Oceanography Final Exam Review:
The Answers
Oceanography 2014
1. Chronometer
• Accurate maritime clock
• Invented by John Harrison 1735
2. What contributions did the Chinese
make to sailing?
MOST IMPORTANT = compass
3. Latitude and Longitude in the N Hemisphere
Calculated by…
• Latitude: measuring the angle between the horizon
and the north star
• Longitude: knowing the difference between local
time and Greenwich mean-time
4. Describe the purpose of the Challenger Expedition.
It was the first expedition devoted entirely to
marine science
5. Define the 4 major categories of oceanography.
Physical: Study of Waves, Currents, and Tides
Geological: Study of Ocean Rocks, Sediment, & Volcanic Activity
Chemical: Study of Water Chemistry
Biological: Study of Ocean Life / Marine Biology
6. Who was the father of physical
oceanography?
Matthew Maury
7. Life Style Groups
PLANKTON
Microscopic floating
organisms, some
photosynthesize and
some eat other organisms
BENTHOS
Organisms that live on the
ocean bottom, some can
move and some are
stationary
NEKTON
Organisms that can swim,
includes many vertebrate
animals and some
invertebrates like squid
8. Light in the Ocean
PHOTIC
APHOTIC
ABYSSAL
9. What is taxonomy?
Grouping organisms together and determining
their relationships
10. What are some ways taxonomy is useful?
• identifies the relationship between organisms
• requires that key characteristics be defined for
each organism
• helps to avoid confusion
11. Who created the current classification system?
Carolus Linneaus
12-13. What groups are in this system? How can you
remember them in order from largest to smallest?
domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
D –ear
K –ing
P –hillip
C –ame
O –ver
F –or
G –reat
S -paghetti
14. Examples of scientific names.
Genus species
Homo sapien (HUMANS)
Felis catus (DOMESTIC CAT)
Canis familiaris (DOMESTIC DOG)
Ursus americanus (BLACK BEAR)
15-19. Characteristics of the Kingdoms
• Animalia (multicellular, heterotrophic)
– Dog
• Plantae (multicellular, autotrophic)
– Daisy
• Archaea (unicellular, autotrophic)
– Extremophiles
• Eubacteria (unicellular, auto&hetero-trophic)
– E. Coli
• Protista (unicellular, auto&hetero-trophic)
– Algae, Kelp
20. Dichotomous Key
Purpose:
Helps with identifying organisms based on appearance
Answers:
1. Peacock Flounder
2. Spotted Goat Fish
3. Glassy Sweeper
4. Squirrel Fish
5. Spotted Eagle Ray
6. Band-tail Puffer
7. Spotted Moray Eel
8. Glass-Eye Snapper
9. Trumpet Fish
21. Phylogeny
Different from taxonomy because it groups
organisms based on similar characteristics
instead of ancestral relationships
22. What is it called when an organism is able to
produce light?
Bioluminescence
23. Phytoplankton
Plankton that generate energy through
photosynthesis
24. Echolocation
It is a series of high-pitched clicks and whistles
used by whales and dolphins for communication
25. What is a cephalopod?
Squid and Octopi
Means: “head” – “foot”
26. Sea Sponge
• Benthic Marine Invertebrate
• Called “filter of the sea” because it is porous
and feeds via filter-feeding
27. Bivalvia
• Clams and Oysters
• Marine Invertebrates with 2-half shells
28. Crustacea
• Crabs and Lobsters
• Hard Exoskeleton, segmented bodies
29. Echinodermata
• Marine invertebrates such as starfish and sea urchins
• Have radial symmetry
(same no matter which way you cut it)
30-36. Sharks
30. Chordata ; Nekton
31. Cartilaginous
32. Large, fatty organ used to help sharks float
33. Hunting sharks eat dolphin, seal, and squid ;
peaceful sharks eat plankton/algae
34. Valuable for soup in some Asian countries
35. Sharks are slow-growing to maturity and have few offspring
36. Sharks have skeletons of cartilage instead of bone, they give
birth to live offspring instead of lay eggs, dermal denticles instead
of scales, and fatty liver instead of swim bladder
37. Freshwater and Saltwater
• 3% Fresh
• 97% Salt
38. H2O Molecule
+
+
-
39. What is a polar molecule?
Molecules with a positive end and a negative
ends
40. What type of bonds hold water
molecules together?
Covalent
41. What are the 5 Key Properties of Water?
1. Cohesion/Adhesion (water sticks to itself, and other objects)
2. Surface Tension (insect can walk on water)
3. Viscosity (water resists motion)
4. Liquid Water (exists as liquid not gas at room temp)
5. Ice Floats (solid is less dense than liquid)
42. What factors will affect the way sound
moves through seawater?
• Temperature
• Salinity
• Pressure
43. Salinity
The measurement of dissolved solids in seawater
Measured in PPT (parts per thousand)
Average salinity of ocean = 35
44. Where does the salt in the ocean
originate from?
Salt is washed into the ocean from sources on
the land
45-47. pH
Basic
45. Acids and Bases, Concentration of ions in a liquid
46. Neutral = 7 (pure water)
47. Optimal for living things = 6-8
48. Density
D = M/V
the measure of how compact a substance is per
unit area
49. Why is water considered the universal solvent?
Because of its ability to dissolve most substances
50. Why is the Earth “unevenly heated” by the Sun?
Due to its…
• rotation
• tilt
• imperfect shape
51. What are convection currents?
Air currents that cause polar air to sink and
equatorial air to rise
52. Winds blow from regions of _________
pressure to regions of __________ pressure.
From regions of high pressure to regions of low
pressure
53. What is the Coriolis Effect and why is it
important?
Phenomenon caused by the rotation of Earth
that leads to:
Northern Hemisphere: Clockwise
Southern Hemisphere: Counter-clockwise
Effects the paths in which winds/currents move
54. Earth’s Atmosphere
About 70-78% Nitrogen
55. Role of Trade Winds and Surface Currents on
Exploration
• Created “paths” for sailing ships, expeditions
followed the winds/currents
• Gyres provided “round trip” transport
56. World Gyres
GYRE: intersection of ocean currents that creates a circular pattern of water flow
57. What causes surface currents to form?
Wind
58. Thermohaline Circulation
• Caused by differences in density related to
salinity and temperature
• Creates deep ocean currents