Ch. 7 Key Terms Flashcards
wetland
Freshwater ecosystems include the sluggish waters of lakes and ponds, and the moving water of rivers and streams.
plankton
Organisms that cannot swim against currents, so they are drifters.
nekton
Free swimming organisms such as fish or whales.
benthos
Bottom-dwellers, such as mussels, worms, or barnacles.
littoral zone
Nutrient rich, near the shore, aquatic life is diverse.
benthic zone
dead and decaying organisms lay at the bottom of a pond or lake.
eutrophication
An increase in the amount of nutrients.
estuary
An area in which fresh water from a river mixes with salt water from the ocean.
salt marsh
Rivers deposit their load of mineral rich mud.
mangrove swamp
Dense growths of mangrove trees in swampy areas.
barrier island
Run parallel to sandy shores.
coral reef
limestone ridges built by tiny coral animals called coral polyps and the algae that live inside them.
