SALTWATER ECOSYSTEM

Question 1

At the mouth of some rivers sediment carried by the river will
be deposited and form a landmass
called a _____.

Answer 1

delta

Question 2

bodies of water partially-enclosed within deltas where seawater mixes with freshwater

Answer 2

estuaries

Question 3

saltwater pools that are separated from the ocean by sandbanks or coral reefs.

Answer 3

coastal lagoons

Question 4

wetland areas that are continually covered and uncovered by the tides

Answer 4

tidal flats

Question 5

tidal flat dominated by herbs, grasses, and shrubs

Answer 5

salt marsh

Question 6

contain submerged plants that have long, narrow leaves that resemble grasslands

Answer 6

sea grass beds

Question 7

have trees with complex root systems that can filter salt and withstand flooding and wave action

Answer 7

mangrove swampls

Question 8

submerged during high tide and
exposed during low tide

Answer 8

intertidal zone

Question 9

The tides are caused by the ________ of the moon and sun

Answer 9

gravitational pull

Question 10

vertical difference between high and low tid

Answer 10

tidal range

Question 11

has the greatest tidal range at
16.3 meters – taller than a 3-story building

Answer 11

bay of fundy in canada

Question 12

shallow sea area directly above
the continental shelf.

Answer 12

coastal zone

Question 13

Abundance of sunlight and
nutrients.

Answer 13

coastal zone

Question 14

About 90% of the ocean’s biodiversity is found in this zone.

Answer 14

coastal zone

Question 15

found on coasts with heavy wave activity

Answer 15

rocky shores

Question 16

are found in areas with gentler wave action or that are sheltered.

Answer 16

sandy shores

Question 17

made from eroded volcanic rock.

Answer 17

black sand

Question 18

made from eroded granite

Answer 18

brown sand

Question 19

made fromeroded coral

Answer 19

white sand

Question 20

are coastal areas between the continental slope and intertidal zone

Answer 20

shallow seas

Question 21

Reach a maximum depth of about 200 meters.

Answer 21

shallow seas

Question 22

Receive enough sunlight to support
photosynthetic plankton and algae.

Answer 22

shallow seas

Question 23

found in the warm, shallow, coastal waters of the tropics and subtropics.

Answer 23

coral reefs

Question 24

are a form a plankton that have a mutualistic relationship with algae.

Answer 24

coral polyps

Question 25

The coral builds an exoskeleton from ____

Answer 25

calcium carbonate

Question 26

algae produce _______ of the polyp’s food through photosynthesis

Answer 26

90%

Question 27

the sunlit top layer of the ocean beyond the continental shelves.

Answer 27

open ocean

Question 28

Availability of nutrients decreases rapidly, greatly limiting the growth of photosynthetic plankton

Answer 28

open ocean

Question 29

Referred to as a “marine desert” due to the relative lack of life

Answer 29

open ocean

Question 30

layers of open ocean

Answer 30

photic (sunlight) zone
dysphotic (twilight) zone
aphotic (midnight) zone

Question 31

contains sufficient sunlight for
photosynthesis.

Answer 31

photic (sunlight) zone

Question 32

has little light; not enough for
photosynthesis.

Answer 32

dysphotic (twilight) zone

Question 33

complete darkness.

Answer 33

aphotic (midnight) zone

Question 34

Many species living in the aphotic and dysphotic zones are _____, meaning they can produce and emit light

Answer 34

bioluminescent

Question 35

produced through chemical reactions or by symbiotic
bacteria

Answer 35

light

Question 36

can help to find prey or attract mates.

Answer 36

light

Question 37

deep sea creatures are ____

Answer 37

most commonly red

Question 38

this color does not penetrate
very far into the water, making them practically invisible to
predators

Answer 38

red

Question 39

it is the sea floor

Answer 39

abyssal plain

Question 40

Food webs in the ____ are based on scavenging and decomposition instead of photosynthesis

Answer 40

abyssal plain

Question 41

shower of organic material that
falls from the open water into the abyssal plain

Answer 41

marine snow

Question 42

____ consume this material (marine snow)

Answer 42

Decomposers and scavengers

Question 43

are fissures in the ocean floor
where heated water and
minerals are released into
the water

Answer 43

hydrothermal vents

Question 44

Certain organisms can use
these compounds as a source of energy, in a process called
____

Answer 44

chemosynthesis