Aquatic ecosystem

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An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem that is based in water, whether it is a pond, lake, river, underground water body, estuary or ocean. It comprises aquatic organisms (eg: fish, plankton, annelids, etc.) which constitute the biota of the ecosystem, as well as their physical environment which collectively can be referred to as the biotope.

Aquatic ecosystems are generally divided into two types -

1) Inland aquatic, or 'Fresh water' ecosystems: Such ecosystems may be 'lotic' i.e. running water (spring, stream) or 'lentic' i.e. standing water (pond, puddles).

2) Marine (saltwater) ecosystems: These ecosystems may include both shallow coastal waters and the deep waters of the open ocean.

Related Journals

[Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management - Official journal of the Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society]

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