Marine Ecoregion

view of earth, taken in 1972 apollo 17 crew. approximately 72% of earth s surface (an area of 361 million square kilometers) consists of ocean.

marine ecoregions are: areas of relatively homogeneous species composition, distinct adjacent systems….in ecological terms, these cohesive units, sufficiently large encompass ecological or life history processes sedentary species. have been defined nature conservancy (tnc) , world wildlife fund (wwf) aid in conservation activities marine ecosystems. forty-three priority marine ecoregions delineated part of wwf s global 200 efforts. scheme used designate , classify marine ecoregions analogous used terrestrial ecoregions. major habitat types identified: polar, temperate shelves , seas, temperate upwelling, tropical upwelling, tropical coral, pelagic (trades , westerlies), abyssal, , hadal (ocean trench). these correspond terrestrial biomes.

the global 200 classification of marine ecoregions not developed same level of detail , comprehensiveness of terrestrial ecoregions; priority conservation areas listed.

see global 200 marine ecoregions full list of marine ecoregions.

in 2007, tnc , wwf refined , expanded scheme provide system of comprehensive near shore (to 200 meters depth) marine ecoregions of world (meow). 232 individual marine ecoregions grouped 62 marine provinces, in turn group 12 marine realms, represent broad latitudinal divisions of polar, temperate, , tropical seas, subdivisions based on ocean basins (except southern hemisphere temperate oceans, based on continents).

major biogeographic realms, analogous 8 terrestrial ecozones, represent large regions of ocean basins: arctic, temperate northern atlantic, temperate northern pacific, tropical atlantic, western indo-pacific, central indo-pacific, eastern indo-pacific, tropical eastern pacific, temperate south america, temperate southern africa, temperate australasia, southern ocean.

a similar system of identifying areas of oceans conservation purposes system of large marine ecosystems (lmes), developed national oceanic , atmospheric administration (noaa).