Aquatic Biomes: Ocean Zones, Reefs, Freshwater, and Wetlands

All flashcards

Aquatic abiotic factors

Nonliving conditions such as light, temperature, water movement, and dissolved solids that shape aquatic communities.

Brackish water

Water with variable salinity formed where freshwater and seawater mix.

Neritic zone

The ocean region over the continental shelf, generally shallow, well-lit, and highly productive.

Coral bleaching

The whitening of stressed corals after they lose their photosynthetic symbiotic protists.

Thermal stratification

The separation of lake water into layers of different temperatures, such as warm surface water above colder deep water.

Quiz questions

1. Which marine zone extends across the continental shelf and is generally the ocean's most productive region?Answer: The neritic zone
2. What event can cause coral bleaching during unusually high surface-water temperatures?Answer: Corals expel their photosynthetic symbiotic protists.
3. What is the seasonal separation of warm surface water from colder deep water in a lake called?Answer: Thermal stratification
4. Why can a dense algal bloom lead to fish deaths in a lake?Answer: Decomposers use oxygen while breaking down dead algae.
5. Which combination of conditions is typical of river headwaters?Answer: Cold, clear water with fast currents and few nutrients