Ocean Plants
The Fascinating World Of Ocean Plants
The habitat requirements for ocean plants seem to be the exact opposite of the land dwelling species that we are so familiar with. Regardless of harsh conditions, however, all plant organisms need oxygen and sunlight in order to perform photosynthesis, and they cannot survive without this function. Tundra plants, artic species, and both types of ocean plants have learned to stray from the norm and utilize their energies in order to survive away from fertile, stable earth habitats. Their basic needs, however, are the same no matter what the nutritional and environmental limits, and they find a way to make it all work.
The two most common types of phytoplankton, which is the fancy scientific name for ocean plants, are those which root on the ocean floor and those who float freely near or on the surface of the water. Rooted ocean plants are very careful of where they take hold, as too much depth is the equivalent of slow suffocation for the maturing organism. Coral are ocean plants which are extremely sensitive to sudden changes in water temperature, substrate levels, currents, and salt content. Vast portions of the amazing coral reefs surrounding the shallow coastal waters of Australia and New Zealand have been dying off in mile long chunks over the past ten years, due theoretically to climatic and conditional changes in the ocean.
Ocean plants are an intricate and all important part of their underwater realm, supporting the delicate balance of life beneath the sea. Phytoplankton in the form of kelp and seaweed can be any color, any form, and any size. There are hazardous stands of long, strong seaweed which can be responsible for tangling the legs of humans and other mammals when negotiating the more shallow channels and shorelines of the sea. They reach up, just as trees and common plants do, to get closer to the sun and oxygen, causing possible drowning issues when undetected.
You will find that the ocean floor toward the deepest areas is basically lifeless, and special lights and lenses are used for the recording of activity in these remote areas. The darkness is so complete, and the pressure so excruciating, that no ocean plants and very few sea creatures are able to survive. Deep caves offer refuge for the scant few who dare travel to this depth, making live footage a rare commodity and a very educational experience. For those ocean plants that dwell in the warmer shallows, the roles played are many. They are a considerable food source as well as the most sought after hiding places for predatory fish. Just as plants do for us on the earth, these living phytoplankton produce oxygenation and cleansing properties to the creatures who share their home.