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Blue Planet > Estuaries > Flashcards

Estuaries Flashcards

1
Q

Percentage of Salt vs Freshwater?

A

97.5 vs 2.5

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2
Q

When did the Cambrian explosion occur and what was it?

A

541 MA most major aquatic phyla appear

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3
Q

What is a stromatolite and what does it show?

A

Microbial reefs created by cyanobacteria (layer on top of rock). They are the earliest fossil evidence of life on earth at 3.5 billion years

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4
Q

Describe the thermocline pattern in the ocean

A

Warmer temperature at shallower depths, sharp decrease around 1km

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5
Q

Describe the halocline pattern in the ocean

A

Less saline at shallower depths, sharp increase around 1k

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6
Q

Seawater saturation concentration?

A

35 ppt (can range from 28-41)

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7
Q

Describe the pycnocline pattern in the ocean

A

Matches saline - sharp increase around 1km

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8
Q

How do phytoplankton demonstrate physical conditions affecting biology?

A

They are found in a sharp layer around 50m down where they balance between being warm enough water and still getting nutrient rich upwelling from the bottom.

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9
Q

How does wave exposure demonstrate physical conditions affecting biology?

A

Only stronger swimming larger fish can live in exposed shallow water where the most powerful waves act. In contrast, sheltered areas host a wide variety of fishies

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10
Q

How does the decreased availability of dissolved oxygen (as a result of phytoplankton activity) affect biology?

A

Zooplankton found in this area have adaptations such as large gill area and short diffusion distance from water to blood to be able to extract O2 at low concentrations.

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11
Q

Why are estuaries key areas for cities to form?

A

Offer transport, fresh drinking water, food resources (sheltered environment for fish)

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12
Q

Population of australia living on estuaries?

A

65%

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13
Q

Definition of delta

A

Mouth of the river where sediment deposition occurs

can be both marine and fluvial

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14
Q

Two types of waves?

A

Storm generated - choppy windy

Swell - smooth undulations caused by far out storms

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15
Q

How does moon position affect tides?

A

New moon/Full moon - moon is behind/infront of earth in relation to sun hence STRONG SPRING TIDES
First/Third quarter - Moon is perpendicular to earth hence cancelling out pull of sun so WEAK NEAP TIDES

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16
Q

Define: Ebb tide/Flood tide

A

Movrment of tidal current down/up estuary respectively

17
Q

What are the three classifications of estuary according to its hydrodynamics?

A

River, wave, tidal

18
Q

What are the four classifications of estuary according to its degree of mixing?

A

High, Medium, Non, Negatively Stratified
Ranging from a layer of freshwater ontop of Salt (highly) to where extreme evaporation in the river means saltwater is infact moving upstream and resting ontop of river (negatively)

19
Q

Features of tide dominated

A

Found in North Oz
Mudflats and turbid water
Meandering low energy water
Saltmarshes and Mangroves

20
Q

Features of wave dominated

A

Found in South Oz
Often forms large sand barriers/bars
Low energy central basin behind - lots of seagrass
Can be open or intermittently open (IOCE) and range from large to small.

21
Q

6 Features measured to define estuary classification?

A 
Entrance channel width
Surface water area
Perimeter
Estuary length
Berm height
Beach width
22
Q

3 physical factors affecting biota in the water

A

Temperature
Salinity
Sediments

23
Q

Example of an osmoregulator in varying salinity

A

Salmon fish - changes urine concentration/ion uptake to regulate salinity in cells

24
Q

Example of an osmoconformer in varying salinity

A

Mangrove plants - have adaptations to withstand high salt levels

  • waxy layer reduce water loss
  • store salt in vacuole
  • limit salt uptake at roots
25
Q

How can behaviour help biota survive extreme salt

A

Move up and down water column, or if sessile close shell / hide in burrow

26
Q

What is the Northern Pacific Seastar an example of?

A

An estuarian organism that has a wide temperature/salt range (0-25c/19-41ppt) but reduced when reproducing (5-23c/28-34ppt)
It shows how the two variables interact since larvae can survive at 35ppt but ONLY if temp is low

27
Q

What does the Ingles et al paper 2018 with meiofauna show about climate change predictions?

A

CO2 increase decreases life in the water

Temperature increase increases life in water

28
Q

How does grain size change towards the mouth of the river?

A

They get bigger, meaning water can drain more easily

29
Q

What is bioturbation and why is it important?

A

Movement of soils by organisms in the water. This is important as it oxygenates the sediment and avoids anoxic environments.

30
Q

Main 4 habitats present in estuaries

A

Soft sediments, seagrasses, Mangroves, water column

31
Q

Three categories of infauna?

A

Macrofauna - >500um (polychaete worms, molluscs, crabs
Meiofauna - 62-500um (nematodes, copepods)
Microfauna/flora - <62um (bacteria, diatoms)

32
Q

Three types of movement of meio/macrofauna?

A

1- Moving between grains (small wormlike only) no displacement
2- burrowing by hydrostatic pressure (small polychaetes - use helical muscles in juveniles)
3- burrowing by digging (ghost shrimp)

33
Q

Feeding types (4)

A

Deposit feeders -> results in bioturbation
Suspension feeders - normally sessile can be active (pump) or passive with cilia to catch floating food
Predation (some polychaete worms)
Scavengers (crabs shrimps gastropods)

34
Q

Why are deposit feeders so special and some examples?

A

They are environmental engineers extracting what they need from sediment and spitting out the rest.
This makes them ecosystem engineers and hence essential for nutrient recycling and irrigation.

35
Q

Features of seagrasses and where they normally grow

A

shoots n leaves, flowering plant

Needs soft sediment and sheltered water salty!

36
Q

How are they essential to animoos?

A

Substrate for sessile moos, habitat for motile moos (banjo shark!) especially their juveniles.
This is because they baffle water moevment (ecosystem engineers!)

37
Q

Features of mangrove forests

A 
Terrestrial halophytes (as opposed to seagrasses that are actual marine grasses)
Pneumatophores (ariel roots for gas exchange) and prop roots - essential in waterlogged O2 poor conditions
38
Q

Species living in mangroves?

A

Substrate for seaweed, barnacles, tubeworms, bivalves

Around roots - pulmonate gastropods, burrowing crabs fish

39
Q

What is meant by blue carbon?

A

Total carbon capture (50% of earths total) by marine organisms.
Mostly (50-70%) due to vegetated marine beds - despite only covering <0.5 of surface.

Blue Planet (2 decks)

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