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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Lebensstil
- Sprache: Englisch
Dive deep to explore the ocean From how most of our oxygen is created by phytoplankton, to how currents control our climate, to the marine food chain and the importance of coral, this is the holy grail of ocean books that's easy for everyone to digest. It features fun facts about some of the most incredible, bizarre, and fascinating creatures in the ocean, from mantis shrimp that can strike things with the speed of a .22 caliber bullet to fish with clear heads that can see out of the top of their skulls. The ocean is full of wonders and there is still so much left to explore and understand. * How our oceans work * What creatures live in the ocean * Find out how the ocean regulates our climate and weather patterns * How growing pollution threatens our ocean and its inhabitants Oceans For Dummies is perfect for anyone with an interest in the ocean, including kids, adults, students, ocean lovers, surfers, fishermen, conservationists, sailors, and everyone in between.
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Oceans For Dummies®
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2020951792
ISBN 978-1-119-65443-8 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-65444-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-65445-2 (ebk)
Oceans For Dummies®
To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Oceans For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1: Getting Started with Your Ocean Voyage
Chapter 1: Brushing Up on Ocean Fundamentals
Taking a Nickel Tour of the Ocean(s)
Going with the Flow: The Physical Properties of the Ocean
Meeting the Ocean’s Inhabitants
Exploring the Complex and Evolving Human-Ocean Relationship
Chapter 2: Appreciating the Ocean’s Many Gifts
Supplying Over Half of the World’s Oxygen
Playing a Key Role in Regulating Climate and Weather
Producing Protein for Billions of People
Contributing Trillions to the Global Economy
Serving as a Source of Mystery and Wonder
Chapter 3: Looking Back at the Ocean’s History (and Prehistory)
Discovering How the Ocean Got Its Start
Tracing the Evolution of Ocean Life
Taking the Earth’s Present Evolutionary Pulse
Looking Ahead: What’s in Store for the Ocean’s Future?
Part 2: Finding Your Way Around
Chapter 4: Mapping the Ocean by Zones
Dividing the Ocean into Three Horizontal Zones
Exploring the Five Vertical Zones of the Water Column
Acknowledging the Existence of Other Zones
Chapter 5: Checking Out the Neighborhoods: The Ocean’s Ecosystems
Hugging the Shore
Swimming through Kelp Forests
Swirling in Sargasso: A Sea without Borders
Grazing in the Seagrass Meadows
Building Their Own Communities: Reefs
Chilling Out at the Poles
Living Under Extreme Conditions: Deep Ocean Ecosystems
Moving Out and About: Migratory Species
Chapter 6: Taking a Deeper Dive: Beneath the Ocean
Grasping the Basics of Plate Tectonics
Tracing the Contours of the Seafloor
Chipping Away at Ocean Rock and Sediment
Checking Out Deep-Sea Cores
Part 3: Sampling the Vast Diversity of Sea Life
Chapter 7: Getting to Know the Mighty Microbes
Meeting the Marine Microbes
Recognizing the Importance of Microbes
Looking at the Relationship between Microbes and Plankton
Chapter 8: Sorting Out Algae, Seaweed, and Other Aquatic Vegetation
All You Need to Know about Algae, and Then Some
Shoring Up the Shoreline with Mangroves
Not Your Typical Lawn: Seagrass
Checking Out What’s Growing in the Salt Marshes
Chapter 9: Getting the Lowdown on Simple Invertebrates
Sponges and Other Holy Creatures: The Porifera
Jellyfish, Anemones, and Other Notable Cnidarians
Ctenophora (Comb Jellies)
Starfish, Urchins, and Other Famous Echinoderms
Squirmy Wormies: The Annelids
Chapter 10: Getting Mushy over Mollusks
Meet the Mother of All Mollusks
Gastropods: Putting Their One Foot Forward
Bivalves: Parts One and Two
Cephalopods: Head and Tentacles Above the Rest
Chapter 11: Wearing Their Skeletons on the Outside: Crustaceans
What Makes a Crustacean a Crustacean?
The Shrimpy Crustaceans: Branchiopoda
Real Softies: Malacostraca (Soft-Shell Crustaceans)
A New Twist on Putting Your Foot in Your Mouth: Maxillopoda
Crustacean Cave Dwellers: The Remipedia
Ostracoda
What about Horseshoe Crabs?
Chapter 12: Getting Chummy with Fish: Bony and Otherwise
Look Ma, No Jaw! Agnatha
Look Pa, No Bones! Chondrichthyes
Check Out the Bones! Osteichthyes
Chapter 13: Meeting a Few Marine Reptiles
Everybody’s Favorite: Sea Turtles
Will the Real Sea Serpent Please Slither Forward?
The Only Lizard to Make the Cut: Marine Iguanas
Saltwater Crocodiles
Chapter 14: Bird Watching in and Near the Ocean
Knowing What Makes a Bird a Shorebird or a Seabird
Flying Way Below the Radar: Penguins
Going Loony
Courting Grebes
Tubular, Dude! Albatross, Petrels, Shearwaters, and Fulmars
Pelicans and Other Pelecaniformes
Phaethontidae — Tropicbirds
Sea Ducks and Geese: The Saltwater Variety
A Curious Mix: The Charadriiformes
Ospreys, Herons, Flamingos, and Other Seaside Attractions
Chapter 15: Getting Warm and Fuzzy with Marine Mammals
What Makes Marine Mammals So Special?
