Marine Biology Mid Term

Understand the difference between each of the following estuary formations. Know how they are formed: a) Bar-built estuary b) Drowned river valley c) Fjord d) Tectonic estuary

1) Bar-built estuary- an estuary that is formed when a barrier island or sandbar separates a section of the coast where freshwater enters 2) Coastal Plain estuary- a common that is formed when the sea level rises due to the of the melting of ice 3) Fiord - another type of estuary that is formed by glaciers when they retreat and cut deep valleys in the coast 4) Tectonic estuary- an estuary that is formed from the sinking of land due to movements of the crust

What are some examples of estuaries that are close to Xavier?

1) Brays Bayou 2) Buffalo Bayou

What are the challenges that organisms may face in an intertidal ecosystem?

1) Desiccation 2) Withstanding waves 3) Periods without food

Give examples of organisms that live in estuaries.

1) Diamondback terrapins 2) Salmon

What are the characteristics that allow for Mangroves to survive?

1) Mangroves live in water is 100 times saltier than most other plants can tolerate. 2) Unlike most trees during a flood or hurricane, mangroves are able to withstand them.

How are humans impacting estuaries?

1) Provide critical habitat for species that are value through commercial fishing 2) Millions of people visit estuaries each year to boat, swim, watch birds and other wildlife, and fish.

Be able to label both a rocky intertidal and sandy shore profile (know the zones of each intertidal ecosystem; Spray Zone,High Tide, Zone of Drying, etc.)

1) Spray Zone = Supralittoral 2) High Tide Zone = Littoral 3) Mid Tide Zone = Infralittoral 4) Low Tide Zone = Circalittoral

How much energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next? How much is lost? How is it lost?

10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next. However, 90% of energy is lost.

What is a coccolithophore?

A coccolithophore a single celled autotroph that have shells, which are made of calcium carbonate. These cells are found in brightly lit, shallow water areas. You can tell when an area has high coccolithophore concentration if the water looks chalky and milky.

Where does a coral get its colorful pigment?

A coral gets its colorful pigment from algae.

What are the defining characteristics of corals?

A coral is an invertebrate animal (no backbone) that is made of one or more polyps.

What is a diatom?

A diatom is a unicellular plankton that has a cell wall that is made of silica, which is called frustule.

What is a dinoflagellate?

A dinoflagellate is one or two whip-like flagella that are located in coral polyps. Its purpose is to help the plankton blooms grow.

What is a limiting factor? How does it affect survival? Give an example of a limiting factor.

A limiting factor is a physical or biological necessity for survival. An example of a limiting factor is that most primary producer depend on light, so the more light there is the more the primary productivity can produce carbohydrates

What is a niche?

A niche is a role that each species has in the ecosystem such as their jobs and interactions.

Give at least two examples of abiotic and biotic factors in an ecosystem.

Abiotic Factor: 1) Temperature 2) Weather Biotic Factor: 1) Living organisms 2) Plants

What are the distinguishing characteristics of the sandy shore?

Accumulation of sediment deposited by waves and longshore drift along the coast

What adaptations allow organisms to deal with these challenges?

Adaptations that allow the organisms to deal with these challenges are: 1) For the organisms in the splash zone, the waves help keep them moisturized. 2) The organism must firmly attach themselves to the rocks 3) The organism has to deal with drastic changes in temperatures

What is an invasive species? What is an example of an exotic species that lives in Oleta State Park? How does it act as an invasive species (what does it do to be invasive)?

An invasive species is plant and animal that does not grow naturally in an area, which can drive out "native" plants and animals and destroy the surrounding habitat. An example of an exotic species that lives in Oleta State Park is the Australian Pine Tree because it came from Australia and it does have any predators to feed on.

What is the difference between abiotic and biotic factors?

Biotic factors are anything living, or that was once living, that shapes an ecosystem. Abiotic factors are nonliving components in an ecosystem.

What is CERP and how does it impact the Everglades ecosystem?

CERP (Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan) is a plan that was established by the U.S. government that helps restore the Everglades ecosystems in southern Florida. This program helps fund money to make sure the Everglades is being preserved and restored.

