Marine Biology Vocabulary

Flashcards of vocabulary terms and definitons for marine biology lecture notes.

Wave factors

Relationship of Wavelength (L), Wave Height, Period (T), and Speed (C): C = L/T. Energy moves, not water, which cycles.

Continental Margins

Edge of the continent, featuring a slope, submarine canyons, and a base at 10,000 ft.

Active Margins

Characterized by trenches, geological activity, and continental uplift.

Passive Margins

Lacking a plate boundary, exhibiting little geological activity, and featuring a flat abyssal plain.

Benthic Area

Sea Floor; Includes Intertidal/Littoral, Subtidal/Sublittoral, and Deep Sea areas.

Intertidal/Littoral Zone

Covered by water at high tide, uncovered at low tide.

Bathyal Zone

Continental Slope.

Abyssal Zone

Abyssal Plain.

Hadal Zone

Deepest Region.

Pelagic Zone

Open Ocean; divided into vertical zones.

Epipelagic Zone

Up to 350-650 ft down; the light zone where photosynthesis is important.

Mesopelagic Zone

"Twilight zone" (3000 ft); losing light, but not completely dark.

Surface Circulation

Movement of water from one place to another globally, driven by wind and Earth's rotation (Coriolis Effect).

Coriolis Effect

Moving body on a rotating system; contributes to wind patterns.

Wind Patterns

Rise due to heat energy and are angled due to Coriolis Effect (Trades, Westerlies, Polar Easterlies).

Surface Currents

Begun by wind on the surface layer; each layer pushes on the layer below, affected by the Coriolis effect.

Gyres

Regulate climate and affect organism habitat and range.

Thermohaline Movement

Vertical movement of seawater driven by differences in temperature and salinity; poles have the coldest and saltiest water.

Lunar Pull

Force responsible for tidal bulges due to gravitational effects and centrifugal force of the Earth-Moon system.

Marine Viruses

Genetic material covered in protein shell (capsid), 20 to 200 nanometers in size.

Phage

Most common structure of marine virus; formed in helical or isometrical shapes.

G/C Base

Lower guanine-cytosine content.

Marine Virus Ecosystem Importance

Level out ecosystems.

Prophages and Iysogenic viruses

Insert DNA into the host cell; controls genes/DNA.

Marine Virus Food Web Importance

Feed everything and are part of the "recycling" of DNA, contributing to diversity.

Archaea Basic Features

Unicellular prokaryotes with no nucleus and a single chromosome; membranes composed of lipids.

Archaea Habitat

Hydrothermal Vents, Hot springs, Glacial Ice, very salty solutions

Archaea Examples

Halophiles, Thermophiles, Methanogens.

Archaea: Nutrient Cycling

Continuous movement of essential nutrients like Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus.

Archaea: Symbiotic Relationships

Close long-term biological interaction; can be mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasitic.

Cyanobacteria Features

Derive energy from organic components; Nutrient recyclers in decomposition and biodegradation.

Cyanobacteria Cell Structure

Similar to prokaryotes; Cell wall made of peptidoglycan; Plasma membrane; Additional Structures: pili, flagella.

Cyanobacteria Characteristics

Get energy from organic compounds of other organisms; cannot synthesize their own food.

Microbial Loop

Heterotrophic Bacteria consumed by Protozoa, zooplankton, and carbon.

Heterotrophic Bacteria Food Chains

Breaks down marine food webs and facilitates Decomposition & Sedimentation in Biogeochemical cycles.

Foraminiferans Cell Type

Single-cell protists with one or many nuclei and large, diverse RNA genes.

Foraminiferans Shell Structure

Made of Calcium Carbonate, Aragonite, or calcite; very porous and vary in shape and surface.

Foraminiferans Fossil Records

Form an ooze that covers 30% of the ocean floor and are major carbonate producers.

Foraminiferans Importance

Survive off of microorganisms; also participates in Sedimentation & Symbiosis for food and stability.

Radiolarians Cell Type

Unicellular Eukaryotes with a siliceous skeleton and a Central Capsule divided into two regions.

Radiolarians Food Chains

Small bacteria and organic particles.

DinoFlagellates Features

Unicellular protists, planktonic and motile (2 flagella).

DinoFlagellates Habitat

Shallow Coastal waters, Mostly marine; Symbiotic w/ coral, jellyfish, and other sea anemones.

Cyanobacteria Basic features

Blue-green algae existing in all types of water; Cell type: prokaryotic (unicellular).

Cyanobacteria Importance

Convert nitrogen in the atmosphere into a chemical form and perform photosynthesis.

What is a Microbe?

All three domains - Archaea, Bacteria, Eukarya; Important as primary producers, consumers, pathogens, symbionts, and sediment producers.

Protista

Protozoans (“Animal-Like”), Algae (“Plant-Like) and some unicellular organisms.

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

Seasonal blooms of dinoflagellates caused by eutrophication, leading to organism death due to toxins or O2 depletion.

Biomagnification

The process where small organisms consume toxins, which become more concentrated as they move up the food chain.

SEAWEED

Multicellular protists (Green, brown and red algae); Primary producers, food, habitat, and O2 producers, but lack true plant structures.

Green algae

Mostly freshwater (10% marine) with a simple thallus and Chlorophyll a, b and some carotenoids.

