Marine Oceanic Processes And Distribution Of Life Review

Date: 11/30/2017

Section 1

1. Which two features together control the density of seawater?

A. Temperature and Salinity

B. Temperature and Sea Depth

C. Salinity and Depth

D. Salinity and Plankton Concentration

2. What is the main driving force for surface ocean currents?

A. Surface water density

B. Salinity

C. Winds

D. Temperature gradients

3. Clara would like to set up a salt water aquarium. In her research she learns that the aquarium must
maintain a delicate balance in order to sustain living organisms. Which of the following is an abiotic
factor that Clara will have to monitor and correct as needed to keep the concentration of salinity in
balance?

A. amount of dissolved oxygen

B. pH

C. temperature

D. water level

4. What two factors determine the density of water in deep currents?

A. salinity and temperature

B. the coriolis effect and wind

C. upwelling and dissolved solids

D. continental deflection and convection

5. This zone extends from the beginning of the intertidal zone and continues all the way down to the
abyss. It has an abundance of crawling organisms. Plant life, salinity, sunlight, and temperature all vary.

A. Oceanic Zone

B. Pelegic Zone

C. Benthic Zone

D. Intertidal zone

6. Which of the following is an abiotic factor that might influence the health of a coastal ecosystem?

A. A change in the types of bacteria in the water

B. A change in the salinity of the water

C. A decrease in the phytoplankton population

D. An increase in the fish population

7. Jill made the table below during her research on aquatic zones and living organisms. Based on Jills
observations, which conclusion could you draw?
Characteristics of Aquatic Zones

Intertidal Air, sun and water exposure, crashing waves

Neritic Water depth less than 200 m; lots of sunlight; warm water

Benthic Very deep water; no light; cold water except near thermal vents that emit heat and
chemicals.

A. Organisms in the intertidal zone must be able to withstand very cold water

B. There are no producers in the benthic zone that rely on photosynthesis.

C. Organisms in the benthic zone must be able to tolerate large amounts of oxygen.

D. The warm water and abundant sunlight in the neritic zone limits the plankton population.

8. The oceans are divided into zones. What criteria do scientists use to classify marine environments?

A. number of fish

B. number of plants

C. length of the beaches

D. physical characteristics
9. Why are there so few aquatic plants and phytoplankton that live at the bottom zones in the ocean?

A. Most sunlight is absorbed before reaching these levels.

B. Temperature in these zones is extremely low.

C. The ocean floor contains many decomposers.

D. Water is a limiting factor.

10. Julio is learning how life is distributed in the aquatic ecosystems. He is studying about the different
types of organisms that live in different ocean zones. To understand these concepts better he draws a
picture for himself to study. Which zone would he show as containing phytoplankton

A. Aphotic

B. Benthic

C. Disphotic

D. Euphotic

11. A science experiment was conducted in a Marine Biology class in an attempt to create a working
model that displays ocean density. The samples are colored as follows: sample 1 is red, sample 2 is
blue, and sample 3 is yellow. There are three samples of water with the following salinity levels:
sample 1 is 30% salinity, sample 2 is 10% salinity, and sample 3 is 20% salinity. Which of the
following descriptions correctly matches the sample with its proper position, temperature, and name?

A. Sample 1: Surfaced Mixed Zone - Warmest Temperature Sample 2: Transition Zone - Coldest
Temperature Sample 3: Deep Water Zone - Median Temperature

B. Sample 3 - Surface Mixed Zone - Coldest Temperature Sample1 - Pynocline Zone - Medium
Temperature Sample 2 - Deep Water Zone - Warmest Temperature

C. Sample 2 - Surface Mixed Zone - Medium Temperature Sample 3 - Pynocline Zone - Warmest
Temperature Sample 1 - Deep Water Zone - Coldest Temperature

D. Sample 2 - Surface Mixed Zone - Warmest Temperature Sample 3 - Pynocline Zone - Coldest
Temperature Sample 1 - Deep Water Zone - Coldest Temperature
12. Which of the following zones contain most of the marine life?

A. The neritic zone, because the water is shallow over the continental shelf allowing most of the area to
receive sunlight and most of the upwelling currents bring vital nutrients to support phytoplankton
populations

B. The neritic zone, because it contains most of the volume of the ocean which allows enough space
for marine life to live in and provides light at the top which allows phytoplankton populations to thrive

C. The oceanic zone, because the water is shallow over the continental shelf allowing most of the area
to receive sunlight and most of the upwelling currents bring vital nutrients to support phytoplankton
populations

D. The oceanic zone, because it contains most of the volume of the ocean which allows enough space
for marine life to live in and provides light at the top which allows phytoplankton populations to thrive

13. The currents in Earths oceans are affected by temperature. The following diagram shows an
ocean current.

A. Cold water is less dense than warm water

B. Cold water is more dense than warm water.

C. Cold water contains less salt than warm water.

D. Cold water contains more salt than warm water.

14. Deep ocean currents are caused by differences in density of the water. Which statement
accurately describes the relationships between salinity, temperature, and density of ocean water?

A. Cold water, holding less salt, sinks towards the bottom of the ocean.

B. Warm water, holding more salt, sinks towards the bottom of the ocean.

C. Warm water, holding less salt, rises toward the surface of the ocean.

D. Warm water, holding more salt, rises towards the surface of the ocean.
15.
Which of the following zones is NOT considered to be an aphotic zone?

A. Abyssopelagic Zone

B. Bathypelagic Zone

C. Hadalpelagic Zone

D. Mesopelagic Zone

16. Coral reefs are highly diverse ecosystems found in ocean water with very specific
characteristics. Which of the following would be characteristic of waters in which coral reefs are found?

