L1 Course Introduction

Question 1

5 Ecosystem Functions

Answer 1

Nutrient cycling

Primary production

Food source

Filtration

Sediment transport

Question 2

What do you consider to be the most important issues?

Answer 2

- Fishing

(nothing has impacted the ocean more in the last 100 years, fundamentally alters how the ocean functions *orange roughy)

- Terrestrial inputs

Sediments & nutrients from forestation, urbanisation, agriculture (nutrience) etc

-Invasive species

Increase in shipping = organisms crossing oceans (read up on old bio secutiry lectures)

-Climate change

Adjusts species habitat range for better or worse. Temperature changes currents.

-Ocean acidification

Fossil fuel burning = acidic atmosphere = increases ocean acidification, drives down pH of oceanic waters (more acidic)