BIOL 101 Marine Science - Lectures 1-6 Comprehensive Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering the history, geological processes, properties of seawater, and biological fundamentals of marine science from Lectures 1-6.

Marine Science

The study of the oceans or seas.

Marine Biology

The scientific study of life in the sea.

Sonar

Sound Navigation and Ranging; a technology developed during WWII that detects underwater echoes to enable detailed seafloor surveys.

SCUBA

Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus; originally developed by Émile Gagnan for compressed-gas vehicles and modified post-WWII by Gagnan and Jacques Cousteau to breathe compressed air underwater.

Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)

Evolving, location-specific knowledge acquired by indigenous and local peoples over multiple generations through direct contact with the environment.

Hypothesis

A testable statement that might be true, which can be potentially proven false but cannot be absolutely proven.

Scientific Theory

An established scientific principle or hypothesis that has been so extensively tested it is generally regarded as true, though it is still subject to rejection if enough counter-evidence accumulates.

Independent Variable

The variable in an experiment that is deliberately changed.

Dependent Variable

The variable in an experiment that is being measured or observed.

Controlled Variable

The variable in an experiment that is held constant to prevent it from affecting the results.

Big Bang Theory

The theory stating the universe began approximately $13.7$ billion years ago.

Inner Core

The solid, dense innermost layer of Earth composed mostly of iron and nickel, characterized by the highest pressure and temperature.

Outer Core

The liquid iron layer of Earth where convection generates the planet's magnetic field.

Mantle

The semiplastic, slowly moving rock layer that constitutes Earth’s largest volume and is less dense than the core.

Crust

The rigid outermost layer of Earth; oceanic crust is denser than continental crust.

Asthenosphere

The plastic upper layer of the mantle that allows tectonic plates to move.

Lithosphere

The 'Rock sphere' comprising the crust and uppermost mantle, broken into plates approximately $100\,km$ thick.

Oceanic Crust

Crust mostly composed of basalt with a density of $3\,g/cm^3$, a thickness of approximately $5\,km$, and an age less than $200$ million years.

Continental Crust

Crust mostly composed of granite with a density of $2.7\,g/cm^3$, a thickness of $20$–$50\,km$, and an age up to $3.8$ billion years.

Plate Tectonics

The theory that rigid lithospheric plates move slowly over the underlying mantle at a rate of $2$–$18\,cm/year$.

Seafloor Spreading

The process by which the seafloor moves away from mid-ocean ridges, creating new seafloor.

Continental Drift

The movement of continental masses, first proposed by Alfred Wegener in $1912$ as the supercontinent 'Pangaea'.

Divergent Boundary

A plate boundary where plates move apart, forming new oceanic lithosphere at mid-ocean ridges.

Convergent – Subduction

A plate boundary where oceanic lithosphere slides under other crust, creating trenches and destroying old lithosphere.

Transform Boundary

A boundary where plates slide past each other, such as the San Andreas Fault.

Continental Shelf

The shallow, gently sloping section of the continental margin extending from the shoreline to approximately $120$–$200\,m$ depth.

Continental Slope

The steep section of the continental margin extending from the shelf edge down to $3,000$–$5,000\,m$.

Abyssal Plain

The deep seafloor at an average depth of $4,000\,m$ with a very gentle slope.

Active Margin

A continental margin that collides with another plate, resulting in high geological activity, steep/rocky shores, and narrow shelves.

Passive Margin

The trailing edge of a plate characterized by little geological activity, flat coastal plains, and wide shelves.

Hydrothermal Vents

Deep-sea hot springs where heated seawater is forced up through the crust.

Biogenous Sediment

Sediment derived from the skeletons and shells of marine organisms; microfossils within it record climate history.

Pleistocene

The period starting $2.6$ million years ago characterized by ice ages; at its peak $18,000$ years ago, sea level was $~130\,m$ lower than today.

Anthropocene

The period from $1950$ to the present where human activity dominates the environment and the greenhouse gas effect drives climate change.

Hydrogen Bonds

Electrical attractions between the $H$ atoms of one water molecule and the $O$ atoms of adjacent molecules, responsible for water's unique properties.

