Midterm study guide
Below are listed some Key Topics or terms to aid in focusing your study time. More topics then these may appear on the
exam but these are a good place to start.
Check each box as
Chapter 1
you review the concept
 Know the name and location of the world’s
oceans
 Be able to explain the difference between
continuous and discrete data
 Be able to explain the difference between an
ocean and a sea
 Be able to interpret and explain lab data
 Be able to describe how the ocean has been
 Be able to discuss the formation and structure
explored, by which cultures, and for what
of the earth and how the oceans developed
reasons
 Be able to apply the scientific method
 Be able to describe the 4 cultures
 Be able to discuss where what is found on the
 Be able to explain how the earth and its oceans
early and its relative abundance in those
formed
locations
Chapter 5
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Be able to explain why water is called the
universal solvent
 Be able to explain the shape and charges of the
water molecule
 Be able to explain how water’s heat capacity
compare to that of other substances such as the
land
 Be able to explain what latent heat is
 What is the continental/marine effect?
 What is salinity how is it measured?
 How salty is the ocean on average?
 What units is salinity measured in?
 How does waters density change when it is
frozen?
Chapter 12
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Be able to explain how living organisms are
classified
Know the difference between domains and
kingdoms
Know the divisions of the taxonomic system
(kingdom, phylum, class etc…)
Know the different domains of life
Know what the 5 kingdoms are
Phytoplankton
Zooplankton
Nekton
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Be able to compare properties of fresh and salt
water
What is sea water saltier than ocean water?
What is residence time?
How are materials added and removed from
sea water
Be able to calculate a best fit line, salinity and
residency time
Is the ocean acidic or basic?
What is carbonate buffering?
Be able to explain how seawater temperature
and salinity vary with depth
What is a thermocline, halocline or Pycnocline?
How is desalinization accomplished?
Benthos
Pelagic
Know how organisms size and shape (body
design) affect its ecological success
Understand osmosis and how it affects sea life
Know how salinity and temperature impacts
where an organisms can exist
Know the divisions of the marine environment
Know what part of the ocean most life is found
in and why
Know where and what the photic zone
Midterm study guide
Chapter 13
You only need to review for those topic we finished covering this semester the unit will
be concluded in Semester 2
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Be able to explain and describe what primary
productivity is and its impacts on a food web.
Be able to explain how solar penetration
creates the photic zones and how this impacts
plant and animal life.
Be able to explain how water color relates to
biological productivity.
Understand what upwelling is and why it is
important.
Know the three main types of macroscopic
algae and give examples.
Be able to explain how productivity varies
seasonally and why this is.
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Be able to explain why and how eutrophication
occurs and what its significance is.
Be able to explain how matter and energy cycle
through an ecosystem.
Be able to explain a biomass pyramid and what
it represents.
Explain what role fishing has in overall ocean
health what are some consequences and how
do management practices affect productivity.
Look over the vocab on p. 402 of your text
book.
Look over the review questions on p. 403 of
your text book.