Download Syllabus Introduction to Oceanography GEL 1113

Syllabus
Introduction to Oceanography
GEL 1113
GEL 1113-190 - Internet Course – Spring 2009 (092)
Call Number – 33914
Professor: Claude E. Bolze
Tulsa Community College, Metro Campus
Science and Math Division
909 South Boston Avenue
Tulsa, OK 74119-2095
Telephone: 918-595-7246
Office: MC 527
Email: [email protected]
Distance Learning Office: Randy Dominguez, Associate Dean
Telephone: 918-595-7144
Office: MC 605A
Metro Campus Office: MC 2009
Telecourse Hotline Number: 918-595-7282
Toll Free: 1-888-822-2973
Division: Science and Math
Dr. Connie Hebert, Associate Dean
Telephone: 918-595-7334
Office: MC 620
Course Prerequisite:
No previous coursework is required for enrollment in this course. However, students must possess
adequate computer and Internet skills. Students must be proficient in Blackboard. The Professor
who teaches this course will not offer technical assistance. Technical requirements and skills are
posted on the Tulsa Community College website on the Distance Leaning Page –
http://www.tulsacc/dl/require.htm
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Textbook:
An Introduction to the World’s Oceans, 10th ed, 2009.
By Keith A. Sverdrup and E. Virginia Armbrust.
Published by McGraw-Hill, ISBN: 978-0-07-337670-7
Textbooks for Internet courses are sold at the Northeast Campus Bookstore. For more information see
the Distance Learning Webpage (frequently asked questions section): http://www.tulsacc/dl/faqs.htm#why
Textbooks also may be purchased on-line through the campus bookstore. Students may contact the
bookstore manager, Jackie Green, at [email protected] and she will explain the process. Students
should include name, mailing address, e-mail address, and the course name and number when
contacting the bookstore manager.
Catalog Description of Introduction to Oceanography:
A study of the earth’s oceans, emphasizing the sea’s influence on climate and man. The course
includes coverage of waves, currents, tides, sediments, sea life and geology.
Lecture 3 hours per week. No laboratory.
Course Objectives:
Introduction to Oceanography is designed to accomplish the following objectives:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Students develop an appreciation of the workings of science in their daily lives.
Students gain a general knowledge of the four areas of ocean science: geological, chemical,
physical and biological.
Students become familiar with terminology related to oceanography.
Students become familiar with the history of ocean science.
Course Orientation:
There is no on campus orientation for Introduction to Oceanography. An orientation to Internet
course expectations and procedures is posted on the Distance Learning Web-site
http://www.tulsacc.edu/dl/orientation.htm . Students must provide the professor an accurate e-mail
address, in order to receive any information which may be sent. Students who do not furnish an
accurate and current e-mail address and keep it updated will be dropped from the course. Students
who wish to do so may arrange for a personal meeting with the professor in his office during the first
week of the course.
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Testing:
All exams will be administered at the Metro Campus Testing Center, MC 1018. Room 1018 is on
the 1st Floor of the main Metro Campus Building. Students must present a picture identification card:
driver’s license or current TCC picture ID.
Testing Center hours: Monday thru Thursday: 8 AM to 7 PM.
Friday:
8 AM to 5 PM
Saturday: 8 AM to 4 PM.
Students must be certain to allow enough time (at least one hour) to complete their exams before
the Testing Center closes
Each exam must be taken during its scheduled days. You will have a one week interval (Monday thru
the following Monday) to take the scheduled exam.
Students in the Tulsa area must test at the Metro Campus. Students who do not live in the Tulsa area
and cannot test on campus must find a TCC approved proctor. The proctor’s name must be supplied to
the Professor for approval. Proctor approval or rejection is at the discretion of the Professor.
Exam Schedule:
Exam 1:
Monday, February 16  Monday, February 23.
Exam 2:
Monday, March 23
 Monday, March 30.
Exam 3:
Monday, April 27
 Monday, May 4.
Late Assignments and Make-up Exam Policy:
Exam:
Make-up exams are discouraged. A valid reason must be accepted by the professor before any makeup will be allowed. Make-up exams will be more rigorous.
Homework:
Homework will be accepted late, however, 10 points will be deducted from the grade for each week
the homework is late.
