BAT 213

SUBTIDAL ECOSYSTEM
SUBTIDAL ECOSYSTEM

 Marine areas that are never exposed

during low tide ie always submerged

 Also known as sublittoral zone

Marine Zonation
SUBTIDAL ABIOTIC FACTORS

i) temperature fluctuates from one area to

another especially with depth

ii) 1 atm increase in pressure with 10 m depth

iii) strong influence of currents and waves

especially those in the shallow depths

iv) turbulence may prevent stratification

SUBTIDAL ABIOTIC FACTORS
v) rich in nutrients (brought in from river
discharges)

vi) influenced by sedimentation processes

(especially shallow areas)
- lithogenic sediments (physical and
chemical weathering of rocks)
- biogenic sediments (shells and skeletons
of marine organisms)
SUBTIDAL ORGANISMS

 Plankton (suspended in water column)

 Nekton (able to swim against current)

 Benthos (on/in bottom sediment)

SUBTIDAL ORGANISMS

Factors that may influence subtidal organisms:

1. Water depth

2. Distance from land.

Distribution of Marine Life

 A. Pelagic
Distribution of marine life
Distribution of Marine Life

 A. Pelagic
 B. Benthos
Distribution of marine life
Distribution of Marine Life

 A. Pelagic
 B. Benthos
 1. Demersal
 2. Epifauna
 3. Infauna
Epifauna
Infauna
SUBTIDAL COMMUNITIES

A. Soft-bottom Subtidal Communities

B. Hard-bottom Subtidal Communities

SOFT-BOTTOM SUBTIDAL
COMMUNITIES

Made up of :

A. Muddy substrate

B. Sandy substrate
SOFT-BOTTOM SUBTIDAL
COMMUNITIES

Influenced by:
1. Particle size distribution
2. Sediment stability
3. light
4. salinity
5. temperature
CHARACTERISTICS OF SOFT-
BOTTOM SUBTIDAL COMMUNITIES
 Type of dominant substrate ie sand, mud
etc.

 Most infauna, some epifauna and almost

no sessile organisms
SOFT-BOTTOM SUBTIDAL
COMMUNITIES
More abundant than soft-bottom intertidal
communities

Less abiotic problems :

1. No problem with desication
2. Temperature and salinity more stable
DISTRIBUTION OF ORGANISMS

 Particle size influence distribution of infauna (?)

 Particle size distribution (depending on depth)

 Easier for organisms to borrow in sand compared to

mud (water drainage better in sand)

 Patchy sediment type – patchy distribution of

organisms
DISTRIBUTION OF ORGANISMS

 Some larvae choose substrate before undergoing

metamorphosis

 Some larvae can detect adults and settle close by

 SOFT-BOTTOM SUBTIDAL
ORGANISMS
1. infauna
 Benthic organisms that bury themselves
in the sediment
2. epifauna
 Organisms that inhabit the surface of
the bottom sediment

No. of subtidal sp. > intertidal (more stable, no dessication)

Distribution of organisms influenced by particle size (mud or
sand)
PRODUCTIVITY
 Minimum productivity
(by diatoms and other microalgae)
 Most communities based on ditritus
DEPOSIT FEEDERS
1. Polychaetes : accumulation using tentacles or by
ingestion of sediment
2. Sand dollars : use mucus to bring food to mouth
3. Bent nosed clam : collect sediment using siphon
4. Brittle stars : collect detritus using tube-feet
5. Peanut worms, sea cucumber, ghost
shrimp
 Tube feeding by
polycheate,
Arenicola
Marina. Black
arrows show
water flow and
open arrows
show sediment
flow. Sediment
brought to
anoxic area,
digested and
deposited at
upper region of
shaft

Proboscis Gills
SUSPENSION/ FILTER FEEDERS
 Cockles : water intake via siphon
 Polychaetes and amphipods
 Brittle star : traps particles using tube feet
 Sea pens : traps particle from water column
Scavenger dan Predator
 Shrimps and large crustaceans (scavenger)
 Whelks dan moon snail : feed on other bivalves
 Sea stars and crabs (can act as scavenger or
predator)
 Rays and skates
 Flounder, halibut and sole
Soft Bottom Communities
Soft Bottom Benthic Communities
HARD-BOTTOM SUBTIDAL
COMMUNITIES
 Small subtidal communities

 Some time they may be in the form of coral reefs

 Hard substrate may include organisms that produce

calcium carbonate
 Rich in epifauna but less as infauna
HARD-BOTTOM SUBTIDAL
COMMUNITIES
 Rocky shore

 Coral reefs

 Most important organisms are the sea weeds (able

to settle on rocks/hard substrate
PRODUCERS
 Most important communities - seaweeds

 Strong competition

 Amount of light influence distribution of sea weeds

 Weeds that live in deep ocean. Sea weeds

established themselves.
 Weeds found in area have higher chlorophyll
concentration
grazers
 Invertebrates that move slowly. : sea urchin,
limpets, chitons, abalone

 Algal defence against predators

- By having food that are not tasty
- Fast regenaration
- Calcification (formation of calcium)
Epipelagic

 From surface to about 200 m

depth (euphotic zone)
 Most inhabited depth of the

Ocean
 Presence of light - photosynthesis
Mesopelagic
 From about 200 m to 1000 m depth
 ‘twilight’ or disphotic zone
 Available light mainly blue
 Seasonal and diurnal vertical
migration (search for food)
 Vertical migration can be up to 600 m
 Fish (lanternfish – myctophids),
zooplankton (particularly crustaceans)
Lantern fish: Myctophid
most abundant fish in deep ocean
Myctophiid: Diaphus holti. About 7 cm long
Found at depth 40 – 275 night
225 – 650 day
Bathypelagic
 From1000 to 3000 m depth
 Zone of eternal darkness (aphotic
zone)
 Abundance and diversity of organisms
sharply reduced (mainly due to lack of
food)
Abyssopelagic
 From 3000 m to deepest part of
Ocean
 Zone of eternal darkness (aphotic
zone)
 Organisms usually colourless
 Animals normally without eyes but
have ‘flashing’ organs that help them
catch food
Angler fish: Cryptopsaras couesi (18 in long)
Anoplogaster cornuta: Commonly calle ‘fangtooth’
Found at around 16,000 feet depth