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MSC 101

Exam 2 Material

WordDefinition
Abyssal along with the hadal zones, it represents the deepest sea bottom. Found beneath the abyssalpelagic zone
Abyssalpelagiz zone a zone in the oceanic zone which that is by far the dominant environment of the ocean in terms of water volume
Algae simple marine and freshwater plants, unicellular and multicellular, that lack roots, stems, and leaves. Ex: diatoms and seaweeds
Aphotic zone the vast part of the ocean that is in total and perpetual darkness
Archaea found in environments with extreme temperatures, salinities, and pressures, and are the only organisms that can live within the thermal vents of the deep-sea floor
Aspect Ratio as applied to the caudal fin of a fish, it is a ratio of the square of the height of the fin to its surface area. Derters and lungers have low aspect ratios, and cruisers have high aspect ratios
Bacteria one of the three taxonomic domains of life; it includes all true bacteria, which are tiny, unicellular organisms without a nucleus and with simple subcellular structure
Bathyal zone a zone in the benthic zone which is seaward of the shelf break, beginning at a water depth of about 200 meters and extending to about 2,000 meters …it represents the sea bottom that underlies the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones of the pelagic province
Bathypelagic zone a zone in the oceanic zone that is underlain by the abyssalpelagic zone down to a water depth of about 6,600 meters (19,800 ft)
Benthic providence in the process of subdiving the ocean this providence is the name given to the sea bottom
Benthos all organisms that live on or within the ocean bottom
Caudal fin the tail of a fish
Chlorophyll green pigments found in the plants that are essential for conducting photosynthesis
Deposit feeder organisms that extract food from sediment
Diffusion the dispersal of material by random molecular movement from regions of high concentration to those of lower concentration
Classification of organisms kingdom/metazoa, phylum/chordate, class/mammalia, order/primate, family/hominidae, genus/homo, species/homo sapiens) Dysphotic zone
Ecology to denote the study of interrelationships between the physical and the biological aspects of an environment
Epifauna animals that live in contact with the sea bottom either moving freely over the substrate or attached to it
Epiflora plants that live in contact with the sea bottom either attached or lying freely on the substrate
Epipelagic zone a zone in the oceanic zone which consists of the surface layer, extends from the sea surface to a depth of about 200 meters (660 ft) – it is illuminated according to the depth
Eukaryota complex organisms with a cell nucleus, includes plants and animals both unicellular and multicellular as well as fungi
Extremophiles collectively archaea are called extremophiles
Form drag function of the volume of water that must be pushed aside by a moving body, which means that it is proportional to the cross-sectional area of a fish’s body
Holdfast the “rootlike” structures that anchor seaweeds to the substarte
Hydrostatic pressure the pressure at a specified water depth that is the result of the weight of the overlying column of water
Infauna animals that live within or burrow through the substrate as distinguished from the epifauna, which live upon the substrate
Hadal zones along with the abyssal, it represents the deepest sea bottom. Found beneath the hadalpelagic zone
Hadalpelagic zone a zone in the oceanic zone which consists of water deeper than 6,000 meters, found in the deep sea trenches
Intertidal zone a zone in the benthic zone which is part of the shoreline between high and low tides
Littoral zone another name for the intertidal zone
Mesopelagic zone a zone in the oceanic zone which underlies the epipelagic zone and extends down to about 1,000 meter (3,300 ft) – hardly a trace of sunlight
Nekton animals capable of swimming independently of current flow
Neritic zone a zone in the pelagic zone that consists of the shallow water that overlies the continental shelves
Oceanic zone a zone in the pelagic zone that consists of the deep water in the open sea beyond the shelf break, this zone is subdivided into 5 distinct horizons
Osmoregulation the process of controlling the amount of water in tissues and cells
Osmosis the diffusion of water molecules through a semipermeable membrane
Pelagic providence in the process of subdiving the ocean this providence is the name given to the water column
Photic zone when subdividing the ocean according to luminance, this is the zone that is well lit, so that plant photosynthesis can occur during the day. This zone extends from water surface to down 20 to 100 meters, depending on water clarity.
