question

Archimedes' Principal

answer

states that the buoyanty force on an object in a fluid is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object

question

Bulkhead

answer

A partition that divides a ship or plane into compartments; Wall

question

Circumnavigate

answer

Sail around the world

question

Electric Boat

answer

A company here in CT that makes submarines. aka General Dynamics

question

"Submarine Capital of the World"

answer

Groton Connecticut - Home of a naval sub base and a submarine factory.

question

Groton Naval Submarine Base

answer

Where you can go to see the Nautilus the first nuclear submarine and now a floating museum.

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"Inner Space"

answer

A way of looking at the oceans, similar to exploring outer space

question

S.S. Nautilus

answer

The first nuclear powered submarine, the first sub to go under the North Pole, named after Captain Nemo's Famous Submarine in the Jules Verne novel 20,000 Leagues Beneath The Sea.

question

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Cape Cod, MA

answer

A major base for scientific study of the Oceans

question

ambient pressure

answer

pressuretotal pressure on a diver; the sum of atmospheric pressure and hydrostatic pressure

question

barotrauma

answer

any diving injury associated with pressure

question

bends

answer

a decompression illness (gas bubbles in joints and tissues) that happens to divers during a rapid ascent

question

decompression

answer

a decrease in pressure upon ascent; if too rapid, can cause gases to come out of solution and form bubbles

question

osmotic pressure

answer

increased water pressure in an aquatic organism, due to inability to osmoregulate; can upset cell function

question

aquaculture

answer

Raising marine and freshwater fish in ponds and underwater cages

question

conservation

answer

Carefull use of resources. ("wise use"; not wasting)

question

desalination

answer

A process of removing salt from ocean water

question

endangered species

answer

A species whose numbers are so small that the species is at risk of extinction

question

extinct

answer

A term that typically describes a species that no longer has any known living individuals. (all of that species of animals have died.)

question

fisheries

answer

concentrations of particular aquatic species suitable for commercial harvesting in a given ocean area or inland body of water

question

gill net

answer

Large, rectangular net that is either anchored in place or allowed to drift along with the ocean currents; designed to entangle fish but often kills fishes and marine mammals not intended to be captured.

question

long-lining

answer

Fishing method that involves setting out large numbers of short lines carrying hooks, which are attached to a longer main line that can be 50 miles or more in length

question

manganese nodules

answer

Lumps containing oxides of manganeses, iron, nickel, and copper found scattered over the ocean floor.

question

mariculture

answer

The rearing of marine organisms (fishes, seaweeds, and shellfish) for human consumption; a subset of aquaculture.

question

marine sanctuary

answer

Special area we assign to protect marine wildlife that has rules, laws, and regulations; like an underwater preserved park

question

maximum sustainable yield

answer

The highest amount of a resource one can extract in one year without depleting the yield in the next.

question

minerals

answer

Basic building blocks of rocks they are composed of elements bonded together. They are inorganic.

question

natural resources

answer

Raw materials supplied by nature that come from the earth, the water, or the air and are used to produce goods.

question

polyculture

answer

agriculture using multiple crops in the same space, in imitation of the diversity of natural ecosystems

question

purse seine net

answer

huge net a mile wide that closes at the bottom and top to allow fish to be trapped; like closing a netted purse

question

stock

answer

A supply of something available for future use. Fish Stock

question

threatened species

answer

A species that is considered likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future; not as bad as endangered.

question

trawling net

answer

type of net released from stern of ship and pulled through water

question

Coriolis Effect

answer

The way Earth's rotation makes winds in the Northern Hemisphere curve to the right and winds in the Southern Hemisphere curve to the left.

question

countercurrents

answer

slow, deep horizontal ocean currents that flow in opposite direction of surface currents

question

current

answer

A stream of water that flows like a river through the ocean.

