MEA 200 Exam 3 Review

Which of the following is the most specific way to group organisms according to the current taxonomic classification system?

a. Genus

b. Family

c. Species

d. Order

e. Phylum

c. Species

Which classification scheme is correct taxonomy classification from general to specific (Not all categories are considered)?

a. Species, genus, family, phylum, order, kingdom

b. Kingdom, family, order phylum, species, class

c. Order, family, class, kingdom, phylum, class

d. Kingdom, phylum, order, class, species, genus

e. Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species

e. Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species

Why do most marine organisms inhabit the benthic environment?

a. The benthic environment can have different sediments and therefore numerous habitats.

b. Benthic organisms can get food by deposit feeding or suspension feeding.

c. Many benthic organisms attach to the bottom of substrates.

d. All of the above.

d. All of the above.

Why do most fish and marine mammals have the same torpedo-like streamlined shape?

a. A streamlined shaped presents a greater surface area-to-volume ratio, which allows easier regulation of internal heat.

b. If you are going to move through a substance, like water, it is necessary to have a head and eyes at one end and a tail at the other.

c. The streamlined shape minimizes energy expended to move through the water.

d. Streamlining looks better to the opposite sex, so it leads to greater reproduction.

c. The streamlined shape minimizes energy expended to move through the water.

Phytoplankton has which biological adaptation?

a. buoyancy

b. streamlined body shape

c. isotonic

d. camouflage

e. transparency

f. swim bladder

a. buoyancy

Dolphins have which biological adaptation?

a. buoyancy

b. streamlined body shape

c. isotonic

d. camouflage

e. transparency

f. swim bladder

b. streamlined body shape

Octopus have which biological adaptation?

a. buoyancy

b. streamlined body shape

c. isotonic

d. camouflage

e. transparency

f. swim bladder

c. isotonic

Flounder have which of the following biological adaptations?

a. buoyancy

b. streamlined body shape

c. isotonic

d. camouflage

e. transparency

f. swim bladder

d. camouflage

Jellies have which of the following biological adaptations?

a. buoyancy

b. streamlined body shape

c. isotonic

d. camouflage

e. transparency

f. swim bladder

e. transparency

Fish have which of the following biological adaptations?

a. buoyancy

b. streamlined body shape

c. isotonic

d. camouflage

e. transparency

f. swim bladder

f. swim bladder

Define primary productivity.

Rate at which organisms store energy in organic matter.

Biological oceanographers discuss biomass frequently. Just what is biomass?

a. The total number of organisms within a given class.

b. The total weight of protoplasm contained in a given organism.

c. The amount of organisms produced in a given time.

d. The mass of living organisms.

e. The total number of organisms within a given class divided by the total weight of those organisms.

d. The mass of living organisms.

Living organisms rely on the organic matter formed during primary production for energy (food). Which type of primary production does 99.9% of the ocean's biomass rely on?

a. Chemosynthesis

b. Photosynthesis

b. Photosynthesis

Satellites monitor the color of the oceans and this information can be used to estimate the amount of primary production occurring. How does this work?

a. Primary producers use a green pigment to photosynthesis, so the amount of this pigment can be plugged into an algorithm that approximates productivity.

b. Sediment particles in the ocean are colored and more sediment means more photosynthesis.

c. Most fish are silver, so the more silver the satellites see, the more fish are in the ocean which means more primary production is occurring to feed the fish.

d. Water is blue, so good clean water is a sign of healthy phytoplankton.

a. Primary producers use a green pigment to photosynthesize, so the amount of this pigment can be plugged into an algorithm that approximates productivity.

Photosynthetic productivity in the ocean is limited by the amount of sunlight and the supply of nutrients.

True

False

True

All ecosystems must have a flow of energy to thrive. What are the three basic categories of these organisms?

a. Omnivores, carnivores, herbivores

b. Zooplankton, phytoplankton, fish

c. Producers, consumers, decomposers

d. Bacteria, virus, algae

e. Algae, bacteria, mangroves

c. Producers, consumers, decomposers. A well-balanced ecosystem must have an autotroph as the start point of energy. The consumers get energy from the producers and the decomposers return the nutrients back to the environment for reuse.

