Climate Change General Info
The term 'Climate Change' refers to long-term shifts in what?
Temperatures and Weather patterns.
What specific activities have been the leading contributing factors to climate change? (Hint: Think back to the third slide)
Human Activities
One of the biggest threats to the Keys and its inhabitants is what? (Hint: think about the surroundings)
Sea-level rise
The ocean absorbs what at an increasingly rapid rate, ultimately changing the ocean’s chemistry?
CO2
What is considered the leading cause of coral death?
Coral bleaching
Greenhouse gases come from burning what?
Fossil Fuels
What three fossil fuels are used/burned?
Oil, Coal, and Gas
True or False: The Florida Keys house the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States.
This is true. Hawaii has coral reefs, but it is not part of the continental United States
What was the record-breaking sea temperature listed as on slide 9? (Include the decimal point.)
101.1 degrees Fahrenheit
What are the two important reef-building corals?
elkhorn coral and staghorn coral
Which two practices also contribute to the release of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere? (Hint: they both start with the letter "D")
Deforestation and Development
This physical household item is used as a metaphor to explain how energy is 'trapped' in the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface.
Blanket
Which famous Keys' Bar was featured underwater on slide six? (Hint: if you've been to Key West, think Duval Street)
Sloppy Joe's Bar
Acidification of the ocean impacts marine life with what specific characteristic? (Hint: think about the marine life discussed)
Calcium Carbonate skeletons/shells (coral, clams, starfish, sea urchins, etc.)
Following what event was staghorn coral labeled functionally extinct in the Keys?
The marine heatwave of 2023
Shifts in temperatures and weather patterns occur naturally due to what environmental factors?
Factors include: changes in the sun’s activity, large volcanic eruptions, and ocean-atmosphere circulation.
What are three direct effects of CO2 retaining energy within the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface?
Answers may include: temperature rises, extreme weather such as heatwaves, heavy rainfall, rapid melting of glaciers & ice sheets, rising sea levels, and warmer oceans (which harm sea life and contribute to more intense storms).
Which endangered animal, native to the Florida Keys, was mentioned as being impacted by climate change? (think about the land)
Key Deer
These natural systems are ultimately impacted by the acidification of the ocean, as other forms of marine life are killed or harmed as a result of climate change.
The Food Chains
What four marine environmental factors does climate change have significant effects on?
Sea temperature, sea level, storm intensity, and currents.
What greenhouse gas accounts for approximately 5% of climate change?
Nitrous oxide (N2O)
The effects of climate change on the Florida Keys also impact what five things? (Hint: think about the land and its inhabitants)
Eco-tourism, Sustainable Fishing, Plant and Animal Species on land, Residential properties, Insurance Costs for Homeowners
Although it was not mentioned, how much revenue would you say tourism in the Florida Keys generates annually? (closest guess gets the points!)
$3.5 Billion accounts for total visitor spending annually ($2.3 billion spent on eco-tourism and general tourism)
The ocean's rapid absorption of CO2 contributes to what three harmful occurrences?
Ocean acidification, reduced oceanic oxygen levels, and shoreline impacts over time.
Which specific algae bloom was discussed as being harmful (and potentially deadly) to not only marine life, but to humans as well?
Red Tides