Marine Biology Quiz 3

Heterotroph

an organism that obtains its energy by consuming other organisms organic matter (ex. predator animals)

Bilateral symmetry

left and right sides of the body mirror each other. most common in chordates

Endoskeleton

a skeleton inside of the animals body

Hydrostatic skeleton

find in cnidarians and some other marine invertebrates; moves the animal when they dont have a hard skeletal support

Anterior

head of the animal

Posterior

rear of the animal

Ventral

bottom of the animal

Dorsal

top of the animal

Coelom

fluid filled body cavity

Cephalization

the organization of specialized sense organs near the brain found in cephalopods, like squid and octopuses

Hypoosmotic

LOWER salt content than surrounding water

Hyperosmotic

HIGHER salt content than surrounding water. hyper = hyper flow

Isosmotic

EQUIVALENT salt content

Osmoconformer

Does NOT actively move water/salt into/out of the body. Body has the same salt content as surrounding sea water. Ex: sea cucumber

Osmoregulator

Water passively leaves the body and must be actively replaced. SALT must be actively removed/added to the body

Synapomorphy

something you MUST have to belong to a phylum

Countershading

dark top, pale bottom of animal to blend in with the top and bottom colors of the water. Avoid predators and sneak up on prey

Buoyancy

when an object floats or rises when submerged in a fluid

Thermoregulation

the process by which organisms maintain a stable internal body temp despite the external environment

Counter current heat exchanger

a type of heat exchanger where the hot and cold fluids flow in opposite directions

Pinniped

flipper footed marine animals (seals, sea lions, walruses)

Sexual Dimorphism

differences in size and appearance between males and females of the same species besides their sex organs.

Sirenian

manatees and dugongs

Cetacean

whales, dolphins, and porpoises

Baleen

a brush-like filter feeding system found in the mouths of baleen whales

Mysticetes

balleen whales, “mystic animals”

Odontocete

toothed whales

Apneustic Breathing

a type of abnormal breathing characterized by prolonged gasping followed by brief exhalations. Usually caused by brainstem injuries in animals

Vasoconstriction

the narrowing of blood vessels, reducing blood flow and increasing blood pressure

Bradycardia

a heart rate slower than 60 bpm.

Echolocation

a process where animals determine the location of objects by emitting sounds and listening for their echoes

“Melon”

a fatty tissue structure found in the foreheads of toothed whales

Pod

A group of marine mammals, usually whales and dolphins, that travel and socialize with each other

Blubber

the fat of sea mammals, especially whales and seals

Poikilotherm

an organism that cannot regulate its body temperature except by behavioral means, such as basking or burrowing

Homeotherm

an organism that maintains its body temperature at a constant level, usually at a constant level, above that of the environment by its metabolic activity

Ectotherm

an animal that is dependent on external sources of body heat. Cold blooded

Endotherm

an animal that maintains its body temperature through internal heat production, independent of its environment. Warm blooded

Estuary

A partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water where freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with saltwater from the ocean

Coastal plain estuary

a type of estuary formed when rising sea levels flood existing river valleys

Bar-built estuary

an estuary formed by wave-built sandbars that create a semi enclosed lagoon or bay

Fjord

A long narrow sea inlet with steep sides, formed by a glacier eroding a valley and then being flooded by the sea

Tectonic estuary

an estuary formed by the movement of Earth’s tectonic plates, usually along fault lines

well-mixed estuary

uniform salinity throughout its depth due to strong tidal mixing and low freshwater flow

Stratified estuary

distinct layers of water with different salinities, typically with freshwater on top and saltwater at the bottom

Brackish

water that has a salinity between that of freshwater and seawater

Stenohaline

able to tolerate only a NARROW range of salinity

Euryhaline

able to tolerate a WIDE range of salinity

Partial osmotic conformer

an organism that exhibits a combination of both osmoconformation and osmoregulation

sediment

matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid

Channel

a landform on which a narrow body of water is situated

Mud flat

a stretch of muddy land left uncovered at low tide

Salt marsh

a coastal wetland dominated by salt-tolerant plants that are periodically flooded by tidal waters

Nutrients

substances found in food that are essential for the body’s proper functioning and overall health

Epifauna

animals living on the surface of the seabed or riverbed or attached to submerged objects or aquatic animals and plants.

Suspension feeding

the capture and ingestion of food particles that are suspeneded in water

Grazing

herbivore animals consuming plant matter

Broadcast spawning

a reproduction strategy where marine organisms release both eggs and sperm into the water, allowing for external fertilization

Larval dispersal

the movement of larva stages away from their parents

Intertidal zones

the coastal areas exposed during low tide and submerged during high tide

Rocky shores

intertidal areas where solid rock dominates

Sandy shores

land along the edge of a body of water covered in sand

Upper intertidal

the portion of a coastline that is regularly exposed to air, usually above the average high tide line, and only submerged during the highest tides

Dessication

the drying out of a living organism or tissue due to water loss

Competition

interactions between organisms fighting for the same limited resources

Middle Intertidal

the area along the shore that is covered and uncovered by tides approximately twice a day

Disturbance

an event or process that disrupts the structure and function of an ecosystem

Lower intertidal

the portion of the intertidal area that is covered by water during most of the tidal cycle

Subtidal

area of ocean floor that is permanently submerged below the lowest tide, always covered by water.

Vertical zonation

the layering of plant and animal communities across an elevation gradient, driven by environmental factors like temperature, moisture, and sunlight

Keystone species

organisms that have a large impact on their environment

Porifera

is asymmetric, has spicules, spongin fibers, no true tossies, most simple animal, no organs, filter feed

Cnidaria

has cnidocytes(stinging cells), hydrostatic skeleton. ex: jellyfish, anemones

Mollusca

has a mantle, muscular foot, radula (in some) visceral mass. Ex: octopus, squid, snails, bivalves, tusk shells, chitons

Annelida

has setae (bristle-like appendages), a coelom, hydrostatic skeleon, bilateral symmetry. Ex: bristle worms, clam worms, sea mouse, sand worms

Arthropoda

has jointed limbs, molts, hydrostatic skeleton, exoskeleton, bilateral symmetry. Ex: horseshoe cravm crabs, lobsters, barnacles, shrimp

Chordata

has a post anal tail, dorsal nerve cord, notochord, pharyngeal gill slits, bilateral symmetry, endoskeleton. Ex: sea otters, whales, marine fisdh, sea turtles, sharks, sea lions, marine birds.

Pakicetus

one of the earliest known ancestors of whales

Aquaculture

the cultivation of aquatic organisms like fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants in controlled environments.

Mariculture

the practice of farming anf cultivating marine organisms in their natural environmnt or in enclosed systems filed with seawater.

“Fishing down the food web”

the process of fisheries gradually shifting their focus from large to smaller fish when the larger ones become depleted

Maximum sustainable yield

the largest average catch that can be taken from a population over an indefinate period without depleting the populations ability to replenish itself

Clupeoid fish

fish belonging to the order Clupeiformes; fish like herringsm sardines, anchovies, and shads

Turtle exclusion device

a device that promotes sea turtle conservation by addressing interactions between sea turtles and trawl fishing gear