Namrata Choudhury

Hobby - Singing and drawing

Nurturing Nature:
Exploring Water and Ayaan Khan
Habitats Hobby - Loves reading books and travelling

Devaj Agarwal
Hobby - Singing and Cooking

Adrija Bhattacharya
Hobby - Reading Books and Singing

Aarushi Chakraborty
Hobby - Love reading books

General
 What is an Aquatic
Ecosystem?
It is a water-based environment in which different organisms interact with other
biotic and abiotic components surrounding them. These water-based organisms
are completely dependent on their water-based environment for their food,
shelter, reproduction, and other requirements or services. However, the
capability of the ecosystem to sustain life will be dependent on the water’s
physiochemical characteristics, its quantity of dissolved sediments, levels of
dissolved nutrients, etc. factors.

Contributed by Adrija Bhattacharya, Namrata Chowdhury and

Devaj Agarwal
General
 Aquatic Biodiversity

• Aquatic biodiversity is the rich and wonderful variety of plants and animals – from cray
fish to catfish , from mussels to mayflies , from tadpoles to trout – that live in watery
habitats . Many species of animals and plants live in water , some like fish , spend all
their lives underwater , whereas others , like toads and salamanders , may use surface
water only during the spring breeding season . Some aquatic creatures live their entire
lives in the deep ocean , whereas others like water striders , spend their life skipping
along the surface of water .
• Generally , the more complex or larger the ecosystem , the greater its biodiversity .
Biodiversity in a limited area like a drop of water is less than that in the ocean . Species
diversity also tends to increase from poles towards the equator and with increasing
rainfall and with decreasing elevation . Tropical rainforests only cover about 7% of the
Earth’s surface but may contain as much as 50% of Earth biodiversity.
• Sustaining biodiversity is essential to the health of our environment and to the quality
of human life. We depend on many aquatic plants and animals, and their ecological
functions, for our survival.

Conserving a rich diversity of plants and animals will :

• help us to discover new drugs and medicines.
• add oxygen and reduce ozone and carbondioxide in our atmosphere.
• provide food for the growing human populations.
• add jobs and promote tourism through the enjoyment of nature.
Contributed by Devaj Agarwal and Narrata Choudhury
General
 Structural Adaptations:
• Seawater is much denser than air – as a result, there are vast numbers of
microscopic organisms suspended in it. Cockles, as well as many other bivalves,
are filter feeders. They have adapted specialised siphon structures to filter these

Adaptations of
organisms and any other particles of food from the surrounding water.
• Estuaries have quite variable conditions – tides, waves and salinity fluctuations
affect the animals and plants that live there on a daily basis. Many animals, such as

Organisms in cockles, are adapted to live in these conditions. They have strong shells that
protect them from wave action, drying out and the prying beaks of predators.

Aquatic Habitats • Coastal plants need special adaptations to survive. For example, many types of
seaweed attach firmly to rocks so they are not swept away by waves. Their leaf-like
fronds are tough and leathery, which helps protect them from being torn by the
waves or dried out by the sun.
• Dolphins are mammals, but they look very different to mammals that live on land,
as they are adapted to living in water. They have a streamlined shape and fins
instead of legs. They also have blowholes on the tops of their heads. They use
these to breathe, rather than through their mouths and noses.
• Squids and octopus live deep in the ocean, near the bed of the ocean and
catch prey near them. But, when they move in water, the
body becomes streamlined.
• Gills are used in respiration, where it uses oxygen dissolved in water.

Contributed by Aarushi Chakraborty

General
 Adaptations of Organisms in Aquatic Habitats

Physiological Adaptations:
• Some marine mammals, such as whales, migrate over large distances and may spend time in a combination of arctic, tropical and temperate
waters. To cope with these temperature changes, they are endothermic or ‘warm blooded’. This means that they are able to maintain a constant
body temperature that is not dependent on the surrounding water.
• Slow-moving species have adaptations that help protect them from predators. For example, many marine organisms can only move slowly or not
all. This means they cannot easily get away from mobile predators, and they have other adaptations to protect them from being eaten. These can
include chemical defences in their skin, for example, sea stars.
Behavioural Adaptations:
• Behavioural adaptations are learned or inherited behaviours that help organisms to survive, for example, the sounds made by whales allow them
to communicate, navigate and hunt prey. Crab larvae use sounds to help them find suitable habitats so they can settle and metamorphose
(change into an adult form).
• Bryozoan colonies are found in high numbers on the continental shelf in New Zealand. They look like plants but are actually made up of hundreds
of tiny individual animals that have banded together in order to more successfully find food and survive predation.

