True oceanic islands
A. were probably never connected to the mainland.
B. are volcanic in origin.
C. are built by thousands of years of lava eruptions.
D. are made of basalt rock.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

Continental islands are characterized as
A. far from the continental land masses.
B. densely populated.
C. made of granite or other continental rock.
D. usually ringed by coral.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

The flora and fauna of oceanic islands are likely to
A. consist of unusual species.
B. be diverse and abundant.
C. closely resemble forms found on the mainland.
D. be larger than continental species.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

Island arcs
A. have a deep trench between them and the mainland
B. are usually round clusters of islands.
C. are created by subduction.
D. are characterized by being zones of translation.
E. are composed of granite.
ANSWER: 

Which of the following does not describe a western boundary current?
A. They are a deep surface current.
B. They are fast moving.
C. They are very wide.
D. They carry heat energy towards the polar areas.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

The island arcs
A. are usually made of oceanic basalts.
B. are considered very quiet volcanoes.
C. are areas of great geologic stability.
D. are sites of earthquakes and explosive, andesitic-type volcanoes
E. form where crustal plates are diverging.
ANSWER: 

Barrier islands generally form
A. by sand building up from the deep sea floor.
B. on broad, gently sloping continental shelves.
C. by lava flows from coastal fissures and vents.
D. on the seaward side of deep sea trenches
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

The Aleutian, Japanese and Philippine Islands are mainly classified as
A. barrier islands.
B. guyots.
C. seamounts.
D. island arcs.
E. true oceanic islands.
ANSWER: 

Which of the following statements is not true concerning guyots?
A. They are volcanic in origin.
B. They have flat tops rather than conical peaks.
C. They only have fossils from very deep water organisms on their tops.
D. The tops vary between 3000 and 5000 feet below sea level.
E. The tops were probably planed off by waves, then subsided.
ANSWER: 

Which of the following statements does not apply to Surtsey Island?
A. It is part of the mid-Atlantic rift zone.
B. The birth of the island was closely monitored by scientists.
C. It is made of basaltic rocks.
D. The eruption was explosive because of the contact with sea water.
E. It was completely swept away during a single week of storms in 1965.
ANSWER: 

The coast of the mid-Atlantic states between New Jersey and Florida
A. drops steeply to the abyssal plains.
B. is bordered by an island arc-trench system.
C. is bordered by many longshore barrier islands.
D. has been built out by sediments from the Mississippi River.
E. has been deeply incised by Ice Age glaciers.
ANSWER: 

Island biogeographers use the term "endemic" in reference to
A. organisms brought by man to an already established island.
B. organisms that compete with and destroy native fauna.
C. plants grown on islands especially for food, such as sugar cane.
D. plants or animals found only on a certain island or locality.
E. plants or animals found on both islands and nearby mainland. 
ANSWER: 

Organisms may reach distant islands by
A. flying, as in the case of birds or bats.
B. being carried by the wind, as certain seeds or spores, or insects.
C. floating in ocean currents, as larvae or marine forms.
D. floating on plant rafts, as plants, reptiles, or small animals.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

The water of the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean south of the equator consists mainly of
A. Arctic Bottom Waters.
B. Antarctic Bottom Waters.
C. Greenland-Iceland Bottom Waters.
D. water from the Cromwell Current.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

The flow volume of the Gulf Stream is approximately
A. equal to that of all land rivers combined.
B. about twice that of all land rivers combined.
C. equal to ten times that of all land rivers combined.
D. about 30 times that of all land rivers combined.
E. about 50 times that of all land rivers combined.
ANSWER: 

The first person to chart a major ocean current was
A. Matthew Maury.
B. Wyville Thompson.
C. Benjamin Franklin.
D. Alexander the Great.
E. Thomas Jefferson.
ANSWER: 

Upwelling occurs primarily along the
A. north coast of continents.
B. west coast of continents.
C. south coast of continents.
D. east coast of continents.
E. coasts of all continents in equal amounts.
ANSWER: 

According to the Coriolis Effect, a current moving from north to south along the Oregon Coast would
A. be deflected eastward.
B. be deflected westward.
C. cause downwelling.
D. cause a cooling of southern Oregon and northern California.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