Heat Capacity

The amount of heat needed to raise a substance's temperature; water possesses a high heat capacity.

Salinity

The total amount of dissolved salt in seawater, averaging $35\,psu$.

Rule of Constant Proportions

The principle that the relative amounts of ions in seawater remain constant regardless of total salinity.

Euphotic (Photic) Zone

The upper ocean layer ($0$–$200\,m$) where light penetration is sufficient for photosynthesis.

Pressure

Force that is $1\,atm$ at sea level and increases by $1\,atm$ for every $10\,m$ of water depth.

Coriolis Effect

The deflection of air or water due to Earth's rotation, moving right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern Hemisphere.

Ekman Transport

The net movement of surface water at $90^{\circ}$ from the wind direction caused by the Coriolis effect.

Thermohaline Circulation

Ocean circulation driven by density differences resulting from variations in temperature and salinity.

Spring Tides

Tides with the highest tidal range occurring when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are aligned.

Neap Tides

Tides with the smallest tidal range occurring when the Sun and Moon are at right angles to the Earth.

Carbohydrate

Organic compounds of carbon chains or rings with $H$ and $O$ attached, including simple sugars like glucose ($C_6H_{12}O_6$) and structural molecules like chitin or cellulose.

Proteins

Complex nitrogen-containing organic compounds made of amino acid subunits, including enzymes and hormones.

Lipids

Insoluble fatty acid compounds used for long-term energy storage, waterproofing, buoyancy, and insulation.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

A high-energy nucleic acid that generates energy for cellular processes.

Photosynthesis

The process occurring in chloroplasts defined by the equation: $6CO_2 + 6H_2O + \text{sunlight} \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2$.

Chemosynthesis

The creation of organic compounds using energy from inorganic chemical reactions, typically in the absence of sunlight.

Autotrophs

Primary producers that create their own food via photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Aerobic Respiration

The process defined by the equation: $C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2 \rightarrow 6CO_2 + 6H_2O + \text{energy}$.

Prokaryotes

Single-celled organisms, such as bacteria and archaea, that lack a nucleus and most organelles.

Eukaryotes

Organisms with cells containing a nucleus and specialized organelles like mitochondria.

Benthos

Marine organisms that live on or in the seafloor.

Plankton

Marine organisms that drift in the water column.

Nekton

Strong-swimming marine organisms.

Osmoconformers

Organisms whose internal salt concentration changes to match the surrounding salinity.

Osmoregulators

Organisms that control their internal salt concentrations regardless of the environment.

Poikilotherms / Ectotherms

Organisms whose body temperature matches the external environment.

Homeotherms / Endotherms

Organisms that regulate their body temperature internally.

Hermaphrodites

Individuals possessing both male and female reproductive organs.

Broadcast Spawning

The reproductive method where eggs and sperm are released directly into the water column.

Taxonomy

The hierarchical classification system for living organisms: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

Bacteriophages

Viruses that specifically target and destroy bacteria.

Cyanobacteria

Photosynthetic bacteria, also known as blue-green algae, that can form massive calcium carbonate mounds called stromatolites.

Diatom

A unicellular eukaryotic autotroph with a siliceous ($SiO_2$) frustule; they are vital primary producers.

Dinoflagellate

A unicellular eukaryote with two unequal flagella and a cellulose cell wall; some are bioluminescent or live as symbiotic zooxanthellae.

Coccolithophores

Flagellated, spherical cells covered in calcium carbonate ($CaCO_3$) button-like structures.

Foraminiferans (Forams)

Marine protozoans with a calcium carbonate shell (test) and pseudopodia used for trapping food.

Thallus

The entire body of a multicellular seaweed.

Pneumatocysts

Gas-filled bladders in seaweeds that provide buoyancy.

Holdfast

The attachment structure that anchors the seaweed thallus to the substrate.

Phycocolloids

Gelatinous chemicals such as algin, carrageenan, and agar extracted from seaweeds for use in food and pharmaceuticals.

Rhizomes

Horizontal stems of seagrasses that grow beneath the sediment surface and produce roots and leaves.

Vivipary

A reproductive adaptation in mangroves where offspring begin to grow while still attached to the parent plant.