Phytoplankton the plant members of the plankton community, which are the primary producers of the oceans
Photosynthesis chemical reactions conducted in the presence of light by plants using chlorophyll whereby carbon dioxide and water are converted into carbohydrates and O2
Plankton organisms that can float or have weak swimming abilities, and are wafted by currents
Plankton bloom the sudden and rapid multiplication of plankton that results in dense concentrations of plant cells in the water
Sublittoral zone a zone in the benthic zone which encompasses the floor of the continental shelf, it extends from the beach to the shelf break
Surface drag the retarding force associated with the surface of a body moving through a fluid or gas, or with a fluid or gas moving across a body surface
Turbulent drag irregular, chaotic fluid flow generated by a hydrodinamically inefficient body design that causes considerable drag on an object moving through water or air
Vertical zonation the arrangement and vertical succession of distinct bands of communities that are particularly common along rocky shorelines
Zooplankton animal plankton such as foraminifera, radiolarian, copecods, euphadids, and etc.
Aerobic bacteria bacteria that respire in the presence of free oxygen
Anaerobic bacteria bacteria that respire in the absence of free oxygen (O2)
Autotroph plants and bacteria that synthesize food from inorganic nutrients
Biomass the quantity of living matter expressed as grams per unit area or unit volume
Carnivore an organism that feeds on animals
Chemosynthesis the production of organiz compounds from inorganic nutrients using enegy from chemical oxidation rather than from sunlight (photosynthesis)
Compensation depth the depth in the earth or water column at which masses are balanced and pressures are equal
Decomposer microbes, primarily bacteria, that convert nonliving organic matter into inorganic compounds including nutrients and gases
Detritus food chain a trophic relation among a variety of organisms that is sustained at its base by organisms that gather bits (detritus) of nonliving organic material. This is distinguished from grazing food chain
Downwelling the sinking of a fluid
Ecosystem a discrete ecological nit consisting of all of its constituent organisms and its total environment
El Nino an episodic (3-5 years) warm current that usually appears Christmas off the coasts of Ecuador amd Peru that decimates the indigenous population of organisms
Filter feeder animals that feed by sifting small organisms or organic particles that are suspended in the water
Food chain a simplified trophic relation whereby energy is passed in a stepwise fashion from primary producers to herbivores ad to carnivores
Food web a series of food chains that are interconnected, creating a mosaic of pathways for the transfer of energy through a biological community
Grazer animals that feed on plants
Grazing food chain a food chain in which animals feed directly on plants. This contrasts with the detritus food chain
Herbivore an animal that feeds primarily on plants
Heterotroph animals and bacteria that require prefabricated food dor sustenance
La Nina a coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon that is the counterpart of El Niño as part of the broader El Niño-Southern Oscillationclimate pattern. The sea surface temperature across the equatorial Eastern Central Pacific Ocean will be lower than normal by 3–5°C
Macronutrient nutrients, such as nitrate and phosphate, required by plants in relatively large quantities in order to photosynthesize and grow
Micronutrient nutrients, such as iron, cooper, and zinc, that are required in very small smounts by plants in order to photosynthesize, as distinguished from the macronutrients such as nitrate and phosphate, that are needed in large quantities
Omnivore animals that consume both plants and animals
Predator an animal that preys on other organisms
Respiration a chemical process whereby organic matter is oxidized by organisms, releasing energy and CO2
Scavenger an animal that feeds on dead organic matter
Spring diatom bloom a distinct period of rapid biological productivity of diatoms that tends to occur during spring season of temperate oceans
Trophic dynamics refers to the complex biological processes whereby energy and matter are passed up to successive levels of food web
Trophic level a functional or process category for types of feeding by organisms
Upwelling the slow, upward transport of water to the surface from depth
Water turbidity reduces the amount of sunlight that can penetrate the water column and this depresses primary productivity, even if dissolved nutrients are abundant
Water turbulence the irregular, chaotic flow of fluids
Backshore zone the land that adjoins the nearhsore
Barrier island a long, often narrow accumulation of sand that is separated from the mainland by open water (lagoons, bays, and estuaries) or by salt marshes
Beach face the section of the beach subjected to wave uprush
Beach nourishment artificial replenishment of sand to a beach
Beach profile which delineates the shape of the beach surface along a survey line or transect
Berm the flat accumulation of sand on a beach above the high-tide line
Breaker zone the region of the surf zone where shallow-water waves become oversteepened and break
Breakwater a massive structure erected offshore to protect a shoreline from the direct impact of incoming waves
Coastal cell Coastline unit within which sediment movement is self-contained
