| A | B |
|---|
| plankton | small organisms that float in aquatic ecosystems |
| nekton | strong swimming organisms |
| benthos | bottom dwelling organisms |
| euphotic zone | upper layer of a body of water through which sunlight can penetrate and support photosynthesis |
| estuary | partially enclosed coastal area |
| coastal wetlands | land along a coastline inland from an estuary that is covered with salt water part or all of the year |
| mangrove swamps | swamp found on coastline in warm climates |
| intertidal zone | area of shoreline between high and low tide |
| barrier islands | long, thin, offshore islands of sediment that generally run parallel to the shore |
| freshwater life zones | aquatic system where water with a dissolved salt concentration of less than 1% by volume accumulates |
| oligotrophic lake | lake with a low supply of nutrients |
| eutrophic lake | lake with large supply of nutrients |
| mesotrophic lake | lake with a moderate supply of nutrients |
| thermal stratification | layers of water of different temperatures |
| epiliminon | upper layer of warm water with high levels of oxygen |
| hypoliminon | lower layer of colder water, usually with lower concentration of oxygen |
| watershed | land area that delivers water, sediment, and dissolved substances by small streams to major river systems |
| phytoplankton | small drifting plants, mostly algae and bacteria |
