Ocean Currents and Marine Debris

What is the North Pacific Garbage Patch primarily composed of?

• Large grocery bags and drinking straws

• Chemical sludge and wood pulp

• Tiny microplastics

• Whole water bottles and toys

How does trash from inland areas typically reach the ocean?

• It is carried by strong winds directly to the ocean

• It is transported by special garbage ships

• It moves from inland to the ocean and then gets caught in ocean currents

• It is collected by coastal communities and dumped into the sea

What are ocean currents?

• Horizontal movements of air

• Rivers of energy moving in a persistent and predictable direction

• Underwater volcanoes

• Large waves caused by earthquakes

Which two factors primarily affect the density of ocean water?

• Depth and light

• Temperature and salinity

• Pressure and wind speed

• Marine life and pollution

What happens to warmer ocean water due to its lower density?

• It sinks to the bottom

• It contracts and lowers the surface

• It expands and elevates the surface slightly

• It becomes saltier

How do pressure gradients influence the movement of water in the ocean?

• They cause water to evaporate more quickly

• They force water to flow from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas

• They make water freeze more easily

• They prevent water from mixing

How do winds transfer energy to ocean water to create surface currents?

• Through chemical reactions

• By increasing water temperature directly

• Through friction as air blows across the surface

• By creating underwater pressure waves

How does the Coriolis effect influence ocean currents as they move away from the equator?

• It causes them to speed up

• It makes them flow in a straight line

• It gets stronger and bends their path

• It completely stops their movement

What causes plastic bottles in the ocean to break down into microscopic particles?

• Bacteria eating away at the plastic.

• Wind, waves, and sunlight.

• Deep ocean pressure.

• Chemical reactions with salt water.

What is the name of the large system of ocean currents that collects plastic debris in the North Pacific Ocean?

• South Atlantic Gyre

• Indian Ocean Gyre

• North Pacific Gyre

• Antarctic Circumpolar Current