Getting Acquainted with the Cetaceans: Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises
Swimming with the Sirenians: Manatees and Dugongs
Seals, Walruses, and Other Pinnipeds
Stepping Out with the Marine Fissipeds
Part 4: Grasping Basic Ocean Physics
Chapter 16: Following the Ocean in Motion
Meeting the World’s Largest Wave Machine
Upwelling and Downwelling in the Water Column
Riding the Currents: The Ocean’s Global Conveyor Belt
Knowing Where the Winds Blow
Going Round and Round with Gyres
Following the Ups and Downs of Sea Levels
Chapter 17: Driving Climate and Weather
Understanding the Ocean’s Role in Climate and Weather
Letting Off Some Steam
Understanding Climate Change and Global Warming
Part 5: Understanding the Human-Ocean Connection
Chapter 18: Taking a Quick Dip into the History of Underwater Exploration
Getting to the Bottom of Things
Setting Up Shop in Underwater Research Stations
Checking Out Other Ocean Monitoring Gadgets and Technologies
Chapter 19: Tapping the Ocean’s Resources: The Blue Economy
Supplying the World’s Seafood Diet
Tapping the Sea as a Source for Fresh Water
Shipping Goods ‘Round the World
Digging Up Gold, Diamonds, and Other Valuables: Deep-Sea Mining
Harnessing the Ocean’s Energy Resources
Discovering New Medications
Capitalizing on Tourism and Recreation
Accounting for a Few Ancillary Ocean Benefits
Chapter 20: Governing the Ocean: Treaties, Laws, Agreements, and Enforcement
Recognizing the Two Systems of Law That Govern the Seas
Establishing Sovereign and International Jurisdictions
Policing the Ocean and Enforcing the Laws
Chapter 21: Taking Care of the Ocean That Takes Care of Us
Keeping Tabs on Ocean Health
Zeroing in on the Problems
Coming Up with Solutions
Part 6: The Part of Tens
Chapter 22: Ten Deadly Ocean Creatures
Saltwater Crocodiles
Fugu Fish
Killer Whales
Blue-Ringed Octopus
Sea Snake
Stone Fish
Sharks (But Not All of Them)
Cone Snails
Box Jellyfish
Humans
Chapter 23: Ten Ocean Myths Busted
Melting Sea Ice Increases Sea Levels
Sharks Must Swim Constantly to Survive
Some Penguins Can Fly
Salt Water Kills Bacteria
Seawater Is Just Salty Water
Waterspouts Are Tornadoes Over Water
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Is a Solid Mat of Plastic
All Jellies Can Sting Humans
The Ocean Is Blue Because It Reflects the Color of the Sky
Nothing Lives in the Middle of the Ocean
Chapter 24: Ten Ways You Can Help Preserve the Ocean
Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Steer Clear of Plastics
Make Sustainable Seafood Choices
Use Ocean-Friendly Sunscreen
Don’t Buy Products That Exploit Marine Life
Vote for the Ocean with an Environmental Conscience
Defend Your Drain: Use Natural Products
Protect Your Local Watershed
Make It a Family Affair
Join and Support Ocean Conservation Organizations
Index
About the Authors
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 12
TABLE 12-1 Gauging the Risk of Death from Shark Attack
List of Illustrations
Chapter 1
FIGURE 1-1: The ocean’s five “oceans.”
FIGURE 1-2: The hydrologic (water) cycle.
Chapter 3
FIGURE 3-1: Trilobite fossil.
FIGURE 3-2: Artist rendering of a Pikaia with a jellyfish.
FIGURE 3-3: Artist rendition of a sea scorpion (eurypterid).
FIGURE 3-4: Modern Day Nautilus, which is still surprisingly similar to what th...
FIGURE 3-5: An average, everyday plesiosaur.
FIGURE 3-6: Fish catch in the Florida Keys 1957.
FIGURE 3-7: Fish catch in the Florida Keys 1980s.
FIGURE 3-8: Fish catch in the Florida Keys 2007.
Chapter 4
FIGURE 4-1: The ocean’s horizontal zones.
FIGURE 4-2: The ocean’s vertical zones.
FIGURE 4-3: Plankton.
FIGURE 4-4: Sea turtle.
FIGURE 4-5: Tuna.
FIGURE 4-6: Swordfish.
FIGURE 4-7: Ctenophores.
FIGURE 4-8: The gulper eel; say ahh!
FIGURE 4-9: Dumbo Octopus; isn’t she (or he) cute?
FIGURE 4-10: The tripod fish.
FIGURE 4-11: Viperfish
(Chauliodus sloani)
— look at those teeth!!!
FIGURE 4-12: A sea cucumber.
FIGURE 4-13: Tube worms.
Chapter 5
FIGURE 5-1: The innkeeper worm.
FIGURE 5-2: Terminal bullethead parrotfish headed in for a bite of coral.
FIGURE 5-3: A collection of large and small barnacles.
FIGURE 5-4: Chiton clinging to rocks.
FIGURE 5-5: An estuarine crocodile (a.k.a. saltwater crocodile).
FIGURE 5-6: This small mangrove cluster off the coast of Saudi Arabia already s...
FIGURE 5-7: Shafts of light stream down through the canopy of a kelp forest off...
FIGURE 5-8 Weedy sea dragon off the southern coast of Australia.
FIGURE 5-9: Too cute — mother and baby sea otter.
FIGURE 5-10: The sargassum anglerfish.
FIGURE 5-11: Manatee and calf.
FIGURE 5-12: Each oval structure houses an individual coral polyp.
FIGURE 5-13: Coral reefs like this one off the coast of Saudi Arabia are rich i...
FIGURE 5-14: Ashlan in Antarctica in front of Mount Erebus.
FIGURE 5-15: Philippe in the Arctic with a boat trapped in sea ice behind him.
FIGURE 5-16: A black smoker community comprised of giant red tubeworms and hund...
Chapter 6
FIGURE 6-1: Earth’s crust rides atop the upper mantle.
FIGURE 6-2: Three types of tectonic plate boundaries.
FIGURE 6-3: Topographical features of the seafloor.
Chapter 7
FIGURE 7-1: A variety of ocean bacteria.
FIGURE 7-2: The deep-sea coral,
Chrysogorgia
, under regular white light (left) ...
FIGURE 7-3: A sample energy pyramid.
FIGURE 7-4: A sample marine food chain.
FIGURE 7-5: A sample marine food web.
FIGURE 7-6: A close-up of the head of an arrow worm
(Sagitta)
.
FIGURE 7-7: A copepod with eggs.
FIGURE 7-8: Octopus larva — isn’t it cute? You can clearly see that this is a l...
Chapter 8
FIGURE 8-1: Kelp attached to the seafloor by its holdfast.
FIGURE 8-2: Various types of algae in a tidal pool.
FIGURE 8-3: Wagon wheel diatom — a real beauty!
