Ch. 7 Key Terms

Question 1

wetland

Answer 1

land that is periodically underwater

Question 2

plankton

Answer 2

organisms that cannot swim against currents, so they are drifters.

Question 3

nekton

Answer 3

free-swimming organisms, such as fish and whales

Question 4

benthos

Answer 4

bottom-dwellers, such as mussels, worms, and barnacles

Question 5

littoral zone

Answer 5

In the nutrient-rich littoral zone near the shore, aquatic life is diverse and abundant.

Question 6

benthic zone

Answer 6

dead and decaying organisms reach the benthic zone, the bottom of a pond or lake, which is inhabited by decomposers, insect larvae, and clams.

Question 7

eutrophication

Answer 7

an increase in the amount of nutrients.

Question 8

estuary

Answer 8

an area in which freshwater from a river mixes with salt water from the ocean.

Question 9

salt marsh

Answer 9

where rivers deposit their load of mineral-rich mud, salt

marshes form.

Question 10

mangrove swamp

Answer 10

found in tropical and subtropical zones. Mangrove swamps help to protect the coastline from erosion and reduce the damage from storms

Question 11

barrier island

Answer 11

they often run parallel to sandy shores. These islands help to protect the mainland and the coastal wetlands from storms and ocean waves and often provide habitat for wildlife.

Question 12

coral reef

Answer 12

limestone ridges built by tiny coral animals called coral polyps and the algae that live inside them.