Marine Ecosystems on a Large Scale

Question 1

Meta-Ecosystems

Answer 1

A set of ecosystems linked by the flow of energy and materials across physical ecosystem boundaries

Question 2

Large marine ecosystems

Answer 2

Is a series of meta-ecosystems under similar oceanographic conditions

Question 3

What causes wind-driven currents? (3)

Answer 3

Trajectories of the winds
The shape of the continents
Coriolis effect

Question 4

Ekman Spiral and Ekman transport

Answer 4

Surface currents move at 90 degrees to the winds

Move water towards or away from shore

Question 5

Upwelling on Vancouver Island

Answer 5

Wind coming from the North, water moves away from shore

Due to the California current, in the spring/summer

Question 6

Downwelling on Vancouver Island

Answer 6

Wind from the south, water moves towards the shore

Due to the Alaska current, in the winter

Question 7

Upwelling Strength/intermittency effect on ecological processes

Answer 7

Strong support for the unimodal relationship of upwelling strength and ecological processes

Appears that there is more of a unimodal relationship of upwelling intermittency (intermediate upwelling change is best for ecological processes)