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surface zone

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The upper layer of ocean in which temperature and salinity are relatively constant with depth; only place with enough sunlight to grow algae (mixed layer)

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pycnocline zone

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the transition zone between the mixed layer low density and the deep ocean higher density

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deep zone

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The zone of the ocean below the pycnocline, in which there is little additional change of density with increasing depth; contains about 80% of the world's water; few organisms

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Halocline

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rapid change in salinity with depth

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deep currents

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stream-like movements of ocean water far below the surface. They are not directly controlled by wind or the Coriolis effect. They are formed in parts of the ocean where water density increases.

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Isopycnal

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density is constant over depth; straight-line graph; At high latitudes, surface water is cold and so has a high density which doesn't change much as the water gets deeper

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Isothermal

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Having or marking equality of temperature.

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Isohaline

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line of uniform salinity

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vertical circulation

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this type of water movement is necessary for delivering oxygen to ocean depths, and bringing nutrients to the surface and ditributing heat energy; o2 to oceans depths and nutrients to surface; density driven

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stable water column

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a water column whose density increases with depth

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unstable water column

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a water column where there is more dense water on top of less dense water

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thermohaline circulation

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Movement of ocean water caused by density difference brought about by variations in temperature and salinity. As ocean water freezes at the poles it concentrates salt, and the colder, denser water sinks.

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salt fingers

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vertical columnar flows (3 cm in diameter)

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brinicle

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Supersaline water that when it sinks becomes supercooled ... when it reaches the bottom it freezes anything it touches

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North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW)

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a deep water mass that forms primarily at the surface of the norwegian sea and moves south along the floor of the north atlantic ocean

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Antarctic intermediate water (AAIW)

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Antarctic zone surface water that sinks at the Antarctic convergence and flows north at a depth of about 900 m beneath the warmer upper=water mass of the South Atlantic subtropical gyre

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Antarctic bottom water (AABW)

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The densest ocean water (1.0279 g/cm3), formed primarily in Antarctica's Weddell Sea during Southern Hemisphere winters.

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mediterranean intermediate water

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MIW; water, mixing with atlantic ocean water forms an intermediate density water, that sinks in north atlantic to depth of approximately 1000m

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Global conveyor belt

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The system of deep and surface currents that circle the earth; cycles nutrients/heat

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convergence

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When winds come together and are forced to go up, spinning counter clockwise in the northern hemisphere

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divergence

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When air flows down and there is an outflow of air, moving apart in a clockwise direction in the northern hemisphere.

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downwelling zones

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areas of thermohaline circulation where water converges and sinks

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upwelling zones

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Areas of the ocean where cool, nutrient-rich water from deeper layers rises to the surface.

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productivity

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the synthesis of new organic material. That done by green plants using solar energy is called primary productivity.

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antarctic divergence

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zone of divergence separating the westward-flowing East Wind Drift and the eastward-flowing Antarctic Circumpolar Current

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equatorial upwelling

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Upwelling in which water moving westward on either side of the geographical equator tends to be deflected slightly poleward and replaced by deep water often rich in nutrients

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coastal upwelling due to Ekman transport

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if the winds are from the north, ekman transport moves the coastal water to the right of the wind direction, causing the water to slow away form the shoreline. water rises from below to replace the water moving away from the shore; west coast of the united states

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El nino

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a weather pattern created by the warming of the waters off the west coast of South America, which pushes warm water and heavy rains toward the Americas and produces drought conditions in Australia and Asia.; a warm ocean current that flows along the equator from the date line and south off the coast of Ecuador at Christmas time

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La nina

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a cooling of the ocean surface off the western coast of South America, occurring periodically every 4 to 12 years and affecting Pacific and other weather patterns.

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kingdom protista

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made up of a variety of eukaryotic, mostly single-celled organisms

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kingdom animalia

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kingdom of multicellular eukaryotic heterotrophs whose cells do not have cell walls

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kingdom plantae

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eukaryotic, multicellular, autotrophic, cellulose-containing cell walls; chloroplasts containing chlorophyll a and b; asexual and sexual reproduction

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trophic level

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step in the movement of energy through an ecosystem; an organism's feeding status in an ecosystem.

