NAME: RENNEL BURGOS

AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS & BIOMES

MATCHING
In the space provided, write the letter of the term or phrase that best matches the description.
G_______ 1. wetland dominated by non woody plants

a. swamp

F_______ 2. precipitation that can carry pollutants into aquatic ecosystems

b. profundal zone

E_______ 3. amount of dissolved salts in water

c. decomposers

A_______ 4. wetland dominated by woody plants

d. littoral zone

H_______ 5. area where fresh water mixes with salt water

e. salinity

I________ 6. located near the bottom of a pond or lake

f. runoff

C_______ 7. organisms that break down dead organisms

g. marsh

_B_________ 8. leads to an increase in nutrients in an aquatic ecosystem

h. estuary

D________ 9. .aquatic zone found near the shore

I. Benthic zone

MULTIPLE CHOICE
A_______ 10. Estuaries are productive ecosystems because they constantly receive nutrients from
a. rivers and oceans.
c. lakes and ponds.
b. coral reefs.
d. photosynthesis
D_______ 11. Which of the following is a factor that influences where an organism lives in an aquatic ecosystem?
a. sunlight
c. temperature
b. nutrient availability
d. all of the above
C_________12. In which of the following aquatic ecosystems are both littoral and benthic
zones likely?
a. open ocean
c. lake
b. coral reef

d. none of the above

C_______ 13. Estuaries

a. are always saltwater ecosystems.
b. are always freshwater ecosystems.
c. are ecosystems where both fresh water and salt water are present.
d. prevent the development of salt marshes.
Section: Marine Ecosystems
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
Estuaries support many marine organisms because estuaries receive plenty of light for photosynthesis and plenty of nutrients
for plants and animals. Rivers supply nutrients that have been washed from the land, and because the water is shallow,
sunlight can reach all the way to the bottom of the estuary. The light and nutrients support large populations of rooted plants as
well as plankton. The plankton in turn provides food for larger animals, such as fish. Dolphins, manatees, seals, and other
mammals often feed on fish and plants in estuaries. Oysters, barnacles, and clams live anchored to marsh grass or rocks and
feed by filtering plank ton out of the water. Organisms that live in estuaries are able to tolerate variations in salinity because the
salt content of the water varies as fresh water and salt water mix when tides go in and out.
Estuaries provide protected harbors, access to the ocean, and connection to a river. As a result, many of the worlds major
ports are built on estuaries. Of the 10 largest urban areas in the world, 6 were built on estuaries. These 6 cities are Tokyo, New

York Shanghai, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and Bombay.

IDENTIFYING MAIN IDEAS
One reading skill is the ability to identify the main idea of a passage. The main idea is the main focus or key idea. Frequently, a main idea is
accompanied by supporting information that offers detailed facts about main ideas.
Read each question and write the answer in the space provided.
1. What types of organisms do estuaries support?
Estuaries support plants and animals since there is plenty of light for photosynthesis and the nutrients brought by the river help organisms to
survive.
2. How do oysters, barnacles, and clams feed?
Oyster, barnacle and clams feed by filtering plankton out of the water.
3. What do dolphins, seals, and other mammals eat?
Since the estuaries is shallow water it attracts small fishes and so do dolphins, seals and other mammals feed on fish and plants which are
highly nutrient.
4. What two ingredients make estuaries suitable for plants and animals?
The two ingredients are fresh water and salt water, and organisms are able to survive because of the variation in salinity whenever the tides
mix.

5. How many of the worlds 10 largest urban areas are built on estuaries? List them.
Tokyo, New York Shanghai, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and Bombay.
Compare and Contrast: Using a double bubble diagram compare and contrast the following terms:
1.

River and LakeLakes are fresh waters

Rivers are fresh waters

Water movement in one direction

Immobile and are influenced by the wind

movement

Long stretches of water

Are enclosed by land

Land is to the rivers sides and are longer than

lakes

Are not connected to sea or ocean because they

are inland

2.

Olig

otrophic and Eutrophic

Oligotrophic

Eutrophic
There are fewer living things

There are more living things or organism

Low rates of metabolism

Waters are shallow, warm and high in energy

and produce algae

Low population density and water is clear and is

deep waters

Organic materials in the bottom and top is very

high

3.

Marshes and Swamps

Marshes

swamps
Marshes provide habitat for
organisms

Occur along large rivers and are Dependent on

water fluctuations

low amount of oxygen in the water

Surrounded by aquatic vegetation or plants that

live in inundated places

absorb water during periods of heavy

rainfall

4.

Are low moving stagnant waters

Pho

tic zone and aphotic zone

Photic zone

Aphotic zone
Almost all of the photosynthesis
occurs

little or no sunlight

90% of all marine life lives in the

photic zone

depths beyond which less than 1% of

sunlight penetrates

It extends from the surface down to a

depth where light intensity falls to one
percent

5.

Most food in this zone comes from dead

organisms sinking to the bottom

Interti

dal zone and Benthic Zone

Intertidal zone
Benthic zone
area that is above water at low tide and

the lowest under

level ofwater
a bodyatofhigh
water
such as an
tide
ocean or a lake, including the sediment surface
and some sub-surface layers
Water is available regularly with the tides but
varies from
fresh live
within rain
highly saline
and
organisms
generally
closetorelationship
with the
dry saltbottom
with drying
between
tidal inundations.
substrate
and many
are permanently
attached to
the bottom.
benthic region of the ocean begins at the shore line and
The
action of waves can dislodge
extends downward along the surface of the
continental
to sea zone.
residents
fromshelf
theoutlittoral