Why is upwelling such an important factor in creating areas of high biologic productivity?

a. Upwelling delivers oxygen-rich water to the surface where productivity is limited by oxygen content in the water.

b. Upwelling brings new phytoplankton to the surface where they can multiply rapidly.

c. Upwelling brings nutrient-rich deep water to the surface where productivity is limited by the availability of nutrients

d. Upwelling brings cool deep waters to the surface where productivity is limited by high temperature.

e. Upwelling causes rain, which results in less salty surface waters that are better suited for primary productivity.

c. Upwelling brings nutrient-rich deep water to the surface where productivity is limited by the availability of nutrients

Which statement is accurate?

a. Food chains and webs are synonymous.

b. Food webs are simple, direct and linear, while food chains are complex, containing many interconnected food webs.

c. Food chains are simple, direct and linear, while food webs are complex, containing many interconnected food chains.

c. Food chains are simple, direct and linear, while food webs are complex, containing many interconnected food chains.

____________ is any class of organisms that occupy the same position in a food chain, such as primary consumers or secondary consumers.

a. Photic level

b. Trophic level

c. Ecosystem category

d. Ecomorph

b. Trophic level

What is the average efficiency of transfer for energy passing from one trophic level to the next?

10%

Which ocean region is limited by seasonal differences in light and nutrients?

a. Temperate ocean

b. Polar ocean

c. Tropical ocean

a. Temperate ocean

Which ocean region has its productivity limited by light availability?

a. Temperate ocean

b. Polar ocean

c. Tropical ocean

b. Polar ocean

Which ocean region has its productivity limited by nutrient availability?

a. Temperate ocean

b. Polar ocean

c. Tropical ocean

c. Tropical ocean

Which region of the world ocean has the highest overall productivity (annual amount)?

a. Tropical regions

b. Temperate regions (mid-latitudes)

c. Polar regions

d. This is a trick question; they are all about the same.

b. Temperate regions (mid-latitudes)

In which of these localized areas would you expect the highest productivity?

a. Upwelling center

b. Center of a sub-tropical gyre

c. Convergent zone

d. Deep sea

a. Upwelling center

Why do most marine organisms inhabit the benthic environment?

a. The benthic environment can have different sediments and therefore numerous habitats.

b. Benthic organisms can get food by deposit feeding or suspension feeding.

c. Many benthic organisms attach to the bottom of substrates.

d. All of the above.

d. All of the above.

Primary producers in hydrothermal vent communities are:

a. algae.

b. sulfur-oxidizing archaea.

c. Riftia tubeworms.

d. giant clams.

b. sulfur-oxidizing archaea.

Which faunal category is characterized as small marine organisms that live in the spaces between sediment particles?

a. Meiofauna

b. Epifauna

c. Infauna

a. Meiofauna

Which faunal category is characterized as organisms that live attached to the seafloor?

a. Meiofauna

b. Epifauna

c. Infauna

b. Epifauna

Which faunal category is characterized as organisms that live in soft sediments (burrow)?

a. Meiofauna

b. Epifauna

c. Infauna

c. Infauna

Define Life (book's definition).

Living things can:

-Capture, store, and transmit energy

-Reproduce

-Adapt to environment

-Change over time

What's the meaning of life?

-find food

-reproduce

-avoid being eaten

Define taxonomy.

The systematic classification of organisms.

Who developed the basis for the modern classification of organisms?

Carolus Linnaeus

Which of the three domains consists of simple life forms usually without nuclei?

a. Eukarya

b. Archaea

c. Bacteria

c. Bacteria

Which of the three domains consists of simple, microscopic creatures; many extremophiles?

a. Eukarya

b. Archaea

c. Bacteria

b. Archaea

Which of the three domains consists of - complex organisms with nucleus; plants, fungi, animals and protists?

a. Eukarya

b. Archaea

c. Bacteria

a. Eukarya

What is the fundamental unit of taxonomy describing a population of genetically similar, interbreeding individuals?