A. cool water in the neritic zone

B. deep water in the abyssal zone

C. shallow water in the aphotic zone

D. warm water in the photic zone

17. What factors would most likely decrease productivity in the euphotic zone?

A. decreased availability of light

B. decreased temperature

C. increased biodiversity

D. increased water depth

18.
Which of the following is the correct order of pelagic zones from the surface of the ocean to the deep
ocean?

A. Abyssopelagic, Bathypelagic, Epipelagic, Hadalpelagic, and Mesopelagic

B. Abyssopelagic, Mesopelagic, Bathypelagic, Epipelagic, and Hadalpelagic

C. Epipelagic, Mesopelagic, Bathypelagic, Abyssopelagic, and Hadalpelagic

D. Mesopelagic, Hadalpelagic, Epipelagic, Bathypelagic, and Abyssopelagic

19. What type of aquatic organisms would be expected in the intertidal zone?

A. All types of organisms.

B. No organisms.

C. Organisms that can survive the harsh environment.

D. Varied organisms during high tide but none during low tide.

20.
During spring break, a student observes the intertidal zone in an ocean to study the interactions of
biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem. The intertidal zone contains sand, crabs, starfish, sea
urchins, algae, and barnacles. The water contains dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, minerals ,and
salts.

Which of the following does not describe how abiotic factors affect biotic factors in the intertidal zone?

A. sea stars feed upon mussels

B. tides expose animals to the sun

C. the actions of waves displace plants

D. warm temperature cause small fish to move into deeper water

21. Marine biologists are assessing a population of blue marlin in the Gulf of Mexico. As a means of
analysis, they create an age structure diagram for the population. The resulting age structure diagram
resembles a barrel, with the highest numbers being in the middle ages. What is a logical conclusion
that can be drawn based on the shape of the age structure diagram?

A. population is stable

B. population is growing rapidly

C. population is experiencing a decline in number

D. population is experiencing a slight increase in number

22. Which population is most likely to survive changing environmental conditions?

A. a population that has few competitors

B. a population that is on an endangered species list

C. a population that reproduces sexually

D. a population that has few genetic variations

24. A biologist studied the population of red-tailed hawks introduced into a given area. The graph
below shows the number of hawks as a function of time.

What happened to the hawk population during time period E?

A. An increase in the hawk population caused an increase in the producer population.

B. The population reached carrying capacity.

C. Interbreeding between members of this population increased the amount of mutations in the hawk's
genome.

D. A producer entered the area and provided food for the hawks.
25. (L.17.5) An animal population decreases from 800 individuals to 600 individuals. Which of the
following could explain this change in population size?

A. The population size of the animals predator increased.

B. The emigration rate of the animals from the population decreased.

C. The number of breeding pairs in the animals population increased.

D. The number of species competing with the animal for food decreased.

26. The graph below shows the graph of a population of Duckweed, a small aquatic plant, over several
weeks.

Based on the information in the graph, which statement best explains whether the duckweed
population in group 3 reached its carrying capacity during the 6 weeks of the experiment?

A. The population did not reach its carrying capacity because it was still slowly increasing.

B. At approximately 3 weeks, the population reached its carrying capacity of about 250 plants.

C. After the third week the population surpassed its carrying capacity and showed exponential growth.

D. The population did not reach its carrying capacity because it was declining at the end of the
experiment.
27. A specific species of fish has recently experienced an increase in its carrying capacity. What could
explain this increase in carrying capacity?

A. The species lives on a coral reef that has experienced an increase in photosynthetic algae.

B. The species lives on the ocean floor, and one of its competitors for food has experienced an
increased population.

C. The species lives mutually with another species that has recently experienced a decline in its
population due to parasites.

D. The species lives in an estuary that has recently experienced a large influx of fresh water due to
flooding of the nearby rivers.

28. Review - SC.912.L.17.5: The carrying capacity of an ecosystem is the maximum number of
individuals of a particular species that can be supported on a long-term basis in a given amount of land.
For example, the carrying capacity of the Florida Panther may be 50 panthers per 10,000 square
kilometers of habitat in the Everglades ecosystem.

Which of the following determines the carrying capacity of an ecosystem?

A. the average daily temperature of the ecosystem

B. the most limited resources required for survival

C. the number of predators found in the ecosystem

D. the amount of disease affecting organisms in the ecosystem

29. What happens to a population when a resource that is a limiting factor in the environment suddenly
becomes scarce?

A. The population size will increase until that limiting factor becomes abundant again.

B. The population size will decrease to a size that can be supported by that limiting factor.

C. The population size will remain the same and make use of other, more abundant limiting factors.

D. The population size will fluctuate as individuals adapt to the reduced availability of the limiting factor.
30. Which dispersion pattern is most common in nature?

A. Random

B. Uniform

C. Clumped

D. All are equal

31. Coral larvae will settle on the sea floor in an unpredictable pattern due to the changing of the
currents. This will display which pattern of distribution?

A. Clumped

B. Mixed

C. Random

D. Uniform

32. Corals grow in dense groups on the floor of the ocean. Which type of distribution pattern does this
represent and what is the advantage of this distriubtion?

A. This is a clumped distribution which reduces competition for space and food.

B. This is a uniform distribution that allows more protection of offspring for the colony.

C. This is a random distribution that allows individuals to offer protection to each other from predators.

D. This is a clumped distribution that enables more reproductive success due to proximity to other
individuals.

33. A school of fish is an example of which type of population distribution pattern?

A. clumped

B. dense

C. random

D. uniform
34.
The population distribution pattern for seaweed in the Gulf of Mexico is shown below.

Which pattern of distribution represents the seaweed?

A. bushels

B. clumped

C. random

D. uniform

35. When members of a population move out of a given area, it is called

A. Survivorship

B. Immigration

C. Emmigration

D. Demography