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Attendance Policy: Past experience has shown that regular and prompt attendance is vitally
important for successful completion of this course. Those students who decide not to complete the
course must withdraw themselves from the course. Failure to complete work does not constitute a
withdrawal from Tulsa Community College and those students will receive a grade based upon the
points earned at the end of the semester.
Course Withdrawal: The deadline to withdraw from a course shall not exceed 3/4 the duration
of any class. Contact the Counseling Office at any TCC campus to initiate withdrawal from a course
('W' grade) or to change from Credit to Audit. Check the TCC Academic Calendar for deadlines.
Students who stop participating in the course and fail to withdraw may receive a course grade of “F,”
which may have financial aid consequences for the student.
Communications:
Email communications: All TCC students receive a designated “MyTCC” email address (ex:
[email protected]). All communications to you about TCC and course assignments will be
sent to your MyTCC email address; and you must use MyTCC email to send email to, and receive
email from, the instructor regarding this course.
Inclement Weather: TCC rarely closes. If extreme weather conditions or emergency situations
arise, TCC always gives cancellation notices to radio and television stations. This information is also
posted on the TCC website (www.tulsacc.edu).
General Education Goals: General Education courses at TCC ensure that our graduates gain
skills, knowledge, and abilities that comprise a common foundation for their higher education and a
backdrop for their work and personal lives. TCC’s General Education goals are: Critical Thinking,
Effective Communication, Engaged Learning, and Technological Proficiency.
Classroom Etiquette: Open and mutually respectful communication of varied opinions, beliefs,
and perspectives during classroom or online discussion encourages the free exchange of ideas that is
essential to higher learning and to the ability to learn from each other. Use of any electronic device is
at the discretion of the instructor.
Syllabus Changes: Occasionally, changes to the syllabus may be necessary. Students will be
notified of any changes to the syllabus in writing.
Students with Disabilities: TCC provides accommodations for qualifying students in
compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. For information, students may contact the
disabled Student Resource Center, 918-595-7115, or the Resource Center for the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing, 918-595-7428V, 918-595-7434TTY.
Institutional Statement: Each student is responsible for being aware of the information
contained in the TCC Catalog, the TCC Student Policies & Resources Handbook, and semester
information listed in the class schedule. All information may be viewed on the TCC website:
www.tulsacc.edu
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Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty (cheating) is defined as the deception of others
about one’s own work or about the work of another. Academic dishonesty or misconduct is not
condoned or tolerated at campuses within the Tulsa Community College system. Tulsa Community
College adopts a policy delegating certain forms of authority for disciplinary action to the faculty.
Such disciplinary actions delegated to the faculty include, but are not limited to, the dismissal of
disrespectful or disorderly students from classes. In the case of academic dishonesty a faculty member
may:
 Require the student to redo an assignment or test, or require the student to complete a
substitute assignment or test;
 Record a "zero" for the assignment or test in question;
 Recommend to the student that the student withdraw from the class, or administratively
withdraw the student from the class;
 Record a grade of "F" for the student at the end of the semester.
Faculty may request that disciplinary action be taken against a student at the administrative level by
submitting such request to the Dean of Student Services.
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Evaluation Technique: How your grade is determined.
Exams:
There will be a total of 3 exams. The Final (Exam 3) will not be comprehensive. The exams will
contain multiple choice and matching questions. The exam questions will come from the textbook.
The 3 exams will comprise 60% of the final grade.
Homework:
There will be a total of 3 homework assignments. Each homework assignment contains a list of
questions selected from each chapter of the textbook. The answers will be in the form of a short essay.
The specific questions to answer are posted under Assignments.
The homework answers can be submitted to Blackboard – Assignments, to the Instructor by Email,
or handed in at the Testing Center when taking the exam. Each homework assignment must be
submitted by the last exam day scheduled for the exam to which the homework applies.
The 3 homework assignments will comprise 40% of the final grade.
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Grade Scale:
90
80
70
60
0
- 100%
- 89%
- 79%
- 69%
- 59%
A
B
C
D
F
Grade Distribution
Exams
Homework
= 60%
= 40%
How to Calculate Oceanography Percentage Grade:
Your Exam Points x 0.6
Possible Points
= Exam Points
Your Homework Points
Possible Points
0.4
x
= Homework Points
Extra Credit is added to only Your Points and not added to the Possible Points.
