Chapter 11: The coastal ocean Flashcards
What is the EEZ and how is it defined?
(exclusive economic zone)-200 miles from land(mineral and fishing resources) coastal jurisdiction
What causes salinity to vary in coastal waters?
freshwater runoff, winds , and mixing tides
How does temperature vary in coastal waters of different latitudes?
Low lats: restricted circulation, very warm
high lats: sea ice, water maybe isothermal at low and high lats
what is an estuary?
partly enclosed body of water where freshwater runoff dilutes ocean water
What are the four types of estuaries? Describe each.
- Coastal plain-former river valleynow flooded with w/ seawater
- Fjord- former glaciated valley now flooded w/ seawater
- bar built- lagoon separated from ocean by sand bar.
- tectonic-faulted or folded down dropped area now flooded with ocean
Why are estuaries important?
important breeding grounds for many marine animals , protective nurseries
what is a lagoon?
a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by barrier islands or reefs
What are the two types of coastal wetlands? Where is each of them found?
salt marshes and mangrove swamps
why are coastal wetlands important?
nurseries, feeding ground for comercially important marine animals, protects shores from eroding
what is pollution?
any harmful substance or energy put into the oceans by humans
What are some consequences of oil spills? How can we clean them up?
many organisms are killed. but long term effects are still unknown. skimmimng to absorb oil or bioremediaition(releasing bacteria and fungi that biodegrades the oil
How can we prevent them?
banning single hull tankers, bettter ship designs
what is sewage sludge
semisolid material left after treatment from human waste
what is ddt? what are PCB’s
DDT= pesticides
PCB’s=industrial chemicals
Why are ddt/pcbs a problem
they are highly toxic, take a long time to dissolve in salt water, accumulates in food chain.
