WEEKLY LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

Science 5 Quarter 2 Week 6

Interactions Among Living Things and Non-Living Things in Estuaries

and Intertidal Zone

Name: ________________________________________ Section: _________________

Most Essential Learning Competency:

Discuss the interactions among living things and non-living things in

estuaries and intertidal zones (S5LT-IIh-8)

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the biotic and abiotic factors in an intertidal zones and

estuarine ecosystem
2. Explain how the biotic and abiotic factors affect the intertidal zone
and estuaries
3. Identify the feeding relationship in an intertidal zone and estuaries

Time Allotment: 1 week

Key Concepts
(Science 5, LM, pp. 84-100)

• Areas which are constantly exposed to changing tides are called intertidal
zones. This habitat is exposed to air during
low tide and covered with water during
high tide. Intertidal zones are home to
many kinds of marine animals and birds.
The daily changes in the tides play a major
role to the life of living things in this area.
Different organism in these habitats are
able to adapt to allow them to survive. The
daily changes in tides play the major role Figure 1: Intertidal zone
Matho, Cortes, Surigao del Sur
to the life of living things in this area.

• Estuaries are areas where seawater meets the fresh water from the rivers.
These areas are said to have brackish waters, which means they have a
mixture of saltwater and freshwater. This is also called as “nurseries of
the seas

Author: Rosemarieliza L. Ramirez

School/Station: Tandag Pilot Elementary School
Division: Tandag City Division
email address: [email protected]
 • Estuaries also provide habitats for
many organisms. These habitats have a
lot of abiotic factors that affects the
living things thriving in them. The
following are the abiotic factors that
affects the life in estuaries:
• Waves refer to the movement of the
surface of the water. These are strong
forces that organism must learn to live
with. Kelp, a kind of algae, has a strong
root-like structures that attaches itself
Figure 2: Estuary
Pangi, Tandag City to rocks to keep it from being carried
away by the waves.

• Salinity refers to the amount of salt in water. Mangroves and blue

crabs have adjusted well to the constantly changing salinity of water
due to continuous flow of freshwater and saltwater though the
estuary.

• Temperature refers to the level of hotness or coldness of water. It

changes because of the tides and amount of sunlight.

• Since the intertidal zones and estuaries are shallow as compared to

the seas, they are also conducive for photosynthesis to take place.
Algae, seaweeds, sea grasses, and other marine plants depend on the
amount of sunlight that they receive in the estuaries.

• The types of soil differ in estuaries depending on the strength of

waves and kinds of rock present in the area. Some areas are full of
rocks, sand, pebble, or clay. Since nutrients are found in the soil,
these types of soils have an effect on the kind of living things that live
in these ecosystems.

Author: Rosemarieliza L. Ramirez

School/Station: Tandag Pilot Elementary School
Division: Tandag City Division
email address: [email protected]
 • The biotic factors in
intertidal zone and
estuary composed of all
plants, animals and
microorganisms living in
it. These organisms live in
different habitat found in
intertidal zones and
estuaries. These includes
coral reefs, salt marshes,
mud flats, rocky shores,
and mangrove forests. Figure 3: The biotic and abiotic factors of
intertidal zone and estuary ecosystems
Illustrator: Razul Raddammi L. Ramirez
Coral reefs are the areas of estuaries
which part of the subtidal zone where
biodiversity is rich. It provides shelter to
thousands of fish. The coral itself are
animals that feed on plankton. The
corals form reefs that protect the coast
Figure 4: Coral reef
from strong waves and currents.
ImageSourcehttps://www.aims.gov.au/do
cs/media/latestnews/asset_publisher/EnA
5gMcJvXjd/content/extent-and-severity-of-
2016-coral-bleaching-on-australia-s-coral-
reefs-revealed

Salt marshes are areas in the estuary that

filled with sea water during high tides and
are drained during low tides. They are
marshy because they are filled with
decomposing plant matter. Organisms
found in this area are clams, mussels,
oysters, crabs, snails, and shrimps. Plant
Figure 5: Salt marshes
ImageSource:https://pixabay.com/p found in salt marshes are sea grasses and
hotos/salt-marshes-north-sea-watts- other plants that are tolerant of salt water.
coast-3691355/

Author: Rosemarieliza L. Ramirez

School/Station: Tandag Pilot Elementary School
Division: Tandag City Division
email address: [email protected]
 Mud flats or tidal flats are areas in
estuaries where mud from the seas or
rivers is deposited. They are usually the
areas for migratory birds, crabs, sand
dollars, mussels, clams, mollusks,
shellfish, and some fish.
Figure 6: Mud flats
ImageSourcehttps://www.earth.com/e
arthpedia-articles/mudflats/

Rocky shores are areas in estuaries

where solid rocks are found. Animals
found in the rocky shores are plankton,
brittle stars, star fish, hermit crab,
barnacles, limpets, mollusks, periwinkle,
shore crabs, shrimps and prawns.

