Deck 11: Uses and Abuses of the Ocean

Question 1

Second to petroleum and natural gas, the most profitable physical resource recovered from the marine environment is .

A) precious metals
B) diamonds
C) sand and gravel
D) coal

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Resources are allocated by systems of .

A) economic checks and balances
B) production, distribution, and consumption of goods
C) individuals, businesses, and governments
D) free-market economies

Answer 2

A

Question 3

A(n) resource is one that is naturally replaced by biological or physical processes.

A) nonrenewable
B) renewable
C) domestic
D) unsustainable

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which statement applies to resources from the sea?

A) They are easier to recover than from the land.
B) They are more difficult to locate and extract than resources on land.
C) They are in greater variety than minerals on land.
D) They are less expensive to recover than from land.

Question 5

The largest known reservoir of hydrocarbons on Earth is .

A) oil
B) coal
C) petroleum
D) methane hydrate

Question 6

Which of the following statements is FALSE concerning bycatch?

A) Bycatch are animals unintentionally killed while fishing for other species.
B) Bycatch sometimes greatly exceeds the target catch.
C) Bottom trawling is one of the methods that results in a lot of bycatch.
D) Bycatch are commonly used for food as well.

Question 7

One  economical drawback of tidal power is that it .

A) emits an abundance of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
B) requires a  high initial infrastructure investment
C) emits particulate matter into the atmosphere
D) requires a  high cost to operate tidal generators

Question 8

An example of a fishing technique that is particularly disruptive is .

A) hook and line
B) bottom trawling
C) fly fishing
D) spear fishing

Question 9

How has the average per capita world fish catch changed over the last several decades?

A) It has been climbing steadily since the 1950s.
B) After declining in the 1960s, it has increased sharply since 1970.
C) It has stayed at 1960 levels.
D) It increased steadily to about 1970, and then declined.

Question 10

What is the fastest-growing alternative power source to oil?

A) geothermal
B) solar
C) wind
D) waves, currents, and tides

Question 11

The maximum of each species that can be caught without impairing future populations of that species is called the .

A) maximum sustainable yield
B) annual catch
C) maximum global landing
D) unsustainable yield

Question 12

The leading country that harvests the most commercial marine catch is (the) .

A) United States
B) Russia
C) Indonesia
D) China

Question 13

The method of desalination in which seawater is forced against a semipermeable membrane at high pressure is called .

A) reverse osmosis
B) distillation
C) reverse diffusion
D) hydrostatic filtration

Question 14

What is potable water?

A) water suitable for drinking
B) high-salinity water
C) nutrient-rich water
D) water in a swift current

Question 15

The farming of marine organisms for human use is called .

A) nonextractive resource harvesting
B) trawling
C) piscaculture
D) mariculture

Question 16

Physical resources that are extracted from the ocean and are useful to humans include .

A) fish
B) petroleum and natural gas
C) heat derived from the motion of the ocean
D) compounds used for medicine

Question 17

About % of worldwide stocks of tuna, cod, and other large ocean fishes have disappeared in the last 50 years.

A) 10
B) 30
C) 60
D) 90

Question 18

How can "fracking" negatively impact the environment?

A) It can increase the potential of seismic activity.
B) It can increase fish populations resulting in the decline of important kelp forests.
C) It can decrease pH levels in localized waters, thus increasing ocean acidity.
D) It can increase flooding in farming communities.

Question 19

Aquaculture has been beneficial in enhancing productivity, but may have negative effects by .

A) increasing damage to structures from wind and wave energy in submerged pens
B) concentrating farmed fish waste through open-ocean systems
C) reducing the genetic diversity of wild fish from escapes
D) increases the amount of wasted feed by moderating the number of farmed fish in each pen

Question 20

What marine resource is the result from the deposition, precipitation, or accumulation of useful substances in the ocean or seabed?

