Chapter 16
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43 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 mesopelagic zone | The pelagic environment from a depth of approximately 100 to 200 m |
| photic zone | The surface layer where there is enough light for photosynthesis to occur |
| deep sea | The dark waters below the mesopelagic zone |
| photosynthesis | The chemical process involved in the transformation of solar energy into glucose |
| respiration | The chemical process involved in the release of energy from organic matter |
| thermohaline circulation | Ocean circulation that is driven by differences in water density, due to variations in water temperature and salinity, rather than by the wind or tides |
| main thermocline | The zone where the temperature change marks the transition between the warm surface water and the cold deep water |
| krill | Planktonic crustaceans that are an important food of whales and other animals |
| copepods | Small, mostly planktonic crustaceans |
| photophores | An organ that produces bioluminescence |
| light organs | Are bioluminescent organs |
| bioluminescence | The production of light by living organisms |
| carapace | The shield like structure that covers the anterior portion of some crustaceans |
| arrow worms | Planktonic invertebrates characterized by a streamlined, transparent body |
| detritus | Particles of dead organic matter |
| swim bladder | The gas filled cavity in the body of bony fishes that is involved in the adjustment of buoyancy |
| deep scattering layer (DSL) | A sound reflecting layer made up of many types of organisms that migrate daily from the mesopelagic to the epipelagic zone |
| countershading | A color pattern that results in a dark back and a light belly; most common in epipelagic fish |
| tubular eyes | Specialized eyes of many midwater animals that allow acute upward or downward vision |
| counterillumination | The emission of light by midwater animals to match the background light |
| oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) | A layer of water at approximately a depth of 500 m (1,600 ft) where oxygen is depleted |
| hemoglobin | A blood protein that transports oxygen in many animals |
| bathypelagic zone | The pelagic environment from a depth of 1000 m (3000 ft) to 4000 m (13000) |
| abyssopelagic zone | The pelagic environment from a depth of 4000 m (13000 ft) to 6000 m (20000) |
| hadal pelagic zone | The pelagic environment below a depth of 6000 m (20000 ft) |
| trench | A narrow deep, depression in the sea floor |
| hermaphrodite | An organism that has both male and female gonads |
| pheromone | A chemical that organisms use to communicate with other members of their species |
| enzyme | A protein that speeds up a specific chemical reaction |
| metabolism | All the chemical reactions that take place in an organism |
| benthos | Organisms that live on the bottom |
| chitin | A complex dervitive of charbohydrates that is the main component of the skeleton of many animals |
| meiofauna | Microscopic animals that live on the bottom; often used as a synonym of interstitial fauna |
| macrofauna | Large fauna that graze on the meiofauna |
| suspension feeder | An animal that feeds on particles suspended in the water |
| deposit feeder | An animal that feeds on organic matter that settles on the bottom |
| infauna | Animals that burrow in the substrate |
| epifauna | Animals that live on the surface of the substrate |
| deep sea gigantism | A phenomenon that is the reason for larger animals in the deep sea. The reason for it is unknown |
| chemosynthetic prokaryotes | Autotrophic bacteria and archaea that use energy by releasing it from particular chemical compounds |
| hydrothermal vent | A deep-sea hot spring where heated sea water forces its way up through the crust |
| hydrogen sulfide | The gas that is produced in anoxic sediments |
| cold seeps | Places along the continental margin or in sediment-rich basins like the Gulf of Mexico, where hydrogen sulfide and methane are produced by the decay of organic matter seep from the sea floor |
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