Species

List the ways oceanographers categorize organisms.

-behavior

-habitat

-function

List and define the two types of behavior classifications.

-Plankton (floaters)

-Nekton (swimmers)

List and define the types of habitat classifications.

-Benthic (bottom)

-Pelagic (water column)

-Neritic (shallow areas <200m)

-Oceanic (deeper areas >200m)

List the three types of function classifications.

-primary producer

-consumers

-predators

There are more marine species than land species.

True

False

False

In-Class Activity: How many differences can you list between life on land and life in the ocean?

Organisms in the ocean are less able to withstand environmental changes.

True

False

True

Most marine adaptations relate to viscosity. Explain how temperature and salinity relate to viscosity, respectively.

-Temp & Viscosity inversely related

-Salinity & Viscosity directly related

Define Viscosity.

a liquid's resistance to flow

How do you improve buoyancy in general?

Increase the surface area to volume ratio.

List the adaptations that allow swimmers to adapt to viscosity.

-Shape with least resistance to fluid flow

-Flattened body

-Tapered back end

Which of the following are reasons why the ocean temperature is more stable than land temperature?

a. higher heat capacity of water

b. solar radiation penetrates into ocean layers

c. warming is reduced by evaporation

d. mixing of layers disperses heat

e. all of the above

e. all of the above

The following characteristics apply to which of the following categories? Organisms withstand small variation in temperature, most in open ocean at depth, some in tropics or polar regions.

a. Stenothermal

b. Eurythermal

a. Stenothermal

These characteristics apply to which of the following categories? Organisms withstand large variation in temperature, many in coastal waters, most large swimming organisms.

a. Stenothermal

b. Eurythermal

b. Eurythermal

What are some general trends for organisms in warmer waters compared to colder waters?

-floating organisms smaller

-more appendages

-grow faster, live shorter, reproduce more often

-more species

What are some general trends for organisms in colder waters compared to warmer waters?

-floating organisms larger

-less appendages

-grow slower, live longer, reproduce less often

-less species

-more biomass (upwelling)

List the categories of visible light in order of deepest depth reached, to shortest depth reached.

Blue > Green > Yellow > Violet > Orange > Red

What are the characteristics of the Photic zone?

-abundant light

-effective photosynthesis

-

What are the characteristics of the Euphotic zone?

-surface to about 100 meters

What are the characteristics of the Aphotic zone?

-little to no sunlight (less than 1%)

-high pressure

-low quantities of food

Water pressure increases 1 atmosphere every ______ meter increase in depth.

10

List some adaptations of marine organisms to deal with water pressure.

-collapsible rib cage

-swim bladder

-most have no inner air pockets

What are the characteristics of stenohaline organisms?

-Withstand small variation in salinity

-Typically live in open ocean

What are the characteristics of euryhaline organisms?

-Withstand large variation in salinity

-Typically live in coastal waters, e.g. estuaries

Saltwater fish are _________, compared to freshwater fish which are hypotonic.

Hypertonic (high osmotic pressure)

What are some adaptations of plants to deal with salinity?

-Leaves are tough and succulent

-May concentrate salt in leaves and drop

-Some use salt glands to excrete salt

-Some exclude salt at the roots (reverse osmosis)

Name two types of reproduction and give an example of each.

Broadcast spawning (eggs and sperm released into seawater)- flounder

Brooding (eggs/young protected)- seahorse

List some physical adaptations to avoid predation.

-camouflage

-transparency

-disruptive coloration

-countershading

List some behavioral adaptations to avoid predation.

-schooling

-vertical migrations

________ uses solar radiation, while __________ uses chemical reactions.

Photosynthesis; Chemosynthesis

What percent of the ocean's biomass relies directly or indirectly on photosynthesis for food?

99.9%

Define Gross Primary Production.

The amount of photosynthetically fixed carbon.

Define Net Primary Production.

The amount of photosynthetically fixed carbon that is available to the first heterotrophic level.

Gross primary production in the ocean is about 50 Gt C y‐1

True

False

True

List the following areas/regions in order from highest primary production to lowest primary production.

