The Indian Ocean is located between four continents - Eurasia (the Asian part of the continent) in the north, Antarctica in the south, Africa in the west and east with Australia and a group of islands and archipelagos located between the Indochina Peninsula and Australia.

The position of most of the water area Indian Ocean in the zone from tropical to temperate latitudes creates favorable climatic and hydrological conditions for the development of various organic world... The ocean as a whole is characterized by low bioproductivity - 35-40 kg / km 2.

In the Indian Ocean, two biogeographic regions are distinguished - tropical and temperate. Tropical region characterized by an exceptional richness of plankton. The "bloom" of the unicellular algae Trichodesmia is especially abundant. During the period of mass development, this alga acquires a red hue. Some blue-green algae belong to the group of boring algae. They are so small that they are barely visible to the naked eye. Drilling algae produce corrosive acids that dissolve lime. They settle on limestone surfaces: on rocks, stones, shells of mollusks and houses of worms, carving a dense network of thin channels in them. Such algae live at different depths, up to 40 m from the sea surface. They can live on coastal rocks in the surf, where they are content with splashing waves. Some types of green algae also belong to boring ones.

Lithotamnia and khalemeda calcareous algae also flourish, which together with corals participate in the construction of reef buildings. In the course of the activity of rift-forming organisms, coral platforms are created, sometimes reaching a width of several kilometers. Methods for extracting lime are different: in the biochemical method, due to the vital activity of organisms, the pH of the surrounding water changes and lime falls out in the form of chemical. sediment outside the cells (blue-green algae, stromatolites and oncoliths). With the physiological method, the body absorbs a solution of lime in one part of the thallus and secretes a hard calcareous cover on the surface of the thallus in others (siphon, some blue-green algae and vegetative parts of charophytes). At org. the way the algae deposits lime inside the cell, often in conjunction with org. substance (crimson algae, coccolithophorids and fruiting organs of charovy algae). As a result of the vital activity of lime-secreting algae and the accumulation of their solid mineral residues, thick lime deposits are formed, known from the Proterozoic.

Phytobenthos is represented by red and brown algae (sargassum, turbinaria) from green algae, abundant caulerpa.

Despite its microscopic size, phytoplankton that swims in surface waters ah, makes up about 90% of the mass of ocean plants. The remaining 10% are much larger, non-floating algae and another floating plant that can grow in seawater, seaweed. Algae vary in color. Brown and most green algae need direct sunbeams and grow in shallow water. Many types of red and several types of green algae need not a large number of light, and therefore they can be found at deeper depths or in underwater caves. Like land plants, algae are often seasonal, grow abundantly in spring and summer, and wither in winter. Many algae are composed of jelly-like tissues, and some have a calcareous skeleton and resemble stones.

In most cases, red algae, or as they are also called, crimson algae, are the inhabitants of the sea. They attach to various substrates (stones, shells, thalli of other algae) and together with brown algae make up the largest group of marine benthos plants. Many crimson birds live at great depths, up to 100 meters. Deep-sea forms are distinguished by particularly bright red or crimson coloration. external structure red algae are very diverse. These are threadlike, cordlike, lamellar, crusty, bushy, and other forms. Most have sizes from a few centimeters to 1 m or more.

Exceptionally multicellular plants. All representatives have a yellowish-brown color, which is due to the presence of special pigments. One of the most common representatives of brown algae is kelp. Inhabits the Far Eastern and Northern seas. The algae thallus is attached to the substrate with the help of rhizoids. A cylindrical stem (up to 50 cm long) departs upward from the rhizoids, it turns into a solid or dissected plate 4-5 m long. There are cases when the kelp thallus reached a length of 40 meters or more. Laminaria is an inhabitant of relatively shallow depths and, mainly, settles in the coastal-surf zone, forming dense thickets.

They are actually bacteria. They can be of different colors (usually dark). Their distinctive characteristics are that they are slippery to the touch and smell unpleasant odor rotting swamp. They are easily separated from the objects on which they grow. These algae can absorb nitrogen from the air, therefore low level nitrates are not a hindrance for them.

Cowlerpa are creeping, spread out on the ground, parts of the thallus of which look like branching cylinders, reaching a length of several tens of centimeters. At certain intervals, abundantly branching rhizoids extend downward from them, fixing the plant in the ground, and upward - flat leaf-like vertical shoots, in which chloroplasts are concentrated.



