Basic ecological unit composed of living and nonliving elements interacting in an aqueous milieu.
A stream channel, lake or estuary bed, the water itself, and the biotic (living) communities that occur therein.
an interactive mosaic of environments, extending from headwater streams and wet meadows through mainstem rivers to the sea
Any body of water, such as a stream, lake or estuary, and all organisms and nonliving components within it, functioning as a natural system.
An interacting community of plants and animals (i.e., insects, crayfish, fish and amphibians) requiring an abundance of water during some part of their life cycle.
Complex of biotic and abiotic components of natural waters. The aquatic ecosystem is an ecological unit that includes the physical characteristics (such as flow or velocity and depth), the biological community of the water column and benthos, and the chemical characteristics such as dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, and nutrients. Both living and nonliving components of the aquatic ecosystem interact and influence the properties and status of each component.
A water ecosystem, such as a stream, lake, or bay.
all living and non-living elements, and the relationship between them, of a water-based environment.
The stream channel, lake or estuary bed, water, and (or) biotic communities and the habitat features that occur therein (USFS).
a biological community of plants and animals living in water; includes stream, river, lake, estuary and ocean ecosystems.
An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem located in a body of water. Communities of organisms that are dependent on each other and on their environment live in aquatic ecosystems. The two main types of aquatic ecosystems are marine ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems.