Deck 11: The Ocean and Fisheries

Question 1

El Niño and La Niña are similar in that both events:

A)originate in the Atlantic Ocean
B)affect weather patterns
C)are predictable every year
D)cause global cooling

Answer 1

affect weather patterns

Question 2

Adaptations found in inhabitants of the rocky intertidal zone include:

A)soft bodies.
B)an anchor or some other means of attachment.
C)streamlining.
D)warning coloration.

Answer 2

an anchor or some other means of attachment.

Question 3

Which of the following is the BEST description of the euphotic zone

A)It is part of the pelagic environment that overlies the ocean floor from the shoreline to a depth of 200 meters and is home to plankton and nekton.
B)It is the upper level of the pelagic environment,which extends from the surface to a maximum depth of 150 meters in the clearest open ocean water where sufficient light penetrates to support photosynthesis.
C)It is part of the pelagic environment that overlies the ocean floor at depths greater than 200 meters representing about 75% of the ocean's water with cold temperatures,high pressure,and for the most part an absence of sunlight.
D)It is the area of shoreline between low and high tides that is a biologically productive but stressful environment.

Answer 3

It is the upper level of the pelagic environment,which extends from the surface to a maximum depth of 150 meters in the clearest open ocean water where sufficient light penetrates to support photosynthesis.

Question 4

El Niño-Southern Oscillation events:

A)are responsible for dramatic increases in the productivity of fisheries off South America.
B)affect coastal areas of Peru around mid-summer each year.
C)occur once or twice every century.
D)alter both ocean and atmospheric circulation patterns.

Question 5

What animals are the main consumers of kelp fronds and sea grass

A)herbivores like green turtles and flat fish
B)nekton like herring and baleen whales
C)zooplankton like jellyfish and sea urchin larvae
D)bacteria that form the base of the detritus food web

Question 6

Temperatures in parts of Great Britain are significantly warmer than parts of Canada at that same latitude because of what phenomenon

A)An enhanced greenhouse effect.
B)Because it is an island buffered by ocean water.
C)The ocean conveyor belt
D)ENSO conditions.

Question 7

Why are coral reefs limited to shallow water

A)They require the lower salinity found in shallow waters.
B)There are more nutrients found in shallow water.
C)Their symbiotic zooxanthellae require light to survive.
D)They require coastal upwellings in order to survive.

Question 8

The three main zones of the marine environment are:

A)intertidal,benthic,pelagic
B)bathyal,abyssal,hadal
C)neritic,oceanic,pelagic
D)intertidal,rocky shore,beach

Question 9

Reduced bone and muscle mass and light- producing organs are adaptations most likely to be seen in fish living in the:

A)euphotic zone
B)benthic zone
C)bathyal one
D)Oceanic Province

Question 10

Which of the following does NOT affect ocean currents

A)Marine organisms
B)Position of the continents
C)Atmospheric temperatures
D)Prevailing winds

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT important in determining the distribution of organisms in aquatic biomes

A)Light penetration
B)Mineral nutrient concentrations
C)Precipitation
D)Salinity

Question 12

Organic debris that drifts down from the upper,lighted regions of the oceanic province,and is the base of food chains for organisms of the deep ocean is called:

A)plankton
B)zooxanthellae
C)kelps
D)marine snow

Question 13

Which of the following statements about kelp forests is TRUE

A)Kelp forests are underwater ecosystems of sea grasses such as manatee grass,eelgrass,and turtle grass.
B)Kelp forests occur in shallow quiet waters in the warm temperate,sub-tropical,and tropical parts of the ocean.
C)Kelps,or brown algae,are food for a few animals but they are mainly consumed in the detritus food chain providing food for sponges,tunicates,worms,clams,and snails.
D)Kelp forests provide habitat for manatees,green turtles,parrot fish,sturgeon fish,and sea urchins.

Question 14

Which of the following pairs regarding the benthic zone is incorrect

A)coral reefs - zooxanthellae
B)seagrasses - anemones
C)kelps - large brown algae
D)benthic environment - mud or sand

Question 15

Which of the following statements about coral reefs is FALSE

A)Coral reefs may occur as barrier,fringing,or atoll formations.
B)Coral reefs protect coastlines from erosion.
C)Coral reefs are found in shallow,nutrient poor,tropical waters.
D)No false statements,all of the above statements apply to coral reefs.