Grade = (Exam Pts + Homework Pts) x 100
General Information – Course Requirements Summary:
An advantage of an on-line internet course is that the course is largely self-paced with the hard
deadlines being the due dates for assignments and the final dates to take exams. Relevant material and
work must be covered and submitted on time, however, the pace and methods of operation offer great
latitude. Consequently, students must exercise immense self-discipline and keep a schedule that does
not allow material to “pile up” and produce a situation that overwhelms. Each student is responsible
for her/his pace.
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Course Summary
Module #1 (Exam 1) – First 1/3 of Course
- Geological Oceanography and Marine Geology.
- Read Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 12 in the textbook.
- Refer to Course Documents in Blackboard and utilize chapter materials.
- Answer questions to Homework Assignment #1 (found under Assignments) and submit the
answers.
- Take Exam #1 at TCC Testing Center. See testing schedule in the syllabus.
Module #2 (Exam 2) – Second 1/3 of Course
- Physical Oceanography.
- Read Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 in the textbook.
- Refer to Course Documents in Blackboard and utilize chapter materials.
-
Answer questions to Homework Assignment #2 (found under Assignments) and submit the
answers.
-
Take Exam #2 at TCC Testing Center. See testing schedule in the syllabus.
Module #3 (Exam 3) – Last 1/3 of Course
- Biological Oceanography, Marine Biology, Marine Ecology.
- Read Chapters 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 in the textbook.
- Refer to Course Documents in Blackboard and utilize chapter materials.
-
Answer questions to Homework Assignment #3 (found under Assignments) and submit the
answers.
-
Take Exam #3 at TCC Testing Center. See testing schedule in the syllabus.
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Course Schedule
GEL 2113 – Introduction to Oceanography – Internet – Spring 2009 (092)
Module #1 – Exam #1: January 12  February 23.
Geological Oceanography and Marine Geology
Read Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 12 in the textbook.
Homework Assignment #1 due by Monday, February 23
Take Exam #1 at TCC Testing Center: Monday, February 16  Monday, February 23
Module #2 – Exam #2: February 24  March 30.
Physical Oceanography.
Read Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 in the textbook.
Homework Assignment #2 due by Monday, March 30.
Take Exam #2 at TCC Testing Center: Monday, March 23  Monday, March 30.
Module #3 – Exam #3: March 31  May 4.
Biological Oceanography, Marine Biology, and Marine Ecology.
Read chapters 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 in the textbook.
Homework Assignment #3 due by Monday, May 4.
Take Exam #3 at TCC Testing Center: Monday, April 27  Monday, May 4.
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Oceanography Homework Assignments
There will be a total of 3 homework assignments. Each homework assignment contains
a list of questions selected from each chapter of the textbook. The List of Questions for
each Homework Assignment follows this brief introduction.
The answers will be in the form of a short essay.
Note: Many of the questions have several items to be answered.
Each question is worth 2 points for a total of 50 points per assignment.
Each extra credit question is also worth 2 points. No penalty for incorrect answer to the
extra credit questions. Correct answers will be added to the homework score.
The homework answers can be submitted to Blackboard – Assignments, to the
Instructor by Email, or handed in at the Testing Center when taking the exam.
Each homework assignment must be submitted by the last exam day scheduled for the
exam to which the homework applies.
Homework 1 – due by Exam 1.
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, and Chapter 12.
Select and answer 25 questions from the Homework 1 – List of Questions. At least 4 questions (total
of 20) must be answered from each chapter. The remaining 5 questions can be from whichever
chapters from the Homework 1 List you desire.
Homework 2 – due by Exam 2.
Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, and Chapter 11.
Select and answer 25 questions from the Homework 2 – List of Questions. At least 3 questions (total
of 21) must be answered from each chapter. The remaining 4 questions can be from whichever
chapters from the Homework 2 List you desire.
Homework 3 – due by Exam 3.
Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, and Chapter 18.
Select and answer 25 questions from the Homework 3 – List of Questions. At least 3 questions (total
of 18) must be answered from each chapter. The remaining 7 questions can be from whichever
chapters from the Homework 3 List you desire.
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Homework 1 – List of Questions.
Chapter 1 – The History of Oceanography.
