Cambridge International AS & A Level

MARINE SCIENCE 9693/11

Paper 1 AS Level Theory May/June 2022
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 75

Published

This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.

Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for
Teachers.

Cambridge International will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.

Cambridge International is publishing the mark schemes for the May/June 2022 series for most
Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International A and AS Level and Cambridge Pre-U components, and some
Cambridge O Level components.

This document consists of 14 printed pages.

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Generic Marking Principles

These general marking principles must be applied by all examiners when marking candidate answers. They should be applied alongside the
specific content of the mark scheme or generic level descriptors for a question. Each question paper and mark scheme will also comply with these
marking principles.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 1:

Marks must be awarded in line with:

 the specific content of the mark scheme or the generic level descriptors for the question
 the specific skills defined in the mark scheme or in the generic level descriptors for the question
 the standard of response required by a candidate as exemplified by the standardisation scripts.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 2:

Marks awarded are always whole marks (not half marks, or other fractions).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 3:

Marks must be awarded positively:

 marks are awarded for correct/valid answers, as defined in the mark scheme. However, credit is given for valid answers which go beyond the
scope of the syllabus and mark scheme, referring to your Team Leader as appropriate
 marks are awarded when candidates clearly demonstrate what they know and can do
 marks are not deducted for errors
 marks are not deducted for omissions
 answers should only be judged on the quality of spelling, punctuation and grammar when these features are specifically assessed by the
question as indicated by the mark scheme. The meaning, however, should be unambiguous.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 4:

Rules must be applied consistently, e.g. in situations where candidates have not followed instructions or in the application of generic level
descriptors.

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GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 5:

Marks should be awarded using the full range of marks defined in the mark scheme for the question (however; the use of the full mark range may
be limited according to the quality of the candidate responses seen).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 6:

Marks awarded are based solely on the requirements as defined in the mark scheme. Marks should not be awarded with grade thresholds or
grade descriptors in mind.

Science-Specific Marking Principles

1 Examiners should consider the context and scientific use of any keywords when awarding marks. Although keywords may be present, marks
should not be awarded if the keywords are used incorrectly.

2 The examiner should not choose between contradictory statements given in the same question part, and credit should not be awarded for any
correct statement that is contradicted within the same question part. Wrong science that is irrelevant to the question should be ignored.

3 Although spellings do not have to be correct, spellings of syllabus terms must allow for clear and unambiguous separation from other syllabus
terms with which they may be confused (e.g. ethane / ethene, glucagon / glycogen, refraction / reflection).

4 The error carried forward (ecf) principle should be applied, where appropriate. If an incorrect answer is subsequently used in a scientifically
correct way, the candidate should be awarded these subsequent marking points. Further guidance will be included in the mark scheme where
necessary and any exceptions to this general principle will be noted.

5 ‘List rule’ guidance

For questions that require n responses (e.g. State two reasons …):

 The response should be read as continuous prose, even when numbered answer spaces are provided.
 Any response marked ignore in the mark scheme should not count towards n.
 Incorrect responses should not be awarded credit but will still count towards n.
 Read the entire response to check for any responses that contradict those that would otherwise be credited. Credit should not be
awarded for any responses that are contradicted within the rest of the response. Where two responses contradict one another, this should
be treated as a single incorrect response.
 Non-contradictory responses after the first n responses may be ignored even if they include incorrect science.

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6 Calculation specific guidance

Correct answers to calculations should be given full credit even if there is no working or incorrect working, unless the question states ‘show
your working’.

For questions in which the number of significant figures required is not stated, credit should be awarded for correct answers when rounded by
the examiner to the number of significant figures given in the mark scheme. This may not apply to measured values.

For answers given in standard form (e.g. a  10n) in which the convention of restricting the value of the coefficient (a) to a value between 1
and 10 is not followed, credit may still be awarded if the answer can be converted to the answer given in the mark scheme.

