Marine Ecology Questions

1. What is the difference between an abiotic and biotic factor in the ecosystem?

2. What are some unique abiotic factors to the marine ecosystem?

3. What is the difference between the pelagic and benthic zones of the ocean?

4. What is the zone called which is uncovered for part of the day?

5. Why is plankton so important?

6. How do nekton move?

7. Name a demersal fish?

8. Distinguish between autotrophic and heterotrophic nutrition?

9. What is the role of decomposers in the marine environment?

10. What is detritus and why is it important?

11. What happens to energy as it passes through each trophic level? How is it lost?

12. What is the difference between the neritic zone and the epipelagic zones?

13. Why are nightly migrations of organisms from the mesopelagic zone important?

14. Name some adaptations that enable plankton and nekton to remain in the pelagic zone.

15. How might a phytoplankton bloom trigger a zooplankton bloom?

16. Whats the difference between holoplankton and meroplankton?

17. What levels of the food chain do zooplankton occupy?

18. Distinguish between herbivorous and planktivorous nekton.

19. What is a copepod and why is it important?

20. Where does energy enter the detritus food chain?

Population Cycles ..density or numbers of individuals depends on

1. ____________ or rate of production of new organisms and

2. ____________.rate of death in a population.

To be stable the two must be in equilibrium but under favoralbe conditions, populations can ____________ numbers (can be seasonal and geographical) but this also increases mortality because of ____________ food supply and living space and ____________ predation.

Succession

Like on land when conditions change and the organisms can no longer tolerate their environment, they are replaced by other forms more at "home" and this is known as ____________ ____________.

Succession begins with

1. a pioneer community of ____________ growing high tolerant organisms and there get replaced by

2. slower growing...pioneers often change the environment making it less ____________ for themselves!

3. and eventually the final stage of succession, the climax community occurs when the population continues to exist and is____________ replaced.