Lecture 8 - RH

Question 1

What are some anthropogenic impacts on ocean ecosystems?

Answer 1

Coastal development

Loss of wetland, estuarine, and coastal habitats

Pollution

Mining in the ocean for minerals and petroleum

Eutrophication and degradation of water quality

Alteration of freshwater discharge

Alteration of sediment transport down rivers, streams, and along coasts

Increasing water consumption via extraction of ground water and redirecting rivers for drinking and irrigation

Rising turbidity and loss of aquatic vegetation

Rising salinity of inland waters

Acidification of inland waters (atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen oxides)

Impacts of tourism

Question 2

What are the types of salinity problems?

Answer 2

Seawater contamination of aquifers near the coast

Intrusion of seawater into estuaries altering food webs and productivity

Question 3

Why does seawater contaminate aquifers near the coast?

Answer 3

Groundwater removal from aquifers

Rising sea level

Question 4

What causes intrusion of seawater into estuaries?

Answer 4

Reduced river discharge as a result of redirection of rivers and removal of water for irrigation, consumption or drought.)

Question 5

What happened to Chesapeake Bay?

Answer 5

Since European settlement there’s been an increase in Nitrogen, organic carbon and increase in phytoplankton biomass. This is related to the fertilizer from groundwater.

Question 6

Why did phytoplankton biomass increase so much in Chesapeake Bay?

Answer 6

Excess fishing of Oysters and increased nutrient presence

Question 7

What are Harmful Algal Blooms?

Answer 7

Blooms of toxic algae which poison other phytoplanton, zooplankton, and animals.

Ungrazed cells decompose and result in oxygen depletion

Question 8

Why do harmful algal blooms happen?

Answer 8

Not known but likely related to eutrophication