Conditions Affecting Marine Life Flashcards
Which organisms are most affected by ocean temperature large or small?
Small
What can affect small marine life?
Surface gyres, upwelling deep ocean water, ENSO, and La Niña
What are the 5 conditions that affect marine life?
Temperature, pressure, light, salinity, and density
Which animals are affected by pressure increases?
Animals with lungs or gas filled cavities
How do organisms adapt to pressure changes?
Adapt with stronger shells, or have no shell, or by changing their internal pressure.
How do large mammals adapt to pressure changes?
By collapsing their lungs and store oxygen in their tissues while diving great depths.
What are the three light zones?
Photic zone, euphotic zone, aphotic zone
What is the photic zone?
Layer of seawater lit by the sun, depth varies between 300 and 400 feet near coastlines and 2000 feet in the clearest known water
What is the euphotic zone?
Area of good light. Average depth about 250 feet
What is the aphotic zone?
The area with no light
How are saltwater fishes affected by changes in salinity?
Saltwater fish in freshwater will tend to gain water and die
How are freshwater fish affected by changes in salinity?
Freshwater fish in salt water tend to dehydrate and may die
What are cosmotic conformers?
Organisms most likely to die if salinity changes. Ex: algae and marine invertebrates
What are cosmotic regulators?
Many fish that can adapt with time to salinity changes.
What classifications have a density that is lighter, heavier, and similar to the ocean water?
Lighter- planktonic
Heavier- benthic
Similar- nektonic
