Why Was the near Extinction of All Ocean Plankton in the Permian

question 3

Multiple Choice

Why was the near extinction of all ocean plankton in the Permian mass extinction so devastating to marine species?

• A) Plankton are the base of aquatic food chains.
• B) Plankton provide oxygen for other aquatic species.
• C) Without plankton sequestering carbon, an enhanced period of global warming caused ocean temperatures to increase.
• D) The dead plankton smothered coral reefs, killing them, which was a critical loss of nursery habitat for most marine species.

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Definitions:

Chi-square Statistic

A statistical measure used to determine the difference between observed and expected frequencies in categorical datasets.

P-value

The probability of observing test results at least as extreme as the results actually observed, under the assumption that the null hypothesis is correct.

Null Hypothesis

A statement used in statistical analysis that proposes there is no significant difference or effect, serving as the default assumption to be tested against an alternative hypothesis.

Economic Concerns

Issues or considerations related to the economy, including factors like inflation, unemployment, and fiscal policy.