Question 1

Pelagic organisms live in the open ocean.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Some of the very large species of animals in the ocean, namely whale sharks and baleen whales, feed on plankton. How can they support their large size eating microscopic organisms?

Accepted Answer

Because the plankton that baleen whales eat are at lower trophic levels than larger organisms, and therefore closer to primary producers, they are abundant. This requires little energy and makes feeding on those plankton very efficient.

Question 3

Organisms that are unable to actively move laterally, instead drifting with ocean currents, are called ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  plankton
B)  nekton
C)  hadal
D)  benthic

Question 4

Bony fishes (like tuna or anchovies) are members of which group?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mammalia
B)  Chondrichthyes
C)  Osteichthyes
D)  Arthropoda

Question 5

Organisms that spend only part of their life cycle as a member of the plankton community are called ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  zooplankton
B)  meroplankton
C)  holoplankton
D)  phytoplankton

Question 6

Discuss adaptations in fish that function to reduce drag.

Accepted Answer

A fish's drag is determined by...

Question 7

The portion of the pelagic zone that is near the shore on the continental shelf is the ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  oceanic zone
B)  abyssal zone
C)  neritic zone
D)  bathyal zone C

Question 8

Productivity in polar waters ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  is high year-round
B)  is very low year-round
C)  briefly spikes in the summer
D)  is only high in the winter

Question 9

The pelagic realm is massive and supports a great diversity of living things. Considering zonation in the pelagic realm, where would you expect to find most of the organisms and why?

Accepted Answer

Most organisms will be found in the phot...

Question 10

Organisms that spend their entire life cycle as plankton are called ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  nanoplankton.
B)  meroplankton.
C)  holoplankton.
D)  zooplankton. C

Question 11

In the gill of a fish, water and blood circulate ____, which ____ transfer efficiency.

Accepted Answer

A)  in the same direction; increases
B)  in opposite directions; increases
C)  in the same direction; decreases
D)  in opposite directions; decreases

Question 12

Organisms with backbones are called ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  vertebrates
B)  invertebrates
C)  molluscs
D)  foraminifera

Question 13

Coccolithophores are zooplankton that can form chalky oozes on the seabed.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

The whale shark is the largest species of shark and eats ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  seals and other smaller marine mammals
B)  fish, especially tuna
C)  plankton near the surface of the water
D)  benthic crabs

Question 15

Macroplankton are the smallest size class of plankton.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

A ____ is an organism's "address" within its community, while its ____ is its "occupation".

Accepted Answer

A)  habitat; metabolism
B)  niche; resource
C)  neritic zone; selection
D)  habitat; niche

Question 17

How do marine reptiles and seabirds deal with the salinity of seawater?

Accepted Answer

A)  They have special glands that help excrete salt.
B)  They dilute the salt with freshwater.
C)  Their bodily fluids are saline, as well.
D)  They have a filter in their throats that removes salt.

Question 18

Which of the following organisms is a cephalopod?

Accepted Answer

A)  whale
B)  sea turtle
C)  seal
D)  squid

Question 19

Sharks have skeletons made of cartilage, not bone.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

What do bony fishes use to make themselves more buoyant?

Accepted Answer

A)  hollow fins
B)  decreased drag
C)  gills
D)  swim bladder

Exam 13: Pelagic Communities

Pelagic organisms live in the open ocean.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Some of the very large species of animals in the ocean, namely whale sharks and baleen whales, feed on plankton. How can they support their large size eating microscopic organisms?

Correct AnswerverifiedBecause the plankton that baleen whales eat are at lower trophic levels than larger organisms, and therefore closer to primary producers, they are abundant. This requires little energy and makes feeding on those plankton very efficient.

Organisms that are unable to actively move laterally, instead drifting with ocean currents, are called ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Bony fishes (like tuna or anchovies) are members of which group?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Organisms that spend only part of their life cycle as a member of the plankton community are called ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Discuss adaptations in fish that function to reduce drag.

Correct AnswerverifiedA fish's drag is determined by...View AnswerShow Answer

The portion of the pelagic zone that is near the shore on the continental shelf is the ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedC

Productivity in polar waters ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The pelagic realm is massive and supports a great diversity of living things. Considering zonation in the pelagic realm, where would you expect to find most of the organisms and why?

Correct AnswerverifiedMost organisms will be found in the phot...View AnswerShow Answer

Organisms that spend their entire life cycle as plankton are called ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedC

In the gill of a fish, water and blood circulate ____, which ____ transfer efficiency.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Organisms with backbones are called ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Coccolithophores are zooplankton that can form chalky oozes on the seabed.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The whale shark is the largest species of shark and eats ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Macroplankton are the smallest size class of plankton.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A ____ is an organism's "address" within its community, while its ____ is its "occupation".

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How do marine reptiles and seabirds deal with the salinity of seawater?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following organisms is a cephalopod?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Sharks have skeletons made of cartilage, not bone.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What do bony fishes use to make themselves more buoyant?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct Answer
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Because the plankton that baleen whales eat are at lower trophic levels than larger organisms, and therefore closer to primary producers, they are abundant. This requires little energy and makes feeding on those plankton very efficient.

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A fish's drag is determined by...
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C

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Most organisms will be found in the phot...
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C

In the gill of a fish, water and blood circulate , which transfer efficiency.

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A is an organism's "address" within its community, while its is its "occupation".

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