An image of a fish

Lesson 2 - The Water Planet

Introduction

In this lesson you will study the environmental setting in which marine life is found. This will include the interactions between organisms and the physical and chemical environment. We will emphasize the challenges that marine organisms face living in the ocean.
 
Getting Started Marine organisms spend their lives bathed in water. Their surroundings are dramatically different from ours. The basic physical and chemical characteristics of seawater are unique. These properties have strongly influenced the course of evolution in the sea. Modern marine organisms are highly adapted to life in a liquid world. To better understand the forces that have shaped marine life, compare the marine environment to the one in which you live.

The challenges to survival in the marine environment are different from those on land. The ways by which marine organisms meet these challenges are often unique. Their body functions are designed to work well in their environment. To become more aware of the problems and solutions of living in the sea, you can identify potential challenges to life and investigate the ways in which a particular species overcomes them.

One of the greatest challenges faced by organisms is the creation of offspring. Marine organisms have evolved a variety of ways to produce the next generation. Some marine organisms reproduce entirely asexually while others reproduce entirely sexually. Still others are capable of both asexual and sexual reproduction. This sometimes leads to a reproductive strategy that utilizes the advantages of both types of processes.



Focus on Learning

 

Use the course competencies listed below to focus your learning and use the lesson objectives to sharpen that focus.
 
Competencies By the end of the lesson , you should be able to:

  1. Compare and contrast the physical, and chemical aspects of the ocean environment.
  2. List the properties of seawater and explain how seawater is a complex solution.
  3. Describe in general the ways in which marine organisms reproduce.
 
Objectives

To master the competencies, you should be able to:

  1. Describe how the marine environment is unique physically and chemically.
  2. Relate the constancy of sea temperatures to the heat capacity of water.
  3. Relate the buoyancy of an object in the ocean to its density relative to the density of seawater.
  4. Associate the depth in the ocean with the amount of pressure exerted by the water and the amount of ambient light.
  5. Explain the way in which the concentration of gasses and salts in a marine creature's body is like that of the surrounding seawater.
  6. Compare and contrast asexual and sexual forms of reproduction.


Reading Assignments
Reading Assignment Reading is a very important component of an internet course. Read the assigned pages from your textbook and coloring book before proceeding to the Instruction section.
   
Textbook Read the Assignments in Castro and Huber's Marine Biology Textbook:
2.1 Seawater: Chapter 3
2.2 Essentials of life: Chapter 4
   
Coloring Book Read the Assignments in Niesen's Marine Biology Coloring Book:
2.1 Seawater: None
2.2 Essentials of life: Plates 74 to 90
   
Complete the optional Reading Self Test after completing the reading assignments. Have your textbook open as you work on it. The self test is a warm up for the reading quiz that follows.
   
Reading Self Test
Log-in to BlackBoard and navigate to the Reading Self Test located in the Lesson Folder within Course Content:
Reading Self Test 2 The Water Planet
 



Instruction

Complete the Lecture Exercise below. The lecture exercise consists of two sets of online notes and a notes self test.
   
Study the online notes. Have your books and notebook open as you work on them. Add the information you find in the notes to your notebook or print them and add them to your notebook. The notes can be opened when completing the self test and quiz. The information you find in these notes is very helpful when completing the graded notes quiz when assessing your learning below.
   
Online Notes
Read the Online Notes by Clicking the Links Below:
Notes 2.1 Seawater
Notes 2.2 The Essentials of Life
   
Complete the optional Notes Self Test after studying the online notes. Have the online notes, your books and notebook open as you work on it. The self test is a warm up for the note quiz that follows.
   
Notes Self Test
Log-in to BlackBoard and navigate to the Notes Self Test located in the Lesson Folder within Course Content:
Notes: Self Test 2 The Water Planet
   
Complete the Laboratory Exercise below. The laboratory exercise consists of four lab activities and a lab self test.
   
Complete the Lab Activities. Have your books and notebook open as you work on them. Add the information you find in the lab activities to your notebook. The information in these activities is very helpful when completing the graded lab quiz when assesing your learning below.
   
Lab Activities
Complete the Lab Activities by Clicking the Links Below:
Lab Activity 2.1 Responses to Changes in Temperature
Lab Activity 2.2 Responses to Changes in Salinity
Lab Activity 2.3 Asexual Reproduction
Lab Activity 2.4 Sexual Reproduction
   
Complete the optional Lab Self Test after completing the lab activities. Have the online lab activities, your books and notebook open as you work on it. The self test is a warm up for the lab quiz that follows.
   
Lab Self Test
Log-in to BlackBoard and navigate to the Lab Self Test located in the Lesson Folder within Course Content:
Lab Self Test 2 Responses and Reproduction



Assess Your Learning

It's time to assess what you have learned from the online notes. The following Reading Quiz is a graded assignment. Have your textbook open as you work on it. Be sure to submit your work when you complete it. Good luck!
   
Reading Quiz
Log-in to BlackBoard and navigate to the Reading Quiz located in the Lesson Folder within Course Content:
Reading Quiz 2 The Water Planet
   
It's time to assess what you have learned from the online notes. The following Note Quiz is a graded assignment. Have your books and notebook open as you work on it. Be sure to submit your work when you complete it. Good luck!
   
Notes Quiz
Log-in to BlackBoard and navigate to the Notes Quiz located in the Lesson Folder within Course Content:
Notes Quiz 2 The Water Planet
   
It's time to assess what you have learned from your lab activities. The following Lab Quiz is a graded assignment. Have your books and notebook open as you work on it. Be sure to submit your work when you complete it. Good luck!
   
Lab Quiz
Log-in to BlackBoard and navigate to the Lab Quiz located in the Lesson Folder within Course Content:
Lab Quiz 2 Responses and Reproduction



Express Your Learning

It's time to think about the big picture and express what you have learned in this lesson. The following Essay Quiz is a graded assignment. Feel free to draw upon any of the work you have already done. Be sure to submit your essay quiz when you complete it. Good luck!
   
Essay Quiz
Log-in to BlackBoard and navigate to the Essay Quiz located in the Lesson Folder within Course Content:
Essay Quiz 2 The Water Planet



Related Web Sites

Here is a video and a website that I like in case you'd like to pursue this topic on the internet:

A Sea Biscuit's Early Life
Sea Urchin's Path of Development

Have You Met The Objectives For This Lesson?