ocean ecosystems
Saltwater living systems
Ocean ecosystems are the communities of living organisms—from microscopic plankton to whales—interacting with each other and their marine environment.
These systems range from sunlit surface waters and coral reefs to deep-sea hydrothermal vents.
Each zone supports distinct life forms adapted to its conditions of light, pressure, and temperature: Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse ocean ecosystems on Earth.
- deep blue seaThe vast ocean
- coral reefsCalcium carbonate marine structures
- overfishingUnsustainable marine harvest
- fishing netsMesh for catching seafood
- kelp forestsDense underwater seaweed ecosystems
hydrothermal vents · saltwater fish · carbon sequestration · sea level rise · zooplankton · food webs · cetaceans · bioluminescence · estuaries · plastic pollution · symbiosis · coral bleaching · whales · whale song · mangroves · tide pools · habitat restoration · seafloor
- marine educationmarine biology, marine science, oceanography, marine conservation, field trips
ocean ecosystemsdesert ecosystems
Biological communities in arid regions
forest ecosystems · mountain ecosystems · rainforest ecosystems · taiga · chaparral