Unit 10 - Pelagic and Benthic Environments Practice Quiz

Place the ocean water (pelagic) zones in order from surface to floor:

epipelagic; mesopelagic; benthopelagic; abyssopelagic; hadopelagic

Why does ice float on water?

Because ice is less dense than water

Most marine species are pelagic.

False

In general, moving from the continental margins out to the open ocen, the amount of marine life

decreases

The neritic province is associated with the continental shelf.

True

Organisms that swim are called

nekton

Seawater freezes ____________.

Below 0º C, because the salt disrupts the crystallization of the water molecules.

Neritic environments are influenced by

all of the choices are correct

Fresh water is _____ than salt water and therefore, ____.

less dense; the denser and heavier salt water sinks to deeper depths.

The viscosity of ocean water is most affected by its

temperature

Hydrothermal vent biocommunities are thought to be very similar to early Earth environments because:

All of these are correct

The buoyant force is equal to the weight of the displaced water.

This statement best describes:

Archimedes' Principle

The best defensive coloration for pelagic fish is _____.

countershading

Which environment shows the most species diversity?

neritic

Nekton are restricted to particular areas of the ocean by

all of the choices may restrict organisms

Neritic environments would be

associated with continental shelves

A pressure applied anywhere to a fluid causes a force to be transmitted equally in all directions; a change in pressure disperses equally throughout the fluid. Basically that as pressure increases, volume decreases.

This statement best describes:

Boyle's Law

Characteristics of meso- and bathypelagic fish include:

long sharp teeth, bioluminescence, no specialized caudal fin, no special colorization

Visible light waves that penetrate only the top 10 feet of the ocean are ___ while ___ wavelengths of light penetrate the deepest into the ocean.

red; blue

Which processes cause surface seawater to increase in salinity and density?

Both glacier formation and evaporation increase seawater salinity

The Deep Scattering Layer refers to

the group of organisms that migrates to surface at dusk to feed in the productive and photosynthetic layers

Which biological zone is associated with deep-sea trenches?

hadal

Have a fusiform shape, smooth skin, use of echolocation, and reduced oxygen use, best describes:

the deep diving adaptations of marine mammals.

____ is the simplest way to measure visibility in water.

A Secchi disk

Temperature of ocean water has a signficant affect on species diversity of benthic communities

True

Plankton that only spend part of their lives as plankton (and are either benthos or nekton the rest of their lives) are called

meroplankton

Ocean water forms stable layers with the densest, heaviest water at the bottom. This layering or striping is called ___.

density stratification

A rapid decrease in nutrients and a rapid increase in oxygen is found in the

mesopelagic zone

The animals that live near a hydrothermal vent or hypersaline seep are similar because they:

All of these are correct

Characteristics of epipelagic fish include:

streamlined shape, specialized caudal fin, countershading.

Warm water is ______ than cold water, and therefore____.

less dense; the denser and heavier cold water sinks to deeper depths

If a golf ball floats in corn syrup but does not float in seawater, you know that

seawater is less dense than corn syrup

The buoyant force is equal to the weight of the displaced water.

This statement best describes:

Archimedes' Principle

Most species in the ocean are found to be

benthic

Hydrostatic pressure refers to the:

pressure experienced by fish living in a constant, highly pressurized environment.

In which liquid would an egg float the highest?

Corn syrup (ρ = 1,380 kg/m3)

The buoyant force is equal to the weight of the displaced water.

This statement best describes:

Archimedes' Principle

Organisms with small, expandable bodies, extremely large mouths, and efficient teeth are likely to be found in which zone?

bathypelagic

Zooxanthellae are important members of hydrothermal vent communities

False

The photic zone is part of which one of the following zones?

epipelagic

In most of the benthic environments, organisms

live in complete darkness

Bioluminescence found within ___ fish is mainly a(n) ____ because_____.

pelagic; advantage; they can attract food