Characteristics of different environments of life. What organisms live in the water Is it really pitch darkness there

The ocean is a boundless expanse of trillions of liters of salt water. Thousands of species of living beings have found refuge here. Some of them are thermophilic and live at shallow depths, so as not to miss the rays of the sun. Others are accustomed to the cold waters of the Arctic and try to avoid the warm currents. There are even those who live at the bottom of the ocean, having adapted to the conditions of a harsh world.

The last representatives are the greatest mystery for scientists. After all, until recently they could not even think that someone was able to survive in such extreme conditions. Moreover, evolution has rewarded these living organisms with a number of unseen features.

Beneath the oceans

For a long time there was a theory that there is no life at the bottom of the ocean. The reason for this is the low temperature of the water, as well as high pressure, which can compress a submarine like a soda can. And yet, some creatures were able to withstand these circumstances and confidently settled at the very edge of the bottomless abyss.

So who lives at the bottom of the ocean? First of all, these are bacteria, traces of which were found at a depth of more than 5 thousand meters. But if microscopic creatures are unlikely to surprise ordinary person, then giant clams and monster fish deserve due attention.

How did you find out about those who live at the bottom of the ocean?

With the development of submarines, diving to a depth of up to two kilometers became possible. This allowed scientists to look into the world, hitherto unseen and amazing. Each dive made it possible to open another one to see more and more new species.

And the rapid development of digital technology has made it possible to create heavy-duty cameras that can shoot underwater. Thanks to this, the world saw photographs that depict animals living at the bottom of the ocean.

And every year, scientists go deeper and deeper in the hope of new discoveries. And they happen - for last decade many surprising conclusions have been made. In addition, hundreds, if not thousands, of photographs were posted on the network, which depict the inhabitants of sea ​​depths.

Creatures that live at the bottom of the ocean

Well, it's time to go on a little journey into the mysterious depths. Passing the threshold of 200 meters, it is difficult to distinguish even small silhouettes, and after 500 meters pitch darkness sets in. From this moment, the possessions of those who are indifferent to light and heat begin.

It is at this depth that one can meet polychaete worm who, in search of profit, drifts from place to place. In the light of the lamps, it shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow, the word is made of silver plates. On his head is a series of tentacles, thanks to which he is oriented in space and feels the approach of prey.

But the worm itself is food for another inhabitant. underwater world- sea angel. it amazing creature belongs to the class gastropods and is a predator. It got its name because of the two large fins that cover its sides like wings.

If you go down even deeper, you can stumble upon the queen of jellyfish. Hairy Cyanea, or Lion's Mane- the largest representative of its kind. Large individuals in their diameter reach 2 meters, and their tentacles can stretch almost 20 meters.

Who lives at the bottom of the ocean yet? This is a squat lobster. According to scientists, he can adapt to life even at a depth of 5 thousand meters. Thanks to its flattened body, it calmly endures pressure, and its long legs allow it to move easily along the muddy bottom of the ocean.

Deep sea fish

Fish living at the bottom of the ocean, over hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, have been able to adapt to an existence without sunlight. Moreover, some of them even learned to produce their own light.

So, at around 1 thousand meters lives angler. On his head there is an appendage that emits a small glow that lures other fish. Because of this, it is also called the "European anglerfish". At the same time, he can change his color, thereby merging with the environment.

Another representative deep sea creatures is a blob fish. Her body resembles jelly, which allows her to endure pressure at great depths. It feeds exclusively on plankton, which makes it harmless to its neighbors.

A stargazer fish lives at the bottom of the oceans, the second name is the celestial eye. The reason for this pun was the eyes are always directed upwards, as if looking out for the stars. Her body is covered with poisonous spikes, and near her head are tentacles that can paralyze the victim.

Our planet is filled with various living creatures that adorn the Earth and contribute to the ecosystem. But it's no secret to anyone that water depths also teeming with many inhabitants. Although the variety of these creatures is not as abundant as on the surface, these organisms are still very unusual and interesting. So, who lives at the bottom of the ocean, what are their living conditions?

