L3: Life on Water Flashcards
The 6 major aquatic environments
Ocean
Shallow Marine Waters
Marine Shores
Transitional Environments
Rivers and Streams
Lakes
The 3 major oceans
Pacific Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Indian Ocean
The deepest part of the Mariana’s Trench and its depth
Challenger Deep
11,035 meters
The 6 horizontal zones of the ocean
Pelagic
Epipelagic
Mesopelagic
Bathypelagic
Abyssopelagic
Hadalpelagic
The topmost horizontal layer of the ocean
Pelagic Zone
Region between high and low tidal marks in the pelagic zone of the ocean
Littoral or Intertidal Zone
Region from low tide mark and slopes gradually down
Neritic Zone
Region spanning from the lower neritic zone to the rest of the ocean floor
Oceanic Zone
Up to 200 meters, receives sunlight enough for photosynthesis
Epipelagic Zone
Euphotic Zone
Up to 1000 meters, receives not enough sunlight for photosynthesis
Mesopelagic Zone
Dysphotic Zone
Up to 4000 meters, does not receive sunlight
Bathypelagic Zone
Aphotic Zone
Up to 6000 meters deep
Abyssopelagic Zone
Aphotic Zone
Up to 10000 meters, the deepest parts of the ocean
Hadalpelagic Zone
Aphotic Zone
The 3 vertical zones of the ocean
Euphotic
Dysphotic
Aphotic
The temperature profile of the ocean where there is a transition between warmer and cooler water
Thermocline
Occurs when warm and cold waters mix through currents, winds, and tides
Thermal Stratification
Rotating oceanic currents affected by prevailing winds
Gyres
How many and what are the gyres in the northern hemisphere?
2 gyres
North Pacific Gyre
North Atlantic Gyre
How many and what are the gyres in the southern hemisphere?
3 gyres
South Pacific Gyre
South Atlantic Gyre
South Indian Ocean Gyre
Occurs when winds displace surface water, bringing cool water from deep parts of the ocean to the surface
Upwelling
How many phyla and endemic phyla are in the ocean?
28 phyla
13 endemic
Some species here have bioluminescent and chemosynthetic adaptations
Ocean
Human Influences:
- Whale killing
- Krill harvesting
- Overfishing
- Chemical pollution
- Garbage patches
Ocean
Aquatic environments divided into kelp forests and coral gardens
Shallow Marine Waters
Shallow Marine Waters:
Found near shores and along temperate regions
Kelp Forests
The 5 layers of a kelp forest
Canopy
Epiphytes
Water Column
Understory
Encrusting
The 4 structures of kelp
Blade
Air Bladder
Stipe
Holdfast
These have an ideal growth temperature of less than 10C
Kelp Forests
Shallow Marine Waters:
Located within 30 latitude and along tropical regions
Coral Gardens
The 3 categories of coral reefs (Charles Darwin)
Fringing
Barrier
Atoll
A category of reefs where growth is seawards from the shore
Fringing
A category of reefs where there is separation from shore by water, forming a lagoon
Barrier
A category of reefs where a circular area of water is surrounded by the reef
Atoll
A reef zone which is the area between the shore and the highest point of the reefs
Reef Flat Zone
A reef zone which is the highest point of the reefs
Reef Crest Zone
Algal Ridge
A reef zone that extends deep with a formation of corals and stabilizes the reef
Buttress Zone
These have an ideal growth temperature of 18-20C
Coral Gardens
These are algae with a symbiotic relationship with corals
Zooxanthellae
How much of Philippine corals are destroyed?
60%
Occurs when corals are stressed or dying due to unfavorable temperature and salinity
Coral Bleaching
Aquatic environments found in shorelines
Marine Shores
Intertidal Zones
The 5 vertical zones of marine shores
Splash Zone
Upper Intertidal Zone
Middle Intertidal Zone
Lower Intertidal Zone
Subtidal Zone
Term for tides that consist of one high and low tide per day
Diurnal Tides
Term for tides that consist of two high and low tides per day
Semidiurnal Tides
Term for tides that occur when the sun and moon are aligned in a straight line
Spring Tide
Term for tides that occur when the sun and moon are aligned perpendicularly
Neap Tide
The 3 zones in Marine Shores where there is a zonation of species
Splash Zone
Intertidal Zone
Low-Tide Zone
Human Influence:
- Shell middens
- Shellfish harvesting
- Devastation of habitats
- Exploitation
- Oil spills
Marine Shores
Aquatic environments where freshwater and saltwater meet
Transitional Environments
Term used for water that is slightly salty due to the mixture of freshwater and saltwater
Brackish
A transitional environment where rivers or streams meet the ocean
Estuaries
A transitional environment constantly flooded and drained by saltwater brought in by tides
Salt Marshes
A transitional environment that consists of trees that can tolerate saltwater
Mangrove Forests
A transitional environment not connected to the ocean but found along the boundaries of freshwater sources and may be flooded or dry throughout the year
Freshwater Wetlands
Examples of modern cities where there is urban development along transitional environments
New York City
Boston
Aquatic environments found everywhere
Rivers and Streams
An area where river networks drain
River Basin
High points of land that separate river basins
Watershed
A structure of rivers and streams where there is a transition to terrestrial environments
Riparian Zone
A vertical zone of rivers and streams where there is an interaction between groundwater and channel water
Hyporheic Zone
A structure of river used to determine its order
Stream Order
This aquatic environment’s oxygen content is inversely correlated to temperature
Rivers and Streams
The most diverse river basin in the world
Amazon River Basin
Over 2000 species
A river once devastated by pollution, now restored
River Thames
Aquatic environments found anywhere but concentrated in the north
Lakes
A concentration of lakes found near each other
Lake Districts
The largest lake district in the world
The Great Lakes
The 5 lakes in The Great Lakes
Superior
Michigan
Huron
Erie
Ontario
A horizontal zone of lakes found closer to land
Littoral Zone
A horizontal zone of lakes found further from land
Limnetic Zone
A vertical zone of lakes with the highest sunlight and warmer water
Epilimnion
A vertical zone of lakes with factors changing rapidly with depth
Metalimnion
A vertical zone of lakes with cold, dark water
Hypolimnion
A lake color with high nutrients and primary production and often shallow
Deep Green
A lake color with acidic water caused by forest soils leaching
Yellow-Brown
A lake color with low nutrients and biological activities and often deep
Blue
What are the water movements in lakes?
Spring & Fall: Whole
Summer: Isolated
Winter: None, top water frozen
Term used for young lakes with little to no landfill, low bio production, and high oxygen content
Oligotrophic
Term used for middle-aged lakes with moderate landfill
Mesotrophic
Term used for old lakes with significant landfill, high bio production, and low oxygen content
Eutrophic
Occurs due to biological activity being inversely correlated to oxygen content
Eutrophication