Contributed by Aarushi Chakraborty

General
 Human impact on aquatic
ecosystem
• Water poisoning and Biodiversity degradation due to chemicals and toxins emitting to the open rivers and streams from
factories, industries.
• Garbage dumping in the river and river bank sites –residential wastages cause water quality depletion and eutrophic
conditions
• Modifications of natural water bodies due to industrial purposes depletes water content of rivers, lakes.
• Overfishing of commercial fish species decline the genetic diversity and lead to endanger the particular fish species.
• Using fish trawlers (dragging weighted nets across ocean floor) degrades and destroys habitat.
• Removing forest covers and vegetation adjacent to freshwater bodies for cultivation & construction purposes reduces
bio-community and interrupts the balance of river environment
• Overdrawing groundwater for drinking, irrigation and industrial purposes leads to depletion of groundwater content.
• Oil spills from tankers into the ocean or sea are a major cause of water pollution. This oil does not dissolve in the water
and forms a dangerous layer. Oil spills pose a threat to marine life. Fish and shellfish can also digest oil, which could
cause changes in reproduction, growth rates or even death.
• Coral mining not only affects the coral reef but also kills thousands of micro and microorganisms which depend on corals
for food and shelter
• Another concern is the runoff of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) from intensive agriculture, and the disposal of
untreated or partially treated sewage to rivers and subsequently oceans. These nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients
(which are also contained in fertilizers) stimulate phytoplankton and macroalgal growth, which can lead to harmful algal
blooms(eutrophication) which can be harmful to humans as well as marine creatures. This algae then dies, sinks, and is
decomposed by bacteria in the water. This decomposition process consumes oxygen, depleting the supply for other
marine life and creating what is referred to as a "dead zone”. This kills off marine life or forces it to leave the area,
removing life from the area
• Over 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year, half of which are used in single-use products like cups, bags,
and packaging. At least 14 million tons of plastic enter the oceans every year.. Larger plastic waste can be ingested by
marine species, filling their stomachs and leading them to believe they are full when in fact they have taken in nothing of
nutritional value. This can bring seabirds, whales, fish, and turtles to die of starvation with plastic-filled stomachs.
Marine species can also be suffocated or entangled in plastic garbage
• Ocean acidification is the increasing acidification of the oceans, caused mainly by the uptake of carbon dioxide from
the atmosphere. The rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide due to the burning of fossil fuels leads to more carbon dioxide
dissolving in the ocean. When carbon dioxide dissolves in water it forms hydrogen and carbonate ions. This in turn
increases the acidity of the ocean and makes survival increasingly harder for microorganisms, shellfish and other marine
organisms that depend on calcium carbonate to form their shells.
Contributed by Aarushi Chakraborty
General
 Conservation of
Aquatic ecosystem
• Plantation of trees in the catchment area of water body prevent soil erosion and subsequently
reduce the problem of siltation in water body resulting in better survival of aquatic organisms.
• Avoid the establishment of industries, chemical plants and thermal power plants near the
water resources as their discharge affect the ecology of water body resulting in loss of
biodiversity.
• Regulatory measures must be taken on wastewater discharge in the water body to conserve
biological diversity.
• Increasing public awareness is one of the most important ways to conserve aquatic
biodiversity. This can be accomplished through educational programs, incentive programs,
and volunteer monitoring programs.
• Specify aquatic bio reserves where fishing is restricted or banned in order to protect the
aquatic biodiversity.
• Controlling pollution is crucial for maintaining healthy oceans. Pollution from sources such as
oil spills, plastic waste, chemical waste, and nutrient runoff from agriculture harms ocean life
and degrades the marine ecosystem. Implementing policies and regulations to reduce
pollution and promoting public awareness and individual actions to reduce waste can help
protect the ocean.

• Sustainable fishing practices which includes catch limits, gear restrictions, seasonal closures,
and habitat protections to ensure that fish populations are not overfished, and that fishing
doesn’t harm other marine life or habitats. For example, using selective fishing gear, such as
turtle excluder devices, can help reduce the number of sea turtles caught in shrimp trawls.

• Restoring degraded habitats, such as coral reefs and mangroves, and rehabilitating injured or
sick marine animals can be beneficial. Habitat restoration can protect and enhance marine life
and environments by removing debris and planting new coral reefs. Rehabilitation can also
improve the overall ocean health, improve water quality and enhance fishing opportunities.

