The Ecology of the Chesapeake Bay
Use the supplement on The Ecology of the Chesapeake Bay (pg 4-13) to complete the following.
1. The Chesapeake Bay formed ___________ years ago.
2. What caused the ancient Susquehanna river valley to flood?
.
3. How many miles of shoreline is there along the Chesapeake bay?
4. 80% of the freshwater that enters the Bay comes from which 3 rivers?
a.
b.
c.
5. The average depth of the Chesapeake Bay is
6. The deepest point in the Bay is
ft.
ft.
7. How many high tides a day occur in the Chesapeake Bay?
How many low tides?
8. What is the tidal range (distance between low and high) of the bay?
9. What two things affect how high or how low the tide is each day?
a.
b.
10. What type of climate is the Chesapeake Bay classified?
11. On page 5, 3rd paragraph, the word “anadromous” is used. What does “anadromous” mean?
12. For each season, describe the movement of organisms.
Season
General movement of organisms
Spring and Summer
Fall and winter
13. Describe the change in salinity from the head of the bay, south toward the mouth.
14. What is the overall average salinity of the bay?
15. How does salinity change with depth in the bay?
open ocean?
16. Explain why there is a difference in salinity from surface to the bottom.
17. What are the two other factors that affect the salinity throughout the bay?
a.
b.
18. Define “euryhaline”:
19. Name two species of fish that are “euryhaline”
a.
b.
20. Of all the characteristics that make the Chesapeake Bay unique, what is the most important factor
that determines what habitat an organism can survive?
21. How many zones are identified in the bay based on salinity?
22. For each zone, give the salinity range.
Zone
Salinity range
Zone 1
Zone 2
Upper
Lower
Zone 3
Open ocean
23. Organisms that live in the open waters of the bay are called
into two groups,
and
and are divided
.
24. Match each description with the habitat it describes. Some may have more than one answer.
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
A. Sand beaches
E. Sea grass meadows/ weed beds
B. Intertidal flats
F. Wetlands
C. Piers, rocks and jetties
G. Oyster bars
D. Shallow water
H. Deep, open waters
Ducks and geese will generally feed on submerged aquatic vegetation in this habitat.
Organisms that live here are generally sessile…ex: barnacles, oysters, mussels..
Generally found in the subtidal areas of the bay, lots of epifaunal organisms.
No seaweed or aquatic vegetation on the bottom.
Little light penetrates the water, so there is little bottom vegetation.
Sandy habitat, generally only covered by water during extreme high tides.
Vegetation is diverse, from emergent plants to trees.
This habitat is most likely not going to have any pelagic animals.
Organisms in this habitat are adapted to varying levels of water, from no water to
completely submerged.
The wrack line marks the furthest advancement of the high tide.
Has a vertical distribution of diverse organisms.
Various pelagic animals can be found here.
Muddy bottoms that are usually depleted of oxygen (anoxic)
Supports many species from fish, snails, crabs, insects and some mammals.
During low tide, there is a wide variety of infauna in the mud, waiting for the return of
the tide.
25. Some habitats have organisms that are sessile. Since these organisms are permanently attached,
how is it that they can obtain food?
26. The most important group of zooplankton are the
.
27. Match each organism with its lifestyle.
A. Zooplankton
E. Epifauna
B. Phytoplankton
F. Nekton
C. Sessile
G. Benthic
D. Infauna
___Ghost crab
___ Barnacle
___ Blue crab
___ Diatoms
___ Comb Jelly
___ Cownose ray
___ Oysters
___ Black sea bass
___ Ribbed mussel
___ Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (S.A.V)
___ Copepod
___ Dinoflagellates
___ Blue crab larvae (zoea)