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Question 1

why are marine aquatic systems important?

Answer 1

salwater ecosystems are irreplaceable reservoirs of biodiversity & provide major ecological & economic services

Question 2

what is the view from a land dweller of aquatic wilderness

Answer 2

distorted/limited view –know more about surface moon than ocean

Question 3

Natural Capital - ecological services marine ecosystems provide

Answer 3

bidiversity (species, genes), habitats/nursery, climate moderation, CO2 absorbtion (nutrient cycling), reduced storm impact (mangroves, barrier islands, coastal wetlands)

Question 4

Natural capital - economic services marine ecosystems provide

Answer 4

Food, transportation, coastal habitat humans, pharmaceuticals, employment, recreation, natural resource–nonrenewable oil /gas.

Question 5

what are the 3 major life zones

Answer 5

coastal zone, open sea, ocean bottom

Question 6

coastal zone

Answer 6

warm, nutrient rich , shallow water extends high-tide mark on land to sloping shallow edge of continential shelf

Question 7

continental shelf

Answer 7

submerged portion continent)

Question 8

what % does the coastal zone make up

Answer 8

makes up 10% world’s ocean, but contains 90% marine species,

Question 9

what does productivity depend upon

Answer 9

Productivity depends on a number of factors, including (1) the total amount of sunlight the biome receives, (3) rainfall during the growing season, (2) temperature, (3) variability in climate, (4) number of species living there (more species means more productivity 5) nutrient availability (nitrogen)

Question 10

primary productivity

Answer 10

the amount of organic matter (or fixation of energy) produced from solar energy in a given area for a given period of time by autotrophs. 2) rate of generation of biomass in an ecosystem

Question 11

estuaries and costal wetlands are highly ____

Answer 11

productive

Question 12

estuaries

Answer 12

where rivers meet sea–partially enclosed bodies water where seawater mixes with freshwater as well as nutrients & pollutants from streams, rivers and run off land

Question 13

coastal wetlands

Answer 13

land along a coastline-extending inland from an estuary that is covered with salt water all or part of the year: marshes (salt), bays, lagoons, tidal flats, mangrove swaps (compared to inland wetlands)

Question 14

inland wetland

Answer 14

land away from the coast, (swamp, marsh, bog, that is covered all or part of time with freshwater.

Question 15

marsh

Answer 15

an area of low-lying land that is flooded in wet seasons or at high tide, and typically remains waterlogged at all times.

Question 16

tidal flats

Answer 16

Tidal flats are sand or mud areas found in many estuarine areas and typically lack recognizable plant life

Question 17

why are coastal wetlands earths most productivie ecosystems?

Answer 17

high nutrient inputs from rivers and nearby land, rapid circulation of nutrients by tidal flows, ample sunlight penetrating shallow waters.

Question 18

why are sea grass beds important part of marine biodiveristy

Answer 18

they are present in low marineand estuarine areas along most continental coastlines. Highly productivive help stablize shorelines and reduce wave impacts

Question 19

why are coastal ecosystems so harsh

Answer 19

Life must adapt to 1. daily/seaonal changes in tidal&river flows, water temp, salinity, and runoff eroded soil sediment (other pollutants) from land. Some ecosystems hav elow plant diversity composed of few species that can withstand dail/seaonal variations.

Question 20

mangroves where found how work

Answer 20

70% sandy sloping coastlines tropical & subtropical regions -esp Australia and SE Asia. They can grow in saltwater extensive root systems that often extend above water –where they obtain oxygen and support trees during periods changing water levels

Question 21

what is value of coastal aquatic systems in terms of ecological and economic services

Answer 21

improve water quality: filter toxic pollutants, excess plant nutrients, sediments. Provide food, habitat, nursery sites for aquatic and terrestrial species. Reduce storm damage and coastal erosion (absorb waves and storing execess water produced by storms/tsunames). Timber + fuelwood. Loss leads-polluted drinking water from inland intrustion of saltware into aquifers that supply clean freshwater. lost 1/5 b/t 1980 & 2005

Question 22

how are tides produced

Answer 22

gravitational pull moon & sun causes tides to rise & fall every 6 hrs most coastal areas

Question 23

intertidal zone

Answer 23

are of shoreline b/t low & high tides

Question 24

why is intertidal zone so harsh for organisms

Answer 24

must avoid swept away/crushed by waves, immersed during high tide, left high/dry low tides (and hotter). Changing salinity (heavy rains dilute saltware). To deal, they hold on, dig in, add protective shells.

