Ocean Commotion
Freshwater mixed with seawater
What is Brackish
Highest part of the wave
What is the crest
This type of weather event often increases algal blooms by washing nutrients into waterways.
What is heavy rainfall (or storms)?
Algal blooms can block this essential resource from reaching underwater plants.
What is sunlight?
The percentage of water covering the Earth.
What is 71%?
Has an average salinity of 35 parts per thousand
What is seawater?
The difference in water height between High and low tide
What is tidal range?
The North Pacific Gyre collected a large amount of solid waste.
What is The Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
The common abbreviation "HAB" stands for this type of dangerous algal bloom.
What is a harmful algal bloom?
The warm current flows along the U.S. East Coast.
What is the Gulf Stream?
This makes the ocean colder the deeper you go.
What is the lack of sunlight?
Caused by a large displacement of water such as an Earthquake or an underwater volcano.
What is a Tsunami?
Where deep, cold, nutrient-rich water rises to the ocean surface, replacing warmer surface water that winds have moved away.
What is upwelling?
This plant nutrient from fertilizers is a major cause of algal blooms.
What is nitrogen?
This increases salinity: evaporation or rainfall?
What is evaporation?
These tides happen when the moon, sun, and Earth are in a straight line.
What are spring tides?
The average level of the ocean's surface at any given time.
What is sea level?
Most ocean waves are caused by this.
What is wind?
This term describes the process when algae grow rapidly, blocking sunlight from reaching underwater plants.
What is algal bloom?
This gas is increasing in the ocean due to burning fossil fuels and can harm marine life.
What is carbon dioxide?
This effect, caused by Earth's rotation, makes currents curve.
What is the Coriolis Effect?
The distance between two wave crests is called this.
What is wavelength?
The difference between temperature and salinity contributes to the global circulation, thermohaline. Where denser water sinks, creating significant movements in the ocean, essential for global circulation and nutrient mixing
What are Density Currents?
When algae die and decompose, this vital gas is used up in the water, causing fish kills in affected areas.
What is oxygen?
The resource from the ocean is used as a source of energy.
What is natural gas?