Marine Biology exam 2

Identify an abiotic factor that determines the nature of life in a particular habitat.

the salinity of the ocean

the living environment that affects organisms in a particular habitat is called the ____ environment.

biotic

Adaptations that result from natural selection and are passed on genetically are known as adaptations.

evolutionary

explosive growth of population occurs only _.

under favorable conditions

the largest population size that can be sustained by the available resources is called the ____.

carrying capacity

for competitive exclusion to take place, two species should .

use the same resource

when organisms undergo physiological adaptations to the biotic or abiotic features of the environment, the ____.

organisms' genes are unchanged

what are benthic organisms, or the benthos?

those organisms that live on or buried in the bottom of the ocean.

in the context of the flow of energy and materials, as the ____ grow, they become food for ______.

autotrophs; heterotrophs

Arrange the following types of organisms starting with the organisms that occupy the lowest trophic level of the food web to organisms that occupy the highest trophic level.

Tertiary consumers

Primary consumers

Top predators

Primary producers

Secondary consumers

1. Primary producers

2. Primary consumers

3. Secondary consumers

4. Tertiary consumers

5. Top predators

On average, what percentage of energy contained in a particular trophic level in a food chain is passed on to the next higher level?

10%

The trophic structure of ecosystems can be represented by a _ ____ ____.

pyramid of energy

Rank the following groups of organisms starting with the group that contains the fewest number of organisms at the top of the group that contains the most organisms on the bottom.

Tertiary consumers

Primary consumers

Secondary consumers

Primary producers

1. tertiary consumers

2. secondary consumers

3. primary consumers

4. primary producers

Identify an example of a physiological adaptation among organisms

seagrasses increasing chlorophyll content when light levels are low.

living organisms that get energy from the non-living environment, usually in the form of sunlight are called _.

autotrophs

consumers that feed directly on autotrophs are called ____ consumers

primary.

True or False: Much of the energy contained in a particular trophic level of a chain is passed on to the next higher level.

false

identify an abiotic factor that determines the nature of life in a particular habitat.

the salinity of the ocean

identify a biotic factor that affects organisms in a particular habitat.

interactions between living organisms

True or False: Genetic differences that make some individuals better adapted to the environment are not passed on to these individuals offspring.

false

the rapid and unchecked growth of a population is known as ____.

exponential growth

the growth of population levels off when the resources of individuals in a population are all used up. This type of population growth is called ____ growth.

logistic

when one species eliminates another by outcompeting it, it is called ____.

competitive exclusion

living organisms that get energy from the non-living environment, usually in the form of sunlight, are called _.

autotrophs

consumers that feed directly on autotrophs are called ____ consumers.

primary

The narrow fringe along the shoreline that lies between the highest high and the lowest low tides is known as the _ zone.

Intertidal or littoral

Where do most rocky intertidal organisms live?

On the surface of rocks

Marine organisms tend to ___ or dry out when exposed to air.

desiccate

Which of the following intertidal organisms use the run-and-hide strategy to prevent desiccation?

Hermit crabs, snails, and shore crabs

intertidal organisms that use the "clam-up" strategy prevent desiccation by _.

using a protective covering that they close to hold in water

True or False: The intertidal zone is the only part of the marine world that humans can experience firsthand without leaving their own natural element.

True

Which of the following intertidal organisms uses a combination of strategies to protect itself from desiccation?

Periwinkles

Animals that live on the surface of the substrate are called ___.

epifauna

Intertidal organisms sometimes have to endure ____ water, which is fatal to most marine organisms.

fresh

To survive, intertidal organism must be able to ___.

prevent desiccation, tolerate it, or both.

the bending of a wave that causes it to become nearly parallel to the shore as it approaches the shore is known as ___.

refraction

Depressions in the rocks that hold seawater after the tide goes out are favorite places for intertidal organisms to hide. These depressions are called _.

tide pools

Identify the strategies used by intertidal organisms to cope with wave shock.

Animals in exposed locations tend to have thicker shells than those in sheltered ones.

Some animals have compact or domed shapes that help reduce the impact of the waves.

Some organisms find safety in numbers and grow in dense groups

Some organisms, especially seaweeds, are flexible, which reduces water resistance.

Identify a disadvantage faced by intertidal organisms that use the clam-up strategy to prevent desiccation.

Clamming makes it harder for the animals to obtain food and oxygen.

Which of the following intertidal organisms is often limited by food availability?

snails

To protect themselves from desiccation, periwinkles can seal off the opening of their shell by closing the _

operculum

What are the strategies adopted by intertidal organisms to deal with extremes of salinity?

Some organisms close their shells to keep the fresh water out when it rains.

Some organisms burrow or reduce their activities to ride out conditions of extreme salinity.

In order to be the first to get to open spots, intertidal organisms need to have an effective means of ____.

dispersal

Identify the true statements, about the distribution of wave energy along the shore.

Enclosed bays are usually protected from wave action.

Waves often break on reefs or sand bars and expand their energy before they reach the shore.

What is one feature that is remarkably common along rocky intertidal communities?

the division of rocky intertidal communities into distinct bands.

Which of the following intertidal animals finds shelter when wave action gets too strong, instead of resisting the waves?

shore crabs

the upper intertidal zone is often called the _ zone.

splash

Algae grow vigorously in the intertidal zone because ___.

the basic requirements for photosynthesis are available.

Dark green mats of cyanobacteria that are abundant in the upper intertidal zone have the advantage of being able to ____.

fix nitrogen from the air.

competition for _ is a dominant ecological factor in the rocky intertidal regions.

space

Identify the organisms that live in the upper intertidal zone.

cyanobacteria and green algae

periwinkles and limpets

which of the following is represented in the given image?

intertidal organisms forming distinct bands or zone at different heights on the shore

the middle intertidal is often _.

made up of several separate vertical zones

identify a true statement about the upper intertidal zone.

this zone lies mostly above the high tide mark

____ form black, tar-like blotches on rocks in the upper intertidal zone.

lichens

Why do dog whelks do most of their feeding in the middle intertidal zone during high tide?

to avoid desiccation

Where do soft bottoms occur?

where sediments accumulate

_ occasionally venture into the upper intertidal, scurrying over the rocks and mostly scraping algae off the rocks.

Shore crabs

Identify a true statement about the middle intertidal zone

it is regularly submerged and then uncovered by the tides.

to survive in the upper intertidal zone, its inhabitants must be well adapted to .

withstand expose to air

are major predators of barnacles in the middle intertidal zone.

dog whelks

True or False: Boulder fields are usually thought of as soft bottom.

False

Identify a true statement about the upper intertidal zone.

This zone lies mostly above the high tide mark.

Semi-enclosed areas where fresh water and seawater meet and mix are called _.

Estuaries

which of the following terms may also be used to refer to estuaries?

Lagoons

Sloughs

Bays

The salinity of estuaries ranges between .

0 and 35%

_ species are those that tolerate only a narrow range of salinities and are limited to the upper and lower ends of estuaries.

Stenohaline

Match the categories of estuarine organisms with their descriptions.