Ecological Uniqueness
All parts of the ocean are not equal; some are teeming with life while others are sparse and seemingly inhospitable. There are places in the ocean where life abounds and endemic species are found that live no where else in the world. On the peaks of underwater volcanoes, areas known as seamounts, life has evolved in isolation with large numbers of unique species. At hydrothermal vents and deep caverns, places that have never seen the light of day, you can find entire ecosystems teeming with life, that are fueled by energy from the Earth, not the Sun. Coral reefs, found not only in shallow tropical waters but also in the cold deep sea, teem with a diversity of life that rivals that found in tropical rainforests. Forests of giant algae as tall as redwood trees support their own unique interactive communities of invertebrates, fish, and mammals. Just as there are unique ecological systems on land, the ocean is home to a plethora of strange and wondrous habitats teeming with diversity.
PLACES IN THE SEA RELATED TO ECOLOGICAL UNIQUENESS
Channel Islands
Charleston Bump
Glacier Bay
Juan de Fuca Ridge
Outer Banks
LEARN MORE
Centre For Marine Biodiversity
Marinebio.org - Biodiversity
Ocean Literacy
VIDEO
Hydrothermal Vents -
Videos from the Juan de Fuca Ridge and vicinity
Coral Reef. Photo: NOAA
Seafloor community in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: CINMS
Black Smoker and Riftia. Photo: NOAA