By James W. Nybakken and Steven K. Webster
Notes:
Summary:
The ocean is still the biggest mystery about Earth as it is still the most unexplored area on the planet. Although it takes up 70 percent of the planet, researchers haven't been able to fully explore these unknown depths. With so much area taken up experts assume that there is more than millions of undiscovered information that is waiting to be discovered in the ocean. Exploring hasn't gone too far in as much of the information already known is only near the shores such as the coral reefs, kelp forests and etc; with animals and plants found at different zones/levels. Plant life is different there compared to the land as they have a faster growth rate but do not live as long compared to trees or other land plant life. Many variables affect the ocean like its availability of oxygen is caused by the important roles of temperature and depth. Having different levels from the shore and surface where most marine animals that are commonly recognized seen and the deep floor bottom where there are creatures that people hadn't realized ever existed. The ocean is a mysterious place and filled with many wonders hoping to be explored one day.
Opinion:
I find it very hard to believe that the ocean hasn't been fully explored since it is takes up most of the planet. The idea that the ocean is such a mystery makes it compared to gathering information from another planet like Neptune as we don't have ANY clear idea what we will find. This probably gives researchers that itch to investigate more due to their curiosity. Experts say that more than million species is yet to be described in the ocean! What if through just exploring more of the dark depths that they stumble upon a creature believed to be extinct for more than thousands of years, the possibilities are endless for what to find! This is a big deal as we truly don't know enough about our own planet and is yet to fully understand and the idea of not knowing makes me so tempted to go explore the ocean myself!
- Researchers have studied less than 10 percent of the ocean and no more than 1 percent of the deep ocean floor.
- Experts believe that between 1 million and 10 million benthic species have yet to be described
- Life underwater has a unique hue as well as water absorbs light differently than air does.
- Phytoplankton are seasonal and vary by region. Most of the larger species the ones that turn the ocean green or brown or red when they bloom-thrive in coastal and certain equatorial areas where nutrients are abundant..
- Surface water is often barren of nutrients because the sun-loving photosynthesizers have depleted them.
- Temperature and depth play an important role because these variables control the availability of oxygen.
- Kelp forests occur in temperate coastal waters, at depths of about 30 meters.
- Certain areas of the Pacific ocean "an oxygen minimum zone" occurs between 500 and 1,000 meters below the surface. Only a few organisms are able to survive in this type of poor oxygen environments.
- These areas, many researchers have little to none study on this area and for that reason makes it interesting about all this oceanic residents.
- Not surprisingly mostly the ocean communities and creatures that researchers are aware of that are nearest to shores: coral reefs, sea-grass beds, kelp forests, coastal mangroves , salty marshes, mudflats and estuaries.
- Despite their obvious richness, marine, ecosystems have been left out of the discussion about saveing biodiversit
Summary:
The ocean is still the biggest mystery about Earth as it is still the most unexplored area on the planet. Although it takes up 70 percent of the planet, researchers haven't been able to fully explore these unknown depths. With so much area taken up experts assume that there is more than millions of undiscovered information that is waiting to be discovered in the ocean. Exploring hasn't gone too far in as much of the information already known is only near the shores such as the coral reefs, kelp forests and etc; with animals and plants found at different zones/levels. Plant life is different there compared to the land as they have a faster growth rate but do not live as long compared to trees or other land plant life. Many variables affect the ocean like its availability of oxygen is caused by the important roles of temperature and depth. Having different levels from the shore and surface where most marine animals that are commonly recognized seen and the deep floor bottom where there are creatures that people hadn't realized ever existed. The ocean is a mysterious place and filled with many wonders hoping to be explored one day.
Opinion:
I find it very hard to believe that the ocean hasn't been fully explored since it is takes up most of the planet. The idea that the ocean is such a mystery makes it compared to gathering information from another planet like Neptune as we don't have ANY clear idea what we will find. This probably gives researchers that itch to investigate more due to their curiosity. Experts say that more than million species is yet to be described in the ocean! What if through just exploring more of the dark depths that they stumble upon a creature believed to be extinct for more than thousands of years, the possibilities are endless for what to find! This is a big deal as we truly don't know enough about our own planet and is yet to fully understand and the idea of not knowing makes me so tempted to go explore the ocean myself!