History of the oceans

Aydan Foster
Marine Bioligy

Did you know the earth didn’t always have water? It spent about 1000 years with out water. The earth got its water after the hadean era when a bunch of gases formed into rain clouds.

The hadean era was the time before life on earth. It was just fire and lava every where. It was to hot on the earth to have any life whatsoever. It was hot because the earth was a meteor that got trapped in the sun’s gravitational pull. Even though the earth stopped moving it didn’t cool down. It ended about 1000 years latter and rained for 400 years.
I have a theory that Venus is going to move away from the sun and restart the earth’s evolution on Venus.

After the hadean era came the continent known as Pangaea.

Pangaea happened after it rained for 4 centuries. Pangaea was when all the continents were connected in one big continent. It was in the shape of a C. the pool of water inside the C was known as the Tethys sea. The breakup of Pangaea started in the early Jurassic era when a riff current that connected the Tethys Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. At the end of the breakup, the Atlantic Ocean was created. The breakup started in the separation of North America and Africa and ended with Africa and Eurasia almost connecting together.

The oceans are always changing. They’ve been changing since the beginning of them and they’re still changing. For example California is sinking. And so is London. But not only are the oceans are changing but so are the continents because of the plate tectonics. With out the ocean the plate tectonics would just make earthquakes and volcanoes.

I got my information from wikipedia.org, the book of the seven seas and a book called the Mediterranean

Oceanography By Andrew Rosenberger and Seth Johnson

Maps have been around for several thousand years since 6,200 B.C. Maps have often helped sailors navigate across the oceans. The history of maps has expanded for thousands of years.

How maps have changed over time:
The shapes of maps have changed over time for example: The heart shaped world maps of Apian 1530, the oval shape world map of Rosellie 1508 actually shows the full world and the eye shaped Genoese nautical chart of the world. In our century we use oval shaped maps because it its easier to show the full world. Now thanks to technology like satellites and computers we can have more accurate maps. Sonar technology and submarines help us to discover what the world really is.

History of maps:
People used to think that the world was flat and that the ocean would abruptly end and drop off the edge like a waterfall but instead of more water at the bottom you'd find your doom. If people said that the world was round they would simply hang them. People started the make maps in the early days of 6,200 B.C.Ever since we've been making maps for every thing: cities, states, country's, oceans and the whole world!

Transportation:
Humans have used ships to transport people, cargo and goods for centuries. Without maps sailor wouldn't be able to navigate the oceans. Because when your in the middle of the ocean you can't see land you cant see land marks, only ocean. Without maps in the middle of the ocean would be bad. You would be lost.

Map making:
People called map makers would go and explore unknown lands and oceans and record it on paper to make map sketches. Once they had the maps on paper they would carve it on to wood.Then to copy that map they put bronze on top of it and hit it in to place with a hammer. This was called Cartography. The ancient art of map making. Now days we use satellites to take pictures of the world and send them to our computers to copy it. We then print it on a copy machine.

Conclusion:
Maps have been very important throughout the centuries for sailors. Without maps people wouldn't be able to navigate the circumference of the globe.

Marine Biology Magazine

Ocean Pollution

Ocean Pollution
By Maria Vu and Claire Provinsal

Over the past few years, ocean pollutants have grown into a tremendous problem. 97.33% of the world’s water is ocean, nearly 71% of the Earth's surface is water and all of it is vastly becoming completely polluted. Pollution is I huge problem in oceans through out the world, but the Indian Ocean has the most pollution.

There are many different pollutants, and some have a larger affect than others. Seven billion tones of litter drops into the ocean each year. Most of this litter comes off the land, which means that the stuff we throw away is a big problem. A plastic bottle may last several hundred years in the ocean and even a cigarette butt can last for 12 years.

Pollution in the ocean directly affects ocean organisms and indirectly affects human health and resources. Oil spills, toxic wastes, and dumping of other harmful materials are all major sources of pollution in the ocean. People should learn more about these because if people know more about pollution in the ocean, then they will know more about how to stop pollution. Coastal waters receive a variety of land-based water pollutants, ranging from petroleum wastes to pesticides to excess sediments and gas admissions. Marine waters also receive wastes directly from offshore activities, such as ocean-based dumping, from ships and offshore oil and gas operations.

