About 70% of the Earth is covered in water, which means that most life is part of a marine biome. There are actually a number of biomes within oceans and lakes. Coral reefs, such as the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, have their own biomes. The coral reef biome relies on the coral reef to provide shelter and protection for plants and animals. A typical part of the ocean is called the Temperate Ocean Biome. In this biome, the kind of life found depends on the depth. Towards the surface of the ocean, there will be algae, seaweed, fish, dolphins, etc. If you were to go down deeper, you would find crabs, slugs and other creatures that live at the bottom of the ocean. Because there is very little sunlight down there, ocean life has specifically adapted to using other senses such as touch.

One of the most fascinating parts of the marine biome are ecosystems that exist around hydrothermal vents. These vents spew water and elements such as sulfur at extremely high temperatures. Over millions of years life has formed and adapted to live around these vents.

On the next page, watch the two videos about hydrothermal vents. Then, you can explore the website on the following page to see how these hydrothermal vents formed and take a look at some of the life that thrives around them.


Source
http://www.mbgnet.net/salt/coral/index.htm
http://www.mbgnet.net/salt/oceans/index.htm
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/marine.php (not actual content)