Sound To Sea Vocab Words

Front 1

aeration

Back 1

the process of circulating air or other gases through soil or water, to increase oxygen content

Front 2

barrier island

Back 2

a long, narrow island that is parallel to the mainland and serves to protect the coast from storms and tidal waves

Front 3

bivalve

Back 3

an organism (such as an oyster or clam) that has two shells hinged together

Front 4

blue crab

Back 4

a common crustacean found along the atlantic coast, and lives in shallow brackish creeks and bays

Front 5

brackish

Back 5

moderately salty water

Front 6

carnivore

Back 6

a flesh eating animal

Front 7

catfish

Back 7

a freshwater fish that is scaleless, carnivorous, and possesses whisker-like projections on its upper jaw

Front 8

community

Back 8

multiple populations of animals that occupy and interact within a particular region

Front 9

consumer

Back 9

does not make its own food, but eats other organisms

Front 10

crustacean

Back 10

an organism (such as a lobster or crab) that possesses a hard outer shell and a segmented body

Front 11

decomposer

Back 11

an organism that breaks down dead plant and animal matter to use as a source of nutrients

Front 12

detritus

Back 12

dead or decaying organic material

Front 13

ecology

Back 13

the branch of biology dealing with the relations and interactions between organisms and their environment

Front 14

egret

Back 14

a coastal bird that is characterized by showy, long plumes of feathers and an ability to spear fish with its sharp bill

Front 15

estuary

Back 15

area where the lower end of a river meets the sea's tide, producing brackish water

Front 16

fiddler crab

Back 16

a coastal crustacean characterized by burrowing behavior. These organisms eat detritus and are preyed upon by wading birds and crabs.

Front 17

filter feeder

Back 17

an aquatic animal that feeds on particles strained out of water by circulating them through its system

Front 18

flounder

Back 18

a marine flatfish that can be captured for food. They eat shrimp, small fish and crabs.

Front 19

gastropod

Back 19

an organism (such as a snail) that typically possesses a single shell and a muscular foot for locomotion

Front 20

grazer

Back 20

an organism that moves slowly over a surface, feeding on organisms found there

Front 21

habitat

Back 21

the natural environment of an organism

Front 22

herbivore

Back 22

an animal that feeds only on plants

Front 23

inorganic

Back 23

a substance that is not produced by living things, and often lacks the element carbon

Front 24

intertidal

Back 24

the region where land and sea meet

Front 25

jellyfish

Back 25

a marine organism characterized by long tentacles, which drifts along with currents

Front 26

limiting factor

Back 26

an environmental factor that tends to limit the survival of an organism

Front 27

marine

Back 27

pertaining to the sea

Front 28

marlin

Back 28

a large, saltwater fish with a spear-like jaw. They are carnivores that sweep through schools of fish for their meals.

Front 29

niche

Back 29

the function or role of an organism in its community

Front 30

nocturnal

Back 30

an organism is active at night

Front 31

omnivore

Back 31

an animal whose diet includes both plants and animals

Front 32

operculum

Back 32

A lid-like covering that serves are protection, such as the gill cover in some fishes or the shell cover in mollusks.

Front 33

organic

Back 33

a substance that is produced by living things, and contains the element carbon

Front 34

phytoplankton

Back 34

free-floating aquatic organisms that can perform photosynthesis

Front 35

plankton

Back 35

free-floating aquatic organisms, such as protists and algae

Front 36

population

Back 36

all of the members of one species in a particular region

Front 37

producer

Back 37

an organism that is able to produce its own food

Front 38

radula

Back 38

A flexible tonguelike organ in certain mollusks, used for ingesting food

Front 39

salinity

Back 39

the concentration of salt in a solution

Front 40

scavenger

Back 40

an animal, such as a bird, that feeds on the remains of other organisms

Front 41

sea anemone

Back 41

a brightly-colored marine organism that has a cylindrical body with tentacles surrounding a central mouth

Front 42

sea turtle

Back 42

a saltwater reptile that possesses paddle-like flippers, and is typically endangered due to ocean pollution and capture by humans

Front 43

sea urchin

Back 43

a marine organism that possesses a round shell covered with long spines

Front 44

sound

Back 44

areas of water that separate the mainland from the outer barrier islands

Front 45

species

Back 45

related individuals that resemble one another, and are able to breed among themselves

Front 46

substrate

Back 46

The surface on or in which certain animals, such as barnacles or clams, live or grow

Front 47

vertebrate

Back 47

an organism with a backbone or spinal column

Front 48

water strider

Back 48

an aquatic insect that can support itself on the surface of water

Front 49

whelk

Back 49

a large, marine snail with a pointed spiral shell. Lives in sounds and intertidal areas.

Front 50

zonation

Back 50

the distribution of organisms into zones

Front 51

zooplankton

Back 51

free-floating organisms that have animal-like characteristics, such as protozoans