Topic 6: Ocean Warming
Ocean warming is mainly caused by the absorption of excess heat trapped by this process in Earth’s atmosphere.
What is the greenhouse effect?
Ocean acidification is primarily caused by the absorption of this greenhouse gas from the atmosphere into ocean water.
What is carbon dioxide (CO₂)?
An invasive species is one that is not native to an area and causes harm to the environment, economy, or this.
What is human health?
An endangered species is one that is at serious risk of this.
What is extinction?
The destruction of forests for agriculture, urban development, and logging is known as this, and is a major cause of biodiversity loss.
What is deforestation?
As oceans warm, this type of colorful marine organism is at risk of bleaching, threatening entire reef ecosystems.
What are corals?
When carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater, it forms this weak acid, which lowers the ocean’s pH.
What is carbonic acid?
This aquatic plant, known for rapidly covering waterways and blocking sunlight, is a well-known invasive species in the southeastern U.S
What is water hyacinth?
This international agreement, signed in 1973, aims to ensure that international trade does not threaten the survival of endangered species.
What is CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)?
This practice involves catching too many fish at once, faster than populations can reproduce, leading to a decline in marine biodiversity.
What is overfishing?
Warmer ocean temperatures can intensify these natural weather events, leading to stronger winds and more rainfall.
What are hurricanes or tropical storms?
Ocean acidification makes it harder for marine organisms like corals, clams, and snails to build and maintain their shells, which are made of this substance.
What is calcium carbonate?
This invasive insect has caused widespread damage to ash trees in North America since it was first detected in Michigan in 2002.
What is the emerald ash borer?
Habitat loss is one of the leading causes of species endangerment. This type of development is a major contributor, involving the conversion of wild land into urban or suburban areas.
What is urban sprawl?
The introduction of these types of species—non-native and often without natural predators—can drastically alter ecosystems and reduce native biodiversity.
What are invasive species?
Ocean warming disrupts this process, where deep, cold, nutrient-rich water rises to the surface, affecting marine food chains and fisheries.
What is upwelling?
A decrease in this specific form of carbonate ion due to ocean acidification directly affects organisms that rely on calcium carbonate for their shells and skeletons.
What is carbonate (CO₃²⁻)?
Invasive species often outcompete native species because they lack these natural controls in their new environment.
What are predators, parasites, or diseases?
This iconic marine species was once endangered due to hunting for its blubber and has made a comeback thanks to international protection efforts.
What is the humpback whale?
This global issue caused by the release of greenhouse gases can shift habitats, alter migration patterns, and increase extinction rates.
What is climate change?
This ocean phenomenon, influenced by warming, alters global weather patterns and can cause droughts, floods, and shifts in fish populations, especially in the Pacific Ocean.
What is El Niño?
Ocean acidification can alter marine food webs by affecting these tiny calcifying organisms at the base of the food chain, which are a crucial food source for larger species.
What are pteropods or planktonic organisms?
This term refers to a process where invasive species alter entire ecosystems, such as when zebra mussels change nutrient availability in freshwater lakes.
What is ecosystem engineering?
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 allows the U.S. government to designate these areas as protected zones critical to the survival of endangered or threatened species.
What are critical habitats?
This term describes the fragmentation and degradation of habitats into smaller, isolated patches, often due to roads, agriculture, or urban development—making it harder for species to survive and reproduce.
What is habitat fragmentation?