Chapter 15 Ocean Water and Ocean Life – Flashcards

(salinus= salt) is the total amount of solid materials dissolved in water.

The thermocline (thermo=heat, cline=slope) is the layer of ocean water between about 300 meters and 1000 meters, where there is a rapid change of temperature with depth.

Density is defined as mass per unit volume.

(pycno=density, cline = slope) is the layer of ocean water between about 300 meters and 1000 meters where there is is a rapid change of density with depth.

The mixed zone is the area of surface created by the mixing of water by waves, currents, and tides.

(plankets=wandering) Include all organisms- algae , animals, and bacteria- that drift with ocean currents.

Among plankton, the algae that undergo photosynthesis are called phytoplankton.

animal plankton, are called zooplankton.

Necton (nekton = swimming) include all animals capable of moving independently of the ocean currents, by swimming or other means of propulsion.

The term benthos (benthos= bottom) describes organisms living on or in the ocean bottom.

The uppper part of the ocean into which sunlight penetrates is called the photic zone (photos = light).

The area where the land and ocean meet and overlap is the intertidal zone.

Seaward from the low-tide line is the neritic zone,

Beyond the continental shelf is the oceanic zone.

Open ocean of any depth is called the pelagic zone.

The benthic zone includes any sea-bottom surface regardless of its distance from shore and is mostly inhabited by benthos organisms.

The abyssal zone is a subdivision of the benthic zone.

Primary production is the production of organic compounds from inorganic substances through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Is the use of light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into energy- rich glucose molecules.

Chemosynthesis is the process by which certain microorganisms create organic molecules from inorganic nutrients using chemical energy.

Each of these feeding stages is called a trophic level.

A food chain is a sequence of organisms through which energy is transferred, starting with the primary producer.

A series of feeding levels representing the flow of energy and transfer of matter in an ecosystem; complex model showing multiple food sources for different organisms.