Z

Zoea: Early larval stage of lobsters and crabs.

Zonation: Distinct plant and animal associations; recognisable as horizontal bands along the seashore that divide the habitats.

Zones: Places on a rocky shore, reef flat, mangrove swamp, sand dune, etc. that have distinct vegetation or animal inhabitants.

Zoning: Refers to places in marine parks that are managed for specific purposes.

Zooplankton: Planktonic animals, such as copepods and jellyfish.

Zooxanthellae: Symbiotic, brownish algae that live in the tissues of various marine organisms (dinoflagellates) including corals. They use the energy from sunlight to produce nutrients, which they share with the coral.

Zygote: A fertilised egg.