Marine Food Webs Flashcards
What is phyotplakton’s roles in Marine Ecosystems?
Primary PRoducers
What are the most abundant phytoplankton?
Diatoms
what two forms to diatoms come in?
Centric and Pennate
What form of diatoms are bilaterally symmetric?
pennate
what is the outer covering of diatoms called and what is it made of?
Frustule made of opal (silica)
what are the heaviest phytoplankton and how does this effect their distribution?
diatoms are the heaviest and occur in upwelling regions because it allows them to remain in euphotic zone
where are pennate diatoms normally found?
bottom of very very shallow waters (intertidal, shallow beaches), most abundant in coastal waters
what phytoplankton phyla can vertically migrate?
dinoflagellates
what two kinds of phytoplankton have flagella?
coccolithophores and dinoflagellates
what is the outer covering of dinoflagellates called and what is is made of?
theca: made of cellulose plates
why are dinoflagellates unique from other phytoplankton?
can be carnivorous as well as photosynthesize.
direct impact of dinoflagellates on humans?
Harmful Algae Blooms/Red Tides. Some species release toxins.
Where are coccolithophorids most commonly found
in tropical/ subtropical waters?
what are coccolithophorids outer shells made of and what are they called?
calcium carbonate, coccoliths
what phytoplankton can be used in sediment data to determine ocean climates ?
coccolithophorids
How to you identify and count phytoplankton?
collection with bottles or nets and use an inverted light microscope, fluorometer
How do you measure primary productivity?
Use bottles of ocean water with known amounts of radioactively labelled CO2. turn over. OR. Mimic light regimes with bottles water
what is compensation depth
depth where photosynthesis=respiration
what are 2 families of Jellies?
Cnidarians: stinging (nemocysts)
Ctenophores: sticky (colloblasts)
2 families of molluscs
pteropods and gymnosperms
what is the pteropods shell made of?
calcium cabonate
how do pteropods feed
mucus web
what is biggest difference between pteropods and gymnosperms?
gymnosperms have no shell and feed exclusively on pteropods
What is the most abundant zooplankton
copepods
what zooplankton vertically migrate?
copepods
what zooplankton can be parastic?
copepods and krill
What are euphausilids?
krill
what makes kril unique from other zooplankton
mutliyear life cycles
1-5 years
when do zooplankton migrate the the surface?
at night to feed and avoid predation from fish
