Deck 15: Animals of the Benthic Environment

Question 1

Match the organism with the appropriate habitat. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)subtidal rocky bottoms
B)sandy beaches
C)mud flats
kelp

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Match the organism with the appropriate zone. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)supratidal zone
B)middle tide zone
C)high tide zone, supratidal zone
D)low tide zone
E)middle tide zone, tide pool
F)high tide zone
hermit crab

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Limpets are commonly found in the middle portion of the intertidal zone on a rocky shore.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Match the organism with the appropriate habitat. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)subtidal rocky bottoms
B)sandy beaches
C)mud flats
heart urchins (Echinocardium)

Question 5

The temperature of the ocean water has a significant effect on species diversity of benthic communities.

Question 6

Epifauna are those organisms that are either permanently attached to the bottom or move over it.

Question 7

Match the organism with the appropriate zone. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)supratidal zone
B)middle tide zone
C)high tide zone, supratidal zone
D)low tide zone
E)middle tide zone, tide pool
F)high tide zone
Mytilus (mussels)

Question 8

Match the organism with the appropriate zone. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)supratidal zone
B)middle tide zone
C)high tide zone, supratidal zone
D)low tide zone
E)middle tide zone, tide pool
F)high tide zone
surf grass (Phyllospadix)

Question 9

Match the organism with the appropriate zone. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)supratidal zone
B)middle tide zone
C)high tide zone, supratidal zone
D)low tide zone
E)middle tide zone, tide pool
F)high tide zone
sea urchin

Question 10

Hermit crabs are commonly found inhabitants of tide pools.

Question 11

The supratidal zone of the rocky shore is the area between the highest high tide and the lowest low tide.

Question 12

Match the organism with the appropriate zone. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)supratidal zone
B)middle tide zone
C)high tide zone, supratidal zone
D)low tide zone
E)middle tide zone, tide pool
F)high tide zone
acorn barnacle

Question 13

Match the organism with the appropriate habitat. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)subtidal rocky bottoms
B)sandy beaches
C)mud flats
sand dollar

Question 14

Match the organism with the appropriate zone. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)supratidal zone
B)middle tide zone
C)high tide zone, supratidal zone
D)low tide zone
E)middle tide zone, tide pool
F)high tide zone
sea anemone

Question 15

Match the organism with the appropriate zone. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)supratidal zone
B)middle tide zone
C)high tide zone, supratidal zone
D)low tide zone
E)middle tide zone, tide pool
F)high tide zone
Pisaster (sea star)

Question 16

Match the organism with the appropriate habitat. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)subtidal rocky bottoms
B)sandy beaches
C)mud flats
coral

Question 17

Match the organism with the appropriate zone. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)supratidal zone
B)middle tide zone
C)high tide zone, supratidal zone
D)low tide zone
E)middle tide zone, tide pool
F)high tide zone
Littorina (periwinkle snail)

Question 18

Match the organism with the appropriate zone. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)supratidal zone
B)middle tide zone
C)high tide zone, supratidal zone
D)low tide zone
E)middle tide zone, tide pool
F)high tide zone
Ligia (rock louse)

Question 19

Match the organism with the appropriate habitat. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)subtidal rocky bottoms
B)sandy beaches
C)mud flats
fiddler crabs

Question 20

Match the organism with the appropriate zone. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)supratidal zone
B)middle tide zone
C)high tide zone, supratidal zone
D)low tide zone
E)middle tide zone, tide pool
F)high tide zone
Fucus (rock weed)

Question 21

The eastern side of an ocean basin tends to have greater diversity of reef-building corals than the western side.

Question 22

Strong algal holdfasts prevent wave shock from washing macroalgae from the rocks in the upper intertidal zone.

Question 23

Meiofauna are small organisms that live between sediment particles on sandy beaches.

Question 24

All of the following are adaptations to life in the rocky shore intertidal zone except:

A)ability to withdraw into their shells.
B)holdfasts for attachment to rock surfaces.
C)schooling to avoid predators.
D)shell to cover soft body parts for protection from predators and desiccation.
E)use of biological glue and protein threads for attachment.

Question 25

The Crown of Thorns sea star may be increasingly more common because its predators are fish species belonging to populations that have dramatically decreased due to overfishing.