First of all, about fish. There are many of them here. V open ocean most flying fish, tuna, luminous fish, sailfish and glowing anchovies. And remember, we talked about creatures dangerous to humans: oh poisonous jellyfish and an octopus? So, these "treasures" - inhabitants of the Indian Ocean... And it also contains a lot of poisonous sea snakes and a wide variety of sharks (also, by the way, not a great gift for those who like to swim in warm water).

There are also marine mammals in the ocean: primarily whales and dolphins. On the rocky islands, where it is not so hot, there live seals, and in the shallow water there are huge clumsy and very peaceful dugongs.

The real masters of the airspace over the ocean, in addition to numerous seagulls, are giant albatrosses. Just imagine - the wingspan of an adult albatross can reach three meters ...

Lots of corals *. Where marine polyps live for thousands of years, formed over time Coral reefs... In low water, they appear on the surface. Because of their abundance, even one of the seas was named Coral. It is in it that the largest concentration of coral in the world is located - the Great Barrier Reef, off the eastern coast of Australia, which stretches for 1260 miles.

Underwater life is usually in full swing near corals. Thousands of colorful tropical fish scurry about. Predators hide in crevices among stones and corals.

There are many islands in the Indian Ocean and it is rather difficult to list them all. The largest among them. There are archipelagos, for example: Andaman Islands, Sunda, Nicobar and others. There is a group of islands of three reefs - the Rauli Reefs, named after the captain, the first of the Europeans to discover one of them. There are also quite a few isolated islands.

Most of the islands of the Indian Ocean lie in the fertile subtropical and tropical zones - snow-white sandy beaches, lush tropical vegetation and majestic mountains. Small islands, as a rule, are of volcanic origin and extremely interesting vegetation and amusing animal world, both on the islands themselves and under the azure waves of quiet lagoons ...

But not everything is so simple and peaceful in this earthly paradise... Residents of the Reunion Island, part of the Mascarene Islands group, for a long time they remembered the 1986 eruption of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano. Streams of hot lava burned some of the houses in the village located on the slopes of the volcano. Relatively little time passed, and in the spring of 2007 the volcano woke up again. Scientists at the volcanological station located on the island say that they have never seen such a strong eruption. Sometimes the volcano threw stones and hot magma to a height of two hundred meters ... Streams of molten lava flowed along the slopes at a speed of about sixty kilometers per hour and fell into the sea with thunderous explosions, whistling and hissing. The river of fire has cut the main highway of the island. Palm and vanilla plantations were burning. Started Forest fires... Residents of a nearby village were evacuated ... Experts call the actions of the awakened volcano "the eruption of the century."

In the most "wild" corners of the Earth, to this day, there are few peoples who, by their own decision, desire, or by some coincidence of circumstances, live without contact with outside world and modern civilization... They are called that - “non-contact peoples”. Attempts to get to know them are fraught with many dangers both for guests and for the hosts themselves. Aboriginal people may suffer from imported diseases, to which they have no immunity, and guests who are not familiar with the customs of non-contact peoples may be in danger due to their own negligence.

There are islands in the Indian Ocean, the natives of which categorically refuse to contact with modern civilization. Such are, for example, the Sentinelese from the Andaman Islands and a number of tribes in New Guinea.

To complete this topic, we recall that similar indigenous tribes survived in South America, in the Amazon basin, small tribes and peoples in the Naua-Kugapakori nature reserve in Peru. There are, probably, in other places. Just no matter how much we talk about the fact that "flew to the moon" and " space stations have flown around all the planets of the solar system ”, it would be wrong to assert that we have studied our Earth up and down.

Komodo - small island in Indonesia. Its area is only three hundred and ninety square kilometers. Its population in best case- two thousand people. Interestingly, most of the native inhabitants are descendants of former exiles sent by the colonial authorities to the island. Having settled, they mingled with the natives of the tribes from the neighboring islands. This small island is famous for being part of Komodo with its huge Komodo lizards- land crocodiles, as they are sometimes called. In addition, it is extremely interesting and underwater world Komodo is his clear waters attract scuba divers from all over the world.

Much can be said and told about the Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands, the Cocos Islands and the island of St. Mauritius, the Nicobar Islands and two very small coastal islands called Pi - Pi. And what is the underwater world on the reefs of the Indian Ocean! But let's leave these wonders to the tourist avenues and move on to an interesting story. the largest island in the Indian Ocean - Madagascar.

Flora and fauna of the Indian Ocean, which runs through the tropical and southern belts, differs in variety. This formidable and colorful world has long attracted the attention of both travelers and experienced explorers.