Contributed by Aarushi Chakraborty

General
 Interconversion of states of water

Water exists in three states:

i)Solid
ii)Liquid and
Interconversion iii)Gases

of states of
water In solid state, water occurs as snow and frost. When the snow gets compacted, it
becomes ice.
In liquid state, water occurs as sea water. A very small amount of water only occurs
on the land in the form of streams, rivers, lakes etc, which is useful for drinking.
Water occurs as water vapour in the air which is the gaseous state of water.

Contributed by Ayaan Khan

General
 What is Water Cycle?

The water cycle also called

the hydrological cycle, is a fundamental
process of nature that ensures that water
keeps on moving and circulating within
the Earth’s environment. It can be defined
as the continuous movement of water
from the surface to the cloud and from
clouds to the surface. In this process, the
water changes its state without changing
the total number of water molecules
present in it at any state it converts into.

Contributed by Aarushi Chakraborty

General
 Importance of Water Cycle Human Impact on Water cycle

The importance of the water cycle can be 1. Human activities have a significant
understood through its crucial role in impact on the water cycle that alters the
sustaining life and environment. Some of the natural process of the cycle and water
points are: distribution. Some of the points are:
1. It ensures a continuous supply of 2. Deforestation is leading to changes in
freshwater. atmospheric temperatures and is also
2. It provides water for plants and animals, reducing the ability of trees to transpire
thus supporting the ecosystem. and release water vapor into the
3. The movement of water through the atmosphere.
different phases of the water cycle 3. Urbanization is increasing surface runoff
influences the weather pattern.
that decreases infiltration that affects the
4. It constantly replenishes and redistributes groundwater reserves.
water throughout nature.
4. Extensive irrigation for agriculture can
5. It ensures that water is available for lead to increased evaporation and
agriculture. depletion of water resources in that area.
6. It ensures water is available
for hydroelectric power generation. 5. Pollution is causing contamination of
water thus affecting the quality of water
for the water cycle.
6. Deforestation, pollution, etc. are causing
global warming that is melting the stored
water in the form of ice at an alarming
rate

Contributed by Aarushi Chakraborty

General
 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF WATER

SPECIFIC HEAT CAPACITY

- SPECIFIC HEAT
DENSITY OF WATER -
CAPACITY CAN BE
THE DENSITY OF ANY
DESCRIBED AS THE
APPEARANCE - IN FREEZING POINT - SUBSTANCE CAN BE
BOILING POINT - THE AMOUNT OF HEAT
APPEARANCE, THE FREEZING CAN BE DESCRIBED AS THE
BOILING POINT OF ANY REQUIRED FOR RAISING
WATER IS COLOURLESS DESCRIBED AS A RATIO OF THE MASS OF
LIQUID CAN BE THE TEMPERATURE OF
AND ODOURLESS. TEMPERATURE WHEN A ANY SUBSTANCE TO ITS
DESCRIBED AS A ANY SUBSTANCE. THE
ALTHOUGH, IN ITS LIQUID STARTS VOLUME. 1 GM/CC IS
TEMPERATURE WHEN IT SPECIFIC HEAT CAPACITY
NATURAL STATE, WATER TURNING INTO ICE. THE THE DENSITY OF THE
STARTS EVAPORATING OF WATER IS 4.2 JOULES
IS A TASTELESS LIQUID. FREEZING POINT OF WATER. ALTHOUGH, THE
IN THE ENVIRONMENT PER GRAM AT A
THE MEDIUM OF LIQUID WATER IS 0°C OR 32°F. DENSITY OF WATER
OR SAY WHEN IT STARTS TEMPERATURE OF 25°C.
IS TRANSPARENT, YOU ALSO NOTICED THIS DIFFERS WITH
TURNING FROM LIQUID THE SPECIFIC HEAT
WHICH MEANS PHENOMENON IN YOUR TEMPERATURE AND IS
TO GASEOUS STATE. THE CAPACITY OF WATER IS
ANYTHING CAN BE SEEN REFRIGERATORS. ALSO, DIFFERENT FOR
BOILING POINT OF VERY HIGH BECAUSE
CLEARLY FROM BEHIND THE REFRIGERATOR VARIOUS STATES. IN THE
WATER IS 100°C. THE HYDROGEN
THE WATER. TEMPERATURE OF 0°C IS SOLID-STATE, IT IS
BONDING IS VERY
MAINTAINED FOR DENSITY REMAINS
EXTENSIVE BETWEEN
FREEZING THE WATER. 0.9GM/CC
THE MOLECULES OF
WATER.

