Ocean Science Exam 3

in the open ocean, photosynthesis can occur to an average depth of what?

200m

Name and describe the major environmental zones of the ocean.

1. epipelagic zone: or upper open ocean (surface to 650 ft deep) Algae found here are responsible for much of the original food production and at least 50% of the oxygen in the atmosphere. many organisms in this zone come into contact with the sea surface. 2. the mesopelagic zone: or middle open ocean (bottom of the epipelagic down to the point where sunlight cannot reach) many of the species of fish and invertebrates that live here migrate up into shallower, epipelagic depths to feed, but only under the cover of night. 3. Bathypelagic zone: or lower open ocean (bottom of the mesopelagic and stretches down to 13,000ft) Complete lack of sunlight. Bioluminescence organisms found here. 4. Abyssopelagic zone: (bottom of the bathypelagic to the seafloor) characterized by lack of life. Truly the abyss. 5. Hadopelagic zone: deep, wide trenches occur in the otherwise flat seafloor, the open water that fills them is the hadopelagic zone . deepest known ocean depth is nearly 36,000 feet

In a simple food chain with 10% efficiency, a net primary production rate at the first tropic level is 10,000 units. How many units are available to the fourth trophic level?

10

Without greenhouse gases, Earth's average temperature would be what about?

18 degrees Celcius

exoskeleton

A body covering, typically made of chitin, that provides support and protection

Describe what is meant by "fishing down the food web" and compare this to "Fishing through the food chain"

A food chain is a linear flow of energy and nutrients from one organism to another. A food web can be termed as the combination of many different food chains and the relationship that exists between each organism.

medusa

A free-swimming cnidarian with a bell-shaped body and tentacles

chitin

A structural polysaccharide, consisting of amino sugar monomers, found in many fungal cell walls and in the exoskeletons of all arthropods.

photoautotroph

An organism that harnesses light energy to drive the synthesis of organic compounds from carbon dioxide.

mixotroph

An organism that is capable of both photosynthesis and heterotrophy.

Describe how small levels of toxicants accumulate to selectively impact animals at higher trophic levels in food webs

At each trophic level of the food chain, the toxins remain in the tissues of the animals, so the concentration of toxin becomes most concentrated in the body tissues of the animals at the top of the food chain

Compare and contrast toothed and baleen whales

Baleen whales: have baleen plates, or sheets, which sieve prey from seawater. Toothed Whales: have teeth and they actively hunt fish, squid, and other sea creatures

Explain the relationship between surface productivity and benthic biomass

Benthic biomass tends to follow similar patterns to surface primary productivity, with high biomass in the shallow water near the land, and rapidly decreasing biomass with depth, with an obvious exception being coral reef and deep-seal chemosynthesis habitats.

Describe some differences between adaptations of benthic versus pelagic organisms

Benthic regions can be colder and darker while pelagic regions are lighter and warmer

Describe what respiration means. What organisms respire?

Bring oxygen into our bodies (called inspiration, or inhalation) and send carbon dioxide out (called expiration, or exhalation). Both plants and animals use oxygen for cellular respiration.

the relative contribution of common gases in the atmosphere increase as a percentage of the greenhouse effect in the following manner, going from lowest to highest percentage

CFC-12 (lowest); CFC-11; methane; carbon dioxide (highest)

briefly describe the major groups (orders) of marine mammals

Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Sirenians, and Marine Fissipeds.

Why do photoplankton have pigments other than chlorophyll a? Give examples of these pigments.

Chlorophyll b, carotenoids, xanthophylls, and anthocyanins lend a hand to chlorophyll a molecules by absorbing a broader spectrum of light waves

pelagic

Describing organisms that live in the water column away from the ocean bottom.

what do marine fish do to maintain their bodies water balance (i.e. how does a marine fish osmoregulate versus a freshwater fish)?

Drinking continuously. Producing small amounts of concentrated urine. Excreting excess salts form the gills by active transport.

Endotherm and Ectotherm related to the SOURCE of body heat - where/how organisms get their body heat

Endotherms use internally generated heat. Ectotherms depend mainly on external heat sources

sea otters are in what classification

Family mustelidae, suborder fissipedia ("fissipeds"), class mammalia, Subphylum vertebrata, phylum chordaclass mammalia, Subphylum vertebrata, phylum chordata, kingdom animaliata, kingdom animalia

walrus are in what family

Family odobenidae, suborder pinnipedia (pinnipeds"), order carnivora, class mammalia, Subphylum vertebrata, phylum chordata, kingdom animalia

Seals ("true" seals)

Family phocidae, suborder pinnipedia (pinnipeds"), order carnivora, class mammalia, Subphylum vertebrata, phylum chordata, kingdom animalia

describe the primary limiting factors for deep sea fishes and some adaptations that allow them to survive in the deep sea

Light, Pressure, Temperature, Oxygen, and Food,

Sketch a tropic pyramid of four levels. Label primary producers, herbivores, and carnivores. How are energy and nutrients related to these trophic levels?

Most of the food energy that enters a trophic level is "lost" as heat when it is used by organism to power the normal activities of life. Thus the HIGHER the trophic level on the pyramid, the LOWER the amount of available energy

explain the difference between plankton and nekton.

