AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

BY:

NAGALAKSHMI.B-24UCO034

SAROUMATHY RAMYA.S-24UCO046

DHESIKA.K-24UCO012

HARINI.D

KANIKA.V-24UCO022

KAVIPRIYA.M-24UCO024

NANDHINI.S-24UCO035
 AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

MEANING:

 An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem found in and around a body of water, in

contrast to land based terrestrial ecosystems.

 Aquatic ecosystems contain communities of organisms (aquatic life) that are

dependent each other and on their environment.

TYPES OF AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS:

Aquatic ecosystems are ecosystems that are found in bodies of water, and they are
classified based on their characteristics like salinity, depth, and the movement of water. There
are two main types of aquatic ecosystems:

1. Marine Ecosystems

These are ecosystems found in saltwater environments, such as oceans and seas. Marine
ecosystems cover about 70% of Earth’s surface and include various subtypes:

 Coral Reefs: Found in shallow, warm tropical waters, coral reefs are some of the
most diverse ecosystems on Earth.
 Open Ocean: The vast, deep waters of the ocean that are home to migratory species
and deep-water organisms.
 Estuaries: Where freshwater from rivers meets salty ocean water, estuaries are highly
productive areas that provide habitats for many species.
 Kelp Forests: Underwater forests formed by large kelp (a type of seaweed) providing
shelter and food for various marine organisms.

2. Freshwater Ecosystems

These ecosystems are found in bodies of water with low salinity, such as rivers, lakes, ponds
and wetlands. Freshwater ecosystems support a wide range of species and are crucial for
drinking water and irrigation. Types include:

 Rivers and Streams: Flowing bodies of freshwater that support various aquatic life,
from fish to invertebrates.
 Lakes and Ponds: Standing bodies of freshwater that support a variety of plant and
animal life. They can be classified as oligotrophic (low nutrients) or eutrophic (high
nutrients).
 Wetlands: Areas where water saturates the soil, such as marshes, swamps and bogs.
These ecosystems are crucial for water purification and provide habitats for many
species.
IMPORTANCE OF AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM:

Aquatic ecosystems are incredibly important for both the environment and human life. Here
are the several key reasons why they matter:

1. Biodiversity:

Aquatic ecosystems support a vast array of life forms, from tiny plankton to large
marine mammals. They provide habitats for countless species of fish, birds, mammals,
invertebrates, and plants, making them some of the most biodiversity ecosystems on earth.

2. Climate Regulation:

Aquatic ecosystems, especially oceans and wetlands, help regulate the Earth’s
climate. Oceans absorb a significant amount of carbon dioxide and heat, which helps
moderate global temperatures. Wetlands also acts as carbon sink, trapping carbon and
reducing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

3. Water Purification

Wetlands, rivers, and lakes filter and purify water by trapping pollutants and excess
nutrients. This helps maintain clean water for human consumption, agriculture, and other
uses. Aquatic plants also play a role in reducing water pollution by absorbing contaminants.

4. Food Source

Aquatic ecosystems are major source of food foe humans and animals. Fish, shellfish,
seaweed and other aquatic organisms provide critical nutrients and proteins to million of
people around the world, especially those living near coastal areas or along rivers.

5. Economic Value

Aquatic ecosystems contribute to the economy through fishing, tourism, shipping, and
coastal development. Fisheries alone support millions of jobs globally, while coral reefs and
coastal wetlands attract tourists and contribute to the global economy.

6. Flood Control

Wetlands and floodplains absorb excess water during heavy or storms, acting as
natural buffers against flooding. They reduce the impact of floods on nearby communities by
slowing down the movement of water and absorbing runoff.

7. Cultural Significance

Many aquatic ecosystems have cultural and spiritual importance to various

communities around the world. Rivers, lakes, and oceans hold religious or symbolic value in
numerous traditions, and aquatic ecosystems often feature prominently in local folklore and
customs.
8. Regulation of water cycle

Aquatic ecosystems play a vital role in the ground water cycle by regulating
evaporation and precipitation. Wetlands, in particular, maintain the balance of the
hydrological cycle by acting as water storage systems that release water into the atmosphere
over time.

CHARACTERISTICS OF AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM:

1. Biodiversity: Aquatic ecosystems are home to a wide variety of life forms, including
plants, animals, and microbes.

2. Water: Aquatic ecosystems can be made of freshwater or saltwater.

3. Habitat: Aquatic ecosystems include a range of habitats, from shallow water to the deepest
oceans.

4. Regulations: Aquatic ecosystems support complex food chains.

5. Temperature: Water’s high specific heat helps aquatic habitats maintain a stable
temperature.

6. Interactions: Organisms in aquatic ecosystems depend on each other and their

environment for nutrients and shelter.

