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32 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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salinity |
the total of salts compared to the mass of the water in which they are dissolved |
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density |
a measure of how much something of a certain size weighs |
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mixed layer |
the surface layer of the ocean which mixes as a result of waves and temperature variations |
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transition layer |
the middle layer of the ocean in which temperature and salinity decline quickly |
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deep ocean |
the deepest layer of the ocean, where temperature and salinity stay more or less constant and overall density is higher than the other layers |
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upwelling |
an ocean current that flows from the deep ocean to the surface ocean |
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downwelling |
an ocean current that flows from the surface ocean to the deep ocean |
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thermohaline circulation |
a global set of surface and deep ocean currents that are caused by differences in temperature and salinity |
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gulf stream |
a huge current of warm water that starts in the tropics and travels up the eastern coast of the U.S.
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intertidal zone |
the ocean zone that includes the area at the edge of land and water between the high and low tides |
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coastal zone |
the ocean zone that includes the area from land to the edge of the continental shelf
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pelagic zone |
the ocean zone that includes the area of open ocean between the surface water and the ocean bottom
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marine benthic zone |
the ocean zone that includes the area at and near the ocean floor |
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abyssal zone |
the ocean zone that includes the deepest parts of the ocean floor
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estuary |
the transitional area between a river and the ocean
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delta |
a land form created from the silt that moves down a river and into the ocean
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coral reefs |
mounds on the seafloor consisting of living corals, coral skeletons, and calcium-rich mineral deposits made by a variety of sea creatures
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plankton |
marine microscopic organisms float in the water and are carried by currents
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phytoplankton |
plankton that are photosynthetic primary producers |
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zooplankton |
plankton that are herbivores and carnivores |
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nekton |
marine organisms that can swim through ocean currents
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benthos |
marine organisms that live on or close to the floor of the ocean
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photic zone |
the surface layer of the ocean that receives sunlight; this layer extends to an average depth of about 660 feet |
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aphotic zone |
the dark layer of the ocean below the photic zone |
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fishery |
capture, processing, and distribution of a species of fish or invertebrate in a particular location
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capture fisheries |
fishing operation that removes wild populations of fish from marine or freshwater settings |
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aquaculture |
fishing operation that raises fish or other species in some form of confinement in fresh or marine waters |
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hypoxia |
the condition of having a very low level of oxygen
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dead zones |
an area of the ocean in which many fish and other marine species are dead due to a very low level of oxygen in the water. This hypoxia is caused by eutrophication due to fertilizer runoff |
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ocean acidification |
the increase in ocean water acidity resulting from the rising level of atmosphere carbon dioxide |
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El nino |
a periodic series of climate changes associated with the appearance of warmer than usual water temperatures in the equatorial Pacific region |
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La nina |
a periodic series of climate changes associated with the appearance of colder than usual water temperatures in the equatorial Pacific region |
