8.E.1.2 -- Earth's Oceans

Summarize evidence that Earth’s oceans are a reservoir of nutrients, minerals, dissolved gases, and life forms:

 Estuaries  Marine ecosystems  Upwelling

 Behavior of gases/marine environment  Sustainability of marine resources  Deep ocean technology and understandings gained

Students need to know

... that the ocean is a dynamic system in which many chemical, biological, and physical changes are taking place.

... that estuaries are areas where fresh and saltwater mix, producing variations in salinity and high biological activity.

... that from the seashore to the deepest depths, oceans are home to some of the most diverse life on Earth.

... in the ocean there are many individual food chains overlapping and intersecting to form complex food webs.

... how winds have a powerful effect on the oceans and are an important force in creating ocean currents.

... that seawater has many different gases dissolved in it, especially nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide.

... why carbon dioxide is one of the most important gases that dissolve in the ocean.

... that the ocean is one of Earth's most valuable natural resources.

... hat the deep ocean has long been of interest to scientists.

Students need to know