10. Living Hydrosphere: Ocean Ecosystems Flashcards
thermocline
the transitional zone between warm surface water and cold water at depth
epipelagic zone
sunlit surface of the ocean down to 200m (1st)
mesopelagic zone
2nd zone in the ocean (aka twilight zone)
bathypelagic zone
3rd zone in the ocean (no light)
abyssopelagic zone
4th zone in the ocean
hadal zone
5th zone in the ocean. (only deep sea trenches are in the hadal zone)
salinity
concentration of dissolved minerals in seawater
gyre
large, circular ocean current
bathymetry
measurement of depth and topography beneath the surface of a body of water
continental shelf
shallow, sloping seafloor near continental margins
abyssal plain
a flat plain on the ocean floor at depths between 4 000- 6 000 m
mid-ocean ridge
a submarine mountain range
seamount
a mountain rising from the seafloor, often a flat-topped inactive volcano
deep-sea trench
a long narrow valley on the seafloor; deep-sea trenches are the deepest parts of the ocean
fringing reef
a coral reef that forms near and parallel to a coastline
barrier reef
a coral reef that runs parallel to the shoreline and forms a deep-water lagoon behind it
atoll
a ring of coral reefs with an interior lagoon, formed around a sinking volcano
lagoon
a fully or partly enclosed stretch of salt water formed by a coral reef or sand spit
coral bleaching
the loss of colouration in corals caused by the absence of their mutualistic algae, which occurs when they have been stressed or have died
mangrove forest
a coastal marine ecosystem dominated by saltwater-tolerant shrubs and trees, found in the tropics and subtropics
seagrass meadow
a shallow coastal ecosystem dominated by flowering plants that resemble grasses
estuary
a brackish-water ecosystem found at the mouth of a river that is influenced by tides
kelp forest
a coastal marine ecosystem dominated by kelp, found where ocean water is colder than 20°C
upwelling
the circulation of nutrient-rich water from the seafloor to the ocean surface
