Marine Biology Quiz Questions
All fishes use the undulation of their bodies side to side to accomplish forward propulsion: a)True b)False
B
Abyssal plains consist primarily of a)Rocky trenches b)Hydrothermal vents c)Soft mud sediments d)Deep seeps and subduction zones
C
What does provide the basis of life in vent communities? a)The altered chemistry of the water b)The geothermal radiation c)The aggregation of large vent crabs d)The high water temperature
A
What is TRUE about marine homeotherms in Polar ecosystems? a)They can survive to long fasting periods, and perform long migrations to lower-latitude waters b)Their gills have high surface area to volume ratio to compensate for the low oxygen availability c)They primarily feed on carrion d)They adapt their body temperature to that of the surrounding waters to minimize heat loss
A
What regional factors can exacerbate acidification caused by global CO2 emissions? a)Coastal upwellings b)Winter phytoplankton blooms c)Recreational fisheries d)Subduction movements
A
Which of the following animals has the most concentrated urine? a)Bluefin tuna b)Tilapia c)Carp d)Freshwater catfish
A
Which of the following describes the process of photosynthesis? a) Carbon dioxide and water are used to produce glucose. b) Glucose is broken down into carbon dioxide and water. c) Carbon is converted to an inorganic form. d) Energy stored in organic matter is broken down by a molecule of water
A
At which of the following temperatures do the molecules of water move more vigorously? a) 30.8 ˚C b) 50.3 ˚C c) 10.7 ˚C d) 5.4 ˚C
B
As a result of the Coriolis Effect, a missile fired northward from the equator will seem to be deflected: a) Far to the South b) Depends on the season c) Toward the West d) Toward the East e) Far to the North
D
In relation to ice cap, which property of water is a polar bear, standing on an ice cap, relying on? a) Cohesion b) Viscosity c) Specific heat d) Density
D
Which of the following is/are key features of the theory of evolution? a) Organisms in populations are genetically unique b) Offspring compete one another for limited resources c) Each species produces more offspring than can survive d) Offspring with the most favorable traits are the most likely to survive and pass on their genes
D
Which of the following structures can be used to determine fish age? a)Neuromasts b)Ampulla of Lorenzini c)Sensory hair cell d)Otoliths
D
A pH of 7 is ____ than a pH of 8. a)ten times as acidic b)12% less acidic c)12% more acidic d)the same acidity (pH of 7 is not acidic) e)twice as acidic
A
All these fishes are found in a mangrove except, a)Goldfish b) Gar c)Sheephead d)Tarpon
A
Culture of which of the following groups has the lowest carbon footprint? a)Bivalves b)Pork c)Fish d)Beef
A
Even in the clearest tropical waters, almost all the red light is absorbed in the upper ______ . a) 11 m b) 11 km c) 110 m d) 11 cm
A
Fish species from which of the following environment would you expect to have low amount of cone cells? a)Deep sea b)Estuary c)Intertidal pool d)Epipelagic
A
How do hydrothermal vent bacteria obtain energy? a)Use oxygen to oxidize hydrogen sulfide, which is converted to sulfate ion b)Consume sulfate and methane in a 1:1 molar ratio c)Use the blue pigment hemocyanin to extract oxygen, wich is used to oxidize sugars d)Reduce sulfate ion to hydrogen sulfide
A
If two organisms reproduce sexually, then their offspring will exhibit a genetic makeup that is... a)A unique combination of traits b)50 % identical to its mother c)Identical to one of the parents d)50% identical to all its siblings
A
In relation to the wind, surface currents theoretically flow: a) Perpendicular due to Ekman transport b) Perpendicular due to the gravitational pull of the moon c) Parallel because the wind pushes the water directly to the front of it d) Perpendicular due to the thermohaline circulation
A
Kelp forests are often found in: a) Cool, relatively shallow waters close to the shore b) Tropical, deep or shallow eutrophic waters c) Oligotrophic, deep water ecosystems d) Cool, shallow waters, attached to sandy or muddy substrate
A
Laterally-compressed and deep-bodied fishes are: a)Maneuvering specialists b)Acceleration specialists c)Cruising specialists d)Anguilliform specialists
A
Ocean acidification is likely to adversely affect those organisms that create calcium carbonate shells. Therefore, diatoms are at risk. True or False? a) False, because diatom frustules are composed of silicon dioxide b) True, because diatom frustules are built from bicarbonate c) True, because diatom flagella are composed of carbonate d) False, because diatoms create frustules from cellulose
A
Of the following sets of fish morphological features which on would correspond to the fastest and most efficient swimmer? a)Lunate caudal fin - fusiform body - pointy snout b)Round caudal fin - large body depth - round head profile b)Heterocercal caudal fin - depressiform body - pointy snout c)Truncated caudal fin - filiform body - large head
A
Photosynthesizers can maximize their ability to harvest solar energy by using chlorophyll in addition to other pigments because: a) Accessory pigments can absorb wavelengths other than those absorbed by cholorophyll thereby expanding the range of light energy harnessed by these autotrophs and ultimately transferred to chlorophyll for photosynthesis. b) Accessory pigments provides more food for predators c) It is used to reduce costs of respiration. d) Chorophyll and other pigments absorb the same light wavelengths to get more energy from the same light.
