Practice questions

UOA biosci 100g

The southern elephant seal diet consists mostly of:

Cephalopods (Squids and octopus)

There are three taxonomic families of seals. The Otariidae are the:

Eared seals

What is the main purpose of the sebaceous glands found in Antarctic fur seal skin?

They produce oil to waterproof the fur.

With regard to the general characteristics of seals, which of the following statements is FALSE?

Seals swim primarily using their forelimbs.

Why are crabeater seals more vulnerable than other seals to predation by killer whales and leopard seals?

They live mostly alone on the outer fringes of pack ice.

The most important prey items for baleen whales in the Southern Ocean are:

krill.

Humpback whales migrating to Oceania breeding grounds feed:

between the Ross Sea and the Bellingshausen Sea.

The most endangered species of whale in Antarctic waters is the:

blue whale.

The first whale species to be commercially depleted in the waters around South Georgia after the establishment of the local land-based industry was the:

humpback whale.

Unlike Mysticetes (baleen whales), Odontocetes (toothed whales) are able to:

echolocate.

Which of the following statements about elephant seals are CORRECT?
(i) Adult males have a large inflatable nose.
(ii) Adult females have a large inflatable nose.
(iii) Adult males are larger than adult females.
(iv) Adult females are larger than adult males.

Only (i) and (iii) are correct.

The image below is a cross-section through a fur seal pelt. Refer to this image to answer the question.
The layer labeled Y is:-

Skin

The __________ seals maintain __________ to gain access to the ocean. They are the __________ __________ seal in Antarctica and live primarily on the __________ __________.

Weddell; ice holes; southern most; fast ice

The Phocidae are commonly known as the ______ seals. They are insulated with ______ and move using their ______ flippers.

true; blubber; front

Southern humpback whales:

mate in the subtropics, migrate to the Antarctic and then return to the subtropics to give birth.

The Type B killer whales undertake long, rapid, return journeys from Antarctic to sub-tropical waters. What is the most likely reason for this behaviour?

To regenerate their skin as it does not slough off in the cold Antarctic waters.

The most important prey items for baleen whales in the Southern Ocean are:

Krill

Freshwater fishes:

were last seen before the Antarctic Circumpolar Current appeared.

The lantern fishes (Family Myctophidae):

are a significant predator of krill.

Decreasing the point at which an Antarctic fish freezes can be lowered further by:

production of antifreeze proteins.

Bioluminescence:

is the production and emission of light by an organism.

Icefish live in very cold waters (−1.8 °C) where temperatures are below blood’s freezing point. Which statement/s is/are true about icefish adaptations for cold water?

All of these options are correct.

The diagram below shows a likely Antarctic toothfish lifecycle with four main stages. What happens at Stage 4 in deeper waters around the Pacific Antarctic Ridge?

The adult toothfish matures over a number of years.

Annual krill catches in the CCAMLR area of the Southern Ocean:-

are well within CCAMLR catch limits.

The most profitable fishery in Antarctic waters is currently targeting:

patagonian toothfish.

Increasing carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in the ocean are correlated with:

decreasing ocean pH.

Direct ingestion of microplastics is when Antarctic fish:

swallow plastic potentially causing blockages or starvation passing microplastics up the food chain.

The fossil fish fauna evidence indicates:

there was a greater diversity of species and an abundance of sharks and rays

Antifreeze glycoproteins in Antarctic fishes:

act in a non-colligative manner.

The Antarctic krill harvest is primarily used for:-

fishmeal to feed land-based animals.

Warming Antarctic waters may have an effect on which of the following?

All of these options are correct.

The albatrosses, fulmars and storm petrels are a diverse group of birds that share a common defining characteristic. This characteristic is:

tube-like nostrils on the upper beak.

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

Most species of seabirds breed in the Antarctic.

Siblicide is a common behaviour found in which Antarctic seabird?

South Polar Skua

The Pelecaniformes are one of the four orders of seabirds that occur in the Antarctic. Which of the following species belongs to this order?

Shag

Three orders of land birds breed south of the Antarctic Convergence. They are the:-

Charadriiformes, Anseriformes and Passeriformes.

Emperor penguins live most of the year:

in the pack ice.

In penguins, which of the following is NOT an adaptation for thermoprotection?

streamlined bodies

The image below is a cross-section through an Emperor penquin's plumage and skin. Refer to this image to answer the question.
The structure labelled A is:

down

Which seven species of penguins breed south of the Antarctic convergence?

Emperor, King, Gentoo, Adelie, Chinstrap, Rockhopper and Macaroni.

When do most Emperor penguins arrive at their breeding ground?

April

Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

The sun's UV radiation is MORE intense in the upper atmosphere therefore MORE oxygen molecules will be split in the upper atmosphere relative to the lower.

The chemical formula for ozone is:

O₃.

The figure below is a diagrammatic representation of the formation of the polar vortex.  The arrows labeled A represents:

thermal radiation to space

The ozone hole that occurs over the Antarctic develops due to:

meteorological conditions and high concentrations of industrial chemicals.

Ozone:-

is capable of filtering UV radiation.

Most of the plastic in the ocean comes from:

land based coastal settlements.

Over 8000 km² of the ice shelves in the Antarctic Peninsula region has melted in the last 50 years.
This has:

had no direct effect on changes in sea level.

Global warming refers to _____________ in the _____________ temperatures of the Earth.

an increase; near-surface.

Increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide are thought to be contributing to which of the following ocean conditions?

Acidification.

Which of the following is NOT a potential effect of global warming in the Antarctic?

A decrease in sea level.

Regular tourist trips to the Antarctic started in 1966 when:

Lindblad Travel offered annual ship-based cruises to the South Shetland Islands.

There are around 40 permanent scientific bases in the Antarctic region, the greatest concentration is found in the:

Antarctic Peninsula.

New Zealand’s most tragic air crash involving Flight TE901:

was probably due to a combination of aviator’s whiteout and computer error.

The graph below is a plot of the number of tourists visiting Antarctica between 1965 and 2009.The arrow labeled C represents:

the crash of an Air New Zealand flight on Mt Erebus.

A number of scientific studies carried out in the Antarctic have demonstrated adverse effect of tourist visits on:

penguins.

Which of the following countries was NOT one of the original signatories to the Antarctic Treaty?

Italy

How many countries are now involved with the Antarctic Treaty?

53

The first overland crossing of Antarctica was completed by a team led by:

Dr Vivian Fuchs.

The International Geophysical Year (IGY) took place in:

1957-58.

Antarctica's vast resources are not being exploited because:

of international agreements.