Oceanography Unit 4

Match the pollutant with its general category. DDT Mercury Crude Oil Nurdles

DDT - persistent organic pollutants Mercury - toxic metals Crude Oil - hydrocarbons Nurdles - plastics

What is the best way to save yourself and escape from a rip current?

Swim parallel to the shoreline

Most biomass on Earth consists of .

plankton

Biomagnification of toxic substances means that __________.

toxic substances become increasingly concentrated in the tissues of organisms in each higher level of the food web Toxins accumulate in the bodies of plankton and become more concentrated with each level of predation. They tend to be stored in fatty tissues of higher animals.

Based on the World Health Organization's definition of marine pollution, which of the following is/are considered to be a form of marine pollution? (Select all that apply.) a natural oil seep on the ocean floor that is discharging oil directly into the ocean warmer-than-normal water created by outflow from a coastal power plant sulfuric acid seeping into marine waters from a volcanic vent area sound from cargo ships traversing the ocean biodegradable food items dumped overboard from a cruise ship raw sewage released onto the floor of the deep ocean

warmer-than-normal water created by outflow from a coastal power plant sound from cargo ships traversing the ocean biodegradable food items dumped overboard from a cruise ship raw sewage released onto the floor of the deep ocean

__________ live on the surface of the sea floor, while ______ live buried in the sediment.

Epifauna; infauna

Which of the following is heterotrophic?

zooplankton

Complex multicellular, heterotrophic eukaryotic organisms, including sponges, belong to the kingdom .

Animalia

When human activity blocks the supply of sand to the beaches, it results in _________.

Beach starvation

___________ occurs when organisms concentrate pollutants from seawater within their body tissue, while _____________ occurs when organisms gain more of a pollutant by eating other contaminated organisms.

Bioaccumulation; biomagnification

What is characteristic of animals living in the mesopelagic zone and deeper?

Bioluminescence

Which two single-use items are the most common types of marine debris found during beach cleanups?

Cigarette filters and plastic bags

The pollutant responsible for major declines in the populations of pelicans, ospreys, and other marine birds was __________.

DDT Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), an insecticide used widely in the mid-20th century, saved countless human lives from mosquito-borne diseases, but it was an environmental disaster. It is now banned in the United States and many other countries.

Where did the world's largest accidental ocean oil spill occur?

Gulf of Mexico

Of the following statements about ocean ownership and the Law of the Sea, which is/are true? (Select all that apply.) Many areas of the deep ocean can be purchased from the United Nations in a sealed bidding process. If the continental shelf (defined geologically) exceeds the 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), countries are allowed to extend their ownership to 350 nautical miles from shore. Offshore areas have very little to offer in the way of resources, so ownership here is not an issue. Forty-two percent of the world's oceans are under the control of coastal nations. The Law of the Sea Treaty, which establishes the rights of nations in ocean ownership, was ratified by the required 60th nation in 1993. Coastal nations own the resources of the area 200 nautical miles from their shoreline, which is called the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

If the continental shelf (defined geologically) exceeds the 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), countries are allowed to extend their ownership to 350 nautical miles from shore. Forty-two percent of the world's oceans are under the control of coastal nations. The Law of the Sea Treaty, which establishes the rights of nations in ocean ownership, was ratified by the required 60th nation in 1993. Coastal nations own the resources of the area 200 nautical miles from their shoreline, which is called the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Which of the following statements is NOT true? Marine pollution poses a hindrance to marine activities. Marine pollution includes any harmful substance or energy put into the oceans by humans. Marine pollution includes oil from natural oil seeps and added energy from heated water escaping hydrothermal vents. Marine pollution creates a reduction in the quality of seawater. Marine pollution is harmful to living organisms.

Marine pollution includes oil from natural oil seeps and added energy from heated water escaping hydrothermal vents.

Of the following statements, which is NOT included in the World Hearth Organization's definition of marine pollution? Marine pollution is harmful to human health only. Marine pollution can be a substance or a form of energy. Marine pollution is human-made. Marine pollution results or is likely to result in harmful effects to marine life.

Marine pollution is harmful to human health only.

Which of the following marine pollutants will bioaccumulate or biomagnify in the food web? (Select all that apply.) mercury microplastics nurdles PCBs DDTs

Mercury PCBs DDTs

Sharks are _______ but coral and sponges are _________.

Nektonic; Benthic

Which of the following statements is NOT correct? Non-point-source pollution includes sewage from outfall pipes. Non-point-source pollution includes road oil, pesticides, and fertilizers washed into drains. It is difficult to pinpoint the origin of non-point-source pollution. Non-point-source pollution includes trash washed down storm drains to the ocean. Non-point-source pollution refers to pollution that enters ocean from multiple sources.

Non-point-source pollution includes sewage from outfall pipes.

Which of the following statements is NOT correct? DDT and PCBs have a direct physiological effect on animals. DDT and PCBs have a propensity to accumulate in food chains. DDT and PCBs are persistent (long-lasting) in the marine environment. Although DDT and PCBs were banned in many countries during the 1970s, there are still high levels of these chemicals in the marine environment. Over-exposure to PCBs causes Minamata Disease.