More oil reaches the oceans each year as a result of leaking automobiles and other non-point sources than was spilled. Another pollutant is sewage; human sewage largely consists of excrement from toilet-flushing; wastewater from bathing, laundry, and dishwashing; and animal and vegetable matter from food preparation that is disposed through a garbage disposal in a sink.

Main causes of ocean pollution are oil spills. Oil spills happen when people make mistakes or are careless and cause an oil tanker to leak oil in the ocean. There are a few more ways an oil spill can occur. Equipment breaking down may cause an oil spill. If the equipment breaks down, the tanker may get stuck on a shallow land. When they start to drive the tanker again, they can put a hole in the tanker, causing it to leak oil.

How much do people pollute yearly? Many people don't realize that their everyday activities can pollute the ocean. What should we do to help? Choose products with less packaging. Less packaging means less chance of it ending up in the wrong place. Clean up after your pet. Pet waste can carry diseases that affect marine animals. Dispose of waste properly. Do not litter the streets or throw waste down storm drains. Be sure to recycle plastics, paper, glass and metal products that you can. Consider whether fertilizers and pesticides are really needed in lawns and gardens, or choose natural alternatives. These are all good ways that we can decrease our impact on the oceans pollutants.

Ocean pollution directly affects nearly 40 percent of the world’s population. Ocean pollution is not only affecting the water, but it is also affecting the rest of the earth. Pollution in the ocean directly affects ocean organisms and indirectly affects human health and resources. Oil spills, toxic wastes, and dumping of other harmful materials are all major sources of pollution in the ocean. People should learn more about these because if people know more about pollution in the ocean, then they will know more about how to stop pollution.

Ocean pollution has been going on for a long time; it has only recently been seen as a large problem in the world. If nearly 71% of the world is water and 97.33% of the water is ocean, there is plenty of water to pollute, but the oceans are being polluted at a much faster rate than 15 years ago with; car admissions, plastic packaging and oil spills. All these causes of ocean pollution are growing every day with the growing population and this will keep happening unless we try to help.

Early History Of Our Oceans

Marine Biology Magazine
Fernando Mendoza


The oceans started around 4.5 billion years ago a little while after earth was created .It began when steam started to rise out of the earths crust and formed huge clouds and it started to rain and it rained for 40 centuries. As the earth cooled it began to overflow and then created a huge super ocean that surrounded Pangaea called the Panthalassic Ocean.

When the moon broke off from the earth it left an indentation in the earth, which is currently the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Ocean is a little different from the other oceans because the ocean floor of the Pacific Ocean is basalt and the others are granite.

That all happened in the hadean era. In the eras to come when Pangaea brakes in half and creates two oceans and that splits up causing the the other oceans to form. There was a ocean that doesn’t exist anymore it was called the Rhiec ocean and scientists have just started researching to examine more closely what life was like at that point in time.

Right now we have a very distressing problem on our hands as we pollute the earth the polar ice caps and that’s raising the water height and that’s disrupting our ecosystem and that’s why if we don’t stop polluting our oceans we might kill ourselves and there will only be ocean so we are making the choices today but will have a huge impact on our earth and people.

Fisheries Have Effects

I remember just last year fishing off of the coast of Alaska. Ten foot waves crashing into my face 50 M.P.H winds stinging my skin. A summer storm off the coast of Alaska. Alot of commercial fishing is done around the world. Commercial fishing is a big part of how the world gets its sea food,but it has a lot of bad effects on the environment. Trolling, over fishing, and by-catch all have very bad effects.

Bottom Trawling is a method of fishing that involves a net that can be miles long.When you trawl on the bottom of the sea you drag a big net on the sea floor witch can kill coral. Coral is home to many kinds of fish sea life, and crustaceans.

By-catch is when you catch fish that you may not have intended to catch that is endangered. Millions of pounds of by-catch is caught each year witch is not sustainable for our ocean

habitat and environment.

Overfishing is also bad for the environment. There are laws and regulations for how much fish you can catch. Commercial fishermen over fish all the time. Theres not enough fish to mate and come back next season.70% of all fish species are over exported. a total of 95 tons of fish are caught each year.

The good news about this is that we can change. If we work hard to strengthen the regulations we have now, then we make new laws to stop by-catch and make trawling an eco- friendly way to catch fish.

