4.5 Biology Quiz

Open Ocean Photic Zone

top 100 meters. low nutrient levels and supports only smallest phytoplankton. Because of large area, most photosynthesis on Earth occurs here.

What factors affect life in aquatic ecosystems?

Aquatic organisms are affected primarily by the water's depth, temperature, flow, and amount of dissolved nutrients.

What are the major categories of freshwater ecosystems?

Rivers and streams, lakes and ponds, and freshwater ecosystems

freshwater wetlands

An aquatic biome that is submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation.

types of freshwater wetlands

bogs, marshes, and swamps

Bogs

ponds covered in thick floating mats of vegetation

Swamps

shallow water in forested areas

How do ecologists usually classify marine ecosystems?

By depth and distance from the shore

open ocean aphotic zone (abyssal)

area too deep for sunlight

Photic zone

Portion of the marine biome that is shallow enough for sunlight to penetrate.

aphotic zone

permanently dark layer of the oceans below the photic zone

rivers and streams

areas of flowing water often originating from underground sources in mountains or hills

lakes and ponds

slow moving and confined water gives plants a chance to attach

Salt Marshes/Estuaries

Bodies of water that are home to specific types of organisms that thrive in a saltwater habitat.

intertidal zone

Portion of the shoreline that lies between the high and low tide lines

Coastal Ocean

marine zone that extends from the low-tide mark to the end of the continental shelf

Open ocean

deep ocean water, located away from the shoreline where sunlight can no longer reach the ocean bottom

Deep Ocean Adaptations

heritable traits that animals in the aphotic zone receive

Simple body plans

a characteristic used to conserve energy for animals in the depths of the ocean

Bioluminescence

trait in which organisms produce light to attract prey, attract mates, and confuse predators

Methods

certain tactics used to gather food without over using energy

Translucent

provides the best form of camouflage, as there is nothing to hide behind

large eyes

used to see when the light penetration is as low as 1%

long appendages

regulate the very high amounts of pressure in the photic zone.

Mangrove Swamp

A type of coastal wetland found in tropical and subtropical regions. Characterized by salt-tolerant trees and shrubs, mangrove swamps provide essential habitats for diverse marine and terrestrial species. They act as natural buffers against storms, erosion, and tidal waves, while also filtering pollutants and improving water quality.

What special adaptations do the manta rays?

They would open there mouth around their prey and the would prey would just swim in

Marine snow

Small detritus particles that fall from the photic zone above

Sea spider

has long legs used to gather marine snow without wasting energy

small body also enables them to float