Habitats Flashcards
What is epifauna?
On the bottom
What is infauna
In the mid or sand
What is primary production?
amount of energy produced by photosynthetic organisms
What is chemosynthesis?
Synthesis of organic compounds by organisms using methane and sulfur to make food instead of light from active areas like cold seeps (cold water-near shore), hydrothermal vents (hot water), and methane seeps (cracks in sediments, natural and from oil drilling)
What are cold seeps?
Cracks that form in water columns in aquifer seep cold, fresh water into the deep sea
Can cause salt water intrusion (sea water enters back through crack into aquifer
What is detritus?
“Marine snow”
Dead animals, waste, mucus that falls into the deep sea.
Challenges of deep sea
High pressure
Lack of food
Lack of sun
Cold
What is an estuary?
Body of water formed where freshwater and salt water meet
They are protected from full force of waves, winds, and disasters by islands and reefs
How are resources distributed in deep sea?
In patches; inconsistent. Many adapt to be able to go a long time without eating
What are deposit feeders?
Organisms that way detritus
What is ecosystem resilience?
Capacity to tolerate disturbances without collapsing into a completely different state controlled by a different set of processes. Able to withstand and recover from disturbances