Over-exposure to PCBs causes Minamata Disease.

Which of the following types of pollution poses the greatest threat to sea turtles?

Plastic bags, which turtles choke on after mistaking them for jellyfish

Which of the following statements regarding plastic pollution is NOT true? In some parts of the North Pacific surface waters, there are 45 times more plastic than plankton by weight Nurdles look similar to fish eggs, and are consumed by birds Plastics take at least a few days to fully biodegrade, but fortunately, certain fungi and bacteria eat plastic Birds often regurgitate plastics into the mouths of their chicks Some plastics attract/absorb poisons, e.g., DDT, PCBs

Plastics take at least a few days to fully biodegrade, but fortunately, certain fungi and bacteria eat plastic

What is the branch of science that deals with trying to classify living things into groups like species, families, classes, etc.?

Taxonomy

Why do many animals like fish, whales, and even penguins have a football-like body shape?

The streamlined shape cuts down on water resistance, making it easier to move through the water using less energy

Which of the following statements is correct? There are more land species than marine species There are approximately equal number of marine and land species None of the statements listed in the other answers is correct There are more marine species than land species Of the marine species, there are more pelagic species than benthic species

There are more land species than marine species

We learned from the Synthetic Sea video clip that the surface waters of North Pacific Subtropical Gyre may contain up to 45 times more plastic than plankton by weight. However, there are fewer tan (light brown) pieces of plastic present than might be expected when compared to other colors of plastic. What is happening to the tan pieces of plastic?

They are mistaken for krill and consumed by birds

Bioremediation involves the use of microorganisms to degrade pollutants such as crude oil.

True

Based on what you've learned in this unit, what type of beach conditions would you expect to find if you visited the beach in July or August?

a wide, sandy berm

There are some pretty awesome kayak tour/rental options available if you ever want to check out the cool caves and coastal features in La Jolla, approximately 25 miles south of campus. This is a great example of .

an erosional shore, which exists where tectonic uplift of the coast has occurred

There are more species found in the in the ________ environment than in the ________ environment.

benthic; pelagic

What type of color patterns do marine organisms (penguin, shark, whale, ray, dolphin, sea turtle) exhibit?

countershading

A lot of plankton have spiky structures that .

help prevent sinking

Minamata disease is associated with:

ingestion of methyl mercury-contaminated fish and shellfish

The biggest concern with biological pollutants is that they often ____________.

lack predators and other natural controls

What form of chemical pollution results in neurological damage that can range from blindness to brain damage to paralysis and even death? Hint: It causes Minamata Disease.

methylmercury

Which of the following terms is correctly matched with its description of life mode? nekton—swimmers benthos—floaters benthos—drifters nekton—bottom-dwellers plankton—bottom-dwellers

nekton—swimmers

The two most significant human sources of oil pollution in the marine environment are:

normal oil tanker/shipping operations and urban run-off.

According to the World Health Organization definition of marine pollutants, __________ is NOT a pollutant. oil from offshore seeps plastic mercury from the burning of coal oil from the tanks of ships DDT

oil from offshore seeps

A potentially effective method for cleaning up _________ in the ocean is bioremediation.

oil spills

The greatest amount of oil pollution in the ocean from human sources is from __________.

petroleum consumption The polluting practices are quite variable, from car and boat owners discarding waste oil to ships pumping oily ballast water overboard.

Which of the following is NOT an example of a marine pollutant? heavy metals such as mercury and silver sound from boats nutrient inputs such as nitrogen and phosphorus compounds warm water expelled by power plants phytoplankton

phytoplankton

All of the following are examples of pollutants in the marine environment except: heavy metals such as mercury and silver. phytoplankton. sewage sludge. nutrient inputs such as nitrogen and phosphorus compounds. hydrocarbons.

phytoplankton.

An example of non-point source pollution is ___________.

plastic debris washed down storm drains

Plastics cause significant biological damage in oceans when:

plastic waste strangles seals and birds.

Which of the following types of marine pollution is more damaging to the environment over the long term? oil spills plastics

plastics

The international Law of the Sea treaty __________.

provides for arbitration of disputes

Strong, fast, and narrow surface currents flowing perpendicularly across the surf zone, from the beach toward the open ocean, are called _________ .

rip currents

When you sit on the beach at the shoreline and watch the waves roll in, sand is moved toward and away from you, at a right angle to the shoreline. When water washes up on to the beach, this is called _______ , and whatever doesn't soak into the sand washes back out to the ocean as _________.

swash; backwash

Which of the following marine pollutants are biodegradable? (Select all that apply.) the seaweed Caulerpa crude oil DDTs petroleum mercury microplastics

the seaweed Caulerpa crude oil petroleum

DDT was widely used as a pesticide until it was realized that it was shrinking bird populations because it caused .

thinner bird eggshells