Delta a sediment deposit, typically triangular in shape, formed at the mouth of a river
Delta front consists of the shoreline and the broad submerged “front” of the delta
Delta plain plains formed by the accumulation of mud at river mouths
Dune a hill of sand built by wind
Groin a small structure erected perpendicular to a beach and designed to trap the longshore drift of sand to promote beach
Jetty a large structure extending seaward from the shore, which is erected to protect a harbor or inlet from shoaling by the longshore drift of sediment
Longshore bar a submarine sand ridge in a nearshore zone that is parallel or subparallel to the shoreline
Longshore current a shore-parallel current in the surf zone that is powered by breaking waves
Longshore drift the transport of sand in the surf zone parallel to the shoreline y longshore currents
Nearshore zone the inshore region of coast between mean high hide and the breaker
Offshore zone the open water that lies seaward of the breaker zone
Overwash processes whereby large powerful storm waves overtop the low-lying parts of the barrier island and transfer beach and dune sand into the backshore zone
Prodelta “in front of”
Refraction the process by which waves are bent and redirected as a consequence of waveinteraction with bottom irregularities
Rip current a narrow, swift, seaward-flowing currents along the shore that drains water from the surf zone
Saltation the process by which wind causes sand grains to bounce and jump along the ground
Sand budget a technique for documenting changes in the quantity of sand in a beach or nearshore system by comparing inputs and outputs of sand
Sand spit a narrow tongue of sand that extends from the shore and that is usually created by longshore drift
Seawall a revetment or wall erected to prevent wave erosion and encroachment of seas
Steady-state condition when the input of sand equals the output
Storm profile a beach profile characterized by a narrow berm, a gently sloping beach face, and submarine bars that is produced by storm erosion
Storm surge an unusually high stand of sea level produced by strong storm winds blowing water shoreward and by the ocean surface rising in response to low atmospheric pressure
Surf zone the section of the coastal zone between the shoreline and the breaker zone
Swash the rush of water up the beach face after a wave has broken
Swell profile a beach profile characterized by a broad berm and steep beach face that evolves during a stretch of fair weather when incoming waves move sand onto the beach
Tidal inlet a channel or opening through a barrier island that admits the tidal flow of water
Washover fan a fan-shaped accumulation of sand on the landward side of a barrier island that is deposited by storm waves which overtop the island
Wave-cut platform as a sea cliff is eroded back by waves, a platform is created that sloped gently seaward
Wave setup the mass transport of water into the surf zone by breaking waves, which can create localized surpluses of water along the shore that drive long shore currents
Ahermatypic coral coral that do not possess zooxanthellae (algae) in their tissue and, hence, can dwell in the dark waters of the aphotic zone. These do not form in large reefs
Algal ridge an irregular, durable ridge composed of encrusting algae; it is located on the ocean side of many coral reefs where it is pounded regularly by big waves
Anoxia the absence of oxygen
Atoll a ring-shaped coral ref that surrounds the lagoon
Barrier reef a coral reef growing around the periphery of an island, but separated from it by a lagoon
Bar-built estuary longshore currents that form a sand spit or sand bar across an embayment
Buttress zone the seaward-sloping area of a coral reef (just beneath the algal ridge) that consists of alternating ridges and furrows
Corallite the exoskeleton of a coral animal
Coral reef an organically constructed, wave-resistant rock structure created by carbonate-secreting animals and plants
Detritivore organisms that feed on nonliving organic matter
Estuary a partially enclosed body of water where freshwater is mixed with saltwater
Exoskeleton a skeleton partially or com pletely covering the exterior plant or animal
Fjord a narrow, deep estuary excavated by glaciers and that commonly has a sill at its mouth
Flocculation a physiochemical process whereby clay particles in seawater aggregateinto a clump or cluster and form a floccule
Fringing reef a reef that is growing at the edge of a landmass without an intervening lagoon
Hermatypic coral colonial, reef-building coral that have a mutualistic relationship with zooxanthellae (algae) and hence, grow only in sunlit waters
High salt marsh the highest section of a salt marsh that is flooded by seawater only during spring tides or storms
Hypoxia water containing low levels of dissolved oxygen
Inverse flow a pattern of current flow in lagoons whereby inflow occurs at the surface and outflow at the bottom, which is opposite (hence inverse) to water flow in many estuaries
Lagoon a shallow body of water that does not receive significant freshwater inflow and that is separated from the open ocean by a barrier island or coral reef
Low salt marsh the lower sector of salt marshes that is regularly immersed and emersed with the daily tides and that typically is colonized by the tall cordglass spartina alterniflora
Mangrove the dominant intertidal plants of the tropics and subtropics
Mutualism a biological relationship whereby all organisms involved in benefit from the association
