Question 1

What accounts for most of the total value of world trade transported by sea?
A) passengers
B) finished goods
C) oil
D) grain

Accepted Answer

According to the International Chamber of Shipping, around 90% of the world trade is transported by sea, and around two-thirds of that total value is accounted for by oil as it is the largest traded commodity in the world.

Question 2

The growing or farming of marine plants or animals under controlled conditions is called:
A) mariculture.
B) aquaculture.
C) fish farming.
D) shrimp farming.

Accepted Answer

Aquaculture encompasses the growing or farming of both marine plants and animals under controlled conditions. Mariculture specifically refers to the cultivation of marine organisms such as fish, shellfish, and seaweed. Fish farming and shrimp farming are subsets of aquaculture, focusing on specific species.

Question 3

Which of the following statements 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.
C) They are in greater variety than minerals on land.
D) They are less expensive to recover than from land.

Accepted Answer

Resources from the sea are typically more difficult to locate and extract than those on land. This is due to factors such as the vastness of the ocean and the harsh conditions of underwater environments.

Question 4

The desalination method that is done by forcing seawater against a semi permeable membrane at high pressure is called:
A) high pressure desalination.
B) distillation.
C) freezing.
D) reverse osmosis desalination.

Accepted Answer

Reverse osmosis desalination is the method that uses a semi-permeable membrane to separate salt and other impurities from seawater under high pressure. Distillation involves heating and vaporizing seawater, while freezing involves cooling and separating the ice from the remaining brine.

Question 5

The best fishing grounds are located:
A) in the middle of the open ocean.
B) in temperate waters over continental shelves.
C) in tropical waters of the deep sea.
D) in equatorial deep waters.

Accepted Answer

The best fishing grounds are usually found in temperate waters over continental shelves as they tend to have high nutrient levels that support a diverse range of marine life, making it an ideal environment for fishing. Open ocean fishing can be quite unpredictable and may not yield as much catch as fishing over continental shelves. Tropical waters of deep sea and equatorial deep waters are not typically considered the best fishing grounds as they are not as nutrient-rich as temperate waters.

Question 6

The fastest growing alternative energy source is:
A) nuclear power.
B) coal energy.
C) wind power.
D) oil energy.

Accepted Answer

According to a report by the International Energy Agency, wind power is the fastest growing alternative energy source with a 20% growth rate in 2019. This is due to the increasing affordability and efficiency of wind turbines, as well as government support for renewable energy.

Question 7

The decline of the Easter Island population of humans was in part due to all of the following EXCEPT:
A) consumption of the wrong fish species.
B) destruction of the palm trees.
C) mismanagement of resources.
D) overuse and erosion of agricultural land.

Accepted Answer

Consumption of the wrong fish species was not a factor in the decline of the Easter Island population. The other three choices - destruction of palm trees, mismanagement of resources, and overuse and erosion of agricultural land - are all recognized factors in the population decline.

Question 8

Overall, the ocean's most valuable biological resources consist of:
A) compounds harvested for medical use.
B) cultured kelp and algae.
C) fish, crustaceans, and mollusks.
D) whales.

Accepted Answer

Fish, crustaceans, and mollusks are the most valuable biological resources in the ocean, in terms of seafood production and economic value. These resources are widely harvested for human consumption and provide a source of protein for millions of people worldwide. While compounds harvested for medical use and cultured kelp and algae have value, they do not compare to the economic and nutritional significance of seafood. Whales are no longer considered a valuable resource due to conservation efforts and bans on commercial whaling.

Question 9

The world's largest industry is:
A) tourism.
B) renewable resources.
C) commercial fishing.
D) whaling.

Accepted Answer

Tourism is the world's largest industry, generating over $7.6 trillion in 2016, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. This includes all forms of tourism, such as hospitality, transportation, attractions, and more. Renewable resources and commercial fishing are important industries, but they are not as large as tourism. Whaling is a controversial industry and is banned in many countries.

Question 10

All of the following changes in ocean conditions are expected to occur if current trends in climate change continue EXCEPT:
A) increase in anoxic zones (i.e. dead zones).
B) decrease in the pH of seawater.
C) increase in sea surface temperatures.
D) decrease in the intensity of El Nino events.

Accepted Answer

The other three choices (A, B, C) are all expected changes due to climate change. However, the intensity of El Nino events is not directly linked to climate change and there is not currently enough data to determine if this will increase or decrease in the future.

Question 11

The per capita world fish catch has changed in what way?
A) It has been climbing steadily since the 1950s.
B) It has declined drastically since the 1950s.
C) It has stayed at the level of the 1960s.
D) It has declined significantly since the 1970s.

Accepted Answer

The per capita world fish catch has declined significantly since the 1970s. This is due to overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change.

