~Study Guide~ AICE MARINE AS LEVEL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH 100 % CORRECT ANSWERS | VERIFIED

Trophic level - "feeding level" in a food chain or food web primary producer - autotrophs (self feeders) ex: phytoplankton primary consumer - herbivores feed directly on primary producer secondary consumer - carnivores that feed on herbivores tertiary consumer - carnivores that feed on other carnivores top predators - carnivores at the top of the food chain succession - gradual change in an ecosystem that occurs over a period of time EX: volcano erupts/creates a flow of lava/species of coral begins to grow/species adapts & grows over time predator - an animal that catches, kills, and eats another animal EX: Carnivorous fish eating plankton/fish prey - animals that are eaten by predators. they may use survival tactics such as camouflageEX: starfish eat shellfish however this predator-prey relationship is necessary to keep the balance in an ecosystem keystone species - Consumers that have a LARGE effect on the overall biodiversity on an ecosystem... Example: starfish (If starfish are removed from a community-- mussel & sea urchin populations dramatically increase) shoaling - large #s of fish in the same species coming together in a "social" way shoaling advantages - 1) hydrodynamic frequency 2) more eyes to seek out feed 3) more eyes to seek out predators 4) protection for predators 5) saves energy 6) amount of fish confuses predators 7) increase chance to find a mate 8) easier to reproduce population - organisms of the SAME species living together community - organisms of DIFFERENT species living together habitat - natural environment of an organism ecosystem - system of organisms and their NONLIVING environment biodiversity - variety of life in an ecosystemhigh biodiversity - STABLE low biodiversity - NOT stable coral reef (biodiversity) - stable and not extreme environment high biodiversity typically found in the photic zone of clear water sandy shores (biodiversity) - low biodiversity not stable hydrothermal environments (biodiversity) - -extreme environment -high temperatures & high pressure -no sunlight -low biodiversity -LOW pH producer - provide food for other organisms in food web/ food chain photoautotrophs - use light energy chemoautotrophs - use chemical energy consumer - an organism that feeds off of other living organisms eutrophication - body of water becomes enriched in nutrients in order to obtain growthecological niche - the role that an organism plays in an ecosystem SPECIALIZED ecological niche - an organism can survive within very narrow physical/biological/chemical parameters (typically have very little food requirements) GENERALIZED ecological niche - organisms that can experience a wide range of food/habitats competition - both species are NEGATIVELY impacted mutualism - both species BENEFIT parasitism - one species BENEFITS and the other SUFFERS commensalism - one species BENEFITS without affecting (positively or negatively) the other organism primary productivity - rate of production of biomass through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis how to measure productivity - 1) rate of increase in biomass in producers 2) rate of photosynthesis of producers 3) look at amount of chlorophyll in an ecosystem factors affecting rate of photosynthesis: - 1) nutrients 2) amount of light 3) temperature 4) concentration of carbon dioxideextremophiles - able to survive extreme environments (such as hydrothermal vents) NPP= - GPP-R biological use of CARBON - makes organic materials biological use of PHOSPHORUS - makes dna and bone biological use of CALCIUM - makes bones, corals, and shells biological use of MAGNESIUM - synthesizes chlorophyll biological use of NITROGEN - makes proteins ocean acidification (effects) - dissolves things made of calcium carbonate fringing - closest to shore (most common) barrier - separated from mainland by lagoon atoll - ring of sand/coral/land with a central lagoon. occurs after volcano sinks hermatypic (SHALLOW) corals - -made up of small individual coral polyps -skeleton made up of calcium carbonate -have a mutual, symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellaedeep corals - -lack zooxanthellae -lack color (WHITE) -grow much slower