2. Keywords
Plankton – Small plant and animal organisms that float in aquatic
ecosystems
Phytoplankton – Small, drifting plants, mostly algae and bacteria found in
aquatic ecosystems
Zooplankton – Small floating herbivores that feed on plant plankton
Ultraplankton – Photosynthetic bacteria
Nekton – Strongly swimming organisms found in aquatic systems
Benthos – Botton dwelling organisms
Decomposers – Organism that digests parts of dead organisms
Euphotic Zone – Upper layer of a body of water through which sunlight can
penetrate and support photosynthesis
Coastal Zone – Nutrient rich shallow part of the ocean
Coastal Wetlands – Land along coastline extending inland
Intertidal Zone – The area of shoreline between low and high tides.
3. Keywords
Aquaculture – growing marine or aquatic species in net pens or tanks
Polyculture – raising different fish species together
Monoculture – raising one fish species together
Overfishing – Fishing to the point of depleting resources in an aquatic area
Bycatch – When nontarget fish species are caught in a net
Barrier Island – Low, narrow sandy islands that are formed off shore
Freshwater Life Zones – Aquatic systems where water with a dissolved salt
concentration less than 1%
Oligotrophic Lake – Lake with a low supply of plant nutrient
Eutrophic Lake – Lake with a large or excessive supply of plant nutrients
Runoff – Freshwater from precipitation and melting ice that flows on the
earths surface to nearby bodies of water
4. MC Questions
1) _________ is the lowering of the pH of the oceans due to an increase in
carbon dioxide
A – ocean acidification
B – acidic sea levels
C – photovoltaic acidification
D – aquatic pH levels
2) What kind of consumer feeds of phytoplankton?
A – Primary
B – Secondary
C – Tertiary
D – All of the above
5. MC Questions
3) Which is the smallest plankton?
A – Ultraplankton
B – Nekton
C – Phytoplankton
D – Zooplankton
4) Which part of the ocean is nutrient rich and shallow?
A – Coastal Zone
B – Coastal Inland
C – Intertidal Inland
D – Intertidal Zone
6. MC Questions
5) Which lake has an excessive supply of plant nutrients?
A – Eutrophic
B – Polytrophic
C – Oligotrophic
D – Monotrophic
6) Which lake has a low supply of nutrients ?
A – Eutrophic
B – Polytrophic
C – Oligotrophic
D – Monotrophic
7. MC Questions
7) An algal bloom appears in a nearby canal, what could this be attributed
to?
A – Eutrophication
B – Runoff
C – High levels of pH
D – Urban Development
8) Which of the following has caused the greatest increase in the
introduction of marine alien species into new ecosystems?
A – Tourism
B – Air Travel
C – Shipping
D – Commercial Fishing
8. MC Questions
9) Fishing methods like bottom trawling, gill netting, and lonling are
especially subject to
A – Poor yields
B – Crew safety policies
C – Seasonal Variation
D – Bycatch
10) Growing marine or aquatic species in net pens or tanks is known as
A – Bioculture
B – Aquaculture
C – Cross Cultivation
D Nonviable Organisms
10. Free Response Question
Why do aquatic plants such as
phytoplankton tend to be very small,
whereas most terrestrial plants such as
trees tend to be larger and have more
specialized structures such as stems and
leaves for growth? Why are some aquatic
animals, especially marine mammals such
as whales, extremely large compared to
terrestrial animals?
11. Free Response Question
Phytoplankton have many challenges to overcome,
such as obtaining light for growth and food production,
a place to store nutrients efficiently, and a defense
mechanism. Many terrestrial plants have these
qualities in their structure, allowing them to
differentiate in size and many other factors compared
to a phytoplankton. Marine mammals are so large
because in the ocean it is difficult for them to stay
warm. The larger the mammals are, the more fat they
have in their body, allowing them to keep warm in the
cold ocean. Terrestrial animals have the advantage of
being directly hit by the sun which allows them to be
slim and still be warm. Many animals, such as the
bear, eat a lot of food before hibernating in the winder
to gain weight which helps them keep warm.
