Chap 7

Question 1

wetland

Answer 1

land consisting of marshes or swamps; saturated land.

Question 2

plankton

Answer 2

the small and microscopic organisms drifting or floating in the sea or fresh water, consisting chiefly of diatoms, protozoans, small crustaceans, and the eggs and larval stages of larger animals. Many animals are adapted to feed on plankton, especially by filtering the water.

Question 3

nekton

Answer 3

aquatic animals that are able to swim and move independently of water currents.

Question 4

benthos

Answer 4

the flora and fauna found on the bottom, or in the bottom sediments, of a sea, lake, or other body of water.

Question 5

littoral zone

Answer 5

the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore

Question 6

benthic zone

Answer 6

one of the ecological regions of a body of water.

Question 7

eutrophication

Answer 7

excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen.

Question 8

estuary

Answer 8

the tidal mouth of a large river, where the tide meets the stream.

Question 9

salt marsh

Answer 9

coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides.

Question 10

mangrove swamp

Answer 10

a distinct saline woodland or shrubland habitat formed by mangrove trees in brackish tidal water

Question 11

barrier island

Answer 11

coastal landforms and a type of dune system that are exceptionally flat or lumpy areas of sand that form by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast

Question 12

coral reef

Answer 12

ridge of rock in the sea formed by the growth and deposit of coral.