Future Of Our Seas The Ocean example essay topic

INTRODUCTION Ecology is the study of living things interacting with its environment, other species, and its own kind. Its a study of all external condition and factors, both biotic (living) and a-biotic (nonliving), that affect an organism. To carry out this study, scientists observe different ecosystems: forests, deserts, grasslands, oceans, or any kind of interaction between organisms and their surroundings, or with each other, which are called ecosystem effects. There are four components within an ecosystem. The a-biotic component, which determines the types of organisms found there, the producers, the consumers, and the de composers. These components cause continual change within the system; the exchange of materials between the living and nonliving.

All organisms living within an ecosystem are dependent on other living and nonliving organisms for survival and continued growth. Two basic kinds of processes must occur in an ecosystem: a cycling of chemical elements and a flow of energy. The flow of energy is from the external environment through a series of organisms and back to the external environment. To preserve the system, we must try to conserve the specie or manage the natural resources so that they are sustainable.

THE OCEAN The ocean is the great body of water that surrounds each continent. Covering more than 70 percent of the earths surface, it contains 97 percent of all the water on the earth and is recognized as the earths greatest single unifying system. Studies say that the sea was formed due in part of the continental drift. This theory states that the continents were once a single great mass of land surrounded with one body of ocean. The mass broke off into separate continents, slowly drifting apart. That explains why these continent can perfectly fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.

The continental drift theory was questioned, and later scientist formed a new theory called sea-floor spreading, which explained the forces that caused the continents to move. And even later, another theory was formed, called plate tectonics, which combined the two theories together. The coast is the edge of the land, the beginning of the sea, the brink of the beach, the rim of the ocean. Its the conflict between human activities and natural forces that is widespread along the open shoreline. Humans have begun to inhabit the coastline area. They find the ocean breeze to be so overwhelming that now, many live in houses along the coast.

It disrupts a delicately balanced environment and imperils the lives and property of coastal dwellers. The continental shelf belongs to the land and to the sea. It is the submerged land at the edge of the continents; the thin strip at the edge of land and the surface of the sea. The shelf begins at the shoreline and gently slopes underwater to an average depth of 430 feet, having a width averaging 47 miles. In the Arctic region it extends 750 miles, while in the Pacific region it measures only 1 mile.

It encounters the land, air, bright sunlight, grasses and trees, rain and snow, rivers and glaciers. The shelf supports every class of creature from bacteria to mammals, both inland and in the sea. The sea absorbs all changes and the sea creatures would always find regions of stability and abundance. It experiences only light, sudden extinction and replacements. The ocean has gradually accepted new types of life, but also maintained many of the old ones. All over the world sea levels rise and fall, causing disruptive changes that greatly effects its surroundings.

Nothing can really be done to stop these changes, for its all part of nature. CLIMATE The surface temperature of the sea varies depending on where it is located. Its about 28 degrees Fahrenheit near the North and 86 degrees near the equator. In the polar regions the surface seawater freezes and the water in the western tropical pacific is the warmest of them all. As the currents move in the ocean, they carry warm tropical water toward the poles. Other ocean movements bring colder, deeper water up to the surface, which lowers the surface water temperature.

The water temperature also varies with depth. The temperature falls as the depth increases. Oceans also affect the global cycling of chemical elements. They are a major storehouse of carbon. It exchanges carbon dioxide with the atmosphere, therefore, playing a major role in the rate of global warming. LIFE IN THE SEA There is an incredible variety of living things living in the ocean.

Life in the oceans is so diverse and abundant that you could find anything from a one-celled organism to the largest animal that has ever lived - the blue whale. All ocean life can be divided into groups. THE PLANKTON The plankton consists of plantlike organisms and animals that drift with the ocean currents. They are formed into two groups: the phytoplankton, and the zooplankton. The phytoplankton consists of several kinds of plantlike organisms. Algae are found mostly anywhere in the ocean.

Certain types have the ability to make their own food by photosynthesis, and others absorb nutrients from their surroundings. Algae may reproduce in more than one way. Some split into two or more parts, each part becoming a new, separate plant. Others produce spores and some reproduce sexually -cells from two different plants unite to create a new plant. Green plants are mostly found in protected areas of the continental shelf where their roots can find soil and nutrients. Diatoms and dinoflagellates are also numerous members.

Both are one-celled but the diatom lives in the colder regions while the dinoflagellate lives in the tropical regions. The zooplankton consists of many kinds of animal, ranging from one-celled organisms to jellyfish up to 6 feet wide. These animals live in surface and deep waters of the sea and must maintain a balance in body fluids and salt levels in their blood. Majority of zooplanktons are larvae, copepods and hydromedusa's. They depend primarily on the food supply, so the lack of sudden temperature changes in the water does not effect them greatly. In fact they find the change in their environment rather comfortable.

