10. Living Hydrosphere: Ocean Ecosystems

Question 1

thermocline

Answer 1

the transitional zone between warm surface water and cold water at depth

Question 2

epipelagic zone

Answer 2

sunlit surface of the ocean down to 200m (1st)

Question 3

mesopelagic zone

Answer 3

2nd zone in the ocean (aka twilight zone)

Question 4

bathypelagic zone

Answer 4

3rd zone in the ocean (no light)

Question 5

abyssopelagic zone

Answer 5

4th zone in the ocean

Question 6

hadal zone

Answer 6

5th zone in the ocean. (only deep sea trenches are in the hadal zone)

Question 7

salinity

Answer 7

concentration of dissolved minerals in seawater

Question 8

gyre

Answer 8

large, circular ocean current

Question 9

bathymetry

Answer 9

measurement of depth and topography beneath the surface of a body of water

Question 10

continental shelf

Answer 10

shallow, sloping seafloor near continental margins

Question 11

abyssal plain

Answer 11

a flat plain on the ocean floor at depths between 4 000- 6 000 m

Question 12

mid-ocean ridge

Answer 12

a submarine mountain range

Question 13

seamount

Answer 13

a mountain rising from the seafloor, often a flat-topped inactive volcano

Question 14

deep-sea trench

Answer 14

a long narrow valley on the seafloor; deep-sea trenches are the deepest parts of the ocean

Question 15

fringing reef

Answer 15

a coral reef that forms near and parallel to a coastline

Question 16

barrier reef

Answer 16

a coral reef that runs parallel to the shoreline and forms a deep-water lagoon behind it

Question 17

atoll

Answer 17

a ring of coral reefs with an interior lagoon, formed around a sinking volcano

Question 18

lagoon

Answer 18

a fully or partly enclosed stretch of salt water formed by a coral reef or sand spit

Question 19

coral bleaching

Answer 19

the loss of colouration in corals caused by the absence of their mutualistic algae, which occurs when they have been stressed or have died

Question 20

mangrove forest

Answer 20

a coastal marine ecosystem dominated by saltwater-tolerant shrubs and trees, found in the tropics and subtropics

Question 21

seagrass meadow

Answer 21

a shallow coastal ecosystem dominated by flowering plants that resemble grasses

Question 22

estuary

Answer 22

a brackish-water ecosystem found at the mouth of a river that is influenced by tides

Question 23

kelp forest

Answer 23

a coastal marine ecosystem dominated by kelp, found where ocean water is colder than 20°C

Question 24

upwelling

Answer 24

the circulation of nutrient-rich water from the seafloor to the ocean surface

Question 25

pelagic

Answer 25

relating to the open sea

Question 26

bioluminescence

Answer 26

production of light through chemical means of living organisms

Question 27

hydrothermal vent community

Answer 27

a unique ecosystem found at volcanic hot springs that emit mineral-rich water onto the seafloor

Question 28

fishery

Answer 28

a region where fish are caught for human consumption

Question 29

trawling

Answer 29

an industrial fishing method in which nets are dragged through the water column or along the seafloor

Question 30

great Pacific garbage patch

Answer 30

a region of concentrated plastic litter formed by the North Pacific Gyre