1. (2) (a) Who first assigned the name “America” to the New World?
(b) For whom was it named?
2. (3) Why was there such great interest in finding and establishing a Northwest Passage?
3. (5) What were Captain James Cook’s contribution to our understanding of the oceans?
4. (6) Why did Benjamin Franklin consider it so important to chart the Gulf Stream?
5. (7) (a) Who was Matthew F. Muary?
(b) Why is he considered to be the founder of oceanography?
6. (8) Why do you think Edward Forbes concluded that there was no life in the oceans below 550 m
(1800 ft)?
7. (10) The Challenger and its expedition are often called unique.
What were the benefits of this expedition to the science of the oceans?
8. (11) What was Fridtjof Nansen trying to prove by freezing the Fram into the polar ice?
Chapter 2 – The Water Planet.
1. (2) Describe the distribution of water and land on Earth?
2. (3) Why does Earth’s average surface temperature differ from the surface temperature of other
planets in the solar system?
3. (4) Why is the twilight period at sunset shorter at low latitudes than it is at high latitudes?
4. (7) Why are the Arctic and Antarctic circles located at 66½°N and 66½°S, respectively?
5. (10) Explain why Earth sustains a wide variety of life forms but the other planets do not.
6. (11) (a) Trace several possible routes for a water molecule moving between a mountain lake and an
ocean. (b) In which reservoir would the molecule spend the greatest amount of time and in
which the least?
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Chapter 3 – Plate Tectonics.
1. (2) Describe the three types of plate boundaries. In the discussion (a) describe a geologic process
that takes place at each type of boundary and (b) describe the direction the plates move at each
boundary.
2. (3) What mechanisms have been proposed to account for plate motion?
3. (8) What had to be learned about Earth before Alfred Wegener’s ideas could be accepted?
4. (9) Why does a newly formed mid-ocean volcanic island gradually subside?
5. (10) Explain the formation and symmetry of the magnetic stripes found on either side of the midocean ridge system.
6. (10) What is the significance of the symmetry of the magnetic stripes found on either side of the
mid-ocean ridge system when this information is correlated with the age of the crust on either
side of the mid-ocean ridge system?
7. (11) (a) Under what conditions will a convergent boundary form a mountain range?
(b) An island arc system?
8. (14) Why do only P-waves pass through Earth’s outer core?
9. (15) (a) What is a terrane?
(b) What role do terranes play in our understanding of today’s continents?
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Chapter 4 – The Sea Floor and Its Sediments.
1. (1) (a) Are calcareous oozes more common in the southern Pacific Ocean or the northern Pacific
Ocean? (b) Why?
2. (2) (a) What is a turbidity current?
(b) Where would you expect a turbidity current to occur?
3. (2) How does the structure of a sediment deposit left by a turbidity current differ from that of a
shallow-water, near-shore sand deposit?
4. (3) List and describe the four basic sediment types classified by source.
5. (6) What processes form submarine canyons?
6. (8) What combination of factors is required to form a coral atoll?
7. (10) Describe several ways in which a continental shelf may be formed.
8. (15) The Grand Banks is an extensive, relatively shallow area southeast of Newfoundland, Canada,
and off the U.S. northeastern coast.
Why are there large boulders scattered across this area so far from shore?
Chapter 12 – Coasts, Beaches, and Estuaries.
1. (3) Fjord coasts and drowned river valleys, or ria coats, are primary coasts.
(a) Explain why their appearances are distinctly different.
(b) Give examples of each.
2. (6) Why does an eroding beach supplied with material from the cliffs of an old glacier deposit
become an armored beach, while an eroding beach supplied by river sediments does not
become armored?
3. (7) How does the profile of a sand beach change during alternating seasonal periods of storm waves
and more gentle small waves?
4. (9) (a) What is causing the apparent rise of sea level around the world?
(b) Is the rise similar in all places?
5. (12) Estuaries are classified by their net circulation and salt distribution in this chapter.
What other features could be used to describe and classify them?
6. (13) Why are estuaries with short flushing times less apt to degrade when used as the receiving
water for urban runoff than estuaries with long flushing times?
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Extra Credit.
1. Chapter 2 (6) Discuss how the hypsographic curve is used to determine the mean depth and sphere
depth of the oceans.