A
Prior to 1972, why were there so many dolphins captured in purse seine nets? a)Tuna are often assumed to be closely associated with dolphins b)Fishermen want to prevent predation of their target species c)Dolphins are caught as marine ornamentals for aquariums d)Their fins are used for soup
A
Recent studies indicate that abyssal plains have ______ biodiversity but relatively ______biomass. _______, hydrothermal vents have ________ biodiversity, and _______biomass. a)High; low; contrarily; low; high b)High; low; similarly; high; low c)Low; high; similarly; low; high d)Low; high; contrarily; high; low
A
Some (but not all!!) corals are obligated symbionts. What does that mean? a) They have lost their ability to capture plankton b) They can obtain their nutrients from both zooxanthellae and zooplankton c) They have lost their ability to feed on other soft corals e) They can growth in different forms in response to differences in wave exposure or depth
A
The photic zone, or euphotic zone, is the uppermost layer of water that is exposed to intense sunlight. Generally, it extends form the water surface to about... a) 200 m b) 2,000 m c) 20 m d) 2 m
A
This layer of the Earth is solid and made primarily made of Ni and Fe: a) Inner core b) Outer core c) Oceanic crust d) Mantle
A
True or False: Mutations increase the genetic diversity of organism that reproduce sexually and asexually a)True b)False
A
True or False: The Artic is frozen ocean surrounded by continents; the Antartic is a frozen continent surrounded by ocean. a)True b)False
A
True or False: Whereas marine flowering plants, like seagrasses, are vascular plants and have roots, stems and leaves, seaweeds are multi-cellular algae and have little or no vascular tissues. a) True b) False
A
True or false: External auditory canal in dolphins is about six times less sensitive to sound than the lower jaw a)True b)False
A
True or false: Hydrothermal vent and cold seep communities have similar sets of dominant species: tube worms, clams, mussels and arthropods, although they range taxonomically. a)True b)False
A
Vision is dependent upon the presence of _____. a)Photoreceptors b)Chemoreceptors c)Thermoreceptors d)Mechanoreceptors
A
What are cyanobacteria? a) Prokaryotes b) Protists c) Eukaryotes d) Algae
A
What are the limiting factors that most influence phytoplankton distribution? a) light and nutrients b) wind and currents c) light and temperature d) temperature and chlorophyll
A
Which of the following organisms can potentially benefit from ocean acidification? a)Seagrasses b)Mussels c)Calcifying photosynthetic bacteria d)Corals
A
Which of the following species is the richest in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, a type of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs)? a)Anchovies b)Cod c)Halibut d)Tilapia e)Tuna
A
Which of the following systems buffers seawater pH a) carbonic acid - carbonate - bicarbonate b) nitric acid - nitrogen dioxide - hydrochloric acid c) potassium chlorate - hypochlorite - chlorine dioxide d) phosphoric acid - phosphate - calcium biphosphate
A
An small earthquake sets off a tremor that creates waves moving across the Pacific ocean. Which scenario best describes how the wave moves? a) Energy, water molecules, and floating debris are transferred out and away from the origin b) Energy is transferred out and away from the origin with little transport of water molecules c) Water molecules travel in rolling waves across the ocean d) Particles from the earthquake origin will be transported via waves across the ocean in small circular movements
B
As a result of the Coriolis Effect, a missile fired southward from the equator will seem to be deflected: a) Depends on the season b) Toward the East c) Far to the North d) Far to the South e) Toward the West
B
As opposed to terrestrial systems, filter feeding is possible in marine systems because: a) Potential food particles are flushed out of rivers to the marine environment b) Potential food particles can remain suspended due to water's greater density and viscosity c) There are no particles in air to feed on d) Upwelling re-suspends particles
B
At what specific depth does the rate of photosynthesis equal the rate of respiration? a) Thermocline b) Compensation Depth c) Above 200 meters d) Critical depth e) 100 meters
B
Chlorophyll a is used as a measure of standing crop of phytoplankton because: a) It provides information on the critical depth. b) It is a direct measure of the photosynthetic activity in the total biomass. c) This is due to the passive transport of oxygen and other gases between ocean-bottom sediments and interstitial waters d) It is used to quantify phytoplankton respiration. e) It is used to assess carbon dioxide uptake.
