Ocean Zones Worksheet PDF

Preview

Summary

Environmental science assignment lesson 4.3 taken from...

Description

Ocean Zones Worksheet 1. What is meant by the two terms: abiotic factors and biotic factors. Give examples of each for an ocean ecosystem. Biotic: A factor in an environment that relates to, caused by, or produced by living organisms. Ex: plants, animals, fungi, algae Abiotic: environmental. Factor not related to or not associated with or derived from living organisms. Ex: sunlight, temperature, moisture 2. Compare the abiotic factors occurring in the neritic zone and the abyssal zone. List three organisms that you know of that live within each of these zones. N: Minerals, temperature, and dissolved gasses. A: high pressures and low temperatures. chemosynthetic bacteria, tubeworms, and small fish 3. Define the following terms: • Benthic- bottom along continental slope down to deep open ocean bottom • Photic zone- the top layer, nearest the surface of the ocean and is also called the sunlight layer • Littoral zone - The littoral zone is the area between high and low tide mark or area submerged at high tide and exposed at low tide. • Sub-littoral zone - coastal regions with significant tidal flows and energy dissipation 4. Give an example of an organism that lives within the neritic zone. Using abiotic factors as a basis for your answer explain why this organism is not found in the abyssal zone. Sponges can’t be found in abyssal zone as there isn’t much food to filter. 5. Give an example of an organism that lives within the abyssal zone. Using abiotic factors as a basis for your answer explain why this organism is not found in the pelagic zone. Anglerfish- No living plant exists here. Most animals living here survive by consuming the detritus falling from the zones 6. Explain the difference between plankton and nekton Plankton- are passive swimmers that are carried by the water currents \ nekton- are actively-swimming organisms that swim against the water currents 7. What abiotic factors characterize the pelagic zone and list three organisms that you know that live within this zone. The oxygen content in the water. The pressure at that depth. The nutrients present in the water. Giant Squid 8. What is zonation and how do abiotic factors affect zonation?

Zonation- the variation in the distribution of organisms caused by differences in both biotic and abiotic conditions along an environmental gradient. Abiotic Factors Causing Rocky Shore Zonation Desiccation: occurs because of emersion at low tide affecting the upper and middle shores....