Question 16

Where are acorn barnacles most likely to be found

A)Benthic zone
B)Intertidal zone
C)Neritic zone
D)Supratidal zone

Question 17

Which of the following would NOT be found exclusively in the benthic environment

A)Seagrass beds
B)Coral reefs
C)Oysters,clams,and barnacles
D)Nekton

Question 18

Gyres are:

A)prevailing winds over the tropical oceans.
B)circular ocean currents that encompass an entire ocean basin.
C)an effect of El Niño on coastal waters.
D)an upwelling of deeper waters.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a source of human impact on the marine environment

A)Coastal development for vacation properties.
B)Fishing practices such as the use of drift nests and purse seines.
C)Off shore extraction of manganese and oil.
D)No exceptions,all of the above are sources of marine pollution.

Question 20

Tiny aquatic organisms that drift with ocean currents and waves and form the base of the food chain in the neritic province are called:

A)phytoplankton
B)nekton
C)zooplankton
D)zooxanthellae

Question 21

At least 87% of the world's fish stocks are considered over- exploited,fully exploited or depleted.The reason fisheries have experienced such pressure is because:

A)the growing human population requires protein,leading to a greater demand.
B)technological advances allow us to fish so efficiently that every single fish is often removed from an area.
C)given that no nation lays legal claim to the open ocean resources in the ocean are more susceptible to overuse and degradation than land resources.
D)all of the above

Question 22

How are cruise ships a threat to oceans

A)They contribute to point source pollution.
B)They lead to increased coastal development.
C)They cause habitat destruction.
D)They contribute to non-point pollution.

Question 23

The Ocean Dumping Ban Act was passed by Congress mainly to control which of the following activities

A)Dumping of trash in the oceans.
B)Dumping of sewage and industrial waste into ocean waters.
C)Nonpoint pollution runoff from land into the oceans.
D)Excessive dumping of bycatch by commercial fishing vessels close to the coasts.

Question 24

What is likely to be the MOST important global impact of bycatch

A)Loss of ocean biodiversity.
B)Coral bleaching.
C)Nonpoint source pollution.
D)Habitat destruction.

Question 25

According to the World Resources Institute,where does the majority (80% or so)of global ocean pollution come from

A)Offshore mining and drilling activities.
B)Accidental oil spills.
C)Deliberate dumping of litter in the ocean.
D)Human activities on land that runoff into ocean ecosystems.

Question 26

What is bycatch

A)Animals that are unintentionally caught by fishing vessels.
B)Animals that die as a result of oil spills.
C)Animals that captured for use in aquaculture operations.
D)Fish that are caught but die before reaching markets or processing plants.

Question 27

The difference(s)between fishing and aquaculture is/are:

A)Fish populations in aquaculture operations are more genetically homogenous than wild ones that are caught by fishing fleets.
B)Highly developed nations harvest more fishes from the ocean while developing nations produce much more seafood by aquaculture.
C)The limit on the size of a catch in fishing is the size of the natural population,whereas the limit on aquacultural production is primarily the size of the area in which organisms can be grown.
D)All of the above are differences between fishing and aquaculture

Question 28

Which of the following statements does NOT apply to offshore extraction of manganese nodules from the ocean floor

A)Dredging manganese nodules from the ocean floor would adversely affect sea life.
B)The current market value for manganese wouldn't cover the expense of obtaining them from the seafloor using existing technology.
C)It isn't clear which countries have legal rights to minerals like manganese nodules when they are in international waters.
D)No exceptions,all of the above apply to the extraction of manganese nodules from the seafloor.

Question 29

A major problem the US has in managing its oceans occurs because of which of the following

A)An array of agencies and committees manages U.S.waters.
B)We do not have good models addressing climate change.
C)There are few laws addressing our oceans.
D)There is little point in trying to manage a global resource.

Question 30

Aquaculture is:

A)fish farming.
B)growing plants without soil.
C)using desalinated water for irrigation.
D)fishing without bycatch.

Question 31

Which of the following about coastal development and its impacts on the marine environment is/are FALSE

A)Development of resorts,cities,industries,and agriculture along coasts alters or destroys many coastal ecosystems,including mangrove forests,salt marshes,sea grass beds,and coral reefs.
B)Although only 50 countries have coastal management strategies,their goals are broad as not only do they address issues related to economic development of the thin strips of land that directly border the oceans but they also integrate the management of both land and water.
C)Currently about 3.8 billion people (some 60% of the world's population)live within 150 km of a coastline and demographers project that perhaps as many as 6.0 billion people (about 75% of all humans)will live in coastal area by 2025 making sheer human numbers the main cause of coastal degradation.
D)No false statement,all of the above (a,b,& c)are true.