Intermediate subsurface currents are found
A. between western and eastern boundary currents.
B. flowing parallel and in the same direction as equatorial currents.
C. flowing below surface currents but often moving in the opposite direction.
D. moving across the centers of major oceans.
E. to contain an average (intermediate) amount of salts.
ANSWER: 

The climatic condition referred to as El Nino begins off the coast of
A. Antarctica.
B. Peru.
C. California.
D. Georgia.
E. India.
ANSWER: 

Antarctic Bottom Water is
A. cold and fresh.
B. cold and salty.
C. warm and salty.
D. warm and fresh.
E. None of the above.
ANSWER: 

Arctic Bottom Water is found
A. only near the Arctic Ocean.
B. only in Arctic Bays.
C. over much of the North Atlantic sea floor.
D. only near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
E. only near the Walvis Ridge.
ANSWER: 

A gyre is a set of
A. four geostrophic currents that cause circulation to be clockwise in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
B. four geostrophic currents that cause circulation to be counterclockwise in the Northern and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
C. four geostrophic currents that cause circulation to be counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
D. western boundary currents.
E. eastern boundary currents.
ANSWER: 

Ocean currents
A. serve to moderate weather.
B. transfer tremendous quantities of water and heat.
C. cause vertical movements of water and plankton.
D. influence commerce and shipping.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

The water particles in a deep water wind waves
A. do not move; only the wave form moves.
B. move rapidly toward the shore.
C. move in circular orbits.
D. move in small elliptical orbits.
E. None of the above .
ANSWER: 

The first waves to form when the wind starts to blow are the
A. seiches.
B. swells.
C. tsunamis.
D. capillary waves.
E. spilling waves.
ANSWER: 

Wind waves on the surface of the sea disturb the water below to a depth equal to
A. the total depth of the sea at that point.
B. to their wavelength.
C. to a few feet.
D. one-half their wavelength.
E. about one-ninth their wavelength.
ANSWER: 

The heights of a local tide in a harbor depends on the
A. shape of the harbor.
B. size of the inlet.
C. depth of the harbor.
D. natural rocking motion of the water in the harbor.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

The height that storm waves may ultimately reach depends on the
A. velocity of the wind.
B. duration of the storm.
C. fetch or distance the wave travels.
D. All the above.
E. A only.
ANSWER: 

As a wave approaches very close to the shore, the
A. wave crest begins to steepen.
B. wavelength increases.
C. wave height decreases.
D. wave velocity increases.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

Another name for a surface sea wave is a
A. gravity wave if it is greater than 30 meters high.
B. gravity wave which usually does not exceed a height of 10 feet.
C. wind wave if the wind is blowing over 30 knots.
D. wind wave if the wind only, and not tides, created the wave.
E. wind wave if the period of the wave is over a minute long.
ANSWER: 

A seiche is a motion of the water usually associated with
A. a gently sloping beach.
B. a bay or harbor.
C. underwater earthquakes.
D. the gravitational pull of the moon and sun.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

Waves at the shore will start to break when the
A. water depth is about twice the wavelength.
B. crest flattens into a rounded form.
C. wave period increases to about 15 seconds.
D. water depth is just a little greater than the wave height.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

Internal waves in the ocean
A. may move more slowly.
B. may move in many directions.
C. can have a much greater height than surface waves.
D. occur between water layers of different densities.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

Internal waves are thought to be generated by
A. movements of large fish or marine mammals.
B. submarine volcanoes or fissure eruptions
C. energy from surface waves or tides leaking into the deeper water.
D. tsunamis.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

Tsunamis or seismic sea waves may be generated by
A. storms at sea.
B. tidal currents in the open sea.
C. breaking internal waves.
D. coastal earthquakes or violent submarine eruptions.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

Tsunamis in the open sea
A. appear as giant breaking waves.
B. move slowly through the water with the swells.
C. are short period waves of less than one minute.
D. have long wavelengths and travel very fast.
E. travel very fast and have short wavelength.
ANSWER: 

