QBA EXAM EVALUATION 2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTION RATED A+
✔✔photic zone - ✔✔Portion of the marine biome that is shallow enough for sunlight to
penetrate.
✔✔aphotic zone - ✔✔permanently dark layer of the oceans below the photic zone
✔✔benthic zone - ✔✔bottom of an aquatic ecosystem; consists of sand and sediment
and supports its own community of organisms--includes both freshwater and marine
ecosystems
✔✔abyssal zone - ✔✔The portion of the ocean floor where light does not penetrate and
where temperatures are cold and pressures intense. Although it touches the bottom of
the ocean, it does not include sediment or the benthic zone.
✔✔wetlands - ✔✔a lowland area, such as a marsh or swamp, that is saturated with
moisture, especially when regarded as the natural habitat of wildlife.
✔✔estuary - ✔✔A habitat in which the fresh water of a river meets the salt water of the
ocean.
✔✔salinity - ✔✔the amount of salt in water, the deeper the ocean the more salinity
✔✔pH - ✔✔how acid or basic a liquid is, the ocean becomes more acidic the deeper it
goes
✔✔light - ✔✔the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible, this abiotic
factor decreases the deeper the ocean goes
✔✔Temperature - ✔✔A measure of how hot or cold something is. The deeper the
ocean, the colder the temperature.
✔✔Starfish - ✔✔this organism would live in the intertidal zone as it can survive both in
water and outside of the ocean
✔✔Angler Fish - ✔✔this organism would live in the aphotic zone, has large eyes to see
better with and is able to survive with limited availability of nutrients
✔✔Shark - ✔✔This organism would live in the photic zone of the open ocean
✔✔turbidity - ✔✔A measure of how clear water is.
✔✔community - ✔✔All the different populations that live together in an area
, ✔✔ecological succession - ✔✔a change in an ecosystem that happens when one
community replaces another as a result of changing abiotic and biotic factors
✔✔primary succession - ✔✔succession that occurs on surfaces where no soil
previously existed
✔✔secondary succession - ✔✔Succession following a disturbance that destroys a
community without destroying the soil
✔✔primary succession example - ✔✔this kind of succession would follow the melting of
a glacier or a volcanic eruption
✔✔secondary succession example - ✔✔this kind of succession would follow a forest
fire, a hurricane, or an abandoned construction sites, parking lots or farms
✔✔climax community - ✔✔A stable, mature community that undergoes little or no
change in species over time, a true climax community is unlikely to occur due to
ongoing disturbances in communities
✔✔pioneer species - ✔✔First species to populate an area during primary succession
✔✔pioneer species example - ✔✔moss and lichens
✔✔climate - ✔✔Overall weather in an area over a long period of time
✔✔weather - ✔✔The condition of Earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place.
✔✔season - ✔✔A period of the year characterized by particular conditions of weather,
and temperature
✔✔climate example - ✔✔a change in season (winter, spring, summer, fall)
✔✔weather example - ✔✔It's raining or snowing outside
✔✔bio - ✔✔means life
✔✔limiting factors - ✔✔Conditions in the environment that put limits on where an
organism can live
✔✔biotic factor - ✔✔Any living part of the environment with which an organism might
interact
✔✔abiotic factor - ✔✔physical, or nonliving, factor that shapes an ecosystem
SOLUTION RATED A+
✔✔photic zone - ✔✔Portion of the marine biome that is shallow enough for sunlight to
penetrate.
✔✔aphotic zone - ✔✔permanently dark layer of the oceans below the photic zone
✔✔benthic zone - ✔✔bottom of an aquatic ecosystem; consists of sand and sediment
and supports its own community of organisms--includes both freshwater and marine
ecosystems
✔✔abyssal zone - ✔✔The portion of the ocean floor where light does not penetrate and
where temperatures are cold and pressures intense. Although it touches the bottom of
the ocean, it does not include sediment or the benthic zone.
✔✔wetlands - ✔✔a lowland area, such as a marsh or swamp, that is saturated with
moisture, especially when regarded as the natural habitat of wildlife.
✔✔estuary - ✔✔A habitat in which the fresh water of a river meets the salt water of the
ocean.
✔✔salinity - ✔✔the amount of salt in water, the deeper the ocean the more salinity
✔✔pH - ✔✔how acid or basic a liquid is, the ocean becomes more acidic the deeper it
goes
✔✔light - ✔✔the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible, this abiotic
factor decreases the deeper the ocean goes
✔✔Temperature - ✔✔A measure of how hot or cold something is. The deeper the
ocean, the colder the temperature.
✔✔Starfish - ✔✔this organism would live in the intertidal zone as it can survive both in
water and outside of the ocean
✔✔Angler Fish - ✔✔this organism would live in the aphotic zone, has large eyes to see
better with and is able to survive with limited availability of nutrients
✔✔Shark - ✔✔This organism would live in the photic zone of the open ocean
✔✔turbidity - ✔✔A measure of how clear water is.
✔✔community - ✔✔All the different populations that live together in an area
, ✔✔ecological succession - ✔✔a change in an ecosystem that happens when one
community replaces another as a result of changing abiotic and biotic factors
✔✔primary succession - ✔✔succession that occurs on surfaces where no soil
previously existed
✔✔secondary succession - ✔✔Succession following a disturbance that destroys a
community without destroying the soil
✔✔primary succession example - ✔✔this kind of succession would follow the melting of
a glacier or a volcanic eruption
✔✔secondary succession example - ✔✔this kind of succession would follow a forest
fire, a hurricane, or an abandoned construction sites, parking lots or farms
✔✔climax community - ✔✔A stable, mature community that undergoes little or no
change in species over time, a true climax community is unlikely to occur due to
ongoing disturbances in communities
✔✔pioneer species - ✔✔First species to populate an area during primary succession
✔✔pioneer species example - ✔✔moss and lichens
✔✔climate - ✔✔Overall weather in an area over a long period of time
✔✔weather - ✔✔The condition of Earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place.
✔✔season - ✔✔A period of the year characterized by particular conditions of weather,
and temperature
✔✔climate example - ✔✔a change in season (winter, spring, summer, fall)
✔✔weather example - ✔✔It's raining or snowing outside
✔✔bio - ✔✔means life
✔✔limiting factors - ✔✔Conditions in the environment that put limits on where an
organism can live
✔✔biotic factor - ✔✔Any living part of the environment with which an organism might
interact
✔✔abiotic factor - ✔✔physical, or nonliving, factor that shapes an ecosystem
