Aquatic Zones Practice (Definitions)

Last updated over 2 years ago
4 questions
Use this PPT to review the Aquatic life zones that you will be responsible for on your test.

Some life zones such as Estuaries, Mangroves and All Brackish Systems have not been addressed yet. Please pay careful attention to those descriptions.

Match each zone to its correct description.
10

Match the following freshwater zones to its definition.

Draggable itemCorresponding Item
Lotic - Rivers
Small channels of moving water
Lentic - Pond: Limnetic
Large channels of moving water
Lentic - Lake: Littoral
Top zone near shore of a deep body of fresh water where plants grow
Lentic - Lake: Profundal
Open part of a deep body of fresh water that gets enough light for photosynthesis and rooted plants
Lentic - Lake: Limnetic
Deep parts of a deep body of fresh water that no light for photosynthesis
Lotic - Streams
Top zone near shore of a shallow body of fresh water where plants grow
Lentic - Bog
Open part of a shallow body of fresh water that gets enough light for photosynthesis and rooted plants
Lentic - Fen
Stagnant very shallow body of fresh water with lots of trees and rotting vegetation
Lentic - Pond: Littoral
Standing shallow acidic fresh water with floating carpets of sphagnum mosses
Lentic - Swamp
Standing very shallow bodies of fresh water that is somewhat acidic
4

Match the following brackish water zones to its definition.

Draggable itemCorresponding Item
Mangroves (Brackish Swamp)
Standing shallow bodies of brackish water with lots of different types of coastal grasses. Can also be freshwater.
Lentic - Brackish Lakes
Body of water where fresh and saltwater mix
Estuaries
A deep body of brackish water that is near an ocean or sea
Lentic - Marsh
Stagnant very shallow body of brackish water near an ocean or sea with lots of mangrove trees and rotting vegetation
8

Match the following benthic and light zones to its definition

Draggable itemCorresponding Item
Abyssal
The top portion of the ocean that extends down to 200 m that has enough light for producers to do photosynthesis
Aphotic
The bottom portion of the ocean that extends below 200 m that has does NOT have enough light for producers to do photosynthesis
Photic
Part of the sea floor above the high tide zone that is regularly splashed, but not submerged by ocean water.
Supralittoral
Part of the ocean floor between high and low tide. Submerged during high tide.
Sublittoral
Part of the ocean floor from low tide to the 200m down to the edge of the continental shelf and is permanently submerged under water.
Littoral
Bottom floor of the ocean from the edge of the continental shelf to 2,000 m (between sublittoral and Abyssal zone)
Bathyal
Bottom floor of the ocean in between Bathyal and Hadal; (2,000-6,000m) Flat abyssal plains
Hadal
Bottom floor of the ocean in deep open trenches below Abyssal zone (6,000m-10,000m)
7

Match the following pelagic zones to its definition

Draggable itemCorresponding Item
Mesopelagic
Water part of the ocean from low tide to the 200m down to the edge of the continental shelf and is permanently submerged under water
Neritic
Water part of the ocean from the beyond the edge of the continental shelf
Abyssopelagic
Top 200 m of water part of the ocean that receives enough light for photosynthesis
Hadalpelagic
Twilight zone/water part of ocean from 200m-1,000m that a little light but not enough for photosynthesis
Bathypelagic
Completely dark water part of ocean from 1,000m-4,000m.
Epipelagic
Completely dark water part of the ocean from 4,000m-6,000m
Oceanic
Completely dark water part of the ocean from 6,000-11,000