1. Explain why primary production is very low in the Sargasso Sea. (See coordinates D2 and E2 on the map inside the back cover)
2. Explain how large sargassum mat communities persevere in a very low nutrient environment.
3. List several animals in a sargassum mat community. (Also see fig. 17.13).
4. Explain why many sargassum mat community organisms evolved bodies that mimic Sagas sum. (See fig. 17.13)
5. Explain why the North Pole biota differs from the South Pole biota.
6. List the three physical similarities between the polar regions.
7. Explain why polar waters are nutrient-rich, and give the primary biolimiting nutrient in polar waters.
8. List several important polar ecosystem characteristics that determine the species that are able to live there.
9. What are the evolutionary responses to the polar regions' harsh conditions and short productive summer period.
10. Explain why most polar animal species develop fat layers.
11. List two animals in the Antarctic ecosystem not found in the Arctic and two animals in the Arctic ecosystem not found in the Antarctic.
12. Explain why polar regions are especially susceptible to climatic variation related to global warming.
13. Give the primary ecological factors that drive evolution in bathyal and abyssal zones. (Also see 14.13b on p. 390)
14. Explain why relatively little is known about the bathyal and abyssal communities.
15. Give the four potential food sources for communities below the photic zone.
16. Explain why many deep-water organisms vertically migrate to the photic zone during the night.
17. Many deep-water organisms are black to avoid detection (See fig. 17.14); Explain why other deep-water organisms evolved red coloration. (See fig. 16.14 on p. 462)
18. Explain why some deep-water organims have eyes that look directly up and others have ventral photophores. (See fig. 17.14)
19. Explain why some deep-water organisms retain their eyes.
20. Explain why bacteria is an important food source for the deep-ocean benthic zone.
21. Describe water circulation in hydrothermal vents. (Also see fig. 17.16)
22. Describe primary production for vent communities.
23. Explain why hydrothermal vents likely play a significant role in seawater chemistry. (See first paragraph on p. 519)
24. Discuss the chemistry of black smokers. (Also see figs. 17.16 and 17.17)
25. Explain why high-temperature hydrothermal vents are called black smokers.
26. List the animal species common to hydrothermal vent communities. (Also see fig. 17.17)
27. Explain why the discovery of hydrothermal vent communities was important to biology.
28. Explain how giant tube worms feed without mouths or digestive organs.
29. Describe the organic matter formation for hydrothermal vent communities.
30. Explain the abundance of filter feeders in hydrothermal vent communities.