question

gyres

answer

A large-scale pattern of water circulation that moves clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere

question

longshore current

answer

a water current that travels near and parallel to the shoreline

question

neap tide

answer

a tide with the least difference between high and low tide that occurs when the sun and moon pull at right angles to each other

question

rip current

answer

A rush of water that flows rapidly back to sea through a narrow opening in a sandbar

question

rogue wave

answer

An unusually large wave that usually occurs unexpectedly amid other waves of smaller size. Also known as a superwave

question

sandbar

answer

a ridge of sand deposited by waves as they slow down near shore

question

spring tide

answer

A high or low tide that occurs when the Sun, Earth and Moon are aligned so that the tides due to the Sun and Moon coincide, making the tides higher or lower than average. Occurs during the full moon or new moon.

question

swells

answer

rolling waves that move steadily across the ocean

question

tidal bore

answer

a steep-fronted wave that moves up some rivers when the tide rises in the coastal ocean

question

tidal current

answer

alternating horizontal movement of water associated with the rise and fall of the tide

question

tidal range

answer

The difference in levels of ocean water at high tide and low tide

question

tide

answer

-The rising of the earth's ocean surface caused by the tidal forces of the moon and the sun acting on the ocean

question

tsunami

answer

A giant wave usually caused by an earthquake beneath the ocean floor. (most often cause near subduction boundaries that rebound after friction).

question

turbidity

answer

the cloudiness of the water, the measure of sediment and algae

question

turbidity current

answer

Fast moving landslide underwater caused by the sudden collapse of sediment built up along the continental slope

question

undertow

answer

A subsurface current that is near shore and that pulls objects out to sea.

question

upwelling

answer

The movement of deep, cold, and nutrient-rich water to the surface.

question

wave

answer

an up-and-down movement of the ocean surface, i.e., a form of energy that moves across the water.

question

wave height

answer

the vertical distance from the crest of a wave to the trough

question

wave train

answer

series of waves, one followed by another, moving in the same direction

question

whirlpool

answer

a powerful circular current of water (usually the resulting of conflicting tides)

question

whitecap

answer

a white foaming wave with a very steep crest that breaks in the open ocean before the wave gets closer to the shore; the bubbles in the crest of a breaking wave make it appear white

question

Abiotic Factors

answer

Nonliving things in the environment, e.g., water and minerals.

question

Biotic Factors

answer

Living things in the environment, e.g., plants and animals.

question

Climax Community

answer

The last stable community to appear in any succession.

question

Commensalism

answer

Symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits while the other species is not affected by the association.

question

Ecological Succession

answer

Process by which one community of organisms gradually replaces another community over time; also called biological succession.

question

Ecology

answer

Study of interactions of living things with each other and the environment.

question

Ecosystem

answer

The interacting biotic and abiotic factors within an environment.

question

Food Chain

answer

Food relationship in which each organism serves as food fort the next one.

question

Food Pyramid

answer

Food chain arranged as a diagram with the lowest trophic level at base and highest trophic level at top.

question

Food Web

answer

Food relationships, composed of many interconnected food chains.

question

Lichen

answer

Composed of an alga and a fungus growing in a symbiotic relationship; usually first pioneer organism to appear on rocks.

question

Marine Ecology

answer

Study of ecological interactions within the ocean.

question

Mutualism

answer

Symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit from the association.

question

Nitrogen Fixation

answer

The process of producing nitrates from atmospheric nitrogen.

question

Omnivore

answer

An animal that consumes both animals and plants.

question

Parasitism

answer

Symbiotic relationship in which one species (the parasite) benefits while the other species (the host) is harmed by it.

question

Pioneer Community

answer

First group of organisms to appear in an area devoid of life.

question

Predator

answer

An animal that kills and eats other animals (the prey).

question

Prey

answer

An animal that is killed and eaten by another animal (the predator).

question

Primary Consumer

answer

The first-level consumer (of producers) in a food chain; e.g., the zooplankton that eat phytoplankton.

question

Scavengers

answer

Animals that eat the remains of already dead plants and animals.

question

Secondary Consumer

answer

The second-level consumer (of primary consumers) in a food chain; e.g., shrimp the eat zooplankton.

question

Tertiary Consumer

answer

The third-level consumer (of secondary consumers) in a food chain; e.g., fish that eat shrimp.

question

Trophic Level

answer

Each feeding level in a food chain (producers to consumers).