A) marine resource
B) biological resource
C) physical resource
D) nonextractive resource

Question 21

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises women of childbearing age and children to completely avoid some kinds of fish because of contamination.

A) bacterial
B) mercury
C) petroleum
D) plastics

Question 22

Pollutants vary in their persistence , which means some .

A) reside in the environment for thousands of years, whereas others last for only a few minutes
B) are toxic to organisms in tiny concentrations
C) may seem harmless, but could be very deadly to distant species
D) may interfere directly or indirectly to marine populations

Question 23

Methods to contain and clean up an oil spill .

A) are  most efficient if begun within 24 hours of the disaster
B) cost less today than they did 20 years ago
C) sometimes cause more damage than the oil itself
D) are  best when the oil is dispersed by chemicals sprayed on the ocean surface

Question 24

What accounts for most of the total value of world trade transported by sea?

A) aluminum ore
B) finished goods
C) oil
D) grain

Question 25

The effects of pollution on habitats hit the most.

A) sandy and rocky shores
B) coral reefs and mangrove swamps
C) bays and estuaries
D) estuaries and coral reefs

Question 26

Pollutants that can be broken down by natural processes into simpler compounds are described as .

A) hermatypic
B) sustainable
C) renewable
D) biodegradable

Question 27

What property of plastic enables it to accumulate in ocean gyres?

A) It releases toxins as it decays.
B) It absorbs carbon dioxide before photosynthetic organisms can get any.
C) It blocks sunlight from penetrating into the ocean.
D) It isn't biodegradable.

Question 28

What is the main source of oil that reaches the ocean?

A) offshore drilling leaks
B) runoff from city streets and dumping of waste oil
C) improper nearshore refining methods
D) oil tanker spills

Question 29

A 2014 NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center study reminds us that .

A) by increasing the per-capita depletion of nature, a collapse in civilization can be avoided
B) Earth's natural replacement capacity is well below its total possible capacity
C) civilizations are not permanent
D) nature has a way of maintaining equilibrium on its own, thus allowing civilization to thrive indefinitely

Question 30

The melting of Arctic ice has .

A) forced ships to pass through the Panama canal
B) made it possible for ships to take different trade routes
C) raised sea levels resulting in closure of major ports
D) had no effect on the shipping industry

Question 31

The effect of has led to the decline of calcium-forming phytoplankton as well as coral reef polyps.

A) pollution
B) a warming ocean
C) increased sedimentation rates
D) ocean acidification

Question 32

What is the purpose of marine protected areas?

A) to reduce erosion of the seafloor
B) to provide safe havens for marine life
C) to shield the shoreline from crashing waves
D) to designate zones for recreation and tourism

Question 33

As a result of the increased size of cargo ships, many ships .

A) have decreased the number of trips they make across the Atlantic Ocean
B) can no longer pass through the Panama Canal
C) cannot unload their cargo in a timely manner at busy ports
D) have increased their travel time and have not seen an increase in profits

Question 34

Eutrophication is caused by .

A) rising ocean temperatures
B) the increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide
C) the release of excess nutrients
D) overfishing

Question 35

Why can introduced species be problematic?

A) They sometimes outcompete native species and reduce biological diversity.
B) They consistently find it difficult to survive.
C) They can reduce demand for native seafood.
D) They often produce toxins dangerous to humans.

Question 36

What involves the introduction into the ocean by humans of substances or energy that changes the quality of the water or affects the physical, chemical, or biological environment?

A) sustainability
B) marine pollution
C) nonextractive resource use
D) mariculture

Question 37

Chlorinated hydrocarbons are .

A) toxic compounds used in pesticides and industrial solvents that cause problems in some areas of the ocean
B) created by chemosynthetic bacteria in the ocean
C) a physical resource extracted along with petroleum
D) important nutrients for some species of phytoplankton

Question 38

An example of a nonextractive resource provided by the ocean is .