2. Chapter 2 (12) Use an atlas to find the appropriate latitude and longitude for each of the following:
(a) St. John’s, Newfoundland, and London, England
(b) Cape Town, South Africa, and Melbourne, Australia
(c) Anchorage, Alaska, and Moscow, Russia
(d) Strait of Gibraltar, Strait of Magellan, and Straits of Florida
3. Chapter 3 (11) Why do volcanoes associated with subduction zones usually erupt more explosively
than mid-ocean volcanoes associated with hot spots and spreading centers?
4. Chapter 12 (15) To prevent erosion of his beach, your neighbor wants to build a groin.
(a) What effect might the groin have on your neighbor’s beach?
(b) On your beach if you live on the upstream side of the longshore current?
(c) On your beach if you live on the downstream side of the longshore current?
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Homework 2 – List of Questions.
Chapter 5 – The Physical Properties of Water.
1. (4) Compare the heat capacity of the ocean with that of the land and the atmosphere.
2. (4) Compare the climate of the west and east coasts of the United States with that of the central and
mid-western states.
3. (5) How do the properties of the water molecule affect (a) surface tension and (b) the dissolving
ability of water?
4. (7) If there were no scattering and only absorption of light by seawater, (a) what color would the
oceans appear? (b) Why?
5. (11) Explain the effect of increasing and decreasing the salinity, temperature, and pressure on the
density of seawater.
6. (13) (a) Where do icebergs originate?
(b) How are they formed?
7. Explain the differences between sonar and sofar.
8. Why might one expect to find that traces of every known naturally occurring substance are
dissolved in seawater?
Chapter 6 – The Chemistry of Seawater.
1. (3) (a) What is the least expensive method of desalination?
(b) Where is it most likely to be used?
2. (5) (a) List the sources of salt found in seawater.
(b) How is their input regulated?
3. (8) (a) Explain the relationship between carbon dioxide and the pH of the oceans.
(b) Why is the buffering of seawater important?
4. (10) Why does the addition of rain and river water to the oceans not decrease the ocean’s overall
salinity?
5. (12) Explain reverse osmosis and how it produces fresh water from seawater.
6. (14) Why does the concentration of dissolved substances in river water differ from the
concentration of the same substances in seawater?
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Chapter 7 – The Structure and Motion of the Atmosphere.
1. (2) How does the troposphere differ from the stratosphere?
2. (3) (a) What controls the density of air?
(b) Why is moist air less dense than dry air?
3. (4) (a) Why are the carbon dioxide and ozone concentrations of the atmosphere changing?
(b) Why is there concern about these changes?
4. (7) Why are regions of low barometric pressure and rising air noted for their excessive
precipitation?
5. (13) What are the early signs that alert forecasters to the onset of an El Nino event?
6. (15) How do hurricanes produce storm surges?
7. (15) Why is a storm surge more severe along a coast with a wide, shallow continental shelf than
along a coast with a narrow continental shelf?
8. (16) Why do the windward sides of the Hawaiian Islands receive more rain than the leeward sides?
Chapter 8 – Circulation and Ocean Structure.
1. (1) Why does the mixing of two water types at the sea surface result in a mixed water type that
sinks to a deeper depth?
2. (2) What natural processes alter the surface salinity of the oceans?
3 (2) How do the natural processes that alter the surface salinity of the oceans vary with latitude?
4. (5) (a) How do salt fingers form?
(b) How do salt fingers contribute to vertical mixing?
5. (7) If the upper layers of an ocean area are homogeneous in salinity, explain why the thermocline
coincides with the pycnocline.
6. (14) Distinguish between the terms in each pair:
(a) halocline – thermocline
(b) upwelling – downwelling
(c) caballing – freshwater lid
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Chapter 9 – The Surface Currents.
1. (4) Why does a flow of water that is constant in volume transport per time increase its speed when
it passes through a narrow opening?
2. (5) Explain how wind and current directions are specified.
3. (6) (a) What are eddies? (b) How are they formed? (c) Where can they be found?
4. (10) Why is there a net northward flow of surface water across the equator in the Atlantic Ocean but
not in the Pacific Ocean? Hint – see Figure 9.5, page 222.
5. (11) How have tree-ring data helped describe climate and ocean current fluctuations in the North
Pacific?
