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Worksheets

Aquatic Ecosystems

Total questions: 50

Worksheet time: 37mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What are wetlands?

a)

areas of land that are flooded at least part of the year

b)

the ocean

c)

lakes

d)

estuaries

2.

What is NOT an important feature of a wetland?

a)

Prevents flooding

b)

Provides habitat for organisms

c)

Prevents wildfires

d)

Filters and purifies water

3.

Salinity refers to

a)

how many plants are in the water

b)

how many organisms live in the water

c)

how much salt in is water

4.

All are freshwater ecosystems except

a)

marshes

b)

lakes

c)

eustary

d)

rivers

5.
An area in which fresh water from a river mixes with salt water from the ocean
a)
Mangrove Swamp
b)
Estuary
c)
Marshes
d)
Wetland
6.
The bottom region of oceans and bodies of fresh water is 
a)
Benthos
b)
Benthic Zone
c)
Limnetic Zone
d)
Nekton
7.
An increase in the amount of nutrients in an aquatic ecosystem
a)
Eutrophication
b)
Zootrophication
c)
Overfishing
d)
Swamping
8.
Bottom dwelling organisms.
a)
Plankton
b)
Fish
c)
Mammals
d)
Benthos
9.
Free swimming organisms
a)
Benthos
b)
Nekton
c)
Amoba
d)
Crustacean
10.
An area where land is periodically underwater.
a)
Wetland
b)
Forest
c)
Desert
d)
Woodland
11.

What is at the base of the food chain in the ocean?

a)

whales

b)

plankton

c)

turtles

d)

seaweed

12.
Two factors that determine where an organism lives in aquatic ecosystem are 
a)
Temperature and sunlight
b)
Neighbors and housing prices
c)
Fish and wildlife
d)
Darkness and tree height
13.

Aquatic life is abundant, diverse, and full of sunlight at which zone?

a)

littoral zone

b)

benthic zone

c)

limnetic zone

14.
Which is NOT example of freshwater ecosystems
a)
Coral Reef
b)
Lake
c)
Pond
d)
Stream
15.
Wetlands and estuaries purify water and filter out _____.
a)
dead organisms
b)
waste products
c)
salt
d)
pollution
16.
What factors affect aquatic ecosystems? 
a)
Light, salinity, temperature
b)
Sun, moon and stars
c)
Nothing
d)
Coral reefs, whales
17.
Why does photosynthesis not occur in the deep ocean? 
a)
Lack of nutrients
b)
Low oxygen levels
c)
Excess sunlight
d)
Sunlight does not penetrate
18.
Deep ocean technology has discovered organisms in hydrothermal vents that do not rely on sunlight to survive. What do these organisms use as their energy source?
a)
chemosynthesis
b)
electrical charge
c)
hydropower
d)
thermal heat
19.
Plankton that uses photosynthesis:
a)
Phytoplankton
b)
Zooplankton
20.

Which of the following are producers in the food web?

a)

Phytoplankton and seaweed

b)

Phytoplankton and zooplankton

c)

Squid and Elephant Seal

d)

Seaweed and Crabs

21.

Which zone in this pond would be classified as benthic?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

22.

Which zone in this pond would be classified as limnetic

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

23.

Which zone in this pond would be classified as littoral?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

24.

Of the three zones in the pond shown, which would you expect to see little or no photosynthesis, and a greater population of decomposers?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

25.

Which zone in the pond would you expect the greatest amount of biological diversity?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

26.

Driving home, you pass through a warmer area with a lot of farm land. You notice a pond near the road that is thick with coating of green algae. This is a ______________ pond.

a)

Oligotrophic

b)

Eutrophic

c)

Mesotrophic

27.

Which ecosystem is sometimes referred to as a “marine desert,” due to its lack of life?

a)

Coastal zone

b)

Benthic zone

c)

Open ocean

d)

Tidal zone

28.

Where would you expect to find a bioluminescent organism?

a)

In the aphotic or benthic zone of the ocean

b)

In the photic zone of the ocean

c)

In the disphotic zone of the ocean

29.

Of the three types of inland freshwater wetlands, which one would you expect to find no trees, and a normal pH level?

a)

Swamp

b)

Marsh

c)

Bog

d)

All of these

30.

This is the most productive ecosystem in the ocean. It is formed as the result of a tiny animal and algae living in a mutualistic relationship.

a)

Mudflat

b)

Sandy shore

c)

Rocky shore

d)

Coral reef

31.

What are the two most important abiotic factors in determining the productivity, or amount of life in different areas of the ocean? Choose two.

a)

Amount of sunlight.

b)

Wind and wave speed

c)

Nutrient levels in the water

d)

Amount of dissolved carbon dioxide in the water

32.

What color sand would you expect to see on sheltered cove on a volcanic island, such as Hawai’i?

a)

White

b)

Black

c)

Brown

d)

No sand; rocky shore instead

33.

This area of the ocean only makes up 10% of the total ecosystem size, but has 90% of its biodiversity.

a)

The coastal/tidal zones

b)

The photic zone in the open ocean

c)

The aphotic zone in the open ocean

d)

The benthic zone

34.

The change in sea level from high to low tide is the result of…

a)

The gravitational effects of the sun

b)

The gravitational effects of the moon and the sun

c)

Wind

d)

Small earthquakes on the ocean floor

35.

This diagram represents what type of coastal wetland?

a)

Sea grass bed

b)

Salt marsh

c)

Mangrove swamp

d)

Estuary

36.

Classify each of the following organism: Diatom (a type of green algae)

a)

plankton

b)

nekton

c)

benthos

d)

decomposer

37.

Classify each of the following organism: Bacteria

a)

plankton

b)

nekton

c)

benthos

d)

decomposer

38.

Classify each of the following organisms: Clams

a)

plankton

b)

nekton

c)

benthos

d)

decomposer

39.

Classify each of the following organisms: Dolphins

a)

plankton

b)

nekton

c)

benthos

d)

decomposer

40.

An estuary is where the rivers meet the... ?

a)

Ocean

b)

Beach

c)

Mountain

d)

Lake

41.

An example of a fresh water habitat is _____

a)

ocean

b)

sea

c)

pond

d)

rainforest

42.

Which marine environment has the most biodiversity?

a)

Sandy Beach

b)

Rocky Coast

c)

Estuary

d)

Coral Reef

43.
What is the name of the layer of the ocean that has the most life? 
a)
Oceanic
b)
Twilight
c)
Sunlight
d)
Abyss
44.

In which ocean zone will you find the warmest waters? 

a)
twilight
b)
abyssal 
c)
midnight
d)
sunlight
45.

This is the zone where the water level is constantly changing. 

a)
Neritic 
b)
Intertidal
c)
Oceanic
d)
Abyssal
46.

Mangroves are what type of aquatic ecosystem?

a)

Wetland

b)

Pond

c)

Coastal ocean

d)

Tundra

47.

Which is not a benefit of a wetland?

a)

pollution control

b)

flood control

c)

biodiversity

d)

start succession

48.

What are the limiting factors of marine ecosystems?

a)

sunlight and nutrients

b)

water and salinity

c)

turbidity and nutrients

d)

sunlight and salinty

49.

Which is not an abiotic factor that influences life in aquatic biomes?

a)

sunlight

b)

turbidity

c)

salinity

d)

nutrients

e)

carbon levels

50.

Which is a characteristic of an oligotrophic lake?

a)

high nutrients

b)

low oxygen levels

c)

low turbidity

d)

warm water temperature