B
Fucoxanthin is a photosynthetic pigments found in... a) Marine algae b) Brown algae c) Marine photosynthetic producers d) Red algae
B
How do corals reproduce? a) They are incapable to mature and reproduce by themselves b ) Asexually and sexually c) Sexually only d) By fragmentation only (i.e., asexually)
B
How much of the seafood consumed in the world comes from aquaculture? a)70% b)50% c)10% d)90% e)30%
B
Mangals are primarily found in: a) Rocky shore and tide pools b) Muddy shores in warm climates c) Subduction-derived tropical forests d) Rocky intertidal with low human presence
B
Most of deep-water scavenger organisms are: a) Filter feeder b) Food generalists c) Phototrophs d) Parasites e) Herbivorous
B
Sea water is ____. a) A strong base b) A weak base c) A strong acid d) A weak acid e) A base or an acid depending on the temperature
B
The loss of which of the following organisms is involved in coral bleaching: a) Ekman organisms b) Dinoflagellates c) Xanthophylls or Chlorophylls (depending on the coral species) d) Coccolithophores
B
True or False: Anaerobic cell respiration is more efficient than aerobic cell respiration a) True b) False
B
True or false: Active fish have low gill surface area to volume ratio as compared to sedentary fishes: a)True b)False
B
True or false: Corals are only found in clear, temperate and shallow waters. a) True b) False
B
True or false: Whereas kelp forests constitute one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the world in terms of CO2 consumption/O2 production, they are often characterized by low diversity of epibenthic organisms. a) True b) False
B
What drives tectonic plate movement? a) The Earth's magnetic core b) Convection currents c) Coriolis effect d) Ekman transport e) Gravity
B
What is FALSE about the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ)? a) In OMZ, dissolved oxygen is consumed by bacteria and animal b) OMZ are generally located in the photic zone c) OMZ typically occurs at depths between 200 and 1,500 meters d) OMZ are the places in the world ocean where oxygen saturation in the water column is at its lowest.
B
What is a characteristic of the Polar Sea ecosystems? a)Short food chains with few species b)Short food chains with many species c)Long food chains with few species d)Long food chains with many species
B
What is an essential structure associated with countercurrent flow within fish gills? a)Hemocyanin arches b)Close proximity of circulating blood to water flow c)Vestibulo-ocular blood vessel complex d)Concentration gradient pressure
B
What is the primary food source for large whale species in the Antartic? a)Blubber b)Krill c)Seals and other small mammals d)Copepods
B
When CO2 enters seawater, it combines with water for form _________ but quickly _________ into HCO3- and _________, which ________ seawater pH a)H+; associates; H2O; increases b)H2CO3; dissociates; H+; reduces c)H2SO4; dissociates; H2S; buffers
B
Which of the following species is generally destined to non-human consumption, including fishmeal and fish oil for aquaculture? a)Halibut b)Anchovies c)Tuna d)Cod e)Tilapia
B
Which of the following swimming behaviors is the most efficient? a)Ostraciiform b)Thunniform c)Anguilliform d)Subcarangiform
B
A countercurrent flow system between a substance A and B: a)Minimizes the exchange by having A and B flow in the same direction b)Minimizes the exchange by having A and B flow in opposite directions c)Maximizes the exchange by having A and B flow in opposite directions d)Maximizes the exchange by having A and B flow in the same direction
C
A phytoplankton cell can stay alive below its compensation depth as long as it does not exceeds its... a) Respiration rate b) Phytoplankton cannot survive below their compensation depth c) Critical depth d) Photic depth
C
Based on Bene's hypothesis, what is not a condition that has to be met in order to feed 9 million people by 2050? a)Fisheries bycatch (discards) will have to be reduced b)Fisheries will have to be exploited in a sustainable manner c)Culture of high-trophic level species will have to be prioritized d)Technology to reduce fishmeal dependency will have to be developed
C
