What is a Coastline

What is a coastline? The boundary between the shore and the coast. What does the longshore transport move? Sand. What type of beach has a lot of backwash? Rocky beach with lots of wave activity. What type of beach is Ala Moana Beach? Depositional Beach. What is one characteristic of an erosional shore? Cove, sea arch, headland, sea cave, blowhole, sea cliffs. How are deltas formed? Settling of suspended sediment from the river. What beach component feeds beaches? River. How can an ice age change the sea level? Fresh water will be trapped in ice decreasing the sea level. What can a jetty do? Protects the entrance of a harbor from deposition. What is beach replenishment? Sand is brought in to rebuild a beach that has been eroding. What is a fjord? An estuary built by glacier movement. What is marine pollution? Objects that cause harm to the environment. What is bioremediation? The use of microbes to help clean up marine pollution like oil spills. How can DDT affect the environment? DDT will cause bird’s egg shells to weaken and be destroyed. What causes Minamata Disease? Mercury. How can plastics be harmful to the environment? It can harm the organisms, can pollute the ocean. What is the EEZ? 200 nautical mile jurisdiction off of a coastline. What part of the climate system have we been studying in class this semester? Hydrosphere. What type of feedback loop is albedo? Negative feedback loop. What is one type of natural source for climate change? Changes in Earth’s orbit, volcanic eruptions, tectonic plates, and solar radiation. What type of feedback loop is global warming? Positive feedback loop. What type of feedback loop is global warming? An increase in CO 2 in the atmosphere. What produces methane? Cows, landfills, agriculture. How does melting of the polar ice affect ocean temperatures? Causes a positive feedback loop of warming in the ocean. How will dissolved oxygen in the ocean change with global warming? Ocean water becomes warmer and holds less oxygen. How will corals fare in climate change? Ocean becomes more acidic and corals have a harder time creating their calcium carbonate skeleton. Emergent Coast:Shoreline rising relative to sea level.Features-Marine terraces,Ancient sea cliffs,Wave cut platforms,Sea cliffs. Submergent Coast: Shoreline shrinking below current sea level.Features-Drowned beaches,Submerged dunes,Drowned river valleys. Eustatic change in sea level: Variations in sea level that can be measured all over the world ocean. (volume of water stored in glacial ice) Main contributors in eustatic change in sea level are thermal expansion, thermal contraction, and the tectonic shape of ocean basin. Changes in local sea level:Techtonic motions and isostatic adjustment can change the height and shape of coast. Longshore current/ Longshore transport:1) Current that flows parallel to the shore within the zone of breaking waves: it is generated by the oblique approach of waves. 2) Wind and currents, seiches, storm surges, an el Nino or la Nina event, and other effects of water in motion can force water against the shore or draw it away. Rip currents: powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water that are prevalent along the East, Gulf, and West coasts of the U.S., as well as along the shores of the Great Lakes. 1) The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends 200 nautical miles from the coast 2) pollutants in the marine environment? Heavy metals such as mercury and silver, sewage sludge, nutrient runoff, and hydro carbons. 3) The toxicity of marine pollutants is evaluated through bioassays by calculating the concentration at which 50% of the test organisms die 4) The two most significant human sources of oil pollution in the marine environment are blow out accidents and urban run-off. 5) The most biologically devastating oil spills in the marine environment are usually a result of blow out accidents on drilling platforms. 6) Bioremediation has been particularly effective in marine ecosystems in the clean-up of hydrocarbons. 7) Secondary sewage treatment is distinguished form primary sewage treatment by the chlorination of the liquid effluent. 8) Characterizes the pesticide DDT and industrial chemicals such as PCBs? A) Persistence in the environment B) Propensity to accumulate in food chains C) Biologically active D) Relatively high toxicity 9) Minamata disease is associated with ingestion of methyl mercury-contaminated fish and shellfish 13) Up until 1993 New York City dumped which of the following into the coastal ocean? Sewage sludge 14) Which of the following causes Minamata disease, a degenerative neurological disorder that causes blindness, brain damage, birth defects, paralysis, and death? Methyl mercury 15) Which of the following is considered point source pollution? Municipal sewage sludge 16) Some plastics accumulate poisons such as DDT and PCBs to levels as high as one million times their concentrations in seawater. 17) More than 7,000 non-native species have been introduced in the United States. 27) Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: Invasive species can wreak ecological havoc by outcompeting and dominating native populations BECAUSE they lack predators or other natural controls in their new habitats. The assertion and the reason are both correct, and the reason is valid. 28) Legal scholars from which of the following nations were important, early on, in formulating international laws of the sea and the territorial limit? Holland 29) The one-league territorial limit from shore that each country maintains was based on which of the following? The range of a cannon ball 30) The Law of the Sea treaty established a uniform territorial sea of three nautical miles. 