AICE Marine Science Chapter 5 Vocab (New Coursebook)

Bioluminescence

The biochemical release of light by living organisms

World Ocean

The combination of all major oceans into one large, interconnected body of water that encircles the world's continents

Epipelagic Zone

The zone of the ocean between 0 and 200 m deep which receives enough light for photosynthesis

Mesopelagic Zone

The zone of the ocean between 200 and 1000 m deep which receives very little light

Bathypelagic Zone

The zone of the ocean between 1000 and 4000 m deep which receives no sunlight

Abyssopelagic Zone

The zone of the ocean between 4000 and 6000 m deep with near-freezing water temperatures and intense pressure

Benthic Zone

The lowest depth region in any body of water including the surface of the substrate

Benthos

The community of organisms found in the benthic zone

Ecosystem Services

Benefits people obtain from ecosystems, including food, flood regulation, climate control and water purification

Carbon Sink

A natural environment that absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere faster than it releases it

Cnidarians

Marine animals that capture food using stinging cells

Cnidocytes

Stinging cells that cover the tentacles of cnidarians

Polyp

Non-moving, cup-like life stage of cnidarians

Nematocyst

The harpoon-like organelle inside of cnidocyte that contains toxin to be delivered to the prey

Basal Plate

Lower part of the coral calyx that separates the polyp from the substrate

Calyx

The stony cup in which a coral polyp lives its life

Theca

The walls of the calyx

Hard Corals

Stony corals capable of reef-building that have a relationship with zooxanthellae

Soft Corals

Corals that do not build reefs and lack calcification

Zooxanthellae

Symbiotic, photosynthetic dinoflagellates living within the tissues of many invertebrates

Fringing Reef

A reef close to and surrounding newer volcanic islands or that borders continental land masses

Barrier Reef

A reef separated by a lagoon from the land mass with which it is associated

Atoll

A coral reef somewhat circular in shape with a central lagoon

Patch Reef

Small, isolated reef usually located within the lagoon of a barrier reef

Lagoon

A shallow, sheltered body of water with a soft sediment bottom

Reef Erosion

When a coral loses more of its calcium carbonate skeleton per year than it gains

Bioerosion

Reef erosion caused by living organisms

Ocean Acidification

A process where the pH of the ocean is reduced over an extended period of time; generally attributed to a rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide

Climate Change

Changes in global or regional climate patterns since the late twentieth century

Coral Bleaching

Whitening of coral that results from the loss of a coral's symbiotic zooxanthellae

Desiccation

The removal of moisture or drying out of an organism

Artificial Reef

An underwater structure built by humans to mimic the characteristics of a natural reef

Zonation

Distribution of plants or animals into specific zones within an ecosystem based on a specific abiotic factor, like desiccation

Intertidal Zone

Area known as the seashore which is exposed at low tides and under water at high tides

Splash Zone

Area of a rocky shore that is just above the high tide mark and receives water through the splashing of waves

Porous

Substrate with holes that allow for the passage of air and water

Permeability

How well water flows through a substrate

Porosity

How much water a substance can hold based on the empty space within it

Propagule

A reproductive structure that detaches from the parent plant and is able to grow into a new individual

Lenticel

A raised pore in the roots of a mangrove that allows gas exchange between the atmosphere and the internal tissues

Viviparous Reproduction [Plants]

A reproductive strategy where the seed develops into a young plant while still attached to the parent plant

Anthropogenic

Caused by human activity

Geoengineering

Intentionally manipulating environmental processes that affect the climate in order to reduce the impacts of climate change

Ocean Fertilisation

The dumping of iron or other nutrients into the ocean in areas with low productivity to enhance growth of phytoplankton

Carbon Sequestration

Long-term storage of carbon to mitigate global warming and avoid climate change

Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB)

When an excess of nutrients leads to overgrowth of marine plankton that release toxins into the water