This amazing region has four climatic zones... The first is characterized by monsoon climate and cyclones along the coasts. In the second zone, from the beginning of June to mid-September, southeasterly winds frolic, the third zone is located in cozy sub tropical latitudes, and between Antarctica and forty-fifth degrees south latitude there is a fourth zone with a rather harsh climate and strong winds... Two biogeographic regions stand out here - temperate and tropical. And today we will get acquainted with the inhabitants of the Indian Ocean, with the unique living organisms that inhabit these tropical waters.

Soft corals

Inhabitants of the Indian Ocean: flora and fauna

The tropical Indian Ocean is a plankton paradise. Here "live":

• trichodesmia (unicellular algae);
• Posidonia (higher plant seagrass).

Posidonia seagrass

V coastal zones a luxurious phytocenosis is formed thanks to the mango thickets typical of these places.

The fauna of the Indian Ocean is surprisingly rich. Here you can find a huge variety:

• bizarre shellfish;
• crustaceans;
• lime sponges;
• silicon sponges.

Sponges

The fauna of the Indian Ocean is represented by a considerable number of commercial species, which are worth their weight in gold all over the world. These are nutritious lobsters and frequent “guests” of shrimp feasts. Crustaceans are mainly found in the region of Australia, Asia and Africa. If we talk about mollusks, then here you can find such colorful characters as cuttlefish and mysterious squids.

Cuttlefish (lat.Sepiida)

Among the inhabitants of the shelf zone you can find such fish as:

1. mackerel;
2. sardinella;
3. horse mackerel;
4. rock perch;
5. reef perch;
6. anchovy.

Coral Garrup (Cephalopholis miniata)

It is not just that tropical waters attract the attention of both professional explorers and fans of spearfishing and adventure seekers. It is here that you can meet terrible sea snakes, bizarre, as if descended from ancient engravings of sea fish, as well as sea turtles.

The mysterious swordfish also lives here, famous for its unpredictability and excellent predatory instincts. The architecture of this fabulous corner is made up of luxurious, antique-like reef structures and equally beautiful coral polyps.

Shark hunting a seal

Inhabitants of the temperate Indian Ocean

Flora and fauna of the Indian Ocean in temperate zone is great amount marine plants and animals that arouse keen interest, both among eminent scientists and those who are interested in nature. For the most part, brown and red algae from the kelp and fucus groups grow here.

Among the inhabitants of the Indian Ocean, one can find genuine titans. water world, such as:

• blue whale;
• toothless whale;
• dugong;
• sea ​​Elephant;
• seal.

Dugong dugon

the Indian Ocean is very rich in various representatives of cetaceans. This diversity is due to one simple reason: the vertical mixing of water masses occurs so violently that a real paradise for plankton is created, which is the main food product for the toothless and powerful blue whales.

Blue whale (Latin Balaenoptera musculus)

These waters have become a haven for such unique organisms as:

• peridineas;
• ctenophores

Giant jellyfish "Black sea nettle" -. Chrysaora fuscescens

Sinister physaliae also live here, their poison, according to some sources, is similar to the venom of a cobra. Should an unlucky underwater hunter encounter these unique creatures, appearance which resembles an alien ship, like fatal outcome is not excluded.

Speaking about the flora and fauna of the Indian Ocean, it should be noted that organic existence is distributed very unevenly here. If productivity coastal waters The Arabian and Red Seas is high enough, then in southern hemisphere there is a phenomenon called by scientists "oceanic desert".

Sea turtle accompanied by surgeon fish

Mysterious Indian Ocean

In addition to sharks, there are poisonous moray eels, whose bite is not much different from the bite of a trained bulldog, are sharp-toothed barracudas, jellyfish, and killer whales, thanks to American cinema, known as "killer whales."

The underwater world of the Indian Ocean is so diverse and interesting that it never ceases to amaze and surprise. The inhabitants of the Indian Ocean are capable of capturing the imagination of even the most sophisticated explorers, with rare, unexplored and even truly creepy specimens. And if you are interested in the underwater world, then this world will definitely not disappoint you if you go to conquer the unknown depths of these mysterious places.

Manta, or giant sea ​​Devil(lat.Manta birostris)

In this article, we slightly touched the incomprehensible beauty and diversity of the flora and fauna of the Indian Ocean, however, as they say, it is better to see once than hear 100, and in our case, read.