31) The Law of the Sea treaty established a exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles from all land within a nation, including islands. 35) Scientists typical do not use a specific environmental bioassay to draw general conclusions about a pollutant because they may result in data that isn't applicable to other species 36) Petroleum in the ocean is not considered a pollutant when natural seepage is responsible 37) The 1989 oil spill that harmed Prince William Sound in Alaska was due to an oil tanker ran aground 38) Oil from the Exxon Valdez supertanker that polluted Prince William Sound in 1989 originated from which of the following? North Slope of Alaska 39) The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill was estimated to have killed at least 1,000 sea otters. 40) Which of the following is considered the world's largest oil spill? Intentional dumping by the Iraqi army in 1991. 41) Which of the following is considered the world's largest accidental oil spill? Explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil-drilling platform in 2010. 42) After the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil-drilling platform in 2010, Scientists estimate that BP removed about 25% of the oil, most of it recovered directly from the well, burned at sea, or skimmed by boats. 43) After the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil-drilling platform in 2010, Scientists estimate that about 25% of the oil evaporated or dissolved into scattered molecules. 44) After the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil-drilling platform in 2010, Scientists estimate that about 25% of the oil either was naturally dispersed in the water as small droplets or was chemically dispersed. 45) After the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil-drilling platform in 2010, Scientists estimate that about 25% of the oil hasn't been fully accounted for. 46) Which of the following has been proposed by scientists for the fate of the missing residual oil due to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil-drilling platform in 2010? It sunk to the sea floor. The assertion and the reason are both correct, but the reason is invalid. 48) Scientific studies have shown that fish exposed to PAHs in crude oil exhibited changes in gene expression that are linked to developmental abnormalities, decreased embryo survival, and lower reproductive success. 49) What percentage of oil that enters the oceans worldwide is caused by underwater natural oil seeps? 47% 50) About what percentage of all the oil that enters the oceans, worldwide, is due to human consumption? 53% 51) Dumping of sewage sludge at which of the following sites was terminated in 1993 due to reports of adverse effects on fisheries and concerns that sewage could be transported great distances in eddies of the Gulf Stream? New York Bight alternative sludge site 52) Which of the following caused devastating effects on the marine food chain and was banned in the United States in 1972? DDT 53) Which of the following has been shown to cause liver cancer and harmful genetic mutations in animals? PCBs 54) Which of the following has been indicated as a cause of spontaneous abortions in sea lions and the death of shrimp in Escambia Bay, Florida? PCBs 55) Which of the following best describes how DDT use lead to a serious decline in the brown pelican population of Anacapa Island, California during the 1960's? Adult pelicans could not produce normal thickness eggs due to DDT in their food supply. 56) Which of the following best describes how DDT use lead to a serious decline in the osprey population of Long Island Sound during the late 1950's and 1960's? Adult ospreys could not produce normal thickness eggs due to DDT in their food supply. 57) Research on DDT concentration in coastal waters has documented that they are 10 times compared to open-ocean concentrations. 58) Research on PCBs concentration in coastal waters has documented that they are 12 times more compared to open-ocean concentrations. 59) Which of the following is the biggest single source of mercury in the ocean? Burning of coal 60) Which of the following resulted in mercury contamination and over 1780 deaths due to Minamata disease in Japan? Producing acetaldehyde 61) Why do many health organizations call for local exceptions to the ban on DDT? Outbreaks of malaria have dramatically increased 65) Which of the following chemical pollutants can cause harmful algal blooms? Fertilizer 66) The U.S. National Academy of Sciences estimates that 13 billion pounds of litter enters the world's oceans each year. 67) Which of the following types of trash, found in the ocean, typically accumulates at the surface because it doesn't readily sink or biodegrade? Plastic 68) Which of the following kinds of ocean pollution is an example of point source pollution? Cooling water from a shoreline power plant 69) Which of the following properties makes plastic an increasingly abundant component of oceanic flotsam and very damaging to the marine environment? They are durable causing them to last almost indefinitely. 70) Research studies of trash on beaches has identified pieces of which of the following types of debris as the most numerous? Cigarette filters 71) Researchers estimate that the Pacific Ocean contains at least 46 million pounds of floating microplastic pieces (microbeads) that originate from hand cleaners, exfoliating facial scrubs, and toothpaste, that are known to transport pollutants and be eaten by fish. 72) Researchers reported in 2014 that more than 5.25 trillion plastic pieces are now floating in the ocean. 73) The reported amount of plastic pollution entering the oceans each year is less than 1% of the annual global production of plastic. 