1. Introduction to Oceans Mrs. Spicer

2. What is Oceanography?  A scientific study of the oceans  Covers a wide range of disciplines such as: biology, chemistry, geology, physics, mathematics and engineering.

3. The science of:   understanding oceans   how they work   how they began   how they affect us   the creatures that live in them   how they may be impacted by changes caused by human influences

4. Why study Oceanography?   The ocean represents different things to different people. Examples… – –Careers (fisherman) – –Food Source (Fishing and aquaculture) – –Oil and Gas Exploration (hydrocarbons) – –Transportation – –Recreation – –Tidal Power (Alternative energy source) – –Water supply – –Minerals (coals, magnesium, iron etc) – –Habitation (cruise ships, house boats etc) – –Dangers (Tsunamis, storm surges, property)

5. Vocabulary   Ocean - a large body of salt water constituting a principal part of the Earth   Sea - a large body of salty water that is often connected to an ocean. It may be partly or completely surrounded by land.   Bay - an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf

6.   Gulf - an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land; larger than a bay   Strait - a navigable channel of water that connects two larger bodies of water   Channel - a passage for water (or other fluids) to flow through. Usually man- made.

7.  River - a large, flowing body of water that usually empties into a sea or ocean.  Lake - a large body of water surrounded by land on all sides. Really large lakes are often called seas.

8. Ocean Facts Let’s look at some facts about the oceans! Your Task: Read “Ocean Planet: Oceanographic Facts” sheet and answer the questions that follow.