Categories
Category: Ocean
Seagrasses can form huge underwater meadows, the largest of which can be seen from space.
All land plants evolved from algae, just under a billion years ago.
Giant kelp can reach up to 60 metres from the sea floor to the surface of the ocean. It can be used for human food or as a fertiliser.
Examples of Shark Adaptations
They have streamlined bodies to help them swim fast and gills that take oxygen out of the water so they can breathe. One amazing shark adaptation is called the Ampullae of Lorenzini. The Ampullae of Lorenzini are small holes or pores found on sharks’ noses. Each pore has sensory organs inside which allow sharks to sense electric fields put off by other fish and animals. This helps a shark find prey even if that prey animal is still and quiet.
Examples of Jellyfish Adaptations
Medusa jelly can shrink in size when there isn’t enough food.
Sea stars don’t have a lot of ways to protect themselves so their adaptation for survival is being able to grow back their arms if they lose one. Their arms are called rays, and the sea star knows how many they are supposed
to have. Some types of sea stars can even grow their entire body back from just one ray.
Types of Stingray Adaptations
Stingrays will cover their body in sand to help them hide. They have eyes on top of their bodies so they can see when they are resting or hiding in the sand.
Dolphin Adaptations
Dolphins are mammals and need air to breathe. They breathe through an adaptation called a blowhole. The blowhole is on the top of their head so they can rest at the surface of the water and still be aware of possible predators.
Categories
Aquatic Plants
Ocean plants refer to autotrophic marine beings–those that possess chlorophyll and can process their own food through photosynthesis. They typically dwell near the ocean surface or seashores to take the most advantage of solar power.
Phytoplankton
They are microscopic single or multi-celled under sea lives capable of generating food through photosynthesis, like plants, often found on the ocean surface. Although they have autotrophic habits, they are considered protists and not plants. Diatoms, dinoflagellates, and cyanobacteria are classified under this group.
Corals
A coral is a composite of several polyps–the animal that lives in the rocky and branching reefs, dotting shallow to deep ocean floor. The group includes several hard and soft corals, including red sea whip brain coral.
Sea anemones
Despite their floral-like features, it is excluded from the plant life in the oceans. Related to corals, they are grouped under the Phylum Cnidaria. One excellent example is the giant plumose anemone.
Seaweeds
The plant-like seaweeds are macroalgae, typically floating on the surface or anchored to the seafloor. Kelps, red algae, and sargassum fall under this category.
Seagrasses
Ocean plant life, specifically in shallow seas, is often dominated by seagrasses. They are food for many invertebrates. Seagrasses are also often cropped as ornamental plants in aquariums. Manatee grass, turtle grass, and shoal grass are some of the common ocean plants names under this group.