03 - Coastal Ecosystems

Multiple Choice

Criteria such as salinity, depth, and whether the water is flowing or standing are used by scientists to 

• Classify aquatic ecosystems
• Determine the number of species in a body of water
• Distinguish terrestrial from aquatic ecosystems
• Measure net primary productivity in lakes

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of wetlands?

• Habitats that require a wet habitat in order to live.

• Soils that have characteristics associated with flooded or saturated conditions.

• Predominantly dry conditions with occasional flooding.

• A gray color.

Multiple Choice

Fish only live in saltwater

• True
• False

Open Ended

Think about how energy decreases as we go higher up in the energy pyramid. Why do you think there can't be more trophic levels above the shark?

Multiple Choice

The majority of marine organisms are found in

• deep ocean waters

• shallow, coastal waters

• fisheries

• none of the above

Multiple Select

What are the characteristics of tidal flats and coastal lagoons?

• Tidal flats are freshwater wetlands

• Coastal lagoons are separated from the ocean

• Tidal flats are not always submerged

• Coastal lagoons are found only in tropical regions

Multiple Choice

What is an estuary?

• The area of the ocean that extends from the low tide line to the edge of the continental shelf
• a coastal inlet or bay where fresh water from rivers mixes with salty ocean water
• the lowest layer of the ocean where light does not reach
• a geyser on the seafloor

Multiple Select

What are the characteristics of estuaries and deltas?

(2)

• Estuaries are freshwater bodies

• Deltas are formed by deposited sediment

• Estuaries mix river and sea water

• Deltas are found at the ocean's center

Multiple Choice

The map has four water resources labeled W-Z.. Which water resource contains nutrient-rich brackish water?

• water resource W

• water resource X

• water resource Y

• water resource Z

Multiple Choice

What happens to the current of rivers as they reach the ocean?

• It speeds up

• It slows down

• It remains the same

• It reverses direction

Multiple Choice

What happens to sediment when it reaches the shallow ocean shore?

• It is carried away by the current

• It is deposited

• It sinks to the bottom

• It evaporates

Multiple Choice

The satellite image shows the Selenga River flowing into Lake Baikal in Russia. The river flows from the southeast and empties into the lake in the northern part of the image.

Where the river enters the lake, it branches into many channels and has deposited a large, fan-shaped feature extending out from the shore (marked by "X"). What is this feature?

• a delta

• a barrier island

• a wave-cut terrace

• a sand dune

Multiple Choice

What are salt marshes dominated by?

• Trees

• Herbs and grasses

• Rocks

• Deserts

Multiple Choice

What do seagrass beds contain?

• Submerged plants

• Coral reefs

• Fish

• Seaweed

Multiple Choice

What is the primary function of the roots of mangrove trees?

• To absorb nutrients

• To filter salt

• To provide shade

• To anchor the soil

Multiple Choice

What percentage of wave energy do mangrove forests dissipate?

• 50%

• 70%

• 90%

• 100%

Multiple Select

How can an algal bloom (eutrophication) lead to a decrease in dissolved oxygen? Select all that apply. [2]

• Algae is a heterotroph and consumes more oxygen than it produces.

• Decreased light penetration limits photosynthesis below the surface.

• Bacteria consume oxygen as they decompose dead algae and other organisms.

• Decomposes that would have produced oxygen are outcompeted by algae.

Open Ended

Evaluate how coastal ecosystems protect shorelines and support high biodiversity.