Aquatic Biomes Flashcards
what is another name for deep water currents
thermohaline circulation (global conveyor belt)
what are some things that contribute to ocean currents
prevailing winds, earths rotation, heat from sun, surface and deep currents
what are the 5 major gyres on earth
North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, Indian
what is the antarctic o0cean current called
Circumpolar Current
what are surface currents drivenby
solar heating of water, Coriolis Effect
where is the great pacific garbage patch
North Pacific Gyre
how does the water in the Thermohaline Circulation move around
they are driven by density driven forces and gravity
how long will it take for the conveyor belt to do one entire cycle
1000 years
what is an upwelling
upward movement ofd water that brings cool and nutrient rich water to the surface
what does ENSO stand for
el nino southern oscillation
what is ENSO
periodic reversal in trade winds in the tropical pacific, causing change in surface water temps that supresses upwelling
what is an estuary
mix of salt and fresh water
what is a photic zone
area of shallow water that allows enough light to penetrate
what is an aphotic zone
deep areas of water where no light is available
what is an intertidal zone
portion of shoreline that is between high and low tides
what is the districution of life dependent on
temp of water and light
where is the photic zone
top 100-200 meters
what are phytoplankton
photosynthetic algae that float on surface
what are zooplankton
tiny heterotrophs
how much of the ocean does the aphotic zone make up
90 percent of it
what must organisms that live in the aphotic zone be adapted to
living in complete darkness and intense pressure
what are some examples of interdial zones
rocky shores, sandy shores and barrier beaches
what do barrier islands and sand dunes provide
protection against storm surge and high waves
how much of all marine species do coral reefs make up
25 percent
what causes coral bleaching
when the water becomes too hot or acidic
what are the three zones in the open ocean
euphotic, bathayal, and abyssal zones
what are some characteristics of the euphotic zone
phytoplankton, low nutrient levels, dissolved oxygen levels high
what are some characteristics of the bathayal zone
dimly lit, zooplankton and smaller fish
what are some characteristics of the abyssal zone
dark and cold, nutrient rich, little dissolved oxygen
what do upwellings do
brings nutrients to euphotic zone
what are nekton
strong swimmers
what are benthos
bottom dwellers
what does overfishing do to the ocean
leads to extreme scarcity of some fish species, reduces biodiversity, and impacts fishing industry
what is bad about aquaculture
can lead to disease
what is a watershed
region of land that drains into a river
what are the four zones in a lake
littoral, limnetic, profundal, and benthic zones
where is the littoral zone
near the shore where rooted plants grow
where is the limnetic zone
open, sunlight area away from the shore
where is the profundal zone
deep in the lake, too dark for photosynthesis
what are wetlands
ecosystem in which water either covers the soil or is present at or neart the surface of the soil for part of the year
what are salt marshes
temperate zone estuaries dominated by salt tolerant grasses
how are estuaries formed
when river meets the se a
what do seagrass beds do
support marine species, stabilizes sea bed, reduce wave impact
what do mangrove forests do
reduce strom or tsunami impacts
