What is an aquatic habitat?
An aquatic habitat is an environment in or around water where organisms live.
What are the main types of aquatic habitats?
The three main types are marine (saltwater), freshwater, and brackish (mixed salt and freshwater) habitats.
What are marine habitats?
Marine habitats are saltwater environments, including oceans, seas, and shores.
What is the salinity level of marine habitats?
The average salinity is 35 parts per 1,000 (3.5%).
What are the major zones of the marine habitat?
The zones are supratidal, intertidal, littoral, benthic, pelagic, and hadal.
What are freshwater habitats?
Freshwater habitats are bodies of water with little or no salt, such as rivers, ponds, streams, and lakes.
What is the salinity of freshwater habitats?
Freshwater has a salinity of 5 parts per 1,000 (0.5%) or less.
What are lotic and lentic habitats?
Lotic habitats have flowing water (e.g., rivers), while lentic habitats have still water (e.g., lakes).
What is a brackish water habitat?
A brackish habitat is where freshwater mixes with saltwater, such as estuaries, deltas, and lagoons.
What are adaptive features of marine plants?
Marine plants have holdfasts for attachment, air bladders for buoyancy, and mucilaginous covers to prevent desiccation.
What adaptations help marine animals survive?
Marine animals have traits like salt glands, burrowing abilities, and fins for swimming.
What is the littoral zone in freshwater habitats?
The littoral zone is shallow, has abundant sunlight, and supports plant and animal life.
What is the benthic zone in freshwater habitats?
The benthic zone is the deepest part of a water body, with low sunlight and rooted vegetation.
What are the characteristics of estuarine habitats?
Estuarine habitats have fluctuating salinity, low oxygen levels, and shallow water.
What are examples of estuarine habitats?
Examples include deltas, lagoons, and bays.
What adaptations do mangroves have?
Mangroves have pneumatophores for breathing and stilt roots for absorbing nutrients from mud.
What adaptations help fish survive in water?
Fish have fins for movement, gills for respiration, and swim bladders for buoyancy.
What are the zones of light penetration in marine habitats?
The zones are euphotic (sunlit), disphotic (dim light), and aphotic (no light).
What adaptations do freshwater plants have?
Freshwater plants like water lilies have air bladders and light weight for floating.
What adaptations do aquatic insects have?
Some aquatic insects have long legs for skating and carry air bubbles for underwater breathing.
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