OCEANS Final

What is the main component of solid waste in the ocean?

Mostly plastic.

What are some properties of plastic that contribute to environmental harm?

It floats, is non-biodegradable, inexpensive, and strong.

Why is plastic dangerous to marine life?

Its properties lead to the death of many creatures.

What does U.S. law say about dumping plastics into the sea?

It is not allowed.

What is a major source of oceanic plastic pollution?

Fishing nets.

How do plastics often reach the ocean?

Via rivers that carry plastic waste from land.

Which regions are major contributors to ocean plastic pollution?

Central Africa, Southeast Asia, China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan.

Why do subtropical areas contribute heavily to plastic pollution?

High population density, poor waste management, and heavy rainfall.

Name some rivers associated with high plastic pollution.

Yamuna, Yangtze, Tijuana.

What is used on the Tijuana River to stop plastic from reaching the ocean?

A containment boom.

How do cargo ships contribute to plastic pollution?

Thousands of containers fall into the ocean annually, especially in the Pacific.

Why are Pacific storms more damaging in terms of plastic loss?

The Pacific has a large fetch, increasing storm size.

How do microplastics harm marine animals?

Animals ingest them, mistaking them for food, leading to death.

What unusual item is also considered a plastic pollutant?

Golf balls, especially from coastal courses.

What does it mean that plastic is photodegradable?

Sunlight breaks it into smaller pieces (microplastics), but it remains plastic.

What is the Northern Pacific Garbage Patch?

A region with 6x more plastic than plankton, not a literal island.

What causes the formation of the Garbage Patch?

Subtropical gyres of ocean surface currents.

Who discovered the Northern Pacific Garbage Patch?

Charles Moore.

What makes up about half of the garbage patch’s content?

Fishing gear (especially nets).

What are microplastics and where are they found?

Tiny plastic particles found in almost everything we use.

What common plastic is found in daily items and is being banned?

Polyethylene.

What is the strategy to combat plastic pollution?

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

What is the Ocean Cleanup project?

An organization founded by Boyan Slat to clean plastic from the ocean.

What are the three domains of life?

Prokaryotes (Archaea and Bacteria) and Eukaryotes.

How many kingdoms exist within the domains of life?

Six kingdoms: Archaea, Bacteria, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.

What are characteristics of Archaea?

Simple, single-celled organisms; ancient extremophiles.

What distinguishes Bacteria from Archaea?

Bacteria can produce their own food and include both beneficial and harmful types.

Are viruses considered part of the kingdoms of life?

No, viruses are not living and there are no 'good' viruses.

What are Protists?

Single- and multi-celled organisms; can photosynthesize. Examples: algae, protozoans, seaweed.

What are some characteristics of Fungi?

Mostly multi-celled, not abundant in the ocean. Examples: bread mold, mushrooms.

What are characteristics of Plantae?

Multi-celled, photosynthetic organisms.

What makes Animalia distinct?

Multi-celled, complex, heterotrophs that actively move (except corals and sponges); includes vertebrates and invertebrates.

Which are more common in the Animalia kingdom: vertebrates or invertebrates?

Invertebrates.

When did animals first begin evolving?

About 600 million years ago during the Cambrian radiation.

What fossil evidence supports the Cambrian radiation?

The Burgess Shale.

What is 'radiation' in evolutionary terms?

Rapid increase in the diversity of species (opposite of extinction).

Where did early marine invertebrates dwell?

In shallow, tropical seas.

Why do most ocean organisms live close to land?

Due to upwelling, river runoff, and nutrient availability.

What is natural selection?

Genetic changes over time leading to adaptations that increase survival and reproduction.

What happens to less adapted organisms over time?

They go extinct.

What is an example of adaptation in reptiles?

Evolution into land, air, and sea reptiles (e.g., dinosaurs, pterosaurs, ichthyosaurs).

What is sexual selection?

Organisms choose mates with traits that increase fitness and survivability.

What is an example of sexual dimorphism?

Elephant seals.

What is convergent evolution?

Different species evolve similar traits due to similar environmental pressures, not shared ancestry.

What is a result of convergent evolution in the ocean?

Similar body shapes in fast-swimming predators.

Why are there more species on land than in the ocean?

Land has more environmental variability, driving more speciation.

What percentage of Earth’s species live in the ocean?

