Salles 16

salinity

The amount of dissolved salts in water is described as the water’s

Total Alkalinity (TA)

is the sum of excess ions in the water that could absorb H⁺ ions.

Carbon Reservoirs

are components of the Earth system in which carbon is stored.

Carbonate compensation depth

Below a certain depth, the CaCO₃ shells of organisms dissolve into Ca²⁺ and hydrogen carbonate ions.

Methane Hydrates

The resulting frozen combinations of methane and water. These methane ices are stable at temperatures warmer than water ice is usually stable.

Ocean Surface Currents

are areas of ocean water that flow steadily in a particular direction close to the ocean’s surface.

Coriolis Effect

describes the curved path that an object takes when it moves in a straight line across a rotating object perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

Deep Ocean Currents

subsurface patterns of ocean circulation that move water within and among the ocean basins.

Thermocline

marks the transition zone between the upper and lower water layers.

Oxygen Deoxygenation

is the expansion of low-oxygen zones in the ocean as a consequence of rising temperatures.

El Niño/ Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

a cyclical circulation pattern in the tropical Pacific that results in periodic variation between below-normal and above-normal sea surface temperatures and dry and wet conditions.

Calcification

Many marine organisms use carbon from dissolved carbon dioxide to build their shells out of calcium carbonate, CaCO₃, in a process called

Coral Bleaching

If the corals become stressed, the algae will leave, causing the corals to turn white, a phenomenon known as

Co₂ + H₂O === H₂CO₃ === H⁺ + HCO₃^- === 2H⁺ = CO₃^2-

Ocean Buffering

Remember

A decrease of 0.1 pH causes a 30% increase in hydrogen ions in seawater.

Impact on Marine Organisms

• reduced metabolic rates

• taking longer to grow

• more frequent misshapes

• reduced immune system

• decreased ability to hear

• decreased ability to smell

• Red tides

Corals and Algae Relationship:

Symbiotic Relationship

Causes of Coral Bleaching

• Ocean Acidification

• Water Pollution

• Warming Temperatures