All Flashcards
What are the effects of high BOD on aquatic life?
Low DO levels can lead to hypoxia or anoxia, harming or killing aquatic organisms.
What are the environmental consequences of oil spills?
Death of wildlife, damage to ecosystems, and harm to fisheries.
How does fertilizer runoff impact aquatic ecosystems?
It increases nutrient levels, potentially leading to eutrophication and decreased DO.
What is the effect of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico?
Killed wildlife, damaged fisheries, and negatively impacted tourism.
What are the effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill?
Oiled coastlines, killed animals, and hurt the local economy.
How do scientists monitor water quality?
By measuring dissolved oxygen (DO), nutrient levels, and disease-causing organisms/toxins.
Describe the cleanup process of oil spills.
Involves chemical dispersants and controlled burns, which release carbon into the atmosphere.
What is the Zone of Tolerance?
The range of conditions where an organism can survive and thrive.
What are indicator species?
Species sensitive to environmental changes, used to assess ecosystem health.
What is Dissolved Oxygen (DO)?
The amount of oxygen present in water, crucial for aquatic life.
What is Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)?
The amount of oxygen needed by organisms to decompose organic waste.
Define hypoxic.
An environment with low oxygen levels.
Define anoxic.
An environment with no oxygen.
What is the Oxygen Sag Curve?
A graph showing how DO levels change downstream from a pollution source.
Define nonpoint source pollution.
Pollution that comes from many diffuse sources, rather than a single identifiable location.
What are chemical dispersants?
Chemicals used to break down oil into smaller droplets for easier dispersion.