The Shelf
The land surrounding each continent is an area called the...
Continental Shelf
The area that is covered and uncovered by the water of tides is called the _____ zone. (ch. 5)
intertidal zone
Tiny, free floating organisms are called....
plankton
One habitat found in coastal waters, especially on the Pacific coast is the...
kelp forest
You may NOT use your book or notes for this question.
What is it called when there is a dramatic, temporary increase in alage?
an algae bloom
Land that slowly slopes downward.
Like a pool that slowly increases in depth as you walk into it.
There is a sharp drop off. The continental shelf is the area before the drop off.
Together, the neritic zone, intertidal zone, estuaries, and all the near shore habitats are called the...
littoral zone
The type of plankton that eats other small plankton is called...
zooplankton
Kelp is not a plant; it is actually a type of...
brown algae
You may NOT use your book or notes for this question.
What is the primary food for manatees (aka sea cows)?
Sea grasses
True or false:
Some of the continental shelf used to be dry land when the ocean levels were lower in the past.
True!
"Littoral" means...?
Shore
Organisms that are larger and able to swim around with powered motion are called...
nekton
Why are kelp forests helpful to the ocean ecosystem?
They provide a home for many types of animals.
They help animals hide from predators.
Predators can find food in the kelp forest because there are many animals living there.
The waters above the continental shelf is an area called the...
neritic zone
The name for the entire ocean floor is the _____ zone.
benthic zone
Organisms that live on the ocean floor are called...
benthos
What is one animal that helps regulate the kelp community?
Sea otters
True or false:
The neritic zone is mostly an aphotic zone.
False!
It is typically shallow enough for light to penetrate much of the depth here.
Water habitats that do NOT include the ocean floor are called...
the neritic zone
Name one type of benthos.
crabs, lobsters, clams, oysters, sand sharks, etc.
All ocean plants grow in which zone?
The littoral zone