Chapter 7 Flashcards
wetland
land consisting of marshes or swamps; saturated land.
plankton
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.
nekton
aquatic animals that are able to swim and move independently of water currents.
benthos
the flora and fauna found on the bottom, or in the bottom sediments, of a sea, lake, or other body of water.
littoral zone
can be defined by the presence of sunlight at the sediment level, and the corresponding growth of partially-submerged to fully-submerged aquatic plants. It is also generally characterized by abundant dissolved oxygen, nutrients, water motion, and alternating intervals of submergence and exposure.
benthic zone
The benthic zone is the lowest ecological zone in a water body, and usually involves the sediments at the seafloor. These sediments play an important role in providing nutrients for the organisms that live in the benthic zone.
eutrophication
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.
estuary
the tidal mouth of a large river, where the tide meets the stream.
salt marsh
an area of coastal grassland that is regularly flooded by seawater.
mangrove swamp
a tree or shrub that grows in chiefly tropical coastal swamps that are flooded at high tide. Mangroves typically have numerous tangled roots above ground and form dense thickets.
barrier island
a long narrow island lying parallel and close to the mainland, protecting the mainland from erosion and storms.
coral reef
a ridge of rock in the sea formed by the growth and deposit of coral.
