Continental shelf and deep sea

Question 1

What is the continental shelf?

Answer 1

Shoreline up to 200 m depth

Question 2

What is the continental shelf influenced by?

Answer 2

Waves
Tides
Currents
Erosion
Inputs from land

Question 3

What physical processes influence the continental shelf?

Answer 3

1) Glaciation events
2) Waves and flow
3) Fronts and production
4) Light and turbidity

Question 4

How many regional ecosystem types are there?

Answer 4

7

Question 5

Based on what are flora and fauna of continental shelf seabed classified?

Answer 5

1) Body size and position
2) Life mode > sessile or mobile
3) Functional role (predator,etc.)
4) Ecosystem function (engineers, sediment processor, etc.)

Question 6

What characterizes deep sea?

Answer 6

1) depth > 200 m
2) Constant environment: cold, dark, soft and deep muds
3) Limited food supply
4) Diversity hotspots: vents, seamounts, coral mounds, whale-fish fall

Question 7

Seamount

Answer 7

underwater mountain formed by volcanic activity

Question 8

Mid-ocean ridge

Answer 8

Site of crust formation with volcanic activity

Question 9

Trench

Answer 9

Deepest part of the sea

Question 10

Euphotic zone

Answer 10

Top layer which receives enough light for photosynthesis

Question 11

Dysphotic zone

Answer 11

Above 1000m, enough light for some vision

Question 12

Aphotic zone

Answer 12

Below 1000m, no light

Question 13

What is bioluminescence?

Answer 13

Method of generating light by ogranisms
Used to find mates, food and avoid predators
Blue-green light

Question 14

How much does hydrostatic pressure increase every 10 m?

Answer 14

1 atmosphere

Question 15

What is the main sediment of deep sea?

Answer 15

Soft and fine mud

Question 16

What are the two types of deep-sea sediments?

Answer 16

Clay particles (under oligotrophic surface waters)
Biogenic oozes (under productive waters)

Question 17

Allochthonous system

Answer 17

Relies on food imputs from another source

Question 18

What kind of food reaches deep sea?

Answer 18

POM = particulate organic matter

Question 19

When is the main production/input of food during the year?

Answer 19

Spring/Summer

Question 20

Does species diversity decrease linearly with depth?

Answer 20

No, it shows a significant increase at 1500-2000 m depth, and decreases again below 2000 m

Question 21

What are deep sea island hotspots of biodiversity?

Answer 21

Cold-water deep coral mounds
Seamounts
Hydrothermal vents
Cold seeps
Whale-fish falls