Although we think of land when we hear the word biome, there are also aquatic biomes. The abiotic factors that influence life fo
rms vary with location within ocean systems. Oceanographers divide the ocean into five broad vertical zones as seen in the chart above. Compare the characteristics of the five zones. Where would you expect to find the kelp forest, a type of algae, pictured here and why? A) Algae live in the top two zones in the ocean because light penetrates both zones. B) Algae can live in the three top zones. The abyss is too dark for the algae to survive. C) Algae live only in the epipelagic zone because it is the only zone with enough light for photosynthesis. D) Algae live throughout the five oceans zones because they are the producers that are the base of all food webs.
The correct option is C. Kelp are brown large algae, which live in cool, shallow water, close to the shore. Because they depend on light for photosynthesis, they usually inhabit shallow open water and they are found at depths that is not greater than 131 feet.
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, some bacteria and some protistans use the energy from sunlight to produce glucose from carbon dioxide and water.