Blue whales are the largest animal in the world and require a lot of energy to survive. Think about how animals spend energy. Which of these life processes might be compromised when food is limiting a) Growth, maintenance, and filter feeding b)Reproduction and feeding c) Growth and reproduction d) Maintenance and defense structures
C
Fill in the blanks with the best option below: I am a _______. I spend only part of my life freely in the water column and am referred to as a_______. a)Zooplankton, Holoplankton b) Phytoplankton, Holoplankton c) Zooplankton, Meroplankton
C
It is suggested that many large clam species that live in hydrothermal vents obtain their food a)By eating shrimp and other clams b)By making sugars form photosynthesis c)From symbiotic bacteria living in their gills d)From parasitic relationships in whale fall ecosystems
C
Oysters growing in water with relatively high concentration of CO2: a)Grow faster and generally have more meat b)Grow faster and have are symmetrical c)Grow slower and are deformed d)Grow faster and are deformed
C
Plate tectonics is the movement of Earth's rigid plates, also known as the a) Continental plus oceanic crusts b) Oceanic basins c) Lithosphere d) Mantle
C
What is FALSE about daily, vertical migration? a) Lower water temperatures at the deeper depths reduce an animal metabolic rate and its energy requirements b) It enables animals to minimize the risk of predation during the day c) They are always triggered by changes in light intensity - under constant light, animals stop migrating d) It enables animals to capitalize on the more abundant food resources of the photic zone
C
What is the most diverse group of macroalgae? a) Chlorophyta b) Diatoms c) Rhodophyta d) Phaeophyceae
C
What photosynthetic pigment is found in all macroalgae? a) Phycobilin b) Zooxanthellae c) Chlorophyll a d) Fucoxanthin
C
Where are hydrothermal vents primarily located? a)Anywhere within a tectonic plate b)Epipelagic zone c)On the axes of oceanic ridge or rise systems d)Near the low oxygen zone
C
Which of the following is NOT an attribute of zooxanthellae: a) The concentration of their photosynthetic pigment may vary among species b) Provide most of the color seen in corals c) Have a whip-like appendage (i.e., flagella) that enables them to swim d) Do not have cellulose cell walls
C
Which of the following is not a limiting factor for organisms in deep sea waters? a)Low food supply b)High hydrostatic pressure c)Low oxygen d)Low temperature
C
Which of the following strategies are used by epipelagic organisms to stay within an optimal zone? a) Reabsorb spines and body projections during embryonic development to increase surface to area ratio b) Grow extensive rete mirabile structures to detect changes in electric potential c)Accumulate oil in liver and muscles to reduce density d) Develop swim bladders to increase their maneuverability in horizontal migrations
C
_______ are _________. They hatch at sea and then they migrate into lakes and streams, where they grow to maturity. a)Salmon; catadromous b)Salmon; anadromous c)Eels; catadromous d)Eels; anadromous
C
Cavefish (i.e., fish adapted to live in caves) have evolved an integrated suite of behavioral, morphological, and physical adaptation to cope with environmental stresses. These include: a)Increase in brain size and slower metabolism b)Large and well-developed eyes and color- changing chromatophores c)Degeneration of lateral line, reduction in hemocyanin and enhancement of electroreception d)Degeneration of eyes, reduction in pigmentation, and enhancement of mechanosensory abilities
D
In temperate latitudes (e.g. Seattle), when is the strongest thermocline generally observed? a) Winter b) Spring c) Fall d) Summer
D
In which of the following organisms males are no longer part of the reproductive process? a)Hermaphroditic female corals b)Endosymbiotic parthenofemale ctenophores c)Symbiotic zooxanthellae d)Obligate parthenogenetic rotifers e)Budding anemones
D
Inland aquaculture account for the larger majority of _______ farming production, whereas marine aquaculture accounts for the majority of _______ farming production. a)Mollusks; finfish b)Extensive; intensive c)Green algae; crustacean d)Finfish; mollusks
D
