Deck 18: The Ocean and The Environment

Question 1

How do the insoluble components of oil affect the ocean?

A) Prevent free diffusion of gas
B) Clog feeding structures
C) Decrease the amount of light penetrating the surface
D) All of these choices

Answer 1

D
The insoluble components are also responsible for killing many larva populations because they cannot withstand the oil pollutants. Information can be found in the section Marine Pollutants May Be Natural or Human Generated.

Question 2

Where does the largest addition of oil to the ocean come from?

A) Runoff from land and city streets
B) Spills from tankers
C) Transportation
D) Drilling platforms

Answer 2

A
There has been over 900 million liters of used motor oil added to the ocean. This is 22 times the volume of the Exxon Valdez spill. This oil is much more toxic too. Information can be found in the section Marine Pollutants May Be Natural or Human Generated.

Question 3

How do many exotic species find their way to new waters?

A) Migrations
B) Carried in the ballast water of tankers
C) Marine birds
D) Storms

Answer 3

B
Sometimes these species out-compete native species. When they enter an area, they often cause a decline in the biodiversity of the community. Information can be found in the section Marine Pollutants May Be Natural or Human Generated.

Question 4

How long does it take for many plastics to decompose?

A) 50 years
B) 100 years
C) 250 years
D) 400 years

Question 5

Who was responsible for the environmental movement?

A) Charles Darwin
B) Edward Ricketts
C) Rachel Carson
D) Jared Diamond

Question 6

What happens when corals exceed their normal temperatures for too long of a period of time?

A) Coral polyps overheat and die
B) Corals eject their zooxanthellae
C) Corals break down their shells
D) Corals increase their zooxanthallae

Question 7

What has been attributed to the deadly viral epidemic among dolphins in the western Mediterranean?

A) DDT
B) Refined oil spills
C) PCBs
D) CFCs

Question 8

Where is the most invaded region in terms of exotic species?

A) Los Angeles Harbor
B) China
C) San Francisco Bay
D) Japan

Question 9

What percentage of marine pollutants originates from human activities on land?

A) 25%
B) 50%
C) 75%
D) 90%

Question 10

What chemical is responsible for depleting the Earth's ozone at a rapid rate?

A) DDT
B) PCBs
C) CFCs
D) Carbon dioxide

Question 11

What happens to the volatile components after any oil spill?

A) They sink to the bottom sediments
B) They evaporate into the air.
C) They form balls of tar in the wave action.
D) They assimilate by organisms.

Question 12

What is a biodegradable pollutant?

A) A pollutant that is organically based
B) A pollutant that is able to be broken down into simpler compounds
C) A pollutant that is natural
D) A pollutant that does not alter the environment

Question 13

What will make people change their way of using energy and perhaps viewing the world?

A) They need to see a maximum to their material gains and the distribution of the costs.
B) There need to be laws that direct the behaviors of the people.
C) There needs to be more science conducted and presented to the masses.
D) None of these choices.

Question 14

What could happen if global warming were to continue?

A) Changes in global winds and rainfall
B) Rise in ocean temperatures
C) Decrease in dissolved gases
D) All of these choices

Question 15

What determines an organism's response to a particular pollutant?

A) The quantity of the pollutant
B) The toxicity of the pollutant
C) The persistence of the pollutant
D) All of these choices

Question 16

How long does marine life usually tend to recover from a crude oil spill?

A) 2 years
B) 5 years
C) 7 years
D) 10 years

Question 17

Why is the ozone layer important?

A) It insulates Earth.
B) It increases the temperature.
C) It protects Earth from ultraviolet rays.
D) It stabilizes the atmospheric layers.

Question 18

Why are some male fish in the ocean developing female characteristics?

A) Evolution
B) PCBs
C) Estrogen-mimicking compounds
D) Mercury

Question 19

What is hypoxia?

