Interactions in Marine Ecosystems - Study Guide

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms related to ecological interactions in marine ecosystems.

Ecological interactions

Relationships between organisms living in a community.

Mutualism

A type of ecological interaction where both organisms benefit.

Predation

An ecological interaction where one organism (the predator) kills and eats another organism (the prey).

Parasitism

A type of symbiosis where the symbiont benefits while the host is harmed.

Commensalism

A type of symbiosis where the symbiont benefits and the host is unaffected.

Symbiosis

A close relationship between two different species.

Ectoparasites

Parasites that live on the outside of their host.

Endoparasites

Parasites that live inside their host.

Producers

Organisms that can synthesize their own food from inorganic substances; also known as autotrophs.

Consumers

Organisms that obtain energy by feeding on other organisms; also known as heterotrophs.

Primary consumers

Organisms that feed on producers; typically herbivores.

Tertiary consumers

Organisms that eat secondary consumers.

Food chain

A linear sequence of organisms where energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next.

Food web

A complex network of feeding relationships among organisms within an ecosystem.

Apex predator

An organism at the top of a food chain with no natural predators.

Productivity

The rate of production of new biomass by autotrophic organisms.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.

Chemosynthesis

The process by which some organisms use chemical energy from inorganic compounds to produce organic material.

Eutrophication

An increase in the levels of nutrients in an aquatic ecosystem, resulting in excessive growth of algae.

Gross Primary Production (GPP)

The total amount of chemical energy produced by autotrophs in a given time period.

Net Primary Production (NPP)

The amount of energy left over for new biomass after accounting for respiration.

Biomass

The total mass of living matter in a given area or volume.

Nutrient cycles

Natural processes that recycle nutrients in various chemical forms from the environment to organisms and back.

Residence time

The average time a nutrient spends in a specific reservoir.

Marine Snow

Falling particles of organic matter like feces and dead organisms that sink through the ocean.