Central gyres, Equatorial & Coastal regions, and polar regions

Equatorial & Coastal regions > Polar regions > Central gyres

What is the difference between production and productivity?

Production:

Productivity:

What are the methods of measuring primary productivity?

-SeaWiFS (1997-2010)

-MODIS (current)

-collect water, incubate, measure dissolved O2 and DIC

Which of the following photosynthetic marine organisms have the following characterizations: seed-bearing plants, only in shallow coastal waters, primarily mangroves and grasses.

a. anthophyta

b. microscopic algae

c. macroscopic algae

d. photosynthetic bacteria

a. anthophyta

Which of the following photosynthetic marine organisms have the following characterizations: Brown (Phaeophyta), Red (Rhodophyta), Green (Chlorophyta).

a. anthophyta

b. microscopic algae

c. macroscopic algae

d. photosynthetic bacteria

c. macroscopic algae

protists, named by color

Which of the following photosynthetic marine organisms have the following characterizations: Chrysophyta (Diatoms, Coccolithophores), Pyrrophyta (dinoflagellates)

a. anthophyta

b. microscopic algae

c. macroscopic algae

d. photosynthetic bacteria

b. microscopic algae

dinoflagellates are planktonic and can release toxins in blooms

Which of the following photosynthetic marine organisms have the following characterizations: may be responsible for half of total photosynthetic biomass in oceans.

a. anthophyta

b. microscopic algae

c. macroscopic algae

d. photosynthetic bacteria

d. photosynthetic bacteria

Factors affecting primary productivity.

-solar radiation

-nutrient availability

Areas of upwelling.

western continental margins, areas of high productivity

Characterizations of Polar Productivity

-Isothermal waters

-Stratification from ice

-Plankton remain at surface

-Animals migrate to feed on zooplankton

What is the trend in Polar ocean productivity?

-Winter darkness

-Summer sunlight

-Phytoplankton (diatoms) bloom

-Zooplankton (mainly small crustaceans)

-Productivity follows

Example: Arctic Ocean's Barents Sea

Characterizations of productivity in tropical oceans.

-Permanent thermocline is barrier to vertical mixing

-Low rate of primary productivity

-lack of nutrients

What are the exceptions to the tropical ocean's typically low productivity?

-Equatorial upwelling

-Coastal upwelling

-Coral reefs

Which has the highest production?

a. Polar Ocean

b. Temperate Ocean

c. Tropical Ocean

b. Temperate Ocean

Which has the highest productivity?

a. Polar ocean

b. Temperate ocean

c. Tropical ocean

a. Polar ocean

Characteristics of Temperate Ocean Productivity.

-highly seasonal-- regulated by nutrients & light

What are the stages of the thermocline throughout the seasons in the Temperate Oceans?

Winter: isothermal

Spring: thermocline forming

Summer: strong thermocline

Fall: thermocline weakening

What are the different types of feeding strategies?

-predation

-deposit

-filter/suspension

Which of the following nourish themselves with photosynthesis or chemosynthesis (ie. Autotrophic)?

a. Producer

b. Consumer

c. Decomposer

a. Producer

Which of the following eat other organisms (i.e. heterotrophic) and have the following categories of herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore?

a. Producer

b. Consumer

c. Decomposer

b. Consumer

Which of the following break down dead organisms or waste and are sometimes called detritivores) (Heterotrophic)?

a. Producer

b. Consumer

c. Decomposer

c. Decomposer

In-Class Activity:

What is the average efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels?

10%

In-Class Activity:

Use the efficiency to determine how much phytoplankton mass is required to add 1 gram of new mass to a killer whale.

10kg (10,000g)

What is the microbial loop?

-Microbes utilize DOM

-Protozoans eat microbes

-Zooplankters eat the protozoans

What is DOM?

Dissolved organic matter:

-leaky cells

-sloppy eating

-bursting cells (from viruses)

As much as half of all primary production may pass through DOM phase

True

extends inland as far as ocean related features are found

The coast

the zone between low tide and highest area on land affected by waves

The shore