SG: Marine Ecosystems

Question 1

Rocky Shore

Answer 1

Consists of rocky ledges, pools of salty water, and boulders. Hardy plants and animals live on rocky shores. Can be exposed or sheltered, with high tides.

Question 2

Sandy Shore

Answer 2

Harsh environment with crashing waves, flow of tides, and ocean currents. Changes appearances seasonally with little to no sand left in the winter time. Organisms who live here have to swim or burrow.

Question 3

Fringing Coral Reef

Answer 3

Forms along the shoreline of tropical islands. Reef building coral animals survive warm waters with nutrient-lacking waters as well

Question 4

Barrier Coral Reef

Answer 4

Forms as the oceanic island begins to sink into Earth’s crust. COral reef grows upward and orgaisms lay down calcium carbonate. Their living tissue remains on the clear tropical parts of the reef

Question 5

Atoll Coral Reef

Answer 5

Forms when the oceanic island sinks below the surface of the ocean. Eroded reef material piles up, creating a cay.

Question 6

Kelp Forest

Answer 6

Underwater ecosystems formed in shallow waters where kelp grows. They can reach heights of 150 feet.

Question 7

Coastal Ocean

Answer 7

The narrow region where land and water come together. Provides habitat for a wide variety of organisms. Includes beaches, cliffs, and coral reefs.

Question 8

Open Ocean (Pelagic )

Answer 8

99% of inhabitable space on earth is open ocean. Categorized into different zones, The epipelagic zone, The mesopelagic zone , bathypelagic zone, abyssopelagic zone, and the hadopelagic zone.

Question 9

Deep Ocean Floor

Answer 9

Lies above the continental slope. Is cold, dark, and has high pressures.

Question 10

Deep Ocean Water Column

Answer 10

The largest biome on the planet. It buffers biogeochemical circulation, regenerates nutrients, and hosts a wide variety of biodiversity.

Question 11

Hydrothermal Vent

Answer 11

Located on the mid-ocean ridge system. Bacteria live symbiotically with organisms.

Question 12

Abyssal Plain

Answer 12

A flat region of the ocean floor andt he base of the continental rise.

Question 13

Artic

Answer 13

Surrounded by ocean, and covered in sea ice, usually a few inches to a few feet thick.

Question 14

Antarctic

Answer 14

Covered by glaciers and surrounded by the southern ocean.

Question 15

Marine Estuary

Answer 15

Bodies of water where rivers meet the sea. Contains unique and diverse animal and plant species that adapt to brackish water.

Question 16

Mudflats

Answer 16

Located in temperate and polar regions where the velocity of water is extremely low. The finest of the particles settle on the bottom. Not many species are adapted to the mudflats ecosystem due to its tough physical conditions.

Question 17

Salt Marsh

Answer 17

Coastal wetlands that have been flooded and drained by salt water brought in by tides. Their marshy look is due to the soil being composed of mud.

Question 18

Seagrass Meadows

Answer 18

Found in shallow salty and brackish waters in many parts of the arctic circle and the tropics.

Question 19

Mangroves

Answer 19

A group of trees and shrubs that live in the coastal intertidal zone

Question 20

Lagoon

Answer 20

a body of water separated from larger bodies of water by a natural barrier

Question 21

Offshore Artificial Reefs

Answer 21

A single platform that provides habitat for thousands of fish. More than 500 programs have been created in the Gulf of Mexico.