Ocean Resources

Ocean Resources

3.1.5

Objectives

Learners can:

• identify important resources provided by oceans

• describe methods used to extract resources from the ocean

• explain how human actions impact resource availability

• conservation

• natural resource

Prerequisite Vocab

• none

New Vocab

Vocabulary

Categorize

Options (2)

protecting resources for future generations

anything found in nature that living things can use

Match the vocabulary word to its definition.

Conservation

Natural Resource

Word Cloud

When you picture the ocean, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

Oceans cover over 70% of Earth's surface. The average depth of Earth's oceans is around 2 miles, with the deepest parts being nearly 7 miles deep. Within this vast expanse of water, humans are provided with numerous resources. An obvious example is food in the form of fish and other seafood. However, oceans are also important for the air you breathe, the climate, and transportation.

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Oceans

Types of Ocean Resources

Ocean fishing contributes significantly to worldwide food supplies. Millions of tons of fish are captured each year.

Fishing

Offshore oil rigs collect oil and natural gas by drilling into the ocean floor.

Oil

Ocean water contains a high amount of salt. Evaporation separates the water and salt allowing people to harvest the salt.

​​Sea Salt

The ocean provides a significant food source in the form of shellfish, such as oysters.

​​Seafood

​Ocean movements such as waves and tides provide a source of renewable energy.

Tidal Power

Match

Match the resource with the extraction method that gathers that resource.

• minerals

• tuna fish

• oil

deep-sea mining

fishing

drilling

• deep-sea mining

• fishing

• drilling

• offshore wind energy

• removing CO2 from the atmosphere

Future Uses

• offshore drilling providing coal and natural gas

• wave and tidal energy

• exploitation of fish

Current Uses

Current vs. Future Use

Multiple Choice

Which action will most likely endanger a fish species and harm ocean ecosystems?

• scuba diving

• swimming

• surfing

• overfishing

Conservation and Management

The oceans are home to an enormous amount of life. Tiny ocean plants, called phytoplankton, create the base of a food web that supports all sorts of life forms. Many of these organisms supply humans with food. Photosynthetic organisms in oceans also produce more than half of Earth's oxygen.

Unfortunately, human activity damages ocean environments. Even individuals who do not live near oceans may contribute to damaging the ocean because of waste.

Multiple Choice

Which statement best explains the challenge scientists face when studying the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

• There is not enough waste in the garbage patch to justify studying government funding.

• 
  The garbage patch has been determined to be unimportant to the ocean environment.

• 
  Scientists are unsure where in the Pacific Ocean the garbage patch is located.

• Ocean currents are constantly moving material around.