question

Biological Magnification

answer

is the increase in concentration of a substance that occurs in a food chain

question

Effluent

answer

A stream or overflow from a larger body of water, or from a channel or sewer

question

Heavy Metals

answer

metallic elements with a high density that are toxic to organisms at low concentrations

question

Hypoxia

answer

An insufficiency of oxygen in the body's tissues.

question

nonbiodegrable

answer

a chemical pollutant (such as the toxic elements mercury and lead) that cannot be decomposed by organisms or by other natural processes

question

nonpoint source pollution

answer

water pollution that does not have a specific point of origin

question

pollutants

answer

Any gaseous, chemical, or organic matter that contaminates the atmosphere, soil, or water.

question

pollution

answer

An undesirable change in the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of air, water, soil, or food that can adversely affect the health, survival, or activities of humans or other living organisms.

question

radioactive wastes

answer

Hazardous-waste-emitting radiation from nuclear power plants, nuclear weapons factories, and nuclear equipment in hospitals and industries.

question

sludge

answer

A semi-solid mixture of organic and inorganic materials that settles out of wastewater at a sewage treatment plant.

question

thermal plume

answer

a plume of hot water discharged into a stream or lake by a heat source, such as a power plant

question

thermal pollution

answer

Harm to lakes and rivers resulting from the release of excessive waste heat into them

question

toxic chemicals

answer

Gases, liquids, or solids that can produce injurious or lethal effects through their chemical properties on contact with body cells

question

Absorbed Light

answer

light that is taken up by a substance

question

Amplitude

answer

Volume of a sound, represented by height of the sound wave

question

Compressions

answer

In a sound wave, air molecules that are squeezed together

question

Countershading

answer

In fish, a fixed pattern of darker skin on top, lighter skin below

question

Crest

answer

The highest point of a sound wave or water wave

question

Electromagnetic spectrum

answer

All forms of solar radiation, including visible light

question

Frequency

answer

The number of wavelengths per second of a particular radiation

question

Melanin

answer

One of the most common skin pigments

question

Photophores

answer

Patches of bioluminescent tissue in organisms in dim water

question

Rarefactions

answer

In a sound wave, air molecules that are spaced farther apart

question

Reflected Light

answer

Light that bounces off a surface

question

Refraction

answer

The bending of light as it passes through substances of different densities

question

Transmitted Light

answer

Light that passes through a substance

question

Trough

answer

The lowest point of a sound wave or water wave

question

Vertical Migration

answer

Behavior in which organisms move up and down in water column each day in response to changing levels of light

question

Wavelength

answer

The length of one complete wave cycle of each type of radiation

question

heat of vaporization

answer

energy absorbed when there is a change in state from a liquid to gas

question

heat of fusion

answer

energy lost when there is change in state from liquid to solid

question

thermocline

answer

in ocean, the permanent boundary that separates warmer water above from colder water below

question

bathythermograph

answer

narrow canister used to get temperature profile of the ocean

question

metabolic activity

answer

internal energy (activity) level of an organism

question

hypothermia

answer

excessive loss of body heat caused by exposure to very cold water

question

hydro-static pressure

answer

pressure exerted by the water's mass (due to it's density)

question

bends

answer

a decompression illness (gas bubbles in joints and tissues) that happens to divers during a rapid ascent

question

air embolism

answer

blockage of a blood vessel by a gas bubble in an important organ

question

nitrogen narcosis

answer

a confused state of mind that may occur during deep dives

question

osmoregulation

answer

ability of aquatic organisms to maintain proper water balance

question

abyssal plain

answer

a large, flat, almost level area of the deep-ocean basin

question

atoll

answer

an island consisting of a circular coral reef surrounding a lagoon

question

barrier reef

answer

a long coral reef near and parallel to the shore

question

continental drift

answer

The hypothesis that states that the continents once formed a single landmass, broke up, and drifted to their present locations. Originated by Alfred Wegener, but he couldn't explain how the continents moved.

question

continental rise

answer

the gently sloping surface at the base of the continental slope

question

continental slope

answer

the steep descent of the seabed from the continental shelf to the abyssal zone

question

convection current

answer

a current caused by the rising of heated fluid and sinking of cooled fluid

question

crust

answer

Earth's outermost layer.

