Aice Marine Science Vocabulary Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards based on key concepts in Aice Marine Science, designed for efficient review and study.

Abiotic

The nonliving part of an ecosystem, including geological, physical, and chemical features.

Absorption spectrum

A graph showing absorbance of different wavelengths of light by a compound.

Abyssal plain

A flat, sandy region of the ocean floor found between trenches and the continental rise.

Accessory pigment

A pigment that absorbs light of different wavelengths and passes the energy to chlorophyll a.

Action spectrum

A graph showing the effect of different wavelengths of light on a process.

Active transport

Movement of particles from lower to higher concentration, requiring energy.

Aerobic respiration

The release of energy from glucose in the presence of oxygen.

Ahermatypic

Soft corals that do not build reefs.

Alevin

The first larval form of salmon, possessing a yolk sac.

Algal bloom

A rapid increase in algae population.

Anaerobic respiration

Energy release from glucose in the absence of oxygen.

Anchorage

The location where a sessile organism attaches on a substrate.

Anomaly

An observation that deviates from what is normal or expected.

Aquaculture

The rearing of aquatic animals and plants for human consumption.

Artificial reef

An underwater structure built to mimic a natural reef.

Assimilation

The conversion of a nutrient into a usable form in tissues.

Asthenosphere

A nearly liquid layer made of the uppermost part of the mantle.

Atoll

A coral reef with a central lagoon.

Autotroph

An organism that produces carbohydrates from light or chemical energy.

Barrier reef

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

Beach renourishment

The process of dumping sand onto an eroding shoreline.

Benthic trawling

A fishing method that drags a net along the seabed.

Bioaccumulation

The accumulation of substances in an organism.

Biodiversity

A measure of the number of different species present in an area.

Biomagnification

The increasing concentration of a substance in organisms at successively higher levels of a food chain.

Biomass

The mass of living material in an area, measured as dry mass or wet mass.

Biotechnology

The application of biological processes for industrial purposes.

Biotic

The living parts of an ecosystem.

Carbohydrate

Organic compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, used for energy.

Catch per unit effort

A measure of fish abundance calculated from catch size divided by fishing effort.

Chemoautotroph

A producer that uses chemical energy to produce its own food energy.

Chemosynthesis

The production of organic compounds using energy derived from inorganic reactions.

Chlorophyll

A pigment in plants and algae that absorbs sunlight for photosynthesis.

Chloroplast

The photosynthetic organelle found in eukaryotic cells.

Climate change

Changes in global or regional climate patterns.

Community

All the different populations occupying a habitat at the same time.

Compensation point

The light intensity at which photosynthesis and respiration rates are equal.

Competition

A relationship between organisms where both are negatively affected by trying to fill the same niche.

Condensation

The process where water changes from vapor to liquid.

Confounding variable

A variable that could affect the dependent variable in an experiment.

Conservation

The protection of plants, animals, and their habitats from extinction.

Consumer

An animal that feeds on other organisms for food energy.

Continental drift

Theory suggesting continents are able to move over Earth’s surface.

Continental margin

The submerged area next to a continent.

Continental rise

A gently sloping surface at the base of the continental slope.

Continental shelf

A gently sloping surface that extends from low tide to the continental slope.

Continental slope

A relatively steep sloping surface between shelf and rise.

Control group

Group in an experiment receiving the same treatment as experimental groups, except the variable being tested.

Control variables

Variables that must be kept the same in an experiment.

Convection current

Movement of fluids based on density differences.

Convergent boundary

When two or more tectonic plates come together.

Coral bleaching

The loss of symbiotic algae from coral tissues.

Coriolis Effect

A force caused by Earth's rotation that deflects moving objects. Right in North, Left in South.

Current

A continuous physical movement of water caused by wind or density.

Cyanobacteria

Photosynthetic bacteria found in marine and freshwater.

Decomposers

Organisms that break down dead organic matter.

Deep chlorophyll maximum

The maximum concentration of chlorophyll below the surface of water.

Delta

A triangular area at the mouth of a river formed by sediment deposition.

Denaturation

Loss of shape of enzymes due to high temperature.

Density

Mass per unit volume of a substance.

Dependent variable

The variable being measured in an experiment.

Deposition

A geological process adding sediments to a landform.

Desiccation

The process of drying out or losing moisture.

Diatom

Unicellular algae with silica skeletons.

Diazotroph

An organism that can fix nitrogen gas into usable substances.

Diffusion

The movement of particles from high to low concentration.

Dinoflagellate

Unicellular algae with two flagella.

Dissociation

A reversible chemical change where molecules of a compound separate.

Dissolution

The dissolving of a solute into a solvent.

Dissolved oxygen (DO)

Oxygen that has dissolved into water.

Diurnal

Occurs daily.

Divergent boundary

Where two tectonic plates move away from each other.

DNA ligase

An enzyme that joins DNA segments.

Earthquake

A sudden release of energy in Earth that creates seismic waves.

Ecological linkages

Ecological relationships between species and their environment.

Ecological niche

The role of a species within an ecosystem.

Ecosystem

The living organisms and their environment interacting.

Ecotourism

Sustainable tourism that appreciates the natural world.

Ectothermic

An organism that exchanges heat with its surroundings.

El Nino

A warm current that develops off the coast of Ecuador, which can cause widespread death within local food chains.

Endosymbiosis

A theory suggesting chloroplasts were originally independent bacteria.

Endothermic

An organism that generates heat in metabolic processes.

Enzyme

A protein that acts as a catalyst in a specific reaction.

Erosion

The natural process of material wearing away from the Earth.

Estuary

A tidal, coastal body of water where fresh meets saltwater.

Euryhaline

Organisms that tolerate a wide range of salinities. Like Salmon.

Eutrophication

Enrichment of water in dissolved nutrients that simulate the growth of producers usually resulting in the depletion of dissolved oxygen.

Evaporation

Changing state from liquid to gas.

Exotic species

Species not native to a particular location.

Extensive aquaculture

Aquaculture with little technology and low stocking densities.

External fertilization

Gametes are released and fused outside the body.

Extremophile

An organism adapted to extreme conditions.

Fecundity

The rate of reproduction of organisms.

Fish

Vertebrates living in water with gills and fins.

Food chain

Describes feeding relationships between organisms.

Food web

Describes how food chains are interrelated.

Fringing reef

A reef close to volcanic islands or continental landmasses.

Fry

Early, small larval stage of many fish. EX. Salmon

Gene

A sequence of nucleotides coding for a protein.

Genetic engineering

Modification of organisms by altering their genetic material.