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Learn more about the endangered Sea Turtle

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Learn more about the endangered Sea Turtle

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Find out about different types of ocean habitats.

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Find out about different types of ocean habitats.

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We live in a watery world. Earth received its nickname the "Blue Planet" because water covers almost three-quarters of its surface. The ocean is the largest of all the biomes on earth. A biome is a large area with a distinctive climate, geology and oceanography. Each biome has its own unique biodiversity and subset of ecosystems. Within each ecosystem there are habitats or places in the ocean where plants and animals have adapted to survive.

Some habitats are shallow, sunny and warm. Others are deep, dark and cold. Plant and animal species are able to adapt to certain habitat conditions, including movement of water, amount of light, temperature, water pressure, nutrients, availability of food, and saltiness of water. Ocean habitats can be divided into two: coastal and open ocean habitats. Most ocean life can be found in coastal habitats on the continental shelf, even if this area occupies only 7% of the total ocean area. Most of the open ocean habitats are found in the deep ocean beyond the edge of the continental shelf.

Ocean and coastal habitats can be created by species living in them. Corals, kelp, mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses are the "eco-engineers" of the coasts. They reshape the marine environment to create habitats for other organisms.

Within the parks of the National Park System there are many different types of habitats and plant and animal communities, ranging from glaciers to tropical reefs. You can explore the different ocean habitats found within parks below:

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Ocean Habitats - Oceans, Coasts & Seashores (U.S. National Park Service)

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We live in a watery world. Earth received its nickname the "Blue Planet" because water covers almost three-quarters of its surface. The ocean is the largest of all the biomes on earth. A biome is a large area with a distinctive climate, geology and oceanography.

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Overfishing has resulted from a number of things including overcapacity, unsustainable fishing and also from economic reasons. Find out more here

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Where Is The Biggest Garbage Dump On Earth?

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Short video on sea turtles

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All about orcas and their habitat

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Learn more about minerals that we get from the ocean

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Learn more about minerals that we get from the ocean

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CHICAGO - The deepest parts of the ocean are one of the planet's last frontiers. Its ecosystem is Earth's largest - and one of the least studied. Despite its many unknowns, the seafloor holds incredible promise as a source of many natural resources, including valuable metals. As the scramble for those resources speeds up, scientists are helping to create guidelines and laws that will allow this mining - while still protecting seafloor life.

"We have to balance the need for resources with the need to preserve the ecosystems for future generations," says Lisa Levin. She's a marine ecologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif. Levin and other experts met February 16 to discuss how to be better stewards of the seafloor ecosystem. Their discussion took place here at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Until recently, most people thought much of the deep ocean floor was a dark, dead and mucky wasteland. No more. Researchers now know it can be an active and vital place. For example, between 30,000 and 50,000 undersea volcanoes rise above the seafloor. Many fish live on their slopes, says Levin.

In some spots, methane - a form of natural gas - seeps from the ocean floor. There, bacteria that eat methane form the center of a rich food web. In other regions, hydrothermal vents pepper the seafloor. Scalding hot water rich in minerals spews from these sites. Those minerals nourish a variety of creatures, from barnacles and tube worms to mussels, shrimps and enormous bacteria that you can see with the unaided eye. Fueling all of these creatures are those chemicals being vented into the water.

"The seafloor is not a boring, muddy place," says Levin. "Life there is very diverse." The natural mineral deposits found in many areas of the seafloor also are diverse and valuable. Some of these deposits also are more pure than those atop land. They also are generally far harder to reach than are those on land. But technology is making the seafloor easier to reach. Together, says Levin, these features can make undersea minerals quite attractive.

Copper, zinc and more

Today's high technology requires a variety of metals. As prospectors exhaust near-surface deposits of metals on land, they are turning their attention to the ocean bottom. Potato-sized lumps of minerals cover some seafloor areas. These nodules can be full of valuable metals such as iron and manganese. The sides of undersea mountains are crusted with minerals. Those coatings often are jam-packed with cobalt and other valuable elements. Likewise, the tall chimneys of minerals that form at many hydrothermal vents are rich in metals, including silver and gold.

Also among the vent metals: copper. This industrial metal is used in cables, wires, pipes and electronics. Many mining companies are now actively hunting new sources of the metal.

And no wonder. Half of all the copper that has ever been mined was unearthed in just the past 25 years, says Samantha Smith. She's a marine scientist at Nautilus Minerals in Brisbane, Australia. Demand for this metal is predicted to double again in the next 25 years. That means that by about 2040 we will need as much copper as has already been mined worldwide throughout all of history, she reported at the AAAS meeting.

