they are a food source to many mammals, birds, and amphibians.
Every freshwater biome is unique because they all contain a range of animal
and plant species, different climates, and various amounts of water. No two
freshwater biomes are exactly the same.
The Nile, the longest river in the world, is a part of a freshwater biome.
Because of the variety of animals living in the freshwater biome, there are a lot
of predator-prey relationships.
