Hydrosphere OCEANS VOCABULARY

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What is the hydrosphere?

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The hydrosphere is the combined mass of water found on, under, and above the surface of a planet, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and water vapor in the atmosphere.

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What is the pelagic zone?

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The pelagic zone is the open-ocean zone that includes any ocean water outside of the shore.

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What is brackish water?

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Brackish water is water that has more salinity than freshwater but not as much as seawater, resulting from the mixing of seawater and freshwater.

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What is salinity?

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Salinity is the measure of all the salts dissolved in water.

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What are plankton?

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Plankton are small and microscopic organisms drifting or floating in the sea, including plants and animals that float along at the mercy of the sea's tides and currents.

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What is the intertidal zone?

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The intertidal zone is the area of the shoreline that is exposed to the air at low tide and submerged at high tide.

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What is the benthic zone?

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The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water, including the sediment surface and sub-surface layers.

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What is the aphotic zone?

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The aphotic zone is the layer of the ocean where there is little to no sunlight, making photosynthesis impossible.

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What is the difference between phytoplankton and zooplankton?

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Phytoplankton are plant-like organisms that perform photosynthesis, while zooplankton are animal-like organisms that feed on phytoplankton.

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What is ocean stratification?

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Ocean stratification refers to the layering of water in the ocean based on temperature and salinity, affecting marine life and ocean currents.