Deck 11: The Coastal Oceans

Question 1

Minamata disease was caused by mercury contamination.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Laguna Madre is a classic coastal plain estuary.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Primary sewage treatment involves the removal of inorganic nutrients from the liquid effluent.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Biomagnification is a result of the inefficiency of trophic transfer in the food web.

Question 5

Prevailing offshore winds produce coastal waters that:

A)are biologically diverse.
B)are cooler.
C)are identical to the open ocean.
D)have higher salinities.
E)have lower salinities.

Question 6

Mediterranean Sea water has little impact on the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Question 7

Mangrove swamps are protective buffer areas in temperate latitude coastal ecosystems.

Question 8

Nitrates and hydrocarbons are examples of persistent organic pollutants in marine ecosystems.

Question 9

The Coriolis effect is evident in the surface circulation of Chesapeake Bay.

Question 10

Prevailing offshore winds tend to decrease surface water salinity in a coastal plain estuary.

Question 11

Bioremediation involves the use of microorganisms to degrade pollutants such as crude oil.

Question 12

The largest single oil pollution event was the result of the Persian Gulf War in 1991.

Question 13

The greatest sources of hydrocarbons in the marine environment are urban run-off and shipping.

Question 14

SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)extends:

A)3 nautical miles form the coast.
B)10.5 nautical miles from the coast.
C)20 nautical miles from the coast.
D)200 nautical miles from the coast.
E)into open international waters.

Question 15

Salt marshes serve as nurseries for over half of the commercially important fish in the southeastern United States.

Question 16

Pollutants are any substance that has a negative effect on the environment.

Question 17

The decreased calcium content in the shells of piscivorous birds was a result bioaccumulation of pesticides in the food chain.

Question 18

The biological response level that is impacted for the longest time period by pollutants in the marine environment is the:

A)biochemical-cellular level.
B)community dynamics and structure level.
C)organismal level.
D)population dynamics level.
E)trophic level.

Question 19

The two most significant sources of oil pollution in the marine environment are:

A)blow out accidents and urban run-off.
B)natural seeps and urban run-off.
C)normal oil tanker/shipping operations and urban run-off.
D)oil tanker and blowout accidents in marine coastal waters.
E)tar balls and oil tanker accidents.

Question 20

Coastal wetlands are characterized by:

A)high levels of inorganic nutrients in the tidal zone and oxygen-rich sediments
B)high levels of organic nutrients in the tidal zone and anoxic sediments.
C)high levels of organic nutrients in the tidal zone and oxygen-rich sediments.
D)low levels of inorganic nutrients in the tidal zone and anoxic sediments.
E)low levels of organic nutrients in the tidal zone and oxygen-rich sediments.

Question 21

Estuarine circulation associated with a shallow,low-volume estuary in which river water mixes evenly at all depths with ocean water would be called a:

A)highly stratified estuary.
B)salt wedge estuary.
C)slightly stratified estuary.
D)tectonic estuary.
E)vertically mixed estuary.

Question 22

One major problem associated with Chesapeake Bay and increased human pressure is:

A)an increase salinity during particular times of the year.
B)an increase in nutrients resulting in more frequent kills of bottom-dwelling animals.
C)decreased tributary river flow due to increased water demand.
D)salinity fluctuations due to reduced inflow from rivers.
E)the removal of sediments behind hydroelectric dams

Question 23

The largest petroleum spill in the marine waters to date is attributed to the:

A)Argo Merchant.
B)Exxon Valdez.
C)M/V New Carissa.
D)Persian Gulf War of 1991.
E)Petroleus Mexicanos drilling operations.

Question 24

When ocean water enters a marginal sea above a return flow of saltier water,the circulation pattern is called:

A)estuarine circulation.
B)fjord circulation.
C)lagoon circulation.
D)loop current circulation.
E)Mediterranean circulation.

Question 25

All of the following are examples of pollutants in the marine environment except:

A)heavy metals such as mercury and silver.
B)hydrocarbons.
C)nitrate and phosphates.
D)phytoplankton.
E)sewage effluent.

Question 26

The type of circulation pattern found in Laguna Madre is:

A)opposite of the typical estuarine circulation pattern.
B)salt wedge pattern.
C)slightly stratified circulation pattern.
D)vertically mixed circulation pattern.
E)wind-driven circulation pattern.

Question 27

The most biologically devastating oil spills in the marine environment are a result of:

A)blow out accidents on drilling platforms.
B)collision and/or sinking of oil tankers.
C)discharge from refueling tankers and ships.
D)natural deep-sea seeps.
E)urban run-off.

Question 28

This wetland coastal area occurs:

A)between 30ºN and 30ºS latitude.
B)in coastal areas with low wave energy.
C)in coastal areas that do not experience seasonal killing frosts.
D)All of the above conditions control the distribution of this type of coastal wetland.
E)Only A and B determine the distribution of this type of wetland.