Plankton are passive swimmers that are carried by the water currents whereas nekton are actively-swimming organisms that swim against the water currents

Describe the major groups of organisms in the ocean.

Plnakton, nekton, and benthos

Poikilotherm and Homeotherm related to whether or not the organism is CAPABLE OF CONTROLLING their body temperature

Poikilotherms are animals whose internal temperature changes with the environment, whereas homeotherms are able to maintain their thermal homeostasis

Explain what role nutrients play in controlling primary production of polar, midlatitude, and tropical waters.

Polar water: nutrient supple is greater and therefore the vertical density gradient is weak, which allows for vertical mixing of water to depths much greater than the sunlit "euphotic zone" as a result. Midlatitude water: warm and sunlight surface water is separated from cold, nutrient-rich interior water by a strong density difference that restricts mixing of water and thereby reduces nutrient supply, which becomes the limiting factor for productivity. Tropic water: when surface water is warm, the cooler, nutrient-rich water is trapped below. Since the vertical layers aren't mixing, nutrients that have built up in deep waters can't reach the surface.

What are the two most important nutrients for photosynthesis?

Potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg)

chemosynthesis

Process by which some organisms, such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates

Toothed whales, dolphins, porpoises, killer whats, sperm whales, and others are in what suborder

Suborder odontoceti, order cetacea, class mammalia, Subphylum vertebrata, phylum chordata, kingdom animalia

nematocysts

Small capsules that contain a toxin which is injected into prey or predators

cnidocytes

Special stinging structures on cnidarians that look like small harpoons.

baleen whales, blue whales, gray whales, humpback, and others

Suborder mysticeti, order cetacea, class mammalia, Subphylum vertebrata, phylum chordata, kingdom animalia

describe some adaptations of true marine plants. compare and contrast seaweeds and seagrasses

The ability to absorb nutrients from water, the ability to float and the ability to anchor themselves to rocks on the ocean floor in order to thrive in their challenging environment. While seagrasses are considered vascular plants and have roots, stems and leaves, seaweed are multi-cellular algae and have little or no vascular tissues.

disphotic zone

The lower part of the photic zone, where there is insufficient light for photosynthesis.

Explain the differences between nekton and plankton

The nekton are swimmers able to navigate at will, whereas plankton are floating organisms whose horizontal movements are largely dependent on water currents

abyssal zone

The portion of the ocean floor where light does not penetrate and where temperatures are cold and pressures intense.

epipelagic zone

The uppermost part of the oceanic zone, lying above the mesopelagic zone, that receives enough sunlight to allow photosynthesis.

Why will migrating organisms such as gray whales be impacted by changes in climate?

Their habitat and food supply are shifting as a result of warmer waters and shrinking sea ice.

Explain why benthic organisms are linked to processes occurring in the surface ocean.

They rely on the organic material that rains down from the euphotic zone and eat dead animals that have sunk down to the sea floor

toxicants

Toxic substances that are man-made or result from human (anthropogenic) activity.

euphotic zone

Upper layer of a body of water through which sunlight can penetrate and support photosynthesis.

Explain the differences between marine algae or seaweeds and sea grasses

While algae are chlorophyll-containing organisms commonly found in aquatic environments such as marine bodies, sea, and even freshwater bodies, seaweed are plant-like organisms that attach themselves to rocks and other hard substances in an aquatic environment.

dead zone

a more common term for hypoxia, which refers to a reduced level of oxygen in the water. Less oxygen dissolved in the water is often referred to as a "dead zone" because most marine life either dies, or, if they are mobile such as fish, leave the area.

explain why red coloration is a useful trait in deep water organisms. what physical features do these organism typically share?

allows them to blend into their surrounds. gas-filled swim bladder. temperature. oxygen-rich.

swim bladder

an air-filled sac near the spinal column in many fishes that helps maintain buoyancy

endotherm

an animal that is dependent on or capable of the internal generation of heat; a warm-blooded animal

fishing through the food web

an initial high-trophic level fishery followed by the sequential addition of lower-level stocks into the fishery.

heterotroph

an organism deriving its nutritional requirements from complex organic substances.

homeotherm

an organism that maintains its body temperature at a constant level, usually above that of the environment, by its metabolic activity.

poikilotherm

an organisms that cannot regulate its body temperature except by behavioral means such as basking or burrowing

nekton

aquatic animals that are able to swim and move independently of water currents.

accessory pigments

are light-absorbing compounds, found in photosynthetic organisms, that work in conjunction with chlorophyll a.

