Marine Biology - Intertidal Zones

Producer

An organism that makes its own food

Primary Consumer

An organism that eats producers

Secondary Consumer

An organism that eats primary consumers

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down wastes and dead organisms

Sessile

Describes an organism that remains attached to a surface for its entire life and does not move

Benthic

Bottom dwelling

Plankton

Tiny organisms that float in the water

Phytoplankton

Plant plankton, such as diatoms and dinoflagellates

Zooplankton

Animal plankton, such as copepods and krill

Bivalve

Any two-shelled mollusk, such as clams, oysters and mussels

Biotic vs. Abiotic

Living vs Nonliving

Desiccation

Dehydration

How do intertidal organisms avoid desiccation?

Running and hiding, clamming up, or tolerating it

Which organisms run and hide?

Crabs, snails, and sea stars

Which organisms clam up?

Barnacles, mussels, limpets, clams and oysters

Why does temperature affect intertidal organisms?

Air temperature can lead to overheating and dehydration

What adaptations have some snails developed to withstand heat?

Lighter colored shells, ridges on shells

How much energy is absorbed from one trophic level to the next?

10%

What is the role of phytoplankton in the marine food chain?

Primary producers

How do phytoplankton affect the oxygen supply in the atmosphere?

Using photosynthesis, they release oxygen into the air.

Why are phytoplankton so important to the marine food web?

They are a food source for a lot of marine life.

What is the glassy shell of a plankton called?

Frustule

What kind of feeder are sea stars?

Carnivores and scavengers

What is the job of decomposers?

Breaking down waste and dead organisms into nutrients

How do pollutants move up the food chain?

By getting absorbed by or adhering to producers

What color is sea lettuce?

Green

What zone is sea lettuce found in?

Zone 2

What color is rockweed?

Brown

What zone is rockweed found in?

Zone 3

What color is knotted wrack?

Brownish Yellow

What zone is knotted wrack found in?

Zone 3

What color is Irish moss?

Red/Purple/Green

What zone is Irish moss found in?

Zone 4

What color is kelp?

Brownish Yellow

What zone is kelp found in?

Zone 5

Rockweed

Knotted Wrack

Sea Lettuce

Irish Moss

Kelp

Periwinkle

Sea Star

Slipper Shell

Dog Whelk

Moon Snail

Rock Crab

Barnacle

Mussel

Sea Urchin

Limpet

Hermit Crab