BIOL 331 - Module 3 Open Ocean
Questions And Answers
/. how much productivity does the open ocean account for - Answer-✅75%
/.what latitudes in the open ocean are most productive - Answer-✅temperate waters
/.why are temperate waters more productive than tropical - Answer-✅the shallow
pycnocline of the tropics has lower nutrient influx, so less phytoplankton turnover
/.are there more producers or primary consumers in the open ocean - Answer-
✅producers because there's less nutrient availability so they cannot support as much
biomass as coastal waters
/.how does temperate primary productivity fluctuate - Answer-✅nutrient supply
/.what is temperate primary productivity in the spring - Answer-✅peak phytoplankton;
sea surface light intensity and more solar energy cause more available nutrients due to
winter mixing
/.what is temperate primary productivity in the summer - Answer-✅stratification; drastic
thermocline and nutrients are limited and not in deeper waters
/.what is temperate primary productivity in the fall - Answer-✅second smaller
phytoplankton peak; thermocline breaks and more nutrient mixing, allowing for a smaller
phytoplankton comeback
/.why is the primary productivity less in the fall than in the spring - Answer-✅there is
less sunlight energy available for photosynthesis
/.what are the dominant groups of the open ocean - Answer-✅plankton and nekton
/.what are plankton - Answer-✅organisms that are noneffective swimmers and dictated
by currents
/.what are nekton - Answer-✅organisms that are efficient swimmers and able to
independently swim against currents
/.what phytoplankton is dominant in the tropics - Answer-✅dinoflagellates
, /.what phytoplankton is dominant in temperate - Answer-✅diatoms
/.how do food webs change in the temperate versus the tropics - Answer-✅simple in the
temperate, complex in the tropic
/.why are food chains complex in the tropical open ocean - Answer-✅they are more
stable due to less temperature fluctuation, allowing for more organisms being able to
tolerate the conditions
/.what are zooplankton - Answer-✅animal-like plankton
/.what are zooplankton classified by - Answer-✅size and consumer level
/.what are the levels of zooplankton - Answer-✅1. phytoplankton (<20 microns)
2. microzooplankton (20 - 199 microns)
3. mesozooplankton (200 microns - 19mm)
4. macrozooplankton (20mm to 200mm)
5. nekton (200mm and above)
/.what are the categories of zooplankton - Answer-✅- meroplankton
- holoplankton
- neuston
/.what are meroplankton - Answer-✅temporary visitor organisms that are only plankton
during their larval stage
/.what are holoplankton - Answer-✅permanent organisms that spend their entire
lifecycle as plankton
/.what are the species of holoplankton - Answer-✅krill, nudibranchs, jellyfishes, salps,
pteropods
/.why do krill not have a specific category of zooplankton - Answer-✅they have been
found to be strong swimmers and can move independently of the water column
/.what are neuston - Answer-✅plankton that live close to the water's surface
/.what are neuston dictated by - Answer-✅currents and sometimes wind
/.what are species of neuston - Answer-✅Portuguese Man O' War and purple sea snails
/.what are copepods - Answer-✅small zooplankton crustaceans that efficiently feed on
phytoplankton
Questions And Answers
/. how much productivity does the open ocean account for - Answer-✅75%
/.what latitudes in the open ocean are most productive - Answer-✅temperate waters
/.why are temperate waters more productive than tropical - Answer-✅the shallow
pycnocline of the tropics has lower nutrient influx, so less phytoplankton turnover
/.are there more producers or primary consumers in the open ocean - Answer-
✅producers because there's less nutrient availability so they cannot support as much
biomass as coastal waters
/.how does temperate primary productivity fluctuate - Answer-✅nutrient supply
/.what is temperate primary productivity in the spring - Answer-✅peak phytoplankton;
sea surface light intensity and more solar energy cause more available nutrients due to
winter mixing
/.what is temperate primary productivity in the summer - Answer-✅stratification; drastic
thermocline and nutrients are limited and not in deeper waters
/.what is temperate primary productivity in the fall - Answer-✅second smaller
phytoplankton peak; thermocline breaks and more nutrient mixing, allowing for a smaller
phytoplankton comeback
/.why is the primary productivity less in the fall than in the spring - Answer-✅there is
less sunlight energy available for photosynthesis
/.what are the dominant groups of the open ocean - Answer-✅plankton and nekton
/.what are plankton - Answer-✅organisms that are noneffective swimmers and dictated
by currents
/.what are nekton - Answer-✅organisms that are efficient swimmers and able to
independently swim against currents
/.what phytoplankton is dominant in the tropics - Answer-✅dinoflagellates
, /.what phytoplankton is dominant in temperate - Answer-✅diatoms
/.how do food webs change in the temperate versus the tropics - Answer-✅simple in the
temperate, complex in the tropic
/.why are food chains complex in the tropical open ocean - Answer-✅they are more
stable due to less temperature fluctuation, allowing for more organisms being able to
tolerate the conditions
/.what are zooplankton - Answer-✅animal-like plankton
/.what are zooplankton classified by - Answer-✅size and consumer level
/.what are the levels of zooplankton - Answer-✅1. phytoplankton (<20 microns)
2. microzooplankton (20 - 199 microns)
3. mesozooplankton (200 microns - 19mm)
4. macrozooplankton (20mm to 200mm)
5. nekton (200mm and above)
/.what are the categories of zooplankton - Answer-✅- meroplankton
- holoplankton
- neuston
/.what are meroplankton - Answer-✅temporary visitor organisms that are only plankton
during their larval stage
/.what are holoplankton - Answer-✅permanent organisms that spend their entire
lifecycle as plankton
/.what are the species of holoplankton - Answer-✅krill, nudibranchs, jellyfishes, salps,
pteropods
/.why do krill not have a specific category of zooplankton - Answer-✅they have been
found to be strong swimmers and can move independently of the water column
/.what are neuston - Answer-✅plankton that live close to the water's surface
/.what are neuston dictated by - Answer-✅currents and sometimes wind
/.what are species of neuston - Answer-✅Portuguese Man O' War and purple sea snails
/.what are copepods - Answer-✅small zooplankton crustaceans that efficiently feed on
phytoplankton