Bibliography
Information reports #2007-02 Fish division Oregon department of fish and wildlife.
Wordnet.princeton.edu/pert/webwn
General introduction to fishing. Simon jennings january 13th 2004 www.sos.bangor.ac.uk

tsunami by Lee and Stone

what kind of monster can suck all the water out of a harbor and grow more than 100 ft tall? This monster is a tsunami. Tsunami means, "harbor wave" in Japanese. Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes, volcanic explosions, landslides, and tectonic plates shifting under ground. Tsunami waves start out just out like any other wave and then get bigger and bigger until it turns into a towering mass of water. If you have ever dropped a coin in water you have seen this same affect.
A tsunami can race across the ocean at 500 miles an hour. In deep parts of the ocean the wave is only a few feet tall but when they get closer to the shore they suck all the water out of the harbor and nearby beaches. In the unfortunate chance that you are standing on a beach during a tsunami you could see the ocean floor and hundreds of flopping fish.
About for out of five tsunamis start in a place called the ring of fire a zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The ring of fire is not actually a ring it stretches from the coast of Chile to the Kermadec Trench. Along the edges of the ring there are tectonic plates. When the tectonic plates move it triggers an earthquake. If the earthquake rises or lowers the ocean floor the water above starts the wave.
Tsunamis have killed over 1,000,000 people over the past century too save thousands of lives scientists have invented the P.T.W.S pacific tsunamis warning system based in Hawaii. P.T.W.S is working with scientists to detect tsunamis before they happen.
In the case of a tsunami take these precautions to safe
• Get to higher ground
• Get as far away as possible
• Have a disaster plan
• Plan an evacuation route
• Prepare a disaster supplies kit for your home and car. Include a first aid kit, canned food and a can opener, bottled water, battery-operated radio, flashlight, protective clothing and written instructions on how to turn off electricity, gas, and water.
We can't stop the tsunami but we can learn when it's coming and escape the monsters fury.



we got are information from Wikipedia.org, and Weatherkids.org

The Ocean Depths Animals

The Ocean Depths Animals
By Leo Lassen and Logan Banning-Shaughnessy

At the deepest point in the ocean, the pressure is so great, It’s as if one person tried to support fifty jumbo jets. And somehow thousands of fish and other life forms have adapted to live on the ocean floor.

The animals on the lower part of the food chain have interesting ways of living. The tubeworm for instance. The tubeworm lives right near hydrothermal vents. The worms can grow up to eight feet. What’s odd is they do not have eyes, mouth, or even stomach. Instead they have bacteria in them that convert the chemicals that come out of the vents into food. The process is called chemosynthesis.

Scientists may be interested in the process chemosynthesis. Because they may be able to use the process to create a product that is more sustainable towards the earth. Maybe a food that doesn’t need sunlight to grow. It may be something that could help with world hunger.

Another is the Pompeii worm. It’s the hottest animal in the world, being able to stand temperatures up to 80º C (176º F). The worm makes a papery-like home that’s attached to the vent. The Pompeii will stick it’s head out of it’s home into 22º C (72º F) water to cool off and eat passing bacteria.

And the Pompeii has a coat of bacteria on it’s back that can also “take the heat.” And since they might have enzymes that we could use to dislodge oil inside wells, process food and drugs, convert cornstarch into sugar and many other things by speeding up chemical reactions.

60% of our planet is a mile down in the deep-sea. It is the largest habitat on our planet and it is the least explored as well, in fact more people have gone to outer space than into the deep-sea.

Deep-sea predators usually spend time hiding on the ocean floor. The adapt to places such as the deep-sea floor by being camouflaged to the colors of the ground, being flat, so they can move along the ocean floor unnoticed And having eyes on the top of their head so they can see their prey swimming above.


The Ocean Depths Animals The Deep-sea stargazer is a bulldog-like fish that most of the time buries itself in the seafloor and ambushes passing prey. Its eyes are on the top of its head so it can be almost buried all the way.

And the viperfish and anglerfish have antennas on their bodies that give off a bioluminescent glow. And that glow lures prey in. And most predators have large jaws, to devour larger prey. And almost all of their teeth stick inward so that prey has little chance of escaping.

And I think it’s amazing that there is a giant world below us that we know so little about, but that can help with certain problems we have on the surface, such as cancer and unsustainable products. And that there are so many undiscovered species down on the ocean floor. But of course we humans have come a long way in our discoveries and we have only been here for the tiniest fraction of the Earths lifetime.

