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35 Cards in this Set

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What is diffusion and why is it important to phytoplankton?

-molecules move from areas of high concentration to low concentration


-phytoplankton rely on diffusion, need to get nutrients in and waste products out

Why are almost all phytoplankton cells microscopic?

-small gives maximum surface area/ volume ratio


-small radius=greater area to volume ratio


-small size=slower sinking

What do copepods mainly feed on?

phytoplankton

Why are the dominant primary producers in the ocean microscopic while the primary producers on land are usually much larger organisms?

-microscopic organisms in ocean reduce sinking by maximizing SA/volume ratio


-land organisms compete for light must be taller

Suggest reasons why many deep sea organisms are bioluminescent

-to confuse, lure, communication

What limits primary productivity in most oceanic ecosystems? In most terrestrial ecosystems? How does this affect the animals and plants in these systems?

-nutrients constantly limiting primary productivity, light and temperature


-trees have nutrients available but compete for limited sunlight and can be limited by water

What is meant by the term ecosystem?

the living organisms, their physical environment and all their interrelationships in a particular unit of space

Primary productivity

-measure of how much photosynthesis there it

What is a food chain?

the food chain represents the flow of energy through the ecosystem

Why are there fewer big carnivorous fish in the sea than little carnivorous fish?

-the bigger you are the fewer you are


-10% energy lost within each trophic level big fish need more energy

Why are the biggest fish in the ocean herbivores?

the lower trophic levels provide more energy for the bigger fish

Why is a food chain an over-simplification of how organisms in an ecosystem interact?

-its not a perfect line, better represented as a food web

What are the key challenges facing any organism in an ecosystem?

-how to obtain energy or food


-how to avoid being eaten

What are some of the main environmental differences between the surface ocean and the deep sea?

-light at surface (photic zone)


-nutrients-used at surface(limiting)-high nutrient deep waters


-temperature

What kinda of circulation enhance primary productivity? Suppress it?

-upwelling= productivity ^ (nutrient rich water up)


-downwelling=productivity v (surface water down to depth)


-mixing=productivity ^

Kinds of upwelling and downwelling

-coastal=upwelling filling coastal depression


-equitorial=upwelling filling equator


-gyres=least productive part of ocean

What factors control primary productivity and why?

-light and nutrients

What members of the phytoplankton and zooplankton contribute their shells or tests to marine sediments?

-diatoms- silaceous shell (SiO2)- phytoplankton


-forams- CaCO3-calcareous shell-zooplankton

Compensation depth

-depth to which 1% of light penetrates


-below depth of greatest productivity

Why is the coastal ocean more productive than the open ocean?

-more productivity per unit area on coast


-rivers,upwelling, mixing can reach sea floor

Describe 3 types of phytoplankton and zooplankton

-phytoplankton= diatoms (silaceous shell, most abundant), dinoflagellates (PSP), coccolithophores(tiny)


-zooplankton=(consume primary producers) copepods, krill (macroscopic), meroplankton (juvenile crabs, clams) jellyfish (zooplankton)

Why do many planktonic organisms have adaptations to minimize their sinking rate? Describe these adaptations

-phytoplankton need to stay in photic zone to photosynthesize


-adaptations: can reduce density, shape and antanae to reduce sinking, surface area to volume ratio

Why are many planktonic organisms translucent? Why is this strategy not employed by many nektonic organisms?

-to hide


-nektonic organisms can swim, plankton drift (can't be translucent because of muscles)


-zooplankton can be translucent, phytoplankton can't

WHat organisms are responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning? Why are shellfish involved?

-dinoflagalletes


-release toxins against predators and becomes concentrated in things we eat like oyster and shellfish that can kill us

Why are there more benthic organisms in coastal regions than in the deep sea

-surface light reaches bottom in coastal regions but not in deep sea

What are some advantages and disadvantages of living on the seafloor?

-adv: environment more constant, no energy for buoyancy, can hide


-dis: can't disperse offspring, food supply reduced

Describe the different types of benthos based on habitats

-epifauna: (surface dwelling) sessile(don't move-coral) or mobile(move-lobster)


-infauna: (live in the sediment) clams, worms

Describe the concept of intertidal donation and the factors that affect it

-intertidal zone: area of beach defined by part of day under water


-exposure to air, competition for space,extreme temp and salinity fluctuations, wave action

Why are there fewer species of animals in estuaries than in the adjacent open ocean

-estuaries:semi enclosed body of water, mix of salty and fresh(brackish water)


-variations in salinity, extreme temp change, more difficult to live in brackish water, have to osmoregulate to live there


-open ocean pretty constant

Describe conditions necessary for coral reefs to develop and why these conditions are necessary

-built entirely by biological activity


-made from CaCO3 skeletons


-highly productive but low nutrient


-warm, salty, low nutrients (clean water) clear shallow water (for photosynthesis)


-symbiotic phytoplankton to photosynthesize not for food, energy form sun and food for vitamins

What are the main food sources for baleen whales? toothed whales?

-baleen: zooplankton, krill, plankton (filter feed-doesnt have teeth)


-toothed whales: fish, squid (hunters, have teeth)

What are some of the challenges faced by nektonic organisms? Describe some adaptations used by fish to deal with these challenges

-how to catch food, avoid predators, reproduce, where to live, how to swim, prevent sinking, get oxygen


-swim: harder to move through water-muscles and fins


-predators:color shading, speed


-sinking: gas bladders, fats, lipids


-food:filter feed, hunters, grazers, luring

Describe the feeding strategies of a copepod, jellyfish and tuna. They are the strategies different

-copepod: zooplankton, eats phytoplankton


-jellyfish:immobilizes things that go through tentacles, structured to drift not swim


-tuna: eats smaller fish, muscles, fins, carnivorous

What is fishing down the food chain

-fisherman trying to get bigger fish, not as many big fish, start going for smaller


-smaller and smaller fish being caught-overfishing causes us to have regulations and fish to lower trophic levels.

What are relative trophic levels of fish harvested from the ocean and animals harvested on land? What are the implications of this answer to the management of fisheries?

-grass-cow-human (3 levels)


-ocean typically 5


-cant overfish