Question 26

Kelps with air bladders are common along the western and northwestern Pacific coasts of the United States.

Question 27

Intertidal zonation across a sediment-covered shore is best seen when the shore is gently sloping.

Question 28

The increase in the number of crown-of-thorn sea stars has been strongly linked to human activities.

Question 29

One characteristic of hydrothermal vent communities is the unusually large size of organisms such as tubeworms and clams.

Question 30

Zooxanthellae are important members of hydrothermal vent communities.

Question 31

Refer to the figure below to answer the following question.

The area on a rocky shore inhabited by organisms adapted to withstand wave energy for the majority of the tidal cycle is indicated by the number:

A)1)
B)2)
C)3)
D)5)
E)7)

Question 32

Nearly all of the larger organisms that inhabit sediment-covered shores are epifaunal organisms.

Question 33

Coral reefs contain more algal biomass than animal biomass.

Question 34

Some of the more common fauna of sediment-covered shores include bivalve mollusks, annelid worms, and crustaceans.

Question 35

Refer to the figure below to answer the following question.

Within the intertidal zone, the area that receives equal amounts of air exposure and water coverage is indicated by the number:

A)1)
B)3)
C)5)
D)6)
E)7)

Question 36

Species diversity is highest in coral reef communities.

Question 37

Refer to the figure below to answer the following question.

Along a rocky shore, the spray zone is indicated by the number:

A)1)
B)2)
C)3)
D)5)
E)7)

Question 38

Hypersaline seep communities rely on photosynthesis.

Question 39

The distribution of benthic biomass is related to:

A)current patterns.
B)primary productivity.
C)sediment variety.
D)thermocline depth.
E)wave energy.

Question 40

Coral reefs contain 25% of all known marine species.

Question 41

Organisms that live in the spaces between sediment particles are called:

A)epifauna.
B)microfauna.
C)meiofauna.
D)mesofauna.
E)subfauna.

Question 42

The relationship between the protistan zooxanthellae and the polyps of reef-building corals is best described as a/an:

A)facultative ectoparasitism.
B)facultative commensalism.
C)obligate endoparasitism.
D)mutualistic symbiosis.
E)obligate commensalism.

Question 43

The common annelid found in a sandy beach environment is the:

A)clam.
B)fan worm.
C)feather duster worm.
D)ghost crab.
E)lugworm.

Question 44

The most important limiting factor in rocky intertidal communities is:

A)food.
B)light.
C)nutrients.
D)predation.
E)space.

Question 45

The subtidal rocky bottom zone along temperate shorelines is dominated by:

A)coralline algae.
B)green algae.
C)kelp.
D)Thalassia.
E)Zostera.

Question 46

Some organisms living in the high water portion of the intertidal zone cannot survive in the supralittoral zone because they:

A)have planktonic larval forms.
B)are sessile.
C)cannot tolerate dessication or drying out.
D)cannot tolerate fluctuating salinity.
E)cannot tolerate temperature fluctuations.

Question 47

The low-water portion of the rocky intertidal zone is dominated by:

A)hermit crabs.
B)fiddler crabs.
C)limpets.
D)mussels.
E)red and brown algae and surf grasses.

Question 48

The most successful adaptation for living on a sediment-covered shore is:

A)attachment to the substrate.
B)burrowing into the sediment.
C)flattened body shape.
D)sessile lifestyle.
E)swimming.

Question 49

All of the following are true of corals except:

A)they are small benthic marine animals that feed with stinging tentacles.
B)the distribution of reef-building corals is greater in the tropics.
C)corals grow in shallow water with high light and relatively low nutrient input.
D)hermatypic coral polyps contain symbiotic algae.
E)corals have obligate endosymbionts.

Question 50

Which of the following factors does not limit coral growth?

A)high concentrations of calcium carbonate in the water
B)high sediment load in the water
C)low light
D)low nutrient levels in the water
E)water temperatures below 18°C

Question 51

Which of the following marine habitats has the lowest species diversity?

A)coral reefs
B)mangrove swamps
C)mud flats
D)rocky shores
E)kelp forests

Question 52

All of the following are examples of strategies employed by organisms to reduce wave shock in the rocky intertidal zone except:

A)attachment threads.
B)muscular foot.
C)holdfasts.
D)motile larvae.
E)the use of suction to attach to rocks.

