Multicellular Primary Producers

Macroalgae produce approximately ____ of the oxygen in our atmosphere

25%

Compared to unicellular algae, macroalgae are _________ and __________..

Structurally more complex, have more elaborate reproduction

Label in order from top arrow to bottom.

Blades, Pneumatocyst, Thallus, Stipe, Holdfast, Rock or Hard Sediment

Seawater is about ______ more dense than air.

1000 times

Archimedes Principle states that

a body immersed in fluid is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the displaced liquid.

Buoyancy of seawater allows marine organisms to have ______ and allows the presence of ______.

reduced structural materials, planktonic communities

Seaweeds in the phylum _____ are termed green algae.

Chlorophyta

Seaweeds in the phylum ______ are termed red algae.

Rhodophyta

Coralline red algae are important _____

reef builders

Brown algae are in the Phylum ________

Phaeophyta

__________ is a genus of brown algae often found in large, floating rafts on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.

Sargassum

Invasive species of macroalgae are often transported via ________________ on vessels.

ballast water, the aquarium trade, fouling growth

__________ is an example of a genus of macroalgae invasive to the Mediterrean.

Caulerpa

True vascular plants that live completely underwater in the ocean are _______.

seagrasses

Seagrasses are valuable as: ________________.

sediment stabilizers, habitat for marine life, tourism

Seagrasses are consumed by large animals such as ___________.

manatees and green sea turtles

Seagrasses are threatened by _____________.

eutrophication, dredging, boating, and commercial fishing.

Plants that grow well in salt water are termed ________.

halophytes

Saltmarsh grasses cannot tolerate ________ for long.

complete submersion

An important species of saltmarsh grass in Louisiana is _______commonly called ______.

Spartina alterniflora, smooth cordgrass

One of the most important saltmarsh zones for juvenile marine organisms is the _______.

edge

Louisiana is losing its coastal wetlands due to: ______________.

subsidence, erosion, sea-level rise, and sediment starvation

________ are trees and shrubs adapted to living in seawater and brackish water along tropical and subtropical coasts.

Mangroves

Mangrove seedlings are called _______ and they ______ on the tree.

propagules, germinate

In South Louisiana, ______are expanding to replace smooth cordgrass.

black mangroves

Marine microbes produce approximately ____ of the oxygen in our atmosphere

50%