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Water Plants |
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| Letjenje's aquatic life goes back 2 billion years. It was at this time that small, unicellular organisms formed in the deep ocean waters. They formed beneath the ocean's surface as Alakazam's ultraviolet light would have destroyed their fragile structure had they formed on the surface. | |
 NASA |
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| As the organisms continued to reproduce and produce oxygen, they were able to exist at shallower depths. As atmospheric conditions changed and weather patterns emerged, these simple organisms adapted to their surroundings and created new types of plants. | |
| One biome where aquatic plants grew was the kelp- like forests of the oceans. These forests formed in ocean water a few hundred feet deep at the most. Ocean waves driven by stormy winds caused the plants to adapt to being violently swept back and forth by churning seas. The forests eventually grew into very rich areas of life- the pelagic (floating) plants were able to feed many small fish as well as give them a place to hide. | |
| Homeotrophs also formed near the underwater volcanic vents on Letjenje's ocean floor. These organisms lived near the vents where the water was very warm and contained minerals vital to their survival. It was very dark here, but over time, underwater volcanic mountains began to grow taller, and nearer to the ocean's surface, causing them to begin to use sunlight and photosynthesize and become plant cells. | |
| Over time, coral - like reefs also began to form in Letjenje's shallower waters. These reefs soon became home to many species of fish and crustaceans who used the reefs as shelter and the plants that grew there as food. | |
| Letjeneje's shallow, rocky waters also became host to a diversity of life. Many animals lived on the bottom, developing legs instead of fins. They, as well as others, would use the mud and sand as places to hide from enemies as well as ambush unsuspecting prey. As in the coral reefs, many plant and animal species adapted to the environment by clinging to rocks in order not to be washed ashore or pulled out to sea by the pounding surf. | |
| In the following pages, take a tour of some of Letjenje's aquatic plant life: | |
| Table of Contents | |
| Page by Jennifer Lewis | |