Term
| active continental margin |
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Definition
| Location where the leading edge of a continent collides with an oceanic plate. Active continental margins are commonly the sites of such geologic activity as earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain building, and the formation of new rock. |
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Definition
| Water flowing down the beach after a wave breaks. |
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Definition
| The lowest zone of the supralittoral fringe of tropical rocky shores. The characteristic color of the rocks is due to the presence of certain species of algae. |
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Term
| byssal threads (BIS-suhl) |
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Definition
| Strong protein fibers secreted by mussels that fasten the animal to a rock or another solid surface. |
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Term
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Definition
| A stable, self-sustaining community that is the end result of ecological succession. In reality, climax communities may not exist due to the effects of frequent external disturbances and environmental change. |
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Term
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Definition
| The process by which the less successful competitor for a limited resource is driven to extinction. |
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Term
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Definition
| A member of a group of red algae that deposit calcium carbonate in their cell walls; named for their resemblance to coral animals. |
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Term
| desiccation (dehs-ik-KAY-shun) |
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Definition
| The process of drying out or losing moisture. |
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Term
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Definition
| Type of beach on which wave energy is strong but is dissipated in a surf zone some distance from the beach face. |
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Term
| diversity (or biodiversity) |
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Definition
| The variation in numbers of living organisms within an ecosystem. Ecosystems with greater diversity (i.e., a greater number of species) are considered to be more stable than those with fewer species. |
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Term
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Definition
| The middle zone of the supralittoral fringe of tropical rocky shores. This zone is the farthest zone from the low tide line where macroscopic marine algae grow. |
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Term
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Definition
| A location on rock to which certain limpet species return as the tide recedes. The shape of the limpet shell often grows to precisely match the contours of this location. Returning to this location allows the animal to form a tighter seal to the rock, protecting it from predation and desiccation. |
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Term
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Definition
| A colorless, flammable, foul smelling gas produced by the anaerobic breakdown of sulfates in organic matter by bacteria. |
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Definition
| Zone of rocky shores that lies above the infralittoral zone and is exposed to air only at extreme low tides. |
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Definition
| Zone of rocky shores that lies below the extreme low water of spring tides. |
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Term
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Definition
| Zone of rocky shores that lies above the extreme high water of spring tides. Also known as the supralittoral zone. |
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Term
| meiofauna (MY-oh-fawn-uh) |
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Definition
| The tiny organisms that are adapted to living in the spaces between sediment particles. |
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Term
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Definition
| Zone of rocky shores that lies between the supralittoral fringe and the infralittoral fringe. The midlittoral zone is the true intertidal, being inhabited by both marine and amphibious organisms. |
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Term
| passive continental margins |
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Definition
| Location where sea and land meet that lies within a tectonic plate and on relatively wide continental shelves. As no plate collision or subduction is taking place, the dominant geologic processes are weathering, erosion, and the accumulation of sediments. |
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Term
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Definition
| The uneven distribution of organisms in a population or a community. |
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Definition
| The lower part of the midlittoral zone of tropical rocky shores characterized by the widespread encrustation of coralline algae. |
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Term
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Definition
| Type of beach with a steep slope on which wave energy is directly dissipated. |
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Term
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Definition
| The region of the shore that is covered by water even during low tide. It is also known as the infralittoral zone. |
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Term
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Definition
| Uppermost area of a rocky shore that is partially covered by only the highest (spring) tides and is usually just dampened by the spray of crashing waves. Also known as the splash zone, it overlaps the boundary of the supralittoral and littoral zones. |
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Term
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Definition
| Zone of rocky shore that lies above the extreme high water of spring tides. |
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Term
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Definition
| The water running up a beach after a wave breaks. |
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Term
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Definition
| A gas-filled sac in some bony fishes that allows them to maintain neutral buoyancy. |
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Term
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Definition
| A depression in intertidal rocks or in the intertidal zone of sandy beaches that continues to hold water during a low tide. |
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Term
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Definition
| The separation of organisms in a habitat into definite vertical zones or bands. |
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Term
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Definition
| The force of waves as they crash against the coastline and the organisms living on it. |
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Term
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Definition
| The upper zone of the supralittoral fringe of tropical rocky shores. This zone is the true border between the land and the sea. No fully marine organisms occur here. |
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Term
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Definition
| The upper part of the midlittoral zone of tropical rocky shores. The typical yellow or green color of the rock is due to microscopic boring algae. |
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Term
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Definition
| The separation of organisms in a habitat into definite zones or bands. |
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Definition
| The uppermost vertical zone in the high intertidal region of a sandy shore characterized by the presence of moisture only during the highest tides. |
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Term
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Definition
| A vertical zone of the middle and low intertidal regions of a sandy shore that retains water at low tide. |
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Term
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Definition
| A vertical zone in the high intertidal region of a sandy shore that retains water during low tide as the result of capillary action. |
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Term
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Definition
| The vertical zone of the sandy intertidal region that is constantly moist. |
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