quiz dec 10

Question 1

hydrothermal vents?

Answer 1

communities clustered near jets of superheated water blasting from rift vents in more than 3,000 m below the surface.

Question 2

Give some examples of shoreline marine communities

Answer 2

communities found in the narrow coastal strip where the land meets the sea. They are characterized by
constantly changing physical conditions

Question 3

What are coral reefs? What are zooxanthellae?

Answer 3

Coral reefs are densely populated but they mean only the 1% of tropical
waters (surface to 90 m)

Zooxanthellae: Tiny, symbiotic dinoflagellates that provide oxygen, glucose, and the necessary pH to enhance calcium deposition to the coral

Question 4

What length do kelp forests reach?

Answer 4

kelp:62 m

Question 5

What is a mangrove swamp?

Answer 5

coastal wetlands located in tropical and subtropical zones; characterized by salt-tolerant trees and shrubs, such as mangrove trees

Question 6

What is an estuary and what are its functions?

Answer 6

1) Habitat 2) Nursery 3) Fisheries 4) Recreation 5) Water purification 6) Flood control (from upstream) 7) Buffer land from hurricanes, absorb storm surge

Question 7

What happens to bleached corals?

Answer 7

when temperatures go above normal, the zooxanthellae (algae) in the coral can be rejected, the coral turns a whitish color and dies

Question 8

What is brackish water?

Answer 8

mix of salt and fresh water

Question 9

What are benthic organisms? Where can benthic communities be found?

Answer 9

Benthic organisms: organisms that live associated to the bottom, on or in the seafloor
We can classify benthic environments depending on their depth and distance to the coast: Shoreline/intertidal (Rocky intertidal zones/Sand
beaches/Salt marshes/estuaries/mangroves), shallow water (Kelp forests/sea grass meadows/coral reefs), and deep sea (Hydrothermal
vents/cold seeps/whale falls)

Question 10

How is an individual coral animal called?

Answer 10

polyp

Question 11

What are some common features of marine mammals?

Answer 11

• Streamlined body shape
• Generate and conserve internal body heat • Modified respiratory system
• Osmotic adaptations

Question 12

What are some examples of deep-sea communities?

Answer 12

Hydrothermal

vents/cold seeps/whale falls

Question 13

What is the steppingstone theory?

Answer 13

Whale carcasses may provide “stepping stones” for vent organisms to drift from one carcass to the next until a new
or newly active vent is reached

Question 14

Where are mangroves located? What characterizes them?

Answer 14

located in tropical and subtropical zones; characterized by salt- tolerant trees and shrubs, such as mangrove trees

Question 15

cold seep communities

Answer 15

in places on the seafloor where cold hydrocarbon-rich water escapes, chemosynthetic bacteria use the methane and
hydrogen sulfide present in the seep water as an energy source and constitute the base of the trophic chain.

Question 16

salt marshes?

Answer 16

often form in estuaries (broad shallow river mouth where freshwater and saltwater mix), with reduced wave shock (surf blocked by long sand bars)

Question 17

sand and cobble beach communities?

Answer 17

Hostile environment for smaller organisms. Rough sand particles get into soft tissue and wear away protective shells. Difficulty separating food from sand particles and keeping away from predators and waves. Rounded rocks on cobble beaches crush small organisms. Not as much biodiversity as rocky shores – 1) Not much habitat diversity 2) Sand dries out at low tide 3) No much food

Question 18

muddy bottomed salt marshes?

Answer 18

the most active benthic communities

High primary productivity because of high nutrient availability

Question 19

tidal pools?

Answer 19

pools of salty water uncovered during the low tides that can contain fauna and flora usually found in the lower or under the lower intertidal

Question 20

rocky internal zone?

Answer 20

Band between the highest high-tide and lowest low-tide marks on a rocky shore. High, abundance and density. Impacted
by rising and falling tide, and wave shock. Rapid change of temperature / osmotic shocks if freshwater from storms. Strong competition and fight for the space