question

delta

answer

A landform made of sediment that is deposited where a river flows into an ocean or lake

question

fault

answer

(geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other

question

fjord

answer

A long narrow inlet from the sea between steep cliffs or hills

question

fringing reef

answer

A reef attached to the shore of a continent or island. The first stage in reef development.

question

hot spot

answer

A local rising column of magma that does not move with the plate above it; forms volcanic island chains. Ex Hawaii

question

hydrothermal vent

answer

an area where ocean water sinks through cracks in the ocean floor, is heated by the underlying magma, and rises again through the cracks

question

island arc

answer

A string of islands formed by the volcanoes along a deep ocean trench. EX Bering Islands

question

keys aka cays

answer

small islands that form when chunks of coral stone break off from reefs and accumulate on the sea floor

question

magma

answer

A molten mixture of rock-forming substances, gases, and water from the mantle; Molten rock beneath the earth's surface

question

mantle

answer

the layer of the earth between the crust and the core

question

mid-ocean ridge

answer

an undersea mountain chain where new ocean floor is produced; a divergent plate boundary

question

plate tectonics

answer

The advanced (more modern) theory of continental drift that explains how the plates move. The theory that pieces of Earth's lithosphere are in constant motion, driven by convection currents in the mantle.

question

plates

answer

large pieces of earths crust that move due to convection currents; called tectonic plates

question

rift valley

answer

A deep valley that forms where two plates move apart; this is the rough equivalent of the mid-ocean ridge if it were to happen on a continent. A divergent plate boundary. Ex the Great Rift Valley in Africa

question

seafloor spreading

answer

Hess's theory that new seafloor is formed when magma is forced upward toward the surface at a mid-ocean ridge, The process that creates new sea floor as plates move away from each other at the mid-ocean ridges.

question

seamount

answer

an underwater mountain rising above the ocean floor; known as a seamount; a guyot if it is flat topped, or an island if it emerges above sea level.

question

subduction

answer

The process by which oceanic crust sinks beneath a deep-ocean trench and back into the mantle at a convergent plate boundary. Can be the cause of earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis. An example is where the pacific plate goes under Japan, another is the west coast of South America.

question

submarine canyon

answer

a seaward extension of a valley that was cut on the continental shelf during a time when sea level was lower, or a canyon carved into the outer continental shelf, slope, and rise by turbidity currents

question

topography

answer

Elevation, layout, and shape of the land

question

trenches

answer

Deep area in the ocean floor, generally deeper than 6,000 m, the deepest are found near subduction zones.

question

Mariannas Trench

answer

The deepest place on Earth at 6.8 miles deep, deepest point of oceans, a deep sea trench off the coast of Asia

question

Acid

answer

A substance that increases the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution.

question

Acid Precipitation

answer

Precipitation, such as rain, sleet, or snow, that contains a high concentration of acids, often because of the pollution of the atmosphere

question

base

answer

Accepts H+ from a solution; donates OH- ions to a solution.

question

buffers

answer

A chemical substance that resists changes in pH by accepting hydrogen ions from or donating hydrogen ions to solutions

question

condensation

answer

Change in state from a gas to a liquid

question

dissolved oxygen (D.O.)

answer

oxygen dissolved in water, dissolved oxygen is important for fish and other aquatic animals

question

evaporation

answer

A change from a liquid to a gas at a temperature that is lower than the boiling point.

question

halocline

answer

a layer of water in which the salinity changes rapidly with changes in depth

question

latitude

answer

East-west lines parallel to the equator used to measure distance in degrees north or south of the equator

question

longitude

answer

North-south lines from pole to pole that measure distance from east to west.

question

Oxygen minimum zone

answer

In the ocean oxygen depletes as you start to go down due to lack of light. Oxygen then picks back up after you go to a certain depth.

question

pH

answer

A measure of Hydrogen ion concentration, used to measure acidity.

question

photosynthesis

answer

Plants use the sun's energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars

question

precipitate

answer

A solid that forms and settles out of a liquid mixture

question

precipitation

answer

Any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth's surface.