Question 53

The depth to which a bivalve can bury itself depends on the:

A)composition of the sediment.
B)length of its siphon.
C)oxygen content of the sediment.
D)turbidity of the surface water.
E)wave frequency and water velocity.

Question 54

Which of the following is a threat to coral reef survival?

A)boat collisions
B)fishing
C)scuba and snorkeling
D)suspended sediment
E)All of the above might contribute to the decline of a coral community.

Question 55

The loss of color (coral bleaching)in coral reef organisms can be a result of:

A)crown-of-thorn sea stars.
B)fungal parasites.
C)increased sediment loads.
D)increase in zooxanthellae concentrations
E)loss of zooxanthellae.

Question 56

Zooxanthellae are autotrophic marine protists that are found in the living tissues of some simple marine invertebrates such as corals, sea anemones, and jellyfish. Zooxanthellae are:

A)bacteria.
B)golden algae.
C)dinoflagellates.
D)protozoans.
E)foraminifera.

Question 57

Two dominant organisms of the rocky shore found high on the rocks of the intertidal zone are:

A)buckshot barnacles and limpets.
B)goose barnacles and mussels.
C)keyhole limpets and Irish moss.
D)periwinkle snails and kelp.
E)sea anemones and hermit crabs.

Question 58

Sewage discharge and fertilizer runoff is detrimental to coral growth because it increases the:

A)amount of inorganic nutrients in the water that stimulates excessive algal growth.
B)amount of toxic synthetic chemicals which stimulate excessive bacterial growth.
C)salinity of the water that results in coral bleaching.
D)water temperature that kills zooxanthellae.
E)water temperature that results in coral bleaching.

Question 59

A common inhabitant of the supratidal zone on the rocky shores of the Pacific Northwest is the:

A)buckshot barnacle.
B)limpet.
C)kelp.
D)periwinkle snail.
E)sea urchin.

Question 60

Two dominant organisms commonly found at mid-water levels of the rocky intertidal zone are:

A)buckshot barnacles and rockweed.
B)fiddler crabs and Littorina.
C)goose-necked barnacles and mussels.
D)periwinkle snails and kelp.
E)sea anemones and hermit crabs.

Question 61

Discuss the conditions that limit the distribution of corals worldwide.

Question 62

List and describe the plant and animal adaptations employed by animals living on a rocky shore (intertidal zone).

Question 63

Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
A. buckshot barnacle
B) chiton
C) hermit crab
D) limpet
E) periwinkle

Question 64

Compare and contrast the primary production (producers)in a sea grass and a coral reef including in your answer a typical energy pyramid for both ecosystems.

Question 65

These organisms are inhabitants of a/an:

A)active subduction zone.
B)cold seep.
C)hypersaline seep.
D)hydrocarbon seep.
E)hydrothermal vent.

Question 66

Primary producers in hydrothermal vent communities are:

A)algae.
B)eyeless shrimp.
C)giant clams.
D)Riftia tubeworms.
E)sulfur-oxidizing archaea.

Question 67

The three varieties of seeps on the seafloor include hypersaline, hydrocarbon and:

A)abyssal plain seeps.
B)deep-sea trench seeps.
C)mid-ocean ridge seeps
D)seamount seeps.
E)subduction zone seeps.

Question 68

Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
A. regeneration
B) inking
C) mimicry
D) stinging cells
E) withdrawal into shell

Question 69

What is coral bleaching? List the environmental conditions that contribute to the development of coral bleaching.

Question 70

Describe the role of meiofauna in nature. Why are meiofauna concentrated in the spaces between sediment particles?

Question 71

Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
A. coral reef
B) cold seeps
C) hydrothermal vents
D) kelp forests
E) rocky intertidal zone

Question 72

Compare and contrast the environmental conditions that favor the growth of kelp forests and corals.

Question 73

Discuss the role of sea urchins in kelp forest ecosystems.

Question 74

Discuss the adaptations of marine organisms to life in the rocky intertidal zone.

Question 75

All of the following are associated with hypersaline seeps except:

A)chemosynthesis.
B)hydrogen sulfide.
C)microbial mats.
D)very high salinity.
E)very high temperature.