Marine Ecology

Abiotic

Not living factors in the environment such as waves, water temperature, and sunlight.

Biotic

Living factors in an ecosystem, such as fish.

Ecosystem

A geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms interact with their environment.

Biosphere

All of Earth's ecosystems taken together.

Community

An interacting group of various species in a common location.

Population

A group of organisms of the same species living together in the same area.

Species

A group of organisms that can reproduce with one another in nature and produce fertile offspring.

Homeostasis

A state of balance among body systems needed for survival and proper function.

Salinity

The saltiness or amount of salt dissolved in a body of water.

Solute

The substance that is dissolved in a solution, such as salt in water.

Osmosis

The movement of water from a high concentration to a low concentration across a membrane.

Habitat

The place where an organism or community lives, including environmental conditions.

Niche

An organism's role within an ecosystem.

Anaerobic

Processes or organisms that occur without oxygen.

Aerobic

Processes or organisms that require oxygen.

Population size

The total number of individuals in a population.

Population density

The average number of individuals in a population per unit of area.

Immigration

The movement of organisms into a new area.

Emmigration

The movement of organisms out of their native land.

Fitness

How well a genotype leaves offspring in the next generation.

Mortality

The death rate within a population.

Exponential growth

Unrestricted growth of a population when resources are unlimited.

Logistic growth

Population growth that decreases as it reaches carrying capacity.

Carrying capacity

The maximum number of organisms of a species that an environment can support.

Density-dependent

Factors that affect population size based on density.

Density-independent

Forces affecting population size regardless of density.

Competition

An interaction between organisms that require the same limited resource.

Intraspecific competition

Competition among members of the same species.

Interspecific competition

Competition among individuals of different species.

Resource partitioning

A process where organisms divide resources to coexist.

Herbivore

An organism that primarily eats plants.

Carnivore

An organism that primarily eats other organisms.

Keystone species

A species that has a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecosystem.

Symbiosis

A relationship between two different organisms in similar habitats.

Mutualism

An association where both species benefit.

Commensalism

A relationship where one species benefits and the other is unaffected.

Autotroph

An organism that produces its own food.

Heterotroph

An organism that cannot produce its own food and depends on others.

Producers

Plants that gain energy from sunlight.

Consumers

Organisms that gain energy by consuming other organisms.

Omnivore

An organism that eats both plants and animals.

Detrivore

An organism that eats dead and decaying organic matter.

Food web

A diagram showing feeding relationships and energy transfer in an ecosystem.

Food chain

A linear network of feeding relationships.

Trophic level

The position an organism occupies in a food chain.

Pelagic

The part of the ocean not associated with the shore or bottom.

Neritic

The relatively shallow area of the ocean above the continental shelf.

Oceanic

The ocean area beyond the continental shelf.

Photic

The upper layer of water that receives sunlight for photosynthesis.

Aphotic

The region below the photic zone where there is no light.

Plankton

Organisms that cannot swim against ocean currents.

Nekton

Organisms that can swim against ocean currents.

Intertidal

The area where ocean meets land between high and low tides.

Bathyal

The ocean layer between 200 to 4000 meters deep. Above abyssal

Abyssal

The ocean layer between 4000 to 6000 meters deep. Between Bathyal and Hadal

Hadal

The deepest region of the ocean, below 6000 meters. Below Abyssal