| Term | Definition |
|---|
| aphotic zone | permanently dark layer of the oceans below the photic zone |
| benthos | organisms that live attached to or near the ocean floor |
| coastal ocean | marine zone that extends from the lowtide mark to the end of the continental shelf |
| coral reef | diverse and productive environment named for the coral animals that make up its primary structure |
| detritus | particals of organic material that provide food for organisms at the base of an estuary's food web |
| estuary | wetlands formed where rivers meet the ocean |
| kelp forest | coastal ocean commmunity named for its dominant organism-kelp, a giant brown alga |
| mangrove swamp | coastal wetland dominates by mangroves, salt-tolerant woody plants |
| plankton | tiny, free-floating organisms that occur in aquatic environmentss |
| photic zone | well-lit upper layer of the oceans |
| phytoplankton | populatio of algae and other small, photosynthetic organisms found near the surface of the ocean and forming part of plankton |
| salt marsh | temperate-zone estuary dominated by the salt-tolerant grasses above the low-tide zone and by seagrasses under water |
| wetland | ecosystem in which water either covers the soil or is present at or near the surface of the soil for at least part of the year |
| zonation | prominent horizontal banding of organisms that live in a particular habitat |
| zooplankton | tiny animals that from part of the plankton |
Combine with other sets
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