And in more detail with the amazing inhabitants of this ocean, you will be introduced to these articles:

The ocean is big water body... Today, four oceans are distinguished, located between the continents, which are combined with each other, associated with the atmosphere and located in constant movement... The oceans occupy about 3/4 of the planet's surface. All oceans are home to a huge number of plants and animals - from microscopic plankton to whales reaching tens of meters in length. Ocean life forms have various characteristics depending on the temperature and depth of the water layer in which they live and food sources. Scientists have discovered many species only recently. Even today most of oceans have not yet been explored.

Inhabitants of the Arctic Ocean

In comparison with other oceans, the fauna of this very little ocean very poor. Among the large marine mammals you can find beluga whales, narwhals, various cetaceans, including the rare bowhead whale. And also several types of seals: bearded seal, elephant seal, harp and leopard seal, ringed seal.

Belukha- a five-meter toothed whale. In summer, these amazing white animals feed on fish and crustaceans near the seabed under the ocean's ice cap.

Narwhal- most northern view of all toothed cetaceans. Sole Representative kind and close relative beluga whales. The sizes are large: the body is up to 6 m long, the weight is 1-1.5 tons. Spends the whole year in this region, unlike other whales that migrate south for the winter. Winters in an ice-hole among ice floes. They feed on fish, shrimp and squid. The female gives birth to one cub. In males and very rarely in females, one curled tusk, up to three meters long, develops in the left upper jaw. There are no other teeth in the narwhal. Hence the second name of this animal - unicorn.

Bowhead whale Is a large dark whale that feeds on zooplankton. Zooplankton are tiny animals that feed on phytoplankton (microscopic plants). These include fish larvae and tiny cousins ​​of shrimp and crabs, the copepods.

In the cold waters of this ocean, there is an amazing jellyfish - giant cyanea, as well as a unique ice fish.

Cyanea, Arctic cyanea or Lion's mane –The most big jellyfish in the world. It grows tentacles more than 50 m long, and its "umbrella" reaches 2 m in diameter. Surprisingly, this large jellyfish in its adult state, there is only one summer season... In spring, young jellyfish appear, which grow rapidly, reaching at the end of summer gigantic, and die in the fall. They feed on zooplankton, including small fish.

Ice fish- a translucent little fish. Thanks to the natural "antifreeze", the blood of this fish does not freeze even in ice.

Inhabitants of the Indian Ocean

Animal world The Indian Ocean is amazing and very diverse. Among the animals, one can distinguish a large number of crabs and an interesting fish - the mudskipper, which inhabits almost all mangroves (a form of coastal vegetation) of the ocean.

Mudskippers- these are fish no more than 20 cm, which deftly jump along the shore and climb along the roots and brushwood of mangroves. Here they hunt insects and small crabs. They can jump up to 30 cm, or even higher. Thanks to excellent eyesight and dexterity, they grab flies on the fly. They also have a unique ability for fish to look at any object with both eyes at the same time. On land they breathe through wet, mucus-covered, skin covering... They can stay out of water for a long time. It is enough for them to plunge into at least some puddle from time to time. In addition, they often sit on land for a long time, with their tail dipping into the water. Despite the well-developed gills, they quickly die if they are forcibly kept in deep water.

One can talk about sharks living in the waters of the Indian Ocean for a long time and in detail. There are a lot of them here. Shark-mako- the fastest shark in the world, can reach speeds of up to 50 km / h. She has a powerful streamlined body deep of blue color, it can be up to 4 m long. Great blue shark- a four-meter shark with a dark blue back and a white belly.

But the main mistress of these waters, undoubtedly, is White shark or as it is sometimes called - karcharodon. Great white shark- a six-meter shark with a gray back and a white belly. It mainly feeds on seals and seals, but sometimes attacks humans. Between 50 and 70 shark attacks per person are recorded annually. Fewer than 4 attacks are fatal each year.

The birds are represented by albatrosses and frigates. Albatross- a large seabird, capable of not returning to land in places. Albatrosses catch squid, octopus and fish from the ocean surface. In wandering albatross and royal albatross, the wingspan can reach 3.5 m - these are the most big birds on the ground. Frigates- large black and white seabirds. During mating season, males' throat sacs turn red, and they inflate these sacs to attract the attention of females. Sometimes frigates steal food from other birds, biting others by the tail and forcing them to release prey, which they pick up and eat.

Inhabitants of the atlantic ocean

The fauna of the Atlantic Ocean is very numerous and varied. Thousands of animal species are found in all areas of the ocean. Here you can see predators dangerous to humans: sharks, barracuda and moray eels.

