Chapter 15 Ocean Water and Ocean Life
About this set
Created by:
hennisdeb on February 9, 2010
Subjects:
Description:
Chapter 15 Ocean water and ocean life; oceanography unit
Classes:
hennis earth science, earth science hennis, earth science hudson, hudson earth science
Log in to favorite or report as inappropriate.
Order by
23 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 salinity | the proportion of dissolved salts to pure water, usually expressed in parts per thousands |
| thermocline | a layer of water in which there is rapid change in temperature with depth |
| density | mass per unit volume, usually expressed as grams per centimeter |
| pycnocline | a layer of water in which there is a rapid change of density with depth |
| mixed zone | an area of ocean surface with uniform temperatures created by the mixing of water by waves, currents, and tides |
| plankton | passively drifting or weakly swimming organisms that cannot move independently of ocean currents; includes microscopic algae, protozoa, jellyfish, and larval forms of many animals |
| phytoplankton | algal plankton, which are the nost important community of primary producers in the ocean |
| zooplankton | animal plankton |
| nekton | organisms that can move independently of ocean currents by swimming or other means of propulsion; includes most adult fish and squid, marine mammals, and marine reptiles |
| benthos | the forms of marine-life that live on or near the ocean bottom; includes marine algae, sea stars, and crabs |
| photic zone | the upper part of the ocean into which sunlight penetrates |
| intertidal zone | the area where land and sea meet and overlap; the zone between high and low tides |
| oceanic zone | the marine-life zone beyond the continental shelf |
| neritic zone | the marine life zone that extends from the low-tide line out to the shelf break |
| pelagic zone | open ocean of any depth; animals in this zone swim or float freely |
| benthic zone | one of the marine life zones that includes any sea-bottom surface regardless of its distance from shore |
| abyssal zone | a subdivision of the benthic zone characterized by extremely high pressures, low temperatures, low oxygen, few nutrients, and no sunlight |
| primary productivity | the production of organic matter from inorganic substances through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis |
| phytosynthesis | the process by which plants, algae, and certain prokaryotes use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into energy-rich glucose mlecules |
| chemosynthesis | the process by which certain microorganisms use chemical energy to produce food |
| trophic level | a nourishment level in a food chain; plant and algae producers constitute the lowest level, followed by herbivores and a series of carnivores at progressively higher levels |
| food chain | a succession of organisms through which food energy is transferred, starting with primary producers |
| food web | a group of interrelated food chains |
First Time Here?
Welcome to Quizlet, a fun, free place to study. Try these flashcards, find others to study, or make your own.