Resource Key
LEVEL 1
brief, basic information laid out in an easy-to-read format. May use informal language. (Includes most news articles)
LEVEL 2
provides additional background information and further reading. Introduces some subject-specific language.
LEVEL 3
lengthy, detailed information. Frequently uses technical/subject-specific language. (Includes most analytical articles)
Linked Databases
- Britannica Schools This link opens in a new window
Britannica School covers the core subject areas of English, Maths, Science and History. Interactive lessons, activities, games, stories, worksheets, manipulatives, study guides and research tools.
Supra and Upper Littorial Zones
Littoral zone, marine ecological realm that experiences the effects of tidal and longshore currents and breaking waves to a depth of 5 to 10 metres (16 to 33 feet) below the low-tide level, depending on the intensity of storm waves.
The Supralittoral zone (splash zone, sometimes also referred to as the white zone) outlines the stretch above the high water level, i.e.seawater penetratesthese elevated areas only during storms with highest tides. Organisms here must cope with long periods of exposure to air as well as heat, cold, rain (fresh water), and predation by land animals and seabirds.
The high tide zone, or upper mid-littoral zone, is only underwater during periods of high tide. Few aquatic creatures are able to survive the relative lack of water here, though some creatures still do manage to survive in this region. Most animals that live in this region are mobile, because of the scarcity of water. The upper mid-littoral zone may also have its own tide pools where isolated groups of animals live.
Ocean Zonation
"Ocean Zonation." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 17 Jun. 2005. https://school-eb-com-au.db.plcscotch.wa.edu.au/levels/high/assembly/view/3. Accessed 1 Nov. 2018.
Introduction
Welcome to the research guide for Marine Ecosystems: Reefs. Marine ecosystems can be defined as the interaction of plants, animals, and the marine environment. Marine ecosystems are made up smaller distinct ecosystems such as salt marshes, estuaries, the ocean and reefs (Marine Ecosystems, 2018).
This guide explores the ecosystems of the reef platform for the task of studying Mudurup Rocks (Cottesloe Reef).
Mudurup Rocks (Cottesloe Reef)
Mudurup Rocks is one of the last known and surviving indigenous mythological, ceremonial and fishing sites located on the Western Australian metropolitan coast. The original site name Mudurup (pronounced ‘Moordoorup’ or ‘Murdarup’) which means ‘place of whiting’ derives from the Nyungar mudu (or muda, murdar, murda or muda) meaning whiting + up, meaning place of. 4 In the context of Cottesloe it is said to refer to the place of the yellowfinned whiting (or yellowfin whiting) — this being the species (Sillago schomburgkii) most commonly found in this area. (Macintyre, & Dobson, 2014)
Coral Animation
- National Ocean Services. (2017, July 6). Corals. Retrieved from https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/corals/ media/supp_coral04a.html
This animation shows the dynamic process of how a coral atoll forms.
Australian Reef Marine Parks
- Parks and Wildlife Services.(2018). Australia's Coral Coast. Retrieved from https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/tourism-region/australias-coral-coastKilometre after kilometre of pristine beaches, turquoise waters and encounters with marine life unrivalled anywhere in the world, that's the main attraction of the parks of Australia's Coral Coast.
- Australian Government. (2018). Great Barrier Reef. Retrieved from http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/the-reef/reef-factsThe Great Barrier Reef makes up about 10 per cent of the world's coral reef ecosystems, and is one of the best known and most complex natural systems on Earth.
It is the sea country home for the first Australians — more than 70 Traditional Owner groups — whose connections to the marine environment date back more than 60,000 years. - Australia's Coral Coast. (2018). Ningaloo Marine Park. Retrieved from https://www.australiascoralcoast.com/destination/ningaloo-marine-parkWestern Australia's Ningaloo Marine Park protects the world-famous Ningaloo Reef – Australia’s largest and most accessible fringing reef and one of the largest fringing reefs in the world. Here, you simply step straight off the dazzling white sandy beaches and enter an underwater wonderland of incredible diversity.
Websites
- G, Karen. (2018, August 10). Abiotic and Biotic Factors in Ecosystems. Sciencing. Retrieved from https://sciencing.com/abiotic-biotic-factors-ecosystems-7146052.htmlAn ecosystem consists of both biotic and abiotic factors. But what exactly are these factors? How do they impact an ecosystem, and do changes in abiotic and biotic factors change the ecosystem? An ecosystem depends on the interactions of the living and nonliving elements in the system.
