Marine habitat

Introduction to habitat

Habitat is a place where an organism or population dwells. For instance certain populations are habituated to living in forest, tundra, pasture and savannah. Factors which decide dwelling place of population are

• Temperature
• Rainfall
• Solid substrate like sand, soil and rock

Habitat of single population is dependent on other population dwelling location as it plays a major part in food web cycle. There is still some confusion between biodiversity and habitat. As a step to protect the biodiversity, habitat has to be protected in order to protect the biodiversity. This is only in minds of human because one community also find chance to encounter other communities. Yet, it is important to think there are vast of land available for habitual whereas there is only one available sea for habitual. Ocean has less biodiversity than terrestrial land.

Marine habitat

Predominant classifications of ocean populations are as follows.

• Open water
• Sand to muddy
• Hard rocks

There exists a transition area between each type of layer. Transition from open water to sand and muddy bottom and transition from open water to rocky area is obvious. Many marine organisms like fish are fed in open water and dwells down to rock as it covered with softy organisms like seaweeds. Sand layer to muddy bottom is a favorite habitual area for fish which is just 30 cm deep from open water. Quite large number of marine organisms in specific is seen close to sandy bottom area. For instance tube worm and sponge are inhabitants of both sandy bottom and rocky area. Open waters like beach involves the marine community in rocky layer and sandy bottom. Fishing is most threatening activity in open water and sandy bottom.

Rocky bottom is smallest area of marine habitat. It has larger number of organisms according to the constraint space. Compared to other two layers of marine habitat, rocky area remains unexploited. This rocky area is threatened by land runoff which cannot be taken the edge off.