FIGURE 8-4: Beach littered with dead fish and other sea creatures after a HAB.
FIGURE 8-5: Prop roots in action.
FIGURE 8-6: Seagrass.
FIGURE 8-7: A salt marsh.
Chapter 9
FIGURE 9-1: Water and nutrients flow through a sponge.
FIGURE 9-2: Yellow calcareous sponges with a diamondback tritonia nudibranch in...
FIGURE 9-3: A large barrel sponge with a rock hind grouper sitting inside.
FIGURE 9-4: A delicate glass sponge.
FIGURE 9-5: Radial versus bilateral symmetry.
FIGURE 9-6: A Portuguese man o’ war.
FIGURE 9-7: A clownfish makes itself at home in a sea anemone.
FIGURE 9-8: The underside of a sea star showing its tubed feet.
FIGURE 9-9: Brittle stars.
FIGURE 9-10: Sea urchin and sand dollar.
FIGURE 9-11: A feather star perched on a sea fan and a sea lily photographed in...
FIGURE 9-12: A sea cucumber.
FIGURE 9-13: Christmas tree worms.
Chapter 10
FIGURE 10-1: The hypothetical ancestral mollusc (HAM).
FIGURE 10-2: An abalone.
FIGURE 10-3: A queen conch.
FIGURE 10-4: A cone snail.
FIGURE 10-5: A limpet grazing on algae; notice the scoured rock behind it where...
FIGURE 10-6: A small gallery of nudibranchs.
FIGURE 10-7: A giant clam.
FIGURE 10-8: A scallop has “eyes.”
FIGURE 10-9: An octopus.
FIGURE 10-10: Squid hatching from clusters of eggs.
FIGURE 10-11: A flamboyant cuttlefish.
FIGURE 10-12: A nautilus.
Chapter 11
FIGURE 11-1: A female water flea carrying eggs.
FIGURE 11-2: Leptostraca.
FIGURE 11-3: A mantis shrimp.
FIGURE 11-4: A giant isopod.
FIGURE 11-5: Krill with phytoplankton clearly visibly in its stomach.
FIGURE 11-6: A red night shrimp.
FIGURE 11-7: An American lobster.
FIGURE 11-8: A hermit crab.
FIGURE 11-9: Philippe holding a coconut crab.
FIGURE 11-10: A copepod.
FIGURE 11-11: A horseshoe crab.
Chapter 12
FIGURE 12-1: A lamprey’s mouth.
FIGURE 12-2: The largest fish in the sea, the whale shark, followed by a diver ...
FIGURE 12-3: The bull shark — salt water, fresh water, no problem. (This photo ...
FIGURE 12-4: The mako shark is known for its speed and athleticism.
FIGURE 12-5: A lone great hammerhead shark.
FIGURE 12-6: Schooling hammerheads.
FIGURE 12-7: The great white shark.
FIGURE 12-8: A group of stingrays.
FIGURE 12-9: A manta ray, sometimes called a devil ray.
FIGURE 12-10: A male skate.
FIGURE 12-11: A long-nosed chimaera.
FIGURE 12-12: Ray-finned and lobe-finned fish compared.
FIGURE 12-13: A sunfish.
FIGURE 12-14: A striped marlin feeding on a bait ball.
FIGURE 12-15: A female anglerfish — notice its “fishing pole” appendage is angl...
FIGURE 12-16: Seahorses are the cutest critters, and pygmy seahorses are the cu...
FIGURE 12-17: Mr. Mom, the jawfish, incubating the fertilized eggs.
FIGURE 12-18: Ashlan and a Nassau grouper.
FIGURE 12-19: Gombessa, the local name for the South African coelacanth.
Chapter 13
FIGURE 13-1: An adult leatherback.
FIGURE 13-2: A green sea turtle.
FIGURE 13-3: A hawksbill.
FIGURE 13-4: A loggerhead with a small fish sheltering from predators underneat...
FIGURE 13-5: A Kemp’s ridley makes its way back to sea.
FIGURE 13-6: A baby green sea turtle.
FIGURE 13-7: Turtle with boat scars; fortunately, this one survived.
FIGURE 13-8: A banded sea krait pretending to be a sea snake.
FIGURE 13-9: A marine iguana sunning on rocks.
FIGURE 13-10: A saltwater crocodile.
Chapter 14
FIGURE 14-1: Emperor penguins with chicks.
FIGURE 14-2: Galápagos penguin.
FIGURE 14-3: An albatross.
FIGURE 14-4: Snow petrel in flight.
FIGURE 14-5: Two pelicans roosting in a tree.
FIGURE 14-6: Pelicans diving for their prey.
FIGURE 14-7: A male great frigate bird puffing out its signature red throat.
FIGURE 14-8: This blue-footed booby is doing a mating dance.
FIGURE 14-9: A double-crested cormorant drying its wings.
FIGURE 14-10: A red-billed tropicbird.
FIGURE 14-11: A tufted puffin.
FIGURE 14-12: Godwits.
FIGURE 14-13: An oystercatcher.
FIGURE 14-14: Two nesting ospreys.
FIGURE 14-15: A heron.
FIGURE 14-16: Flamingo.
Chapter 15
FIGURE 15-1: A humpback whale feeding with baleen visible.
FIGURE 15-2: Crabeater seal baring its teeth.
FIGURE 15-3: A blue whale, the largest-ever animal on Earth.
FIGURE 15-4: A mother and calf humpback whale in Hawaii. (Photo taken during re...
FIGURE 15-5: A proud mother gray whale “presenting” her baby.
FIGURE 15-6: A sperm whale.
FIGURE 15-7: A pair of common bottlenose dolphins.
FIGURE 15-8: An orca.
FIGURE 15-9: A pod of narwhals — the unicorns of the sea.
FIGURE 15-10: A pod of belugas.
FIGURE 15-11: Our friend Jamal Galves feeding a rescued orphaned baby manatee.
FIGURE 15-12: Ashlan in Antarctica with Weddell seals in the background.
FIGURE 15-13: The leopard seal, apex predator of Antarctica.
FIGURE 15-14: Sea lions in British Columbia playfully biting Ashlan’s head duri...