- Madl, P. (2014). The Rocky Shore. Retrieved from https://biophysics.sbg.ac.at/rovigno/rovigno3.htm
The Supralittoral zone (splash zone, sometimes also referred to as the white zone) outlines the stretch above the high water level, i.e.seawater penetratesthese elevated areas only during storms with highest tides. - van Keulen, M. (2011). Ningaloo Collaboration Cluster: Biodiversity and ecology of the Ningaloo Reef lagoon. Retrieved fromhttp://ningaloo-atlas.org.au/sites/default/files/Biodiversity%20and%20ecology%20of%20the%20Ningaloo%20Reef%20lagoon.pdf
Surveys were undertaken of key invertebrate and plant groups in lagoonal areas throughout
the Ningaloo Marine Park. Work in this study has focused on identifying and quantifying soft corals, sponges, echinoderms (urchins and sea cucumbers) and seagrasses; this information was linked to the underlying habitat structure in the Ningaloo Reef lagoons
Key Terms
- abiotic factors The abiotic factors in an ecosystem include all the nonliving elements of the ecosystem. Air, soil or substrate, water, light, salinity and temperature all impact the living elements of an ecosystem.
- biotic factors In an ecosystem, biotic factors include all the living parts of the ecosystem. A healthy woodland ecosystem contains producers like grasses and trees, as well as consumers ranging from mice and rabbits to hawks and bears. The biotic components of an ecosystem also encompass decomposers like fungus and bacteria. A healthy aquatic ecosystem includes producers like algae and phytoplankton, consumers like zooplankton and fish, and decomposers like bacteria.
- littorial zones Littoral zone, marine ecological realm that experiences the effects of tidal and longshore currents and breaking waves to a depth of 5 to 10 metres (16 to 33 feet) below the low-tide level, depending on the intensity of storm waves.
- marine ecosystems Marine ecosystems can be defined as the interaction of plants, animals, and the marine environment. By “marine,” we mean of, or produced by, the sea or ocean. The term encompasses the salty waters of the Earth, and is also known simply as a salt water ecosystem. As over 70% of Earth’s surface is covered in water, and 97% of that water is salt water, marine ecosystems are the largest types of ecosystems on the planet.
- supra littoral zone The Supralittoral zone (splash zone, sometimes also referred to as the white zone) outlines the stretch above the high water level, i.e.seawater penetratesthese elevated areas only during storms with highest tides. Organisms here must cope with long periods of exposure to air as well as heat, cold, rain (fresh water), and predation by land animals and seabirds.
- upper litteral zone The high tide zone, or upper mid-littoral zone, is only underwater during periods of high tide. Few aquatic creatures are able to survive the relative lack of water here, though some creatures still do manage to survive in this region. Most animals that live in this region are mobile, because of the scarcity of water. The upper mid-littoral zone may also have its own tide pools where isolated groups of animals live.
- zonation The pattern of corals on reefs creates the zonation found on many coral reefs. These patterns of zonation are different depending on whether the reef is a fringing, atoll or barrier reef.
Map
Abiotic and Biotic Factors
All ecosystems have biotic and abiotic components. It is not possible to count all living and non-living things in an ecosystem but we can try to characterise them by counting their numbers in a transect. A transect is an area in which sample population counts of plants and animals can be taken. The size of the transect needs to be large enough to represent the biotic and abiotic factors of the ecosystem and this will vary depending on the ecosystem being studied. (SCSA, 2015)
The abiotic factors in an ecosystem include all the nonliving elements of the ecosystem. Air, soil or substrate, water, light, salinity and temperature all impact the living elements of an ecosystem.
(Karen, 2018).
In an ecosystem, biotic factors include all the living parts of the ecosystem. A healthy woodland ecosystem contains producers like grasses and trees, as well as consumers ranging from mice and rabbits to hawks and bears. The biotic components of an ecosystem also encompass decomposers like fungus and bacteria. A healthy aquatic ecosystem includes producers like algae and phytoplankton, consumers like zooplankton and fish, and decomposers like bacteria.
(Karen, 2018).
Government Departments
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. (2015, November 25). Marine Conservation Research. Retrieved from https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/about-us/science-and-research/marine-researchWestern Australia's marine environment extends from the tropical north to the cool temperate south. These waters support a high diversity of marine habitats and organisms, including numerous unique species. The Department of Parks and Wildlife’s Marine Science Program undertakes research and monitoring to ensure that the management of Western Australia's threatened marine fauna and world-class system of marine parks and reserves is based on sound science.