Smith's company hopes that some of that copper will come from a seafloor site it would like to mine. Located in waters about 1,600 meters (1 mile) deep, the site is very remote. The nearest shore is about 30 kilometers (19 miles) away, on Papua New Guinea. (This nation lies in the southwest Pacific Ocean, north of Australia.) There, on the seafloor, mineral deposits created by hydrothermal vents hold a wealth of metals.

Mining just 11 hectares of the seafloor at this location (a region equal in area to about 21 U.S. football fields) could produce about $900 million worth of copper, Smith says. Other metals in the deposits would bring in even more money. Plus, Smith notes, the sulfur in the deposits could be used to make valuable chemicals used by many industries, including sulfuric acid.

Nautilus Minerals wants to start by breaking up the mineral deposits into small bits on the ocean floor. Then, big vacuums would slurp up the bits (along with large volumes of water), hoisting them to ships at the surface. There, the water would be filtered and pumped back through hoses to the seafloor. Only the minerals would be hauled back to shore.

What are the laws?

Rules for mining the deep sea are sometimes complicated. The rights and responsibilities are clear only for those areas near to shorelines, says Kristina Gjerde. She's a lawyer in Konstancin-Chylice, Poland, who works with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. For deep-sea sites beyond a nation's borders, mining rules can be confusing.

For example, the International Seabed Authority controls the extraction of minerals from the seafloor in international waters. Another set of rules, put together by a different group, controls activities in the actual water above. But no one group regulates the impacts of seafloor mining on, say, fishing.

Even though no one is mining the deep seas now, further rules to guide such activities are being developed, says Gjerde. Already, various nations and companies have permits to explore for minerals at 19 deep-sea sites. Depending on the actual licensing process, some could start mining as soon as 2016, she says.

What about the wildlife?

Cindy Van Dover wants scientists to conduct more research on seafloor life. She's a deep-sea biologist and director of the Duke University Marine Laboratory in Beaufort, N.C. Scientists, she says, also should help regulators ensure that laws for deep-sea mining don't overlook activities that should be controlled. In particular, mining should avoid ecologically sensitive sites, she says. And where mining does occur, she argues that it should be allowed only where it would cause little damage.

But knowing what damage might occur will prove a challenge, especially where life is involved. Only a small fraction of the species inhabiting the ocean depths has been discovered, Van Dover says. And, she adds, many of those that have been discovered haven't been studied in detail.

"This is the least known wilderness on our planet," she notes. That means "there's a lot to learn."

For example, scientists often don't know the precise role that each creature plays in an ecosystem. They do know, though, that many important biochemical processes occur in their midst. For instance, seafloor sediments represent a vast and growing storehouse of materials rich in carbon. They pile up there as the remains of dead creatures fall to the ocean bottom. Microbes in seafloor sediments feed upon that material, using the nutrients it contains to grow. Then, creatures higher up the food web feed upon them. This process and others help extract nutrients from the sediments and move them elsewhere within the ecosystem.

"The deep sea is a vast repository of resources," says Van Dover. "We have to figure out how to extract those resources with the least effect on the ecosystem." After all, she warns: "We can't fix the deep sea if we mess it up."

Power Words

copper A metallic chemical element in the same family as silver and gold. Because it is a good conductor of electricity, it is widely used in electronic devices.

ecology A branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings. A scientist who works in this field is called an ecologist.

ecosystem A group of interacting living organisms - including microorganisms, plants and animals - and their physical environment within a particular climate. Examples include tropical reefs, rainforests, alpine meadows and polar tundra.

hydrothermal vent Openings at the bottom of the ocean or a lake where hot water emerges from deep inside the earth. The water is rich in minerals and chemicals that can nourish ecosystems of worms, clams, microbes and other organisms.

manganese nodule A lump ofminerals rich in the metals iron and manganese, among others. These slow-growing lumps, often the size of potatoes, form on the ocean floor when dissolved minerals crystallize around a small particle.

methane A hydrocarbon with the chemical formula CH ₄ (meaning there are four hydrogen atoms bound to one carbon atom). It's a natural constituent of what's known as natural gas. It's also emitted by decomposing plant material in wetlands and is belched out by cows and other ruminant livestock. From a climate perspective, methane is 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide is in trapping heat in Earth's atmosphere, making it a very important greenhouse gas.

microbe (short for microorganism)A living thing that is too small to see with the unaided eye, including bacteria, some fungi and many other organisms such as amoebas. Most consist of a single cell.

mineral A chemical compound that is solid and stable at room temperatures and has a specific formula, or recipe (with atoms occurring in certain proportions) and a specific crystalline structure (meaning that its atoms are organized in certain regular three-dimensional patterns).

mineral deposit A natural concentration of a specific mineral or metal

mineral exploration The act of searching for new deposits of valued minerals, which can include metals, gems or fossil fuels.

sediment Material (such as stones, sand or clay) deposited by water, wind or glaciers.

