Life of the Atlantic Ocean and its biological resources, features of aquatic ecosystems. Describe the mineral and biological resources of the Atlantic Ocean

8. Life of the Atlantic Ocean and its biological resources, features of aquatic ecosystems.

Ocean life in the light contemporary ideas considered as an ecosystem (biogeocenosis, according to the terminology of V. N. Sukachev, 1960; L. A. Zenkevich, 1970), interconnected and interdependent with geophysical and geochemical processes and phenomena of a global scale. Indeed, all aquatic animals and plants, their ranges, forms of existence, biological cycles, sizes, life span of individuals, their energy balance, bioproduction are associated with abiotic factors that are derivatives of the geophysical processes of the planet. In turn, biological processes are of great importance in the formation of the planet within the limits covered by life. The ecosystem of the ocean differs from terrestrial ecosystems in a number of fundamental features, of which two seem to be particularly significant. Producers (plants) of terrestrial ecosystems are inextricably linked by the root system with the biogenic fund, which is formed as a result of the vital activity of plants. Producers of aquatic ecosystems (algae) are disconnected from the main biogenic fund of water bodies, whether it be an ocean, a lake, a reservoir, or even a pond. In the photo layer, which does not exceed several tens of meters even with very high transparency of the ocean, there are not enough biogenic salts, and, above all, phosphates, but they limit the formation of organic matter. Nutrients, on the other hand, are located at a depth where light does not penetrate and from where they are carried out into the illuminated layer of the sea as a result of vertical mixing. water masses as a result of thermal and mechanical interaction of the atmosphere and hydrosphere.

In terrestrial ecosystems, plants are the most important component of the food of many animals, so their distribution is associated with plant association. In the marine environment, there is a disunity between the animal population (consumers) and phytoplankton fields (producers). Most of the aquatic biocenoses exist without direct contact with living vegetation, concentrated in a thin near-surface trophogenic layer. The mass of animals lives below the mass of plants, using the products of the destruction of plant organisms. With depth, the amount of food decreases: 2/3 of the biomass of ocean animals are in a layer up to 500 m. At great depths, there is a lack of food resources and a decrease in the biomass of the ichthyocene. Thus, the life of most marine animals takes place in twilight lighting, and at great depths in complete darkness. The lack of food causes the rarefied existence of deep-sea organisms. Many representatives of the deep fauna have luminous organs, and some fish species have males living on the body of females - an adaptation that eliminates the need for difficult meetings in complete darkness with rarefied distribution. In the life of the hydrosphere, the group of decomposers, or reducing agents, is also important. They feed on the dead remains of animals and plants, and mineralize these remains, bringing them to carbon dioxide, ammonia and water, making them available to autotrophic producing plants. So, in relation to the food available and formed in the water organic matter the entire aquatic population is combined into three large groups: producers, consumers and decomposers. The ocean is inhabited by about 200 thousand species of plants and animals, and marine explorers would never be able to understand their relationship if leading value in the life of the ocean would not belong to only a few thousand species, which are the main ones in terms of biomass and production. All animals and plants are combined into three large complexes: plankton, whose representatives drift with water masses; benthos, whose representatives live on the ground. And nekton, which includes actively swimming animals - fish, cephalopods and mammals - pinnipeds, dolphins, whales.

In addition to animals and plants that make up the permanent complex of plankton, it includes larvae of mollusks, worms, echinoderms, as well as fish fry. A significant amount of plankton are amphipod and euphausiid crustaceans, which are an important component of the diet of many fish species. Euphausiids are especially numerous in the region of the polar front, as well as in the waters surrounding Antarctica, where krill (Euphasia superba), main source nutrition of baleen whales.

The composition of the benthos includes mollusks, echinoderms, worms that feed on detritus in the silts. According to the nature of the vertical distribution on the ground, benthic animals are combined into epifauna, infauna. Benthic animals penetrate into the depths of the ocean for several thousand meters. Among the benthic animals, many species are of economic value - these are, first of all, mussels, oysters, spiny lobsters, lobsters.

Most of the nekton biomass is made up of fish, total species of which exceeds 15 thousand. Their biomass reaches 80-85% of the total nekton biomass. In second place are cephalopods (about 600 species), about 15% of the nekton biomass. There are about 100 species of whales and pinnipeds. They make up less than 5% of the total nekton biomass.

