Dr. Roark’s talk, Deep-Sea Coral Perspectives on Ocean Circulation and Mississippi River Drainage Basin Changes, discusses the correlation between agro-industrialization and land-use changes and how these factors influence ocean biogeochemical cycles. He uses multiple elements, but mainly radiocarbon and Rhenium accumulation in deep-sea black corals to determine ocean circulation. The black corals retain these elements because the feeding matter they take in is exported organic matter from the surface ocean. He ends his lecture by suggesting future studies such as recovery rates of deep-sea corals after the impacts of fishing.
Radiocarbons are created in the atmosphere by high energy cosmic rays that are constantly bombarding the
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Rivers then transported soluble ReO4 into the ocean. Algae uptake the Re and upon death the algae sinks to the bottom where the Re is taken in by the black corals. The half life can then be used to determine ocean circulation much like the radiocarbons.
The lecture given by Dr. Roark has tied together multiple topics that we’ve discussed in class this semester. The biggest correlation I made from his lecture was the introduction of Re into the ocean from the Mississippi River. Rivers are one of the biggest sources of detritus and they bring in a lot of nutrients from decaying organic materials that enter the river. Dr. Roark said he was surprised to see Re in the coral samples, but it makes since if coal mines were located close to the banks of rivers. Much like the corals that are taking in this rare transition metal, organisms such as oysters can also be taking in elements such as radiocarbons and Re. Pollution in the ocean is a huge problem and it has occurred in many topics we’ve discussed.
Dr. Roark mentioned POM’s (pieces of organic material) several times and how these elements are being taken in by organisms at the bottom of the food chain. This relates to the diagram of Mr. Cat that we discussed in class and how a 10 pound cat would have to eat 100 pounds of tuna and the tuna would have to eat 1,000 pounds of mackerel and so on. Much like the example with DDT, these toxic elements are being introduced to
Rain washes the pesticides that are used in our Australians households and then become run-off in drains and sewers. They then make their way into nearby water bodies, wether that be creeks, rivers or even oceans and settle within the soil by sticking to small particles, including tiny living organisms like phytoplankton (M. Barwick, 2003, pp. 471-502). Small fish consume these tiny organisms, which may then be eaten by a larger organism and this continues until the top order consumer is reached. The concentration that first began in the phytoplankton and has multiplied sufficiently as it moves along the food chain. The amount of the pesticide has reached a highly toxic level in the top order predator, whether that is birds or even humans. As a result of the biomagnification of pesticides and other chemical the marine environment and the organisms that live within it are heavily affected. The build up of heavy metals, for example, it interferes with the formation of red blood cells, creates liver and kidney implications and forms reproductive defects in many organisms. This hinders an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce and can create a decline in species
The ocean is two-thirds of our planet a vast blue landscape home to many biomes which according to Boyce Thorne-Miller “(ecosystem types) corresponding to sets of environmental conditions that vary with depth, latitude, and longitude” (16). However, the ocean and its biomes is under attack from the changing environment. We can see this through coral reef biomes as they make their home near the shores. Through coral reefs we can view the effects that these changes have on the ocean through how the coral reef biome is affected. Humans are a danger to the coral reefs and the wildlife that resides in the biome. The pollution being released into the environment is poisoning the coral and causes death and malformation to the wildlife. The ocean is changing due to global warming which is causing a change in the temperature and rising water levels leading to a change in the stabile areas coral can survive. The increasing acidification of the ocean is causing the coral reefs to die. I will be looking at the effects these issues cause to coral reefs biomes and the ocean to see the similarities in how they affect both.
Encyclopaedia Britannica also states that it is “proved to be a versatile technique of dating fossils and archaeological specimens from 500 to 50,000 years old” (1998). This method of age determination is dependent upon the decay of nitrogen and radiocarbon (Carbon-14) (Encyclopaediea Britannica, 1998; Opinions of Radiocarbon Dating, 2011). Carbon-14 is continually formed in nature by the interaction of neutrons with nitrogen-14 in the Earth’s atmosphere (Encyclopaediea Britannica, 1998; Opinions of Radiocarbon Dating, 2011) and all living things exchange the gas carbon-14 with the atmosphere surrounding them. The amount of carbon-14 exchanged into the living organism is perfectly balanced with its surroundings, but when an organism dies, they stop taking in the gas and that equilibrium is damaged. Because Carbon-14 slowly decays at a known rate called its “half-life” in a dead organism, scientists can figure out how long ago it had stopped exchanging carbon with its atmosphere. Thus, its age can be determined by measuring the amount of Carbon-14 in a sample (Hirst, 2017; Opinions of Radiocarbon Dating, 2017; Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit Research Laboratory for Archaeology, n.d.; Earthsky, 2017; Cram, 1993). With the utilisation of Radiocarbon Dating, scientists have been able to discover that Lindow
The oceans need to be protected because it is where life began and if not taken care of, life as we know it will end. The well-being of the ocean is constantly being threatened and needs to stop. When dangerous substances go into the ocean, ecosystems suffer and become endangered along with the lives of people and marine life. The importance of protecting and preserving the quality and biodiversity of the world 's coasts must be recognized because they are truly irreplaceable. If humans are not educated , and become careless about what is thrown on the ground or sprayed on lawns, disastrous effects follow when it comes to the condition of the ocean’s ecosystems, which can endanger life itself, leading to a problem only we can correct. There is historical evidence of ocean pollution, although the problem still shadows us today.
