Aquatic Science Terms Exam Questions and Answers Latest Update 2025-2026
Abiotic - Answers Nonliving; inorganic; not derived from living organisms.
Acid rain - Answers Precipitation with high acidity levels.
Acre-feet - Answers Volume covering an acre to a depth of one foot.
Adaptation - Answers Trait evolved by natural selection for survival.
Aeration - Answers Exposing water to air to absorb gases.
Aerobic - Answers Living in the presence of oxygen.
Algae - Answers Aquatic organisms with chlorophyll, photosynthetic.
Algae bloom - Answers Rapid increase in algae population in water.
Anaerobic - Answers Living in the absence of oxygen.
Angler - Answers Person fishing with rod, reel, hook, and line.
Aphotic zone - Answers Deep lake area with insufficient light for photosynthesis.
Aquatic ecosystem - Answers Organisms and environment around a body of water.
Aquatic organism - Answers Living thing in a water ecosystem.
Aquatic resource - Answers Water and living things in or around water.
Aquifer - Answers Underground water reservoir in sand, gravel, or rock.
Arid - Answers Regions with severe water scarcity.
Artesian aquifer - Answers Confined aquifer with pressurized groundwater.
Atmosphere - Answers Gaseous envelope surrounding the Earth.
Bacteria - Answers Prokaryotic microorganisms lacking a nucleus.
Barrier island - Answers Long narrow sand island parallel to the mainland.
Bay - Answers Body of water partially enclosed by land.
Behavioral trait - Answers Organism's behavior distinguishing it in its environment.
Benthic community - Answers Organisms living on or in water floor.
Benthic macroinvertebrates - Answers Visible invertebrates living on or in bottom substrate.
, Benthic zone - Answers Bottom substrate of aquatic ecosystems.
Biodiversity - Answers Variety of living things in an environment.
Biofilter - Answers Material capturing and degrading pollutants.
Biosphere - Answers Part of the world where life exists.
Biotic - Answers Related to living organisms; organic.
Bottomland hardwoods - Answers Wetlands along rivers in the southeastern US.
Brackish water - Answers Water with more salinity than freshwater but less than saltwater.
Buffer - Answers Protective barrier reducing impact of influences.
Carnivores - Answers Animals that kill and eat other animals.
Cartilaginous fish - Answers Fish with cartilage skeletons like sharks.
Carrying capacity - Answers Ecosystem's maximum population support limit.
Cetaceans - Answers Marine mammals including whales and dolphins.
Channel - Answers Stream part where water flows downstream.
Channelize - Answers Create artificial stream channel to straighten flow.
Chemoreceptors - Answers Cells functioning as taste receptors in fish.
Chemosynthetic organisms - Answers Organisms using chemical reactions for energy.
Chlorophyll - Answers Green pigment aiding photosynthesis in organisms.
Ciénegas - Answers Spring-fed wetlands on desert floors.
Clean Water Act - Answers Primary US law governing water pollution.
Coastal basin - Answers Areas adjacent to main river basins.
Cold seep - Answers Location where hydrocarbon-rich fluid seeps from ocean floor.
Collector - Answers Aquatic invertebrate feeding on fine material.
Community - Answers Plants and animals interacting in a place.
Community Fishing Lake - Answers Public lake within a city or state park.
Compete - Answers Actively seeking limited environmental resources.
Abiotic - Answers Nonliving; inorganic; not derived from living organisms.
Acid rain - Answers Precipitation with high acidity levels.
Acre-feet - Answers Volume covering an acre to a depth of one foot.
Adaptation - Answers Trait evolved by natural selection for survival.
Aeration - Answers Exposing water to air to absorb gases.
Aerobic - Answers Living in the presence of oxygen.
Algae - Answers Aquatic organisms with chlorophyll, photosynthetic.
Algae bloom - Answers Rapid increase in algae population in water.
Anaerobic - Answers Living in the absence of oxygen.
Angler - Answers Person fishing with rod, reel, hook, and line.
Aphotic zone - Answers Deep lake area with insufficient light for photosynthesis.
Aquatic ecosystem - Answers Organisms and environment around a body of water.
Aquatic organism - Answers Living thing in a water ecosystem.
Aquatic resource - Answers Water and living things in or around water.
Aquifer - Answers Underground water reservoir in sand, gravel, or rock.
Arid - Answers Regions with severe water scarcity.
Artesian aquifer - Answers Confined aquifer with pressurized groundwater.
Atmosphere - Answers Gaseous envelope surrounding the Earth.
Bacteria - Answers Prokaryotic microorganisms lacking a nucleus.
Barrier island - Answers Long narrow sand island parallel to the mainland.
Bay - Answers Body of water partially enclosed by land.
Behavioral trait - Answers Organism's behavior distinguishing it in its environment.
Benthic community - Answers Organisms living on or in water floor.
Benthic macroinvertebrates - Answers Visible invertebrates living on or in bottom substrate.
, Benthic zone - Answers Bottom substrate of aquatic ecosystems.
Biodiversity - Answers Variety of living things in an environment.
Biofilter - Answers Material capturing and degrading pollutants.
Biosphere - Answers Part of the world where life exists.
Biotic - Answers Related to living organisms; organic.
Bottomland hardwoods - Answers Wetlands along rivers in the southeastern US.
Brackish water - Answers Water with more salinity than freshwater but less than saltwater.
Buffer - Answers Protective barrier reducing impact of influences.
Carnivores - Answers Animals that kill and eat other animals.
Cartilaginous fish - Answers Fish with cartilage skeletons like sharks.
Carrying capacity - Answers Ecosystem's maximum population support limit.
Cetaceans - Answers Marine mammals including whales and dolphins.
Channel - Answers Stream part where water flows downstream.
Channelize - Answers Create artificial stream channel to straighten flow.
Chemoreceptors - Answers Cells functioning as taste receptors in fish.
Chemosynthetic organisms - Answers Organisms using chemical reactions for energy.
Chlorophyll - Answers Green pigment aiding photosynthesis in organisms.
Ciénegas - Answers Spring-fed wetlands on desert floors.
Clean Water Act - Answers Primary US law governing water pollution.
Coastal basin - Answers Areas adjacent to main river basins.
Cold seep - Answers Location where hydrocarbon-rich fluid seeps from ocean floor.
Collector - Answers Aquatic invertebrate feeding on fine material.
Community - Answers Plants and animals interacting in a place.
Community Fishing Lake - Answers Public lake within a city or state park.
Compete - Answers Actively seeking limited environmental resources.