Of great practical interest are data characterizing the productivity of the primary source of food - phytoplankton and consumers. The productivity of phytoplankton is enormous compared to its biomass. The ratio of production to biomass in phytoplankton reaches 200-300 units. For zooplankton, this ratio is 2-3 units. In benthos, it decreases to 1/3, and in most fish, to 1 5. At the same time, in fish with a short life cycle, this ratio can be equal to 1/2, and in slow-growing fish with a late onset of puberty, it can reach 110.

We will try to show the details of a number of features of ocean life when characterizing individual regions of the Atlantic Ocean.

Some areas of the Atlantic shelf are rich in coal. Great Britain conducts the largest underwater mining of coal. The largest exploited Nor Tumberland Derham field with reserves of about 550 million tons is located on the northeast coast of England. Coal deposits have been explored in the shelf zone northeast of Cape Breton Island. However, in the economy, underwater coal is of less importance than offshore oil and gas fields. The main supplier of monazite to the world market is Brazil. The United States is also the leading producer of ilmenite, rutile, and zircon concentrates (placers of these metals are almost ubiquitous on the shelf North America from California to Alaska). Of considerable interest are cassiterite placers off the coast of Australia, off the Cornwall peninsula (Great Britain), and in Brittany (France). The largest deposits of ferruginous sands are located in Canada. Ferrous sands are also mined in New Zealand. Alluvial gold in coastal marine deposits has been found on the western coasts of the United States and Canada.

The main deposits of coastal-marine diamondiferous sands are concentrated on the southwestern coast of Africa, where they are confined to deposits of terraces, beaches, and shelves down to depths of 120 m. Significant offshore terrace diamond placers are located in Namibia. African coastal-marine placers are promising.

In the coastal zone of the shelf there are underwater deposits of iron ore. The most significant development of offshore deposits of iron ore is carried out in Canada, on the east coast of Newfoundland (the Wabana deposit). In addition, Canada mines iron ore in the Hudson Bay.

In small quantities, copper and nickel are mined from underwater mines (Canada - in the Hudson Bay). Tin is mined on the Cornwall peninsula (England). In Turkey, on the coast of the Aegean Sea, mercury ores are being developed. Sweden mines iron, copper, zinc, lead, gold and silver in the bowels of the Gulf of Bothnia.

Large salt sedimentary basins in the form of salt domes or stratal deposits are often found on the shelf, slope, foot of the continents and in deep-sea basins (Gulf of Mexico, shelves and slopes West Africa, Europe). The minerals of these basins are represented by sodium, potassium and magnesite salts, gypsum. Calculation of these reserves is difficult: the volume of potassium salts alone is estimated in the range from hundreds of millions of tons to 2 billion tons. Two salt domes are being exploited in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana.

More than 2 million tons of sulfur are extracted from underwater deposits. Exploited the largest accumulation of sulfur Grand Isle, located 10 miles from the coast of Louisiana. Commercial reserves of phosphorites have been found near the Californian and Mexican coasts, along coastal zones. South Africa, Argentina, off the coast of New Zealand. Phosphorites are mined in the California region from depths of 80-330 m, where the concentration averages 75 kg/m3.

A large number of offshore oil and gas fields have been discovered in the Atlantic Ocean and its seas, including those with one of the highest levels of production of these fuels in the world. They are located in different areas of the ocean shelf zone. In its western part, the bowels of the Maracaibo lagoon are distinguished by very large reserves and production volumes. Oil is extracted here from more than 4,500 wells, from which in 2006 93 million tons of "black gold" were produced. The Gulf of Mexico is considered to be one of the richest offshore oil and gas regions in the world, believing that only a small part of potential oil and gas reserves have been identified in it at present. 14,500 wells have been drilled at the bottom of the bay. In 2011, 60 million tons of oil and 120 billion m3 of gas were produced from 270 offshore fields, and in total, 590 million tons of oil and 679 billion m3 of gas were extracted here during the development period. The most significant of them are located off the coast of the Paraguano Peninsula, in the Gulf of Paria and off the island of Trinidad. Oil reserves here amount to tens of millions of tons.

