Marine Biology Overview

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts in marine biology from the lecture notes.

Atlantic Ocean

One of the five major oceans, located between the Americas to the west and Europe and Africa to the east.

Sonar

A technology that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate, or detect objects on or under the surface of the water.

Plate Tectonics

A scientific theory explaining the movement of the Earth's plates and the resulting geological phenomena.

Oceanic Crust

The part of the Earth's crust that makes up the ocean floor, generally denser and thinner than continental crust.

Continental Crust

The thicker part of the Earth's crust that forms the continents, generally less dense than oceanic crust.

Mid-Ocean Ridge

An underwater mountain range formed by plate tectonics, where new oceanic crust is created upwelling from the mantle.

Thermohaline Circulation

Ocean circulation driven by differences in water density, controlled by temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline).

Hydrothermal Vents

Features on the seafloor that release heated water enriched with minerals, supporting unique ecosystems.

Salinity

The concentration of salt in water; it influences the density and buoyancy of seawater.

Nekton

Aquatic animals that are able to swim and move independently of water currents.

Plankton

Small organisms that drift in currents and cannot swim against them.

Abyssal Plain

The flat, deep-sea floor that is typically found at depths of 3,000 to 6,000 meters.

Bioluminescence

The ability of certain organisms to produce light through biochemical reactions.

Prokaryotes

Single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus, including bacteria and archaea.

Eukaryotes

Organisms whose cells contain a nucleus, including plants, animals, and fungi.

Transparency

The measure of how much light can penetrate water, affecting photosynthesis and marine life.

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms and their interactions with their environment.

Photosynthesis

The process through which plants and some microorganisms convert light energy into chemical energy.

Respiration

The metabolic process of converting glucose and oxygen into energy, releasing carbon dioxide and water.