Destructive storm surges usually occur
A. during periods of high tides.
B. when there are strong onshore winds.
C. during hurricanes.
D. All of the above.
E. None of the above.
ANSWER: 

The force that holds the planets and stars in their orbits also causes the changing water level we know as the tides. That force is
A. magnetism.
B. rotation.
C. gravity.
D. electricity.
E. radioactivity.
ANSWER: 

The most important influence generating tides in the ocean is the
A. neighboring planets, Mars and Venus.
B. moon.
C. sun
D. largest planet, Jupiter.
E. nearest star, Alpha Centauri.
ANSWER: 

Most coastlines of the world experience
A. one high tide per day.
B. one high and one low tide every 36 hours.
C. two high tides and one low tide per day.
D. two high and two low tides per day.
E. as many as three high and three low tides per day. 
ANSWER: 

The greatest tidal range can be expected during
A. the summer.
B. spring tides.
C. the winter season.
D. neap tides.
E. the night.
ANSWER: 

Spring tides occur during
A. April and May.
B. the first quarter moon.
C. the full and new mon phases.
D. the third quarter phase.
E. or near the first day of spring.
ANSWER: 

The tidal patterns (type of tides) characteristic of the Pacific Coast are
A. dinural tides.
B. semi-dirurnal tides.
C. semi-diurnal mixed tides.
D. reversing tides.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

The time interval between two successive high tides on the Oregon Coast is about
A. six hours and 12 minutes.
B. 12 hours and 25 minutes.
C. 24 hours and 50 minutes.
D. 36 hours and 12 minutes.
E. 48 hours.
ANSWER: 

Which of the following affect the tidal height the least?
A. The period of the natural rocking motion.
B. The height of the mid-oceanic ridges.
C. The differences in salinity, pressure and temperature of the water.
D. The tidal range.
E. The influence of the Coriolis Effect.
ANSWER: 

Tidal bores usually occur
A. in rivers or long narrow bays.
B. in the open ocean far from land.
C. around islands.
D. at the amphidromic points.
E. in enclosed basins such as the Mediterranean Sea.
ANSWER: 

The intertidal zone is characterized by
A. a wide range in salinities.
B. a wide range in temperatures.
C. exposure and disiccation.
D. wave shock.
E. All ot the above.
ANSWER: 

In some areas, Grunion can often be seen
A. in the rocky intertidal zone in the early morning.
B. during neap tides following the third quarter moon.
C. on sandy beaches following new and full moons.
D. at low tide when deeper zones are exposed.
E. in the abyssal depths and deep sea trenches.
ANSWER: 

If the moon is full and in perigee, and the Earth is at perihelion, the tides are most likely to be
A. extreme spring tides.
B. lower-than-usual neap tides.
C. minimal in range.
D. higher-than-usual neap tides.
E. completely suppressed for one day.
ANSWER: 

The bending of a wave front as it nears the beach
A. is called refraction.
B. is caused by the speeding up of the wave.
C. usually results in waves striking the beach at a great angle.
D. is more pronounced in deeper water.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

The waste product that is released by zooplankton is
A. carbon dioxide.
B. oxygen.
C. inorganic nutrients.
D. oceanic food molecules.
E. None of the above.
ANSWER: 

Which of these statements is not true of plankton?
A. They may be classified as plants or animals.
B. They form the majority of oceanic life, by weight.
C. No member of the plankton community can swim at all.
D. They are both fairly large and very small.
E. They are responsible for most of the Earth's primary productivity. 
ANSWER: 

The source of energy used to assemble carbon atoms into food molecules by phytoplankton is the energy derived from
A. zooplankton.
B. the sun.
C. ingested sediments.
D. stored sugar within the organism.
E. atmospheric oxygen.
ANSWER: 

Phytoplankton can best survive and prosper
A. at great depths.
B. right at the ocean's surface where the sunlight is strongest.
C. in the middle depths of the ocean.
D. a few meters below the sea surface.
E. within bottom sediments.
ANSWER: 

The most abundant and important phytoplankton group is
A. the dinoflagellates.
B. the copepods.
C. mesoplankton.
D. the diatoms.
E. seaweed.
ANSWER: 

