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FRESHWATER AND MARINE BIOMES |
| The earth, when viewed from outer space, is blue with
water. All this water makes up the hydrosphere. The
hydrosphere
is a vast heat reservoir that absorbs, stores, and circulates the heat
that results when sunlight strikes the earth. The hydrosphere also
is a reservoir of chemical elements and compounds that are continuously
dissolved in water that eventually drains into the oceans. The
oceans contain 97 percent of all water found on earth and form the great
interconnecting water system that surrounds the continents, covering 70
percent of the face of the earth.
Many inland waters are found on the surface of the land. Inland-water ecosystems are classified either as standing waters or flowing waters, although the boundary between these classifications often is not distinct. Standing waters range in size from roadside puddles to the Caspian Sea. These waters also range from very shallow to very deep, from clear to muddy and from fresh to salty. Throughout the world, villages, towns, and cities have developed close to bodies of water, which have provided food, transportation, and a waste removal system. You will learn the major aquatic ecosystems and the impact human activities have on them. You will be researching the characteristics of the freshwater and marine biomes by doing the following webquest: http://incolor.inebraska.com/gibbens/Class/waterwq.htm
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