1. Bodies of Water Influence Climate and Species Distribution
Science 8 Unit 1 - Chapter 3
Bodies of Water Influence Climate and Species Distribution

2. Question - Discussion
What are some ways the ocean can change/influence an area?
How can the ocean influence what organisms live in an area?

3. Oceans Change Climate
Weather: Temperature, wind speed and direction, air pressure and moisture of an area. (short term)

4. Oceans Change Climate
Convection: heat transfer resulting from circulation.
warm oceans will heat
the air above them
resulting in thermals.
Thermals: As warm air rises, cooler, denser air replaces it.

5. Oceans Change Climate
Heat Capacity: A measure of how long it takes a material to heat up or cool down.
Water has a high heat capacity (store a lot of heat!)
It takes a long time to heat up and cool down.

6. Oceans hold A LOT of heat!

7. So What?! - Discussion Water has a HIGH heat capacity
how could slow cooling and heating of oceans affect temperature of the air? Climate?
Think about next to the ocean in - summer and winter… day and night…

8. Oceans high heat capacity:
Oceans stay much warmer in fall and winter than land masses.
Oceans remain cooler through spring and into summer.
This also affects air over land next to the ocean
by heat transfer

9. Oceans change climate
Moderate Climate: the climate of coastal areas are not extremely hot in the summer or extremely cold in the winter from the ocean.
Oceans ‘moderate’ the climate

10. Small scale for day/night
sea breeze in the day/ Land Breeze at night

11. Larger scale on Seasons
Torbay, Newfoundland - ~47.6° N,
-7 in winter 21 in summer
Grand Forks, North Dakota ~47.6° N
-20 in winter 27 in summer

12. Journal Entry
How does Torbay’s proximity to the ocean affect it’s climate? Why does it do this?

13. Heat transfer by oceans
Currents will transfer heat to other parts of the world.
So even similar latitudes on the coast can have different climates!

14. Heat transfer by oceans
Hopedale, Labrador - ~55.5° N,
-14 in winter 16 in summer
Stornoway, Scotland ~58.2° N (MORE N!)
2 in winter 26 in summer

15. “You can see 4 Seasons in one day!”
NL’s unstable weather
Ever hear these sayings about NL weather?
“Just wait 5 minutes” Or
“You can see 4 Seasons in one day!”
Why is this?

16. NL’s unstable weather
Our weather patterns rapidly change due to the interaction of the Labrador Current and the Gulf Stream.
Temperature fluctuations occur rapidly in NL from warm, tropical winds moving north and cold, arctic winds moving south.
Local atmospheric temperatures
depend on which of these prevail.

17. NL is one of the Foggiest places!
When the warm, moist air above the Gulf Stream blows over the colder water of the Labrador Current, it cools and condenses, producing fog.

18. Oceans effect Global climate
El Niño and La Niña: Natural changes in climate by the ocean
Are caused by increase or decrease in trade winds
This causes changes in ocean temperature and affects marine life
*Also causes weather extremes – floods and droughts

19. El Niño La Niña decrease increase warming (decreased upwelling)
Causes - Trade Winds
decrease
increase
Effects - Ocean
Temperature
warming
(decreased upwelling)
cooling
(increased upwelling)
Results-Marine
Productivity
decreases
(less nutrients)
increases
(more nutrients)

21. Why does La Nina increase marine productivity?
Upwelling: the vertical movement of water – cooler, denser more nutrient rich water will actually move up!
Strong winds blows the warmer less dense water away – the cooler water moves up to replace it

22. Upwelling
Phytoplankton thrive and this strengthens the food chain – increasing marine productivity!

23. Review Questions: Page 89 Q’s: 8, 9 & 10

24. Abiotic Factors that affect plant and animal distribution:
Temperature: Low temperature means more dissolved oxygen.
Dissolved Oxygen: levels should be ≥ 5mg/L
Phosphates: levels should
be < 10μg/L
pH: level of acidity range
should be 5 –8.5

25. Abiotic Factors that affect plant and animal distribution:
Turbidity: how cloudy is the water
Pollution: should be low
Upwelling: this increases nutrients

26. Testing Abiotic factors of water
Activity
Testing Abiotic factors of water

27. Marine technologies Can benefit and harm marine species
Can help improve monitoring of species
Can help prevent and fix damage done
Confederation Bridge – destruction of habitat
Fundy tidal power – some dangers – but is it better than oil alternatives?

28. Technologies and over-fishing
Improved fishing technology poses problems to marine life:
Better catch methods/ fish finding technology: easier to catch fish so can lower populations
Vessel type: Bottom trawlers catch more fish but destroy habitats

29. Offshore oil industry
Oil spills: immediate harm and destruction to organisms and habitat
Introduced species: From tankers releasing bilge water endangering native habitats and organisms.
Ex. The green crab in Placentia Bay

30. Aquaculture technologies
Aquaculture: the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, under controlled conditions
Reduces the amount of wild caught
But, accidental release of organisms into native populations can spread of diseases.
St. Albans, NL

31. What now?
For current human society to continue we must extract the oceans resources
Science and technology advancements can help
But cannot totally solve humans need for earth’s limited resources
Proper management and sustainable development is still necessary

33. Review Questions: Page 115 Q’s: 1, 6, 7, & 8

34. Chapter Review Questions: Page 117 Q’s: 9, 10, 11 & 12