AP Environmental Science Chapter 8 & 11: Aquatic Biodiversity & Sustainability - Pettit

aquatic life zone

saltwater and freshwater portions of the biosphere that can support life

marine life zones

oceans and their bays, estuaries, coastal wetlands, shorelines, coral reefs, and mangrove forests.

freshwater life zones

lakes, rivers, streams, and inland wetlands.

phytoplankton

includes many types of algae that are the primary producers that support most aquatic food webs.

ultraplankton

extremely small photosynthetic bacteria that are responsible for 70% of the primary productivity near the ocean surface

zooplankton

it consists of primary consumers (herbivores), which feed on phytoplankton, and secondary consumers, which feed on other zooplankton. (ex. jellyfish)

nekton

All organisms that swim actively in open water, independent of currents

benthos

consists of bottom-dwellers such as: oysters and sea stars, which anchor themselves to ocean bottom structures; clams and worms which burrow into the sand and mud; and lobsters and crabs, which walk about the sea floor.

decomposers

mostly bacteria which break down organic compounds in the dead bodies and wastes of aquatic organisms into nutrients that aquatic primary producers can use.

coastal zone

life zone that is warm, nutrient-rich, and has shallow water that extends from the high-tide mark on land to the gently sloping, shallow edge of the continental shelf.

estuaries

where the rivers meet the sea. They are partially enclosed bodies of water where seawater mixes with freshwater as well as nutrients and pollutants from streams, rivers, and runoff from land.

coastal wetlands

coastal land areas covered with water all or part of the year including: river mouths, inlets, bays, sounds, coastal marshes, and mangrove forests.

sea grass beds

an important component of coastal marine biodiversity. They consist of at least 60 species of plants that grow underwater in shallow marine and estuarine areas along most continental coastlines.

intertidal zone

the area of shoreline between low and high tides.

open sea

the vast volume of sea separated from coastal zones by water depth at the edge of the continental shelf.

euphotic (photic) zone

the upper layer of the open sea where photosynthesis is largely confined through which sunlight can penetrate. Nutrient levels are low and levels of dissolved oxygen are high. Large, fast-swimming predatory fishes mostly occupy this zone.

bathyal zone

the dimly lit middle zone of the open sea. It receives little sunlight and therefore does not contain photosynthesizing producers. Zooplankton and smaller fishes populate this zone.

abyssal zone

the lowest, darkest, and coldest level of the open sea. There is no sunlight to support photosynthesis, and this zone has little dissolved oxygen. It is teeming with biodiversity and different species of marine life.

turbidity

cloudiness in water that can occur naturally (algal growth) or from human disturbances (clearing land, which when it rains, causes silt to flow into bodies of water).

lakes

large natural bodies of standing freshwater formed when precipitation, runoff, streams, rivers, and groundwater seepage fill depressions in the earth's surface.

oligotrophic lakes

lakes that have a small supply of plant nutrients and is often deep with steep banks. These lakes are usually clear and have a low NPP.

eutrophic lake

a lake with a large supply of nutrients needed by producers. These lakes are shallow with a high turbidity and a high NPP.

eutrophication

A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of organisms such as algae or cyanobacteria.

cultural eutrophication

a process where human inputs of nutrients from the atmosphere and from nearby urban and agricultural areas can accelerate the eutrophication of lakes. This process puts excessive nutrients into lakes.

surface water

precipitation that does not sink into the ground or evaporate. It becomes RUNOFF when it flows into streams.

watershed

land area that delivers runoff, sediment, and dissolved substances to a stream.

inland wetlands

lands located away from coastal areas that are covered with freshwater all of part of the year- excluding lakes, reservoirs, and streams. They include: marshes, swamps, prairie potholes, and floodplains.

delta

A landform made of sediment that is deposited where a river flows into an ocean or lake

drainage basin

the area from which a single stream or river and its tributaries drains all of the water

ocean acidification

decreasing pH of ocean waters due to absorption of excess atmospheric CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels

runoff

water that flows over the ground surface rather than soaking into the ground

salinity

A measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid

coral reefs

form in clear, warm coastal waters of the tropics and subtropics. They are formed by massive colonies of tiny animals called polyps.

coral bleaching

a threat to coral reefs that occurs when stresses such as increased temperature cause the algae, upon which corals depend for food, to die off.

upwelling

movement of nutrient-rich bottom water to the ocean's surface

bycatch

The unintentional catch of nontarget species while fishing

fishprint

area of ocean needed to sustain the consumption of an average person, a nation, or the world

fishery

a commercially harvestable population of fish within a particular ecological region