A) The increase of carbon dioxide in an area
B) The depletion of oxygen in an area
C) The decrease in nutrients in an area
D) The increase of nitrogen in an area

Question 20

____ is the tool to finding solutions for environmental problems.

A) Education
B) Research
C) Commissions and policies
D) Time

Question 21

The depletion of the ozone layer near the poles had a major impact on the productivity of plankton.

Question 22

Which is not a reason why a refined oil spill is more harmful?

A) The oil contains more energy potential due to additives during the refinement process.
B) There are more biologically active components remaining in refined oil.
C) The refining process removes heavier components.
D) There are components that are added to oil which are deadly.

Question 23

How are pristine conditions of the atmosphere determined?

A) Research conducted prior to the Industrial Revolution
B) Seawater samples from deep within polar ice packs
C) Sediment samples
D) coral skeletons

Question 24

Although these are all common in our atmosphere, which one is not a greenhouse gas?

A) Carbon dioxide
B) Methane
C) Nitrogen
D) Water vapor

Question 25

What is favorable news associated with global warming-perhaps one of the few advantages?

A) There will be more rainfall
B) There will be a change in terrestrial ecosystems
C) The Northwest Passage will be open
D) There will be a rise in sea level

Question 26

Human demands and pressures have surpassed Earth's ability to regenerate resources.

Question 27

What is a feasible alternative to fossil fuels that might be able to generate enough energy to meet the world's needs?

A) Methane hydrate
B) Nuclear power
C) Wind power
D) Tide power

Question 28

Which habitat is the most impacted by pollutants?

A) Estuaries
B) Intertidal zones
C) Deep-water zones
D) Coral reefs

Question 29

Globalization makes it possible for modern societies to collapse in isolation.

Question 30

The sun's radiance usually has a ____ variation.

A) 1%
B) 10%
C) 20%
D) 40%

Question 31

What is the most visible manifestation of eutrophication?

A) Hypoxia
B) Decomposition
C) Nitrogen fixation
D) Plankton bloom

Question 32

What is eutrophication?

A) A set of physical, chemical, and biological changes in an environment when there is an excessive release of nutrients in the water
B) A large plankton bloom dominated by one species
C) The removal of oxygen from the water of an area
D) The manmade changes to the environment

Question 33

Approximately 70% of discarded plastic sinks to the bottom of the ocean.

Question 34

The carrying capacity of Earth has not quite been reached yet which is why our population is able to grow.

Question 35

What is a mathematical model?

A) A model used to predict future conditions of a climate
B) A model that uses equations to describe a system's behaviors
C) A model used to predict past conditions of a climate
D) The prediction of a factor's importance

Question 36

Spills of refined oil are generally larger than those of crude oil.

Question 37

The acceptance of global energy change is difficult because fossil fuels power most of the world economies.

Question 38

Phytoplankton productivity has dropped by 9% in the last 20 years.

Question 39

The Maunder period of time in the late 1600s coincides with a period of multiple sunspots.

Question 40

As the population explodes, the proportion of resources used remains the same.

Question 41

What is the greenhouse effect? What are the gases involved in this process? What are some of the events that could happen if global warming progresses?

Question 42

There is no commercial fishing allowed in national marine sanctuaries.

Question 43

What are some of the causes and threats to humans due to? Explain the comment by National Geographic Explorer, Dr. Jared Diamond, 'the world's environmental problems will get resolved one way or another' and describe the options for resolution.

Question 44

Some pollutants are able to persist in the environment for thousands of years.

Question 45

Sodium cyanide is used to stun various species of fish and coral on reefs in order to provide these exotic species to collectors.

Question 46

Larger species of fish are not recommended for pregnant women due to high levels of iron.

Question 47

What have been some of the causes of the increased amount of oil found in the ocean? What is the largest source of additional oil?

Question 48

What is the difference between crude oil and refined oil? What effect do these differences have when spilled into the environment?

Question 49

In some cases, areas where oil spills were cleaned had communities in worse shape than in areas where an oil spill was left alone.

Question 50

What are some of the dangers corals have to face right now? What impact will global warming have on these factors?