Intro to Water Systems
Access to Freshwater
Aquatic Food Production
Water Pollution
100

What drives the hydrological cycle?

Solar radiation

100

What stage of development in a country would have easy access to fresh water?

MEDC countries like USA, etc.

100

What process drives most major aquatic food webs?

Photosynthesis by plankton

100

Outline 2 sources of water pollution.

runoff, sewage, industrial discharge, solid domestic waste

200

Name 4 storages of water on the Earth

Storages in the hydrological cycle include organisms, soil and various water bodies, including oceans, groundwater (aquifers), lakes, rivers, atmosphere, glaciers and ice caps

200

Name two factors that limit freshwater availability.

Contamination, unsustainable usage, droughts, floods, political crisis, etc.
200

What international organization protects against atching salmon on high seas with drift nets in order to not have bycatch of birds and mammals?

NPAFC (North pacific anadromous fish commission)

200

What is the phenomenon of too many nutrients causing lack of plant growth and the death of animals due to the lack of oxygen?

Eutrophication

300

Name 5 flows of the water cycle

Evapotranspiration, sublimation, evaporation, condensation, advection, precipitation, melting, freezing

300

Outline the process of desalination.

seawater can be turned into freshwater, still expensive and relies on fossil fuel energy → raises waste management and climate change issues

300

Outline how our current culture surrounding fish consumption affects aquatic food production systems? Suggest one alternative.

Our current culture prioritizes human convenience over the aquatic ecosystems, disrupting food chains and fish. One alternative to this could be sustainable fishing with bans on overfishing.

300

Outline one effect of the burning of fossil fuels on marine life.

Ex: Particulates and acid rain that end up in the sea and poison ecosystems

400

Outline how one storage in the hydrological cycle decreases with urbanization.

Example answer: Glaciers decrease with urbanization because the advent of urbanization causes excess greenhouse gases to be pumped into the atmosphere, increasing temperatures. Increased temperatures melt glaciers.

400

Outline how an environmental value system of your choice might affect the issue of water scarcity?

Ex: An ecocentric might focus on preserving the biomes of specific regions and mitigating the effects of climate change on water scarcity. They will prioritize the ecosystems over the human lives and advocate for long-term sustainable practices.

400

To what extent may Iceland be used as a role model for sustainability by other countries?

Ex: Iceland, being an MEDC country, has implemented aquatic food production policies that have widely protected their aquatic ecosystems. These policies should be implemented by other countries around the world.
400

How could loss of a coral reef ecosystem through coral bleaching and pollution impact a neighboring school of small fish?

Ex: The small of fish might have used the coral for protection against predators that they now do not have.

500
Outline how deforestation in the taiga might impact the world's oceans.

Example Answer: Trees act as carbon sinks through the process of photosynthesis. With excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, glaciers may melt and ocean levels may increase.

500
Explain one effect that climate change has on water scarcity.

Ex: As global temperatures increase, so do the rates of drought as global warming alters precipitation patterns and causes greater extreme weather events. This can result in less access to water.

500

Suggest why the St Lawrence River beluga whale population has not recovered despite being given protected status in 1983.

Ex: The St. Lawrence River has faced pollution challenges, including industrial contaminants and agricultural runoff. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as PCBs and heavy metals can accumulate in beluga whales' bodies, leading to reproductive issues and weakened immune systems, hindering population recovery.

500

With your understanding of processes such as biomagnification, outline how pollution in water can affect human food consumption.

pollutants like heavy metals (e.g., mercury, lead), persistent organic pollutants (e.g., PCBs, dioxins), and pesticides can enter water bodies, predatory aquatic organisms (e.g., fish, crustaceans) consume herbivores, leading to further concentration of pollutants in their bodies. humans may consume these animals