Ocean Life: Strategies for Living in the Ocean

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering ocean environments, intertidal zones, fish classifications, biological adaptations, cetaceans, and deep-ocean life.

Ecosystem

An environment and the organisms living in it.

Niche

An organism's role and place in its environment, shaped by physical, chemical, and biological factors.

Plankton

Organisms that float in the water.

Nekton

Strong swimmers, such as fish and whales.

Benthos

Organisms that live on or near the ocean bottom.

Benthic environment

The ocean bottom environment where most ocean life lives.

Intertidal zone

The area between high and low tide, which is divided into many different niches because conditions change between tides.

Zonation

Organisms living in different zones along the shore.

Desiccation

Drying out, which intertidal organisms avoid by closing their shells or holding water.

Holdfasts

Structures that attach kelp to the ocean floor.

Jawless fish

One of the three main classes of fish, exemplified by the hagfish.

Cartilaginous fish

One of the three main classes of fish, possessing skeletons made of cartilage; examples include sharks, rays, and skates.

Teleosts

Bony fish, which is the group that contains most living fish.

Gills

Organs used by fish to breathe by removing oxygen from water, as well as to help remove extra salt.

Fish schooling

A group behavior used by fish to protect themselves by confusing and scaring predators.

Echolocation

The process of using sound echoes to locate objects, used by dolphins and toothed whales.

Grunion

Fish whose reproduction is connected to the tidal cycle by laying eggs on beaches during high tides.

Salmon

Fish that are born in freshwater, live as adults in the ocean, and return to freshwater to reproduce.

Cetaceans

Mammals, including whales, dolphins, and porpoises, that breathe air with lungs through blowholes.

Baleen

Structures used by baleen whales to filter small food from water after swallowing a large mouthful of water and food.

Blue whale

The largest animal on Earth.

Tripod fish

A deep-sea fish that conserves energy by resting above the ocean floor and waiting for food.

Antifreeze proteins

Proteins produced by some cold-water fish to avoid freezing.

Male anglerfish

A deep-sea fish that unusually attaches to the female like a parasite.

Sea cucumbers

Deep-ocean organisms that feed by eating sediment and removing organic material.