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Oceanography Ch 12
The Plankton
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Autotrophic | pertaining to organisms able to manufacture their own food from inorganic substances |
| Diatom | microscopic unicellular alga with an external skeleton of silica. |
| Dinoflagellate | member of the plankton. Some species are photosynthetic and others are not |
| Coccolithophorid | microscopic, planktonic alga surrounded by a cell wall with embedded calcareous plates |
| Frustule | siliceous external shell of a diatom |
| Bloom | high concentration of phytoplankton in an area, caused by increased reproduction; often produces discoloration of the water |
| Heterotrophic | pertaining to organisms requiring organic compounds for food; unable to manufacture food from inorganic compounds |
| Krill | small, shrimplike crustaceans found in huge masses in polar waters and eaten by baleen whales…at the bottom of the food chain... |
| Radiolarian | single-celled protozoans with siliceous tests |
| Red tide | red coloration, usually of coastal waters, caused by large quantities of microscopic organisms (generally dinoflagellates); some red tides result in mass fish kills, others contaminate shellfish, and still others produce no toxic effects. |
| Harmful Algal Blooms | term used to describe both toxic and nuisance phytoplankton blooms |
Created by:
Permian