MAR 105 Telecourse – Review for Exam on Lessons 20-23
Lesson 20: Food for Thought









Know how to define primary production and that phytoplankton (single-celled algae) are the main
producers in the ocean
Know the two examples of types of phytoplankton: diatoms and dinoflagellaetes
Know basic characteristics of diatoms (silica shell, most abundant type of phytoplankton)
Know the basic characteristics of dinoflagellates (two flagella) and know that certain species are
the algae in harmful algal blooms (HABs). (in text)
Know that all phytoplankton need light and nutrients
Know how the availability of light and nutrients interact to produce the general seasonal patterns
of primary production in tropical, temperate, and polar oceans – be able to describe the
abundances in these three zones and how and why they vary throughout a year
Know the what foraminifera, copepods, and krill are and how they are important in ecosystems.
(in text)
know the major groups of macroalgae (seaweeds): green algae, brown algae and red algae – know
examples of each and how they different in the pigments that they have and the depth that they can
live at
know examples of angiosperms (vascular plants) that are important in marine ecosystems:
mangroves, seagrasses, salt marsh cord grass.
Lesson 21: Survivors






Know that the first living things on earth were likely producers that made their own food through
photosynthesis
Know that these photosynthetic organisms released oxygen and oxygenated the earths atmosphere
which allowed the evolution of early animals which required oxygen for respiration
Know how to define the term invertebrate and that 90% of all animals are invertebrates.
Know the basic characteristics of the organisms (see list below) presented in this lesson, noting
their basic taxonomy (how they are classified), ecology (where they live, who they eat etc.), and
unique structural characteristics.
— jelly fish from the Phylum Cnidaria
— cephalopods (squids and octopus) from the phylum Mollusca
— crustaceans (krill, shrimp, crabs and lobsters) from the Phylum Arthropoda
— seasquirts, salps and larvaceans from the Phylum Chordata
Know that intertidal zone of the marine environment are harsh places to live for marine organisms
since they are periodically exposed to air
Be able to compare and contrast rocky and sandy/muddy intertidal zones—what physical
conditions prevail there, and how the organisms that live there survive.
Lesson 22: Life Goes On





Know the three features of the chordate body plan (notochord, dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal or
gill slits) know that all vertebrates (animals with backbones or a vertebral column) are part of the
Phylum Chordata
Be able to compare and contrast the two groups of invertebrate chordates (sea squirts and
Amphioxus)
Be able to describe the two classes of fishes discussed in the text (Chondrichthyes or
Cartilagenous fish: sharks, skates and rays and Osteichthyes or Bony fish).
Know that bony fish have a swim bladder which helps them maintain depth, while sharks and
other cartilaginous fish do not have one and will slowly sink if they stop swimming
Know what countershading is and how this helps fish blend with their environment

Know the general characteristics common to all animals in the class Mammalia (mammary glands
and hair/fur)
 know four features shared by marine mammals: streamlined shape, osmotic adaptations, large
size.
 know the three orders of marine mammals (Carnivora, Cetacea, Sirenia)
 know the major groups within each order
Carnivora= Pinnipeds like seals, sealions and walruses, and sea otters and polar bears
Ceteceans: toothed whales (dolphins, porpoises, killer whales, beluga whales, etc.) and
baleen whales (humpback whale, blue whale, etc)
Sirenia= only strictly herbivorous group: manatees and dugongs
Lesson 23: Living Together


Know how define the following ecological terms: community, niche, habitat, and biodiversity
Know how to define competition (a struggle between two or more organisms that are trying to use
a common resource which is limited)
 Be able to describe how competition regulates the distributions of barnacles and limpets (in text)
in the rocky intertidal community.
 Be able to describe the major features of each of the following communities and be prepared to
compare and contrast any one of these with the others.
rocky intertidal : harsh environment, organisms must deal with problems of dessication
(drying out) and wave shock, intense competition for space on the rock to hold on, distinct zones based
on organisms ability to withstand being exposed to air, species include mussels, barnacles, limpets and
seaweed
salt marsh/estuary: develop in protected areas with salt water and fresh water inputs,
dominated by salt marsh cord grass and other plant species, distinct zones of the plants based on their
ability to withstand being submerged by water, animals include: mussels, crabs, snails
coral reef: corals are animals, they have a symbiotic relationship with algae which live
inside their cells and provide them with some food, must grow in clear, shallow water so algae can get
light, home to highly diverse community of fish and invertebrates, sensitive to changes in temperature
and water quality
hydrothermal vent/cold seep: deep sea communities based on chemosynthesis rather than
photosynthesis, a unique site of organisms found here