Marine Ecology Final Exam Study Guide - Lecture 14 Notes

These flashcards cover key concepts from Lecture 14 of the Marine Ecology course, focusing on intermediate disturbance hypotheses, phase shifts, resilience, and other significant topics relevant for the final exam.

Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis

Biodiversity is highest at intermediate levels of disturbance, while high or low levels reduce diversity.

Phase Shift

Transitions from one stable state to another when perturbed, such as from coral-dominated to algae-dominated reefs.

Alternative Stable States

Different stable states of ecosystems, where some provide ecosystem services while others, like degraded states, lose complexity and biodiversity.

Resilience

The ability of ecosystems to absorb shock, resist phase-shifts, and regenerate after disturbances.

Hysteresis

Recovery follows a different pathway than decline, indicating significant changes that prevent return to the original state.

BACI (Before-After-Control-Impact)

An assessment design that combines temporal and spatial comparisons to measure impacts.

Bycatch

Non-target species caught unintentionally while fishing for targeted species; significant in discussions of overfishing.

Ocean Acidification

The process by which oceans become more acidic due to increased CO₂ levels, negatively affecting marine life.

Sea Surface Temperature (SST)

A measure of the temperature of the ocean surface; current trends show an increase likely due to climate change.

Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS)

A coral predator linked to outbreaks driven by nutrient pollution, posing threats to coral reefs.