Question 25

rocky shores offer what type of environment

Answer 25

pools form and other habitats in these, contain variety species occupy different niches in response daily & seasonal changes in env - temp, water flow, salinity

Question 26

sandy shores or barrier beaches types of organisms

Answer 26

hide from view & survice by burrowing, digging, and tunneling sand. These sandy beaches + adjoining coastal wetalnds home shorebirds evolved specialized niches to feed on crustaceans, insects other orgs. Many of which live barrier islands.

Question 27

barrier islands

Answer 27

low, narrow, sandy islands form parallel nearby coastlines.

Question 28

crustaceans

Answer 28

an arthropod of the large, mainly aquatic group Crustacea, such as a crab, lobster, shrimp, or barnacle.

Question 29

arthopod

Answer 29

an invertebrate animal of the large phylum Arthropoda, such as an insect, spider, or crustacean.

Question 30

why do we need sand dunes? What keeps them in place?

Answer 30

held in place by roots plants (grasses). Are first line of defense againsts ravages of sea. Developers remove these protective barriers plub homes/roads. Storms then flood areas and erode beach. People incorrectly call these natural disaters.

Question 31

are coral reefs productive? Diverse?

Answer 31

coral reefs oldests, most diverse, and productive ecosystems. The marine equivalent of tropical rainforests. Provide homes for 25% marine species.

Question 32

open sea

Answer 32

begins from continental shelf where there is s sharp increase water depth.

Question 33

what determines the a zone in the open ocean

Answer 33

primarily on basis of penetration of sunlight. Also temperature which get colder as we go deeper.

Question 34

what are the 3 major vertical zones in open ocean

Answer 34

euphotic bathyal (bath-E-el ) abyssal

Question 35

euphotic zone- env? Species?

Answer 35

brightly lit, drifting phytoplankton produce 40% world’s photosynthetic activity. Nutrients levels=low. Dissolved oxygen=high. Exception: areas called upwelling zones, ocean currents driven by differences in temp or coastal winds bring water up from abyssal zone–carrying nutrients from ocean bottom to surface for use by producers. So these zones contain highlevels nutrients. large,fast predatory fishes - swordfish, sharks, bluefin tuna populate euphotic zone, feeding on secondary & higher level consumers

Question 36

bathyal zone - env? Species?

Answer 36

dimly lit middle zone, rxing little sunlight does not contain photsynthezing producers. Zooplankton and smaller fishes –many migrate to feed on surface night. Word bathyl == deep _ (also known as midnight zone)

Question 37

abyssal zone - env? Species?

Answer 37

dark + cold. Lowest zone does not contain sunlight (no photosynthesis), little dissolved oxygen. Major life zone - lots nutrients. Organisms get food from showers of dead organisms - called marine snow–drift down from upper zones. Organisms: deposit feeders and filter feeders. deposit feeders take mud into guts , like worms, extract nutrients from it. filter feeders, lie oxyters, clams, sponges, pass water through or over bodies and extract nutrients.

Question 38

what is net primary productivity in open sea?

Answer 38

Quite low, except upwelling areas. However, b/c open sea covers so much earths surface it makes largest contribution to earths overall NPP.

Question 39

net primary productivity

Answer 39

Subtracting respiration from gross primary production gives us net primary productivity (NPP), which represents the rate of production of biomass that is available for consumption (herbivory) by heterotrophic organisms (bacteria, fungi, and animals).

Question 40

heterotrophs

Answer 40

an organism deriving its nutritional requirements from complex organic substances.