OCE Unit 2 Flashcards

Front

Nekton

Back

All organisms that swim actively in open water, independent of currents

Front

Plankton

Back

Tiny organisms that float in the water

Front

Benthos

Back

Organisms that live attached to or near the ocean floor

Front

Euryhaline

Back

An organism that can tolerate a wide range of salinities

Front

Stenohaline

Back

Organisms that can tolerate small salinity changes, but nothing substantial

Front

Littoral Zone

Back

The transitional area between uplands and open water, usually between the high and low tide lines

Front

Neritic Zone

Back

Area of ocean that extends from the low-tide line out to the edge of the continental shelf

Front

Pelagic Zone

Back

Open water above the ocean floor

Front

Benthic Zone

Back

Bottom of an aquatic ecosystem; consists of sand and sediment and supports its own community of organisms

Front

Photic Zone

Back

Sunlight region near the surface of water