Consisting of less than 1% of the world oceans, the coral reefs are ancient animals comprising of thin calcium carbonate deposits within the photic layer. Aside from its biologically diverse ecosystems, coral reefs are major source of food for millions and provides habitats and nursery areas for many marine organisms. Coral reefs also act as a physical buffer to protect the coastlines from tropical storms and erosion. In addition, many local communities rely on coral reefs to generate an income through activities such as fishing and diving. However, 75% of the coral reefs are under threat from induced impacts of humans and climate change (Burke, et al., 2011). This essay looks at the human impacts constantly being inflicted on coral reefs.
Ocean pollution is such a broad topic, and one that has many facets to it. As a group, we found it to be a very intriguing topic that it relevant to our everyday lives. As New Jersey residents, we have all spent time at the Jersey shore. We have all enjoyed the small and big beach towns, the sand, and of course
This is an explanatory synthesis on the impacts of climate change on coral reefs. Climate change is affecting coral reefs in a negative way. Due to the increase of sea temperatures, coral reefs are becoming bleached. When a coral reef becomes it causes them to expel the algae, leaving the corals white1,2,3,4. In the essay, “A framework for understanding Climate Change Impacts on Coral Reefs” by Joshua Clinner (2016), he addresses that when coral reefs become bleached they have reduced growth rates. The article, “Five Species We Stand to Lose if Coral Reefs are Destroyed and What You Can Do About it” by Jenna Bardroof (2014), emphasizes that coral bleaching is a serious threat to coral colonies and specific mammals
Chapter Five examines glaciation and the extinction of graptolites and other clades. The decrease in sea level as a result of dropping carbon dioxide levels caused a huge change in the chemistry of the ocean. Human activity is a contributor in this, through the damming of major rivers, the use of accessible freshwater run-off, the removal of primary producers from oceans, deforestation, and fossil fuels.
These increasing ocean temperatures, which result in global warming, are mostly due to the amount of CO2 released in the air, therefore threatening the existence of the coral reef systems (Cole, Pratchett and Jones). The reduction of the coral reef ecosystems are attributed to the climate induced bleaching from the past decade. The loss of coral reef environments has direct affects to the habitat of an organism within the reefs (Cole, Pratchett and Jones), leading to a decrease in biodiversity (Coker, Pratchett and Munday).
Coral reef ecosystems around the globe are threatened by human interferences and climate change. This has led to many scientists conducting studies on global coral reef ecosystems to gain a better understanding of the cause and effects of coral reef damage. In both Hodgson’s (1999) and Carpenter et al.’s (2008) studies, they are aware of the continuous degradation of global coral reef ecosystems. Hodgson's study involved conducting a survey on global coral reef ecosystems to see whether human actions were affecting the health of supposed pristine Coral reefs. Carpenter et al. incorporated Hodgson’s study into a compiled study about the possible extinction of reef building corals due to climate change and anthropogenic effects. Carpenter’s
The maps showd the village of stokeford in 1930 and 2010. It can be seen that comparison of houses and farmland changes between 1930 and 2010. There were several farmland in 1930, it near to river stoke, post office, primary school and bridge. In 2010 numbwr of houses growing so high, there were many facilities in 1930 replace with houses, such as: shops, farmland, and gardens. Beside that 3 facilities, there is added of new road. And in 1930 there is large house replace to retirement
Ocean pollution is one of the most urgent issues in our world today. The ocean is crucial to our ecosystem and it is being severely damaged at an alarmingly increasing rate. In this paper I will educate about the role the ocean plays in our beautiful Earth, why it is being so widely ignored and dismissed, the causes of pollution, and its effects on animals and humans alike.
Libby developed the method of radiocarbon dating though his observation of how cosmic rays create radiocarbon. From outer space cosmic rays infiltrate earth’s atmosphere. In the upper atmosphere, these rays hit nitrogen and oxygen atoms in the air. (Renfrew, 1973). When the neutrons of these high–energy particles (mostly protons) hit nitrogen atoms, Carbon 14 (C-14) is created. The nitrogen atom (atomic number 7) has an atomic mass of 14 (with 7 protons and 7 neutrons). When the nucleus of the nitrogen is hit by the cosmic ray’s neutrons, the atomic number of the atom decreases by one. The make-up of its atomic mass changes, a proton is emitted and the neutrons are increased by one; therefore, the atomic mass number stays the same. Because the atomic number has changed, a new element, carbon 14, with atomic number 6, has an atomic mass of 14 (with 6 protons and 8 neutrons). (Bowman, 1990) The reaction is 14N + n = 14c + p (where n is a
Surprisingly, the clay held almost 30 times more iridium than the limestone layers above and below the clay. Similar layers in other parts of the world gave the same results. The conclusion was that a giant meteorite hit the Earth 65 million years ago and had released a large
As the world develops and the human population grows there is more pollution being dumped into the oceans, causing major problems to marine life and ecosystems. Major causes of marine pollution involve non-point pollutants, marine garbage, toxic ocean pollutants and sewage disposal in oceans. From heavy metal poisoning including lead and mercury killing predators such as sharks and whales, to waste getting trapped in the digestive tracts of marine animals, this essay focuses on how human interference causes horrifying problems to the marine life, but also how to fix it. It will also explore the normal activities of people including farming and how this can cause an imbalance in an ecosystem. Everyday activities can cause massive nutrient