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The properties of water that are important are
Ability to hold dissolved oxygen
Viscosity; allows organisms to live/maneuver in water, drink water
Cohesion- water molecule
Adhesion- water molecules sticking substances other than water
Surface tension; to form a skin-like surface to resist objects penetrating its surface
Why does the ocean appear blue?
The surface of the ocean absorbs every other color but blue, and the water’s transparency allows light to penetrate the ocean, blue moves deeper into the ocean so the ocean looks blue
How does pressure change with depth?
The deeper you go into the ocean, the more pressure is applied because the amount of water above you increases
How does change in pressure affect marine organisms?
Many marine organisms cannot reach certain depths bc of there is MORE pressure and some cannot be at depths with LESS pressure
Is there more pressure in air or water?
water
What is sound propagation?
The process of sound waves traveling through a medium, such as air or water
How is sound propagation applied to seawater and its organisms?
Water is denser than air so sound can travel over 4x faster in water
Many marine fish and mammals use sound to communicate, find prey, and avoid predators
What affects the sound propagation in sewater?
If temp, salinity or pressure is higher in seawater, sound will travel faster
Does temperature fluctuate in the ocean? How does this impact marine organisms?
Water fluctuates in the ocean but not as quickly as the air
Many marine organisms have internal temperatures that change with the temp of the water
What is the composition of seawater?
Mostly pure water; highest dissolved components are sodium (35%) and chloride (55%)
What gases are dissolved in seawater?
Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide
How are the gases dissolved in seawater there?
These gases are found in the atmosphere and dissolve at the ocean’s surface
How is oxgen affected in the atmosphere and ocean?
Oxygen is affected by photosynthesis and respiration (plants) and is not soluble
How does Rising CO2 Affect Ocean Chemistry?
The ocean absorbs the carbon dioxide, but bc of human activity, more carbon is going into the ocean the ocean can’t account for, causing ocean acidification.
What is ocean acidification?
An increase in hydrogen ions that increase the acidity of the ocean (lower pH)
How does Rising CO2 Affect Ocean life?
Organisms with shells made up are calcium carbonate are at higher risk because acidification makes it difficult to create their shells as the growth of calcium carbonate structures slowed down.
How can salinity increase/decrease?
From precipitation (less salinity) and evaporation (more salinity)
What factors can affect density of seawater?
Salinity- from the dissolved solvents
Temperature- water gets more dense as it gets colder
How does salt affect the freezing point of water?
As salinity increases, the water takes longer to freeze
Why is the surface of the ocean warmer than the deeper parts?
The sun warms the surface and shallow waters and the currents regulate warmer temperature; colder water has a higher density, so the colder water sinks to the floor
Thermocline
The point of the ocean levels where the temperature suddenly drops
Halocline
the area where salinity changes
pycnocline
the area where the density variation occurs
The 2 parts of the ocean floor
continental margin and the deep-ocean basin
Is there a difference between the abysmal zone and benthic zone?
Sort of not really. The abysmal zone stretches over the deepest parts of the ocean, including the benthic zone, so the benthic is WITHIN the abysmal
Continental margin
sepearates land from oceans (transition area); made up of 3 parts
What are the 3 parts of a continetal margin?
Continental shelf, slope, and rise
Continental shelf
shallowest part of the ocean and biologically richest from organisms; ends at shelf break, where slope abruptly drops
Continental slope
steep, sudden slope of shelf; closest to the exact edge of continents; begins at shelf-break and descend to the deep-sea floor
Continetal rise
gentle slope; consists of thick layer of sediment piled on seafloor that comes from slope, currents, or submarine canyons
How are submarine canyons involved in Continental shelf, slope, and rise?
-Continental shelves simply have them
-Continental slopes are cut by submarine canyons to their base
-Continental rises have sediment that comes from a submarine canyon
Deep sea fan
the sediment from the submarine canyon falls from shelf and spreads out
Deep-ocean floor/abyssal plain
mostly flat land at a depth of 10,000-16,500 ft
How are guyots formed?
Erosion wears away top of some seamounts to form guyots
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