University of Phoenix Material
The Oceans and Atmosphere Worksheet
Prepare a 50- to 75-word response to each of the following questions using the assigned readings for Week 4. Your responses will be assessed according to the accuracy of the content.
Oceans
Question
Response
What is the composition of seawater?
Almost anything can be found in seawater. This includes dissolved materials from Earth's crust as well as materials released from organisms. The most important components of seawater that influence life forms are salinity, temperature, dissolved gases (mostly oxygen and carbon dioxide), nutrients, and ph. Each of these is discussed below along with how it varies (or does not vary) and its influence on marine life.
http://www.marinebio.net/marinescience/02ocean/swcomposition.htm
What are the three major layers (zones) found in the ocean? Describe each layer briefly.
Epipelagic Zone - The surface layer of the ocean is known as the epipelagic zone and extends from the surface to 200 meters (656 feet). It is also known as the sunlight zone because this is where most of the visible light exists. With the light come heat. This heat is responsible for the wide range of temperatures that occur in this zone.
Mesopelagic Zone - Below the epipelagic zone is the mesopelagic zone, extending from 200 meters (656 feet) to 1000 meters (3281 feet). The mesopelagic zone is sometimes referred to as the twilight zone or the midwater zone. The light that penetrates to this depth is extremely faint. It is in this zone that we begin to see the twinkling lights of bioluminescent creatures. A great diversity of strange and bizarre fishes can be found here.
Bathypelagic Zone - The next layer is called the bathypelagic zone. It is sometimes referred to as the midnight zone or the dark zone. This zone extends from 1000 meters (3281 feet) down to 4000 meters (13,124 feet). Here the only visible light is that produced by the creatures themselves. The water...