Human Dependence on Ocean Systems

Some areas of an ocean are known as dead zones. These zones form when excess organic material decomposes. This increased decomposition uses up the oxygen from the water.

Which human activity is most affected by the increasing number of dead

zones in the ocean?

• Offshore oil drilling, because water in dead zones is toxic

• Commercial fishing, because fish cannot survive without oxygen

• Commercial shipping, because dead zones change the course of ocean currents

• Sand mining, because oxygen is not available to form the sands on ocean beaches

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NGSS.HS-LS2-7

Which of these human activities is most likely to cause the

excessive growth of phytoplankton in the world’s oceans?

• The use of chemical fertilizers that are carried by runoff into rivers

• The logging of old-growth forests, which results in erosion

• The spraying of chemical herbicides that reduce carbon dioxide in the air

• The mining of fossil fuels, which requires digging underground tunnels

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NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

Some areas of an ocean are known as dead zones. These zones form when excess organic material decomposes. This increased decomposition uses up the oxygen from the water. Which human activity is most affected by the increasing number of dead zones in the ocean?

• Offshore oil drilling, because water in dead zones is toxic

• Commercial fishing, because fish cannot survive without oxygen

• Commercial shipping, because dead zones change the course of ocean currents

• Sand mining, because oxygen is not available to form the sands on ocean beaches

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS2-6

NGSS.HS-LS2-7

A coastal area that once supported a thriving fishing industry is overfished. The number of species found living in the marine ecosystem decreases. Which of these activities is most likely to increase the natural biodiversity in the area?

• Building artificial reefs and limiting fishing activity

• Introducing non-native species to fill unoccupied habitats and banning fishing

• Building artificial reefs and increasing fishing activity

• Eliminating non-native species and encouraging fishing for large predatory fish

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Which human activity would preserve nonrenewable resources?

• Deforestation

• Recycling

• Removing carnivores from a forest

• heating homes with fossil fuels

What does biodiversity mean?

• Only one species in an area.

• The different amount of species in an area

• All abiotic life

• Nitrogen fixation

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NGSS.MS-LS2-5

Which process is responsible for carrying fertilizers that have been applied to crops into bodies of water, such as a river?

• Runoff

• Alien activity

• Oceans

• Evaporation

How can we protect the coral reef even if we don't live near it?

• Don't throw anything in the ocean

• Don't do anything

• Go diving and take fish out

• Clean the reefs with soap about twice a week

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Approximately 75 percent of the Earth's surface is covered in water. So why is water considered such a precious resource?

• The greenhouse effect is causing most of the world's freshwater to be trapped in the atmosphere

• Only a small fraction of the Earth's water is freshwater available for drinking and irrigation

• Each year, more freshwater is being trapped in icecaps located at the North and South Poles

• Global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions will likely cause Earth's oceans to evaporate

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NGSS.MS-ESS3-1

Overuse of chemical pesticides can cause damage to the soil.

• True

• False

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