FIGURE 15-15: A walrus on sea ice.
FIGURE 15-16: A solitary polar bear on sea ice.
FIGURE 15-17: A sea otter preening its fur.
Chapter 16
FIGURE 16-1: Wave motion versus water motion.
FIGURE 16-2: Types of breakers.
FIGURE 16-3: The Earth-Moon system’s center of mass.
FIGURE 16-4: The moon’s gravitation forces pull Earth toward the moon.
FIGURE 16-5: Earth’s centrifugal force pulls it in the opposite direction of th...
FIGURE 16-6: Fluid water flows toward the points closest to and farthest from t...
FIGURE 16-7: Water bulges on the side closest to and farthest from the moon.
FIGURE 16-8: Spring tide and neap tide.
FIGURE 16-9: Upwelling.
FIGURE 16-10: The global conveyor belt.
FIGURE 16-11: Three circulation cells.
FIGURE 16-12: The Coriolis effect.
FIGURE 16-13: Three prevailing wind bands in each hemisphere.
FIGURE 16-14: Gyres.
FIGURE 16-15: Global mean sea level change from 1880 to 2020.
Chapter 17
FIGURE 17-1: Formation of a tropical cyclone.
FIGURE 17-2: Seasonal shift of the ITCZ.
FIGURE 17-3: El Niño reverses course.
FIGURE 17-4: The mechanics of global warming.
Chapter 18
FIGURE 18-1: Diver Terry Rioux in a copper Navy Mark V dive suit circa 1970s. T...
FIGURE 18-2: Philippe Jr. in a modern hard helmet “hazmat” diving suit diving i...
FIGURE 18-3: A vintage double-hose regulator.
FIGURE 18-4: Philippe Sr.’s crew on expedition in the arctic. Jan (center botto...
FIGURE 18-5: A full-size replica of the Bathysphere at Mystic Seaport Aquarium....
FIGURE 18-6: Alvin on a deep-sea dive.
FIGURE 18-7: An ROV.
FIGURE 18-8: SeaLab II.
FIGURE 18-9: A NOAA DART buoy.
Chapter 19
FIGURE 19-1: Reefs, seagrass meadows, and mangroves provide a buffer against st...
Chapter 21
FIGURE 21-1: Antarctic sea ice. Just one example of the beauty and majesty of t...
FIGURE 21-2: Ashlan and Philippe Cousteau after slogging through a trash-litter...
FIGURE 21-3: Microplastics found in 1 square meter (3 square feet) of beach in ...
FIGURE 21-4: Philippe Cousteau kneeling on a beach covered in oil from the BP D...
FIGURE 21-5: Graph of global fisheries’ decline.
FIGURE 21-6: A healthy deep-sea ecosystem before trawling (a) versus after traw...
FIGURE 21-7: A lionfish.
FIGURE 21-8: A coral reef before and after a bleaching event. Notice that after...
FIGURE 21-9: Ashlan and Philippe learn from youth leading an oyster restoration...
Chapter 22
FIGURE 22-1: Blue-ringed octopus.
FIGURE 22-2: A stone fish.
FIGURE 22-3: A tiger shark.
FIGURE 22-4: A box jellyfish.
Guide
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Table of Contents
Begin Reading
Index
About the Authors
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Introduction
The ocean covers about 71 percent of our planet’s surface, contains about 97 percent of its water, is home to more than 90 percent of its living species, produces more than 60 percent of the oxygen on our planet, carries 90 percent of all cargo shipped between countries, produces enough protein to feed a billion people, contributes trillions of dollars to the global economy, regulates the climate, produces weather systems, provides us with all sorts of fun and interesting activities, inspires us, and so much more. Despite all this, we went ahead and totally dissed the ocean by calling our planet Earth … yeah, Earth as in land, ground, dirt. Wouldn’t it have been much more appropriate to call it something like Planet Ocean, or maybe Oceanus, after the son of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaia (Earth)? We certainly think so.
But, nobody asked us, did they?
So, to help reconcile this slight in some small way, Philippe and I decided to write a book about the ocean and plaster its name all over the cover. We want everyone to know how truly amazing the ocean is and to share our fascination with it and its many crazy, astonishing, extraordinary, and sometimes creepy inhabitants. Our purpose in writing this book is to introduce generations of readers, including you, to the ocean from various perspectives — geophysics, biology, meteorology, ecology, economics, and more — in a fun and engaging way, so you can gain a broad understanding of what the ocean is all about without dozing off in the process.
As lifelong ocean explorers, we felt like this kind of primer on all things ocean, fun enough for the ocean novice but thorough enough for the ocean expert, was missing in the market. So, to plug that gap, we wrote this book and packed it chock full of photographs and illustrations because, well, words alone don’t do the ocean justice, and because we’re fortunate to have generous friends who are some of the most amazing photographers in the world and were willing to give us access to their archives.
Perhaps even more important is that we want to convey the vital role the ocean plays in humanity’s survival; even if you live in the middle of the desert, the ocean still affects you and your quality of life. Unfortunately, the ocean is taking the brunt of humanity’s ecological abuses, which spells trouble for all of us. The good news is that each and every one of us has the power to save it. By working together to stop and perhaps even reverse the damage we’ve caused while optimizing our use of the ocean’s vast resources, we can return the ocean to abundance. Our intent isn’t to be Debbie or Danny Downer. Our goal is to have fun, engage you, and maybe even recruit you to join the cause of loving and protecting the sea.
So, tighten up your swimsuit, strap on your scuba gear, and get ready to dive into what we feel is the most fun and fascinating of topics, the ocean.
About This Book
Welcome to Oceans For Dummies. In this book, we serve as your personal tour guides to Earth’s watery wonderland. We lead you on a journey from shore to open ocean and from surface to seafloor, examining the ocean from multiple perspectives — its history, biology, ecology, economy, and much more. Along the way, we hope to expand your appreciation and general understanding of the ocean and its inhabitants. We also hope to increase your awareness of the opportunity to interact with the ocean in mutually beneficial ways, so we can all enjoy its vast resources while preserving it for future generations.
