NEW WQ - Zones

Intertidal zone

The area of a seashore that is above water level (exposed to air) at low tide, and submerged in water at high tide.
Home to many organisms e.g. sea stars, algae, crabs, etc. which adapted to survive the fluctuating conditions brought on by the waves (e.g. changing temps, rushing waves etc) For example, muscles and barnacles anchor themselves to rocks.

Thermocline

aka melimnion . A "transition" layer of water between the warmer, mixed water above and cooler water below. Area of rapid temp change.

Intertidal vs Neritic vs Oceanic zone

Intertidal : area of the seashore between high and low tide
Neritic : A shallow part of the ocean between the intertidal and oceanic zone. Its lack of depth allows sunlight to reach its entire seafloor, making it a good, well-lit place for abundant marine life.
Oceanic : The entire deep, rest of the ocean beyond the continental shelf. May experience sunlight, less nutrients, etc.

Trench

Long, narrow depressions on the seafloor that form at the boundary of tectonic plates (where one plate is pushed-- OR-- subducts beneath another.)

Photic vs aphotic (zone)

Photic (aka "euphotic" or "sunlight" zone) : The uppermost layer of a body of water that receives sunlight (allowing phytoplankton to perform photosynthesis.) Has the majority of aquatic life due to this.
Aphotic zone : The portion of a lake or ocean with little to no sunlight. (More specifically: Less than 1% of penetrated sunlight.) Has the majority of the ocean's water, and most food here comes from dead organisms that sink down.

Benthic vs pelagic zone; what can be found in each?

Benthic : The "floor" or lowest part of a body of water e.g. lake, ocean, river, etc; may have sediment.
Organisms here are called bottom dwellers , and the community of organisms is called the benthos ; they can include coral, crabs, octopi, etc. Many have adapted to be into the ground.
Pelagic : The water column that is the open ocean. Literally just all open water. Animals include sharks, jellyfish, squid, or floating seaweed.

What color of light penetrates deepest in the ocean, and what color gets absorbed fastest?

Shallowest Absorption : Red light
Deepest Absorption : Blue light

Abyssal fan

Underwater structures with large-scale sediment deposition and formed by turbidity currents (rapidly moving, sediment-laden water moving down a slope)

Continental shelf

The portion of a continent that's submerged under an area of relatively shallow water (aka a " shelf sea ".)

Wildlife corridor

aka habitat corridor or blue corridor (for aquatic ones.)
A designated area (e.g. a strip of forested land, water, etc) that connects wildlife pops that'd been separated via human processes (e.g. roads), and enable movement between them.
- Prevents inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity. Also used to re-establish populations that'd been harmed/reduced, and help mitigate the effects of habitat fragmentation.

EDIT TO EPIPELAGIC: Epilimnion
What is it? What is its implications on the water?

One of the three layers in lakes separated by density, especially in the summer. Topmost layer; heated up by sunlight, making it warmest and least dense. Typically higher pH and DO2.

EDIT TO MESOPELAGIC: Metalimnion

One of the three layers in lakes separated by density, especially in the summer. aka the thermocline . A "transition" layer of water between the warmer water above and cooler water below. Area of rapid temp change.

EDIT TO BATHYPELAGIC: Hypolimnion

One of the three layers in lakes separated by density, especially in the summer. The lowermost layer; is the coldest layer in the summer, and the warmest layer in the winter. Often has lower DO2 than the other 2 layers.

Abyssopelagic zone

Hadepelagic zone

Pynocline What's a con?

Location where ocean's water density changes rapidly. Separates the oceans upper "mixed" layer (which's less dense) with the deep layer (which is more.) Blocks nutrient-rich deep water from reaching light-filled surface waters, limiting phytoplankton growth.

Chemocline

Location where ocean's chemical composition changes rapidly. Often separates oxygen-rich surface waters from deeper, anoxic (oxygen-poor) waters (w/ higher TDS and gases like methane or hydrogen sulfide.)

Halocline

Location where ocean's salinity changes rapidly. Creates a visible boundary betwn (less dense) freshwater and (denser) saltwater, which creates a shimmery effect.

Salt-wedge estuaries

highly stratified, low-mixing coastal system where rapid river flow pushes fresh water over a dense, wedge-shaped layer of seawater creeping along the bottom

Marine protected areas (MPA's)

A defined region designated and managed for the long-term conservation of marine resources, ecosystems services, or cultural heritage.

Delta

A typically triangular landform (created by the deposition of carries sediments) appearing at the river's mouth, where it met w/ lentic water.

Bay

Coast

Beach

Straight

Gulf

Bight