Our Ocean Planet Science Geography ages 7-11 unit is a KS2 teacher resource. Students discover marine topics across both the UK and globally, developing ocean literacy.
What are the different marine habitats around the UK?
Marine habitats
99% of all living space on Earth is in the ocean. Just like on land, the ocean is filled with many different habitats. This diagram shows some of the main habitat zones, but don't forget about all the different types of habitat in the ocean like kelp forests, seagrass meadows, sea mounts and coral reefs.
Deep ocean
The deep ocean habitat is home to many weird and wonderful organisms like the angler fish.
Open ocean
The open ocean is the name given to the waters near the surface far from shore.
Shallow seas
Lots of organisms live in shallow sea, so it’s where we do most of our fishing.
Sea floor
Lots of organisms make their home on the sea floor. As the water gets deeper, it gets colder, darker and there’s more pressure.
Muddy and sandy shore
Sandy and muddy shores make up two thirds of the world’s ice free shores. These habitats are strongly affected by the tide.
Rocky shore
Rocky shores are covered by the sea at high tide. When the tide goes out, small pools of water form in among the rocks. These rock pools can contain hundreds of different species and are great fun to explore.