Chapter 7 Key terms

Question 1

wetland

Answer 1

Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the growing season

Question 2

plankton

Answer 2

the small and microscopic organisms drifting or floating in the sea or freshwater, 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 littoral zone is the nearshore area where sunlight penetrates all the way to the sediment and allows aquatic plants (macrophytes) to grow. Light levels of about 1% or less of surface values usually define this depth

Question 6

benthic zone

Answer 6

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

Question 7

eutrophication

Answer 7

the 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

An estuary is a partially enclosed, coastal water body where freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with saltwater from the ocean. Estuaries, and their surrounding lands, are places of transition from land to sea.

Question 9

salt marsh

Answer 9

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

Question 10

mangrove swamp

Answer 10

Description. Mangrove swamps are coastal wetlands found in tropical and subtropical regions. They are characterized by halophytic (salt-loving) trees, shrubs, and other plants growing in brackish to saline tidal waters.

Question 11

barrier island

Answer 11

Barrier islands form as waves repeatedly deposit sediment parallel to the shoreline. These islands are critical to protecting coastal communities and ecosystems from extreme weather. Beach dunes and grasses on barrier islands absorb wave energy before the wave hits the mainland

Question 12

coral reef

Answer 12

Coral reefs are massive structures made of limestone deposited by coral polyps. Often referred to as the “rainforests of the sea,” coral reefs support approximately 25 percent of all known marine species.