aice chp 14 vocab

plankton

microscopic free floating marine organisms

zooplankton

planktonic consumers that are either

floating or weakly swimming animals

macroalgae

marine producers such as kelp and seaweeds

marine grasses

aquatic flowering plants that are often

found in estuarine and coastal environment

keystone species

an organism that plays a unique and

crucial role in the way an ecosystem functions; without

keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically

different or cease to exist altogether

larvae

a planktonic stage of development which occurs

between the egg and juveniles; found in nearly all species

of fish and invertebrates

holdfast

strong, root-like structure that anchors the

macroalgae to the seabed

stipe

long, tough, vertical stalk similar to the stem of

plants

blades

leaf-like structures that 'hang' in the water and

absorb light and minerals

gas bladder

a gas-containing structure that provides buoyancy for some species of seaweed

root

structure at the base of the plant that anchors it to the substrate and absorbs nutrients from the sediment

rhizome

a horizontal underground structure that enable

seagrasses to reproduce asexually

leaf

photosynthetic organ of plants

flower

sexual reproductive organ of plants

propagule

a reproductive structure that detaches from

the parent plant and is able to grow into a new individual

lenticel

a raised pore in the roots of a mangrove that

allows gas exchange between the atmosphere and the

internal tissues

viviparous reproduction

\[plants\] a reproductive strategy

where the seed develops into a young plant while still

attached to the parent plant