In addition to the above areas, three large oil and gas provinces can be traced in the western Atlantic. One of them stretches from the Davis Strait to the latitude of New York. Within its limits, commercial oil reserves have so far been identified near Labrador and south of Newfoundland. The second oil and gas province stretches along the coast of Brazil from Cape Calcañar in the north to Rio de Janeiro in the south. 25 deposits have already been discovered here. The third province occupies the coastal areas of Argentina from the Gulf of San Jorge to the Strait of Magellan. Only small deposits have been discovered in it, so far unprofitable for offshore development.

In the shelf zone of the eastern coast of the Atlantic, oil shows have been discovered south of Scotland and Ireland, off the coast of Portugal, in the Bay of Biscay. A large oil and gas region is located near African continent. About 8 million tons are produced by the oil fields concentrated near Angola.

Very significant oil and gas resources are concentrated in the depths of some seas of the Atlantic Ocean. Among them, the most important place is occupied by the North Sea, which knows no equal in terms of the pace of development of underwater oil and gas fields. Significant underwater deposits of oil and gas have been explored in the Mediterranean Sea, where 10 oil and 17 offshore gas fields are currently operating. Significant volumes of oil are extracted from fields located off the coasts of Greece and Tunisia. Gas is being developed in the Gulf of Sidra (Bol. Sirte, Libya), off the Italian coast of the Adriatic Sea. In the future, the subsoil of the Mediterranean Sea should produce at least 20 million tons of oil per year.

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Atlantic ocean map

Ocean area - 91.6 million square kilometers;
Maximum depth - Puerto Rico trench, 8742 m;
Number of seas - 16;
Most big seas– Sargasso Sea, Caribbean Sea, Mediterranean Sea;
The largest bay is the Gulf of Mexico;
The largest islands are Great Britain, Iceland, Ireland;
The strongest currents:
- warm - Gulf Stream, Brazilian, Northern Tradewind, Southern Tradewind;
- cold - Bengal, Labrador, Canary, West Winds.
The Atlantic Ocean occupies the entire space from subarctic latitudes to Antarctica. It borders the Pacific Ocean in the southwest, the Indian Ocean in the southeast, and the Arctic Ocean in the north. In the northern hemisphere, the coastline of the continents, which are washed by the waters of the Arctic Ocean, is heavily indented. There are many inland seas, especially in the east.
The Atlantic Ocean is considered a relatively young ocean. The mid-Atlantic ridge, which stretches almost strictly along the meridian, divides the ocean floor into two approximately identical parts. In the north, individual peaks of the ridge rise above the water in the form of volcanic islands, the largest of which is Iceland.
The shelf part of the Atlantic Ocean is not large - 7%. The greatest width of the shelf, 200 - 400 km, is in the area of ​​the North and Baltic Seas.

The Atlantic Ocean is in all climatic zones, but most of it is in tropical and temperate latitudes. The climatic conditions here are determined by the trade winds and westerly winds. The wind force is strongest in the temperate latitudes of the southern Atlantic Ocean. In the area of ​​the island of Iceland is the center of the origin of cyclones, which significantly affect the nature of the entire Northern Hemisphere.
Average temperatures surface water much lower in the Atlantic than in the Pacific. This is due to the influence of cold waters and ice that come from the Arctic Ocean and Antarctica. In high latitudes, there are many icebergs and drifting ice floes. In the north, icebergs slide off Greenland, and in the south, from Antarctica. Today, the movement of icebergs is monitored from space by piece satellites of the earth.
Currents in the Atlantic Ocean have a meridional direction and are characterized by a strong movement of water masses from one latitude to another.
organic world The species composition of the Atlantic Ocean is poorer than that of the Pacific. This is explained by the geological youth and cooler climatic conditions. But, despite this, the stocks of fish and other marine animals and plants in the ocean are quite significant. The organic world is richer in temperate latitudes. More favorable conditions for the residence of many fish species have developed in the northern and northwestern parts of the ocean, where there are fewer flows of warm and cold currents. Here, the following are of industrial importance: cod, herring, sea ​​bass, mackerel, capelin.
The natural complexes of individual seas and the inflow of the Atlantic Ocean are distinguished by their originality. This is especially true for the inland seas: the Mediterranean, Black, North and Baltic. In the northern subtropical zone is located, unique in nature, the Sargas Sea. The giant Sargassum seaweed, which is abundant in the sea, has made it famous.
The Atlantic Ocean is crossed by important sea ​​routes, which connect New World with European and African countries. On the coast and islands of the Atlantic there are world-famous areas of recreation and tourism.
The Atlantic Ocean has been explored since ancient times. Since the 15th century, the Atlantic Ocean has become the main waterway of mankind and does not lose its significance today. The first period of ocean research lasted until the middle of the 18th century. He was characterized by the study of the distribution of ocean waters and the establishment of the boundaries of the ocean. A comprehensive study of the nature of the Atlantic began from the end 19th century.
The nature of the ocean in our time is being studied more with 40 scientific ships from different countries peace. Oceanologists carefully study the interaction of the ocean and the atmosphere, observe the Gulf Stream and other currents, and the movement of icebergs. The Atlantic Ocean is no longer able to independently restore its biological resources. Preservation of its nature today is an international matter.

