Deck 15: Life Near the Surface

Question 1

The net phytoplankton consists mostly of:

A)Copepods.
B)Diatoms and dinoflagellates.
C)Nanoplankton.
D)Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae).
E)Nanoplankton and diatoms.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Countershading is a form of:

A)Shading with bioluminescence.
B)Warning coloration.
C)Structural coloration.
D)Protective coloration.
E)Cryptic coloration.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The rete mirabile found in some fishes is involved in:

A)Increasing speed.
B)Decreasing buoyancy.
C)Digesting food.
D)Increasing buoyancy.
E)Conserving body heat.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

All of the following are adaptations by the planktonic organisms for floatation except which one:

A)Spines.
B)Small size with a large surface area.
C)Decrease in drag.
D)Flattened shapes.
E)Acclumulation of lipids.

Question 5

Viruses are classified as:

A)Femtoplankton.
B)Picoplankton.
C)Nanoplankton.
D)Mesoplankton.
E)Macroplankton.

Question 6

External input of organic matter is not likely to be important in the:

A)Epipelagic zone.
B)Hadal zone.
C)Bathyal zone.
D)Abyssal zone.
E)Supralittoral zone.

Question 7

Which of these are not considered to be pelagic zooplankton?

A)Arrow worms
B)Comb jellies
C)Pteropods
D)Diatoms
E)Copepods

Question 8

The neuston consist of animals that:

A)Swim against currents.
B)Sink to the bottom portion of the water column.
C)Are top carnivores in the pelagic realm.
D)Spend their entire lives in the plankton.
E)Float on the surface without protruding above the water surface.

Question 9

Which one of these groups builds a mucus "house":

A)Copepods.
B)Arrow worms.
C)Larvaceans.
D)Planktonic snails such as pteropods.
E)Snail larvae.

Question 10

The storage of lipids within the body is an adaptation in plankton since lipids:

A)Make cells heavier.
B)Increase body density.
C)Contain air pockets so they help in buoyancy.
D)Contain a larger amount of energy.
E)Are less dense than water and thus aid in buoyancy.

Question 11

Which of the following are the predominate organisms responsible for the so-called "red tides" especially those which are toxic?

A)Meroplankton
B)Dinoflagellates
C)Copepods
D)Chaetognaths

Question 12

Epipelagic fish have all of the following in order to reduce drag and increase swimming efficiency except:

A)They secrete mucus.
B)They are sleek.
C)They have long spines.
D)They have small scales.

Question 13

Typically the most abundant group in the zooplankton are:

A)Larvaceans.
B)Isopods.
C)Fish larvae.
D)Nanoplankton.
E)Copepods.

Question 14

Which of these would be part of the meroplankton?

A)Viruses
B)bacteria
C)Diatoms
D)Copepods
E)Fish larvae

Question 15

Which of these is not a member of the holoplankton?

A)Copepods
B)Arrow worms
C)Larvaceans
D)Salps
E)Snail larvae

Question 16

The epipelagic is divided into two components: the oceanic waters and the:

A)Abyssal zone.
B)Neritic zone.
C)Pelagic realm.
D)Upper photic zone.
E)Subtidal zone.

Question 17

Most of the primary production carried out in the open ocean is performed by:

A)Seaweeds.
B)Kelps.
C)Phytoplankton.
D)Seagrasses.
E)Zooxanthellae.

Question 18

Which of these is least likely to be seen in the epipelagic?

A)Suspension feeders
B)Deposit feeders
C)Primary producers
D)First-level carnivores
E)Second-level carnivores

Question 19

Which of the following accounts for about 50 percent of the primary production in epipelagic waters?

A)Diatoms
B)Cyanobacteria
C)Dinoflagellates
D)Coccolithophorids
E)Silicoflagellates

Question 20

Most zooplankton feed on:

A)Strictly phytoplankton.
B)Strictly zooplankton.
C)Mostly nanoplankton.
D)Mostly zooplankton.
E)Mostly nanoplankton and phytoplankton.

Question 21

The fall bloom in temperate waters is caused when:

A)Primary production decreases as nutrients increase.
B)Primary production decreases due to light limitation.
C)Primary production decreases as nutrients decrease.
D)Primary production increases as nutrients increase.
E)Primary production increases as the number of nekton increases.

Question 22

Equatorial upwelling occurs as a result of:

A)Temperature changes at the Equator.
B)The divergence of equatorial surface currents.
C)The convergence of equatorial surface currents.
D)Winds causing the Ekman transport of surface water offshore.
E)El Nino conditions north and south of the Equator.

Question 23

Zooplankton that migrate vertically:

A)Hibernate at night and feed during the day.
B)Feed at the surface during the day,and migrate below the photic zone at night.
C)Feed in the photic zone during the day,and migrate to the surface at night.
D)Stay below the photic zone during the day,and feed at the surface at night.
E)Migrate up and down but always stay below the photic zone.

Question 24

Where is the rate of primary production the least?

A)Coasts
B)Upwelling along coasts
C)In the middle of the current gyres
D)Around Antarctica in the summer
E)Along the Equator

Question 25

Which of the following is the second most important nutrient for oceanic primary production as indicated by the graphs?

A)Phosphate
B)Carbonate
C)Calcium
D)Sulfate
E)Hydroxide

Question 26

What is the relationship between dissolved organic matter (DOM)and bacteria in the epipelagic?

A)Bacteria feed on the DOM,making it available to other animals in the food chain that feed on bacteria
B)Bacteria supply most of the DOM
C)Bacteria feed on DOM and thus it is unavailable to other animals
D)Bacteria cannot utilize DOM and thus feed on detritus,depleting it through most of the epipelagic
E)Bacteria cannot utilize DOM,making it available to animals

Question 27

The most common limiting nutrient for primary production in the ocean is:

A)Silicon.
B)Oxygen.
C)Nitrogen.
D)Carbonate.
E)Phosphorus.

Question 28

In order to be more streamlined for constant swimming most epipelagic fish have a tail that is:

A)Short and wide.
B)Short and narrow.
C)Short and thin.
D)High and wide.
E)High and narrow.

Question 29

The Southern Oscillation was given the nickname "El Nino" because:

A)That is the term for changes between two pressure systems.
B)It is a reference to the wind speed over the Pacific Ocean.
C)It describes the relationship between sea-surface and high-altitude pressures.
D)It refers to the tidal differences between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
E)It indicates the reversal of the coastal upwelling beginning in late December.

Question 30

In order to reduce global warming and increase the absorption of carbon dioxide by phytoplankton it has been proposed to add which of these nutrients to the Southern Ocean in order to stimulate phytoplankton growth?

A)Carbonate
B)Calcium
C)Iron
D)Sulfate
E)Copper

Question 31

Which of the following adaptations is least likely to be seen in epipelagic fish?

A)Stiff fins
B)Smooth,scaleless body
C)Increased white muscle
D)Grove in body for fins
E)Eyes flush with body

Question 32

Most animals in the epipelagic are omnivores.This means that they eat:

A)Producers and consumers.
B)Part of the neuston.
C)Zooplankton only.
D)Detritus.
E)Phytoplankton only.