Mrs. Evans: Learning Guide Oceanography Unit 7 Pollution

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1 Mrs. Evans: Learning Guide Oceanography Unit 7 Pollution Big Idea: The Ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected. The exponential growth of human populations, together with technological advances, have exacerbated changes in the ocean and atmosphere. D. Learning Targets: Be able to explain the concepts to a friend or family member who has NOT taken the class. Be able to explain your reasoning, and use evidence and pictures to support your claims. *Evaluate the influence of human activity on global climate change. D.1. D.16. D * Predict how deliberate alterations of the ocean and terrestrial topography might impact marine ecosystems. D. 7. D.9. D *Establish solutions to address the human contributions to biological and biochemical changes of ocean ecosystems. D. 11. D. 13. D. 10. D. 15. D. 17. D Activities: Ocean Trash Art Project Nat Geo Troubled Waters Oil Spill Lab Pollution Solution Will the Gulf Survive? TED Pacific Garbage Patch Dolphin Forensics

2 Pollution in California 1. A superfund site is a place that the Environmental Protection Agency has identified as one of the most contaminated areas in the United States. Where is the most highly polluted ocean superfund site in California? 2. What is the contaminant at the superfund site? 3. Who released the contaminant into the environment? 4. How did the contaminant get into the ocean? Mercury Pollution 5. How does mercury get into the bodies of fish and other ocean animals? 6. How did most of the mercury in the ocean get into the ocean? 7. What are the effects of mercury poisoning? How will it harm you? 8. Who should be careful about how much fish they eat? Why are pregnant women and small children particularly vulnerable to mercury poisoning? Fish and other sea foods are quite nutritious and good for you. They are the best sources of certain vitamins, minerals, and compounds. If you want to gain the benefits of eating seafood but reduce the risks of mercury poisoning, should you eat small fish or big fish (top of the food chain)? Why does one have less mercury than the other?

3 Bioremediation Bioremediation (What is bioremediation?) Give an example or two of bioremediation. Plastic Pollution 9. How does plastic pollution (drifting bottles, bags, etc.) harm marine organisms? #1: #2: #3: 10. The Great Garbage Patches: There is one in the middle of each gyre. The map below shows the north Pacific. Sketch the Ekman Transport (the direction that the winds are trying to push the water in). 11. The damage caused by the density of plastic Most ocean animals live and feed (A). Plastic has a (B) density than water so plastic products (C) in water, making it (D) likely that lots of animals will encounter and be harmed by them. A: at the surface of the ocean, down deep C: float, sink B: higher, lower D: more, less

4 Plastic Products: Serial Killers Plastics products typically kill ocean animals by choking or suffocating the animals. The animals cannot swallow them, because they are so strong and durable. If the plastic products are small enough to eat, the plastic will fill their stomachs, making it difficult for the animals to digest their food, again because they are so strong and durable. In what other way does the strength and durability of plastic products make them one of the most harmful ocean pollutants? Oil Pollution 12. How did most of the oil in the ocean get into the ocean? 13. What is the major way in which humans contribute to the amount of oil in the ocean? 14. Is oil biodegradable? If so, what breaks it down? If not, why is it so hard to break down? 15. Why do many people consider oil to be one of the least dangerous ocean pollutants? Under what circumstances will oil pollution be long lasting and cause the most harm? Why? (Hint: Identify the worst place for oil to get to, and explain why it takes so long for the oil to disappear from this place.) In your opinion, which is worse for the environment, a big oil spill in the center of a gyre or the garbage patch made of plastic in the center of the gyre? Why? Explain.

5 In your opinion, which is worse for the environment, a big oil spill near the coast or all the oil that leaks from our cars and gets washed into the ocean down storm drains each year? Why? Explain your reasoning. BP added dispersants to make the oil sink. Where will oil pollution probably cause the most harm, if it is at the surface of the ocean or down deep? Why? Explain your reasoning. Storm Drains, Sewage, Beach Closures, and Harmful Algae Blooms 16. How is the water coming out of sewage pipes treated before it is released into the ocean? What are we trying to remove from the water? 17. How or why can untreated sewage cause a bloom of harmful algae? 18. What is the purpose of storm drains? What benefits do they provide to us? 19. What is the most harmful substance that is in storm drain water? Who is typically harmed by it? What does the pollutant do to them? When is the worst time to go swimming in the ocean? Why is this the worst time? In other words, what is in the water and how can it harm you? If you want to go swimming anyway, how can you minimize your chances of being harmed? Besides sewage, what is the other major way that humans cause harmful algae blooms in the ocean? What is a red tide?

6 How do the algae (phytoplankton) in a red tide become toxic? a. absorb toxins from the water (toxins were dumped by humans) b. eat toxic zooplankton c. make the toxins themselves Is it safe to swim in a red tide? Why or why not? What kills the animals in a dead zone? a. Bacteria make them Sick c. Lack of Food e. Lack of Oxygen b. DDT d. Lack of Nutrients f. Mercury Poisoning What causes these conditions in the ocean? Where do the bacteria in the dead zone come from? a. live in the ocean b. live on fecal matter from sewage & storm drains c. washed out of the atmosphere by rain Invasive Species Invasive Species (What are invasive species?) How are marine invasive species typically transported from one estuary to another estuary by humans? Give several examples of how an invasive species could disrupt an ecosystem. For example, how could an invasive species harm the native inhabitants of an ecosystem? (Tahoe Goldfish?)

7 Vocabulary Pollution Pollutant Concentrated Diluted Chemical cocktails DDT PCB s Mercury Superfund Site EPA Dispersants Booms Skimmers Bioremediation Algae bloom Dead zone Invasive species Ballast