MARINE ANIMALS Marine animals are classified as microorganisms, vertebrates, and invertebrates. Bacteria, a form of microorganism is found throughout the ocean and make up much of the dissolved matter in the waters. They also help decompose the dead bodies of larger organisms. It obtains food and oxygen by means of chemosynthesis; a process in which the organism creates food using chemical nutrients as the energy source instead of sunlight. The bacteria live in cooperation with animals unique to this region, providing them with important nutrients. Animals without backbones are called invertebrates.

Lobsters and clams are probably the most numerous and diverse group. Invertebrates in the ocean range from jellyfish to worms and crabs. Vertebrates are animals with backbones. Reptiles, fish, dolphins, whales, shark, and seabirds can all be found in the sea. The body temperature of reptiles changes with the temperature of their surroundings.

Two kinds found in the ocean are the sea turtle, and the sea snake. At least 15 species of snakes are found in the tropic. There are more than 350 species of shark found in the sea. Most of these live in coastal waters and only six species favor the mid-ocean. They are most abundant in tropical and subtropical waters.

But still the three most important mammals that are truly marine are whales, porpoises, and sea cows because they must remain in the water at all times. BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Biological diversity can be understood as the variety of life on the Earth, but it consists of three components. The first component is genetic diversity, the total number of genetic characteristics. The last two are species diversity and habitat or ecosystem diversity. The most familiar level of biological diversity is species diversity, or the number of species living in a particular habitat.

It includes three concepts: species richness, evenness, and dominance. The most species-diverse marine habitats occur in the tropical waters, and among the tropical areas. We dont know how many marine species are around exactly, but we do know that there are far more species on land than in the seas. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE OCEAN The ocean is far more useful than just a place for swimming, boating, surfing, and other fun activities. It serves as a source of food, energy, and minerals, and also as the transportation route of shipping cargo. Not just that, but it also helps keep the earths climate healthful by regulating the air temperature and by supplying the moisture for rainfall.

If there was no ocean, life would not even exist on our planet. RESOURCES Humans have depended on the oceans for food, primarily fish. Humans eat about 60 percent of the fish and the rest is used for livestock feed, and processed into pet food. Seaweed is eaten because it is high in vitamins and minerals. Algae is used to thicken ice creams and puddings. Sea salt is another food item taken from the ocean.

The crystals are collected, processed, and packaged. Sea water is also desalted and used by some desert countries for drinking and irrigation. The most valuable energy resources from the ocean are petroleum and natural gas, in which 25 percent of the worlds oil and gas are deposited beneath the sea. Ocean tides also provide energy.

Tidal power facilities use the energy in the rise and fall of the tides to produce electricity. Minerals recovered in the ocean include sand, bromide, manganese, and salt. Copper, iron and zinc can be found deeper in the sea. These minerals are used in creating medicines and are used in vitamin pills. POLLUTION The ocean plays an important role in our global environment.

Although we do not live in the ocean environment, we are the ones who cause the pollution in the waters. And if pollution constantly occurs, what would become of these great masses of water Because of its great size and natural chemical processes, the ocean can absorb some pollutants, but it will not absorb it all. Each type of marine waste- synthetic chemicals, oil, marine debris, exotic species, sewage- behaves in different ways and present different threats to ocean resources. Little is known about what happens to these chemicals when they enter the water stream. But we do know that some accumulate into the tissues and organs of aquatic animals, others may be excreted. Oil spills are major factors of water pollution.

These spills seriously disrupt marine ecosystems, and the effect of these disruptions can be long-lasting. These spills are disastrous towards the water and coastlines; killing both sea and land organisms. The deliberate dumping of waste products also play a major role. It consists of everything from left over food to chemicals.

Plastics dumped into the sea dont easily break down. Organisms in the sea either eat the plastic, which blocks their digestive system, and causes starvation. They can also become entangled with them, causing them to drown. With all these problems, how do we keep the marine animals and plants from becoming extinct What kind of future will the seas have THE FUTURE OF OUR SEAS The ocean has a huge impact in our lives, and it should continue being that way. But we do need to make some changes in protecting and keeping the ocean clean.

In the past some marine animals have been thought as pests so they were eliminated. It is also human use of the coastal zone that is the most serious threat to these animals. Our coasts and nearshore islands play a vital role in their lives, and new strategies are being processed in protecting the endangered species. Steps have been taken in preserving the coastal zones, but we will have to make difficult choices. Should public access to some beaches be restricted to allow seals and sea lions an area for hauling out water and breeding Should fishermen be required to provide protection for dolphins caught in nets These are just a few questions that involve hard decision making.

Effects of pollution on these endangered species are also taken into consideration. New laws came up with the Endangered Species Act, and the Coastal Zone Management Act. But the problem is that little is done to follow through with them. I feel that the dumping of anything, either harmless or harmful, into the sea should be forbidden. This way the ocean has a better chance of staying clean.