7. Physical and chemical characteristics: Aquatic ecosystem have physical and chemical
characteristics, including pH, conductivity, temperature, water transparency, and nutrient
levels.

FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS:

Freshwater ecosystems refer to a natural environment where water with low

concentrations of salts (typically less than 0.5% salinity) supports wide variety of life forms.
These ecosystems are found in areas like rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and wetlands and are
crucial for both wildlife and human populations.

RIVER:

A river is a natural watercourse, typically a body of flowing water, that usually flows
toward an ocean, sea, lake, or another river. Rivers can vary size, from small streams to large,
powerful waterways. They are important feature in the landscape, shaping the terrain as they
erode rock and soil, and they play crucial roles in ecosystems, providing water for plants,
animals, and human use.

TYPES OF RIVERS:

There are many types of rivers including permanent, episodic, exotic, ephemeral,
subterranean, and braided rivers.
1. Permanent rivers

Also called perennial rivers, these rivers have a continuous flow of water throughout
the year. They get water from snow melt and rainfall.

2. Episodic rivers

Similar to periodic rivers, these rivers require increased amounts of rainwater or snow
or flow.

3. Exotic rivers

These rivers start in a humid region and then flow into a dry region. For example, the
Nile and Colorado Rivers.

4. Ephemeral rivers

These are temporary rivers occur due to sudden, heavy rainfall. They are found in arid
and semi arid places.

5. Subterranean rivers

These rivers run wholly or partly beneath the ground.

6. Braided rivers

In these rivers, the flow divides the channel into multiple bars due to accumulated
sediment.

7. Tributaries

These streams flow into the main stream of the body. Tributaries that originate close
to the source of the mainstream river are called early tributaries. Tributaries that join the
mainstream closer to its outlet are called late tributaries.

8. Distributaries

These stream channels branch off and flow away from a main stream channel.

LIFE IN A RIVER:

 Mosses anchor themselves to rocks

 Trout and minnows are adapted to cold, oxygen rich water.
 Plankton can float in the warmer, calmer waters.
 Plants here can set roots in the river’s rich sediment.
 Fish such as catfish and carp also live in these calmer waters.

RIVERS IN DANGER:

 Industries use river water in manufacturing processes and as receptacles for wastes.
 People have used rivers to dispose their sewage and garbage.
  These particles have polluted rivers with toxins, which have killed rivers to dispose
their sewage and garbage.
 Today, runoff from the land puts pesticides and other poisons into rivers and coats
riverbeds with toxic sediments.

STREAMS:

A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a
channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics a stream may be referred to a
variety of local or regional names.

TYPES OF STREAMS:

1. Ephemeral streams

Also known as dry washes, these streams only have water flowing during rare flash
floods. They are common in dry climates with low rainfall and high evaporation rates.

2. Intermittent streams

These streams have water flowing only during certain seasons, such as spring.

3. Perennial streams

Also known as permanent streams, these streams have water flowing throughout the
year.

FACTORS INFLUENCING STREAMS:

Natural factors:

 Climate: Temperature, humidity, and seasonal variations can all impact stream flow.
 Geology: Rock type and soil permeability can affect stream flow.
 Topography: Slope and aspect can affect stream flow.
 Hydrology: Precipitation and groundwater inflows can affect stream flow.
 Vegetation: Cover and density can affect stream flow.

Human activities:

 Agriculture: Irrigation can impact stream flow

 Urban development: Deforestation and urbanization can impact the stream flow.
 Dam construction: Dams and weirs can regulate rivers.
 Pollution: Human have introduced a variety of pollutants into streams
 Land use changes: Humans have changes land use through agriculture and urban
development.

Other factors:

 Runoff: Rain that falls on exposed bedrock runs off the surface instead of infiltrating.
 Sediment load: Changes in sediment load can occur upstream of river obstructions
  Chemical composition: the chemical composition of water varies depending on
season, time of day, place, and depth.

ESTUARIES

An estuary is a partially enclosed body of water along the coast where freshwater
from rivers and streams meets and mixes with salt water from the ocean. Estuaries are the
lands surrounding them are places of transition from land to sea and freshwater to saltwater.
Although influenced by tides they are protected from the full force of ocean waves, winds,
and storms by such land forms as barrier islands or peninsulas.