question

sea

answer

A large body of salt water nearly or partly surrounded by land. A sea is much smaller than an ocean.

question

sea level

answer

The average level of the surface of the ocean measured along a shoreline.

question

solute

answer

A substance that is dissolved in a solution.

question

solvent

answer

A liquid substance capable of dissolving other substances

question

water budget

answer

Balance between the rates of water added and lost in an area

question

water cycle

answer

The continual movement of water among Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and land surface through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation

question

Aphotic Zone

answer

Area below the photic sone, is too deep for light to penetrate

question

Barrier Beaches

answer

long ridges of sand formed by deposit of sediments offshore

question

Benthic Zone

answer

bottom of an aquatic ecosystem; consists of sand and sediment and supports its own community of organisms

question

Benthos

answer

Bottom-dwelling organisms.

question

Brackish

answer

A mixture of freshwater and saltwater

question

Color Contrast

answer

In fish, a pattern of different colors that identify the species.

question

Continental Shelf

answer

A gently sloping, shallow area of the ocean floor that extends outward from the edge of a continent

question

Coral Reef

answer

A structure of calcite skeletons built up by coral animals in warm, shallow ocean water.

question

Disruptive Coloration

answer

color pattern that confuses the predator

question

Estuary

answer

A habitat in which the fresh water of a river meets the salt water of the ocean.

question

Intertidal Zone

answer

Portion of the shoreline that lies between the high and low tide lines

question

Mangrove Community

answer

coastal marsh covered by a thick growth of mangrove trees

question

Mud Flat Community

answer

part of the estuary environment that is characterized by dark, muddy sand and no marsh grasses

question

Neritic Zone

answer

Area of ocean that extends from the low-tide line out to the edge of the continental shelf

question

Ocean Basin

answer

The deepest part of the ocean floor; made up of rolling hills and flat plains.

question

Oceanic Zone

answer

The region of water lying over deep areas beyond the continental shelf

question

Pelagic Zone

answer

The area of the ocean past the continental shelf, with areas of open water often reaching to very great depths.

question

Photic Zone

answer

Portion of the marine biome that is shallow enough for sunlight to penetrate.

question

Rocky Coasts

answer

shores made up of solid rock; often more steep than sandy beaches

question

Salt Marsh Community

answer

wetlands; an estuary with grasses growing abundantly in shallow waters

question

Sandy Beach

answer

environment along a shore composed of sand

question

Subtidal Zone

answer

the coastal life zone that remains underwater and includes the area of heavy wave impacct and the sandy area beyond that

question

Supratidal Zone

answer

the area above the intertidal zone up to the sand dunes

question

Surf Zone

answer

The region between the breaking waves and the shore.

question

Territorial

answer

A behavior in which an animal defends a bounded physical space against encroachment by other individuals, usually of its own species.

question

Tide Pools

answer

A depression that holds seawater at low tide

question

Wetlands

answer

Ecosystems of several types in which vegetation is surrounded by stand water during part of the year

question

Zonation

answer

Prominent horizontal banding of organisms that live in a particular habitat

question

Remote Sensor

answer

Instruments that gather information on the features of the earth without being in physical contact with it.

question

Marine Geologists

answer

Study the characteristics and changes of the seafloor.

question

Scientific Method

answer

State the problem, collect relevant information from your hypothesis, test your hypothesis, record observations, tabulate results, and draw a conclusion.

question

Variable

answer

Any factor that could affect the outcome of a situation.

question

Experiment Group

answer

The group exposed to a variable.

question

Control Group

answer

The group exposed to no variable.

question

Graph

answer

Pictoral representation of data.

question

Metric System

answer

System of measurement used in science.

question

Mass

answer

Amount of matter in an object.

question

Specific Gravity

answer

The ratio of the density of a substance to the ratio of distilled water.

question

Salinity

answer

The amount of salt dissolved in water.

question

Stereoscope Microscope

answer

Binocular. Two eyepieces.

question

Electron Microscope

answer

Microscopes that use an electron beam rather than light. This beam in deflected creating data that can be displayed as an image. Some of the most powerful in the world.

question

Dissecting Microscope

answer

Microscope for larger objects... can dissect with

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