and whales can be found in this zone. They feed on materials that sink from upper levels,
or consume one another. At hydrothermal vents, areas of extremely hot water with lots of
dissolved materials allow rare and unusual producers to thrive.
Figure 14.6: The ocean environment is divided into many regions based on factors like
availability of light and nutrients.Organisms adapt to the conditions and resources in the
regions in which they live. ( 18 )
Lesson Summary
- Our oceans originally formed as a water vapor released by volcanic outgassing cooled
and condensed. - The oceans serve the very important role of helping to moderate Earth’s temperatures.
- The oceans are home to a tremendous diversity of life, and algae which are all photo-
synthetic organisms. - The main elements dissolved in seawater are chlorine, sodium, magnesium, sulfate and
calcium.