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biomass

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the total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level

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photosynthesis

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process by which plants and some other organisms use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy carbohydrates such as sugars and starches

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chemosynthesis

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Process in which certain organisms (mostly specialized bacteria) extract inorganic compounds from their environment and convert them into organic nutrient compounds without the presence of sunlight

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detritivore

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organism that feeds on plant and animal remains and other dead matter

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respiration

answer

the process by which cells break down simple food molecules to release the energy they contain; consume oxygen, release carbon dioxide and energy

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gross primary productivity

answer

Rate at which an ecosystem's producers capture and store an amount of chemical energy as biomass in a given length of time.

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net primary productivity

answer

The gross primary productivity minus the energy used by the producers for cellular respiration; represents the storage of chemical energy in an ecosystem available to consumers.

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limiting factors

answer

any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, numbers, reproduction, or distribution of organisms

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photic zone

answer

regions of a body of water where light penetrates, enabling photosynthesis

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compensation depth

answer

- This is the depth at which light and oxygen produced from a photosynthesizing organism become equal to that consumed or used by its own respiration. photosynthesis = respiration

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oxygen minimum zones

answer

Layer containing the least amount of oxygen, located at boundary between intermediate and deep zone; OMZ

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anoxic

answer

Lacking oxygen

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polar seas

answer

1 degree productivity. throughout summer due to high nutrient levels and long daylight periods. little productivity in winter due to low light levels. light limited

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temperate seas

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aquatic biome that lies just beyond the local shore, many animals are benthic, rocky bottoms that support epifauna and filter feeders (soft bottoms support infauna)

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tropical seas

answer

Hurricanes form over __________

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plankton blooms

answer

Occurs when light and nutrients are in aboundence causing rapid cell division in the diatom populations whitch causes the water to yellow.

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mollusks

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invertebrates with soft, unsegmented bodies that are often protected by a hard outer shell

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cephalopods

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an ocean dwelling mollusk whose foot is adapted to form tentacles around it's mouth; squids, octopus

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marine snow

answer

The organic debris (plankton, dead organisms, fecal material, etc.) that "rains" into the dark area of the oceanic province from the lighted region above; the primary food of most organisms that live in the ocean's depths.

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biological pump

answer

Process by which carbon dioxide and other gases and nutrients are brought to the bottom of the ocean by sinking organic matter, including dead phytoplankton

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turnover

answer

the mixing of waters as a result of changing water-temperature profiles in a lake

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nutrients

answer

chemical substances used for energy and cell building

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standing crop

answer

total biomass of photosynthetic autotrophs present at a given time, (not to be confused with net primary production=which is NEW biomass added)

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abiotic factors

answer

nonliving parts of an ecosystem

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biotic factors

answer

The living parts of an ecosystem

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bottom-up control

answer

control influence of producers on the trophic levels above them in a food web

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top-down control

answer

influence of predators on the structure of lower trophic levels in a food web

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trophic cascade

answer

A series of changes in the population sizes of organisms at different trophic levels in a food chain, occurring when predators at high trophic levels indirectly promote populations of organisms at low trophic levels by keeping species at intermediate trophic levels in check. Trophic cascades may become apparent when a top predator is eliminated from a system.

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keystone species

answer

a species whose impact on its community or ecosystem are much larger and more influential than would be expected from mere abundance

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rocky intertidal

answer

Zone exposed to constant pounding of waves. Abundant life, organisms attached to substrate. Available light =>high productivity. Well defined zonation.

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apex predator

answer

an animal at the top of the food chain in its ecosystem

question

marine invertebrates

answer

Soft-bodied organisms lacking a rigid internal skeleton. Many possess a hard outer protective covering. There are many different types of marine invertebrate animal phyla (large groups of animals sharing appearances, structure, and shared evolutionary history)

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shifting baselines

answer

the idea that what people expect as "normal" on our planet has changed over time, especially with regard to ecosystems

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fringing

answer

coral reef close to shore, separated from land by shallow water

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atoll reefs

answer

circular reef around steep volcanic islands

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barrier reefs

answer

coral reefs that are separated from the shore by an area of shallow water (lagoon); grow parallel to the shoreline

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inverted biomass pyramid

answer

in marine communities, where the turnover rate is fast. Turnover time=(standing crop)/(production); primary consumers outweigh the producers

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coral bleaching

answer

Occurs when a coral becomes stressed and expels most of its colorful algae, leaving an underlying ghostly white skeleton of calcium carbonat

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zooxanthellae

answer

Tiny single-celled algae that live in the tissues of coral polyps. They have a mutualistic relationship with the polyp. They provide the polyp with food and oxygen.

