APES Unit 3c Flashcards
saltwater examples
estuaries, coastlines, coral reefs, coastal marshes, mangrove swamps, oceans
freshwater examples
lakes, rivers, ponds, stream, inland wetalnds
how is salt formed in saltwater
derived from breaking and cooling of igneous rocks, wearing down of mountains, and rain and streams transporting minerals
coastal zone
nutrient-rich, shallow water from high tide to continental shelf
estuary
partially enclosed area of coastal water - seawater mixes with freshwater and nutrients from rivers, streams, and runoff
benefits of estuaries
stirs up nutrients, filter sediments and pollutants, reduce storm damage, provide food and habitat for aquatic species
intertidal zone
area of shoreline between low and high tides - hard to live here - frequent tide changes and salinity levels - most hold on or dig in to deal with the changes in tide
barrier island
low narrow sandy islands that form offshore from a coastline - help protect mainland - estuaries and coastal wetlands from storm waves
coral reefs
form in clear, warm, fairly shallow, high salinity coastal waters of tropics and subtropics with little to no nutrients (composed of calcium carbonate, and they grow slowly and are easily disrupted)
what forms carbonic acid (H2CO3)
CO2+H2O
Euphotic zone
lighted upper zone, nutrient levels are low, DO is high (populated by large predatory fish)
Bathyal zone
dimly lit middle zone, no photosynthesizing producers (populated by zooplankton and smaller fish)
Abyssal zone
dark and very cold with little amounts of DO; high in nutrients (nutrients are from dead and decaying organisms
Littoral zone
type of freshwater life zone - shallow waters at the shoreline, high biological diversity, plants and animals receive abundant sunlight
Limnetic zone
open sunlit water - surface layer away from the shore, producers supply food and oxygen to most lake consumers
profundal zone
deep open water no light, low oxygen levels
benthic zone
nourished by detritus that falls from the zones above and sediment washing into the lake, very low temperatures and low oxygen levels
thermocline
distinct temperature barrier between a surface layer of warmer water and the colder, deeper water underneath (can prevent dissolved oxygen from getting to the lower layer and vital nutrients from getting to the upper layer)
oligotrophic
newly formed lake with a small supply of plant nutrients (deep with steep banks, little sediment - clear water with small populations of phytoplankton and fish