Question 29

An example of a bar-built estuary is:

A)Aleutian Islands.
B)Chesapeake Bay.
C)Laguna Madre.
D)Puget Sound.
E)San Francisco Bay

Question 30

An estuary formed from a flooded glacial valley called a:

A)bar-built estuary.
B)coastal plain estuary.
C)fjord.
D)tectonic estuary.
E)vertically mixed estuary.

Question 31

An estuary produced by faulting or folding of rocks that creates a dropped-down section into which a river flows is called a:

A)bar-built estuary.
B)coastal plain estuary.
C)fjord.
D)salt wedge estuary.
E)tectonic estuary.

Question 32

Lagoons that form behind barrier islands are examples of:

A)bar-built estuaries.
B)coastal plain estuaries.
C)fjords.
D)salt wedge estuaries.
E)tectonic estuaries.

Question 33

Estuarine circulation associated with a deep,high river volume system where no horizontal salinity gradient exists at the surface is called a:

A)bar-built estuary.
B)highly stratified estuary.
C)salt wedge estuary.
D)slightly stratified estuary.
E)vertically mixed estuary.

Question 34

The toxicity of marine pollutants is estimated by:

A)calculating the concentration at which 50% of the test organisms die.
B)determining the length of time that the pollutant remains in the environment.
C)determining the total biomass of affected organisms in the environment.
D)estimating the number of trophic transfers in the food web affected by the pollutant.
E)the EPA.

Question 35

The Columbia River estuary received most of its ecological damage from which of the following sources?

A)dikes erected by farmers to prevent flooding
B)dredging of the river to accommodate boat traffic
C)hydroelectric dams
D)pollution due to soil erosion from logging
E)poor farming practices

Question 36

The percentage of the original area of wetlands currently left in the United States is approximately:

A)10%.
B)25%.
C)50%.
D)65%.
E)75%.

Question 37

An example of a coastal plain estuary is the:

A)Chesapeake Bay.
B)Laguna Madre.
C)Monterey Bay.
D)Pamlico Sound.
E)San Francisco Bay

Question 38

Bioremediation has been particularly effective in marine ecosystems in the clean-up of:

A)heavy metals.
B)hydrocarbons.
C)nitrates.
D)pesticides
E)thermal effluents.

Question 39

Which of the following organisms are expected to show the highest concentrations of DDT and other chlorinated hydrocarbons in its tissues?

A)carnivorous fishes
B)filter-feeding fishes
C)phytoplankton
D)sea otters
E)zooplankton

Question 40

Plastics cause significant biological damage in oceans when:

A)degradation is rapid releasing toxins into the environment.
B)netting strangles seals and birds.
C)pellets appear in the sediments.
D)plastics degrade in DDT.
E)they result in increased bacteria levels.

Question 41

Minamata disease is associated with:

A)dinoflagellates in tropical reef ecosystems.
B)eutrophication.
C)harmful algal blooms.
D)illegal fishing in tropical areas.
E)ingestion of methyl mercury-contaminated fish and shellfish

Question 42

Secondary sewage treatment is distinguished form primary sewage treatment by the:

A)addition of bacteria to process organic contaminants.
B)aeration of liquid effluent following chlorination.
C)chlorination of the liquid effluent.
D)removal of inorganic nutrients from the liquid effluent.
E)separation of the suspended solids from the liquid effluent.

Question 43

Point sources of municipal and industrial wastes in the United States are governed by:

A)Federal Clean Water Act.
B)Marine Protection,Research and Sanctuaries Act.
C)Oceans Act of 2000.
D)Ocean Dumping Ban Act.
E)Rivers and Harbors Act.

Question 44

Dead zones resulting from hypoxia and anoxia:

A)are prevalent in coastal waters west of the Mississippi River delta during the summer months.
B)increase the standing stock of demersal fishes.
C)occur exclusively in estuarine environments.
D)result from significant inputs of organic hydrocarbons in marine environments.
E)stimulate high primary productivity in coastal areas.

Question 45

The deep water dumping site for sewage sludge off the US East Coast initially seemed to be a good choice because:

A)a well-developed pycnocline should isolate the sewage
B)internal waves would decrease water mixing
C)it had been a well-studies method of sewage disposal
D)thermal mixing occurred between the surface and deep water.
E)tsunamis are uncommon in this area

Question 46

Natural processes which help to remove oil spills from the ocean include all of the following except:

A)evaporation from the ocean surface.
B)digestion of significant amount by fish populations.
C)dispersal due to wave and wind action.
D)sinking due to aggregation into tarry lumps.
E)sinking of coated particles.