Problem 1
Assume someone brings several water samples to your laboratory. His problem is that the labels are incomplete. He knows samples \(A\) and \(B\) are from the Atlantic Ocean and that one came from near the equator and the other from near the Tropic of Cancer. But, he does not know which one is which. He has a similar problem with samples \(\mathrm{C}\) and \(\mathrm{D}\). One is from the Red Sea and the other is from the Baltic Sea. Applying your knowledge of ocean salinity, how would you identify the location of each sample? How were you able to figure this out?
Problem 2
You are swimming in the open ocean near the equator. The thermocline in this location is about \(1^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) per 50 meters of depth. If the sea surface temperature is \(24^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\), how deep must you dive before you encounter a water temperature of \(19^{\circ} \mathrm{C} ?\)
Problem 5
Tropical environments on land are well known for their abundant life- rainforests are an example. By contrast, biological productivity in tropical oceans is meager. Why is this the case?
Problem 7
A storm near the coast produces sediment-rich runoff that causes water in the euphotic zone to become cloudy. Describe how this would affect the (a) plankton, (b) nekton, and (c) benthos.
Problem 9
How might the removal of the top carnivore affect a food web? How would the removal of the primary producer affect the food web? Which change would be more significant than the other?