Partially mixed estuary an estuary in which tidal mixing is a bit more influential than river inflow, such that vertical mixing creates a landward-directed bottom current and a seaward-flowing surface current
Patch reef the small, localized growth of coral found in a variety of reef environment such as a lagoon
Polyp the body of the living organism
Reef face extends downward from the buttress zone, here living corals are absent because of the depth and lack of light
Reef terrace broad reef flat just landward of the algal ridge; its floor lies at mean low water, so that much o its surface is exposed at low tide
Rhizomes a horizontal stem of some plants that is capable of producing ew shoots as it grows
Salt-wedge estuary a type of estuary where river inflow dominates tidal mixing, producing a highly stratified water column with a sharp halocline
Tectonic estuary which form along coastlines that lie on active plate boundaries, where faulting and folding can create coastal basins that fill up the sea water
Turbidity maximum when a great deal of suspended mud gets concentrated near the halocline where currents are weak
Well-mixed estuary an estuary in which mixing by the tides is so complete that vertical stratification of the water column is absent
Zooxanthellae unicellular plants that are imbedded in the outer layer of coral’s flesh
Baleen plates a series of elastic, horny plates that grow in place of teeth in the upper jaw of a cartain group of whales called Mysticeti
Bioluminescence the production of visible light by organisms
Chemosynthesis the production of organic compounds from inorganic compounds from inorganic nutrients using energy from chemical oxidation rather than from sunlight
Competitive exclusion the process whereby species in the absence of predators outcompetes other organisms and becomes the dominant species in the ecosystem
Diurnal vertical migration a habit of some zooplankton and nekton to descend out of the sunlit surface water during daytime and ascend to the surface during nighttime
Macoma community snails and worms community which dwell in mud
Midwater fishes small, odd-looking fish that inhabit the dark waters located between 500 and 2,000 meters below the sea
Patchiness a property whereby organisms are not uniformly distributed in a space but are clustered
Photophores light-producing or luminous organs found in certain crustaceans and fishes
Sargrass gulfweed unique species of plankton which is a Dark alga
School groups of fish
Venus community community of snails and worms which dwell in sand
Volcanic vents openings in Earth's crust where molten lava and volcanic gases escape onto the land surface or into the atmosphere
Exclusive economic zone an agreement whereby coastal states regulate fishing, mineral resources, and scientific research in shelf waters extending out for 200 nautical miles from their shores
Fish farming the principal form of aquaculture, while other methods may fall under mariculture
Gas hydrates individual molecules of methane (CH4) that are trapped in cagelike structures associated with frozen water
Keystone species a species that is critical in supporting a food web. Its elimination causes the food web to collapse and the ecosystem to change
Krill shrimplike crustaceans or euphausiids that bound in the ocean
Manganese nodules rock concretions on the sea bottom formed of concentric layers of iron
Mariculture marine agriculture, ex: farming the sea to grow algae or to raise finfish
Methane CH4
Pelagic fish live near the surface or in the water column of coastal, ocean and lake waters, but not on the bottom of the sea or the lake
Petroleum both liquid, oil and natural gas
Phosphate deposits accumulations of phosphoritic nodules in certain areas where coastal upwelling causes high biological production in the surface water
Bioaccumulation the buildup of chemical substances in the cell or tissue of an organism
Biomagnification the accumulation and amplification of chemical substances at each succeeding trophic level
Bioremediation the use of organisms (bacteria) to “clean-up” an oil spill
Crude oil naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface
DDT an abbreviation of dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane, a pesticide belonging to a chemical group called hydrocarbons
Distillation enables refineries to separate crude oil into “cuts” by systematically drawing off various hybrocarbon components as the crude is heated
Dredging a metal collar and collecting bad that is dragged along the bottom to sample rock, sediment, or bottom organisms
Emulsification a suspension of liquid in another liquid, such as water in oil or oil in water
Eutrophication a process whereby water becomesanoxic because it is choked with decomposing organic matter
Harmful algal blooms an algal bloom that causes negative impacts to other organisms via production of natural toxins, mechanical damage to other organisms, or by other means
Heavy metal inorganic substances, such as lead, zinc, cope, that become highly toxic when concentrated in the environment
Maximum sustainable yield a theoretical maximum tonnage of fish that can be harvested sustainably from year to year
Neuston layer surface microlayer
Pathogen a disease-causing agent such as viruses and bacteria
PCBs highly toxic and durable synthetic organic compounds that accumulate in the tissue of organisms
Sewage domestic, municipal, or industrial waste products disposed in the environment. When untreated, sewage can have serious impact on the quality of an environment and on the health of the people
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