6. (12) How can the cross section of a current and its average speed be used to calculate the volume of
water transport?
7. (13) Why is there a net flow of surface water from the Pacific through the Indian to the Atlantic
Ocean?
8. (14) If the production of North Atlantic deep water were severely reduced, what changes would you
expect to find in the Gulf Stream flow?
9. (15) How are sound and the Doppler effect used to measure ocean currents?
Chapter 10 – The Waves.
1. (5) If you were sailing at night in the trade-wind belt, how could you use the waves to keep you on
a course of constant direction?
2. (7) What happens to a deep-water progressive wave when it moves into shallow water and up a
sloping beach?
3. (8) Compare a tsunami and a storm surge (see chapter 7).
(a) How are they the same?
(b) How are they different?
4. (9) Distinguish among (a) sea and swell, (b) wave height, wave steepness, and wave amplitude,
(c) plunger and spiller, and (d) node and antinode.
5. (11) How do refraction, reflection, and diffraction affect a wave?
6. (12) How is a standing wave related to a progressive wave?
7. (13) (a) Explain two ways in which wave energy could be harnessed to provide useful power.
(b) What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method?
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Chapter 11 – The Tides.
1. (1) Distinguish between the terms in each pair:
(a) diurnal tide – semidiurnal tide
(b) tidal day – tidal period
(c) spring tide – neap tide
(d) flood tide – ebb tide
2. (3) Why is it more efficient to generate power by means of a tidal dam than to erect water mills in
tidal currents?
3. (5) Explain why it is necessary to have both a large tidal range and a relatively large volume of
water behind a tidal dam to generate electrical power from the rise and fall of the tides.
4. (7) Explain why a tide is a wave.
5. (10) How do progressive tides and standing wave tides differ?
6. (11) How is a tidal bore produced?
7. (14) Why must the tides be measured for approximately nineteen years at a location before the data
can be used in tide forecasting?
Extra Credit.
1. Chapter 5 (3) What would happen to the sea level if all the sea ice melted?
Assume that the ocean area does not change and that ocean temperature stays the same.
2. Chapter 7 (8) (a) A frictionless projectile is fired from the North Pole and is aimed along the prime
meridian. It takes three hours to reach its landing point, halfway to the equator. Where does it land?
(Give latitude and longitude.) (b) If the same projectile is fired from the South Pole under the same
circumstances, where does it land (Give latitude and longitude.)
3. Chapter 10 (2) Locate a small pond or pool and drop a stone into it. Describe what happens (a) to an
individual wave and (b) to the group of waves.
4. Chapter 10 (2) Drop two stones into the pond at a short distance from each other. (a) Describe what
happens when the wave rings produced by the two stones pass through each other. (b) Do the
heights of the waves change when they intersect? (c) Do the wave trains pass through each other
and continue on?
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Homework 3 – List of Questions
Chapter 13 – Environmental Issues and Concerns.
1. (2) Nutrient concentrations in coastal waters are increasing.
(a) Why?
(b) What is the result?
2. (3) Why is toxicant concentration in sediments higher than toxicant concentrations in the overlying
water?
3. (4) Why are plastics such a problem in marine waters?
4. (7) What happens to oil when it has been spilled at sea?
5. (7) What happens to oil when it has been spilled into coastal waters?
6. (8) (a) Why are marine wetlands ecologically valuable?
(b) Why are marine wetlands decreasing in all ocean shore areas?
7. (9) Explain the consequences of ballast water transport of marine organisms.
8. (11) What is incidental catch, or by-catch, and what is its effect on ocean fisheries?
9. (13) How could the incidental catch, or by-catch, of the world’s fisheries be used effectively?
Chapter 14 – The Living Ocean.
1. (6) What does it mean that autotrophs are at the base of the food web?
2. (7) Describe why small organisms are strongly influenced by viscosity and large organisms are
more strongly influenced by inertia.
3. (8) (a) Describe what respiration means. (b) Which organisms respire?
4. (10) Describe how a fish and a sea cucumber control their internal salt concentration.
5. (11) (a) How are commensalism and mutualism the same? (b) How are they different?
6. (15) In what ways does upwelling contribute to increasing the numbers of organism in surface
waters?
