Oceans and Plastics Assignment (1) (2) (1)

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University of Arkansas *

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1133

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Geography

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Dec 6, 2023

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docx

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LAB 4: OCEANS AND PLASTIC 100 points Due at the beginning of lab next week. LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of this lab, you will be able to 1. Explain where the ocean’s water and salt come from. 2. Explain how sea level varies over geologic time. 3. Define ocean currents and factors that influence them. 4. Identify human-caused issues impacting the ocean. INTRODUCTION Oceans are an important part of Earth and necessary for humanity to exist. The ocean is important because it produces over half of the world’s oxygen, absorbs 50 times more CO 2 than the atmosphere, transports heat from the equator to the poles, and it regulates climate and weather patterns ( NOAA ). The ocean is a dynamic environment in constant motion and full of life. Ocean waters flow over vast distances in currents, and the surface elevation changes due to tides and the development of waves. Despite constant motion, ocean waters are nonhomogeneous because salt content and temperature vary regionally and with depth. Ocean pollution is a complex mixture of chemicals and trash. More than 80% of pollution comes from land-based sources and it reaches the ocean through rivers, runoff, atmospheric deposition, and direct dumping. Ocean pollution is heaviest near the coast and highly concentrated along coastlines of low-income and middle-income countries. Ocean pollution can also be found in the deepest oceanic trenches and along the shores of remote islands ( National Geographic ). Chemical pollution is a concern for health, environmental, and economic reasons. It is often related to human activities such as fertilizer use on farms, which will runoff into local waterways and eventually end up in the ocean. Increased concentrations of chemicals have negative effects on wildlife and human health ( National Geographic ). Trash encompasses all manufactured products created by humans that end up in the ocean. Trash poses dangers to both humans and animals. Sea animals can become tangled and injured in debris. Small organisms feed on bits of broken-down plastic and absorb the chemicals into their bodies. The smaller organisms are eaten by larger and larger animals; thus, these chemicals migrate through the food chain and can be consumed by humans ( EHS ). 1 1
Solutions for ocean pollution include prevention and cleanup ( NOAA ). Disposable and single-use plastic is commonly used in society, so changing society’s approach to plastic use will take a long time and be an economically challenging process. Cleanup is possible to a degree; however, it will take an even longer amount of time. Some debris do not float and are lost deep in the ocean. Plastics that do float collect in large patches in ocean gyres. The “Pacific Garbage Patch” is one example of a collection of plastics floating at the surface between California and Hawaii ( National Geographic ). Figure from NOAA . 1 2
LAB 4: OCEANS AND VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP Name: _____________________________ Section: _____________________________ This lab has two parts: 1) a virtual group field trip and 2) an exploration of ocean properties. For the overview, use the Marshak and Rauber textbook and the suggested websites to answer the lab questions. For the virtual field trip we will be visiting Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary in California. We will be investigating the geological and coastal properties of this region as well as examining some of the environmental issues of the area and the means of mitigating them. At the end of the trip, you will take what you have learned and write a short summary focusing on a human-induced ocean issue and finding solutions to remedy it. [100 pts]. Oceans and Plastic Pollution StoryMap Presentation Part I: Virtual Field Trip (together as a class) Go to Google Earth , and search for “Monterey Bay” 1. Where is the bay? [4 pts] __________California____________________________________ 2. What ocean is the bay in? [4 pts] _______Pacific___________________________________________ Monterey Bay is a marine sanctuary. Visit this website and answer the following questions. (https://montereybay.noaa.gov/intro/welcome.html) 3. Describe four physical characteristics of the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary. (size, shoreline, depth, etc.) [4 pts] shoreline length 276 miles which is about one quarter of California’s coast and 6,094 square statute miles of ocean one of the largest marine wildlife sanctuaries and bigger than yellowstone Deepest Point: 12,743 feet or 3,884 meters in Davidson Seamount Management Zone Average Ocean Surface Temperature: 55F (13C) 1 3
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