Ocean Life
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Printed: February 2, 2014
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C ONCEPT
Concept 1. Ocean Life
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Ocean Life
Lesson 14.4: True or False
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Write true if the statement is true or false if the statement is false.
_____ 1. The world’s smallest and largest animals live in the oceans.
_____ 2. Most plankton are about the size of small fish.
_____ 3. Zooplankton are responsible for about half of Earth’s total primary productivity.
_____ 4. Many fish can create their own light through chemical reactions.
_____ 5. Most species of marine reptiles live in cold water.
_____ 6. Marine mammals have adaptations such as kidneys able to excrete salt.
_____ 7. Many animals that live in the intertidal zone have some means of anchoring to rocks.
_____ 8. The only photosynthesizers in the open ocean are phytoplankton.
_____ 9. There are no primary producers in the aphotic zone.
_____ 10. Fish adaptations in the deepest ocean include a slow metabolism.
Lesson 14.4: Critical Reading
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Read this passage based on the text and answer the questions that follow.
Marine Ecosystems
A great abundance of life is found in the intertidal zone despite the very difficult conditions there. Intertidal
organisms must adapt to high-energy, crashing waves. They also must be able to withstand repeated exposure to
air during low tides. Hard shells protect many intertidal organisms from waves as well as drying out. The moving
water also requires many of the organisms to have a means of attaching themselves to rocks or other stationary
surfaces.
Corals are tiny animals that deposit calcium carbonate to create rock reefs near the shore. Many other organisms
live in or around coral reefs. In fact, they are among the most densely inhabited and diverse ecosystems on Earth.
Because coral reefs are close to shore, they are subject to pollution from land. Corals are also very sensitive to
temperature and are stressed by rising ocean temperatures due to global warming.
Almost all of the food in the vast oceanic zone is created by phytoplankton that live near the water surface.
Zooplankton and larger animals feed on the phytoplankton and on each other. The relatively few species that live at
greater depths in the oceanic zone are very specialized. Food is relatively scarce, so they have adaptations that allow
them to get by on less. These may include small body size, very low metabolic rate, and minimal bone structure.
To maximize the chances of catching prey, some species have jaws that unhinge to accept a larger fish or backwardfolding teeth to keep prey from escaping. Many fish that live in the absolute darkness of the deep ocean have the
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ability to produce light with chemical reactions. An example is the angler fish, which has a glowing “lure” to attract
prey.
Hot, chemical-rich water pours out of hydrothermal vents at mid-ocean ridges. Unique ecosystems form around these
vents. There is no sunlight for photosynthesis this far below the surface, so producers make food by chemosynthesis.
They are bacteria that use chemicals in the hot water for energy to make food. Consumers in the vent ecosystem giant
tube worms and certain species of shrimp, clams, and fish. The chemosynthetic bacteria live inside the tubeworms
in a symbiotic relationship. The bacteria get a safe place to live, and the tubeworms get a reliable source of food.
Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
What adaptations are needed by organisms in the intertidal zone?
Describe coral reef ecosystems. What threats do these ecosystems face?
Explain how fish in the oceanic zone adapt to conditions far below the surface.
Why are hydrothermal vent ecosystems unique?
Lesson 14.4: Multiple Choice
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Circle the letter of the correct choice.
1. Zooplankton may be
a.
b.
c.
d.
tiny invertebrates.
juvenile forms of vertebrates.
tiny plants and algae.
two of the above
2. Marine plants and seaweeds live mainly in the
a.
b.
c.
d.
neritic zone.
aphotic zone.
oceanic zone.
intertidal zone.
3. Marine invertebrates include
a.
b.
c.
d.
starfish.
jellyfish.
lobsters.
all of the above
4. Which of the following adaptations do most fish have?
a.
b.
c.
d.
swim bladder
high metabolic rate
warm-bloodedness
two of the above
5. Marine reptiles that return to land to lay eggs include all of the following except
a.
b.
c.
d.
sea turtles.
sea snakes.
marine iguanas.
saltwater crocodiles.
6. Seabirds that live on land and go to sea only to fish include all of the following except
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a.
b.
c.
d.
Concept 1. Ocean Life
gulls.
pelicans.
albatrosses.
frigate birds.
7. The world’s coral reefs are threatened by
a.
b.
c.
d.
pollution from land.
rising ocean temperatures.
extreme pressure in the deep ocean.
two of the above
Lesson 14.4: Matching
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Match each definition with the correct term.
Definitions
_____ 1. tiny marine animals that eat phytoplankton
_____ 2. creation of food energy
_____ 3. any animal that lacks a backbone
_____ 4. tiny marine organisms that cannot swim and hang suspended in the water
_____ 5. fissure at a mid-ocean ridge where hot water pours out
_____ 6. tiny marine organisms that make food by photosynthesis
_____ 7. any animal that has a backbone
Terms
a. plankton
b. vertebrate
c. phytoplankton
d. hydrothermal vent
e. zooplankton
f. invertebrate
g. primary productivity
Lesson 14.4: Fill in the Blank
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Fill in the blank with the appropriate term.
1. Because they photosynthesize, phytoplankton live in the _________ zone of the water column.
2. The ability of organisms to produce light is called __________.
3. Marine vertebrates with fins, scales, and gill are classified as __________.
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4. Because of their tremendous species diversity, __________ are called the “rainforests of the oceans.”
5. An island called a(n) __________ forms when a coral reef grows around a volcano, which eventually erodes
away.
6. Bacteria at hydrothermal vents make food by the process of __________.
7. Phytoplankton release __________ as a waste produce of photosynthesis.
Lesson 14.4: Critical Writing
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Thoroughly answer the question below. Use appropriate academic vocabulary and clear and complete sentences.
Identify a class of marine vertebrates, examples of organisms in that class, and adaptations that help them live in
their marine environment.
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