Bibliography

http://images.google.com/

http://www.marinebio.com/Oceans/TheDeep/

http://www.ocean.udel.edu/extreme2002/creatures/pompeiiworm/

http://www.ocean.udel.edu/deepsea/level-2/creature/tube.html

Dead Zones

Dead Zones

By Claire S. and Mara A.

Imagine walking from your car to your work or school, then imagine everything dead. The flowers have wilted and their petals shriveled. The trees’ bark is peeling. With every step you take you hear a brick fall to the dry cracked earth. You try to take a breath but there is no oxygen left, every bit of it has been sucked up. What are you going to do now?

This is what it would be like if we were living in a dead zone. No oxygen, no life,
nothing but water. A dead zone is an area of water (often just off the coast) where the
oxygen had been depleted so all the life in that area dies off.

Ocean---------------Dead Zone








Dead zones are created by nitrogen and phosphorus plant nutrients. Plant nutrients are chemicals many farmers (or even people at their homes) use that encourage their plants to grow. The plant nutrients have a large impact on out environment, but no in a good way. When the nitrogen and phosphorus run off into streams or rivers, it can get into the fish or animals drinking from that water. Many of the fish die, which decreases the population that some people, along with animals, need to survive.

When the run off reaches the larger rivers the nitrogen and phosphorus are carried into the ocean, it spills out into the salt water. The plant nutrients settle in the water, and because the plant nutrients are made to help plants grow, an algae bloom forms on the surface.
Once the algae bloom has formed bacteria start to eat it similar to bacteria eating away fruits and vegetables in a compost bin. The algae will decompose and sink into the saltier water, but as it is decomposing the bacteria that are eating it use up all the oxygen. Once the DO (dissolved oxygen) level has reached two that is called a hypoxia. A hypoxia is usually considered a dead zone, almost nothing can live in those conditions. When the DO level reaches zero that is called an anoxia. There is no possibility of any animal living in those waters. Plants can typically survive because they photosynthesize.

A dead zone does not always stay in one shape or size. The most common way a dead zone changes size is by weather. Weather has a huge impact on the dead zone’s oxygen level and the size of it. The worst thing for a dead zone would be rain. Rainfall causes even more run off full of nitrogen and phosphorus. With more nutrients in the water the algae blooms gets much larger. If it is a significant amount of rain a dead zone could double (if not triple) its area. This is largest in spring and early summer.

Sun also affects the area of a dead zone. Much less then rain does, but it is still a measurable amount of increased dead zone. The algae use photosynthesis to increase in size. Solar energy is strongest in the summer because it is hottest and the days last longer, giving the algae plenty of time to grow.

The last piece of weather is wind. We think wind is one of the more interesting elements because unlike sun and rain, which worsen the dead zone, wind helps. Wind mixes up the water and causes oxygen from the atmosphere to mix into the salt water. The wind is makes the dead zone shrink, but if there are really high winds, a dead zone has been known to disappear. If it does happen to disappear it will not stay gone forever. It will keep coming back until we get off the couch and make a difference.

Dead zones affect many people just like (if not) you, because all the animals in that area of the sea die there is a much smaller amount of seafood we can eat or sell. That means that either the price for seafood will go way up, or the fisherman will not be getting as much of a profit. Either way we are not a huge fans. We all need to help out where we can now. As we said, the main cause of dead zones is nitrogen and phosphorus plant nutrients. Of course the best way to get rid of dead zones would be to stop buying plant nutrients. If for some reason you feel you can not get by without them then PLEASE try to find an organic or earth friendly one, also if you choose to buy one, please use it sparingly. Together, we can make a change.





Works Cited:

* Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone. Science Museum of Minnesota . 18 Apr. 2008 .

* "Dead Zone (ecology)." Wikipedia. 2008: Wikipedia. 18 Apr. 2008 .

* "Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Watch." National Coastal Data Development Center . 9 Aug. 2007. 25 Apr. 2008 .

* "150 'Dead Zones' Counted in Oceans." msnbc U.S. News/Environment. 29 Mar. 2004. msnbc . 31 Apr. 2008 .

* Bruckner, Monica . "The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone." Microbial Life. 1 Montana State University. 4 May 2008 .

* Chohan, Rani . "Mississippi Dead Zone." NASA. 10 Aug. 2004. NASA. 4 May 2008 .

