Unit 8 - Watersheds & Oceans

Watershed

An area where all groundwater and surface water drains into the same body of water.

Surface Water

Water that collects above the surface of the ground

Groundwater

The water that is beneath Earth's surface

Aquifer

A permeable rock layer that can hold or transport groundwater

Water Table

The highest level of groundwater in an area, beneath the Earth's surface

Runoff

Water that flows over the ground surface rather than soaking into the ground

Oil, Fertilizer, Sewage, Pesticides, Chemicals

Types of groundwater contamination

Groundwater Contamination

When toxic materials are introduced into groundwater

Percolation

How water travels through soil

Oxygen, Weather, Food, Transportation & Recreation

What humans depend on the ocean for

Artificial Reef

A man-made structure placed in the ocean to promote marine life and enhance fishing opportunities.

Overfishing

The practice of catching fish at a rate faster than they can reproduce, leading to a decline in fish populations.

Oil Spill

An accidental release of petroleum into the ocean, causing environmental damage and harming marine life.

Dead Zones

areas in the ocean with low oxygen levels, often caused by algae and water plant blooms.

Deforestation

The clearing or thinning of forests by humans.

Fertilizer Runoff

The flow of extra fertilizers from agricultural land into water bodies.

Permeable

The ability for water to move through a substance (dirt, gravel, etc.)

Effects of Fertilizer Runoff

include harmful algae and water plant blooms, oxygen depletion in water, and disruption of aquatic ecosystems.

Effects of Overfishing

Results in the depletion of fish populations, disrupts marine food chains, and can lead to ecosystem imbalances.

Effects of Oil Spills

Contaminates water, harming marine life and ecosystems; can lead to long-term ecological damage.

Effects of Deforestation

Increases Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere and soil erosion.

Commercial Fishing

The practice of catching fish and other seafood for sale and consumption, which can lead to overfishing.

Effects of Dead Zones

No oxygen in the water which leads to the death of marine life.

Benefits of an Artificial Reef

Provides habitat for marine life and increases populations of fish.

Phytoplankton

microscopic marine algae

Marine

Anything related to the oceans.