Oceans Flashcards
the ________ is the largest reservoir of water on the surface of the Earth and is composed of salt water
Ocean
a place where freshwater from a river meets and mixes with salt water from the ocean
Estuary
Oceanographers divide the ocean into zones according to how far down sunlight penetrates.
Oceanic Zones
the variety of life in a particular ecosystem
Biodiversity
the movement of cold, nutrient-rich water from deep layers of the ocean up to the surface.
Upwelling
the process by which the cells of plants and some other organisms use the energy of sunlight to make their own food
Photosynthesis
the process by which some organisms use the energy stored in chemical bonds to make their own food
Chemosynthesis
are recently-discovered features on the crest of oceanic ridges that release dissolved minerals into the oceans. These vents are the exit point on the ocean floor from which sea water that has seeped into the rocks of the oceanic crust (heated and containing dissolved materials from the crust) flows back into the ocean.
Hydrothermal Vents
the saltiness of a body of water
Salinity
Aquatic animals that are able to swim and move independently of water currents
Nekton
The flora and fauna found on the bottom, or in the bottom sediments of a sea, lake or other body of water
Benthos
microscopic organisms that float freely with oceanic currents and in other bodies of water. Two types of plankton are phytoplankton (tiny plants) and zooplankton (tiny animals)
Plankton
a large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply
Reservior
Coral animals survive best in warm water. Which material is MOST abundant in warm water?
A. Carbon Dioxide
B. Oxygen
C. Nitrogen
A. Carbon Dioxide
Which BEST describes the water in an estuary?
A. Brackish
B. Frozen
C. Fresh
D. Salt
A. Brackish
What area of the ocean is MOST benefited by upwelling?
A. The ocean floor
B. The ocean trenches
C. The continental shelf
D. The surface of the ocean
D. The surface of the ocean
Which BEST explains why estuaries are productive ecosystems?
A. They have high saltwater content
B. They have high levels of dissolved gases
C. They receive nutrients from both rivers and the ocean
D. They receive chemicals from commercial and industrial runoff
C. They receive nutrients from both rivers and the ocean
What causes upwelling in the oceans?
A. Coral reef construction
B. Photosynthesis reactions
C. Winds and ocean currents
D. Animal migration patterns
C. Winds and ocean currents
Which will MOST LIKELY result if there is increased upwelling in a coastal area?
A. More aquatic life
B. Less nutrients in the water
C. Higher water temperatures
D. Fewer nitrates
A. More aquatic life
Which BEST illustrates how aquatic and terrestrial food web are interconnected?
A. Sharks eat smaller fish in the ocean
B. Algal blooms feed the fish populations
C. Phytoplankton use sunlight to produce food
D. Red tide in the sea poisons land plants and animals
D. Red tide in the sea poisons land plants and animals
Which BEST describes the types of organisms found in estuaries?
A. They can survive in salt water
B. They are only found in freshwater
C. They cannot tolerate brackish water
D. They tolerate both freshwater and salt water
D. They tolerate both freshwater and salt water
Which organism is at the base of a marine food web?
A. Crab
B. Phytoplankton
C. Whale
D. zooplankton
B. Phytoplankton
Which technology is MOST efficient in mapping large areas of the ocean?
A. Sonar
B. Robots
C. Depth gauge
D. Satellite imaging
D. Satellite imaging
Which type of ocean water would contain more dissolved oxygen?
A. Cold ocean water in polar regions
B. Warm ocean water in tropical regions
C. Temperate ocean water in subtropical regions
A. Cold ocean water in polar regions
Which area of deep ocean research provides the MOST economic benefit?
A. Hydropower
B. New habitats
C. Oil resources
D. Sea-floor spreading
C. Oil Resources
Which MOST LIKELY causes the western coast of the US to be so plentiful and diverse of sea life?
A. Typhoons
B. Upwelling
C. Water runoff
D. Offshore winds
B. Upwelling
Which is LEAST often used to study the deepest parts of the ocean floor?
A. Sonar
B. Satellites
C. Scuba divers
D. Submersibles
C. Scuba Divers
Which MOST LIKELY provides energy for the tubeworms found on the deep ocean bottom?
A. Algae
B. Small fish
C. Photosynthesis
D. Hydrothermal vents
D. Hydrothermal vents
Which are the 2 main sources of dissolved oxygen in the ocean?
A. Surface air and ocean plants
B. Warm water vents and Earth’s core
C. Underwater volcanoes and earthquakes
D. Animal respiration and dead matter decomposition
A. Surface air and ocean plants
What has deep seas technology helped enhance understanding of the MOST?
A. Chemosynthesis
B. Photosynthesis
C. The water cycle
D. The carbon cycle
A. Chemosynthesis
Which natural feature protects inland bodies of water from contamination?
A. Bog
B. Canyon
C. Estuary
D. Hydrothermal vent
C. Estuary
Which factors limit the productivity of a marine ecosystem?
A. Availability of light and nutrients
B. Availability of nutrients and freshwater
C. Availability of light and chemosynthetic organisms
D. Availability of photosynthetic organisms and freshwater
A. Availability of light and nutrients
Which hazard must submersible vehicles overcome while exploring and studying the deep ocean zone?
A. High waves
B. Increased salinity
C. High water pressure
D. Underwater mountain ranges
C. High water pressure
