Estuary Shoreline areas where fresh water from rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean. Question: Describe 2 reasons why estuaries are important.

Intertidal Zone The area of ocean between high tide and low tide. Question: Where do you think the name “intertidal” zone comes from?

Neritic Zone The shallow area of ocean from the intertidal zone to the edge of the continental shelf. Question: Why does the neritic zone contain more life than the oceanic zone?

Oceanic Zone The area of ocean past the neritic zone. Also called the open ocean. Question: Make your own question.

Sunlight or Photic Zone The top layer of the ocean down to about 200 meters. Lots of sunlight for photosynthesis. Most organisms in the ocean live here. Question: Why are there more living things in the photic zone than any other zone?

Aphotic Zones Zones of the ocean that receive little or no light. Twilight Zone Midnight Zone Abyssal Zone Questions: Describe 3 things that change as you go deeper in the aphotic zone. Describe 2 adaptations organisms would have in the abyssal zone.

Benthic Zone The ocean floor. Both in the shallow regions and the deeper regions. Question: How do organisms that live in the benthic zone get food?

Phytoplankton Producers and photosynthesizes of the ocean. Microscopic Question: Explain why phytoplankton cannot be found in any of the aphotic zones.

Plankton Organisms that are floaters or very poor swimmers Question: What are the 2 categories of plankton?

Zooplankton Animals that eat phytoplankton. Most are microscopic. Question: Why are zooplankton often found near phytoplankton?

Nekton Organisms that swim freely in the ocean. Found in all zones. Question: Give 2 examples of nekton organisms.

Benthos Organisms that live on the ocean floor. Question: Give 2 examples of benthos organisms.

Upwelling The process of cold, nutrient-rich water rising from the bottom of the ocean to the surface. Question: Why is upwelling so important to marine ecosystems at the surface of the ocean?

Hydrothermal Vents Located in the deep benthic zone of the ocean. A crack in the Earth’s crust that allows hot, mineral-rich fluid to escape. Sustains a thriving ecosystem based on chemosynthesis instead of photosynthesis. Question: Compare and contrast chemosynthesis and photosynthesis.