Ocean chemistry
Anatomy of the ocean
In the deep
Ocean Organisms
Misc.
100
At what temperature is water heaviest?
4 degrees
100
What are the three layers of the ocean?
Mixing layer, thermocline and deep ocean.
100
What organsims does biogenic sediments consist of?
Plankton, phytoplankton, clams, snails, sponges and etc.
100
What type of animals are calcifiers?
organisms whose structures consist of calcium carbonate.
100
Why are the current changes in the ocean a problem for organisms, when the ocean has changed before?
They have little time to adapt.
200
What is pH?
pH is the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration.
200
How long does it take for the ocean and atmosphere to exchange gases?
10-100 years
200
What is a pelagic animal?
An organism that lives in the pelagic zone. The part of the ocean that does not touch any land.
200
What are the two types of fauna in the benthic zone?
epifauna and infauna
200
In the past there have been way higher amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere without it causing damage to the ecosystems. Why is that?
It was given millions of years to adapt to it.
300
What happens when CO2 enters the ocean?
It dissociates into carbonate acid, bicarbonate, carbonate and H+ ions
300
How long does it take for the mixing between the surface ocean and deep oceans?
The time span of around 1.000 years
300
For what two major reasons is ocean acidification a problem for coral reefs?
The calciumcarbonate gets dissolved in already existing corals, making them more vulnerable to eerosion and rough animal behavior, and it is more difficult for new coral to settle and grow.
Less coralline algae to help build the reefs.
300
What am i?
Coccolithopore/coccolith
300
What are the two forms of calcium carbonate that are crucial in the structure of many calcifiers.
Aragonite and calcite
400
How much of the excess carbon dioxide injected into the atmosphere from human impacts is absorbed by the ocean?
approximately one third.
400
Where in the oceans do we see a greater and lower saturation of aragonite and calcite?
At the poles the saturation is lower, and towards equator, the saturation is greater.
400
Why does it matter that benthic life forms are affected and struggle to survive?
They are part of a greater circle and serve as food for many marine organisms. Filterfeeders filter the water and are also crutial.
400
What does coralline algae do to coral?
They aid in cementing coral reefs to the ocean floor.
400
At what saturation state does aragonite begin to dissolve?
Under 1
500
How much has the pH of the ocean changed since the beginning of the industrial revolution?
from 8,19 to 8,05 = 30%
500
What characterizes the thermocline?
with increasing depth there is a sharp fall in temperature and density.
500
Name an ocean animal that doesnt seem affected by ocean acidification at all.
jellyfish
500
What amount of PPM CO2 is said to be the point of no return?
900 PPM CO2.