**Objectives:** To increase awareness of the diversity of life. To show
different lifestyles of marine
organisms.![](media/image1.wmf){width="3.3986111111111112in"
height="2.511111111111111in"}

**Method:** Students will use a worksheet to match marine organisms with
their proper lifestyle.

**Background:** Water in the ocean creates different living conditions
because of changing currents, light intensities and temperature
gradients. These conditions increase diversity of organisms in the
ocean. Many organisms begin their life as plankton (drifters). They move
around on the currents. Some plankton are plants (phytoplankton) and
some are animals (zooplankton). Some zooplankton live their whole life
as plankton, while others change to become nekton and benthos.

Nekton are free-swimmers. They can swim against the current and direct
their movements. Turtles, fish, squid, birds and people are all
nektonic.

The bottom-dwellers are referred to as benthos. Some benthic organisms
move around, like flounder, sea stars, crabs and shrimp. Others are
sessile - firmly attached to a hard surface - like oysters, barnacles,
sponges and corals.

**Procedure:**

\- Have students name creatures of the ocean. Ask if all these creatures
live in the same place.

\- Discuss the different lifestyles: plankton, nekton and benthos

\- Hand out copies of the enclosed worksheet \"What\'s Your Lifestyle?\"

-Have students cut out and paste the organisms where they belong in the
water column according to their lifestyle.

**Evaluation:**

Name the three different lifestyles. Explain how they are different.
Name one example of each.

![](media/image2.wmf){width="0.7756944444444445in"
height="0.6743055555555556in"}

![](media/image3.wmf){width="1.2361111111111112in"
height="1.1868055555555554in"}

![](media/image4.png){width="3.946527777777778in"
height="2.811111111111111in"}![](media/image5.wmf){width="6.497222222222222in"
height="1.3159722222222223in"}

Plankton

Nekton

![](media/image6.wmf){width="5.444444444444445in"
height="2.4006944444444445in"}

Benthic

![](media/image7.wmf){width="1.0381944444444444in"
height="1.1118055555555555in"}

Critters to Cut![](media/image8.wmf){width="1.525in"
height="1.2381944444444444in"}

![](media/image9.wmf){width="1.5881944444444445in"
height="0.9256944444444445in"}

sponge zooplankton sea urchin

![](media/image10.wmf){width="1.7125in" height="0.8631944444444445in"}

![](media/image11.wmf){width="1.6881944444444446in"
height="2.136111111111111in"}

![](media/image12.wmf){width="1.7868055555555555in" height="0.7125in"}

squid jellyfish

![](media/image13.wmf){width="1.461111111111111in"
height="1.7743055555555556in"}

![](media/image14.wmf){width="1.3256944444444445in"
height="1.1756944444444444in"}

dolphin

![](media/image15.wmf){width="1.4881944444444444in" height="1.1875in"}

crab

sea whip

![](media/image16.wmf){width="1.6in" height="1.0868055555555556in"}

phytoplankton![](media/image17.wmf){width="1.8506944444444444in"
height="1.0625in"}

![](media/image18.wmf){width="0.5875in" height="0.825in"}

> sea turtle

fish comb jelly![](media/image19.wmf){width="2.775in" height="1.1375in"}

![](media/image20.wmf){width="1.2236111111111112in" height="0.675in"}

![](media/image21.wmf){width="1.025in" height="0.5986111111111111in"}

shrimp sea star human