7. (16) Describe at least three reasons why a marine organism might produce light.
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Chapter 15 – Production and Life.
1. (2) Distinguish between the terms in each pair:
(a) standing crop – biomass
(b) photosynthesis – respiration
(c) autotroph – heterotroph
(d) producer – consumer
(e) net productivity – gross productivity
2. (5) Which areas of the ocean are most productive and why?
3. (6) Explain what is different between the flow of carbon through phytoplankton biomass in the
ocean and the flow of carbon through plant biomass on land.
4. (10) List three characteristics of an open-ocean food web.
5. (10) List three characteristics of a coastal food web.
6. (11) Explain why the biological pump is less efficient in the open ocean than in coastal or
upwelling regions.
7. (13) Explain three ways to determine rates of primary production.
8. (15) Explain why iron fertilization has been suggested as a means of reducing atmospheric levels of
carbon dioxide.
Chapter 16 – The Plankton: Drifters of the Sea.
1. (2) Why are meroplankton produced in such large numbers?
2. (6) Describe four ways to subdivide the plankton.
3. (9) Why is a planktonic stage (meroplankton) important to a nonplanktonic adult?
4. (12) Distinguish between diatoms and dinoflagellates.
5. (12) Distinguish between euphausiids and copepods.
6. (13) (a) What is the microbial loop, and (b) why is it important?
7. (14) Episodes of toxic phytoplankton blooms appear to be increasing along the world’s coasts.
List possible reasons for this increase.
8. (14) Distinguish among PSP, NSP, ASP, and ciguatera.
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Chapter 17 – The Nekton: Free Swimmers of the Sea.
1. (2) What sensory abilities help a shark to find its prey?
2. (3) In the last fifty years, the world’s marine fish catch has grown from 40 million metric tons to
more than 80 million metric tons. During this period, the catch from many large fisheries has
declined. How do you explain this contradictory situation?
3. (5) What uses do marine mammals make of sound?
4. (6) Why has the sea otter population diminished in the area of the Aleutian Islands over the last five
years?
5. (7) How can the ability to predict El Nino help manage the Peruvian anchovy fishery?
6. (11) Explain the status of sea turtle populations at the present time.
7. (14) Compare fish farming in the United States with fish farming in other countries.
8. (15) (a) What characteristics do deep-sea fish have in common?
(b) How do these characteristics enhance fish survival in this environment?
Chapter 18 – The Benthos: Dwellers of the Sea Floor.
1. (1) Explain the relationship among sulfides, bacteria, tube worms, and clams in a hydrothermal vent
environment.
2. (2) In what ways are the benthic algae (seaweeds) adapted for life in the littoral and sublittoral?
Consider their structure, pigments, and life requirements.
3. (4) Discuss the food-gathering strategies of the motile starfish.
4. (4) Discuss the food-gathering strategies of the sessile goose-neck barnacle.
5. (9) Discuss the importance of bacteria to benthic organisms.
6. (11) How are coral reefs able to support a rich and varied population when the water surrounding
the reef is clear and devoid of planktonic primary producers?
7. (12) (a) What is coral bleaching. (b) Why does it happen? (c) What is its result?
8. (13) Compare the organisms found growing around deep-ocean hot-water vents and the organisms
found around gas and oil seeps.
9. (15) Compare photosynthesis and chemosynthesis; how are they similar and how are they different?
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Extra Credit.
1. Chapter 13 (6) Compare the oil spills from the 1991 Gulf War and the Exxon Valdez. Consider the
(a) geography and climate of each area, (b) the dispersal of the oil, (c) the effect of the oil on the
beaches and the organisms, (d) the effect on people who gain their living from the sea, and (c) the
effectiveness of the cleanup.
2. Chapter 16 (15) Toxic materials, such as oil, may form a thin layer at the sea surface where may
plankton also accumulate. How might this affect populations of the nekton and the benthos?
3. Chapter 17 (8) (a) Why are more toothed whales found at low latitudes and (b) why do more baleen
whales reside in temperate and polar latitudes? Consider food requirements only.
4. Chapter 18 (6) Design an original organism to inhabit the supralittoral, the littoral, or the sublittoral
zone. Consider its requirements for food, shelter, and protection from predators, its adaptations to
its environment, and its life history.
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