Chapter 12: Coastal Systems Flashcards
What fish has had the most impact on human civilization?
Atlantic Cod
Groundfish
Fish that live or feed along the bottom of the body of water they inhabit
Why is temperature more stable in water than land?
- water has a high heat capacity
- takes more time to heat water than air
Thermocline
The change in temperature with increasing depth(temperature decreases rapidly as you go lower)
Halocline
The increase in salinity of a water body with increasing depth
Deep Zone
The area of water below pycnocline. Unaffected by winds, storms, sunlight, and temperature.
What is upwelling?
Upwelling is the vertical flow of cold, deep water towards the surface
Downwelling
The sinking of oxygen rich water where surface current converge
What are El Nino conditions?
Change in air pressure by air rising in the western Pacific and falling in the eastern Pacific.
- causes the equatorial trade winds to weaken
- causes rainstorms/floods in typically dry areas, vice versa
What would the weather be like in Canada in LA Nina conditions?
Abnormally cool and wet
What is bathymetry?
The measurement of ocean depths
What are continental shelves?
Gently sloping areas that underlie shallow waters bordering continents \
What is a continental slope?
A continental slope connects a continental shelf to the ocean floor
What is an abyssal plain?
The flat bottom of the deep ocean
In what zone does most of the oceans primary productivity occur?
PHOTIC Zone.. “top zone”
What are habitats/ecosystems at the ocean floor called?
Benthic
What is the aphotic zone?
The area of water below the depths where light can reach
What are coral reefs?
A mass of calcium carbonate made up of the skeletons of corals, located in shallow sub/tropical waters
What are intertidal(littoral) ecosytems?
Ecosystems where the ocean meets the land
What are tides
The periodic rising and falling of the oceans height due to the gravitational pull of the sun and moon
What are mangroves?
trees with unique roots that curve upwards(for oxygen)
How are mangroves threatened?
By development and shrimp farming, we are only protecting !% of mangroves
What are estuaries?
Estuaries are water bodies where rivers flow into the ocean
What species typically inhabit estuaries?
Shorebirds and shellfish
What is methane hydrate?
An ice like solid consisting of methane, a possible energy source(not enough research conducted)
What causes ocean acidification?
The uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide
What are algal blooms?
When nutrients increase populations of algae in water, algae produce powerful toxins
What is a red tide?
When algal blooms produce red pigments and discolor water
-causes illnessand death to wildlife and humans
What percentage of the fish population are overexploited/heading to extinction?
25%
What are some fish species we have hunted to extinction?
Steller sea cow, atlantic gray whale, caribbean monk seal
What are the three main types of industrialized fish catching techniques? Describe them
Driftnets-huge nets set out to capture schools of fish
Longlining- lines with numerous baited hooks
Bottom trawling- weighted nets dragged along floor of continental shelf
As fishing increases, the ____ and ___ of fish caught decline
Size & Age
About how much of the world’s fish production is due to aquaculture?
30%
What label would you expect to see on sustainable seafood?
Dolphin-safe
Where are marine protected areas (MPAs) established?
Along the coastlines of developed countries
What are marine reserves?
Areas where fishing is prohibited
What is the spillover effect?
When individuals of protected species spread outside of their reserves