Unless a separate mark is given for a unit, a missing or incorrect unit will normally mean that the final calculation mark is not awarded.
Exceptions to this general principle will be noted in the mark scheme.

7 Guidance for chemical equations

Multiples / fractions of coefficients used in chemical equations are acceptable unless stated otherwise in the mark scheme.

State symbols given in an equation should be ignored unless asked for in the question or stated otherwise in the mark scheme.

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Key Points

 Refer to the Instructions for Examiners (marking scripts on-screen) 2021 booklet for details of all procedures.
 As soon as you are able (usually about two days after the paper set date), please access the question paper and provisional mark scheme from
the RM support portal. In conjunction with the provisional mark scheme, browse scripts in RM Assessor (scoris) and feed any issues or
comments to your Team Leader.
 The decisions of the Principal Examiner are final, and the final agreed mark scheme must be applied as intended by the Principal Examiner. If
you are in any doubt about applying this mark scheme, consult your Team Leader by telephone or by email.
 Please report any serious problems during marking to your Team Leader / Principal Examiner (details in the confidential package).
 If you require technical support, please contact the RM Helpdesk. If you require administrative support relating to the examination process,
please contact the CIE Examiner Helpdesk. For all queries relating to payment, please contact Cambridge Assessment Finance Division.
Up-to-date contact details for each of these can be found in the Instructions for Examiners (marking scripts on-screen) 2021 booklet.
 The schedule of dates is very important. It is essential that you meet the Batch 1 and Batch 2 deadlines. If you experience problems, you must
contact your Team Leader without delay.
 Mark strictly to the mark scheme. All marks awarded must relate directly to the mark scheme. However, always credit correct, relevant, science,
even if it lies outside of the syllabus content. For answers not provided for in the mark scheme, give as far as possible equivalent marks for
equivalent work. If in doubt, consult your Team Leader.
 Never transfer marks allocated for one question item to another.
 Where work has been crossed out, mark it when nothing else has been written.
 Do not penalise grammatical constructions/spelling of words that are not in the syllabus, so long as the meaning is clear.
 Credit should be given to all the candidate’s correct responses, wherever they have been written (including blank pages, around diagrams, etc.).
 Additional materials may be attached and must be checked for candidates’ responses. Show that you have checked blank pages for answers by
placing an annotation on each blank page. Do not use crosses or ticks for this purpose, unless the points are credited as part of a response to a
specific question. In this instance, please use the On Page Comment tool to clearly annotate which question part the marks relate to.
 If the candidate has left an answer blank, or has left a mark/comment that does not in any way relate to the question (for example ‘my dog is
black’ or ‘----‘ or ‘can’t do’ or ‘?’) use the NR (No Response, #) option.
 Award 0 marks for any attempt which does not earn credit. This includes copying out all / part of the question or any working that does not earn
any marks (whether crossed out or not).

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 This mark scheme will use the following abbreviations:
; separates marking points
/ separates alternatives within a marking point
() contents of brackets are not required but should be implied / the contents set the context of the answer
R reject
A accept (answers that are correctly cued by the question or guidance you have received)
I ignore (mark as if this material was not present)
AW alternative wording (where responses vary more than usual, accept other ways of expressing the same idea)
AVP alternative valid point (where a greater than usual variety of responses is expected)
ORA or reverse argument
underline actual word underlined must be used by the candidate (grammatical variants excepted)
MAX indicates the maximum number of marks that can be awarded
+ statements on both sides of the + are needed for that mark
OR separates two different routes to a mark point and only one should be awarded
ECF error carried forward (credit an operation from a previous incorrect response)

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Question Answer Marks

1 2
environmental factor increases gas decreases gas
solubility solubility

decreasing water temperature 

increasing water depth 

increasing salinity 

decreasing atmospheric pressure 

Question Answer Marks

2(a)(i) label line touching operculum ; 2

label line touching lateral line ;
Accept lateral line
Accept operculum label to anywhere
line to anywhere
within this area

