Life on the Continental Shelf Quiz

What is the continental shelf?

• The deepest part of the ocean

• The open ocean area

• The top layer of the ocean

• The submerged edge of the continents

What is the richest part of the ocean?

• The open ocean area

• The deep sea

• The continental shelf

• The intertidal zone

What are some factors that affect subtidal organisms?

• Currents and pollution

• Nutrients and shallow water

• Salinity and sunlight

• Temperature and depth

What is sedimentation?

• The formation of rocks

• The settling of sediment particles from the water

• The movement of water

• The growth of coral reefs

What type of communities are often found on the continental shelf?

• Communities with rocky bottoms

• Communities with soft bottoms

• Communities with coral reefs

• Communities with seagrasses

What are some reasons for higher diversity in soft-bottom subtidal communities?

• Drastic temperature changes

• Minimal salinity changes

• Lack of stability

• Desiccation problems

What is an unvegetated community?

• A community with no animals

• A community with only seagrasses

• A community with no seaweeds or seagrasses

• A community with only seaweeds

What type of substrate is preferred by deposit feeders?

• Coral reefs

• Rocky bottoms

• Muddy bottoms

• Sandy bottoms

What type of organisms can exclude suspension feeders?

• Coral reefs

• Deposit feeders

• Seagrasses

• Seaweeds

What is the type of substrate that affects the distribution of burrowing deposit and suspension feeders?

• Sandy bottoms

• Coral reefs

• Rocky bottoms

• Muddy bottoms