Your essay answer should be clear and succinct, amounting to perhaps 3-5 sentences totaling 50 to 80 words; longer essays are strongly discouraged. It is recommended that you prepare your answer in a separate document from which you copy it into Canvas.

Question 1 5 pts

Describe the differences in the populations of benthic organisms that dwell in muddy versus sandy sediments on continental shelves and explain how and why the feeding strategies of the organisms in these two separate types of benthic community are adapted to their specific environments.

A strong answer will describe the feeding strategies of organisms in both sandy and muddy communities, citing specific examples, emphasizing how they differ, and why their individual characteristics determine in which community they live.

Question 2 3 pts

Phytoplankton populations tend to change as nutrient availability decreases with distance from the coast. Identify the phytoplankton associated with each of the three regions.

Inshore and shelf regions

[ Choose ]DinoflagellatesCalcareous diatomsSilicoflagellatesCyanobacteriaSiliceous coccolithophoresSiliceous diatomsCalcareous coccolithophores

Outer shelf

[ Choose ]DinoflagellatesCalcareous diatomsSilicoflagellatesCyanobacteriaSiliceous coccolithophoresSiliceous diatomsCalcareous coccolithophores

Lower productivity waters in the open ocean

[ Choose ]DinoflagellatesCalcareous diatomsSilicoflagellatesCyanobacteriaSiliceous coccolithophoresSiliceous diatomsCalcareous coccolithophores