Aquatic Ecology Vocabulary (Living in the Environment 14th Edition)
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Created by:
iluvmyfriends4ever on December 8, 2010
Subjects:
advanced placement environmental science
Description:
Mr. Migdal's vocabulary for Chapter 7
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37 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 light | (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation |
| dissolved oxygen | oxygen dissolved in water, dissolved oxygen is important for fish and other aquatic animals |
| nutrients | substances in food that your body needs to grow, to repair itself, and to supply you with energy; all the chemical substances that an organism needs to sustain life |
| polyps | erosion-resistant marine ridge or mound consisting chiefly of compacted coral together with algal material and biochemically deposited magnesium and calcium carbonates. |
| coral bleaching | coral animals become stressed and release symbiotic algae and the entire reef will die; occurs when a coral becomes stressed and expels most of its colorful algae, leaving an underlying ghostly white skeleton of calcium carbonat |
| zooxanthellae | symbiotic unicellular dinophytes found in corals, sea anemones, mollusks and several other types of marine animals, forms an endosymbiotic relationship with corals and performs photosynthesis. |
| salinity | a measure of the amount of dissolved salts and other solids in a given amount of liquid |
| plankton | primarily microscopic organisms that occupy the upper water layers in both freshwater and marine ecosystems |
| nekton | all organisms that swim actively in open water, independent of currents |
| benthos | organisms (plants and animals) that live at or near the bottom of a sea and the littoral zones |
| phytoplankton | Microscopic, free-floating, autotrophic organisms that function as producers in aquatic ecosystems |
| zooplankton | Floating microscopic animals, including the larval stages of many larger animals. feed on phytoplankton and other zooplankton. |
| calcium carbonate | CaCO₃; made up of calcium, carbon, and oxygen. It dissolves when in contact with acid |
| open sea | The sharp increase in water depth at the edge of the continental shelf separates the coastal zone from the vast volume of the ocean |
| coastal zone | the warm, nutrient-rich, shallow water that extends from the high-tide mark on land to the gently sloping, shallow edge of the continental shelf. |
| continental shelf | the relatively shallow (up to 200 meters) seabed surrounding a continent, a gently sloping, shallow area of the ocean floor that extends outward from the edge of a continent |
| estuary | the area where a freshwater stream or river merges with the ocean |
| marshes | areas of soft, wet land; many plants and animals live here;, wetlands without trees; in North America, this type of land is characterized by cattails and rushes |
| swamps | wetland with trees, such as the extensive swamp forests of the southern U.S.; most productive wetlands |
| coastal wetlands | Land areas covered with water all or part of the year (i.e river mouths, inlets, bays, sounds) |
| intertidal zone | portion of the shoreline that lies between the high and low tide lines;, The shallow zone of the ocean where land meets water |
| barrier islands | low, narrow, sandy islands that form offshore from a coastline |
| euphotic zone | Upper layer of a body of water through which sunlight can penetrate and support photosynthesis. |
| bathyal zone | this ocean zone is divided into twilight and dark zones. little sunlight reaches this area. octopus, sharks, squid and many other large nekton are in this zone |
| abyssal zone | The portion of the ocean floor where light does not penetrate and where temperatures are cold and pressures intense (2000m or more) |
| littoral zone | a shallow zone in a freshwater habitat where light reaches the bottom and nurtures plants |
| lemnetic zone | occurs off shore |
| profundal zone | The zone in a freshwater habitat to which little sunlight penetrates |
| benthic zone | The bottom region of oceans and bodies of fresh water |
| oligotrophic lake | aquatic environment that contains scarce amounts of nutrients and organic matter |
| eutrophic lake | A highly productive lake, having a high rate of biological productivity supported by a high rate of nutrient cycling. |
| mesotrophic lake | mature lake with moderate amounts of nutrients and a diverse community. |
| cultural eutrophication | Overnourishment of aquatic ecosystems with plant nutrients (mostly nitrates and phosphates) because of human activities such as agriculture, urbanization, and discharges from industrial plants and sewage treatment plants. |
| thermocline | a layer in a body of water in which water temperature drops with increased depth faster than it does in other layers |
| fall turnover | as the surface water cools, its density increases and eventually it displaces the warmer, mineral-rich water beneath. the warmer water then rises to the surace where it cools and sinks; continues till a uniform temperature is reached. |
| spring turnover | surface water is warmed to 4 degrees Celsius and sinks below the cooler water, bringin nutrients to the surface |
| watershed | the land area that supplies water to a river system |
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