The situation at depth

From space, our planet looks like a blue pearl. This is because the area of ​​all waters is almost three times the size of land. Like the earth, the surface of the oceans is uneven. It is dotted with hills, depressions, plains, mountains and even volcanoes. All of them are at different depths. So, the abyssal plains are submerged at about 4000-6000 m. But even there there is life, although this may be surprising, since at a depth of 1000 m the pressure is 100 atmospheres. And with every hundred meters it increases by 10 units. Also, light does not penetrate there, which is why darkness always reigns at the bottom, therefore, the process of photosynthesis does not occur. In addition, under such a thickness, water is unable to warm up, in the most deep places the temperature stays at zero. Such conditions make life in these places, compared to the surface, not very rich, because the lower you go down, the less vegetation grows. Therefore, the question arises: how do those who live at the bottom of the ocean adapt?

Deep sea life

Although it may seem that in such circumstances life is very difficult and even impossible, nevertheless, the local inhabitants are quite adapted to these conditions. Animals that are at the very bottom do not feel strong pressure and at the same time do not suffer from a lack of oxygen. Also, those who live at the bottom of the ocean are able to feed themselves. Basically, they collect the remains that "fall" from the upper layers.

Dwellers of the Deep

Of course, at the bottom, the diversity of life is not as great as on the surface of the waters, and you can count the deep-sea inhabitants “on the fingers”. One-celled ones are found here, there are a little more than 120 species. There are also crustaceans, there are about 110 varieties. The rest are much smaller, the number of each species does not exceed 70. Such a few inhabitants include worms, coelenterates, molluscs, sponges and echinoderms. There are also fish living at the bottom of the ocean, but here the diversity of their species is very small.

Is it really pitch black?

Since the rays of the sun are unable to break through the abyss of water, there is an opinion that all the inhabitants are in constant darkness. But in reality, many of the animals found there have the ability to emit light. Basically, predators have this property of those who live at the bottom of the ocean. For example, a conical periphylla, emitting light, attracts small inhabitants. This is a trap for them, as they become victims of this predator. But the glow can also be created by harmless living beings.

Some fish have certain areas of the body that emit light. More often they are located under the eyes or stretch along the body. Certain types of crustaceans or fish use their eyesight, but the majority of the inhabitants have no eyes or have undeveloped organs. This is not surprising, since such "live" lighting, which is created by bottom creatures, is not enough to make the underwater space observable. To get food, you have to use your sense of touch. To do this, there are modified fins, tentacles or long legs for those who live on the bottom of the ocean. The photo above illustrates one such unusual creature known as the "Atoll" jellyfish. But in the deep abyss, many living inhabitants mostly lead a motionless life, therefore they resemble flowers and plants.

Ocean water contains substances necessary for life. Living beings are found in the ocean at any depth. They exist even at the bottom of the Mariana Trench - the deepest point of the World Ocean - at a depth of 11 thousand meters, even where hot magma comes from the depths of the Earth through faults, even where high temperatures and great pressure. We can safely say that life in the ocean is all-pervasive.

Life in the ocean is extremely diverse - more than 200,000 species of organisms live there, due to the fact that its conditions are very different from the poles to the equator, from the surface of the water masses to the deep ones. In terms of the diversity of plant and animal species, the ocean is comparable to land. The ocean is still full of mysteries even now. When studying the depths of the sea, organisms unknown to science are found.

Inhabitants of the oceans

According to the conditions of their habitat, all inhabitants of the World Ocean can be grouped into 3 groups:

1) Organisms that live on the surface of the ocean and in the water column and do not have active means of movement (plankton).

2) Organisms actively moving in the water column (nekton).

3) Organisms living on the bottom (benthos).

Plankton

An analysis of living organisms and their habitats suggests that the ocean is inhabited by organisms unevenly. Especially densely populated are coastal areas with depths of up to 200 meters, well-lit and warmed by the sun's rays. On the mainland, you can see forests and meadows of algae - pastures for fish and other inhabitants of the ocean.

Away from the coast, large algae are rare, since the sun's rays hardly penetrate the water column. Plankton reigns here (Greek planktos - wandering). These are plants and animals that are not able to withstand currents that carry them over considerable distances. Most of these organisms are very small, many of them only visible under a microscope. There are phytoplankton and zooplankton. Phytoplankton are various algae. Zooplankton inhabits the entire water column: it is small crustaceans, numerous protozoa.

Plankton is the main food of most ocean inhabitants. Naturally, areas rich in it are also rich in fish. Baleen whales can also live here, in the diet of which plankton occupies the main place.

