Studied by 6 people
Decomposers are organisms that __________.
feed upon dead organic matter, include bacteria, and recycle organic matter back to inorganic nutrients
Trophic efficiency in the ocean averages about __________%
10%
In addition to water and energy, marine primary producers require __________.
trace elements called micronutrients, nutrients
Primary production in coastal upwelling zones is high because of __________.
abundant nutrient supply
Especially in bays and estuaries where nutrient concentrations are high and there is a strong thermocline
Dead zones occur
in an increasing number of coastal areas worldwide
Dead zones occur
in areas where there are large inputs of anthropogenic dissolved nitrogen
Dead zones occur
The photic zone is dangerous for most marine organisms because __________.
light enables predators to more readily locate their prey
Mimicry
An adaptation used by certain marine organisms to avoid being detected and eaten by predators
Red body coloration
An adaptation used by certain marine organisms to avoid being detected and eaten by predators
Camouflage
An adaptation used by certain marine organisms to avoid being detected and eaten by predators
Which species often possess defensive mechanisms such as poisons or spines
Benthic epifaunal species which are sedentary (or nearly so)
Which species often retreat into shells or tubes in the sediment when threatened
Benthic epifaunal species which are sedentary (or nearly so)
Many nocturnal species that hide during the day and hunt at night are a deep red color because
red light is strongly absorbed by seawater.
Fish use lures to
As a defensive mechanism and to attract prey
Animals living around hydrothermal vents near the mid- ocean ridges tend to __________.
be chemosynthesizers
The primary reason for the depletion of California kelp forests in the early twentieth century was
a warming trend in the water.
Reef-building corals will grow only in the photic zone because
zooxanthellae require light for photosynthesis.
Chesapeake Bay has a large region of nearly permanent anoxia in the bottom water primarily because of
fertilizer in runoff from agricultural land.
Most of the small plastic particles mistaken for food and eaten by marine organisms
Accumulate in the gut until it is blocked and the animal dies of starvation.
Most shoreline ecosystems where major oil spills occur will recover in
a few years to a few decades
The major source of oil contamination in the oceans is
the routine operation of vessels, runoff from land, and discharge from rivers and sewers.
Estuaries tend to have _____ than other marine environments except for highly productive upwelling regions.
fewer species and greater total biomass
Coastal upwelling off Peru and Equador occur during an
El Niño
Equatorial upwelling in the Pacific occurs during
El Niño
The likelihood of hurricanes in the North Atlantic Increases during
El Niño
During the early phase of the development of an El Nino
the trade winds weaken/reverse
El Nino generally reduces the abundance of anchovy in the eastern equatorial Pacific near Peru by
stopping upwelling of nutrient rich water
El Nino recurs generally every ___ years
2-7
Between El Nino events
a broad band of upwelling extends across the equatorial Pacific Ocean
Because deep-water wave celerity depends upon wavelength, longer waves _______ than short waves
travel faster
Wave refraction tends to concentrate the energy of waves
on headlands that extend out into the water
Wave patterns often appear complex because
they are the sum of multiple waves of different wavelengths
Wave dispersion is caused by
waves of different wavelengths moving at different speeds
Wind fetch is
the distance the wind blows over a continuous water surface
In summer, beaches are characterized by
sediment deposition dominating over erosion
In winter, beaches are characterized by
steeper beach faces, beach sand carried offshore to form sand bars, and higher energy waves
Longshore currents that transport sediments as littoral drift are caused mostly by _____
waves striking the beach face at a slight angle
At present, globally, sea level is
rising by eustatic processes
Sand dunes are protected from erosion largely
by vegetation
Reducing the amount of sand carried offshore to form longshore bars are caused by
eawalls (increased rate of erosion)
Reducing the supply of new sand to the beach to replace that lost by longshore drift occurs from
eawalls (increased rate of erosion)
Refracting and focusing the wave energy so that the erosion rate is drastically increased at the sea wall
eawalls (increased rate of erosion)
On an indented coastline, erosion occurs fastest
on headlands
The benthic zone is the
ocean bottom
Dinoflagellates
major group of phytoplankton
Coccolithophores
major group of phytoplankton
Diatoms
major group of phytoplankton
Cyanobacteria
major group of phytoplankton
Marine Biologists define the water column as the _____ environment
Pelagic
Note 
Flashcard (35)