BIO INTRODUCTORY MARINE ECOLOGY

what are the two different types of planktonic organisms?

Holoplankton and Meroplankton

What are the two different types of Meroplankton ?

benthic ( bottom-dwelling) and necktonic (free - swimming )

Holoplankton

planktonic organisms that spend their entire life in the water coloumn

what are the biological characteristics of sharks that make them vulnerable

naturally low population densities, long-lived and late sexual maturity, long gestation period and low fecundity, reliance on specific mating and nursery areas

What are the two major root structures used by mangroves to tolerate anoxic sediment?

pneumatophores and stilt/prop roots

pneumatophores what are they ?

specialised aerial roots that grow upward to capture oxygen from the air through pores called lenticels

stilt/prop roots, what are they ?

provide physical support while also possessing lenticels on their upper surfaces to aid in gas exchange with the atmosphere

pterocladia lucida is used in New Zealand for the production of high-quality

agar

what are the three major zones of the rocky shore?

Supralittoral zone, Littoral (interidal zone) sublittoral zone ( below the tide mark )

In muddy substrates, the transition layer between the upper oxygenated region and the lower anoxic region is known as the

redox potential discontinuity (RPD)

sandy shores are characterised by a ___ biomass and ____ diversity of species

low biomass and low diversity of species 

what is marine pollution?

human introduction of substances or energy into the marine environment that results in one or more of the following; harm to the living resources of the ocean of the ocean, hazards to human health, hindrance of marine activities, poor seawater, quality, reduction of amenities

what organism has the largest biomass in the marine environment

phytoplankton

Hermatypic definition

hermatypic corals are reef-building corals that contain symbiotic zoonxanthellae (algae) and deposite carbonate to form coral reefs 

symbiodinium definition

a genus of dinoflagellates that encompasses the largest and most prevalent group of endyosymbiotic dinoflagellates //zooxanthellae 

spur and groove zone definition

feature of coral reefs, consisting of parallel, shore-normal ridges of coral called spurs seperated by channels filled with sand or sediment called grooves

‘host release factor’ definition

nutritional relationship between zooxanthellaie, host gives NH3 to zooxanthellaie and the zooxathellaie gives amino acids

zoonxanthellaie to produce unusally high levels of glycerol,

coral bleaching definition

coral bleaching is when corals expel their symbiotic algae which are essential for their survival and give them colour 

What is Darwins paradox

reef productivity of 1,500-12,00 g C m-2 y-1 whilst the surrounding waters have a productivity of about only 30g C m-2 y-1, how can coral reefs have such high productivity in low nutrient waters - nutrient poor water , very little phytoplankton, yet extraordinary species diversity and density

why are coral reefs so productive 

High irradiance → high primary production, nutrient retention by coral-algal symbiosis

List 3 forms in which seagrass material can be exported from the seagrass ecosystem

• Detached leaves and fragments (drift material)

• Dissolved organic matter (DOM)

• Particulate organic matter (POM)