How is chemosynthesis similar and different from photosynthesis?

Chemosynthesis and photosynthesis are similar to each other because they are both processes of creating energy compounds. Even though both processes can occur in autotrophs, photosynthesis uses the energy from the light while chemosynthesis uses chemicals for the process.

What is another term for heterotroph?

Consumers * There are different type of consumers because heterotrophs would either be herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores.

What is coral bleaching (know the definition cause, and effects on corals)?

Coral bleaching occurs when the water temperature becomes warmer. When the water gets too warm the coral has to expel the zooxanthellae out of their skin. If the zooxanthellae do not return to the coral then the coral will die.

Where are corals most likely to be found on our planet?

Corals are most likely to be found in the Tropic of Cancer (23.5° North) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5° South).

Explain the role of cordgrass in an estuary ecosystem.

Cordgrass filter small amounts of pollution out of the water before it reaches the ocean. This provides protection from the flooding during hurricanes.

What is cyanobacteria?

Cyanobacteria is a bacteria that obtain their energy through photosynthesis, and are the only photosynthetic prokaryotes able to produce oxygen.

What are dominant species? Give an example.

Dominant species is the species that is present in the largest quantities. The dominant species is always the producer in the ecosystem.

What is the difference between ecosystem community, population, and individual?

Ecosystem - (n) a community of organisms with all of its abiotic factors Community - (n) all of the populations in one area Population - (n) members of a species that live in the same area and make up a breeding group Species - (n) Individual organisms

Be familiar with an energy pyramid and what is represented at each level within the pyramid. Draw an energy pyramid and label each level with as many identifying characteristics as possible.

Energy pyramid is a diagram that depicts each trophic level in an ecosystem

Know why estuaries are important. Give specific examples.

Estuaries are important because they prevent the water from the ocean from coming into the river during a hurricane. They absorb the water that comes in like a giant sponge. For example, if there was a flood heading toward Chesapeake Bay then that estuary would be protected from the cordgrass.

What were to happen if a keystone species were to overpopulate or rapidly decline in population? Be able to justify your answer with an example.

If a keystone species is removed from the ecosystem will dramatically change. Without sea otters the sea urchins will overpopulate and cut down the kelp forest making it a hunting ground for predators.

If organisms seem to have similar characteristics what can you say about their classification?

If they share similar characteristics then they could have the same classification. However, the organisms cannot be the same species unless the way they reproduce is similar.

What are the conditions needed for a coral reef to be healthy? Why do they need the specific conditions? What happens when these conditions are changed?

In order for a coral reef to be healthy, they must be in warm shallow water, where the temperature rarely drops. They also need to be in clear with ample sunlight. The reason the coral reef need these conditions is that the algae that lives in the polyps' skin need the sunlight to get their energy, which gives the coral their energy and oxygen. If these conditions change then the coral reef will lose its color and turn white, which is also known as coral bleaching; therefore, the coral reef will die.

What are keystone species? Give an example.

Keystone species is a species in which other species in an ecosystem largely depends on. The sea otter is an example of a keystone species. For example, the sea otters are keystone species they feed on sea urchins because they graze on the kelp, which is a safe place for other marine animals to live and hide from predators.

How do mangroves play a vital role in the ecosystem?

Mangroves play a vital role in the ecosystem by acting as protective barriers for coastal erosion (storms).

Know the difference between meiofauna,infauna, and epifauna.

Meiofauna - (n) Microscopic organisms that live between the sand Infauna - (n)Organisms that lives inside the sand Epifauna - (n) Organisms that live on the surface of the sand

What is the NEP?

NEP (National Estuary Program) is a voluntary program that helps preserve estuaries.

What is ocean acidification (know the definition, cause, and effects on corals)? What is pH? What is the range of pH that you find acids?

Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by human activity. The effect of acidification is that the water temperature becomes warmer in which it results into coral bleaching. pH is the measure of concentration of hydrogen in a solution.The range of pH that you find in acids is from 0 to 6.9.

