Aquatic Science Chapter 1

Who makes decisions that affect your water source?

Brazos river Authority

What is conservation?

Conservation; to conserve—the wise use of natural resources such that their use is sustainable long term; includes protection, preservation, management, restoration and harve

Are there any water quality or water quantity issues about your water source?

Drought has affected this water source in the past, but lots of rainfall helps keep low waters away. There are many surrounding areas that use this small lake as a water source, but the outtake of the water is balanced pretty well.

How does water pollution affect aquatic life?

Gases, minerals and organic matter supply essential elements and nutrients needed by aquatic organisms to live and grow under water. Unfortunately, the gases, minerals and other things that water dissolves also can pollute it. Water pollution occurs when too many natural or man-made substances of a harmful nature get in the water. These substances can harm or kill the plants and animals that live in or near the polluted water.

What is the source of your drinking water?

Hubbard Creek lake in Breckenridge

How do we use water?

Humans need clean water to keep them healthy. Without drinking water you would die in about one week. Our need for water links us to the past and to other living creatures. Since ancient times, societies have succeeded or failed according to their ability to get clean water and protect it for future use. Today's modern cities still depend on water for everything from flushing toilets, to fighting fires, to building the cars we drive. Your community depends on water, too. Using water wisely is critical to our survival. We can't live without it.

Why is conservation important?

If Texas is so rich in water, why should we be concerned about its conservation? The answer is that some parts of the state are water rich while other parts have very little water and can be affected by drought.

What will affect your water source in the future?

Low rainfall and a growing population of these cities could have an effect on this water source.

How do humans affect water quality?

Many things affect water quality. Physical properties such as suspended silt and temperature make a big difference. Chemicals or salts in water also change quality. Water-quality tests are used to measure properties of water, such as acidity and salt level. By measuring water's ability to conduct electricity, you can tell how much salt and other substances are in the water. Tests can also measure the amount of dissolved oxygen and detect the presence of chemicals such as fertilizers. The presence or absence of plants and animals in a body of water tells a lot about water quality. (Fig. 1.8) If you find a wide variety of healthy aquatic organisms, including plants, insects and fish, you can assume that the water quality is good.

What is the hydrosphere?

The hydrosphere is all the water on Earth.

What is the hydrosphere and what is its importance to life on Earth?

The hydrosphere is all the water on Earth. Water covers about 71% of the Earth's surface. That's about 358 quintillion (358,000,000,000,000,000,000) gallons of water! Water sustains life on Earth. Life is impossible without water.

What are the special properties of water and why are they important?

Water can travel great distances. For example, clouds are made up of tiny ice crystals and water droplets. Water can move up plant stems, keep animals and plants alive, break rocks, and dissolve or erode almost anything. Water's chemical structure gives it these amazing powers. Water boils at 212o F and freezes at 32o F. Water can absorb a lot of heat before it begins to get hot. Water is called the "universal solvent" by chemists because it is very good at dissolving many different things. POLARITY

What is water and why is water important?

Water is made up of molecules that have two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom joined together. (Fig. 1.2) That's why we also call water H2O. Water can take three forms: liquid, solid (ice) and gas (vapor). Water exists in all three forms on Earth. Water sustains life on Earth. Life is impossible without water.

How can we tell if water is polluted or clean?

Water may look clean but still be polluted. A body of water may have invisible toxic (poisonous) chemicals in it. Most toxic pollution comes from man-made chemicals that enter water, such as herbicides, pesticides and industrial compounds. Another kind of pollution we can't see is too much heat. Thousands of water samples and tests are performed by water professionals in our communities each year to determine what chemicals and disinfectants must be used to treat raw water to make it suitable for human use. Municipal drinking water is highly regulated in the United States and safe to drink. If you find a wide variety of healthy aquatic organisms, including plants, insects and fish, you can assume that the water quality is good.

How much water is available for human use?

Water sustains life on Earth.That leaves only 3% of the water as freshwater to supply the whole world. Yet most of that freshwater, about 80%, is frozen in the polar ice caps. Most of the rest of the freshwater is too polluted to use, is trapped in soil, or is just too hard to get. (FIG. 1.5) That leaves us with just one-half of one percent of the world's freshwater to use.possible without water. .0045%

How does water's temperature affect the amount of oxygen in it?

You may have seen aerators on aquariums that force air bubbles into water. In nature, flowing water and waves at the water's surface aerate water. This provides dissolved oxygen to plants and animals that live in water. Hot water holds less dissolved oxygen than cool water. The plants and animals we see living in water need oxygen, which is dissolved as a gas into the water along with other gases, such as carbon dioxide. If the water level in a lake or stream gets too low and summer heat warms the water too much, fish and other aquatic life do not get the oxygen they need and die.

What are natural resources?

something that is found in nature that is useful to humans.

What is water quality?

the fitness of a water source for a given use, such as drinking, fishing or swimming.

What are aquatic resources?

water and all things that live in or around water.