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sea urchins

answer

echinoderms

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ray fin

answer

fan-shaped arrangement of bones in a fish's fin

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lunate caudal fin

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a crescent-moon shaped tail fin which is built for speed

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heterocercal caudal fin

answer

type of fin where one lobe is bigger than the other; produce thrust that results in forward movement

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countershading

answer

protective coloration in an animal or insect, characterized by darker coloring of areas exposed to light and lighter coloring of areas that are normally shaded

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cartilaginous fish

answer

include sharks, skates and rays. Their skeleton is made of cartilage, not bone, and is therefore more flexible

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marine vertebrates

answer

-Live in hypertonic environment (higher solute conc. in environment) -tend to lose water, gain inorganic ions -Adaptations: drink seawater, eliminate excess ions through kidneys/gills

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bony fish

answer

has jaws, scales, gills, and a bone skeleton. include most farmiliar kinds of fish like trout. 95% of all fish species.

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symbiosis

answer

relationship in which two species live closely together

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kelp forests

answer

Coastal ocean community named for its dominant organism-kelp, a giant brown alga.

question

bull kelp

answer

(Nereocytis luetkeana) Kingdom Stramenopila; Phylum Phaeophyta Energy: photosynthesis Reproduction: grows from spore to maturity in single year; sori

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giant kelp

answer

An example of Brown Algae that grows to more than 60 meters in length

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functional biodiversity

answer

biological and chemical processes (energy flow and matter cycle) needed for survival of species, communities, etc...

question

eutrophication

answer

process by which a body of water becomes too rich in dissolved nutrients, leading to plant growth that depletes oxygen

question

bioaccumulation

answer

the build up of a substance (usually a toxin) as it passes through a food chain

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biomagnification

answer

buildup of pollutants at higher levels of the food chain

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dead zones

answer

condition of the ocean where all or most marine life is unable to survive because of extreme pollution

question

DDT

answer

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, a chlorinated hydrocarbon that has been widely used as a pesticide but is now banned in some countries.

question

PCB

answer

suppress the immune system, cause cancer in humans, aquatic ecosystems (bad for reproduction since the babies retain high levels of PCB)

question

mercury

answer

A heavy metal toxin

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capillary wave

answer

waves with wavelengths less than 1.5 cm in which the primary restoring force is surface tension (ripples)

question

shallow water wave

answer

depth is less than 1/20 wave length

question

deep water wave

answer

a wave moving through water deeper than half its length

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fetch

answer

the distance that the wind has traveled across open water

question

tsunami

answer

shallow water wave, a giant wave caused by an earthquake on the ocean floor

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constructive interference

answer

the interference that occurs when two waves combine to make a wave with a larger amplitude

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destructive interference

answer

the interference that occurs when two waves combine to make a wave with a smaller amplitude

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wave refraction

answer

the bending of waves so that they move nearly parallel to the shoreline, process by which part of a wave in shallow water slows down and bends and aligns itself with underwater contour

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plunging

answer

a type of wave that occurs on steep beaches and is like a "surfer's" wave

question

spilling breaker

answer

a type of breaking wave that forms on gently sloping beaches. gradually extracts energy from the wave creating a turbulant mass of air and water

question

surging breaker

answer

A compressed breaking wave that builds up over a short distance and surges forward as it breaks. It is characteristic of abrupt beach slopes

question

longshore current

answer

a water current that travels near and parallel to the shoreline

question

longshore drift

answer

the movement of water and sediment down a beach caused by waves coming in to shore at an angle

question

rip current

answer

a rush of water that flows rapidly back to sea through a narrow opening

question

fully developed seas

answer

A sea for which the input of energy to the waves from the local wind is in balance with the transfer of energy among the different wave components, and with the dissipation of energy by wave breaking.