Actively moving organisms live everywhere in the ocean - nekton (Greek nektós - floating, floating) nekton includes most fish, pinnipeds (seals and walruses), cetaceans (whales, sperm whales), cephalopods(squid, octopus, etc.) sea ​​snakes and turtles. All nektons usually have a well-streamlined body shape that helps them move quickly in the water.

Benthos lives at the bottom of the sea or ocean (Greek benthos - deep). This is a collection of plant and animal organisms that live on the ground or in the soil of the seabed. Benthos include brown and red algae, mollusks, crustaceans and others. Benthos serves as food for many fish and other aquatic animals.

In the distribution of benthos, vertical zonality is observed: mollusks and crustaceans predominate in the upper horizons, mollusks and echinoderms dominate in the middle ones, and crustaceans and echinoderms predominate in deeper ones.

ocean depths

The depths of the ocean are sparsely populated, but they are not lifeless. Plants are no longer there, of course, but in complete darkness, under great pressure, in cold water amazing fish swim: they have huge toothy mouths, luminous bodies, “lanterns” on their heads. Some of them are blind, others can barely see in the dark. They feed on the remains of organisms falling from above, or eat each other.

accommodation life

Life in the ocean is distributed unevenly not only in depth, but also depending on geographical latitude. Polar waters from behind low temperatures and the long polar night are poor in plankton. Most of it develops in the waters temperate zone both hemispheres. Here the currents strong winds contribute to the mixing of water masses and raising deep waters, enriching them nutrients and oxygen. Due to the strong development of plankton, and develop different kinds fish, so temperate latitudes- the most fishy areas of the ocean. In tropical latitudes, the number of living organisms decreases, since these waters are very warm, highly saline and poorly mixed with deep water masses. In equatorial latitudes, the number of organisms increases again. The ocean has long been the breadwinner of man.

The work was prepared by a student of 6 "a" class Khrabrov Nikita

Everything that surrounds the body and directly or indirectly affects its state and functioning is called environment . On our planet, there are four qualitatively great environments life: water, land-air, soil and living organism . The environments themselves are also very diverse. For example, water as a living medium can be fresh, salty, stagnant, fluid. In this case, one speaks of habitat A: Pond, river, lake are habitats in the aquatic life environment. In habitats there are habitat : in the water column, at the bottom of the reservoir, at the surface of the water, etc.

Elements of the environment that affect a living organism are called environmental factors, among which are the factors inanimate nature(abiotic), wildlife (biotic). Consider the main factors of inanimate nature of various living environments.

Aquatic life environment.

fluctuations temperature waters in the oceans are relatively small: from -2°С to +36°С. In fresh inland water bodies of temperate latitudes, the temperature of surface water layers ranges from -0.9°C to +25°C. Favorable temperature regime eliminates both too high temperatures and too low. The exceptions are thermal springs, warm, hot and boiling, the water temperature in which can reach +100°C.

At different depths, animals experience different pressure . On average, in the water column, for every 10 m of depth, the pressure increases by 1 atm. Deep-sea have adapted to high pressure (up to 1000 atm).

To transparency and light mode photosynthetic plants are the most sensitive. In muddy water bodies, they live only in the surface layer, and where the transparency of the water is higher, they penetrate to considerable depths. The turbidity of the water is created huge amount particles of mineral substances suspended in it (clay, silt) and small organisms, which limits the penetration of sunlight. The light regime is also due to the regular decrease in light with depth. Oxygen gets into aquatic environment in two ways: firstly, it comes from the atmosphere, and secondly, it is formed as a result of photosynthesis of green plants. Roach, ruff, crucian carp are unpretentious in this respect, and the larvae of chironomid mosquitoes and small-bristle worms live at great depths, where oxygen is practically absent.

The water column is inhabited by many organisms. They are subdivided into nekton, plankton and benthos.

Nekton(from Greek. nekton - floating) is a set of floating, freely moving organisms that do not have a direct connection with the bottom. These animals are able to overcome long distances and strong water currents. They are characterized by a streamlined body shape and well-developed organs of movement. Typical nekton organisms are fish, squid, pinnipeds, and whales. In fresh waters, in addition to fish, amphibians and actively moving insects belong to the nekton.

Plankton(from Greek. planktos - soaring) is a set of floating organisms that move mainly with the help of currents. They do not have the ability to move quickly. These are mainly small animals - zooplankton and plants - phytoplankton.