* "Lake Erie 'Dead Zone'." Lake Erie 'Dead Zone' and Special Lake Erie Study. Environmental Protection Agency. 8 May 2008 .

* "The Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico." Sierra Club. .

Japan Deppends on the Ocean Bibliography (Bea and Emma)

"Forests, Fisheries, and land of Japan." Wikipedia 1 May 2008 .

Greenspun, Philip M. "Tsukiji Fish Market."6 May 2008 .

Tosches, Mike M. "If You Knew Sushi."6 May 2008 .

Mackenzie, Debbie S. "Ocean Health and Marine Science: In Crisis Together."7 May 2008 .

No Name Given, . "Greenpeace Confronts Japanese Whalers." Green Peace. 14 Jan. 2008. 4 May 2008

Dane, . "Greenpeace Defending Japan's Oceans." Green Peace. 16 Mar. 2007. 30 Apr. 2008

No Name Given, . "Japan's Tuna Crisis." The New York Times. 27 June 2007. 2 May 2008 .

Suvendrini, . "Japan's Fishing Industry Peril." 28 June 2003. 30 Apr. 2008 .

Japan Deppends on the Ocean

Japan Depends on the Ocean
By Beatriz Herzberg and Emma Long

The people in Japan are facing possible problems concerning the state of their oceans. There is over-fishing and toxic waste difficulties that effect not only the future tonnage of fish in Japan, but also the ocean’s food chain. With the decline in fish for Japan, workers are starting to think about other job possibilities. However since fishing is what most of them grew up with it is hard to get a pleasant job without going to school.

For many Japanese fisherman the ocean is their life, from food to shelter, people all along Japan’s coast have relied on it for many generations. The Japanese have been fishing to support their families for years but now the price of fish is almost half what it was 10 years ago. For decades Japan has been the worlds leading consumer of fish, leading the fishing industries all over the world. However in 1989 Japan was surpassed by China, and a few years after that by Chile and Peru. Because the prices are so low many fisherman are abandoning the profession leaving a mere ½ a per cent of the total households currently fishing. Many of the people are glad for the next generation who will have office jobs and not have to face the ever-changing fish values.
However with the prices so low, Japan is over-fishing more and more of their share. Fish currently supply the greatest percentage of the worlds protein consumed by humans. Many times in history Japan has posed the greatest threat to destroying the most numbers of fish. However since the statistics vary over time, it is difficult to compare them. Since fishing became more popular in the late 1980’s, and as fish-finding and harvesting techniques became more efficient, Japan’s fishers started to go after their catch at greater depths and in more remote waters, going further and further into their neighbors’ fishing territories.
Over the past 50 years, the number of large predatory fish in Japan’s ocean has dropped by 90%. Catches of many of the popular fish have been cut in half even with a tripling in fishing effort. 70% of popular fish have reached their limit and have been classified as fully exploited or overexploited, and Japan’s ocean food chain is falling into disarray. Conservationists and marine scientists are questioning how long the Japanese can consume this much fish and still call it part of their culture. Without time to adapt to a life with not as much fish Japan is predicted to have a food crisis within the next few decades.
Tokyo has the biggest fish market in the world. It is eleven times the volume of New York’s fish market. The Tokyo fish market (Tsukiji) ranks in every measurable category there is. It is very busy and close to downtown Tokyo. It is old and worn; a very used part of town. The Tokyo wholesale market handles 2,888 tons a day of marine animals and products. The market handles more than 400 different kinds of seafood. The fish market imports from about 60 countries. Products range from live eel to pickled octopus to tuna longer than a human, and weight ranging from 200 to 1,000 pounds. Most people who sell tuna can sell 200 in a half an hour. All the money changing hands each day comes to an average of about 28 million dollars. The business there is very serious and there are many rules such as no high-heeled shoes, and no flash photography in the morning tuna auction.
What is the largest garbage dump? Surprisingly, it's the ocean. All over the world, especially in Japan, there is a lot of pollution in the ocean. Pollution includes different chemicals, metals, plastic bags, bottles, food, clothing detergent, oil from tanker leaks, waste water, and cars and submarines dumped to the bottom of the sea. Over the past decade there has been a concern of dumping radioactive waste in the Sea of Japan's coastal waters. Scientists say toxic slime is rising from the depths. Run-off from pollutants has changed the basic chemistry of the ocean. An average person in Japan uses about 250 liters of wastewater a day, which is about a bathtub full of water every day. In Japan all wastewater is treated but 65% of all wastewater runs into rivers with no treatment at all.
Fishing has been Japan’s main income for decades, but now it seems they may have to incorporate another change into their life style, one without eating so much fish . To preserve the remaining fisheries and allow seafood to continue to play a large role in Japanese culture, Japan will need creative technology for waste disposal, protection of existing fish populations, and a shift in food sources.

