Deck 15: Animals of the Benthic Environment

Question 1

Kelp forests are most common in cold, clear water with a hard bottom substrate.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The eastern side of an ocean basin tends to have greater diversity of reef-building corals than the western side.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Zooxanthellae are important members of hydrothermal vent communities.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Meiofauna are small organisms that live between sediment particles on sandy beaches.

Question 5

The increase in the number of crown-of-thorn sea stars has been strongly linked to human activities.

Question 6

Faunal zonation across a sediment-covered shore is best seen when the shore is gently sloping.

Question 7

Coral reefs contain more algal biomass than animal biomass.

Question 8

Coral reefs contain twenty-five percent of all marine species.

Question 9

Fiddler crabs are commonly found inhabitants of tide pools.

Question 10

Benthic diversity decreases below upwelling zones.

Question 11

One characteristic of hydrothermal vent communities is unusually large organisms such as tubeworms and clams.

Question 12

Species diversity is highest in coral reef communities.

Question 13

Strong algal holdfasts prevent wave shock from washing macroalgae from the rocks in the upper intertidal zone.

Question 14

Temperature of ocean water has a significant affect on species diversity of benthic communities.

Question 15

The supralittoral zone of the rocky shore is the area between the highest high tide and the lowest low tide.

Question 16

The ability to fragment and regenerate lost body parts is an adaptation to life in the subtidal zone.

Question 17

Limpets are commonly found in the middle portion of the intertidal zone on a rocky shore.

Question 18

Hypersaline seep communities rely on photosynthesis.

Question 19

Two dominant organisms of the rocky shore found high on the rocks of the intertidal zone are:

A) buckshot barnacle and rockweed.
B) goose barnacle and mussel.
C) keyhole limpet and Irish moss.
D) periwinkle snail and kelp.
E) sea anemone and hermit crab.

Question 20

The low-water portion of the rocky intertidal zone is dominated by:

A) hermit crabs.
B) fiddler crabs.
C) limpets.
D) Mussels.
E) seaweeds and surf grasses.

Question 21

Male fiddler crabs use their enlarged claw to:

A) attract a mate.
B) defend themselves against predators.
C) dig the burrow.
D) feed on algae growing on the mud flat surface.
E) plug the hole in the burrow when the tide comes in.

Question 22

The most successful adaptation for living on a sediment-covered shore is:

A) attachment to the substrate.
B) burrowing into the sediment.
C) flattened body shape.
D) sessile lifestyle.
E) swimming.

Question 23

Organisms that live in the spaces between sediment particles are called:

A) epifauna
B) microfauna
C) meiofauna
D) mesofauna
E) subfauna.

Question 24

The most important limiting factor in intertidal communities is:

A) food.
B) light.
C) nutrients.
D) predation.
E) space.

Question 25

Two frequent inhabitants of a rocky coast tide pool are:

A) buckshot barnacle and rockweed.
B) goose barnacle and mussel.
C) periwinkle snail and kelp.
D) sea anemone and hermit crab
E) sea stars and Ulva.

Question 26

Some organisms living in the high water portion of the intertidal zone cannot survive in the supralittoral zone because they:

A) are filter feeders.
B) are sessile.
C) cannot tolerate desiccation.
D) cannot tolerate fluctuating salinity.
E) cannot tolerate temperature fluctuations.

Question 27

All of the following are examples of strategies employed by organisms to reduce wave shock in the rocky intertidal zone except:

A) byssal threads.
B) flexible stems and blades.
C) holdfasts.
D) motile larvae.
E) the use of suction to attach to rocks.

Question 28

Oysters prefer:

A) clear moving water.
B) clear stagnant water.
C) muddy bottom substrate.
D) rocky bottom substrate.
E) sandy bottom substrate.

Question 29

The depth to which a bivalve can bury itself depends on the:

A) composition of the sediment.
B) length of the respiratory structure.
C) oxygen content of the sediment.
D) turbidity of the surface water.
E) wave frequency and water velocity.

Question 30

Which of the following marine habitats has the lowest species diversity?

A) coral reef
B) mangrove swamp
C) mud flat
D) rocky shore
E) sandy beach

Question 31

Refer to the figure below to answer the following question(s).

Within the intertidal zone, the area that receives equal amounts of air exposure and water coverage is indicated by the number:

A) 1.
B) 3.
C) 5.
D) 6.
E) 7.

Question 32

Refer to the figure below to answer the following question(s).

Along a rocky shore, the spray zone is indicated by the number:

A) 1.
B) 2.
C) 3.
D) 5.
E) 7.

Question 33

A common inhabitant of the supralittoral zone on the rocky shores of the Pacific Northwest is the:

A) buckshot barnacle.
B) limpet.
C) kelp.
D) periwinkle snail.
E) sea urchin.

Question 34

The Crown of Thorns sea star is becoming increasingly more common because its predators are fish species belonging to populations that have dramatically decreased due to overfishing.

Question 35

Two dominant organisms commonly found at mid-water levels of the rocky intertidal zone are:

A) buckshot barnacle and rockweed.
B) fiddler crab and Littorina.
C) goose barnacle and mussel.
D) periwinkle snail and kelp.
E) sea anemone and hermit crab.

Question 36

The common annelid found in a sandy beach environment is the:

A) clam.
B) fan worm.
C) feather duster worm.
D) ghost crab.
E) lugworm.

Question 37

The sublittoral rocky bottom zone is dominated by:

A) coralline algae.
B) green algae.
C) kelp
D) Thalassia.
E) Zostera.

Question 38

Refer to the figure below to answer the following question(s).

The area on a rocky shore that is inhabited by organisms adapted to high wave energy for the majority of the tidal cycle is indicated by the number:

A) 1.
B) 2.
C) 3.
D) 5.
E) 7.