To make the content more accessible, we divided it into the following six parts:
Part 1
, “Getting Started with Your Ocean Voyage,” touches on key topics covered throughout the book, highlights the many ways the ocean enhances our lives, and traces the origin of the ocean and the evolution of marine life (yeah, all that in three short chapters).
Part 2
, “Finding Your Way Around,” divides the ocean into zones and
ecosystems
(communities of interdependent marine organisms) and takes a deep dive to the seafloor to scope out what’s on, in, and below it — you may be surprised.
Part 3
, “Sampling the Vast Diversity of Sea Life,” consumes a vast majority of the book because, frankly, it’s the topic we find most fun and fascinating. Here, you meet shrimp that can smash open aquarium tanks with their bare knuckles; the brainy octopus, which can twist the lid off a jar using its suction-cupped grip (very handy in the kitchen); the largest creature on the planet,
ever,
which feeds on the smallest of prey; and numerous other creepy, freaky, and awesome characters.
Part 4
, “Grasping Basic Ocean Physics,” looks at the ocean as a part of an integrated system comprised of water, land, atmosphere, the sun, the moon, and certain physical forces that make Earth what it is. In this context, we explain how water, heat, and nutrients are circulated around the ocean and around the globe and how the ocean helps to regulate climate and drive weather.
Part 5
, “Understanding the Human-Ocean Connection,” focuses on the many ways the ocean benefits our lives, how the exploitation of its resources are governed, and how we humans need to transition our relationship with the ocean from one of dependence to interdependence to fully enjoy its benefits while preserving its health. In this part, we also dip into the topic of ocean exploration — showcasing the innovations and technologies that have driven its development over the last couple hundred years.
Part 6
, “The Part of Tens,” features three “top ten lists” — the ten deadliest sea creatures, ten ocean myths we bust wide open, and ten easy ways you can help to preserve the ocean for future generations.
In short, this book serves as your guide to almost everything about the ocean in a fun and accessible way. And while some of these subjects deserve an entire book for themselves (hello, nudibranchs!), we worked hard to find the balance between breadth and depth.
Foolish Assumptions
All assumptions are foolish, and we’re always reluctant to make them, but to keep this book focused on the right audience and ensure that it delivers the information and insight you need to grasp a topic as broad as the ocean, we had to make the following foolish assumptions about you:
You’re curious about the ocean and eager to discover more about it.
You’re mostly interested in marine life, such as turtles, sharks, and dolphins and ecosystems, such as coral reefs and kelp forests.
You’re concerned about the health of the ocean, and you want to find out more about what can be done, what’s being done, and what you can do to help the ocean thrive.
Other than those three foolish assumptions, we can honestly say that we can’t assume much more about you. For all we know, you could be a precocious 4-year old or a spirited octogenarian, you may be a student, a white collar or blue collar worker, a housewife or househusband, a doctor, a lawyer, a plumber or a construction worker. You could be living on an island, a coast, deep in the Amazon jungle, or on a farm in the middle of Iowa. Regardless of your demographic, we applaud your interest in the ocean and your eagerness to expand your knowledge and understanding of Earth’s most precious blue gem.
Icons Used in This Book
Throughout this book, icons in the margins highlight certain types of valuable information that call out for your attention. Here are the icons you’ll encounter and a brief description of each.
We want you to remember everything you read in this book, but if you can’t quite do that, then remember the important points flagged with this icon.
The ocean is full of surprises both entertaining and mind blowing, and we don’t want you to miss any of them, so we use this Fun Fact icon to flag every single one.
We don’t advise you to do anything very dangerous in this book so you won’t bump into many of these warning icons. In fact, we even try to alleviate any fears you may have about potentially dangerous marine creatures like big bad sharks (ooohhh), jellyfish, and sea snakes. Most of what you read in the news and see in the movies is way overblown. However, we did have a couple opportunities to use this icon, so watch out for it.
Beyond the Book
In addition to the ocean of information and insight we provide in this book, you have access to even more help and information online at Dummies.com, including a Cheat Sheet that serves as a quick reference guide to this book. We also posted a list of our ten favorite sea creatures — a bonus item that truly goes “beyond the book.” To access the Cheat Sheet, go to www.dummies.com and search for “Oceans For Dummies Cheat Sheet.”
Where to Go from Here
You’re certainly welcome to read this book from cover to cover, but we wrote it in a way that facilitates skipping around. For a quick cruise around the ocean, turn to Chapter 1. To find out how the ocean formed and how marine life evolved (how the ocean as we know it came to be), head to Chapter 3. To scope out different areas of the ocean, head to Part 2, where we divide the ocean into zones and ecosystems and check out the seafloor.
All chapters in Part 3 are required reading, but feel free to just flip through them at your leisure to look at all the pretty pictures. Words just can’t capture the beauty of the ocean and the creatures that call it home as well as photos can. Chapter 21 is also required reading. One of the primary reasons we wrote this book is to recruit you to join our mission to save the ocean — one of the world’s most precious resources. In Chapter 24, we provide a menu of easy ways you can help.
Other than that, you’re pretty much on your own to explore at your own pace and as your curiosity leads you. Enjoy!
Part 1
Getting Started with Your Ocean Voyage
IN THIS PART …
Take a quick primer on ocean fundamentals — from dividing the ocean into oceans (plural) and getting up to speed on the water cycle to engaging in a quick meet-and-greet with the ocean’s inhabitants.
Take inventory of the various ways the ocean contributes to our health and happiness, not to mention our very existence.
Discover how the ocean and oceans formed and how life on Earth may have begun.
Trace the evolution of marine life from the Paleozoic to the Cenozoic era and everything in between.
Look ahead to find out what the future of the ocean might look like.
Chapter 1
Brushing Up on Ocean Fundamentals
IN THIS CHAPTER
Getting a big-picture view of the ocean and related bodies of water
Wrapping your brain around the water cycle
Sampling the vast diversity of ocean life
Building a mutually beneficial relationship with the ocean
Before you dive into any large or complex topic, you’re wise to step back and look at the big picture. A general understanding provides a framework on which to hang the details. In this chapter, we provide that framework, establishing a context for understanding the many facets of the ocean and how they all fit together.