Ocean Currents (Chancelton & Max)

Our ocean currents are essential parts of the earth and what lives on it. They determine the weather, what lives or dies in the ocean, and our human life styles. The currents are always changing but, because of how much greenhouse gasses are being released, they are being altered in ways that could be damaging. Humans are the indirect cause of changing ocean currents. If we continue our lifestyle the way it is now, it will lead to severe changes in the way we live today.

Humans are the cause of the changing ocean currents. Our greenhouse gasses are making the earth’s climate warmer. The gasses work just like a greenhouse. As the gasses stay in the atmosphere, it prevents a portion of the suns rays to enter and then exit the atmosphere. Therefore it warms the planet. As the globe gets warmer, so do the oceans. The constant flow of warm and cold currents captures the heat from the surface. The water stores the heat and carries it to other parts of the world. This is a continuous cycle. Even the slightest change of temperature in the oceans can change the climate in a curtain area or destroy an entire ecosystem that has adapted to a previous temperature.

Ocean currents are the force that propels the direction and force of the water. They are created by wind stirring up water far out at sea and propelling the water in a certain direction. The temperature of the wind also becomes the temperature of that ocean current. They are important because they influence polar ice caps, and the overall climate of the planet.

The consequences of the changes in ocean currents can and will be dire. Natural disasters such as hurricane Katrina and delayed seasonal changes in the temperature of the oceans will become increasingly common. These things would cause even more catastrophic events to occur, and on a grander scale than hurricane Katrina.

Western Europe experienced a general cooling of the climate between (approximately) the years 1150 and 1460 and a very cold climate between (again, approximately) 1560 and 1850 that brought dire consequences to its populace. The colder weather impacted agriculture, health, economics, social strife, emigration, and even art and literature. Increased glaciation and storms also had a devastating effect on those that lived near glaciers and the sea.

If the worst occurs, life on earth will be unfathomably different. The temperature of the ocean would change to be hotter in some areas and would be colder around polar icecaps, where they would melt, due to climate change. Many forms of marine life will be unable to survive in these new situations. This will lead to a much, much different palate for most humans, eliminating most fish and many of other species from consideration for eating, or for creating a different environment for other animals.

Another potential change we could experience from changing ocean currents would be that as the pattern or force of the currents changes, the landmasses on which humans live could be changed in shape. This could be potentially caused by the force of an ocean current on one side of a small land mass gaining a significant increase in strength or speed, while the opposite happens to the other side. This is an accelerated version of aquatic erosion.

Anyone and everyone needs to help with this problem. Obviously, this is an urgent concern; it will require some of the best resources of modern science, and the cooperation of all governments, in the interests of preserving the planet. Without proper care and attention, the vastness of the consequences will be cataclysmic. This problem may be sweeping enough in scope to require countries and governments to cooperate in ways they never have before, in order to preserve and protect their own interests.

Bibliography

http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/mandias/lia/little_ice_age.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_current

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/climate/images/world_sst_climate_gif_image.html

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/images/graphics/nr/OceanCurrentsUSNOO.gif

gorgia&eden(indicator species)

Indicator Species
Of Our Oceans
By Eden Haskins-Dahl & Georgia Tucker

The bluish light trickled down through the colorful reef. Trigger Fish circled, poking at the coral from time to time. Sea Anemones waved gently back and forth in the current. A few years later, this was all gone. The water is a sickly gray-blue. What is left of the reef is a brown, rocky wasteland.
Ever since human inhabitation, the world has begun to change in different ways. Now, more than ever. I’m sure you’ve noticed that we as humans have a huge impact on the world. Unless you live in a coastal area, the damage to marine life probably isn’t that apparent to you, but even people who live miles from the ocean can still contribute to pollution.
Throughout the world, certain marine species are slowly disappearing. Most of this is because of over- exploitation and pollution.
According to a study done by Columbia University in 2006, worldwide coastal population will increase by 35% between 1995 to 2025. This means more ocean use. Already only four percent of pristine ocean remains. More tourism means cruise ships, jet boats, and hotel waste, More fishing, and more pollution. All of this will shrink this precentage.

