Chapter 4: Classification and Biodiversity Vocabulary

a continuous mass of seawater on the Earth's surface, its boundaries formed by continental land masses ridges on the ocean floor

smaller bodies of saltwater which are frequently enclosed by land; they are found where the ocean and land meets

the classification of the species within living organisms by describing the domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.

the two-part latin name given to each species comprising the genus followed by the species

a key for the identification of organisms based on a series of choices between alternative characters, with a direction to another stage in the key, until the species is identified

leaf-like structures that 'hang' in the water and absorb light and minerals

fish that have a bony skeleton and belong to the class Osteichthyes

the part of the exoskeleton that covers the cephalothorax

fish that have jaws and skeletons made of only cartilage and belong to the class Chondrichthyes

a marine invertebrate group with a hard exoskeleton, ten jointed legs and a nauplius larval stage

a type of overlapping scale that provides protection and improved hydrodynamic efficiency in sharks

a marine invertebrate group with pentaradial symmetry and tube feet

protrude from the body surface and assist in movement, stabilizing position, reproduction and protection

sexual reproductive organ of plants

a gas-containing structure that provides buoyancy for some species of seaweed

external openings from the gills through which water taken in at the mouth can pass back to the ocean

the gaseous exchange surfaces of fish

strong, root-like structure that anchors the macroalgae to the seabed

an organism that plays a unique and crucial role in the way an ecosystem functions; without keystone species the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether

a planktonic stage of development which occurs between the egg and juveniles; found in nearly all species of fish and invertebrates

a canal on the head and the side of the fish that contains sense organs; it is externally visible in bony fish but in cartilaginous fish it is under the skin

photosynthetic organ of plants

marine producers such as kelp and seaweeds

aquatic flowering plants that are often found in estuarine and coastal environments

A distinct planktonic larval stage seen in many crustaceans.

a thin bony flap of skin covering and protecting the gills

five arms (or fans) radiating from a central body cavity

microscopic free floating marine organism

a horizontal underground structure that enable seagrasses to reproduce asexually

structure at base of plant that anchors it to the substrate and absorbs nutrients from the nutrients

overlapping segments of bone covered by skin and mucus found on the outside of the fish

long, tough, vertical stalk similar to the stem of plants

a buoyancy organ found in bony fish

tubular projections that assist in locomotion, feeding, and respiration

planktonic consumers that are either floating or weakly swimming animals

a measure of the species, genetic and ecosystem diversity of different species

the variation of ecosystems or habitats on a regional or global level

the variety of forms of genes (alleles) within species

the abundance and richness of a species in a given place

the living organisms and the environment with which they interact

the natural environment where an organism lives

the role of a species within ecosystem

a group of similar organisms that can interbreed naturally to produce fertile offsprings

all of the individuals of a species that live in the same place and time

the living parts of an ecosystem, which includes the organisms and their effects on each other

an illness characterized by a recognizable set of signs and symptoms

competition between individuals of the same species (for example, for food or a mate)

competition between members of different species (for example, predator-prey)

a method to estimate the population size of mobile species

a mathematical equation that can use the mark-release-recapture data to estimate the population size

a plastic or metal square that sets a standard unit of area for study of the distribution of marine organisms

a rope or tape marked at regular intervals that sets standard distances for study of the distribution of marine organisms

a sampling method involving counting of species that touch the transect

samples are taken along the whole length of the transect

samples are taken at fixed intervals along the transect

a sampling method involving counting of species in frame quadrats placed adjacent to the transect

samples are taken at random places within the sample site

evaluates and chooses ways to protect the natural habitat under investigation

Identifies potential hazards and then reducing their risk of occurring

A graph of the distribution and abundance of organisms in the littoral zone that allows zonation patterns to be easily seen.

the number of species in a community

a measure of the relative abundance of the different species making up the richness of an area

a biodiversity measure that accounts for both species of richness and evenness

there is no correlation between the two sets of variables

an explanation of an observation that can be tested through experimentation

when two sets of variables are plotted to indicate if there is a relationship between them

a mathematical tool used to find out if there is a correlation between two sets of variables, when they are not normally distributed

indicate when the calculated spearman's rank is sufficient to suggest a correlation between the two sets of variables

there is a significant correlation between two sets of variables