Issues Affecting Marine Ecosystems

Question 1

Which of the following best explains why overfishing is considered a bad practice?a.Overfishing is not sustainable and ultimately depletes a fishery.b.Overfishing is a more expensive fishing practice.c.Overfishing results in species becoming overpopulated.d.Overfishing prevents the formation of protected habitats.

Revolt · Accepted Answer

A

Question 2

Marine debris typically _______a.sickens, injures, or kills marine animalsb.improves water qualityc.is not a problem for marine organismsd.originates from landlocked sources

Revolt · Accepted Answer

A

Question 3

By-catch is a term for that part of the catch _______.a.that is used to feed the ship’s crewb.caught at the lowest depthsc.that was actually being fished ford.that was not actually being fished for

Revolt · Accepted Answer

D

Question 4

The current responsible for holding the Great Pacific Garbage Patch together is called _______.a.the North Pacific Gyreb.the South Pacific Gyrec.the North Atlantic Gyred.the South Atlantic Gyre

Revolt · Accepted Answer

A

Question 5

Seafood Watch recommends which seafood _______.a.to buy or avoidb.to catch and sellc.to harvest sustainablyd.is safe to eat

Revolt · Accepted Answer

A

Question 6

Explain how a policy strategy to reduce, reuse, and recycle might mitigate the impacts of marine debris.

Revolt · Accepted Answer

Marine debris results from human garbage that makes its way to the ocean. A strategy to reduce, reuse, and recycle would generally reduce the amount of garbage produced by society with the additional effect of reducing the amount of garbage that becomes marine debris.

Question 7

Explain why the biodegradation of plastic might be more hazardous to the environment than the presence of plastic as marine debris.

Revolt · Accepted Answer

While plastic is not generally considered biodegradable, it can be broken down by the action of photodegradation and certain microbes. The breakdown products of plastic, however, are extremely toxic to marine life and once the plastic breaks down they are free to enter into the food chain. Therefore, while plastic marine debris is hazardous and dangerous to marine organisms, the toxic breakdown products of plastics have the potential to do even more damage.

Question 8

Explain why bottom trawling is still being practiced when it is generally acknowledged as destructive and unsustainable?

Revolt · Accepted Answer

For some species of fish, bottom trawling is the most cost effective means of harvesting it. Additionally, as the populations of some fish decline their price goes up dramatically, making even a single catch extremely valuable.

Issues Affecting Marine Ecosystems Answers

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