A victim of an oil spill(A bird drenched in oil left behind by a boat)
Fishing by itself has a major impact on coral and fish. Over fishing can cause algae to grow on coral because fish eat the algae off the coral. More over, modern fishing techniques are very destructive to marine communities. When fish poisoning is used, not only fish are harmed, but their predators as well. When dynamite fishing is used, entire coral and fish communities can be completely demolished.

(An oil spill that has caught fire)

One coral called Anchor Coral is becoming an extremely bleached white caused by lack of zoox- anthellae, an energy booster for polyps. This is caused by too much sodium cyanide is in the water.
Sewage can bring white pox disease to corals and contaminate shell fish as well. Deforestation can cause coral to “roast” in the sun because of lack of shade. Erosion from deforestation can cause silt to build up on coral, harming it. About 10 to 27 percent of coral is dead worldwide, and almost forty percent may be gone by 2010.

sewage overflow going directly into our oceans

But coral and fish aren’t the only species affected by human in habitation.
Plankton numbers have decreased significantly since 1950. Polar bears, who don’t even live in water are disappearing because of global warming. These creatures are slowly vanishing as they or their habitats are destroyed.
No matter how insignificant these species may seem to

A dead coral reef is just one of the many

effects on marine animals

you, they are of great importance to the marine world. They are part of the food system, and they support other species. For example, if Penguins were to go extinct, then Leopard seals would eat more fish, lowering the amount of fish, and so on. So, the cycle would eventually affect us.
Some species live only parts of their lives in the ocean but are still affected by humans. Recently, fishing has been banned in the northwest because of the small numbers of salmon returning from the ocean. This is mostly because of fishing and dams. Lowering this number even more are the Seals and Sea lions that feast on the salmon both at sea and in the river as the fish reach the dams.
Not all harm done by humans is direct, though. Some scientists say that global warming could be the final blow to coral and other sensitive marine life. Recently, it has been discovered that sea whips, slugs, sponges, and other reef organisms can help with human inflammation, leukemia, infections, and other pain. Yet because of global warming, these creatures may not exist in several years.

Temperatures less than two degrees Fahrenheit above the summer maximum can cause problems with coral and other sea life. Magnificent sea anemones in El Nino have lost there bluish color because of rising temperatures.
In 1984, the average temperature in Greenland had risen by 13 degrees Fahrenheit within fifteen years. Imagine how high it has risen now.
With polar ice melting, sea levels are rising about 0.06 of an inch each year. some pacific islands are in danger. Coral reefs are one of the last protections to the islands.

A graph showing how different species are decreacing

If only humans could find a different place to dump sewage or restrain from using coastal areas, then our marine life would be healthier and our oceans cleaner. If given the chance, many of these waning species would return to their original numbers. I hope that you as a person will do you part to return these beautiful creatures to their peaceful ocean home.

Bibliography


pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2004/3108/fig4.jpg
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE2DA1331F934A15753C1A967958260&sec=&spon=&&sep=4&sq=indicator%20species
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%3Asearch&search=endangered+marine+species&nso=1&fulltext=search
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/earth/habitats/canaries-of-sea.html
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1. REEF LIFEDenise and Larry TackettTFH publications, 20022. CORALSJulian SprungRicordea publications, 19993. MAPPING THE DEEPRobert KunzigRobert Kunzig, 20004. OCEANS 2020John G. Field, Gotthilf Hempel, and Colin P. SummerhayesIsland press, 2002
5. INVITATION TO OCEANOGRAPHY
Paul R. Piner
Paul R. Piner 2003
6. SEA TURTLES OF THE SEA
Jean Michel
Doug perrine publications
2003

who dies when sea levels rise?

Who dies when sea levels rise?

By Abbie Harold & Katriel Perry

Years ago we didn't have to worry about how to cut down on fossil fuels or green house gases to help reverse the process of global warming. All we cared about was ourselves and how we were supposed to live our lives. We had no care in the world what other people where doing. We never stopped to look back and see what we were doing to the plants and animals of the earth, and when we finally did it turned into one of the biggest problems we have ever had to face.

