Ch.7 Flashcards
Wetland
Areas where water covers the soil
Plankton
The diverse collection of organisms found in water that are unable to propel themselves. Against a current
Nekton
The assemblage of pelagic animals that swim freely, independent of water motion or wind
Benthos
The assemblage of organisms inhabiting the seafloor
Littoral zone
The part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore.
Benthic zone
The lowest ecological zone in a water body
Eutrophication
The gradual increase in the concentration of phosphorus, nitrogen
Estuary
A partially enclosed coastal water body where freshwater from rivers
Salt marsh
Coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides
Mangrove swamp
A tide influenced wet land complex composed of mangrove forest tidal areas salt marshes and other associated habitats
Barrier island
A long broad sandy idland lying parallel to a shore that is built up by the action of waves
Coral reef
Large underwater structures composed of the skeletons of colonial marine invertebrates called coral
