Oceanography: quiz chapter 12-14

What percentage of biomass from the euphotic zone decomposes before descending to deeper water?

90%

What is a limiting factor?

A physical or biological necessity available in a limited amount. Controls the ability of a specific organisms to survive

What is the occurrence of primary productivity in the tropics?

Abundant sunlight Low nutrients- due to stable thermocline Productivity (amount of phytoplankton): low, little seasonal variation, tropical water clear and blue

What are primary producers?

Algae, plant and some bacteria

What is a biotic community?

Assemblage of organisms in definable area.

What is productivity limited by?

Available sunlight and available nutrients

What is an ecosystem?

Biotic community plus environment

What is the electromagnetic spectrum?

Blue wavelengths penetrate deepest Longer wavelengths (red, orange) get absorbed (disappear) first.

What is ectothermic?

Body temperature is that of the environment. Most marine animals. Metabolic rate increases with temp (grows faster, shorter life spam)

What is the definition of decomposers?

Break down dead organisms or waste Heterotrphic

What does deep water have and abundance of?

CO2 and O2, forms at the surface in polar regions

What is BIO-GEO-CHEMICAL cycles?

Chemical parts of matter cycled and recycled through ecosystem

Phylum: Chlorophyta - Green Algae

Common in freshwater

What is the color in the ocean at open ocean, lack productivity?

Dark blue, oligotrophic (lacking nutrients)

What is compensation depth?

Depth below which no photosynthesis occurs. Factor affecting primary productivity

What is the photic zone?

Depth to which light can penetrate. Euphotic and Disphotic zones

In the polar regions, ocean productivity for phytoplankton do what?

Diatoms (phytoplankton) bloom

What are two examples of phytoplankton?

Diatoms and cocolithophores

What is Golden Algae?

Diatoms- test made of silica Cocolithophores- plates of calcium carbonate

What is the biomass of each trophic level below it?

Each level has about 1/10th the biomass of each level below it. Each changed by a factor of 10

What is the definition of consumers?

Eat other organisms Heterotrophic - eat other

What is eutrophication?

Enrichment of ecosystem with chemical nutrients. This is a factor affecting primary productivity

What zone makes up only 105 of the ocean volume?

Epipelagic zone, but most pelagic animals are found here

What is euphotic zone?

From surface to about 100 m. Enough light for photosynthesis. Factor affecting primary productivity

What do photosynthetic phytoplankton?

Green pigment chlorophyll

What is Red Tide?

Harmful algae bloom HAB (harmful algae blooms) Toxins, kills fish, human illness Dinoflagellates associated with ciguatera

What are zooplankton?

Heterotrophic: relies on food produced by others

What are the exceptions for low productivity in the tropics?

High productivity occurs in areas of coastal and equatorial upwelling and at coral reef communities.

What is another limiting factor?

Hydrostatic pressure. Pressure increases about 1 atm every 10 ft. High pressure is NOT problematic for most marine organisms

Phylum: Rhodophyta - Red Algae

Is most abundant and most widespread greatest diversity of species of the algae groups

What does lack of nutrients mean for productivity?

It limits producrtivity

What is algae?

Larger plant-like organisms NOT plants. 2-5% of all productivity

On the SeaWIFS image of ocean chlorophyll what do the colors mean?

Light Green: high chlorophyll concentration Light Blue: medium chlorophyll concentration Dark Blue: low chlorophyll concentration

What is the color in the ocean at coastal and upwelling areas, productive?

Light green, eutrophic (ample nutrients)

Occurence of primary productivity at the polar regions?

Light is limiting factor in winter (remember, light 24-7 for months (summer) and dark 24-7 for months (winter)) Abundant nutrients due to upwelling Productivity peaks in the summer, very low at other times Water is green due to presence of phytoplankton

How is primary productivity measured?

Measured in grams of carbon bound into organic material per square meter of ocean surface each year. (g/m^2/yr)

Who produces 99% of marine animals food?

Microscopic algae

Phylum: Phaeophyta - Sea Weeds and Brown Algae

Middle latitudes, colder water. This INCLUDES KELP

What happens at the temperate regions?

Most productive areas overall . Dependable light year round. Moderate nutrients year round. Seasonal variations. Water green to presence of phytoplankton

Are anthophyta plants and what are they?

NO, they are important sources of food and protection for near shore animals

What are the limiting factors - dissolved nutrients?

Nitrogen: For proteins (usually the limiting nutrient in the ocean) Phosphorus: for ATP Silica: for shells Calcium: for shells, teeth, and bones Iron: for cellular processes

What is the aphotic zone?

No light penetrates

What is the definition of primary producers?

Nourish themselves with photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. Autotrophic- self feed

What factors affect primary productivity?

Nutrient availability: nitrate, phosphorous, iron, and silica. Productivity high along continental margins. Most from river runoff or upwelling

What two things are inversely proportional?

Nutrients and oxygen

What is endothermic?