Barracuda- two-meter fish, hunts in coral reefs, with sharp teeth the lower jaw, located both inside and outside. They hunt in packs. Moray- three-meter sea ​​eel, which hides in the crevices of a coral reef and from this shelter attacks prey - fish or octopuses.

The world of corals is quite peculiar here, and off the coast of Cuba there are whole “underwater forests” - thickets of soft corals. A coral reef is an underwater limestone structure made up of the hard skeletons of tiny animals called polyps. Coral reefs lie in warm, clear, shallow waters off rocky coasts or volcanic islands. Life flourishes next to them. Many small animals feed on algae that grow on corals. The corals themselves serve as food for some animals, such as the parrotfish and the Crown of Thorns star. Only 200 years ago, coral was considered a plant, not an animal. Many coral reefs are threatened with destruction. Water pollution, rising average temperatures, souvenir hunting and deepening shipping lanes are destroying corals that have been growing for millions of years.

Sponges live in the deep ocean, annelids, crustaceans, starfish and sea lilies.

Sponge- an invertebrate animal without a heart, and, brain and developed parts of the body. The sponges are attached to hard surfaces. They feed by passing and filtering water through the small pores of their bodies.

Worms- a group of long, thin, soft-bodied animals. Some species live in burrows or sand.

Crustaceans- arthropods such as crabs, lobsters, krill and barnacles, which have two sensitive receptors on their heads, which are called antennae.

Starfish Is an echinoderm with five legs and a mouth on the underside of the body. Uses suction cups on its feet to open shells and eat molluscs. If, as a result of attack by other animals starfish loses several limbs, they then grow back.

Sea lilies- graceful creatures, similar to flowers, belong to the kingdom of fauna. They are divided into two large groups: stemmed and stemless. Stem lilies are attached to one place all their lives. Most often found in the deepest areas. Stalkless lilies can not only crawl from place to place, but can even swim slowly, using tentacles like oars.

Pacific inhabitants

More than half of the living matter of the entire World Ocean of the Earth is concentrated in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The representative of toothed whales, the sperm whale, is widespread, and several species of striped whales are among the toothless whales. The sperm whale is a large toothed whale that can reach 20 m in length. Able to hold his breath for an hour. Dives to a depth of 3 km in search of giant squids. Giant squid- a kind of squid, can grow up to 13 m long. It feeds on fish that live on seabed... It can live at a depth of 200 to 1000 m, so very little is known about this species.

Striped whales- flexible and fast baleen whales with pronounced grooves on the lower jaw and belly. These include the largest animal on the planet - the blue whale. Which can reach over 30m in length. It feeds on huge amounts of krill. Krill- the collective name for small marine planktonic crustaceans (crustaceans), which makes up a significant part of the diet of many animals. At night, vast quantities of krill rise to the surface to feed and become food for whales and seabirds there.

V northern waters In the Pacific Ocean, the sea lion seals and walrus, which have become very rare, are found, which have a circumpolar range, but are now on the verge of extinction. Walruses ‒ large mammals with two long tusks and powerful fins. A layer of subcutaneous fat keeps them out of the cold. They swim and dive beautifully, probing the seabed with their whiskers in search of crabs and shell molluscs. Males use their tusks during fights for the female.

Pacific Ocean thanks high temperatures its surface waters in tropical latitudes are especially rich in various types of corals, including those with a calcareous skeleton. Coral- hard calcareous material from the skeletons of a colony of polyps. Different types of polyps form corals of various shapes. Polyps- tiny animals, the body of which consists of a stomach, mouth and tentacles. The soft body is protected by the skeleton. When a polyp dies, it becomes a solid, dead part of the coral, and a new polyp grows in its place. Corals can look like plant branches, tubes, or even a human brain.

A large number of fish are permanent inhabitants of coral reefs. Butterfly fish are small, brightly colored fish, often with eye-like markings on the tail. This color allows them to deceive a predator that attacks the fish from behind, giving it a chance to escape. They feed on small crustaceans and coral polyps... Clown fish - small fish, which has an orange and white striped coloration, lives between poisonous tentacles sea ​​anemones... The fish themselves are protected from the poison by a layer of mucus, but the predators can be burned to death by the poison. Anemones - marine organisms that look like flowers. Relatives of jellyfish and polyps. They attach to rocks and rocks and use their tentacles to catch prey. Parrotfish are brightly colored fish with a hard beak. With this beak, they scrape off algae from the coral reef, often biting off pieces of coral. In the mouth of parrot fish there are horn plates with which they crush coral and get to prey.