2(a)(ii) any 2 from: 2

post-anal tail ;
notochord ;
dorsal neural tube ;
pharyngeal slits ;
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Question Answer Marks

2(a)(iii) (primary) consumers ; 2

plus any 1 of:
limited mobility / swim weakly ;
drift in oceanic currents ;

2(b)(i) thermocline, is shallow(er) / at 15–25 m (accept any stated value within the range) ; 2
plus any 1 from:
due to more heat energy OR warm / stable / less varied, conditions ;
the dolphins are only found in shallow water / tuna swim in shallower areas ;

2(b)(ii) any 3 from: 3

inaccuracies in identifying individuals second time / assumes no additional scarring has occurred ;
photos, may be poor quality / of the other side of the dolphin ;
migration / immigration / emigration may have occurred ;
dolphins may be, disturbed / stressed, by the presence of boats (and learn to avoid) ;
births / deaths may have occurred ;
(Lincoln Index) assumes the effort (time taken) for the observations must be the same / AW ;
(Lincoln Index) assumes all animals must be equally likely to be seen on the transect ;

(Lincoln Index) assumes equal mixing of all those first observed / AW ;

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Question Answer Marks

3(a)(i) any 3 from: 3

tropical / sub-tropical / within named latitudes (30 degrees north / 30 degrees south) ;
tidal ;
saline ;
freshwater input ;
slow moving water / partly enclosed / low wave action / sheltered / calm waters / shallow ;
sediment run-off from land ;
fine grained sediments / sedimentation ;

3(a)(ii) any 4 from: 4

viviparous ;
seeds remain attached to parent tree ;

providing water and nutrients ;

germination occurs (while still attached) ;
forming a propagule ;

(propagule) drops into the ocean / water OR floats in the ocean ;

carried by currents ;

settles and (continues) growth ;

propagules / plant spread to new areas ;

seeds would not survive in sediment around trees / do not compete (for resources) with parent plant ;
(seeds) do not have pneumatophores / cannot survive in anoxic sediment / would die if they absorbed saline water ;

3(b)(i) (Bombekota Bay) loses / decreases / – by, 221 km2 ; 2

(coast of Ambanja) gains / increases / + by, 81 km2 ;

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Question Answer Marks

3(b)(ii) any 3 from: 3

(stated) change in land use (e.g. cleared for shrimp farm / tourism / housing / infrastructure) ;
temperature change (increase / decrease) / climate change /global warming / rising sea level ;
named natural disaster (e.g. hurricanes / cyclones / typhoons / tsunami) / more frequent storms ;
over-harvesting of timber / deforestation ;

replanting of mangroves ;
parasites / diseases ;
AVP ;

3(c) any 1 from: 2

(ecological) allows build-up of sediment on coral reefs / sea grass beds ; damages / loses, nursery areas for, fish / marine
species / habitat loss ;
(human caused) pollutants increase ;
reduces biodiversity ;
reduces water quality ;
AND
(Impact) reduces, fish stock / income / catch, for fishermen / tourism ;

OR
reduced protection for shoreline / ORA (mangroves provide protection) ;
AND
increases coastal erosion / increased flooding / damage to (named) infrastructure ;

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Question Answer Marks

4(a) any 4 from: 4

(erosion is the) removal / movement, of sand particles away from source ;
(particles from land) carried by wind or water ;
(sand) particles sediment / settle / deposit ;
(sedimentation occurs in) areas of low water, velocity / flow / speed ;
sedimentation (rate) is higher than erosion (rate) ;

4(b)(i) any 2 from: 2

(stated) economic / tourism ;
protection of land ;
maintain biodiversity / (turtle / bird) nesting sites / shore bird populations ;
provides food (e.g. clams) / nursery area for some fish species ;

4(b)(ii) any 2 from: 2

photosynthesis / photosynthetic / contain chlorophyll / producer ;
use light (energy) to convert ;
carbon dioxide and water ;
to glucose (and oxygen) ;
feed (primary) consumers / pass energy along food chain ;

