QCAA Marine Science Oceans of the future
11 sample questions with marking guides and sample answers
During an environmental disaster in international waters, non-governmental organisations are best positioned to provide a
diplomatic response.
political response.
rapid response.
legal response.
Reveal Answer
diplomatic response.
Diplomatic responses are typically the domain of state actors and international governmental organizations, not non-governmental organizations.
political response.
Political responses are primarily handled by governments and state representatives rather than independent NGOs.
rapid response.
NGOs are often less constrained by bureaucracy than governments, allowing them to mobilize resources quickly and provide a rapid, on-the-ground response to disasters.
legal response.
Legal responses in international waters involve complex international law and state jurisdictions, which are primarily handled by states and international courts.
Identify and explain factors between the atmosphere and the ocean that influence land and sea breezes on a daily basis.
Reveal Answer
The relative air temperature and air pressure between the ocean and the land creates land breezes and sea breezes.
When the land heats faster than the ocean, the warmer air over the land becomes less dense and rises, creating an area of lower pressure. Cooler air from the ocean then moves towards the land to replace it, creating a sea breeze.
At night, the ocean retains its temperature and the land cools, causing the air over the ocean to be warmer than the air over the land. When cooler air from the land moves towards the ocean to replace the warmer air that rises, a land breeze occurs.
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
Identifies that differences in air temperature and air pressure create land and sea breezes | 1 |
Identifies that land heats up faster than the surrounding ocean; therefore, warm air rises, creating an area of low pressure | 1 |
Explains that cooler air from the ocean moves towards the land to replace warmer air, creating a sea breeze | 1 |
Identifies that land cools quickly at night while ocean temperature remains the same | 1 |
Explains that land breezes occur when cooler air from the land moves towards the ocean | 1 |
Identify an argument for mangrove conservation. Give two reasons to support your argument.
Reveal Answer
An argument for mangrove conservation is an ecological argument. From an ecological perspective, mangrove habitats should be preserved because mangroves provide critical habitat. Mangroves play a critical role supporting commercial fisheries as nursery grounds for juveniles. The above-ground roots also slow down water flows and reduce erosion from the shoreline.
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
identifies an argument for mangrove conservation | 1 |
explains a reason that is linked to the argument | 1 |
explains a second reason that is linked to the argument | 1 |
Identify a management strategy that could support the health of mangrove habitats. Explain your reasoning.
Reveal Answer
Monitor and minimise the impact of surface runoff from land near mangroves. Runoff can cause erosion and introduce pollutants, which can reduce water quality in mangrove habitats.
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
identifies a management strategy | 1 |
provides an explanation | 1 |
An indirect consequence of ocean acidification is an increase in
aragonite saturation.
sea surface temperature.
hydrogen ion concentration.
bleaching frequency and severity.
Reveal Answer
aragonite saturation.
Ocean acidification actually decreases aragonite saturation, making it more difficult for calcifying organisms like corals to build and maintain their shells or skeletons.
sea surface temperature.
An increase in sea surface temperature is primarily caused by the greenhouse effect (global warming), not by ocean acidification, though both share the same root cause of increased atmospheric CO2.
hydrogen ion concentration.
An increase in hydrogen ion concentration is a direct consequence (and the chemical definition) of ocean acidification, rather than an indirect consequence.
bleaching frequency and severity.
Ocean acidification impairs the ability of corals to build their calcium carbonate skeletons, causing physiological stress that indirectly makes them more vulnerable to bleaching events.
When designing marine protected areas, what best describes the connectivity criterion?
Distances between habitats are sufficient to enable organism transfer between them.
Different habitat types are included to ensure habitat maintenance.
Reserves are large enough to minimise edge effects.
Multiple different habitat types are included.
Reveal Answer
Distances between habitats are sufficient to enable organism transfer between them.
This is correct because connectivity specifically refers to the spatial arrangement of habitats that allows for the movement, migration, and dispersal of organisms between different protected areas.
Different habitat types are included to ensure habitat maintenance.
This is incorrect because including different habitat types describes the criterion of representation or habitat diversity, not the spatial linkage between them.
Reserves are large enough to minimise edge effects.
This is incorrect because minimizing edge effects relates to the size and shape criteria of a reserve, rather than how well it connects to other habitats.
Multiple different habitat types are included.
This is incorrect as it describes the representation criterion, which ensures a variety of ecosystems are protected, rather than focusing on the movement of species between patches.
