Water
Polar Covalent Bonds
Unequal sharing of electrons between atoms in a molecule due to differences in electronegativity, resulting in partial positive and negative charges.
Subduction Zones
Areas where one tectonic plate slides beneath another plate at a convergent plate boundary.
Competition (Interspecific)
An interaction between individuals of different species where they vie for the same limited resources, such as food, space, or light
Kingdom
The second highest level in the hierarchical classification of organisms, grouping together phyla with shared fundamental characteristics (e.g., Animalia, Plantae).
Pelagic Zone
The open ocean or sea, away from coastal areas and the seabed. It is further divided into zones based on depth and light penetration (neritic and oceanic).
Hydrogen Bonding
The attractive force between a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom (like oxygen in water) of one molecule and another electronegative atom of a different molecule
Hydrothermal Vents
Openings in the seafloor where geothermally heated, mineral-rich water is released.
Mutualism
A type of symbiotic relationship between two different species where both species benefit from the interaction.
Binomial Nomenclature
A two-part scientific naming system used to identify each species uniquely, consisting of the genus name followed by the specific epithet (species name).
Coral Bleaching
A phenomenon where corals expel their symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) due to environmental stress, such as increased water temperature, causing the coral to turn white and potentially die.
Specific Heat Capacity
The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius (or Kelvin).
Biogenous Sediments
Marine sediments that originate from the remains of marine organisms, such as shells and skeletons.
Niche
The specific role and position a species occupies within its environment, including how it obtains resources, interacts with other species, and reproduces.
Phytoplankton
Microscopic marine algae and cyanobacteria that drift in the water column and form the base of many marine food webs through photosynthesis.
Intertidal Zone
The area of the shoreline that is submerged at high tide and exposed at low tide, also known as the littoral zone.
Salinity
The total amount of dissolved salts in a given volume of seawater, typically expressed in parts per thousand (ppt) or practical salinity units (PSU).
Upwelling
The process where deep, cold, nutrient-rich water rises towards the surface, often driven by wind patterns and the Coriolis effect.
Food Web
A complex and interconnected diagram that illustrates the multiple feeding relationships within an ecosystem, showing how energy flows through various organisms.
Biodiversity
The variety of life on Earth at all its levels, including the diversity of genes, species, and ecosystems.
Infauna
Animals that live within the sediment of the seafloor, such as worms and some shellfish.
Pycnocline
A layer in the ocean characterized by a rapid change in density with increasing depth, often due to changes in temperature (thermocline) and/or salinity (halocline).
Coriolis Effect
The apparent deflection of moving objects (like water and air currents) to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere due to Earth's rotation.
Nutrient Cycling
The continuous movement and transformation of essential chemical elements (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon) through living organisms and the physical environment within an ecosystem.
Mark-Recapture
A sampling technique used to estimate the population size of mobile animals by capturing, marking, releasing, and then recapturing individuals at a later time.
Brackish Water
Water that has a salinity level between freshwater and saltwater, commonly found in estuaries where freshwater rivers mix with seawater.