Question Answer Marks

5(a) any 2 from: 1

sodium chloride / magnesium sulfate / calcium carbonate ;

5(b)(i) any 4 from: 4

covalent ;
outer electron shells not full / (electron sharing) fills outer shells ;
hydrogen requires 1 electron (to fill shell) / has 1 valence electron ;
oxygen requires 2 electrons (to fill shell) / has 6 valence electrons ;
share electrons ;
two hydrogen atoms required for each oxygen atom ;

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Question Answer Marks

5(b)(ii) any 3 from: 3

(weak) electrostatic forces (develop) ;
oxygen atom becomes (slightly), negatively charged / negative dipole ;
hydrogen atom becomes (slightly), positively charged / positive dipole ;
positive and negative charges attract ;

5(b)(iii) area for, mammals / birds, to rest on / escape predators ; 2

thermal insulator / ORA / stops the whole water column from freezing ;
(substrate for ) ice algae grow on underside ;

Question Answer Marks

6 MAX 2 from each section: 6

coral polyp and zooxanthellae
mutualism ;
both organisms benefit ;
coral obtains, food / nutrition / energy / carbohydrates / oxygen, from zooxanthellae ;
zooxanthellae have, shelter / protection / carbon dioxide, from polyp ;

copepods and marine fish

parasitism ;
the marine host / fish is harmed ;
the parasite / copepod benefits ;

manta rays and remora fish

commensalism ;
remora fish, benefit  / transportation ;
the manta rays are neither harmed nor helped ;

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Question Answer Marks

7(a) any 7 from: 7

(a) crust / lithosphere broken into plates ;
(b) float on magma / mantle / asthenosphere ;
(c) movement ;
(d) due to convection current ;
(e) caused / driven, (by differences in), temperature / density,
(f) ongoing / continual / cyclical ;
(g) jigsaw fit of continents ;
(h) fossil records (at coasts) have same species ;
(i) paleomagnetic stripes ;
(j) geological matching / correlation (of rock formations) AW ;
(k) similar species (alive now) found in different continents
(l) named tectonic feature (ocean trench / sea floor spreading / subduction zone / volcanoes / mountain
ranges / earthquakes (at plate boundaries) / hydrothermal vents) ;
(m) named plate boundary, convergent (destructive) / divergent (constructive) / transform (conservative)

7(b) any 7 from: 7

(a) warm water of Gulf Stream ;
(b) heated at the equator / Caribbean / Gulf of Mexico / equatorial Atlantic ;
(c) (warm water) flowing north ;
(d) warms atmosphere when it reaches cold (northern) regions / ORA;
(e) sea ice formation (in Arctic) leaves sea water saltier ;
(f) water cools and sinks ;
(g) due to higher density ;
(h) pulls more (surface) water (north) ;
(i) sinking water moves south ;
(j) down to Antarctica ;
(k) (Antarctic) circumpolar current around all oceans ;
(l) travels into Indian ocean / warmed in the Indian Ocean ;
(m) travels back to circumpolar region ;
(n) rises as, warmer / less dense, water ;
(o) returns to surface due to, mixing / upwelling ;
(p) relevant reference to thermohaline current ;

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Question Answer Marks

8 any 10 from: 10
(a) run off ;
(b) water, from rivers / flowed over land washed in from soil / fertiliser from fields / (weathering or erosion) rocks;
(c) carries, nutrients / minerals ;

(d) upwelling ;
(e) carries nutrient rich water ;
(f) from sea bed to the surface ;

(g) tectonic activity / hydrothermal vents / underwater volcanoes ;

(h) release gases / minerals ;
(i) (gases from vents / volcanoes) dissolve ;

(j) atmospheric dissolution / good description of atmospheric dissolution ;

(k) excretion ;
(l) decomposition / decay / bacterial action, of dead organisms OR marine snow ;
(m) AVP ;

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