Planktonic organisms are located either on the surface of the water, or at depth, or even in the bottom layer. Pleiston (from the Greek. Plein - sail on a ship) - organisms in which part of the body is in the water, part above the water (small duckweed, fesalia, siphonophores, etc.). Neuston(from Greek. neutral - able to swim) - organisms floating on the surface (bacteria, protozoa, water strider bugs, twirl beetles, algae).

Phytoplankton- a set of microscopic plants, mainly algae, living in the water column and moving under the influence of water currents (diatoms and green algae, plant flagellates, etc.).

Zooplankton and bacteria are found at all depths. The marine zooplankton is dominated by small crustaceans, protozoa, pteropods, jellyfish, swimming ctenophores, salps, and some worms. AT fresh water poorly swimming relatively large crustaceans, many rotifers and protozoa are widespread.

Benthos(from Greek. benthos - depth) - a set of organisms living at the bottom (on the ground and in the ground) of reservoirs. It is subdivided into phytobenthos, zoobenthos and bacteriobenthos.

The phytobenthos of the seas mainly includes bacteria and algae (diatoms, green, brown, red). Rocky and stony areas of the bottom are the richest in phytobenthos. Phytobenthos of fresh waters is represented by bacteria, diatoms and green algae.

Zoobenthos is represented mainly by animals that are attached or slowly moving, as well as burrowing in the ground.

Ground-air environment of life.

Organisms living on the surface of the Earth are surrounded by a gaseous environment, which is distinguished by a set of features: light works more intensely here. temperature undergoes stronger fluctuations, humidity varies significantly depending on geographic location, season and time of day; the impact of almost all of these factors is associated with the movement air masses – winds.

By chemical composition air it has a lot of oxygen. Dry air at sea level is composed (by volume) of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.03% carbon dioxide; at least 1% is accounted for by inert gases. Oxygen is necessary for the respiration of the vast majority of organisms, carbon dioxide is used by plants during photosynthesis.

Minor density and low pressure drops. The low air density makes it easier to move around in it. About two-thirds of the inhabitants of the land have mastered active and passive flight. Most of them are insects and birds. Although many species can fly, and small insects, spiders, microorganisms, seeds and plant spores are carried by air currents, organisms feed and reproduce on the surface of the earth or plants. Air - poor conductor of heat . This makes it easier to conserve the heat produced inside organisms and to maintain a constant temperature in warm-blooded animals.

soil environment life.

The soil is a thin layer of the land surface, processed by the activities of living beings. This is a complex system, including a solid - mineral particles, liquid - soil moisture, gaseous phase. The ratio of these three components determines the main physical properties soil as a habitat for organisms. Chemical properties in addition to mineral soil elements strongly depend on organic matter , which is also an integral integral part soil. The depth of the soil is determined by the depth of penetration of the roots and the activity of burrowing animals (no more than 1.5 - 2 m.)

The ratio of different particles forms mechanical soil composition . On this basis, soils are distinguished sandy(contain more than 90% sand), sandy(90-80), light, medium and heavy loams(respectively 80-70, 70-55 and 55-40) and clay- light (40-30), medium (30-20) and heavy (less than 20% sand).

Mineral particles occupy 40-70% of the total soil volume. The remaining space, which is a system of pores, cavities and tubules, is occupied by air and water. The mechanical composition and structure of soils is the leading factor in the formation of their properties as a habitat for living organisms: soil aeration, their moisture and moisture capacity, heat capacity and thermal regime, as well as the conditions of movement in the soil of animals, the distribution of tree roots and herbaceous plants etc. P.

soil water occupies pores and cavities and is one of the main sources of moisture for plants.

Air in soil cavities always saturated with water vapor, its composition is enriched carbon dioxide and depleted in oxygen. In this way, the conditions of life in the soil resemble an aquatic environment. On the other hand, the ratio of water and air in soils is constantly changing depending on weather conditions.

Well-moistened soil warms up easily and cools down slowly. On its surface, sharper temperature fluctuations occur than in depth. In this case, daily fluctuations affect layers to a depth of 1 m. Temperature fluctuations are very sharp near the surface, but quickly smooth out with depth.

LIFE IN THE OCEAN

Ocean water contains substances necessary for life. Living beings are found in the ocean at any depth. They exist even at the bottom of the Mariana Trench - the deepest point of the World Ocean - at a depth of 11,000 meters, even where hot magma comes from the depths of the Earth through faults, even where there are high temperatures and enormous pressure. We can safely say that life in the ocean is all-pervasive.

