Aquatic habitat

What is Aquatic Habitat?

A habitat is a place where an organism lives. An aquatic habitat is a body of water in which certain organisms live naturally, or it can be defined as places related to life in water. Organisms that live in water are called aquatic organisms.

Examples of Aquatic Organisms

• Fish, Crabs, Toads, Spirogyra, Water Lily, Water Weeds, Starfish, Mudskippers, Water Snail, Shrimps, etc.

Types of Aquatic Habitats

• Marine or Saltwater Habitats
• Freshwater Habitats
• Brackish Water Habitats

Marine Habitat

This refers to aquatic habitats that contain saltwater.

Characteristics of Marine Habitat

• Size: Marine habitats are among the largest habitats, with oceans alone occupying over 70% of the Earth's total area.
• Salinity: The average salinity of marine habitats is about m5.5 per 1000.
• Density: Marine habitats have high density, allowing many organisms to float in them.
• Currents: Currents are produced by wind and variations such as salinity and temperature.
• Light Penetration
• Tides: Alternate rise and fall of ocean surfaces due to gravitational effects.
• Oxygen Concentration: Highest at the surface and decreases with depth.
• Waves: Movements caused by wind, can take any direction.

Plants in Marine Water

• Sea Weeds
• Planktons
• Algae

Animals in Marine Habitat

• Shrimps
• Crabs
• Starfish
• Bony Fish
• Barnacles
• Periwinkles

Freshwater Habitat

This is a body of water formed mainly from inland waters with very low salinity.

Characteristics of Freshwater Habitat

• Small Size: Compared to oceans, freshwater habitats are relatively small.
• Low Salinity: Contains very low levels of salts compared to seawater.
• High Oxygen Content: Oxygen is abundant, especially at the surface.
• Shallowness: Often shallow, allowing sunlight penetration.
• Currents: Can affect distribution of gases, salts, and organisms.

Organisms in Freshwater Habitat

• Water Lily
• Water Lettuce
• Water Weed
• Spirogyra

Brackish Water Habitat

This is formed at the coast from tides mixing saltwater with freshwater.

Types of Estuaries

• Bay
• Delta
• Lagoon

Characteristics of Brackish Water Habitat

• High Nutrient Level
• Low Oxygen
• Fluctuating Salinity
• Shallowness
• Turbidity
• Low Species Diversity
• Tidal Effects

Factors Affecting Aquatic Habitats

• Relative Humidity
• Wind
• Temperature
• Salinity
• Rainfall
• Sunlight
• Topography
• Water Current
• pH
• Light Levels
• Turbidity
• Water Flow Rate

Characteristics of Aquatic Habitats

• Flow Regime
• Chemical Variables (Water Quality)
• Biotic Interactions
• Energy (Food) Sources
• Physical Habitat Structure