Ch.7 Key Terms Flashcards
Wetland
where land is periodically under water
plankton
organisms that cannot swim against currents, so they are drifters
nekton
free-swimming organisms such as fish and whales.
benthos
bottom-dwellers, such as mussels, worms, and barnacles.
littoral zone
near the shore, the aquatic life here is diverse and abundant
benthic zone
the bottom of the lake or pond, which is inhabited by decomposers, insect larvae and clams.
eutrophication
is an increase in the amount of nutrients
estuary
an area in which fresh water from a river mixes with salt water from the ocean
salt marsh
in estuaries where rivers deposit their load of mineral-rich mud, salt marshes form here. thousands of acres of salt marsh support a community of clams, fish and birds.
mangrove swamp
Dense growth of mangrove trees in swampy areas are called mangrove swamps
barrier island
islands that often run parallel to the shore, these islands help protect the main land from storms and ocean waves.
coral reef
limestone ridges built by tiny coral animals called corral polyps and the algae that live inside them.
