Marine biology

What is mutualism?

A symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.

What is commensalism?

One organism benefits, the other is unaffected.

What is parasitism?

One organism benefits while the other is harmed.

What is intraspecific competition?

Competition between individuals of the same species.

What is interspecific competition?

Competition between different species.

What is exponential growth?

Rapid population growth with unlimited resources (J-shaped curve).

What is logistic growth?

Growth that slows as resources become limited (S-shaped curve).

What is carrying capacity?

Maximum population size an environment can sustain.

What are benthos?

Organisms that live on or in the ocean floor.

What are nekton?

Actively swimming organisms that move against currents.

What are plankton?

Drifting organisms carried by currents.

What is phytoplankton?

Photosynthetic plankton (producers).

What is zooplankton?

Animal-like plankton (consumers).

What is the epipelagic zone?

Sunlit surface ocean where photosynthesis occurs.

What is the mesopelagic zone?

Dim light zone with limited light penetration.

What is the bathypelagic zone?

Dark, cold, high-pressure deep ocean zone.

What is the abyssopelagic zone?

Deepest ocean zone with extreme conditions and few organisms.

How are carbon isotopes used in food webs?

They trace the source of energy in an ecosystem.

How are nitrogen isotopes used in food webs?

They indicate trophic level (higher nitrogen = higher position).

What is logistic growth linked to?

Carrying capacity and resource limitation.

What happens if a species is removed from a food web?

It can cause trophic cascades and ecosystem imbalance.

What are producers?

Organisms that make their own food (autotrophs).

What are primary consumers?

Organisms that eat producers.

What are secondary consumers?

Organisms that eat primary consumers.

What is the intertidal zone?

Area exposed between high and low tides with harsh conditions.

What are estuaries?

Coastal areas where freshwater mixes with saltwater.

What adaptations help intertidal organisms survive?

Resistance to drying, waves, and changing salinity.

What are euryhaline organisms?

Organisms that tolerate wide salinity ranges.

What are stenohaline organisms?

Organisms that tolerate narrow salinity ranges.

What are epifauna?

Animals living on the surface of the seafloor.

What are infauna?

Animals living inside sediments.

What are meiofauna?

Very small organisms living between sediment particles.

What is the relationship between corals and zooxanthellae?

Mutualism; algae provide food, coral provides shelter.

What is coral bleaching?

Loss of zooxanthellae due to stress, causing corals to turn white.

What causes coral bleaching?

Heat stress, pollution, and ocean acidification.

What is the effect of coral bleaching?

Coral weakens and may die.

What is sustainable yield?

Harvest rate that can be maintained long-term.

What is maximum sustainable yield?

Maximum catch possible without collapsing the stock.

What is fishing effort?

Amount of effort used to catch fish (boats, gear, time).

What is purse seine fishing?

Nets used to encircle fish schools.

What is trawling?

Dragging nets along the seafloor, damaging habitats.

What are clupeoid fishes?

Small schooling fish like sardines and anchovies.

What are MPAs?

Marine Protected Areas that limit human activity.

What are EEZs?

Exclusive Economic Zones where countries control fishing rights.

What is ghost fishing?

Lost fishing gear that continues catching animals.

What is bycatch?

Unintended species caught during fishing.

What is aquaculture?

Farming of aquatic organisms.

What is mariculture?

Aquaculture specifically in marine environments.

What is salmon farming?

Raising salmon in controlled sea pens.

What is salmon ranching?

Raising salmon then releasing them to ocean to mature.

What is seeding in aquaculture?

Releasing juveniles into the wild to grow.

What are positive impacts of mariculture?

Food production and reduced pressure on wild stocks.

What are negative impacts of mariculture?

Pollution, disease, and habitat damage.

What is ecotourism?

Tourism focused on natural environments with conservation benefits.

What are negative impacts of ecotourism?

Disturbance to wildlife and habitat damage.

What is eutrophication?

Excess nutrients causing algal blooms and oxygen loss.

What is the eutrophication sequence?

Fertilizer runoff → algae bloom → oxygen depletion → fish die-off.

What is biomagnification?

Increasing concentration of toxins up the food chain.

What are DDT and PCBs?

Toxic chemicals that accumulate in organisms and biomagnify.