OCEAN WATER

DID YOU KNOW… ¾ OF THE PLANET’S SURFACE IS COVER IN OCEANS PURPOSE OF OCEANS TRASPORT SEEDS AND ANIMALS ALLOW MATERIALS TO BE SHIPPED ACROSS THE WORLD FURNISH RESOURCES INCLUDING FOOD, MEDICINES AND SALT DID YOU KNOW… 70 % OF ALL THE OXYGEN ON EARTH IS GIVEN OFF BY OCEAN ORGANISMS.

FORMATION OF OCEANS 1.VOLCANOES ERUPTED WHICH RELEASED LAVA, ASH, AND GASES 2.WATER VAPOR WAS ONE OF THE GASES THAT ENTERED THE ATMOSPHERE 3.ABOUT 4 BILLIONS YEAR AGO THE WATER VAPOR ACCUMULATED AND FORMED CLOUDS 4.AFTER MILLIONS OF YEARS THE OCEANS WERE CREATED (ABOUT 3 BILLION YEARS AGO)

WHY ARE OCEANS SALTY? ELEMENTS LIKE CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM AND SODIUM FROM ROCKS IN RIVERS AND GROUNDWATER ARE SWEPT INTO THE OCEAN. ALSO ERUPTING VOLCANOES ADD ELEMENTS SUCH AS SULFUR AND CHLORINE, WHICH IS WHY OCEAN WATER IS NOT DRINK ABLE.

COMPOSITION OF OCEAN WATER 96.5% OF OCEAN WATER IS WATER (H 2 O), THE OTHER 3.5% IS DISSOLVED SOLIDS (INDICATED IN THE PIE CHART BELOW)

FEATURES OF THE OCEAN FLOOR

CONTINENTAL SHELF- GENTLY SLOPING, SHALLOW AREA OF THE OCEAN FLOOR THAT EXTENDS OUTWARD FROM THE EDGE OF A CONTINENT CONTINENTAL SLOPE- INCLINE AT THE EDGE OF THE CONTINENTAL SHELF SEAMOUNTS- MOUNTAINS COMPLETELY UNDERWATER ABYSSAL PLAIN- NEARLY FLAT REGION OF THE OCEAN FLOOR MID OCEAN RIDGE- CONTINUOUS RANGE OF MOUNTAINS THAT WINDS AROUND EARTH

TIDES -Daily rise and fall of Earth’s waters on its coastlines

LIFE AT THE OCEAN’S EDGE WHAT FACTORS AFFECT WHERE OCEAN ORGANISMS LIVE? SALINITY WATER TEMPERATURE LIGHT DISSOLVED GASES NUTRIENTS WAVE ACTION

KEY TERMS PLANKTON – TINY ALGAE AND ANIMALS THAT FLOAT IN THE WATER AND ARE CARRIED BY WAVES AND CURRENTS NEKTON – FREE-SWIMMING ANIMALS THAT CAN MOVE THROUGHOUT THE WATER COLUMN BENTHOS- ORGANISMS THAT INHABIT THE OCEAN FLOOR (CRABS, SEA STARS, LOBSTERS)

REDUCING EROSION OVER TIME EROSION CAN WEAR AWAY A BEACH. AS TIDES GET HIGHER DUE TO STORMS THE WAVES BRING SAND FROM BEACHES INTO THE OCEAN DECREASING THE SHORELINE. WAYS TO REDUCE EROSION GROINS : WALL OF ROCKS OR CONCRETE DUNES : HILLS OF WIND-BLOWN SAND BARRIER BEACHES : LONG LOW-LYING

CORAL REEFS -are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals.calcium carbonatecorals Often called “rainforests of the sea”, coral reefs form some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. ecosystems Coral reefs provide 25% of all marine species in the world. (fish, molluscs, worms, crustaceans, echinoderms, sponges,

Coral reefs take millions of years to be created. Coral only grows a few millimeters a year.

What affects coral reefs? 1.Changes in water temperature 2.Boat anchors dragging across a reef 3.Divers can accidentally break off pieces of the reef

MARINE FOOD WEB

OCEANIC RESOURCES OIL GAS DEPOSITS SEAFOOD MINERALS (MAGNESIUM, MANGANESE) GRAVEL SAND GOLD DIAMONDS

HUMAN AFFECT ON OCEANS NEGATIVE IMPACTS OIL SPILLS : COATS THE BODIES OF MARINE MAMMALS AND BIRDS SEWAGE CHEMICALS HEAVY RAINS: SURGE OF FRESH WATER FROM ESTUARIES DECREASE SALINITY PROTECTING EARTH’S OCEANS EACH NATION OWNS THE FIRST 22 KILOMETERS OUT FROM ITS COASTS EACH NATION ALSO CONTROLS RESOURCES IN THE WATERS