Life in the ocean is extremely diverse, since its conditions are very different from the poles to the equator, from the surface of the water masses to the depths. In terms of the diversity of plant and animal species, the ocean is comparable to land. The ocean is still full of secrets even now. When studying the depths of the sea, organisms unknown to science are found.

According to most scientists, the ocean is the cradle of life on Earth, since all life on our planet came out of the ocean. The development of life in it has led to a change in the properties of water masses (salinity, gas content, etc.). For example, the appearance of green plants in the ocean led to an increase in the oxygen content in the water. Oxygen was released from the water into the atmosphere, changing its composition at the same time. The appearance of oxygen in the atmosphere led to the possibility of settling the land by organisms that came from the oceans.

According to the conditions of their habitat, all inhabitants of the World Ocean can be grouped into 3 groups:

1) organisms that live on the surface of the ocean and in the water column and do not have active means of transportation;

2) organisms actively moving in the water column;

3) organisms living on the bottom.

An analysis of living organisms and their habitats suggests that the ocean is inhabited by organisms unevenly. Especially densely populated are coastal areas with depths of up to 200 meters, well-lit and warmed by the sun's rays. On the mainland, you can see forests and meadows of algae - pastures for fish and other inhabitants of the ocean. Away from the coast, large algae are rare, since the sun's rays hardly penetrate the water column. Plankton reigns here (Greek planktos - wandering). These are plants and animals that are not able to withstand currents that carry them over considerable distances. Most of these organisms are very small, many of them only visible under a microscope. There are phytoplankton and zooplankton. Phytoplankton are various algae that develop in the upper, illuminated layer of water. Zooplankton inhabits the entire water column: these are small crustaceans, numerous protozoa (single-celled animals with microscopic dimensions). Plankton is the main food of most ocean inhabitants. Naturally, areas rich in it are also rich in fish. Baleen whales can also live here, in the diet of which plankton occupies the main place.

Benthos lives at the bottom of the sea or ocean (Greek benthos - deep). This is a collection of plant and animal organisms that live on the ground or in the soil of the seabed. Benthos include brown and red algae, mollusks, crustaceans and others. Important commercial value among them are shrimp, oysters, scallops, lobsters, crabs. Benthos is an excellent food base for walruses, sea otters and some fish species.

The depths of the ocean are sparsely populated, but they are not lifeless. Of course, there are no plants there anymore, but amazing fish swim in complete darkness, under great pressure, in cold water: they have huge toothy mouths, luminous bodies, and “lanterns” on their heads. Some of them are blind, others can barely see in the dark. They feed on the remains of organisms falling from above, or eat each other. Many bacteria live in the water column, which also live in the deepest water masses. Thanks to their activity, dead organisms decompose, and the elements necessary for the nutrition of living beings are released.

Actively moving organisms live everywhere in the ocean. This is a variety of fish marine mammals(dolphins, whales, seals, walruses), sea snakes, squids, turtles and others.

Life in the ocean is distributed unevenly not only in depth, but also depending on geographic latitude. Polar waters are poor in plankton due to low temperatures and long polar nights. Most of all it develops in the waters of the temperate zone of both hemispheres. Here, currents and strong winds contribute to the mixing of water masses and the rise of deep waters, enriching them with nutrients and oxygen. Due to the strong development of plankton, various types of fish also develop, so temperate latitudes are the most fishy areas of the ocean. In tropical latitudes, the number of living organisms decreases, since these waters are very warm, highly saline and poorly mixed with deep water masses. In equatorial latitudes, the number of organisms increases again.

The ocean has long been the breadwinner of man. Fish, invertebrates, mammals are harvested in it, algae are collected in it, mineral wealth is mined, and substances that are raw materials for medicines are isolated. The ocean is so rich that it seemed inexhaustible to people. Whole fleets of ships different states went to hunt for fish and whales. The largest whales are blue. Their mass reaches 150 tons. As a result of the predatory fishing of this animal, blue whales are under the threat of extermination. In 1987 Soviet Union stopped whaling. The number of fish in the ocean has also drastically decreased.

The problems of the World Ocean are not the concern of any one state, but of the whole world, and they cannot be solved within the framework of one state. On how intelligently humanity solves them, its future depends.