We start by introducing you to the ocean and breaking it down into its five “oceans.” Then, we get into a few topics in the realm of physical oceanography — the water cycle, the shapes of the ocean basins, meteorology, and other properties and processes that explain what makes the ocean tick from a physical standpoint. We then introduce you to the various groups of life-forms that populate the ocean — plants, animals, and beings that fit in neither (or both) categories. Finally, we wrap things up with a discussion of the ocean’s current state and the human-ocean relationship — the benefits we gain from the ocean and our responsibilities as environmental stewards in protecting and preserving it.
Get ready for a wild ride. In this chapter, we cover a lot of ground, not to mention all that water!
Taking a Nickel Tour of the Ocean(s)
The ocean is big. How big? Well, it covers about 360 million square kilometers (140 million square miles), which is just a smidgen more than 70 percent of Earth’s surface. Volume-wise it contains approximately 1.3 billion cubic kilometers (321 million cubic miles) of water — that translates to about 352 quintillion gallons, which accounts for about 97 percent of Earth’s water. In terms of living space, the ocean comprises about 99 percent of the biosphere — all land, water, and atmosphere where life on Earth exists.
Because it’s so big, people have developed all sorts of ways to slice and dice it to better understand and describe the different areas that make it up.
Dividing the ocean into oceans … or not
Earth has only one ocean, which is why we will refer to it as the ocean (singular) throughout this book. Geographically, it’s divided into four or five oceans, depending on who’s doing the dividing. Prior to the year 2000, text books recognized four oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic. Sometime around the year 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization designated a fifth ocean the Southern Ocean — a band that wraps around the world from the coast of Antarctica to 60 degrees south latitude (see Figure 1-1). Here’s a brief description of each of the five oceans, in order of size, because, well, size matters.
Pacific Ocean:
The largest of the five “oceans,” the Pacific stretches from the Arctic to the Southern Ocean and from east of Asia and Australia to the Americas. It covers more area than all the land on Earth combined and is more than double the surface area of the Atlantic Ocean. It also wins the deepest point in the ocean contest with the Mariana Trench, which is nearly 11 kilometers (about 7 miles) deep.
Atlantic Ocean:
This next largest ocean lies between the Americas and the continents of Europe and Africa. It’s home to the Bermuda Triangle, the Sargasso Sea, the Gulf Stream, and the hurricanes that rattle the Caribbean Islands and the southern and eastern coasts of the U.S. The North Atlantic is
by far
the most thoroughly explored, best understood, and most heavily fished of the five “oceans.”
Indian Ocean:
Nestled between Africa (to the west) and Australia (to the east) and between Asia (to the north) and the Southern Ocean (below it), the Indian Ocean ranks third in surface area but first in warmth.
Southern Ocean:
The Southern Ocean is relatively small, but its average depth is greater than the average depth of any of the other four oceans — four to five kilometers (2.5 to 3 miles) deep! It’s best known for its strong, sustained easterly winds, its huge waves (due to the strong, sustained winds), and its frigid environment; during its winter, nearly the entire surface of the Southern Ocean is frozen. It’s also home to the world’s largest ocean current — the Antarctic Circumpolar Current — and it is chock full of nutrients.
Arctic Ocean:
Surrounding the North Pole and bordering the northern edges of North America, Asia, and Europe is the Arctic Ocean. Most of it is located within the Arctic Circle, from the North Pole down to about 70 degrees northern latitude. It’s the smallest and shallowest of the five “oceans,” and for most of the year, most of its surface area consists of ice 1 to 10 meters (3 to 33 feet) thick. The Arctic Ocean is best known for its wildlife (including polar bears, whales, and seals) and for its natural resources (primarily oil).
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
FIGURE 1-1: The ocean’s five “oceans.”
Recognizing the ocean zones
Oceanographers have divided the ocean into zones to better understand and describe the physical characteristics of the ocean, the ecosystems (biological communities) in each zone, and the inhabitants of those ecosystems. Zoning can be simple, such as dividing the ocean into two zones — photic and aphotic:
Photic (light):
The top 200-meter (650-foot) layer of the ocean through which enough light penetrates enabling photosynthesis to occur. (
Photosynthesis
is the process of using the sun’s energy to produce food from carbon dioxide and water.)
Aphotic (dark):
The part of the ocean from 200 meters down to the bottom, where it’s totally dark.
Another simple zoning system involves dividing the ocean into pelagic and benthic layers:
Pelagic (top):
The water above the ocean floor.
Benthic (bottom):
The seafloor and the thick layer of sediments below the seafloor.
In Chapter 4, we cover two more-detailed approaches to zoning the ocean — one that divides it into five horizontal layers (like layers of a cake) based on depth, and another that divides it into three vertical zones from coast to open ocean.
Dropping in on the different ecosystems
An ecosystem is a biological community of organisms interacting with their physical environment as a whole. Think of it as a mostly self-contained, self-reliant neighborhood with a diverse population. Land-based ecosystems include grasslands, deserts, rainforests, and wetlands. Common marine ecosystems include coral reefs, estuaries (where fresh water and salt water mix), kelp (seaweed) beds and forests, mudflats, rocky shores, sandy shores, seagrass meadows, and more. Lesser known ecosystems develop near the bottom of the deep sea and include communities that form around hydrothermal vents (which spew hot, mineral-rich water that some bacteria feed on), whale falls (literally, dead whales that sink to the bottom), and cold seeps (where methane gas is released that some bacteria and archaea feed on).
What’s so fascinating about ecosystems is that the community of residents that live within them evolved together, adapting to the unique conditions of a particular place as well as each other. In Chapter 5, we explore numerous marine ecosystems and introduce you to the plants, animals, and other organisms typically found in each.
Going with the Flow: The Physical Properties of the Ocean
Even without all the wonderful living organisms that call it home, the ocean is amazing. In fact, it is very much like a living thing itself; it breathes, it moves, it’s constantly changing, and it interacts with everything around it — land, water, and air. It plays a huge role in controlling Earth’s climate and making the weather, and it distributes heat and nutrients around the globe, making the entire world more habitable for every living thing.
In this section, we get physical by focusing on the salt in seawater, the various processes that maintain a steady flow of water around the world, and the interactions among land, sea, and air.