TYPES OF ESTUARIES:

Estuaries are divided into four types, depending on how they are formed:

1. Coastal plain estuaries:

Coastal plain estuaries are formed by the sea level rising and filing an existing river
valley.

2. Tectonic estuaries:

Tectonic estuaries are caused by the folding and faulting of surfaces. These estuaries
are formed along major fault lines, like the San Francisco Bay area in California.

3. Bar-built estuaries:

Bar-built estuaries form when a shallow lagoon bay is protected from the ocean by a
sand bar or barrier island.

4. Fjords:

Fjords or U-shaped valleys formed by glacial action. Fjords are found in areas with
long histories of glacier activity, like northern Europe, Alaska and Canada.

BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF ESTUARIES:

Thousands of species of birds, mammals, fish, and other wildlife depend on estuarine
habitats as places to live, feed, and reproduce. And many marine organisms, including most
commercially-important species of fish, depend on estuaries at some point during their
development. Because they are biologically productive, estuaries provide ideal areas for
migratory birds to rest and re-fuel during their long journeys. Because many species of fish
and wildlife rely on the sheltered waters of estuaries as protected spawning places, estuaries
are often called the “nurseries of the sea”.

FACTORS AFFECTING AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM:

Aquatic ecosystem can be affected by many factors such as water temperature, water
flow, water depth, and the amount of dissolved nutrient. These factors can be abiotic or
biotic.
Abiotic factors:

 Water temperature: Affects the ability of organisms to metabolize.

 Water flow: The velocity of water flowing can affect aquatic life
 Water depth: Sunlight penetrates only a short distance through water, so water depth
strongly influences aquatic life
 Water pH: The acidity of the water.
 Oxygen concentration: The amount of oxygen dissolved in the water.
 Light: The amount of sunlight that penetrates the water.
 Salinity: The salt content of the water.
 Substrate: The type of substrate, such as the bottom of a river or lake.

Biotic factors:

 Food: The availability of food for aquatic organisms.

 Cover: The availability of cover for aquatic organisms.
 Space: The availability of space for aquatic organisms.

How aquatic ecosystem can be protected?

1. Reducing pollution:
a. Point source pollution:
i. Strict regulations on industrial discharges and sewage treatment plants.
ii. Implementing advanced wastewater treatment technologies.
iii. Regular monitoring and enforcement of pollution control measures.
b. Non-point source pollution:
i. Promoting sustainable agricultural practices to reduce nutrient and
pesticide runoff.
ii. Implementing urban storm water management strategies, such as green
infrastructure (rain gardens, permeable pavements).
iii. Reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides in residential areas.
iv. Reducing plastic pollution.
2. Habitat preservation and restoration:
a. Protecting wetlands
i. Conserving existing wetlands and restoring degraded ones.
ii. Regulating development in wetland areas.
b. Riparian zone protection
i. Maintaining and restoring vegetation along riverbanks and shorelines.
ii. Creating buffer zones to filter pollutants and stabilize banks.
c. In-stream habitat restoration:
i. Removing dams and other barriers to fish migration.
ii. Restoring natural stream channels and flow patterns.
iii. Preventing invasive species from taking over native habitats.
3. Sustainable water management:
a. Water conservation
 i. Promoting water-efficient practices in agriculture, industry, and
households.
ii. Reducing water waste and leakage.
b. Watershed management
i. Adopting an integrated approach to managing land and water resources
within a watershed.
ii. Considering the interconnectedness of upstream and downstream areas.
c. Climate change mitigation
i. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to minimize the impacts of climate
change on aquatic ecosystems.
ii. Planning for sea-level rise and changes in precipitation patterns.
4. Invasive species control
a. Prevention
i. Implementing strict regulations on the import and transport of non-
native species.
ii. Educating the public about the risks of invasive species.
b. Early detection and rapid response:
i. Monitoring for new invasive species and taking swift action
5. Public awareness and education
a. Rising awareness:
i. Educating the public about the importance of aquatic ecosystems and
the threats they face.
ii. Promoting responsible behavior, such as reducing littering and
conserving water.
b. Community involvement
i. Engaging local communities in conservation efforts.
ii. Supporting citizen science initiatives.
6. Policy and regulation
a. Strengthening environmental regulations
i. Enacting and reinforcing laws that protect aquatic ecosystems.
b. Promoting sustainable development
i. Integrating environmental considerations into land-use planning and
economic development.

THANK YOU