Question 32

How might global warming lead to lower temperatures in Europe

A)Melting of Greenland ice will cool European waters.
B)The ocean conveyor belt might shut down.
C)Global warming will lead to more El Niño events,and less upwelling.
D)Changing winds will lead to increased clouds and rainfall in Europe.

Question 33

How do many scientists believe the US can BEST manage our oceans

A)By ratifying the U.N.Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),
B)By following an ecosystem based approach to manage ocean environments.
C)By switching from deep-sea fishing to aquaculture to reduce bycatch.
D)By switching to incentive based pollution laws to reduce ocean pollution.

Question 34

Which of the following is not a method of catching fish

A)longlines
B)bycatch
C)trawl bag
D)drift nets

Question 35

Plastic pollution has the potential to cause the following problem(s)for marine organisms:

A)Marine mammals and birds are susceptible to being entangled in and strangled by larger pieces of plastic.
B)Many filter-feeding organisms near the bottom of the ocean food chain constantly ingest the smaller degraded pieces of plastic.
C)The degraded plastic pieces may absorb and transport hazardous chemicals such as PCBs into marine food webs when organisms ingest the plastic.
D)All of the above

Question 36

Developing nations produce much more seafood by aquaculture than developed nations because:

A)They have more access to suitable warm water marine ecosystems with coastal upwellings that are best suited to aquaculture.
B)the breeding cycles of the fish are in keeping with the seasons in these regions.
C)the type of fish that can be raised in aquaculture are more suited to their diets.
D)they have abundant cheap labor as aquaculture is labor intensive.

Question 37

Why do many people consider the open ocean to be an example of a commons

A)It is because many different populations of fish congregate in the open ocean.
B)It is because no one owns the oceans,the fisheries are international.
C)It is because the open ocean is an excellent region for aquaculture.
D)It is because there is a very high biodiversity in the open ocean.

Question 38

Which of the following changes to the environment will have the MOST universal effect on coral reefs despite their particular geographic location in the oceans

A)Increased water temperatures from El Nino effects and/or global climate change.
B)Increased salinity from diversion of freshwater for human use.
C)Increased oxygen concentrations from algal blooms due to nutrient pollution.
D)Increased predation by parrot fish due to overfishing.

Question 39

What unique problem is related to photodegradation of plastics

A)They break down into highly toxic chemicals.
B)Photodegradation of plastics is the cause of coral bleaching
C)Plastics break down,but into tiny bits that persist for an indefinite period.
D)Fish starve when they feed on degraded plastics.

Question 40

The U.N.International Maritime Organization's International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL)regulations specifically address the following types of marine pollution caused by shipping EXCEPT:

A)oil
B)sewage
C)garbage
D)All the above pollutants are regulated by MARPOL

Question 41

Compare and contrast fishing and aquaculture.Discuss the benefits and challenges of both approaches.Which approach has a greater impact on the environment
Justify your answer.

Question 42

Which of the following statements about the U.N.Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)is FALSE

A)The formation of UNCLOS was triggered as a result of industrialized countries' interest in removing manganese nodules from the ocean floor in the 1960s.
B)Although the US has not ratified UNCLOS,but voluntarily observes its provisions.
C)UNCLOS is considered a "constitution for the ocean," and its focus is the protection of ocean resources.
D)UNCLOS was the first international treaty to regulate marine fishing by protecting "essential fish habitat" for more than 600 fish species,reducing overfishing,and minimizing bycatch.

Question 43

What is the Coriolis effect
What role,if any,does the Coriolis effect have in determining ocean circulation patterns

Question 44

A 2004 report by the US Commission on Ocean Policy recommended what 3 changes to improve oceans and coasts
Why were these changes recommended

Question 45

The ocean is so vast it is hard to visualize human activities could harm it.However,the evidence of human impact is unmistakable.Discuss the nature of marine ecosystem destruction from human activities.

Question 46

Where in the US is the largest protected marine area

A)New England
B)Florida
C)the Gulf of Mexico
D)Hawaii