Marine Organisms, Ocean Layers, and Surface Currents Flashcards
What are the three broad categories of creatures that live in the ocean?
Pelagic organisms
Benthic organisms
Planktonic organisms
What are pelagic organisms?
any organisms that can move by its own locomotion
pelagic organisms are mostly things with…
fins
Where do Pelagic organisms live?
in the uppermost waters of the ocean
What are some examples of Benthic organisms?
Sponges, anemones,
benthic organisms attach themselves to ocean ______ on the ocean floor
sediment
Where do benthic organisms live?
on the ocean floor (bottom sediments) but still in waters shallow enough to receive sunlight.
Planktonic organisms are anything that _____ or _____ along with ocean currents
floats, drifts
Almost all the organisms of the ocean live in the _____ zone
photic
What is the photic zone?
the upper 200 meters of the ocean where there is enough light for photosynthesis to occur
The photic zone is the upper _____ meters of the ocean.
200
in the photic zone there is enough light for _________ to occur
photosynthesis
what is the photic zone defined by?
how much sunlight gets/passes through
what are four zones of the ocean?
photic zone
surface layer
transitional zone
deep zone
How are the zones of the ocean defined?
by density and temperature
the zones of the ocean are defined by ______ and _____
density, temperature
Which layer comprises the first 100 meters of the ocean?
the surface layer
the surface layer is characterized by _____ and _____ density water
warm, low
the transitional zone stretches form _____ to _____ meters
100-1500
In which zone does the temperature of the water decrease and the density increase?
the transitional zone
In the transitional zone, the temperature of the water _____ and the density ______
decreases, increases.
The deep zone is…
very dense and very cold
what is the deep zone composed of?
calcareous/ siliceous ooze, or red clay
What is the average temperature in this zone?
36 F
surface ocean currents are the way that the water _______ near the ______
circulates, surface
Most surface ocean currents form in response to _____ and ____ variations
wind, temperature
Surface ocean currents an be modified by the ______ effect
Coriolis
Briefly, what causes the Coriolis effect?
the rotation of the Earth.
what are teleconnection?
anomalies that occur in the surface circulation currents
What are three teleconnections?
- El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
- Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)
- North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)
teleconnections are naturally occurring ______ in surface ocean current that occur on a relatively ______ schedule
changes, predictable
El nino occurs every ___ to ___ years
three to five
El niño occurs when…
Pacific Ocean upwelling processes cease
El Nino changes _______ currents and _______ patterns
equatorial, precipitation
During an El Nino year what can you expect?
climate changes all across the globe
Where does El Nino occur?
middle Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Decadal Oscillation occurs every _____ to ____ years
20, 30
The PDO changes the temperature of which ocean?
the Eastern Pacific Ocean
Does PDO make the eastern Pacific Ocean cooler or warmer?
cooler
The North Atlantic oscillation occurs every _____ to _____ years
five, ten
what does the North Atlantic oscillation cause?
strong winds, rain in Europe, warmer winters
NAO affects the path of _______ in the Atlantic
hurricanes.