Contributed by Aarushi Chakraborty and Ayaan Khan

General
 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF WATER
(continued )

COMPRESSIBILITY OF
SURFACE TENSION OF WATER - THE
WATER - THE SURFACE COMPRESSIBILITY OF
VISCOSITY OF WATER : TENSION OF ANY LIQUID ANY SUBSTANCE
VISCOSITY CAN BE CAN BE DESCRIBED AS REFRACTIVE INDEX OF DIELECTRIC CONSTANT DESCRIBES ITS
DESCRIBED AS AN THE CAPACITY OF THAT WATER - THE OF WATER - DIELECTRIC FUNCTIONALITY AT ANY
AMOUNT OF LIQUID TO GET REFRACTIVE INDEX OF CONSTANT OF ANY TEMPERATURE AND
RESISTANCE USED FOR SHRUNKEN IN THE ANY SUBSTANCE IS THE SUBSTANCE IS THE PRESSURE. AT THE
DEFORMATION AT THE MINIMUM SURFACE VALUE VALUE AT WHICH THE TEMPERATURE OF 0°C,
GIVEN RATE. IF AREA. THE SURFACE DEMONSTRATING HOW MATERIAL STARTS THE COMPRESSIBILITY
EXPLAINED IN OTHER TENSION OF WATER IS FAST THE LIGHT CAN POLARIZING BY AN OF WATER IS
WORDS, IT CAN BE HIGH AND EQUALS 72 REACH THE MATERIAL. ELECTRIC FIELD. THE 5.1×10−10 PA−1, AND
DEFINED AS THE MN/M AT THE AT THE TEMPERATURE DIELECTRIC CONSTANT AS THE TEMPERATURE
THICKNESS OF ANY TEMPERATURE OF 25°C. OF 20°C, THE OF WATER IS VERY INCREASES IT REACHES
SUBSTANCE. THE DUE TO THE WATER’S REFRACTIVE INDEX OF HIGH. IT IS EQUAL TO UP TO 45°C,
VISCOSITY OF WATER IS HIGH SURFACE WATER IS 1.333. 78.6. COMPRESSIBILITY
0.89 CP (CENTIPOISE). TENSION, ANY INSECT STARTS DECREASING
CANNOT WALK ON IT AND REACHES UP TO
WITHOUT HINDRANCE. L4.4 ×10−10 PA−1.

Contributed by Aarushi Chakraborty and Ayaan Khan

General
Chemical properties of
water

The chemical formula of water is H2O. It is

composed of two major elements, hydrogen
and oxygen. In this formula, every two
hydrogen atoms are linked with one atom of
oxygen.
• The equation can be written as:
• H2 + O2 → H2O
• The scientific name of water is Oxidane.

Contributed by Ayaan Khan

General
 Chemical properties of water (contd)

i) Reaction with metals: Metals of group

IA & IIA decompose water to liberate ii) Reaction with Non-metals: Fluorine
decomposes cold water forming ozonized iii) Reaction with non metal oxide: Acidic
H2 along with evolution of energy oxygen. Chlorine decomposes cold water oxides combine with water to form oxo- iv) Reaction with Metal oxides: Basic
(Exothermic reaction). Hot metals like Zn, forming HCl & HClO, However, in presence acid like carbonic acid, sulphurous acid, oxides combine with water to form
Mg, Fe etc, decompose water to liberate
of sunlight HCl and O2 is formed. Red hot sulphuric acid, orthophosphoric acid, alkalies.
H2. Pb and Cu decompose water only on coke on reaction with steam produce nitric acid, perchloric acid etc.,
heating. Ag, Au, Hg & Pt metals do not water gas.
decompose water.

vi) Hydrolysis: Salt of strong bases with vii) Water of crystallization: It forms
weak acids, weak bases with strong acids hydrates like CuSO4. 5H2O, MgSO4. 7H2O,
v) Reaction with hydrides, carbides,
nitrides & phosphides: Water decomposes and weak bases with weak acids undergo FeSO4.7H2O, BaCl2 . 2H2O etc., on viii) Water as catalyst: Perfectly dry gases
these compounds with liberation of hydrolysis in water. Some slats like BiCl 3, combination with water during generally do not react but ammonia & HCl
hydrogen, acetylene, ammonia, SbCl3 on hydrolysis form oxy compounds. crystallization. The water present in the gas combine only in presence of moisture.
phosphine respectively. hydrates is called water of crystallization.
Halides of non-metals like PCl3, PCl5,
These are of 3 – types (i) cationic (ii)
SiCl4 etc are decomposed by water. Anion (iii) Lattice.

Contributed by Aarushi Chakraborty and Ayaan Khan

General
 Thank
You

General