| Unit:Estuaries
Learner Objectives: The student will:
1. Define estuary.
2. Identify and describe the 4 main types of estuaries and
explain the basis by which
they
are classified.
3. Explain the criteria by which estuaries may be classified as
either positive, negative, or
seasonal estuaries.
4. Define isohalines and explain their significance.
5. Describe other factors that affect salinity in estuaries.
6. Characterize typical estuarine substrates and explain their
origins.
7. Describe temperature variation in estuaries from the opening
at the sea to
the freshwater source, both vertically and
spatially.
8. Explain why there are smaller waves in an estuary than in the
ocean.
9. Identify sources of currents and where currents have the
greatest velocity.
10. Explain the concept of flushing time.
11. Explain the significance of turbidity in an estuary.
12. Identify where the estuary is oxygen rich and explain why
anoxia occurs in
an estuary.
13. Identify 4 components of estuarine fauna and defend the
component that is
considered to be true estuarine fauna.
14. Give 3 reasons why there are so few estuarine species.
15. Compare abundance and diversity of estuarine vegetation.
16. Explain why bacteria are significant estuarine organisms.
17. Describe some morphological adaptations of animals that live
in the estuary.
18. Describe some morphological adaptations of plants that live
in the estuary.
19. Define osmoregulation.
20. Compare osmoconformers with osmoregulators.
21. Explain how vascular plants adapt to osmotic stress.
22. Describe behavioral adaptations of estuarine animals.
Vocabulary:
aeolian
aerenchyma
aggregation
anoxia
brackish
byssal threads
estuary
floculation
flushing time
interstitial
isohaline
osmoconformer
osmoregulator
osomoregulation
salt wedge
stenohaline
substrate
trichome
turbidity
Assignments:
3rd Ed. Read Ch 11
4th Ed. Read Ch 12
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