Unit 8

Question 1

________ the process that involves the digging up and removal of bottom sediments from an environment.

Answer 1

Dredging

Question 2

Almost ______ of commercially harvested fish come from estuaries and coastal wetlands.

Answer 2

50%

Question 3

Algae zooxanthellae and coral have a __________relationship.

Answer 3

symbiotic

Question 4

Almost _____ of all the continetal U.S. wetlands are coastal wetlands.

Answer 4

40%

Question 5

The rate at which new biomass is produced is called ____________.

Answer 5

productivity

Question 6

Sand dunes are cliffs of sand created by ________.

Answer 6

wind

Question 7

______________ are productive ecosystems that consist of rocky ledges, cliffs, boulders, pools of saltwater within the rocks and pebbles that experience the pounding of the waves as they crash on the shore.

Answer 7

Rocky shores

Question 8

In Hawaii, mangroves are considered an ________ species.

Answer 8

invasive

Question 9

A long, narrow inlet surrounded by cliffs; a type of estuary that has restricted flow due to channels carved by glaciers; freshwater and saltwater only mix in one direction is a ___________

Answer 9

fjord

Question 10

The most important factor of mangrove trees is ______________.

Answer 10

water temperature

Question 11

___________ means able to survive in an enviornment with little or no oxygen.

Answer 11

anaerobic

Question 12

The process of converting chemicals into an energy form usuable by organisms is called _____________.

Answer 12

chemosynthesis

Question 13

The area of the shore above the high tide level, which is wetted only be spray from the crashing waves is called the _________ zone.

Answer 13

splash

Question 14

Mangroves are called ____________ which are salt-loving plants.

Answer 14

halophytes

Question 15

The _______ zone receives enough light but not enough nutrients to be a productive ecosystem.

Answer 15

photic

Question 16

Some organisms that live in __________ have hard shells to keep the moisture inside their bodies, and others have the ability to strongly attach themselves to the rocky walls or the pool floor.

Answer 16

tide pools

Question 17

Corals that sit on top of volcanoes that are submerged underwater are ________.

Answer 17

atolls

Question 18

A ______________ is a place where open water transitions into vegetated land.

Answer 18

coastal wetlands

Question 19

_____________ estuaries have an equal mixing of saltwater and freshwater at all depths of the water column, they are formed when the river flow is weak and the tidal currents are relatively strong.

Answer 19

Vertically mixed

Question 20

You could find cockles, spire shells, and lugworms in _____________.

Answer 20

mud flats

Question 21

___________ are the most common type of coral.

Answer 21

Fringing

Question 22

The area of the shore that experiences daily high and low tides, and therefore periods of both submersion and exposure is the _______ zone.

Answer 22

tidal

Question 23

___________ are coastal ecosystems that are characterized by vegetation that is flooded by tidal saltwater.

Answer 23

salt marshes

Question 24

A surface in which an organism lives or grows on is called ________.

Answer 24

substrate

Question 25

The Chesapeake Bay is an example of a _________ ________ estuary because they circulate the freshwater and saltwater at all depths of the water column.

Answer 25

slightly stratified

Question 26

Mud flats are ________ ____________ that are found in the tidal zone that are full of sediments and clay from rivers.

Answer 26

coastal ecosystems

Question 27

More than half of the U.S. population lives within a 100-mile radius of the ________.

Answer 27

coast

Question 28

The water column component of classifying ecosystems is based on salinity, ___________, and depth.

Answer 28

temperature

Question 29

Wetlands have low _____________ levels because they have no currents, tides or rapids.

Answer 29

oxygen

Question 30

Why are coral reefs called the rainforest of the ocean?

Answer 30

because so many species live in the cracks of the skeletons making them one of the most diverse ecosystems on earth.

Question 31

Sandy beaches make up ______% of the world's coastlines.

Answer 31

75%

Question 32

Why are aerial roots important?

Answer 32

Aerial roots allow plants to avoid the toxic salt levels of the water and mud in the swamps

Question 33

What factors are required for an ecosystem to have high productivity?

Answer 33

- sunlight - nutrients

Question 34

The biogeographic component is based on all these except for ___________.

Answer 34

temperature

Question 35

What is an estuary?

Answer 35

- where rivers meet the oceans - where freshwater mixes with saltwater

Question 36

What is coral bleaching?

Answer 36

- the result of zooxanthellae becoming damaged or dying, leaving the white skeletons of the corals exposed -is caused by disease, too much shade, and therefore not enough light to carry out adequate photosynthesis, changes in temperature, changes in salinity, and sedimentation

Question 37

How is the shape and texture of the sand directly related to the slope of the beach?

Answer 37

- the flatter the beach, the finer the sand - the steeper the beach, the coarser or more grating the sand

Question 38

Why does dredging impact the health of coastal wetlands ecosystems?

Answer 38

- it can release trapped toxins in the sediment harming both water and organisms - it can kill organisms or make them vulnerable to predators - it is a process that involves the digging up and removal of bottom sediments from an environment

Question 39

Why are mud flats important?

Answer 39

- they help protect salt marshes from eroding, whcih in turn helps reduce the flooding of low-lying land - they help reduce contamination in the water containing high concentrations of heavy metals from the water -they are full of nutrients nursery areas for fish