Marine Biology Second Semester Final Exam Matching Terms Study Guide

abiotic

a non-living (physical or chemical) component of the environment

biogenous sediment

sediment that is made up of the skeletons and shells of marine organisms

biotic

a living component of the environment

carrying capacity

the maximum population size that can be sustained by the available resources in a given environment

community

the populations that live and interact in an area

detritus

particles of dead organic matter

ecological niche

the full range of ecological characteristics of a species, like its feeding habits, specific habitat, and reproductive strategy

ecology

the study of the interactions between organisms and their environment

intraspecific competition

competition among members of the same species

limiting resource

an essential factor whose short supply limits the growth of a population

nutrient

a raw material other than carbon dioxide and water that is needed by an autotroph to produce organic matter. examples are nitrate and phosphate.

pyramid of biomass

the decrease of biomass that is observed in each higher level of a food chain

pyramid of energy

the decrease in energy that is observed in each higher level of a food chain

resource

things that organisms need to live and reproduce

resource partitioning

the sharing of resources by specialization

sessile

an organism that lives attached to the bottom or to a surface

weathering

the physical and chemical breakdown of rocks

zooplankton

the heterotrophic, animal and protozoan component of plankton

standing stock

the total amount, or biomass, of an organism at a given time

ahermatypic

Non-reef building corals

algal ridge

a ridge of coralline algae that is found on the outer edge of some coral reefs

Aristotle's lantern

The set of jaws and associated muscles used by sea urchins to bite off food

bleaching

The expulsion of zooxanthellae by reef corals in response to stress

chiton

molluscs that have a shell divided into eight overlapping plates

cnidaria

invertebrates with nematocysts and radial symmetry

eutrophication

the process by which increased inputs of nutrients lead to an undesirable increase in algal growth

facultative symbiont

a symbiont that is not completely dependent on its partner and can live outside the symbiosis

forams

protozoans with a calcerous test, and pseudopodia

leeward

the sheltered side, away from the wind

medusa

the bell-shaped, free-swimming stages of cnidarians

obligate symbiont

one that depends on its partner and does not occur outside the symbiosis

mesenterial filament

Any of the long thin tubes attached to the gut of corals and other cnidarians that are involved in digestion and absorption

photosynthesis

the chemical process involved in the transformation of solar energy into glucose

polyp

the cylindrical, typically attached stage of cnidarians

scleractinian

anthozoans with a solid calcerous skeleton that are the most important reef-building corals

sclerites

sharp little calcium carbonate needles used by soft corals to discourage predation

spur-and-groove

exposed fore-reef areas with a series of finger-like projections alternating with sand channels, also called buttresses

subsidence

the sinking of a landmass

symbiosis

a close relationship between two species, including commensalism, mutualism, and parasitism

trade winds

steady winds that blow from east to west toward the Equator, replacing the hot air that rises at the Equator

turf algae

small, fleshy, filamentous types of algae that often grow in a short, thick turf on the reef flat

windward

the side that faces the prevailing wind

zooxanthellae

dinoflagellates that live within the tissues of reef corals and other marine animals

bryozoans

small, colonial, encrusting invertebrates with delicate, often lace-like skeletons

active transport

the transfer of substances across membranes by a cell against a concentration gradient

anadromous fishes

marine fishes that migrate to fresh water to breed

anoxic

lacking oxygen

biological clock

a repeated rhythm that is synchronized with time

brackish water

water of intermediate salinity

catadromous fishes

freshwater fishes that migrate to sea to breed

Coriolis effect

the tendency of objects moving large distances on Earth's surface to bend to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere

deposit feeder

an animal that feeds on organic matter that settles on the bottom

estuaries

a semi-enclosed area where fresh water and seawater meet and mix

euryhaline

an organism that can tolerate a wide range of salinities

hydrogen sulfide

the gas that is produced in anoxic sediments

negative estuaries

estuaries where loss of fresh water through evaporation is higher than fresh water input from rivers

osmoconformer

an organism that allows its internal salt concentration to change with the salinity of the surrounding water

osmoregulator

an organism that controls its internal salt concentration

osmosis

the movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane, like the cell membrane, which allows only certain molecules to pass through

outwelling

the export of detritus and other organic matter from estuaries to other ecosystems

plate tectonics

the process involved in the movement of large tectonic plates on Earth's crust

pneumatophores

upward extension of roots of some mangroves

salt wedge

a layer of denser, saltier seawater that flows along the bottom in estuaries

stenohaline

organism that can tolerate a narrow range of salinities

succulent

a fleshy plant that accumulates water

suspension feeder

an animal that feeds on particles suspended in the water

tidal bore

a steep wave generated as high tides move up some estuaries and rives

tidal range

the difference in water level between successive high and low tides

bioturbators

a member of the infauna that moves sediment while burrowing or feeding

competitive exclusion

the elimination of one species by another as a result of competition

diatoms

unicellular and eukaryotic autotrophs with a siliceous frustule; mostly planktonic

diurnal tide

a tidal pattern with a high and low tide each day

filter feeders

a suspension feeder that actively filters food particles

habitat

the natural environment where an organism lives

heat capacity

the amount of heat that must be added to a substance to raise its temperature by a given amount, which reflects the substance's ability to store heat

hemoglobin

a blood protein that transports oxygen in many animals

holdfast

the root-like portion of the thallus of a seaweed

keystone predators

a predatory species whose effects on its community are proportionately much greater than its abundance

lichens

the organism that results from the symbiosis of a fungus and an autotroph like a green alga

mantle

the outer layer of tissue that secretes the shell of molluscs

neap tide

the tides with a small tidal range. they occur around the times when the moon is in quarter

nitrogen fixation

the conversion of gaseous nitrogen into nitrogen compounds that can be utilized by autotrophs. it is performed by nitrogen fixers

passive continental margin

a continental margin that is located at the "trailing edge" of a continental and as a result shows little geological activity

plankton

organisms that drift in the water

primary producer

an autotroph. an organism that carries out primary production

radula

the ribbon-like band of teeth of molluscs

semidiurnal tide

a tidal pattern with two high and two low tides each day

spring tide

the tides with a large tidal range; they occur around the times of full or new moon

subtidal zone

the bottom above the continental shelf

swim bladder

the gas-filled sac in the body cavity of bony fishes that is involved in the adjustment of buoyancy

wave shock

the intensity of the impact of a wave

cartilage

a material that is lighter and more flexible than bone

chimaeras

ratfishes

chromatophore

a skin cell that contains pigment

countershading

A color pattern that results in a dark back and a light belly; most common in epipelagic fishes

ctenoid scales

scales that are thin, flexible, and overlapping

demersal

a bottom-dwelling fish

disruptive coloration

a color pattern that helps break up the outline of an organism

grazers

an organism that feeds primarily on plants

heterocercal

a tail in which the upper lobe is longer than the lower lobe