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The oceans are a special ecosystem that develops according to their own laws. Particular attention should be paid to the flora and fauna of the oceans. The area of ​​the World Ocean occupies 71% of the surface of our planet. The whole territory is divided into special natural areas, where its own type of climate, flora and fauna was formed. Each of the four oceans of the planet has its own characteristics.

Plants of the Pacific

The main part of the flora of the Pacific Ocean is phytoplankton. It consists mainly of unicellular algae, and this is more than 1.3 thousand species (peridinea, diatoms). In this area, there are about 400 species of algae, while there are only 29 sea grasses and flowers. In the tropics and subtropics, you can find coral reefs and mangrove plants, as well as red and green algae. Where the climate is colder, in temperate climatic zone growing kelp brown algae... Sometimes at considerable depths there are giant algae about two hundred meters long. A significant part of the plants is found precisely in the shallow zone of the ocean.

The following plants live in the Pacific Ocean:

Unicellular algae- these are the simplest plants that live in the salty waters of the ocean in dark places. Due to the presence of chlorophyll, they acquire a green tint.

Diatoms which have a silica shell. They are part of phytoplankton.

- grow in places of constant currents, form a "kelp belt". Usually they are found at a depth of 4-10 meters, but sometimes they are at the bottom of 35 meters. The most common are green and brown kelp.

Cladophorus Stimpson... Tree-like, dense plants, formed by bushes, the length of bunches and branches reaches 25 cm. Grows on a muddy and sandy-muddy bottom at a depth of 3-6 meters.

Ulva perforated... Two-layer plants, the length of which varies from a few centimeters to one meter. They live at a depth of 2.5-10 meters.

Zostera sea... This is a seagrass that is found in shallow waters up to 4 meters.

Plants of the Arctic Ocean

Northern Arctic Ocean lies in polar belt, and the climate here is harsh. This was reflected in the formation of the flora world, which is characterized by poverty and little diversity. The basis of the flora of this ocean is algae. Researchers have counted about 200 species of phytoplankton. Mainly unicellular algae... They are the backbone of the food chain in this area. However, phytoalgae are actively developing here. This is facilitated by cold water, creating optimal conditions for their growth.

Major Ocean Plants:

These algae grow in bushes, reaching sizes from 10 cm to 2 m.

This type of dark red algae has a filamentous body, grows 20 cm.

Blackjack... This flowering plant, which are up to 4 meters long, is common in shallow waters.

Plants of the Atlantic Ocean

The flora of the Atlantic Ocean is different kinds algae and flowering plants. The most common flowering species are Oceanic Posidonia and Zostera. These plants are found on the seabed of ocean basins. As for Posadonia, it is very ancient species flora, and scientists have established its age - 100,000 years.
As in other oceans, the dominant place in flora are occupied by algae. Their variety and quantity depends on the water temperature and depth. So in cold waters, kelp is most common. V temperate climates fuchs and red algae grow. In warm tropical zones very warm, and this environment is not at all suitable for the growth of algae.

V warm waters Better conditions for phytoplankton. It lives on average at a depth of one hundred meters and has complex composition... Plants in phytoplankton change depending on latitude and season. The largest plants in Atlantic Ocean grow at the bottom. This is how the Sargasso Sea stands out, in which a high density of algae is observed. Among the most common types are the following plants:

Phylospadix. This is sea flax, grass, reaches a length of 2-3 meters, have a bright green color.

Birth names. Occurs in bushes with flat leaves, they contain phycoerythrin pigment.

Brown algae. There are various types of them in the ocean, but they are united by the presence of the pigment fucoxanthin. They grow on different levels: 6-15 m and 40-100 m.

Indian Ocean Plants

The Indian Ocean is rich in red and brown algae. These are kelp, macrocystis and fucus. Quite a lot of green algae grows in the water area. There are also calcareous types of algae. There is also a lot of sea grass - Poseidonia in the waters.

Macrocystis... Perennial brown algae, the length of which reaches 45 m in waters at a depth of 20-30 m.

They live at the bottom of the ocean.

Blue-green algae... They grow at depth in bushes of varying density.

Posidonia seagrass... Distributed at a depth of 30-50 m, leaves up to 50 cm long.

Thus, the vegetation in the oceans is not as diverse as on land. However, phytoplankton and algae form the basis. Some species are found in all oceans, and some only in certain latitudes, depending on solar radiation and water temperature.

In general, the underwater world of the World Ocean has been little studied, so every year scientists discover new species of flora that need to be studied.