Jawless fish (lampreys and hagfish) are in what class

class agnatha, Subphylum vertebrata, phylum chordata, kingdom animalia

pelicans, osprey, penguins, gulls, and others are in what class

class aves, Subphylum vertebrata, phylum chordata, kingdom animalia

cartilaginous fish (sharks, skates, and rays) are in what class

class chondrichthyes, Subphylum vertebrata, phylum chordata, kingdom animalia

bony fish (lung fish, lobe finned, and ray finned fish are in what class

class osteichythes, Subphylum vertebrata, phylum chordata, kingdom animalia

sea turtles, sea snakes, marine iguanas, and crocodiles are in what class

class reptilia, Subphylum vertebrata, phylum chordata, kingdom animalia

ectothermic

cold-blooded animal, whose regulation of body temperature depends on external sources, such as sunlight or a heated rock surface.

aphotic zone

dark layer of the oceans below the photic zone where sunlight does not penetrate

DDT

dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, is highly toxic and carcinogenic and linked to a wide variety of health problems in both humans and wildlife

The following are protists:

dinoflagellates, diatoms, foraminiferans, and ciliates

How does a dead zone form? How does the Gulf of Mexico dead zone expand and contract from year to year?

excess nutrient pollution from human activities in urban and agricultural areas throughout the Mississippi River watershed. algae blooms, fed by excess nutrient pollution, die and decompose, removing oxygen from the water faster than it can be replenished.

seal lions and fur seals ("eared") are in what family

family otariidae, suborder pinnipedia (pinnipeds"), order carnivora, class mammalia, Subphylum vertebrata, phylum chordata, kingdom animalia

polar bears are in what classicication

family ursidae, suborder Fissipedia ("Fissipeds"), order carnivora, class mammalia, Subphylum vertebrata, phylum chordata, kingdom animalia

Give examples of adaptations that marine organisms use to increase their buoyancy.

gas-filled floats, low-density organic compounds or body fluids of unusual ionic composition

polyp

growth extending from the surface of mucous membrane

endoskeleton

internal skeleton or supporting framework in an animal

demersal

living close to the floor of the sea or a lake

hypoxia

low or depleted oxygen in a water body. often associated with the overgrowth of certain species of algae, which can lead to oxygen depletion when they die, sink to the bottom, and decompose

bycatch

marine animals that are unintentionally caught but still sold in markets with the intended species.

Describe how climate change would affect the distribution and health of marine organism populations.

may influence the vertical movement of ocean waters (i.e., upwelling and downwelling), increasing or decreasing the availability of essential nutrients and oxygen to marine organisms.

plankton

microscopic organisms that live in aquatic environments; includes both phytoplankton and zooplankton

List the pros of wetlands

natural water quality improvement, flood protection, shoreline erosion control, opportunities for recreation and aesthetic appreciation and natural products for our use at no cost

How much energy is passed from one trophic level to the next? What happens to the other percentage of the energy or biomass?

only about 10% of energy stored as biomass is passed while approximately 9i0% of the energy is lost as heat

manatees and dugongs are in what order

order sirenia, class mammalia, Subphylum vertebrata, phylum chordata, kingdom animalia

holoplankton

organisms that live their entire lives as plankton

Compare photosynthesis and respiration. How are they related?

photosynthesis utilizes carbon dioxide and water in the presence of light to produce glucose and oxygen, whereas respiration uses oxygen and glucose to power the activities of the cell.

lobster, crab, and krill are in what phylum

phylum anthropoda, Kingdom animalia

Jellyfish and corals are in what phylum

phylum cnidaria, Kingdom animalia

star fish (sea stars) and sea urchins are in what phylum

phylum echinodermata, Kingdom animalia

clams, oysters, snails, squid, and octopus are what in phylum

phylum mollusca, Kingdom animalia

Sponges are in what phylum?

phylum profiera, Kingdom animalia

explain the difference between marine plants and algae

plants have connective tissues that serve to transport nutrients and water throughout the entire body of the plant. In the case of the algae, each individual cell is responsible for absorbing its own water

PCBs

polychlorinated biphenyls synthetic chemicals containing chlorine that are used in the manufacture of plastics and other industrial products, become stored in the tissue of animals, and also persist in the environment

chemautotroph

prokaryote that obtains energy directly from inorganic moleucles using chemical reactions

Explain why reductions in fertilizer use in the US Midwest could improve the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone

promotes massive algal growth, which depletes oxygen, killing fish and other marine life if they cannot escape

List the pros of salt marshes

protect shorelines from erosion by buffering wave action and trapping sediments. They reduce flooding by slowing and absorbing rainwater and protect water quality by filtering runoff, and by metabolizing excess nutrients.

countershading

protective coloration of some animals in which parts normally in shadow are light and those exposed to the sky are dark.

List the pros (i.e. positive aspects) of mangroves

provide essential habitat for thousands of species. They also stabilize shorelines, preventing erosion and protecting the land — and the people who live there — from waves and storms.

osmoregulation

regulation of solute concentrations and water balance by a cell or organism

How do increasing temperatures result in increased sea level?

seawater expands—taking up more space in the ocean basin and causing a rise in water level.

Meroplankton

temporary plankton that live and feed as plankton until they leave to become adults in their proper habitats

bioaccumulation

the accumulation of a chemical in an organism relative to its level in the ambient medium,

biomass

the total mass of organisms in a given area or volume.

How many domains and kingdoms are represented in the oceans?

three domains; five kingdoms

TEDs

turtle excluder devices. Promote sea turtle conservation by addressing interactions between sea turtles and trawl fishing gear