| A | B |
|---|
| plankton | includes all organisms that drift in the ocean |
| phytoplankton | algae plankton; the most important community of primary producers in the ocean |
| zooplankton | animal plankton |
| nekton | includes all animals capable of moving independent of the ocean currents |
| benthos | organisms living on or in the bottom of the ocean |
| photic zone | upper part of the ocean where the sunlight penetrates |
| intertidal zone | marine-life zone between the high and low tidal zones |
| littoral zone | another name for the intertidal zone |
| neritic zone | marine-life zone that extends from the low tide line out to the shelf break |
| oceanic zone | marine-life zone beyond the continental shelf |
| pelagic zone | open zone of the ocean at any depth |
| benthic zone | marine-life zone that includes any sea-bottom surface regardless of its distance from shore |
| abyssal zone | part of the benthic zone where no sunlight penetrates |
| terrigeneous sediment | formed from eroded continental rocks that are transported to the ocean by rivers and runoff |
| hydrogeneous sediment | formed by direct crystallization from the ocean as a result of chemical reactions |
| biogeneious sediment | formed from shells and skeletons of marine animals and algae |
| calcareous ooze | produced by dissolving calcium carbonate shells |
| siliceous ooze | composed of silica-based shells of single-celled animals and algae |
| pycnocline | zone where there’s a rapid change in density in the ocean |
| chemosynthesis | process whereby microorganisms create energy without the use of light |
| overfishing | excessive harvest mortality that stresses the ecosystem |
| bycatch | unintentional harvest |
| ocean acidification | addition of inorganic carbon sources into the ocean, driving the production of carbonic acid and lowering the pH |
| eutrophication | process where oxygen is lost from the water column as a direct result of the decay of algal blooms formed by the addition of nitrate sources |
| eustatic ocean | mean sea level, or average surface height |
| photophores | light producing adaptations found in deep sea fish |
| barbel | long, skinny extension from the chin of a deep sea fish, usually tipped with a photophore, and used like a fishing lure |
| thermocline | zone where there’s a rapid change in temperature in the ocean |
| halocline | zone where there’s a rapid change in salinity in the ocean |
