Which term describes the calcareous or siliceous shells of microscopic marine organisms that accumulate on the seafloor?

Study for the IB Marine Science Standard Level Exam. Prepare with interactive quizzes and in-depth explanations. Use our resources to excel in your marine science knowledge!

Multiple Choice

Which term describes the calcareous or siliceous shells of microscopic marine organisms that accumulate on the seafloor?

Tiny marine organisms build shells that sink to the sea floor and become part of the sediment. Foraminiferans have calcium carbonate shells, or tests, and when these tests accumulate on the seabed they form a prominent calcareous ooze. That connection—calcareous shells accumulating on the ocean floor—points to the organisms that produce those shells, namely foraminiferans. The other groups produce either siliceous shells (diatoms) or calcareous shells in other forms (coccolithophores), or are not about shells at all (microtektites), so they don’t fit as the term described.

Which term describes the calcareous or siliceous shells of microscopic marine organisms that accumulate on the seafloor?

Study for the IB Marine Science Standard Level Exam. Prepare with interactive quizzes and in-depth explanations. Use our resources to excel in your marine science knowledge!

Which term describes the calcareous or siliceous shells of microscopic marine organisms that accumulate on the seafloor?

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