1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

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