Explain what wetlands are and why they are so important.
Wetlands are areas of land that are periodically underwater or whose soil contains a great deal of moisture.Wetlands provide habitat for thousands of species of aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals.
Describe threats against river systems.
The creation of dams and water-diversion systems blocks migration routes for fish and disrupts habitats. Water withdrawal for human use shrinks and degrades habitats. Runoff from agricultural and urban areas hurts water quality.
Know the difference between marshes and swamps including salt marshes and mangrove swamps.
Marshes contain non woody plants, while swamps are dominated by woody plants. The salt marshes develop in estuaries where rivers deposit their load of mineral-rich mud.Salt
marshes, like other wetlands, absorb pollutants and protect inland areas. Here thousands of acres of salt marsh support a community of clams, fish, and aquatic birds. Swamps located along coastal areas of tropical and subtropical zones are called mangrove swamps. The swamps help protect the coastline from erosion and reduce the damage from storms.
What are estuaries and why are they important? What are threats to them?
Estuaries provide protected harbors, access to the ocean, and connection to a river. Estuaries that exist in populated areas were often used as places to dump waste. The pollutants that damage estuaries are the same ones that pollute lakes, rivers, and the oceans: sewage, industrial waste containing toxic chemicals, and agricultural runoff of soil containing pesticides and fertilizers.
What are coral reefs and why are they important? What are threats to them?
Coral reefs are limestone ridges built by tiny coral animals called coral polyps. Thousands of species of plants and animals live in the cracks and crevices of coral reefs, which makes coral reefs among the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. Oil spills, sewage, pesticide, and silt runoff have been linked to coral-reef destruction. Furthermore, overfishing can devastate fish populations and upset the balance of a reef’s ecosystems
What is plankton?
are the mass of mostly microscopic organisms that float or drift freely in the water, and can be microscopic animals called zooplankton or microscopic plants called phytoplankton.
What is nekton?
are all organisms that swim actively in open water, independent of currents.
What is biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)?
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) refers to the amount of dissolved oxygen required by microorganisms to break down organic matter present in a water sample over a specific time period
What is the littoral zone and what organisms can be found there?
The littoral zone is a shallow zone in a freshwater habitat where light reaches the
bottom and nurtures plants and aquatic life is diverse and abundant. Organisms like seaweeds, mussels, barnacles, crabs, worms, burrowing mollusks, sea stars, sea urchins, fish like clownfish, and smaller creatures like snails
What is the euphotic zone and what organisms can be found there?
the uppermost or “well-lit” layer of the ocean in which there is sufficient light energy available to support net photosynthetic growth. sharks and rays, man o war, jelly fishes, sea turtles, corals, seals and zooplankton.
What is the benthic zone and what organisms can be found there?
is the region near the bottom of a pond, lake or ocean which is inhabited by decomposers, insect larvae, and clams. sea anemones, sponges, corals, sea stars, sea urchins, worms, bivalves, crabs
What are barrier islands and why are they important?
a long ridge of sand or narrow island that lies parallel to the shore and helps protect the mainland. they act as a natural protective barrier against the full force of ocean waves and storm surges, safeguarding coastal communities and ecosystems by absorbing wave energy before it reaches the mainland, thus minimizing flooding and erosion
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