The Water Planet
Dark zone with no sunlight or photosynthesis
aphotic zone
How do changing ocean currents affect weather patterns?
they influence temperature and amount of precipitation
What is the amount of oxygen dissolved in water?
dissolved oxygen
The primary greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change
Carbon dioxide or CO2
__________ and ___________ drive ocean currents.
Wind and differences in salinity
Underground layer of permeable rock that contains water.
aquifer
What role do phytoplankton play in climate regulation?
They absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen (or they perform photosynthesis)
A mass of moving water.
current
A decrease in ocean pH due to CO2 absorption
Ocean acidification
Potential sources of freshwater floating in the ocean.
icebergs
Water vapor turning into liquid water.
condensation.
When coral turns white, its called this.
Coral bleaching
Salty and colder water _______ while warmer, less salty water _______.
sinks; rises
This is a limestone deposit that is built up by tiny aquatic organisms forming a diverse marine community.
Coral reef
Which marine ecosystem is most vulnerable to climate change?
coral reefs
The increase in nutrients in pond water causing algea to grow.
Eutrophication.
The process of removing salt from sea water - not efficient and rarely used
Desalination
What causes coral bleaching?
warming ocean waters
Tiny organisms that live near the sunlit surface and are a main producer in the oceans food web.
Phytoplankton
Currents move _______ and _________ around the planet.
energy and nutrients
This closed loop system cleans all the freshwater on our planet so that we can use it over and over.
The water cycle.
Which ocean current system helps regulate global climate?
Thermohaline currents
The salt content of water.
Salinity
Main cause of the decrease in fish populations throughout the ocean.
Overfishing
Climates are classified according to these two major factors.
average temperature and precipitation
The dark, flat surface at the bottom of the ocean - home to decomposers and hydrothermal vents
Abyssal plain
Ratio of freshwater to saltwater on Earth
3% freshwater; 97% saltwater
Currents that spread energy and nutrients (salt) around the globe.
Thermohaline currents
Plantlike plankton are called _________.
Animal-like plankton are called ________.
phytoplankton; zooplankton
How do oceans help regulate Earth's climate?
By absorbing and storing heat and carbon dioxide