Environmental Science Ch. 7 Vocab

An area of land that is periodically under water or whose soil contains a great deal of moisture

• Benthos

• Wetland

• Estuary

• Barrier Island

The mass of mostly microscopic organisms that float or drift freely in the waters of aquatic environments.

• Nekton

• Decomposers

• Plankton

• Benthos

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

• Nekton

• Benthos

• Plankton

• Decomposers

The organisms that live in the bottom of the sea or ocean.

• Benthos

• Plankton

• Nekton

• Decomposers

A shallow zone in a freshwater habitat where light reaches the bottom and nurtures plants

• Littoral Zone

• Benthic Zone

• Light zone

• Plankton Station

The region near the bottom of a pond, lake, or ocean.

• Barrier Islans

• Littoral Zone

• Benthic Zone

An increase in the amount of nutrients such as nitrates, in a marine or aquatic ecosystem

• Eutrophication

• Surface Runoff

• Nutrification

An area where fresh water from rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean.

• Marsh

• Reef

• Estuary

• Wetland

A maritime habitat characterized by grasses, sedges, and other plants that have adapted to continual, periodic flooding.

• Estuary

• Salt Marsh

• Barrier Island

• Coral Reef

A long ridge of sand or narrow island that lies parallel to the shore.

• Estuary

• Salt Marsh

• Coral Reef

• Barrier Island