4.3 Aquatic Food Production Systems Flashcards
Continental Shelf
the edge of a continent that lies beneath the water
Shelf Break
the point where a continental shelf ends and drops down into the abyss
Continental Slope
the steep descent after the shelf break from the continental shelf
Photic Zone
upper layer of the ocean that receives sunlight
Upwelling
when wind blows away the top layer of water from the ocean, new water from the ocean depths comes up to replace it
- Water coming from the depths is typically colder and rich with nutrients
- These nutrients fertilize the surface water water allowing for high biological productivity
Phytoplankton
single celled organisms that transforms sunlight and carbon dioxide into food
- Base for the largest food web in the world
- Clear up ocean waste
- Releases lots of oxygen
- Found in shallow regions
Zooplankton
tiny organisms that live in the deep ocean
Maximum Sustainable Yield
the largest yield that can be taken from the stock of species over an indefinite period of time
Optimum Sustainable Yield
a slightly lower yield of the MSY that accounts for uncertainty and possible disaster or disease that could have a large effect on population sizes
Purse Seines
a massive net that is surrounded around a large school of fish and is closed then reeled in the boat
Long Line Fishing
long lines placed in the oceans with many hooks with bait left out for a few days (lines can be up to 50 miles long)
Bottom Trawling
the process of dragging a giant net held down by weights on the ocean floor to capture everything in its path
Dredging
the dragging of a massive cage across the seafloor to capture everything in its path (targeted at crustaceans)
Pots
small metal cages that are used to catch lobsters and crabs
Gillnets
long nets placed in the water that trap and entangle all aquatic life that it nears