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ocean swells

answer

gentle, rolling waves that may appear even during calm weather

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fact

answer

a concept whose truth can be proved

question

hypothesis

answer

a proposal intended to explain certain facts or observations

question

theory

answer

a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world

question

law

answer

a generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature

question

Polaris

answer

northern star, only visible in northern hemisphere

question

latitude

answer

imaginary lines around the Earth parallel to the equator, N or S of equator (Poles 90)

question

longitude

answer

imaginary great circles on the surface of the earth at right angles to the equator, E or W or prime meridian (180 international date line)

question

winter solstice

answer

The solstice that occurs on December Northern Hemisphere and on June in the Southern Hemisphere, short days, sun low in sky

question

summer solstice

answer

The solstice that occurs on June in the Northern Hemisphere and on December in the Southern Hemisphere; long days, sun high in sky

question

plate tectonics

answer

both continental and oceanic crust move across the surface of the planet

question

lithosphere

answer

rigid and fractures

question

asthenosphere

answer

plastic and flows

question

types of crust

answer

continental (lower density, granite); oceanic (higher density, basalt); highest density mantle

question

divergent plate boundary

answer

where two plates are moving apart, new lithosphere comes up to create new crust; spreading, constructive, ridge/rift, subdued volcanic activity, shallow eq;east pacific rise,mid atlantic ridge,iceland,red sea

question

convergent plate boundary

answer

A tectonic plate boundary where two plates collide, come together, or crash into each other; subduction, destructive, trench, more extreme volcanic activity, deep eq. high tsunami potential; aleutian trench with aleutian islands,peru-chile trench with andes mtns

question

transform plate boundary

answer

Boundary between two plates that are sliding past each other; conservative, no volcanic activity, shallow eq; san andreas fault,alpine fault, queen charlotte fault

question

bathymetry

answer

the measurement of ocean depths and the charting of the shape or topography of the ocean floor

question

archimedes principle

answer

a floating body will displace a volume of fluid equal to the body's weight

question

active margins

answer

pacific style, high degree of tectonic activity, typically found in pacific ocean, continental shelf is narrow, continental slope transforms abruptly to trench

question

passive continental margins

answer

Margin that consists of continental shelf, slope, rise; adjacent to continents

question

neap tide

answer

a tide with the least difference between low and high tides; first and third quarter moon

question

spring tide

answer

the tide with the greatest difference between consecutive low and high tides; full moon and new moon

question

diurnal tidal pattern

answer

a tidal pattern exhibiting one high tide and one low tide during a tidal day; a daily tide

question

semidiurnal tidal pattern

answer

a tidal pattern exhibiting 2 high tides and 2 low tides per tidal day with small inequalities between successive highs and successive lows; a semi-daily tide

question

mixed diurnal tide

answer

common on the WEST cost of the US, there are 2 HIGH and 2 LOW tides each LUNAR day of UNEQUAL length

question

lithogenic sediment

answer

dominates near continents because source from land. glacial at high latitudes, fluvial at all latitudes

question

biogenic sediment

answer

Sediment that is composed primarily of plant and animal remains, or precipitates as a result of biologic processes.

question

coccolithophores

answer

Ancient algae whose fossils make up chalk

question

radiolaran

answer

50-500 u; internal skeloton made from silica; divide through binary fission; found at all depths only in oceanic waters; week(s) life span

question

evaporite

answer

A rock formed by evaporation of lake water or seawater, followed by lithification of the resulting salt deposit.

question

pinnipeds

answer

a group of marine mammals with flippers instead of feet; seals, sea lions and walruses

question

cetaceans

answer

marine mammals: dolphins and whales

question

whales

answer

two groups Baleen (toothless) and toothed. Toothless whales are typically larger than toothed whales. Toothless Whales eat Krill while toothed whales are hunters.

question

rorqual

answer

toothless whales that display long gooves on underside. understood to allow the mouth to expand immensely when feeding

question

properties of water

answer

covalent bonds betw. O and H;polar charges promote formation of H bonds with other water molecules;surface tension that resists gravity;universal solvent

question

advection

answer

the horizontal transfer of heat or other atmospheric properties

question

convection

answer

(meteorology) the vertical movement of heat or other properties by massive motion within the atmosphere

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