Deck 2 Flashcards
How much of the Earth is covered with water?
75% of the earth
How much of the surface water is in the ocean?
95% of the water
How many oceans are there?
5 oceans split but only 1 body of water
What are the 3 zones that the ocean can be divided into?
euphotic (sunlitzone) disphotic (twilight zone) and the aphotic (midnight zone)
What are the 3 major groups of living organisms in the ocean?
Benthos, (plants and animals that live on the ocean floor)
Nekton (animals that can move freely)
Plankton (algae that drift with the ocean currents)
Where will you find coral reefs?
Warm, clear water near the equator (in the tropical zone)
What are coral reefs made from?
Coral reefs are formations built from exoskeletons of coral polyps.
Where do corals get most of their energy?
From a special type of algae called polyp that lives inside of them
What are the 3 main types of coral reefs?
Barrier reefs, atoll reefs, and fringing reefs
What are some of the animals that live in a coral reef besides corals?
sponges, shrimp, sea stars, moray eels, and many species of fish
What is a beach?
an actively changing ecosystem (shore)
What are the 2 main kinds of beaches?
Rocky or sandy beaches
What is an intertidal zone?
The area of land that is covered at high tide and uncovered at low tide.
What are some animals you are likely to see in a beach ecosystem?
gulls, other birds, crabs, sand dollars, turtles
What is an estuary?
Where fresh water flows into saltwater
Name 3 types of estuaries.
salt marsh, salt meadows, mangrove forest
What are some plants you might find in an estuary?
mangroves, small herbs and shrubs
Name several animals that you might find in an estuary
snails, worms, shellfish, other birds such as bittern and the rail
What is a lake?
large bodies of freshwater
What is a pond?
lakes that are shallow and do not have an aphotic zone
What are 2 ways that lakes were formed in the past?
many were carved out by the movement of glaciers and others fill the craters of extinct volcanos
What is an overturn?
A rapid exchange of cold and warm water regions within a lake.
What is an algae bloom?
A sudden growth in algae that can turn the surface of a lake or a pond green
What is a river?
An ecosystem that contains flowing fresh-water
Where does most of the energy for a river ecosystem come from?
the breaking down of leaves and other plant material that falls into the water
Name some plants you might find in a river ecosystem.
grasses, willows, alders, elkslip
What is a tributary?
A smaller river or stream that flows into a larger river
What is the riparian zone?
Where there is abundant plant life along the banks
What is a watershed?
All of the land that has water flowing into a particular river or body of water.
What might happen in the ocean if the currents stopped flowing?
It would create competition
Why do most animals in the ocean live in the euphotic zone?
Because that is where all the producers live (photosynthesis makes own food)
Why might the aphotic zone occur at a shallower depth than 660 feet in some areas?
Because of the murky water
Why are coral reefs found in water that is usually less than 150 feet deep?
Because the sunlight is needed to create algae
Why do corals grow best in swift water?
Because of the minerals
Why might you find different plants and animals on a rocky beach from those on a sandy beach?
Because they are different environments
How is new sand formed?
By crushed up rocks and minerals
What is a maritime forest?
The area of shrubs and trees on an island
What is a dune system?
The area at a beach when you can see one ecosystem change into another
What is a primary dune?
The area of land closest to the beach
What is a secondary dune?
The area when the part of landscape changes from one of primarily grass to one of grass and shrubs.
What is coral bleaching?
When many of the corals have expelled (thrown up) the algae that they eat
What is bad about coral bleaching (good)
Bad: They loose their color and main source of food
Good: They will get new algae and become healthy again
Why does coral bleaching happen?
no one knows for sure but here are some possibilities:
- unusual stresses
- an increase in ultraviolet radiation (if water is 2 still, 2 much (U) radiation can reach the corals and damage their tissues)
- disease