Where do organisms get their scientific name?

Organisms get their name from genus and species.

What is photosynthesis?

Photosynthesis is the process of using the light's energy to create inorganic compound.

What is a picoplankton?

Picoplankton are really small bacteria that we are unable to see. Their main role in the ocean is to produce oxygen and nitrogen compounds as well as taking up carbon dioxide.

What is plankton? What is the difference between phytoplankton and zooplankton?

Plankton are organisms that drifts or swims weakly in the ocean. Phytoplankton and zooplankton are two different types of organisms. Phytoplankton are organisms that rely on the sun for energy. Phytoplankton are usually autotrophic algae, and zooplankton are heterotrophic organisms.

Defineproducer primary, secondary, tertiary consumer, and apex predator. Give an example of each. ,

Producers - (n) an autotrophic organism that captures light or uses chemicals to make its own food. Plants such as algae are examples of producers. Primary consumers- (n) heterotrophic organisms that eat primary producers. They are also known as herbivores. Parrotfish are examples of primary consumers. Secondary consumer- (n) a heterotrophic organism that eat primary consumers. Crabs are examples of secondary consumers. Consumer- (n) a heterotrophic organism that obtains energy from organic molecules made by other organisms Apex predator- (n) is an organism that is at the top of the food chain and they are mostly carnivores. Large sharks are examples of apex predators.

What are their distinguishing features? How do these distinguishing features allow them to survive?

Red Mangrove: 1) Grows along the edge of the shoreline 2) Red mangroves have prop roots, which allow the mangroves to live in little oxygen sediments. White Mangrove: 1) Because the white mangrove is the farthest away from the shore line, it does not need the adaptations to survive. Black Mangrove: 1) The black mangrove is a little farther away from the shore line. 2) Black mangroves do not have prop roots but they do have small air roots called pneumatophores, which can be seen extending vertically from the soils surrounding the trunk.

What are the distinguishing characteristics of the rocky intertidal?

Rock faces, crevices, undersides of rocks, and tide pools each support and array of species.

How do corals reproduce? Know the four different types of reproduction (Budding,Fragmentation, Spawning, and Brooding),Corals reproduce both sexually and asexually.

Sexual Reproduction: 1) Brooding - (v) a process where eggs are fertilized inside the coral 2) Spawning - (v) Spawning: a process which occurs when eggs and sperm are released in the water Asexual Reproduction: 1) Fragmentation - (v) occurs when a piece of coral breaks off and attaches itself elsewhere on the reef 2) Budding - (v) how the coral grows; when corals reach a certain size and divide, creating a second identical polyp

What is the system that scientists use to classify life?

Taxonomy

Know and understand the order of taxonomy.

The Order of Taxonomy is: 1) Domain 2) Kingdom 3) Phylum 4) Class 5) Order 6) Genus 7) Species

Know adaptations that help plants survive in areas of high salinity.

The adaptations that help plants respond/survive the salinity are the following: 1) Stendhalian-organisms that cannot tolerate rapid changes in salinity 2) Euryhaline-organisms that can tolerate a wide range of salinities (often found in brackish waters)

What is the difference between autotrophy and heterotrophy?

The difference between autotrophs and heterotrophs is that autotrophy is the process of self-feeding, which is the ability create their own carbohydrates. Heterotrophs cannot make their own carbohydrates, so they would either consume other heterotrophs or autotrophs.

What is the difference between bony and cartilaginous fish?

The difference between bony fish and cartilaginous fish is that bony fish's skeleton is made of bones while the cartilaginous fish's skeleton is made of cartilage.

Know the difference between mutualism commensalism, and parasitism. What is a detailed example of each?

The difference between mutualism and commensalism is that mutualism is an interspecific interaction that benefits both species. Commensalism is an interaction in which one species benefits while the other is unaffected.

What is the difference between predation and parasitism?

The difference between predation and parasitism is refers to interaction where one species, the predator, hills and eats the prey. Parasitism is when one organism, the parasite, derives nourishment from another organism, its host, which is harmed as a result.

