Oceanography Chapter 12 Study Guide

Plankton includes all organisms such as bacteria, algae, and animals that actively swim independently of ocean currents

False

Species diversity and total biomass are greater in warm-water marine environments in comparison to cold-water marine environments.

False

The deep scattering layer is produced by masses of migrating phytoplankton.

False

The euphotic zone is contained entirely in the mesopelagic zone

False

The lowest and most specific level in Linnaeus' classification scheme is the family.

False

The majority of marine species are associated with the pelagic environment.

False

The oxygen minimum layer is found in the bathypelagic zone

False

Tropical marine organisms tend to grow more slowly, live longer, and are smaller in general than their cold-water counterparts.

False

Which of the following associations is incorrect?

Kingdom Plantae—algae

Epifauna

Organisms living on the surface of the sea floor attached to rocks

meroplankton

Spend only part of their life as plankton

holoplankton

Spend their entire life as plankton

Cold, high-viscosity water benefits floating organisms more than warmer, low viscosity water.

True

One reason that polar climates support a higher biomass is that colder water can hold more dissolved oxygen than warmer water.

True

Stenothermal organisms are likely to be found in deep open-ocean water

True

Streamlining in fishes and other nektonic organisms means that the minimum amount of energy is expended to swim through the water

True

Phytoplankton are small in size as a result of predation pressure.

False

Multicellular, eukaryotic organisms that range in complexity from simple sponges to complex vertebrates belong to the kingdom:

Animalia

Nekton

All animals capable of moving independently of the ocean currents

Which of the following statements concerning bacteria is false?

Bacteria are found in both Kingdom Monera and Kingdom Protoctista or they reproduce asexually only

Meroplankton are organisms that spend the larval phase of their life cycle associated with the ocean bottom (benthos) and the adult phase of the life cycle as plankton.

False

Osmosis occurs when salt ions diffuse through a selectively permeable membrane with a lower ion concentration.

False

A euryhaline organism would be poorly adapted to living in coastal environments

False

Epifaunal organisms live deep within benthic sediments

False

The hadal zone is associated with deep-ocean trenches

True

The neritic province is associated with the continental shelf.

True

The science of classifying and naming organisms is called taxonomy.

True

Nekton are restricted to particular ocean areas by

all of the above conditions may restrict the distributions of nekton

When compared to their warmer water counterparts, cold-water plankton often:

are larger in size

Neritic marine environments would be found:

associated with continental shelves

Organisms with small bodies, extremely large mouths, and sharp teeth are likely to be found in the:

bathypelagic zone

The sublittoral (subtidal) zone is the area:

below the intertidal zone on the continental shelf

Most marine species are found in the:

benthic environment

Organisms of the mesopelagic zone are characterized by:

bioluminescence and large, sensitive eyes

The color pattern in which marine organisms are light on the bottom and dark on the top of their bodies camouflaging them against the water-air interface is:

countershading

Osmotic pressure increases as the:

difference in salinity increases

The movement of a substance in solution from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration across a selectively permeable membrane in a living organism is called:

diffusion

The euphotic zone is confined to the:

epipelagic zone

An organism that tolerates a wide range of salinities is referred to as

euryhaline

A small size is advantageous for marine organisms because it:

increases the ability to absorb nutrients, the ability of wastes to diffuse out of the organism, and also increases the surface area to volume ratio that in turn reduces frictional resistance to sinking

All of the following are adaptive solutions employed by marine organisms to prevent sinking except:

increasing drag in the water

The majority of marine invertebrates are

isotonic with respect to their environment

An example of an organism that might be part of the infauna is a/an:

lug worm

The seasonal temperature range in the deep ocean is usually:

negligible

High-latitude ocean water tends to support large planktonic communities because:

of higher dissolved oxygen and nutrient concentrations

Infauna

organisms buried in the sea floor

Planktonic organisms often have needle-like structures that:

prevent sinking

Organisms that cannot withstand large changes in temperature are referred to as:

stenothermal

A common body shape that streamlines an organism in the marine environment is a flattened body that:

tapers at the back end

Compared to freshwater fishes, marine fishes:

tend to lose water by osmosis since their internal salt concentration is lower than that of seawater