Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Science Ocean Biome Ocean Biome A biome, also known as life zones, consists of all plants, animals, and other organisms, as well the physical enviorment in a particular area. A biome is characterized by its plant life, climate, and location. The climate and physical features determine the boundaries of a biome. A biome is made up of many different ecosystems. The ecosystems tend to have the same plants and animals as neighboring biomes around the boundaries. The oceans and seas form the marine biome, the world’s largest biome. It covers three-quarters of the earth or 70 percent of the worlds area and reaches from the far north to the far south of the planet. Oceans are filled with salt water. Their climate stays the same year round, so the creatures of the sea do not have to adapt to the changing seasons. There are five oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Artic, and Southern (Antarctic), although three of these: Atlantic, Pacific and Indian are regarded as the principal oceans. The Arctic Ocean is regarded by some researches as part of the Atlantic. The Southern Oces is really the southernmost part of the Atlantic and Pacific. It is bordered by the continent of Antarctica to the south, but has no land bordering it to the north. The oceans include seas- smaller expanses of marine waters. Among the largest seas are the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Yellow, South and East China Seas, and the Sea of Japan. Near the poles, in the far north and south, the sea is always cold, and in the winter its surface freezes. When water freezes, any substances dissolved in it are “squeezed out” from the ice. At the edge of the ice the sea is saltier than it is farther away. Salt water is denser than fresh water because of the salt in it. Water also reaches it maximum density at 39 degrees F, just above freezing. Cold water flowing toward the equator is replaced by warmer water, and this exchange of water produces the principal ocean currents. They flow in approximate circles, called gyres, in all oceans. The climate of the ocean does not vary much throughout the seasonaly changes. it does not change because water does not heat up or cool down quickly. The ocean carries warm and cool currents that heat or cool the land it goes by. For example, Hawaii is warm due to the warm currents that are being swept onto the land which ir surrounds. The circulation patterns in the open ocean are horizontal ocean currents that affect the upper surface waters, but the verticle circulation of open ocean water masses may be more important for marine life. There are 2 types of vertical circulation of ocean water masses: Upwelling and thermohaline. In upwelling, deep ocean water rich in dissolved nutrients moves up the continental slope into costal surface waters, aided by offshore wind patterns. The nutrient-rich waters encourage the growth of plankton, which serves as the base for the food chain throughout the oceans. In the thermohaline circulation, differences in the temperature, density, and salinity of ocean water masses cause the nutrient-rich deep ocean water to rise and mix with surface waters. Thermohaline circulation is restricted to polar regions of the northern and southern hemispheres. Bibliography: Word Count: 538
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