A) transportation
B) crabs
C) oil
D) manganese nodules

Question 39

The process by which toxic substances can be concentrated in the flesh of organisms at higher trophic levels is called .

A) biomagnification
B) natural selection
C) trophic concentration
D) consumer distillation

Question 40

Why are bays and estuaries especially sensitive to pollution?

A) The water is stagnant.
B) Fresh water can be polluted more easily.
C) Few bacteria are present to aid with biodegradation of pollutants.
D) Pollution flows out with river water or is released directly by industry in busy ports.

Question 41

We have used more natural resources since 1955 than in all of recorded human history up to that time.

Question 42

Though desalination is a theoretically attractive method for obtaining fresh water from seawater, no large commercial facilities for desalination exist.

Question 43

What happens in the example of the "Tragedy of the Commons"?

A) A shared resource is depleted by individuals who maximize their own gains.
B) An abundant resource is lost because it is not very valuable.
C) Individuals are not allowed to use a public resource.
D) One person ruins a shared resource by refusing to cooperate.

Question 44

If it weren't for the greenhouse effect, Earth's average atmospheric temperature would be .

A) below the freezing point of water
B) a couple degrees cooler than it is today
C) about the same as it is today
D) above the boiling point of water

Question 45

Crude oil is biodegradable.

Question 46

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide causes Earth's climate to warm by strengthening .

A) primary productivity
B) the greenhouse effect
C) ocean currents
D) incoming sunlight

Question 47

The fishing industry is careful to conserve fisheries and not exceed the maximum sustainable yield.

Question 48

Harbors have grown larger with more of their areas filled with docks and storage facilities.

Question 49

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are regions in which human activity is restricted to protect the natural environment.

Question 50

Seawater is an important source of table salt.

Question 51

Ocean-related leisure pursuits, including sport fishing, surfing, diving, day cruising, sunbathing, dining in seaside restaurants, and just plain relaxing contribute to the economy.

Question 52

How is sea ice in the Arctic Ocean responding to global warming?

A) It is shrinking significantly.
B) It has not yet responded, but may in the future.
C) It has disappeared completely.
D) It has grown slightly because of the cold water released by melting ice in Greenland.

Question 53

Wind is the world's fastest-growing power source.

Question 54

Pollutants can have negative influences on organisms by interfering with biochemical processes.

Question 55

The average per capita world fish catch has increased significantly since 1972.

Question 56

Generally speaking, a spill of crude oil is more dangerous to marine life than a spill of refined oil.

Question 57

Foreign organisms, called introduced species, have been known to be beneficial to native species by sharing food and space.

Question 58

In addition to melting of glacial ice, why does sea level rise in a warming world?

A) Seawater expands slightly as it warms.
B) Currents shift to push water onto coastlines.
C) Rainfall increases over the ocean.
D) Land that had been covered by glacial ice floods.

Question 59

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today is higher than it has been in at least 400,000 years.

Question 60

In some ways, an overambitious cleanup of a crude oil spill can be counterproductive.

Question 61

Currently, what are the main sources of marine pollution? How can these be reduced or eradicated in the future?

Question 62

Analysis of some areas that were affected by oil spills have shown that cleaned areas were in worse shape than areas left alone. How can this be and what do these studies tell us about the way we approach oil spills?

Question 63

How can introduced species disrupt natural ecosystems?

Question 64

Why can nutrients be considered pollutants in some situations?

Question 65

What is "fracking" and what impact does it have on the environment?

Question 66

With a human population of over 7 billion, what is the importance of understanding the maximum sustainable yields of fisheries?

Question 67

If the levels of synthetic organic chemicals are very low in seawater, then how is chlorinated hydrocarbons found in dolphins at dangerous levels?

Question 68

What is one of the suggestions to solve the world's environmental problems?

Question 69

Explain how human emissions of carbon dioxide cause Earth's climate to warm.

Question 70

Why are plastics a more serious threat than oil spills, and how are they harmful to marine mammals and seabirds?