SOUTH PACIFIC

By: Bailey Chadduck

2nd hour

DESCRIPTION

The south pacific is a large body of salt water that extends from the Antarctic region in the south to the arctic in the north.

The Pacific is the largest open body of water It occupies about a third of the surface of the globe It covers about 63.8 million square miles It has double the area and more than double the water

volume of the Atlantic ocean Is considered apart of the pelagic zone

LOCATIONS

The pacific ocean stretches from the shores of Antarctica to the Bering strait

It runs through 135 degrees of latitude and is along the longitude of 5 degrees north

This is found between the coasts of Colombia in south America and the Malay peninsula in Asia

Exact location is 0.0000 degrees south, and 160.0000 degrees west

The latitude measures 9,600 miles and the longitude measures 12,000 miles

CLIMATOGRAM

PLANTS Kelp, coral, phytoplankton, zooplankton, gulfweed, oar weed and sea

cabbage are all plants living in the south pacific Zoo Plankton- this feeds on the phytoplankton. The phytoplankton creates their own food through the process of

photosynthesis Kelp, coral, gulfweed, and sea cabbage all create their own food by using

sunlight and converting it to energy through photosynthesis. Adaptations:

Phytoplankton has reduced eating habits because when organisms die and decompose they sink to the bottom, but the plankton needs sunlight to live. So the plankton has to wait until it floats to the top to eat

Kelp has adapted to dig its roots into the rocks to keep it from drifting away in the current

Zoo plankton has adapted a flat body, and spine to keep it from sinking. It also has adapted bright colored bodies to defend against larger predators(larger fish)

ANIMALS Sea otter, yellow eyed rockfish, reef triggerfish, passer angelfish, giant

kingfish, silky shark, lagoon triggerfish, and pacific white sided dolphin, and clownfish, and phytoplankton are common.

Adaptations: Reef triggerfish eats crabs, mollusk, and algae and had to adapt by

developing blubber to insulate them from the cold, and they have antifreeze like blood.

Clownfish have adopted symbiotic relationships with the anemones to protect them and the anemone from predation

Sperm whales which eat small fish such as yellow eyed rock fish, octopus and squid. They have adapted as well as herring gulls to travel long distances, and they have adapted the ability to survive in a variety of different environment's while traveling.

Barnacles have developed mechanisms that allow them to cling to rocks where they might otherwise be easily washed away in tide pools

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT An example of endangered species is the gray whale

They are threatened by oil and gas spills, entanglement in fishing gear, and possible collisions with ships, also their feeding habitat is being targeted for food

What is being done: WWf campaigned to stop all offshore drilling platforms from being built. They are pushing for stricter environmental standards for offshore oil and

gas projects An example of an invasive species would be zebra mussels

Since being brought over they have multiplied uncontrollably and is starving out many of the great lakes native populations

They have been interfering with human structures such as factory intake pipes and ship rubbers

How we are controlling them: Governments are focusing on how to control ship ballast New regulations require ships to exchange their ballast water while still

at sea to prevent stowaways

HUMAN IMPACT One threat would be habitat destruction

This can lead to increased erosion, sedimentation, increased impact from storms, fewer nursery grounds, and fewer places for animals to live. Ex: dredging, destructive fishing, and land-based sedimentation

Ways to prevent it: Marine protected areas (MPA’s) are being put in place. These include

sanctuaries, fisheries, state conservation areas, wildlife refugees Another threat would be pollution

A few examples of this waste are raw sewage, industrial waste products. They have caused the depletion of many fish populations

What is being done: President Obama will sign a proclamation that will designate the largest

marine reserve in the world, and will give it 370,000 miles of area

VOCABULARY Coral reefs- A ridge of rock in the sea formed by the growth and

deposit of coral Pelagic zone- part of the open sea or ocean that is not near the

coast or sea floor. Ballast water- Fresh or salt water sometimes containing sediments. Tide Pools- are rocky pools on the sea shore which are filled with

sea water and sediment Phytoplankton- plankton consisting of microscopic plants

CITATION Bardach, J. (2014, March 9). Pacific Ocean. Retrieved

from http://www.britannica.com(October 7, 2014) Reseck, J. (2006, October 10). The Structures &

Adaptations to Marine Living. Retrieved from http://marinebio.org/oceans/structures-adaptations(October 8, 2014)

Henry, L. (2009, February 24). Gray Whales. Retrieved from http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/gray-whale(October 8, 2014)

Madelung, M. (2011, March 7). Marine Invasive Species -- National Geographic. Retrieved from http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/critical-issues-marine-invasive-species(October 7, 2014)