The most important zooplankton are
A. copepods.
B. jellyfish (medusae).
C. fish larvae.
D. whales.
E. meroplanktonic.
ANSWER: 

Perhaps the most ancient group of all plankton currently living in the seas is the
A. diatoms.
B. copepods.
C. dinoflagellates.
D. coccolithophores.
ANSWER: 

Which of the following does not usually lead to an increase in oceanic primary productivity?
A. upwelling
B. The addition of nutrients to the sea surface from land runoff.
C. The advent of the spring season.
D. An increased cloud cover.
E. A slightly increased water temperature.
ANSWER: 

Earth's most successful and abundant plants are
A. diatoms.
B. dinoflagellates.
C. seaweed.
D. rices (terrestrial and aquatic types together).
E. marine grasses.
ANSWER: 

Organisms spending only a part of their life cycle as members of the plankton community are called
A. holoplankton.
B. meroplankton.
C. primary consumers.
D. phytoplankton.
E. copepods.
ANSWER: 

Human influence on the plankton oceanic community, through the alteration of the food web and addition of toxic chemicals, could be realistically described as
A. nil.
B. detectable but unimportant.
C. being of minor importance.
D. significant and becoming worse.
E. catastrophic and irreversible.
ANSWER: 

Very small plants that drift with ocean currents are called
A. plankton.
B. copepodes.
C. zooplankton.
D. meroplankton.
E. holoplankton.
ANSWER: 

Small drifting larval forms of animals that will soon "settle out" to become benthic organisms could be called
A. zooplankton.
B. phytoplankton.
C. coccolithophores.
D. dinoflagellates.
E. holoplankton.
ANSWER: 

Large jellyfish are categorized as
A. holoplankton.
B. phytoplankton.
C. copepods.
D. meroplankton.
E. coccolithophores.
ANSWER: 

The most successful nektonic organism is the
A. octopus.
B. shrimp.
C. fish.
D. sea mammal.
E. squid.
ANSWER: 

Fish schooling appears to assist fish in
A. finding a mate.
B. startling predators.
C. avoiding predations.
D. feeding.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

Which of these organism is not considered nektonic?
A. great white sharks
B. squid 
C. diatoms
D. pelagic shrimp
E. barracuda
ANSWER: 

Bioluminescent nektonic organisms would be expected
A. at the surface.
B. in very deep waters.
C. to be larger than average in size.
D. to be extremely rare.
E. None of these.
ANSWER: 

Choose the correct terms and definitions.
A. Nektonic refers to active swimmers and pelagic to the open ocean.
B. Neritic refers to active swimmers and benthic to the ocean bottom.
C. Neritic refers to active swimmers and benthic to the water near shore.
D. Nektonic refers to active swimmers and benthic to the water near shore.
E. Nektonic refers to active swimmers and pelagic to the water near shore.
ANSWER: 

The fastest fish
A. have one fin completely surrounding their bodies.
B. eat mainly plankton.
C. flex only their fins to move through the water.
D. flex their entire body for rapid forward motion.
E. are hand size (a few inches long) and smaller.
ANSWER: 

The most intelligent marine invertebrate is probably a(n)
A. octopus.
B. nautilus.
C. tuna fish.
D. dolphin.
E. gold fish.
ANSWER: 

The internal body temperature of some members of the fast-swimming mackerel-tuna family is
A. the same as that of the surrounding sea water.
B. not more than one or two degrees warmer than that of the surrounding sea water.
C. lower than that of the surrounding sea water.
D. the same as that of man.
E. significantly higher than that of the surrounding sea water, but below the internal temperature of man.
ANSWER: 

The most advanced and highly evolved nektonic organisms are
A. in the subclass Osteichthyes, phylum Chordata.
B. whales.
C. in the class Cephalopoda, phylum Mollusca.
D. sea cucumbers.
E. in the phylum Arthropoda.
ANSWER: 

The term benthic refers to
A. organisms that drift with the currents
B. organisms that live on or in the bottom.
C. plants only.
D. organisms that swim actively.
E. fishes and cephalopods.
ANSWER: 