The Webster dictionary defines Fossil fuels as "carbon-rich fuels like (coal, oil and natural gas) formed from the remains of ancient animals and plants." The Webster dictionary also defines gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide and methane as Green house gases. The two major chases of global warming are green house gases and fossil fuels. Green house gases are making it so the heat from the sun is unable to go back out of the earths atmosphere, witch is slowly rising the overall temperate of the earth. As solar radiation passes through the plants atmosphere, witch contains greenhouse gases, the radiation warms the surface of the earth and heat rises from it. Some of the heat is able to pass back through the gases, and some heat just can't pass back through, and it remains in the atmosphere. This adds to the overall temperature of the earth.

Climate change is affecting the oceans tremendously. Global warming has caused glaciers to melt into the ocean, resulting in the constant rising of the sea leaves over a period of time. The rising of sea levels will affect not only the ocean but people. Al Gore believes that by the time 2020 land at lower elevations or sea side houses will be flooded.

People aren't the only ones that will be affected by global warming and climate change in the ocean, marine plants and fish will suffer too. There are so many fish and plant species that live in the depths of the ocean that scientists have not even discovered yet. Because of the effects that global warming has already put upon the ocean many of those species that we have never seen might have already died from the slit change in temperature in the ocean.

Mammals like polar bears and birds are also being affected. Al Gore believes that if global warming continues, The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050. With the strange weather that global warming is changing the season that polar bears usually feed in is shortened. This makes it hard for polar to eat, which eventually kills them. More than a million species of animals worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050. This is a huge loss of animals in the somewhat short time period of about 40 years.

How can we reduce the amount of fossil fuels and green house gases released into the atmosphere?

There are many ways you can reduce the fossil fuels and greenhouse gases you omit into the environment. Transportation of foods releases lots of fossil fuels. If we all started growing our own food and eat locally it would save a lot of oil. Most of our appliances take a lot of energy to run. If we all started to buy energy efficient ones it would save us money and be less hard on the environment. We can also uses public transportation, carpool and walk. If we did that it would get more people around in the same amount of gas. Not as much pollution is going into the environment.

Bibliography:

"The Oceans and Climate."Grant R. Brigg. Cambridge University Press; 1996.

"Changing Sea Levels."David Puch. Cambridge University Press; 2004.

"The Atlas of Climate Change."Kristin Down and Thomas E. Dowing. University of California Press; 2006.

Gore, Albert, Al Gore, and Melcher Media. An Inconvenient Truth. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 2006.

Ocean Wether by cassidy and anthony

Ocean Weather

It's a little known fact, but the ocean has a huge effect on our weather. You may be wondering how something like the ocean can change our weather. Imagine the ocean as one giant sponge, it absorbs the heat and from the sun in the morning and releases it at night. Without this cycle all life on earth would cease to exist!

There are more well known effects that almost anybody would know about. Such as hurricanes and cyclones. Being one of the most powerful storms in the world it's pretty hard not to hear about they're destruction throughout the globe. Hurricanes start off in tropical waters, caused by about seven thunder clouds in a bunch. As a hurricane starts it mixes up the hot and the cold air, creating a snowball effect. The ocean locks in heat and moisture which is one of the key elements to creating a hurricane . As our world heats up the ocean releases more heat consequently increasing the number of hurricanes we have.

Some very important factors for stabilizing the weather so things like hurricanes and mass extinction don't happen are underwater currents. Without them mixing up all the water the ocean would be boiling on the equator and frozen solid in the poles. El Nino refers to the abnormally warm surface temperature of the ocean that is blown into different places which changes weather throughout the earth. Everything from fruits to us is reliant on these ocean currents, and without them we'd probably all die.

The currents act like a conveyor belt, carrying warm and cold water everywhere. If they were to get mucked than things like hurricanes and cyclones would happen daily, but a lot more stuff would be the domino affect. For instance it's the ocean currents that bring warm water to Indonisia if they didn't come it wouldn't trigger they're yearly rainfall and thus Indonisia would be a complete dessert and many many species would die out.

People are affected by ocean weather all the time, things like Katrina to the price of fruit. Many people forget this, but all you have to do is look around you and you can see the affects anywhere.

Bibliography

*Yahooanswers.com

*Wikianswers.com

*The idiots guide to weather-Mel Goldstain-copywrite 2002