1. Water Chemistry, Currents and Climate and Why do we study the Ocean?

2.  Salinity refers to the amount of dissolved salt in a volume of water.  On average, the salinity of water is 3.5%  There are many different salts in the ocean, but sodium chloride (NaCl) is the most prevalent(table salt).  You have less salt near the mouth of a river.  You have more salt in tropic climates. The Salty Ocean

3.  Marine organisms use gases dissolved in water.  Two gases found in ocean water that are necessary for living things are oxygen and carbon dioxide.  Oxygen in seawater comes from the atmosphere and from algae in the ocean and produced through photosynthesis.  Carbon dioxide is about 60 times as plentiful in the oceans as in the atmosphere. It is produced by respiration. Gases in the Ocean

4.  The broad surface of the ocean absorbs energy form the sun.  Because warm water is less dense than cold water, this warm water stays on top.  The water temperature affects the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water.  Cold water has more dissolved oxygen and warm water has less dissolved oxygen. The Temperature of Ocean Water

5. Surface Currents  A current is a large stream of moving water that flows through the ocean.  Currents carry water from one place to another and can carry water great distances.  Some move water at the surface others move water the deep water.  Surface currents, which affect water to a depth of several hundred meters, are driven mainly by winds.

6. How Surface Currents Affect Climate  The largest and most powerful surface current in North Atlantic is the Gulf Stream.  Climate is the pattern of temperature and precipitation typical of an area over a long period of time.  Currents affect climate by moving cold and warm water around the globe.

7. Surface Currents Continued  A surface current warms or cools the air above it, influencing the climate of the land near the coast.  In general, currents carry warm water from the tropics toward the poles and bring cold water back toward the equator.

8. El Nino  Changes in winds and currents can greatly impact the oceans and the neighboring lands.  El Nino is an abnormal climate event that occurs every 2 to 7 years in the Pacific Ocean.  El Nino begins when an unusual pattern of winds forms over the western Pacific.  This causes a vast sheet of warm water to move eastward toward the South American coast.  El Nino conditions can last for one to two years before the usual winds and currents return.

9.  Scientists are able to conduct habitat studies and research the ocean floor using research submersibles and Remotely Operated Vehicles – ROV’s for short. ​  ROV’s are able to collect data and collect samples ​  Drawbacks for the ROV ​  Expensive ​  Limited to length of tether ​  Limited viewing area to that of camera ​  Submersibles carry people ​  Independent (no tether), pilot operated (instead of computer) ​  Drawbacks for submersibles- ​  # of people they can carry ​  Depth of travel and length of trip Studying the Ocean