plankton & MPAs

Question 1

benthic

Answer 1

the substrate (eg. rock, mud, sand)

eg…

• littoral
• sublittoral
• bathyal
• abyssal
• hadal

Question 1

pelagic

Answer 1

the water column

eg…

• epipelagic
• mesopelagic
• bathypelagic
• abyssalpelagic
• hadalpelagic

Question 2

what is used to catagorise realms?

Answer 2

• depth
• light
• position relative to continental shelf

Question 3

nekton

Answer 3

pelagic organisms that can maintain their position against water currents

nektos: swimmer

Question 4

plankton

Answer 4

pelagic organisms that cannot maintain their position against currents

planktos: wanderer

Question 5

2 types of planktonic organisms catagorised by mode of nutrition

Answer 5

• phytoplankton (plant-like)
  -> capable of 1º production via p/s
• zooplankton (animal-like)
  -> derive nutrition by consuming other organisms

Question 6

types of planktonic organisms catagorised by size

Answer 6

• Mega-plankton -> 20 cm +
• Macro-plankton -> 2cm – 20 cm
• Meso-plankton -> 200 μm - 2cm
• Micro-plankton -> 20-200 μm
• Nano-plankton -> 2 - 20 μm
• Pico-plankton -> 0.2 - 2 μm

Question 7

planktonic organism examples

4

Answer 7

• diatoms
• dinoflagellates
• coccolithophorids
• cyanobacteria (Blue-green algae)

Question 8

why are cyanobacteria ecologically important?

Answer 8

• dominant 1º producer in the oceans
• many are food for small zooplankton
• some toxic -> if they bloom: can impact whole ecosystems

Question 9

cyanobacteria

Answer 9

• capable of p/s
• typically up to 5µm in size
• many can use N₂ gas as source of nitrogen (they ‘fix nitrogen’)
• cyanobacteria can occur as single cells, filaments, or colonies

Question 10

coccolithophorids

Answer 10

• single celled eukaryotes (protists)
• capable of p/s
• small (less than 20 μm)
• characterized by calcium carbonate coccoliths

Question 11

why are coccolithophorids ecologically important?

Answer 11

• 1º producers in coastal and open ocean waters
• form blooms that look chalky white in open ocean
• major contribution to CaCO₃ sedimentation

Question 12

diatoms

Answer 12

• single celled eukaryotes (protist)
• capable of p/s
• 5- 200 μm and fast growing (1-3 generations per day)
• characterized by producing a silica ‘box’ around cell -> composed of 2 halves called ‘valves’ or ’frustules’
• can also occur as single cells or chains

Question 13

why are diatoms ecologically important?

Answer 13

• major 1° producers in coastal (i.e., neritic) waters
• important food source for zooplankton and larval fish
• on geological timescales sedimentation of dead diatoms leads large silica deposits (diatomaceous earth)

Question 14

how else are diatoms important?

(not ecologically)

Answer 14

• forensics (diagnose location of drowning)
• diatomaceous earth used as…
  -> abrasive in toothpaste and polishes
  -> absorbent for nitroglycerin
  -> filtration of liquids (e.g., beer)

Question 15

Dinoflagellates

Answer 15

• single celled eukaryotes
• 10- 200 μm
• characterised by 2 whip-like flagella
• some “armored” with cellulose plates, others are “naked”

Question 16

why are dinoflagellates ecologically important?

Answer 16

• some phytoplankton, some zooplankton, some are both (called mixotrophy)
• can eat smaller cells and are food for larger zooplankton
• can form harmful blooms -> cause disease in wildlife and humans, e.g., Pfiesteria hysteria causes skin lesions and mass mortality in many fish species

Question 17

mixotrophy

Answer 17

allows a species to be both plant and animal like

Question 18

viruses and bacteria

Answer 18

• viruses are the most abundant ‘life form’ in the ocean (estimated 1030 viruses)
• every second, approx 1023 viral infections occur in the ocean
• major source of mortality and disease in organisms from phytoplankton to whales
• bacteria are important heterotrophic decomposers (although the cyanobacteria are important autotrophs)
• bacteria play a critical role in major element cycles (e.g., the carbon and nitrogen cycles)

Question 19

microzooplankton

Answer 19

• small metazoan & protozoa (i.e., heterotrophic unicellular eukaryotes) form critical link in marine food webs
• consume bacteria and nano-phytoplankton
• feed mesozooplankton & larval fish

Question 20

ciliates

Answer 20

• characterised by ‘hair-like’ cilia on cell surface associated with movement & feeding
• important grazers in the marine plankton

Question 21

mesozooplankton

Answer 21

exclusively metazoan (i.e., animals)

Question 22

copepods

Answer 22

• small crustaceans
• account for ~95% of the planktonic biomass (dom taxonomic group in plankton)
• highly diverse (over 13000 species)
• most important grazers of 1º producers (particularly diatoms)
  -> feed by sieving water
• important ‘egesters’ too (C.R.A.P)
  -> major pathway for carbon export to deep oceans

Question 23

3 major groups of copepods

Answer 23

• harpacticoids (benthic)
• cyclopoids
• calanoids

Question 24

protected area

Answer 24

• clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated & managed, through legal or other effective means…
• to achieve long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services & cultural values
• created by delineating zones with permitted & non-permitted uses within zone

Question 25

Global Importance of Biodiversity in the UK’s Overseas Territories

Answer 25

• 24 endemic bird sp
• 100 endemic reptiles (0 in GB & NI)
• 500 endemic invertebrates (> 99.2% of
  endemic terrestrial invertebrate sp occurring on UK territory)
• 200 endemic plants
• ~50% of world’s breeding albatrosses
• one of world’s major coral reef nations
• 94% of known British sp

Question 26

Uk overseas territories (UKOTs)

Answer 26

• Isle of Man
• Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark
• Gibralta
• Cyprus Sovereign base areas
• British Indian Ocean territory
• Ascension Island
• St Helena
• Falkland Islands
• Tristan Da Cunha
• South Georgia
• British Antarctic territory
• Pitcairn Islands
• Cayman Islands
• Bermuda
• Turks & Caicos Islands
• British Virgin Islands
• Anguilla
• Montserrat

Question 27

Ascension Island

Answer 27

bright spot for marine conservation in tropical Atlantic

• discovered by Portuguese in 1501
• claimed by Britain in 1815 to defend St Helena
• politically part of the UKOT of St Helena, Ascension Island & Tristan da Cunha
• governed by appointed representatives from UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office supported by elected Island Council
• primarily functions as UK & US military base and telecomm. hub

Question 28

the problems

(concerning MPAs)

Answer 28

• only 7.7 % of ocean in MPAs
• only 2.7 % of ocean is highly protected
• MPA coverage is ↑ but still short of target set for 2020 (in Aichi Biodiversity targets)
  -> & v short of 30% by 2030 that is thought to be min. needed to stabilize marine ecosystems

Question 29

BRUVs

Answer 29

Baited Remote Underwater Video systems

-> fish surveying tool
-> stationary, seafloor camera with bait to attract fish

Question 30

paper parks

Answer 30

• areas are designated as ‘protected’ on official documents…
• but may not receive necessary resources, enforcement or conservation measures to ensure effective protection of env & biodiversity