Lecture 7 - Intertidal Zone

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Last updated 9:13 PM on 4/13/26
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70 Terms

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Intertidal zone
Region between high and low tide that alternates between aquatic and terrestrial conditions
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Zonation
Vertical distribution of organisms across tidal gradients driven by abiotic and biotic factors
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Spray zone
Highest zone exposed to air inhabited by lichens and highly desiccation-resistant organisms
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Upper intertidal
Zone with extreme desiccation and temperature stress where organisms tolerate air exposure
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Middle intertidal
Zone with both abiotic stress and strong biological interactions such as competition and predation
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Lower intertidal
Zone mostly submerged where predation and competition dominate
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Desiccation
Water loss due to exposure to air during low tide
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Crustose algae
Algae that grow tightly adhered to rocks and incorporate calcium carbonate for protection
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Acorn barnacle
Sessile crustacean that uses cirri to filter feed and exhibits strong allee effect
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Cirri
Modified appendages used by barnacles to filter plankton from water
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Blue mussel
Filter-feeding bivalve that attaches to substrate using byssal threads and dominates space
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Byssal threads
Strong protein fibers used by mussels to attach to rocks
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Dog whelk
Predatory gastropod that drills into shells of mussels and barnacles using a radula
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Sea star
Keystone predator that feeds on mussels and maintains biodiversity
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Foundation species
Species that structures a community by dominating space or resources
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Keystone species
Species with a disproportionately large effect on ecosystem structure relative to its abundance
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Allee effect
Correlation between population density and individual fitness measured as per capita growth rate dN/dt
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Strong allee effect
Population has a critical threshold below which growth becomes negative and population declines
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Weak allee effect
Fitness increases with density but population can still grow at low density
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Estuary
Transition zone between freshwater and seawater with variable salinity
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Coastal plain estuary
Drowned river valley formed by sea level rise
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Bar-built estuary
Estuary separated by barrier islands with restricted tidal exchange and extreme salinity fluctuations
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Delta estuary
Estuary formed by sediment accumulation at river mouths with shifting channels
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Tectonic estuary
Estuary formed by land subsidence due to tectonic activity
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Fjord
Glacially carved deep estuary with strong stratification and a sill
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Sill
Shallow barrier at fjord entrance that restricts water exchange
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Flushing time
Time required to replace freshwater in an estuary
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Tidal prism
Difference in water volume between mean high tide and mean low tide
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Salt wedge estuary
Highly stratified estuary where freshwater flows over denser seawater
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Vertically mixed estuary
Estuary with uniform salinity due to strong tidal mixing
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Isohaline
Line connecting points of equal salinity
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Eutrophication
Nutrient enrichment leading to algal blooms and oxygen depletion
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Salt marsh
Temperate coastal wetland dominated by halophyte grasses
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Halophyte
Plant adapted to grow in high-salinity environments
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Euhalophyte
Plant that dilutes salt within tissues
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Recretohalophyte
Plant that excretes salt through glands or hairs
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Pseudohalophyte
Plant that blocks salt uptake at roots
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Pickleweed
Succulent halophyte that stores water and salt in tissues
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Anoxic sediment
Low oxygen environment caused by high decomposition rates
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Sulfate-reducing bacteria
Anaerobic microbes that dominate in low oxygen sediments
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Detritus
Dead organic material that fuels the food web
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Blue carbon
Carbon stored in coastal ecosystems such as salt marshes and mangroves
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Nutrient loading
Excess nutrients increase shoot growth but reduce root stability leading to marsh collapse
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Inundation
Flooding due to sea level rise that increases anoxia and kills plants
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Coastal squeezing
Loss of marsh due to urban barriers preventing landward migration
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Invasive species
Non-native organisms that outcompete native species and alter ecosystems
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Green crabs (Carcinus maenas)

Invasive crab that disrupts sediment and preys on native species

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Common reed (Phragmites australis)

Invasive reed that suppresses competitors and alters marsh hydrology

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Genetic paradox of invasion
Invasive species succeed despite low genetic diversity due to advantageous gene combinations
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Phenotypic plasticity
Ability of an organism to change phenotype in response to environment
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Mangrove
Tropical coastal ecosystem dominated by salt-tolerant trees
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Prop roots
Structural roots that stabilize mangroves in soft sediment
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Pneumatophores
Aerial roots that allow oxygen uptake in anoxic mud
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Vivipary
Seeds germinate while attached to parent plant
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Tropicalization
Replacement of salt marsh by mangrove due to warming
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Mudflat
Soft sediment tidal habitat exposed at low tide
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Infauna
Organisms that live within sediment
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Bioturbation
Mixing of sediment by organisms which redistributes oxygen and nutrients
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Deposit feeder
Organism that consumes organic material from sediment
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Filter feeder
Organism that filters particles from water
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Pacific razor clam
Burrowing bivalve that uses a siphon to feed and can switch to anaerobic respiration
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Holdfast
Structure that anchors macroalgae to the substrate and does not absorb nutrients
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Stipe
Central stem-like structure of macroalgae with no true vascular tissue
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Blade
Thin flattened leaf-like structure of macroalgae
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Pneumatocysts
Gas-filled structures that provide buoyancy to macroalgae
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Sill effect
Restriction of water exchange in fjords due to a shallow barrier at the mouth
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Wind-driven mixing
Mixing of water in shallow estuaries primarily caused by wind rather than tides
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Extreme salinity fluctuations
Rapid changes in salinity in bar-built estuaries due to isolation or evaporation
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Carbon sequestration
Long-term storage of carbon in sediments and biomass