Figure 7: Rocky shore

Mangrove forest are areas in the

estuary that are filled with mangrove
tress. These trees have adapted to
saltwater. Mangrove protect the coasts
against erosion caused by waves, winds,
and tides. They also protect coral reefs
and sea grass beds from silting or
deposition of sand. Mangrove forests are
also breeding ground for different kinds
Figure 8: Mangrove forest of fish and shellfish. Other organisms
found in the mangrove ecosystems are
algae, barnacles, oysters, shrimps, lobsters, and crabs.

• The living organisms in any ecosystem consist of producers, consumers and

decomposers. Energy and nutrients are transferred from the producers to
decomposers through their feeding relationships called Food Chain - is
the feeding relationship between animals and plants in an ecosystem. It is
a series of organisms in which each organism feeds on another organism
and so on. A food chain always begins with a producer. When food chains
are interlinked, they form a food web. A food web consists of two or more
food chains.

Author: Rosemarieliza L. Ramirez

School/Station: Tandag Pilot Elementary School
Division: Tandag City Division
email address: [email protected]
 1. Producers are green plants, algae, or microorganisms that are
capable of making their own food. They make their own food by
converting energy from the sun into chemical energy. Producers
provide energy and nutrients to other organisms.

2. Consumers get their energy by feeding on plants and other

organisms. All animals are consumers.
a. Primary consumers are organisms that eat only plants. They
are also called herbivores.
b. Secondary consumers are organisms that eat other animals.
They are also called carnivores.
c. Tertiary consumers they are organisms that eat other animals
and even plants. They can be carnivores or omnivores.

3. Decomposers get energy by breaking down dead organisms and

their wastes. When they break down these dead organisms and
wastes, nutrients are needed by plants for their growth and
development. Examples of decomposers are fungi and bacteria.

Below are examples of food chain as shown in figure 9 and food

web as shown in figure 10.

Figure 9: Food Chain Figure 10: Food Web

Illustrator: Razul Raddammi L. Ramirez Illustrator: Razul Raddammi L. Ramirez

Author: Rosemarieliza L. Ramirez

School/Station: Tandag Pilot Elementary School
Division: Tandag City Division
email address: [email protected]
Exercises / Activities

Activity 1 – Biotic and Abiotic

What you need: notebook, pen/pencil
What to do:
1. Identify whether the organisms listed below is biotic (living things) or
abiotic (non-living things).
2. Put a check ( √ ) on the column provided. Write your answers on a
separate sheet of paper.

organisms Biotic (living things) Abiotic (non-living

things)
1. corals
2. air
3. mangrove
4. sunlight
5. jellyfish

Guide Questions:

1. What are the abiotic factors in an intertidal zone and in an estuarine

ecosystem?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

2. Why do abiotic factors important in an ecosystem?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Activity 2 – Effects of abiotic and biotic factors

What you need:
notebook, pen/pencil
What to do:
1. Copy and fill up the table below with the effects of abiotic and biotic
factors to intertidal zone and estuaries.
2. Choose your answer from the statement written below the table.

