Marine Ecosystems Question Page
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.
1.
Explain why marine ecosystems are salty.
Types of Marine Ecosystems
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Oceans are the __________________ marine ecosystem.
Saltwater mashes are a type of _________________________.
What is a special type of marine ecosystem that has underwater structures in the ocean.
Why are coral reefs called the “rainforests of the sea”?
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8.
Estuaries connect what to what?
Estuaries are partially ________________________.
Water in estuaries is brackish. What is brackish water?
Marine Zonation
9. We divide marine ecosystems into ____________________.
10. This is called marine _____________________. Each zone has distinct characteristics.
11. The characteristics determine the ________________________ and ________________________ that live in
each zone.
Intertidal Zone
12. The area along the _____________________ is called the _________________ zone.
13. During high tide, the intertidal zone is ____________________ by seawater. During low tide, the zone is
________________.
14. Does sunlight penetrate the ocean floor in the intertidal zone?
15. How does this affect this zone of the ocean?
16. What animals live in this zone?
17. What vegetation is found here?
Neritic Zone
18. Is the neritic zone deep or shallow?
19. Can sunlight penetrate the ocean floor in this zone?
How does that affect this zone?
20. Where is the neritic zone located?
21. What is a continental shelf?
22. What happens at the continental shelf?
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The neritic zone is where most marine organisms __________________________________.
____________________________ and _______________________ are found here.
Many _________________________ and ______________________________ live in the neritic zone.
________________________________________ are commonly found in the neritic zone as well.
Benthic Zone
27. The _____________________________________________________ is called the benthic zone.
28. It extends from the _________________________________ down to the __________________________.
MARINE ECOSYSTEMS QUESTION PAGE
29. Explain and tell about animals and organisms that live in this zone.
Oceanic Zone
30. The oceanic zone is offshore water where the depth of the ocean is ________________ meters or greater.
31. The oceanic zone includes all the water from the __________________________ to the ocean
__________________.
32. The zone begins at the end of the ___________________ zone at ______________________________ margin.
33. The depth of the ocean varies greatly in the oceanic zone. Different organisms live in different depths of the
oceanic zone. The oceanic zone is divided into 5 regions: the _________________________ zone (epipelagic),
the ___________________ zone (mesopelagic), the _________________________ zone (bathypelagic), the
_____________________ (abyssopelagic) and the ____________________________ (hadalpelagic).
Sunlight Zone (Epipelagic)
34. The zone includes the entire __________________________ and _______________________ zone where
________________________________ penetrates to the ocean floor. It also includes water in the oceanic zone.
35. Plants and _________________ are found in sunlight zone. They use energy from the sun to make ___________
and oxygen.
36. List animals that live in this zone.
Twilight Zone (Mesopelagic)
37. The twilight zone receives very ____________________ sunlight.
38. Because NO photosynthesis takes place, there is very little ___________________ in this zone.
39. What animals live in this zone?
40. What adaptations do animals have that live in this zone?
Midnight Zone (Bathypelagic)
41. Does this zone have light?
42. Explain what organisms live in this zone.
The Abyss (Abyssopelagic)
43. Explain what animals live in this zone.
44. Why do animals in this zone not have eyes?
The Trenches (Hadalpelagic)
45. Trenches extend _____________________________________________________________________________.
46. Describe the Mariana Trench.
47. What organisms live in the Marian Trench?
48. The bacteria convert ______________________ in the heated water into ______________________.
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