Living in a rapidly-changing world, which of the following organisms have better chances to adapt and survive? a)Parthenogenetic crayfish b)Hermaphroditic snails c)Budding hydras d)Broadcast-spawning sardines
D
Plankton is a general term that refers to organisms that a) Live their entire life span floating at the surface of the water column b) Provide primary productivity to the oceans (i.e. always photosynthesize) c) Can swim against the current in the open ocean, and it includes holoplankton, meroplankton and nekton speceis. d) Have limited power of locomotion and generally drift with the current (i.e. cannot swim against the current)
D
Surface circulation in the ocean is primarily driven by _________________ and deep circulation is primarily driven by ________________. a) density; wind b) wind; wind c) wind: plate tectonics d) wind; density
D
The process of subduction does which of the following? a) Creates new material that adds to the Earth's crust b) Spreads abyssal plains c) Deepens neritic provinces d) Forms deep sea trenches
D
The sea ice and snow keeps the poles cold and covered. The ability of snow and ice to reflect the Sun's energy is called the: a)Themodynamic model b)Polar dynamic model c)Infrared effect d)Albedo effect
D
The way light hits organisms in the open ocean impacts how easily both predators and prey can see each other. Having darker dorsal pigmentation and lighter ventral pigmentation is called what? a) Counter balancing b) Counter illumination c) Photophore shading d) Countershading
D
What is an advantage to mass spawning in corals? a) Facilitates CaCO3 exoskeleton formation b) Enables water conditions for rapid growth c) Facilities fragmentation in clonal colonies d) Increases chance of egg fertilization
D
What is another name for the deepest part of the ocean? a) LOZ (Low Oxygen Zone) b) Pelagic zone c) Bathyal zone d) Hadal zone e) Aphotic Zone
D
What type of drag significantly affects the locomotion of dolphins but does not affect deep-water fishes? a)Induced drag b)Frictional drag c)Pressure drag d)Wave drag
D
Which of the following is an important supply of food to inhabitants of the deep-sea floor? a)Diatom silica frustules from epipelagic algal blooms b)Mollusks-derived calcium carbonate detritus c)Phosphate and nitrate components from surface runoffs d)Chitinous exoskeletons shed by planktonic crustaceans
D
Which of the following is not a genetic consideration in conservation aquaculture? a)Inbreeding b)Founder effect c)Domestication d)Carrying capacity
D
Which of the following is not an attribute of mangrove forests? a)They are biochemical filters b) The act animal nurseries c) They provide an important energy source for the detritus-based food webs d) They influence the health of rivers and freshwater lakes
D
Which of the following is true about clupeoid fish? a)Some clupeoid fish eat phytoplankton b)About 1/3 of all commercial catch is clupeoid fish c)Most of the clupeoid fish are processed for fish oil, fish meal, to feed livestock (poultry, pork), etc. d)All are true
D
You are an elite marine biologist that is part of the 2015 Team Zissou Research expedition. You have been sleeping in your bunk but you arise to find a fish that has been caught and brought onto the main deck. It is small (<10 cm), weak and flabby, has large eyes, and has photophores on the bottom of its body. From which zone of the ocean was this fish probably caught? a) Epipelagic b) Hadelbenthic c) Abyssalbenthic d) Mesopelagic
D
______ are authotrophic organisms with the ability to carry on photosynthesis and to make food for themselves. a) Carnivores b) Consumers c)Omnivores d) Primary producers e) Herbivores
D
Excess of which of the following nutrients may trigger an eutrophication event in marine environments? a) Phosphate and oxygen b) Phosphate and bicarbonate c)Bicarbonate and silicate d) Nitrate and bicarbonate e) Nitrate and phosphate
E
How much of the seafood consumed in the US is imported from other countries? a)70% b)50% c)40% d)10% e)90%
E
When comparing the offspring of sexually and asexually reproducing organisms, we would expect the genetic material (DNA) of the sexually reproducing organism to ... a)Larger in size b)Contain fewer mutations c)Be simpler overall d)Be lesser in quantity e)Show more variation
E