Oceanological conditions in large areas of the Atlantic Ocean are favorable for the development of life, therefore, of all the oceans, it is the most productive (260 kg / km 2). Until 1958, he was a leader in the production of fish and non-fish products. However, many years of intensive fishing had a negative impact on the resource base, which led to a slowdown in the growth of catches. At the same time began sharp increase catch of the Peruvian anchovy, and the Atlantic Ocean gave way to the championship in catches to the Pacific. In 2004, the Atlantic Ocean provided 43% of the world's catch. The volume of production of fish and non-fish objects fluctuates both over the years and over the areas of production.

Mining and fishing

Most of the catch comes from the Northeast Atlantic. This district is followed by the Northwestern, Central Eastern and Southeastern regions; The North Atlantic has been and continues to be the main fishing area, although in last years the role of its central and southern zones has noticeably increased. In the ocean as a whole, catches in 2006 exceeded the annual average for 2001–2005. In 2009, production was lower than in 2006 by 1,985 thousand tons. Against the background of this general decrease in catches in two areas of the Atlantic, in the North-West and North-East, production decreased by 2198 thousand tons. Consequently, the main catch losses occurred in the North Atlantic.

An analysis of fisheries (including non-fish species) in the Atlantic Ocean in recent years has revealed the main causes of changes in catches in different fishing areas.

In the North-West region of the ocean, production has decreased due to the strict regulation of fishing in the 200-mile zones of the United States and Canada. At the same time, these states began to pursue a discriminatory policy against the socialist countries, sharply limiting their catch quotas, although they themselves do not use the raw material base of the region to the full extent.

The increase in catches in the Southwest Atlantic is associated with an increase in catches in South America.

In the South-East Atlantic, the total catch of African countries has decreased, but at the same time, compared with 2006, the catches of almost all states conducting expeditionary fishing here, and multinational corporations, whose nationality is difficult to determine by FAO, have increased.

In the Antarctic part of the Atlantic Ocean in 2009, the total production volume reached 452 thousand tons, of which 106.8 thousand tons were accounted for by crustaceans.

The data presented indicate that in modern conditions the extraction of biological resources in the Atlantic Ocean has largely become determined by legal and political factors.

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The organic world of the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean has much in common (Fig. 37). Life in the Atlantic Ocean is also distributed zonally and is concentrated mainly off the coast of the continents and in surface waters.

The Atlantic Ocean is poorer than the Pacific biological resources. This is due to his relative youth. But still, the ocean provides 20% of the world's catch of fish and seafood. This is first of all herring, cod, sea ​​bass, hake, tuna.

There are many whales in temperate and polar latitudes, in particular sperm whales and killer whales. Marine crayfish are characteristic - lobster, lobsters.

The economic development of the ocean is also connected with mineral resources(Fig. 38). A significant part of them is mined on the shelf. Over 100 oil and gas fields have been discovered in the North Sea alone, hundreds of boreholes have been built, and oil and gas pipelines have been laid along the seabed. Over 3,000 special platforms from which oil and gas are extracted operate on the shelf of the Gulf of Mexico. Coal is mined in the coastal waters of Canada and Great Britain, and diamonds are mined off the southwestern coast of Africa. Long since sea ​​water salt is mined.