Question 12

Second to petroleum and natural gas, the most profitable resource recovered from the marine environment is:
A) gold.
B) diamonds.
C) sand and gravel.
D) coal.

Accepted Answer

Sand and gravel are used for construction purposes such as building roads and infrastructure. The demand for these resources is high, and they can be extracted relatively easily from the ocean floor. While gold and diamonds can also be found in the ocean, they are not as commonly recovered and require more complex and expensive extraction processes. Coal is primarily extracted from terrestrial sources and not as profitable to extract from the ocean.

Question 13

Minamata disease, which affected people living near Minamata Bay in Japan, was finally traced to:
A) a vitamin deficiency due to a restricted diet of rice and fish.
B) a diet including shellfish contaminated with mercury.
C) a diet including seaweeds contaminated with lead from a nearby plastics plant.
D) high levels of DDT from local rice farms.

Accepted Answer

Minamata disease was a neurological syndrome caused by consumption of fish and shellfish contaminated with methylmercury. The contamination was from industrial wastewater that was released into Minamata Bay by a local chemical factory.

Question 14

A major source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases results from:
A) the release of gases from volcanic and geothermal processes.
B) the combustion products of petroleum, coal and natural gas.
C) the production of byproducts from photosynthesis.
D) the transfer of gases from the ocean into the atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

The combustion of fossil fuels such as petroleum, coal and natural gas releases carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, increasing the overall concentration of these gases and contributing to global warming.

Question 15

Non-renewable physical resources that are extracted from the ocean and prized by humans include:
A) a variety of seafood.
B) petroleum and natural gas.
C) energy from currents.
D) pharmaceutical compounds.

Accepted Answer

Petroleum and natural gas are non-renewable physical resources that are extracted from the ocean and prized by humans.

Question 16

Greenhouse gases include all of the following EXCEPT:
A) chlorofluorocarbons.
B) methane.
C) carbon dioxide.
D) oxygen.

Accepted Answer

Oxygen is not a greenhouse gas. The other three options (A, B, and C) are all greenhouse gases.

Question 17

Global demand for oil increases by about ____ per year.
A) 2 percent
B)0.5 percent
C) 25 percent
D) 10 percent

Accepted Answer

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global demand for oil is expected to grow by an average of 1.2 million barrels per day (mb/d) each year from 2020 to 2025, which is roughly a 1.2% increase per year. However, this rate may vary from year to year due to factors such as economic growth, energy policies, and technological advancements. Over the long term, the IEA projects that global demand for oil will continue to increase due to population growth, rising incomes, and increasing energy demand from developing countries.

Question 18

About ____ of the crude oil used by humans is derived from the seabed.
A) 3/4
B) 1/2
C) 1/3
D) all

Accepted Answer

Approximately one-third of the crude oil used by humans is derived from offshore sources, meaning it is extracted from beneath the seabed.

Question 19

The most dangerous threat to the marine environment, overall, is probably:
A) human overpopulation.
B) refined oil spills.
C) solid waste and synthetic pesticides.
D) excessive greenhouse heating.

Accepted Answer

Human overpopulation is the root cause of many threats to the marine environment, including overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change. As the human population continues to grow, so does the pressure on the oceans and the species that rely on them. While refined oil spills, solid waste, synthetic pesticides, and excessive greenhouse heating are all significant threats, they are often caused or exacerbated by human overpopulation and its associated activities.

Question 20

The number of people who can inhabit a given area is in part determined by the:
A) ease at which food can be extracted from the environment.
B) amount of potable water available.
C) ability of the people to build housing.
D) amount of evaporation in the area.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The number of people who can inhabit...

Quiz 15: Uses and Abuses of the Ocean

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

The growing or farming of marine plants or animals under controlled conditions is called:

Which of the following statements applies to resources from the sea?

The desalination method that is done by forcing seawater against a semi permeable membrane at high pressure is called:

The best fishing grounds are located:

The fastest growing alternative energy source is:

The decline of the Easter Island population of humans was in part due to all of the following EXCEPT:

Overall, the ocean's most valuable biological resources consist of:

The world's largest industry is:

All of the following changes in ocean conditions are expected to occur if current trends in climate change continue EXCEPT:

The per capita world fish catch has changed in what way?

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

Minamata disease, which affected people living near Minamata Bay in Japan, was finally traced to:

A major source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases results from:

Non-renewable physical resources that are extracted from the ocean and prized by humans include:

Greenhouse gases include all of the following EXCEPT:

Global demand for oil increases by about ____ per year.

About ____ of the crude oil used by humans is derived from the seabed.

The most dangerous threat to the marine environment, overall, is probably:

The number of people who can inhabit a given area is in part determined by the: