Ocean Vocabulary
This term describes a close living relationship between two species where at least one benefits.
What is symbiosis?
This ecosystem is the easiest ocean area for scientists to visit and study.
What is the intertidal zone?
Unlike many ocean animals, algae can perform this process.
What is photosynthesis?
One major physical feature found in all mollusks is this body covering or tissue layer.
What is a mantle?
Sharks have skeletons made of this material instead of bone.
What is cartilage?
These organs allow many aquatic animals to take oxygen from water.
What are gills?
Organisms often cannot move between ocean regions because they cannot handle these changing conditions.
What are different physical features or environmental conditions?
Multicellular algae are not considered plants because they lack these structures.
What are true leaves, stems, and roots?
Echinoderms have bodies based on this number of radiating parts.
What is five?
Sharks and rays belong to this class of fishes.
What is Chondrichthyes?
A community of organisms interacting with each other and their environment is called this.
What is an ecosystem?
This ecosystem is known for colorful reefs built by living organisms.
What is a coral reef?
These organisms were once called blue-green algae.
What are cyanobacteria?
A jellyfish body form shaped like an umbrella is called this.
What is a medusa?
A fish with an air bladder belongs to this major group of fishes.
What are bony fishes?
The production of visible light by living organisms is called this.
What is bioluminescence?
This ocean ecosystem is difficult to study because of darkness and pressure.
What is the deep ocean?
This type of algae can grow very large in ocean environments.
What is kelp?
The side of a cnidarian that contains the mouth is called this side.
What is the oral side?
If an animal’s tail is flattened top-to-bottom, it is most likely this animal.
What is a shark?
These tiny organisms convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable molecules for living things.
What are cyanobacteria?
Ocean basins are connected, yet organisms do not spread everywhere because of this concept.
What is environmental adaptation?
Scientists classify algae differently from plants mainly because of their body structure and lack of these systems.
What are vascular systems or true plant organs?
Sea stars and sea urchins belong to this phylum.
What are echinoderms?
Two features of toothed whales are hunting in pods and having these teeth.
What are cone-shaped teeth?