Only about 14%.

Where in the ocean is species diversity highest?

Near the shore, where environmental challenges lead to adaptation.

How are marine organisms classified based on locomotion?

As plankton (floaters), nekton (swimmers), and benthos (bottom dwellers).

What are plankton?

Drifting organisms; includes phytoplankton (plant-like) and zooplankton (animal-like).

What are nekton?

Organisms that swim or propel themselves, like octopuses.

What are benthos?

Organisms that live on the seafloor; mostly invertebrates. Examples: sponges, corals.

Can organisms belong to more than one locomotion group?

Yes, some organisms are both nekton and benthos.

What kind of plankton are protozoans?

Zooplankton.

Where are most benthic animals found?

On the deep seafloor.

What are the two main marine environments?

Pelagic (open sea) and Benthic (seafloor).

What types of organisms live in the pelagic zone?

Plankton and nekton.

What organisms inhabit the benthic zone?

Bottom dwellers, called benthos.

Which marine environment has the greatest biodiversity?

The benthic zone.

What is the benthic littoral zone?

The intertidal shore zone, from the shore to where waves break.

Where do most ocean species live?

In the littoral/intertidal zone.

What features are commonly found in the intertidal zone?

Tide pools.

Where is biological productivity highest in the ocean?

Around land/coastal areas.

Where is ocean life less abundant?

Subtropical latitudes and open oceans.

Where is sea life most concentrated?

At the tropics and coastal regions.

What are true plants with root systems anchored in soil called?

Genosperms.

Are Protista considered true plants?

No, they are considered 'weeds' (e.g., seaweed).

What is the input and output of photosynthesis?

Input: CO₂ and water; Output: glucose and oxygen.

What process do animals perform that is the reverse of photosynthesis?

Respiration.

In what ocean zone does photosynthesis occur?

The photic zone (upper 200 m).

Why don’t plants live much below the euphotic zone?

Lack of sunlight inhibits photosynthesis.

Where are most photosynthetic marine organisms found?

In shallow, coastal areas.

Name three types of photosynthetic eukaryotes in the ocean.

Seed plants, Protists (algae), and Phytoplankton.

Give examples of seed plants in the ocean.

Grasses, mangroves, eelgrass.

What are the three main types of large algae (Protists)?

Brown algae, red algae, and green algae.

What are examples of brown algae?

Macrocystis kelp, sargassum, kelp forests.

What is a common red algae used in food products?

Irish moss (Rhodophyta).

What are examples of green algae?

Sea lettuce and sponge weed.

What are phytoplankton and why are they important?

Main oceanic producers; examples include diatoms, coccolithophores, and dinoflagellates.

What causes red tides in the ocean?

Dinoflagellates.

What are coccolithophores made of and used for?

Made of calcium carbonate; used to make chalk.

What are cyanobacteria?

Prokaryotic, photosynthetic phytoplankton; first photosynthesizers on Earth.

When did cyanobacteria evolve?

About 3.5 billion years ago.

What organ helps fish maintain buoyancy in water?

Swim bladder.

What is the swim bladder filled with in most fish?

Air.

What is a shark’s swim bladder filled with?

Oil.

How does a streamlined shape help fish?

Reduces drag and allows more efficient swimming.

What are swim bladders and streamlined bodies examples of?

Convergent evolution

How does schooling help fish survive?

Safety in numbers.

What is camouflage in marine animals?

Pretending to be something else (e.g., stonefish).

What are some physical defenses in marine animals?

Stinging cells, poison, armored plates, and spines.

Name marine animals that use stinging or speed for defense.

Corals, sea anemones, octopus, stingrays.

What is a symbiotic relationship?

A mutually beneficial interaction between two different species.

What are the three main goals of all animals?

To survive, reproduce, and protect themselves and their offspring.

How do marine animals obtain oxygen?

Through gills (or lungs/blowholes in marine mammals).

What is the process by which oxygen enters and CO₂ exits through the gills?

Diffusion (from high to low concentration).

What happens to the water after gas exchange in fish gills?

It is released with CO₂.

Why do deep-sea fish have a slow metabolism?

To survive with limited food; they eat rarely.

What is the typical size of deep-sea fish?

Usually small.

What do deep-sea fish often eat?

Whatever falls from above (e.g., dead fish).