Fundamental of Marine Ecology

Ecology

The study of relationships among organisms and their interactions with the environment.

Ecosystem

A group of communities with interacting organisms through which energy is transferred. Example: A coral reef.

Community

A collection of different populations living and interacting within an ecosystem. Example: All the fish, sharks, and coral in a coral reef.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species that live and interact within a community. Example: All the clownfish in a coral reef.

Habitat

Where an organism lives. Example: A sea star's habitat is the seafloor.

Niche

The role an organism plays in its community. Example: The ecological niche of a great white shark is a top predator.

Biosphere

The entire planet, including the land, ocean, atmosphere, and all living things. Example: Earth.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living components that affect an ecosystem. Example: Rain, rocks, and sunlight.

Biotic Factors

Biological, living components that affect an ecosystem. Example: Fish, birds, and trees.

Keystone Species

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its natural environment relative to its abundance. Example: Sea otters.

Symbiosis

A relationship where organisms live together. Example: The relationship between a clownfish and an anemone.

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit. Example: A clownfish and an anemone.

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is neither harmed nor benefited. Example: A remora and a shark.

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is harmed. Example: A tapeworm in a polar bear.

The 2 kinds of organisms involved in the flow of energy through an ecosystem.

Producers (autotrophs) and Consumers (heterotrophs).

The 2 types of producers and how they produce energy.

Photosynthetic (using sunlight to create sugar) and Chemosynthetic (using chemicals to create food).

The difference between a food chain and a food web.

A food chain is a single path of energy transfer, while a food web is a network of many interconnected food chains.

Herbivore

A consumer that eats only producers (plants).

Carnivore

A consumer that eats only other animals.

Omnivore

A consumer that eats both plants and animals.

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down dead or decaying material and releases energy back into the ecosystem.

Trophic Pyramid

A diagram representing how energy, biomass, or the number of organisms decreases at each successive trophic level.

The 10 percent rule

Only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level.

The primary source of energy for most ecosystems.

The sun.

What the arrow in a food web represents.

The direction of energy flow.

Trophic levels

These are the levels in a food chain or food web. The number of levels is limited because only a fraction of the energy at one level passes to the next