ESS.8.2.2 Review

Why are estuaries important to the health of Earth’s oceans?

• They provide salt to the oceans.

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  They protect the oceans from storm surges.

• They act as nurseries for breeding ocean organisms.

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  They provide cold water to help maintain ocean temperatures.

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Oceans are home to some of the most diverse life on Earth including many varieties of plants. How does the ocean provide important nutrients for the development of these plants?

• The stored heat of the ocean provides nutrients to plants.

• Currents circulate and recycle nutrients that help promote plant growth.

• Oxygen in ocean water transports nutrients to plants.

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  The absorption of sunlight by water generates nutrients that promote plant growth.

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In North Carolina, the water in an estuary is shallow, which helps sunlight penetrate to the bottom. How is this beneficial?

• It promotes the growth of plants.

• It helps in the deposition of sediments.

• It reduces the salinity of the water.

• • 
    It decreases the nutrient content of the water.

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A student examines a map of a river that leads to an ocean. Four parts of the river are labeled W, X, Y, and Z.

A teacher asks the student at which location the most nutrients can be found. How should the student respond?

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  Location W; the nutrients in the ocean come from the land.

• Location X; it combines the nutrients from multiple tributaries.

• Location Y; it combines the nutrients from the river and the ocean.

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  Location Z; the nutrients in the water come from the ocean.

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Scientists examine an estuary and record an increase in the salinity of the estuary during the course of a day. Which source could cause increased salinity in the estuary?

• rivers

• runoff

• streams

• tides

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The average salinity of seawater is 35 parts per thousand (ppt). Why is the average salinity of the brackish water found in estuaries below the average for seawater?

• Higher temperatures during the summer months increase the evaporation rate of water in the estuary.

• Plant life found in estuaries has the capability of removing excess salt from the seawater.

• Freshwater from upstream mixes with ocean water at the mouth of a river, resulting in estuary water with a lower salinity.

• Storm surges during the hurricane season flood estuaries with seawater, leading to lower salinity levels.

Clams thrive in water environments that vary in salinity and are high in nutrients. Which location is ideal for clams?

• where a freshwater river empties into the ocean

• in a lake that is surrounded by rocks and plant life

• a few miles off the coast in ocean water that is shallow

• in a fast flowing river that has a high diversity of animal life

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How does access to sunlight influence the water in an estuary?

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    It increases the biological activity in the water.

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    It increases the density of the water.

• • It decreases the production of oxygen gas in the water.

• • It decreases the nutrients present in the water.

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Which statement best describes an estuary?

• An estuary is the extension of a continent located underwater.

• An estuary is land that is exposed at low tide and is underwater at high tide.

• An estuary is a partly enclosed body of water where a river meets the ocean.

• An estuary is a deep body of water that contains large animals.

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The salt in ocean water comes from all of the following except

• • eroding land.

• • melting glacial ice.

• • volcanic emissions.

• • reactions on the sea floor.