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CHICAGO - The deepest parts of the ocean are one of the planet's last frontiers. Its ecosystem is Earth's largest - and one of the least studied. Despite its many unknowns, the seafloor holds incredible promise as a source of many natural resources, including valuable metals.

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How does plastic pollution affect the ocean?

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How does plastic pollution affect the ocean?

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Unsightly plastic bottles, bags and other trash give just a hint of the largely unseen problem of plastic pollution. Scientists have found tiny bits of it throughout the ocean. The bad news: Sea life can’t tell the difference between plastic and food.

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Want to know more about coral reefs? Click Here!

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Want to know more about coral reefs? Click Here!

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Kids learn about the coral reef biome. Much of ocean life lives in this important aquatic ecosystem.

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Click here to learn about threats to manatees! 

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Click here to learn about threats to manatees! 

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Transcript

NARRATOR:

Did you know that manatees are related to elephants? Manatees are large aquatic mammals, and sometimes they're referred to as "sea cows." They're very large averaging 10 feet long and 1,200 pounds! But don't let their size fool you: manatees are actually incredibly graceful creatures. They also play an important role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

Manatees eat a LOT of sea grass. By doing so, they keep the grass short, which helps maintain the health of the sea grass beds. While manatees don't have any true natural predators, they have still become endangered.

There are three manatee species worldwide - West Indian, West African, and Amazonian. All three are listed as vulnerable to extinction. So what has caused manatees to become endangered? There are two major threats: loss of habitat and collisions with boats and ships.

As new developments are built along waterways, natural nesting areas are destroyed. Sewage, manure, and fertilizer run-off enters the water and causes algal blooms. Some of this algae is toxic and can kill manatees if they eat it.

Because manatees feed on sea grass, and sea grass needs sunlight and shallow water to grow, manatees spend most of their time in shallow water. This often leaves them with little room to dive away from oncoming boats, which can lead to deadly collisions.

What can be done to help protect endangered species like the manatees? The first step is always an informed public.

Educational campaigns teach boaters to look for patterns caused by a manatee's tail on the surface of the water so they'll know if a manatee is nearby and to proceed cautiously through shallow waterways.

In some areas, local governments have adopted slow-speed zones in known manatee habitat areas. In the state of Florida a free Manatee Alert mobile app is available.

A healthy ocean depends on manatees. And manatees need our help.

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NARRATOR: Did you know that manatees are related to elephants? Manatees are large aquatic mammals, and sometimes they're referred to as "sea cows." They're very large averaging 10 feet long and 1,200 pounds! But don't let their size fool you: manatees are actually incredibly graceful creatures.

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A sea turtle swims through the water and spots a white blob floating near the surface. "Yum!" it thinks. "A jellyfish!" Chasing after its dinner, the turtle swallows the item. But the floating blob isn't a jelly-it's a plastic bag that could make the sea turtle sick.

This sea creature isn't alone: Over 700 species of marine animals have been reported to have eaten or been entangled in plastic. Scientists think that the amount of plastic in the ocean might triple by 2050-and that would mean seriously bad news for the ocean and the creatures that live there. But by understanding the issue and taking action, you can help stop that from happening.

What's the problem with plastic?

First, let's get real: Not all plastic is bad. Bike helmets, car airbags, and many medical supplies made with plastic save lives. Plastic water bottles can bring clean drinking water to people who don't have it, and plastic straws can help people with disabilities drink.

The problem is that most of us use and then toss way more plastic than we need: things like grocery bags, drink bottles, straws, food wrappers, and plastic packaging around toys. This kind of plastic that's used only once before being thrown away is called single-use plastic, and it makes up more than 40 percent of all plastic trash.

Where does the plastic go?

That's a lot of trash. Scientists think that 8.8 million tons of plastic winds up in the ocean every year-that's as if you stacked up five plastic grocery bags full of trash on top of each other on every foot of coastline in the world.

How does it get into the sea? Plastic left on the ground as litter often blows into creeks and rivers, eventually ending up in the ocean. And because plastic trash is different from other types of waste-it doesn't decompose back into nature like an apple core or a piece of paper-it stays in the ocean forever. That means discarded fishing nets and six-pack rings can entangle animals; harmful straws and grocery bags can be mistaken as food.

You can do so much to help keep Earth clean! Start by taking the Kids Vs. Plastic pledge to show that you care about this problem. You can also look at how much single-use plastic your family uses by filling out a plastic journal for a week-then talking about what you can do to use less. Need ideas? Check out these quick tips to reduce your plastic waste. By working together, our choices can help save animals-and the ocean they live in.

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A sea turtle swims through the water and spots a white blob floating near the surface. "Yum!" it thinks. "A jellyfish!" Chasing after its dinner, the turtle swallows the item. But the floating blob isn't a jelly-it's a plastic bag that could make the sea turtle sick.