Topic 1: Coastal Ecology Intro
The coastal ocean's habitat is different from the open ocean's habitat in that:
a. It is the place where the sea interacts with the land
b. It is never frozen in the harsh winters
c. There is too much oxygen for organisms to thrive
d. It is the place where fish breed in
a. It is the place where the sea interacts with the land.
Ice-push ridges can bulldoze and kill many plants and animals that try to live in the intertidal zone.
What is an adaptation that you expect plants that live near the river's delta to have?
a. Ability to live and survive in both salt and fresh waters
b. Defence mechanism against predators
c. Breeding mechanism to reproduce with terrestrial plants
d. Tide detection mechanism
a. Ability to live and survive in both salt and fresh waters
What species do you expect to find in estuaries?
a. vascular plants (ex: eelgrass)
b. invertebrates (ex: molluscs)
c. anadromous fish
d. all of the above
d. all of the above
TRUE OR FALSE:
Epifauna invertebrates move around or near the ocean floor (live on the ocean floor).
TRUE.
Those that live buried in the substrate are called infauna
The coastal zone is any area that is shallower than 200 m. What's another name for this area?
a. aphotic zone
b. epipelagic zone
c. photic zone
d. both a and b
e. both b and c
e. both e and c.
Describe the supralittoral zone and explain what organisms you might expect to see there?
Also referred to as the splash zone, it is the exposed area that only gets splashes of sea water during high tides. You expect to see terrestrial plants there. This area is not normally fully submerged in water.
Explain the migration of arctic char in the summers and winters between salt and freshwater.
Arctic Char are anadromous fish that do not have the antifreeze chemical in their blood that would enable them to survive in the winter. Each fall, they leave to warmer fresh waters.
Explain how a change in salinity is a limiting factor to an estuary's productivity.
The species that live and thrive in estuaries are adapted to live in the conditions that the estuary offers (brackish / low-salinity waters). If salinity drastically increases or decreases, these species will not necessarily be able to survive.
The holdfast acts as an anchor to plant ocean plants in the substrate and absorb nutrients just like terrestrial plants.
FALSE.
The holdfast does anchor the plant to the ocean floor, but it does not absorb nutrients.
What organisms do you expect to be in great abundance in the coastal pelagic environment?
Phytoplankton and zooplankton
Where does sediment come into the ocean from? Give an example.
Most sediments get washed up from the land from river systems. For example, the Mackenzie River dumps approximately 130,000,000 tons of sediment into the arctic ocean each year.
Describe 2 adaptations of algae in the coastal environment.
- Leaf-like structure to get sunlight for photosynthesis
- Root-like structure, referred to as holdfast, to attach themselves to the ocean floor
- Balloon-like 'air bladder' that helps them float near the surface to be closer to the sunlight
Explain some of the effects of human activity on estuaries.
Humans use estuaries to build settlements as they make good ports, connecting between the river and the ocean; they also provide flat land for farming.
Humans caused:
- pollution and contamination
- loss of habitat to many native species
- destroyed natural habitat
TRUE OR FALSE:
Filter-feeders are organisms that filter nutrients that are suspended from the water.
TRUE.
Deposit feeders, on the other hand, obtain nutrients by swallowing sediments and extracting nutrients.
Explain what high productivity means and what contributes to it in the pelagic coastal environment.
The coastal pelagic environment is generally shallow, so sunlight usually penetrates it easily. This leads to photosynthesis and nutrients being readily available. It also allows temperatures to be comfortable and warmer. Lastly, oxygen levels are often high due to wave action, allowing it to be dissolved in water.
Describe the littoral zone and what species do you expect to find there?
Also referred to as the intertidal zone, it is the strip of land that lies between the high and low tide. This area is populated with animals and plants that are adapted to the impact of waves washing over them and the sun drying them. Examples: Mussels, rockweed, barnacles.
In short, describe the 3 types of fish that are anadromous. (diadromous, catadromous, amphidromous)
Diadromous: Fish that divide their lives in both salt and freshwater.
Catadromous: Fish that are born in salt water, move to fresh water to grow, then return to the ocean to breed.
Amphidromous: Fish that migrate back and forth between fresh and seawater but not for breeding.Explain how human activity affected tidal flats.
Tidal flats are giant intertidal areas that are generally muddy and rich in resources. Humans fish during high tides and dig for clams at low tides. Humans cause pollution from vehicles, as well as lead to sewage lagoons and garbage dumps.
TRUE OR FALSE:
Freshwater fish pee a lot and marine fish pee a little to maintain salinity levels in their bodies.
TRUE.
What physical and biological variables affect the productivity of different coastal habitats?
Many variables affect this coastal productivity, such as climate, water temperature, latitude (north/south), currents, pollution, water depth, salinity, food and nutrients, exposure to open ocean, local human impact (fishing, erosion, heating water, water traffic), presence of ice, and wave activity
Explain how erosion and deposition work in the coastal environment.
Erosion of the shoreline, such as ice scours, breaks away soil and sediment and distributes it between three zones - open ocean, marine zone, and the transitional zone. Erosion decreases the biodiversity of an area since plants never get a chance to stay rooted. Currents move the material that was deposited around using longshore currents.
Options vary from:
Portuguese man-of-war --> secretes gases that allows it to float near the surface where there are producers
Fish peeing
Whales, seals, some seabirds --> blubber for temperature regulation
Seals --> Adaptation to pressure with collapsable lungs
Coastal birds coming during the summer and molting (shedding), finding resources, and when the tide is out they can feast on shellfish.
How have people used Fjords in the past and what are the potential future uses?
Fjords provide shelter for both plants, animals, and communities, so it makes sense for people to settle there for the future. Finally, migration ensures that people know seasonally where they can find huge numbers of animals, they can harvest each summer.
TRUE OR FALSE:
An indicator species for a healthy estuary would be an excessive growth in plants like eelgrass.
FALSE.
An indicator species for an unhealthy estuary would be an excessive growth in plants like eelgrass.