Identify an indirect consequence of ocean acidification for planktivores such as corals.
increase in bleaching
decrease in ocean pH
decrease in available food
increase in accretion of their skeletons
Reveal Answer
increase in bleaching
Incorrect. Coral bleaching is primarily a direct response to thermal stress from warming oceans, rather than an indirect consequence of acidification.
decrease in ocean pH
Incorrect. A decrease in ocean pH is the actual definition and direct measurement of ocean acidification, not an indirect consequence.
decrease in available food
Correct. Acidification harms calcifying plankton, reducing their populations and indirectly causing a decrease in the food supply for planktivores.
increase in accretion of their skeletons
Incorrect. Acidification reduces available carbonate ions, which directly decreases rather than increases a coral's ability to build its calcium carbonate () skeleton.
One argument for habitat conservation is that the natural landscape is beautiful and can be a source of spiritual connection for people. This argument is
ethical.
aesthetic.
economic.
ecological.
Reveal Answer
ethical.
Incorrect. Ethical arguments focus on the intrinsic right of species to exist or our moral duty to protect them, rather than their beauty or spiritual value.
aesthetic.
Correct. Aesthetic arguments are based on the appreciation of beauty, visual appeal, and the spiritual or emotional inspiration derived from nature.
economic.
Incorrect. Economic arguments focus on the financial value of ecosystems, such as resource extraction, tourism revenue, or ecosystem services.
ecological.
Incorrect. Ecological arguments emphasize the importance of maintaining biodiversity, food webs, and life-support systems within the environment.
Under La Niña conditions, there is a greater temperature contrast between the eastern and western tropical Pacific Ocean than under normal conditions.
Identify one effect this scenario has for weather conditions on Australia's east coast.
Reveal Answer
Increased rainfall
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
identifies an effect on weather conditions | 1 |
Describe an impact on a local marine environment associated with the effect from Question 24a).
Reveal Answer
Increased rainfall may cause increase in surface runoff and nutrient discharge from local waterways. This could result in an algal bloom that decreases light availability for coral growth.
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
describes an impact from the weather condition identified in Question 24a) | 1 |
describes how this impact affects a chosen marine environment | 1 |
The argument to preserve seagrass beds because they contribute to coral reef resilience, sequester carbon, and act as a nursery for many species is
aesthetic.
ecological.
economic.
ethical.
Reveal Answer
aesthetic.
Incorrect. Aesthetic arguments focus on the visual beauty and appreciation of nature, whereas the prompt describes functional environmental benefits.
ecological.
Correct. This is an ecological argument because it highlights the biological functions and interactions of seagrass beds within the broader ecosystem, such as providing habitat and regulating the climate.
economic.
Incorrect. While these functions can eventually provide financial benefits, the argument itself focuses on biological and environmental roles rather than monetary value or resource extraction.
ethical.
Incorrect. Ethical arguments are based on moral obligations or the intrinsic right of species to exist, rather than their functional utility to the environment.
Government organisations can effectively manage marine parks because of their
absence of diplomatic constraints.
ability to enforce decisions.
political influence.
speed of response.
Reveal Answer
absence of diplomatic constraints.
Government organizations are actually bound by diplomatic constraints and international treaties, especially regarding shared or adjacent marine territories.
ability to enforce decisions.
Government bodies possess the statutory authority and resources, such as maritime patrols and legal penalties, required to enforce environmental regulations and protect marine ecosystems.
political influence.
While governments hold political influence, effective management of a marine park relies on direct legal jurisdiction and enforcement capabilities rather than political lobbying.
speed of response.
Government organizations are typically subject to bureaucratic processes and red tape, which often makes their speed of response slower than that of private or non-governmental organizations.
Explain how marine protected areas (MPAs) can be used to improve the health of a highly connected but degraded marine ecosystem.
Reveal Answer
Zoning in MPAs can be used to protect connected ecosystems as a degraded ecosystem is highly connected. This will ensure recruitment to a degraded ecosystem can be maintained or improved.
A management strategy to reduce degradation could be implementing permits that target the reduction of activities with a negative impact on the ecosystem.
Reducing fishing by imposing closures within MPAs will allow the ecosystem to recover from damage caused by boating and allow fish stock time to replenish.
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
Identifies a management strategy to protect connected ecosystems | 1 |
Explains how connectivity will help to replenish the degraded ecosystem | 1 |
Identifies a management strategy to reduce degradation | 1 |
Explains how this management stategy will reduce degradation of the ecosytem | 1 |