Question 39

The variables that affect species diversity of benthic animals include:

A) currents.
B) organic nutrients.
C) temperature.
D) wave energy.
E) All of the above factors contribute to benthic animal diversity.

Question 40

Subduction zone seeps support communities from:

A) hydrocarbon-rich waters.
B) hydrothermal waters.
C) inorganic nutrient rich waters.
D) oxygen-rich waters.
E) sulfur and methane-rich sedimentary waters.

Question 41

All of the following are true of hard corals except:

A) corals are members of the Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Cnidaria, Class Anthozoa.
B) coral distribution worldwide is limited to areas where the water temperature exceeds 25ºC.
C) corals grow in shallow water with high light and relatively low organic nutrient input.
D) corals have a motile planula larval form.
E) corals have obligate endosymbionts.

Question 42

The loss of color (coral bleaching) in coral reef organisms is caused by:

A) crown-of-thorn sea stars.
B) fungal parasite.
C) increased sediment load.
D) increased water temperature.
E) loss of zooxanthellae.

Question 43

Zooxanthellae are autotrophic marine protists that are found in the living tissues of some simple marine invertebrates such as corals, sea anemones, and jellyfish. Zooxanthellae are members of the:

A) Division Bacillariophyta.
B) Division Chrysophyta.
C) Division Dinoflagellata.
D) Phylum Ciliophora.
E) Phylum Foraminfera.

Question 44

All of the following are associated with hypersaline seeps except:

A) chemosynthesis.
B) hydrogen sulfide.
C) microbial mats.
D) very high salinity.
E) very high temperature.

Question 45

Most of the hydrothermal vents and cool-water seeps on the seafloor were discovered during which decade?

A) 1960s
B) 1970s
C) 1980s
D) 1990s
E) since 2000

Question 46

Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.

A)buckshot barnacle
B)chiton
C)hermit crab
D)limpet
E)periwinkle

Question 47

The relationship between the protistan zooxanthellae and the polyps of reef-building corals is best described as a(n):

A) facultative ectoparasitism.
B) facultative commensalism.
C) obligate endoparasitism.
D) obligate mutualistic endosymbiosis.
E) obligate commensalism.

Question 48

The buttress zone of a coral reef is likely to have which variety of coral?

A) boulder corals
B) delicate plate corals
C) gorgonian corals
D) massive branching corals
E) rounded and smooth corals

Question 49

Which of the following factors does not limit coral growth?

A) high concentrations of calcium carbonate in the water
B) high sediment load in the water
C) low light
D) low nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the water
E) water temperatures below 18ºC

Question 50

The three varieties of seeps on the seafloor include hypersaline, hydrocarbon and:

A) abyssal plain seeps.
B) deep-sea trench seeps.
C) mid-ocean ridge seeps
D) seamount seeps.
E) subduction zone seeps.

Question 51

The distribution of benthic biomass is related to:

A) current patterns.
B) primary productivity.
C) sediment variety.
D) thermocline depth.
E) wave energy.

Question 52

Which of the following is a threat to coral reef survival?

A) boat collisions
B) fishing
C) scuba and snorkeling
D) suspended sediment
E) All of the above might contribute to the decline of a coral community.

Question 53

Eutrophication is detrimental to coral growth because it increases the:

A) amount of inorganic nutrients in the water that stimulates excessive algal growth.
B) amount of toxic synthetic chemicals which stimulate excessive bacterial growth.
C) salinity of the water that results in coral bleaching.
D) water temperature that kills zooxanthellae.
E) water temperature that results in coral bleaching.

Question 54

Primary producers in hydrothermal vent communities are:

A) algae.
B) eyeless shrimp.
C) giant clams.
D) Riftia tubeworms.
E) sulfur-oxidizing bacteria.

Question 55

All of the following are adaptations to life in the intertidal zone except:

A) ability to withdraw into their shells.
B) holdfasts for attachment to rock surfaces.
C) schooling to avoid predators.
D) shell to cover soft body parts for protection from predators and desiccation.
E) use of biological glue and protein threads for attachment.

Question 56

These organisms are inhabitants of a(n):

A) active subduction zone.
B) cold seep.
C) hypersaline seep.
D) hydrocarbon seep.
E) hydrothermal vent.

Question 57

Corals with delicate growth patterns are usually found:

A) below 150 m depth.
B) in the buttress zone.
C) in the spur-and-groove zone.
D) on the reef flat.
E) on the reef slope.

Question 58

Hydrocarbon seeps have been discovered :

A) along the Galapagos Ridge.
B) along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
C) in the Gulf of California.
D) in the Gulf of Mexico.
E) in the Indian Ocean.

Question 59

Discuss the adaptations of marine organisms to life in the rocky intertidal zone.

Question 60

What is coral bleaching? List the environmental conditions that contribute to the development of coral bleaching.

Question 61

List and describe the animal adaptations employed by animals living on a sandy beach (intertidal zone).

Question 62

Describe the role of meiofauna in nature. Why are meiofauna concentrated in the spaces between sediment particles?

Question 63

Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.

A)coral reef
B)cold seeps
C)hydrothermal vents
D)kelp forests
E)rocky intertidal zone

Question 64

Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.

A)fragmentation
B)inking
C)mimicry
D)stinging cells
E)withdrawal into shell

Question 65

Compare and contrast the environmental conditions that favor the growth of kelp forests and corals.

Question 66

Discuss the role of sea urchins in kelp forest ecosystems.

Question 67

Compare and contrast the primary production (producers) in a sea grass and a coral reef including in your answer a typical energy pyramid for both ecosystems.

Question 68

Discuss the conditions that limit the distribution of corals worldwide.