Ocean 100 Exam 3
What is pollution?
Any substances harmful to marine environment introduced by humans.
Oil Spills
BP Spill in the Gulf of Mexico (2010)- 210 million gallons, largest spill in history. Exxon spill in Alaska (1989)- Clean up using a hot water & high pressure treatment caused more damage
Prokariota
Bacteria and Archaea- smaller, less organized cells.
Crude Oil
Biodegradable
Petroleum (Type of Pollution)
72% used for consumption (ex: motor oil running into sea). 22% transportation accidents. 6% extraction (oil spills).
Characteristics of Organisms
98% of mass of every organism: CHON Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen. All life related with common DNA and common origin (3.7 billion years ago).
Eukaryota
Larger cells (specialized), complex structure (animals, plants, etc.). Includes: Plantae, Fungi, Animalia, Protista kingdoms.
Benthos- Bottom Dwellers
Live on/in sea bottom. Found at coasts, deep seafloor, and hydothermal vents. Ex: Starfish, crab, snail, mussels.
Where are most organisms in the ocean found?
Near land, coastal surface water because of photosynthesis, upwelling, and rivers & glaciers bringing nutrients to ocean.
Pacific Garbage Patch
Debris build-up in the North Pacific Gyre. Found by Charles Moore.
Plankton- Floaters
Drift with current. Ex: Zooplankton and phytoplankton.
Petroleum formation
Drilled through gas, oil, water.
Berm
Dry area at foot of the coastal cliff: sand. Covered in water during high tide, storm, and tsunami.
Plate Tectonics (Global Sea Level Change)
Fast spreading (ridges rising taller)- sea level rises. Slow spreading (ridges drop shorter because of convection slowing down)- sea level dropping
Minamata Disease
Fish (tuna, swordfish, shark) contain mercury. Bio-accumulation of toxins come to top predator as we eat fish or other animals who ate fish. Leads to brain damage (abnormalities and retardation).
Pelagic (Marine Environment)
The open sea includes swimmers and floaters.
Sewage (Type of Pollution)
Treated and untreated sewage enters the oceans every day. Tijuana's untreated sewage comes into San Diego.
How to Reduce Pollution
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Education, Volunteerism.
(Man-made) Sea Walls
Reduces size of berm. Waves release energy against wall and wave erosion increased at wall so beach disappears. Protects homes.
Nekton- Swimmers
Swimming and propulsion. Ex: Fish, shrimp, turtles, birds (penguin).
Erosional coast
Tectonic uplift and emerging from sea level. Has cliffs, headlands, caves, arches, sea stacks, terraces. Caves to arch to stack.
Depositional Coast (or Submergent)
Tectonically quiet, flat coast. Has barrier islands, deltas, lagoons.
Climate Change (Global Sea Level Change)
Global warming- sea level rises (ice melts) up to Tennessee. Ice age- sea level decreases (ice forms on land).
Heavy Metals (Type of Pollution)
Mercury- lead poisoning leads to brain damage. Lead. Copper.
Evolution of the Sea
Convergent evolution among fast swimming predators. Includes: shark, turtle, penguin, dolphin, tuna. All look similar because need/have ability to swim fast. Whales had feet 50 myo.
Evolution
Genetic change in species to adapt to enviornment.
Benthic (Marine Environment)
The sea floor includes bottom dwellers. Greatest variety/diversity of species. Most at shore for nutrients and upwelling)
Photo-Degradation
[Plastic] Broken down by sunlight into small pieces. Makes it easier for animals to eat.
What Percent of Species Live in Ocean?
14% of all species live in ocean. Ocean is a stable environment because there is less change. Ex: sharks have been alive 300 myo.
Cambrian Explosion
A burst of evolutionary origins when most of the animals appeared in a relatively brief time about 500 myo. (Video in class of nothing until burst at end).
Gulf Coast
Below sea level. Ocean migrates furthest inland.
Terraces
Coastal sedimentary rock uplifted and carved by water.
Fitness and Differential Survival
Caring for young, 1000's of offspring (insects), camouflage (octopus).
Pacific Coast
Erosional, uplifted, active. When sea level rises, ocean doesn't migrate inland much (because of coastal cliffs). Shoreline shifts smaller when sea level rises.
What do waves do to the coast over time?
Erosion.
Three Domains
Eukaryota, Bacteria (Prokariota), Archaea (Prokariota)
Offshore
Extends from breakers to the edge of continental shore.
Coast
Land extending inland as far as marine influence is seen. Marine influence ex: fog, vegetation, etc.
Littoral Zone
Intertidal shore zone. Most challenging zone with most amount of species (by beach on shelf).
Solid Waste (Type of Pollution)
Mostly plastics which is nonbiodegradable. Plastic floats, inexpensive, strong and kills fish, mammals, birds, reptiles.
Longshore current
Movement of water in surf zone (parallel to coast) that moves you in water from your original spot. Waves come at angle and pushes sand down coastline. (North to south in SoCal because of Westerlies).
Animalia (Kingdom)
Multi celled animals, complex, intelligent. Can't produce own food and actively move. Vertebrates (backbone- fish) and invertebrates (no backbone- snail). 600 million years old.
Fungi (Kingdom)
Multi celled organisms. Not abundant in oceans.
Plantae (Kingdom)
Multi celled plants. Photosynthesis
Refined Oil
Nonbiodegradable, more toxic
Sexual Selection
Peacocks- male feathers to attract. Elephant seals- males double size of females to fight other males off.
Atlantic Coast
Passive, depositional, flat. Sea level rises, ocean migrates inland a lot. Shoreline shifts bigger when sea level rises.
What are the sources of sand to the beach?
River and cliff erosion.
Beach
Shore and nearshore. Very active.
Bacteria (Kingdom)
Simple, single celled organisms.
Archaea (Kingdom)
Simple, single celled, ancient extremophyles.
Protista (Kingdom)
Single + multi celled organisms. All marine mico-algae and protozoans. Microorganisms.
Rose Canyon
Splits San Diego driving local deformation. Mt. Soledad and Point Loma are high, Mission Bay is low. The I-5 is on the canyon.
Summertime vs Wintertime Beach
Summer- low wave energy & sandy beach/wide berm. Winter- high wave energy & rocky beach/narrow berm
