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Ch. 8 – Aquatic Ecology
1. _____________________: the aquatic equal to the tropical
rain forests
2. The two major aquatic life zones
A. saltwater or _______________ (estuaries, coastlines,
coral reefs, coastal marshes, mangrove swamps, ocean over the
continental shelf, deep ocean)
B. _________________ (lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, inland
wetlands)
3. Aquatic Life Zone Organisms
A. ______________________ – weak swimming, free-floating
a. phytoplankton – photosynthetic cyanobacteria, algae;
producers
b. nanoplankton – recently discovered
c. zooplankton – nonphotosynthetic primary consumers
(herbivores)
B. ____________________ – strong swimming consumers (fish,
turtles, whales)
C. ____________________ – bottom dwelling creatures
(barnacles, oysters, worms, lobsters)
D. ____________________ (bacteria) – break down organic
compounds into simple nutrients.
4. Properties of Water
A. ______________________-provides physical support
B. limited fluctuation in temperature-reduces risk of freezing
or overheating
C. ______________________- soluble and readily available
5. Factors that limit aquatic life at different depths (surface,
middle and bottom layers)
A. temperature
B. access to sunlight
C. dissolved oxygen content
D. availability of nutrients
6. Saltwater Life Zones
A. Oceans
1. _________% of earth's surface
2. currents distribute solar heat and waste
3. regulate the earth's climate
4. two major life zones:
a. ________________________ – 10% of ocean area;
90% of all marine species
b. _________________________ – 90% of ocean area
B. Estuaries and Tidal Ecosystems
1. ______________________ – partially enclosed area of
coastal water
2. seawater mixes with freshwater
C. Coastal Wetlands
 Areas of coastal land covered all or part of the year by salt
water.
a. buffer against damage and erosion during storms
D. Mangrove Swamp
1. dominated by salt-tolerant trees
or shrubs (mangroves)
2. protect coastline from erosion
and reduce damage from
typhoons and hurricanes
E. Rocky and Sandy Shores
1. ____________________________ – shoreline area
between high and low tides
a. stressful area for organisms; must cope with waves, being
left high and dry
2.Barrier Beaches/Sandy Shores
a. first line of defense against the ravages of the sea
3.Barrier Islands
a. long, thin, low offshore islands of sediment running
parallel to the shore
b. protect the mainland by dispersing the energy of
F. Coral Reefs
1. form in clear, warm and shallow coastal waters of the
tropics and subtropics ;most biologically diverse life zones
7. Human Impacts on Coastal Zones
A. ______ of world's population lives within 100 miles of a coast
B. 10% of coral reefs are dead; 30% in critical condition; 30%
are threatened; 30% are stable.
C. Beach Erosion
8. Open Sea
A. Divided into three zones based on sunlight penetration:
1. _____________________ – where photosynthesis occurs;
low nutrient levels; high DO levels
2. _____________________ – dimly lit; no photosynthesis
3. _____________________ – dark; very cold; v. little DO;
high nutrient level on ocean floor
9. Freshwater Life Zones
A. about ______% of Earth's surface water; 41 % of world's
known fish species
B. ________________ – standing bodies of water – lakes,
ponds and inland wetlands
C. _________________ – flowing bodies of water – streams
and rivers
10. Aquatic Life Zones in Freshwater Lakes
A. _______________ – depression caused by glaciation,
crustal displacement and volcanic activity
1. Zones – defined depth and distance from shore
a. __________________ Zone -shallow area near shore
b. __________________ Zone -the open sunlit water
surface layer away from the shore
c. __________________ Zone -deep open water; too
dark for photosynthesis
d. __________________ Zone - bottom of the lake
B. How Plant Nutrients Affect Lakes
1. Lakes are classified according to their nutrient
a. _________________________ Lake
1. poorly nourished, newly formed lakes
b. _______________________ Lake
1. well nourished, older lakes
c. _______________________ Lakes – most lakes
fall somewhere between the two extremes of
oligotrophic and eutrophic
C. Seasonal Changes in Temperate Lakes
1. Thermal stratification of deep lakes in northern
climates. – resist mixing because (in summer)
warmer less dense water is on top.
2. ___________________ – upper layer of warm
water with high levels of DO
3.___________________ – lower layer of colder,
denser water with low level of DO
4.
___________________- middle layer where
water temperature changes rapidly with increased depth
11. Freshwater
Streams and Rivers
A. Watershed / drainage basin – the land area which
delivers water to larger streams
12. Freshwater Inland Wetlands
A. Lands covered with fresh water all or part of the time
B. include marshes, prairie potholes, swamps, mud flats,
floodplains, bogs, wet meadows, wet arctic tundra
13.Seasonal wetlands – covered only part of the year
14. Human Impacts on Inland Wetlands
A. They are drained, dredged, filled in or covered over as a
result of agriculture, mining, forestry, oil and gas
extraction, highways, urban development
B. Only 8% of remaining inland wetlands are under federal
protection
C ._____________________________ – wetlands can be
destroyed if equal areas of the same type of wetland are
created or restored