Chapter 10 - Ocean Ecosystems

Question 1

bathymetry

Answer 1

the process of measuring the depth and topographic features beneath the surface of a body of water

Question 2

continental shelves

Answer 2

the shallow, gently sloping areas of seafloor near continental margins

Question 3

abyssal plains

Answer 3

large flat areas on the ocean floor at depths between 4,000 and 6,000 m (13,000 and 20,000 ft)

Question 4

mid-ocean ranges

Answer 4

submarine mountain systems stretching the length of ocean basins from pole to pole; the world’s longest mountain ranges

Question 5

seamounts

Answer 5

submarine mountains

Question 6

deep-sea trenches

Answer 6

long, narrow valleys on the seafloor that are the deepest parts of the oceans, with some dropping more than 6 km (4 mi) vertically

Question 7

thermocline

Answer 7

the transitional zone of temperature decline with change in depth

Question 8

epipelagic zone

Answer 8

the topmost layer of the oceans, which is relatively warm and sunlit, extending down to 200 m (650 ft)

Question 9

salinity

Answer 9

the concentration of dissolved minerals in water

Question 10

gyres

Answer 10

large circular ocean currents caused by the coriolis effect

Question 11

fringing reef

Answer 11

coral reef that forms near and parallel to a coastline

Question 12

barrier reef

Answer 12

coral reef that runs parallel to a coastline and forms a deep-water lagoon behind it

Question 13

atoll

Answer 13

a ring of coral reefs with an interior lagoon that forms around a sinking volcano

Question 14

lagoon

Answer 14

fully or partly enclosed stretches of saltwater formed by a coral reef or sand pit

Question 15

coral bleaching

Answer 15

the loss of coloration in corals that occurs when they have been stressed or have died

Question 16

mangrove forests

Answer 16

ecosystems dominated by saltwater-tolerant coastal shrubs and trees

Question 17

seagrass meadows

Answer 17

shallow coastal ecosystems dominated by flowering plants that resemble grasses

Question 18

estuary

Answer 18

brackish-water ecosystem at the mouth of a river that is influenced by tides

Question 19

kelp forests

Answer 19

marine ecosystems in temperate and polar waters where temperatures do not exceed 68 F

Question 20

upwelling

Answer 20

the circulation of water from the seafloor to the ocean surface

Question 21

pelagic

Answer 21

open-ocean

Question 22

bioluminescence

Answer 22

the production of light through chemical means

Question 23

hydrothermal vent communities

Answer 23

unique ecosystems found at volcanic hot springs that emit mineral-rich water

Question 24

fishery

Answer 24

a regions where fish are caught for human consumption

Question 25

drift net fishing

Answer 25

involves suspending large nets in the upper reaches of the ocean

Question 26

trawling

Answer 26

involves dragging nets through the water column or along the seafloor

Question 27

longline fishing

Answer 27

involves employing thousands of baited hooks on lines up to 80 km (50 mi) in length

Question 28

seining

Answer 28

involves encircling fish and trapping them in a large net

Question 29

bycatch

Answer 29

the phenomenon of invariably killing other marine species besides the intended ones