Ocean Water, Water Properties, Toxins, and Marine Biomes. Flashcards
Exam 2 Prep
What is H20? Hint: what does it stand for, besides water?
2 Hydrogen, 1 Oxygen
Is H20 polar and why?
Yes, it is polar. The oxygen end of the molecule is negative and the hydrogen are positive.
The polar nature of water allows it to form H _ _ _ _ _ _ n B _ _ _ s
Hydrogen Bonds.
Are hydrogen bonds strong or weak?
Weak.
What 4 properties of water are the result of its polar nature? Hint:
- C_ _ _ _ _ _n
- A_ _ _ _ _ _n
- H_ _ h H_ _ t C_ _ _ _ _ _y
- D_ _ _ _ _y.
Cohesion, Adhesion, High Heat Capacity, and Density.
What is cohesion?
Water molecules stick to each other.
What is adhesion?
Water molecules stick to surfaces.
What is high heat capacity?
Water stores energy (heat) and releases it slowly.
What is density? Hint: why does ice float instead of sink?
Ice, the solid form of water, is less dense so it floats.
Why is H20/water called the universal solvent?
Other polar molecules and atoms dissolve easily in water.
True or False: all of the water on earth is connected. There is technically only one world ocean.
True.
Why is 97.5% of earth’s water unsuitable for drinking or agriculture?
It is saltwater.
Why is freshwater in high demand? Hint: what percentage of water does it make up on earth?
Only 2.5%.
What is the Coriolis Force? Hint: think of how currents move in the ocean.
Currents in the Northern Hemisphere move to the right and those in the South move to the left. This creates a clockwise current pattern.
What causes the Coriolis Force?
Earth rotates counterclockwise on its axis, which causes the currents to move clockwise.
What is downwelling?
The denser mass of water sinks. Cold water sinks below warm water and saltwater sinks below freshwater.
What is upwelling? How is this beneficial?
This is when water comes to the surface. It often brings nutrients so there is high productivity in these areas, which is great for fisheries.
What is the deep sea like in 4 words?
- C _ _ d
- S _ _ _ y
- P _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ d
- D _ _ k
Cold, Salty, Pressurized, Dark.
Why does surface water absorb oxygen and carbon dioxide?
Surface water mixes with atmospheric gases.
What is bioaccumulation?
Toxins from the environment are stored in an organism’s body.
Why was DDT killing top predator birds?
It made their eggs lack calcium, so the mother squashed the eggs when she sat on them.
What is biomagnification? Why does this have a greater impact on organisms higher up the food chain?
The concentration of toxins increase as they go up the food web. Only 10% of energy/biomass is passed up, but 100% of the toxins are. Tertiary predators consume the most toxins as a result.
What are estuaries?
Have brackish water (mix fresh and salt water), temperate zones where a river meets the ocean.
What are kelp beds?
Why are sea otters a keystone species here?
What are kelp beds threatened by?
Occur in cold, nutrient rich waters. They have giant strands of brown algae for their structure.
Sea otters are a keystone species here because they eat urchins that destroy the kelp.
Eutrophication and overharvesting.
What are coral reefs? Are they highly productive and diverse?
Occur in clear tropical waters and are formed by the skeletal remains of symbiotic coral organisms. Yes, they are productive and diverse.
Why is Zooxanthellae crucial to coral reefs?
It is symbiotic algae that provides the host with carbohydrates from photosynthesis.
Why are coral polyp considered cnidarians (jellyfish)? Hint: What happens if you touch a jellyfish? You get s _ _ _ g.
They are animals with stinging cells. (stung).
What are coral reefs threatened by?
- C _ _ _ _ _ e C _ _ _ _ e
- N _ _ _ _ _ _ t P _ _ _ _ _ _ _ n
- F _ _ _ _ _ g P _ _ _ _ _ _ _ s (T _ _ _ _ _ _ g).
Climate change, coastal Nutrient Pollution, and poor Fishing Practices (Trawling).
What is a biotic feature of the deep sea?
B_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _e
Bioluminescence.
Where do hydrothermal vents occur? What kind of communities do they have? Hint: Similar to photosynthesis.
Along geothermal vents on the sea floor. Chemosynthetic communities.
What is the energy source of extremophile bacterial communities? (H2SO4).
What do these communities produce as waste products? (sulfuric acid and CO2).
What species do these communities have a symbiotic bacterial relationship with?
Hydrogen sulfide (H2SO4) = energy source Sulfuric acid and CO2 = waste products Symbiotic bacterial relationships with tube worms
