Aquatic Ecosystems Crossword Puzzle

QUESTIONS LIST:

• river : large natural flow of water that moves toward a larger body of water like a lake or ocean
• marine : salt water with salinity levels between 32-35ppt
• surface : water that flows or sits on the top of the land. ex. lake, river, pond
• creek : small natural flow of water that moves towards a river or stream
• peninsula : a piece of land surrounded on 3 sides by water
• island : a piece of land completely surrounded by water
• watershed : an area of land that drains to a particular body of water
• ground : water that soaks into and percolates through the soil
• paved : surfaces covered with cement or blacktop that increase run off and flooding
• barrier : a long narrow sand island parallel to the coast that protects the mainland from storm surges & erosion
• inlet : a recess (cut) into the land from a lake or sea that allows access to a bay, cove or the ocean
• salinity : the amount of dissolved salt in water
• delta : a fan shaped land area formed when fresh water rivers dump sediments into the ocean
• wetlands : land that is wet all or most of the time & provides important habitat for migrating birds & other aquatic animals
• fresh : water with less than .05 ppt salinity
• aquifer : an underground fresh water river or lake that is created when groundwater percolates through the soil
• pollution : trash, chemicals & debris that has a cumulative, negative, long term impact on watersheds all the way to the ocean
• erosion : the movement of soil from one place to another by wind, rain, water or humans.
• stream : natural flowing body of water that is larger than a river, but smaller than a creek
• dams : man-made structures designed to alter natural floodplains to help prevent flooding
• brine : water with salinity levels greater than 46 ppt
• marsh : a coastal wetland that is flooded and drained by salt water from the tides. usually has patches of salt water grasses
• lagoon : a stretch of salt water separated from the sea by a sand bank or coral reef
• brackish : water with salinity levels between .05-31 ppt
• swamp : a coastal wetland common in la. that is a favorite home of alligators