Getting up to speed on the water cycle
While plants and animals have life cycles, water has a life cycle of its own. Following the rule of “what goes up must come down,” the life cycle of water, commonly referred to as the hydrologic cycle, describes the way water travels around the globe from ocean to air to land and back again to the ocean (see Figure 1-2).
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
FIGURE 1-2: The hydrologic (water) cycle.
Water is a wonderous element which can take on three different states of being. It can exist in a solid state (ice), a liquid form (water), or a gaseous state (steam), in which it evaporates and becomes vapor (humidity). When humid air is cooled, the water forms droplets and falls back to the earth as precipitation — in either liquid form (as rain) or in solid form (as snow or hail).
Knowing what makes seawater salty
Why are most lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams all freshwater, whereas the ocean is salty? Mostly because of the water cycle. Most of the salt in the ocean comes from freshwater rivers and runoff from land. As the water moves over the land and rocks and through the earth, it picks up minute traces of salt and other minerals, which it then carries to and deposits in the ocean.
When water evaporates from the ocean, the salt remains, while the water vapor either precipitates over the ocean or is carried over and deposited as precipitation on land, where it washes more minerals into the ocean. This process “quickly” (that is, on a geological time scale) increased the concentration of salt in seawater to the level at which it is today — on average about 3.5 percent.
Investigating variations in salt concentrations
Because water evaporates faster from some parts of the ocean than others and rainfall and river discharge to the ocean isn’t uniform around the globe, certain parts of the ocean are saltier than others. For example, salinity in the Red Sea ranges from 36 ppt (parts per thousand) to 41 ppt (about 3.6 to 4.1 percent). In the Mediterranean Sea, surface waters average 38 ppt but can approach 40 ppt in the extreme western parts. Saltwater taffy, anyone?
Salinity also fluctuates in certain areas of the ocean. For example, in polar regions, the salinity of water near the surface increases as ice forms, leaving much of the salt behind. As the ice melts, salinity decreases due to the influx of fresh water. Likewise, in coastal areas, salinity is lower in areas where freshwater from rivers and streams enters the ocean. When the salinity dips below about 30 ppt, the water is often called brackish.
Realizing that sea water is more than just salty water
The recipe for cookin’ up a batch of seawater might seem quite simple: Start with 1 gallon (about 4 liters) of water, add about 4 tablespoons (60 grams) salt, and shake till dissolved. However, seawater is more complex than mere salt and water — it contains a very large number of chemical elements and compounds, including dissolved organic materials, particulates, and dissolved gasses, including oxygen. (Marine mammals can’t breathe the gasses dissolved in seawater, but apparently the crew of the movie The Abyss can.)
Don’t worry, we’re not going to deliver a lecture on the chemical composition of seawater, but knowing that seawater is more than just salty water is important for when we get into discussions about certain issues related to preserving the ocean’s health, such as climate change and ocean acidification (see Chapter 21).
Checking out what’s at the bottom of the ocean (and below)
At the bottom of the ocean is a landscape that’s as varied as what you see above the ocean, complete with plains, ridges (mountain ranges), seamounts (mountains), hills, canyons, trenches (valleys), cliffs, volcanoes, hydrothermal vents (underwater geysers), and even rivers and massive “waterfalls” of sand and sediment that you do indeed want to go chasing.
The shape of the ocean floor (as well as all land) is largely determined by a process called plate tectonics — the bumping, grinding, and separating of tectonic plates (massive sections of rock that form Earth’s crust). These plates ride atop a semi-liquid layer of molten rock (imagine heating a rock till it melts — that’s HOT). Convection currents in the molten rock move the plates at three to five centimeters (one to two inches) per year. (See Chapter 6 for more about plate tectonics.)
Plate tectonics are also responsible for creating most tsunamis. Whenever land shifts at the bottom of the ocean or an underwater volcano erupts, the resulting displacement of water can send a wave thousands of miles across the ocean in a matter of only a few hours. (See Chapter 16 for more about waves and tsunamis.)
Riding waves, tides, and currents
Ocean water is constantly in motion thanks to a variety of forces, including the rotation of Earth; the gravitational fields of the sun, Earth, and moon; wind; and variations in the temperature and salinity of ocean water.
On a cosmic scale, the interaction of the Earth’s, moon’s, and sun’s gravitational forces cause tides that move water toward and away from coastlines once or, more often, twice daily.
At the ocean’s surface, wind, along with other forces (including Earth’s rotation and variations in water temperature and salinity) drive the formation of large rotating waters called gyres that generally spin clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. (And no, this has no effect on the direction water swirls down your bathtub drain.)
Below the surface, differences in water density drive currents. Near the poles, when water freezes at the surface, it leaves behind its salt. This colder, saltier water near the surface is denser than the warmer, fresher water below it, so it dives down, hits the seafloor, and heads toward the equator. As this cold water moves down and away from the poles, warmer surface water rushes in toward the poles to replace it, resulting in a continuous current that transports water, heat, and nutrients around the globe. This process is called thermohaline circulation, and the resulting system of currents is called the global ocean conveyor belt. It is one of the many reasons the poles are so important. They literally drive our entire ocean system, supporting marine life (and seafood) all around the globe.
See Chapter 16 for more about waves, tides, currents, and gyres and how water, heat, and nutrients are circulated around the world via ocean currents.
Recognizing the ocean’s role in climate control and weather
The ocean plays a critical role in keeping our planet at a steady temperature as it transports heat (and energy) around the globe. Of course, it’s not that simple, and the ocean doesn’t do this all by itself; it works together with the atmosphere and land to create our climate and influence the ever-changing weather patterns:
Climate:
The prevailing weather over a long period of time (usually more than 30 years), such as tropical (warm and wet), desert (hot dry), polar (cold and dry), and temperate (neither extremely hot nor extremely cold).
Weather:
Atmospheric conditions over a short period of time in respect to temperature, sunshine, storms, wind, and precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, hail).
The impact of the ocean on weather is most dramatic when the ocean releases some of its energy in the form of a tropical cyclone (a hurricane, cyclone, or typhoon). See Chapter 17 for more about how the ocean influences climate and weather.
