Deep Blue Sea Study Guide Description: This event will test students knowledge about the geography and flora and faun in the Gulf of Mexico. Number of Participants: 2 Approximate time: 20 minutes The Competition: On part I the contestants will view pictures abd answer questions relating to identifying members of the following areas: Ocean flora (algae, kelp, etc) Ocean fauna (mammals, mollusks, fish etc) Ocean vessels and equipment used in exploring (diving bells, submersibles, diving gear, etc) On part II contestants will respond to a series of questions relating to the following topics. Physical features (trenches, seamounts) Phenomena (waves, tides, currents, etc) Geography The team earning the highest score wins.
Test Bank Which of these is the continental shelf? A, A B. B C. C D. D What is the most important ocean current to our region? a. South Equatorial b. North Equatorial c. Gulf Stream d. Canary During the afternoon, the results in a breeze blowing the shore. Because the ground heats faster than water, this results in slightly cooler temperatures along the immediate coast when compared to inland areas. a. seabreeze, toward b. landbreeze, toward c. seabreeze, away from d. landbreeze, away from
Insert the word in the proper spot. Some words may be used more than once, while others are not used at all. The following is a list of words from which to choose: sun, moon, earth, semi-diurnal tides, neap tides, diurnal tides, spring tides. Tides are a result of the gravitational pull of the (a) on the (b). This is because the (c) is closer to the (d) than the (e). When little difference is seen between high and low tides, (f) are said to occur. Meanwhile, when gravitational effects are maximized, (g) occur. a. moon b. earth c. moon d. earth e. sun f. neap tides g. spring tides Some coastal locations experience one tide cycle daily, while others experience two. Those that experience two tide cycles are said to have what kind of tides? a. Neap tides b. Diurnal tides c. Spring tides d. Semi-diurnal tides El Niño events occur when the Equatorial Countercurrent strengthens and waters off the coast of Peru. Across our part of the United States, this produces a weather pattern which typically brings us and conditions. a. warms, cooler, drier b. warms, cooler, wetter c. cools, warmer, drier d. cools, cooler, wetter Which river begins in Minnesota and ends in the Gulf of Mexico? a. Colorado River b. Mississippi River c. Ohio River d. Missouri River
Which U.S. states touch the Gulf of Mexico? Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama What is the deepest part of the Gulf of Mexico? Sigsbee Deep What connects the Gulf of Mexico with the Atlantic Ocean? Yucatan Strait What is the Gulf of Mexico dead zone? The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone is a large region of water that is very low in oxygen, and therefore can't support life. What is the region called that borders the Gulf of Mexico? Gulf coastal plain a. Leatherback b. Green c. Loggerhead d. Ks ridley e. Hawksbill f. All five (Answers may be used multiple times)
Sea Turtles of the Gulf of Mexico 1. Primary food sea grasses and algae 2. Females return to sandy shores to nest 3. Adults found exclusively in Gulf of Mexico 4. Only one pair of prefrontal scales 5. Most endangered 6. Largest and fastest 7. Laid 195 nests on the Texas coast in 2008 8. Source of tortoiseshell jewelry 9. Large head, brownish color, heart-shaped carapace 10. Appendages modified as flippers As currents flow down the continental slope, they pick up and carry sediments and deposit them just below the continental slope. These sediments accumulate (gather) to form the large, gentle slope of the. Continental rise The Major Cause of Tides is the moon's gravity large fish sun s gravity ocean plains The steep drop from the continental shelf to the ocean floor is called. continental slope west wind drift continental drift Gulf Stream Great rivers of water that move through the ocean are called. whitecaps currents tides waves What is the name of the gentle slope at the edge of a continent. Continental shelf
Marine organisms are dependent on the in the ocean water for survival. dissolved gases This affects the mixing of ocean waters and the plant and animal populations in certain parts of the ocean. It also affect navigation routes. Currents What do we call the large, flat ocean land? Abyssal Plain What is the name given to the steep drop off in the ocean floor. The Continental Slope Ocean currents, including the Gulf Stream, are caused by &. the wind patterns the amount of sunlight the differences in water densities the salinity of the water Phytoplankton produce much of the Earth s _oxygen and serve as the base of the ocean _ecosystem and flourish in areas where _nutrient rich water upwells from the deep. Most ocean currents originate from the. equator The ocean movement caused by the gravitational pull of the moon. tides The ocean movement caused by wind on the surface is known as. Waves What two things impact the salinity of the ocean? rates of evaporation the types of marine life living there runoff from nearby land current of the ocean Only specially adapted animals can survive at the bottom of the
gulf because a. the pressure there is very great b. the water is warm there c. fishermen use special nets there d. the sunlight is very bright there When you go to the beach & step into the water, you are standing on the a. continental plain b. continental slope c. continental shelf d. continental drift As the depth of the gulf s water increases, what increases with it? Light Pressure Temperature If you travel from the top of the gulf to the gulf floor does the amount of light increase or decrease? Decreases If you travel from the top of the gulf waters to the gulf s floor does the temperature get colder or hotter? Colder Sea Cucumber
phytoplankton zooplankton Red Algae
Fucus (wracks) Kelp Sargassum muticum Wireweed
Copepod Diatom Barnacles
Clown fish water flea logger head sea turtle
Crown-of-Thorns Starfish Octocoral Polyps (Seawhips or fans)
Atoll osprey squid
jellyfish Pelican Kingfisher
Amenome
Sponge Plover
krill Tiger shark Stone Crab
Blue Crab lobster eel
sea snake bottlenose dolphin
killer whale Whale shark Red Snapper
Killifish Sea otter
Leafy Sea Dragon Sea horse
Blue fin tuna Weedy Sea Dragon Anchovy
Mackerel Blue Marlin Alligator gar
sailfish bathyscaophe
Diving bell Deep Sea Diving Suit
Scuba Suit Self contained underwater breathing apparatus, or SCUBA, Isis ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle)
Submarine