1
BIOL 331
BIOL331 / BIOL 331 Module 3| Pathophysiology | (Latest
Update ) Questions & Answers | Grade A |
100% Correct
1.
A nurse is explaining coastal ecosystems to a community group. Which of the following
best defines an estuary?
A. A fully enclosed freshwater lake
B. A deep ocean trench
C. A partially enclosed body of water with a mix of fresh and saltwater
D. A fast-flowing river
CORRECT ANSWER: C
Rationale: An estuary is a coastal water body where freshwater from rivers mixes with
saltwater from the ocean, creating a unique, brackish environment.
2.
Which of the following are key characteristics of an estuary? Select all that apply.
A. Stable, unchanging salinity
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B. High biological productivity
C. Reduced wave action
D. Accumulation of nutrients and organic matter
E. Extreme water depth
CORRECT ANSWER: B, C, D
Rationale: Estuaries are highly productive, sheltered environments with significant
nutrient retention, but they are characterized by fluctuating salinity, not stable salinity,
and are typically shallow.
3.
The primary factor determining the specific type of estuary is its:
A. Water temperature
B. Geographic formation and physical structure
C. Dominant species of fish
D. Tidal range
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: Estuaries are classified based on their geological origin and physical shape
(e.g., coastal plain, tectonic, fjord, bar-built).
4.
Which of the following are the main types of estuaries? Select all that apply.
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A. Coastal Plain
B. Tectonic
C. Fjord
D. Bar-Built
E. Abyssal
CORRECT ANSWER: A, B, C, D
Rationale: The four primary geomorphic types are Coastal Plain (drowned river valleys),
Tectonic (land subsidence), Fjord (glacially carved), and Bar-Built (sandbar-enclosed).
5.
A Coastal Plain estuary, such as the Chesapeake Bay, is typically formed by:
A. Volcanic activity
B. Rising sea levels flooding river valleys at the end of an ice age
C. The collapse of underground caves
D. Earthquake-induced faulting
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: Coastal plain (or drowned river valley) estuaries were created when rising sea
levels following the last glacial period inundated low-lying river systems.
6.
A Tectonic estuary, such as San Francisco Bay, is formed by:
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A. Glacial erosion
B. Land sinking along a fault line, followed by ocean flooding
C. Sandbar deposition
D. River delta formation
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: Tectonic estuaries result from the subsidence (sinking) of land due to faulting
or other crustal movements, creating a basin that fills with seawater.
7.
A Fjord estuary is characterized as a:
A. Wide, shallow bay
B. Deep, steep-walled valley carved by glaciers and invaded by the sea
C. Lagoon enclosed by a sandbar
D. Sunken river delta
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: Fjords are deep, narrow inlets with steep cliffs formed by glacial erosion and
later flooded by the sea (e.g., Norway, Alaska).
8.
A Bar-Built estuary is formed when:
A. A glacier retreats
BIOL 331
BIOL 331
BIOL331 / BIOL 331 Module 3| Pathophysiology | (Latest
Update ) Questions & Answers | Grade A |
100% Correct
1.
A nurse is explaining coastal ecosystems to a community group. Which of the following
best defines an estuary?
A. A fully enclosed freshwater lake
B. A deep ocean trench
C. A partially enclosed body of water with a mix of fresh and saltwater
D. A fast-flowing river
CORRECT ANSWER: C
Rationale: An estuary is a coastal water body where freshwater from rivers mixes with
saltwater from the ocean, creating a unique, brackish environment.
2.
Which of the following are key characteristics of an estuary? Select all that apply.
A. Stable, unchanging salinity
BIOL 331
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BIOL 331
B. High biological productivity
C. Reduced wave action
D. Accumulation of nutrients and organic matter
E. Extreme water depth
CORRECT ANSWER: B, C, D
Rationale: Estuaries are highly productive, sheltered environments with significant
nutrient retention, but they are characterized by fluctuating salinity, not stable salinity,
and are typically shallow.
3.
The primary factor determining the specific type of estuary is its:
A. Water temperature
B. Geographic formation and physical structure
C. Dominant species of fish
D. Tidal range
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: Estuaries are classified based on their geological origin and physical shape
(e.g., coastal plain, tectonic, fjord, bar-built).
4.
Which of the following are the main types of estuaries? Select all that apply.
BIOL 331
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BIOL 331
A. Coastal Plain
B. Tectonic
C. Fjord
D. Bar-Built
E. Abyssal
CORRECT ANSWER: A, B, C, D
Rationale: The four primary geomorphic types are Coastal Plain (drowned river valleys),
Tectonic (land subsidence), Fjord (glacially carved), and Bar-Built (sandbar-enclosed).
5.
A Coastal Plain estuary, such as the Chesapeake Bay, is typically formed by:
A. Volcanic activity
B. Rising sea levels flooding river valleys at the end of an ice age
C. The collapse of underground caves
D. Earthquake-induced faulting
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: Coastal plain (or drowned river valley) estuaries were created when rising sea
levels following the last glacial period inundated low-lying river systems.
6.
A Tectonic estuary, such as San Francisco Bay, is formed by:
BIOL 331
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A. Glacial erosion
B. Land sinking along a fault line, followed by ocean flooding
C. Sandbar deposition
D. River delta formation
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: Tectonic estuaries result from the subsidence (sinking) of land due to faulting
or other crustal movements, creating a basin that fills with seawater.
7.
A Fjord estuary is characterized as a:
A. Wide, shallow bay
B. Deep, steep-walled valley carved by glaciers and invaded by the sea
C. Lagoon enclosed by a sandbar
D. Sunken river delta
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: Fjords are deep, narrow inlets with steep cliffs formed by glacial erosion and
later flooded by the sea (e.g., Norway, Alaska).
8.
A Bar-Built estuary is formed when:
A. A glacier retreats
BIOL 331