Meeting the Ocean’s Inhabitants
The ocean is teeming with life, from coastline to open ocean and from surface to seafloor. These living beings can be broken down into six groups (technically known as kingdoms) — Plants, Animals, Protists, Fungi, Archaebacteria, and Eubacteria. In this book, we break them into three groups — microbes (generally too small to see with the naked eye), plants (and other organisms that require sunlight for energy and growth), and animals. Each of these groups can be broken down further; for example, the animal kingdom includes simple invertebrates (such as sponges and jellies), mollusks (such as snails and clams), crustaceans (such as crabs and lobsters), fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
In this section, we cover the bare bones of taxonomy — the classification system used to assign organisms to specific groups — and introduce you to the groups of organisms we cover in Part 3.
Recognizing strength in numbers: Marine microorganisms
Microorganisms are (mostly) life-forms too small to see with the naked eye. Many of these are smaller than the cells that make up our bodies, but what they lack in size, they more than make up for in numbers. The ocean is home to an estimated 44 octillion microbes — more than all the stars in the known universe. Perhaps more amazing is that microbes comprise somewhere between 90 and 98 percent of the marine biomass (the total mass of all marine life)! These microorganisms can be broken down into four groups:
Viruses
are infectious agents that invade cells and use them to replicate. They’re not even classified as living beings (
burn!
).
Bacteria
are single-celled organisms that have a cell wall but no
nucleus
(a container for most of the cell’s genetic material) or
organelles
(specialized structures in a cell that perform various functions).
Protists
are single-celled organisms equipped with a nucleus and organelles. They’re not animals, plants, or fungi, but some are similar to plants in that they perform photosynthesis, some are similar to animals in that they move around and eat stuff, and some are more of a cross between the two — moving around, eating stuff,
and
performing photosynthesis.
Fungi
are single-celled or multicelled organisms that feed on organic matter. They include yeasts, molds, mushrooms, and toadstools.
Microorganisms are a vital component of oceans. They serve as producers, making food for consumers at the bottom of food chains, and they serve as decomposers, breaking down animal waste into chemicals that can be reused. See Chapter 7 for more about microbes and the important roles they play.
Going green with marine plants and plant-like organisms
Oceans aren’t exactly known for their floral arrangements, but they do have a few recognizable plants and plenty of other important photosynthetic microorganisms that provide food, oxygen, and habitats for other marine organisms. Here’s a list of some of the more notable marine plants and photosynthetic organisms covered in Chapter 8:
Phytoplankton
are single-celled photosynthetic organisms sometimes described as “floating plants.” Most are single-cell algae (micro-algae), but phytoplankton also include a type of photosynthetic bacteria called
cyanobacteria
.
Macro-algae
are several species of macroscopic, multicellular marine algae commonly referred to as “seaweed.” They look like plants and can be very large, but they have no vascular system for distributing nutrients. All the cells that make up the seaweed absorb liquids and nutrients from the surrounding water.
Seagrass
is a plant, complete with a vascular system, leaves, roots, and
rhizomes
(just like lawn grass); they’re pollinated under water, and they produce seeds.
Mangroves
are highly salt-tolerant trees and shrubs that grow along shorelines in tropical locations. In addition to providing food, shelter, and breeding areas for other marine organisms, mangroves play an important role in protecting and even building land.
Zooxanthellae:
Pronounced zo-uh-zan-
thel
-ee, these are single-celled photosynthetic organisms that live inside the cells of many marine animals, including coral polyps and some jellyfish, nudibranchs (sea slugs), and sponges, providing them with food in exchange for a place to live.
Grouping the ocean’s animals
Although microbes and plants play a vital role in keeping the ocean clean and fed, they don’t draw the crowds. The stars of the show are the animals, and the cast of marine creatures is truly incredible.
Unfortunately, this book can’t possibly cover all the amazing creatures that inhabit the ocean, so what we’ve done is break them down into taxonomic groups and subgroups, describe the common traits of each group, and then present one or more representatives of each group. We cover the following groups, progressing from least to most complex, and point out where to find them in this book:
Simple invertebrates
are basic animals that have no backbone, including sponges, jellyfish, anemones, starfish, sea urchins, sand dollars, and a few different types of worms (yes, worms) that prefer the ocean over your lawn or garden. Wiggle over to
Chapter 9
for more in simple invertebrates.
Mollusks
(covered in
Chapter 10
) are soft-bodied invertebrates, most of which have recognizable shells but some of which don’t. You may know them better as snails, slugs, clams, oysters, mussels, octopus, and squid. And some of these are colossal.
Crustaceans
(
Chapter 11
) are more advanced invertebrates with hard external skeletons, such as crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and krill. Just think “crusty,” like a good baguette: hard on the outside, soft on the inside.
Fish (bony and not)
comprise the first group of vertebrates (animals with a backbone or something like it). You usually know a fish when you see one — most have a head and tail, fins, gills, and scales. We break them down into two groups:
cartilaginous
(the real softies, as in soft-boned) such as sharks and rays, and
bony
(hard boned, that is) which includes just about everyone else, such as tuna, salmon, and cod. Swim over to
Chapter 12
for more details.
Reptiles
(chillin’ in
Chapter 13
) are scaly, cold-blooded, air-breathing vertebrates that lay soft eggs on land or give birth to live young. The ocean is home to only a handful of reptiles, including sea turtles, marine iguanas, saltwater crocodiles, and a few species of sea snakes (the latter of which you really don’t want on your airplane).
Birds
are warm-blooded, air-breathing vertebrates with two legs, two wings, feathers, and a beak. Most fly, though some, such as the penguin, don’t. Most marine birds have special adaptations, such as the ability to secrete salt, oily wings to keep them from getting waterlogged, and webbed feet. Some have solid bones that enable them to dive more easily. Seabirds that dive-bomb their prey are even equipped with internal airbags to cushion their crash landings. In
Chapter 14
, we divide marine birds into two groups — seabirds, which spend most of their time on or flying over the ocean, and shorebirds, which spend most of their time on or near land or wading in the shallows of estuaries or marshes.
Mammals
(covered in
Chapter 15
