Ch.7 environmental science

an area of land that is periodically underwater or whose soil contains a great idea of moisture.

aquatic organisms that float near the surface of the water.

aquatic organisms that are free-swimming.

aquatic organisms that dwell at the bottom of the water.

the nutrient-rich zone near the shore, aquatic life is diverse and abundant.

bottom of a lake inhabited by decomposers, insect large and small

increase in the number of nutrients in an aquatic ecosystem.

an area in which fresh water from a river mixes with saltwater from the ocean.

An important type of wetland full of river deposits that support low-lying plants such as salt-tolerant grasses

a tree or shrub that grows in chiefly tropical coastal swamps that are flooded at high tide. Mangroves typically have numerous tangled roots above ground and form dense thickets.

A long narrow sandy island (wider than a reef) running parallel to the sandy shore.

limestone ridges built by tiny coral animals called coral polyps and the algae that live inside them.