Brown Algae

Almost all marine, with a more complex thallus and Yellow-Brown pigments dominating.

Red Algae

Almost all marine with Phycobilins dominating; photosynthesizes at greater depths.

Flowering Plants

Have true plant structures and are dominant sporophytes with flowers; grow completely underwater or are salt-tolerant.

Mangroves

Tropical and sub-tropical trees and shrubs that thrive in salt water; stabilize soil and store carbon.

What makes something an animal?

Cells → Tissues → Organs → Systems → Organism; Eukaryotic and Heterotrophic.

What is an invertebrate?

97% of animals; have NO backbones (vertebrae).

Sponges (Porifera)

Lack true tissues and organs, have specialized cells, no symmetry, and are sessile.

Cnidarians

True tissues, radial symmetry, nematocysts, polyp and medusa forms.

Cnidarian Groups

Hydrozoans (Sessile polyp colonies), Scyphozoa (Common Jellies), Anthozoa (Anemones and corals).

Ctenophores

Comb jellies; cilary combs move in waves & refract light & Colloblasts.

Marine Worms

Multiple Phyla (platyhelminthes and annelida)

Platyhelminthes(Flatworms)

Clear organs and systems, CNS with brain, Carnivorous(turbellarians), Parasitic(tapeworms, flukes).

Annelida(Segmented)

Parapodia on each segment, gills, developed head region, complete gut, hysdroskeleton w/ muscles, closed circulation.

What is a mollusk?

Soft body covered by mantle, bilateral, muscular food, developed head region, & gills.

Gastropods

Snails, limpets, abalones, nudibranchs(sea slugs); Coiled foot, Dorsal shell; Grazers, carnivores, and waste feeders.

Bivalves

Clams, Oysters, mussels, etc; Enclosed by shell and mantle; Filter feed with gills.

Cephalopods

Shell reduced or absent (except for nautilus), Foot modified into tentacles (“head-foot”), Mantle holds gills.

Chitons

Overlapping dorsal shell plates; Algae grazers.

Arthropods

Largest phylum; Bilateral, segmented body; Jointed appendages; Exoskeleton (molting).

Crustaceans

Specialized for aquatic life (paddle-shaped legs, hardened exoskeleton). Small Crustaceans include Copepods, Amphipods, Isopods, Barnacles and Krill.

Hermit Crabs

Don't form their own shell; Need to find abandoned, already formed shell.

True Crabs

Abdomen tucked underneath.

Lobsters & Shrimp

Abdomen stretched out in the back.

Crustacean Physiology

Open Circulation, Complete digestion, Small brains, Well developed sensory organs, Gills, USUALLY separate sexes.

Horseshoe Crabs (Merostomata)

Related to spiders and scorpions; Blood taken for humans.

Echinoderms

"Spiny-skinned,"; All marine; Pentamerous radial symmetry as adults; Bilateral as Larvae.

What is a chordate?

At some point in life, they have: Notocord, Dorsal hollow nerve cord, Post-anal tail, and Pharyngeal slits.

Protochordates

Have all chordate characteristics but no vertebrae; Lancelets and tunicates.

Major Fish Groups

Jawless (Agnatha), Cartiligenous (Chondrichtheyes), Bony (Osteichtheyes).

Agnatha

Lack true vertebrae; Hagfish and Lampreys.

Chondrichtheyes

Cartilaginous fish; Sharks, Rays, and Ratfish.

Chondrichtheyes Characteristics

Cartilaginous skeleton, Ventral mouth with moveable jaws, Paired lateral fins, Rough skin(Placoid scales), Heterocercal caudal fin.

Rays and Skates Characteristics

Dorsoventrally flattened, Ventral gill slits, Expanded pectoral fins, Few scales.

Rays Characteristics

Viviparous, Whip-like tail, Stinging spine.

Skates Characteristics

Oviparous, Bigger tail, Dorsal fins.

Ratfish (Chimaeras)

Mostly Deepwater; eat crustaceans and mollusks

Bony Fish (Osteichtheyes) Characteristics

Terminal mouth, Homocercal caudal fin, Cycloid/ctenoid scales, Swim bladder, Heavier bones.

Bony Fish Sensory/Nervous System

Operculum, Lateral Line, Olfactory Sacs, Ampullae of Lorenzini.

Schooling

Coordination is maintained by vision, lateral line, olfaction.

Schooling Advantages

Safety in numbers and not hard to find mates.

Migration Why

Follow food, go to mating/birthing area, Move with the weather/temperature changes.

Anadromous vs. Catadromous

Anadromous: Salt → Fresh, Catadromous: Fresh → Salt.

Fish development

Oviparous (lays eggs), Viviparous (live birth), Ovoviviparous (egg hatches inside body).

Sea Turtles

Enclosed by carapace, Cannot retract head, Flippers, Return to land to reproduce.

Sea Snakes

Tropical Indian and Pacific, Laterally compressed, Ovoviparous, Small mouth but highly venomous.

Penguins

Flightless, Denser Bones, Layer of fat + feathers, Insulates insides, Makes them float.

Tubenoses

Heavy curved beak, Open sea predators, Elaborate courtship, Lifelong partners.

Pelicans and Relatives

Webbing between toes, Fish eaters.

Gulls and Relatives

AUKS!!! Puffins, razorbills, guillemots (little auks)