74) What is the fate of the largest proportion of plastic pollution that enters the oceans each year? Remains floating at sea 75) Where are the large floating regions of trash in all oceans of the world where plastics outnumber marine organisms several times over located? In subtropical gyres 77) Marketing of which of the following non-native marine species by the aquarium industry is causing problems worldwide? Seaweed Caulerpa taxifolia 78) The introduction of which of the following non-native species altered the ecology of freshwater lakes and blocked the water-carrying pipes of power plants? European zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha 79) The introduction of which of the following non-native species has done extensive damage to the Black Seas's fishing and tourist industries? Atlantic comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi 80) In the United States alone, more than 7000 introduced species (not counting microorganisms) have been documented, of which about 15% cause ecological and economic damage. Chapter 16 • Humans are adding greenhouse gases to Earth’s atmosphere. • Climate change will cause many severe problems in the ocean environment. • It is necessary to reduce and mitigate the effects of these changes. • Climate – long-term atmospheric conditions in a region • Earth’s climate includes interactions of: – Atmosphere – Hydrosphere – Geosphere – Biosphere – Cryosphere Climate system –exchanges of energy and moisture between these spheres • Feedback loops –modify atmospheric processes – Positive feedback loops enhance initial change – Negative feedback loops counteract initial change Determining Causes of Earth’s Climate Change • Paleoclimatology • Proxy data – indirect evidence using natural recorders of climate variability – Sea floor sediments – Coral deposits – Glacial ice rings – Tree rings – Pollen – Historical documents Natural Causes of Climate Change • Solar energy changes – Variable energy from the Sun over time – Luminosity – Sunspots – cooler, episodic dark areas on Sun – Faculae – bright spots on Sun Lack of correlation between solar activity and average Earth temperature. • Variations in Earth’s Orbit • Milankovitch Theories – Eccentricity of Earth’s orbit – Obliquity of Earth’s axis – Precession of Earth’s axis • Volcanic eruptions • Volcanic ejecta may block sunlight • Need many eruptions in short time period • Not observed in recent history • Movement of Earth’s Plates – Change ocean circulation – Extremely slow process – Climate change would be very gradual over millions of years • Linked to Pleistocene Ice Age, Little Ice Age, Medieval Warm Period • Recent change unprecedented – More likely result of human activity than natural causes • Global warming –increase in Earth’s global temperatures • Greenhouse effect –keeps Earth’s surface habitable – Incoming heat energy is shorter wavelengths – Longer wavelengths –some trapped, some escape, net warming effect • Heat Budget – addition to or subtraction from heat on Earth • Incoming radiation from Sun–shorter wavelengths • Outgoing radiation from Earth–longer wavelengths • Rates of energy absorption and reradiation must be equal Greenhouse Gases • Water vapor – Most important – 66–85% of greenhouse effect • Carbon dioxide – Natural part of atmosphere – Greatest relative contribution from human activities – Burning of fossil fuels • Methane – Second most abundant human-caused greenhouse gas – Great warming power per molecule – Landfill decomposition – Cattle • Other trace gases – Nitrous oxide, CFCs, ozone Climate Changes Ocean acidity increase • Some atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolves in ocean water. – Acidifies ocean • Threatens calcifying organisms – Coccolithophores – Foraminifers – Sea urchins – Corals • Rising Sea Level –already occurring • Main contributors: – Melting of Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets – Thermal expansion of ocean surface waters – Melting of land glaciers and ice caps – Thermal expansion of deep-ocean waters • Severely affect areas with gently sloping coastlines – U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts • Models predict rise between 0.5 and 1.4 meters (1.6 and 4.6 feet) by year 2100 Other predicted changes: • Sound transmission in ocean • Reduced dissolved oxygen – marine dead zones • Change in ocean productivity • Marine organisms unable to adapt to temperature changes Reducing Greenhouse Effects • Human emissions contributing excessive CO2 • Global engineering – attempts to counteract human-caused climate change – Reducing sunlight reaching earth – Removing human-caused greenhouse gases Ocean’s Role: • Ocean’s biological pump – “Sink” for carbon dioxide – Pumps from surface to deep waters • Ocean as thermal sponge – Unique thermal properties of water – Oceans absorb much heat without changing temperature – Oceans still warming Possibilities: • Iron hypothesis – Fertilize ocean to increase productivity – Increase phytoplankton, increase carbon dioxide removal from atmosphere • Sequestering excess carbon dioxide in oceans  Energy from the sun drives the earth’s weather and climate, and heats the earth’s surface; in turn, the earth radiates energy back into space. Atmospheric greenhouse gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases) trap some of the outgoing energy, retaining heat somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse. Without this natural “greenhouse effect,” temperatures would be much lower than they are now, and life as known today would not be possible. Instead, thanks to greenhouse gases, the earth’s average temperature is a more hospitable 60°F. However, problems may arise when the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases increases.