Oceans and Estuaries Study Guide

Completion Complete each sentence or statement.

1. wind-driven currents ______.

2. a current that brings deep, nutrient-rich water to the surface ______.

3. deep-water currents caused by cold water sinking and pushing up warmer water ______.

4. organisms that make their own food ______.

5. ______is the major current off the east coast of the United States.

6. Ocean water at the mouth of a large river would have a salinity ______(greater than, less than, the same as) the water in the middle of the ocean.

7. A collection of organisms and the nonliving factors that affect them is ______(an ecosystem, a community, a population).

8. ______is a measure of the amount of salts dissolved in seawater.

9. role of an organism in an ecosystem ______

10. The struggle among organisms to obtain resources for reproduction and survival is called ______(competition, capacity).

11. The physical location where an organism lives is its ______(habitat, population).

Matching

Match each item with the correct statement. a. California Current f. La Niña b. cold-water g. buoys c. drought h. Tropics d. El Niño i. upwelling e. Gulf Stream j. warm-water

____ 12. type of current that creates warmer climates in coastal areas

____ 13. type of current that creates cooler climates in coastal areas

____ 14. where the Gulf Stream and other warm currents originate

____ 15. ocean current that warms the British Isles

____ 16. ocean current that cools the West Coast of the United States ____ 17. the movement of cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface of the ocean

____ 18. a change in the water temperature of the Pacific Ocean that produces a warm current

____ 19. a change in the water temperature of the eastern Pacific Ocean that produces cooler than usual surface water temperatures

Short Answer

20. How did Earth’s first oceans form?

21. Explain the water cycle using the terms condensation, evaporation, and precipitation.

22. What is the difference between point-source and nonpoint-source pollution?

23. Identify three sources of point-source pollution.

24. How is the global ocean divided, and what are the divisions?

25. What are two factors that control deep currents?

27. How do longshore currents shape the land?

28. Can ocean currents be caused by differences in water temperature? Explain how. 29. Can ocean currents be caused by differences in salinity?

30. Explain how ocean temperatures affect the climate of coastal cities.

31. Compare and contrast the roles of producers and consumers in the ocean.

32. Would you expect water off the beaches of southern California to be warmer or cooler than water off the beaches of Florida. Why?

33. Explain upwelling and tell why fishers look forward to it.

35. Identify the things the ocean provides that promote life in the ocean.

36. Compare & contrast plankton & nekton by putting the letter of the statement in the correct column. If a statement refers to more than 1 form of life, put its letter in each column that it refers to.

1. Plankton 2. Nekton

a. Plants and animals that depend on currents to move them are included in this group. b. The animals in this group can swim. c. These are forms of life in the ocean. d. This group includes kelp, which grows from depths of up to 30 m. e. Animals in this group can control their buoyancy (how they float). f. These find necessary conditions for life in the ocean. g. Whales are a member of this group. h. This group includes jellyfish, newly hatched crabs, and copepods. 37. How is Sun energy the basis for many of the ocean’s food chains?

38. What might happen if one link of a food chain is destroyed?

39. What are three things that oceans provide for organisms?

40. Name four ways that pollutants may be introduced into the ocean.

41. Define a food chain and compare it with a food web.

42. What are the abiotic factors that determine what lives in an environment?

43. Explain the steps of a food chain.

44. El Niño can prevent upwelling along the Pacific Coast. What might happen if normal upwelling does not take place? Make predictions and support them with facts.

45. Why should people who live in coastal areas learn about currents, waves, and tides? Give examples of how waves and tides could affect everyday lives.