Environmental Science – Chapter 7 Barrier – long, thin island, runs parallel to shore Benthos – mussels, worms, barnacles Coastal wetland – coastal land covered by salt water much of the time Estuary – where a river empties into ocean mix of fresh & salt water Freshwater wetland – land periodically covered with extremely low salinity water Littoral zone – region of shallow water near the shores of lakes and oceans

Environmental Science – Chapter 7 Mangrove swamp – dominated by trees with stilt- like root systems Microscopic – phytoplankton & zooplankton Nekton – free-swimming organisms Salt marsh – dominated by grasses Water absorbs sunlight, below 100 meters no photosynthesis. Benthos – often lives attached to hard surfaces

Environmental Science – Chapter 7 Lakes may contain regions with little sunlight. Estuaries – fresh water meets salt water - nutrients fall to bottom due to currents - adversely affected by runoff - harmed by volume of pollutants even though they break down over time - threatened by sewage, construction

Environmental Science – Chapter 7 Swamps mangrove-provide breeding/feeding for 2000 species dominated by woody shrubs or water loving trees Rivers & oceans – affected by runoff Benthic – bottom zone, decomposers, clams, larvae Littoral – along shores, nutrient rich, rooted plants - find small fish, rooted plants, insects

Environmental Science – Chapter 7 Flagella – adaptation prevents phytoplankton from sinking into deep water. Wetlands help remove pollutants from water. Ocean ecosystem threats -nutrient runoff & industrial waste discharge -sewage & algal blooms -entanglement of marine mammals in nets -overfishing

Environmental Science – Chapter 7 Coral grows slowly harvesting them damages reef ecosystems Sensitive to temperature changes Threatened by oil spills, excess sewage, pollution, over fishing, divers, collectors, anchors

Environmental Science – Chapter 7 Aquatic ecosystem organisms location factors -temperature, sunlight, oxygen, nutrients -corals – sensitive to temperature -producers – sunlight for photosynthesis -trout- cold, oxygen rich fresh water -clams (filter feeders), thrive in estuaries

Environmental Science – Chapter 7 Essay question Wetlands perform several important environmental functions. Which do you think is most crucial? Defend your answer!