APES Vocab 4C

lake

a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land; larger than ponds

salt marsh

a marsh containing nonwoody emergent vegetation, found along the coast in temperate climates

coral bleaching

a phenomenon in which algae inside corals die, causing the corals to turn white

chemosynthesis

a process used by some bacteria in the ocean to generate energy with methane and hydrogen sulfide

profundal zone

a region of water where sunlight does not reach below the limnetic zone in very deep lakes

mangrove swamp

a swamp that occurs along tropical and subtropical coasts, and contains salt-tolerant trees with roots submerged in water

limnetic zone

a zone of open water in lakes and ponds

freshwater wetlands

an aquatic biome that is submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation

estuary

areas along the coast where the fresh water of rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean

phytoplankton

floating algae

rapids

stretches of turbulent water in fast-moving streams and rivers; where water and air are mixed together

coral reef

the most diverse marine biome on Earth found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoveling

benthic zone

the muddy bottom of a lake, pond, or ocean

intertidal zone

the narrow band of coastline between the levels of hight tied and low tide

bog

very acidic wetlands that typically contain sphagnum moss and spruce trees

swamp

wetlands that contain emergent trees

marsh

wetlands that contain primarily nonwoody vegetation, including cattails

river

A large, flowing body of water that usually empties into a sea or ocean; when smaller streams merge

open ocean

An area in the ocean which contains the surface zone and the deep zone; away from the shoreline in deep water where sunlight can no longer reach the ocean bottom

aphotic zone

The layer of ocean water that lacks sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis

littoral zone

The shallow zone of soil and water in lakes and ponds where most algae and emergent plants grow

photic zone

The upper layer of water in the ocean that receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis