Marine bio review

Stress gradient hypothesis

An evolutionary theory predicting that in stressful environments, facilitation is more common, while competition is more common in benign environments.

Hysteresis

The phenomenon where the work required to return to a previous state exceeds the work that caused the change.

Alternative Stable States

A theory in ecology that ecosystems can exist in multiple stable states for a given set of environmental conditions.

Trophic Cascade

A powerful indirect interaction in a food web where predators control the density and behavior of prey, enhancing survival of the next lower trophic level.

Paradox of the plankton

A phenomenon where despite limited resources, a high diversity of plankton species coexist.

Riftia

A genus of marine invertebrates known as giant tube worms that live near hydrothermal vents, relying on bacteria for energy.

Chemosynthesis

A biological process where organisms produce food using chemical energy from inorganic compounds instead of sunlight.

Fringing vs. barrier reef

Fringing reefs grow directly from shorelines, whereas barrier reefs are separated from shorelines by water.

Disturbance

A temporary event causing significant change to an ecosystem, such as physical structure change or resource availability.

Intermediate Disturbance hypothesis

The idea that species diversity is highest at moderate levels of disturbance.

Facilitation cascade

When one species benefits another, leading to further benefits for additional species.

Foundation species

Organisms that create habitats and play a central role in the resilience of an ecosystem.

Keystone species

A species that has a disproportionately large impact on its ecosystem relative to its abundance.

Spartina

A genus of aquatic grasses important in coastal ecosystems, impacting ecology both positively and negatively.

Crassostrea

A genus of true oysters important for food production.

Zostera

A genus of seagrasses also known as eelgrass, important in marine ecosystems.

Acropora

A genus of stony coral known for species that form coral reefs.

Macrocystis

A genus of giant kelp that contains the largest brown algae species.

Rhizophora

A genus of tropical mangrove trees, with the red mangrove as a notable species.

Green vs. brown food webs

Green food webs are based on energy from plants or algae, while brown food webs rely on energy from decaying biomass.

Aerenchyma

Spongy tissue in halophytic plants that facilitates gas exchange.

Lacuna

A genus of sea snails, also known as winkles or periwinkles.