What are the different kinds of algae we discussed? Know indentifying characteristics of each.

The different kinds of algae are the following: 1) Green algae- the most common type of algae 2) Red algae- has red pigment to help absorb the sunlight 3) Brown algae- seaweed and kelp

Know the different types of coral reef formations. Including how they are formed where they are formed, and identifying features. Be able to give examples of each formation.

The different types of coral reef formation are the following: 1) Fringing Reef a. It is the most common type of reef. -It is formed when the coral grows adjacently directed toward the land. b. Examples: The Caribbean and the Red Sea2) Barrier Reef a. It runs parallel along the coastline with a lagoon between it and the shore. It is formed when the corals form farther from where the land is while leaving a gap between the beginning and end. In other words, the Barrier Reef forms differently from the Fringing Reef. b. Examples: The Great Barrier Reef (Australia) Atoll a. Corals (represented in tan and purple) settle and grow around an oceanic island, forming a fringing reef. - In favorable conditions, the reef will expand, and the interior island will subside. - Eventually the island completely subsides beneath the water, leaving a ring of growing coral with an open lagoon in its center. b. Examples: Pacific and Indian Ocean

Why is the intertidal considered to be dynamic?

The intertidal is considered to be dynamic because it is always changing.

Know organisms that live in both the sandy shore and rocky shore.

The organisms that live in both the sandy shore and rocky shore are the following: 1) Crabs 2) Snails

What is symbiosis?

The relationship where two or more species live in direct and intimate contact with one another.

What is the relationship of salinity to where you are (upstream/downstream) in an estuary? What are the salinities of freshwater brackish water, and seawater?

The salinity upstream is low because it is near freshwater. The salinity downstream is high because it is near the ocean. Freshwater salinity = 0 ppt Ocean salinity = 35 ppt Brackish water salinity = 21 ppt - 30 ppt

What are the three most common species of mangroves? Where do they grow?

The three most common species of mangroves are the following: 1) Red Mangrove 2) White Mangrove 3) Black Mangrove The mangroves grow at tropical and subtropical latitudes near the equator.

What do ocean acidification and coral bleaching have in common?

The two things that ocean acidification and coral bleaching have in common are that they are both caused by human activity and they have a negative impact on the coral reefs.

What types of animals would you expect to see in an estuary ecosystem? (Know at least 5.)

The types of animals you would expect to see in an estuary ecosystem are the following: 1) Salmon 2) Heron 3) Egret 4) Blue Crabs 5) Horseshoe Crabs

How many high tides and low tides do we usually experience in one day? When do they occur?

We would experience about 2 high tides and 2 low tides in one day. They would occur about 12 hours each day.

What causes a change in tides? Be able to explain.

What causes the change in tides is that both the sun and the moon apply a gravitational force that pulls on the earth.

Know what is threatening coral reefs. How do these threats affect the corals and the reef system? What are things that we can do to prevent the demise of coral reefs?

What is threatening the coral reefs is pollution. When human and animal waste and/or fertilizer is dumped into the ocean or when river systems carry these pollutants, it harms the reefs. It also increase the level of nitrogen in which the algae overpopulates while cutting off the coral reef's sunlight. We can prevent the demise of coral reefs by the following: 1) Look for fish that are substantially harvested 2) Use natural fertilizers 3) Clean rivers in beaches

What is the process that allows fish to take in oxygen underwater? What other adaptations help them survive?

When the fish inhales the water goes into its mouth along with oxygen. The oxygen then passes through the gills and goes into the heart. Once the oxygen is in the heart, it flows through the fish's body and then the carbon dioxide exits through the gills. The fish have v shaped gills that allow the water come and filter out oxygen.

Be familiar with how to identify the components and energy flow of a food web. What do the arrows indicate (specifically)?

You can identify the components and energy by the sun's energy. The arrow represents where the energy is transferred from trophic level to trophic level.

Define zooxanthellae. What is their role on a coral reef?

Zooxanthellae are microscopic algae that live inside the coral. The zooxanthellae role is to produces oxygen for the coral.

What is another term for autotroph?

primary producers