ES101 Study Guide - Final Guide: Externality, Chapter 27, Survivorship Curve
Document Summary
Phytoplankton (plant plankton) weakly swimming, free-floating types of algae that are the producers that support most aquatic food chains and food webs. Zooplankton consist of primary consumers (herbivores) that feed on phytoplankton and secondary consumers that feed on other zooplankton. Ultraplankton photosynthetic bacteria no more than 2 micrometers wide. Nekton strongly swimming consumers such as fish, turtles, and wales. Benthos consumers that dwell on the bottom of the ocean. Decomposers mostly bacteria that break down the organic compounds in the dead bodies and wastes of aquatic organisms into simple nutrient compounds for use by producers. Euphotic zone - upper layer of the water in which sunlight can penetrate. Coastal zone warm, nutrient-rich, shallow water that extends from the high-tide mark on land to the gently sloping, shallow edge of the continental shelf. Estuary partially enclosed area of coastal water where seawater mixes with freshwater and nutrients from rivers, streams and runoff from land.
