Marine Ecology/Estuaries

Ecology

The study of how organisms interact with each other and the environment

Autotrophs

Organisms that can create their own energy

Heterotrophs

Organisms that must consume others for energy

Photoautotrophs

Autotrophs that use light to create energy

Chemoautotrophs

Autotrophs that use chemicals to create energy

Species

An organism that creates a viable offspring (Important that the offspring produces offspring)

Population

Group of organisms of the same species living in the same place at the same time

Communities

Various populations (multiple species) in a general area

Ecosystem

All the communities and the physical features of the environment

____% of the energy is lost as heat

90%

In what form is most energy in an energy pyramid lost as

Heat

What is the most efficient way to get more energy?

To be towards the bottom of the energy pyramid

Interspecific competition

Competition between organisms of different species

Intraspecific competition

Competition between organisms of the same species

Competitive exclusion

When one organism outcompetes the other for resources

Resource partitioning

Sharing the resources amongst themselves in different ways or at different times

Symbiont

Something that has developed a long-term relationship with another organism

Mutualism

When the symbiont and the host both benefit from the relationship (+, +)

Commensalism

One organism is benefitting while the other is unharmed (+,0)

Parasitism

Symbiont benefits and the host is harmed in some way (+, -)

Estuary

A low-lying area that gets both freshwater and seawater mixed into it

Coastal plane estuary

Most common type of estuary; Right next to the ocean, low-lying enough that it fills during high tide

Tectonic estuary

Results from sinking land due to earthquakes, tectonic plates run into/fold up underneath, creating depressions

Bar-built estuaries

Accumulation of sand that cuts off rivers from ocean

Fjord

Results from sinking land due to glaciers, carving out a deep, steep valley

Characteristics of an estuary

Sediment, Salinity, Temperature

Stenohaline

An aquatic organism that can tolerate small changes in salinity

Euryhaline

An aquatic organism that can tolerate large changes in salinity

Water habitat

Largest habitat in an estuary; where organisms are typically found

Marsh habitat

Where all plants are found at the edge; in charge of removing pollution from water

Mudflats

The smallest of the habitats; can only see them during low tide; primary production of bacteria and microscopic algae