Organism maintains a constant body temperature. Generally, higher energy requirements. Grow slower and live longer

One of the limiting factors is dissolved gases. What are the two most important gases for life?

Oxygen (O2) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) most important gases for life

Productivity in tropical oceans have a permanent what?

Permanent thermocline, is a barrier to vertical mixing

What depletes CO2 at the surface?

Photosynthesis at the surface depletes CO2 and it increases O2.

What is picoplankton?

Photosynthesizing bacteria. Very small pico (go through most nets) Important contributors o overall productivity

What are meroplankton?

Plankton in larval stage only. Starfish, crabs, jellies, octopus, and urchins

What produces most of the O2 in the ocean and atmosphere?

Primary producers

What is photosynthesis?

Process in which light energy is used to synthesize complex organic molecules (carbohydrates) rich in stored energy. Uses solar radiation. Light energy is trapped by chlorophyll in primary producers.

What is macro-algae?

Seaweed. NOT plants. Most attach to bottom (benthic), but also need sunlight (limiting factor for many)

What are the stresses on coastal organisms include...?

Shallow water: greater seasonal T and S variations Water column thickness: varies nearshore due to tides Breaking waves: in surf zone release large amounts of energy

What are dinoflagellates?

Single celled, most have 2 flagella. Many are bioluminescent Some species live symbiotically with corals Red Tide

What is the disphotic zone?

Small amount of light but not enough for photosynthesis to occur

What does photosynthesis consist of?

Sun + CO2 + H2O = sugar and O2

What is primary productivity (PP)?

Synthesis (making) of organic materials from inorganic materials by photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. The rate at which energy is stored in organic matter

What do subtropical gyre thermocline and pycnoclines prevent?

The resupply of nutrients to the surface

What are some examples of animals that use chemosynthesis?

Thermophile (heat loving) bacteria at hydrothermal vents and hot springs

What do deep sea animals add more of?

They add more CO2 because there are no photosynthesizers using it due to no sunlight

What happens to the longer wavelengths (red and orange)?

They are absorbed (disappear) first (surface). Blue wavelengths penetrate the deepest. Light may be reflected at the ocean surface

What do blue whales depend on?

They are dependent upon zooplankton. They time their migration to zooplankton maximum.

What does 99.9% of the ocean's biomass rely on for food?

They rely on photosynthesis either directly or indirectly for food

What are copepods?

Type of zooplankton. Most abundant, about 70% of zooplankton

What are holoplankton?

Type of zooplankton. Remain plankton their entire lives

What are krill?

Type of zooplankton. Very abundant. Critical in Antarctic food chains

What is chemosynthesis?

Use of energy directly from inorganic molecules. Used by smaller number of organisms

What is light transmission in ocean water?

Visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum

Temperate ocean productivity has highly season patterns. What are they?

Winter low: many nutrients, little sunlight Spring high: spring bloom Summer low: few nutrients, abundant sunlight Fall high: fall bloom

Are consumers more likely to survive with alternative food sources?

YES

Can particles in water absorb light?

YES

Are the temperate lattitudes (30-60) productive?

Yes, polar regions are as well but are seasonal

What are chemosythetic organisms?

about 5% of all productivity

What is most the worlds ocean's photosynthetic biomass made up off?

at least half is made up of bacteria

When is O2 lowest?

at the bottomw of the disphotic zone

What is biogeochemical cycles?

chemical parts of matter cycled through ecosystem recycled

What do plankton nets do?

collect samples. Directly capture plankton

What is detritus?

dead remains and waste products

Where do most living organisms on earth get their energy from?

directly or indirectly from the SUN

What are most plankton?

drifter

What is the Euphotic zone?

from surface to about 100 m. Enough light for photosynthesis

Despite stresses, ocean margins are still what?

highly productive waters

What does oligotrophic?

lacking nutrients

What is macroscopic algae?

large algae

What is isothermal water?

little mixing in the water. Plankton remain at surface. No thermocline, water is uniformly cold

What is a biological pump?

moves material from euphotic zone to sea floor and back, via upwelling.

What is the compensation depth?

net photosynthesis becomes zero (below this point NO phs occurrs)

Why do nutrients need to be recycled in the ocean?

nutrients are scare in the ocean

What percent of organic matter is NOT decomposed in the deep ocean?

only 1%. OR 99% organic matter is decomposed in deep ocean

Visible light

portion of the electromagnetic spectrum

What is the base of most ocean food webs?

primary producers which are phytoplankton

Is the Antarctic productivity slightly greater or slightly less than the Arctic?

productivity is greater . NADW upwells near Antarctica

What is microscopic algae?

small algae

What are phytoplankton?

small, drifting photosynthetic organisms. 90-96% of all productivity.

What does biomass mean?

the mass of all living material in a given area

What happens to gases in cold water?

they are more soluble in cold water

How do we monitor the ocean floor?

with satellites

One of the limiting factors is salinity. Does it vary?

yes, particularly at the surface. Most marine organisms have limited ability to regulate salt