Biotoc/Abiotic Effect to intertidal zone and estuaries

Factor
Salinity
Temperature
Mangroves
Coral reefs
Waves

Author: Rosemarieliza L. Ramirez

School/Station: Tandag Pilot Elementary School
Division: Tandag City Division
email address: [email protected]
 A. provide shelter to marine animals in intertidal zone and estuaries
B. biotic factors have adjusted well to the constantly changing of water
due to continuous flow of fresh and salt water
C. the level of hotness or coldness of water where some organisms keep
themselves hidden from direct sunlight or away from the coldness of
the water
D. helps protect the coast from strong waves and current
E. the movement of the surface of the water enable other organisms like
algae to attaches itself to rocks to keep it from being carried away

Guide Questions:

1. How do biotic and abiotic factors affect the intertidal zone and
estuarine ecosystem?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Activity 3 – A. Food chain

What you need: paper, pen/pencil
What to do:
1. Study the pictures below.
2. Identify each organism in a food chain.
3. On a separate sheet of paper, create a food chain using the following
organisms. Write the name of each organism inside the box.

diatoms
snail catfish
heron

Illustrator: Razul Raddammi L. Ramirez

Author: Rosemarieliza L. Ramirez Food Chain

School/Station: Tandag Pilot Elementary School
Division: Tandag City Division
email address: [email protected]
Activity 3 – B. Food Web
What you need: paper, pen/pencil
What to do:
1. Study the organisms below.
2. Create a food web using an arrow to show their feeding relationship.

catfish

heron

sardine

diatoms

small shrimps

Illustrator: Razul Raddammi L. Ramirez

Guide Questions:

1. What feeding relationships exist inFood

estuaries
Chain and intertidal zones?
________________________________________________________________

2. What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?

________________________________________________________________

Reflection (question)

How can you help save the estuaries and intertidal zones from
destruction like the improper disposal of wastes?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Author: Rosemarieliza L. Ramirez

School/Station: Tandag Pilot Elementary School
Division: Tandag City Division
email address: [email protected]
References:

Books:

Sarte, Evelyn T., Eliza A. Lopez, Mary Jean G. Dela Cruz, Harold A. Arradaza,
and Ednaliza R. Garcia. 2016. Science Byeond Borders Teachers
Manual, Quezon City: Vibal Group Inc.

Sarte, Evelyn T., Eliza A. Lopez, Mary Jean G. Dela Cruz, Harold A. Arradaza,
and Ednaliza R. Garcia. 2016. Science Byeond Borders Teachers
Textbooks, Quezon City: Vibal Group

Photos:

2020,https://www.aims.gov.au/docs/media/latest-
news/asset_publisher/EnA5gMcJvXjd/content/extent-and-severity-of-
2016-coral-bleaching-on-australia-s-coral-reefs-revealed. Accessed 9 Nov
2020.

2020, https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/mudflats/. Accessed 9

Nov 2020.

2020, https://pixabay.com/photos/salt-marshes-north-sea-watts-coast-
3691355/. Accessed 9 Nov 2020.

Author: Rosemarieliza L. Ramirez

School/Station: Tandag Pilot Elementary School
Division: Tandag City Division
email address: [email protected]
 email address: [email protected]
Division: Tandag City Division
School/Station: Tandag Pilot Elementary School
Author: Rosemarieliza L. Ramirez
Activity 3 – A. Food chain Activity 3 – B. Food web
Guide questions:
1. The feeding relationship exist in intertidal zone and estuaries are producer, consumer,
and decomposer
2. A food chain only follows just one path as animals find food. A food web consists of
many food chains.
Activity 2 – Effects of abiotic and biotic factors
Biotoc/Abiotic Factors effect to intertidal zone and estuaries
Salinity B. biotic factors have adjusted well to the constantly
changing of water due to continuous flow of fresh and
salt water
Temperature A. the level of hotness or coldness of water where some
organisms keep themselves hidden from direct sunlight
or away from the coldness of the water
Mangroves B. provide shelter to marine animals in intertidal zone and
estuaries
Coral reefs D. helps protect the coast from strong waves and current
Waves E. the movement of the surface of the water enable other
organisms like algae to attaches itself to rocks to keep it
from being carried away
Guide questions:
1. air, sunlight, temperature, waves, salinity, types of soil, birds, mangroves, fish, coral
reefs, crabs, marine plants (answers may vary)
2. abiotic factors of intertidal zone and estuaries often have an influence and support the
biotic factors, biotic factors do the same thing. Abiotic factors need biotic factors to
survive since they make up an ecosystem
Activity 1 – Biotic and abiotic
organisms Biotic (living things) Abiotic (non-living things)
1. corals √
2. air √
3. mangrove √
4. sunlight √
5. jellyfish √
Guide Questions:
1. air, sunlight, temperature, waves, salinity, types of soil
2. birds, mangroves, fish, coral reefs, crabs, marine plants (answers may vary)
Answers key: