Deck 13: Pelagic Communities

Question 1

An example of a zooplankton that is very important to many pelagic communities is:

A) krill.
B) squid.
C) dinoflagellates.
D) diatoms.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

____ refers to organisms that live on or are associated with the bottom.

A) Pelagic
B) Neritic
C) Planktonic
D) Benthic

Answer 2

D

Question 3

In the gill of a fish, water and blood circulate ____, which ____ transfer efficiency.

A) in the same direction; increases
B) in opposite directions; increases
C) in the same direction; decreases
D) in opposite directions; decreases

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The "seals" of seal shows are:

A) sea lions.
B) true seals.
C) sea otters.
D) manatees.

Question 5

Members of Class Chondrichtyes include:

A) alligators and sharks
B) rays and skates
C) tuna and lampreys
D) rays and hagfish

Question 6

Which of the following statements is FALSE regarding the global distribution of phytoplankton?

A) In the poles, phytoplankton populations decrease during the summer months.
B) There is a constant amount of phytoplankton year-round in the tropics.
C) Phytoplankton are most abundant when there are ample nutrients and light.
D) Phytoplankton populations vary with latitude and season.

Question 7

The whale shark is the largest species of fish and eats:

A) seals and other smaller marine mammals.
B) fish, especially tuna.
C) plankton near the surface of the water.
D) benthic crabs.

Question 8

Single-celled plant-like organisms are called:

A) plankton
B) meroplankton
C) holoplankton
D) phytoplankton

Question 9

Which of the following statements is FALSE concerning the baleen whales?

A) They are marine mammals and hence are air breathers.
B) Some species of baleen whales migrate long distances between their feeding and breeding grounds.
C) The baleen whales are the smallest of the true whales because they only feed on plankton.
D) Some species of baleen whales use complex songs to group communicate.

Question 10

Organisms such as diatoms or copepods that spend their entire life cycle as plankton are called:

A) nanoplankton.
B) meroplankton.
C) holoplankton.
D) zooplankton.

Question 11

What is produced in primary productivity?

A) carbon dioxide
B) light
C) carbohydrates
D) gametes (egg cells and sperm cells)

Question 12

Which of the organisms below drift with the ocean currents?

A) meroplankton
B) nekton
C) benthic organisms
D) cephalopods

Question 13

Animals that generate and regulate metabolic heat and maintain an internal body temperature generally higher than that of their surroundings are called:

A) ectotherms.
B) mesotherms.
C) paratherms.
D) endotherms.

Question 14

Bony fish (like tuna or anchovies) are members of this group:

A) Mammalia
B) Chondrichthyes
C) Osteichthyes
D) Agnatha

Question 15

Where, through a year, is the greatest total oceanic primary productivity?

A) in the tropics
B) in the temperate zones
C) in the polar regions
D) productivity is about equal at all latitudes

Question 16

Identify the statement that best describes the adaptations of "true seabirds" (that is, birds spending nearly all of their life span aloft over the ocean).

A) their wings tend to be short and blunt to reduce weight during flight.
B) their bodies are covered in specialized feathers that differ from other bird species.
C) their wingspan is very long and their bones are hollow to minimize the energy expended in flight.
D) their bodies are insulated with layers of fat to protect them from cold at high altitudes.

Question 17

Plankton that belong to Kingdom Animalia are called:

A) zooplankton
B) meroplankton
C) holoplankton
D) phytoplankton

Question 18

All of the following adaptations offset sinking in fish EXCEPT:

A) swim bladders.
B) counter current flow in gills.
C) fat-filled bladders.
D) fins shaped like airplane wings.

Question 19

Only part of this organism's life cycle is spent as a member of the plankton community:

A) plankton
B) meroplankton
C) holoplankton
D) phytoplankton

Question 20

Drag is determined by all of the following EXCEPT:

A) frontal area.
B) body shape.
C) surface texture.
D) depth.

Question 21

The distribution of phytoplankton in the ocean is directly influenced by the distribution of nutrients.

Question 22

Baleen whales are:

A) in the suborder Odontoceti.
B) in the suborder Mysticeti.
C) in the class Osteichthyes.
D) are in the order Teleostei.

Question 23

Photosynthetic plankton are called phytoplankton and include the diatoms and dinoflagellates.

Question 24

Gill membranes evolved from lungs and function in gas exchange.

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT an Order of marine mammals?

A) Cetacea
B) Pinnipedia
C) Sirenia
D) Ecinodermata

Question 26

All of the following characteristics apply to the Cetacea EXCEPT:

A) Cetaceans have nearly complete hair loss.
B) They have large and deeply convoluted brains.
C) The cetaceans are air-breathing mammals.
D) They all have teeth in powerful jaws that make them efficient predators.

Question 27

Sharks have skeletons made of cartilage, not bone.

Question 28

Huge wings allow the albatross to fly great distances but also require a tremendous amount of energy.

Question 29

Which taxonomic group do whales belong to?

A) Cetacea
B) Pinnipedia
C) Sirenia
D) Manatee

Question 30

The active swimmers of the pelagic realm are called the zooplankton.

Question 31

Pelagic organisms live in the open ocean.

Question 32

Zooplankton are the most numerous primary consumers in the ocean.

Question 33

Which of the following groups include manatees and sea cows.?

A) Cetacea
B) Pinnipedia
C) Sirenia
D) Copepoda

Question 34

All of the following are cetacean adaptations EXCEPT:

A) ectothermy.
B) streamlined body shape.
C) modified respiratory system to collect and retain large amounts of oxygen.
D) mammary glands.

Question 35

An area that has high nutrient levels and very high seasonal primary productivity are the:

A) subpolar zones.
B) tropical coastal regions.
C) coral reefs.
D) tropical open ocean.

Question 36

Which of the following groups of animals includes only pinnipeds?

A) dolphins, whales and manatees
B) seals, sea lions and walruses
C) sea lions, sea cows and dugongs
D) walruses, polar bears and otters

Question 37

An example of an oceanic bird that can forage across the open ocean for months is the:

A) sea gull.
B) albatross.
C) pelican.
D) sandpiper.

Question 38

Penguins are found world-wide and although they cannot fly, they can swim great distances.

Question 39

Coccolithophores are zooplankton that form oozes on the seabed.

Question 40

An important animal in the food web of Antarctica is (are):

A) krill.
B) foraminifera.
C) diatoms.
D) ctenophores.

Question 41

What is a pelagic community? Compare and contrast the types of plankton and nekton that comprise surface and deep-sea pelagic communities.

Question 42

Define marine community and describe the different trophic levels or ecological roles organisms may fill. What factors vary in marine communities that explain why they may change over time?

Question 43

Explain the properties of water that have led to the evolution of a "torpedo" shaped body in most open water fish.

Question 44

Describe at least 3 ways that marine mammals are adapted to life in the marine environment.

Question 45

Explain why phytoplankton is critical to all of life on Earth.