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Austin Thomas chapter 13
chapter 13 vocab
21
Biology
12th Grade
03/30/2012

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Term
Benthos
Definition
organisms that live on the bottom
Term
Plankton
Definition
those that drift with the currents
Term
Nekton
Definition
those able to swim against the currents
Term
Stratification
Definition
separation of the water column into layers, with the densest, coldest water at the bottom, which prevents the mixing of the nutrient-rich deep water with the less dense, warmer upper layer
Term
lithogenous sediment
Definition
sediment that comes from the physical or chemical breakdown of rocks on land
Term
biogenous sediment
Definition
sediment composed of the skeletons and shells of marine organisms
Term
metamorphosis
Definition
the transformation of one stage of a life cycle into another, as when larva changes into a juvenile
Term
primary producers
Definition
organsims that can create organic matter from CO2, usually by photosynthesis
Term
detritus
Definition
particles of dead organic matter (DOM)
Term
deposit feeders
Definition
animals that feed on organic matter that settles in the sediment
Term
suspension feeders
Definition
animals, including filter feeders, that feed on particles suspended in the water column
Term
pelagic
Definition
pertaining to the water column away from the bottom or other structure
Term
biomass
Definition
the total weight of living organisms
Term
nitrogen fixation
Definition
conversion of nitrogen gas (N2) into nitrogen compounds that can be used by primary producers as nutrients
Term
encrusting seaweeds
Definition
that grow as a thin layer over rocks, such as some of the coralline algae
Term
ecological niche
Definition
the combination of what a species eats, where it lives, how it behaves, and all the other aspects of its lifestyle
Term
El Nino
Definition
a warming of the surface water in the Eastern Pacific, part of large-scale changes in atmospheric and ocean current patterns, or ENSO
Term
La Nina
Definition
a cooling trend of the surface water in the Eastern Pacific
Term
indo-west pacific region
Definition
the tropical Indian and Western and Central Pacific oceans
Term
monsoons
Definition
winds in the Northern Indian Ocean that blow from the southwest in the summer but from the northeast in the winter
Term
upwelling
Definition
the upward flow of cold, nutrient-rich deep water to the surface
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