Wetland
Periodically underwater
Plankton
organisms that can’t swim against currents
Nekton
Free Swimming organisms
Benthos
bottom dwellers
Littoral Zone
Lakes and ponds in horizantal and verticle zones
Benthic Zone
Bottom of the pond or lake
Eutrophication
increase in an amount of nutrients
Estuary
area in which freshwater from a river mixes with salt water from the ocean
Salt Marshes
Mineral Rich Mud
Mangrove Swamps
found in tropical and subtropical zones. Help protect the coastline from erosion.
Barrier islands
Often run parrallel to sandy shores
Coral reefs
Limestone ridges built by tiny coral animals called coral polyps