Marine Science U1-3 (Midterm)

Adaptation

The ability of organisms to change and evolve

Age Structure

The distribution of the population of a species by age

Bioluminescence

THe ability of organisms to create their own light

Consumers

Organisms that eat other organisms

Counter-illumination

A form of camouflage in which bioluminescent features are on the underside of a creature and only visible to those swimming below it

Counter Shading

The variations of light and dark on an animals skin or coat that creates a camouflage

Decomposers

The fungi and bacteria that break down dead bodies

Deep Zone

The lowest three levels of the ocean encompassing depth greater than 3,300 feet and containing no light

Density

the number of a population in a given area

Distribution

the area in which a population lives;Range

Evolution

The process of adaptation, or how organisms develop from earlier life forms.

Genes

The biological mechanism for passing the traits of the parents down to the offspring

Giantism

The tendency of an organism to be exceptionally large

Midnight Zone

The highest level of the deep zone, which is between 3,300 - 13,000 feet deep

Mutations

An inheritable change in an organisms genes

Natural Selection

The theory that offspring with the features most suited to the environment are more likely to survive and reproduce

Pod

A group of Whales

Population Ecology

The study of the population and the environment

Producers

Organisms, Such as plants, that add food to the environment

Rarefaction

Taking several samples of the sea life in an area and noting the frequency and type of the species that are collected

Representative Sample

A small measurement presumed to be representative of the whole population

Sunlight Zone

The layer of the ocean that goes from the surface to 660 feet where sunlight is highly visible

Twilight Zone

The level of the ocean between 660 - 3,300 feet that is partially infiltrated by sunlight

Apex Predator

A predator with no natural enemies

Biodiversity

Having several different species

Cold Wake

The changes in the sunlight layer of the ocean in the aftermath of a hurricane

Desiccation

Drying out

Food Pyramid

An analysis of populations that groups organisms by the level that they occupy in the food chain

Gause’s Principle

The theory that species must have slightly different niches to successfully co-exist

Habitat

The area in which organisms live

Interference

A type of competition in which one species is better at getting the available resources than the other is

Intraspecific

Competition within species

Model

Representations of ideas that scientists use to explain complex interactions

Niche

The role an organism plays within an ecosystem

Overpopulation

Having a population larger than what the environment can maintain

Population Cycles

The natural periods when a population increases or decreases

Trophic cascade

A change in population that impacts three or more levels in the pyramid

Trophic Level

The level ont eh food pyramid shared by other species with similar roles

Algae blooms

A large concentration of aquatic microorganisms

Bioaccumulate

To accumulate inside the body of living creatures

Biodegradable

Able to be broken down in the enviornment

Diffused

Spread

Eutrophication

Physical or chemical changes because of excessive nutrients

Marine Pollution

The introduction of elements or substances into an aquatic environment that change the quality of the water or otherwise negatively impact the environment

Non-renewable

Unable to be replaced

Persistence

How long a pollutant stays in the environment

Pollutant

any element that directly or indirectly causes damage to an organism

Runoff

The draining away of water and the substances it contains from the surface of the ground

Synthetic

Made by humans through chemical processes

Sanctuary

A protected area

Toxicity

The degree to which a substance is harmful

Tributary

A river or stream feeding into a larger body of water