SALTWATER ECOSYSTEM Flashcards
At the mouth of some rivers sediment carried by the river will
be deposited and form a landmass
called a _____.
delta
bodies of water partially-enclosed within deltas where seawater mixes with freshwater
estuaries
saltwater pools that are separated from the ocean by sandbanks or coral reefs.
coastal lagoons
wetland areas that are continually covered and uncovered by the tides
tidal flats
tidal flat dominated by herbs, grasses, and shrubs
salt marsh
contain submerged plants that have long, narrow leaves that resemble grasslands
sea grass beds
have trees with complex root systems that can filter salt and withstand flooding and wave action
mangrove swampls
submerged during high tide and
exposed during low tide
intertidal zone
The tides are caused by the ________ of the moon and sun
gravitational pull
vertical difference between high and low tid
tidal range
has the greatest tidal range at
16.3 meters – taller than a 3-story building
bay of fundy in canada
shallow sea area directly above
the continental shelf.
coastal zone
Abundance of sunlight and
nutrients.
coastal zone
About 90% of the ocean’s biodiversity is found in this zone.
coastal zone
found on coasts with heavy wave activity
rocky shores
are found in areas with gentler wave action or that are sheltered.
sandy shores
made from eroded volcanic rock.
black sand
made from eroded granite
brown sand
made fromeroded coral
white sand
are coastal areas between the continental slope and intertidal zone
shallow seas
Reach a maximum depth of about 200 meters.
shallow seas
Receive enough sunlight to support
photosynthetic plankton and algae.
shallow seas
found in the warm, shallow, coastal waters of the tropics and subtropics.
coral reefs
are a form a plankton that have a mutualistic relationship with algae.
coral polyps
The coral builds an exoskeleton from ____
calcium carbonate
algae produce _______ of the polyp’s food through photosynthesis
90%
the sunlit top layer of the ocean beyond the continental shelves.
open ocean
Availability of nutrients decreases rapidly, greatly limiting the growth of photosynthetic plankton
open ocean
Referred to as a “marine desert” due to the relative lack of life
open ocean
layers of open ocean
photic (sunlight) zone
dysphotic (twilight) zone
aphotic (midnight) zone
contains sufficient sunlight for
photosynthesis.
photic (sunlight) zone
has little light; not enough for
photosynthesis.
dysphotic (twilight) zone
complete darkness.
aphotic (midnight) zone
Many species living in the aphotic and dysphotic zones are _____, meaning they can produce and emit light
bioluminescent
produced through chemical reactions or by symbiotic
bacteria
light
can help to find prey or attract mates.
light
deep sea creatures are ____
most commonly red
this color does not penetrate
very far into the water, making them practically invisible to
predators
red
it is the sea floor
abyssal plain
Food webs in the ____ are based on scavenging and decomposition instead of photosynthesis
abyssal plain
shower of organic material that
falls from the open water into the abyssal plain
marine snow
____ consume this material (marine snow)
Decomposers and scavengers
are fissures in the ocean floor
where heated water and
minerals are released into
the water
hydrothermal vents
Certain organisms can use
these compounds as a source of energy, in a process called
____
chemosynthesis