IN Lately not only on the shelf, but also at considerable depths of the Atlantic Ocean, huge reserves of oil and natural gas were discovered. In particular, the coastal zones of Africa turned out to be rich in fuel resources. Other areas of the Atlantic floor are also extremely rich in oil and gas - off the northeastern coast of North America, not far from the eastern coast of South America.

The Atlantic Ocean is crossed in different directions by important sea ​​routes.

It is no coincidence that the largest ports of the world are located here, among them the Ukrainian one - Odessa. Material from the site http://worldofschool.ru

Active human economic activity in the Atlantic Ocean basin has caused a significant pollution his waters. It is especially noticeable in some seas of the Atlantic Ocean. So, the Mediterranean Sea is often called the "gutter" because industrial enterprises dump waste here. A large amount of pollutants also comes with river runoff. In addition, every year about a hundred thousand tons of oil and oil products get into its waters as a result of accidents and other reasons.

Oil dilutes the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.That sort of thing happens from time to time. In 1980, as a result of a disruption in oil production, 0.5 million tons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico, and the oil slick stretched for 640 km. In 1997, as a result of a collision between two ships in the Caribbean Sea, 287 thousand tons of oil fell into the water.

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The bottom flora of the northern part of the Atlantic is represented by brown (mainly fucoids, and in the subditoral zone by kelp and alaria) and red algae. In the tropical zone, green (caulerpa), red (calcareous lithotamnia) and brown algae (sargasso) predominate. In the southern hemisphere, bottom vegetation is mainly represented by kelp.

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The phytoplankton of the Atlantic Ocean has 245 species: peridynes, coccolithophores, and diatoms. The latter have a clearly defined zonal distribution, the maximum number of them lives in the temperate latitudes of the northern and southern hemispheres. The most dense population of diatoms is in the band of the Current of the Western Winds.

The distribution of the fauna of the Atlantic Ocean has a pronounced zonal character.

In the subantarctic and antarctic In the waters of fish, notothenia, blue whiting and others are of commercial importance. Benthos and plankton in the Atlantic are poor in both species and biomass. In the subantarctic zone and in the adjacent zone of the temperate zone, the biomass reaches its maximum. In zooplankton, copepods and pteropods predominate; in nekton, whales (blue whales), pinnipeds, and their fish are nototheniids. In the tropical zone, zooplankton is represented by numerous species of foraminifers and pteropods, several species of radiolarians, copepods, larvae of molluscs and fish, as well as siphonophores, various jellyfish, large cephalopods (squids), and octopuses among benthal forms. Commercial fish are represented by mackerel, tuna, sardines, in areas of cold currents - anchovies. To tropical and subtropical corals are confined to zones. temperate latitudes northern hemisphere are characterized by abundant life with a relatively small diversity of species. From commercial fish highest value have herring, cod, haddock, halibut, sea bass. The most common zooplankton species are foraminifera and copepods. The greatest abundance of plankton is in the area of ​​the Newfoundland Bank and the Norwegian Sea. The deep-sea fauna is represented by crustaceans, echinoderms, specific fish species, sponges, and hydroids. Several species of endemic polychaetes, isopods, and holothurians have been found in the Puerto Rico Trench.

There are 4 biogeographic regions in the Atlantic Ocean: 1. Arctic; 2. North Atlantic; 3. Tropical-Atlantic; 4. Antarctic.

biological resources. The Atlantic Ocean provides 2/5 of the world catch and its share decreases over the years. In subantarctic and antarctic waters, notothenia, blue whiting and others are of commercial importance, in the tropical zone - mackerel, tuna, sardine, in areas of cold currents - anchovies, in temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere - herring, cod, haddock, halibut, sea bass. In the 1970s, due to overfishing of some fish species, fishing volumes declined sharply, but after the introduction of strict limits, fish stocks are gradually restored. There are several international fishing conventions in the Atlantic Ocean basin that aim at efficient and rational use biological resources, based on the application of scientifically based measures to regulate the fishery.