strandinterrelationshipsinearthspacesystems.docVIP

The concepts developed in this standard include the following: ??Oceans cover about 70% of the surface of the Earth. ??Important features of the ocean floor near the continents are the continental shelf, the continental slope, and the continental rise. These areas are covered with thick layers of sediments (sand, mud, rocks). ??The depth of the ocean varies. Ocean trenches are very deep, and the continental shelf is relatively shallow. ??Ocean water is a complex mixture of gases (air) and dissolved solids (salts, especially sodium chloride). Marine organisms are dependent on dissolved gases for survival. The salinity of ocean water varies in some places depending on rates of evaporation and runoff from nearby land. ??The basic motions of ocean water are the waves, ocean currents, and tides. ??Ocean currents, including the Gulf Stream, are caused by wind patterns and the differences in water densities (due to salinity and temperature differences). Ocean currents affect the mixing of ocean waters. This can affect plant and animal populations. Currents also affect navigation routes. ??As the depth of ocean water increases, the temperature decreases, the pressure increases, and the amount of light decreases. These factors influence the type of life forms that are present at a given depth. ??Plant-like plankton (phytoplankton) produce much of the Earth’s oxygen and serve as the base of the ocean ecosystem. Plankton flourish in areas where nutrient rich water upwells from the deep. Phytoplankton are eaten by animal-like plankton, swimming organisms, and those things that live on the ocean bottom. ??Humans impact the ocean environment through their everyday activities. Responsible public policy decisions are part of maintaining a healthy ocean environment. These decisions include improved monitoring of marine populations, placing bans on hunting or harming certain marine mammals, placing limits on catches of stressed populations, and greater emph