Topic 5.1 - Intro to Open Ocean
Benthic environment includes the sea floor.
Pelagic environment is surrounded by water and includes the water column.
What percent of the marine organisms are micro-organisms?
a. 10%
b. 90%
c. 50%
d. 100%
b. 90%
Why is a polar bear's skin being black an adaptation to the Arctic ecosystem?
Black colour is known to absorb heat better than light skin. Therefore, black skin is adaptation for warmth.
The Pacific Trash Vortex is created by a particular type of current. It's created by:
a. Tornados
b. Deep-Water Currents
c. Surface Currents
d. High and Low Tides
e. Gyres
e. Gyres
These are circular currents!
What will there be more of in a healthy ecosystem?
a. Top Consumers
b. Top Predators
c. Primary Consumers
d. Primary Producers
Why?
d. Primary Producers
Imagine a food web. There needs to be more organisms at the bottom so the top can thrive. Organisms at the bottom of food chains are generally smaller in size compared to the top.
DAILY DOUBLE
Summarize, in short, how did copepods adapt to different living conditions (Arctic vs. Tropic)
TROPIC: Looked like a palm tree, very lengthy with leaf-like extensions coming out of it to allow it to drift easily in the warmer tropic waters.
ARCTIC: Looked simpler, bulkier. Adaptation was to the more viscous cold arctic water to allow it to drift easily there.
DAILY DOUBLE
Explain how non-biodegradable synthetic polymers affect oceans negatively.
- non-biodegradable means that they will not break down, rather slowly leak toxins into the soil.
- Imitate food and cause seabirds to mistaken it for food, causing millions of birds dying from this ingestion every year.
- Huge Texas-sized gyre that formed in the ocean --> The Pacific Garbage Patch/Vortex.
- Can talk about the garbage beaches in India; Can talk about landfill accumulation
What is phytoplankton’s role in the food web? What process do they use to generate the energy and food?
Primary producers! Photosynthesis!
We talked about a bacteria that resides in the deep-ocean near hydrothermal vents. These vents release sulfur, which the bacteria use to produce food.
How is the autotrophic bacteria different from plants and phytoplankton that also produce their own food?
Autotrophic plants and phytoplankton use CO2, water, and sunlight to produce food. The autotrophic bacteria does not require light, and thus can thrive in the nutrient rich, dark, ocean floor, and it uses sulfur to produce food.
How have the fish species in the Arctic Ocean adapted to this environment?
Mention:
- fat is less saturated so it does not freeze
- lethargic lifestyle
- slow movement-->slow metabolism-->less food required for energy.
How do Greenhouse Emissions affect the marine ecosystem?
CO2 will lower the pH of water, causing it to be more acidic by producing carbonic acid.
In what part of the ocean is phytoplankton's productivity at its highest? Explain with reasoning.
Epipelagic zone;
Phytoplankton populations thrive in the pelagic zone, and especially in the photic area. They require sunlight for photosynthesis, which is the process in which they produce oxygen and food. They are the backbone of the marine ecosystem!
Explain why plankton are referred to as the "breadbasket of the sea".
Because it is at the bottom of the food-web, thus every meal starts with plankton. Plankton are primary producers which is why they're found at the bottom of the food-web.
How have the seals in the Arctic Ocean adapted to this environment?
- Fur: thick fur for heat
- Blubber: thick layer of fat that regulates body temperature
- Heart: can lower heart-rate to remain under water for about fifteen minutes
- Eyes: excellent eyesight that helps them see above and below water
- Flippers: short flippers help them move easily through the water
- Food
- Jobs
- Temperature Regulation
- Oxygen
What are the relationships between the physical characteristics of the open ocean and the distribution of species found there?
All life living in the pelagic zone is based on light and plants absorbing that light and temperature where warmth is needed. There is a lot of life and a lot of detritus (dead things) to feed other life. In the open ocean, most life is floating in the top 200 meters, either photosynthesizing (like algae, plankton, etc.) , or feeding on those organisms. All life below 200 meters feed on dead things sinking from the surface.
Answers may vary. Think about your invertebrate project.
Describe some of the main adaptations to the Arctic environment of whales or walrus'.
- Blubber is the main adaptation for whales like the baluga or bowhead.
- Narwhals have a horn that has millions of nerves that allow them to sense salinity and temperature changes.
- Walrus' tusks help them haul their body onto ice
- Walrus' have whiskers that are sensitive and help them locate food
- Blubber underneath thick skin that provides energy and protects them against the Arctic cold.
How have human activities affected the open ocean?
- Pollution
- Over-fishing
- poisons
- boat motor damage to fish
- garbage islands
- industrial sewage
- POPs
- acid rain
- CO2 emissions