Marine Ecosystems and Biodiversity Flashcards
What percent of the globe is covered in ocean?
70%
What is an Ocean?
a continuous mass of seawater on earths surface
What is the Sea?
A continuous mass of seawater that is enclosed by land
What is an Estuary?
A partially enclosed tidal coastal body of water where fresh water from a river meets the salt water of the ocean
What is an Ecosystem?
The living organisms and the environment with which they interact
Biotic
the living parts of an ecosystem which includes the organisms and their effects on each other
Abiotic
the environments geological, physical and chemical features, the non-living part of an ecosystem
Habitat
the natural environment where an organism lives
Species
a group of similar organisms that can interbreed naturally to produce fertile offspring
Population
all the individuals of the same species that live at the same place and time
Community
all the different populations occupying a habitat at the same time
Biodiversity
a measure of the numbers of different species present
Ecological niche
the role of a species within an ecosystem
Mutualism
a relationship between two different organisms where both organisms benefit
Parasitism
a relationship between two organisms where the parasite obtains benefit at the expense of the host
Competition
a relationship between two organisms where both species are negatively affected by trying to fill the same ecological niche
Predatation
a relationship between two organisms where a predator hunts, kills and eats a prey animal.
Producer
an organism that can produce its own food energy
Photoautotroph
a producer that uses light energy produce its own food energy
Chemoautotroph
a producer that uses chemical energy to produce its won food energy
Consumer
an animal that feeds on other organism to gain its food energy
Food Chain
A way of describing the feeding relationships between organisms
Food Web
a way of describing how food chains are interrelated in an ecosystem
Trophic Level
a position in a food chain or web
Predator
an animal that kills and eats animals for food
Prey
an animal that is eaten by predators
Shellfish
aquatic invertebrates that are used as food
Keystone Species
a consumer that affects biodiversity to a greater extent than would be expected from its population numbers
Shoaling
when fish swim together in a group
Succession
the change in community structure over time
Hydrothermal Vents
a gap in the earths surface that releases geothermally heated water
Whale Fall
A whale that has died and sinks to the ocean floor and attracts a large variety in species for feeding
