Taylor Beckham

Period 2
Marine Bio
Mr. Stradling
Chapter 5 Project
In the ocean, many different species are living there. Such as, Bacteria, Algae, Diatoms,
Dinoflagellates, Foraminiferans, Radiolarians, Ciliates, and Fungi. Another big part of the ocean
is phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are producers which means they feed most of the population in
the ocean. Phytoplankton use sunlight to produce their own food and food for the rest of the sea
life. Producers are important for the sea life in order to thrive and survive. Living species are
what makes the ocean a unique habitat and an important one.
Bacteria are very important in the marine
environment. They provide food for many different
organisms in the ocean. Many people think that bacteria are
bad but in marine habitats they can be beneficial. Bacteria
are a good food source for many fishes and other animals.
They are also aesexual which means they can reproduce on
their own. Bacteria are a type of microbe, or organism so
small that it can only be seen with the use of a microscope.
Microbes are diverse and include organisms from each of
the three domains of life: Prokaryotes (bacteria), Archaea, and Eukaryotes (including protists
such as diatoms, ciliates, and dinoflagellates). Microbes also include viruses. (Picture is from
www.Wikipedia.com)Bacteria come from many different domains and there is many different
types of bacteria that are all different. Some of them have a flagellate which is a tail to help them
move and others do not.
Algae is also another big part of the ocean. It is also a food source for many marine
animals and it provides them with vitamins and nutrients. Algae is also aesexual and grows and
reproduces by itself. It is a producer and uses the sunlight to make its own food for itself and
other species. Most algae contain chloroplasts that are similar in structure to cyanobacteria.
Chloroplasts contain circular DNA like that in cyanobacteria and presumably represent reduced
endosymbiotic cyanobacteria. However, the exact origin of the chloroplasts is different among
separate lineages of algae, reflecting their acquisition during different endosymbiotic events.
The algae has chloroplasts in it which make it the green color and helps it with photosynthesis.
Fungi is another species that lives in the ocean. Sometimes they grow on fish or other
animals. They also grow sometimes when they are submerged in water. Fungi (Photo is from
www.wikipedia.com) grow rapidly under some circumstances. Marine fungi are species of
fungi that live in marine or estuarine environments. They are not a taxonomic group but share a
common habitat. Obligate marine fungi grow exclusively in the marine habitat while wholly or
sporadically submerged in seawater. Facultative marine fungi normally occupy terrestrial or
freshwater habitats but are capable of living or even sporulating in a marine habitat. Marine

fungi live underwater and sometimes cannot survive in

environments that do not have water.
Phytoplankton are small microscopic plants. They
are in the ocean and you cant see them unless they are
under a microscope. phytoplankton are so small that you
cannot see them with your eyes. phytoplankton are
important because they provide nutrients for other
animals in the ocean. they are also asexual which means that they reproduce by themselves and
get their nutrients from the sun which also makes them a producer. Phytoplankton, also known
as microalgae, are similar to terrestrial plants in that they contain chlorophyll and require
sunlight in order to live and grow. Most phytoplankton are buoyant and float in the upper part of
the ocean, where sunlight penetrates the water. Phytoplankton also require inorganic nutrients
such as nitrates, phosphates, and sulfur which they convert into proteins, fats, and
carbohydrates.
Phytoplankton are important because they provide ocean animals nutrients in food.
phytoplankton are producers which means that they get their energy from the Sun and they
produced into food and nutrients. phytoplankton are important because they are close to the
surface of the water which means that they could collect
sun easily for the rest of the animals that need it.
phytoplankton need to be close to the surface of the
water because they need the sunlight. The classified
phytoplankton have the dinoflagellate which has a tail
(Photo from www.NOAA.com) for it to move around.
The two main classes of phytoplankton are dinoflagellates and diatoms. Dinoflagellates use a
whip-like tail, or flagella, to move through the water and their bodies are covered with complex
shells. Diatoms also have shells, but they are made of a different substance and their structure is
rigid and made of interlocking parts. Diatoms do not rely on flagella to move through the water
and instead rely on ocean currents to travel through the water. The flagella is used to move
through water but some others are stationary.
Nutrients in the ocean come from various sources. They mostly come from phytoplankton
and algae. They both produce a lot of different nutrients for the rest of the marine life.The
nutrients found in water are essential to the survival of plant and marine life. Some are Nitrogen,
Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulfur, Magnesium, and Calcium. These nutrients are important to
marine life and the phytoplankton and algae. The most important nutrients for phytoplankton
growth in the ocean are nitrate and phosphate. Some types of phytoplankton, called diatoms,
also require the nutrient silicate, which they use to build their cell walls. A lot of marine animals
need these nutrients for their shells.
Marine life is very cool and I like to learn about it. Our oceans are dying because we
always throw our trash in it which contributes to pollution. If we pollute the ocean our marine
life is going to die off. Marine life is important because it is connected to the food chain. The

water is getting more and more contaminated which also makes it hard for us because the ocean
is one of earths biggest sources of water and food.

Works Cited
"Ocean Properties." Ocean Properties. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.
"What Are Phytoplankton?" US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.
Jones, Adrian. "Marine Bacteria - Learn about - Teach Ocean Science." Marine Bacteria - Learn
about - Teach Ocean Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.